Daf 74a (דַּף ע״ד ע״א)

With those garments he ruled over all (בְּאִנוּן לְבוּשִׁין שַׁלִּיט עַל כָּל) the people of the world (ד״א: שְׁאָר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא), and he reigned over them (וּמָלַךְ בְּהוּ), and he rebelled against his Master (וּמָרַד בְּמָארֵיהּ), and he said that he is the ruler of the world (וְאָמַר דְּאִיהוּ שַׁלִּיטָא דְּעָלְמָא), and he would entice the creatures after him (וְהֲוָה מְפַתֵּי לִבְרִיָּיתָא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ), until he drew the children of men to depart from following the service of the Master of the world (עַד דְּמָשַׁךְ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לְמֵיפַק מִבָּתַר פּוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵי עָלְמָא). Rabbi Shim'on said: in these garments my companions know the supernal secret (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: בְּאִילֵין לְבוּשִׁין יָדְעֵי בְּהוּ חַבְרַיָּיא רָזָא עִלָּאָה).

A Mishnah: “And the whole earth was of one language and of unified words” (מַתְנִיתִין: וַיְהִי כָל הָאָרֶץ שָׂפָה אַחַת וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים) (Bereishit 11). Rabbi Shim'on opened: “And the house, when it was being built, was built of complete stone carried at the quarry, and no hammer, axe, or any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built” (רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח: וְהַבַּיִת בְּהִבָּנוֹתוֹ אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה מַסָּע נִבְנָה, וּמַקָּבוֹת וְהַגַּרְזֶן כָּל כְּלֵי בַּרְזֶל לֹא נִשְׁמַע בַּבַּיִת בְּהִבָּנוֹתוֹ) (Melakhim I 6). This verse is to be looked at deeply-“And the house, when it was being built”-was it not Shlomo who built it, and all the artisans who were there? What then is “when it was being built”? (הָאֵי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בֵּיהּ: וְהַבַּיִת בְּהִבָּנוֹתוֹ. וְכִי לָא הֲוָה בָּנֵי לֵיהּ שְׁלֹמֹה וְכֻלְּהוּ אוּמָנִין דְּהֲווּ תַּמָּן מַהוּ “בְּהִבָּנוֹתוֹ”) Rather, it is as it is written: “Of beaten work shall the Menorah be made” (אֶלָּא כָּךְ הוּא, כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב: מִקְשָׁה תֵּיעָשֶׂה הַמְּנוֹרָה) (Shemot 25). If it is mikshah, what is “shall be made”? Rather, surely, all was made by a letter and a miracle-it formed itself from itself (אִם הִיא מִקְשָׁה, מַהוּ “תֵּיעָשֶׂה” אֶלָּא וַדַּאי: כֹּלָּא בְּאָת וְנִיסָּא אִתְעֲבִיד-אִיהוּ מִגַּרְמֵיהּ). Once they began to do the work, they received divine instruction how to work with it-things they did not previously know (כֵּיוָן דְּשָׁרָאן לְמֶעְבַּד עֲבִידְתָּא, אוֹלִיף לְאוּמָנִין לְמֶעְבַּד בָּהּ מַה דְּלָא הֲווּ יָדְעִין מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא). Why? Because the Berakhta of Kudsha Berikh Hu rested upon their hands (מַאי טַעְמָא בְּגִין דְּבִרְכְתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שְׁרָא עַל יְדַיְיהוּ). And regarding this it is written: “while it was being built”-it was built of itself, and it became the teaching and instruction for artisans, how they should perform (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב: “בְּהִבָּנוֹתוֹ”-אִיהוּ אִתְבְּנִי מִגַּרְמֵיהּ, דְּהוּא אוּלְפָּא אוּלְפַּן לְאוּמָנִין הֵיאַךְ שָׁרָאן לְמֶעְבַּד). And the reshimu of that work never left their eyes; they looked upon it and performed it until the whole house was completed (וְלָא אִסְתַּלַּק מֵעֵינַיְיהוּ רְשִׁימוּ דְּהַהוּא עֲבִידְתָּא מַמָּשׁ, וּמִסְתַּכְּלָאן בֵּיהּ וְעָבְדֵי עַד דְּאִתְבְּנֵי כָּל בֵּיתָא). “Complete stone was brought and built”-‘complete’ [shelemah] is written lacking a Yod, but truly “complete stone” (אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה מַסָּע נִבְנֶה-שְׁלֵמָה כְּתִיב חָסֵר יו״ד, אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה וַדַּאי). Masa [brought]-that was lifted and came and rested upon them, and the work was accomplished (מַסָּע דְּאִתְנְטִיל וְאַתְיָיא וְשָׁרְיָיא עֲלַיְיהוּ וְאִתְעֲבִיד עֲבִידְתָּא). A journey-that their hands were moved to perform, not from their own knowledge (מַסָּע דְּאַנְטִיל יָדָן לְמֶעְבַּד דְּלָא מִדַּעְתַּיְיהוּ). It is written here masa [brought], and it is written there: “and for the journeying of the camps…” (כְּתִיב הָכָא: מַסָּע, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: וּלְמַסָּע אֶת הַמַּחֲנוֹת) (Bamidbar 10). “And hammer and axe, any iron tool, was not heard”-because the shamir [worm] split everything, and no sound was heard, for there was no need for other tools to be used (וּמַקָּבוֹת וְהַגַּרְזֶן כָּל כְּלֵי בַּרְזֶל לֹא נִשְׁמַע-בְּגִין דְּשָׁמִיר בָּזַע כֹּלָּא, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע מִלָּה, דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיכוּ לִשְׁאָר מָאנִין לְמֶעְבַּד). And all was by letter and miracle (וְכֹלָּא בְּאָת וְנִיסָּא הֲוָה).

Rabbi Shim‘on said: how beloved are the words of Orayta (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: כַּמָּה חֲבִיבִין אִינוּן מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). Fortunate is the portion of one who occupies himself with them and knows how to walk in them in the path of truth (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ מַאן דְּאִתְעַסַּק בְּהוּ וְיָדַע לְמֵיהַךְ [בֵּיהּ] בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט). “And the house, when it was being built” (וְהַבַּיִת בְּהִבָּנוֹתוֹ)-when the desire of Kudsha Berikh Hu rose to bestow glory upon His glory, the desire went forth from within Thought to expand outward (כַּד סָלְקָא בִּרְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד יְקָרָא לִיקָרֵיהּ, סָלְקָא מִגּוֹ מַחֲשָׁבָה רְעוּתָא לְאִתְפַּשְׁטָא), and it expanded from the place that is the concealed Thought which is unknown (וְאִתְפַּשְׁטַת מֵאֲתַר דְּאִיהִי מַחֲשָׁבָה סְתִימָאָה דְּלָא אִתְיְידַע). Until it expanded and rested upon the inner throat, the place that constantly flows with the secret that is the breath of life (עַד דְּאִתְפַּשְׁטַת וְשָׁרְיָיא לְבֵי גָּרוֹן, אֲתַר דְּאִיהוּ נְבִיעַ תָּדִיר בְּרָזָא דְּאִיהוּ רוּחַ חַיִּים). And then, when that Thought expanded and rested in this place, that Thought was called “Living God” (וּכְדֵין כַּד אִתְפַּשְׁטַת הַהִיא מַחֲשָׁבָה וְשָׁרְיָיא בַּאֲתַר דָּא, אִקְרֵי הַהִיא מַחֲשָׁבָה אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים). As it is written: “He is the Living God” (דִּכְתִיב: הוּא אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים) (Yirmeyahu 10). Further, it sought to expand and to be revealed; from there emerged fire, wind, and water, combined as one (עוֹד בָּעָא לְאִתְפַּשְׁטָא וּלְאִתְגַּלְיָא, מִתַּמָּן נָפְקוּ אֵשָׁ״א וְרוּחָ״א וּמַיָּ״א כְּלִילָן כְּחֲדָא), and there emerged Ya‘akov, a perfect man, and he was a single voice that went forth and was heard (וְנָפַק יַעֲקֹב גֶּבֶר שְׁלִים, וְאִיהוּ קוֹל חַד דְּנָפִיק וְאִשְׁתְּמַע). From here the Thought that had been concealed in secrecy was heard to be revealed (מֵהָכָא מַחֲשָׁבָה דְּהֲוָה סְתִימָא בַּחֲשַׁאי אִשְׁתְּמַע לְאִתְגַּלְיָא). That Thought expanded to be revealed, and that voice struck and tapped upon the lips, and then speech emerged (עוֹד אִתְפַּשְׁטַת הַהִיא מַחֲשָׁבָה לְאִתְגַּלְיָא, וּבָטַשׁ הַהִיא קוֹל וְאַקִּישׁ בְּשִׂפְוָון, וּכְדֵין נַפְקָא דִּבּוּר), which completed all and revealed all (דְּאַשְׁלִים כֹּלָּא וְגָלֵי כֹּלָּא). It is heard that everything is that concealed Thought that was within-and all is one (אִשְׁתְּמַע דְּכֹלָּא אִיהוּ הַהִיא מַחֲשָׁבָה סְתִימָא דְּהֲוַת לְגוֹ, וְכֹלָּא חַד). Once this expansion reached and speech was formed by the strength of that voice, then: “And the house, when it was being built” (כֵּיוָן דְּמָטָא אִתְפַּשְׁטוּתָא דָּא וְאִתְעֲבִיד דִּבּוּר בִּתְקִיפָא דְּהַהוּא קָלָא, כְּדֵין: וְהַבַּיִת בְּהִבָּנוֹתוֹ). It does not say “when it was built” but “when it was being built,” in every time and moment (כַּאֲשֶׁר נִבְנָה לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא “בְּהִבָּנוֹתוֹ” בְּכָל זִמְנָא וְזִמְנָא). “A complete stone,” as it is said (אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). And it is written: “With the crown that his mother crowned him” (וּכְתִיב: בַּעֲטָרָה שֶׁעִטְּרָה לוֹ אִמּוֹ) (Shir HaShirim 3).

A journey-that goes out from within, rests and is taken to the outside; it goes out from above, rests and is taken below (מַסָּע דְּנָפְקָא מִלְּגוֹ וְשַׁרְיָא וְנָטִיל לְבַר, נַפְקָא מִלְּעֵילָא וְשַׁרְיָא וְנָטִיל לְתַתָּא). “And the hammer and the axe, all tools of iron”-these are the lower levels, all of which depend upon it, but they are neither heard nor received within when she ascends to unite above and to draw from there (וּמַקָּבוֹת וְהַגַּרְזֶן כָּל כְּלֵי בַּרְזֶל-אִלֵּין שְׁאָר דַּרְגִּין תַּתָּאִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ תַלְיָין בֵּיהּ, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּמָעוּ וְלָא אִתְקַבְּלָן לְגוֹ, כַּד אִיהִי סָלְקָא לְאִתְאַחֲדָא לְעֵילָא וּלְיָנְקָא מִתַּמָּן). And this is “when it was being built” (וְדָא הוּא: בְּהִבָּנוֹתוֹ). And when she nurses, all are established in joy, and they nurse and are filled with blessing (וּכְדֵין כַּד אִיהִי יָנְקָא, כֻּלְּהוּ קָיְימֵי בְּחֶדְוָותָא, וְיָנְקִין וְאִתְמַלְיָין בִּרְכָּאן). And then all the worlds are established in one secret , in one Union, and there is no separation among all the worlds (וּכְדֵין קָיְמִין עָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּרָזָא חָדָא בְּיִחוּדָא חַד, וְלָא הֲוֵי בְּהוּ בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין פִּירוּדָא). After each has received their portion, all expand and separate to their sides according to what they were appointed (לְבָתַר דְּנָטְלֵי חוּלַקְהוֹן כָּל חַד וְחַד, כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְפַּשְׁטָן וּמִתְפָּרְשָׁן לְסִטְרַיְיהוּ לְמָה דְּאִתְמַנָּן).