Daf 136a (דַּף קל״ו ע״א)

And from this skull went forth one limb (וּמֵהַאי גּוּלְגַּלְתָּא, נָפִיק חַד עִיבָר), to all those below (לְכָל אִינּוּן דִּלְתַּתָּא). And they give a wage of illumination to Atik Yomin (וְיָהֲבֵי אֲגָר אוֹרָאוּתָא לְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין). When they ascend in reckoning, beneath the rod (כַּד עָאלִין בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא, תְּחוֹת שַׁרְבִיטָא). And corresponding to this (וְלָקֳבֵיל דָּא), (Shemot 38) “A beka a head, below, when they ascend in reckoning” (בֶּקַע לַגּוּלְגֹּלֶת לְתַתָּא, כַּד עָאלִין בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא). And this beka, the wage of illumination, is found from it to Atik Yomin (וְהַאי בֶּקַע אֲגָר אוֹרָאוּתָא, אִשְׁתְּכַח מִנֵּיהּ לְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין).

In the cavities of the skull (בַּחַלָּלֵיהּ דְּגוּלְגַּלְתָּא), three cavities are found (ג׳ חַלָלִּין אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ), in which the brain rests (דְּשַׁרְיָיא מוֹחָא בְּהוּ), and a thin membrane covers them (וּקְרוּמָא דָּקִיק חַפְיָּיא עָלַיְיהוּ). But not a thick closed membrane like that of Atik Yomin (אֲבָל לָא קְרוּמָא קְשִׁישָׁא סְתִימָא כְּעַתִּיק יוֹמִין). And because of this, this brain spreads and shines (וּבְגִין דָּא, הַאי מוֹחָא אִתְפְּשָׁט וְנָהִיר)—Some say: and goes forth (נ״א: וְנָפִיק)—into thirty-two pathways (לִתְלָּתִין וּתְרֵין שְׁבִילִין). This is what is written (Bereshit 2) “And a river went out from Eden” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן). And it was taught (וְתָאנָא), in the three cavities of the skull the brain rests (בִּתְלַת חַלָלִין דְּגוּלְגַּלְתָּא מוֹחָא שַׁרְיָיא). From the first cavity, one fountain bursts forth (מֵחַלָלָא חַד מִתְבְּקַע חַד מַבּוּעָא)—Some say: and spreads (נ״א: וּמִתְפַּשֵׁט)—to the four directions (לְד׳ סִטְרִין). And from that brain which rests in this cavity (וְנָפִיק מֵהַהוּא מוֹחָא דְּשַׁרְיָיא בְּהַאי חַלָּלָא), thirty-two paths of the spirits of wisdom go forth (תְּלָתִין וּתְרֵין שְׁבִילִין רוּחִין דְּחָכְמְתָא).

From the second cavity (מֵחַלָלָא תִּנְיָינָא), one other fountain bursts forth and spreads (מִתְבְּקַע וּמִתְפָּשַׁט חַד מַבּוּעָא אַחֲרָא). And fifty gates are opened (וּמִתְפַּתְחִין ן' תַּרְעִין). From these fifty gates (מֵאִלֵּין ן' תַּרְעִין), are united the fifty days of the Orayta (אִתְאַחֲדָן ן' יוֹמִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), the fifty years of the Jubilee (ן' שְׁנִין דְּיוֹבְלָא), fifty thousand generations (ן' אֶלֶף דָּרִין), in which Kudsha Berikh Hu is destined to return His spirit to it and rest within it (דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאָתָבָא רוּחֵיהּ לֵיהּ, וּלְשַׁרְיָיא בֵּיהּ).

From the third cavity (מֵחַלָלָא תְּלִיתָאָה), go forth thousands of thousands of dwellings and porticoes (נָפְקִין אֶלֶף אַלְפִין אִדָּרִין וְאַכְסַדְרָאִין), upon which knowledge rests and dwells (דְּדַעְתָּא שַׁרְיָיא עָלַיְיהוּ, וְדָרֵי בְּהוּ). And this cavity sets its chambers (Some say: its dwellings (וְהַאי חַלָּלָא שָׁרֵי חֲלָלֵיה (נ״א: מְדוּרֵיה)—between this cavity and that cavity (בֵּין הַאי חַלָּלָא וּבֵין הַאי חַלָּלָא), and they are filled from both sides (וְאִתְמַלְּיָין מִתְּרֵין סִטְרִין). All those dwellings (כָל אִינּוּן אִדָּרִין). This is what is written (Mishlei 24) “And by knowledge are the chambers filled” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וּבְדַעַת חֲדָרִים יִמָּלְאוּ). And these three spread throughout the whole body (וְאִלֵּין ג׳ מִתְפַּשְּׁטִין בְּכָל גּוּפָא), to this side and to that side (לְהַאי סִטְרָא וּלְהַאי סִטְרָא). And in them the whole body is bound, and the body is bound in them from all sides (וּבְאִינּוּן אָחִיד כָּל גּוּפָא וְאָחִיד בְּהוּ גּוּפָא מִכָּל סִטְרוֹי). And in the whole body they spread and are found (וּבְכָל גּוּפָא אִתְפַּשְּׁטָן וְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָן).

It was taught (תָּאנָא): in the skull of the head (בְּגוּלְגַּלְתָּא דְּרֵישָׁא) hang thousands of thousands of myriads and myriads of myriads of hooks of black hairs (תַּלְיָין אֶלֶף אַלְפֵי רִבּוֹא וְרִבּוֹא רִבְּבָן קוֹצֵי דְּשַׂעְרֵי אוּכָמָן), and they are interwoven one with the other (וּמִסְתַּבְּכִין דָּא בְּדָא), and mingled one with the other (וּמִתְעָרְבִין דָּא בְּדָא). And there is no reckoning for the threads of every single hook (וְלֵית חוּשְׁבָּנָא לְנִימִין דְּכָל קוֹצָא וְקוֹצָא), which grasp in it the pure and the impure (דַּאֲחִידָן בֵּיהּ דַּכְיָין וּמְסַאֲבָן). And from here are united the reasons of the Orayta (וּמִכָּאן אִתְאַחֲדָן טַעֲמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא), the pure with the impure (בְּדַכְיָא בִּמְסָאֲבָא), in all those sides that are pure (בְּכָל אִינּוּן סִטְרִין דְּאִינּוּן דַּכְיָין), and in all those sides that are impure (בְּכָל אִינּוּן סִטְרִין דְּאִינּוּן מִסְאָבָן).

Thorns sit, entangled and strong (יַתְבִין קוֹצֵי מִסְתַּבְּכִין וְתַקִיפִין). From them are weak (מִנְּהוֹן שְׁעִיעִין), and from them are strong (וּמִנְהוֹן תַּקִּיפִין). And in every single thorn (וּבְכָל קוֹצָא וְקוֹצָא), hang countless threads one upon another (יַתְבִין נִימִין תִּלִין עַל תִּלִין). They blaze and hang like a mighty warrior, masters of victorious battles (מִתְלַהֲטָן וְתַלְיָין כְּגִיבָּר תַּקִּיף, מָארֵי נַצַח קְרָבִין). In a beautiful adornment, in a fair adornment, mighty (בְּתִקּוּנָא יָאֶה, בְּתִקּוּנָא שַׁפִּירָא, תַּקִּיפָא). Like a youth among the cedars, great and strong (בָּחוּר כָּאֲרָזִים. רַבְרְבִין וְתַקִיפִין). This is what is written (Shir haShirim 5) “As a young man among the cedars” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, בָּחוּר כָּאֲרָזִים).

The locks of the hairs are adorned (מִתְתַּקְּנִין קוֹצִין דְּשַׂעְרֵי), and they hang thread upon thread, from this side to that side, upon the skull (וְתַּלְיָין תִּלִין עַל תִּלִין, מֵהַאי סִטְרָא לְהַאי סִטְרָא, עַל גּוּלְגֹּלְתָּא). This is what is written (Shir haShirim 5) “His locks are curled” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, קְווּצּוֹתָיו תַּלְתַּלִּים). And it was taught (וְתָאנָא): they sit in piles upon piles (יַתְבִין תִּלֵי תִּלִּין), because they are drawn from many fountains of the three flows of the brain (מִשּׁוּם דִּמְשִׁיכִין מִמַּבּוּעִין סַגִּיאִין, דִּתְלַת רַהֲטֵי מוֹחָא). From the fountain of the first cavity of the skull (מִמַּבּוּעָא חַלָּלָא חַד דְּגוּלְגַּלְתָּא), the hairs are drawn in their extension (אִתְמַשְּׁכָן שַׂעְרֵי בִּמְשִׁיכוּתָא), and they become threads (וּמִתְעָבְדִין תִּלִין), that hang from many fountains which are drawn from this cavity (דְּתַּלְיָין מִכַּמָּה מַבּוּעִין, דְּאִתְמַשְּׁכָן מֵהַאי חַלָּלָא). From the second cavity (מֵחַלָלָא תִּנְיָינָא), go forth fifty fountains (נַפְקֵי חַמְשִׁין מַבּוּעִין), and hairs are drawn from those fountains in extension (וְאִתְמַשְּׁכָן שַׂעְרֵי מֵאִינּוּן מַבּוּעִין בִּמְשִׁיכוּתָא), and they become threads (וְאִתְעָבְדִין תִּלִין), that hang and are mingled with other locks (דְּתַלְיָין וּמִתְעָרְבִין בְּקוֹצִין אַחֲרָנִין). From the third cavity (מֵחַלָלָא תְּלִיתָאָה), go forth thousands of thousands of dwellings and porticoes (נָפְקֵי אֶלֶף אַלְפִין אִדָּרִין וְאַכְסַדְרָאִין), and hairs are drawn in extension from all of them (וְאִתְמַשְּׁכָן שַׂעְרֵי בִּמְשִׁיכוּתָא מִכֻּלְּהוּ). Some say: and they become threads upon threads and are mingled with other locks (נ״א: וּמִתְעָבְדִין תִּלִין עַל תִּלִין וּמִתְעָרְבִין בְּקוֹצִין אַחֲרָנִין). And because of this, these locks are threads upon threads (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִינּוּן קוֹצִין, תִּלִּין עַל תִּלִּין). And all the extensions that are drawn from the three cavities of the brain of the skull (וְכֻלְּהוּ מְשִׁיכָן דְּאִתְמַשְּׁכָן מִג׳ חַלָלִין דְּמוֹחָא דְּגוּלְגַּלְתָּא). And all those threads and all those hooks hang and cover toward the side of the ears (וְכָל אִינּוּן נִימִין וְכָל אִינּוּן קוֹצֵי תַּלְיָין וְחַפְּיָין לְסִטְרָא דְּאוּדְנִין). And because of this it is written (Daniel 9) “Incline Your ear, my God, and hear” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, הַטֵּה אֱלֹהַי אָזְנְךָ וּשְׁמָע). And in these threads hang—Some say: and in these hang (וּבְהַאי תִּלִין, תַּלְיָין, נ״א: וּבְהַאי תַּלְיָין)—right and left, light and darkness, mercy and judgment (יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא, נְהוֹרָא וַחֲשׁוֹכָא, רַחֲמֵי וְדִינָא). And all right and left depend upon this, and not upon Atika (וְכָל יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא תָּלֵי בְּהַאי, וְלָא בְּעַתִּיקָא).

In the middle of the hairs (בְּפַלְגוּתָא דְּשַׂעְרֵי), there is seen one thin path (אִתְחֲזֵי חַד אוֹרְחָא דָּקִיק), that is united from that path of Atik Yomin (דְּמִתְאַחֲדָא מֵהַהוּא אָרְחָא דְּעַתִּיק יוֹמִין). And from that path (וּמֵהַהוּא אָרְחָא), spread out six hundred and thirteen paths (אִתְפָּרְשָׁן שִׁית מְאָה וּתְלֵיסָר אָרְחִין), which are divided into the paths of the commandments of the Orayta (דְּאִתְפַּלְגוּן בְּאָרְחִין דְּפִקוּדֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). As it is written (Tehillim 25) “All the paths of Hashem are kindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies” (דִּכְתִיב, כָּל אָרְחוֹת יְיָ חֶסֶד וְאֱמֶת לְנוֹצְרֵי בְרִיתוֹ וְעֵדוֹתָיו). It was taught (תָּנָא): in every single hook (בְּכָל קוֹצָא וְקוֹצָא), are united thousands of thousands of masters of noise and wailing (מִתְאַחֲדָן אֶלֶף אַלְפִין מָארֵי דִּיבָבָא וִילָלָה), that depend upon every single hook from those that are mighty (דְּתַּלְיָין בְכָל קוֹצָא וְקוֹצָא מֵאִינּוּן תַּקִּיפִין). And from those that are weak are the masters of compassion—Some say: the masters of love, and it is a balance between them (וּמֵאִינּוּן שְׁעִיעִין מָארֵיהוֹן דְּמַתְקְלָא, נ״א: מָארֵיהוֹן דְּרַחִימוּתָא וְאִיהוּ מִתְקַלָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ). Because of this, there is right and there is left (בְּגִין כָּךְ אִית יְמִינָא וְאִית שְׂמָאלָא).