Daf 7b (דַּף ז׳ ע״ב)

When they arrived at the house of Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Shimon ben Lakonya (כַּד מָטוּ לְבֵי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקוֹנְיָא), they saw Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai there (חֲמוּ לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי תַּמָּן). They rejoiced-greatly rejoiced (חָדוּ חָדֵי [חֲדָא]).

Rabbi Shimon said to them (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר לוֹן), “Surely you have just walked a path of miracles and supernal arrivals (וַדַּאי אָרְחָא דְּנִסִּין וְאָתִין עִלָּאִין קָא עֲבַרְתּוּן), for I had been sleeping just now, and I saw you (דְּאֲנָא דָמִיכְנָא הַשְׁתָּא וְחָמֵינָא לְכוּ), and Benaiah ben Yehoyada was sending you two crowns (וְלִבְנָיָהוּ בֶּן יְהוֹיָדָע דְּקָא מְשַׁדֵּר לְכוּ תְּרֵין עִטְרִין), by the hand of an Elder, to crown you (עַל יְדָא דְּחַד סָבָא לְאַעַטְּרָא לְכוּ). Surely on this path, Kudsha Berikh Hu was walking (וַדַּאי בְּאָרְחָא דָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה). Furthermore, I see that your faces have changed” (תּוּ דַּחֲמֵינָא אַנְפַּיְיכוּ מְשַׁנְיָין). Rabbi Yosei said, “Well have you spoken-for indeed, the wise is greater than the prophet” (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי יָאוֹת אֲמַרְתּוּן דְּחָכָם עָדִיף מִנָּבִיא).

Rabbi El'azar came and placed his head between his father’s knees (אֲתָא רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְשַׁוִּי רֵישֵׁי בֵּין בִּרְכּוֹי דְּאֲבוֹי), and related to him the whole event (וְסָח לֵיהּ עוֹבָדָא). Rabbi Shimon trembled and wept (דָּחִיל רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וּבְכָה), and said, “Hashem, I heard Your report and I feared” (אָמַר יְיָ שָׁמַעְתִּי שִׁמְעֲךָ יָרֵאתִי).

This verse was said by Ḥavakuk (הַאי קְרָא חֲבַקּוּק אָמַר), when he saw his own death and was revived through Elisha (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּחֲמָא מִיתָתֵיהּ וְאִתְקַיָּים עַל יְדָא דֶאֱלִישָׁע). Why was he called Ḥavakuk? (אַמַּאי אִקְרֵי חֲבַקּוּק) Because it is written: “At this appointed time you shall embrace a son” (בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב לַמּוֹעֵד הַזֶּה כָּעֵת חַיָּה אַתְּ חוֹבֶקֶת בֵּן). And this was the son of the Shunamite woman (וְדָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּשׁוּנַמִּית הֲוָה). And there were two embraces: one from his mother, and one from Elisha (וּתְרֵין חִבּוּקִין הֲווּ, חַד דְּאִימֵיהּ וְחַד דֶּאֱלִישָׁע), as it is written: “And he placed his mouth upon his mouth…” (דִּכְתִיב וַיָּשֶׂם פִּיו עַל פִּיו).

I found in the Book of King Shlomo (אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּסִפְרָא דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא), that a sacred name of seventy-two names was engraved upon him in letters (שְׁמָא גְלִיפָא דְּשִׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין שְׁמָהָן אַגְלִיף עֲלוֹי בְּתֵבִין). Because the letters of the Alef–Beit that his father engraved in him originally flew away from him when he died (בְּגִין דְּאַתְוָון דְּאַלְפָא בֵיתָא דְּאַגְלִיף בֵּיהּ אֲבוֹי בְּקַדְמִיתָא כַּד מִית פָּרְחוּ מִנֵּיהּ). But now that Elisha embraced him (וְהַשְׁתָּא דֶּאֱלִישָׁע חָבַק לֵיהּ), he engraved within him all those letters of the seventy-two names (אַגְלִיף בֵּיהּ כָּל אִנּוּן אַתְוָון דְּשִׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין שְׁמָהָן). And the letters of these seventy-two names are engraved in 216 letters (וְאַתְוָון דְּאִילֵין שִׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין שְׁמָהָן גְּלִיפָן אִנּוּן מָאתָן וְשִׁיתְּסַר אַתְוָון).

And all these letters Elisha engraved upon his spirit-some say, upon his speech (וְכֻלְהוּ אַתְוָון אַגְלִיף בְּרוּחֵיהּ [נ״א בְּדִיבּוּרָא] אֱלִישָׁע), in order to establish him through the letters of the seventy-two names (בְּגִין לְקַיָּימָא לֵיהּ בְּאַתְוָון דְּשִׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין שְׁמָהָן). And he called him Ḥavakuk (וּקְרָא לֵיהּ חֲבַקּוּק)-a name of completion on all sides (שְׁמָא דְּאַשְׁלִים לְכָל סִטְרִין), completed in the embraces, as it is said (אַשְׁלִים לַחֲבוּקִין כִּדְאִתְּמַר), and completed in the secret of the 216 letters of the holy Name (וְאַשְׁלִים לְרָזָא דְּמָאתָן וְשִׁיתְּסַר אַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא) [Pekudei 246b].

Through the words he was restored in spirit (בְּתֵבִין אִתְקַיָּים לְאַהֲדָרָא רוּחֵיהּ), and through the letters his whole body was restored to its existence (וּבְאַתְוָון אִתְקַיֵּים כָּל גּוּפֵיהּ עַל קִיּוּמֵיהּ). And for this reason he was called Ḥavakuk (וְעַל דָּא אִקְרֵי חֲבַקּוּק). And he said, “Hashem, I heard Your report and I feared” (וְאִיהוּ אָמַר יְיָ שָׁמַעְתִּי שִׁמְעֲךָ יָרֵאתִי), I heard what befell me-that I tasted from that world, and I trembled (שְׁמַעְנָא מַה דְּהֲוָה לִי דְּאַטְעִימְנָא מֵהַהוּא עָלְמָא וְדָחִילְנָא). He began to seek mercy for his soul and said (שְׁרָא לְמִתְבַּע רַחֲמִין עַל נַפְשֵׁיהּ וְאָמַר), “Hashem, Your work-in the midst of years restore it to life” (ה׳ פָּעָלְךָ דְּעֲבַדְתְּ לִי בְּקֶרֶב שָׁנִים יְהוֹן חַיֵּיהּ) [Naso 138b], meaning: like his life (כְּמוֹ חַיָּיו). And whoever is bound with those primordial years (וְכָל מָאן דְּאִתְקַשַּׁר בְּאִנּוּן שָׁנִים קַדְמוֹנִיּוֹת), life is bound in him (חַיִּין אִתְקַשְׁרוּ בֵּיהּ). “In the midst of years You shall make known”-to that level where there is no life at all (בְּקֶרֶב שָׁנִים תּוֹדִיעַ לְהַהוּא דַרְגָּא דְּלֵית בָּהּ חַיִּין כְּלַל).

Rabbi Shimon wept and said (בָּכָה רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר), “I, too, from what I have heard, I tremble before Kudsha Berikh Hu” (אוּף אֲנָא מִמַּה דְּשָׁמַעְנָא דָּחִילְנָא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). He raised his hands over his head and said (זָקִיף יְדוֹי עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ וְאָמַר): “And what! Rav Hamnuna Sava- the light of the Orayta you merited to behold him face to face, and I did not merit it” (וּמַה רַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא נְהִירוּ דְאוֹרַיְיתָא זְכִיתוּן אַתּוּן לְמֶחֱמֵי אַפִּין בְּאַפִּין וְלָא זָכִינָא בֵּיהּ).

He fell upon his face and saw him (נָפַל עַל אַנְפּוֹי וְחֲמָא לֵיהּ), uprooting mountains, illuminating lamps in the palace of the King Mashiach (מְעַקֵּר טוּרִין מַנְהִיר שְׁרָגִין בְּהֵיכְלָא דְּמַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא). He said to him, “Rabbi, in that world you are pillars of wisdom before Kudsha Berikh Hu” (אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא תְּהוֹן שְׁבָבִין מָארֵי אוּלְפְּנִין קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). From that day, Rabbi Shimon called Rabbi El'azar his son, and Rabbi Abba (מֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא הֲוָה קָרֵי לְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ וּלְרִבִּי אַבָּא), “Peniel,” as it is written: “For I have seen Elohim face to face” (פְּנִיאֵ״ל כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר כִּי רָאִיתִי אֱלֹהִים פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים).

Bereshit: Rabbi Ḥiyya opened (בְּרֵאשִׁית רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח), “The beginning of wisdom is Yirat Hashem, good understanding to all who do them; His praise endures forever” (רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה יִרְאַת יְיָ שֵׂכֶל טוֹב לְכָל עוֹשֵׂיהֶם תְּהִלָּתוֹ עוֹמֶדֶת לָעַד) [Tehillim 111:10]. “The beginning of wisdom”-this verse should have said: “The end of wisdom is Yirat Hashem” (רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה הַאי קְרָא הָכִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, סוֹף חָכְמָה יִרְאַת ה׳), because fear of Hashem is the end of wisdom (בְּגִין דְּיִרְאַת ה׳ סוֹף חָכְמָה אִיהִי). Some say: rather, it is the beginning (נ״א אֶלָּא אִיהִי רֵאשִׁית), to enter into the level of supernal Chokhmah (לְעָאלָא לְגוֹ דַרְגָּא דְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה), as it is written, “Open to me the gates of righteousness” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב פִּתְחוּ לִי שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק). “This is the gate to Hashem”-surely (זֶה הַשַּׁעַר לַה׳ וַדַּאי), for one who does not enter by this gate shall never enter (דְּאִי לָא יֵיעוּל בְּהַאי תַּרְעָא לָא יֵיעוּל לְעָלְמִין).

To the supernal King, who is above, hidden, and concealed (לְמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה דְּאִיהוּ עִלָּאָה וְטָמִיר וְגָנִיז), He made for Himself gates, one above the other (וְעֲבִיד לֵיהּ תַּרְעִין אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין). And at the end of all the gates He made one gate (וּלְסוֹף כָּל תַּרְעִין עֲבַד תַּרְעָא חַד), with many locks, many openings, and many palaces, one above another (בְּכַמָּה מַנְעוּלִין בְּכַמָּה פִּתְחִין בְּכַמָּה הֵיכָלִין אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין). He said, “Whoever seeks to enter to Me, this gate must be first before Me” (אָמַר כָּל מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְמֵיעַל לְגַבָּאי תַּרְעָא דָא יְהֵא קַדְמָאָה לְגַבָּאי). Whoever enters this gate, shall enter (מָאן דְּיֵעוֹל בְּהַאי תַּרְעָא יֵעוּל). So too, the first gate to supernal Chokhmah is Yirat Hashem (אוּף הָכִי תַּרְעָא קַדְמָאָה לְחָכְמָה עִלָּאָה יִרְאַת ה׳ אִיהִי). And this is “Reishit” (וְדָא אִיהִי רֵאשִׁית).