Daf 54a (דַּף נ״ד ע״א)

Then He passed him through all the torches (כְּדֵין אַעְבְּרֵיהּ בְּכָל בּוּצִינִין), some say: fragrances (ס״א: בּוּסְמִין), of the Garden of Eden (דִּבְגִּנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן), and He brought him up into His palace (וְאַעֲלֵיהּ בְּהֵיכָלֵיהּ), and passed him through all His armies and divisions (וְאַעְבְּרֵיהּ בְּכָל חַיָּילִין וְגַיָּיסִין דִּילֵיהּ). Then they were all shaken (כְּדֵין אִזְדַּעְזְעוּ כֻּלְּהוּ), they opened and said (פָּתְחוּ וְאָמְרוּ): Remove yourselves from His circuit (אִסְתַּלְּקוּ מִסַּחֲרָנֵיהּ), side of sides (סִטְרָא דְסִטְרִין), for Kudsha Berikh Hu has aroused a spirit to rule and to shake worlds (דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְּעַר רוּחָא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה לְמִרְגַּז עָלְמִין).

A voice emerged and said (קָלָא נָפַק וְאָמַר): Who is this, into whose hands are given all these keys? (מַאן הוּא דֵּין דְּכָל מַפְתְּחָן אִלֵּין בִּידוֹי). Another voice opened and said (פָּתַח קָלָא אַחֲרָא וְאָמַר): Receive him among you (קַבִּילוּ לֵיהּ בְּגַוַּיְיכוּ), this is he who is destined to descend among human beings (דָּא הוּא דְּזַמִּין לְנַחְתָּא בֵּין בְּנִי נָשָׁא), and for him the Orayta, treasure of treasures, is prepared to be handed over into his hands (וּזְמִינָא אוֹרַיְיתָא, גְּנִיזָא דְּגִנְזַיָּיא, לְאִתְמַסְּרָא בִּידוֹי), and to shake the upper and lower worlds through this one (וּלְאַרְעֲשָׁא עָלְמִין דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא עַל יְדָא דְּדֵין). At that moment all were stirred (בֵּיהּ שַׁעֲתָא אִתְרְגִּישׁוּ כֻּלְּהוּ), and they followed after him (וְנַטְּלִין אֲבַתְרֵיהּ).

They opened and said (Psalms 66) “You caused man to ride over our heads, we came through fire and water” (פָּתְחוּ וְאָמְרוּ: הִרְכַּבְתָּ אֱנוֹשׁ לְרֹאשֵׁנוּ בָּאנוּ בָאֵשׁ וּבַמַּיִם). Then that spirit ascended (כְּדֵין סַלְּקָא הַהוּא רוּחָא), and stood before the King (וְקַיֵּימָא קָמֵי מַלְכָּא). The letter Mem opened (מ פְּתִיחָא), ascended and was crowned in its crown (סָלִיק וְאִתְעַטָּר בְּעִטְּרוֹי), and He crowned him with three hundred and twenty-five crowns (וְאַעְטְרֵיהּ בִּתְלַת מְאָה וְעֶשְׂרִין וְחָמֵשׁ עִטְּרִין), and He entrusted His keys into his hands (וְאַפְקִיד מַפְתְּחוֹי בִּידוֹי). The letter Shin of the Patriarchs crowned him with three holy crowns (ש דַּאֲבָהָתָא אַעְטְרוּ לֵיהּ בִּתְלַת עִטְּרִין קַדִּישִׁין), and they entrusted all the keys of the King into his hands (וְאַפְקִידוּ כָּל מַפְתְּחָן דְּמַלְכָּא בִּידֵיהּ), and they entrusted him with faith, faithful one of the house (וְאַפְקִידוּ לֵיהּ בְּהֵימְנוּתָא מְהֵימָנָא דְּבֵיתָא).

The letter Hei ascended and was crowned in its crown (ה סַלְּקָא וְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּעִטְּרוֹי), and received him from the King (וְקַבִּילַת לֵיהּ מִן מַלְכָּא). Then that spirit descended into forty ships (כְּדֵין נָחַת הַהוּא רוּחָא בְּאַרְבְּעִין דְּשָׁאַטָן), into that great sea (בְּהַהוּא יַמָּא רַבָּא), and she received him to raise him for the King (וְקַבִּילַת לֵיהּ לְגַדְּלָא לֵיהּ לְמַלְכָּא). And she gave him from there armaments (וְהִיא יָהֲבַת לֵיהּ מִתַּמָּן זִיּוּנִין), to strike Pharaoh and all his land (לְאַלְקָאָה לְפַרְעֹה וּלְכָל אַרְעֵיהּ). And on Shabbat and on new moons she would ascend him to the King (וּבְשַׁבְּתָא וּבְרֵאשֵׁי יַרְחֵי סַלְקַת לֵיהּ לְמַלְכָּא). Then his name was called in these inscribed letters (כְּדֵין אִקְרֵי שְׁמֵיהּ בְּאִלֵּין אַתְּוָון רְשִׁימִין). “Shall sing” instead of “sang” it ought to have said (יָשִׁיר שַׂר מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). Rather, this word hangs on the future (אֶלָּא מִלָּה דָּא תַּלְיָא), and it was fulfilled in that time (וְאַשְׁלִים לְהַהוּא זִמְנָא), and will be fulfilled in the time to come (וְאַשְׁלִים לְזִמְנָא דְאָתֵי), when Yisrael are destined to recite this very song (דִּזְמִינִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְשַׁבַּחָא שִׁירָתָא דָּא). “Moshe and the children of Yisrael”-from here we learn (מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא), that the ancient Righteous (דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא קַדְמָאֵי), even though they ascended to supernal levels above (אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִסְתַּלְּקוּ בְּדַרְגִּין עִלָּאִין דִּלְעֵילָּא), and were bound in the bond of the bundle of life (וְאִתְקַשָּׁרוּ בְּקִשּׁוּרָא דִּצְרוֹרָא דְּחַיֵּי), all are destined to live again in body (זְמִינִין כֻּלְּהוּ לְאַחֲיָיא בְּגוּפָא), and to behold the signs and the might that Kudsha Berikh Hu will perform for Yisrael (וּלְמֵחֲמֵי אַתְיָין וּגְבוּרָן דְּקָא עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), and to recite this song (וּלְמֵימַר שִׁירָתָא דָּא). This is what is written, “Then Moshe and the children of Yisrael shall sing” (Exodus 15) (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב אָז יָשִׁיר מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל).

Rabbi Shim‘on said from here (Isaiah 11) “Hashem shall again stretch forth His hand to acquire the remnant of His people” (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר מֵהָכָא יוֹסִיף ייָ שֵׁנִית יָדוֹ לִקְנוֹת אֶת שְׁאָר עַמּוֹ). “To acquire”-as you say (Proverbs 8) “Hashem acquired me at the beginning of His way” (לִקְנוֹת כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר ייָ קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ). “The remnant of His people”-these are the Righteous within them (אֶת שְׁאָר עַמּוֹ אִלֵּין אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא דִּבְּהוֹן), who are called “remnant” (דְּאִקְרוּן שְׁאָר), as it is said (Numbers 11) “And two men remained in the camp” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר וַיִּשָּׁאֲרוּ שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים בְּמַּחֲנֶה). And we have learned (וְתָנֵינָן): the world exists only by those who make themselves remnants (לֵית עָלְמָא מִתְקַיֵּים אֶלָּא עַל אִינּוּן דְּעַבְדֵי גַּרְמַיְיהוּ שִׁירַיִים). And if you say, since they are bound in the bundle of life and delight in supernal pleasure (וְאִי תֵּימָא הוֹאִיל וְאִתְקַשָּׁרוּ בִּצְרוֹרָא דְּחַיֵּי וּמִתְעַנְּגֵי בְּעִנּוּגָא עִלָּאָה), why should Kudsha Berikh Hu lower them to earth (אֲמַאי יָחִית לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַרְעָא). Go out and learn from the first time (פּוּק וְאוֹלִיף מִזִּמְנָא קַדְמָאָה), that all those spirits and souls who were in a supernal level above (דְּכָל אִינּוּן רוּחִין וְנִשְׁמָתִין דַּהֲווֹ בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה דִּלְעֵילָּא), Kudsha Berikh Hu brought them down to the lower earth (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָחִית לְהוּ לְאַרְעָא לְתַתָּא). How much more so now (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן הַשְׁתָּא), when Kudsha Berikh Hu desires to straighten that which is crooked (דְּבָעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיַשְּׁרָא לַעֲקִימָא), as it is said (Ecclesiastes 7) “For there is no righteous person on earth who does good and sins not” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר כִּי אָדָם אֵין צַדִּיק בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה טוֹב וְלֹא יֶחֱטָא). And if you say, what of those who died through the counsel of the serpent (וְאִי תֵּימָא אִינּוּן דְּמִיתוּ בְּעֵטְיוֹ דְּנָחָשׁ), even they will arise (אֲפִלּוּ אִינּוּן יְקוּמוּן), and they shall be masters of that counsel (וִיהוֹן מָארֵי דְּעֵיטָא), for King Messiah (לְמַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא).