Daf 86a (דַּף פ״ו ע״א)

Come and see: there exists a supernal firmament hidden above those seven [firmaments], and this is the firmament that speaks to them and illuminates them all (תָּא חֲזֵי, אִית רְקִיעָא עִלָּאָה סָתִים לְעֵילָא מִנַּיְיהוּ דְּאִנּוּן שִׁבְעָה, וְדָא הוּא רְקִיעָא דְּדַבָּר לוֹן וְנָהִיר לוֹן לְכֻלְהוּ), and this one is not known and stands in the question that is unknowable, because it is concealed and deep (וְדָא לָא אִתְיְידַע, וְקָיְימָא בִּשְׁאֶלְתָּא דְּלָא יְדִיעָא, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ סָתִים וְעָמִיק), and all long for it (וְכֹלָּא תְּוָוהִין עֲלֵיהּ). And therefore it is called Mi (“Who”) as it has been established, as it is written (Job 38): “From whose womb came the ice?” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי מִ״י, כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהָ דִּכְתִיב מִבֶּטֶן מִי יָצָא הַקָּרַח), and it has been stated: and this is the supernal firmament that stands over all these seven (וְאִתְּמָר, וְהַאי הוּא רְקִיעָא עִלָּאָה דְּקָיְימָא עַל כָּל אִנּוּן שִׁבְעָה). And there exists below a firmament that is lower than all of them and does not shine (וְאִית לְתַתָּא רְקִיעָא דְּאִיהוּ תַּתָּאָה מִכֻּלְהוּ וְלָא נָהִיר), and because it is a lower one that does not shine, that firmament above them is connected with it (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ תַּתָּאָה דְּלָא נָהִיר, הַהוּא רְקִיעָא דְּעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְחַבַּר בֵּיהּ). And these two letters are encompassed within it, and it is called Yam (“Sea”) – this being that supernal firmament called Mi (Who) (וְאִלֵּין תְּרֵין אַתְוָון כָּלִיל לוֹן בְּגַוֵּיהּ וְאִקְרֵי יָם, דְּהַהוּא רְקִיעָא עִלָּאָה דְּאִקְרֵי מִ״י). Because all the other firmaments were made as tributaries and flow into it (בְּגִין דְּכָל אִנּוּן רְקִיעִין אָחֳרָנִין אִתְעֲבִידוּ נַחֲלִין וְעָאלִין לְגַבֵּיהּ), and then it becomes the supernal sea, producing limbs and fish to nourish them (וּכְדֵין אִיהוּ יַם עִלָּאָה וְעֲבַד אִיבִּין וְנוּנִין לִזְנַיְיהוּ). And regarding this David said (Tehillim 104): “This is the great and wide sea, where there are creeping things without number, living creatures small with great” (וְעַל דָּא אָמַר דָּוִד זֶה הַיָּם גָּדוֹל וּרְחַב יָדַיִם שָׁם רֶמֶשׂ וְאֵין מִסְפָּר חַיּוֹת קְטַנּוֹת עִם גְּדוֹלוֹת). And therefore it is written (Yeshayahu 41): “Who aroused from the east Tzedek shall call him to His steps…” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, מִי הֵעִיר מִמִּזְרָח צֶדֶק יִקְרָאֵהוּ לְרַגְלוֹ). “Who aroused from the east” – this is Avraham (מִי הֵעִיר מִמִּזְרָח. דָּא אַבְרָהָם). “Tzedek shall call him to His steps” – (some say: this is Sarah); others: Tzedek shall call him to His steps refers to the lower firmament of all the firmaments, which became a sea (צֶדֶק יִקְרָאֵהוּ לְרַגְלוֹ. [נ״א דָּא שָׂרָה, ד״א צֶדֶק יִקְרָאֵהוּ לְרַגְלוֹ וְגו׳] דָּא הוּא רְקִיעָא תַּתָּאָה דְּכֻלְהוּ רְקִיעִין דְּאִתְעֲבִיד יָם). He shall deliver nations before him (יִתֵּן לְפָנָיו גּוֹיִם). Who is this? (מַאן הַאי), It is that lower firmament which we have mentioned (הוּא רְקִיעָא תַּתָּאָה דְּאֲמָרָן), that performs vengeance and casts down haters (דְּעֲבִיד נוּקְמִין וְאַפִּיל שָׂנְאִין). And in this David gloried and said (וּבְהַאי אִשְׁתַּבַּח דָּוִד וְאָמַר): “And my enemies You have given me the back of their necks, and those who hate me I destroyed” (Tehillim 18) (וְאֹיְבַי נָתַתָּה לִּי עֹרֶף וּמְשַׂנְאַי אַצְמִיתֵם). “He shall deliver nations before him” (Yeshayahu 41) (יִתֵּן לְפָנָיו גּוֹיִם)-these are the nations whom Avraham pursued (אִלֵּין אִנּוּן עַמִּין דְּהֲוָה רָדִיף עֲלֵיהוֹן אַבְרָהָם), and Kudsha Berikh Hu was slaying them (וּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה קָטִיל לוֹן). “And kings shall descend” (וּמְלָכִים יָרְדוּ)-what is meant by “shall descend”? (מַאי יָרְדוּ אֶלָּא), These are the kings appointed above over them (אִלֵּין מַלְכִין דְּמְמַנִּין לְעֵילָא עֲלַיְיהוֹ). “He shall deliver nations before him”-these are the nations below (יִתֵּן לְפָנָיו גּוֹיִם, אִלֵּין עַמִּין דְּלְתַתָּא); “and kings shall descend”-these are the great supernal appointees (וּמְלָכִים יַרְדּוּ, אִלֵּין מְמַנָּן רַבְרְבָן דִּלְעֵילָא). For when Kudsha Berikh Hu enacts judgment in the world (דְּכַד עֲבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דִּינָא בְּעָלְמָא) or alternatively, in the people (ד״א בְּעַמָּא)-He performs judgment above and below alike (בְּכֹלָּא עֲבִיד דִּינָא בְּעֵילָא וְתַתָּא).

“He pursued them, he passed on in peace; the path with his feet he did not come” (יִרְדְּפֵם יַעֲבוֹר שָׁלוֹם אֹרַח בְּרַגְלָיו לֹא יָבוֹא). “He pursued them”-this is Avraham (יִרְדְּפֵם דָּא אַבְרָהָם), for Avraham pursued them (דְּאַבְרָהָם הֲוָה רָדִיף לוֹן), and Kudsha Berikh Hu passed before him and killed them (וּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה עָבַר קַמֵּיהּ וְקָטִיל לוֹן). As it is written, “He passed on in peace”-this is Kudsha Berikh Hu, who is called Peace (דִּכְתִיב יַעֲבוֹר שָׁלוֹם, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁלוֹם).

“The path with his feet he did not come” (אֹרַח בְּרַגְלָיו לֹא יָבוֹא). Would you imagine that Avraham traveled among clouds, or among horses and chariots? (וְכִי סַלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ דְּהֲוָה אַבְרָהָם אָזִיל בְּגוֹ עֲנָנֵי אוֹ בְּגוֹ סוּסְוָון וּרְתִיכִין) Rather, “the path with his feet he did not come”-for it was not an angel nor a messenger that went before Avraham (אֶלָּא אֹרַח בְּרַגְלָיו לֹא יָבוֹא, דְּלָא הֲוָה אָזִיל קַמֵּיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם לָא מַלְאָכָא וְלָא שְׁלִיחָא), but Kudsha Berikh Hu alone (אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), as it is written: “the path with his feet” (דִּכְתִיב אֹרַח בְּרַגְלָיו). Who are His feet? These are the angels who are beneath Kudsha Berikh Hu (מַאן רַגְלָיו אִלֵּין מַלְאָכִין דְּאִנּוּן תְּחוֹתוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as you say (כְּמָא דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר): “And His feet shall stand on that day” (Zechariah 14) (וְעָמְדוּ רַגְלָיו בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וְגו׳).

Another matter: “Who arose from the east?” (דָּבָר אַחֵר: מִי הֵעִיר מִמִּזְרָח). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), at the time when Kudsha Berikh Hu aroused the world to bring forth Avraham and to draw him near to Himself (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְעָר עָלְמָא לְאַיְיתָאָה לְאַבְרָהָם וּלְקָרְבָא לֵיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ), this arousal was on account of the fact that Ya'akov was destined to go forth from him (הַאי אִתְעֲרוּתָא בְּגִין דְּזַמִּין יַעֲקֹב לְמֵיפַּק מִנֵּיהּ), and to establish twelve tribes, all of them righteous before Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּלְקָיְימָא תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין כֻּלְּהוּ זַכָּאִין קַמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). “Righteousness shall call him to his feet” (צֶדֶק יִקְרָאֵהוּ לְרַגְלוֹ)-for Kudsha Berikh Hu would continually call him from the day the world was created (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה קָרֵי לֵיהּ תָּדִיר מִן יוֹמָא דְּאִתְּבְּרֵי עָלְמָא), as you say (כְּמָא דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר): “Calling the generations from the beginning” (Yeshayahu 41) (קוֹרֵא הַדּוֹרוֹת מֵרֹאשׁ).And because of this, “Righteousness shall indeed call him” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ צֶדֶק יִקְרָאֵהוּ וַדַּאי). “To his feet”-to be joined to him in his service and to draw near to him (לְרַגְלוֹ, לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בֵּיהּ בְּפוּלְחָנֵיהּ וּלְקָרְבָא לֵיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ), as you say (כְּמָא דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר): “The people who are at Your feet” (Shemot 11) (הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בְּרַגְלֶיךָ).