Daf 288a (דַּף רפ״ח ע״א)

Rabbi Shimon said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), how different is this hour from the Idra (כַּמָּה שַׁנְיָא שַׁעֲתָא דָּא מֵאִדָּרָא). For in the Idra, Kudsha Berikh Hu and His hosts were present (דִּבְאִדָּרָא אִזְדְּמַן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּרְתִיכוֹי). And now, behold Kudsha Berikh Hu is here (וְהַשְׁתָּא, הָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֵיכִי), and He comes with those Tzaddikim of the Garden of Eden, which did not happen in the Idra (וְאָתֵי עִם אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא דִּבְגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, מַה דְּלָא אִעְרָעוּ בְּאִדָּרָא). And Kudsha Berikh Hu desires the honor of the Tzaddikim more than His own honor (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי בִּיקָרֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא יַתִּיר מִיקָרָא דִּילֵיהּ). As it is written regarding Yerovam, who was offering incense and serving idolatry, and Kudsha Berikh Hu prolonged his life (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב בִּירָבְעָם, דְּהֲוָה מְקַטֵּר וּמַפְלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹרִיךְ לֵיהּ). And when he stretched forth his hand against Ido the prophet, his hand withered (וְכֵיוָן דְּאוֹשִׁיט יְדֵיהּ לָקֳבֵלֵי דְּעִדּוֹ נְבִיאָה, אִתְיְיבַּשׁ יְדֵיהּ). As it is written (דִּכְתִיב), “And his hand withered” (I Kings 13) (וַתִּיבַשׁ יָדוֹ וְגוֹ׳). And it was not written because he served idolatry, but because he stretched forth his hand against Ido the prophet (וְעַל דְּפָלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא עַל דְּאוֹשִׁיט יְדֵיהּ לְעִדּוֹ נְבִיאָה). And now Kudsha Berikh Hu desires our honor, and they all come with Him (וְהַשְׁתָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי בִּיקָרָא דִּילָן, וְכֻלְּהוּ אָתָאן עִמֵּיהּ).

He said (אָמַר), behold Rav Hamnuna Sava is here (הָא רַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא הָכָא), and his circle of seventy engraved Tzaddikim are crowned with crowns (וְסַחֲרָנֵיהּ ע׳ צַדִּיקֵי גְּלִיפָן בְּעִיטְרִין). Each one shines from the radiance of the brightness of Atika Kadisha, concealed of all concealed (מְנַהֲרִין כָּל חַד וְחַד מִזִּיהֲרָא דְּזִיוָא דְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, סְתִימָא דְּכָל סְתִימִין). And he has come to hear, with joy, these words that I will say (וְהוּא אָתֵי לְמִשְׁמַע בְּחֶדְוָתָא, אִלֵּין מִלִּין דַּאֲנָא אֵימָא). While he was sitting (עַד דְּהֲוָה יָתִיב), he said, behold Rabbi Pinchas ben Ya’ir is here, prepare his place (אָמַר, הָא רִבִּי פִּנְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר הָכָא, אַתְקִינוּ דּוּכְתֵּיהּ). The friends who were there trembled, and they arose and sat at the sides of the house (אִזְדַּעֲזָעוּ חַבְרַיָּיא דַּהֲווֹ תַּמָּן, וְקָמוּ וְיָתְבוּ בְּשִׁיפּוּלֵי בֵּיתָא). And Rabbi El'azar and Rabbi Abba remained before Rabbi Shimon (וְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא, אִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ קַמֵּיהּ [נ״א עִמֵּיהּ] דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן). Rabbi Shimon said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), in the Idra I was found that all the friends spoke, and I with them (בְּאִדָּרָא אִשְׁתֵּכַחְנָא דְּכָל חַבְרַיָּיא הֲווֹ אַמְרֵי, וַאֲנָא עִמְּהוֹן). Now I alone will speak, and all of them shall listen to my words, supernal and lower (הַשְׁתָּא אֵימָא אֲנָא בִּלְחוֹדָאי, וְכֻלְּהוּ צַיְיתִין לְמִלּוּלִי, עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין). Happy is my portion this day (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקִי יוֹמָא דֵּין).

Rabbi Shimon opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר), “I am for my Beloved, and His desire is toward me” (Song of Songs 7) (אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ). All the days that I was bound in this world, in one bond I was bound with Kudsha Berikh Hu (כָּל יוֹמִין דְּאִתְקְטַּרְנָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, בְּחַד קְטִירָא אִתְקְטַּרְנָא בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And therefore now, “and His desire is toward me” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ הַשְׁתָּא וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ). For He and all His holy retinue have come to hear with joy hidden words and the praise of Atika Kadisha, concealed of all concealed (דְּהוּא וְכָל סִיעָתָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּילֵיהּ, אָתוּ לְמִשְׁמַע בְּחֶדְוָה, מִלִּין סְתִימִין, וּשְׁבָחָא דְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, סְתִימָא דְּכָל סְתִימִין). Separated and distinguished from all, yet not separated, for all cleave in Him, and He cleaves in all-He is All (פָּרִישׁ וְאִתְפְּרַשׁ מִכֹּלָּא, וְלָא פָּרִישׁ, דְּהָא כֹּלָּא בֵּיהּ מִתְדְּבַק, וְהוּא מִתְדְּבַק בְּכֹלָּא, הוּא כֹּלָּא).

Atika [Ancient One] of all Atikin [Ancient Ones] (עַתִּיקָא דְּכָל עַתִּיקִין), concealed of all concealed (סְתִימָא דְּכָל סְתִימִין), rectified and not rectified (אִתְתְּקַן וְלָא אִתְתְּקַן). Rectified, in order to sustain all (אִתְתְּקַן, בְּגִין לְקַיְּימָא כֹּלָּא). And not rectified, because it is not found (וְלָא אִתְתְּקַן, בְּגִין דְּלָא שְׁכִיחַ).

When it was rectified (כַּד אִתְתְּקַן), it brought forth nine lights, blazing from it, from its rectifications (אַפִּיק ט׳ נְהוֹרִין דְּלַהֲטִין מִנֵּיהּ, מִתִּקּוּנוֹי). And those lights shine and blaze from it (וְאִינּוּן נְהוֹרִין מִנֵּיהּ, מִתְנַהֲרִין וּמִתְלַהֲטִין), and go forth and spread to every limb (וְאָזְלִין וּמִתְפַּשְׁטִין לְכָל עִיבָר). Like a lamp, from which lights spread to every limb (כְּבוּצִינָא דְּאִתְפַּשְּׁטִין נְהוֹרִין לְכָל עִיבָר).

And when those spreading lights draw near so as to be known (וְאִינּוּן נְהוֹרִין דְּמִתְפַּשְּׁטִין, כַּד יִקְרְבוּן לְמִנְדַּע לוֹן), they are found only in the lamp alone (לָא שְׁכִיחַ אֶלָּא בּוּצִינָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). So too is Atika Kadisha [the Holy Ancient One], the supernal lamp, concealed of all concealed (כַּךְ הוּא עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, בּוּצִינָא עִלָּאָה, סְתִימָא דְּכָל סְתִימִין). And it is not found apart from those spreading lights (וְלָא שְׁכִיחַ בַּר אִינּוּן נְהוֹרִין דְּמִתְפָּשְּׁטָן), which are revealed and hidden (דְּמִתְגַּלְּיָין וּטְמִירָן). And these are called the Holy Name (וְאִינּוּן אִקְרוּן שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). And because of this, all is one (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כֹּלָּא חַד).

And what our companions said in the ancient books (וּמַה דְּאַמְרֵי חַבְרָנָא בְּסִפְרֵי קַדְמָאֵי), that they are created levels (דְּאִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין דְּאִתְבְּרִיאוּ), and that Atika Kadisha [the Holy Ancient One] is revealed in them, in each and every one (וְעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְגְּלֵי בְּהוּ, בְּכָל חַד וְחַד), is because they are the rectifications of Atika Kadisha [the Holy Ancient One] (מִשּׁוּם דְּאִינּוּן תִּקּוּנִין דְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא).

Now is not the time for these matters (לָאו הַשְׁתָּא עִידָנָא לְהָנֵי מִלִּין), for I have already spoken of them in the holy Idra [Assembly] (דְּהָא אֲמֵינָא לוֹן בְּאִדָּרָא קַדִּישָׁא). And I have seen what I did not previously know in this way (וַחֲמֵינָא מַה דְּלָא יְדַעְנָא הָכִי), and until now the matter was concealed in my heart (וְעַד הַשְׁתָּא אַסְתִּים בְּלִבָּאִי מִלָּה).

And now I alone testify before the Holy King (וְהַשְּׁתָּא אֲנָא בִּלְחוֹדָאי אַסְהִידְנָא קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), and before all these truly righteous ones who have come to hear these words (וְכָל הָנֵי זַכָּאֵי קְשׁוֹט דְּאָתוּ לְמִשְׁמַע מִלִּין אִלֵּין).

The skull of the head is white (גּוּלְגַּלְתָּא דְּרֵישָׁא חִוָּורָא), not in it is beginning or end (לָאו בֵּיהּ שִׁירוּתָא וְסִיּוּמָא). The dew that drips from the skull is spread and illumined (קוּלְטְרָא דְּקִטְפוֹי, אִתְפְּשָּׁט וְאִתְנְהִיר), and from it the Tzaddikim will inherit four hundred worlds of longing for the World to Come (וּמִנֵּיהּ יַרְתוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא ד׳ מְאָה עָלְמִין דְּכִסּוּפִין לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). From this dew of the skull, which is the white skull (מֵהַאי קוּלְטְרָא דְּקִטְפָא, דְּהִיא גּוּלְגַּלְתָּא חִוָּורָא), dew drips every day for that Ze’ir Anpin, the place called “heavens” (נָטִיף טַלָּא כָּל יוֹמָא, לְהַהוּא זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין, לַאֲתָר דְּאִתְקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם). And by it the dead are destined to be revived in the time to come (וּבֵיהּ זְמִינִין מֵיתַיָּיא לַאֲחַיָּיא לְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי). As it is written, “And Elohim give you of the dew of heaven” (Bereshit 27) (דִּכְתִיב, וְיִתֶּן לְךָ הָאֱלֹהִים מִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם). And his head is filled, and from that Ze’ir Anpin dew drips to the field of apples (וְאִתְמַלְּיָיא רֵישֵׁיהּ, וּמֵהַהוּא זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין, נָטִיף לַחֲקַל תַּפּוּחִין). And the whole field of apples is illumined from that dew (וְכָל חֲקַל תַּפּוּחִין, נְהִירִין מֵהַהוּא טַלָּא).

This Atika Kadisha is concealed and hidden (הַאי עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא טָמִיר וְגָנִיז). And supernal hidden wisdom is found in that skull (וְחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה סְתִימָאָה, בְּהַהוּא גּוּלְגַּלְתָּא מִשְׁתְּכַח). Truly in this Atika only the head is revealed (וַדַּאי בְּהַאי עַתִּיקָא, לָא אִתְגַּלְיָיא אֶלָּא רֵישָׁא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), because it is the head of all heads (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ רֵישָׁא לְכָל רֵישָׁא). Supernal wisdom, which is the head, in it is concealed, and it is called Supernal Brain (חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִיהִי רֵישָׁא, בֵּיהּ סָתִים, וְאִקְרֵי מוֹחָא עִלָּאָה). The concealed brain (מוֹחָא סְתִימָא). The brain that is hidden and still (מוֹחָא דְּשָׁכִיךְ וְשָׁקִיט). And none knows it but Itself (וְלֵית דְּיֵדַע לֵיהּ, בַּר אִיהוּ).