Daf 15b (דַּף ט״ו ע״ב)

Rabbi Eliezer said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר): there are eighteen supernal mountains of pure balsam (תַּמְנֵי סָרֵי טוּרֵי אֲפַרְסְמוֹנָא דְּכִיא עִלָּאִין), into which the Neshamot of the Righteous ascend (עָאלִין נִשְׁמָתֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא). And forty-nine fragrances (וְאַרְבְּעִין וְתִשְׁעָה רֵיחִין) ascend every day (סַלְּקִין בְּכָל יוֹמָא), up to that place called Eden (עַד הַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִתְקְרֵי עֵדֶן).

For the sake of this, the Orayta was given (דִּי לְקָבֵל דָּא אִתְיְהִיבַת אוֹרַיְיתָא), in forty-nine aspects impure and in forty-nine aspects pure (בְּמ"ט פָּנִים טָמֵא וּבְמ"ט פָּנִים טָהוֹר). Forty-nine letters are in the names of the tribes (מ"ט אַתְוָון בִּשְׁמָהן דִּשְׁבָטִי). Forty-nine days to receive the Orayta (מ"ט יוֹמִין לְקַבְּלָא אוֹרַיְיתָא). Forty-nine supernal holy days stand (מ"ט יוֹמִין קַדִּישִׁין עִלָּאִין קַיְימִין), to receive permission every day from radiant stones (לְמִיטַל רְשׁוּתָא בְּכָל יוֹמָא מֵאֲבָנִין זְהִירִין), engraved in that Choshen (דִּגְלֵיפָאן בְּהַהוּא חוֹשְׁנָא). And that one who wears the Choshen (וְהַהוּא דְּלָבִישׁ חוֹשְׁנָא), sits upon the precious holy throne (יָתִיב בְּכֻרְסְיָיא קַדִּישָׁא יַקִּירָא), (Shemot 13), which stands upon four supports (דְּאַרְבַּע סַמְכִין קַיְימִין), gazing into the Choshen (מִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּחוֹשְׁנָא).

Upon His word they enter, and upon His word they go out (עַל מֵימְרִיהּ עָאלִין וְעַל מֵימְרֵיהּ נָפְקִין). They lift their eyes and look above (זַקְפָן עַיְנִין וּמִסְתַּכְּלִין לְעֵילָּא), They saw a spark that was blazing in six hundred and twenty limbs (חָמָאן צִיצָא דְּלָהִיט בְּשִׁית מְאָה וְעֶשְׂרִין עִיבָר), and a supernal sacred Name is engraved upon it (וּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה גָּלִיף עֲלוֹי), and they tremble and quake (מִזְדַּעְזְעָן וּמִתְחַלְחְלָן). They are bound on the holy right side (קְטִירֵי בְּסִטְרוֹי דִּימִינָא קַדִּישָׁא), and the left side takes in His hands the pillars of the heavens (דִּשְׂמָאלָא נָטִיל בִּידוֹי סַמְכֵי שְׁמַיָּא), raises them, and reveals them (עָלִיל לוֹן וְגַלֵּי לוֹן). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב), (Yeshayahu 34) “And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll” (וְנָגוֹלּוּ כַסֵּפֶר הַשָּׁמַיִם).

Rabbi Akiva said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא): what is that which is written (מָהוּ דִּכְתִּיב), (Shir haShirim 6) “To the garden of nut-trees I went down” (אֶל גִּנַת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי)? He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): come and see (תָּא חָזֵי), that garden issues from Eden (הַהוּא גִּנְתָא נַפְקָא מֵעֵדֶן), and this is the Shekhinta (וְדָא הִיא שְׁכִינְתָּא).

Egoz (אֱגוֹז): this is the supernal holy chariot (דָא הִיא רְתִיכָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא), which is the four radiances that shine forth (דְּאִינוּן אַרְבַּע רֵישִׁין דְנַהֲרִין), which spread out from the garden (דְמִתְפָּרְשָׁן מִן גִּנְתָא), like this nut (כְּהָאי אֱגוֹזָא), which contains within it four holy radiances (דְּאִינוּן אַרְבַּע רֵישִׁין קַדִישִׁין לְגוֹ). And what is meant by “I went down” (וּמַאי דְּאֲמָר יָרַדְתִּי)? As it is taught (כְּמָה דִתְנָן): So-and-so descended to the Merkavah (יָרַד פְּלוֹנִי לַמֶּרְכָּבָה).

Rabbi Akiva said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי עֲקִיבָא): if so (אִי הָכִי), it should have said “to the nut I descended” (הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמֵימַר לָאֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי); what is the meaning of “to the garden of nuts I descended” (מַהוּ אֶל גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי)? He said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ): because it is a praise of the nut (מִשּׁוּם דְּהִיא שְׁבָחָא דֶּאֱגוֹזָא). Just as the nut is hidden and sealed from all sides (מָה אֱגוֹזָא טְמִירָא וּסְתִימָא מִכָּל סִטְרוֹי), so is the chariot that comes forth from the garden (כַּךְ רְתִיכָא דְּנָפְקָא מִגִּנְתָּא), sealed from all sides (סְתִימָא מִכָּל סִטְרוֹי).

Just as those four chambers in the nut (מַה אִינּוּן אַרְבַּע קְרִישִׁין דִּי בֶּאֱגוֹזָא), are joined on one side and separated on another (מִתְחַבְּרָן בְּהַאי גִּיסָא וּמִתְפָּרְשָׁן מֵהַאי גִּיסָא), so is the chariot (כַּךְ רְתִיכָא), united in oneness and joy and completeness (מִתְחַבְּרָן בְּאַחֲדוּתָא בְּחֶדְוָותָא בִּשְׁלֵימוּתָא), yet each one expands into its own side (וּמִתְפְּרַשׁ כָּל חַד בְּעִבְרוֹי), according to that which it was designated for (עַל מַה דְּאִתְמָנֵי). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), (Bereishit 2) “He is the one who encompasses all the land of Chavilah… He goes toward the east of Ashur” (הוּא הַסּוֹבֵב אֶת כָּל אֶרֶץ הַחֲוִילָה הוּא הַהוֹלֵךְ קִדְמַת אַשּׁוּר), and so are all of them (וְכֵן כּוּלָּם).

Rabbi Akiva said (אָמַר רִבִּי עֲקִיבָא): this impurity, which is in the shell of the nut (הַאי לִכְלוּכָא דְּהִיא בִּקְלִיפּוֹי דֶּאֱגוֹזָא), to what does it allude (לְמָאי רְמִיזָא)? He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): even though the Orayta does not reveal it, here it is revealed (אַף עַל גַּב דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לָא גַּלֵּי לֵיהּ, בְּהַאי גַּלֵּי).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Some say: almonds (ס״א שקדים) some are bitter, and some are sweet (מִנְּהוֹן מְרִירָן וּמִנְהוֹן מְתִיקָן), and they contain an allusion (וּרְמִיזָא אִית לוֹן): there are masters of harsh judgment (אִית מָארֵי דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא), and there are masters of leniency (וְאִית מָארֵי דְּשֵׁירוּתָא). But every allusion revealed in the Orayta (אֲבָל כָּל רְמִיזָא דְּגַלֵּי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), we see it is judgment (חָזִינָן דְּדִינָא הֲוִי). And so it was with Yirmiyahu (וְהָכִי הוּא לְיִרְמִיָּהוּ): they showed him through judgment (אַחְזוּ לֵיהּ בְּדִינָא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), “I see a rod of an almond tree” (Jeremiah 1) (מַקֵּל שָׁקֵד אֲנִי רוֹאֶה). What is almond? (מַאי שָׁקֵד), almonds literally (שְׁקֵדִים מַמָּשׁ). And so with the staff of Aaron (וְכֵן בְּמַטֶּה אַהֲרֹן), “and it bore almonds” (Numbers 17) (וַיִּגְמוֹל שְׁקֵדִים). And from the word itself literally it is heard (וּמִן תֵּיבוּתָא מַמָּשׁ אִשְׁתְּמַע), that it is harsh judgment (דְּהוּא דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), “And Hashem watched over the evil” (Daniel 9) (וַיִּשְׁקוֹד ה' עַל הָרָעָה). And likewise (וְכֵן), “I am watching over My word” (Jeremiah 1) (שׁוֹקֵד אֲנִי עַל דְּבָרִי), and so all of them (וְכֵן כּוּלָּם).

Rabbi Akiva said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי עֲקִיבָא): it appears that everything Kudsha Berikh Hu has made is for the sake of drawing out abundant wisdom (מַשְׁמַע כָּל מַה דְּעָבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֵילַף מִנֵיהּ חָכְמְתָא סַגִּיאָה), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), (Mishlei 16) “Everything Hashem made for His purpose” (כָּל פָּעַל ה׳ לַמַעֲנֵהוּ).

Rabbi El'azar said from here (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר מֵהָכָא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), (Bereishit 1) “And Hashem saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good” (וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד). What is meod? To derive from it supernal wisdom (מַהוּ מְאֹד - לְמֵילָף מִנֵּיהּ חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): what is that which is written (מַאי דִּכְתִּיב), (Kohelet 7) “Also this opposite that did Hashem make” (גַּם אֶת זֶה לְעֻמַּת זֶה עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים)? In the manner of the heavens, so did Kudsha Berikh Hu make on earth (כְּגַוְונָא דִּרְקִיעָא עָבֵד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאַרְעָא), and all of them are allusions to what is above (וְכֻלְּהוּ רְמִיזָא לְמַה דִּלְעֵילָּא).

When Rabbi Abba saw a certain tree, from whose bark a bird was formed and flew away (דְּאִבֵיהּ אִתְעָבִיד עוֹפָא דְּפָרַח מִנֵּיהּ), he wept and said (הֲוָה בָּכֵי וְאָמַר): if human beings knew the allusions (אִי הֲווֹ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא יַדְעֵי לְמַאי רְמִיזָאן), they would tear their garments to their navels for the sake of the wisdom that is forgotten from them (הֲווֹ מְבַזְעֲן מַלְבּוּשֵׁיהוֹן עַד טַבּוּרֵיהֹן לְמַאי דְּאִתְנְשֵׁי חָכְמָה מִנְּהוֹן), and how much more so for all else that Kudsha Berikh Hu made on earth (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בִּשְׁאַר מַה דְּעָבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאַרְעָא). As Rabbi Yose said (כִּדְאָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): These are trees from which wisdom is perceived, such as the carob tree, the pistachio tree, and the like (אִילָּנִין אִינּוּן דְּאִתְחָזֵי מִנְּהוֹן חָכְמְתָא כְּגוֹן חֲרוּבָא דְּקַל פִּסְתּוּקָא וְכַדּוֹמֶה לוֹן), all of them are composed with one moist structure (כֻּלְּהוּ בְּחַד רְכִיבָא רְתִיבָא אִתְרְכָבוּ). All those that bear fruit, apart from the apple, are one mystery (כָּל אִינּוּן דְּעַבְדִין פֵּירִין בַּר מִתַּפּוּחִין רָזָא חֲדָא אִינּוּן), aside from the pathways that separate them (בַּר שְׁבִילִין דְּאִתְפָּרְשָׁן). All those that do not bear fruit and are great (כָּל אִינּוּן דְּלָא עַבְדִין פֵּירִין וְאִינּוּן רַבְרְבִין), except for the willows of the river (בַּר מֵעַרְבִין דְּנַחֲלָא), which have a unique mystery (דְּאִית לְהוּ רָזָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי) like that which is above (כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), they all draw from one source (מֵחַד יְנִיקָא יְנִיקוּ). And each one of those that are small, except for the hyssop (וְכָל חַד מֵאִינוּן דְּאִינְהוּ זוּטְרֵי בַּר מֵאֵזוֹבָא), are born from one mother (מֵאִימָא חֲדָא אִתְיְלִידוּ).