Daf 8a (דַּף ח׳ ע״א)

The letter Bet-these are two that are joined as one (בּ׳ תְּרֵין אִנּוּן דְּמִתְחַבְּרִין כְּחֲדָא), and they are two points (וְאִנּוּן תְּרֵין נְקוּדִין), one hidden and concealed (חַד גְּנִיזָא וּטְמִירָא), and one established in revelation (וְחַד קַיָּימָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא). And because there is no separation between them (וּבְגִין דְּלֵית לְהוּ פִּירוּדָא), they are called Reishit-“Beginning” (אִקְרוּן רֵאשִׁית). One, and not two (חַד וְלָא תְּרֵין). One who attains this, attains that (מָאן דְּנָטִיל הַאי נָטִיל הַאי), and all is one (וְכֹלָא חָד), for He and His Name are one (דְּהָא הוּא וּשְׁמֵיהּ חַד), as it is written: “And they shall know that You, whose Name is Hashem, are alone” (דִּכְתִיב וְיֵדְעוּ כִּי אַתָּה שִׁמְךָ יְיָ לְבַדֶּךָ). Why is it called “Yirat Hashem”? (אַמַּאי אִקְרֵי יִרְאַת ה׳) Because it is the Tree of Good and Evil (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אִילָנָא דְּטוֹב וְרָע). If a person is meritorious-this is good (זָכֵי בַּר נָשׁ הָא טוֹב), but if he is not meritorious-this is evil (וְאִי לָא זָכֵי הָא רָע). And for this reason fear begins in this place (וְעַל דָּא שָׁרֵי בְּהַאי אֲתַר יִרְאָה), and this is the gate to enter into all goodness of the world (וְדָא תַּרְעָא לְעָאלָא לְכָל טוּבָא דְעָלְמָא). “Good understanding” (שֵׂכֶל טוֹב)-these are the two gates which are one (אִלֵּין תְּרֵין תַּרְעִין דְּאִנּוּן כְּחֲדָא).

Rabbi Yosei said: 'Good intellect' (Sekhel Tov) this is the Tree of Life (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר שֵׂכֶל טוֹב דָּא אִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי), for it is pure intellect, without any evil at all (דְּאִיהוּ שֵׂכֶל טוֹב בְּלָא רָע כְּלָל). And because evil does not rest within it (וְעַל דְּלָא שַׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ רָע), it is 'Good intellect' (Sekhel Tov) without evil (אִיהוּ שֵׂכֶל טוֹב בְּלָא רָע). ‘To all who do them’-these are the trusted kindnesses of David (לְכָל עוֹשֵׂיהֶם, אִלֵּין חַסְדֵּי דָוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים), supporters of Orayta (תַּמְכִין אוֹרַיְיתָא). And those who support Orayta, as if, they are its doers (וְאִנּוּן דְּתָמְכִין אוֹרַיְיתָא כִּבְיָכוֹל אִנּוּן עָבְדִין). All those who toil in Orayta, there is no doing within them as long as they only toil in it (כָּל אִנּוּן דְּלָעָאן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לֵית בְּהוּ עֲשִׂיָּה בְּעוֹד דְּלָעָאן בָּהּ). Those who support it-within them there is action (אִנּוּן דְּתָמְכִין לוֹן אִית בְּהוּ עֲשִׂיָּה). And through this strength it is written: “His praise endures forever” (וּבְחֵילָא דָא כְּתִיב תְּהִלָּתוֹ עוֹמֶדֶת לָעַד), and the throne is sustained in its foundation as is proper (וְקַיְימָא כּוּרְסְיָיא עַל קִיּוּמֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת).

Rabbi Shimon would sit and study Orayta at night (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֲוָה יָתִיב וְלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּלֵילְיָא), when the bride unites with her husband (דְּכַלָּה אִתְחַבְּרַת בְּבַעֲלָהּ) [Emor 98a]. It has been taught: all those friends, the sons of the palace of the bride (דְּתָנִינָן כָּל אִנּוּן חַבְרַיָּא דִּבְנֵי הֵיכָלָא דְּכַלָּה), are required on that night when the bride prepares to enter the wedding canopy with her husband (אִצְטְרִיכוּ בְּהַהִיא לֵילְיָא דְּכַלָּה אִזְדַּמְנַת לְמֶהֱוֵי לְיוֹמָא אַחֲרָא גּוֹ חוּפָּה בְּבַעֲלָהּ), to be with her that whole night (לְמֶהוֵי עִמָּהּ כָּל הַהוּא לֵילְיָא), and to rejoice with her in her adornments (וּלְמֶחֱדֵי עִמָּהּ בְּתִקּוּנָהָא), for she prepares herself by engaging in Orayta, from Torah to Nevi’im, and from Nevi’im to Ketuvim (דְּאִיהִי אִתְתַּקָּנַת לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא מִתּוֹרָה לִנְבִיאִים וּמִנְּבִיאִים לִכְתוּבִים), and in the Midrashim of Scripture and in the secrets of Chokhmah (וּבְמִדְרָשׁוֹת דִּקְרָאֵי וּבְרָזֵי דְחָכְמְתָא).

For these are her adornments and ornaments (בְּגִין דְּאִלֵּין אִנּוּן תִּיקּוּנִין דִּילָהּ וְתַכְשִׁיטָהָא). And she and her maidens enter and stand above them (וְאִיהִי וְעוּלֵמְתָהָא עָאלַת וְקַיְימַת עַל רֵישֵׁיהוֹן), and she is perfected by them and rejoices with them the whole night (וְאִתְתַּקָּנַת בְּהוּ וְחָדַת בְּהוּ כָּל הַהוּא לֵילְיָא). And on the next day she does not enter the chuppah except with them (וּלְיוֹמָא אָחֳרָא לָא עָאלַת לַחוּפָּה אֶלָּא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ). And these are called the Benei Chuppata (the sons of the canopy) (וְאִלֵּין אִקְרוּן בְּנֵי חוּפָּתָא). And once she enters the chuppah, Kudsha Berikh Hu asks about them (וְכֵיוָן דְּעָאלַת לְחוּפָּתָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁאִיל עֲלַיְיהוּ), and blesses them and crowns them with the bridal crown (וּמְבָרֵךְ לוֹן וּמְעַטֵּר לוֹן בְּעִטְּרָהָא דְּכַלָּה). Fortunate is their portion (זַכָּאָה חוּלַקְהוֹן).

And Rabbi Shimon and all the friends with him (וְהֲוָה רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְכֻלְהוּ חַבְרַיָּיא [בַּהֲדֵיהּ]) were chanting in the melody of Orayta (מְרַנְּנִין בְּרִנָּה דְאוֹרַיְיתָא), and renewing words of Orayta, each one of them (וּמְחַדְּשָׁן מִלִּין דְאוֹרַיְיתָא כָּל חַד וְחַד מִנַּיְיהוּ). And Rabbi Shimon rejoiced, and all the other friends with him (וְהֲוָה חָדֵי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְכָל שְׁאָר חַבְרַיָּיא). Rabbi Shimon said to them (אָמַר לוֹן רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), “My sons, fortunate is your portion, for tomorrow the bride will not enter the canopy but with you (בָּנַי זַכָּאָה חוּלַקְכוֹן בְּגִין דְּלְמָחָר לָא תֵיעוּל כַּלָּה לַחוּפָּה אֶלָּא בַּהֲדַיְכוֹן). For all who prepare her adornments on this night and rejoice with her (בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ דִּמְתַקְּנִין תִּקּוּנָהָא בְּהַאי לֵילְיָא וְחָדָאן בָּהּ), they shall all be written and inscribed in the Book of Remembrance (כֻּלְהוּ יְהוֹן רְשִׁימִין וּכְתִיבִין בְּסִפְרָא דְדֻכְרָנַיָּא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu blesses them with seventy blessings (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְבָרֵךְ לוֹן בְּשִׁבְעִין בִּרְכָּאן), and crowns from the supernal world” (וְעִטְּרִין דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה).

Rabbi Shimon opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר), “The heavens declare the glory of God…” (הַשָּׁמַיִם מְסַפְּרִים כְּבוֹד אֵל וְגו) [Tehillim 19:2]-this verse we have already established p1-14(קְרָא דָא הָא אוֹקִימְנָא לֵיהּ). But at this time, when the bride is aroused to enter the canopy on the morrow (אֲבָל בְּזִמְנָא דָא דְּכַלָּה אִתְעָרָא לְמֵעַל לַחוּפָּה בְּיוֹמָא דְּמָחָר), she prepares herself and is illumined in her adornments (אִתְתַּקָּנַת וְאִתְנְהִירַת בְּקִישׁוּטָהָא), with the friends who rejoiced with her that whole night (בַּהֲדֵי חַבְרַיָּיא דְּחָדָאן עִמָּהּ כָּל הַהִיא לֵילְיָא), and she rejoices with them (וְאִיהִי חָדַאת עִמְּהוֹן).

And on the morrow, how many hosts and camps gather with her (וּבְיוֹמָא דְּמָחָר כַּמָּה אוּכְלוּסִין חַיָּילִין וּמַשִּׁרְיָין מִתְכַּנְשִׁין בַּהֲדָהּ), and she and all of them await each one who prepared her on that night (וְאִיהִי וְכֻלְהוּ מְחַכָּאן לְכָל חַד וְחַד דִּתְקִינוּ לָהּ בְּהַאי לֵילְיָא). Once they are joined as one, and she beholds her husband (כֵּיוָן דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן כְּחֲדָא וְאִיהִי חָמַאת לְבַעְלָהּ), what is written? “The heavens declare the glory of God” (מַה כְּתִיב הַשָּׁמַיִם מְסַפְּרִים כְּבוֹד אֵל). The heavens-this is the bridegroom who enters the canopy (הַשָּׁמַיִם דָּא חָתָן דְּעָאל לַחוּפָּה). Declare-they shine like the brilliance of sapphire (מְסַפְּרִים, מְנַהֲרִין כְּזוֹהֲרָא דְּסַפִּיר), which shines and radiates from one end of the world to the other (דְּנָהִיר וְזָהִיר מִסְיָיפֵי עָלְמָא וְעַד סְיָיפֵי עָלְמָא).