Daf 253b (דַּף רנ״ג ע״ב)

And the Shekhinta is the new meal-offering (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה), from the side of Chayah (מִסִּטְרָא דְּחַיָּה), of which it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ), (Ezekiel 1) “And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man” (וּדְמוּת פְּנֵיהֶם פְּנֵי אָדָם). And it is nine, in the small calculation of Enoch (וְאִיהוּ תְּשַׁע לְחֶשְׁבּוֹן זְעֵיר דְּחֲנוֹךְ). He is man (אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ), who is born at nine months of pregnancy (דְּאִתְיְילִיד לִתְשַׁע יַרְחִין דְּעוּבָּרָא), which is ten (דְּאִיהִי עֲשִׁירָאָה). And in this he includes all (וּבְדָא כָּלִיל מִכֻּלְּהוּ), and he is called the firstborn son (וְאִתְקְרֵי בֵּן בּוּכְרָא), on account of the sign of the covenant (עַל שֵׁם אוֹת בְּרִית), which is Yod (דְּאִיהוּ יוֹ״ד), the first drop that extends from him, seed shooting like an arrow (טִפָּה קַדְמָאָה דְּאִתְמְשַׁךְ מִנֵּיהּ זֶרַע יוֹרֶה כַּחֵץ). Which is Vav (דְּאִיהוּ ו׳), and it is Yod upon Vav (וְאִיהוּ יוֹ״ד סָלִיק עַל ו׳), like a fruit rising upon the branch of a tree (כְּאִיבָּא דְּסָלִיק עַל עַנְפָּא דְּאִילָנָא). And even though there are many branches in the tree (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּכַמָּה עַנְפִין אִית בְּאִילָנָא), and many figs upon them (וְכַמָּה תְּאֵנִים עָלַיְיהוּ), those that come first are called first fruits (אִינּוּן דְּאַקְדִּימוּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא אִתְקְרִיאוּ בִּכּוּרִים). These are the heads of all (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן רֵישִׁין דְּכֻלְּהוּ). In this manner it is said of them (כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְהוֹן אִתְּמַר), (Psalms 24) “Lift up your heads, O gates” (שְׂאוּ שְׁעָרִים רָאשֵׁיכֶם). (Isaiah 40) “Lift up your eyes on high and see Who created these” (שְׂאוּ מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם וּרְאוּ מִי בָּרָא אֵלֶּה). (Numbers 1) “Lift up the head of all the congregation of the children of Yisrael” (שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל).

“Lift up your heads, O gates” (שְׂאוּ שְׁעָרִים רָאשֵׁיכֶם). These gates are the fifty gates of Binah (שְׁעָרִים אִלֵּין, אִינּוּן חַמְשִׁין תַּרְעִין דְּבִינָה), which is the supernal academy (דְּאִיהִי מְתִיבְתָּא דִּלְעֵילָּא). And “Lift up, you everlasting doors” (וּשְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵי עוֹלָם), these are the lower academy (דִּמְתִיבְתָּא תַּתָּאָה). For whoever labors in Orayta, in the end is exalted (דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לְסוֹף מִתְנַשֵּׂא). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), (Proverbs 30) “If you have made yourself low, you shall be exalted” (אִם נָבַלְתָּ בְּהִתְנַשֵּׂא). And the masters of Mishnah have established (וְאוֹקְמוּהָ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין): whoever makes himself low for the words of Torah, in the end he is exalted (כָּל הַמְנַבֵּל עַצְמוֹ עַל דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה, לְסוֹף מִתְנַשֵּׂא). And then the King of Glory shall come (וְיָבֹא מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד), and there is no glory but Torah (וְלֵית כָּבוֹד אֶלָּא תּוֹרָה). From here: whoever learns Orayta, which is called “glory” (מֵהָכָא, מַאן דְּיָלִיף אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאִתְקְרִיאַת כָּבוֹד), is called King (אִקְרֵי מֶלֶךְ). And do not say, only in that world to come, not more (וְלָא תֵּימָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי וְלָא יַתִּיר), but King in both worlds, in the image of his Master (אֶלָּא מֶלֶךְ בִּתְרֵין עָלְמִין, בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ). And for this reason the verse is doubled twice (וּבְגִין דָּא כָּפוּל פְּסוּקָא תְּרֵין זִמְנִין): first, “Who is this King of Glory?” (חַד מִי זֶה מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד), second, “Who is He, this King of Glory?” (תִּנְיָינָא מִי הוּא זֶה מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד). “Lift up your heads, O gates”-why “your heads” twice? (שְׂאוּ שְׁעָרִים רָאשֵׁיכֶם, מַאי רָאשֵׁיכֶם תְּרֵין זִמְנִין). These are the beasts of the supernal Merkavah and the beasts of the lower Merkavah (אִינּוּן חֵיוָן דְּמֶרְכַּבְתָּא עִלָּאָה, וְחֵיוָן דְּמֶרְכַּבְתָּא תַּתָּאָה). And in the first connection (וּבְחִבּוּרָא קַדְמָאָה). Thus concludes Ra‘ya Meheimna (ע״כ רַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא).

Rabbi Shimon opened a verse and said (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח קְרָא וְאָמַר), (Psalms 24) “Lift up your heads, O gates…” (שְׂאוּ שְׁעָרִים רָאשֵׁיכֶם וְגוֹ׳). This verse has been established and explained (הַאי קְרָא אוֹקְמוּהָ וְאִתְּמַר). But “Lift up your heads, O gates”-these are the supernal gates (אֲבָל שְׂאוּ שְׁעָרִים רָאשֵׁיכֶם, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן תַּרְעִין עִלָּאִין), the gates of supernal intelligence (תַּרְעִין דְּסָכְלְתָנוּ עִלָּאָה). And these are fifty gates (וְאִינּוּן חַמְשִׁין תַּרְעִין). “Your heads”-these are the heads, who are they? (רָאשֵׁיכֶם, אִינּוּן רָאשִׁים מַאן אִינּוּן). Rather, each one has a head, to extend and to ascend, this one into that one, and to include this one in that one (אֶלָּא, כָּל חַד וְחַד, אִית לֵיהּ רֵישָׁא לְאִתְפַּשְׁטָא וּלְמֵיעַל דָּא בְּדָא, וּלְאַכְלְלָא דָּא בְּדָא).

We have found in the Book of Enoch (אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּסִפְרָא דְּחֲנוֹךְ): “Lift up your heads, O gates”-these are the lower gates from the Patriarchs (שְׂאוּ שְׁעָרִים, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן תַּרְעִין דִּלְתַּתָּא מֵאֲבָהָן), and these are the last three (וְאִינּוּן תְּלָתָא בַּתְרָאִין). “Your heads”-these are the heads of the thousands of Yisrael (רָאשֵׁיכֶם: אִלֵּין אִינּוּן רָאשֵׁי אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), and these are the supernal Patriarchs (וְאִינּוּן אֲבָהָן עִלָּאֵי), and these are the heads which are the gates (וְאִינּוּן רָאשִׁין דְּאִינּוּן תַּרְעִין). And because these are the Ofanim, that turn and bear them upon their shoulders (וּבְגִין אִלֵּין דְּאִינּוּן אוֹפַנִּים, דְּסָחֲרָן וְנַטְלִין לוֹן עַל כַּתְפַיְיהוּ), they say: “Lift up your heads, O gates” (אַמְרֵי שְׂאוּ שְׁעָרִים רָאשֵׁיכֶם). Lift up-for whom? For your heads (שְׂאוּ לְמַאן. לְרָאשֵׁיכֶם). For they are heads over you and rule over you (דְּאִינּוּן רָאשִׁין עָלַיְיכוּ, וְשָׁלְטָנִין עָלַיְיכוּ). And “Be lifted up, you everlasting doors”-these are the Mothers, and these are the four that are below (וְהִנָּשְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵי עוֹלָם. אִלֵּין אִמָּהָן וְאַרְבַּע אִינּוּן דִּלְתַּתָּא).