Daf 6a (דַּף ו׳ ע״א)

Because there are two peaces below (בְּגִין דִּתְרֵין שְׁלוֹמוֹת לְתַתָּא) one is Ya'akov (חַד יַעֲקֹ״ב) and one is Yosef (וְחַד יוֹסֵ״ף). And for this reason it is written twice (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי) “Peace, peace to the far and to the near” (שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם לָרָחוֹק וְלַקָּרוֹב) [Yeshayahu 57]. To the far-this is Ya'akov (לָרָחוֹק דָּא יַעֲקֹב) and to the near-this is Yosef (וְלַקָּרוֹב דָּא יוֹסֵף). To the far, as you say (לָרָחוֹק כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר) “From afar Hashem appeared to me” (מֵרָחוֹק יְיָ נִרְאָה לִי) [Yirmeyahu 31] and “His sister stood from afar” (וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחוֹתוֹ מֵרָחוֹק) [Shemot 2]. And to the near, as you say (וְלַקָּרוֹב כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר) “New ones came from near” (חֲדָשִׁים מִקָּרוֹב בָּאוּ) [Devarim 32]. From afar-this is the supernal point that stands in its palace (מֵרָחוֹק דָּא נְקוּדָה עִלָּאָה דְקַיְימָא בְּהֵיכָלֵיהּ).

And concerning this it is written “you shall guard” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב תִּשְׁמוֹרוּ) included in shamor (אִתְכְּלִיל בְּשָׁמוֹר) [Va’etḥanan] (ואתחנן ר״ס). “And My Sanctuary you shall revere” (וּמִקְדָּשִׁי תִּירָאוּ)-this is the point that stands in the center (דָּא נְקוּדָה דְקַיְימָא בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא), which is more fearful than all, for its punishment is death (דְּאִית לְדַחֲלָא מִנָּהּ יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָּא דְּעָנְשֵׁיהּ מִיתָה). And this is what is written (וְהַיְינוּ דִכְתִיב) “Its desecrators shall surely die” (מְחַלֲּלֶיהָ מוֹת יוּמָת) [Shemot 31]. Who are its desecrators? (מָאן מְחַלֲּלֶיהָ) One who enters into the inner cavity of the circle and square (מָאן דְּעָאל לְגוֹ חָלָל דְּעִגּוּלָא וְרִבּוּעָא), to the place where that point rests (לְאֲתַר דְּהַהוּא דִּנְקוּדָה שַׁרְיָא [בֵּיהּ]), and profanes it-he shall surely die (וּפָגִים בֵּיהּ מוֹת יוּמָת). And concerning this it is written “you shall revere” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב תִּירָאוּ). And that point is called “Ani (I)” (וְהַהִיא נְקוּדָה אִקְרֵי אֲנִי), and upon it dwells that concealed supernal one who is not revealed (וְעֲלָהּ שַׁרְיָא הַהוּא דְּסָתִים עִלָּאָה דְּלָא אִתְגַּלְּיָא), and this is Hashem (וְהַיְינוּ יְיָ), and all is one (וְכֹלָּא חַד).

Rabbi El'azar and Rabbi Abba descended and kissed him (נָחֲתוּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא וּנְשָׁקוּהוּ). They said, “And all this wisdom is under your hand, and you are carrying behind us?” (אָמְרוּ וּמַה כָּל חָכְמְתָא דָא אִית תְּחוֹת יְדָךְ וְאַתְּ טָעִין אַבַּתְרִין). They said to him, “Who are you?” (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ מָאן אַנְתְּ). He said to them, “Do not ask who I am, rather let us go and engage in Orayta, and let each one bring forth words of wisdom to illuminate the path” (אָמַר לוֹן לָא תִשְׁאֲלוּן מָאן אֲנָא אֶלָּא אֲנָא וְאַתּוּן נֵיזֵל וְנִתְעַסֵּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְכָל חַד יִיִמָא מִלִּין דְּחָכְמְתָא לְאַנְהָרָא אוֹרְחָא). They said to him, “Who gave you permission to go here and to be carrying wine?” (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ מָאן יָהַב לָךְ לְמֵיזַל הָכָא וּלְמֶהֱוֵי טָעוּן בְּחַמְרֵי). He said to them, “The letter Yod made a battle between two letters, Kaf and Samekh, to be bound with me” (אָמַר לוֹן יוּ״ד עֲבַד קְרָבָא בִּתְרֵין אַתְוָון בְּכָ״ף וְסַמַ״ךְ לְאִתְקַשְׁרָא בַּהַדָּאי) - Some say: as one (נ״א כְּחַדָא). Kaf did not want to ascend and be bound after (כָ״ף לָא בָּעָא לְאִסְתַּלָּקָא וּלְאִתְקַשָּׁרָא בָּתַר) - Some say: in the place (נ״א בְּאַתַּר) - for it could not exist even a single moment except with it (דְּלָא יָכְלָא לְמֶהֱוֵי רִגְעָא חָדָא אֶלָּא בֵּיהּ). Samekh did not want to ascend, in order to support those who fall (סָמֶ״ךְ לָא בָעָא לְאִסְתַּלָּקָא בְּגִין לְסַעֲדָא לְאִנּוּן דְּנָפְלִין), for without Samekh they could not exist (דְּהָא בְּלִי סָמֶ״ךְ לָא יָכְלִין לְמֶהֱוֵי).

Yod came to me in singularity (יוּ״ד אֲתָא לְגַבָּאי יְחִידָאָה), kissed me and embraced me (נָשִׁיק לִי וְגַפִּיף לִי), wept with me and said to me (בָּכָה עִמִּי וְאָמַר לִי), “My son, what shall I do for you? (בְּרִי מָה אַעֲבִיד לָךְ) Yet behold, I am to depart, and I have been filled from many good things and lofty hidden letters of great value (אֲבָל הָא אֲנָא אִסְתַּלַּק וְאֲנָא אִתְמְלֵי מִכַּמָּה טָבִין וְאַתְוָון טְמִירִין עִלָּאִין יַקִּירִין), and afterward I shall come to you, and I will be a support for you (בָּתַר כֵּן אַיְתֵי לְגַבָּךְ וְאֲנָא אֶהֱוֵי סְעִיד לָךְ), and I shall give you an inheritance of two letters that are loftier than those which have departed (וְאֶתֶּן לָךְ אַחְסַנְתָּא דִּתְרֵין אַתְוָון עִלָּאִין יַתִּיר מֵאִלֵּין דְּאִסְתַּלָּקוּ), which are Yod Shin-supernal Yod and supernal Shin (דְּאִנּוּן יו״ד עִלָּאָה וְשִׁי״ן עִלָּאָה), to be for you storehouses filled with all things (לְמֶהוֵי לָךְ אוֹצְרִין מַלְיָיא מִכֹּל). And for this reason, my son, go and carry wine (וּבְגִין כָּךְ בְּרִי זִיל וְהֱוֵי טְעִין חַמְרֵי). And this is why I go in this way (וְעַל דָּא אֲנָא אָזִיל בְּכָךְ).

Rabbi El'azar and Rabbi Abba rejoiced and wept (חָדוּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא וּבָכוּ), and they said, “Go, ride, and we shall follow after you” (וְאָמְרוּ זִיל רְכִיב וְאֲנַן נַטְעִין אַבַּתְרָךְ). He said to them, “Did I not tell you that it is the command of the King until the one who carries wine arrives?” (אָמַר לוֹן וְלָא אֲמָרִית לְכוֹן דְּפִּיקוּדָא דְּמַלְכָּא אִיהוּ עַד דְּיֵיתֵי הַהוּא דְּטָעַן חַמְרֵי). They said to him, “But you have not told us your name, nor the place of your dwelling” (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ הָא שְׁמָךְ לָא אָמַרְתְּ לָן אֲתַר בֵּית מוֹתָבָךְ מַאי הוּא). He said to them, “The place of my dwelling is good and has entered to me (אָמַר לוֹן אֲתַר בֵּית מוֹתְבִי אִיהוּ טַב וְעַיְילָא לְגַבָּאי), and it is “a certain tower that floats in the vast and precious air” (וְאִיהוּ מִגְדָּל חַד דְּפָרַח בַּאֲוִירָא רַב וְיַקִּירָא). And those who dwell in that tower are Kudsha Berikh Hu and a certain poor one (וְאִנּוּן דְּדַיְירִין בֵּיהּ בְּהַאי מִגְדְּלָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְחַד מִסְכְּנָא). And this is the place of my dwelling, and we were revealed (some say: and we ascended) from there, and I am carrying wine (וְדָא הוּא אֲתַר בֵּית מוֹתְבִי וְגָלֵינָא [נ״א וְעָלִינָא] מִתַּמָּן וְאֲנָא טָעִין חַמְרֵי). Rabbi Abba and Rabbi El'azar gazed upon him (אַשְׁגָּחוּ רִבִּי אַבָּא וְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֵּיהּ) and he gave them to taste his words which were sweet like manna and honey (וְאַטְעִים לוֹן מִלּוֹי דְּהֲווּ מְתִיקִין כְּמַנָּא וְדוּבְשָׁא). They said to him, “If you tell us your father’s name, we shall kiss the dust of your feet” (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ שְׁמָא דְּאֲבוּךְ אִי תֵימָא נַנְשִׁיק עַפְרָא דְרַגְלָךְ). He said to them, “And why? This is not my custom, to boast in Orayta” (אָמַר לוֹן וְאַמַּאי לָאו אוֹרַח דִּילִי בְּכָךְ לְאִתְגָאָה בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). However, Abba-his dwelling was in the Great Sea (אֲבָל אַבָּא דִילִי הֲוָה דִּיּוּרֵיהּ בְּיַמָּא רַבָּא), and he was a certain fish (וְאִיהוּ הֲוָה חַד נוּנָא), who would traverse the Great Sea (דְּהֲוָה אַסְחַר יַמָּא רַבָּא) from one side to the other p1-13(מִסִּטְרָא דָא לְסִטְרָא דָא), and he was great and precious and Atik Yomin (וְהֲוָה רַב וְיַקִּירָא וְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין), until he swallowed all the other fish of the sea (עַד דְּהֲוָה בָּלַע כָּל שְׁאָר נוּנִין דְּיַמָּא), and afterward brought them out alive and enduring (וּלְבָתַר אַפִּיק לוֹן חָיִין וְקַיָּמִין), filled with all the good things of the world (מַלְיָין מִכָּל טָבִין דְּעָלְמָא). And the sea surged in one moment with its strength (וְשָׁאַט יַמָּא בְּרִגְעָא חָדָא בְּתוֹקְפֵּיהּ), and it cast me forth like an arrow from the hand of a mighty man (וְאַפִּיק לִי כְּגִירָא בִּידָא דִגְבַר תָּקִיף), and it hid me in that place which I told you (וְטָמִיר לִי בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאֲמָרִית לְכוּ), and he returned to his place and concealed himself in that sea (וְהוּא תָּב לְאַתְרֵיהּ וְאִגְנִיז בְּהַהוּא יַמָּא).

Rabbi El'azar beheld his words (אַשְׁגַּח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּמִלּוֹי), and said to him, “You are the son of the Holy Luminary (אָמַר לֵיהּ אַנְתְּ הוּא בְּרֵיהּ דְּבוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא), you are the son of Rav Hamnuna Sava (אַנְתְּ הוּא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא), you are the son of the Nehiru of Orayta (אַנְתְּ הוּא בְּרֵיהּ דִּנְהִירוּ דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and you are carrying behind us?” (וְאַנְתְּ טָעִין אַבַּתְרָן). They wept together and kissed him and went (בָּכוּ כְּחֲדָא וּנְשָׁקוּהוּ וְאֲזְלוּ). They said to him, “If it is pleasing before our Master, tell us your name” (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ אִי נִיחָא קַמֵּי מָארָנָא לְאוֹדְעָא לָן שְׁמֵיהּ).

He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר), “And Benaiah ben Yehoyada” (וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶּן יְהוֹיָדָע) [Shmuel II 23]. This verse has already been established and it is beautiful (הַאי קְרָא אוֹקְמוּהַ וְשַׁפִּיר אִיהוּ), but this verse comes to reveal supernal secrets of Orayta (אֲבָל הַאי קְרָא לְאַחֲזָאָה רָזִין עִלָּאִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא הוּא דְּאֲתָא). “And Benaiah ben Yehoyada”-this comes upon the mystery of Chokhmah (וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶּן יְהוֹיָדָע עַל רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא קָא אֲתָא), it is a hidden word, and the name causes it (מִלָּה סְתִימָא אִיהוּ וּשְׁמָא גָרִים). “Son of a living man” this is the Tzaddik who lives forever (בֶּן אִישׁ חַי דָּא צַדִּיק חַי עָלְמִין) [Vayetze 164a].