Daf 163b (דַּף קס״ג ע״ב)

And when Ya'akov sought to rectify this level (וְיַעֲקֹב כַּד בָּעָא לְאַתְקָנָא לְהַאי דַּרְגָּא), he ascended to all those judgments and powers from her (סָלִיק לְכָל אִינוּן דִּינִין וּגְבוּרָן מִינָהּ), and he established them in the troughs (וְאוֹקִים לוֹן בָּרְהָטִים), in those four channels (בְּאִינוּן רְהָטִים אַרְבַּע), which stand beneath this: “The well that the princes dug” (Bamidbar 21) (בְּאֵר חֲפָרוּהָ שָׂרִים)—which is filled from those supernal rivers and fountains (דְּאִתְמַלְיָיא מֵאִינוּן נַחֲלִין וּמַבּוּעִין עִלָּאִין). For when waters emerge from this holy well (בְּגִין דְּכַד נָפְקִין מַיִם מֵהַאי בְּאֵר קַדִּישָׁא), these four receive everything (אִלֵּין אַרְבַּע נָטְלֵי כֹּלָּא), and because of this they are called raḥatim (וְעַל דָּא אִקְרוּן רְהָטִים), and from there everything comes forth to be drunk (וּמִתַּמָּן אַתְיָין כֹּלָּא לְמִשְׁתֵּי). And those judgments and powers—all of them stand there (וְאִינוּן דִּינִין וּגְבוּרָן כֻּלְּהוּ קָיְימֵי תַּמָּן), to take for each one according to what is fitting for it (לְנַטְּלָא לְכָל חַד וְחַד כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ). “Where the flock would come to drink, opposite the flock” (Bereshit 30) (אֲשֶׁר תָּבֹאנָה הַצֹּאן לִשְׁתּוֹת לְנֹכַח הַצֹּאן)—these correspond to those (אִלֵּין לָקֳבֵיל אִלֵּין). “And they became heated”—what is “they became heated”? (וַיֵּחַמְנָה: מַאי וַיֵּחַמְנָה) For when they are crowned with judgment, they warm through that judgment (דְּכַד מִתְעַטְּרָן בְּדִינָא, מִתְחַמְּמִין בְּהַהוּא דִינָא), and they go forth and roam in the world (וְאָזְלִין וְשָׁאטִין בְּעָלְמָא), and inspect the paths of human beings (וּמְעַיְינֵי בְּאָרְחֵיהוֹן דִּבְנֵי נָשׁ), whether for good or for ill (הֵן לְטַב, הֵן לְבִישׁ).

Come and see: what is written afterwards? “And the flock became heated at the rods” (Bereshit 30) (וַיֶּחֱמוּ הַצֹּאן אֶל הַמַּקְלוֹת)—because those rods were heated (בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן מַקְלוֹת הֲווּ מִתְחַמְּמָן), and looked into the judgments of the world (וּמַשְׁגִּיחִין בְּדִינֵי עָלְמָא), and appointments were made upon it (וְאִתְפַּקְּדָן עֲלֵיהּ), and humans were judged through them (וְאִתְדָּנוּ בְּנֵי נָשׁ עֲלַיְיהוּ), as it is said (Daniel 4): “By decree of the watchers is the sentence, and by the word of the holy ones is the verdict…” (בִּגְזֵרַת עִירִין פִּתְגָּמָא וּמֵאמַר קַדִּישִׁין שְׁאֵלְתָא וְגוֹ׳).

Rabbi Ḥiyya opened and said (רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “My soul cleaves after You; Your right hand supports me” (Tehillim 63) (דָּבְקָה נַפְשִׁי אַחֲרֶיךָ, בִּי תָּמְכָה יְמִינֶךָ). This verse is worthy of contemplation (הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בֵּיהּ): “My soul cleaves after You”—because King David constantly cleaved his soul after Kudsha Berikh Hu (דָּבְקָה נַפְשִׁי אַחֲרֶיךָ: בְּגִין דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא, הֲוָה מִתְדְּבַּק נַפְשֵׁיהּ תָּדִיר אַבַתְרֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and he did not pay attention to other matters of the world, but only to bind his soul and his desire to Him (וְלָא חָיִישׁ לְמִלִּין אָחֳרָנִין דְּעָלְמָא, אֶלָּא לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא נַפְשֵׁיהּ וּרְעוּתֵיהּ בֵּיהּ). And since he cleaved to Kudsha Berikh Hu, Kudsha Berikh Hu upheld him and did not abandon him (וְכֵיוָן דְּאִיהוּ הֲוָה מִתְדְּבַּק בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה תָּמִיךְ בֵּיהּ וְלָא שַׁבְקֵיהּ). From here we learn: when a person comes to cleave to Kudsha Berikh Hu, Kudsha Berikh Hu holds him and does not let go (מִכָּאן: לְבַר נָשׁ כַּד אֲתָא לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָחִיד בֵּיהּ וְלָא שָׁבִיק לֵיהּ).

Another matter: “My soul cleaves after You” (דָבָר אַחֵר: דָּבְקָה נַפְשִׁי אַחֲרֶיךָ), to be crowned with that rung above (לְאִתְעַטְּרָא דַּרְגֵּיהּ לְעֵילָא), for when that rung is joined (דְּהָא כַּד אִתְדָּבַּק הַהוּא דַרְגָּא), some say: his own is blessed and when revealed (ס״א: דִּילֵיהּ אִתְבָּרְכָא וְכַד אִתְגַּלְיָיא), with supernal levels to ascend after them (בְּדַרְגִּין עִלָּאִין לְסַלְקָא בַּתְרַיְיהוּ), then the right hand holds him to elevate him (כְּדֵין יְמִינָא אָחִיד בֵּיהּ לְסַלְקָא לֵיהּ), and to join him (וּלְחַבְּרָא לֵיהּ), in one union as is fitting (בְּחִבּוּרָא חַד כְּדְקָא יְאוּת), as you say: “And Your right hand shall hold me” (Psalms 139) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וְתֹאחֲזֵנִי יְמִינֶךָ), and it is written: “And His right hand embraces me” (Song of Songs 2) (וּכְתִיב וִימִינוֹ תְחַבְּקֵנִי), and because of this: “Your right hand upholds me” (Psalms 63) (וְעַל דָּא: בִּי תָּמְכָה יְמִינֶךָ).

And when he is held by Kudsha Berikh Hu, it is written (Shir haShirim 2): “His left hand is under my head, and His right hand embraces me” (וְכַד אָחִיד בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּתִיב: שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי, וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי). And this is one Union and one union (וְאִיהוּ יִחוּדָא חַד וְחִבּוּרָא חַד), and when it is one union, then that level of his is filled and blessed (וְכַד אִיהוּ חִבּוּרָא חַד, כְּדֵין אִתְמַלְּיָא הַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דִילֵיהּ וְאִתְבָּרְכָא). And when all those channels are filled (וְכַד אִתְמַלְיָין כָּל אִינוּן רְהָטִין), they are filled to the four directions of the world (אִתְמַלְיָין לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא), and all the flocks are watered, each one to its direction (וְכֻלְּהוּ עֲדָרַיָּיא אִשְׁתַּקְּיָין, כָּל חַד וְחַד לְסִטְרֵיהּ).

And when Ya'akov came to rectify this level (וְכַד אֲתָא יַעֲקֹב לְאַתְקָנָא הַאי דַּרְגָּא), he selected for himself the right side, which was fitting for him (בָּרִיר לֵיהּ סִטְרָא דִּימִינָא, דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ), and the Sitra Achra, which was not fitting for him, separated from him (וְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא דְּלָא אִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ, אִתְפָּרְשַׁת מִינֵּיהּ), as it is written (Bereshit 30): “And he placed the flocks by themselves, and did not place them with Lavan’s flock” (וַיָּשֶׁת לוֹ עֲדָרִים לְבַדּוֹ, וְלֹא שָׁתָם עַל צֹאן לָבָן). By himself—he was alone (לְבַדּוֹ: הֲוָה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), that he not make use of alien desires from other sides (דְּלָא יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּטַעֲוָון אָחֳרָנִין דִּבְסִטְרִין אָחֳרָנִין).

Fortunate is the portion of Yisrael (זַכָּאָה חוּלַקְהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), concerning whom it is written (Devarim 14): “For you are a holy people to Hashem your God, and Hashem has chosen you…” (כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַיְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ, וּבְךָ בָּחַר יְיָ וְגוֹ׳). And come and see, Ya'akov is the praise of the Patriarchs (וְתָא חֲזֵי, יַעֲקֹב אִיהוּ תּוּשְׁבְּחָא דְּאֲבָהָן), and he is the totality of all of them (וְאִיהוּ כְּלָלָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ), and because he is the totality of all (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ כְּלָלָא דְּכֹלָּא), therefore he stands to illuminate the moon (בְּגִין כָּךְ אִיהוּ קָאִים לְאַנְהָרָא לְסִיהֲרָא), for Ya'akov stands to rectify the evening prayer (דְּיַעֲקֹב אִיהוּ קָאִים לְאַתְקָנָא לִתְפִלַּת עַרְבִית). And all that rectification is as is fitting for him (וְכָל הַהוּא תִּקּוּנָא, אִיהוּ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ), then all those supernal holy sides are properly rectified on his side (כְּדֵין כָּל אִינוּן סִטְרִין קַדִּישִׁין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּתִקּוּנָא אַתְקִין בְּסִטְרוֹי), and he separated his portion (וְאַפְרִישׁ חוּלָקֵיהּ) from the portion of the other nations (מֵחוּלָקָא דִּשְׁאָר עַמִין).

These are supernal holy sides in supernal holiness (אִלֵּין סִטְרִין עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין בִּקְדוּשָּׁה עִלָּאָה), and these others are defiled sides, in defilement of defilement (וְאִלֵּין סִטְרִין מְסָאֲבִין, בִּמְסָאֲבָן דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא). And behold, we have already established (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא), as it is written: “And he placed the flocks by themselves” (Bereshit 30) (דִּכְתִיב: וַיָּשֶׁת לוֹ עֲדָרִים לְבַדּוֹ). “He placed for him” — that he prepared rectifications for faith (וַיָּשֶׁת לוֹ דְּאַתְקִין תִּקּוּנִין לִמְהֵימְנוּתָא). “By himself” — as you say (לְבַדּוֹ כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “And Hashem has chosen you to be for Him a treasured people from all the nations” (Deuteronomy 14) (וּבְךָ בָחַר יְיָ לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל הָעַמִּים).

And he did not place them with the flock of Lavan (וְלֹא שָׁתָם עַל צֹאן לָבָן), for he did not equate his portion or his attachment with them (דְּלָא שַׁוֵּי חוּלָקֵיהּ וְעַדְבֵיהּ עִמְּהוֹן). And for this reason, Ya'akov — the completion of the Patriarchs — established the mystery of faith (וְעַל דָּא יַעֲקֹב שְׁלִימוּ דְּאֲבָהָן, אַתְקִין רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא), and separated his portion and his binding (וְאַפְרִישׁ חוּלָקֵיהּ וְעַדְבֵיהּ), from the portion and attachment of the other nations (מֵחוּלָקָא וְעַדְבָא דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין). And for this it is written (Deuteronomy 4): “But you who cleave to Hashem your God are all alive today” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם).

Rabbi Abba said (רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר): fortunate is the portion of Yisrael (זַכָּאָה חוּלַקְהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), for they are exalted above the nations who serve star and constellation worship (דְּאִינוּן עִלָּאִין עַל עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת), because their level is above (בְּגִין דְּדַרְגָא דִילְהוֹן לְעֵילָא), and the levels of the nations who serve stars and constellations are below (וְדַרְגִּין דְּעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת לְתַתָּא) these are on the side of holiness, and those are on the side of impurity (אִלֵּין בְּסִטְרָא דִקְדוּשָׁה, וְאִלֵּין בְּסִטְרָא דִמְסָאֲבָא), these to the right, and those to the left (אִלֵּין לִימִינָא, וְאִלֵּין לִשְׂמָאלָא).