Daf 197a (דַּף קצ״ז ע״א)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): “And they called before him: Avrekh” (וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְפָנָיו אַבְרֵךְ) - what is Avrekh? (מַהִי אַבְרֵךְ) - a bond by which the sun is joined with the moon (קְשִׁירוּ דְּאִתְקַּשַּׁר שִׁמְשָׁא בְּסִיהֲרָא), and all bow before this site (וְכֹלָּא כָּרְעִין לָקֳבֵל אֲתַר דָּא). And he was placed over all the world, and all turn toward him (וְנָתוֹן אוֹתוֹ עַל כָּל עַלְמָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ אוֹדָן לְגַבֵּיהּ). And for this reason, all is a supernal secret (וּבְגִין דָּא כֹּלָּא בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Kudsha Berikh Hu established the kingship on earth in the likeness of the kingship of heaven (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבַד מַלְכוּתָא דְאַרְעָא, כְּעֵין מַלְכוּתָא דִרְקִיעָא), and everything is as above (וְכֹלָּא דָּא כְּגַוְונָא דָא). And all that is done on earth stands before Kudsha Berikh Hu beforehand (וְכָל מַה דְּאִתְעֲבִיד בְּאַרְעָא קָיְימָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּקַדְמִיתָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): the holy kingship does not receive complete kingship until it is joined with the patriarchs (מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא קַבִּיל מַלְכוּתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא עַד דְּאִתְחַבַּר בַּאֲבָהָן), because Kudsha Berikh Hu made her a supernal Molcho to shine from the secret of the patriarchs (בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבַד לָהּ לְמַלְכוּ עִלָּאָה, לְאִתְנַהֲרָא מֵרָזָא דְּאֲבָהָן). And when Yosef the Tzaddik descended to Egypt first (וְכַד יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק נָחַת לְמִצְרַיִם בְּקַדְמִיתָא), he drew the Shekhinta to follow after him (אִיהוּ מָשִׁיךְ לָהּ לִשְׁכִינְתָּא לְבָתַר עִמֵּיהּ), for the Shekhinta only goes after the Tzaddik (דְּהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אָזְלָא אֶלָּא בַּתְרָא דְצַדִּיק). And therefore Yosef was drawn down to Egypt first (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִתְמְשַׁךְ יוֹסֵף לְמִצְרַיִם בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and he acquired all the wealth of the world as was fitting (וְנָטִיל כָּל עוּתְרָא דְּעָלְמָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת), and afterward the Shekhinta descended to Egypt (וּלְבָתַר נָחֲתַת שְׁכִינְתָּא לְמִצְרַיִם), and all the tribes with her (וְכֻלְּהוּ שִׁבְטִין בַּהֲדָהּ). And because of this, Yosef, who guarded the covenant (וּבְגִינֵי כָּךְ, יוֹסֵף דְּנָטַר לֵיהּ לַבְּרִית), merited to be crowned in his place (זָכָה לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ), and merited the supernal kingship and the lower kingship (וְזָכָה לְמַלְכוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָא וּלְמַלְכוּתָא דִּלְתַּתָּא). And therefore, whoever guards the holy covenant (וְעַל דָּא כָּל מַאן דְּנָטַר בְּרִית קַדִּישָׁא), it is as if he fulfilled the entire holy Orayta (כְּאִילּוּ קִיֵּים אוֹרַיְּיתָא קַדִּישָׁא כּוֹלָה), for the covenant is equal to the entire Orayta (דְּהָא בְּרִית שָׁקִיל כְּכָל אוֹרַיְּיתָא). “And Ya'akov saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Ya'akov said to his sons…” (מַה כְּתִיב: וַיַּרְא יַעֲקֹב כִּי יֵשׁ שֶׁבֶר בְּמִצְרָיִם, וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב לְבָנָיו וְגו׳) (Bereshit 42).

Rabbi Ḥiyya opened and said (רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “The burden of the word of Hashem concerning Yisrael: says Hashem, who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him” (מַשָּׂא דְּבַר י״י עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל נְאֻם י״י נוֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם וְיוֹסֵד אָרֶץ וְיוֹצֵר רוּחַ אָדָם בְּקִרְבּוֹ) - (Zechariah 12). This verse is to be examined (הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בֵּיהּ): In all these places where it says “burden,” “burden,” why? (בְּכָל הַנֵּי אֲתַר דְּקָאֲמַר: מַשָּׂא, מַשָּׂא אַמַּאי) Rather - in every place where it is concerning the judgment of the nations and it says “burden”, it is for good (אֶלָּא, בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּאִיהוּ עַל דִּינָא דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין וְאָמַר מַשָּׂא, לְטַב); in every place where it is concerning Yisrael and it says burden, it is for harshness (וּבְכָל אֲתַר דְּאִיהוּ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַר מַשָּׂא, לְבִישׁ). Every place where it is concerning the judgment of the nations - it is for good (בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּאִיהוּ עַל דִּינָא דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין - לְטַב), because burden is as if something is imposed or carried (בְּגִין דְּמַשָּׂא מָטוּלָא אִיהוּ); as if, so to speak, Kudsha Berikh Hu bears it upon Himself (כִּבְיָכוֹל מָטוּלָא אִיהוּ עֲלֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), the peace of the nations who worship stars and constellations (שָׁלוֹם דְּעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת). And when judgment is decreed upon them, that burden is lifted from Him (וְכַד אִתְגְּזַר דִּינָא עֲלַיְיהוּ, מַעֲבַר מִנֵּיהּ הַהוּא מָטוּלָא דְּאִיהוּ סָבִיל עֲלַיְיהוּ). But in every place where judgment is decreed upon Yisrael and it says burden - so to speak, the burden rests upon Kudsha Berikh Hu (בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּדִינָא אִתְגְּזַר עֲלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַר מַשָּׂא, כִּבְיָכוֹל מָטוּלָא אִיהוּ עֲלֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Therefore, “masa” in either case indicates a burden - either upon them or upon Him (וּבְגִין כָּךְ מַשָּׂא מֵהַאי גִּיסָא, וּמֵהַאי גִּיסָא, מָטוּלָא אִיהוּ). Since it says, “Who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth,” why does it need to add, “and forms the spirit of man within him”? (כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר נוֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם וְיוֹסֵד אָרֶץ, אַמַּאי אִצְטְרִיךְ: וְיוֹצֵר רוּחַ אָדָם בְּקִרְבּוֹ) Was it not already known that He forms the spirit of man? (וְכִי לָא הֲוֵינָא יָדְעֵי דְּאִיהוּ יוֹצֵר רוּחַ אָדָם) Rather, it is to reveal a known level (אֶלָּא: לְאַחֲזָאָה דַּרְגָּא יְדִיעָא), that all the spirits and souls of the world stand in that level (דְּכָל רוּחִין וְנִשְׁמָתִין דְּעָלְמָא, בְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא קָיְימִין).

Rabbi Shim‘on said (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר): This verse is difficult (הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא). If it said only “and forms the spirit of man,” that would have sufficed. But “within him” - what does that teach? (אִי אָמַר: וְיוֹצֵר רוּחַ אָדָם, וְלָא יַתִּיר יָאוֹת. אֲבָל: בְּקִרְבּוֹ מַהוּ) Rather, this is a secret from two sides (אֶלָּא: רָזָא אִיהוּ בִּתְּרֵין סִטְרִין): for from that river that flows and goes forth (דְּהָא מֵהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק), from there all souls go out and soar (מִתַּמָּן נָפְקֵי וּפָרְחֵי נִשְׁמָתִין כֻּלְּהוּ), and they are gathered in one place (וְאִתְכְּנִישׁוּ בַּאֲתַר חָד). And that level is “forms the spirit of man within him” (וְהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא אִיהוּ: יוֹצֵר רוּחַ אָדָם בְּקִרְבּוֹ). And this is like a woman who becomes pregnant from a male (וְהַאי: כְּאִתְּתָא דְּאִתְעַבְּרָא מִן דְּכוּרָא), and that fetus is formed within her womb (וְהַהוּא וְלָדָא צָרַת לָהּ בִּמְעָהָא), until the form is completed entirely within the womb (עַד דְּאִצְטַיֵּיר כֹּלָּא בְּצִיּוּרָא שְׁלִימוּ בִּמְעָהָא). So too: “forms the spirit of man within him” - it remains within him (כָּךְ: וְיוֹצֵר רוּחַ אָדָם בְּקִרְבּוֹ - בְּקִרְבּוֹ קָיְימָא), until the man is created in the world and it is given to him (עַד דְּאִתְּבְּרֵי בַּר נָשׁ בְּעָלְמָא וְיָהִיב לֵיהּ).

Another matter (דָּבָר אַחֵר): “and forms the spirit of man within him” - literally within man (בְּקִרְבּוֹ דְּאָדָם מַמָּשׁ), for when a person is created and Kudsha Berikh Hu gives him his soul (בְּגִין דְּכַד אִתְּבְּרֵי בַּר נָשׁ, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהַב לֵיהּ נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ), and he comes out into the world’s atmosphere (וְנָפִיק לַאֲוִירָא דְּעָלְמָא), that spirit within him (הַהוּא רוּחָא דִּבְגַוֵּיהּ) does not find the body suitable to dwell within (לָא אַשְׁכַּח גּוּפָא לְאִתְפַּשְּׁטָא בְּגַוֵּיהּ), and it stands on one side within him (וְקָיְימָא בְּסִטְרָא חַד בְּגַוֵּיהּ). And when a person’s body is formed (וְכַד בַּר נָשׁ אִתְפַּשַׁט גּוּפֵיהּ), that spirit spreads throughout him (הַהוּא רוּחָא אִתְפַּשַּׁט), and gives him strength (וְיָהִיב בֵּיהּ חֵילָא). And just as the body grows and strengthens (וְכֵן כְּגַוְונָא דְגוּפָא אִתְרַבֵּי), so too the spirit gives power within him (הָכִי רוּחָא יָהִיב חֵילָא בֵּיהּ), so the person may be fortified through it (לְאִתְתַּקְּפָא בַּר נָשׁ בַּהֲדֵיהּ). And for this reason: “He forms the spirit of man within him” - literally (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: יוֹצֵר רוּחַ אָדָם בְּקִרְבּוֹ מַמָּשׁ). And if you ask: what is the meaning of “forms the spirit of man”? (וְאִי תֵימָא: יוֹצֵר רוּחַ אָדָם מַהוּ), it is because that spirit needs a higher strength to assist it (בְּגִין דְהַהוּא רוּחָא, אִצְטְרִיךְ חֵילָא דִלְעֵילָא יַתִּיר לְאִסְתַּיְיעָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ). And for this, Kudsha Berikh Hu is the one who “forms the spirit of man within him” (וְעַל דָּא: קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִיהוּ יוֹצֵר רוּחַ אָדָם בְּקִרְבּוֹ), and He gives it assistance in the person (וְיָהִיב לֵיהּ סִיּוּעָא בְּבַר נָשׁ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): when that spirit needs assistance (כַּד הַהוּא רוּחָא אִצְטְרִיךְ סִיּוּעָא), in the same pattern as that person (כְּגַוְונָא דְאִיהוּ הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ), and as that body is being perfected (וּכְגַוְונָא דְּהַהוּא גוּפָא אִתְתַּקַּן), so too that spirit is perfected (הָכִי נָמֵי הַהוּא רוּחָא מְתַקְנִין לֵיהּ), and they add spirit to it to perfect it (וְאוֹסְפִין לֵיהּ רוּחָא לְאִתְתַּקְּנָא). And this is: “He forms the spirit of man within him” (וְדָא הוּא: יוֹצֵר רוּחַ אָדָם בְּקִרְבּוֹ).