Daf 39b (דַּף ל״ט ע״ב)

The seventh palace (הֵיכָלָא שְׁבִיעָאָה), and this palace is hidden and sealed from all the other palaces (וְהַאי הֵיכָלָא אִיהוּ גָּנִיז וְסָתִים מִכָּל שְׁאָר הֵיכָלִין). In the center of this palace stands a single column (בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּהַאי הֵיכָלָא קָאִים חַד עַמּוּדָא), which is of many hues-green, white, red, black (דְּאִיהוּ בִּגְוָונִין סַגִּיאִין יָרוֹק חִוָּור סוּמָק אוּכָם). And when the Neshamot ascend, they enter this palace (וְכַד נִשְׁמָתִין סָלְקִין אִנּוּן עָאלִין גּוֹ הַאי הֵיכָלָא). Whoever appears before this color ascends by it (מָאן דְּאִתְחַזֵּי לְהַאי גַּוָּון סָלִיק בֵּיהּ), and whoever appears before that color ascends by it (וּמָאן דְּאִתְחַזֵּי לְהַאי גַּוָון סָלִיק בֵּיהּ), each one according to what is fitting for them (כָּל חַד וְחַד כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ). And these six palaces are for dwelling, as we said (וְאִלֵּין שִׁית הֵיכָלִין אִנּוּן לְמָדוֹרָא כִּדְאֲמָרָן). But the seventh is not for dwelling (וּשְׁבִיעָאָה לָאו אִיהוּ לְמָדוֹרָא). And the six are all in the secret of six (וְשִׁית כֹּלָּא בְּרָזָא דְשֵׁת). And for this reason it is written: “He created six” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב בָּרָא שִׁית). Six levels above, six levels below, and all is one mystery (שִׁית דַּרְגִּין לְעֵילָא שִׁית דַּרְגִּין לְתַתָּא וְכֹלָּא רָזָא חָדָא).

Come and see: “Bereshit” (תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּרֵאשִׁית). Rabbi Yehudah said: Two letters Bet there are (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר תְּרֵין בָּתִּין הֲווּ)-a first house and a second house (בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן וּבַיִת שֵׁנִי), this one above, and that one below (דָּא עִלָּאָה וְדָא תַּתָּאָה). Two Heh’s there are (תְּרֵין הֵהִי״ן אִנּוּן), this one above and that one below, and all are one (דָּא עִלָּאָה וְדָא תַּתָּאָה וְכֻלְהוּ חַד). The upper Bet opens gates to every side (ב׳ עִלָּאָה פָּתְחָא תַּרְעִין לְכָל סִטְרָא), for thus it is that one is included in the other (דְּהָכִי הוּא דְּכָלִיל דָּא בְּדָא). “Reishit” (רֵאשִׁית): then it is beginning for entering into the computation of the structure (כְּדֵין הוּא רֵאשִׁית לְאָעֳלָא בְּחוּשְׁבְּנָא דְבִנְיָנָא).

Rabbi Yitzchak said (רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר), Rabbi El'azar: Bereshit-this is the general form of the image (רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: בְּרֵאשִׁית דָּא כְּלָלָא דִּיוּקְנָא), Some say: of the image (ד״א דְּדִיוּקְנָא), in which all images are included within it (דְּכָל דִּיוּקְנִין כְּלִילָן בֵּיהּ). This is the secret of what is written (דָּא רָזָא דִכְתִיב), “Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Hashem” (Yechezkel 1) (הוּא מַרְאֶה דְּמוּת כְּבוֹד יְיָ), a vision in which six others were seen (חֵיזוּ דְּאִתְחַזּוּן בֵּיהּ שִׁית אָחֳרָנִין). And this is Bereshit bara sheet-“In the beginning He created six” (וְדָא הוּא בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא שִׁית).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), when these six colors enter into this vision (כַּד עָאלִין בְּהַאי חֵיזוּ שִׁית גְּוָונִין), she prepared the substance to show them (הִיא אַתְקִינַת גַּרְמָא לְאַחֲזָאָה לוֹן), and to perform in them the craftsmanship of the world (וּלְמִפְעַל בְּהוּ אוּמָנוּתָא דְעָלְמָא). And if you say that this craftsmanship of the world is from this level (וְאִי תֵימָא דְּהַאי אוּמָנוּתָא דְעָלְמָא מִדַּרְגָא דָא הוּא), it is written bara sheet-He created six (כְּתִיב בָּרָא שִׁית). The praise of the six is what performed the craftsmanship in this (שְׁבָחָא דְשִׁית אִיהוּ דְּעָבְדֵי אוּמָנוּתָא בְּהַאי).

Rabbi Yosei opened (רַבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח): The blossoms appeared in the land (הַנִּצָּנִים נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ), the time of the singing has come (עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ), and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land (וְקוֹל הַתּוֹר נִשְׁמַע בְּאַרְצֵנוּ). The blossoms (appeared in the land)-this is the secret of six levels (הַנִּצָּנִים [נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ] דָּא הוּא רָזָא דְשִׁית דַּרְגִּין), upon it-and she is the seventh (עֲלָהּ וְאִיהִי שְׁבִיעָאָה). And these are the six levels: the level of Avraham, and the level of Yitzchak, and the level of Ya'akov, and Yachin, and Boaz, and Yosef (וְאִלֵּין אִנּוּן שִׁיתּ דַּרְגִּין: דַּרְגָּא דְאַבְרָהָם, וְדַּרְגָּא דְיִצְחָק, וְדַּרְגָּא דְיַעֲקֹב, וְיָכִי״ן, וּבוֹעַ״ז, וְיוֹסֵ״ף), all of them were seen in the land (כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְחֲזוּ בְאַרְעָא), as it is written: appeared in the land (דִּכְתִיב נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ). In the land-this is the holy city of the Land of Yisrael (בָּאָרֶץ דָּא הִיא קַרְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא דְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל). Appeared in the land-because these forms are to be seen in this level (נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ, בְּגִין דְּאִנּוּן דִּיוּקְנִין לְאִתְחַזָּאָה בְּהַאי דַּרְגָּא). The time of the singing has come-for then there is praise and glorification (עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ, דְּהָא כְּדֵין מְשַׁבַּח וּמְהַדַּר), as you say (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): So that glory may sing to You and not be silent (לְמַעַן יְזַמֶּרְךָ כָבוֹד וְלֹא יִדּוֹם). And therefore it is called mizmor (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי מִזְמוֹר), as we have learned, that it is written mizmor leDavid-for the Shekhinta rested upon him first (כְּמָה דִּתְנִינָן דִּכְתִיב מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד דְּשָׁארֵית עֲלֵיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּרֵישָׁא). And this is the time of the singing has come (וְדָא הוּא עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ). Rabbi Hiyya said: For then the time has arrived to praise (רַבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר דְּהָא כְּדֵין מָטָא זִמְנָא לְשַׁבְּחָא).

Rabbi Abba said: The supernal world is hidden, and all its fullnesses are concealed (רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה סָתִים וְכָל מִלּוֹי סְתִימִין), because it stands in the supernal secret, the day of all days (בְּגִין דְּקַיְימָא בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה יוֹמָא דְּכָל יוֹמִין), the exaltation of all exaltations (רוֹמָא דְּכָל רוֹמִין). And when He created and brought forth, He brought forth these six (וְכַד בָּרָא וְאַפִּיק, אַפִּיק אִלֵּין שִׁית). And because He is the Hidden One, whose fullnesses are all concealed (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ סָתִים דְּכָל מִלּוֹי סְתִימִין), He said: Bereshit bara-He created six supernal days (אָמַר בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא שִׁית יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין). And He did not say who created them (וְלָא אָמַר מָאן בָּרָא לְהוֹן), because He is the concealed supernal world (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה סְתִימָא). And afterward it was revealed, and He said to us: the lower act (וּלְבָתַר גָּלֵי וְאָמַר לָן עֲבִידְתָּא תַּתָּאָה). And He said: Who created it? (וְאָמַר מָאן בְּרָא לֵיהּ), because it is a world that exists in revelation (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ עָלְמָא דְּקָיְימָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָיא). And He said: Elohim created the heavens and the earth (וְאָמַר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ). And it does not say: He created in concealment (וְלֹא כְּתִיב בָּרָא סָתִים), Some say: in the path of concealment (ד״א: בְּאָרַח סְתִים), He created the heavens (בָּרָא אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם), because it is a world in revelation (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ עָלְמָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא). And He said: Elohim created (וְאָמַר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים), Elohim-certainly, a name in revelation (אֱלֹהִים וַדַּאי שְׁמָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא). The first is in concealment, which is above (קַדְמָאָה בִּסְתִימָא דְּאִיהוּ עִלָּאָה). The lower is in revelation (תַּתָּאָה בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא), so that the work of Kudsha Berikh Hu should always be concealed and revealed (לְמֶהֱוֵי תָּדִיר עוֹבָדָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא סָתִים וְגַלְיָא). And the secret of the holy Name is likewise: concealed and revealed (וְרָזָא דִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא הָכִי הוּא סָתִים וְגַלְיָא). Et hashamayim-to elevate the heavens above to below (אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם לְאַסְגָּאָה שָׁמַיִם תַּתָּאֵי לְתַתָּא). Ve”et ha'aretz-to include the earth that is below (וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ לְאַכְלָלָא אֶרֶץ דִּלְתַתָּא), and to elevate all acts as above (וּלְאַסְגָּאָה [לְהָ] כָּל עוֹבָדָהָא כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא). And the earth was chaos and void-as we have said (וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן). And the earth-this is the supernal earth, which has no light of her own (וְהָאָרֶץ דָּא אֶרֶץ עִלָּאָה דְּלֵית לָהּ נְהוֹרָא מִגַּרְמָהּ). Was-in the beginning, already she existed properly (הָיְתָה, בְּקַדְמִיתָא כְּבָר הֲוַת כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). And now-chaos and void and darkness (וְהַשְׁתָּא תֹּהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ). Was-precisely (הָיְתָה דַּיְיקָא), after she diminished her own essence and diminished her light (לְבָתַר אַזְעִירַת גַּרְמָהּ וְאַזְעִירַת נְהוֹרָא). Chaos and void and darkness-the four elements of the world, which were completed within her (תֹּהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ וְרוּחַ אַרְבַּע יְסוֹדֵי עָלְמָא דְּאִשְׁתַּכְלְלוּ בָּהּ).