Daf 4b (דף ד ע״ב)

Meanwhile he saw many of his friends surrounding him (אַדְּהָכִי חֲמָא כַּמָּה מִן חַבְרַיָיא סַחֲרָנֵיהּ), all those pillars that were standing (כָּל אִנּוּן עַמּוּדִין דְּקַיָּימִין). And he saw that they ascended to the heavenly academy (וְחֲמָא דִסְלִיקוּ לוֹן לִמְתִיבְתָּא דִרְקִיעָא). These ascend and these descend (אִלֵּין סַלְקִין וְאִלֵּין נָחֲתִין). And above them all he saw the Master of Wings (וְעֵילָא דְּכוּלְהוּ חֲמָא מָארֵי דְגַדְפֵי), who was coming (דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי), and proclaiming the proclamation that he heard from behind the Curtain (וְהוּא אוֹמֵי אוֹמָאָה דְּשָׁמַע מֵאֲחוֹרֵי פַּרְגּוֹדָא): “The King commands every day, and remembers the doe that lies in the dust” (דְּמַלְכָּא מַפְקַד בְּכָל יוֹמָא וּדְכִיר לְאַיַּלְתָּא דִי שְׁכִיבַת לְעַפְרָא). And at that time He strikes three hundred and ninety firmaments with blows (וּבְעַט בְּעִיטִין בְּהַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא בִּתְלַת מְאָה וְתִשְׁעִין רְקִיעִין). And they all tremble and quake before Him (וְכֻלְהוּ מְרַתְּתִין וְזָעִין קַמֵּיהּ). And He brings down tears over this (וְאוֹרִיד דִּמְעִין עַל דָּא), and those tears fall, boiling like fire, into the Great Sea (וְנָפְלֵי אִנּוּן דִּמְעִין רְתִיחִין כְּאֶשָׁא לְגוֹ יַמָּא רַבָּא). And from those tears stands the appointee over the Sea (וּמְאִנּוּן דִּמְעִין קָאִים הַהוּא מְמַנָּא דְיַמָּא), and he is sustained (וְאִתְקְיַּים), and the Holy Name of the Holy King is sanctified (וְקָדִישׁ שְׁמֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא). And he accepts upon himself to swallow all the waters of Bereshit (וְקָבִּיל עֲלֵיהּ לְמִבְלַע כָּל מֵימוֹי דִּבְרֵאשִׁית), and gather them within himself (וְיִכְנוֹשׁ לְהוּ לְגַוֵּיהּ), at the time when all the nations gather against the holy people (בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְיִתְכַּנְשׁוּן כָּל עַמַּיָּא עַל עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא), and the waters will dry up (וִינַגְבוֹן מַיָּא), and they shall pass through on dry ground (וְיַעַבְרוּן בִּנְגִיבוּ).

Meanwhile he heard a voice saying (אַדְהָכִי שָׁמַע קָלָא דְּאָמַר): Clear the place, clear the place (פַּנּוּן אֲתַר, פַּנּוּן אֲתַר), for behold, King Mashiach comes to the academy of Rabbi Shimon (דְּהָא מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא אָתֵי לִמְתִיבְתָּא דְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), because all the Righteous there are heads of academies (בְּגִין דְּכָל צַדִּיקַיָּיא דְּתַמָּן רֵישֵׁי מְתִיבְתָּא), and those academies there are inscribed (וְאִנּוּן מְתִיבְתֵּי דְתַמָּן רְשִׁימִין אִנּוּן). And all those Friends in every academy ascend from the academy here to the heavenly academy (וְכָל אִנּוּן חַבְרִין דִּי בְּכָל מְתִיבְתָּא סַלְקֵי מִמְּתִיבְתָּא דְּהָכָא לִמְתִיבְתָּא דִרְקִיעָא). And Mashiach comes to all those academies (וּמָשִׁיחַ אָתֵי בְּכָל אִנּוּן מְתִיבְתֵּי), and seals the Orayta from the mouths of the Rabbis (וְחָתִים אוֹרַיְיתָא מִפּוּמַיְיהוּ דְרַבָּנָן). And at that time Mashiach comes and is crowned from the fragrance of the academies with supernal crowns (וּבְהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא אָתֵי מָשִׁיחַ מִתְעַטֵּר מִן רֵיחֵי מְתִיבְתֵּי בְּעִטְרִין עִלָּאִין), some say: from the heads of the academies ([נ״א רֵישֵׁי]).

At that time all those Friends arose (בְּהַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא קָמוּ כָּל אִנּוּן חַבְרַיָיא), and Rabbi Shimon arose (וְקָם רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), and his radiance ascended to the height of heaven (וְהֲוָה סָלִיק נְהוֹרֵיהּ עַד רוּם רָקִיעַ). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Rabbi, happy are you, for your Orayta ascends in three hundred and seventy lights (רִבִּי, זַכָּאָה אַנְתְּ דְּאוֹרַיְיתָךְ סָלְקָא בִּתְלַת מְאָה וְשִׁבְעִין נְהוֹרִין), and every light is divided into six hundred and thirteen Ta'amim (וְכָל נְהוֹרָא וּנְהוֹרָא אִתְפַּרְשַׁת לְשִׁית מְאָה וּתְלֵיסַר טַעֲמִין), ascending and bathing in the rivers of pure balsam (סָלְקִין וְאִסְתַחְיָין בְּנַהֲרֵי אֲפַרְסְמוֹנָא דַכְיָא). And Kudsha Berikh Hu Himself seals the Orayta from your academy (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִיהוּ חָתִים אוֹרַיְיתָא מִמְּתִיבְתָּךְ), and from the academy of Chizkiyahu king of Yehudah (וּמִמְתִיבְתָּא דְּחִזְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה), and from the academy of Achiyah the Shilonite (וּמִגּוֹ מְתִיבְתָּא דְּאֲחִיָּה הַשִּׁילוֹנִי). And I did not come to seal from your academy (וְאֲנָא לָא אָתֵינָא לְמִחְתַּם מִמְּתִיבְתָּךְ), but the Master of Wings came here (אֶלָּא מָארֵי דְגַדְפִין אָתֵי הָכָא), for I know that he enters no other academy except your academy (דְּהָא יְדַעְנָא דְלָא יֵיעוּל גּוֹ מְתִיבְתֵּי אַחְרִיתִּי אֶלָּא בִּמְתִיבְתָּךְ). At that moment Rabbi Shimon recounted to him that proclamation which the Master of Wings proclaimed (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא סָח לֵיהּ רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הַהוּא אוֹמָאָה דְּאוֹמֵי מָארֵי דְגַדְּפִין).

Then Mashiach trembled and raised his voice (כְּדֵין אִזְדַּעְזַע מָשִׁיחַ וְאָרִים קָלֵיהּ), and the heavens trembled (וְאִזְדַּעְזְעוּ רְקִיעִין), and the Great Sea trembled (וְאִזְדַּעְזַע יַמָּא רַבָּא), and Leviathan trembled (וְאִזְדַּעְזַע לִוְיָתָן), and the world thought to overturn (וְחָשִׁיב עָלְמָא לְאִתְהַפְּכָא). Meanwhile Rabbi Chiyya saw himself at the feet of Rabbi Shimon (אַדְהָכִי חָמָא לְרִבִּי חִיָּיא לְרַגְלוֹי דְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן). He said (אָמַר): Who has granted that a man clothed in the garment of that world should be here? (מָאן יָהִיב הָכָא בַּר נָשׁ לָבִישׁ מַדָּא דְהַהוּא עָלְמָא). Rabbi Shimon said to him (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): This is Rabbi Chiyya, the radiance of the Lamp of Orayta (דָּא אִיהוּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא נְהִירוּ דְבוּצִינָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Let him and his sons be gathered, and let them be from your academy (יִתְכַּנֵּשׁ הוּא וּבְנוֹי וְלֶיהֱווֹן מִמְתִיבְתָּא דִילָךְ). Rabbi Shimon said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): A time shall be given to him (זִמְנָא יִתְיְיהִיב לֵיהּ). They gave him a time (יָהֲבוּ לֵיהּ זִמְנָא), and he went out from there trembling (וְנָפַק מִתַּמָּן מִזְדַּעְזַע), and his eyes flowed with tears (וְזָלְגָן עֵינוֹי דִמְעִין). Rabbi Chiyya trembled, wept, and said (אִזְדַּעְזַע רִבִּי חִיָּיא וּבְכָה וְאָמַר): Happy is the portion of the Righteous in that world (זַכָּאָה חוּלַקְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָיא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא), and happy is the portion of Bar Yochai, who merited this (וְזַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּבַר יוֹחָאי דְּזָכָה לְכָךְ). Concerning him it is written (עֲלֵיהּ כְּתִיב): “That I may cause those who love Me to inherit substance, and I will fill their treasuries” (לְהַנְחִיל אוֹהֲבַי יֵשׁ וְאוֹצְרוֹתֵיהֶם אֲמַלֵּא) (Proverbs 8:21).

Bereshit (בְּרֵאשִׁית), Rabbi Shimon opened (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח): “And I have put My words in your mouth” (וָאָשִׂים דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ) (Isaiah 51). How much a man must engage in Orayta day and night (כַּמָּה אִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יְמָמָא וְלֵילְיָא), because Kudsha Berikh Hu hearkens to the voices of all those who engage in Orayta (בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא צַיִּית לְקָלְהוֹן דְּאִנּוּן דְּמִתְעַסְּקֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). And with every word that is a new interpretation of Orayta through one who labors in Orayta, a new firmament is made (וּבְכָל מִלָּה דְאִתְחַדָּשׁ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא עַל יְדָא דְהַהוּא דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְתָא, עָבִיד רְקִיעָא חָדָא).

We have learned: At the moment that a word of Orayta is renewed from the mouth of a man (תְּנַן בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא דְּמִלָּה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְחַדְּשַׁת מִפּוּמֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ), that word ascends and prepares itself before Kudsha Berikh Hu (הַהִיא מִלָּה סַלְקָא וְאִתְעַתְּדַת קַמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And Kudsha Berikh Hu takes that word, kisses it, and crowns it with seventy crowns engraved and inscribed (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיל לְהַהוּא מִלָּה וְנָשִׁיק לָהּ וְעַטַּר לָהּ בְּשִׁבְעִין עִטְרִין גְּלִיפִין וּמְחַקְּקָן). And the word of wisdom that was renewed ascends and rests upon the head of the Tzaddik, the Life of the Worlds (וּמִלָּה דְּחָכְמְתָא דְּאִתְחַדְּשָׁא, סַלְקָא וְיַתְבָא עַל רֵישָׁא דְּצַדִּיק חַי עַלְמִין). And it flies from there and journeys through seventy thousand worlds, and ascends to Atik Yomin (וְטָסָא מִתַּמָּן וְשָׁטָא בְּשִׁבְעִין אֶלֶף עַלְמִין וּסְלִיקַת לְגַבֵּי עַתִּיק יוֹמִין). And all the words of Atik Yomin are words of wisdom in supernal concealed mysteries (וְכָל מִלִּין דְּעַתִּיק יוֹמִין מִלִּין דְּחָכְמְתָא אִנּוּן בְּרָזִין סְתִימִין עִלָּאִין). And that word of wisdom which was renewed here, when it ascends, joins with those words of Atik Yomin, and ascends and descends together with them, and enters into eighteen hidden worlds (וְהַהִיא מִלָּה סְתִימָא דְחָכְמְתָא דְּאִתְחַדְּשַׁת הָכָא כַּד סַלְקָא אִתְחַבְּרַת בְּאִנּוּן מִלִּין דְּעַתִּיק יוֹמִין וְסַלְקָא וְנַחְתָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ וְעָאלַת בְּתַמְנֵיסַר עָלְמִין גְּנִיזִין). As it is written: “Eye has not seen, Elohim, besides You” (דְּעַיִן לֹא רָאֲתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתֶךָ) (Isaiah 64). They go forth from there and journey, and come full and complete, and prepare themselves before Atik Yomin (נַפְקֵי מִתַּמָּן וְשָׁטָאן וְאַתְיָין מְלֵיאָן וּשְׁלֵמִין וְאִתְעַתָּדוּ קַמֵּי עַתִּיק יוֹמִין).