Daf 249b (דַּף רמ״ט ע״ב)

Afterwards she strengthens herself like a mighty one and goes, and she is called deer (לְבָתַר אִתַּתְקְפַת כְּגִיבָּר וְאַזְלַת, וְאִקְרֵי אַיָּל). To what place does she go (לְאָן אֲתָר אַזְלַת). She goes sixty parasangs from that place where she went out (אַזְלַת שִׁתִּין פַּרְסֵי מֵהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּנָפְקָא), and she enters into the mountain of darkness (וְעָאלַת לְגוֹ טוּרָא דַּחֲשׁוֹכָא). (And from there is the path of sustenance) (וּמִתַּמָּן אָרְחַת מְזוֹנָא). She goes inside that mountain of darkness (אַזְלַת בְּגוֹ הַהוּא טוּרָא דַּחֲשׁוֹכָא), a crooked serpent passes by her foot (אָרַח לְרַגְלָהּ חִוְיָא חֲדָא עֲקִימָא), and goes by her foot (וְאָזִיל לְרַגְלָהּ). And she ascends from there to the mountain of light (וְאִיהִי סַלְּקָא מִתַּמָּן לְגַבֵּי טוּרָא דִּנְהוֹרָא). When she reaches there, Kudsha Berikh Hu prepares for her another serpent (כֵּיוָן דְּמָטַת תַּמָּן, זַמִּין לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חִוְיָא אַחֲרָא), and it comes and contends, this with that (וְנָפִיק וּמְקַטְרְגָא דָּא בְּדָא), and she is delivered (וְאִיהִי אִשְׁתְּזִיבַת). And from there she takes sustenance (וּמִתַּמָּן נַטְלַת מְזוֹנָא), and returns to her place at midnight (וְתָבַת לְאַתְרָהּ, בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא).

And from midnight she begins to distribute until the darkness of the dawn ascends (וּמִפַּלְגוּ לֵילְיָא, שַׁרְיָא לְפַלְגָא עַד דִּסְלִיקַת קַדְרוּתָא דְּצַפְרָא). When the day shines, she goes, and is not seen, as has been said (כֵּיוָן דְּאַנְהִיר יְמָמָא, אַזְלַת, וְלָא אִתְחֲזִיאַת, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). And at the time when the world requires rain (וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּעָלְמָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִטְרָא), all the other creatures gather to her (מִתְכַּנְּשִׁין לְגַבָּהּ כָּל שְׁאַר חֵיוָן), and she ascends to the top of a high mountain (וְהִיא סְלִיקַת לְרֵישׁ טוּרָא רַמָאָה), and she puts her head between her knees (וְאִתְעַטְּפַת רֵישָׁהּ בֵּין בִּרְכָהּ), and she bellows one bellow after another (וְגָעַת גּוֹעָה בָּתַר גּוֹעָה), and Kudsha Berikh Hu hears her voice (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁמַע קוֹלָּהּ), and is filled with mercy (וְאִתְמְלֵי רַחֲמִין), and has compassion upon the world (וְחָס עַל עָלְמָא). And she descends from the top of the mountain (וְהִיא נַחְתַּת מֵרֵישׁ טוּרָא), and runs (וְרָהֲטַת), and hides herself (וּטְמִירָת גַּרְמָהּ). And all the other creatures run after her (וְכָל שְׁאַר חֵיוָתָא אַבַּתְרָהּ רָהֲטִין), but they do not find her (וְלָא מַשְׁכְּחִין לָהּ). This is what is written: “As a deer longs for channels of water” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, כְּאַיָּל תַּעֲרוֹג עַל אֲפִיקֵי מָיִם) (Psalms 42). What is “for channels of water” (מַאי עַל אֲפִיקֵי מָיִם).

For channels of water from those that dried up (עַל אֲפִיקֵי מָיִם מֵהַנְהוּ דְּאִתְיְבָּשׁוּ), and the world thirsts for water (וְעָלְמָא צָחֵי עַל מַיָּיא), then she longs (כְּדֵין תַּעֲרוֹג). At the time when she is pregnant, she is closed (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְעַבְּרַת, אַסְתִּימַת). When the time comes to give birth (כֵּיוָן דְּמָטָא זִמְנָא לְמֵילַד), she bellows and raises voices, voice after voice (גָּעָאת וְרָמַאת קָלִין, קָלָא בָּתַר קָלָא), until seventy voices, corresponding to the words: “May Hashem answer you on the day of distress” (עַד שִׁבְעִין קָלִין, כְּחוּשְׁבַּן תֵּיבִין דְּיַעַנְךָ יְיָ בְּיוֹם צָרָה) (Psalms 20), which is the song of this pregnancy (דְּאִיהִי שִׁירָתָא דְּעוּבַּרְתָּא דָּא). And Kudsha Berikh Hu hears her (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁמַע לָהּ), and prepares to be near her (וְזַמִּין לְגַבָּהּ). Then He brings forth one great serpent (כְּדֵין אַפִּיק חַד חִוְיָא רַבְרְבָא), from within the mountains of darkness (מִגּוֹ טוּרֵי חָשׁוּךְ), and it comes between the mountains (וְאָתֵי בֵּין טוּרִין). Its mouth licks the dust (פּוּמֵיהּ מְלַחֲכָא בְּעַפְרָא), it reaches until this deer (מָטֵי עַד הַאי אַיָּל), and it comes and bites her in that place two times (וְאָתֵי וְנָשִׁיךְ לָהּ בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר, תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי).

The first time, blood comes out, and she licks it (זִמְנָא קַדְמָאָה נָפִיק דָּמָא, וְאִיהִי לָחִיךְ). The second time, water comes out, and all those beasts of the mountains drink (זִמְנָא תִּנְיָינָא, נָפִיק מַיָּיא וְשָׁתוּ כָּל אִינּוּן בְּעִירָן דִּי בְּטוּרַיָיא), and she opens and gives birth (וְאִתְפַּתְחַת וְאוֹלִידַת). And your sign is: “And he struck the rock with his staff twice” (וְסִימָנִךְ, וַיַּךְ אֶת הַסֶּלַע בְּמַטֵּהוּ פַּעֲמָיִם) (Numbers 20). And it is written: “And the congregation drank, and their beasts” (וּכְתִיב, וַתֵּשְׁתְּ הָעֵדָה וּבְעִירָם) (Numbers 20).

At that time, Kudsha Berikh Hu has mercy upon her for the travail of this serpent’s pregnancy (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָס עָלָהּ עַל עוּבַּרְתָּא דְּנָחָשׁ), some say: of the animal (ס״א דְּחֵיָּא). What is written: “The voice of Hashem causes the hinds to calve, and strips the forests, etc.” (מַה כְּתִיב, קוֹל יְיָ יְחוֹלֵל אַיָּלוֹת וַיֶּחֱשׂוֹף יְעָרוֹת וְגוֹ׳) (Psalms 29). “The voice of Hashem causes the hinds to calve”-these are the pangs and contractions, to arouse those seventy voices (קוֹל יְיָ יְחוֹלֵל אַיָּלוֹת, אִינּוּן חֲבָלִין וְצִירִין, לְאַתְעָרָא אִינּוּן שִׁבְעִין קַלִין). Immediately: “And strips the forests”-to remove that serpent (מִיַּד, וַיֶּחֱשׂוֹף יְעָרוֹת, לְאַעְבָּרָא הַהוּא נָחָשׁ), some say: to arouse that serpent (נ״א לְאִתְעָרָא הַהוּא נָחָשׁ), and to reveal that Chayyah among them to go (וּלְאִתְגַּלְיָיא הַהִיא חַיָּה בֵּינַיְיהוּ לְמֵיהַךְ). And in His Sanctuary, what is “And in His Sanctuary” (וּבְהֵיכָלוֹ, מַאי וּבְהֵיכָלוֹ). In the Sanctuary of Kudsha Berikh Hu (בְּהֵיכָלוֹ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), all those hosts open and say: Glory (כָּל אִינּוּן אָכְלוּסִין פַּתְחִין וְאָמְרִין כָּבוֹד). What is Glory (מַאי כָּבוֹד). “Blessed be the Glory of Hashem from His place” (בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד יְיָ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ) (Ezekiel 3).

“And in the first month”-who is the first month (וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן, מַאן חֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן). This is the month in which this Chayyah is revealed and strengthened, and comes forth into the world on the fourteenth day (דָּא אִיהוּ חֹדֶשׁ, דְּהַאי חַיָּה אִתְגַּלְיָיא בֵּיהּ וְאִתַתְקְפַת בֵּיהּ, וְנָפְקָא לְעָלְמָא בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם). Fourteenth-these are the other creatures, that they are ten and ten to every side, in the four directions of the world (בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר, אִלֵּין שְׁאַר חֵיוָתָא, דְּאִינּוּן י׳ י׳ לְכָל סְטָר, בְּד׳ סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא). And in the ancient books, it is ten and one to every side of the four sides, and they are fourteen (וּבְסִפְרֵי קַדְמָאֵי, אִיהוּ י׳ וְחַד לְכָל סְטָר לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין, וְאִינּוּן אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר). When these four are joined and rectified with those ten that are on the right side, then it is fourteen, in joy to rectify this Chayyah in her rectification (כֵּיוָן דְּאִינּוּן אַרְבַּע מִתְחַבְּרָאן וּמִתְתַּקְּנָן עִם אִינּוּן עֶשֶׂר דִּבְסִטְרָא דִּימִינָא, כְּדֵין י״ד בְּחֶדְוָה לְאִתְתַּקְנָא חַיָּה דָּא). Some say: to rectify the moon, this Chayyah, in her rectification (ס״א לְאִתְקַנָּא סִיהֲרָא חַיָּה דָּא בְּתִקּוּנָהּ).