Daf 5b (דַּף ה׳ ע״ב)

When there was not yet Elohim in the world (שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה אֱלֹהִים בָּעוֹלָם), namely the Ten Utterances (דְּהַיְנוּ הָעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת), of “And He said” (שֶׁל וַיֹּאמֶר), whose numerical value is two hundred and eighty (שֶׁהֵם עוֹלִים פ״ר), which is MNTZPKH (הוּא מנצפ״ך), as I have explained (כִּדְפָרֵשִׁית), they brought forth Elohim (הֵם הוֹצִיאוּ אֱלֹהִים), who are the servants (שֶׁהֵם הָעֲבָדִים), carrying out the Judgment (הַפּוֹעֲלִים הַדִּין), and the beginning of its creation (וְרֹאשׁ בְּרִיאָתוֹ), was in this Beginning (הָיְתָה בְּהָרֵאשִׁית הַזֹּאת), namely, in the Thought (דְּהַיְנוּ בְּהַמַּחֲשָׁבָה), of Chokhmah (שֶׁל הַחָכְמָה), to come and be revealed there as the first Elohim (לָבוֹא וּלְהִתְגַּלּוֹת שָׁם אֱלֹהִים הָרִאשׁוֹן), within this Beginning (שֶׁבְּהָרֵאשִׁית הַזֶּה). Therefore, the expression “And He said” was not written in the place of Bereshit (וְלָכֵן לֹא נִכְתַּב בִּמְקוֹם בְּרֵאשִׁית לְשׁוֹן וַיֹּאמֶר), for Thought is Chokhmah (כִּי הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה הִיא חָכְמָה), and is not revealed to such an extent (אֵינָהּ כָּל כָּךְ מִתְגַּלָּה), into the secret of Ma'amar [Utterance] (לְסוֹד מַאֲמָר), which is MNTZPKH (שֶׁהוּא מנצפ״ך), for it is hidden and concealed within it (וְהוּא גָּנוּז וְנֶעְלָם בְּתוֹכוֹ), because although it is divided into two Yod, Vavs (כִּי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנֶּחְלַק לִשְׁנֵי י״ו), nevertheless it is not divided into thirty-two parts (עַל כָּל זֹאת אֵינוֹ נֶחְלָק לְל״ב חֲלָקִים), until it comes into Abba (עַד שֶׁבָּא בְּאַבָּא), and in Ein it exists only in the secret of the numerical value of two Yod, Vavs, which equals thirty-two (וְאֵינוֹ בְּאֵין רַק בְּסוֹד חֶשְׁבּוֹן שְׁנֵי י״ו הֵם ל״ב). Nevertheless (וְעַל כָּל זֹאת), it is the first Ma'amar [Utterance] (הוּא מַאֲמָר קַדְמָאָה), cut within the Thought (הַנֶּחְתָּךְ בַּמַּחֲשָׁבָה), of the speech (שֶׁל הַדִּבּוּר), into the letters Elohim (בְּאוֹתִיּוֹת אֱלֹהִים), and since it had no servants (וְכֵיוָן שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ לוֹ עֲבָדִים), the camps of Elohim (הַמַּחֲנוֹת שֶׁל אֱלֹהִים), it was not necessary (לֹא הֻצְרַךְ), to say to Himself (לוֹמַר אֶל עַצְמוֹ), to make and reveal the first MNTZPKH (לַעֲשׂוֹת וּלְהִתְגַּלּוֹת המנצפ״ך הָרִאשׁוֹן), rather, the speech and the Ma'amar [Utterance] were within His Thought (רַק הַדִּבּוּר וְהַמַּאֲמָר הָיָה בְּהַמַּחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁלּוֹ), in the secret of remembrance (בְּסוֹד זְכִירָה), in the secret of “And Elohim remembered His covenant” (בְּסוֹד וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּרִיתוֹ) (Exodus 2:24). It is the open Eye (הוּא עֵינָא פְּקִיחָא), from which it shines (שֶׁמֵּאִיר מִמֶּנּוּ), and understand (וְהָבֵן).

“The wise shall shine like the Zohar of the Rakia [firmament], and those who bring the many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (הַמַּשְׂכִּלִים יַזְהִירוּ כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ וּמַצְדִּיקֵי הָרַבִּים כַּכּוֹכָבִים לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד) (Daniel 12:3). Its explanation is as follows (פֵּירוּשׁוֹ הוּא כָּךְ): Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, peace be upon him (הרשב״י ע״ה), was saying this concerning the profound secrets (הָיָה אוֹמֵר זֶה עַל סוֹדוֹת הַחֲמוּרִים), and to understand them (וּלְהָבִין אוֹתָם), it is necessary that there be enlightened ones (צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מַשְׂכִּילִים), and they are those who make wise (וְהֵם הַמַּחְכִּמִים), their disciples and their generation (אֶת תַּלְמִידֵיהֶם וְדוֹרָם), the masters of the secret (בַּעֲלֵי הַסּוֹד), in every generation (שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר). And the spark of Moshe also reincarnates in every generation (וְגַם נִיצוֹץ מֹשֶׁה מִתְגַּלְגֵּל בְּכָל דּוֹר), and so it says in Ra'aya Meheimna and in the Tikkunim (וְכֵן אוֹמֵר בְּרַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא וּבַתִּיקּוּנִים), “Who are the enlightened ones? These are Rabbi Shimon and his companions” (אוֹמֵר מָאן מַשְׂכִּילִים אִלֵּין ר׳ שִׁמְעוֹן וְחַבְרַיָּא), for they receive the Thirty-two Paths of Chokhmah (שֶׁהֵם מְקַבְּלִים ל״ב נְתִיבוֹת חָכְמָה), which are called the Paths of Intellect (הַנִּקְרָאִי שְׁבִילֵי הַשֵּׂכֶל), and they are the Gevurot (וְהֵם הַגְּבוּרוֹת), which are also called the enlightened ones (הַנִּקְרָאִי גַּם כֵּן מַשְׂכִּילִים), and they establish the intellect (וְהֵם הַמַּעֲמִידִים הַשֵּׂכֶל), in this Chokhmah (בַּחָכְמָה הַזֹּאת), which is Reisha d'Ein [the Head of Ein] (הִיא רֵישָׁא דְּאֵין), for the purpose of the Tikkun of the world (לְצֹרֶךְ תִּקּוּן הָעוֹלָם), so that human beings should not be able to receive more than their proper measure (כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יוּכְלוּ לְקַבֵּל יוֹתֵר מִכְּפִי שִׁעוּרָם). Human beings receive only intellect (הַבְּנֵי אָדָם הֵם מְקַבְּלִים שֵׂכֶל לְבַדָּם), each according to his soul and his attachment (כָּל אֶחָד כְּפִי נִשְׁמָתוֹ וּדְבֵקוּתוֹ), and likewise the angels receive only (וְגַם הַמַּלְאָכִים לְבַדָּם), that which the Attribute and Line of Judgment grants (מַה שֶׁמִּדַּת וְשׁוּרַת הַדִּין נוֹתֵן), and this is for the benefit of those below (וְהוּא לְטוֹבַת הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים). And they are the Gevurot (וְהֵם הַגְּבוּרוֹת), shining within Ze'ir Anpin (הַמִּתְנוֹצְצִים בִּזְעֵיר), which is called Rakia (הַנִּקְרָא רָקִיעַ), and it is the Written Torah (וְהוּא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב), and from it the Oral Torah receives (וּמִמֶּנּוּ מְקַבֶּל הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה), which is attached to it back-to-back (שֶׁהִיא דְּבוּקָה עִמּוֹ בְּגַב אֶחָד), and likewise the numerical value of “Rakia” is “Shekhinah” (וְכֵן גִּימַטְרִיָּא שֶׁל הָרָקִיעַ עוֹלֶה שְׁכִינָה). And the entire purpose of these sparks (וְכָל מְגַמַּת הַנִּיצוֹצוֹת הַלָּלוּ), is to give measure to the Torah (לָתֵת שִׁעוּר לַתּוֹרָה), and from this it is called “the Zohar of the Rakia [firmament]” (וּמִמֶּנּוּ נִקְרָא זֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ). And also “Zohar” has the numerical value of “Yare'ach [Moon]” (וְגַם זֹהַר גִּימַטְרִיָּא יָרֵ״ח), and it is Malkhut (וְהִיא מַלְכוּת), while Rakia is Ze'ir Anpin (וְרָקִיעַ הוּא זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין). Therefore Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, peace be upon him, prays (וְלָכֵן מִתְפַּלֵּל רשב״י ע״ה), that these enlightened ones (שֶׁהַמַּשְׂכִּילִים הַלָּלוּ), should gain understanding in this secret (יַשְׂכִּילוּ בַּסּוֹד הַזֶּה), which he will speak of afterward (שֶׁיֹּאמַר אַחַר כָּךְ), “like the Zohar of the Rakia [firmament]” (כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ), from which all the secrets come (שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ בָּאִים כָּל הַסּוֹדוֹת), contracted and delimited (מְקוּמָצִים וּמוּגְבָּלִים), in the language of allegory (בִּלְשׁוֹן מָשָׁל). And “those who bring the many to righteousness” (וּמַצְדִּיקֵי הָרַבִּים), are the disciples of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, peace be upon him, in every generation (הֵם תַּלְמִידֵי רשב״י ע״ה בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר), they are small in comparison (הֵם קְטַנִּים בְּעֶרְכּוֹ), and are called “stars” (וְנִקְרָאִים כּוֹכָבִים), receiving from the Moon (הַמְקַבְּלִים מִן הַלְּבָנָה), which receives from the Sun (שֶׁמְּקַבֶּלֶת מֵהַחַמָּה), and this is the secret of, “The face of Moshe was like the face of the Sun” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד פְּנֵי מֹשֶׁה כִּפְנֵי חַמָּה).