Daf 155b (דַּף קנ״ה ע״ב)

Rabbi Abba came and kissed him (אֲתָא רִבִּי אַבָּא וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): this word is hidden (מִלָּה דָא סָתִים אִיהוּ), for the supernal world is rectified through twelve that are from it (דְּהָא עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה אִתְתַּקַּן בִּתְרֵיסַר דְּאִינוּן מִדִּילֵיהּ). But come and see (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי): the secret of the matter is (רָזָא דְמִלָּה), at every time a Tzaddik enters from the lower world and ascends (בְּכָל זִמְנָא צַדִּיק מֵעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה נָפִיק וְעָיִיל), in him he enters and from him he emerges (בֵּיהּ עָיִיל וּמִנֵּיהּ נָפִיק). Some say: the Tzaddik enters him, and exits through him (נ״א: צַדִּיק בֵיהּ עָיִיל, בֵיהּ נָפִיק). And in the lower world (וּבְעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה), he is continually forever (אִיהוּ תָּדִיר לְעוֹלָם), as it is written: “And it came to pass, as her soul was departing, for she died…” (כְּתִיב: וַיְהִי בְּצֵאת נַפְשָׁהּ כִּי מֵתָה) (Bereshit 35).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): in this lower world, the Tzaddik enters and exits through it p3-9(בְּהַאי עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, צַדִּיק בֵיהּ עָיִיל וּמִנֵּיהּ נָפִיק). When he enters, it is in the secret of Yosef the Tzaddik (כַּד עֲיִּיל, אִיהוּ בְּרָזָא דְּיוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק); when he exits, it is in the secret of Binyamin (כַּד נָפִיק בְּרָזָא דְּבִנְיָמִין). This is what is written: “And it came to pass, as her soul was departing, for she died…” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַיְהִי בְּצֵאת נַפְשָׁהּ כִּי מֵתָה) (Bereshit 35). Whose soul? The Tzaddik who exited from her (מַאן נַפְשָׁהּ דָּא צַדִּיק דְּנָפִיק מִנָּהּ). And this is Binyamin (וְדָא בִּנְיָמִין), who was called Ben Oni (נִקְרָא בֶּן אוֹנִי), for the thought of his birth was below (דְּחֲשִׁיבַת דְּאוֹלִידַת לְתַתָּא), in the world of separation (בְּעַלְמָא דְּפִירוּדָא), and one chief remained among those above (וְאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ חַד סָרֵי בְּאִינוּן לְעֵילָא). What is written? “And his father called him Binyamin” (מַה כְּתִיב: וְאָבִיו קָרָא לוֹ בִּנְיָמִין), son of the right (בֶּן יָמִין), for he ascended above to the supernal world (דְּהָא אִסְתַּלַּק לְעֵילָא בְּעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה). For when Yosef was lost (דְּכַד אִתְאֲבִיד יוֹסֵף), Binyamin completed his place (בִּנְיָמִין אַשְׁלִים אַתְרִיהּ). And for this reason, the Tzaddik in the lower world enters and exits (וְעַל דָּא: צַדִּיק בְּעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה עָיִיל וְנָפַק). Because of this, Yosef and Binyamin and all twelve (בְּגִין כָּךְ: יוֹסֵף וּבִנְיָמִין וְכֻלְּהוּ תְּרֵיסַר), are as the supernal pattern in one Union (כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָא בְּיִחוּדָא חַד). “This time I will praise Hashem” (הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת־יְיָ) (Bereshit 29).

Rabbi Shim'on opened and said (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “I will thank Hashem with all my heart, in the secret of the upright and the congregation” (אוֹדֶה יְיָ בְּכָל לֵבָב, בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים וְעֵדָה) (Psalms 111). “With all my heart”—it should say “with a whole heart” (בְּכָל לֵבָב—בְּכָל לֵב מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). Rather, David, in the supernal secret of the Holy Name (אֶלָּא: דָּוִד בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), sought to give thanks to Kudsha Berikh Hu (קָא בָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְאוֹדָאָה לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): “I will thank Hashem with all my heart”—with the good inclination and with the evil inclination (אוֹדֶה יְיָ בְּכָל לֵבָב: בְּיֵצֶר טוֹב וּבְיֵצֶר רָע), and these two aspects (וְאִלֵּין תְּרֵין סִטְרִין), one right and one left (חַד יָמִינָא וְחַד שְׂמָאלָא).

In the Secret of the upright and the assembly (בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים וְעֵדָה), these are the other sides of this world (אִלֵּין אִינוּן שְׁאָר סִטְרִין דְּהַאי עַלְמָא), for the heart is in the pattern of south and north (דְּהָא לֵבָב, כְּגַוְונָא דְדָרוֹם וְצָפוֹן). In the Secret of the upright (בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים), these are the other directions of the world (אִלֵּין אִינוּן שְׁאָר סִטְרֵי עַלְמָא), which are six, in the likeness of that which is above (דְּאִינוּן שִׁית כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא). “And assembly” (וְעֵדָה), this is the place of Yehudah (דָּא הוּא אֲתַר דִּיְהוּדָה), and it is written: “And My testimonies, which I shall teach them” (וּכְתִיב: וְעֵדוֹתִי זוֹ אֲלַמְּדֵם) (Psalms 132), and it is written: “And Yehudah still ruled with El…” (וּכְתִיב: וִיהוּדָה עוֹד רָד עִם אֵל וְגו׳) (Hosea 12). It is written: “I thank You with all my heart, before the Elohim I will sing praises to You” (כְּתִיב: אוֹדְךָ בְּכָל לִבִּי נֶגֶד אֱלֹהִים אֲזַמְּרֶךָּ) (Psalms 138), here he speaks in one place (הָכָא בְּאֲתַר חַד קָאֲמַר), as it is written: “Before the Elohim I will sing praises to You” (דִּכְתִיב: נֶגֶד אֱלֹהִים אֲזַמְּרֶךָּ). For he spoke the song in relation to that level (דְּהָא לְגַבֵּי הַאי דַּרְגָּא קָאֲמַר שִׁירָתָא), to bind it to the right side (לְחַבְּרָא לֵיהּ בִּימִינָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Yehudah holds in all directions (יְהוּדָה אָחִיד בְּכָל סִטְרִין), he holds in the south and he holds in the east (אָחִיד בְּדָרוֹם וְאָחִיד בְּמִזְרָח). For he comes from the left side p3-10(דְּהָא אִיהוּ מִסְּטַר שְׂמָאלָא קָא אַתְיָא), and his service is in the north and he holds to the south (וְשֵׁירוּתֵיהּ בַּצָּפוֹן וְאָחִיד בְּדָרוֹם), because he goes to the right and is joined in the body (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אָזִיל לִימִינָא וְאִתְאֲחִיד בְּגוּפָא). Because of this (בְּגִין כָּךְ): “This time I will thank Hashem” (הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת־יְיָ) (Bereshit 29). “And she ceased from bearing” (וַתַּעֲמֹד מִלֶּדֶת), and she stood (וַתַּעֲמֹד)—meaning she stood in an enduring standing, properly established (דְּקָיְימָא בְּקִיּוּמָא דְּקָיְימָא כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת), for the entire holy chariot was rectified (דְּהָא אִתְתַּקַּן כֹּלָּא רְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא).

Rabbi Shim‘on went out to the village (רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן נָפַק לְקִרְיָיתָא), and was met by Rabbi Abba, Rabbi Ḥiyya, and Rabbi Yosei (אִזְדַּמַּן לֵיהּ רַבִּי אַבָּא וְרַבִּי חִיָּיא וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי). When he saw them (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לוֹן), he said: renewal of Orayta is needed here (אָמַר: חַדְּתוּתֵי דְאוֹרַיְּיתָא אִצְטְרִיךְ הָכָא). The three of them sat (יָתְבוּ תְּלָתָא אִלֵּין), Some say: they were days (נ״א: יוֹמִין). As he was about to go (כַּד בָּעָא לְמֵיזַל), each one opened with a verse (פָּתַח כָּל חַד וְחַד קְרָא).

Rabbi Abba opened and said (רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “And Hashem said to Avram after Lot separated from him… Lift up your eyes and see…” (וַייָ אָמַר אֶל אַבְרָם אַחֲרֵי הִפָּרֶד לוֹט מֵעִמּוֹ, שָׂא נָא עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה) (Bereshit 13). Was it only according to the vision of Avraham that he inherited the land, and not more? (וְכִי לְפוּם חֵיזוּ דְּאַבְרָהָם יָרִית אַרְעָא וְלָא יַתִּיר) How much can a person see—three parsa’ot, or four, or five? (עַד כַּמָּה חָמֵי בַּר נָשׁ: תְּלַת פַּרְסֵי אוֹ אַרְבַּע אוֹ חָמֵשׁ פַּרְסֵי), yet it says: “For all the land that you see…” (וְאִיהוּ אָמַר: כִּי אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה רוֹאֶה) (Bereshit 13).