Daf 3a (דף ג ע״א)

The letter Samekh entered (עָאַלַת אֶת ס), she said before Him (אָמְרָה קַמֵּיהּ): Master of the worlds (רַבּוֹן עָלְמִין), it is fitting before You to create the world through me (נִיחָא קַמָּךְ לְמִבְרֵי בִּי עָלְמָא), for with me is support for the fallen, as it is written (דְּאִית בִּי סְמִיכָא לִנְפִילִין דִּכְתִּיב): “Hashem supports all who fall” (Psalms 145) (סוֹמֵךְ יי לְכָל הַנּוֹפְלִים). He said to her (אָמַר לָהּ): Because of this, you must remain in your place and not move from it (עַל דָּא אַנְתְּ צָרִיךְ לְאַתְרָךְ וְלָא תָזוּז מִנֵּיהּ), for if you leave your place, what will become of those who fall, since they lean upon you? (אִי אַתָּ נְפִיק מֵאַתְרָךְ מַה תְּהֵא עֲלֵיהוֹן דְּאִנּוּן נְפִילִין, הוֹאִיל וְאִנּוּן סְמִיכִין עָלָךְ). Immediately she departed from before Him (מִיָּד נָפְקַת מִקַּמֵּיהּ).

The letter Nun entered (עָאַלַת אֶת נ), she said before Him (אָמְרָה קַמֵיהּ): Master of the world, it is fitting before You to create the world through me (רִבּוֹן עָלְמָא, נִיחָא קַמָּךְ לְמִבְרֵי בִּי עָלְמָא), for with me it is written: “Awesome in praises” (דְּבִי כְּתִיב נוֹרָא תְּהִלּוֹת), and “Praise befits the righteous” (וּתְהִלָּה דְּצַדִּיקִים נָאוָה תְּהִלָּה). He said to her (אָמַר לָהּ): Nun, return to your place (נו״ן תּוּב לְאַתְרֵךְ), for because of you Samekh returned to her place, and became supported upon you (דְּהָא בְּגִינָךְ תְּבַת סִמ״ךְ לְאַתְרָהּ וַהֲוֵי סָמִיךְ עֲלָהּ). Immediately she returned to her place and departed from before Him (מִיָּד תְּבַת לְאַתְרָהּ וְנָפְקַת מִקַּמֵּיהּ).

The letter Mem entered (עָאַלַת אֶת מ), she said before Him (אָמְרָה קַמֵּיהּ): Master of the world, it is fitting before You to create the world through me (רִבּוֹן עָלְמָא, נִיחָא קַמָּךְ לְמִבְרֵי בִּי עָלְמָא), for with me You are called King (דְּבִי אִתְקְרִיאַת מֶלֶךְ). He said to her (אָמַר לָהּ): So it is, and indeed (הָכִי הוּא וַדָּאִי), but the world shall not be created with you (אֲבָל לָא אִבְרֵי בָּךְ עָלְמָא), because the world requires a king (בְּגִין דְּעָלְמָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֶלֶךְ). Return to your place-you, and Lamed and Kaf (תּוּב לְאַתְרָךְ, אַנְתָּ וְל וְךְ), for it is not fitting for the world to exist without a king (דְּהָא לָא יָאוֹת לְעָלְמָא לְמֵיקָם בְּלָא מֶלֶךְ).

At that moment, the letter Kaf descended from before Him (בְּהַהִיא שִׁעֲתָא נָחֲתָא מִן קָדְמוֹהִי אֶת כ), from above His throne of glory (מַעַל כָּרְסִי יְקְרֵיהּ), she trembled and said before Him (אַזְדַּעְזְעַת וְאָמְרָה קַמֵּיהּ): Master of the world, it is fitting before You to create the world through me (רַבּוֹן עָלְמָא, נִיחָא קַמָּךְ לְמִבְרֵי בִּי עָלְמָא), for I am Your glory (דְּאֲנָא כְּבוֹדָךְ). And when Kaf descended from above the throne of Hashem (וְכַד נְחָתִת כ מַעַל כַּרְסִי יְקֹוָקְרֵיהּ), a hundred thousand worlds trembled (אַזְדַּעְזְעוּ מְאֹתָן אֶלֶף עָלְמִין), and the Throne shuddered (וְאִזְדַּעְזֶע כַּרְסְיָּא), and all the worlds shook to fall (וְכָלָהוּ עָלְמִין אַזְדַּעְזְעוּ לְמִנְפַל). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to her (אָמַר לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): Kaf, Kaf (כְ״ף כְ״ף), what are you doing here? (מָה אִתְּ עָבִיד הָכָא), for the world shall not be created with you (דְּלָא אַבְרִי בָּךְ עָלְמָא). Return to your place, for in you is destruction heard, as it is written (תּוּב לְאַתְרֵךְ, דְּהָא בָּךְ כְּלָיָה), “Complete and decreed destruction” (Isaiah 10) (כָּלָה וְנֶחֱרָצָה אִשְׁתְּמַע). Return to your throne and show yourself from there (תּוּב לְכָרְסִיֵּיךְ וְחַוִּי תִּמָּן). At that moment she departed from before Him and returned to her place (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא נָפְקַת מִקַּמֵּיהּ וְתָבַת לְדוּכְתָּהּ).

The letter Yod entered (עָאַלַת אֶת י), she said before Him (אִמְרָה קַמֵּיהּ): Master of the world, it is fitting before You to create the world through me (רַבּוֹן עָלְמָא, נִיחָא קַמָּךְ לְמַבְרֵי בִּי עָלְמָא), for I am the beginning of the Name, the holy Name (דְּאֲנָא שִׁירוּתָא דְּשִׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), and it is fitting for You to create the world with me (וְיָאוֹת לָךְ לְמִבְרֵי בִּי עָלְמָא). He said to her (אָמַר לָהּ): Enough for you, for you are engraved in Me (דִּי לָךְ דְּאַנְתָּ חָקִיק בִּי), and you are inscribed in Me (וְאַנְתָּ רְשִׁים בִּי), and all My will ascends through you (וְכָל רְעוּתָא דִילִי בָּךְ סָלִיק), you are not to be uprooted from My Name (לִית אַנְתָּ יָאוֹת לְאִתְעַקְּרָא מִן שְׁמִי).

The letter Tet entered (עָאַלַת אֶת ט), she said before Him (אָמְרָה קַמֵּיהּ): Master of the world, it is pleasing before You to create the world through me (רַבּוֹן עָלְמָא, נִיחָא קַמָּךְ לְמִבְרֵי בִּי עָלְמָא), for with me You are called good and upright (דְּאַנְתָּ בִּי אִתְקְרֵיאַת טוֹב וְיָשָׁר). He said to her (אָמַר לָהּ): The world shall not be created with you (לָא אַבְרֵי בָּךְ עָלְמָא), for your goodness is hidden within you (דְּהָא טוּבָךְ סְתִים בְּגִוּוֹךְ), and concealed within you (וְצָפוּן בְּגַוּוֹךְ). This is what is written (הָדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב): “How abundant is Your goodness which You have hidden away for those who fear You” (Psalms 31) (תְּהִלִּים ל״א) (מָה רַב טוּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ לִירֵאֶיךָ). Since it is hidden within you (הוֹאִיל וְגָנִין בְּגִוּוֹךְ), there is no portion in it for this world which I seek to create (לִית בֵּיהּ חוּלָקָא לְעָלְמָא דָּא דְּאַנָא בָּעֵי לְמִבְרֵי), but rather for the World to Come (אֶלָּא בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). And furthermore (וְתוּ), because of your goodness that is hidden within you (דְעַל דְּטוּבָךְ גְּנִין בְּגַוּוֹךְ), the gates of the sanctuary will be sunken in you (יִטְּבְּעוּן תִּרְעֵי דְּהֵיכְלָא). This is what is written (הָדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב): “Her gates have sunk into the ground” (Lamentations 2) (טָבְעוּ בָאָרֶץ שַׁעֲרֶיהָ). And furthermore (וְתוּ), the letter Chet joins with you (דְּחֵ לְקַבְּלָךְ), and when you are joined together (וְכַד תִּתְחַבְּרוּן כַּחֲדָא), behold-Chet Tet (הָא ח ט), and because of this (וְעַל דָּא) these letters are not inscribed among the holy tribes (אֲתוָון אִלֵּין לָא רְשִׁימִין בְּשִׁבְטִין קַדִּישִׁין). Immediately she departed from before Him (מִיָּד נְפְקַת מִקַּמֵּיהּ).

The letter Zayin entered (עָאַלַת אֶת ז), she said to Him (אִמְרָה לֵיהּ): Master of the world, it is pleasing before You to create the world through me (רַבּוֹן עָלְמָא, נִיחָא קַמָּךְ לְמִבְרֵי בִּי עָלְמָא), for with me Your children guard the Shabbat, as it is written (דְּבִי נְטְרִין בְּנִיךָ שַׁבָּת, דִּכְתִּיב): “Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it” (Exodus 20) (זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ). He said to her (אָמַר לָהּ): The world shall not be created with you (לָא אַבְרֵי בָּךְ עָלְמָא), for within you is warfare, and sword, and sharpened spear of battle (דְּאַנְתְּ אִית בָּךְ קְרָבָא וְחַרְבָּא דְּשַׁנָּנָא וְרוֹמָחָא דְּקְרָבָא), like the form of the letter Nun (כְּגוֹוְנָא דְּנו״ן). Immediately she departed from before Him (מִיָּד נְפְקַת מִקַּמֵּיהּ).

The letter Vav entered (עָאַלַת אֶת ו), she said before Him (אָמְרָה קַמֵיהּ): Master of the world, it is pleasing before You to create the world through me (רַבּוֹן עָלְמָא, נִיחָא קַמָּךְ לְמִבְרֵי בִּי עָלְמָא), for I am of Your Name (דְּאֲנָא אֶת מִשִׁמְךְ). He said to her (אָמַר לָהּ): Vav, and Hei, it is enough for you (וְאוּ, אַנְתָּ וִה), that you are of My Name (דִּי לְכוֹן), for you are the letters of My Name (דְּאַתּוּן אֶתְוָון דְּשְׁמִי), and you are in the Secret of My Name (דְּאַתּוּן בְּרָזָא דִּשְׁמִי), and engraved and carved in My Name (וְחֲקִיקִין וּגְלִיפִין בִּשְׁמִי), and the world shall not be created through you (וְלָא אִבְרֵי בְּכוּ עָלְמָא).

The letters Dalet and Gimel entered (עָאַלַת אֶת ד וְאֶת ג), they said: So also is it fitting (אָמְרוּ אוֹף הָכִי). He said to them (אָמַר): Also for you it is proper to be one with the other (אוֹף לוֹן דִּי לְכוֹן לְמֶהֱוֵי דָּא עִם דָּא), for the poor will not cease from the world (דְּהָא מִסְכְּנִין לָא יִתְבַּטְלוּן מִן עָלְמָא), and one must bestow good upon them (וּצְרִיכִין לְגְמוֹל עִמָּהוֹן טִיבוּ). Dalet is the poor one (דְּלָ״ת אִיהוּ מִסְכְּנָא), Gimel bestows to her goodness (גִּימֵ״ל גְּמוֹל לָהּ טִיבוּ). Do not separate one from the other (לָא תִתְפָּרְשׁוּן דָּא מִן דָּא), and it is yours to sustain one another in judgment (וְדִּי לְכוֹן לְמִיזִן דָּא לְדִין).

The letter Bet entered (עָאַלַת אֶת ב), she said to Him (אָמְרָה לֵיהּ): Master of the world, it is pleasing before You to create the world through me (רַבּוֹן עָלְמָא, נִיחָא קִמָּךְ לְמִבְרֵי בִּי עָלְמָא), through me are blessings for You above and below (הִבִי מִבְרְכָאן לָךְ לְעֵילָא וּלְתַּתָּא). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to her (אָמַר לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): Behold, surely, through you I will create the world (הָא וַדָּאִי בָּךְ אַבְרִי עָלְמָא), and you shall be the beginning of creation (וְאַתָּ תְּהֵא שִׁירוּתָא לְמִבְרֵי עָלְמָא).

The letter Alef stood but did not enter (קָיְימָא אֶת א לָא עָאַלַת). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to her (אָמַר לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): Alef Alef, why did you not enter first like the rest of the letters? (אָלֶ״ף אָלֶ״ף לָמָּה לֵית אַנְתְּ עָאַלְתְּ קִמָּאֵי כִּשְׁאָר כָּל אֶתוָון). She said before Him (אָמְרָה קַמֵּיהּ): Master of the world, because I saw that all the letters went out from before You without benefit, what shall I do there? (רִבּוֹן עָלְמָא, בְּגִין דַּחֲמִינָא דְּכָל אֶתוָון נָפְקוּ מִן קִמָּךְ בְּלָא תּוֹעַלְתָּא, מָה אֲנָא אַעֲבִיד תִּמָּן). And furthermore (וְתוּ),