Daf 91b (דַּף צ״א ע״ב)

And on account of this, before Avraham was circumcised, he had this level as we have said (וְעַל דָּא עַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם, הֲוָה לֵיהּ הַאי דַּרְגָּא כִּדְּאֲמָרָן). Once he was circumcised, immediately: “And Hashem appeared to Avram…” (Bereshit 18) (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגְּזַר, מִיָּד: וַיֵּרָא יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם וְגו׳). All the other levels were revealed upon this level (אִתְחֲזוּן כֻּלְהוּ (שְׁאָר) דַּרְגִּין עַל הַאי דַּרְגָּא), and this level spoke with him fittingly, in completeness (וְהַאי דַּרְגָּא מַלִּיל עִמֵּיהּ כְּדְּקָא חָזֵי בִּשְׁלִימוּ). And Avraham was crowned from level to level, and entered into the sacred enduring covenant as was proper, in completeness (וְאַבְרָהָם אִתְקַטַּר מִדַּרְגָּא לְדַרְגָּא, וְעָאל בִּבְּרִית קְיָימָא קַדִּישָׁא כְּדְּקָא חָזֵי בִּשְׁלִימוּ). Shekhinta is called the letter of the covenant, from the side of Tzaddik Yesod Olam, “This is the sign of the covenant at Sinai” (Some say: “between Me and you”) (שְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְקְרִיאַת אוֹת בְּרִית מִסִּטְרָא דְּצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם: זֹאת אוֹת הַבְּרִית בְּסִינַי (ס"א: בֵּינִי)). The central pillar (עַמּוּדָא דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא), and between the children of Yisrael: Netzach and Hod (וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: נֵצַ״ח הוֹ״ד). This letter-Tzaddik-this is the Shekhinta (אוֹת דָּא: צַדִּיק, הִיא דָּא: שְׁכִינְתָּא), as it is written (Exodus 31): “For in six days Hashem made the heavens…” (כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה יְיָ אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם), from Keter to the central pillar (מִכֶּתֶּ״ר עַד עַמּוּדָא דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא). For there is no six in any place except from the side of the letter Vav (דְּלֵית שִׁית בְּכָל אֲתַר אֶלָּא מִסִּטְרָא דְּאוֹת ו׳), and there is no seventh except from the drop of the letter Yod-crown upon its head (וְלֵית שְׁבִיעִי אֶלָּא מִטְרָא דְּאוֹת י, עֲטָרָה עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ). Chokhmah is supernal, she is a letter (חָכְמָ״ה עִלָּאָה אוֹת הִיא); Chokhmah is below, she is a letter (חָכְמָה תַּתָּאָה אוֹת הִיא). And it was arranged to be circumcised on the eighth, for there is found there Chokhmah until Yesod, to receive within them the small Yod, to ascend it up to Keter, to be a crown upon their heads (וְתַּקִּינוּ לְמִגְזָר לִתְמָנְיָיא, דְּאִיהוּ תַּמָּן חָכְמָ״ה עַד יְסוֹד, לְקַבְּלָא בְּהוֹן יו״ד זְעִירָא לְסַלְקָא לָהּ עַד כֶּתֶר לִמְהוֵי עֲטָרָה עַל רָאשֵׁיהוֹן). And it was arranged to make the foreskin equal to dust, to fulfill (Isaiah 65): “And the serpent-dust shall be his bread” (וְתַּקִּינוּ לְשָׁוְיָיָא עָרְלָה בְּמָנָא וְעַפְרָא, לְקַיֵּים וְנָחָשׁ עָפָר לַחְמוֹ).

Come and see: once Avraham was circumcised, he went out from foreskin and entered into the holy covenant, and was crowned with a holy crown, and entered into the existence upon which the world stands (תָּא חֲזֵי, כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם, נָפַק מֵעָרְלָה וְעָאל בִּקְיָימָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִתְעַטַּר בְּעִטְּרָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְעָאל בְּקִיּוּמָא דְּעָלְמָא קָאִים עֲלֵיהּ), and then the world was sustained because of him (וּכְדֵין אִתְקְיַּים עָלְמָא בְּגִינֵיהּ). For it is written: “If not for My covenant, day and night, the statutes of heaven and earth I have not established” (Jeremiah 33)(בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב: אִם לֹא בְרִיתִי יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה, חֻקּוֹת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ לֹא שָׂמְתִּי). And it is written: “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created” (Bereshit 2) (וּכְתִיב: אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם), with a Heh He created them in Avraham (בְּה׳ בָּרְאָם-בְּאַבְרָהָם). And all of it stands in one secret (וְכֹלָּא בְּרָזָא חָדָא קָאִים). And at the time Kudsha Berikh Hu showed Adam all the generations of the world, and he saw each and every generation-all of them standing in Gan Eden in the very form in which they were destined to exist in this world (וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחֲמֵי לֵיהּ לְאָדָם כָּל אִנּוּן דָּרִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְחָמָא לוֹן כָּל חַד וְחַד, כָּל דָּרָא וְדָרָא, כֻּלְהוּ קָיְמֵי בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן בְּהַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא דְּזַמִּינִין לְקָיְימָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא).

And come and see: it has been taught-once he saw David, and that there was no life in him at all, he was troubled, and he gave him from his own seventy years (וְתָּא חֲזֵי: הָא אִתְּמַר, כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לֵיהּ לְדָוִד, דְּלָאו בֵּיהּ חַיִּים כְּלָל, תָּוָהּ, וְאִיהוּ יְהִיב לֵיהּ מִדִּילֵיהּ ע׳ שְׁנִין). For this reason Adam had nine hundred and thirty years, and those seventy were removed and given to David (בְּגִין כָּךְ הֲווּ לֵיהּ לְאָדָם תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת וּתְלָתִין שְׁנִין, וְאִנּוּן שִׁבְעִין אִסְתַּלְּקוּ לֵיהּ לְדָוִד). And this matter is a secret of Chokhmah, for David had no days except the seventy years from Adam Kadma'ah (וּמִלָּה דָא רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא אִיהוּ, דְּדָוִד לֵית לֵיהּ יוֹמִין בַּר שִׁבְעִין שְׁנִין מֵאָדָם קַדְמָאָה), and all is a secret of Chokhmah (וְכֹלָּא רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא אִיהוּ). And everything below is all in the secret of that which is above (וְכָל מַה דִּלְתַּתָּא, כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ בְּרָזָא דִּלְעֵילָא).

And come and see: All the souls that are destined to come to the world appear before Him, as couples [soulmates male and female] (וְתָּא חֲזֵי: בְּכָל אִנּוּן דִּיוּקְנִין דְּנִשְׁמָתִין דְּעָלְמָא, כֻּלְהוּ זִוּוּגִין זִוּוּגִין קַמֵּיהּ). Afterwards, when they come into this world, Kudsha Berikh Hu matches them together (לְבָתַר, כַּד אַתְיָין לְהַאי עָלְמָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְזַוֵּוג זִוּוּגִין).

Rabbi Yitzchak said: Kudsha Berikh Hu makes matches and says: “The daughter of so-and-so is for so-and-so” (אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְזַוֵּוג זִוּוּגִין, וְאָמַר: בַּת פְּלוֹנִי לִפְלוֹנִי). Rabbi Yose said: what is this teaching us? Behold, it is written: “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1) (אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי וְהָא כְּתִיב: אֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ). Rabbi Yehudah said: It is written, ‘Under the sun’—[but] it is different above [new things take place above the sun]. (אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה: תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כְּתִיב-שָׁאנֵי לְעֵילָא).

Rabbi Yose said: What is the proclamation here? (אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי מַאי כָּרוֹזָא הָכָא). But did not Rabbi Chizkiyah say in the name of Rabbi Ḥiyya: At that very moment that a human being comes forth into the world, his spouse is assigned to him! (וְהָא אָמַר רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא מַמָּשׁ דְּנָפִיק בַּר נָשׁ לְעָלְמָא, בַּת זוּגוֹ אִזְדַמְּנַת לוֹ).

Rabbi Abba said: Fortunate are the Righteous (צַדִּיקַיָּיא), whose souls are crowned before the Holy King before they enter the world (דְּנִשְׁמַתְהוֹן מִתְעַטְּרִין קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא עַד לָא יֵיתוּן לְעָלְמָא), for so we have learned: at the moment when Kudsha Berikh Hu brings forth souls into the world, all those spirits and souls are complete-male and female joined as one (דְּהָכִי תָּנִינָן בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא דְּאַפִּיק קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נִשְׁמָתִין לְעָלְמָא, כָּל אִנּוּן רוּחִין וְנִשְׁמָתִין כֻּלְהוּ כְּלִילָן דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן כְּחֲדָא). And they are delivered into the hand of that appointed emissary charged over the forms of human beings (וְאִתְמַסְּרָן בִּידָא דְּהַהוּא מְמַנָּא שְׁלִיחָא דְּאִתְפַּקַּד עַל עִדּוּאֵיהוֹן דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא). Whose name is Lailah (וְלַיְלָה שְׁמֵיהּ), and at the moment they descend and are handed into his hand, they separate (וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָחֲתִין וְאִתְמַסְרָן בִּידוֹי מִתְפָּרְשִׁין), and sometimes one precedes the other and descends first among human beings (וּלְזִמְנִין דָּא אַקְדִּים מִן דָּא וְאָחִית לְהוּ בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא). And when their time to get married arrives (וְכַד מָטָא עִידָן דְּזִוּוּגָא דִלְהוֹן), Kudsha Berikh Hu, who knows those spirits and souls, joins them again as at first and proclaims over them (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּיָדַע אִנּוּן רוּחִין וְנִשְׁמָתִין, מְחַבַּר לוֹן כִּדְבְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּמַכְרְזָא עֲלַיְיהוּ). And when they are joined, they become one body, one soul, right and left as is proper (וְכַד אִתְחַבְּרָן, אִתְעֲבִידוּ חַד גּוּפָא חַד נִשְׁמָתָא, יָמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא כְּדְקָא חָזֵי), and for this reason: There is nothing new under the sun (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: אֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ). And if you say: But have we not learned that man obtains a mate according to the deeds and ways of behavior! (וְאִי תֵימָא: הָא תָּנִינָן לֵית זִוּוּגָא אֶלָּא לְפוּם עוֹבָדוֹי וְאָרְחוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ). This is indeed true (הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי), for if he is meritorious and his deeds are properly aligned, he merits to that which is his to be joined with her as originally destined (דְּאִי זָכֵי וְעוֹבָדוֹי אִתְכַּשְׁרָן, זָכֵי לְהַהוּא דִּילֵיהּ לְאִתְחַבָּרָא בֵּיהּ כְּמָה דְּנָפִיק).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said: Whoever’s deeds are aligned in that place will attain his proper soulmate (אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא: מַאן דְּאִתְכַּשְׁרָן עוֹבָדוֹי בְּאָן אֲתַר, יִתְבַּע הַהוּא זִוּוּגָא דִּילֵיהּ). He said to him: But have we not learned: A man should always sell [all he owns] and marry the daughter of a Torah Scholar? (אָמַר לֵיהּ: הָא תָּנִינָן: לְעוֹלָם יִמְכֹּר אָדָם כו' וְיִשָּׂא בַּת תַּלְמִיד חָכָם). For a Torah Scholar is a trust of his Master deposited in his hand (דְּתַלְמִיד חָכָם פִּקְדוֹנָא דְמָארֵיהּ אִתְפַּקְדָן בִּידֵיהּ).

It was taught in the secret of the Mishnah:p2-22 all those who come in reincarnation of souls can, through mercy, hasten their pairing, even though she is not his destined mate (תָּאנָא בְּרָזָא דְּמַתְנִיתָּא: כָּל אִנּוּן דְּאָתוּ בְּגִלְגּוּלָא דְּנִשְׁמָתִין, יָכְלִין לְאַקְדָּמָא בְּרַחֲמֵי זִוּוּגָא דִּלְהוֹן).

And about this the Friends were aroused: We do not marry women during a festival, but we do betroth them (וְעַל הַאי אִתְעָרוּ חַבְרַיָיא: אֵין נוֹשְׂאִין נָשִׁים בְּמוֹעֵד, אֲבָל מְקַדְּשִׁין). Perhaps another [man] may precede him with mercy (שֶׁמָּא יְקַדְּמֶנּוּ אַחֵר בְּרַחֲמִים). And they spoke well: another [man]-precisely (וְשַׁפִּיר קָאֲמְרוּ: אַחֵר דַּיְיקָא). And therefore it is difficult for Kudsha Berikh Hu to bring couples together p2-23(וְעַל כֵּן קָשִׁין זִוּוּגִין קַמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And above all, “For the ways of Hashem are upright,” it is written (וְעַל כֹּלָּא, וַדַּאי: כִּי יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי יְיָ כְּתִיב).