Daf 101b (דַּף ק״א ע״ב)

Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): Surely, in the appearance of angels he saw them (וַדַּאי כְּחֵיזוּ דְּמַלְאָכִין חָמָא לוֹן), from what is written: “Adonai” spelled with Alef–Dalet-this indicates the Shekhinta had come (מִמַּה דִּכְתִּיב: וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנָי בְּאַל״ף דַּל״ת-שְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוָה אַתְיָא), and these were her attendants and the Throne beside her (וְאִלֵּין הֲווּ סְמִיכִין דִּילָהּ וְכּוּרְסְיָיא לְגַבָּהּ), because they are the three colors of below (בְּגִין דְּאִנּוּן גְּוָונִין תְּלַת דִּתְחוֹתָא). And now he saw-because he had been circumcised-what he did not see before, prior to his circumcision (וְחָמָא הַשְׁתָּא בְּגִין דְּאִתְגְּזַר, מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה חָמֵי מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא עַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר). At first, he only knew them to be human beings (בְּקַדְמִיתָא לָא הֲוָה יָדַע אֶלָּא דְּאִנּוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא), and afterwards he knew that they were Holy Angels, and had come to him on a mission (וּלְבָתַר יָדַע דְּאִנּוּן מַלְאָכִין קַדִּישִׁין וְאָתוּ בִּשְׁלִיחוּתָא לְגַבֵּיהּ), when they said to him: “Where is Sarah your wife?” and announced to him the good news of Yitzchak (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָמְרוּ לֵיהּ: אַיֵּה שָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ, וּבִשְּׂרוּ לֵיהּ בִּשׂוֹרַת יִצְחָק). The word Elav [“to him”] is written with the letters Alef–Yod–Vav (אֵלָיו אַתְוָון נְקוּדוֹת: אַ״י״ו)-and this is a sign AYO [where is He] (וְסִימָן: אַ״י״ו), a hint to what is above (רֶמֶז לְמַה דִּלְעֵילָא), a hint to Kudsha Berikh Hu (רֶמֶז לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). “And he said, ‘Behold! In the tent.’” (וַיֹּאמֶר: הִנֵּה בָּאֹהֶל)-it is written here: “Behold, in the tent”, and it is written there: (Isaiah 33) “A tent that shall not be moved,” etc. (כְּתִיב הָכָא: הִנֵּה בָּאֹהֶל, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: אֹהֶל בַּל יִצְעָן וְגו׳).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Since “ayo” [where is He] has vowels already, why is it written immediately after “ayeh [Where is]? (כֵּיוָן דְּנָקוּד אַ״י״ו, אַמַּאי כְּתִיב לְבָתַר אַיֵּה) Rather, it is because of the union of male and female, as one-the secret of faith (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּחִבּוּרָא דְּדְכַר וְנוּקְבָא כְּחֲדָא, רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא). Then it says: “And he said, ‘Behold, in the tent’” (כְּדֵין אָמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה בָּאֹהֶל)-there is the bonding of all, and there it is found (תַּמָּן הוּא קִשּׁוּרָא דְּכֹלָּא, וְתַמָּן אִשְׁתַּכַּח). “Where is”… etc.-but did not the supernal angels know that Sarah was in the tent? Why is it written “Where is”? (אַיֵּה וְגו׳-וְכִי לָא הֲווּ יָדְעֵי מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי דְּשָׂרָה הִנֵּה בָּאֹהֶל אַמַּאי כְּתִיב אַיֵּה) Rather, they do not know in this world except what is transmitted to them to know (אֶלָּא לָא יָדְעֵי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא אֶלָּא מַה דְּאִתְמָסַר לְהוּ לְמִנְדַּע).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): (Exodus 12) “And I will pass through the land of Egypt-I, Hashem” (וְעָבַרְתִּי בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אֲנִי יְיָ)-and does not Kudsha Berikh Hu have many messengers and angels? (וְכִי כַּמָּה שְׁלִיחִין וּמַלְאָכִין אִית לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא) Rather, it is because they are not able to distinguish between the drop of a firstborn and one who is not a firstborn (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאִנּוּן לָא יָדְעֵי בֵּין טִפָּה דְּבוּכְרָא לְהַהוּא דְּלָא בּוּכְרָא), only Kudsha Berikh Hu Himself (בַּר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). In this same manner: (Ezekiel 9) “And place a mark upon the foreheads of the men…” (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא: וְהִתְוֵיתָ תָּו עַל מִצְחוֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים). Why was this necessary? (וְאַמַּאי צְרִיכִין) Because they [the angels] do not know, except that which is given over to them to know (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאִנּוּן לָא יָדְעֵי, אֶלָּא מַה דְּאִתְמָסַר לוֹן לְמִנְדַּע). Just like all those things that Kudsha Berikh Hu is prepared to bring upon the world (כְּגוֹן כָּל אִנּוּן מִלִּין דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַיְיתָאָה עַל עָלְמָא). And what is the reason? (וּמַאי טַעְמָא) Because Kudsha Berikh Hu causes a herald to pass through all the firmaments (בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַעֲבַר כָּרוֹזָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ רְקִיעִין), in that matter that He is prepared to bring upon the world (בְּהַהִיא מִלָּה דְּזַמִּין לְאַיְיתָאָה עַל עָלְמָא).