Daf 12a (דַּף י״ב ע״א)

And the woman conceived and bore a son (וַתַּהַר הָאִשָּׁה וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן): the woman, truly (הָאִשָּׁה וַדַּאי), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), (Bereishit 2) “Therefore shall she be called woman” (לְזֹאת יִקָּרֵא אִשָּׁה). At first she is called the daughter of Levi (בְּקַדְמִיתָא בַּת לֵוִי), and so it is truly (וְהָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי).

And why first daughter of Levi, and now woman (וְכִי בַּת לֵוִי בְּקַדְמִיתָא וְהַשְׁתָּא אִשָּׁה)? Rather, so it is indeed (אֶלָּא הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי), and so we have learned (וְהָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא): a woman, before she is married, is called the daughter of so-and-so (אִתְּתָא עַד לָא אִזְדַּוְּוגַת אִתְקְרִיאַת בַּת פְּלוֹנִי); after she is married, she is called Ishah (בָּתַר דְּאִזְדַּוְּוגַת אִתְקְרִיאַת אִשָּׁה). And here, daughter and woman and bride are one single level (וְהָכָא בַּת וְאִשָּׁה וְכַלָּה חַד דַּרְגָּא אִיהוּ). (Shemot 2) And she hid him (וַתִּצְפְּנֵהוּ), for three months p5-25(שְׁלֹשָׁה יְרָחִים).

These three months (אִלֵּין תְּלַת יַרְחִין), when harsh judgment ruled in the world (דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא שַׁרְיָא בְּעָלְמָא), what are they? (וּמָאי נִינְהוּ): Tammuz, Av, and Tevet (תַּמּוּז אָב טֵבֵת), Some say: Shevat (נ״א: שְׁבָט). What is implied (מַאי מַשְׁמַע)? That until Moshe descended into the world (דְּעַד לָא נָחַת מֹשֶׁה לְעָלְמָא), he was frequently above (שְׁכִיחַ הֲוָה אִיהוּ לְעֵילָּא), and therefore the Shekhinta was joined with him from the day of his birth (וְעַל דָּא אִזְדַּוְּוגַת בֵּיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְיְלִיד). From here Rabbi Shimon said (מִכָּאן אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): the spirits of the Righteous (רוּחֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא), are present above p5-26(שְׁכִיחִין אִינּוּן לְעֵילָּא), before they descend into the world (עַד לָא יֶחתוּן לְעָלְמָא). (Shemot 2) And she could no longer hide him… (וְלֹא יָכְלָה עוֹד הַצְּפִינוֹ), What is And she took for him an ark of reeds p5-27(מַאי וַתִּקַּח לוֹ תֵּבַת גּוֹמֶא)?

She prepared him with a sign (דְּחָפַת לֵיהּ בְּסִימָנָהָא), to be guarded from the sea monsters (לְמֶהוֵי נָטִיר מֵאִינוּן נוּנֵי יַמָּא), that swim in the great sea (דְּשָׁאטִין בְּיַמָּא רַבָּא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), (Tehillim 104) “There is the creeping thing without number” (שָׁם רֶמֶשֹׂ וְאֵין מִסְפָּר). And she coated it for him (וְהִיא חָפַת לֵיהּ), to be protected from them (לְמֶהוֵי נָטִיר מִנַּיְיהוּ), with pitch (בְּחָפוּ), Some say: of the type of Jubilee (נ״א: דִּסְטְרָא דְּיוֹבְלָא), Some say: of a traveling merchant (נ״א: דְּטִיסַת רוּכְלָא), Some say: of the merchant’s boat (נ״א: דְּטִיס רוּבִּילָא), valuable (יַקִּירָא), of two colors, white and black (דִּתְרֵין גַּוְונִין חִוָּור וְאוּכָם), and she placed Moshe between them (וְאָנַח לֵיהּ לְמֹשֶׁה בֵּינַיְיהוּ), that he should be distinguished among them (דְּיִשְׁתְּמוֹדָע עִמְּהוֹן), because he was destined later to ascend to receive the Orayta (בְּגִין דְּזָמִין לְסַלְּקָא זִמְנָא אַחֲרָא לְקַבְּלָא אוֹרַיְיתָא). (Shemot 2) And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river (וַתֵּרֶד בַּת פַּרְעֹה לִרְחוֹץ עַל הַיְאוֹר): this is she who comes from the left side (דָּא אִיהִי דְּאַתְיָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא), of harsh judgment (דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “to bathe on the river” (לִרְחוֹץ עַל הַיְאוֹר), specifically on the river (עַל הַיְאוֹר דַּיְיקָא), and not on the sea (וְלֹא עַל הַיָּם).

And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא): but is it not written (וְהָא כְּתִיב), (Shemot 17) “And your staff with which you struck the river” (וּמַטְּךָ אֲשֶׁר הִכִּיתָ בּוֹ אֶת הַיְאוֹר)? And Moshe struck not the river but the sea (וּמֹשֶׁה לָא מָחָא אֶלָּא יַמָּא), and yet it is called Ye’or (river) (וְקַרְיֵיהּ יְאוֹר)?

Rather, it was the Ye’or (river) which Aharon struck by the command of Moshe (אֶלָּא יְאוֹר הֲוָה דְּמָחָא אַהֲרֹן עַל יְדֵי דְּמֹשֶׁה), and the scripture attributes it to him who gave the order (וְשַׁוְיֵיהּ קְרָא דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד). Likewise (כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא), (Shemot 7) “And seven days were completed after Hashem struck the river” (וְיִמָּלֵא שִׁבְעַת יָמִים אַחֲרֵי הַכּוֹת ה׳ אֶת הַיְאוֹר), yet it was Aharon who struck it (וְאַהֲרֹן הִכָּהוּ). Rather, because the act came from the side of Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֶלָּא עַל דְּאָתָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), the scripture attributes it to Hashem (קַרְיֵיהּ קְרָא אַחֲרֵי הַכּוֹת ה׳), and afterward it attributes it in the name of Moshe (לְבָתַר קַרְיֵיהּ בִּשְׁמָא דְּמֹשֶׁה). And her maidens walked along the river (וְנַעֲרוֹתֶיהָ הוֹלְכוֹת עַל יַד הַיְאוֹר): these are the other encampments that come from that side (אִלֵּין שְׁאַר מַשִּׁרְיָין דְּאַתְיָין מִסִּטְרָא דָּא). (Shemot 2) “And she opened it and saw him, the child” (וַתִּפְתַּח וַתִּרְאֵהוּ אֶת הַיֶּלֶד). She saw him-it should have said she saw (וַתִּרְאֵהוּ וַתֵּרֶא מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). What is she saw him (מַאי וַתִּרְאֵהוּ)?

Rabbi Shimon said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): there is no word in the Orayta that does not contain supernal and precious secrets (לֵית לָךְ מִלָּה בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּלֵית בָּהּ רָזִין עִלָּאִין וְיַקִּירִין). Rather, this we have learned (אֶלָּא הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא): the imprint of the King and the Matronita was found within him (רְשִׁימָא דְּמַלְכָּא וּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ), and it is the imprint of Vav–Heh (וְאִיהוּ רְשִׁימָא דְּוָא״ו הֵ״א). And immediately (וּמִיַּד): “And she had compassion on him” (וַתַּחְמוֹל עָלָיו וְגוֹ׳). Until here is from above (עַד כָּאן לְעֵילָּא), from here onward is below (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה לְתַתָּא), except for this verse (בַּר מֵהַאי קְרָא). (Shemot 2) “And his sister stood from afar…” (וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחוֹתוֹ מֵרָחוֹק וְגוֹ׳). His sister-whose sister (אֲחוֹתוֹ דְּמַאן)?

His sister, the one called Knesset Yisrael My sister (אֲחוֹתֵיה דְּהַהוּא דְּקָרָא לִכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲחוֹתִי). As it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), (Shir haShirim 5) “Open to me, my sister, my beloved” (פִּתְחִי לִי אֲחוֹתִי רַעְיָתִי). From afar (מֵרָחוֹק): as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר), (Yirmeyahu 31) “From afar Hashem appeared to me” (מֵרָחוֹק ה׳ נִרְאָה לִי). What is the implication (מַאי מַשְׁמַע)? That those who are meritorious, before they descend to the world (דְּאִינּוּן זַכָּאִין עַד לָא נַחְתּוּ לְעָלְמָא), are known above (אִשְׁתְּמוֹדָעָאן אִינּוּן לְעֵילָּא), before all (לְגַבֵּי כֹּלָּא), and all the more so Moshe (וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן מֹשֶׁה). And it also implies (וּמַשְׁמַע נָמֵי), that the Neshamot of the Righteous are drawn from the supernal place (דְּנִשְׁמָתֵהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא אִתְמְשָׁכוּ מֵאֲתָר עִלָּאָה), as we have established (כְּמָה דְאוֹקִימְנָא). And the secret of the matter we have learned (וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה אוֹלִיפְנָא): it implies that the Neshamah has a father and mother (דְּמַשְׁמַע דְּאָב וָאֵם אִית לְנִשְׁמְתָא), just as the body has a father and mother on earth (כְּמָה דְּאִית אָב וָאֵם לְגוּפָא בְּאַרְעָא). And it implies (וּמַשְׁמַע), that in all aspects-above and below-everything comes from male and female and is found through them (דִּבְכָּל סִטְרִין בֵּין לְעֵילָּא בֵּין לְתַתָּא מִדְכַר וְנוּקְבָּא אַתְיָין כֹּלָּא וּמִשְׁתַּכְחֵי). And this secret has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ רָזָא): as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), “Let the earth bring forth a living soul” (תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה). The earth (הָאָרֶץ): this is Knesset Yisrael (דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל). A living soul (נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה): the Nefesh of the Supernal Adam Kadma’ah p5-28(נַפְשָׁא דְּאָדָם קַדְמָאָה עִלָּאָה), as has been said (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר).

Rabbi Abba came and kissed him (אָתָא רִבִּי אַבָּא וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ). He said: truly you have spoken well (אָמַר וַדַּאי שַׁפִּיר קָאֲמַרְתְ), and so it is truly (וְהָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי), blessed is the portion of Moshe the faithful prophet (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא), above all other prophets of the world (עַל כָּל שְׁאַר נְבִיאֵי עָלְמָא). Another matter (דָּבָר אַחֵר): And his sister stood (וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחוֹתוֹ), this is Chokhmah (דָּא הִיא חָכְמָה), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר), (Mishlei 7) “Say to wisdom, you are my sister” (אֱמוֹר לַחָכְמָה אֲחוֹתִי אָתְּ).

Rabbi Yitzchak said (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק): never has the decree of judgment been aroused in the world (מֵעוֹלָם לָא אִתְעֲדִיאַת), Some say: aroused (נ״א: אִתְעַר), because whenever Yisrael sinned (גִּזְרַת דִּינָא מֵעָלְמָא דְּהָא בְּכָל שַׁעְתָא דְּהֲווּ יִשְׂרָאֵל חָטָאן), judgment would accuse them (הֲוָה דִּינָא מְקַטְרְגָא עִמְּהוֹן), and then his sister stood from afar (וּכְדֵין וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחוֹתוֹ מֵרָחוֹק). Another matter: from afar (ד״א: מֵרָחוֹק), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “From afar Hashem appeared to me” (מֵרָחוֹק ה׳ נִרְאָה לִי).