Daf 149b (דַּף קמ״ט ע״ב)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), this sullam is established across two worlds - above and below (הַאי סֻלָּם בִּתְרֵי עַלְמִין אִתְתַּקַּף, בְּעֵילָא וְתַתָּא). “In the land of Kasdim, by the River Kevar” (בְּאֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים עַל נְהַר כְּבָר). “In the land of Kasdim” - the place where exile rests (בְּאֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים, בַּאֲתַר דְּגָלוּתָא שַׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ), and still - “by the River Kevar” (וְעִם כָּל דָּא עַל נְהַר כְּבָר). What is Nehar Kevar? (מַהִי נְהַר כְּבָר) Rather, it was already, from earlier times, that the Shekhinta rested upon it (אֶלָּא דְּהֲוָה כְּבָר מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא, דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי), as it is written (Bereshit 2): “And a river went out from Eden to water the garden…” (דִּכְתִיב: וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן וְגו׳). And this is the river - one of those four rivers - and because it had already been inhabited previously, and rested upon it, now too it rests, and was revealed to Yeḥezkel (וְדָא הוּא נַהֲרָא חַד מֵאִינוּן אַרְבַּע נַהֲרִין, וּבְגִין דְּשַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא, וְהֲוָה עֲלוֹי כְּבָר, שַׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ הַשְׁתָּא, וְאִתְגְּלִי לֵיהּ לִיחֶזְקֵאל).

Come and see: “And he dreamed” - and is it not so, that Ya'akov the holy one, who is the perfection of the Patriarchs, was shown [this] in a dream? (תָּא חֲזֵי: וַיַּחֲלוֹם - וְכִי יַעֲקֹב קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִיהוּ שְׁלֵימָא דְּאֲבָהָן, בְּחֶלְמָא אִתְגְּלִי עֲלוֹי) And in such a holy place - he saw only in a dream? (וּבַאֲתַר דָּא קַדִּישָׁא, לָא חָמָא אֶלָּא בְּחֶלְמָא) Rather, at that time, Ya'akov was not yet married, and Yitzḥak was still alive (אֶלָּא: יַעֲקֹב בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא לָא הֲוָה נָסִיב, וְיִצְחָק הֲוָה קַיָּים). And if you say: but later, after he was married, it is written: “I saw in a dream…” (Bereshit 31) (וְאִי תֵימָא: וְהָא לְבָתַר דְּאִתְנָסִיב כְּתִיב: וָאֵרֶא בַּחֲלוֹם). There - the place was responsible, and Yitzḥak was still alive - and therefore it says dream (תַּמָּן אֲתַּר גָּרִים, וְיִצְחָק הֲוָה קַיָּים, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ חֲלוֹם). And after he came to the holy land with the tribes (וּלְבָתַר דְּאֲתָא לְאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא עִם שִׁבְטִין), and the barren woman was completed among them (וְאִשְׁתְּלִים בְּהוֹן עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת), and “the mother of children is joyful” (Psalms 113) (וְאֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה), it is written (Bereshit 35): “And Elohim appeared to Ya'akov…” (כְּתִיב: וַיֵּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶל יַעֲקֹב וְגו׳), and it is written (Bereshit 46): “And Elohim said to Yisrael in visions of the night…” (וּכְתִיב: וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַרְאוֹת הַלַּיְלָה). Here it does not say in a dream, for this was from a different, supernal level (הָכָא לָא כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ חֲלוֹם, דְּהָא מִדַּרְגָּא אָחֳרָא עִלָּאָה הֲוָה).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), a dream is through the hand of Gavri’el (חֶלְמָא אִיהוּ עַל יְדֵי דְּגַבְרִיאֵל), who is below (דְּאִיהוּ לְתַתָּא), on the sixth level beneath prophecy (בְּדַרְגָּא שְׁתִיתָאָה מִנְּבוּאָה). A vision, by the hand of that level (מַרְאֶה, עַל יְדָא דְּהַהוּא דַרְגָּא), that Chayah which rules in the night (דְּהַהִיא חַיָּה דְּשָׁלְטָא בְּלֵילְיָא). And if you say (וְאִי תֵימָא), behold it is written (הָא כְּתִיב): “Gavri’el, make this one understand the vision” (גַּבְרִיאֵל הָבֵן לְהַלָּז אֶת הַמַּרְאֶה) - (Daniel 8). Thus it is indeed (הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי), for a vision is the filling of hidden things yet more (דְּמַרְאֶה מִלּוֹי סְתִימִין יַתִּיר), and in a dream it is explained further (וּבְחֶלְמָא פָּרִישׁ יַתִּיר), and the hidden things of the vision are made distinct (וּפָרִישׁ סְתִימִין דְּמַרְאֶה). And for this Gavri’el was appointed (וְעַל דָּא אִתְפַּקַּד גַּבְרִיאֵל), to explain the filling of the vision that is more hidden (דִּיְפָרֵשׁ מִלּוֹי דְמַרְאֶה דְּאִיהוּ סָתִים יַתִּיר). And for this it is written “in a vision,” “and I appeared” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב בְּמַרְאֶה, וַיֵּרָא, וָאֵרָא), what is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא) Because the vision is (בְּגִין דְּמַרְאֶה אִיהוּ), like this vision in which all images were seen within it (כְּהַאי מַרְאֶה דְּאִתְחֲזֵי כָּל דִּיוּקְנִין בְּגַוֵּיהּ). Therefore, “and I appeared” (בְּגִינֵי כָךְ וָאֵרָא), I showed His image (אַחְמִית דִּיוּקְנֵיהּ), in E-l Shaddai (בְּאֵל שַׁדַּי), who is the vision (דְּאִיהוּ מַרְאֶה), in which another image appeared within it (דְּאִתְחֲמֵי דִּיוּקְנָא אָחֳרָא בְּגַוֵּיהּ), and all supernal images were seen in it (וְכָל דִּיוּקְנִין עִלָּאִין בֵּיהּ אִתְחֲזוּן) Therefore (בְּגִינֵי כָךְ), Ya'akov at that time (יַעֲקֹב בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא), it is written (כְּתִיב), “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder was set upon the earth” (וַיַּחֲלֹם וְהִנֵּה סֻלָּם מֻצָּב אַרְצָה) - (Bereshit 28). What is the ladder? (מַהוּ סֻלָּם) A level upon which other levels depend (דַּרְגָּא דִּשְׁאָר דַּרְגִּין בֵּיהּ תָּלְיָין), and it is the Yesod of the world (וְהוּא יְסוֹד דְּעָלְמָא). “And its head reached to the heavens” (וְרֹאשׁוֹ מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה), that is to be bound with it (הָכִי הוּא לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ). “And its head reached to the heavens,” who is its head? (וְרֹאשׁוֹ מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה, מַאן רֹאשׁוֹ) The head of that ladder (רֹאשׁוֹ דְּהַהוּא סֻלָּם). And who is it? (וּמַאן אִיהוּ) This is what is written about it (דָּא דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ), “the head of the bed” (רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה) - (Bereshit 47), because he is the head of that bed (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ רֹאשׁ לְהַאי מִטָּה), and from it radiates light (וּמִנָּהּ נָהִיר). “Reaching the heavens” (מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה), because it is the end of the body (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ סִיּוּמָא דְּגוּפָא), and it stands between the upper and the lower (וְקָאִים בֵּין עִלָּאָה וְתַתָּאָה), as the Brit (covenant) is the end of the body (כְּמָה דִּבְרִית אִיהוּ סִיּוּמָא דְּגוּפָא), and it stands between the thighs and the body (וְקָאִים בֵּין יַרְכִין וְגוּפָא), and for this it reaches to the heavens (וְעַל דָּא מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה). “And behold, angels of Elohim were ascending and descending on it” (וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים עֹלִים וְיֹרְדִים בּוֹ) (Bereshit 28), these are the ministers of all the nations (אִלֵּין מְמַנָּן דְּכָל עַמִּין), who ascend and descend on this ladder (דְּאִינוּן סָלְקִין וְנָחֲתִין בְּהַאי סֻלָּם). When Yisrael sins (כַּד יִשְׂרָאֵל חָטָאן), this ladder is lowered (מָאִיךְ הַאי סֻלָּם), and these ministers ascend (וְסָלְקִין אִינְהוּ מְמַנָּן). But when Yisrael binds their deeds (וְכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְכַּשְּׁרָן עוֹבָדַיְיהוּ), this ladder is elevated (אִסְתַּלַּק הַאי סֻלָּם), and all ministers descend below (וְכֻלְּהוּ מְמַנֵּי נָחֲתֵי לְתַתָּא), and their dominion is removed (וְאִתְעֲבַר שׁוּלְטָנוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן). All is established through this ladder (כֻּלָּא בְּהַאי סֻלָּם קָיְימָא). Here Ya'akov saw in his dream (הָכָא חָמָא יַעֲקֹב בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ), the dominion of Esav and the dominion of the other nations (שָׁלְטָנוּתָא דְעֵשָׂו וְשָׁלְטָנוּתָא דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין). Another matter: “And behold, angels of Elohim were ascending and descending on it” (דָּבָר אַחֵר וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים עֹלִים וְיוֹרְדִים בּוֹ). On whom? On that head of that ladder (בְּמַאן, בְּהַהוּא רֹאשׁוֹ, דְּהַהוּא סֻלָּם). When its head is removed from it (דְּכַד אִסְתַּלַּק רֹאשׁוֹ מִנֵּיהּ), the ladder is bent (סֻלָּם אִתְכַּפְיָא), and all the ministers ascend (וְסָלְקִין כֻּלְּהוּ מְמַנָּן). And when its head is joined to that ladder (וְכַד אִתְחַבַּר רֹאשׁוֹ בְּהַהוּא סֻלָּם), it is elevated (אִסְתַּלַּק), and all the ministers descend (וְכֻּלְּהוּ מְמַנָּן נָחֲתִין). And it is all one matter (וְכֹּלָּא חַד מִלָּה).