Daf 207a (דַּף ר״ז ע״א)

As that man said, “And this word that you are saying, so it is.” (אַדְהָכִי אָמַר הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, וְכִי הַאי מִלָּה דְּקָאַמְרִיתּוּ, הָכִי הוּא). This is the secret of the word here: for King David lives and endures forever and for all eternity. (רָזָא דְּמִלָּה הָכָא, דְּהָא דָּוִד מַלְכָּא חַי וְקַיָּים לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמִין). And King David was guarded all his days so that he would not taste the taste of death, (וְדָוִד מַלְכָּא הֲוָה נָטִיר כָּל יוֹמוֹי דְּלָא יִטְעַם טַעַם מִיתָה). for sleep is one out of sixty in death. (בְּגִין דְּשֵׁינְתָא חַד מִשִּׁתִּין בְּמִיתָה אִיהוּ). And David, because of his place-that he is alive-was only fitting to have sixty breaths. (וְדָוִד בְּגִין דּוּכְתֵּיהּ דְּאִיהוּ חַי, לָא הֲוָה נָאִים אֶלָּא שִׁתִּין נִשְׁמֵי). For until sixty breaths, lacking one, he is alive. (דְּעַד שִׁתִּין נִשְׁמֵי חָסֵר חַד, אִיהוּ חַי). From there and onward, a man tastes the taste of death, and the dominion of the impure spirit rules over him. (מִתַּמָּן וּלְהָלְאָה, טָעִים בַּר נָשׁ טַעְמָא דְּמוֹתָא, וְשַׁלִּיט בֵּיהּ סִטְרָא דְּרוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא). And this was what King David guarded: that he would not taste the taste of death, and that the dominion of the foreign spirit would rule over him (Some say: that it would not rule) because sixty breaths, lacking one, is the secret of supernal life. (וְדָא הֲוָה נָטִיר דָּוִד מַלְכָּא, דְּלָא יִטְעַם טַעְמָא דְּמוֹתָא, וְשַׁלִּיט [נ״א: דְּלָא יִשְׁלֹט] בֵּיהּ סִטְרָא דְּרוּחָא אָחֳרָא, בְּגִין דְּשִׁתִּין נִשְׁמֵי חָסֵר חַד, אִיהוּ רָזָא דְּחַיִּים דִּלְעֵילָא). Until sixty breaths-these are the sixty (Some say: lacking one breath) supernal breaths, and these are their secret, upon which life depends. (עַד שִׁתִּין נִשְׁמֵי, דְּאִינוּן שִׁתִּין [ד״א: חָסֵר חַד נִשְׁמֵי] נִשְׁמֵי עִלָּאִין, וְאִילֵין רָזָא דִּלְהוֹן, דְּתַלְיָין בְּהוֹן חַיֵּי). And from here downward, it is the secret of death. (וּמִכָּאן וּלְתַתָּא, רָזָא דְּמוֹתָא הוּא). And for this, King David would measure the portion of the night, so that he would be sustained in life, that the taste of death would not rule over him. (וְעַל דָּא, דָּוִד מַלְכָּא הֲוָה מְשַׁעֵר שִׁעוּרָא דְּלֵילְיָא, בְּגִין דְּיִתְקַיֵּים בַּחַיֵּים, דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט בֵּיהּ טַעְמָא דְּמוֹתָא). And when the night would divide, David would be sustained in his place. (וְכַד אִתְפְּלִיג לֵילְיָא, הֲוָה דָּוִד מִתְקַיֵּים בְּאַתְרֵיהּ). For when the half of the night would awaken, and the holy crown would awaken, it was necessary that David not be found attached to another place, a place of death. (בְּגִין דְּכַד אִתְעַר פַלְגוּ לֵילְיָא וְכִתְרָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְעַר, בָּעָא דְּלָא לְאַשְׁכָּחָא לֵיהּ לְדָוִד מִתְקַשַּׁר בְּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא, בְּאֲתַר דְּמוֹתָא). Because when the night divides and the supernal holiness awakens, and the man who lies in his bed and does not awaken to look upon the glory of his Master- (בְּגִין דְּכַד אִתְפְּלִיג לֵילְיָא וּקְדוּשָּׁה עִלָּאָה אִתְעַר, וּבַר נָשׁ דְּנָאִים בְּעַרְסֵיהּ וְלָא אִתְעַר לְאַשְׁגָּחָא בִּיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהּ) behold, he is bound in the secret of death and cleaves to another place, (הָא אִיהוּ אִתְקַשַּׁר בְּרָזָא דְּמוֹתָא וּמִתְדַּבַּק בְּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא) and for this reason King David would stand constantly to gaze upon the glory of his Master. (וְעַל דָּא דָּוִד מַלְכָּא הֲוָה קָאֵים לְאַשְׁגָּחָא בִּיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהּ תָּדִיר). Living in regard to Living, and it was not fitting in sleep to taste the taste of death. (חַי לְגַבֵּי חַי, וְלָא נָאִים בְּשֵׁינְתָא לְטָעֲמָא טַעְמָא דְּמוֹתָא). And because of this, he would slumber like a horse-sixty breaths, but not in completeness. (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, הֲוָה מִתְנַמְנֵם כְּסוּס שִׁתִּין נִשְׁמֵי, וְלָא בִּשְׁלִימוּ).

Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Yosi came and kissed him, and said to him, “What is your name?” (אָתוּ רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי וּנְשָׁקוּהָ, אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ, מַה שְּׁמָךְ). He said to them, “Chizkiyah.” (אָמַר לְהוֹן, חִזְקִיָּה). They said to him, “May your strength be straightened and may your Orayta be fortified.” (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ, יִתְיַישֵּׁר חֵילָךְ וְיִתְתַּקַּף אוֹרַיְּיתָךְ). They sat. (יְתִיבוּ). Rabbi Yehudah said, “Since you have begun, tell us some of these supernal secrets that you have spoken.” (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, הוֹאִיל וְשָׁרִית, אֵימָא לָן מֵהַנֵּי רָזִין עִלָּאִין דְּקָאֲמַרְתְּ). He opened and said: “Hashem, with Chokhmah, founded the earth; He established the heavens with Tevunah.” (Proverbs 3) (פָּתַח וְאָמַר ה׳ בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אֶרֶץ, כּוֹנֵן שָׁמַיִם בִּתְבוּנָה).

Come and see: When Kudsha Berikh Hu created the world, He saw that it could not be sustained until He created the Orayta. (תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַלְמָא, חָמָא דְּלָא יָכִיל לְאִתְקַיְּימָא, עַד דְּבָרָא אוֹרַיְּיתָא). Because from it go forth all supernal and lower statutes, and in it are established the upper and lower worlds. (בְּגִין דְּמִנָּהּ נָפְקִין כָּל נִמּוּסִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, וּבָהּ קָיְימֵי עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי). This is what is written: “Hashem, with Chokhmah, founded the earth; He established the heavens with Tevunah.” (Proverbs 3) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, ה׳ בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אֶרֶץ, כּוֹנֵן שָׁמַיִם בִּתְבוּנָה). For through Chokhmah are established all the structures of the world, and all of them emerge from within it. (דְּהָא בְּחָכְמָה קָיְימִין כָּל קִיּוּמִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ נָפְקֵי מִגַּוָּהּ).

Another matter: “Hashem, with Chokhmah, founded the earth”-the supernal world was not created except from within Chokhmah. (דָּבָר אַחֵר ה׳ בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אֶרֶץ, עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה לָא אִתְבְּרֵי אֶלָּא מִגּוֹ חָכְמָה). And the lower world was not created except from within lower Chokhmah. (וְעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה לָא אִתְבְּרֵי אֶלָּא מִגּוֹ חָכְמָה תַּתָּאָה). And all of them emerge from within supernal Chokhmah and from within lower Chokhmah. (וְכֻלְּהוּ נָפְקָן מִגּוֹ חָכְמָה עִלָּאָה וּמִגּוֹ חָכְמָה תַּתָּאָה). “He established the heavens with Tevunah.” (Proverbs 3) (כּוֹנֵן שָׁמַיִם בִּתְבוּנָה). He establishes”—what is “establishes (כּוֹנֵן, מַאי כּוֹנֵן) Rather, He establishes them every single day and does not cease; and they were not established in a single time, rather, every day He prepares them. (אֶלָּא, כּוֹנֵן כָּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא וְלָא פָּסִיק, וְלָא אִתְתַּקַּן בְּזִמְנָא חָדָא, אֶלָּא בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא אַתְקִין לֵיהּ).

And this is the secret of what is written: “And the heavens are not pure in His eyes.” (Job 15) (וְהַיְינוּ רָזָא דִּכְתִיב וְשָׁמַיִם לֹא זַכּוּ בְּעֵינָיו). And could it arise in your mind that the heavens are deficient? Rather, it means they are precious before Him, (וְכִי סַלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ, דִּגְרִיעוּתָא אִיהוּ מִשָּׁמַיִם, אֶלָּא חֲשִׁיבוּ מִשָּׁמַיִם אִיהוּ) because of the great love and affection that Kudsha Berikh Hu tends toward them, and His affection for them. (בְּגִין חֲבִיבוּ וּרְעוּ סַגְיָא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רָעֵי בְּהוּ, וַחֲבִיבוּתַיְהוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ). For although He prepares them every single day, they are not, in His eyes, properly prepared. (דְּהָא אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ מַתְקִין לוֹן כָּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא, לָא דָמֵי בְּעֵינוֹי דְּאִינוּן מִתְתַּקְנָן כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). Because of His love for them and His Desire to illuminate them constantly without ceasing. (בְּגִין דִּרְחִימוּתָא דִלְהוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ, וּרְעוּתֵיהּ לְאַנְהָרָא לוֹן תָּדִיר בְּלָא פְּסִיקוּ).

For the world to come brings forth radiant Nehorin every single day constantly without ceasing, in order to illuminate them constantly. (דְּהָא עַלְמָא דְאָתֵי אַפִּיק נְהוֹרִין זְהִירִין כָּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא תָּדִיר בְּלָא פְּסִיקוּ, בְּגִין לְאַנְהָרָא לוֹן תָּדִיר). And for this reason, “they are not pure in His eyes.” (וְעַל דָּא לֹא זַכּוּ בְּעֵינָיו). It is not written “they are not pure” alone, but “not pure in His eyes.” (לֹא זַכּוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא לֹא זַכּוּ בְּעֵינָיו). And for this reason, “He establishes the heavens with Tevunah.” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, כּוֹנֵן שָׁמַיִם בִּתְבוּנָה).

Who are the “heavens”? This is the secret of the Patriarchs, and the secret of the Patriarchs is Jacob, who is their totality. (מַאן שָׁמַיִם. דָּא הוּא רָזָא דְּאֲבָהָן, וְרָזָא דְּאֲבָהָן דָּא הוּא יַעֲקֹב דְּאִיהוּ כְּלָלָא דִּלְהוֹן). Because Jacob is the praise of the Patriarchs, and he is established to illuminate the world. (בְּגִין דְּיַעֲקֹב תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דְּאֲבָהָן אִיהוּ, וְאִיהוּ קָיְימָא לְאַנְהָרָא עַל עַלְמָא). And because he is elevated into the world to come, there issued from him a single branch, beautiful in vision, and from him all Nehorin go forth. (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ אִסְתַּלַּק גּוֹ עַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, נָפַק מִנֵּיהּ עֲנָפָא חָדָא שַׁפִּירָא בְּחֵיזוּ, וְכָל נְהוֹרִין מִינֵיהּ נָפְקִין). And all sustenance and flow of abundance is drawn to illuminate the earth. And who is he? This is Yosef the Tzaddik, who gives sustenance to all the world, and the world is nourished from him. (וְכָל שָׂבְעָא וּמְשַׁח רְבוּ לְאַנְהָרָא לְאַרְעָא, וּמַאן אִיהוּ. דָּא יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק, דְּאִיהוּ יָהִיב שָׂבְעָא לְכָל עַלְמָא, וְעַלְמָא מִנֵּיהּ אִתְּזָן). And for this reason, whatever Kudsha Berikh Hu does in the world, everything is in a supernal secret, and all is rightly arranged. (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כָּל מַה דְּעָבַד בְּעַלְמָא, כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה, וְכֹּלָּא כְּדְקָא חָזֵי).