Daf 182a (דַּף קפ״ב ע״א)

“At evening time”-what is “at evening time”? (לְעֵת עֶרֶב, מַאי לְעֵת עֶרֶב). This is the eve of Shabbat, which is the time of the sixth millennium. (דָּא עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת דְּאִיהוּ זִמְנָא דְּאֶלֶף שְׁתִיתָאָה). “At evening time,” as you say: (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), (Psalms 104): “And for his labor until evening,” (וְלַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ עֲדֵי עָרֶב), and it is written: (Jeremiah 6): “For the shadows of evening are stretched out.” (וּכְתִיב, כִּי יִנָּטוּ צִלְּלֵי עָרֶב). “At the time of the going out of the drawers”-that at that time, they are destined to arise and live first before all others of the world- (לְעֵת צֵאת הַשּׁוֹאֲבוֹת, דְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא זְמִינִין לְמֵיקַם וּלְאַחָיָיא בְּקַדְמִיתָא מִכָּל שְׁאָר בְּנֵי עַלְמָא) those who drew the waters of Orayta (אִינוּן דְּשָׁאֲבֵי מֵימוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא [וְשָׁאֲבִין]), because they engaged in drawing from the waters of Orayta, (בְּגִין דְּאִתְעַסְּקוּ לְשָׁאֲבָא מִמֵּימֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and were strengthened in the Tree of Life, (וְאִתְתַּקְּפוּ בְּאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי), and they shall emerge first, for the Tree of Life caused them to rise first, as it is said. (וְאִינוּן יִפְקוּן בְּקַדְמִיתָא, דְּאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי גָּרְמָא לוֹן דִּיקוּמוּן בְּקַדְמִיתָא כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). “And the daughters of the men of the city came out”-what is “came out”? (וּבְנוֹת אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר יוֹצְאוֹת. מַהִי יוֹצְאוֹת). As you say: (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), (Isaiah 26): “And the land of the Refa’im shall cast out,” (וְאֶרֶץ רְפָאִים תַּפִּיל), for the land is destined to eject from within her all spirits that are within her- (דְּזַמִּינָא אַרְעָא לְמִפְלַט מִנָּהּ כָּל רוּחִין דְּאִינוּן בְּגַוָּוהּ), and concerning this it is written: “came out.” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב יוֹצְאוֹת). “To draw water”-to lift up the Neshamah and to receive it properly, rectified from its place fittingly. (לִשְׁאוֹב מַיִם, לְנַטְלָא נִשְׁמָתָא וּלְקַבְּלָא לָהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת מְתַקְנָא מֵאַתְרָהּ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי).

And it shall be the maiden (וְהָיָה הַנַּעֲרָה) to whom I shall say (אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיהָ), please tilt your jug (הַטִּי נָא כַדֵּךְ) and let me drink (וְאֶשְׁתֶּה), because it is said (בְּגִין דְּהָא אִתְּמָר), that all those Neshamot of the world (דְּכָל אִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּעָלְמָא) who were sustained in this world (דְּאִתְקַיְּימוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא) and strove to know their Master (וְאִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ לְמִנְדַּע לְמָארֵיהוֹן) in the secret of supernal Chokhmah (בְּרָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה), she ascends (אִיהִי סָלְקַת) and is established in a supernal level (וְאִתְקַיְּימַת בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה) above all those who did not cleave and did not know (עַל כָּל אִינוּן דְּלָא אִתְדַּבְּקוּ וְלָא יָדְעוּ), and they are established first (וְאִינוּן אִתְקַיְּימוּן בְּקַדְמִיתָא).

And this is the inquiry (וְדָא הוּא שְׁאֵלְתָּא) that this servant stood to know and to ask (דְּקָאִים הַהוּא עֶבֶד לְמִנְדַּע וּלְמִשְׁאַל), with what that Neshamah was engaged in this world (בְּמָּה אִתְעַסְּקַת הַהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And she shall say to me (וְאָמְרָה אֵלַי), you too, drink (גַּם אַתָּה שְׁתֵה), you are to drink and be quenched first (אַנְתְּ בָּעֵי לְמִשְׁתֵּי וּלְאִתְשַׁקְיָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and afterward (וּבַתְרָךְ), and also for your camels I will draw (וְגַם לִגְמַלֶּיךָ אַשְׁקֶה), because all those other multitudes (בְּגִין דְּכָל אִינוּן שְׁאָר רְתִיכִין), even though they are given to drink from this level (אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְשַׁקְיָין מֵהַאי דַרְגָּא), all are given to drink (כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְשַׁקְיָין) through the service of the Righteous (מִפּוּלְחָנָא דְצַדִּיקִיָּיא), who know the service of their Master properly (דְּיָדְעֵי פּוּלְחָנָא דְמָארֵיהוֹן כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). The Righteous know how to provide (דְצַדִּיקִיָּיא יָדְעֵי לְסַפְּקָא) for each and every level (לְכָל דַּרְגָּא וְדַרְגָּא) properly (כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). And for that reason (וְעַל דָּא), and also for your camels I will draw (וְגַם לִגְמַלֶּיךָ אַשְׁקֶה). Surely she is the woman (וַדַּאי הִיא הָאִשָּׁה) whom Hashem designated for the son of my master (אֲשֶׁר הֹכִיחַ יְיָ לְבֶן אֲדֹנִי). Surely she is-some say: through the awakening of my prayer- (וַדַּאי הַהִיא נ״א: בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא דְצְלוֹתָא דִילִי), she is the very body (אִיהוּ גוּפָא) that was prepared for that supernal Neshamah (דְּאִזְדַּמַּן לְהַהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא עִלָּאָה).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), for it is said (דְּהָא אִתְּמָר): the desire of the male toward the female (דְּתִיאוּבְתָּא דִדְכוּרָא לְגַבֵּי נוּקְבָא) makes the Neshamah (עָבִיד נִשְׁמָתָא), and the desire of the female toward the male (וְתִיאוּבְתָּא דְנוּקְבָא לְגַבֵּי דְכוּרָא) ascends and becomes mingled with that which is above (סָלְקָא וְאִתְעָרַב בַּהֲדָהּ דִּלְעֵילָא), and this one is included in that one (וְאִתְכְּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא), and makes the Neshamah (וְעָבִיד נִשְׁמָתָא). And because of this (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), she is the woman (הִיא הָאִשָּׁה). This is the very body (דָּא הוּא גוּפָא) that is surely designated (וַדַּאי דְּאִיהוּ זְמִינָא) for that Desire of the Neshamah (לְהַהוּא רֵעוּתָא דְנִשְׁמָתָא) that went forth from the male (דְּנָפְקָא מִן דְּכוּרָא). And those bodies (וְאִינוּן גּוּפִין) are destined to awaken first (זְמִינִין לְאַתְעָרָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא) as we said above (כִּדְאֲמָרָן). And after these arise (וּלְבָתַר דְּאִלֵּין יְקוּמוּן), all the others in the rest of the lands shall arise (יְקוּמוּן כָּל אָחֳרָנִין דְּבִשְׁאָר אַרְעָאן), and they shall be sustained in complete endurance (וְיִתְקַיְּימוּן בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים), and they shall be renewed in the renewal of the Moon (וְיִתְחַדְתוּן בְּחַדְתוּתָא דְּסִיהֲרָא), and the world shall be renewed as at the beginning (וְיִתְחַדֵּשׁ עַלְמָא כְּמִלְקַדְּמִין). And then it is written at that time (וּכְדֵין כְּתִיב בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא), (Psalms 104): “Hashem shall rejoice in His works” (יִשְׂמַח יְיָ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו). And because of this (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), (Isaiah 52): “Behold, My servant shall prosper” (הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי), to return each and every Neshamah to its place (לְאַהֲדָרָא נִשְׁמָתִין כָּל חַד וְחַד לְאַתְרֵיהּ). “He shall be high and exalted and uplifted exceedingly” (יָרוּם וְנִשָּׂא וְגָבַהּ מְאֹד), from the side of all those supernal degrees as we stated above (מִסִּטְרָא דְּכָל אִינוּן דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן). (Isaiah 52): “As many were astonished at you” (כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמְמוּ עָלֶיךָ רַבִּים), “so marred was his appearance more than a man, and his form more than the sons of man” (כֵּן מִשְׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ וְתֹאַרוֹ מִבְּנֵי אָדָם).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), for it is said (דְּהָא אִתְּמַר): that when the Temple was destroyed (דְּכַד אִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא), the Shekhintā was revealed (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְגַּלְּיָא) among the foreign lands within them (בְּגוֹ אַרְעָן נוּכְרָאִין בֵּינַיְיהוּ). What is written? (מַה כְּתִיב), (Isaiah 33): “Behold, their mighty ones cried outside” (הֵן אֶרְאֱלָם צָעֲקוּ חֻצָה), “messengers of peace shall weep bitterly” (מַלְאֲכֵי שָׁלוֹם מַר יִבְכָּיוּן). All of them wept for this (כֻּלְּהוּ בָּכוּ עַל דָּא), and they bound weeping and mourning together (וּקְשִׁירוּ בְּכִיָּה וְאֶבְלָא). And all of this was for the sake of the Shekhintā that was revealed from her place (וְכָל דָּא עֲלָה דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָיא מֵאַתְרָהּ), and how she had changed from what she was (וְכַמָּה דְאִיהִי מִשְׁתַּנֵּית מִכְּמָה דְהֲוַת). Likewise, her husband did not shine his radiance (אוּף הָכִי בַּעֲלָהּ לָא נָהִיר נְהוֹרֵיהּ), and he changed from what he was (וְאִשְׁתַּנֵּי מִכְּמָה דְהֲוָה), for it is written (דִּכְתִיב), (Isaiah 13): “The sun shall be darkened in its going forth” (חָשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בְּצֵאתוֹ). And concerning this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “So marred was his appearance more than a man” (כֵּן מִשְׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ).

Another matter: “So marred was his appearance more than a man”- (דָּבָר אַחֵר: כֵּן מִשְׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ) from this servant whose visage and color changed from what it was (מֵהַאי עֶבֶד דְּאִשְׁתַּנִּי דִיוּקְנֵיהּ וּגְוָונֵיהּ מִכְּמָה דְהֲוָה). Another matter: “So marred was his appearance more than a man,” as you say- (דָּבָר אַחֵר: כֵּן מִשְׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), (Isaiah 50): “I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering” (אַלְבִּישׁ שָׁמַיִם קַדְרוּת וְשַׂק אָשִׂים כְּסוּתָם). For from the day that the Temple was destroyed (דְּהָא מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא), the heavens did not maintain their radiance (לָא קָיְימוּ שָׁמַיִם בִּנְהוֹרָא דִלְהוֹן). And the secret of the matter is (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה): blessings only rest where there is found male and female (בִּרְכָאן לָא שָׁרְיָין אֶלָּא בְּאֲתַר דְּאִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא), and this has been established (וְאוּקְמוּהָ), as you say (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), (Bereshit 2): “Male and female He created them, and He blessed them” (זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בְּרָאָם וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם). And for this reason: “So marred was his appearance more than a man.” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: מִשְׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ).