Daf 235a (דַּף רל״ה ע״א)

The stomach, this one, takes and grinds, and sends to all the directions below, and from it the lower ones are nourished (אִצְטוֹמְכָא דָּא, נָטִיל וְשָׁחִיק, וּמְשַׁדֵּר לְכָל סִטְרִין דִּלְתַּתָּא, וּמִנֵּיהּ אִתְזָנוּ תַּתָּאֵי). From those, the dregs are drunk below, all those spirits and other sides that are nourished in the night from those limbs and fats (מֵאִינּוּן שָׁתִין שְׁמָרִים לְתַתָּא, כָּל אִינּוּן רוּחִין וְסִטְרִין אַחֲרָנִין דְּאִיתְזָנוּ בְּלֵילְיָא, מֵאִינּוּן אֵבָרִים וּפְדָרִים). And the rest of the chambers take all, and the liver takes all, and brings it near to the heart, as it is said (וּשְׁאַר נַטְלִין כָּל שַׁיְיפִין, וְנָטִיל כֹּלָּא כָּבֵד, וְקָרִיב לַלֵּב, כַּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). And this is what is written: “And the face of a lion on the right side” (Ezekiel 1) (וְדָא אִיהוּ דִּכְתִּיב, וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה אֶל הַיָּמִין). And because of this it appeared upon the altar, in the likeness of a lion eating offerings (וְעַל דָּא אִתְחֲזֵי עַל מַדְבְּחָא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּאַרְיֵה אָכִיל קָרְבְּנִין). From here onward, all the other chambers are in the mystery of the body like the likeness above (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה כָּל שְׁאַר שַׁיְיפִין, בְּרָזָא דְּגוּפָא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא).

Ra‘aya Meheimna

Ra‘aya Meheimna said (אָמַר רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא), Holy Luminary, surely the stomach at first takes all until six hours and bakes (בּוּצִינָא קַדִישָׁא, וַדַּאי אִצְטוֹמְכָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא נָטִיל כֹּלָּא, עַד שִׁית שַׁעְתִין, וְאוֹפֶה). The gizzard, it is the baker (קֻרְקְבָן, אִיהוּ אוֹפֶה). The lung, it is the one who gives drink (וְרֵיאָה, אִיהִי מַשְׁקֶה). The heart is the King (לִבָּא מַלְכָּא). And those two are surely the baker and the butler, to give to the King from the choicest of all foods and drinks, the head of all, the best of all (וְאִינּוּן תְּרֵין, אִינּוּן וַדַּאי אוֹפֶה וּמַשְׁקֶה, לְמֵיהַב לְמַלְכָּא, מִשְּׁפִּירוּ דְּכָל מַאֲכָלִין וּמַשְׁקִין, רֵישָׁא דְּכֻלְּהוּ, מִבְחַר לְכֻלְּהוּ). And this is what is written: “I have gathered my myrrh with my spice, I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk” (Song of Songs 5) (וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב, אָרִיתִי מוֹרִי עִם בְּשָׂמִי אָכַלְתִּי יַעְרִי עִם דִּבְשִׁי שָׁתִיתִי יֵינִי עִם חֲלָבִי). Afterward: “Eat, O friends” - these are the other limbs, which are the hosts and camps of the King, to whom food is divided by the chief baker (לְבָתַר, אִכְלוּ רֵעִים, שְׁאַר אֵבָרִים, דְּאִינּוּן חֵילִין וּמַשִׁרְיָין דְּמַלְכָּא, דְּפָלִיג לוֹן מְזוֹנָא, עַל יְדֵי שַׂר הָאוֹפִים). “Drink, and be drunken, O beloved ones” - by the chief butler (שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ דוֹדִים, עַל יְדֵי שַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים). And the liver is on the right of man (וְכָבֵד אִיהוּ לִימִינָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ).

And because of this: “And the face of a lion on the right side of the four of them” (Ezekiel 1) - to the right of the King, which is the heart (וּבְגִין דָּא, וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה אֶל הַיָּמִין לְאַרְבַּעְתָּן לִימִינָא דְּמַלְכָּא, דְּאִיהוּ לִבָּא). The spleen is to the left (טְחוֹל, לִשְׂמָאלָא). These are from the Sitra achra: “And the face of an ox on the left side” (Ezekiel 1) (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן מִסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וּפְנֵי שׁוֹר מֵהַשְּׂמֹאֹל). He gives wine mixed with water to the King (מַשְׁקֶה חַמְרָא מָזוּג בְּמַיָּא לְמַלְכָּא). And the lion eats - this is the liver, which gathers food before the King, who is the heart (וְאַרְיֵה אָכִיל, דָּא כָּבֵד, כָּנִישׁ מְזוֹנָא קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא, דְּאִיהוּ לִבָּא). And it is necessary to raise a difficulty on this: If the liver is Esav, how does it prepare food for the heart (וְאִית לְאַקְשׁוּיֵי עַל הַאי. אִי כָּבֵד אִיהוּ עֵשָׂו, אֵיךְ הוּא מְתַקֵּן מְזוֹנָא לְלִבָּא)?

Rather, surely the heart is in the likeness of Yitzḥak (אֶלָּא וַדָאי לִבָּא אִיהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דְּיִצְחָק). The liver is Esav, who is the hunter of game, and he will say to him: “Arise, my father, and eat from the game of his son” (Bereshit 27) (כָּבֵד עֵשָׂו, דְּאִיהוּ הַצָּד צַיִד. וְיֵימָּא לֵיהּ, יָקוּם אָבִי וְיֹאכַל מִצֵּיד בְּנוֹ). These are the prayers that go and are offered from the poor, and Yitzḥak is in pain and in grief, that they cannot properly intend in prayer (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן צְלוֹתִין, דְּאַזְלִין וּמִתְתַּרְכִין מֵעֲנִיִּים, וְיִצְחָק בְּצַעֲרָא וּבִיגוֹנָא, דְּלָא יַכְלִין לְכַוְּונָא לִצְלוֹתָא). And because of this he did not say “from my game,” but “from the game of his son” (Bereshit 27) (וּבְגִין דָּא לָא אָמַר וְיֹאכַל מִצֵּידִי, אֶלָּא וְיֹאכַל מִצֵּיד בְּנוֹ). “My son, My firstborn, Yisrael” (Exodus 4) (בְּנִי בְכוֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל).

In this manner, Yisrael have no food in exile except by the nations of the world (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, לֵית לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְזוֹנָא בְּגָלוּתָא, אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי אוּמִין דְּעָלְמָא). But when they are in the Land of Yisrael, their food is by the Shekhinta (אֲבָל כַּד אִינּוּן בְּאַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, מְזוֹנֵיהוֹן עַל יְדֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא). And let the two wings of the lung give drink - this is the butler (וְיֵהוֹן תְּרֵין כַּנְפֵי רֵיאָה מַשְׁקִין אוּמָה, שַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים). And the two kidneys are the bakers, that cook the seed that descends from the brain, and cook the water that they receive from the wings of the lung (וּתְרֵין כּוּלְּיָין הָאוֹפִים, דִּמְבַשְּׁלִין הַזֶּרַע דְּנָחִית מִן מוֹחָא, וּמְבַשְׁלִין מַיָּא דִּמְקַבְּלִין מִכַּנְפֵי רֵיאָה). And after the King, which is the heart, eats, it is said concerning His two kidneys: “Eat, O friends” (Song of Songs 5) (וּלְבָתַר דְּיֵיכוּל מַלְכָּא, דְּאִיהוּ לִבָּא, אִתְּמַר בִּתְרֵין כֻּלְּיָין דִּילֵיהּ, אִכְלוּ רֵעִים). And concerning His two wings of the lung: “Drink, and be drunken, O beloved ones” (Song of Songs 5) (וְלִתְרֵין כַּנְפֵי רֵיאָה, שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ דוֹדִים).

The heart is the throne of judgment (דְּלִבָּא אִיהוּ כִּסֵּא דִּין), its four creatures are its messengers (אַרְבַּע חֵיוָן שְׁלִיחָן דִּילֵיהּ). The two wings of the lung and the two kidneys (תְּרֵין כַּנְפֵי רֵיאָה, וּתְרֵין כֻּלְּיָין), “and their faces and their wings were parted above” (Ezekiel 1) (דְּכַנְפֵי רֵיאָה וּפְנֵיהֶם וְכַנְפֵיהֶם פְּרוּדוֹת מִלְּמָעְלָה), to receive upon them the King (לְקַבְּלָא עָלַיְיהוּ מַלְכָּא), which is “the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of Hashem” (Isaiah 11) (דְּאִיהוּ רוּחַ חָכְמָה וּבִינָה רוּחַ עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה רוּחַ דַּעַת וְיִרְאַת יְיָ). Who sits upon the throne, which is the heart (דְּיָתִיב עַל כֻּרְסְיָיא, דְּאִיהוּ לִבָּא). All those who go forth are conducted after it, like soldiers after their king (דְּכָל אִינּוּן דְּפִיקִין מִתְנַהֲגִין אֲבַּתְרֵיהּ, כְּחַיָּילִין בָּתַר מַלְכֵיהוֹן). And the spirit that blows from the wings of the lung blows upon the two nostrils (וְרוּחָא דְּנָשִׁיב מִכַּנְפֵי רֵיאָה, נָשִׁיב עַל תְּרֵי נוּקְבֵי חוֹטָמָא). And it is cold and chill from the left (וְאִיהוּ קָרִיר וּצְנִינָא מִשְּׂמֹאלָא). And warm from the right (וְחָם מִימִינָא). And from the side of the brain, which is the throne of mercy (וּמִסִּטְרָא דְּמוֹחָא דְּאִיהוּ כֻּרְסְיָיא דְּרַחֲמֵי), it is cold on the right, which is Chesed (אִיהוּ רוּחַ קָר לִימִינָא, דְּחֶסֶד). And warm on the left, which is Gevurah, where the heart is (וְחָם מִשְּׂמָאלָא דִּגְבוּרָה, דְּתַמָּן לִבָּא). And the brain mixes it, in the middle of the two (וּמוֹחָא מָזִיג בֵּיהּ, בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּתַרְוַויְיהוּ). So too the heart mixes, from cold and heat (אוּף הָכִי לִבָּא מָזִיג, מִקּוֹר וָחוֹם). And the brain likewise, that receive one from the other (וּמוֹחָא אוּף הָכִי, דִּמְקַבְּלִין דֵּין מִדֵּין). And the dregs of all, the spleen takes, and its camps, which are slaves and maidservants, as Shlomo said: “I got me slaves and maidservants” (Ecclesiastes 2) (וּשְׁמָרִים דְּכֹלָּא, נָטִיל טְחוֹל, וּמַשִׁרְיָין דִּילֵיהּ, דְּאִינּוּן עֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחוֹת, דְּאָמַר עָלַיְיהוּ שְׁלֹמֹה, קָנִיתִי לִי עֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחוֹת). The two kidneys are called fires, after the name of the supernal fires, of which it is said: “The fires of Hashem and His inheritance shall they eat” (Deuteronomy 18) (תְּרֵין כּוּלְיָין אִתְקְרִיאוּ אִשִׁים, עַל שֵׁם אִשִׁים דִּלְעֵילָּא, דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוּ, אִשֵּׁי יְיָ וְנַחֲלָתוֹ יֹאכֵלוּן). And in the windpipe are six rings (וּבַקָּנֶה שִׁית עִזְקָאן), about which it is said: “Ascribe to Hashem, O sons of the mighty” (Psalms 29) (דְּעָלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר, הָבוּ לַיְיָ בְּנֵי אֵלִים).

In them rises the voice, which is divided into six voices of the Shekhinta (דִּבְהוֹן סָלִיק קָלָא, דְּאִתְפְּלִיג לְו׳ קָלִין דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא). And the seventh rises to the mouth, which is the throne (וּשְׁבִיעָאָה סָלִיק לְפוּמָא, דְּאִיהוּ כֻּרְסְיָיא). And the six rings of the windpipe are in the likeness of the six levels of the throne of the King (וְשִׁית עִזְקָאן דְּקָנֶה, אִינּוּן כְּגַוְונָא דְּשִׁית דַּרְגִּין דְּכֻרְסְיָיא דְּמַלְכָּא). And the windpipe is the ladder, in which “the angels of God were ascending and descending on it” (Bereshit 28) (וְקָנֶה אִיהוּ סֻלָּם, דְּבֵיהּ מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים עוֹלִים וְיוֹרְדִים בּוֹ). These are the breaths that ascend in it to the King (דְּאִינּוּן הֲבָלִים סַלְּקִין בֵּיהּ מַלְכָּא). Some say: to the heart (נ״א: מִלְּבָא). And the spirits of the air descend in it into the heart, to cool the heat, so that the body not be ignited (וְרוּחִין דַּאֲוִירָא נַחְתִּין בֵּיהּ בְּלִבָּא, לְקַרְרָא חֲמִימוּתָא, דְּלָא לוֹקִיד גּוּפָא). And when the spirit descends, it descends in many spirits, like a king with his army (וְכַד רוּחָא נָחִית, נָחִית בְּכַמָּה רוּחִין, כְּמַלְכָּא עִם חֵילֵיהּ). And the wings of the lung receive the spirit, for the King is upon them, as we have said (וְכַנְפֵי רֵיאָה מְקַבְּלִין לְרוּחָא, דְּאִיהוּ מַלְכָּא עָלַיְיהוּ, כְּמָה דַּאֲמֵינָא). “And their faces and their wings were parted” (Ezekiel 1) (וּפְנֵיהֶם וְכַנְפֵיהֶם פְּרוּדוֹת). “And the cherubim spread out wings above” (Exodus 25) (וְהָיוּ הַכְּרוּבִים פּוֹרְשֵׂי כְנָפַיִם לְמַעְלָה).