Daf 101a (דַּף ק״א ע״א)

Rather (אֶלָּא): “Blessed be the Name of God from everlasting to everlasting, for Chokhmah and Gevurah are His” (לֶהוֵא שְׁמֵיהּ דִּי אֱלָהָא מְבָרַךְ מִן עָלְמָא וְעַד עָלְמָא דִּי חָכְמְתָא וּגְבוּרְתָּא דִּילֵיהּ הִיא) (Daniel 2:20). “And He changes the times and the seasons... He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him” (וְהוּא מְהַשְׁנֵא עִדָּנַיָּא וְזִמְנַיָא וְגוֹ׳ יָדַע מָה בְּחָשׁוֹכָא וּנְהוֹרָא עִמֵּיהּ שָׁרָא) (Daniel 2:21–22).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזִי): one who dwells in the light (מַאן דִּשְׁרֵי בִּנְהוֹרָא) cannot gaze into and behold the darkness (לָא יָכִיל לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא וּלְמֶחֱמֵי בְּחָשׁוֹכָא). But Kudsha Berikh Hu is not so (אֲבָל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָאו הָכִי); “He knows what is in the darkness,” even though “the light dwells with Him” (יָדַע מָה בַחֲשׁוֹכָא, אַף עַל גַּב דִּנְהוֹרָא עִמֵּיהּ שָׁרָא) (Daniel 2:22). From within the light (מִגּוֹ נְהוֹרָא), He gazes into the darkness (אִסְתָּכַּל בַּחֲשׁוֹכָא), and knows everything that is there (וְיָדַע כָּל מַה דְּתַמָּן).

Here (הָכָא), it is necessary first to introduce (אִית לְאַקְדְּמָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא) one matter (מִלָּה חֲדָא), spoken by the ancients (דְּאָמְרוּ קַדְמָאֵי), concerning those visions of the night (בְּאִינּוּן חֶזְוֵי לֵילְיָא). For we have learned (דִּתְנָן): one who has relations with his mother in a dream (מַאן דְּאָתֵי עַל אִמֵּיהּ בְּחֶלְמָא), should hope for Binah (יְצַפֶּה לַבִּינָה), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “For if you call out to Binah” (כִּי אִם לַבִּינָה תִקְרָא) (Mishlei 2:3). Here (הָכָא), it is necessary to examine carefully (אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא): if it is merely because she is his mother (אִי בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי אֵם יֵאוֹת), then it should have explicitly stated (וַהֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמִכְתַּב הָכִי): “One who sees his mother in a dream shall merit Binah” (דְּמַאן דְּחָמָא אִמֵּיהּ בְּחֶלְמָא, יִזְכֵּי לַבִּינָה).

But one who has relations with his mother-why? (אֲבָל מַאן דְּאָתֵי עַל אִמֵּיהּ אֲמַאי). Rather, this is a lofty mystery (אֶלָּא רָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ): since it has been reversed (בְּגִין דְּאִתְהַפָּךְ), ascending from below to above (וְסָלִיק מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא). At first he was a son (בְּרָא הֲוָה בְּקַדְמִיתָא); once he ascends above (כֵּיוָן דְּסָלִיק לְעֵילָּא), the tree is inverted (אִתְהַפַּךְ אִילָנָא), and he becomes from the higher world (וְאִתְעָבִיד אִיהוּ מֵעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה). He rules over her (וְשָׁלִיט עָלָהּ), and thus merits Binah (וְזָכֵי לַבִּינָה).

Initially, when a person reaches thirteen years (בְּקַדְמִיתָא כַּד סָלִיק אֵינָשׁ לְי״ג שְׁנִין), what is written? (מַה כְּתִיב), (Tehillim 2) “Hashem said to me, ‘You are My son, this day I have begotten you’” (יְיָ' אָמַר אֵלַי בְּנִי אַתָּה אֲנִי הַיּוֹם יְלִדְתִּיךָ). Then, he is below her (כְּדֵין אִיהוּ לְתַתָּא מִינָהּ). When he ascends above her (כֵּיוָן דְּסָלִיק עָלָהּ), he becomes from the higher world (הַאי אִיהוּ מֵעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה). For he has ascended to the spiritual rung of Yosef (דְּהָא אִסְתַּלָּק בְּדַרְגָּא דְּיוֹסֵף), and this indeed merits Binah (וְדָא זָכֵי לַבִּינָה).

So too with this vessel (אוּף הָכִי הַאי מָאנָא), at first he occupied the level of Yosef (בְּקַדְמִיתָא אִיהוּ הֲוָה בְּדַרְגָּא דְּיוֹסֵף), husband of the lower tree (בַּעַל אִילָנָא תַּתָּאָה), who stood willingly under his desire (קַיְּימָא בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ) and he ruled over her (וְשָׁלִיט עָלֵיהּ). For every female (דְּהָא כָּל נוּקְבָּא) stands in the image of the female of the lower tree (בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּנוּקְבָּא אִילָנָא תַּתָּאָה קַיְּימָא). Since he did not wish to remain at the level of Yosef (כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהוּ לָא בָּעָא לְקַיְּימָא בְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּיוֹסֵף), and did not maintain himself to serve there (וְלָא אִתְקְיָים לְשַׁמְּשָׁא בֵּיהּ), nor to multiply in the world (וּלְאַפָּשָׁא בְּעָלְמָא), nor to produce offspring (וּלְמֶעְבַּד תּוֹלָדִין), thus he descended below (כְּדֵין נָחִית לְתַתָּא), and she became his mother (וְאִתְעָבִידַת אִיהִי אִמֵּיהּ). That redeemer inherited the inheritance of Yosef (וְהַהוּא פָּרוֹקָא, יָרִית יָרוּתָא דְּיוֹסֵף), which originally belonged to him, but he descended below (דְּהֲוָה הוּא בְּקַדְמִיתָא וְאִיהוּ נָחִית לְתַתָּא).

Since he descended below (כֵּיוָן דְּנָחִית לְתַתָּא), the verse was fulfilled in him (כְּדֵין אִתְקַיָּים בֵּיהּ): (Tehillim 2) "Hashem said to me, 'You are My son, today I have begotten you'" (יְיָ' אָמַר אֵלַי בְּנִי אַתָּה אֲנִי הַיּוֹם יְלִדְתִּיךָ). The tree inverted (אִתְהַפַּךְ אִילָנָא). That which had been beneath him, over which he previously ruled (מַה דְּהֲוָה תְּחוֹתֵיהּ וְאִיהוּ שָׁלִיט עָלֵיהּ), now turned and ruled over him (אִתְהַדַּר וְשָׁלִיט הַהוּא אִילָנָא עָלֵיהּ), and he descended below (וְאִיהוּ נָחִית לְתַתָּא). Since he descended below (כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהוּ נָחִית לְתַתָּא), the one who inherited the inheritance and place of Yosef (הַהוּא דְּיָרִית יָרוּתָא אֲתָר דְּיוֹסֵף) is called "his father" (אֲבוֹי אִקְרֵי). Indeed he is his father (אֲבוֹי הֲוֵי וַדַּאי). Everything now stands correctly rectified as fitting (כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ עַל תְקּוּנֵיהּ וַדַּאי כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת).

In the beginning he was from the masculine world (בְּקַדְמִיתָא הֲוָה מֵעָלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא), but was uprooted from there (וְהָא אִתְעַקָּר מִתַּמָּן), and now he is from the feminine world (וְהַשְׁתָּא אִיהוּ מֵעָלְמָא דְּנוּקְבָּא). What he had previously ruled over (וּמַה דְּהֲוָה אִיהוּ שָׁלִיט עָלָהּ), she now rules over him (שַׁלְטָא אִיהִי עָלֵיהּ). He has thus returned entirely into the feminine world (וְאִתְהַדָּר לְמֶהוֵי בְּעָלְמָא דְּנוּקְבָּא).

Therefore, he has no mate at all (וְעַל דָּא לֵית לֵיהּ בַּת זוּג כְּלָל), and they do not proclaim for him (וְלָא מַכְרִיזֵי עָלֵיהּ), regarding a female partner (עַל נוּקְבָּא), for he himself has returned from the feminine world (דְּהָא מֵעָלְמָא דְּנוּקְבָּא אִתְהַדַּר אִיהוּ). And that first body which he abandoned (וְהַהוּא גּוּפָא קַדְמָאָה דְּשָׁבַק) if the people of the world would know and contemplate (אִלְמָלֵא יִנְדְּעוּן וְיִסְתַּכְּלוּן בְּנִי עָלְמָא) the suffering he experiences (צַעֲרָא דְּאִית לֵיהּ) when he is uprooted from the masculine world (כַּד יִתְעָקָּר מֵעָלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא) and returns to the feminine world (וְאִתְהַדָּר לְעָלְמָא דְּנוּקְבָּא), they would know (יִנְדְּעוּן) that there is no pain in the world (דְּהָא לֵית צַעֲרָא בְּעָלְמָא) like that pain (כְּהַהוּא צַעֲרָא). He has no mate (בַּת זוּג לֵית לֵיהּ), for he no longer occupies the masculine place (דְּהָא לָא קַיְּימָא בְּאֲתָר דִּדְכוּרָא). They do not proclaim for him regarding a female partner (לָא מַכְרִיזֵי עָלֵיהּ, עַל נוּקְבָּא), since he himself is now from the feminine world (דְּהָא מֵעָלְמָא דְּנוּקְבָּא אִיהוּ). If he had a mate (וְאִי אִית לֵיהּ בַּת זוּג), it would be through mercy (הֲוִי בְּרַחֲמֵי), pairing him with that female (אִעֲרְעַת בַּהֲדֵי נוּקְבָּא), who until now has had no mate (דְּעַד כְּעַן לָא אִית לָהּ בַּר זוּג).

Regarding this, we learned (וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן): "Perhaps another will precede him through mercy" (דִּילְמָא יְקַדְּמֶנוּ אַחֵר בְּרַחֲמִים) it states "another" (אַחֵר תְּנָן). Thus, everything returns to its rectification (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ עַל תְקּוּנֵיהּ). Therefore it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב), (Vayikra 22) "And a daughter of a Kohen, when she becomes a widow or divorced, having no seed, she shall return to her father's house as in her youth" (וּבַת כֹּהֵן כִּי תִּהְיֶה אַלְמָנָה וּגְרוּשָׁה וְזֶרַע אֵין לָהּ וְשָׁבָה אֶל בֵּית אָבִיהָ כִּנְעוּרֶיהָ). "And a daughter of a Kohen"-we have established this matter (וּבַת כֹּהֵן, הָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה דָּא). "A widow"-from that first body (אַלְמָנָה, מֵהַהוּא גּוּפָא קַדְמָאָה). "And divorced"-for she has not entered behind the King's curtain (וּגְרוּשָׁה, דְּלָא עָאלַת לְפַרְגּוֹדָא דְּמַלְכָּא).

For all those who do not remain in the masculine world (דְּכָל אִינּוּן דְּלָא קַיְימֵי בְּעָלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא) have no portion there (לָא אִית לְהוּ בֵּיהּ חוּלָקָא). He withdrew and uprooted himself from the masculine world (הוּא אִשְׁתְּמִיט וְאַעְקַר גַּרְמֵיהּ מֵעָלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא), thus he has no portion therein (לָא אִית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בֵּיהּ). Therefore, she is called divorced (וְעַל דָּא אִיהִי גְּרוּשָׁה). "And she has no seed" (וְזֶרַע אֵין לָהּ) for if she had seed (דְּאִי הֲוָה לָהּ זֶרַע), he would not have been uprooted from there (לָא אִתְעַקָּר מִנֵּיהּ), nor descended to the feminine world (וְלָא הֲוָה נָחִית לְעָלְמָא דְּנוּקְבָּא). "And she shall return to her father's house" (וְשָׁבָה אֶל בֵּית אָבִיהָ) who is her father's house? (מַאן בֵּית אָבִיהָ).

It is the feminine world (דָּא עָלְמָא דְּנוּקְבָּא), for that world is called "her father's house" (דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא בֵּית אָבִיהָ אִקְרֵי). And that vessel which was previously prepared to be served by her (וְהַהוּא מָאנָא דְּהֲוָה אִתְתָּקַּן לְאִשְׁתַּמְּשָׁא בֵּיהּ), has been reversed-he descended below (אִתְהַפַּךְ וְאִיהוּ נָחִית לְתַתָּא), and that vessel ascended above (וְהַהוּא מָאנָא סָלִיק לְעֵילָּא). "As in her youth" (כִּנְעוּרֶיהָ) as at that time when it is written (כְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דִּכְתִּיב): "Today I have begotten you" (אֲנִי הַיּוֹם יְלִדְתִּיךָ). "I have begotten you," indeed (יְלִדְתִּיךָ וַדַּאי) he shall return to the days of his youth (יָשׁוּב לִימֵי עֲלוּמָיו), as it was originally (כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה בְּקַדְמִיתָא), from thirteen years and upward (מִתְּלֵיסַר שְׁנִין וּלְעֵילָּא).