Daf 2b (דף ב ע״ב)

Bereshit (בְּרֵאשִׁית): Rav Hamnuna Sava said (רַב הַמְנוּנָא סְבָא אָמַר): "We have found letters in reverse (אַשְׁכְחָן אַתְוָון בְּהִפּוּכָא). Bet comes first, and afterward (בֵּי"ת בְּקַדְמִיתָא וּלְבָתָר). Bet at the beginning, that is 'Bereshit' (ב' בְּקַדְמִיתָא הַיְינוּ בְרֵאשִׁית). 'Bara' afterward (בְּרָא לִבְתָר). Aleph comes first, and afterward (אל"ף בְּקַדְמִיתָא וּלְבָתַר). Aleph at the beginning, that is Elohim (אל"ף בְּקַדְמִיתָא הֵיינוּ אֱלֹהִים). 'Et' afterward (אֶת לִבְתָר). But when Kudsha Berikh Hu desired to create the world (אֶלָּא כָּד בָּעָא קָדְשָׁא בְרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד עָלְמָא), all the letters were hidden (כָּל אֶתְוִון הֲווֹ סְתִימִין), and for two thousand years (וּתְרִין אִלְפִין שִׁנִין) until He created the world (עַד דְלָא בְרָא עָלְמָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu was contemplating and delighting in them" (הָוָה מִסְתַּכַּל קָדְשָׁא בְרִיךְ הוּא וְאַשְׁתַּעֲשַׁע בְּהוּ). When He desired to create the world (כד בְּעָא למברִי עָלְמָא), all the letters came before Him from their end to their beginning (אֶתוּ כָּל אַתְוָון קַמִּיהּ מִסּוֹפָא אֲרִישִׁייהוּ).

Tav began to enter first (שָׁרִיאַת אֶת ת למיעַל בְּרִישָׁא). She said (אָמְרָה): "Master of all worlds (רִבּוֹן עָלְמִין), is it pleasing before You (נִיחָא קַמָּךְ) to create the world with me (לְמִבִבְרֵי בִי עָלְמָא)? For I am the seal of Your signet ring (דְאֲנָא חוֹתָמָא דגוּשִׁפַּנְקָא דִילָךְ) 'Emet' (אַמַ"ת), and You are called 'Emet' (Truth) (וְאַתָּ אַתְקְרִיאַת אֶמֶ"ת). It is fitting for the King (יָאוֹת לְמַלְכָּא) (truth) (אֲמִת) to begin with the sign 'Emet' (Truth) (לְמִשְׁרִי באוֹת אַמ"ת) and to create the world with me" (וּלְמִבְרִי בִי עָלְמָא). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to her (אָמַר לָהּ קָדְשָׁא בְרִיךְ הוּא): "You are fitting and fortunate (יָאוֹת אַנְת וְזִכָּאָה אַנְתָּ), but you are not worthy to create the world with you (אֶלָּא לִית אַנְתָּ כְּדַאי לְמַבְרִי בָךְ עָלְמָא), since you are destined to be marked (הוֹאִיל וְאַנְתָּ זְמִינָא לְמַהֵוִי רָשִׁים) on the foreheads of faithful men (עַל מִצְחִין דָּגוּבְרִין מְהֵימְנִין) who kept Orayta from Aleph to Tav (דְּקִיימוּ אוֹרִיתָא מַאל"ף וְעַד תי"ו), and through your Reshimu they will die (וּבִרְשִׁימוּ דילָךְ ימותון). And furthermore (ועוֹד), you are the seal of death (דְּאַנְת חוֹתָמָא דְמָוֶת). Since you are thus (הוֹאִיל וְאַנְתָּ כָּךְ), you are not worthy to create the world with you" (לִית אַנְתָּ כְּדַאי לְמַבְרִי בָךְ עָלְמָא). Immediately she went forth (מִיָּד נָפְקַת).

The letter Shin entered before Him (עָאַלַת אֶת ש קַמֵיהּ), she said before Him (אָמְרָה קַמֵיהּ): Master of the worlds, it is pleasing before You to create the world through me (רַבּוֹן עָלְמִין, נִיחָא קִמָּךְ לְמַבְרֵי בִּי עָלְמָא), for with me Your Name is called Shaddai (דְּבִי אִתְקְרֵי שִׁמְךְ שֶׁדַּ"י), and it is fitting to create the world with the holy Name (וְיָאוֹת לְמַבְרֵי עָלְמָא בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). He said to her (אָמַר לָהּ): You are fitting (יְאוֹת אַנְתְּ), and good are you, and true are you (וְטַב אַנְתָּ וּקְשׁוֹט אַנְתְּ), but since the letters of falsehood take you to be among them (אֲבָל הוֹאִיל וְאֶתְוָון הִזִּיוּפָא נְטְלִין לָךְ לְמַהֲוֵי עַמְּהוֹן), I do not wish to create the world with you (לָא בְעֵינָא לְמִבְרֵי בָּךְ עָלְמָא), so that falsehood will not endure (דִּבְגִין דְּלָא יִתְקַיֵּים שִׁקְרָא)-unless Kuf and Resh are taken from you (אֶלָּא אִי יִטְּלוּן לָךְ ק ר).

From here, one who seeks to speak falsehood must take first the foundation of truth, and afterward establish the falsehood (מִכָּאן מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְמֵימַר שִׁקְרָא יִטּוֹל יְסוֹדָא דְקְשׁוֹט בְּקַדְמִיתָא וּלְבָתֵר יוֹקִים לֵיהּ שִׁקְרָא), for Et Shin is truth (דְּהָא אֶת שׁ אֶת קְשׁוֹט אִיהוּ), Et of truth, that of the patriarchs who were united in it (אֶת קְשׁוֹט דַּאֲבָהָתָן דְאִתְיִיחָדוּ בַהּ). Kuf Resh are letters seen on the side of evil (ק ר אֶתְוָון דְּאִתְחֲזִיאוּ עַל סִטְרָא בִישָׁא אִנּוּן), and in order to endure, they took Et Shin into themselves and it became Kesher (וּבְגִין לְאִתְקַיִּימָא נָטְלִי אֶת שׁ בְּגַוִוייהוּ וַהֲוִי קֶשֶׁר). When she saw this, she departed from before Him (כִּיוָן דְּחְמִאת הָכִי נָפְקַת מְקַמֵיהּ).

The letter Tzadi entered (עָאַלַת אֶת צ), she said before Him (אָמְרָה קַמֵיהּ): Master of the world, it is pleasing before You to create the world with me (רַבּוֹן עָלְמָא נִיחָא קִמָּךְ לְמִבְרֵי בִּי עָלְמָא), for I (Some say: for with me) the Tzaddikim are sealed (דְּאֲנָא (ס״א דְּבִּי) בִּי חֲתִימִין צִדִּיקִים), and You are called Tzaddik (וְאַנְתָּ דָּאתְקְרִיאַת צִדִּיק), with me is the inscription, as it is written (בִּי רְשִׁים דִּכְתִּיב): “For Hashem is righteous, He loves righteousness” (כִּי צַדִּיק יי צִדְקוֹת אָהֵב), and with me it is fitting to create the world (וּבִי יָאוֹת לְמִבְרֵי עָלְמָא).

He said to her (אָמַר לָהּ): Tzadi, you are Tzaddik (צַדִּי, צַדִּי אַנְתְּ), and righteous you are (וְצַדִּיק אַנְתְּ), but you must remain hidden (אֲבָל אַנְתָּ צְרִיךְ לְמֵהֵוִי טְמִירָא), you are not to be revealed so greatly (לִית אַנְתָּ צְרִיךְ לְאִתְגַּלּיָא כָּל כָּךְ), so as not to give an opening of speech to the world (בְּגִין דְּלָא לְמֵיהַב פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה לְעָלְמָא). What is the reason? (מְאִי טַעְמָא) The Yod of the Name of the holy covenant comes and rides upon her and becomes united with her (אִיהִי, אַתְיָא י׳ דִּשְׁמָא דִּבְרִית קַדִּישָׁא וְרָכִיב עֲלָהּ וְאִתְאֶחָד בַּהֲדָהּ).

And this is the Secret-when Kudsha Berikh Hu created Adam haRishon, He created him with two faces (וְרָזָא דָּא כַּד בְּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן – דוּ פַּרְצוּפִין בְּרָאוֹ). And because of this, the face of the Yod turns backward, like this form of the Tzadi (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אַנְפּוֹי דִּיו״ד מְהַדַּר לַאֲחוֹרָא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא צ), and their faces were not turned face-to-face, like this form of the Tzadi (וְלָא אִתְהַדּרוּ אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין כְּגַוְונָא דָּא צ).

It looks upward-like this form of the Tzadi (אִסְתִּכָּל לְעֵילָא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא צ), it looks downward-like this form of the Tzadi (אִסְתַּכָּלֶת לְתַתָּא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא צ). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to her (אָמַר לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): Good, for I am destined to guard you and to make you face-to-face (תוּב, דְּאֲנָא זַמִּין לְנַסְרָא לָךְ וּלְמַעְבַּד לָךְ אַפִּין בְּאַפִּין), but in another place you shall be elevated (אֲבָל בְּאַתְרָא אַחֲרָא תִּסְתִּלֵּק). She departed from before Him and went (נְפְקַת מִקַּמֵיהּ וְאֶזְלָת).

The letter Peh entered (עָאַלַת אֶת פ), she said before Him (אָמְרָה קְמֵיהּ): Master of the worlds, it is fitting before You to create the world through me (רַבּוֹן עָלְמִין גִיחָא קַמָּךְ לְמִבְרֵי בִּי עָלְמָא), for the redemption that You are destined to perform in the world is marked with me (דְּהָא פּוּרְקָנָא דְּאַנְתָּ זַמִּין לְמֵעֲבַּד בְּעָלְמָא בִּי רְשִׁים), and that is redemption (וְדָא הוּא פְּדוּת). And with me it is fitting to create the world (וּבִי יָאוֹת לְמִבְרֵי עָלְמָא).

He said to her (אָמַר לָהּ): You are fitting (יָאוֹת אַנְתְּ), but with you transgression is marked in concealment (אֲבָל בָּךְ אִתְרְשִׁים פַּשַּׁע בְּטִמְרוּ), like the serpent who strikes and then draws back his head within his body (כְּגַוְונָא דְּחִיוֹיָא דְּמָחֵי וְאָעִיל רֵישֵׁיהּ בֵּין גּוּפֵיהּ), so too, one who sins bends his head and stretches out his hands (הָכֵי מָאן דְּחָב כָּפִיף רֵישֵׁיהּ וְאַפִּיק יְדוֹי). And likewise Ayin for iniquity (וְכֵן ע עָוֹן), even though she said that there is humility in her (אַף עַל גָּב דְּאָמְרָה דְּאִית בֵּיהּ עֲנָוָה), Kudsha Berikh Hu said to her (אָמַר לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): The world shall not be created with you (לָא אִיבְרֵי בָּךְ עָלְמָא). She departed from before Him (נְפְקַת מְקַמֵּיהּ).