Daf 245b (דַּף רמ״ה ע״ב)

Another Neshama (נִשְׁמָתָא אָחֳרָא), a female that is concealed within her power (נוּקְבָא דְּמִטַּמְּרָא בְּגוֹ חֵילָהָא), and she is a Neshama to them (וְהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא לְהוּ), and from them the body is held (וּמִנַּיְיהוּ אֲחִידָא גוּפָא), to show through them her action to all the worlds (לְאַחֲזָאָה בְּהוּ עֲבִידְתָּא לְכָל עַלְמָא). As the body is a vessel for the Neshama (כְּגוּפָא דְּאִיהוּ מָאנָא לְנִשְׁמָתָא), to perform through it her work (לְמֶעְבַּד בֵּיהּ עֲבִידְתָּא). And these are as the form above, bound in supernal mystery (וְאִלֵּין כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִינוּן קְשִׁירִין טְמִירִין דִּלְעֵילָא).

Another Neshama (נִשְׁמָתָא אָחֳרָא), she is the Neshama of the Righteous below (הִיא נִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא לְתַתָּא). The Neshamot of the Righteous come from those supernal Neshamot (נִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא אַתְיָין מֵאִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין עִלָּאִין), from the Neshama of the female (מִנִּשְׁמָתָא דְּנוּקְבָא), and from the Neshama of the male (וּמִנִּשְׁמָתָא דִּדְכוּרָא). And for this reason (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), the Neshamot of the Righteous are supernal (נִשְׁמָתִין דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא עִלָּאִין), above all those legions and patrols above (עַל כָּל אִינוּן חֵילִין וּמַשִּׁירְיָין דִּלְעֵילָא).

And if you say (וְאִי תֵימָא), “But these are supernal-from both sides-why do they descend to this world, and why are they removed from it?” (הָא עִלָּאִין אִינוּן מִתְּרֵין סִטְרִין, אַמַּאי נַחֲתִין לְהַאי עַלְמָא, וְאַמַּאי אִסְתַּלְּקוּ מִנֵּיהּ). [It is like] a king who had a son born to him (לְמַלְכָּא דְּאִתְיְילִיד לֵיהּ בַּר), he sent him to a certain village (שַׁדַּר לֵיהּ לְחַד כְּפַר), to raise him and to grow him until he is enlarged (לְמַרְבָּה לֵיהּ וּלְגַדְּלָא לֵיהּ עַד דְּיִתְרַבֵּי), and to teach him the ways of the palace of the king (וְיוֹלְפוּן לֵיהּ אָרְחֵי דְּהֵיכָלָא דְּמַלְכָּא). The king hears that his son is great and has grown (שָׁמַע מַלְכָּא דְּהָא בְּרֵיהּ רַב וְאִתְרַבֵּי). What does he do? Out of love for his son (מַה עָבַד בִּרְחִימוּ דִּבְרֵיהּ), he sends the Matronita his mother for his sake (מְשַׁדֵּר לָהּ לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אִמֵּיהּ בְּגִינֵיהּ), and brings him into His palace (וְאָעִיל לְהֵיכְלֵיהּ), and rejoices with him every day (וְחָדֵי עִמֵּיהּ כָּל יוֹמָא).

Thus is Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּךָ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): He bore a son through the Matronita (אוֹלִיד בַּר בְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא), and what is it? The supernal holy Neshama (וּמַאי אִיהוּ - נִשְׁמָתָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא). He sent it to a village-this world (שַׁדַּר לֵיהּ לִכְפַר - לְהַאי עָלְמָא), to grow there (דְּיִתְרַבֵּי בֵּיהּ), and to teach it the ways of the royal palace (וְיוֹלְפוּן לֵיהּ אוֹרְחֵי דְּהֵיכָלָא דְּמַלְכָּא). Once the King knows that His son has grown in that village (כֵּיוָן דְּיָדַע מַלְכָּא דְּהָא בְּרֵיהּ אִתְרַבֵּי בְּהַאי כְּפַר), and it is the time to bring him to His palace (וְעִידָן הוּא לְמַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ לְהֵיכָלֵיהּ), what does He do in love for His son? (מַה עֲבַד בִּרְחִימוּ דִּבְרֵיהּ), He sends the Matronita on his behalf (מְשַׁדֵּר לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא בְּגִינֵיהּ), and brings him into His palace (וְאָעִיל לֵיהּ לְהֵיכָלֵיהּ). The Neshama does not ascend from this world (נִשְׁמָתָא לָא סַלְקָא מֵהַאי עָלְמָא), until the Matronita comes for her sake (עַד דְּאָתַת מַטְרוֹנִיתָא בְּגִינָהּ), and brings her into the palace of the King (וְאָעִילַת לָהּ בְּהֵיכָלָא דְּמַלְכָּא), and she dwells there forever (וְיָתִיבַת תַּמָּן לְעָלְמִין).

And with all this, the way of the world (וְעִם כָּל דָּא, אוֹרְחָא דְּעָלְמָא) is that the villagers lament over the departure of the King’s son from among them (דְּאִינוּן בְּנֵי כְּפַר בָּכָאן עַל פְּרִישׁוּ דִּבְרֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא מִנַּיְיהוּ). There was one wise man among them (חַד פִּקֵּחַ הֲוָה תַּמָּן), who said to them (אָמַר לוֹן), “Why are you crying here? Is he not the son of the King? (עַל מָה אַתּוּן בָּכָאן, וְכִי לָאו בְּרֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא אִיהוּ), and is it not fitting for him to dwell more among you, but in the palace of his father?” (וְלָא אִתְחֲזֵי לְמֵידַר יַתִּיר בֵּינַיְיכוּ, אֶלָּא בְּהֵיכָלָא דְּאֲבוֹי). So too was Moshe, who was wise (כָּךְ מֹשֶׁה דְּהֲוָה פִּקֵּחַ), and saw the villagers mourning (חָמָא בְּנֵי כְּפַר דְּהֲוָה בָּכָאן). Therefore he said, (Deuteronomy 14) “You are children of Hashem your God-do not cut yourselves” (עַל דָּא אָמַר: בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, לֹא תִתְגֹּדְדוּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): if all the Righteous knew this (אִילּוּ הֲווּ יָדְעִין כֻּלְּהוּ צַדִּיקַיָּיא הַאי), they would rejoice on the day they are to depart from this world (הֲווּ חָדָאן הַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּמָטֵי לוֹן לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא מֵהַאי עָלְמָא). Is it not a supernal honor (וְכִי לָאו יְקָרָא עִלָּאָה הוּא), that the Matronita comes for their sake (דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אָתַת בְּגִינַיְיהוּ), and brings them into the palace of the King (וּלְאוֹבָלָא לוֹן לְהֵיכָלָא לְמַלְכָּא), to rejoice in them the King every day (לְמֶחֱדֵי בְּהוּ מַלְכָּא כָּל יוֹמָא)? For Kudsha Berikh Hu delights only in the Neshamot of the Righteous (דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אִשְׁתַּעְשַׁע אֶלָּא בְּנִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): the arousal of love from Knesset Yisrael toward Kudsha Berikh Hu (אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִּרְחִימוּ דְּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא) the Neshamot of the Righteous below arouse it (נִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא לְתַתָּא מִתְעָרִין לָהּ). Because they come from the side of the King (בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן אַתְיָין מִסִּטְרָא דְּמַלְכָּא), from the side of the male (מִסִּטְרָא דִּדְכוּרָא), and this arousal reaches the Nukvah from the side of the male (וְאִתְעֲרוּתָא דָא מָטֵי לְנוּקְבָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּדְכוּרָא), and love is awakened (וְאִתְעַר רְחִימוּתָא). It is found that the male is aroused with affection and love toward the Nukvah (אִשְׁתַּכַּח דְּדְכוּרָא אִתְעַר חֲבִיבוּ וּרְחִימוּתָא לְנוּקְבָא), and then the Nukvah is bound in love to the male (וּכְדֵין נוּקְבָא אִתְקַשְּׁרַת בִּרְחִימוּתָא לְגַבֵּי דְּכוּרָא). In this manner (כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא), the longing of the Nukvah to send forth lower waters to receive supernal waters (תִּיאוּבְתָּא דְּנוּקְבָא לְמִשְׁדֵּי מַיִין תַּתָּאִין לָקֳבֵּל מַיִין עִלָּאִין) this occurs only through the Neshamot of the Righteous (לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא בְּנִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא).

Happy are the Righteous in this world and in the World to Come (זַכָּאִין אִינוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), for upon them stand the upper and lower realms (דְּעֲלַיְיהוּ קָיְימִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין). And for this it is written (וְעַל דָּא), (Proverbs 10) “And the Tzaddik is the foundation of the world” (וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם כְּתִיב), simply stated (סְתָם). And the secret of all is (וְרָזָא דְּכֹלָּא): the Tzaddik is the supernal Yesod (צַדִּיק אִיהוּ יְסוֹדָא דִּלְעֵילָא), and he is also the Yesod below (וְאִיהוּ יְסוֹדָא לְתַתָּא), and Knesset Yisrael is integrated through the Tzaddik above and below (וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְכְּלִילַת מִצַּדִּיק מִלְּעֵילָא וּמִתַּתָּא). the Tzaddik from this side, and the Tzaddik from that side, they inherit her (צַדִּיק מֵהַאי סִטְרָא וְצַדִּיק מֵהַאי סִטְרָא יַרְתִּין לָהּ). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב), (Psalms 37) “The Tzaddikim shall inherit the earth” (צַדִּיקִים יִרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ). “They shall inherit the earth”-indeed (יִרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ וַדַּאי).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): the Tzaddik nourishes her, this earth (צַדִּיק אַחְסִין לָהּ לְהַאי אֶרֶץ), and pours upon her blessing every day (וְאָרִיק עֲלָהּ בִּרְכָּאן בְּכָל יוֹמָא), and gives her delicacies and pleasures (וְיָהִיב לָהּ תַּפְנוּקִין וְעִדּוּנִין), in the supernal flow that flows upon her (בִּנְגִידוּ עִלָּאָה דְּנָגִיד עֲלָהּ), and this we have already established (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה).