Daf 14b (דַּף י״ד ע״ב)

In the place where sparks shoot in all directions (בְּאֲתָר דִּשְׁבִיבִין זַרְקִין לְכָל עִיבָר), and each spark rises to three hundred and seventy chariots (וְכָל שְׁבִיבָא וּשְׁבִיבָא סָלִיק לִתְלַת מְאָה וְשִׁבְעִין רְתִיכִין), and each chariot divides into thousands of thousands and myriads of myriads (וְכָל רְתִיכָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ לְאֶלֶף אַלְפִין וְרִבּוֹא רִבְוָון), until they reach Atik Yomin (עַד דְּמָטוּ לְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין), who sits upon the throne (דְּיָתִיב עַל כֻּרְסְיָיא), and the throne trembles before Him (וְכֻרְסְיָיא מִזְדַּעְזְעָא מִנֵּיהּ), across two hundred and sixty worlds (לְמָאתָן וְשִׁתִּין עָלְמִין).

Until it reaches the place of the delight of the Righteous (עַד דְּמָטָא לַאֲתָר עִדּוּנָא דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא), until it is heard in all the heavens (עַד דְּאִשְׁתְּמַע בְּכָל רְקִיעִין), and all the supernal and lower realms (וְכָל עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין), and all of them in one time (וְכֻלְּהוּ בְּזִמְנָא חֲדָא), they tremble and say (תָּוְוהִין וְאַמְרִין): this is Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai (הָדֵין הוּא רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי), who shook all (דְּהֲוָה מַרְעִישׁ כֹּלָּא); who can stand before him (מַאן יָכִיל לְמֵיקָם קָמֵיהּ)?

This is Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai (דֵּין הוּא רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי), that when he opened his mouth to begin speaking in Orayta (דִּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּפָתַח פּוּמֵיהּ לְמִשְׁרֵי לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), all the thrones and all the heavens and all the chariots listened to his voice (צַיְיתִין לְקַלֵּיהּ כָּל כֻּרְסְוָון וְכָל רְקִיעִין וְכָל רְתִיכִין), and all those who praise their Master (וְכָל אִינּוּן דִּמְשַׁבְּחֵי לְמָרֵיהוֹן). There is none who opens and none who concludes (לֵית דְּפַתְחִין וְלֵית דִּמְסַיְּימִין), all are stilled (כֻּלְּהוּ מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין), until there is heard (עַד לָא אִשְׁתְּמַע), Some say: until it is heard (נ״א: דְּלִשְׁתְּמַע), throughout all the upper and lower heavens (בְּכָל רְקִיעַיָּא דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא), silence (פִּטְרָא).

When Rabbi Shimon finishes speaking in Orayta (כַּד מְסַיֵּים רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), who has seen songs (מַאן חָמֵי שִׁירִין)? Who has seen rejoicing (מַאן חָמֵי חֶדְוָתָא), that they praise their Master (דִּמְשַׁבְּחִין לְמָרֵיהוֹן)? Who has seen voices traveling through all the heavens (מַאן חָמֵי קָלִין דְּאַזְלִין בְּכֻלְּהוּ רְקִיעִין)? They all come because of Rabbi Shimon (אַתְיָין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), and bow and prostrate before their Master (וְכַרְעִין וְסַגְדִּין קַמֵי דְּמָרֵיהוֹן). The scents of the spices of Eden rise (סַלְּקִין רֵיחִין דְּבוּסְמִין דְּעֵדֶן), up to Atik Yomin (עַד עַתִּיק יוֹמִין), and all of this is because of Rabbi Shimon (וְכָל הַאי בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן).

Rabbi Shimon opened his mouth and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פּוּמֵיהּ וְאָמַר): six levels descended with Ya'akov to Egypt (שִׁית דַּרְגִּין נַחְתּוּ עִמֵּיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב לְמִצְרַיִם), and each one had ten thousand ten thousands (וְכָל חַד וְחַד עֲשָׂרָה אֶלֶף רִבּוֹא). Corresponding to them, six levels for Yisrael (וְלָקֳבְלֵיהוֹן שִׁית דַּרְגִּין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל).

Corresponding to them, six levels for the supernal throne (וְלָקֳבְלֵיהוֹן שִׁית דַּרְגִּין לְכֻרְסְיָיא דִּלְעֵילָּא). Corresponding to them, six levels for the lower throne (וְלָקֳבְלֵיהוֹן שִׁית דַּרְגִּין לְכֻרְסְיָיא דִּלְתַתָּא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), (Melakhim I 10) “Six steps to the throne” (שֵׁשׁ מַעֲלוֹת לַכִּסֵּא). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), (Yechezkel 16) “I made you myriad like the growth of the field” (רְבָבָה כְּצֶמַח הַשָּׂדֶה נְתַתִּיךְ וְגוֹ׳), behold six (הֲרֵי שִׁית). Corresponding to them it is written (וְלָקֳבְלֵיהוֹן כְּתִיב), “And the children of Yisrael were fruitful and swarmed and multiplied and became very strong…” (וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל פָּרוּ וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ וַיִּרְבּוּ וַיַּעַצְמוּ וְגוֹ׳).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): each one rose to ten (כָּל חַד וְחַד סָלִיק לַעֲשָׂרָה), and they became sixty (וַהֲווּ שִׁתִּין), and these are the sixty men surrounding the Shekhinta (וְאִינּוּן שִׁתִּין גַּבְרִין דִּבְסַחֲרָנֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא), and these are 600,000 (וְאִינּוּן שִׁתִּין רִבְּבָן) who went out with Yisrael from the exile (דְּנַפְקוּ עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל מִגָּלוּתָא), and who entered with Ya'akov into exile (וּדְעָאלוּ עִם יַעֲקֹב בְּגָלוּתָא).

Rabbi Chiyya said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ ר׳ חִיָּיא): but there were seven, Some say: we have seen (וְהָא הֲווֹ ס״א: חֲמִינָן) seven, and they rose to seventy (וְסַלְּקִין לְשִׁבְעִין). Rabbi Shimon said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ ר׳ שִׁמְעוֹן): seventy is not from here (שִׁבְעִין לָאו מֵהָכָא), and if it came to your mind seven (וְאִי סַלְּקָא דַּעְתָּךְ שִׁבְעָה), behold it is written (הָא כְּתִיב), (Shemot 25) “And six branches came out from its sides, three branches of the Menorah…” (וְשִׁשָּׁה קָנִים יוֹצְאִים מִצִּדֶּיהָ שְׁלֹשָׁה קְנֵי מְנוֹרָה וְגוֹ׳). And the central shaft is not in the count (וְקָנֶה הָאֶחָד הָאֶמְצָעִי לָאו בְּחֻשְׁבָּנָא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), (Bamidbar 8) “Toward the face of the Menorah shall the seven lamps give light” (אֶל מוּל פְּנִי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ וְגוֹ׳). While they were sitting (עַד דַּהֲווֹ יַתְבֵי), Rabbi El'azar said to Rabbi Shimon his father (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוּי): what did Kudsha Berikh Hu see, to cause Yisrael to descend to Egypt into exile (מֶה חָמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְנַחְתָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִצְרַיִם בְּגָלוּתָא)?

He said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ): one question have you asked, or two (חֲדָא שְׁאֵלְתָּא אַתְּ שָׁאִיל, אוֹ תְּרֵין)? He said to him: two (אֲמַר לֵיהּ תְּרֵין). Why exile (גָּלוּתָא לָמָּה)? And why to Egypt (וּלְמִצְרַיִם לְמָּה)? He said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ): they are two, and they return to one (תְּרֵין אִינּוּן וְאִתְחָזְּרוּ לְחַד). He said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ): arise in your standing (קוּם בְּקִיּוּמָךְ), for through you it will be established above (בְּגִינָךְ יִתְקְיָים לְעֵילָּא), and from your name this word shall be pronounced (מִשְּׁמָךְ הַאי מִלָּה). Say, my son, say (אֵימָא בְּרִי אֵימָא).

He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר), (Shir haShirim 6) “Sixty are the queens and eighty are the concubines” (שִׁשִּׁים הֵמָּה מְלָכוֹת וּשְׁמוֹנִים פִּילַגְשִׁים). Sixty are the queens (שִׁשִּׁים הֵמָּה מְלָכוֹת): these are the supernal men from the force of Gevurah who are united in carvings (אִינּוּן גַּבְרַיָּא דִּלְעֵילָּא מֵחֵילָא דִּגְבוּרָא דְּאִתְאַחֲדָן בְּקַלִיפִין), Some say: in engravings (נ״א: בְּגְלִיפִין), of the holy beasts of Yisrael (דְּחֵיוָתָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). And eighty concubines (וּשְׁמוֹנִים פִּילַגְשִׁים): appointed below in their carvings (מְמָנָן בִּגְלִיפוֹי דִּתְחוֹתוֹי). And maidens without number (וַעֲלָמוֹת אֵין מִסְפָּר), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), (Job 25) “Is there any number to His troops?” (הֲיֵשׁ מִסְפָּר לִגְדוּדָיו). And with all this, it is written (וְעִם כָּל דָּא כְּתִיב), (Shir haShirim 6) “One is My dove, My perfect one; one is she to her mother” (אַחַת הִיא יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי אַחַת הִיא לְאִמָּהּ) this is the holy Shekhinta (דָּא הִיא שְׁכִינְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא), who emerges from thirteen radiances (דְּנָפְקָא מַתְרִיסִין זִיהֲרָא), Some say: from twelve (נ״א: מַתְרִיסַר), a radiance that shines to all (דְּזִיהֲרָא דְּנָהִיר לְכֹלָּא), and she is called Imma (וְאִיהִי אִתְקְרֵי אִמָּא).

In this manner (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא), Kudsha Berikh Hu made upon the earth (עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאַרְעָא), He scattered to all nations in every direction (זָרִיק לְכָל עַמִּין לְכָל עִיבָר), and appointed rulers over them (וּמָנֵי עֲלֵיהֶן רַבְרְבֵי). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), (Devarim 4): “Whom Hashem your Elohim has allotted to all the peoples” (אֲשֶׁר חָלַק יי אֱלֹהֶיךָ אוֹתָם לְכֹל הָעַמִּים). And He took for His portion the congregation of Yisrael (וְהוּא נָסִיב לְחוּלָקֵיהּ כְּנִישְׁתָּא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), as it is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), (Devarim 32) “For Hashem’s portion is His people; Ya'akov is the lot of His inheritance” (כִּי חֵלֶק יי עַמּוֹ יַעֲקֹב חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ).

And He called her (וְקָרָא לָהּ): One is My dove, My perfect one, one is she to her mother (אַחַת הִיא יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי אַחַת הִיא לְאִמָּהּ) this is the Shekhinta of His glory (דָּא הִיא שְׁכִינַת יְקָרֵיהּ), that is praised among them (דְּאַשְׁרֵי בֵּינֵיהוֹן), one she is and uniquely His (אַחַת הִיא וּמְיוּחֶדֶת לֵיהּ). Daughters saw her and praised her (רָאוּהָ בָנוֹת וַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָ), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), (Mishlei 31) “Many daughters have done worthily, but you rise above all” (רַבּוֹת בָּנוֹת עָשׂוּ חָיִל וְאַתְּ עָלִית עַל כֻּלָּנָה). Queens and concubines praised her (מְלָכוֹת וּפִילַגְשִׁים וַיְהַלְּלוּהָ): these are the great rulers of the nations appointed over them (אִלֵּין רַבְרְבֵי עַמִּין דְּאִתְפָּקְדָן עָלַיְיהוּ).