Primary textDaf 52b (דַּף נ״ב ע״ב)

Daf 52b (דַּף נ״ב ע״ב)

Its explanation is: from these four Heikhalot [Palaces] (וְהַסּוֹד הוּא מֵאֵלּוּ הָאַרְבָּעָה הֵיכָלוֹת), namely the Heikhal [Palace] of Ahavah [Love], in which the Name Havayah shines, called Ruach [Spirit] (שֶׁהֵם הֵיכַל אַהֲבָה שֶׁמֵּאִיר בּוֹ שֵׁם יהו״ה הַנִּקְרָא רוּחַ), and it subdues the storm wind of impurity (וְהוּא כּוֹפֶה הָרוּחַ סְעָרָה שֶׁל הַטֻּמְאָה), but it accomplishes nothing except through the mystery of the Holy Covenant, called Shaddai (אֲבָל לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה <דָּבָר> אֶלָּא בְּסוֹד הַבְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ הַנִּקְרָא שַׁדַּי), for the Body and the Covenant are reckoned as one (כִּי גוּף וּבְרִית <חָשְׁבִין חַד), and everything is through the two Supports (דְּהַכֹּל הוּא ע״י הַתְּרֵין סַמְכִין), which are the two Keruvim [Cherubs], called Tzevaot (הֵם תְּרֵין כְּרוּבִין הַנִּקְרָאִים צְבָאוֹת), and they are Netzach and Hod, the two halves of the body (וְהֵם נֵצַח וְהוֹד תְּרֵי פַּלְגֵי דְגוּפָא), including the Covenant within themselves (וְהֵם כּוֹלְלִים הַבְּרִית אֲלֵיהֶם), for they extend farther downward and are more revealed (כִּי הֵם יוֹתֵר אֲרוּכִּים לְמַטָּה וּמִתְגַּלִּים יוֹתֵר), and everything is accomplished through the Zivug [Union] of Ahavah Rabbah [Great Love] with Ahavah Zuta [Lesser Love] (וְהַכֹּל הוּא ע״י זִוּוּג אַהֲבָה רַבָּה בְּאַהֲבָה זוּטָא), and two times Ahavah [Love] equals the Name Havayah (וּב׳ פְּעָמִים אַהֲבָה הוּא שֵׁם יהו״ה), and it consists of four words, including the Zivug [Union] of Abba and Imma, and Ze'ir Anpin and Nukvah (וְהוּא ד׳ תֵּבוֹת הַכּוֹלֵל זִוּוּג אַבָּא וְאִמָּא וּזְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), which is the mystery of the fourfold combination of the three Names of Unification (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד אַרְבַּע שָׁלֹשׁ שֵׁמוֹת הַיִּחוּד), namely Havayah, Ehyeh, and Adonai (שֶׁהֵם הוי״ה וְאֶהְיֶה וַאֲדֹנָי), and when they are interwoven they comprise twelve letters (כְּשֶׁהֵם מְשֻׁלָּבִים הֵם י״ב אוֹתִיּוֹת), and this is the Name which the Ari mentions in the Likkutim [Collected Teachings] (וְזֶהוּ הַשֵּׁם שֶׁאוֹמֵר הָאֲרִ״י בַּלִּמּוּדִים), which Rashi, of blessed memory, did not know (שֶׁרַשִׁ״י ז״ל לֹא יָדַע אוֹתוֹ), and its mystery is that Havayah is in Abba and Ze'ir Anpin (וְסוֹדוֹ הוּא הוי״ה הִיא בְּאַבָּא וּזְעֵיר), Ehyeh is in Imma (וְאֶהְיֶה בְּאִמָּא), and Adonai is in Nukvah (וַאֲדֹנָי בְּנוּקְבֵיהּ). And when Eliyahu stood in the cave (וּכְשֶׁעָמַד אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּמְּעָרָה), that is, when the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed upon him to rectify the cave (פּ׳ כְּשֶׁגָּזַר עָלָיו הַקָּבָּ״ה לְתַקֵּן הַמְּעָרָה), which is the mystery of Asiyah (הִיא סוֹד עֲשִׂיָּה), namely the Cave of Machpelah (שֶׁהִיא מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה), in the mystery of the seven Heikhalot [Palaces] of Gan Eden of Asiyah and the seven compartments of Yetzirah (בְּסוֹד ז׳ הֵיכְלֵי גַּן עֵדֶן דַּעֲשִׂיָּה וְז׳ מְדוֹרִין דִּיצִירָה), therefore it is called Machpelah [Doubled] (וְזֶהוּ נִקְרָא כְּפוּלָה), because they are interwoven one within another (וּמְעוּרִים זֶה בְּתוֹךְ זֶה), chamber within chamber, chamber within chamber, and compartment within compartment (חֶדֶר לִפְנִים מֵחֶדֶר לִפְנִים מֵחֶדֶר וּמָדוֹר לִפְנִים מִמָּדוֹר), and the rectification of Asiyah is to sweeten its Judgments through Sandalphon, namely Eliyahu (וְתִקּוּן הָעֲשִׂיָּה הוּא לְמַתֵּק דִּינֶיהָ ע״י סַנְדַּלְפוֹן הוּא אֵלִיָּהוּ), and its Judgments are “two hundred for those who guard its fruit” (וְהַדִּינִים שֶׁלּוֹ הֵם מָאתַיִם לַנּוֹטְרִים אֶת פִּרְיוֹ) (Song of Songs 8:12), which is Elohim in its squared form, whose numerical value is two hundred (שֶׁהוּא אֱלֹהִים בְּרִבּוּעוֹ הָעוֹלֶה מָאתַיִם), and from it are made two hundred worlds of yearning (וְנַעֲשִׂים מִמֶּנּוּ מָאתָן עָלְמִין דְּכִסּוּפִין), and together with its five letters it equals Har [Mountain] (וְעִם ה׳ אוֹתִיּוֹתָיו עוֹלֶה הַ״ר), and Eliyahu takes the sweetening from the Zivug [Union] of the two Names, M"H and Adnut (וְאֵלִיָּהוּ לוֹקֵחַ הַמִּתּוּק מִן הַזִּוּוּג שֶׁל הַשְּׁתֵּי שֵׁמוֹת מ״ה וַאֲדְנוּ״ת), namely Ze'ir Anpin and Nukvah (הוּא זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), whose numerical value is Am [People] (הוּא בְּגִי׳ עַ״ם), in summary (כְּלַל הַדְּבָרִים), Am [People] and Har [Mountain] form the letters of Me'arah [Cave] (עַ״ם וְהַ״ר הוּא אוֹתִיּוֹת מְעָרָה), and likewise the Cave is the mystery of the Yesod [Foundation] of the Malkhut dwelling in the Ofan [Wheel] (וְגַם מְעָרָה הוּא סוֹד יְסוֹד דְּמַלְכוּת הַמְקַנֶּנֶת בְּאוֹפַן), gathering the sparks of purity through its hairs (וּמְלַקֶּטֶת נִיצוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה בִּשְׂעָרוֹת שֶׁלָּהּ), which are the aforementioned Elohim (שֶׁהֵם אֱלֹהִים הַנִּזְכָּר), and Imma lends from herself to her daughter (וְאִמָּא מְקַנֶּנֶת אוֹזִיפַת מִנָּהּ לְבַרְתָּא).