Daf 98a (דַּף צ״ח ע״א)

Rabbi El'azar opened this verse (רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח הַאי קְרָא), at the time after Avraham was circumcised (בִּשַּׁעְתָּא בָּתַר דְּאִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם). For until he was circumcised, He would not speak with him except from within a lower level (דְּעַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר לָא הֲוָה מַלִּיל עִמֵּיהּ אֶלָּא מִגּוֹ דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה), and the supernal levels were not present upon that level (וְדַרְגִּין עִלָּאִין לָא הֲווּ קָיְימֵי עַל הַהִיא דַּרְגָּא). Once he was circumcised (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגְּזַר), immediately “The blossoms appeared in the land” (מִיָּד הַנִּצָּנִים נִרְאוּ בָּאָרֶץ)-these are the lower levels that emerged and prepared that lower level (אִלֵּין דַּרְגִּין תַּתָּאִין דְּאַפִּיקַת וְאַתְקִינַת הַאי דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה).

“The time of singing has arrived” (עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ)-these are the branches of the foreskin (אִלֵּין עַנְפוֹי דְּעָרְלָה). “And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land” (וְקוֹל הַתּוֹר נִשְׁמַע בְּאַרְצֵנוּ)-this is the voice that emerges from within the innerness of everything (דָּא קוֹל דְּנָפִיק מִגּוֹ הַהוּא פְּנִימָאָה דְּכֹלָּא), and that voice is heard (וְהַהוּא קוֹל נִשְׁמַע), and this is the voice that decrees a word above and completes it (וְדָא קוֹל דְּגָזַר מִלָּה לְמַלְּלָא וְעָבִיד לָהּ שְׁלִימוּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): until Avraham was circumcised, only that level was upon him (דְּעַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם לָא הֲוָה עֲלֵיהּ אֶלָּא הַאי דַּרְגָּא), as we have said (כִּדְּאָמָרָן). Once he was circumcised (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגְּזַר), what is written? “And Hashem appeared to him” (מַה כְּתִיב: וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו יְיָ). To whom? For it does not say “And Hashem appeared to Avram” (לְמַאן דְּהָא לָא כְּתִיב: וַיֵּרָא יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם). For if it were to Avram, what greatness is there more here than earlier, before he was circumcised, as it says: “And Hashem appeared to Avram”? (דְּאִי לְאַבְרָם, מַאי שְׁבָחָא הָכָא יַתִּיר מִבְּקַדְמִיתָא עַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר, דִּכְתִיב: וַיֵּרָא יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם). Rather, it is a sealed mystery (אֶלָּא רָזָא סְתִימָא אִיהוּ): “And He appeared to him”-to that level which speaks with him (וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו יְיָ לְהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּמַלִּיל עִמֵּיהּ), which was not the case previously, before he was circumcised (מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא עַד דְּלָא אִתְגְּזַר). Now the voice was revealed and connected in speech, as He spoke with him (דְּהַשְׁתָּא אִתְגַּלִּי קוֹל וְאִתְחַבַּר בְּדִבּוּר כַּד מַלִּיל עִמֵּיהּ). “And he was sitting at the entrance of the tent” (וְהוּא יוֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל). And he-but it does not reveal who (וְהוּא-וְלֹא גָּלֵי מַאן). Rather, here it reveals the Wisdom through which all levels rest upon this lower level (אֶלָּא הָכָא גָּלֵי חָכְמְתָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ דַּרְגִּין שָׁרוּ עַל הַאי דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה), after Avraham was circumcised (בָּתַר דְּאִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): “And Hashem appeared to him”-this is the mystery of the voice that was heard (וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו יְיָ-דָּא הוּא רָזָא דְּקוֹל דְּאִשְׁתְּמַע), that connected to speech and was revealed in him (דְּאִתְחַבַּר בְּדִבּוּר וְאִתְגַּלִּי בֵּיהּ). “And he was sitting at the entrance of the tent”-this is the supernal world which rests to illuminate upon it (וְהוּא יוֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל-דָּא עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה דְּקָאֵים לְאַנְהָרָא עֲלֵיהּ).

“In the heat of the day” (כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם)-for the right side was illuminated (דְּהָא אִתְנְהִיר יְמִינָא), and the level of Avraham was joined in it (דַּרְגָּא דְּאַבְרָהָם אִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ). Another matter: “In the heat of the day”-at the time when one level draws near another, in desire of this toward that (דָּבָר אַחֵר: כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם-בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְקְרִיב דַּרְגָּא לְדַרְגָּא בְּתִּיאוּבְתָּא דְּדָא לָקֳבֵל דָּא). “And He appeared to him” (וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו)-Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא): Before Avraham was circumcised, all was sealed (עַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם, הֲוָה אָטִים). Once he was circumcised, all was revealed (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגְּזַר, אִתְגַּלִּי כֹּלָּא), and the Shekhintā dwelled upon him in completeness as is fitting (וְשָׁרָא עֲלֵיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא בִּשְׁלִימוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): “And he was sitting at the entrance of the tent”-and he-this refers to the supernal world that rests upon this lower world (וְהוּא יוֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל-וְהוּא, דָּא עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה דְּשָׁרֵי עַל הַאי עָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה). When? “In the heat of the day”-at the time of the desire of a Tzaddik to rest within it (אֵימָתַי כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם-בְּזִמְנָא דְּתִּיאוּבְתָּא דְּחַד צַדִּיק לְמִשְׁרֵי בֵּיהּ).