Daf 24a (דַּף כ״ד ע״א)

Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): come and see, the four primordial ones are the secret of faith (תָּא חֲזֵי, ד' קַדְמָאֵי אִינּוּן רָזָא דִּמְהֵימָנוּתָא). And these are the Patriarchs of all worlds (וְאִינּוּן אֲבָהָן דְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין), and the mystery of the supernal sacred chariot (וְרָזָא דִּרְתִיכָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא). And these are the four elements: fire, wind, water, and earth (וְאִינּוּן ד' יְסוֹדִין: אֵ"שׁ רוּ"חַ וּמַיִ"ם וְעָפָ"ר). These are the supernal secret (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן רָזָא עִלָּאָה), and these are the Patriarchs of all the worlds, the Fathers of all (וְאִילֵין אִינּוּן אֲבָהָן דְּכֻלָּהוּ עָלְמִין, אֲבָהָן דְּכֹּלָּא). And from these emerge gold, silver, copper, and iron (וּמֵאִינּוּן נָפְקִין: זָהָ"ב וָכֶסֶ"ף וּנְחֹשֶׁ"ת וּבַרְזֶ"ל). And beneath these are other metals that resemble them (וּתְחוֹת אִלֵּין מַתָּכָאן אַחֲרָנִין דְּדַמְיָין לוֹן), such as those (כְּגוֹנָא דְּאִלֵּין).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): fire, wind, water, and earth-these are the primordial and foundational ones above and below (אֵ"שׁ רוּ"חַ וּמַיִ"ם וְעָפָ"ר אִלֵּין אִינּוּן קַדְמָאֵי וְשָׁרָשִׁין דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא), and the lower and upper ones stand upon them (וְתַתָּאִין וְעִלָּאִין עָלַיְיהוּ קַיְּימִין). And these four correspond to the four directions of the world (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן אַרְבַּע לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא), and are established in these four: north, south, east, and west (וְקַיְּימִין בְּאַרְבַּע אִלֵּין: צָפוֹ"ן דָרוֹ"ם מִזְרָ"ח מַעֲרָ"ב). These are the four directions of the world, and are established in these four (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן אַרְבַּע סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא וְקַיְּימִין בְּאַרְבַּע אִלֵּין).

Fire corresponds to the north (אֵ"שׁ לִסְטַר צָפוֹ"ן), wind to the east (רוּ"חַ לִסְטַר מִזְרָ"ח), water to the south (מַיִ"ם לִסְטַר דָּרוֹ"ם), because the south is hot and dry, water is cold and moist (בְּגִין דְּדָרוֹם חָם וְיָבֵשׁ מַיִם קָרִים וְלַחִים), and earth to the west (עָפָ"ר לִסְטַר מַעֲרָ"ב). And these four are tied together in these four (וְאַרְבַּע אִלֵּין בְּאַרְבַּע אִלֵּין קְטִירִין), and all are one (וְכֻלְּהוּ חַד), and these make four metals, which are gold, silver, copper, and iron (וְאִלֵּין עַבְדֵי אַרְבַּע מַתָּכָאן דְּאִינּוּן זָהָ"ב וָכֶסֶ"ף וּנְחֹשֶׁ"ת וּבַרְזֶ"ל). Behold, these are twelve, and all are one (הָא אִינּוּן תְּרֵיסָר וְכֻלְּהוּ חַד).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): fire is on the left, to the north (אֵשׁ הוּא בִּשְׂמָאלָא לִסְטַר צָפוֹן), for fire, the force of heat is in it, and its dryness is strong (דְּהָא אֵשׁ תּוּקְפָּא דַּחֲמִימוּתָא בֵּיהּ וְיָבִישׁוּ דִּילֵיהּ תַּקִּיף). And the north is its opposite, and one is mingled with the other and they become one (וְצָפוֹן בְּהִפּוּכָא דִּילֵיהּ הוּא וְאִתְמְזִיג חַד בְּחַד וְאִיהוּ חַד). Water is to the right, to the south (מַיִם לִימִינָא וְהוּא לִסְטַר דָּרוֹם), and Kudsha Berikh Hu joined them together (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְחַבְּרָא לוֹן), to harmonize this with that (כַּחֲדָא עָבִיד מִזְגָּא דָּא כְּמִזְגָּא דָּא).

The north is cold and moist (צָפוֹן אִיהוּ קַר וְלַח), fire is hot and dry (אֶשָּׁא חַם וְיָבֵשׁ). It exchanged with the direction of the south (אַחְלַף לוֹן לִסְטַר דָּרוֹם). The south is hot and dry (דָּרוֹם אִיהוּ חַם וְיָבֵשׁ), and water is cold and moist (מַיִם קָרִים וְלַחִים). And Kudsha Berikh Hu mingles them as one (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מָזִיג לוֹן כְּחַד), for water flows from the south and enters into the north (דְּנַפְקֵי מַיָּא מִדָּרוֹם וְעָאלִין בְּגוֹ צָפוֹן). And from the north water flows outward (וּמִצָּפוֹן נַגְדֵּי מַיָּא).

Fire goes forth from the north and enters with the strength of the south (נָפִיק אֶשָּׁא מִצָּפוֹן וְעָאל בְּתּוּקְפָא דְּדָרוֹם), and from the south the force of heat goes out into the world (וּמִדָּרוֹם נָפִיק תּוּקְפָּא דַּחֲמִימוּתָא לְעָלְמָא). Because Kudsha Berikh Hu adds this one into that one (בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹזִיף דָּא בְּדָא), and each one gives to the other from itself as is proper for it (וְכָל חַד וְחַד אוֹזִיף לְחַבְרֵיהּ מִדִּילֵיהּ כַּדְקָא חֲזֵי לֵיהּ). Similarly, wind and east, because each adds to the other, and they combine one with the other to join as one (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא רוּחַ וּמִזְרָח בְּגִין דְּיוֹזִיף כָּל חַד לְחַבְרֵיהּ וְאִתְכְּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא לְאִתְחַבְּרָא כְּחַד).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): fire is from this side, water from that side (אֶשָּׁא מִסִּטְרָא דָּא מַיִם מִסִּטְרָא דָּא), and they are oppositional (וְאִינּוּן מַחֲלוֹקֶת). Wind enters between them and grasps both sides (עָאל רוּחַ בֵּינַיְיהוּ וְאָחִיד לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין). This is what is written (Bereshit 1) “And the spirit of Elohim hovered over the face of the waters” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב: וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם). For fire is above on this side (דְּהָא אֶשָּׁא קָאֵים לְעֵילָּא בְּסִטְרָא דָּא), and water stands upon the face of the earth (וּמַיִם קַיְימֵי עַל אַפֵּי אֲרְעָא). Wind enters between them and grasps both sides and separates their opposition (רוּחָא אָעִיל בֵּינַיְיהוּ וְאָחִיד לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין וְאַפְרִישׁ מַחֲלוֹקֶת). Earth, upon which the water stands, and the wind and the fire, receives from all of them, through the strength of these three which stand over it (עָפָר מַיָּא קַיְימֵי עָלֵיהּ וְרוּחָא וְאֶשָּׁא וּמְקַבְּלָא מִכֻּלְּהוּ בְּחֵילָא דִּתְלָתָא אִלֵּין דְּקַיְימֵי עָלָהּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): wind and east (רוּחַ וּמִזְרָח). The east is hot and moist (מִזְרָח חַם וְלַח), wind is hot and moist (רוּחַ חַם וְלַח), Some say: the side which is dry (נ״א: קַר וְיָבֵשׁ סִטְרָא דַּאִיהוּ יַבִּישָׁא). Hot and moist it is (חַם וְלַח אִיהוּ). And because of this, it grasps both sides (וּבְגִינִי כַּךְ אָחִיד לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין). For fire is hot and dry, and water is cold and moist (דְּהָא אֵשׁ חַם וְיָבֵשׁ וּמַיִם קָרִים וְלַחִים). Wind is hot and moist (רוּחַ אִיהוּ חַם וְלַח), the side that is hot it grasps in fire (סִטְרָא דְּאִיהוּ חַם אָחִיד בְּאֶשָּׁא), the side that is moist it grasps in water (סִטְרָא דְּאִיהוּ לַח אָחִיד בְּמַיָּא).

And because of this, it reconciles between them and separates the conflict between fire and water (וְעַל דָּא אַסְכִּים בֵּינַיְיהוּ וְאַפְרִישׁ מַחֲלוֹקֶת דְּאֶשָׁא וּמַיָּא). Earth is cold and dry (עָפָר אִיהוּ קַר וְיָבֵשׁ), and because of this it receives all of them (וְעַל דָּא מְקַבֵּל עָלֵיהּ כֻּלְּהוּ), and all of them do their work in it (וְכֻלְּהוּ עַבְדֵי בֵּיהּ עֲבִידְתַּיְיהוּ), and it receives from all of them to produce by their power sustenance for the world (וּמְקַבְּלָא מִכֻּלְּהוּ לְאַפָּקָא בְּחֵילֵיהוֹן מְזוֹנָא לְעָלְמָא). Because in the west is attached earth, which is cold and dry (בְּגִין דְּבְמַעֲרָב אִתְאֲחִיד עַפְרָא דְּאִיהוּ קַר וְיָבֵשׁ). And the side that is cold is connected to the north, which is cold and moist (וְסִטְרָא דְּאִיהוּ קַר אָחִיד בַּצָּפוֹן דְּאִיהוּ קַר וְלַח), because cold is joined to cold (דְּהָא קְרִירָא אִתְאֲחִיד בִּקְרִירָא). Because of this, the north is joined to the west on this side (בְּגִין כָּךְ צָפוֹן אִתְאֲחִיד בַּמַּעֲרָב בְּסִטְרָא דָּא).

The south, which is hot and dry, in its dryness is joined to the dryness of the west on the other side (דָּרוֹם דְּאִיהוּ חַם וְיָבֵשׁ בְּהַהוּא יְבֵישׁוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ אָחִיד לִיבֵשׁוּתָא דְּמַעֲרָב בְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא), and the west is joined to two sides (וְאִתְאֲחִיד מַעֲרָב בִּתְרֵין סִטְרִין). And likewise, the south is joined to the east, for the heat of the south is joined in it with the heat of the east (וְכֵן אִתְאֲחִיד דָּרוֹם בְּמִזְרָח דְּהָא חֲמִימוּתָא דְּדָרוֹם אִתְאֲחִיד בֵּיהּ בַּחֲמִימוּתָא דְּמִזְרָח). And the east is joined to the north, for its moisture is joined with the moisture of the north (וּמִזְרָח אִתְאֲחִיד בַּצָּפוֹן דְּהָא לָחוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ אִתְאֲחִיד בְּלָחוּתָא דְּצָפוֹן). Now it is found that south is with east (הַשְּׁתָּא אִשְׁתְּכַח דְּרוֹמִית מִזְרָחִית), east with north (מִזְרָחִית צְפוֹנִית), north with west (צְפוֹנִית מַעֲרָבִית), west with south (מַעֲרָבִית דְּרוֹמִית), and all are included one within the other to be extended one with one (וְכֻלְּהוּ כְּלִילָן דָּא בְּדָא לְאִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלָא חַד בְּחַד). In this manner, the north produces gold (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא צָפוֹן עָבִיד דַּהֲבָא), for from the aspect of the strength of fire gold is made (דְּמִסְטְרָא דְּתּוּקְפָּא דְּאֶשָּׁא אִתְעָבִיד דַּהֲבָא). And this is what is written (Job 37) “From the north comes gold” (וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב: מִצָּפוֹן זָהָב יֶאֱתֶה). For fire was joined with earth and made gold (דְּאֵשׁ אִתְאֲחִיד בֶּעָפָר וְאִתְעָבִיד דַּהֲבָא), and this is what is written (Job 28) “And the dust of it is gold” (וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב: וְעַפְרוֹת זָהָב לוֹ). And the secret of this is the two cherubim of gold (וְרָזָא דָּא שְׁנַיִם כְּרוּבִים זָהָב).