Daf 150b (דַּף ק״ן ע״ב)

Come and see, it is written: “And she said, If so, why is this I?” (Bereshit 25) (תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב, וַתֹּאמֶר אִם כֵּן לָמָּה זֶה אָנֹכִי) Each and every day Rivkah would see the light of the Shekhinta, (כָּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא חָמַאת רִבְקָה נְהוֹרָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא) for the Shekhinta would dwell in her tabernacle and pray there. (דְּהַוְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּמִשְׁכְּנָהָא וְצַלִּיאַת תַּמָּן) Once she saw her distortion within her womb, (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמַאת עָאקוּ דִּילָהּ בִּמְעָהָא) what is written? “And she went to inquire of Hashem.” (וַתֵּלֶךְ לִדְרֹשׁ אֶת ה׳) She went out from one rung to another rung which is Havayah. (נָפְקַת מִדַּרְגָּא דָא לְדַרְגָּא אָחֳרָא דְּאִיהוּ הוי״ה) For this reason Ya'akov said: “And if I saw all this, and I did not know…” (בְּגִינֵי כָךְ אָמַר יַעֲקֹב, וְכִי כָּל כָּךְ חָמֵינָא, וְאָנֹכִי לֹא יָדַעְתִּי) because he was alone and had not yet entered beneath the wings of the Shekhinta. (בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי וְלָא עָאל תְּחוֹת גַּדְפֵי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא)

Immediately, (מִיָּד) “And he was afraid and said, How awesome is this place!” (Bereshit 28) (וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה) This word is for two sides: (מִלָּה דָא לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין אִיהוּ) “How awesome is this place”—one refers to that place previously mentioned, (מַה נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה, חַד עַל הַהוּא מָקוֹם דְּקָאֲמַר בְּקַדְמִיתָא) and one refers to the existent holy sign that shall never be nullified. (וְחַד עַל אָת קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּלָא בַּעְיָא לְאִתְבַּטָּלָא) And even though they are two sides, they are one. (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִינְהוּ תְּרֵי סִטְרֵי, חַד הוּא) He said: “This is none other than the House of Elohim.” (Bereshit 28) (אָמַר אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם בֵּית אֱלֹהִים) “Ein zeh”—to teach that it is not null. (אֵין זֶה, לְמֶהֱוֵי בָּטִיל) “Ein zeh”—that it is not found alone, (אֵין זֶה, לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי) its existence is not of itself, but it is the House of Elohim, (קְיָימָא דִילֵיהּ לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא בֵּית אֱלֹהִים) to be used and to produce fruit in it, and to pour blessing into it from all the flows of the body. (לְאִשְׁתַּמְּשָׁא בֵּיהּ וּלְמֶעְבַּד בֵּיהּ פֵּירִין, וְלַאֲרָקָא בֵּיהּ בִּרְכָאן מִכָּל שָׁיְיפֵי גוּפָא) For this is the gate of the entire body— (דְּהַאי הוּא תַּרְעָא דְּכָל גּוּפָא) this is what is written: “And this is the gate of the heavens.” (Bereshit 28) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם) this is surely the gate of the body— (דָּא תַּרְעָא דְגוּפָא וַדַּאי) a gate to draw blessing below, (תַּרְעָא אִיהוּ לַאֲרָקָא בִּרְכָאן לְתַתָּא) connected above and connected below. (אָחִיד לְעֵילָא וְאָחִיד לְתַתָּא) Connected above—as it is written: “And this is the gate of the heavens.” (אָחִיד לְעֵילָא, דִּכְתִיב וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם) Connected below—as it is written: “This is none other than the House of Elohim.” (אָחִיד לְתַתָּא, דִּכְתִיב אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם בֵּית אֱלֹהִים) And on this it is said: “And he was afraid and said: How awesome is this place!” (וְעַל דָּא: וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה) and human beings do not pay attention to the honor of this place to be complete in it, both above and below. (וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא לָא מַשְׁגְּחָן בִּיקָרָא דְּבֵיהּ לְמֶהֱוֵי בֵּיהּ שְׁלִים, לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא) His father came and kissed him. (אֲתָא אֲבוֹי וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ)

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: When I heard these words from his mouth, I wept, (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, כַּד מִלִּין אִינוּן שְׁמַעְנָא מִפּוּמֵיהּ בָּכֵינָא) and I said: Blessed is the Merciful One who has not removed supernal wisdom from the world. (וְאֲמֵינָא בָּרוּךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּלָא בָּטִיל מֵעַלְמָא חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה) I would go with them for three parasangs, until we arrived with them at the town. (אָזְלִינָא עִמְּהוֹן עַד תְּלַת פַּרְסֵי, עַד דְּעָאֳלָנָא עִמְּהוֹן לְמָתָא) They had not yet gone up, until that man handed over his son, (לָא סְפִיקוּ לְמֵעַל, עַד דְּשִׁדֵּךְ הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ לִבְרֵיהּ) and they said to him: Your words shall not be in vain. (וְאָמְרֵי לֵיהּ, מִלָּיךְ לָא יְהוֹן לְבַטָּלָה) I said: That which Rabbi Shim‘on said, that all these words are in the secret of Chokhmah, and to show other words. (אֲמִינָא, הָא דְּאָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, דְּמִלִּין אִלֵּין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּרָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא נִינְהוּ, וּלְאַחֲזָאָה מִלִּין אָחֳרָנִין) When I arranged words before Rabbi Shim‘on, (כַּד סַדַּרְנָא מִלִּין קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן) he said to me: Do not say that these are childish words, but rather they are words of supernal mysteries, (אָמַר לִי, לָא תֵימָא דְּמִלִּין אִלֵּין דִּינוּקָא נִינְהוּ, אֶלָּא מִלִּין דְּרָזִין עִלָּאִין נִינְהוּ) and all are inscribed in the secret of Chokhmah. (וְכֹלָּא בְּרָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא רְשִׁימִין) “And Ya'akov vowed a vow, saying: If Elohim will be with me…” (Bereshit 28) (וַיִּדַּר יַעֲקֹב נֶדֶר לֵאמֹר אִם יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי וְגו׳) Rabbi Yehudah said: Since Kudsha Berikh Hu promised him all this, why did he not believe? (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה: כֵּיוָן דְּכָל הַאי אַבְטַח לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אַמַּאי לָא הֶאֱמִין) That he said: “If Elohim will be with me…” (דְּאָמַר: אִם יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי וְגו׳) Rather, Ya'akov said: I have dreamed a dream, and some dreams are true and some are not, (אֶלָּא אָמַר יַעֲקֹב: חֶלְמָא חָלַמְנָא, וְחֶלְמִין מִנַּיְיהוּ קְשׁוֹט וּמִנַּיְיהוּ לָא קְשׁוֹט) and if it is fulfilled, then I shall know that the dream is true. (וְאִם יִתְקַיֵּים, הָא יְדַעְנָא דְּחֶלְמָא קְשׁוֹט הוּא) And for this he said: “If Elohim will be with me…” like I saw in the dream (וְעַל דָּא אָמַר: אִם יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים וְגו׳, כְּמָה דְּחָלַמְנָא) “and Hashem shall be to me for Elohim,” (וְהָיָה יְיָ לִי לֵאלֹהִים) that I shall be one who draws forth blessing from the wellspring of the river of all, to this place that is called Elohim. (אֲנָא אֱהֵא מָשִׁיךְ בִּרְכָאן מִמַּבּוּעָא דְּנַחֲלָא דְכֹלָּא, לְאֲתַר דָּא דְּאִקְרֵי אֱלֹהִים)

Come and see: Yisrael, who is in the middle, (תָּא חֲזֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִיהוּ בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא) receives everything first from the source of all, (כֹּלָּא נָטִיל הוּא בְּקַדְמִיתָא מִמְּקוֹרָא דְּכֹלָּא) and after it reaches him, from him it flows and draws to this place. (וּלְבָתַר דְּיִמְטֵי לֵיהּ, מִנֵּיהּ, נָגִיד וְאַמְשִׁיךְ לְהַאי אֲתַר) As is implied in what is written: “And Hashem shall be to me”—first—“and afterwards Elohim.” (מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב, וְהָיָה יְיָ לִי בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּלְבָתַר כֹּלָּא לֵאלֹהִים) Just as Elohim guards and does for me all these goods, (כְּמָה דְּאֱלֹהִים, יְהֵא נָטִיר וְעָבִיד לִי, כָּל אִלֵּין טָבָאן) so too shall I draw to Him from my place all these blessings, (אוּף אֲנָא אֱהֵא מָשִׁיךְ לֵיהּ מֵאֲתַר דִּילִי כָּל אִינוּן בִּרְכָאן) and the bond of all will be united in Him. (וְיִתְחַבַּר קִשְׁרָא דְּכֹלָּא בֵּיהּ) When? “And I shall return in peace to my father’s house,” (Bereshit 28) (אֵימָתַי, וְשַׁבְתִּי בְּשָׁלוֹם אֶל בֵּית אָבִי) when I shall dwell in my rung, (כַּד אֱהֵא יָתִיב בְּדַרְגָּא דִילִי) and I shall dwell in the level of Shalom to repair the house of my father. (וְאֱהֵא יָתִיב בְּדַרְגָּא דְּשָׁלוֹם לְתַקְּנָא בֵּית אָבִי) “And I shall return in peace” precisely— (וְשַׁבְתִּי בְשָׁלוֹם דַּיְיקָא) then: “And Hashem shall be to me for Elohim.” (כְּדֵין וְהָיָה יְיָ לִי לֵאלֹהִים) Another matter: “And I shall return in peace to my father’s house”—for there is the holy land, (דָּבָר אַחֵר: וְשַׁבְתִּי בְשָׁלוֹם אֶל בֵּית אָבִי, דְּתַמָּן הוּא אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא) there is completion. (תַּמָּן אִשְׁתְּלִים) “And Hashem shall be to me for Elohim”—in this place, (וְהָיָה יְיָ לִי לֵאלֹהִים. בְּאֲתַר דָּא) I shall ascend (or be withdrawn) from this rung to another proper rung, (אֲסַלֵּק [אֶסְתַּלֵּק] מִדַּרְגָּא דָא לְדַרְגָּא אָחֳרָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת) and there I shall serve His worship. (וְתַמָּן אֶפְלַח פּוּלְחָנֵיהּ)