Daf 77a (דַּף ע״ז ע״א)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), Avraham sought to draw near to Kudsha Berikh Hu and he did draw near (אַבְרָהָם בָּעֵי לְקָרְבָא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאִתְקָרַב). This is that which is written: “You loved righteousness and hated wickedness” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: אָהַבְתָּ צֶדֶק וַתִּשְׂנָא רֶשַׁע). Because he loved righteousness and hated wickedness (בְּגִין דְּאָהַב צֶדֶק וְשָׂנָא רֶשַׁע), he drew near to righteousness (אִתְקָרַב לִצְדָקָה). And for that reason it is written: “Avraham, My beloved” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב: אַבְרָהָם אֹהֲבִי). Why “My beloved”? (מַאי טַעְמָא אוֹהֲבִי) Because it is written: “You loved righteousness” (בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב: אָהַבְתָּ צֶדֶק). The love of Kudsha Berikh Hu with which He loved Avraham (רְחִימוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּרָחִים לֵיהּ אַבְרָהָם) more than all the people of his generation (מִכָּל בְּנֵי דָרִיָּה), who were mighty of heart (דְּהֲווּ אַבִּירֵי לֵב) and were distant from righteousness (וְאִנּוּן רְחוֹקִים מִצְדָקָה), as has been said (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר).

Rabbi Yose opened (רַבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח): “How beloved are Your dwelling places, Hashem Tzeva’ot!” (תהלים פד: מַה־יְּדִידוּת מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶיךָ יְיָ צְבָאוֹת). How much desire there is for human beings to look upon the service of Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּמָּה אִית לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא)! For all people do not know (דְּהָא כָּל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לָא יָדְעֵי) and do not consider upon what the world stands (וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי עַל מַה קָּאֵים עָלְמָא), nor upon what they themselves stand (וְאִנּוּן עַל מַה קָּיְימִין). For when Kudsha Berikh Hu created the world (דְּכַד בְּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא), He made the heavens from fire and water (עֲבַד שְׁמַיָּא מֵאֵשׁ וּמִמַּיִם), mingled together as one (מִתְעָרְבִין כְּחֲדָא), and they were not yet solidified (וְלָא הֲווּ גַּלְדֵי). Later they were solidified (וּלְבָתַר אַגְלִידוּ) and stood by the supernal spirit (וְקָיְימוּ בְּרוּחָא עִלָּאָה), and from there the world was planted (וּמִתַּמָּן שָׁתִיל עָלְמָא) to stand upon supports (לְקָיְימָא עַל סָמְכִין). And these supports (וְאִנּוּן סָמְכִין) do not endure except by that spirit (לָא קָיְימִין אֶלָּא בְּהַהוּא רוּחָא). And at the moment when that spirit departs (וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּהַהוּא רוּחָא אִסְתַּלַּק), all things tremble and shake (כֻּלְהוּ מְרַפְפִין וְזָעִין), and the world is shaken (וְעָלְמָא אִרְתַּת). This is what is written: “He shakes the earth from its place, and its pillars tremble” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: הַמַּרְגִּיז אֶרֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָהּ וְעַמּוּדֶיהָ יִתְפַּלָּצוּן). And all stands upon the Orayta (וְכֹלָּא קָאֵים עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא), for when Yisrael engage in the Orayta (דְּכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), the world is sustained (מִתְקַיֵּים עָלְמָא), and they stand (וְאִנּוּן קָיְימִין), and the supports endure in their places (וְסָמְכִין קָיְימִין בְּאַתְרַיְיהוּ), in complete endurance (בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), at the moment when the middle of the night is aroused (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְאִתְעַר פַּלְגוּת לֵילְיָא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu enters the Garden of Eden to take delight with the Righteous (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָאל לְגִנְתָא דְעֵדֶן לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא עִם צַדִּיקַיָּא), all the trees in the Garden of Eden sing and praise before Him (כֻּלְהוּ אִילָנִין דִּבְגִנְתָא דְעֵדֶן מְזַמְּרָן וּמְשַׁבְּחָן קַמֵּיהּ). As it is written (Divrei HaYamim I 16) (דִּכְתִיב): Then the trees of the forest will sing before Hashem (אָז יְרַנְּנוּ עֲצֵי הַיָּעַר מִלִּפְנֵי יְיָ וְגו'). And a herald cries out with strength and says (וְכָרוֹזָא קָרֵי בְחָיִל וְאָמַר): You, supernal holy ones, say! (לְכוֹן אָמְרִין קַדִּישִׁין עֶלְיוֹנִין), who among you has had spirit enter his ears to hear (מָאן מִנְכוֹן דְּעָיִיל רוּחָא בְּאוּדְנוֹי לְמִשְׁמָע), and his eyes are open to see (וְעֵינוֹי פְּקִחִין לְמֶחֱמֵי), and his heart open to know (וְלִבֵּיהּ פָּתוּחַ לְמִנְדַע)-at the moment when the spirit of all spirits ascends with the sign of the Neshamah (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּרוּחָא דְכָל רוּחִין אָרִים בְּסִימוּ דְנִשְׁמָתָא), and from there goes out a voice of voices (וּמִתַּמָּן נָפִיק קָלָא דְּקָלַיָא), and forces are scattered to the four directions of the world (חֵיְלִין אִתְבַּדַּר לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא). One ascends to one direction (א חַד סָלִיק לִסְטַר חָד), one descends to that direction (ב חַד נָחִית לְהַהוּא סְטַר), one enters between the two p2-14(ג חַד עָיִיל בֵּין תְּרֵין). Two are awakened and crowned in three (ד תְּרֵין מִתְעָרִין מִתְעַטְּרָן בִּתְלַת), three enter in one (ה תְּלַת עָיְילֵי בְּחַד), one brings forth colors (ו חַד אַפִּיק גְּוָנִין), six of them to one direction (ז שִׁית מִנְהוֹן לִסְטַר חָד), and six of them descend to that direction (וְשִׁית מִנְהוֹן נָחֲתֵי לְהַהוּא סְטַר), six enter into twelve (ח שִׁית עָיְילֵי בִּתְרֵיסַר), twelve are roused in twenty-two (ט תְּרֵיסַר מִתְעָרִין בְּעֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין), six are encompassed within ten (י שִׁית כְּלִילָן בַּעֲשָׂרָה), ten stand as one (יא עֲשָׂרָה קָאִים בְּחַד).