Daf 167a (דַּף קס״ז ע״א)

The Head of the Academy opened and said: “And Hashem said to Avram, Go forth from your land, etc.” (Bereshit 12) (פָּתַח רַב מְתִיבְתָּא וְאָמַר, וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וְגוֹ׳). This is because radiance shone in him in this likeness (דָּא בְּגִין דְּאִתְנַהֲרָא בֵּיהּ נְהִירוּ כְּגַוְונָא דָּא). Whoever does not merit in this place shall go and bring himself to another place and merit there (מַאן דְּלָא זָכֵי בַּאֲתָר דָּא, יְהַךְ וְיִנְטַל גַּרְמֵיהּ לַאֲתָר אַחֲרָא, וְיִזְכֶּי בֵּיהּ). A flame that burns but the light does not ascend and shine within it - they shake it, and then the light rises within it and shines (אָעָא דְּדָלִיק, וּנְהוֹרָא לָא סָלִיק וְנָהִיר בֵּיהּ, יְנַעְנְעוּן לֵיהּ, וִיסַלֵק בֵּיהּ נְהוֹרָא, וְאַנְהִיר). And we were prepared to hear, but since we needed to come to you, we did not want to delay (וַהֲוִינָן זְמִינִין לְמִשְׁמַע, אֲבָל בְּגִין לְמֵיתֵי גַּבָּךְ, לָא בָּעֵינָן לְאִתְעַכְּבָא). Rabbi Shim‘on rejoiced (חַדֵּי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן).

They said to him: O holy pious one, all the words in the Orayta, within them are small words in every single word (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ, אִי חֲסִידָא קַדִּישָׁא, כָּל מִלִּין דִּי בְּגַוָּון בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, מִלִּין זְעִירִין אִינּוּן, בְּכָל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה). And those small words, how many great and supernal words they are, until they have no measure (וְאִינּוּן מִלִּין זְעִירִין, כַּמָה אִינּוּן מִלִּין רַבְרְבִין וְעִלָּאִין, עַד דְּלֵית לוֹן שִׁיעוּרָא). For within them there is no doubt, only the clarification of the Orayta in its wholeness (דְּהָא לֵית בְּגַוָּון סְפֵקָא, אֶלָּא בְּרִירוּ דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא עַל בּוּרְיֵיהּ). And now the Head of the Academy explained hidden words upon this: Why the essence of the soul does not shine in this place, but merits to shine in another place (וְהַשְׁתָּא רַב מְתִיבְתָּא פָּרִישׁ מִלִּין סְתִימִין עַל דָּא, בְּגִין דְּעִקָרָא דְּנִשְׁמְתָא, אֲמַאי לָא נָהִיר בַּאֲתָר דָּא, וְזָכֵי לְאִתְנַהֲרָא בַּאֲתָר אַחֲרָא).

And until now we have not merited in them, for we needed to come to you (וְעַד כְּעַן לָא זָכֵינָן בְּהוּ, בְּגִין לְמֵיתֵי גַּבָּךְ). And another word we merited to hear from him: A spirit that goes wandering in that world without children, his wife shall become for him a vessel to be built through her (וּמִלָּה אַחֲרָא זָכֵינָן לְמִשְׁמַע מִנֵּיהּ, רוּחָא דְּאַזְלָא בְּעִרְטוּרָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא בְּלָא בְּנִין, אִנְתְּתֵיהּ יִתְעֲבִיד לֵיהּ מָאנָא לְאִתְבְּנָאָה אִיהוּ). Why? Because his wife is the lamp that is lit from him (מַאי טַעֲמָא. אִנְתְּתֵיהּ אִיהִי שְׁרָגָא, דְּאִתְדְּלִיקַת מִנֵּיהּ). And both of them are one lamp, this light goes forth from this light (וְתַרְוַויְיהוּ שְׁרָגָא חֲדָא הֲווֹ, נְהוֹרָא דָּא נָפַק מִנְּהוֹרָא דָּא). This one is extinguished, and is relit from its very light, for one light they are (אִתְדָעַךְ דָּא, אִתְדְלִיק מִגּוֹ נְהוֹרֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ, בְּגִין דַּחֲדָא נְהוֹרָא הֲווֹ).

Now, my master, let us return to the former words (הַשְׁתָּא רִבִּי, נֶהְדַּר לְמִלִּין קַדְמָאִין), and when we return to the places, let us take permission from the Head of the Academy, with those words which we received from him, and we shall say before you (וְכַד נֶהְדַּר לְאַתְרִין, נִטוֹל רְשׁוּ מֵרַב מְתִיבְתָּא, בְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין דִּנְקַבֵּל מִנֵּיהּ, וְנֵימָא קַמָּךְ). Meritorious is your portion, that you merited hidden radiances from all sides, from above and from below, from this world and from the other world (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָךְ, דְּאַתְּ זָכֵי לִנְהוֹרִין סְתִימִין, מִכָּל סִטְרִין, מֵעֵילָּא וּמִתַּתָּא, מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, וּמֵעָלְמָא אוֹחֲרָא).

Rabbi Shim‘on said: One word I wish to know, if you are able to make it known to me (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, מִלָּה חֲדָא בָּעֵינָא לְמִנְדַּע, אִי תֵּיכוּל לְאוֹדָעָא לִי). Women in that world - if they merit to ascend above, or how are they there? (נָשִׁין בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, אִי זַכָּאִין לְסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא, אוֹ הֵיךְ אִינּוּן תַּמָּן). He said to him: O my master, O my master, concerning this we have a greater mystery - Some say: a precious mystery (אָמַר לֵיהּ, אִי רִבִּי אִי רִבִּי, בְּדָא אִית לָן רָזָא יַתִּירָא [ס״א יְקִירָא]). For it is not proper to reveal the secrets that are there (בְּגִין דְּלָא לְגַלָּאָה סִתְרִין דְּתַמָּן). But go and take permission, and I shall tell you (אֲבָל דָּא יְהַךְ וְיִטּוֹל רְשׁוּ, וְנֵימָא לָךְ).

Meanwhile one flew, and was hidden from them, and went away (אַדְּהָכִי פָּרַח חַד, וְאִתְכַּסֵּי מִנַּיְיהוּ, וְאָזַל לֵיהּ). And at that moment he returned to them (וּלְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא תָּב לְגַבַּיְיהוּ). He said to them: I was summoned to enter, and they were all in one gathering, judging the judgment of one man who was standing at the entrance of Gan Eden (אָמַר לוֹן, זְמִינָא הֲוִינָא לְמֵיעָאל, וַהֲווּ כֻּלְּהוּ בְּעִטּוּרָא חֲדָא, דְּדַיָּינֵי דִּינָא דְּחַד בַּר נָשׁ, דְּקָאִים עַל פִּתְחָא דְּגַן עֵדֶן). And the Keruvim seized him and did not let him enter there, and he was in distress among them (וְאִינּוּן כְּרוּבִין אֲחִידוּ בֵיהּ, וְלָא שָׁבְקוּ לֵיהּ לְמֵיעָאל תַּמָּן, וַהֲוָה בְּצַעֲרָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ). And he cried out cries at the entrance, and all the Righteous there heard (וְצָוַוח צַוְוחִין עַל גַּבֵּי פִּתְחָא, וּשְׁמָעוּ כּוּלְהוּ צַדִּיקַיָּיא דְּתַמָּן).

And now all the sons of the Academy were gathering to enter before the King Mashiach, to look into his judgment (וְהַשְׁתָּא הֲווֹ מִתְכַּנְּפֵי כָּל בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתֵּי, לְמֵיעָאל לְגַבֵּי מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא, לְעַיְּינָא בְּדִינֵיהּ). And I have come to make known to you (וַאֲתֵינָא לְאוֹדָעָא לְכוּ). And this companion must go there, for a herald went forth among all the sons of the Academy, that they should be gathered now before Mashiach (וְדָא חַבְרָאי אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֵהַךְ תַּמָּן, דְּכָרוֹזָא הֲוָה אַעְבָּר בְּכָל אִינּוּן בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתֵּי, דְּלִיהֱווֹן כְּנִישִׁין הַשְׁתָּא קַמֵּי מָשִׁיחַ).

He took one note and gave it to Rabbi Shim‘on (נָטַל פִּתְקָא חֲדָא, וְיָהַב לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן). He said: Take this, and look at what is there, until we come back to you (אָמַר, טוֹל דָּא, וְעָיֵין בְּמָה דְּתַמָּן, עַד דְּנֵיתֵי גַּבָּךְ). Both of them flew (פַּרְחוּ תַּרְוַויְיהוּ). And Rabbi Shim‘on took the note (וְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן נָטַל פִּתְקָא), and saw what he saw (וְחָמָא מַה דְּחָמָא), in the mysteries there (בְּרָזִין דְּתַמָּן), all that day (כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא). At night he saw a lamp (בְּלֵילְיָא חָמָא שְׁרָגָא), and sleep fell upon him (וְנָפִיל בֵּיהּ שֵׁינָתָא), and he slept until morning (וְדָמַךְ עַד צַפְרָא). When the day shone (כַּד נָהָר יְמָמָא), he arose (קָם), and that note flew from him (וּפָרַח הַהוּא פִּתְקָא מִנֵּיהּ). And behold, those two came (וְהָא אִינּוּן תַּרְוַויְיהוּ אַתְיָין). They said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Arise Rabbi (קוּם רִבִּי), meritorious is your portion (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָךְ), arise (קוּם). For your sake we saw and merited (בְּגִינָךְ חֲמֵינָן וְזָכֵינָן), many supernal secrets (לְכַמָּה סִתְרִין עִלָּאִין), how much joy they showed us (כַּמָה חֶדְוָה אַחְזִיוּ לָן), when permission was given (כַּד יָהֲבוּ רְשׁוּ), to reveal to you (לְגַלָּאָה לָךְ), whatever you desire (כָּל מַה דְּאַתְּ בָּעֵי). The Head of the Supernal Academy went out to us (רֵישׁ מְתִיבְתָּא עִלָּאָה נָפַק לְגַבָּן), and said (וְאָמַר): Inquire after the peace of bar Yochai (שָׁאִילוּ בִּשְׁלָמֵיהּ דְּבַר יוֹחָאי), his place bar Yochai (אַתְרֵיהּ דְּבַר יוֹחָאי), behold it has been prepared for him for many days (הָא פָּנוּ לֵיהּ מִכַּמָּה יוֹמִין). There is no one who may approach him (לֵית מַאן דְּיִקְרַב לְגַבֵּיהּ), meritorious is he (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ).

Rabbi, Rabbi (רִבִּי רִבִּי), when we flew from you (כַּד פָּרַחְנָא [בְּגִינָךְ] מִגַּבָּךְ), we entered and saw (עָאלָנָא וַחֲמֵינָא), all the sons of the Academy (כָּל בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתֵּי), that they were gathering (דְּהָא מִתְכַּנְּפֵי), into one palace (לְגוֹ הֵיכָלָא חֲדָא), where Mashiach was there (דְּמָשִׁיחַ תַּמָּן), and they judged the judgment (וְדַיְינוּ דִינָא), of that man (דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ), who stood at the entrance (דְּקָאִים עַל פִּתְחָא), his name we have no permission to reveal (שְׁמֵיהּ לֵית לָן רְשׁוּ לְגַלָּאָה).

Rabbi Shim‘on was distressed at this (אִצְטָעַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן עַל דָּא). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Do not be distressed Rabbi at this (לָא תִּצְטַעָר רִבִּי עַל דָּא), you shall know in this night in your dream (אַנְתְּ תֵּדַע בְּדָא לֵילְיָא בְּחֶלְמָךְ). But the judgment they judged upon him (אֲבָל דִּינָא דַּיְינוּ עָלֵיהּ), that Mashiach decreed (דְּגָזַר מָשִׁיחַ), that this man should be outside in that suffering forty days (דְּלִהֱוִי הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ לְבַר בְּהַהוּא צַעֲרָא אַרְבְּעִין יוֹמִין). At the end of forty days (לְסוֹף אַרְבְּעִין יוֹמִין), they shall afflict him in judgment (יְצַעֲרוּן לֵיהּ בְּדִינָא), with the suffering of Gehinnom (בְּצַעֲרָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם), an hour and a half (שַׁעֲתָא וּפַלְגָּא).