Daf 84a (דַּף פ״ד ע״א)

And he went on his journeys (וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו) (Bereishit 13:3), all those levels, level after level, as has been said p2-18(כָּל אִנּוּן דַּרְגִּין דַּרְגָּא בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). From the Negev (מִנֶּגֶב) (Bereishit 13:3) and until Beit El (וְעַד בֵּית אֵל), to rectify his place and to unify them in complete Union (לְאַתְקָנָא אַתְרֵיהּ וּלְחַבְּרָא לוֹן בְּיִחוּדָא שְׁלֵים). For from the Negev to Beit El is found the secret of Chokhmah, properly arranged (דְּהָא מִנֶּגֶב וְעַד בֵּית אֵל אִשְׁתְּכַח רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָּא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). To the place where his tent had been at first (אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הָיָה שָׁם אָהֳלוֹ בַּתְּחִלָּה) (Bereishit 13:3), Tent is written with a final Heh (אָהֳלָה בְּה״א). Who is Tent? This is Beit El (מַאן אָהֳלָה דָּא בֵּית אֵל). A whole stone, as we have said (אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה כִּדְאָמַרָן). Then it is marked and written: “To the place of the altar that he made there at first”, as it is written: “to Hashem who appeared to him” (תוּ רְשִׁים וְאָמַר: אֶל מְקוֹם הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה שָׁם בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה, דִּכְתִיב: לַיְיָ הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו) (Bereishit 12:7). And then: “And Avram called there in the name of Hashem” (וּכְדֵין: וַיִּקְרָא שָׁם אַבְרָם בְּשֵׁם יְיָ) (Bereishit 13:4). At that time, he cleaved with perfect faith (כְּדֵין אִתְדַּבַּק בִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא).

Come and see: at first he ascended from below to above, as it is written: “And Hashem appeared to Avram” (תָּא חֲזֵי: בְּקַדְמִיתָא סָלִיק מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא, דִּכְתִיב: וַיֵּרָא יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם) (Bereishit 12:7), and it is written: “to Hashem who appeared to him” (וּכְתִיב: לַיְיָ הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו). And this is the first level, as we said: a whole stone (וְדָא הוּא דַּרְגָּא קַדְמָאָה כִּדְאָמַרָן: אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה). “A journey is built,” and it is written, “for his journey” (מַסָּע נִבְנֶה, וּכְתִיב: לְמַסָּעוֹ). And afterward: “going and journeying toward the Negev” (וּלְבָתַר: הָלוֹךְ וְנָסוֹעַ הַנֶּגְבָּה) (Bereishit 12:9)-level after level until he was crowned in the South, his portion and his inheritance (דַּרְגָּא בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא עַד דְּאִתְעַטַּר בַּדָּרוֹם חוּלָקֵיהּ וַעֲדְבֵּיהּ). Afterward, the matter was concealed when he ascended and it is written: “to Hashem” without specification-this is the supernal world (לְבָתַר סָתִים מִלָּה, כַּד סָלִיק וְאָמַר: לַיְיָ סְתָם - דָּא עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה). And from there, he took the levels and descended from above to below, and all was united in his place properly (וּמִתַּמָּן נָטִיל בְּדַרְגִּין וְנָחִית מֵעֵילָא לְתַּתָּא, וְאִתְדַּבַּק כֹּלָּא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). And here, when you contemplate the levels, you will find the secret of supernal Chokhmah (וְהָכָא, כַּד תִּסְתַּכֵּל בְּדַרְגִּין, תִּשְׁכַּח רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָּא עִלָּאָה). What is written? “And he went on his journeys from the Negev” (מַה כְּתִיב: וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו מִנֶּגֶב) (Bereishit 13:3)-from the side of the right (מִסִּטְרָא דְּיָמִינָא), the service of the hidden supernal world, deep above until Ein Sof (שֵׁירוּתָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה סְתִימָא עֲמִיקָא לְעֵילָא עַד אֵין סוֹף), and descending level after level (וְנָחִית דַּרְגָּא בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא) from the Negev until Beit El-from above to below (מִנֶּגֶב וְעַד בֵּית אֵל מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא). And it is written: “And there Avram called in the name of Hashem” (וּכְתִיב: וַיִּקְרָא שָׁם אַבְרָם בְּשֵׁם יְיָ) (Bereishit 13:4), he bound Union in his place as is proper (אַדְבַּק יִחוּדָא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת), as it is written: “to the place of the altar that he made there at first” (דִּכְתִיב: אֶל מְקוֹם הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה שָׁם בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה). What is “that he made there”? That he ascended from below to above (מַאי: אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה שָׁם - דְּסָלִיק לָהּ מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא), and now he descends in levels from above to below (וְהַשְׁתָּא נָחִית בְּדַרְגִּין מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא), so that she not pass beyond those supernal levels, and they not pass beyond her, and all be unified in one Union, as is proper (בְּגִין דְּהִיא לָא תַעֲדֵי מֵאִנּוּן דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין, וְאִנּוּן לָא יַעֲדוּן מִנָּהּ, וְיִתְיַחֵד כֹּלָּא בְּיִחוּדָא חָדָא כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת). Then Avraham was crowned and became the inheritance and portion of Kudsha Berikh Hu, certainly (כְּדֵין אִתְעַטַּר אַבְרָהָם וְהֲוָה חוּלַק עַדְבֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וַדַּאי). Blessed are the Righteous who are crowned with Kudsha Berikh Hu, and He is crowned in them (זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא דְּמִתְעַטְּרֵי בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהוּא מִתְעַטֵּר בְּהוֹן). Blessed are they in this world, and blessed are they in the World to Come (זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן בְּעָלְמָא דֵין, וְזַכָּאִין אִנּוּן בְּעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי). Of them it is written: “And your people, all of them righteous, shall inherit the land forever” (עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב: וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ) (Yeshayahu 60:21). And it is written: “And the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, shining ever brighter until the perfect day” (וּכְתִיב: וְאוֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נוֹגַהּ הוֹלֵךְ וְאוֹר עַד נְכוֹן הַיּוֹם) (Mishlei 4:18). They went, and when they came to a certain orchard, they sat (אֲזְלוּ, כַּד מָטוּ בְּחַד בֵּי חֲקַל, יָתְבוּ).

Rabbi Shim‘on opened and said: “Turn to me and be gracious unto me…” (פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר: פְּנֵה אֵלַי וְחָנֵּנִי) (Tehillim 25:16). This verse must be contemplated, and we have already explained it in many places (הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בֵּיהּ, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא לֵיהּ בְּכַמָּה אֲתַר). But in this verse, hidden words are found (אֲבָל בְּהַאי קְרָא מִלִּין סְתִימִין אִית בֵּיהּ). Turn to me-would David say, “Turn to me and be gracious”? (פְּנֵה אֵלַי - וְכִי דָוִד אָמַר: פְּנֵה אֵלַי וְחָנֵּנִי) Rather, because of his level, in which he was crowned, he said this (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דַּרְגָּא דִילֵיהּ דְּאִיהוּ אִתְעַטַּר בֵּיהּ קָאֲמַר). Give Your strength to Your servant-this is supernal strength (תְּנָה עֻזְךָ לְעַבְדֶּךָ, תְּנָה עֻזְךָ - דָּא עֹז עִלָּאָה), as it is written: “And He gives strength to His King [Molcho]” p2-19(כְּדִכְתִיב: וְיִתֵּן עֹז לְמַלְכּוֹ) (Shmuel I 2:10). Who is “Molcho”? This is the King-in general, meaning King Mashiach (מַאן מַלְכּוֹ דָּא מֶלֶךְ סְתָם - מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא). Likewise here: to Your servant-this is King Mashiach, as we said: the King in general (אוּף הָכָא: לְעַבְדֶּךָ - דָּא מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא, כִּדְאָמַרָן: מֶלֶךְ סְתָם). And save the son of Your maidservant (וְהוֹשִׁיעָה לְבֶן אֲמָתֶךָ) (Tehillim 86:16) but was he not the son of Yishai, until he mentioned the name of his mother and not his father? (וְכִי לָא הֲוָה בְּרֵיהּ דְּיִשַׁי אִיהוּ, עַד דְּאִיהוּ אָמַר בִּשְׁמָא דְּאִמֵּיהּ וְלֹא בִּשְׁמָא דְּאֲבוֹי) Rather, we have already established: when a person comes to receive a supernal word for remembrance, he must proceed with a word that is certain (אֶלָּא הָא אוֹקִימְנָא: דְּכַד יֵיתֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְקַבֵּל מִלָּה עִלָּאָה לְאִדְכָּרָא, בָּעֵי לְמֵהַךְ בְּמִלָּה דְּאִיהוּ וַדַּאי). And for that reason, he mentioned his mother and not his father (וְעַל דָּא אַדְכַּר לְאִמֵּיהּ וְלֹא לְאֲבוֹי). Moreover, we have learned (וְתוּ הָא תָּנִינָן) - some say: for this reason (ד״א: ל״ג דְּהָא) - that this is the king, as we have said (דְּדָא מֶלֶךְ כִּדְּקָאַמְרָן).

Rabbi Shim‘on said: come and see, what is written? “And there was strife between the herdsmen of Avram’s cattle” (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב: וַיְהִי רִיב בֵּין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה אַבְרָם) (Bereishit 13:7). Riv (strife) is written defective, without a Yod (רִב כְּתִיב חָסֵר יו״ד), because Lot wanted to return to the foreign worship practiced by the inhabitants of the land (דְּבָעָא לוֹט לְמֶהְדַּר לְפוּלְחָנָא נוּכְרָאָה דְּפַלְחֵי יָתְבֵי אַרְעָא). And the end of the verse proves it, for it is written: “And the Canaanite and the Perizzite were then dwelling in the land” (וְסוֹפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא אוֹכַח: דִּכְתִיב: וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי אָז יוֹשֵׁב בָּאָרֶץ) And from where do we know that Lot returned to his corruption and to foreign worship? Because it is written: “And Lot journeyed from the east” (וּמְנָלָן דְּלוֹט אַהֲדַר לְסָרְחָנֵיהּ לְפוּלְחָנָא נוּכְרָאָה דִּכְתִיב: וַיִּסַּע לוֹט מִקֶּדֶם) (Bereishit 13:11). What is “from the east”?-from Kadmono shel Olam (מַאי: מִקֶּדֶם מִקַּדְמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם). Here it is written: “And Lot journeyed from the east”, and there it is written: “And it came to pass as they journeyed from the east” (כְּתִיב הָכָא: וַיִּסַּע לוֹט מִקֶּדֶם, וּכְתִיב: וַיְהִי בְּנָסְעָם מִקֶּדֶם) (Bereishit 11:2). Just as there they turned away from Kadmono shel Olam, so too here (מַה לְהַלָּן נְטִילוּ מִקַּדְמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אוּף הָכָא כֵּן).