Daf 269b (דַּף רס״ט ע״ב)

And the words are not settled with us (וּמִלִּין לָא מִתְיַשְּׁבָן לְגַבָּן). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא.) Because the supernal Keter includes all (בְּגִין דְּכִתְרָא עִלָּאָה הוּא כָּלִיל כֹּלָּא), and it is not in reckoning (דְּלָאו הוּא בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא). And furthermore, “And it shall be when Hashem shall bring you” (Exodus 13) (וְעוֹד, וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ), depends on the exodus from Egypt (בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם תַּלְיָיא), that place where freedom was found for the servants (הַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ חֵירוּ לְעַבְדִין). And because of this, they are not rectified in their ways (וְעַל דָּא לָא מִתְתַּקְּנָן בְּאָרְחַיְיהוּ).

But we begin from Chokhmah (וַאֲנָן מֵחָכְמָה שַׁרְיָין), and so it is (וְהָכִי הוּא). And Kudsha Berikh Hu takes them: four Above (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיל לוֹן, אַרְבַּע לְעֵילָּא), four below (אַרְבַּע לְתַתָּא), four in the place of the brain (אַרְבַּע בַּאֲתָר דְּמוֹחָא), four in the place where the heart rests (אַרְבַּע בַּאֲתָר דְּלִבָּא שַׁרְיָיא), so that one is bound with the other (בְּגִין דְּדָא בְּדָא אִתְקְשַּׁר). And a man must be crowned with them (וּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּהוּ), because it is the supernal Holy Name (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה). As it is written (דִּכְתִיב), “And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the Name of Hashem is called upon you, etc.” (Deuteronomy 28) (וְרָאוּ כֹּל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ כִּי שֵׁם יְיָ וְגוֹ׳). And whoever is crowned with this supernal holy crown (וְכָל מַאן דְּמִתְעַטָּר בְּעִטְרָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה דָּא), is called a king on earth (אִקְרֵי מֶלֶךְ בְּאַרְעָא). And Kudsha Berikh Hu is King in heaven (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מֶלֶךְ בִּרְקִיעָ). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), “The King is bound with the channels” (Song of Songs 7) (מֶלֶךְ אָסוּר בָּרְהָטִים). Just as Kudsha Berikh Hu is King Above (כְּמָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מֶלֶךְ לְעֵילָּא), so also is he king below (הָכִי נָמֵי הוּא מֶלֶךְ לְתַתָּא). And with all this (וְעִם כָּל דָּא), “And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house” (Deuteronomy 6) (וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ), in order that a man be complete in all (בְּגִין דִּיהֱוֵי בַּר נָשׁ שְׁלִים בְּכֹלָּא), and be found complete in the commandments of his Master (וְיִשְׁתְּכַּח שְׁלִים בְּפִקּוּדֵי דְּמָארֵיהּ), inscribed Above and inscribed below (רָשִׁים לְעֵילָּא, רָשִׁים לְתַתָּא). Fortunate is the portion of Yisrael (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל).

Rabbi El'azar opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר), “Two verses I have found” (תְּרֵי קְרָאֵי אַשְׁכַּחְנָא), that although all depend on one degree (דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּכֹלָּא בְּחַד דַּרְגָּא תַּלְיָין), they are not of one degree (לָאו אִינּוּן מִדַּרְגָּא חַד). One verse is written (חַד קְרָא כְּתִיב), “So says Hashem Tzeva’ot” (Haggai 1) (כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת). And one verse is written (וְחַד קְרָא כְּתִיב), “So says Hashem Elohim” (Isaiah 6) (כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים). What is the difference between this and that? (מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי.) Rather, at the time it is written “So says Hashem Tzeva’ot” (אֶלָּא בְּזִמְנָא דִּכְתִיב כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת), then the word comes in mercy (כְּדֵין מִלָּה אַתְיָא בְּרַחֲמֵי). And at the time it is written “So says Hashem Elohim” (וּבְזִמְנָא דִּכְתִיב כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים), then the word comes in judgment (כְּדֵין מִלָּה אַתְיָא בְּדִינָא). “So says Hashem Tzeva’ot” (כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת), because this Koh [thus] is blessed from Tzaddik and from Netzach and Hod (בְּגִין דְּהַאי כֹּה, אִתְבָּרְכָא מִצַדִּיק וּמִנֶּצַח וְהוֹד), which are called Hashem Tzeva’ot (דְּאִקְרֵי יְיָ צְבָאוֹת). And then the word comes in sweetness (וּכְדֵין, מִלָּה בְּאִתְבַּסְּמוּתָא אַתְיָיא), for from this place it comes (דְּהָא מֵאֲתָר דָּא קָא אַתְיָא). “So says Hashem Elohim” (כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים), then this “Koh” nurses from the side of judgment (כְּדֵין הַאי כֹּה יַנְקָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא), from the place of supernal Gevurah (מֵאֲתָר דִּגְבוּרָה עִלָּאָה). And we have learned from Abba (וְאוֹלִיפְנָא מֵאַבָּא), that judgment is within mercy (דְּדִינָא הוּא בְּרַחֲמֵי), because it is written “Hashem Elohim” (Bereshit 2) (בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב יְיָ אֱלֹהִים). For Elohim is Gevurah in every place (דְּהָא אֱלֹהִים גְּבוּרָה הוּא בְּכָל אֲתָר), Adonai is the lower Gevurah in every place (אֲדֹנָי, גְּבוּרָה תַּתָּאָה הִיא בְּכָל אֲתָר). And because of this, the words are known from the mouth of the prophet (וְעַל דָּא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן מִלֵּי מִפּוּמָא דִּנְבִיאָה), and he intended to speak the word from his place (וְהוּא הֲוָה מִתְכַּוֵּין לְמֵימַר מִלָּה מֵאַתְרֵיהּ). And then those sons of faith knew (וּכְדֵין הֲווֹ יַדְעֵי אִלֵּין בְּנֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא), from which place the word depended (מֵאָן אֲתָר תַּלְיָיא מִלְּתָא).

Rabbi Acha opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי אֲחָא וְאָמַר), “‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of Hashem, etc.” (Judges 5) (אוֹרוּ מֵרוֹז אָמַר מַלְאַךְ יְיָ וְגוֹ׳). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), this verse is a secret in supernal mysteries (הַאי קְרָא רָזָא הוּא בְּרָזִין עִלָּאִין). At the time when the holy King delivered His house into the hand of the Matronita (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא מָסַר בֵּיתֵיהּ בִּידָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא), all His weapons and spears and ballistae He entrusted into her hand (כָּל זַיְינִין וְרוּמְחִין וּבַלֵיסְטְרָאוֹת דִּילֵיהּ אַפְקִיד בִּידָהָא), and all those mighty warriors of battle He entrusted with her (וְכָל אִינּוּן מַגִיחֵי קְרָבָא דִּילֵיהּ אַפְקִיד עִמָּהּ). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), “Behold the bed of Shlomo, sixty mighty men surround it, of the mighty men of Yisrael” (Song of Songs 3) (הִנֵּה מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹה שִׁשִּׁים גִּבּוֹרִים סָבִיב לָהּ מִגִּבּוֹרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). And this has been established (וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ). And when Kudsha Berikh Hu engaged in battle (וְכַד אֲגַח קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קְרָבָא), with those mighty warriors of battle we have mentioned He fought (בְּאִינּוּן גִּבּוֹרִין מַגִיחֵי קְרָבָא דְּקָאָמַרָן אַגָח), and they are called trained for war (וְאִינּוּן אִקְרוּן מְלוּמְּדֵי מִלְחָמָה). It is written (כְּתִיב), “From heaven they fought, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera, etc.” (Judges 5) (מִן שָׁמַיִם נִלְחָמוּ הַכּוֹכָבִים מִמְּסִלּוֹתָם נִלְחֲמוּ עִם סִיסְרָא וְגוֹ׳). And we learned (וּתְנַן), at that time when Yisrael volunteered to reveal the holy sign upon their flesh (בְּהַאי שַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְנְדִיבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְגַלָּאָה רְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא בִּבְשָׂרֵיהוֹן), then this sword took vengeance, vengeance of the covenant (כְּדֵין הַאי חֶרֶב נוֹקֶמֶת נְקַם בְּרִית), and gathered all His hosts (כָּנַשׁ כָּל חֵילָא דִּילֵיהּ), and all His weapons (וְכָל זַיְינִין), and all those mighty warriors of battle (וְכָל אִינּוּן מַגִיחֵי קְרָבָא), to wage battle with Sisera (לְאַגָּחָא קְרָבָא עִמֵּיהּ [נ״א דְּסִיהֲרָא] דְּסִיסְרָא). And the stars cast fire from above (וְכוֹכָבַיָּיא הֲווֹ אוֹשְׁדִין נוּרָא מִלְעֵילָּא). And Rabbi Shimon said (וְאָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), each and every star has its own name (כָּל כּוֹכָב וְכוֹכָב אִית לֵיהּ שְׁמָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), and all of them are called by their names (וְכֻלְּהוּ בִּשְׁמָהָן אִקְרוּן).

Kudsha Berikh Hu said to them (אָמַר לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), “Prepare yourselves to take vengeance for My children” (אִתְעַתְּדוּ לְנַקְמָא נוּקְמָא דְּבָנַי). Two vengeances I am prepared to exact from them (תְּרֵי נוּקְמֵי אֲנָא זַמִּין לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִנַּיְיהוּ): one vengeance, of the six hundred chariots that I gave to the prince of Egypt (חַד נוּקְמָא דְּשִׁית מְאָה רְתִיכִין דְּאוֹזִיף לֵיהּ לְרַבְרְבָא דְּמִצְרָאֵי), to wage war with them against Yisrael (בְּגִין לְאַגָחָא קְרָבָא בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). As it is written (דִּכְתִיב), “And he took six hundred chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt” (Exodus 14) (וַיִּקַּח שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב בָּחוּר וְכֹל רֶכֶב מִצְרָיִם). And one vengeance of My children, whom they afflicted until now (וְחַד נוּקְמָא דְּבָנַי, דְּעָאקוּ לְהוּ עַד הַשְׁתָּא). And because of this they were judged with two judgments (וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִתְדָּנוּ בִּתְרֵין דִּינִין): one with water (חַד בְּמַיָּיא), and one with fire (וְחַד בְּאֶשָּׁא). With water, as it is written (בְּמַיָּיא, דִּכְתִּיב), “The river Kishon swept them away” (Judges 5) (נַחַל קִישׁוֹן גְּרָפָם). With fire, as it is written (בְּאֶשָּׁא, דִּכְתִּיב), “The stars from their courses fought” (Judges 5) (הַכּוֹכָבִים מִמְּסִלּוֹתָם).