Daf 291a (דַּף רצ״א ע״א)

It is written: “For if to Binah you call, and to Tevunah you give your voice” (Proverbs 2) (כְּתִיב כִּי אִם לַבִּינָה תִּקְרָא לַתְּבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלֶךָ). Since it is said, “For if to Binah you call,” why also “to Tevunah”? (כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר כִּי אִם לַבִּינָה תִּקְרָא, אֲמַאי לַתְּבוּנָה). Rather, all is as we have said (אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא כְּמָה דַּאֲמֵינָא). One Heh among them is supernal (הֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ עִלָּאָה). Supernal Binah is from Tevunah (בִּינָה עִלָּאָה מִתְּבוּנָה). Binah is father and mother and son (בִּינָה אָב וָאֵם וּבֵן). Yod–Heh: father and mother, and the son within them (יו״ה: אָב וָאֵם, וּבֵן בְּגַוַּויְיהוּ). Tevunah: all is the generality of children, son and daughter, Vav and Heh (תְּבוּנָה: כֹּלָּא כְּלָלָא דִּבְנִין, בֵּן וּבַת, ו״ה). And father and mother are not found except in Imma, that Imma surely [some say: in Binah; and in Tevunah surely Imma] is the fourth over them, and is not revealed (וְלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח אָב וָאֵם, אֶלָּא בְּאִמָּא דְּאִמָּא וַדַּאי [ס״א בְּבִינָה. וּבְתְּבוּנָה וַדַּאי אִמָּא] רְבִיעָא עָלַיְיהוּ, וְלָא אִתְגַּלְיָיא). It is found that the generality of the two children is called Tevunah (אִשְׁתְּכַח דִּכְלָלָא דִּתְרֵין בְּנִין, אִקְרֵי תְּבוּנָה).

And the generality of father, mother, and son is called Binah (וְכְלָלָא דְּאָב אֵם וּבֵן, אִקְרֵי בִּינָה). And when all is to be included, in this it is included (וְכַד בָּעֵי לְאַכְלְלָא כֹּלָּא, בְּהַאי אִתְכְּלִיל). And this father and mother and son are called Chokhmah, Binah, and Da‘at (וְהַאי אָב וָאֵם וּבֵן, אִקְרוּן חָכְמָה בִּינָה וָדַעַת). Because this son takes the signs of his father and his mother, he is called Da‘at, which is the testimony of the two of them (בְּגִין דְּהַאי בֵּן נָטִיל סִימָנִין דַּאֲבוֹי וְאִמֵּיהּ, אִקְרֵי דַּעַת, דְּהוּא סַהֲדוּתָא דְּתַרְוַויְיהוּ). And this son is called the firstborn (וְהַאי בֵּן, אִקְרֵי בּוּכְרָא). As it is written: “My son, My firstborn, Yisrael” (Exodus 4) (דִּכְתִיב, בְּנִי בְכוֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל). And because he is called the firstborn, he takes two portions (וּבְגִין דְּאִקְרֵי בּוּכְרָא, נָטִיל תְּרֵין חוּלָקִין). And when he grows in his crowns, he takes three portions (וְכַד אִתְרַבֵּי בְּעִטְרוֹי, נָטִיל תְּלַת חוּלָקִין). And whether two portions or three portions, all is one word (וּבֵין כַּךְ וּבֵין כַּךְ, תְּרֵין חוּלָקִין, וּתְלַת חוּלָקִין כֹּלָּא חַד מִלָּה). And this and that is so [some say: one it is], the inheritance of his father and his mother he inherits (וְהַאי וְהַאי הֲכִי [ס״א חַד] הֲוֵי, יְרוּתָא דְּאָבוֹי וְאִמֵּיהּ יָרִית).

What is this inheritance? The estate of his father and his mother, and the two crowns that were hidden within them, and they gave them to this son (מַאי יְרוּתָא דָּא. אַחֲסַנְתָּא דַּאֲבוֹי וְאִימֵּיהּ, וּתְרֵין עִטְרִין דַּהֲווֹ גְּנִיזִין בְּגַוַּויְיהוּ, וְאַחֲסִינוּ לְבֵן דָּא). From the side of his father there was hidden within him one crown called Chesed (מִסִּטְרָא דַּאֲבוֹי, הֲוָה גָּנִיז בְּגַוֵיהּ חַד עִטְרָא, דְּאִקְרֵי חֶסֶד). And from the side of his mother one crown called Gevurah (וּמִסִּטְרָא דְּאִימָּא, חַד עִטְרָא דְּאִקְרֵי גְּבוּרָה). And all are crowned upon his head, and he holds them (וְכֻלְּהוּ מִתְעַטְּרִין בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ, וְאָחִיד לוֹן). And when these father and mother shine upon him, all are called the Tefillin of the head (וְכַד נַהֲרִין אִלֵּין אָב וָאֵם עָלֵיהּ, כֻּלְּהוּ אִקְרוּן תְּפִילִּין דְּרֵישָׁא). And all this the son takes, and he inherits all, and spreads into the whole body (וְכֹלָּא נָטִיל בֵּן דָּא, וְיָרִית כֹּלָּא, וְאִתְפְּשַׁט בְּכָל גּוּפָא). And this son gives to the daughter, and the daughter is sustained from him (וְהַאי בֵּן יָהִיב לִבְרַתָּא. וּבְרַתָּא מִנֵּיהּ אִתְּזָן). And in any case, from here: the son inherits and not the daughter (וְעַל כָּל פָּנִים מִכָּאן, בְּרָא יָרִית וְלָא בְּרַתָּא). The son inherits from his father and his mother, and not the daughter (בְּרָא יָרִית לַאֲבוּי וּלְאִמֵּיהּ, וְלָא בְּרַתָּא). And from him the daughter is sustained, as it is written: “And nourishment for all is in him” (Daniel 4) (וּמִנֵּיהּ אִתְּזָן בְּרַתָּא. כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב, וּמָזוֹן לְכֹלָּא בֵיהּ).

[And if you say, all this and that are called Tzaddik and Righteousness [Tzedek], in one they are, and one all] (וְאִי תֵּימָא כָּל הַאי וְהַאי אִקְרוּן צַדִּיק וְצֶדֶק, בְּחַד אִינּוּן, וְחַד כֹּלָּא). These father and mother (הָנֵי אָב וָאֵם), are included and joined one with the other (כְּלִילָן וּמִתְחַבְּרָן דָּא בְּדָא). And the father is more hidden (וְאָב טָמִיר יַתִּיר). And all is held from Atika Kadisha (וְכֹלָּא אָחִיד מֵעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא), and depends upon the holy Mazal (וְתַלְיָא מִמַּזָּלָא קַדִּישָׁא), the most precious of all precious ones (יָקִירוּ [יְקִירָא] דְּכָל יַקִירִין). And these father and mother (וְאִלֵּין אָב וָאֵם), prepare the house (מְתַקְּנִין בֵּיתָא). As we have said (כְּמָה דַּאֲמֵינָא). As it is written (דִּכְתִיב), “Through Chokhmah is a house built” (Proverbs 24) (בְּחָכְמָה יִבָּנֶה בָּיִת). “And through Tevunah it is established” (וּבִתְבוּנָה יִתְכּוֹנָן). “And through Da‘at the chambers are filled” (וּבְדַעַת חֲדָרִים יִמָּלְאוּ). “With all precious and pleasant riches” (כָּל הוֹן יָקָר וְנָעִים). And it is written (וּכְתִיב), “For it is pleasant if you keep them within you” (Proverbs 22) (כִּי נָעִים כִּי תִּשְׁמְרֵם בְּבִטְנֶךָ). [These are the generality of all (הָנֵי כְּלָלָא דְּכֹלָּא), as we have said (כַּמָּה דַּאֲמֵינָא), and they depend upon the holy Mazal, the most precious (וְתַלְיָין מִמַּזָּלָא קַדִּישָׁא יְקִירָא)].

Rabbi Shimon said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), in the Idra I did not reveal all (בְּאִדָּרָא לָא גָּלֵינָא כֹּלָּא). And all these words (וְכָל הָנֵי מִלִּין), were hidden in my heart until now (טְמִירִין בְּלִבָּאי הֲווֹ עַד הַשְׁתָּא). And I desire to seal them for the World to Come (וּבָעֵינָא לְאַטְמְרָא לוֹן לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). Because there questions will be asked of us (מִשּׁוּם דְּתַמָּן שְׁאֶלְתָּא שָׁאִיל לָנָא). As it is written (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב), “And the faith of your times shall be the strength of salvation, wisdom and Da‘at” (Isaiah 33) (וְהָיָה אֱמוּנַת עִתֶּךָ חוֹסֶן יְשׁוּעוֹת חָכְמָה וָדָעַת וְגוֹ׳). And Chokhmah they will ask of me (וְחָכְמָה בַּעְיָין מִינִי). And now it is the will of Kudsha Berikh Hu in this (וְהַשְׁתָּא רְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַאי). Behold, without shame I will enter before the palace (הָא בְּלָא כִּסּוּפָא אִיעוּל קַמֵּי פַּלְטְרוֹי). It is written (כְּתִיב), “For Hashem is a God of knowledge” (I Samuel 2) (כִּי אֵל דֵּעוֹת יי׳).

Knowledge indeed (דֵּעוֹת וַדַּאי). This is the Da‘at (הוּא הַדַּעַת). In Da‘at all the chambers are filled (בְּדַעַת כָּל פַּלְטְרוֹי אִתְמַלְּיָין). As it is written (דִּכְתִיב), “And through Da‘at chambers are filled” (Proverbs 24) (וּבְדַעַת חֲדָרִים יִמָּלְאוּ). Therefore another Da‘at is not revealed (דַּעַת אַחֲרָא לָא אִתְגַּלְיָא). For it goes hidden within (דְּהָא טְמִירָא אָזִיל בְּגַוֵיהּ). And it is included in it (וְאִתְכְּלִיל בֵּיהּ). Da‘at shines in the Mochin (דַּעַת נָהִיר בְּמוֹחִין). And spreads into the whole brain (וְאִתְפְּשַׁט בְּמוֹחָא כֹּלָּא). [In the brain, in the body all, “For Hashem is a God of knowledge”] (בְּמוֹחָא, בְּגוּפָא כֹּלָּא, כִּי אֵל דֵּעוֹת יי׳).

In the book of Aggadah we learned (בְּסִפְרָא דְּאַגַּדְתָּא תָּנֵינָן), “For Hashem is a God of knowledge”-do not read knowledge but testimony (כִּי אֵל דֵּעוֹת יי׳, אַל תִּקְרֵי דֵּעוֹת, אֶלָּא עֵדוּת). For it is the testimony of all (דְּהוּא סַהֲדוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא). The testimony of two portions (סַהֲדוּתָא דִּתְרֵין חוּלָקִין). As it is said (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר), “And He established a testimony in Ya'akov” (Psalms 78) (וַיָּקֶם עֵדוּת בְּיַעֲקֹב). And although this word was explained in the Sefer de-Tzeni‘uta in another manner (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּהַאי מִלָּה, אוֹקְמוּהָ בְּסִפְרָא דִּצְנִיעוּתָא בְּגַוְונָא אַחֲרָא). There in its place it is complete (הָתָם בְּאַתְרֵיהּ שְׁלִים). Here all is fitting (הָכָא כֹּלָּא שַׁפִּיר). And all is so when the word is concealed (וְכֹלָּא הֲוֵי, כַּד אַסְתִּים מִלָּה). This father and mother (הַאי אָב וָאֵם), all are included in them (כֻּלְּהוּ בְּהוּ כְּלִילָן). All in them are concealed (כֹּלָּא בְּהוּ סְתִימָן). And they are concealed in the holy Mazal, Atika of all Atikin (וְאִינּוּן סְתִימָן בְּמַזָּלָא קַדִּישָׁא, עַתִּיקָא דְּכָל עַתִּיקִין). In it they are concealed (בֵּיהּ סְתִימָן). In it they are included (בֵּיהּ כְּלִילָן). All is He (כֹּלָּא הוּא). All is so (כֹּלָּא הֲוֵי). Blessed is He (בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Blessed is His Name (בְּרִיךְ שְׁמֵיהּ). Forever and to all eternity (לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמִין).