Daf 20b (דַּף כ׳ ע״ב)

iscourse Three: “And they that are wise shall shine,” according to the manner of the Movements (מַאֲמָר ג׳ וְהַמַּשְׂכִּלִים יַזְהִירוּ כְּגוַונָא דְּתְנוּעֵי). In order to understand this discourse (כְּדֵי לְהָבִין אֶת הַמַּאֲמָר הַזֶּה), we require a small introduction (צְרִיכִים אָנוּ לְמוֹדָעֵי הַקְדָּמָה קְטַנָּה), and it is this (וְהִיא זֹאת): It is known to everyone who enters the gate of this wisdom (יָדוּעַ לְכָל נִכְנָס שַׁעַר הַחָכְמָה הַזֹּאת), the mystery of Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] (סוֹד מַיִין נוּקְבִין), which the Tzaddikim raise through their good deeds (שֶׁמַּעֲלִים הַצַּדִּיקִים בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הַטּוֹבִים), and by this they give power to Eliyahu, who is Sandalphon and Metatron (וּבָזֶה נוֹתְנִים כֹּחַ לְאֵלִיָּהוּ הוּא סַנְדַּלְפוֹן וּמַטַּטְרוֹן), to record the merits of Yisrael (לִכְתֹּב זְכֻיּוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל), and the writing is the mystery of Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] (וְהַכְּתִיבָה הוּא סוֹד מַיִין נוּקְבִין), in the mystery of, “And Rabbi Abba shall write” (בְּסוֹד וְרַבִּי אַבָּא יִכְתֹּב). And through this power (וּבְכֹחַ זֶה), the angels are gathered (מְלַקְּטִים הַמַּלְאָכִים), who are from the side of the souls of the Children of Yisrael (שֶׁהֵם מִצַּד נִשְׁמוֹת עִם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), who also are six hundred thousand (אֲשֶׁר גַּם הֵם שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא), for every angel has a Tzaddik assisting him (כִּי כָּל מַלְאָךְ יֵשׁ לוֹ צַדִּיק הַמְסַיְּעוֹ), in the mystery of, “Hashem Tzeva’ot is with us” (בְּסוֹד ה׳ צְבָאוֹת עִמָּנוּ) (Psalms 46:8), through the awakening from below (בְּהִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַתַּחְתּוֹן), and this is accomplished only through the power (וְזֶה לֹא יֵעָשֶׂה אֶלָּא בְּכֹחַ), of the abundant flow of Atika, Abba, and Imma (שֶׁפַע הַחֶסֶד שֶׁל עַתִּיקָא וְאַבָּא וְאִימָא), in this mystery (בְּסוֹד הַזֶּה), “Behold, I come to you in the thickness of the cloud” (אָנֹכִי בָּא אֵלֶיךָ בְּעַב הֶעָנָן) (Exodus 19:9). The cloud (הֶעָנָן), of rain (שֶׁל מָטָר), descends (שֶׁהוּא יוֹרֵד), and afterward ascends (וְאַחַ״כ עוֹלֶה), and becomes Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] (וְנַעֲשֶׂה מַיִין נוּקְבִין), in the mystery of the Name of Forty-Two and Seventy-Two (בְּסוֹד שֵׁם מ״ב וְע״ב), joined together (הַמִּתְחַבְּרִים), in the mystery of Mayin Dukhrin [Masculine Waters] and Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] (בְּסוֹד מַיִין דּוּכְרִין וּמַיִין נוּקְבִין), as Rav Hamnuna Sava says in the Zohar Chadash, in the Tikkunim, regarding the mystery of prayer (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמֵר רַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא בַּזֹּהַר חָדָשׁ בַּתִּיקוּנִים עַל סוֹד הַתְּפִלָּה). Consequently, this cloud must descend and bring that good deed together with the prayer (וּמִמֵּילָא מוּכְרָח הֶעָנָן הַזֶּה לֵירֵד וּלְהָבִיא הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַטּוֹב הַהוּא עִם הַתְּפִלָּה), and through this power (וּבְכֹחַ זֶה), the letters of the Torah of Ze'ir are gathered (נִלְקָטִים אוֹתִיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁל זְעֵיר), which fell below and the letters adhered together (אֲשֶׁר נָפַל לְמַטָּה וְנִדְבְּקוּ הָאוֹתִיּוֹת). In the mystery of drops within the shattered vessels (בְּסוֹד טִפִּין בְּמָאנִין תְּבִירִין), and when they are gathered in the mystery of Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] (וּכְשֶׁנִּלְקָטִים בְּסוֹד מַיִין נוּקְבִין), by the power of the verse, “O God of vengeance, Hashem; O God of vengeance, shine forth” (בְּכֹחַ הַפָּסוּק אֵל נְקָמוֹת ה׳ אֵל נְקָמוֹת הוֹפִיעַ) (Psalms 94:1). And all the abundance coming from Atika (וְכָל הַשֶּׁפַע הַבָּא מֵעַתִּיקָא), is the mystery of the melody of the cantillation marks (הוּא סוֹד הַנִּגּוּן שֶׁל הַטְּעָמִים), which sweetens the side of the Levite (הַמְמַתֵּק צַד הַלֵּוִי), which is entirely Judgment, sorrow, and sighing (אֲשֶׁר כֻּלּוֹ דִּין וְיָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה), and therefore he must sing (וְלָכֵן צָרִיךְ לְשׁוֹרֵר), and he is also aroused by the song of the angels (וְגַם מִתְעוֹרֵר מֵחֲמַת הַשִּׁיר שֶׁל הַמַּלְאָכִים), who yearn to receive abundance from Atika, the mystery of the cantillation marks (הַחוֹשְׁקִים לְקַבֵּל שֶׁפַע מֵעַתִּיקָא סוֹד הַטְּעָמִים). And from Abba comes the mystery of the vowel points of the Sefer Torah (וּמֵאַבָּא בָּא סוֹד הַנְּקֻדּוֹת שֶׁל הַסּ״ת), and from Imma come the letters (וּמֵאִימָּא בָּאִים הָאוֹתִיּוֹת), and its mystery is (וְסוֹדוֹ הוּא), that our Sefer Torah contains neither vowel points, nor cantillation marks, nor letters, the mystery of Atika Kadisha, Abba, and Imma (כִּי הַסּ״ת שֶׁלָּנוּ אֵין בָּהּ נְקֻדּוֹת וּטְעָמִים וְאוֹתִיּוֹת סוֹד ע״ק וְאַבָּא וְאִימָּא), because it is truly in the likeness of Ze'ir Anpin, who fell (לִהְיוֹת כִּי הוּא מַמָּשׁ דּוּגְמַת זְעֵיר שֶׁנָּפַל), and we elevate him through our reading (וְאָנוּ מַעֲלִין אוֹתוֹ בִּקְרִיאָתֵנוּ), and make him Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] (וְעוֹשִׂים אוֹתוֹ מַיִין נוּקְבִין), for the Zivug [Union] of Abba, Imma, and Atika Kadisha (לְזִוּוּג אַבָּא וְאִימָּא וְעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא), and afterward the letters, the vowel points, and the cantillation marks are bestowed (וְנִשְׁפָּעִים אַחַ״כ הָאוֹתִיּוֹת וְהַנְּקֻדּוֹת וְהַטְּעָמִים), but in every case, the power of thought of the Ta'amim [Cantillation-Melodies] must first come to him (אֲבָל עַל כָּל פָּנִים מִקֹּדֶם יָבוֹא לוֹ כֹּחַ הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁל הַטְּעָמִים).