Daf 172a (דַּף קע״ב ע״א)

At the time when he calls (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִיהוּ קָרֵי), all the roosters of this world cry out (כָּל תַּרְנְגוֹלִין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא קָרָאן), and a different flame issues from him (וְנָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ שַׁלְהוֹבָא אַחֲרָא), and it reaches them beneath their wings (וּמָטֵי לוֹן תְּחוֹת גַּדְפַיְיהוּ), and they cry out (וְקָרָאן). What does he cry out? (אִיהוּ מַה קָרֵי). At the first hour he cries out and says (בְּשַׁעֲתָא קַדְמָאָה קָרֵי וְאָמַר), the voice of Hashem is in power, the voice of Hashem is in majesty (קוֹל יְיָ בַּכֹּחַ קוֹל יְיָ בֶּהָדָר) (Psalm 29). And at the second hour he cries out and says (וּבְשַׁעֲתָא תִּנְיָינָא קָרֵי וְאָמַר), the voice of Hashem calls to the city (קוֹל יְיָ לָעִיר יִקְרָא) (Micah 6), the voice of Hashem breaks the cedars (קוֹל יְיָ שׁוֹבֵר אֲרָזִים) (Psalm 29).

At the third hour he cries out and says (בְּשַׁעֲתָא תְּלִיתָאָה קָרֵי וְאָמַר), the voice of Hashem hews out flames of fire (קוֹל יְיָ חוֹצֵב לַהֲבוֹת אֵשׁ). At the fourth hour he cries out and says (בְּשַׁעֲתָא רְבִיעָאָה קָרֵי וְאָמַר), the voice of Hashem shakes the wilderness, etc. (קוֹל יְיָ יָחִיל מִדְבָּר וְגוֹ') (Psalm 29). At the fifth hour he cries out and says (בְּשַׁעֲתָא חֲמִישָּׁאָה קָרֵי וְאָמַר), the voice of Hashem is upon the waters, etc. (קוֹל יְיָ עַל הַמָּיִם וְגוֹ'). At the sixth hour he cries out and says (בְּשַׁעֲתָא שְׁתִיתָאָה קָרֵי וְאָמַר), the voice of Hashem causes the hinds to calve, etc. (קוֹל יְיָ יְחוֹלֵל אַיָּלוֹת וְגוֹ'). Afterwards he cries out and says (לְבָתַר קָרֵי וְאָמַר), a voice says, “Call!”, and he said, “What shall I call?”, etc. (קוֹל אוֹמֵר קְרָא וְאָמַר מָה אֶקְרָא וְגוֹ') (Isaiah 40). And this is the rooster that cries out (וְדָא אִיהוּ תַּרְנְגוֹלָא דְּקָרֵי), and does not forget (וְלָא שָׁכִיךְ), and afterwards he cries out as before (וּלְבָתַר קָרֵי כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין). And what does he cry out? (וּמַאי קָרֵי).

All the deeds of the inhabitants of the world (כָּל עוֹבָדִין דִּבְנֵי עָלְמָא), because he is the master of the inkwell (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ מָארֵיהּ דְּאַחְמְתָא), some say: of wisdom (נ"א: דחכמתא), and the inkstand of the scribe is at his loins (וְקֶסֶת הַסּוֹפֵר בְּחַרְצוֹי). And all the deeds of the inhabitants of the world are written each day (וְכָל עוֹבָדִין דִּבְנֵי עָלְמָא כַּתִיב בְּכָל יוֹמָא). And at night (וּבְלֵילְיָא), after he cries out all these calls (בָּתַר דְּקָרֵי כָּל קְרִיאָן אִלֵּין), he cries out all that was written during the day (קָרֵי כָּל מַה דְּכָתַב בְּיוֹמָא). And were it not for his toes (וְאִלְמָלֵא רַגְלוֹי אֶצְבְּעָאן דִּילֵיהּ), which are two levels (דְּאִינּוּן תְּרֵין דַּרְגִּין), one of which stands in the middle (חַד הַהוּא דְּקַיֵּימָא בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא), which is great (דְּאִיהוּ רַב), and the one that stands behind (וְהַהוּא דְּקַיֵּימָא מֵאֲחוֹרָא), which is small (דְּאִיהוּ זְעֵיר), which restrain him (דְּקָא מְעַכְּבִין לֵיהּ), he would ignite the world with his flame (יְהֵא מוֹקִיד עָלְמָא בְּשַׁלְהוֹבוֹי). And what do they do? (וּמָה עַבְדֵּי). Once morning rises (כֵּיוָן דְּסָלִיק צַפְרָא), and a thread of Nehiru goes forth from the southern side (וְחוּטָא דִּנְהִירוּ נָפִיק מִסְטַר דָּרוֹם), then they all join together (כְּדֵין מִתְחַבְּרִין כֻּלְּהוּ), and two legs are formed, two hoofs like a calf (וְאִתְעָבְדִין תְּרֵין רַגְלִין תְּרֵין טְלָפַיִן כְּעֶגְלָא), to fulfill what is written (לְקַיֵּימָא דִּכְתִּיב): and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot (וְכַף רַגְלֵיהֶם כְּכַף רֶגֶל עֵגֶל) (Ezekiel 1), and behold, you know this secret (וְהָא יַדְעַת רָזָא דָּא).

Question of the branch of the threshing floor (שְׁאֵלָת עַנְפָּא דְּגוֹרֶן). Within this Azarah (לְגוֹ בַּעֲזָרָה דָּא), there are three hundred sixty-five chambers (אִית תְּלַת מְאָה וְשִׁתִּין וַחֲמִשָּׁה הֵיכָלִין), corresponding to the number of days in the year (כְּחוּשְׁבָּן יוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא). And at each and every gate is written (וּבְכָל פִּתְחָא וּפִתְחָא כְּתִיב): may there be peace within your walls, serenity in your palaces (יְהִי שָׁלוֹם בְּחֵילֵךְ שַׁלְוָה בְּאַרְמְנוֹתָיִךְ) (Psalm 122). No one knows what is in these chambers (לָא יְדִיעַ מַהוּא בְּהָנֵי הֵיכָלִין), except that all of them (אֶלָּא כֻּלְּהוּ), are seen as works of image (אִתְּחֲמָן עוֹבָד צִיּוּר). Seven orders of pearls are seen, each within the other (שֶׁבַע סִדְרִין דְּמַרְגְּלָאן אִתְּחֲמָן אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין), in each and every one (בְּכָל חַד וְחַד).

O holy pious one (אִי חֲסִידָא קַדִּישָׁא), how much does the Head of the Academy praises one palace (כַּמָּה מְשַׁבַּח רַב מְתִיבְתָּא הֵיכָלָא חֲדָא), which is at the head of the eastern side of this courtyard (דְּאִיהוּ בְּרֵישׁ סְטָר מִזְרָח דַּעֲזָרָה דָּא), because four are on the four directions of the world (בְּגִין דְּאַרְבַּע אִינּוּן בְּד׳ סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא), but the palace on the eastern side (אֲבָל הֵיכָלָא דִּסְטַר מִזְרָח), its lights are greater than all of them (אַסְגֵּי נְהוֹרִין דִּילֵיהּ יַתִּיר מִכֻּלְּהוּ).

One day, in the Great Sea (יוֹמָא חַד, בְּיַמָּא רַבָּא), Leviathan goes forth (לִוְיָתָן נָפִיק), and the whole sea trembles (וְכָל יַמָּא אִזְדַּעְזַע), and all the fishes go this way and that (וְכָל נוּנֵי אָזְלִין לְכָאן וּלְכָאן). When Leviathan reaches the gate of the opening of the deep (כַּד מָטֵי לִוְיָתָן בְּפִתְחָא דְּפִתְחָא דִּתְהוֹמָא), it begins to rejoice (שָׁארֵי לְמֶחְדֵּי), and it is found there are depths (וְאִשְׁתְּכַךְ תַּמָּן תְּהוֹמֵי), but those depths are like the appearance of fountains (אֶלָּא הַהוּא כְּחֵיזוּ דְּמַעְיָין), and the lights are covered (וְאִתְחַפְּיָין נְהוֹרִין), and those lights are not seen (וְלָא אִתְחָזוּן כָּל אִינּוּן נְהוֹרִין), except the light of the palace that is on the eastern side (בַּר נְהוֹרָא דְּהֵיכָלָא דְּבִסְטַר מִזְרָח דָּא).

That pearl which Leviathan brings forth (הַהוּא מַרְגְּלָא דְּקָא אַפִּיק לִוְיָתָן), from within that deep which is called Sagdon (מִגּוֹ הַהוּא תְּהוֹמָא דְּאִקְרֵי סַגְדוֹ״ן)—of what was it made? (מִמָּה אִתְעָבִיד). Rather, on this day when Leviathan brings it forth (אֶלָּא יוֹמָא דָּא דְּקָא אַפִּיק לִוְיָתָן), when the sea trembles (דְּאִזְדַּעְזַע יַמָּא), it is the day on which the Temple was destroyed (יוֹמָא דְּאִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא): it is the ninth of Av (ט׳ בְּאָב אִיהוּ). And that pearl (וְהַהוּא מַרְגְּלָא), when Kudsha Berikh Hu remembers His children (דְּכַד דָּכִיר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לִבְנוֹי), and causes two tears to fall into the Great Sea (וְאוֹשִׁיד תְּרֵין דִּמְעִין לְגוֹ יַמָּא רַבָּא) (Exodus 9): one falls into this deep called Sagdon (חַד נָפִיל לְגוֹ תְּהוֹמָא דָּא דְּאִקְרֵי סַגְדוֹ״ן), and one falls into another deep called Gilva (וְחַד נָפִיל לְגוֹ תְּהוֹמָא אַחֲרָא דְּאִקְרֵי גִּילְבָ״א).

For there are five other depths in the Great Sea (בְּגִין דְּחָמֵשׁ תְּהוֹמֵי אַחֲרָנִין אִינּוּן בְּיַמָּא רַבָּא). But they are not comparable to these others (אֲבָל לָא חֲשִׁיבִין כְּהָנֵי אַחֲרָנִין). When those tears fall (וְכֵיוָן דְּנַפְלֵי אִינּוּן דִּמְעִין), they congeal within one deep (קָפָאָן גּוֹ תְּהוֹמֵי חַד). And one sinks into the deep called Gilva (וְחַד אַטְבַּע גּוֹ תְּהוֹמָא דְּאִקְרֵי גִּילְבָ״א). Below, amid the dregs of wine (דְּתַתָּא גּוֹ שְׁמָרִים דְּחַמְרָא), amid evil sediment (דּוּרְדְיָין בִּישִׁין), there emerges one accusing arousal (נָפִיק חַד עִרְעוּרָא מְקַטְרְגָא), the primordial destructive force (מַזִיקָא קַדְמָאָה), and it is in the spirit of the likeness of Adam (וְאִיהוּ בְּרוּחָא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּאָדָם), when it draws near within holiness (כַּד קָרִיב לְגוֹ קוּדְשָׁא). When it passes from there (כֵּיוָן דְּמִתְעֲבֵר מִתַּמָּן), and seeks to descend below (וּבָעֵי לְנַחְתָּא לְתַתָּא), to clothe itself in a garment in order to harm the world (לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בִּלְבוּשָׁא לְנַזְקָא עָלְמָא), it descends, it and its chariot (נָחִית הוּא וּרְתִיכוֹי). And the first garment that it takes is the form of an ox (וּלְבוּשָׁא קַדְמָאָה דְּקָא נָקִיט תַּבְנִית שׁוֹר), the likeness of an ox (דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּשׁוֹר). And the first of those four damaging forces is the ox (וְקַדְמָאָה לַנְּזִיקִין מֵאִינּוּן אַרְבַּע, שׁוֹר אִיהוּ).

And these are the four primary categories for harming the world (וְאִינּוּן אַרְבַּע אָבוֹת לְנַזְקָא עָלְמָא). And all three other primary categories of damage, besides the ox, are his (וְכֻלְּהוּ תְּלָתָא אָבוֹת נְזִיקִין, בַּר שׁוֹר, כֻּלְּהוּ דִּילֵיהּ). And concerning this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “They exchanged their glory for the likeness of an ox that eats grass” (וַיָּמִירוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדָם בְּתַבְנִית שׁוֹר אוֹכֵל עֵשֶׂב) (Psalms 106). What is “that eats grass”? (מַהוּ אוֹכֵל עֵשֶׂב). Behold, we have expounded it (הָא דַּרְשִׁינָן בֵּיהּ). But the essence of the matter is from the extract of bread (אֲבָל עִקָּרָא דְּמִלָּה, מִתַּמְצִית הַלֶּחֶם), and he has no portion in the seven species of grain (וְלָא שִׁבְעַת זִינֵי דָּגָן, לֵית לֵיהּ בְּהוּ חוּלָקָא), nor is it fitting for him to be there (וְלָא יָאוּת לֵיהּ לְמֶהֱוִי תַּמָּן). From their places (מִדּוּכְתַּיְיהוּ), and these remain in their places (וְאִלֵּין יַתְבִין בְּדוּכְתַּיְיהוּ), until these emerge (עַד לָא נָפְקֵי אִלֵּין). These are prepared (זְמִינִין אִלֵּין); their radiance and sparkle (נְהִירוּ וּנְצִיצוּ דִּלְהוֹן), the eyes cannot bear (לָא יַכְלִין עַיְינִין לְמִסְבַּל). They move in circles (אַזְלִין בְּסָחֲרָנִין); they have no resting place forever (לֵית לְהוֹן שְׁכִיכוּ לְעָלְמִין).