Daf 159b (דַּף קנ״ט ע״ב)

In this manner (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא): “In the image of Elohim He made man” (בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם) (Bereshit 9). Then he has three worlds (כְּדֵין אִית לֵיהּ תְּלַת עָלְמִין).

The first world (עָלְמָא קַדְמָאָה): this is the world that is called the world of separation (הַאי עָלְמָא דְּאִקְרֵי עָלְמָא דְּפִירוּדָא), and man is found in it and not found (וּבַּר נָשׁ אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ וְלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח). When they seek to look at him, he departs from them and is not seen (כַּד בָּעָאן לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, אִסְתַּלָּק מִנַּיְיהוּ וְלָא אִתְחֲזֵי).

The second world (עָלְמָא תִּנְיָינָא): the world that is bound with that supernal world (עָלְמָא דְּאִיהוּ קָשִׁיר בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה). And this is the Garden of Eden that is on earth (וְדָא הוּא גַּן עֵדֶן דִּי בְּאַרְעָא), which is bound with another supernal world (דְּדָא הוּא קָשִׁיר בְּעָלְמָא אַחֲרָא עִלָּאָה). And from this, another world is known and revealed (וּמֵהַאי אִתְיְדַע וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע עָלְמָא אַחֲרָא).

The third world (עָלְמָא תְּלִיתָאָה): that supernal hidden world (עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה טְמִירָא), concealed and hidden (גָּנִיז וְסָתִים), in which no one knows Him (דְּלֵית מַאן דְּיֵדַע לֵיהּ), as it is written: “Eye has not seen, O Elohim, beside You, what He has prepared for those who await Him” (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב: עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ) (Isaiah 64). And all is in the likeness above (וְכֹלָּא כְּגַוְונָא עִלָּאָה), as I have said before, in truth (קַדְמָאָה דְּאָמִינָא וּבְקַשּׁוֹט), as it is written: “In the image of Elohim He made man” (דִּכְתִיב: בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם) (Bereshit 9).

Come and see, surely (תָּא חֲזֵי וַדַּאי): because of this it is written: “You are children to Hashem your Elohim…” (עַל דָּא כְּתִיב: בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְגוֹ׳) (Deuteronomy 14), as it has been established (כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ). And these are “in the image of Elohim” (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים), and these inherit the supernal inheritance according to His likeness (וְאִלֵּין יָרְתִין יְרוּתָא עִלָּאָה כְּגַוְונָא דִּילֵיהּ). And because of this the Orayta warned (וְעַל דָּא אַזְהַר בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא): “You shall not cut yourselves, nor make a baldness between your eyes” (לֹא תִּתְגּוֹדְדוּ וְלֹא תָשִימוּ קָרְחָה) (Deuteronomy 14). For he is not lost (דְּהָא לָא אִתְאֲבִיד), but is found in good, supernal, and precious worlds (וְהָא שְׁכִיחַ בְּעָלְמִין טָבִין עִלָּאִין וְיַקִּירִין), to be joyous when a Tzaddik departs from this world (לֶהֱווֹן חַדָּן כַּד אִסְתָּלַק צַדִּיקָא מֵהַאי עָלְמָא). And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי), if Adam had not sinned (אִלְמָלֵי לָא חָב אָדָם), he would not taste the taste of death in this world (לָא יִטְעַם טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), when entering into the other worlds (בְּזִמְנָא דְּעָיִיל לְעָלְמִין אַחֲרָנִין).

But because he sinned (אֲבָל בְּגִין דְּחָב), he tasted the taste of death (טַעַם טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא), before entering into those worlds (עַד לָא יֵיעוּל לְאִינּוּן עָלְמִין). And the spirit spread out from this body (וְאִתְפָּשַּׁט רוּחָא מֵהַאי גּוּפָא), and left it in this world (וְאַשְׁאַר לֵיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And the spirit was made to pass through the River of Dinur in order to receive punishment (וְרוּחָא אִסְתַּחְיָא בִּנְהַר דִּינוּר לְקַבְּלָא עוֹנְשָׁא). And afterward it entered into the Garden of Eden that is on earth (וּלְבָתַר עַיְילָא לְגַּן עֵדֶן דִּבְאַרְעָא). And there was prepared for it another garment of light (וְאִזְדַּמְּנָא לֵיהּ מָאנָא אַחֲרָא דִּנְהוֹרָא), like the visage of the body of this world itself (כְּהַאי פַּרְצוּפָא דְּגוּפָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא מַמָּשׁ). And it was clothed and established within it (וְאִתְלָבָּשׁ וְאִתְתָּקַּן בֵּיהּ). And there it is his dwelling continually (וְתַמָּן הוּא מָדוֹרָא דִּילֵיהּ תָּדִיר). And he is bound at the beginnings of months and on Sabbaths with the Neshamah (וְאִתְקְשַׁר בְּרֵישׁ יַרְחֵי וְשַׁבַּתֵּי בְּנִשְׁמְתָּא). And he ascends and is crowned higher and higher (וְסָלִיק וְאִתְעַטָּר לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא). This is what is written: “And it shall be from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another…” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וְהָיָה מִדֵּי חֹדֶשׁ בְּחָדְשׁוֹ וְגוֹ׳) (Isaiah 66).

“From one new moon to another”-why? (מִדֵּי חֹדֶשׁ בְּחָדְשׁוֹ אֲמַאי). Rather, the mystery of the matter is this (אֶלָּא רָזָא דְּמִלָּה): because of the renewal of the moon (בְּגִין חַדְתּוּתֵי דְּסִיהֲרָא), which is crowned to shine from the sun at that time (דְּאִתְעַטְּרָא [עִטְרוֹי] לְאַנְהָרָא מִן שִׁמְשָׁא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא). And so too: “From one Sabbath to another” (וְכֵן מִדֵּי שַׁבָּת בְּשַׁבַּתּוֹ). “From one Sabbath”-this is the moon (מִדֵּי שַׁבָּת דָּא סִיהֲרָא). “To another Sabbath”-this is the sun (בְּשַׁבַּתּוֹ דָּא שִׁמְשָׁא). For light comes to her from there (דִּנְהוֹרָא אַתְיָא לָהּ מִן תַּמָּן). And about this, all is one matter (וְעַל דָּא כֹּלָּא חַד מִלָּה). And this is the clear truth of the matter (וְדָא הוּא בְּרִירָא דְּמִלָּה), except for the guilty, of whom it is written that death is for all the worlds (בַּר לְחַיָּיבַיָּא דִּכְתִיב בְּהוּ מִיתָה לְכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין), excision from all the worlds (כָּרֵת מִכֻּלְּהוּ עָלְמִין). And they are cut off from everything (וְאִשְׁתַּצְיָין מִכֹּלָּא), when they do not enter into Teshuvah (כַּד לָא עַיְילֵי בִּתְשׁוּבָה).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): Blessed is the Merciful One (בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא), that we have asked and gained these words (דְּשָׁאִילְנָא וְרַוַוחְנָא מִלִּין אִלֵּין), and that we have stood upon them (וְקָאִימְנָא עָלַיְיהוּ).

Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): From this portion I have learned a mystery of wisdom (מִפַּרְשְׁתָּא דָּא אוֹלִיפְנָא רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא), and from it are heard supernal and precious secrets (וְאִשְׁתְּמָעוּ מִנָּהּ רָזִין עִלָּאִין וְיַקִּירִין). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Kudsha Berikh Hu praises the Orayta (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְשַׁבַּח בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and says (וְאָמַר): Go in My ways (אַזִילוּ בְאוֹרְחַי), engage in My service (אִשְׁתַדְלוּ בְּפוּלְחַנַי), and behold, I will bring you into good worlds, supernal worlds (וְהָא אֲנָא מְעַיִיל לְכוֹן לְעָלְמִין טָבִין, לְעָלְמִין עִלָּאִין). Human beings who do not know, do not believe, and do not contemplate (בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּלָא יַדְעֵי, לָא מְהֵימְנֵי, וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי) Kudsha Berikh Hu says (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר): Go, inherit that good world, that supernal world of longing (אֲזִילוּ אֲלִילוּ הַהוּא עָלְמָא טָבָא, הַהוּא עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה דְּכִסּוּפָא). They say (אִינּוּן אַמְרֵי): How can we inherit it, and know all this? (אֵיךְ נֵיכוּל לְאַלְלָא לֵיהּ, וּלְמִנְדַּע כָּל הַאי).

What is written? (מַה כְּתִיב). “Go up this way by the Negev” (עֲלוּ זֶה בַנֶּגֶב) (Numbers 13): Engage in the Orayta (אִשְׁתְּדָּלוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and you shall see that it stands before you (וְתֶחמוּן דְּהָא הִיא קַיְּימָא קַמַיְּיכוּ), and from it you shall know Him (וּמִנָהּ תִּנְדְּעוּן לֵיהּ). “And you shall see the land, what it is…” (וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת הָאָרֶץ מַה הִיא וְגוֹ׳) (Numbers 13): From it you shall see that world (תֶּחמוּן מִנָּהּ הַהוּא עָלְמָא), for this is the inheritance of possession, into which I will bring you (דְּהָא יְרוּתָא דְּאַחֲסָנָא, דַּאֲנָא עָיֵיל לְכוּ בָּהּ). “And the people that dwell therein” (וְאֶת הָעָם הַיּוֹשֵׁב עָלֶיהָ) (Numbers 13): these are the Righteous in the Garden of Eden (אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא דִּבְגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן), who stand row by row in supernal glory (דְּקַיְימָן שׁוּרִין שׁוּרִין בִּיקָרָא עִלָּאָה), in supernal degrees (בְּדַרְגִּין עִלָּאִין).