Daf 42b (דַּף מ״ב ע״ב)

These four supernal living beings ascend when the ruach becomes radiant within that supernal living being (אִנּוּן ד׳ חֵיוָון סָלְקִין כַּד רוּחָא אִזְדַּהַר בְּגוֹ הַהוּא חֵיוָתָא). Four wheels for each one (אַרְבַּע גַּלְגַּלִּין לְכָל חַד וְחַד). One wheel faces toward the east (גַּלְגַּלָּא חָדָא אִסְתַּכֵּי לִסְטַר מִזְרָח), and three supporters carry it and gaze toward the center (תְּלַת סָמְכִין נָטְלִין לֵיהּ וְאִסְתַּכְּיָין לְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And one wheel faces west (וְגַּלְגַּלָּא חָדָא אִסְתַּכֵּי לִסְטַר מַעֲרָב), and three supporters carry it and gaze toward the center (וּתְלַת סָמְכִין נָטְלִין לֵיהּ וְאִסְתַּכְּיָין לְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And one wheel faces south (וְגַּלְגַּלָּא חָדָא אִסְתַּכֵּי לִסְטַר דָּרוֹם), and three supporters carry it and gaze toward the center (וּתְלַת סָמְכִין נָטְלִין לֵיהּ וְאִסְתַּכְּיָין לְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And another wheel faces north, and three supporters carry it and gaze toward the center (וְגַּלְגַּלָּא אָחֳרָא אִסְתַּכֵּי לִסְטַר צָפוֹן וּתְלַת סָמְכִין נָטְלִין לֵיהּ וְאִסְתַּכְּיָין לְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). All the supporters-twelve in total-receive from the center (וְכֻּלְהוּ סָמְכִין תְּרֵיסַר נָטְלִין מִגּוֹ אֶמְצָעִיתָא), and that center is closed and opened (וְהַהוּא אֶמְצָעִיתָא סָגִיר וּפְתַח). And each and every wheel, when carried, emits a sound heard throughout all the firmaments (וְכָל גַּלְגַּלָּא וְגַּלְגַּלָּא כַּד נָטְלָא קָלָא אִשְׁתַּמַּע בְּכֻלְהוּ רְקִיעִין).

These four supernal living beings-some say: of above (אִלֵּין אַרְבַּע חֵיוָון [ד״א: דְּלְעֵילָא])-are all enrobed one within the other (כֻּלְהוּ [מִתְלַבְּשָׁן] [ס״א: אִשְׁתַּלְבַּן] דָּא בְּדָא). And the ofanaim from below enter within these supernal living beings, and these are integrated one within the other (וְעָאלִין אִנּוּן אוֹפַנִּים דִּלְתַּתָּא בְּגוֹ אִלֵּין חֵיוָון דִּלְעֵילָא, כְּלִילָן אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין). This ruach, which becomes integrated within those ruchin, ignites and ascends to unify above (רוּחָא דָּא דְּאִתְכְּלִיל בְּאִנּוּן רוּחִין, מְלַהֲטָא וְסָלְקָא לְאִתְאַחֲדָא לְעֵילָא), and it is established to unify and bind in the desire of a meritorious person in that prayer he prays (וְקָיְימָא לְאִתְאַחֲדָא וּלְאִתְקַשָּׁרָא בִּרְעוּתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ זַכָּאָה בְּהַהִיא צְלוֹתָא דְּצַלֵּי). When it ascends and enters into that palace, it receives everything, and all receive with her, and are integrated one with the other (דְּכַד סָלְקָא וְעָאלַת בְּהַהוּא הֵיכָלָא נָטִיל כֹּלָּא וְכֻּלְהוּ נַטְלִין בַּהֲדָהּ, וְאִתְכְּלִילוּ דָּא בְּדָא), until they are integrated within that ruach (עַד דְּאִתְכְּלִילוּ בְּהַהוּא רוּחָא). And that ruach receives the desire of the bond of the unification of the prayer that unifies all (וְהַהוּא רוּחָא נָטְלָא בִּרְעוּתָא דְּקִשּׁוּרָא דְּיִחוּדָא דִּצְלוֹתָא דִּמְיַחֲדָא כֹּלָּא), until they all reach the third palace, integrated one within another as at the beginning-fire within water, and water within fire (עַד דְּמָטוּ כֻּלְהוּ לְהֵיכָלָא תְּלִיתָאָה, כְּלִילָן דָּא בְּדָא כְּדְּקַדְמָאֵי: אֶשָּׁא בְּמַיָּא, וּמַיָּא בְּאֶשָּׁא), ruach with dust and dust with ruach (רוּחָא בְּעַפְרָא, וְעַפְרָא בְּרוּחָא), east with west, west with east (מִזְרָח בְּמַעֲרָב, מַעֲרָב בְּמִזְרָח), north with south, and south with north (צָפוֹן בְּדָרוֹם, דָּרוֹם בְּצָפוֹן). And so too, all of these are bound one with another and united one with another and interwoven one with another (וְהָכִי הָנֵי כֻּלְהוּ מִתְקַשְּׁרָן דָּא בְּדָא, וּמִתְאַחֲדָן דָּא בְּדָא, וּמְשַׁלְּבָן דָּא עִם דָּא).

And likewise many legions and camps that unite (וְכֵן כַּמָּה חַיָּילִין וּמַשִּׁרְיָין דְּאִתְאַחֲדוּ), some say: that descended (נ״א: דְּנַחֲתִי), to below and became mingled with those below (לְתַתָּא וְאִתְעָרְבוּ בְּאִנּוּן תַּתָּאֵי), until they reached the star Tzedek (Jupiter) (עַד דְּמָטוּ לְכוֹכְבָא דְּצֶדֶק), and there are many appointed over the world (וְתַמָּן כַּמָּה מְמַנָּן עַל עָלְמָא). And when this ruach, which was integrated-some say: included-from all (וְכַד רוּחָא דָּא דְּאִתְכְּלִיל [ד״א: אִתְכְּלִיל] מִכֻּלְהוּ), and all were included within it (וְכֻלְהוּ כְּלִילָן בֵּיהּ), it ascended and was unified and entered into the third palace (סָלִיק וְאִתְאַחַד וְעָאל בְּגוֹ הֵיכָלָא תְּלִיתָאָה), until it was unified with the ruach there in the midst of that pillar that stands in the center (עַד דְּאִתְאַחַד בְּרוּחָא דְּתַמָּן בְּגוֹ הַהוּא עַמּוּדָא דְּקָאִים בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And then all was completed up to this point as is proper (וּכְדֵין כֹּלָּא אִשְׁתַּלִּים עַד הָכָא כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת), and all were one ruach, included from everything and completed from everything (וְכֻלְהוּ רוּחָא חָדָא: כָּלִיל מִכֹּלָּא וּשְׁלִים מִכֹּלָּא), as it is said: and one spirit to all (Kohelet 3) (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר : וְרוּחַ אֶחָד לְהֵנָּה). Here is the bowing, to cleave to one’s Master (הָכָא הַכְּרָעָה לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּמָארֵיהּ).

The third palace-this palace is the palace of that ruach that is called Nogah (הֵיכָלָא תְּלִיתָאָה: הֵיכָלָא דָּא אִיהוּ הֵיכָלָא דְּהַהוּא רוּחָא דְּאִקְרֵי נוֹגַהּ). This ruach is pure, refined above all (רוּחָא דָּא אִיהוּ דַּכְיָיא בָּרִיר מִכֻּלְהוּ). There is no color seen in it-not white, not green, not black, not red (לֵית לֵיהּ גַּוָּון דְּאִתְחַזֵּי בֵּיהּ: לָאו חִוָּור, וְלָאו יָרוֹק, וְלָאו אוּכָם, וְלָאו סוּמָק). And for this reason it is called tohar (purity) (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי טֹהַר), pure and refined above all the lower levels (דַּכְיָיא בְּרִירָא מִכָּל אִלֵּין תַּתָּאִין). And even though it is the most refined of all, it is not seen until the lower ones revolve and are bound (some say: kneel) with it and enter within it (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ דַּכְיָיא מִכֹּלָּא, לָא אִתְחַזֵּי עַד דְּאִלֵּין תַּתָּאֵי מִתְגַּלְגְּלָן וְאֲחִידָן [נ״א: וְכָרְעַן] בֵּיהּ וְעָאלִין בְּגַוֵּיהּ [נ״א: בֵּיהּ]). Once they enter within it, then its illumination is perceived, and not a single color from among them (כֵּיוָן דְּעָאלִין בְּגַוֵּיהּ, כְּדֵין אַחֲזֵי נְהוֹרֵיהּ וְלָא גַּוָּון חַד מִכֻּלְהוּ).

When this ruach is completed from all the lower ones, it emits from itself a light comprised of three lights (כַּד אִשְׁתַּלִּים הַאי רוּחָא מִכֻּלְהוּ תַּתָּאֵי, אַפִּיק מִנֵּיהּ נְהוֹרָא דְּכָלִיל בִּתְלַת נְהוֹרִין). Two of these lights ascend and descend and sparkle (אִנּוּן תְּרֵין נְהוֹרִין סָלְקִין וְנָחֲתִין וְנָצְצִין). In that sparkle, twenty-two lights are perceived, distinct from one another, yet all are one light (בְּהַהוּא נִצּוֹצָא אִתְחַזּוּן עֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין נְהוֹרִין מְשַׁנְּיָין דָּא מִן דָּא וְכֻּלְהוּ חַד נְהוֹרָא), and they enter into that one light (וְעָאלִין בְּגוֹ הַהוּא חַד נְהוֹרָא), and that light includes them all (וְהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא כָּלִיל לוֹן). And it does not shine, except at the moment when these lower lights ascend, and the desire of prayer takes hold of them all (וְלָא נָהִיר, בַּר בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִלֵּין נְהוֹרִין דִּלְתַּתָּא סָלְקִין וְהַהוּא רְעוּתָא דִּצְלוֹתָא נָטִיל לְכֻּלְהוּ). Then that light emerges from within that ruach (כְּדֵין הַהוּא נְהוֹרָא נָפִיק מִגּוֹ הַהוּא רוּחָא), that light becomes radiant (אִתְנְהִיר הַהוּא נְהוֹרָא), and brings forth those two sparkling lights (וְאַפִּיק אִלֵּין תְּרֵין נְהוֹרִין נָצְצִין), and they are seen as corresponding to the number of twenty-two letters of the Orayta (וְאִתְחַזּוּן כְּחוּשְׁבַּן כ״ב אַתְּוָון דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). Afterward, they return and are included within that light (לְבָתַר מִתְהַדְּרִין וּכְלִילָן בְּהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא).

All of those lower lights (כָּל אִנּוּן נְהוֹרִין תַּתָּאֵי), in those lights (בַּאֲנוֹן נְהוֹרִין), all of them are included within these lights (כֻּלְהוֹן כְּלִילָן בְּהָנִי נְהוֹרִין), the lower ones (תַּתָּאֵין), and all of them within this light (וְכֻּלְהוּ בִּנְהוֹרָא דָּא). This light is included within that ruach (הַאי נְהוֹרָא אִיהוּ כָּלִיל בְּגוֹ הַהוּא רוּחָא), and that ruach stands in this third palace (וְהַהוּא רוּחָא קַיְימָא בְּהֵיכָלָא תְּלִיתָאָה דָּא), and it is not able to be established except within the fourth palace, whose yearning is to ascend into it (וְלָא קָאִים לְאִתְיַשְׁבָּא אֶלָּא בְּגוֹ הֵיכָלָא רְבִיעָאָה דְּתִאוּבְתֵּיהּ לְסַלְקָא לְגַוֵּיהּ).