Daf 89a (דַּף פ״ט ע״א)

The word of Hashem came to Avram in a vision, saying… (Bereshit 15) (הָיָה דְּבַר יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם בַּמַּחֲזֶה לֵאמֹר), what is “in a vision”? It is that vision, the level in which all forms are seen (מַאי בַּמַּחֲזֶה אֶלָּא בְּהַהוּא חֵיזוּ דַּרְגָּא דְּכָל דִּיוּקְנִין אִתְחַזְיָין בֵּיהּ). Rabbi Shim‘on said: Come and see, before Avraham was circumcised, only one level spoke with him-and what is that? Vision, as it is written: “The vision of Shaddai shall he behold” (Numbers 24) (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: תָּא חֲזֵי, עַד לָא אִתְגַּזַּר אַבְרָהָם, הֲוָה חַד דַּרְגָּא מַלִּיל עִמֵּיהּ, וּמַאן אִיהוּ דָּא מַחֲזֶה, דִּכְתִּיב: מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי יֶחֱזֶה). But once he was circumcised, all levels rested upon that level, and then it spoke with him. This is what is written: “And I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya'akov with El Shaddai…” (Exodus 6) (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגַּזַּר, הֲווּ כֻּלְּהוּ דַּרְגִּין שָׁרָאן עַל הַאי דַּרְגָּא, וּכְדֵין מַלִּיל עִמֵּיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב: וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵל שַׁדַּי), and before he was circumcised, these levels did not rest upon him to speak with him (וְעַד לָא אִתְגַּזַּר, לָא הֲווּ אִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין שָׁרָאן עֲלוֹי לְמַלָּלָא). And if you say: But earlier it is written: “And Hashem appeared to Avram” and “Avram journeyed…” and “He built there an altar”-behold, even then they were supernal levels (וְאִי תֵימָא: דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא כְּתִיב: וַיֵּרָא יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם, וּכְתִיב: וַיִּסַּע אַבְרָם הָלוֹךְ וְנָסוֹעַ הַנֶּגְבָּה, וּכְתִיב: וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ-הָא הָכָא אִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין). But now we have said that before he was circumcised, the supernal levels did not rest upon that level to speak with him (וְהַשְׁתָּא אֲמַרָן: דְּעַד לָא אִתְגַּזַּר, לָא הֲווּ אִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין שָׁרָאן עַל הַאי דַּרְגָּא לְמַלָּלָא עִמֵּיהּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), at first Kudsha Berikh Hu gave Chokhmah to Abraham (בְּקַדְמִיתָא יָהַב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָכְמָה לְאַבְרָהָם), to know wisdom in order to cleave to Him (לְמִנְדַּע חָכְמָה לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בֵּיהּ), and he knew the secret of the faith (וְיָדַע רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא), but to speak with Him there was not except this lower level alone (אֲבָל לְמַלָּלָא עִמֵּיהּ לָא הֲוָה אֶלָּא הַאי דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). Once he was circumcised (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגַּזַּר), all the supernal levels dwelled upon this lower level in order to speak with him (כֻּלְּהוּ דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין הֲווּ שָׁרָאן עַל הַאי דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה בְּגִין לְמַלָּלָא עִמֵּיהּ), and then Abraham was elevated in everything, as has been said (וּכְדֵין אִסְתַּלַּק אַבְרָהָם בְּכֹלָּא כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר).

Come and see: before a man is circumcised, he is not unified in the Name of Kudsha Berikh Hu. But once he is circumcised, he enters into His Name and is unified in it (תָּא חֲזֵי: עַד לָא אִתְגַּזַּר בַּר נָשׁ, לָא אִתְאַחִיד בִּשְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגַּזַּר, עָאל בִּשְׁמֵיהּ וְאִתְאַחִיד בֵּיהּ). And if you say: But Avraham was unified in Him even before he was circumcised-yes, he was, but not as is proper, for it was only from the supernal love with which Kudsha Berikh Hu loved him that He drew him near (וְאִי תֵימָא: אַבְרָהָם דְּאִתְאַחִיד בֵּיהּ עַד לָא אִתְגַּזַּר-הָכִי הֲוָה, דְּאִתְאַחִיד בֵּיהּ, וְלָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. דְּהָא מִגּוֹ רְחִימוּתָא עִלָּאָה דְּרָחִים לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָרֵיב לֵיהּ). Afterward He commanded him to be circumcised, and the covenant was given to him (לְבָתַר פַּקֵּיד לֵיהּ דְּיִתְגַּזַּר וְאִתְיְהִיב לֵיהּ בְּרִית), a bond (קִשּׁוּרָא), for all the supernal levels (דְּכֻלְּהוּ דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין), a covenant, a bond to bind everything as one (בְּרִית קִשּׁוּרָא לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא כֹּלָּא כְּחַדָּא), to include this within that (לְאַכְלָלָא דָּא בְּדָא), the covenant, the bond of all, everything is bound in it (בְּרִית קִשּׁוּרָא דְּכֹלָּא אִתְקְשַׁר בֵּיהּ). And because of this (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), Abraham, before he was circumcised (אַבְרָהָם עַד לָא אִתְגַּזַּר), his speech was not with Him except in a vision (מִלּוֹי לָא הֲוָה עִמֵּיהּ אֶלָּא בַּמַּחֲזֶה), as has been said (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר).

Come and see, at the moment when Kudsha Berikh Hu created the world (תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא), it was not created except upon the covenant (לָא אִתְבְּרִי אֶלָּא עַל בְּרִית), as it is said: “Bara Shit [created six] Bara Elohim [created Elohim]” (כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: בְּרֵ״א שִׁי״ת בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים), and this means [some say: Berit] that upon the covenant Kudsha Berikh Hu sustains the world (וְהַיְינוּ [ד״א ל״ג: בְּרִית] דְּעַל בְּרִית קִיֵּים קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא), and it is written: “If not for My covenant day and night, I would not have set the ordinances of heaven and earth” (Jeremiah 33) (וּכְתִיב: אִם לֹא בְרִיתִי יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה חֻקּוֹת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ לֹא שַׂמְתִּי). For the covenant is a bond that day and night do not separate (דְּהָא בְּרִית קִשּׁוּרָא אִיהוּ דְּיוֹמָא וְלֵילְיָא לָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁאן).

Rabbi El‘azar said: when Kudsha Berikh Hu created the world, it was upon a condition (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: כַּד בְּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא עַל תְּנַאי הֲוָה) that if Yisrael would come and accept the Orayta, it would be fitting (דְּכַד יֵיתוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל אִם יְקַבְּלוּן אוֹרַיְיתָא יָאוֹת). And if not, behold-I will return you to tohu va-vohu (וְאִם לָאו, הֲרִי אֲנָא אַהֲדַר לְכוּ לְתֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ). And the world was not sustained until Yisrael stood at Mount Sinai and received the Orayta, and then the world was sustained (וְעָלְמָא לָא אִתְקְיַּים עַד דְּקָיְימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל טוּרָא דְסִינַי וְקַבִּילוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא, וּכְדֵין אִתְקְיַּים עָלְמָא). And from that day forward, Kudsha Berikh Hu began creating worlds (וּמֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא וּלְהָלְאָה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּרִי עָלְמִין). And what are they? The couples of the world (וּמָאן אִנּוּן זִוּוּגִין דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא), for from that time Kudsha Berikh Hu arranges matches and says: “The daughter of so-and-so is for so-and-so” (דְּהָא מֵהַהוּא זִמְנָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְזַוֵּוג זִוּוּגִין וְאוֹמֵר: בַּת פְּלוֹנִי לִפְלוֹנִי). And these are the worlds that He creates (וְאִלֵּין אִנּוּן עָלְמִין דְּהוּא בָּרֵי).

Come and see: “I am a shield to you” (תָּא חֲזֵי: אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ) Anokhi (I) is the primordial level with which He was originally united (אָנֹכִי דָּא הוּא דַּרְגָא קַדְמָאָה דְּאִתְאֲחִיד בֵּיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא). And Avram said: Adonai Hashem, what will You give me? (וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֲדֹנָי יְהֹוִ״ה מַה תִּתֶּן לִי). Adonai is spelled Alef, Dalet, Nun, Yod (אדנ״י: אַל״ף דַל״ת נו״ן יו״ד), Elohim is Yod, Vav, Dalet, Heh Aleph, Vav, Yod, Vav, Heh, Aleph(אֱלהִים: יו״ד ה״א וי״ו ה״א). Some say: Elohim YHVH, vocalized as Elohim (נ״א: אֱלהִים יְהוָ״ה בְּנִקּוּד אֱלהִים). Rather, this is the secret of the matter-the unification of two worlds as one: the lower world and the upper world (אֶלָּא רָזָא דְמִלָּה, חִבּוּרָא דִּתְרֵין עָלְמִין כְּחֲדָא-עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה וְעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה).

Come and see, what will You give me, for I go childless (מַה תִּתֶּן לִי וְאָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי). For I have no son (דְּלֵית לִי בַּר), and I have learned that whoever has no son in this world is called Ariri, childless (וְאוֹלִיפְנָא דְּכָל מָאן דְּלֵית לֵיהּ בְּרָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא אִקְרֵי עֲרִירִי), as it is said: “They shall be childless” (Leviticus 20) (כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: עֲרִירִים יִהְיוּ). And why did Avraham say this word, “What will You give me” (וְאַבְרָהָם עַל מָה אָמַר מִלָּה דָא דְּאָמַר: מַה תִּתֶּן לִי)? As if, Heaven forbid, he did not believe in Kudsha Berikh Hu (כִּבְיָכוֹל כְּאִילוּ לָא הֶאֱמִין בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Rather, Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him: “I am a shield for you in this world” (אֶלָּא אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא: אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). “Your reward is exceedingly great in the world to come” (שְׂכָרְךָ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד בְּעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי). Immediately, Avraham was aroused in the secret of chokhmah and said: “What will You give me?” (מִיָּד אִתְעַר אַבְרָהָם בְּרָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא וְאָמַר: מַה תִּתֶּן לִי), for I know that no person can enter into that world without having begotten a son (דְּהָא יְדַעְנָא דְּלָא קַבִּיל אֲגַר לְמֵיעַל בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא בַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא אוֹלִיד בַּר). Therefore he said: “What will You give me, for I go childless?” (וְעַל דָּא אָמַר: מַה תִּתֶּן לִי וְאָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי), for You have not given to me that which I have not merited in (דְּהָא לָא תִּתֶּן לִי דְּלָא זָכִינָא בֵּיהּ). From here we learn that one who does not merit children in this world will not merit to ascend in that world within the veil (מִכָּאן דְּבַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא זָכֵי בִּבְנִין בְּהַאי עָלְמָא לָא זָכֵי בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא לְאֲעָלָא גּוֹ פַּרְגּוֹדָא).