Daf 41b (דַּף מ״א ע״ב)

There are seven holy palaces (שִׁבְעָה הֵיכָלִין קַדִּישִׁין אִנּוּן), and they stand in gates with permanence (וְאִנּוּן קַיָּימִין בְּתַרְעִין בְּקִיּוּמָא). And into each one enters a prayer of unification (וּבְכָל חַד וְחַד עָאל צְלוֹתָא דְּיִחוּדָא), some say: of his Master (ד״א ל״ג דְּמָרֵיהּ), of one who knows how to perfume his Master and to unify the unification in completeness (דְּמָאן דְּיָדַע לִבְסוּמֵי לְמָארֵיהּ וּלְיַחֲדָא יִחוּדָא בִּשְׁלִימוּ). He who knows how to enter into all of them and to bind bindings, one with the other - spirit with spirit (דְּיָדַע לְאָעֳלָא בְּכֻלְהוּ וּלְקָשְׁרָא קִשְׁרִין אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא), lower spirit with upper spirit (רוּחָא תַּתָּאָה בְּרוּחָא עִלָּאָה), as it is written: Hashem, in distress they visited You; they poured out whispering, Your discipline was upon them (Yeshayahu 26) (כְּתִיב: יְיָ בַּצַּר פְּקָדוּךָ צָקוּן לַחַשׁ מוּסָרְךָ לָמוֹ).

The first palace, it is written (הֵיכָלָא קַדְמָאָה כְּתִיב): And under His feet was like a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heavens for clarity (Shemot 24) (וְתַחַת רַגְלָיו כְּמַעֲשֵׂה לִבְנַת הַסַּפִּיר וּכְעֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם לָטֹהַר). The secret of secrets (רָזָא דְּרָזִין), Another matter: there is a spirit called Sapira (ד״א: אִית רוּחַ דְּאִקְרֵי סַפִּירָא), like a sapphire of a precious stone that shines to two sides (כְּסַפִּירוּ דְּאֶבֶן טָבָא נָצִיץ לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין). One light ascends and descends (נְהוֹרָא חַד סָלִיק וְנָחִית), and that light is white, radiating in every direction-above and below and to the four directions of the world (וְהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא חִוָּור נָצִיץ לְכָל סְטַר עֵילָא וְתַתָּא וּלְאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא). Its illumination includes the concealed and the revealed (נְהוֹרֵיהּ תַּלְיָין סָתִים וְגַלְיָא).

From this light branch out four lights to four directions (מִנְהוֹרָא דָּא מִתְפָּרְשִׁין ד׳ נְהוֹרִין לְד׳ סִטְרִין), and all of the lights are one light (וְכֻּלְהוּ נְהוֹרִין חַד נְהוֹרָא), like a wick of a burning lamp that sends forth lights to be seen by human eyes (כְּבוּצִינָא דְּשַׁרְגָּא דְּדָלִיק וְנָצִיץ נְהוֹרִין לְחֵיזוּ דְּעַיְינִין דִּבְנֵי נְשָׁא). And these lights of the lamp go up and come down, and they return from within that fire of light from the lamp that burns-and all of them are one light (וְאִנּוּן נְהוֹרִין דְּשַׁרְגָּא סָלְקִין וְנַחֲתִין אָזְלִין וְתַיְּיבִין מִגּוֹ הַהוּא אֶשָּׁא דִּנְהוֹרָא דְּשַׁרְגָּא דְּדָלִיק וְכֻּלְהוּ חַד נְהוֹרָא). So too are these (הָכִי נָמֵי אִלֵּין). And the sparks-all are lights like the appearance of polished brass, red-suffused (וּנְצִיצִין כֻּלְהוּ נְהוֹרִין כְּחֵיזוּ דִּנְחָשָׁא בְּטִישָׁא בְּסוּמְקָא), as it is said: and they sparkled like the appearance of burnished bronze (Yechezkel 1) (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר: וְנוֹצְצִים כְּעֵין נְחֹשֶׁת קָלָל). This is to the right side (דָּא הוּא לְיָמִינָא). To the left, there is a ruach called Levanah (לִשְׂמָאלָא אִית רוּחָא דְּאִקְרֵי לְבָנָה), and this is integrated with the first ruach, and this enters into that (וְדָא אִתְכְּלִיל בְּרוּחָא קַדְמָאָה וְעָאל דָּא בְּדָא). Its light is red and white together (נְהוֹרֵיהּ סוּמָק וְחִוָּור כְּחֲדָא), because it emerges from those primordial lights (בְּגִין דְּנַפְקָא מֵאִנּוּן נְהוֹרִין קַדְמָאִין). When the lights of this one come and meet the primordial lights (כַּד אָתוּ נְהוֹרִין דְּדָא מָטוּ בִּנְהוֹרִין קַדְמָאִין), they are integrated within it and they become one (וְאִתְכְּלִילוּ בֵּיהּ וְאִנּוּן חָד), and only the primordial lights are visible (וְאִתְחַזּוּן נְהוֹרֵי קַדְמָאֵי בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ), and the others are not revealed nor are they known to have entered within them and become concealed there (וְלָא אִתְגַּלְיָין אִנּוּן אָחֳרָנִין וְלָא אִתְיְדָעוּ דְּעָאלוּ בְּגַוַּיְיהוּ וְאִתְטַמְּרוּ בֵּיהּ), as it is said: and it was not known that they had come into her body (Bereshit 41) (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: וְלֹא נוֹדַע כִּי בָּאוּ אֶל קִרְבֶּנָּה וְגו׳). And this is spirit within spirit - they are one (וְדָא הוּא רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא דְּאִנּוּן חַד), lights within lights - they are one (נְהוֹרִין בִּנְהוֹרִין דְּאִנּוּן חַד).

And here are two lower gates (or firmaments) from among the firmaments that are called (or: some say: shamayim) shmei haShamayim (וְהָכָא אִנּוּן תְּרֵין תַּרְעִין [רְקִיעִין] תַּתָּאִין מֵאִנּוּן רְקִיעִין דְּאִקְרוּן [ס״א שָׁמַיִם] שְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם [רָקִיעַ]). From these two ruchin that flash forth, were formed the ofanaim who are holy (מִתְּרֵין רוּחִין אִלֵּין מְנַצְּצָן אִתְבְּרִיאוּ אִנּוּן אוֹפַנִּין דְּאִנּוּן קַדִּישִׁין), whose judgment is like the judgment of the chayot, as it is written (דְּדִינַיְיהוּ כְּדִינָא דְּחַיּוֹת כְּדִכְתִיב): The appearance of the ofanim and their work… (Yechezkel 1) (מַרְאֵה הָאוֹפַנִּים וּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וְגו׳). And this is what is written: And the likeness of the chayot- their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches; it was moving between the chayot (וְדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: וּדְמוּת הַחַיּוֹת מַרְאֵיהֶן כְּגַחֲלֵי אֵשׁ בּוֹעֲרוֹת כְּמַרְאֵה הַלַּפִּידִים הִיא מִתְהַלֶּכֶת בֵּין הַחַיּוֹת).

Who is she? This is the holy spirit, the place from which they go forth and from which she illuminates them (מָאן הִיא דָּא רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא: אֲתַר דְּנָפְקוּ מִנֵּיהּ וְאִיהִי נָהִיר לוֹן), as it is written: And brightness was around the fire, and from the fire went forth lightning (וְדִכְתִיב: וְנוֹגַהּ לָאֵשׁ וּמִן הָאֵשׁ יוֹצֵא בָרָק). When spirit was joined with spirit, there came forth from them a radiance of one living being (כַּד אִתְכְּלִיל רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא, נָפִיק מִנַּיְיהוּ נְהִירוּ דְּחַד חֵיוָתָא), placed (or: some say: cast) upon the four ofanaim (רְמִיז [נ״א: רְמִיָּא] עַל ד׳ אוֹפַנִּין). And this image is like a lion, who rules over 1,300,000 other ofanaim (וְהָא דִּיוּקְנָא דִּילֵיהּ כְּאַרְיֵה: שַׁלִּיט עַל אֶלֶף וּתְלַת מֵאָה רִבּוֹא דְּאוֹפַנִּין אָחֳרָנִין).

Its wings are those of an eagle-this one is appointed over all the ofanaim (גַּדְפָהָא דְּנִשְׁרָא: הַאי אִתְמַנָּא עַל [כָּל] אִנּוּן אוֹפַנִּים). By four wheels, each of them receives from those four (בְּד׳ גַּלְגַּלִּין: נָטְלִין כָּל חַד וְחַד מֵאִנּוּן אַרְבַּע). In each wheel are three supporters (בְּכָל גַּלְגַּלָּא וְגַלְגַּלָּא: תְּלַת סָמְכִין), and these are twelve supporters across four wheels (וְאִנּוּן תְּרֵיסַר סָמְכִין בְּד׳ גַּלְגַּלִּין). This spirit rules over all (רוּחָא דָּא שָׁלְטָא עַל כֹּלָּא); from here they go forth (מֵהָכָא נָפְקוּ). And this spirit sustains them all (וְדָא רוּחָא קַיָּימָא לְכֻּלְהוּ), some say: from her they are nourished (ד״א: וְהָא מִינָהּ אִתְזָנוּ).

These four-some say: four ofanim (אִלֵּין ד׳ [ד״א ל״ג אוֹפַנִּים])-[have] four faces for each one (ד׳ אַנְפִּין לְכָל חַד וְחַד), and all of these faces gaze toward the four directions of that living being that stands over them (וְכָל אִנּוּן אַנְפִּין אִסְתַּכְּיָין לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין דְּהַהוּא חֵיוָתָא דְּקָיְימָא עֲלַיְיהוּ). When these four are carried beneath that living being (כַּד נָטְלִין אִלֵּין אַרְבַּע תְּחוֹת הַהוּא חֵיוָתָא), this enters into that and they are interwoven one with the other (עָאלוּ דָּא בְּדָא וּמְשַׁלְּבָן דָּא בְּדָא), as it is said: interlocked loops, one opposite her sister (Shemot 27) (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: מַקְבִּילוֹת הַלּוּלָאוֹת אִשָּׁה אֶל אֲחוֹתָהּ), to become one within one and to ascend one within the other (לְאִתְכְּלָלָא חָדָא בְּחָדָא וּלְאָעֳלָא דָּא בְּדָא).

When these wheels are carried, a voice of sweetness is heard among all the hosts below according to their kinds (כַּד נָטְלִין אִנּוּן גַּלְגַּלִּין אִשְׁתְּמַע קוֹל נְעִימוּתָא בְּכָל אִנּוּן חֵילִין דִּלְתַתָּא לְזִינַיְיהוּ). Beneath this palace forces spread outward to many directions of the firmaments below (תְּחוֹת הֵיכָלָא דָּא מִתְפָּרְשִׂין חֵילִין לְבַר לְכַמָּה סִטְרִין דִּרְקִיעִין דִּלְתַתָּא), until they reach the star of Shabtai (Saturn) (עַד דְּמָטוּ לְכוֹכְבָא דְּשַׁבְּתָאִי). All of them gaze toward this palace (כֻּלְהוּ אִסְתַּכְּיָין לְהֵיכָלָא דָּא), and from there they are nourished (מִתַּמָּן אִתְזָנוּ). All those who are in this palace, all of them gaze toward that spirit (כָּל אִלֵּין דִּי בְּהֵיכָלָא דָּא כֻּלְהוּ אִסְתְּכוּ לְהַהוּא רוּחָא), as it is written: Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, they would not turn as they went (Yechezkel 1) (דִּכְתִיב: אֶל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה שָׁמָּה הָרוּחַ לָלֶכֶת יֵלֵכוּ לֹא יִסַּבּוּ בְּלֶכְתָּן). And this is the palace that is called Livnat haSappir (וְדָא הוּא הֵיכָלָא דְּאִקְרֵי לִבְנַת הַסַּפִּיר).