Daf 3b (דף ג ע״ב)

Since You gave to the letter Bet this great distinction (דְּהָא יְהִיבְתָּא לְאֶת בֵּית נְבַזְבְּזָא רַבְרְבָא דָּא), it is not proper for the Supreme King to reverse the distinction given to His servant and give it to another (וְלָא יָאוֹת לְמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה לְאַעֲבָרָא נְבַזְבְּזָא דִּיְהֵיב לְעַבְדּוֹ וּלְמֵיהַב לְאָחֲרָא). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to her (אָמַר לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): Alef Alef, even though the world was created through the letter Bet (אָלֶ״ף אָלֶ״ף, אַף עַל גָּב דְּאֶת בֵּית בָּהּ אִבְרֵי עָלְמָא), you shall be the head of all the letters (אִתְּ תְּהֵא רֵישׁ לְכָל אֶתוָון), there is no unification except through you (לִית בִּי יִחוּדָא אֶלָּא בָּךְ), through you shall all calculations and works of the world begin (בָּךְ יִשְׁרוּן כָּל חוּשְׁבְּנִין וְכָל עוֹבְדֵי דְּעָלְמָא), and all unification exists only in Alef (וְכָל יִחוּדָא לָא הֲוֵי אֶלָּא בְּאֶת אָלֶ״ף). And Kudsha Berikh Hu made supernal great letters (וְעָבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֶתוָון עִלְאִין רַבְרְבָן), and lower letters, and guardians (וְאֶתוָון תַּתָּאִין וְעִירִין). And because of this, Bet Bet-“Bereshit Bara” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ בֵּית בֵּית בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא), Alef Alef-“Elohim Et” (אָלֶ״ף אָלֶ״ף אֱלֹהִים אַתְּ). Letters from above and letters from below (אֶתוָון מִלְעֵילָא וְאֶתוָון מִתַּתָּא), and all of them are as one (וְכֻלְּהוֹ כְּחֲדָא הֲווֹ), from the supernal world and from the lower world (מֵעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה וּמֵעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה).

Bereshit (בְּרֵאשִׁית), Rabbi Yehudah said (רִבִּי יוּדָאי אָמַר): What is Bereshit (מַאי בְּרֵאשִׁית)? With Chokhmah (בְּחָכְמָה), this is Chokhmah (דָּא חָכְמָה), upon which the world stands (דְּעָלְמָא קָיְימָא עֲלָהּ), to enter into supernal concealed secrets (לְעָאלָא גוֹ רָזִין סְתִימִין עִלָּאִין). And here were engraved six great supernal sides (וְהָכָא אִגְלִיפוּ שִׁית סִטְרִין רַבְרְבִין עִלָּאִין), from which all emerged (דְּמִנְהוֹן נָפִיק כֹּלָא). From them were made six sources and rivers (דְּמִנְהוֹן אִתְעֲבִידוּ שִׁית מְקוֹרִין וְנַחֲלִין), to enter into the Great Sea (לְעָאלָא גוֹ יַמָּא רַבָּא). And this is Bara-shit—He created six; from here they were created (וְהַיְנוּ בָּרָא שִׁית מֵהָכָא אִתְבְּרִיאוּ). Who created them (מַאן בָּרָא לוֹן)? That which is not mentioned, the Concealed One, unknown (הַהוּא דְּלָא אִדְכַּר הַהוּא סָתִים דְּלָא יְדִיעַ).

Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi Yose were walking on the road (רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲווּ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא). When they arrived at a certain field (כַּד מָטוּ לְחַד בֵּי חֲקַל), Rabbi Ḥiyya said to Rabbi Yose (אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי): That which you say, “He created six,” surely so it is (הָא דְאַמְרִיתוּ בָּרָא שִׁית וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא), because six supernal days are upon Orayta and no more (בְּגִין דְּשִׁית יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין גַּבֵּי אוֹרַיְיתָא וְלָא יַתִּיר). Others are concealed (אָחֳרָנִין סְתִימִין אִנּוּן). But we have seen in the mysteries of Bereshit that it is said thus (אֲבָל חָמֵינָן גּוֹ סִטְרֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית דְּאָמַר הָכִי): Engravings engraved (גְּלִיפֵי אַגְלִיף) the Holy Concealed One (הַהוּא סְתִימָאָה קַדִּישָׁא), within the innards of one hidden secret (גוֹ מְעוֹי דְּחַד טְמִירוּ), which He grasped in a point that was embedded (דְנָקִיט בִּנְקוּדָה דְּנָעִיץ). That engraving He engraved (הַהוּא גְּלִיפֵי אַגְלִיף), and concealed within it as one who hides all beneath a single key (וְטָמִיר בֵּיהּ כְּמַאן דְּגָנִיז כֹּלָּא תְּחוֹת מַפְתְּחָא חָדָא). And that key concealed everything in one palace (וְהַהוּא מַפְתְּחָא גָּנִיז כֹּלָּא בְּהֵיכָלָא חָדָא). And even though all was hidden in that palace, the essence of all was in that key (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּכֹלָא גָּנִיז בְּהַהוּא הֵיכָלָא, עִקְּרָא דְּכֹלָא בְּהַהוּא מַפְתְּחָא הֲוֵי). That key was closed and opened (הַהוּא מַפְתְּחָא סָגִיר וּפָתַח).

In that palace are many hidden treasures, one upon another (בְּהַהוּא הֵיכָלָא אִית בֵּיהּ גְּנִיזִין סְתִימִין סַגִּיאִין אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין). In that palace are gates of concealment, and they are fifty (בְּהַהוּא הֵיכָלָא אִית תַּרְעִין עוֹבַד סְתִימוּ וְאִנּוּן חַמְשִׁין). They were engraved to the four sides and became forty-nine (אִגְלִיפוּ לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין וְהֲווּ אַרְבְּעִין וְתִשְׁעָא). One gate has no side (חַד תַּרְעָא לֵית לֵיהּ סִטְרָא), it is not known whether it is above or below (לָא יְדִיעַ אִי הוּא לְעֵילָא, אִי הוּא לְתַתָּא). And therefore that gate is concealed (וּבְגִין כָּךְ הַהוּא תַּרְעָא סָתִים). Within those gates there is one lock (גוֹ אִנּוּן תַּרְעִין אִית מַנְעוּלָא חָדָא), and one narrow place into which that key enters (וְחַד אֲתַר דַּקִּיק לְעָאלָא הַהוּא מַפְתְּחָא בֵּיהּ). And it is not engraved except by the engraving of the key (וְלָא אִתְרְשִׁים אֶלָּא בִּרְשִׁימוּ דְּמַפְתְּחָא). It is not known by anyone except that key alone (לָא יָדְעִין בֵּיהּ אֶלָּא הַהוּא מַפְתְּחָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). And on this secret it is said, “Bereshit bara [created] Elohim” (וְעַל רָזָא דְנָא בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים).

Bereshit is the key in which all is concealed (בְּרֵאשִׁית דָּא מַפְתְּחָא דְּכֹלָא סָתִים בֵּיהּ). And it is closed and opened (וְהוּא סָגִיר וּפָתַח), and six gates are included in it (וְשִׁית תַּרְעִין כְּלִילָן בֵּיהּ). In that key which is closed and opened (בְּהַהוּא מַפְתְּחָא דְּסָגִיר וּפָתַח). When the gates are closed and included within it (כַּד סָגִיר אִנּוּן תַּרְעִין וְכָלִיל לוֹן בְּגַוֵּיהּ), then indeed it is written “Bereshit”—a revealed word included in a concealed word (כְּדֵין וַדַּאי כְּתִיב בְּרֵאשִׁית מִלָּה גַלְיָא בִּכְלַל מִלָּה סְתִימָאָה). And everywhere, Bara is a concealed word (וּבְכָל אֲתַר בָּרָא מִלָּא סְתִימָאָה אִיהוּ)—closed and not opened (סָגִיר וְלָא פָתַח).

Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): Surely it is so (וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא). And I have heard from The Holy Luminary that said thus (וְשָׁמַעְנָא לְבוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאָמַר הָכִי), that “Bara” is a concealed word—closed and not opened (דְּמִלָּה סְתִימָאָה אִיהוּ בָּרָא סָגִיר וְלָא פָתַח). And while it was closed in the word Bara, the world was not, and did not endure (וּבְעוֹד דְּהֲוָה סָגִיר בְּמִלָּה דְבָרָא, עָלְמָא לָא הֲוֵי וְלָא אִתְקְיַּים). And it hovered over all—Tohu (וְהֲוָה חָפֵי עַל כֹּלָּא תֹּהוּ). And when this Tohu ruled, the world was not and did not endure (וְכַד שָׁלְטָא הַאי תֹּהוּ, עָלְמָא לָא הֲוָה, וְלָא אִתְקְיַּים). When did that key open gates and be prepared for service, to produce offspring (אֵימָתַי הַהוּא מַפְתְּחָא פָּתַח תַּרְעִין וְאִזְדַּמַּן לְשִׁמּוּשָׁא וּלְמֶעְבַּד תּוֹלְדִין)? When Abraham came, as it is written, “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created” (כַּד אֲתָא אַבְרָהָם דִּכְתִיב אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם) (Bereshit 2:4). And we have learned, “in Abraham” (וְתָנִינָן בְּאַבְרָהָם). And that which was all concealed in the word Bara (וּמַה דְּהֲוָה כֹּלָּא סָתִים בְּמִלַּת בָּרָא), the letters returned to service (אִתְהַדְּרוּ אָתְוָון לְשִׁמּוּשָׁא), and a column went forth which made offspring (וְנָפַק עַמּוּדָא דְּעֲבַד תּוֹלְדִין)—the organ of the holy foundation, upon which the world stands (אֵבֶר יְסוֹדָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּעָלְמָא קַיְימָא עֲלֵיהּ). When this organ was inscribed in the word Bara (כַּד הַאי אֵבֶר אִתְרְשִׁים בְּמִלַּת בָּרָא), then the supernal concealed engraving inscribed another inscription for His Name and His glory (כְּדֵין רְשִׁים סְתִימָאָה עִילָאָה רְשִׁימוּ אָחֳרָא לִשְׁמֵיהּ וְלִיקָרֵיהּ). And this is Mi (Who) (וְדָא אִיהוּ מִ״י). And He created Eleh (These) (וּבָרָא אֵלֶּה). And likewise the Holy Name that is blessed, which is MaH (What), was inscribed (וְגַם כֵּן שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִתְבָּרְכָא דְּאִיהוּ מַ״ה אִתְרְשִׁים). And from Bara He brought forth the organ (וְאַפִּיק מִן בָּרָא אֵבֶר). And it was inscribed in Eleh (These) on this side, and the organ on that side (וְהוּא רְשִׁים בְּאֵלֶּה מִסִּטְרָא דָא וְאֵבֶר מִסִּטְרָא דָא). The Holy Concealed (סְתִימָאָה קַדִּישָׁא). Eleh (These) exists (אֵלֶּה קַיָּימָא). The organ exists (אֵבֶר קַיָּימָא). When this was completed, that was completed (כַּד אִשְׁתְּלִים דָּא אִשְׁתְּלִים דָּא). He engraved this organ, He engraved this Eleh (These) (גָּלִיף לְהַאי אֵבֶר, גָּלִיף לְהַאי אֵלֶּה).