Daf 56b (דַּף נ״ו ע״ב)

Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), “Go out and see how many chariots Kudsha Berikh Hu made above (פּוּק חֲמֵי כַּמָּה רְתִיכִין עָבֵד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעֵילָּא), how many hosts (כַּמָּה אֹכְלוֹסִין), how many forces (כַּמָּה חַיָּילִין), and all of them are bound one to the other (וְכוּלְּהוּ קְשִׁירִין אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין).” - And behold, we have learned (וְהָא אוּלִיפְנָא): all of these chariots are attached one to the other (כֻּלְּהוּ רְתִיכִין אִלֵּין לְאִלֵּין), level upon level (דַּרְגִּין עַל דַּרְגִּין). And from the side of the left, aroused are (וּמִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא מִתְעָרִין) - Some say: not (נ״א: דְּלָא) - holy legions that rule (קַדִּישִׁין שַׁלִּיטִין). And all those levels are known above (וְכוּלְּהוּ דַּרְגִּין יְדִיעָן לְעֵילָּא).

And behold, this was aroused in the firstborn of Pharaoh (וְהָא אִתְּעַרְנָא בִּבְכוֹר פַּרְעֹה), which is one level (דְּהוּא דַּרְגָּא חַד), that Kudsha Berikh Hu struck down (דְּקָטַל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא) Some say: his force (נ״א: חֵילֵיהּ) - and He shattered his mighty chain (וְתָבַר לֵיהּ מְשֻׁלְשְׁלֵיהּ תַּקִּיפָא), and his level (וְדַּרְגָּא דִּילֵיהּ) - beneath his dominion (תַּחוֹת שׁוּלְטָנֵיהּ). How many chariots and how many cosmic hosts from the side of the left? (כַּמָּה רְתִיכִין וְכַמָּה חַיָּילִין דְּקוּזְמִיטִין מִסְּטַר שְׂמָאלָא): some are held in the supernal place of their dominion (מִנְּהוֹן אֲחִידָן בַּאֲתָר עִלָּאָה דְּשׁוּלְטָנוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן), and some are held in the supernal Malkhut (וּמִנְּהוֹן אֲחִידָן בְּמַלְכוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). Some are held behind four thrones (מִנְּהוֹן אֲחִידָן בָּתַר אַרְבַּע כָּרְסְוָון) - Some say: beasts (ס״א: חַיְוָן), Some say: millstones (נ״א: רְחָיֵין) - as it is said (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). And all of them were delivered into His hand (וְכוּלְּהוּ אִתְמְסָרוּ בִּידֵיהּ), in the judgment of the Malkhut (בְּדִינָא דְּמַלְכוּתָא), which is called the Great Sea (דְּאִקְרֵי יַמָּא רַבָּא), to break them from their levels (לְתַבְּרָא לוֹן מִדַּרְגֵּיהוֹן).

And when those above were broken (וְכַד אִינּוּן אִתְּבָּרוּ לְעֵילָּא), all those below were broken (כָּל אִינּוּן דִּלְתַּתָּא אִתְּבָּרוּ), and they were lost in the lower sea (וְאִתְאַבִּידוּ בְּיַמָּא תַּתָּאָה). This is what is written: “The chariots of Pharaoh and his host He cast into the sea” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: מֶרְכְּבוֹת פַּרְעֹה וְחֵילוֹ יָרָה בַּיָּם), in the Sea-plain and simple (בַּיָּם סְתָם). And “the choicest of his officers were drowned in the Sea of Suf” (וּמִבְחַר שָׁלִישָׁיו טֻבְּעוּ בְּיַם סוּף). And “his choicest officers”-this has been said (וּמִבְחַר שָׁלִישָׁיו, הָא אִתְּמַר), and “third ones over all” (וְשָׁלִישִׁים עַל כֻּלּוֹ): all the levels are two and one (כֻּלְּהוּ דַּרְגִּין תְּרֵין וְחָד), these above these (אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין). In the supernal pattern, so were they made (כְּגַוְונָא עִלָּאָה הָכִי אִתְעָבִידוּ). And all of them were delivered into her hand (וְכוּלְּהוּ אִתְמְסָרוּ בִּידָהָא), to be broken from their dominion-these and those (לְאִתָּבְּרָא מִשּׁוּלְטָנִיהוֹן, אִלֵּין וְאִלֵּין).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): behold, it has been stated that all the ten plagues which Kudsha Berikh Hu performed in Egypt (הָא אִתְּמַר דְּכֻלְּהוּ עֶשֶׂר מָחָאן דְּעָבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּמִצְרַיִם), all were from one Hand (כֹּלָּא הֲוָה יְדָא חֲדָא), where the left was included in the right (דִּשְׂמָאלָא אַכְלִיל בִּימִינָא), for the ten fingers are interwoven one with the other (דְּעֶשֶׂר אֶצְבְּעָן כְּלִילָן דָּא בְּדָא), corresponding to the ten utterances (לָקוֳבֵל עֶשֶׂר אֲמִירָן) with which Kudsha Berikh Hu is called afterward (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְקְרֵי בְּהוּ לְבָתַר). Corresponding to all this is the sea, strong and great and ruling (לָקוֳבְלֵיהּ דְּכֹלָּא הַאי דְּיַמָּא, תַּקִּיף וְרַב וְשַׁלִּיטָא), as it is said: (Isaiah 8) “And the latter one grew heavy” (וְהָאַחֲרוֹן הִכְבִּיד). This is what is written: “The chariots of Pharaoh and his host He cast into the sea…” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: מֶרְכְּבוֹת פַּרְעֹה וְחֵילוֹ יָרָה בַּיָּם וְגוֹ'). And in the time to come (וּלְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי), Kudsha Berikh Hu is destined to slay hosts and cosmocrators and commanders and captains of Edom (זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְקַטְּלָא אוֹכְלוֹסִין וְקוּזְתוּרְנָטִין וְקוֹנְטְירִיסִין וְקָלַטְירוֹלְסִין דֶּאֱדוֹם); this is what is written: (Isaiah 63) “Who is this who comes from Edom, with crimsoned garments from Botzrah?” (מִי זֶה בָּא מֵאֱדוֹם חֲמוּץ בְּגָדִים מִבָּצְרָה). (Shemot 15) “The chariots of Pharaoh and his host He cast into the sea” (מַרְכְּבוֹת פַּרְעֹה וְחֵילוֹ יָרָה בַּיָּם).

Rabbi Yitzchak opened: (Yirmiyahu 10) “At the sound of His giving, a multitude of waters in the heavens, and He raises vapors from the ends of the earth, lightning for rain He makes, and brings forth wind from His treasuries” (רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח: לְקוֹל תִּתּוֹ הֲמוֹן מַיִם בַּשָּׁמַיִם וַיַּעֲלֶה נְשִׂיאִים מִקְּצֵה הָאָרֶץ, בְּרָקִים לַמָּטָר עָשָׂה, וַיּוֹצֵא רוּחַ מֵאוֹצְרוֹתָיו).

Behold we have learned (הָא תָּנִינָן): Kudsha Berikh Hu made seven firmaments (שִׁבְעָה רְקִיעִין עָבֵד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and in every firmament stars are fixed (וּבְכָל רְקִיעָא וּרְקִיעָא כּוֹכָבִין קְבִיעִין), and they run throughout every firmament (וְרַהֲטִין בְּכָל רְקִיעָא וּרְקִיעָא), and above them all is Aravot (וּלְעֵילָּא מִכֻּלְּהוּ עֲרָבוֹת). And each firmament has a width of two hundred years (וְכָל רְקִיעָא וּרְקִיעָא בְּהִלּוּכוֹ מָאתַן שְׁנִין), and its height is five hundred years (וְרוּמֵיהּ חֲמֵשׁ מְאָה שְׁנִין), and between each firmament is five hundred years (וּבֵין רְקִיעָא וּרְקִיעָא חֲמֵשׁ מְאָה שְׁנִין). And this Aravot, its length is one thousand five hundred years (וְהַאי עֲרָבוֹת הִלּוּכוֹ בְּאוֹרְכֵיהּ: אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאָה שְׁנִין), and its breadth is one thousand five hundred years (וּפוּתְיֵיהּ: אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאָה שְׁנִין), and from its radiance all the firmaments are illuminated (וּמִזִּיוָא דִּילֵיהּ נָהֲרִין כָּל אִינוּן רְקִיעִין). And behold we have learned (וְהָא תָּנֵינָן), above Aravot is the firmament of the Chayot (לְעֵילָּא מֵעֲרָבוֹת רָקִיעַ דְּחַיּוֹת), the soles of the holy Chayot and their height is as all of them (פַּרְסוֹת דְּחַיּוֹת קַדִּישִׁין וְרוּמְהוֹן כְּכֻלְּהוּ).

Above them are the ankles of the Chayot like all of them (לְעֵילָּא מִנְּהוֹן קַרְסוּלַיִן דְּחַיּוֹת כְּכֻלְּהוּ), the thighs of the Chayot like all of them (שׁוֹקֵי הַחַיּוֹת כְּכֻלְּהוּ), the knees of the Chayot like all of them (אַרְכּוּבִין דְּחַיּוֹת כְּכֻלְּהוּ), the hips of the Chayot like all of them (יַרְכִין דְּחַיּוֹת כְּכֻלְּהוּ), the backs of the Chayot like all of them (עַגְבֵי דְּחַיּוֹת כְּכֻלְּהוּ), the bodies of the Chayot like all of them (וְגוּפָא דְּחַיּוֹת כְּכֻלְּהוּ), their wings like all of them (גַּדְפַּיְיהוּ כְּכֻלְּהוּ), and their necks like all of them (וְצַוָּארַיְהוּ כְּכֻלְּהוּ), the heads of the Chayot like all of them (רָאשֵׁי הַחַיּוֹת כְּכֻלְּהוּ).

What is “like all of them”? (מַאי כְּכֻלְּהוּ) In correspondence to all of them (כָּקֳבְלֵי כֻּלְּהוּ). And every joint and joint of the Chayot (וְכָל שַׁיְיפָא וְשַׁיְיפָא דִּבְחַיּוֹת), corresponds to the seven Tehomim (לָקוֳבֵל שִׁבְעָה תְּהוֹמִין), and corresponds to seven palaces (וְלָקוֳבֵל שִׁבְעָה הֵיכָלִין), and corresponds from earth to firmament (וְלָקוֳבֵל מֵאַרְעָא לִרְקִיעָא), and from firmament to firmament (וְלָקוֳבֵל מֵרְקִיעָא לִרְקִיעָא). And the measure of all of them and their height is twenty-five thousand divisions (וְשִׁיעוּרָא דְּכוּלְּהוּ וְרוּמְהוֹן עֶשְׂרִין וַחֲמִשָּׁה אַלְפִין חוּלָקִין), by the measure of Kudsha Berikh Hu (מִשִּׁיעוּרָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as we have established (כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא). And further, there is one firmament above (וְעוֹד רְקִיעָא חַד לְעֵילָּא), above the horns of the Chayot (מִן קַרְנֵי הַחַיּוֹת), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): (Ezekiel 1) “And the likeness over the heads of the Chayah was a firmament” (וּדְמוּת עַל רָאשֵׁי הַחַיָּה רָקִיעַ). From the side [of that expanse]-how many chariots! (מִלְּרַע כַּמָּה רְתִיכִין), to the right and to the left (בִּימִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא). Beneath the sea dwell all the fish of the sea (מִתְּחוֹת יַמָּא שָׁרָאן כֻּלְּהוּ נוּנֵי יַמָּא), and they swim (וְשָׁטָאן), and they are gathered into four corners (אִתְּכְּנָפוּ בְּזָוִיּהוֹן אַרְבַּע), descending in their levels (נַחְתִּין בְּדַרְגַּיְיהוּ), and all of them are chariots called by their names (וְכוּלְּהוּ רְתִיכִין אִקְרוּן בִּשְׁמָהָן).

Beneath these go and swim the small ones (מִתְּחוֹת אִלֵּין אַזְלִין וְשָׁאטִין אִינּוּן זְעִירִין), level upon level (דַּרְגִּין עַל דַּרְגִּין), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): (Psalms 104) “This is the great and wide sea, there are moving things without number, small Chayot with great ones” (זֶה הַיָּם גָּדוֹל וּרְחַב יָדַיִם שָׁם רֶמֶשׂ וְאֵין מִסְפָּר חַיּוֹת קְטַנּוֹת עִם גְּדוֹלוֹת). And behold, we have already established these matters (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלֵּי).