Daf 27a (דַּף כ״ז ע״א)

And because of this Rabbi Akiva said to his disciples (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר רִבִּי עֲקִיבָא לְתַלְמִידוֹי). When you reach the pure marble stones do not say: water, water (כְּשֶׁתַּגִּיעוּ לַאֲבָנֵי שַׁיִשׁ טָהוֹר אַל תֹּאמְרוּ מַיִם מַיִם). Do not take pure marble stones (לָא תְּהַווּ שְׁקִילִין אַבְנֵי שַׁיִשׁ טָהוֹר). Some say: these are the two Yods of Vayyitzer, supernal Chokhmah and lower Chokhmah (נ״א דְּאַנּוּן בּ' יוּדִין דְּוַיִּיצֶר חָכְמָה עִלָּאָה וְחָכְמָה תַּתָּאָה). Do not exchange them for other stones, which are life and death (לְאַבְנִין אַחֲרָנִין דְּאַנּוּן חַיֵּי וּמוֹתָא). As it is said: “The heart of the wise is to his right, and the heart of the fool to his left” (Ecclesiastes 10) (דְּמִתַּמָּן לֵב חָכָם לִימִינוֹ וְלֵב כְּסִיל לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ). And not only this, but you endanger yourselves (וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא אֲתוּן תִּסְתַּכְּנוּן גַּרְמֵיכוֹן). Because these, of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, are in separation (בְּגִין דְּאִלֵּין דְּעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע אַנּוּן בִּפְרוּדָא). But the pure marble stones are in unification without separation at all (וַאֲבָנֵי שַׁיִשׁ טָהוֹר אַנּוּן בְּיִחוּדָא בְּלָא פֵּירוּדָא כְּלָל). And if you say: the Tree of Life departed from them, and they fell, and there is separation between them (וְאִי תֵּימְרוּן דְּהָא אִסְתַּלֵּק עֵץ הַחַיִּים מִנַּיְיהוּ וְנָפְלוּ וְאִית פֵּירוּדָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ). “He who speaks lies shall not be established before My eyes” (Psalms 101) (דּוֹבֵר שְׁקָרִים לֹא יִכּוֹן לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי). For there is no separation above (דְּהָא לֵית תַּמָּן פֵּירוּדָא לְעֵילָא). For these that were broken, from them it was (דְּאִלֵּין דְּאִתְבָּרוּ מֵאַנּוּן הֲווּ). They came to kiss it, and the Vav flew and departed from them (אֲתוּ לְנַשְּׁקָא לֵיהּ פָּרַח וְאִסְתַּלֵּק מִנַּיְיהוּ).

Another matter: “And a river went out of Eden” (Bereshit 2) (דָּבָר אַחֵר וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן). Surely above, in the Tree of Life, there are no foreign Klippin (בְּוַדַּאי לְעֵילָא בְּעֵץ חַיִּים תַּמָּן לֵית קְלִיפִּין נוּכְרָאִין). As it is written: “Evil shall not sojourn with You” (Psalms 5) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב לֹא יְגוּרְךָ רָע). But in the lower tree, there are foreign Klippin indeed (אֲבָל בְּעֵץ דִּלְתַתָּא אִית קְלִיפִּין נוּכְרָאִין וַדַּאי). And it is planted in the Garden of Eden of Ze‘ir Anpin (וְאִיהוּ נָטוּעַ בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן דִּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין). That is Enoch, Metatron, of the Garden of Eden above (דְּאִיהוּ חֲנוֹךְ מְטַטְרוֹן דְּגַן עֵדֶן דִּלְעֵילָא). For Kudsha Berikh Hu—there is no nakedness there, no twisting or crookedness (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לֵית תַּמָּן עַרְטוּמָא לְמֶהֱוֵי תַּמָּן נִפְתָּל וְעִקֵּשׁ). And therefore: “And a river went out…”—I can say, in Metatron, it goes out of Eden, from his delight (וּבְגִין דָּא וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא וְגו׳ וְיָכִילְנָא לְמֵימַר בְּמֶטַטְרוֹן יוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן מֵעִדּוּן דִּילֵיהּ). “To water the garden” — his garden, the Pardes (לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן גַּן דִּילֵיהּ פַּרְדֵּס). There entered Ben ‘Azai, Ben Zoma, and Elisha (דִּילֵיהּ דְּתַמָּן עָאלוּ בֶּן עֲזַאי וּבֶן זוֹמָא וְאֱלִישָׁע). And its Klippin are from the side of good and the side of evil (וּקְלִיפִּין דִּילֵיהּ מִסִּטְרָא דָא טוֹ״ב וּמִסִּטְרָא דָא רַע). And this is prohibition and permission, kosher and invalid, impurity and purity (וְדָא אִסּוּר וְהֶתֵּר כָּשֵׁר וּפָסוּל טוּמְאָה וְטָהֳרָה).

Sava arose and said: Rabbi, Rabbi, so it is indeed (קָם חַד סָבָא וְאָמַר רִבִּי רִבִּי הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי). But it is not called Tree of Life (אֲבָל עֵץ חַיִּים לָא אִתְקְרֵי אִיהוּ). Rather, so it is, the secret of the matter: “Vayyitzer”—one formation of good and one formation of evil (אֶלָּא הָכִי הוּא רָזָא דְּמִלָּה וַיִּיצֶר חַד יְצִירָה דְּטוֹב וְחַד יְצִירָה דְּרָע). This is the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil (דָּא אִיהוּ עֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע). This tree is the small Adam—on the side of life from it, and on the side of death from it (עֵץ דָּא אָדָם זְעֵירָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּחַיִּים מִנֵּיהּ וּמִסִּטְרָא דְמוֹתָא מִנֵּיהּ). There are his two formations, which are prohibition and permission (תַּמָּן ב' יְצִירוֹת דִּילֵיהּ דְּאִנּוּן אִסּוּר וְהֶתֵּר). Of him it is said: “And Hashem Elohim formed man of the dust of the ground” (Bereshit 2) (וְעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמָר וַיִּיצֶר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה). “And He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Bereshit 2) (וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים). This is the supernal Shekhinta (דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה). Eden is teshuva (עֵדֶן תְּיוּבְתָּא). Of her it is said: “And the Tree of Life was in the midst of the garden” (Bereshit 2) (וְעֲלָהּ אִתְּמָר וְעֵץ הַחַיִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן). This is the middle pillar (דָּא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). The garden is the lower Shekhinta (הַגַּ״ן שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה). Three bondings are Neshama, Ruach, Nefesh with it (תְּלַת קְטִירִין אִנּוּן נִשְׁמָתָא רוּחָא נַפְשָׁא לְגַבֵּיהּ). And with them: “And man became a living soul” (Bereshit 2) (וּבְהוֹן וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה). From His very mouth is called Shekhinta, which is Neshmat Ḥayyim (דְּאִיהוּ מִפִּיו מַמָּשׁ אִתְקְרֵי לִשְׁכִינְתָּא דְּאִיהִי נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים). Immediately, when these words were spoken, they ascended above (מִיָּד דְּאָמַר מִלִּין אִלֵּין סָלִיק לְעֵילָא).

Rabbi Shimon said: Friends, surely it was an angel (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן חַבְרַיָּיא בְּוַדַּאי מַלְאֲכָא הֲוָה). And surely we have support from every side (וּבְוַדַּאי סָמִיךְ אִית לָנָא מִכָּל אֲתַר). He opened the verse after it: “And Hashem Elohim took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden…” (Bereshit 2) (פָּתַח קְרָא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וַיִּקַּח יְיָ אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּיחֵהוּ בְּגַן עֵדֶן וְגו׳). “And He took”—from where did He take him? (וַיִּקַּח מֵאָן נָטִיל לֵיהּ). Rather He took him from the four foundations (אֶלָּא נָטִיל לֵיהּ מֵד' יְסוֹדִין). Of which it is said: “And from there it separated and became four heads” (Bereshit 2) (דְּאִתְּמָר בְּהוֹן וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד וְהָיָה לְאַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים). He separated him from them and set him in the Garden of Eden (אַפְרִישׁ לֵיהּ מִנְּהוֹן וְשַׁוֵּי לֵיהּ בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן). In this manner Kudsha Berikh Hu acts with man who is created from four foundations (כְּגַוְונָא דָא יַעֲבֵד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְבַר נָשׁ דְּאִתְבְּרֵי מֵד' יְסוֹדִין). When he returns in teshuvah and engages in Orayta (בְּזִמְנָא דְתָב בִּתְיוּבְתָּא וּמִתְעַסֵּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא).

Kudsha Berikh Hu takes him from there (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיל לֵיהּ מִתַּמָּן). Of him it is said: “And from there it separated” (וְעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמָר וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד). He separates his soul from their desire and sets him in His Garden, which is the Shekhinta (אַפְרִישׁ נַפְשֵׁיהּ מִתַּאֲוָה דִּילְהוֹן וְשַׁוֵּי לֵיהּ בְּגִנְתָּא דִילֵיהּ דְּאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא). To serve it with positive commandments (לְעָבְדָהּ בְּפִקּוּדִין דְּעֲשֵׂה). And to guard it with negative commandments (וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ בְּפִקּוּדִין דְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה). If he merits to guard her, he will be head over the four foundations (אִי זָכָה לְנַטְרָא לָהּ אִיהוּ יְהֵא רֵישָׁא עַל ד' יְסוֹדִין). And a river will be made, to water through him and not through another (וְאִתְעֲבִיד נָהָר דְּאִתְשַׁקְיָין עַל יָדֵיהּ וְלָא עַל יְדָא אַחֲרָא). And they shall be known in him that he is master and ruler over them (וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעִין בֵּיהּ דְּאִיהוּ רִבּוֹן וְשַׁלִּיט עֲלַיְיהוּ). And if he transgresses the Orayta, they are watered from the bitterness of the evil tree, which is the Evil inclination (וְאִי עָבַר עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְשַׁקְיָין מִמְּרִירוּ דְאִילָנָא דְּרַע דְּאִיהוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע). And of all the limbs, which are from the four foundations, it is said: “And they made their lives bitter” (Exodus 1) (וְכָל אֵבָרִין דְּאִנּוּן מֵד' יְסוֹדִין אִתְּמָר בְּהוֹן וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם וְגו׳). They embittered them with the bitterness of Marah (וַיְמָרְרוּ בִּמְרִירוּ דְּמָרָה). But regarding the holy limbs of the body, which are from the side of good, it is said: “And they came to Marah, and could not drink the waters of Marah” (Exodus 15) (וּלְגַבֵּי אֵבָרִין קַדִּישִׁין דְּגוּפָא דְּאִנּוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְטוֹב עֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמָר וַיָּבוֹאוּ מָרָתָה וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִמָּרָה וְגו׳).

In this manner the masters of the Mishnah said: “And they made their lives bitter”—with hard labor, with “kushya” (contradictions) (כְּגַוְונָא דָא אָמְרוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה בְּקוּשְׁיָא). “With mortar”—this is “kal vaḥomer” (fortiori inference) (בְּחוֹמֶר בְּקַל וָחוֹמֶר). “With bricks”—this is clarification of halakha (וּבִלְבֵנִים בְּלִבּוּן הִלְכְתָא). “With all manner of service in the field”—this is baraita (וּבְכָל עֲבוֹדָה בַּשָּׂדֶה דָּא בָּרַיְיתָא). “All their service…”—this is Mishnah (אֶת כָּל עֲבוֹדָתָם וְגו׳ דָּא מִשְׁנָה). If they repent in teshuva, it is said of them: “And Hashem showed him a tree” (Exodus 15) (אִם תַּיְיבִין בִּתְיוּבְתָּא אִתְּמָר בְּהוֹן וַיּוֹרֵהוּ ה' עֵץ). And this is the Tree of Life, and with it the waters were sweetened (וְדָא עֵץ חַיִּים וּבֵיהּ וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם). And this is Moshe, the Mashiach, of whom it is said: “and the staff of Elohim in his hand” (Exodus 17) (וְדָא משֶׁה מָשִׁיחַ דְּאִתְּמָר בֵּיהּ וּמַטֵּה הָאֱלֹהִים בְּיָדוֹ).

The Staff [Matteh]—this is Metatron; from his side is life, and from his side death (מַטֶּ״ה דָּא מְטַטְרוֹן מִסִּטְרֵיהּ חַיִּים וּמִסִּטְרֵיהּ מִיתָה). When turned to a staff, he is help from the side of good (כַּד אִתְהַפַּךְ לְמַטֶּה אִיהוּ עֵזֶר מִסִּטְרָא דְטוֹב). When turned to a serpent, he is against him (כַּד אִתְהַפַּךְ לְחִוְיָא אִיהוּ כְּנֶגְדוֹ). Immediately: “And Moshe fled from before it” (Exodus 4) (מִיָּד וַיָּנָס משֶׁה מִפָּנָיו).