Daf 210a (דַּף ר״י ע״א)

What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא) Because prayer is not that voice which is heard. (בְּגִין דִּצְלוֹתָא, לָאו אִיהִי הַהִיא קָלָא דְּאִשְׁתְּמַע). For that voice which is heard is not prayer. (דְּהַהוּא קוֹל דְּאִשְׁתַּמַּע לָאו הִיא צְלוֹתָא). And what is prayer? (וּמַאן אִיהִי צְלוֹתָא) This is another voice, which depends on the voice that is heard. (דָּא קָלָא אֲחֳרָא, דְּתַלְיָא בְּקָלָא דְּאִשְׁתְּמַע). And what is the voice that is heard? (וּמַאן הוּא קָלָא דְּאִשְׁתְּמַע) This is the voice that is with a vav, the voice that depends on it. (דָּא הַהוּא קוֹל דְּהוּא בְּוא״ו, קָלָא דְּתַלְיָא בֵּיהּ). This is the voice without a vav. (דָּא הַהוּא קוֹל בְּלָא וא״ו).

And for this reason, a man must not let his voice be heard in his prayer, (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְמִשְׁמַע קָלֵיהּ בִּצְלוֹתֵיהּ) but to pray in a whisper, with that voice which is not heard. (אֶלָּא לְצַלָּאָה בְּלַחַשׁ, בְּהַהוּא קָלָא דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע). And this is the prayer that is always accepted. (וְדָא הִיא צְלוֹתָא דְּאִתְקַבָּלַת תָּדִיר). And your sign is: “And the voice was heard”-voice without a vav-was heard. (וְסִימָנִיךְ: וְהַקּוֹל נִשְׁמַע-קֹל בְּלָא וא״ו-נִשְׁמַע). This is the prayer which is in whisper. (דָּא הִיא צְלוֹתָא דְּהִיא בַּחֲשָׁאי). As it is written of Ḥannah: “And her voice was not heard.” (1 Samuel 1) (דִּכְתִיב בְּחַנָּה: וְקוֹלָהּ לֹא יִשָּׁמַע).

This is the prayer that Kudsha Berikh Hu accepts, (דָּא הִיא צְלוֹתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קַבִּיל) when it is with Desire, intention, and proper Tikkun, (כַּד אִתְעֲבִיד גּוֹ רְעוּתָא וְכַוָּונָה וְתִקּוּנָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת) to unify the Union of the Master as is fitting every day. (וּלְיַחֲדָא יִחוּדָא דְּמָרֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת בְּכָל יוֹמָא). “And the voice was heard in the house of Pharaoh” (וְהַקּוֹל נִשְׁמַע בֵּית פַּרְעֹה). and the voice is written without a Vav. What is the reason? (וְהַקּוֹל נִשְׁמַע חָסֵר וא״ו-מַאי טַעְמָא) Rabbi El‘azar said: this is the Shekhinta weeping over the destruction of the Temple and the exile of Yisrael. (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: דָּא הִיא שְׁכִינְתָּא דְּבָכְיָא עַל חָרוּב בֵּי מִקְדְּשָׁא וְעַל גָּלוּתָהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). It is written here: “And the voice was heard,” and it is written there: “A voice is heard in Ramah.” (Jeremiah 31) (כְּתִיב הָכָא: וְהַקּוֹל נִשְׁמַע, וּכְתִיב הָתָם קוֹל בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמָע). Just as there it is the Shekhinta, so too here it is the Shekhinta. (מָה לְהָלָן שְׁכִינְתָּא, אַף כָּאן נָמֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא).

Rabbi El‘azar said: a whispered voice-this is the supernal voice, from which all voices emerge. (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, קָלָא בַּחֲשַׁאי, דָּא הִיא קָלָא עִלָּאָה, דְּכָל קָלִין נָפְקִין מִתַּמָּן). But “voice” without a vav-this is the lower prayer, which rises to be crowned with the vav and to be united with it. (אֲבָל קֹל בְּלָא ו׳, דָּא הִיא צְלוֹתָא דִלְתַתָּא, דְּאִיהִי אָזְלָא לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא בְּוא״ו וּלְאִתְחַבְּרָא בֵּיהּ).

Come and see: “And the voice was heard”-this is the voice without the vav. (תָּא חֲזֵי, וְהַקֹּל נִשְׁמַע, דָּא הוּא קֹל בְּלָא וא״ו). This is the voice that wept over the First Temple and the Second Temple. (דָּא הִיא קָלָא דְּבָּכַאת עַל מִקְדָּשׁ רִאשׁוֹן וְעַל מִקְדָּשׁ שֵׁנִי). “Nishma”-as it says, “A voice was heard in Ramah.” (נִשְׁמַע, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, קוֹל בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמָע). “In Ramah”-what is Ramah? This is the supernal world, the world to come. (בְּרָמָה, מַאי בְּרָמָה דָּא הוּא עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה, עַלְמָא דְאָתֵי). And your sign: “From Ramah to Beit-El,” (Bereshit 35) “From the world and unto the world.” (Psalms 106) (וְסִימָנִיךְ: מִן הָרָמָה וְעַד בֵּית אֵל, מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם). Here: “In Ramah”-this is the supernal world. (הָכָא: בְּרָמָה, דָּא עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה). For at that moment, “In Ramah was heard,” and what is written? “Hashem Elohim Tzeva’ot called on that day for weeping and for mourning,” etc. (Isaiah 22) (דְּהָא בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא דִּי בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמַע, כְּדֵין מַה כְּתִיב: וַיִּקְרָא ה׳ אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹת בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לִבְכִי וּלְמִסְפֵּד וְגו׳). “And the voice was heard”-above, far above. Why? Because the Vav distanced and departed from her. (וְהַקֹּל נִשְׁמַע, לְעֵילָא לְעֵילָא. מַאי טַעְמָא בְּגִין דְּוא״ו אִתְרַחַק וְאִסְתַּלַּק מִנֵּיהּ). And then “Raḥel weeps for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, for he is not.” (Jeremiah 31) (וּכְדֵין: רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל בָּנֶיהָ, מֵאֲנָה לְהִנָּחֵם עַל בָּנֶיהָ, כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ). “For he is not”-it should have said: “for they are not.” Rather, “for he is not”-and this has been established: (כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ-כִּי אֵינָם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ-וְהָא אוּקְמָא). “For he is not”-her husband is not with her. (כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ, דְּבַעֲלָהּ לָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח עִמָּהּ). For had her husband been with her, she would be comforted over them. (דְּאִלּוּלֵא בַּעֲלָהּ יִשְׁתַּכַּח עִמָּהּ, תִּתְנַחֵם עֲלַיְיהוּ). For then her children would not be in exile. (דְּהָא כְּדֵין בְּנָהָא לָא יְהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא). And because “he is not,” she is not comforted over her children, (וּבְגִין דְּאֵינֶנּוּ, לָאו אִיהִי מִתְנַחֲמָא עַל בְּנָהָא) because her children are distant from her, (בְּגִין דִּבְנָהָא אִתְרַחֲקוּ מִנָּהּ) because “he is not with her.” (עַל דְּאֵינֶנּוּ עִמָּהּ).

Come and see: “Beit Pharaoh”-this is a sign above, (תָּא חֲזֵי, בֵּית פַּרְעֹה, דָּא הוּא סִימָנִיךְ לְעֵילָא) the house from which all lights and all sparks are dispersed and revealed, (בֵּיתָא דְּאִתְפְּרָעוּ וְאִתְגַּלְיָין מִנֵּיהּ כָּל נְהוֹרִין וְכָל בּוּצִינִין) everything that was hidden is from there revealed. (כָּל מַה דְּהֲוָה סָתִים, מִתַּמָּן אִתְגְּלִי). And because of this, Kudsha Berikh Hu brings forth all lights and all sparks, (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַפִּיק כָּל נְהוֹרִין וְכָל בּוּצִינִין) in order to illuminate that voice, which is called “voice without vav.” (בְּגִין לְאַנְהָרָא לְהַהוּא קוֹל, דְּאִקְרֵי קוֹל בְּלָא וא״ו).

Come and see: when Kudsha Berikh Hu raises that voice from the dust, (תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד יָקִים קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְהַאי קוֹל מֵעַפְרָא) and it unites with the Vav, (וְיִתְחַבַּר בְּוא״ו) then everything that was lost from them in the time of exile (כְּדֵין כָּל מַה דְּאִתְאֲבִיד מִנַּיְיהוּ בִּזְמַנָא דְּגָלוּתָא) shall be restored and refined with supernal lights added from the supernal world. (יִתְהֲדַר וְיִתְעַדְּנוּן בִּנְהוֹרִין עִלָּאִין דְּאִתּוֹסְפָן מִגּוֹ עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה). As it is said: “And it shall be on that day, the great shofar shall be blown, and those lost in the land of Ashur and those who were outcast in the land of Egypt shall come and they shall bow to Hashem on the holy mountain in Yerushalayim.” (Isaiah 27) (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִתָּקַע בְּשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל, וּבָאוּ הָאוֹבְדִים בְּאֶרֶץ אַשּׁוּר, וְהַנִּדָּחִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַה׳ בְּהַר הַקֹּדֶשׁ בִּירוּשָׁלַם). “And You commanded: this do-take for yourselves from the land of Egypt…” (וְאַתָּה צִוֵּיתָה: זֹאת עֲשׂוּ, קְחוּ לָכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וְגו׳). Rabbi Ḥiyya opened: “Rejoice with Yerushalayim and exult in her, all who love her; rejoice with her, rejoicing, all who mourn over her.” (Isaiah 66) (רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח שִׂמְחוּ אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְגִילוּ בָּהּ כָּל אֹהֲבֶיהָ, שִׂישׂוּ אִתָּהּ מָשׂוֹשׂ וְגו׳).

Come and see: when the Temple was destroyed and sins caused it, and Yisrael were exiled from the land (תָּא חֲזֵי: כַּד אִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, וְגָרְמוּ חוֹבִין, וְאִתְגַּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאַרְעָא) Kudsha Berikh Hu ascended above, far above, and did not regard the destruction of the Temple, nor His people who were exiled, (אִסְתַּלַּק קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעֵילָא לְעֵילָא, וְלָא אַשְׁגַּח עַל חָרוּב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, וְעַל עַמֵּיהּ דְּאִתְגַּלוּ) and then the Shekhinta was revealed with them. (וּכְדֵין שְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְגַּלְיָיא עִמְּהוֹן). When He descended, He looked upon His house which was consumed, (כַּד נָחַת, אַשְׁגַּח עַל בֵּיתֵיהּ דְּאִתּוֹקַד) He looked upon His people-and behold, they were gone. (אִסְתַּכַּל עַל עַמֵּיהּ, וְהָא אִתְגְּלִי). He inquired after the Matronita-and she was banished. (שָׁאַל עַל מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְאִתְּתָּרְכַת). Then: “Hashem Elohim Tzeva’ot called on that day for weeping and mourning and for baldness and for girding with sack.” (Isaiah 22) (כְּדֵין: וַיִּקְרָא יי אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹת בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לִבְכִי וּלְמִסְפֵּד וּלְקָרֵחָה וְלַחֲגוֹר שָׂק). “And she also”-what is written of her? “Lament like a virgin girded with sack for the husband of her youth.” (Joel 1) (וְהִיא גַּם הִיא: מַה כְּתִיב בָּהּ אֱלִי כִּבְתוּלָה חֲגוֹרַת שַׂק עַל בַּעַל נְעוּרֶיהָ). As you say: “For he is not”-because He withdrew from her, and separation was found. (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ, בְּגִין דְּאִסְתַּלַּק מִינָהּ, וְאִשְׁתַּכַּח פִּירוּדָא).