Daf 8a (דַּף ח׳ ע״א)

He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר), “If a bird’s nest chance to be before you on the way, in any tree or on the ground, young ones or eggs, and the mother sitting upon the young or upon the eggs…” (Deuteronomy 22) (כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן צִפּוֹר לְפָנֶיךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּכָל עֵץ אוֹ עַל הָאָרֶץ אֶפְרוֹחִים אוֹ בֵיצִים וְהָאֵם רֹבֶצֶת וְגוֹ'), “You shall surely send away the mother…” (שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם וְגוֹ').

This verse we have already established (הַאי קְרָא אוֹקִימְנָא לֵיהּ), and it is one of the hidden commandments of the Orayta (וְאִיהוּ חַד מִפִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא גְּנִיזִין), and within it we possess hidden secrets of the Orayta (וַאֲנָן אִית לָן בֵּיהּ רָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא גְּנִיזִין), known pathways and routes to the friends (שְׁבִילִין וְאָרְחִין יְדִיעָן לְחַבְרַיָּיא), among those thirty-two pathways of the Orayta (בְּאִינוּן תְּלָתִין וּתְרֵין שְׁבִילִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא).p5-7 Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi El'azar his son (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ), “El'azar, in the time when the King Mashiach will awaken (אֶלְעָזָר, בְּזִמְנָא דְּיִתְּעַר מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא), how many signs and other wonders will be stirred in the world (כַּמָּה אָתִין וְנִסִּין אָחֲרָנִין יִתְּעֲרוּן בְּעָלְמָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), in the lower Garden of Eden (בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן דִּלְתַּתָּא), there is one hidden and concealed place that is not known (אִית אֲתָר חַד גָּנִיז וְטָמִיר דְּלָא אִתְיְדַע), and it is embroidered with many colors (וְאִיהוּ מְרֻקְּמָא בְּכַמָּה גַּוְונִין), and within it are hidden a thousand palaces of yearning (וּבֵיהּ גְּנִיזִין אֶלֶף הֵיכָלִין דְּכִסּוּפִין). And no one may enter them (וְלֵית מַאן דְּעָיִיל בְּהוּ), except for Mashiach (בַּר מָשִׁיחַ), who stands constantly in the Garden of Eden (דְּאִיהוּ קָאִים תָּדִיר בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן). And the entire garden is surrounded by many chariots of the Righteous (וְכָל גִּנְתָּא מְסַחֲרָא בִּרְתִיכִין סַגִּיאִין דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא), and Mashiach stands over them (וּמָשִׁיחַ קָאִים עָלַיְיהוּ), and over many hosts and companies of souls of the Righteous there (וְעַל כַּמָּה חֵילִין וּמַשִּׁירְיָין דְּנִשְׁמָתִין דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא תַּמָּן), and on new moons, and at appointed times, and on Shabbatot (וּבְרָאשֵׁי יַרְחֵי, וּבִזְמַנֵּי, וּבְשַׁבָּתֵי), Mashiach enters that place (מָשִׁיחַ עָאל בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר) to delight in all those palaces (לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא בְּכָל אִינּוּן הֵיכָלִין).

Deeper and deeper within all those palaces (לְגוֹ לְגוֹ מִכָּל אִינּוּן הֵיכָלִין), there is another hidden and concealed place that is completely unknown (אִית אֲתָר אַחֲרָא טָמִיר וְגָנִיז דְּלָא אִתְיְדַע כְּלָל), and it is called Eden (וְאִקְרֵי עֵדֶן). And no one can know it (וְלֵית מַאן דְּיָכִיל לְמִנְדַּע בֵּיהּ). And Mashiach is concealed (some say: will be revealed (וּמָשִׁיחַ אַגְנִיז (ס״א יִתְגַּלֵּי)) outside, surrounding that place (לְבַר, סַחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא אֲתָר), until one place will be revealed to him (עַד דְּאִתְגְּלֵי לֵיהּ חַד אֲתָר), which is called “Ken Tzippor”(The Birds nest) (דְּאִקְרֵי קַן צִפּוֹר), and it is the place upon which that bird proclaims (וְאִיהוּ אֲתָר דְּכָרִיז עָלֵיהּ הַהוּא צִפּוֹר), that awakens daily in the Garden of Eden (דְּאִתְּעַר בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן בְּכָל יוֹמָא).

And in that place (וּבְהַהוּא אֲתָר), are embroidered the forms of all the other nations (מְרֻקְּמָן דְּיוּקְנִין דְּכָל שְׁאַר עַמִּין), who gathered against Yisrael to destroy them (דְּאִתְכְּנָשׁוּ עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְאַבְאָשָׁא לוֹן). He entered that place (עָאַל בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר), lifted his eyes (זָקִיף עֵינוֹי), and saw the ancestors (וְחָזֵי אֲבָהָן), who had entered the exile at the destruction of the House of God (דְּעָאלִין בְּחָרְבַּן בֵּית אֱלָהָא), until he beheld Rachel (עַד דְּחָמֵי לְרָחֵל), whose tears were on her face (דְּדִמְעָהָא בְּאַנְפָּהָא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu comforts her (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְנַחֵם לָהּ), but she does not wish to be comforted (וְלָא צְבִיאַת לְקַבְּלָא תַנְחוּמִין), as it is said (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר), “She refuses to be comforted for her children” (Jeremiah 31) (מֵאֲנָה לְהִנָּחֵם עַל בָּנֶיהָ).

Then (כְּדֵין), Mashiach raises his voice and weeps (מָשִׁיחַ אָרִים קַלֵיהּ וּבָכֵי), and the whole Garden of Eden trembles (וְאִזְדַּעְזַע כָּל גִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן), and all the Righteous who are there wail and weep with him (וְכָל אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא דְּתַמָּן גָּעוּ וּבָכוּ עִמֵּיהּ). He cries and weeps a second time (גָּעֵי וּבָכֵי זִמְנָא תִּנְיָינָא), and that firmament above the Garden trembles (וְאִזְדַּעְזַע הַהוּא רְקִיעַ דְּעַל גַּבֵּי גִּנְתָּא), one thousand and five hundred myriad supernal hosts (אֶלֶף וְחָמֵשׁ מֵאָה רִבּוֹא מַשְׁרְיָין עִלָּאִין), until it reaches the inner Throne of Glory (עַד דְּמָטֵי לְגוֹ כֻּרְסְיָיא עִלָּאָה).p5-8

Then (כְּדֵין), Kudsha Berikh Hu signals to that bird (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רָמִיז לְהַהוּא צִפָּרָא), and it enters its nest (וְעָאַל לְהַהוּא קֵן דִּילָהּ), and it sits by Mashiach (וְיָתְבָא לְגַבֵּי מָשִׁיחַ), and it calls what it calls (וְקָרֵי מַה דְּקָרֵי), and it awakens what it awakens (וְאִתְּעַר מַה דְּאִתְּעַר).

Until from within the Holy Throne (עַד דְּמִגּוֹ כֻּרְסְיָיא קַדִּישָׁא), that “Ken Tzippor”(The Birds Nest) is proclaimed three times (אִתְקְרֵי תְּלַת זִמְנִין הַהוּא קַן צִפּוֹר), and Mashiach, and all ascend above (וּמָשִׁיחַ, וְכֹּלָּא סַלְּקִין לְעֵילָּא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu makes them swear (וְאוּמֵי לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), to remove the wicked Molcho from the world (לְאַעְבְּרָא מָלְכוּ חַיָּיבָא מִן עָלְמָא), through the hand of Mashiach (עַל יְדָא דְּמָשִׁיחַ), and to exact vengeance for Yisrael (וּלְנָקְמָא נַקְמִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), and all those blessings that Kudsha Berikh Hu is destined to do for His people (וְכָל אִינּוּן טַבְוָון, דְּזָמִין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד לְעַמֵּיהּ). And that “Ken Tzippor”(The Birds Nest) and Mashiach return to their place (וְתָב הַהוּא קַן צִפּוֹר וּמָשִׁיחַ לְדוּכְתֵּיהּ), and Mashiach is concealed again in that place as before (וְתָב מָשִׁיחַ וְאִתְגְּנִיז גּוֹ הַהוּא אֲתָר כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין).

And at the time when Kudsha Berikh Hu awakens to repair the worlds (וּבְזִמְנָא דְּיִתְּעַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַתְקְנָא עָלְמִין), and the letters of His Name shine in completeness (וְאִתְנְהִירוּ אַתְוָון דִּשְׁמֵיהּ בִּשְׁלִימוּ), Yod with Heh (יו״ד בְּהֵ״א), and Vav with Heh (וָא״ו בְּהֵ״א), to be all one in complete unity (לְמֶהֱוֵי כֹּלָּא בִּשְׁלִימוּ חַד), then one star of dread will awaken (כְּדֵין יִתְּעַר חַד כּוֹכָבָא דְּחִילָּא),p5-9 in the middle of the firmament (בְּאֶמְצַע רְקִיעָא), the color of crimson (כְּגָוֶן אַרְגְּוָנָא), flaming and flashing in the daytime (לָהִיט וְנָצִיץ בִּימָמָא), before the eyes of all the world (לְעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּכָל עָלְמָא). And one flame of fire will rise from the north side (וִיקוּם חַד שַׁלְהוֹבָא דְּאֶשָּׁא מִסִּטְרָא דְּצָפוֹן),p5-10 within the firmament (גּוֹ רְקִיעָא), and it will rise opposite that one for forty days (וִיקוּם דָּא לָקֳבֵל דָּא אַרְבְּעִין יוֹמִין), and all the inhabitants of the world will be bewildered (וְיִתְבָּהֲלוּן כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא).

At the end of forty days (לְסוֹף אַרְבְּעִין יוֹמִין), a battle will break out (יַגִּחוּן קְרָבָא), between the star and the flame (כֹּכָבָא וְשַׁלְהוֹבָא), before the eyes of all (לְעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּכֹלָּא), and that flame will spread in fiery blaze (וְיִתְפָּשַּׁט הַהוּא שַׁלְהוֹבָא בִּיקִידוּ דְּאֶשָּׁא), from the north side within the firmament (מִסִּטְרָא דְּצָפוֹן גּוֹ רְקִיעָא), and it will seem to wish to consume that star (וְיַחֲשׁוֹב לְמִבְלַע הַהוּא כֹּכָבָא), and many rulers and kings and nations and peoples will be terrified because of this (וְכַמָּה שַׁלִּיטִין וּמַלְכִין וְאוּמַיָּא וְעַמַּמְיָא יִתְבָּהֲלוּן מֵהַאי). Then that star will retreat to the south side (כְּדֵין יִסְתַּלַּק הַהוּא כֹּכָבָא לִסְטַר דָּרוֹם), and will dominate that flame (וְיִשְּׁלוֹט עַל הַהוּא שַׁלְהוֹבָא), and that flame will be absorbed slowly within the firmament (וְהַהוּא שַׁלְהוֹבָא יִתְבְּלַע זְעֵיר זְעֵיר בִּרְקִיעָא), before that star (מִקָּמֵי הַהוּא כֹּכָבָא), until it will no longer be visible at all (עַד דְּלָא יִתְחָזֵי כְּלָל).

Then that star will trace paths in the firmament (כְּדֵין, הַהוּא כֹּכָבָא יַעְבֵיד אוֹרְחִין בִּרְקִיעַ), in twelve directions (בִּתְרֵיסַר תְּחוּמִין), and those lights will remain in the firmament for twelve days (וְקַיְימִין אִינּוּן נְהוֹרִין בִּרְקִיעָא תְּרֵיסַר יוֹמִין). After twelve days (לְבָתַר תְּרֵיסַר יוֹמִין), all the inhabitants of the world will tremble (יִזְדַּעְזְעוּן כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא), and the sun will darken at midday (וְיִתְחַשַּׁךְ שִׁמְשָׁא בְּפַלְגוּת יוֹמָא), just as the day darkened when the Temple was destroyed (כְּמָה דְּאִתְחַשַּׁךְ יוֹמָא דְּאִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא), until heaven and earth will not be seen (עַד דְּלָא יִתְחֲזוּן שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא). And one voice will be aroused in thunder and lightning (וְיִתְּעַר חַד קָלָּא בְּרַעַם וְזִיקִין), and the earth will quake from that voice (וְאִתְחַלְחַלָא אַרְעָא מֵהַהוּא קָלָּא), and many hosts and companies will perish from it (וְכַמָּה חֵילִין וּמַשִּׁירְיָין יְמוּתוּן מִנֵּיהּ).