Daf 68b (דַּף ס״ח ע״ב)

And Yitro heard, etc. (וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ וְגו׳). Did Yitro hear, and the whole world did not hear? (וְכִי יִתְרוֹ שָׁמַע, וְכָל עָלְמָא לָא שַׁמְעוּ), but is it not written: Nations heard and trembled (וְהָא כְּתִיב: שָׁמְעוּ עַמִּים יִרְגָּזוּן) (Exodus 15)? Rather, the whole world heard, but they were not broken (אֶלָּא, כָּל עָלְמָא שָׁמְעוּ, וְלָא אִתְּבָּרוּ); and he heard, and was broken (וְאִיהוּ שָׁמַע וְאִתְּבַּר), and subdued himself before Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְאִתְכַּפְיָא מִקַּמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and drew near to fear Him (וְאִתְקְרַב לְדַחַלְתֵּיהּ).

Rabbi Abba said (רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר), in many places we have learned (בְּכַמָּה אֲתָר תָּנֵינָן), that whatever Kudsha Berikh Hu does above and below, all is truth (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כָּל מַה דְּעָבַד לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ קְשׁוֹט), and deeds of truth (וְעוֹבָדָא דִּקְשׁוֹט). And there is not a single thing in the world (וְלֵית לָךְ מִלָּה בְּעָלְמָא) that a person should reject or disgrace (דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְדַחְיָא לֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ, וּלְאַנְהָגָא בֵּיהּ קְלָנָא), for they are all deeds of truth (דְּהָא כֻּלְּהוּ עוֹבָדָא דִּקְשׁוֹט אִינּוּן), and everything is needed in the world (וְכֹלָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ בְּעָלְמָא).

For one time (דְּהָא זִמְנָא חֲדָא), Rabbi El‘azar was walking on the road (הֲוָה רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא), and Rabbi Ḥizkiyah was walking with him (וַהֲוָה אָזִיל עִמֵּיהּ רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה). They saw a certain serpent (חָמוּ חַד חִוְיָא); Rabbi Ḥizkiyah arose to kill it (קָם רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה לְמִקְטְלֵיהּ). Rabbi El‘azar said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): leave it, do not kill it (שָׁבִיק לֵיהּ, לָא תְּקַטְלִינֵיהּ). He said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ), but it is an evil thing (וְהָא מִלָּה בִּישָׁא אִיהוּ), that kills human beings (דְּקָטִיל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא). He said to Rabbi Ḥizkiyah (אֲמַר לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה): but is it not written (וְהָא כְּתִיב): If the serpent bites without enchantment (אִם יִשּׁוֹךְ הַנָּחָשׁ בְּלֹא לָחַשׁ) (Ecclesiastes 10)?

A serpent does not bite a person (לָא נָשִׁיךְ חִוְיָא לְבַר נָשׁ), until it is whispered to from above (עַד דְּלָחֲשִׁין לֵיהּ מִלְּעֵילָּא), and it is said to it: go, kill so-and-so (וְאַמְרֵי לֵיהּ: זִיל קָטִיל לֵיהּ לִפְלָנְיָא). And at times, just as it [the serpent] acts to harm, so too it acts to save a person from other matters (וּלְזִמְנִין כְּמָה דְּעָבִיד הַאי, הָכִי נָמֵי שֵׁזִיב לְבַר נָשׁ מִמִּלִּין אַחֲרָנִין), and through it Kudsha Berikh Hu performs a miracle for human beings (וְעַל יְדוֹי אַרְחִישׁ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נִיסָא לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא). And all depends on the hand of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְכֹלָּא בִּידָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא תַּלְיָא), and all is the work of His hands (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ עוֹבָדֵי יְדוֹי), and the world needs them (וְאִצְטְרִיךְ עָלְמָא לְהוּ). And if the world did not need them (וְאִי לָאו דְּאִיצְטְרִיךָ לוֹן עָלְמָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu would not have made them (לָא עָבֵד לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And for this reason, a person should not treat them with disdain in matters of the world (וְעַל דָּא לָא בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאַנְהָגָא בְּהוּ קְלָנָא בְּמִלֵּי דְּעָלְמָא). And regarding the words and deeds of Kudsha Berikh Hu-how much more so! (בְּמִלּוֹי וּבְעוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה).

He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): And Elohim saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good (וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד) (Bereshit 1). And Elohim saw-this is the Living Elohim (וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים: דָּא אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים). And He saw-meaning He looked to shine upon them and to oversee them (וַיַּרְא: דְּאִסְתָּכַּל לְאַנְהָרָא לוֹן וּלְאַשְׁגָּחָא לוֹן). All that He had made-everything included as one, above and below (אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה: כֹּלָּא בִּכְלָלָא חֲדָא, עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא). And behold, it was good-this is the right side (וְהִנֵּה טוֹב: דָּא סִטְרָא דִּימִינָא). Very-this is the left side (מְאֹד: דָּא סִטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא). And it has already been established: Good-this is the Angel of Life; Very-this is the Angel of Death (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ: טוֹב דָּא מַלְאַךְ חַיִּים, מְאֹד דָּא מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת). And all is one secret (וְכֹלָּא רָזָא חֲדָא). It is a secret only for those who gaze into the secret of Chokhmah (רָזָא הוּא לְאִינוּן דְּמִסְתַּכְּלֵי בְּרָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא).

And Elohim saw all that He had made (וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה). In every work of creation, it is written: And Elohim saw that it was good (בְּכָל עוֹבָדָא דִּבְרֵאשִׁית כְּתִיב: וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי טוֹב), but here it is written: And Elohim saw all that He had made (וְהָכָא: וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה). Elohim below-rules over those below (אֱלֹהִים לְתַתָּא: שָׁלִיט עַל תַּתָּאֵי). Elohim above-rules over those above (אֱלֹהִים לְעֵילָּא: שָׁלִיט עַל עִלָּאֵי). This is the secret of Elohim Ḥayyim-the Living Elohim (דָּא אִיהוּ רָזָא דֶּאֱלֹהִים חַיִּים), some say: Another opinion-this is all the Living Elohim (נ״א: דָּבָר אַחֵר: כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים). Who illumines and ignites all those supernal and lower lamps (דְּאַנְהִיר וְאַדְלִיק כָּל אִינּוּן בּוּצִינִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין), and from there all lights go forth to illuminate (וּמִתַּמָּן נָפְקִין כָּל אִינּוּן נְהוֹרִין לְאַנְהָרָא).

Tosefta

In the concealment of all concealments (בִּטְמִירוּ דִּטְמִירִין), a single Reshimu was inscribed (אִתְרְשִׁים רְשִׁימוּ חַד), which is neither seen nor revealed (דְּלָא אִתְחָזֵי וְלָא אִתְגַּלְיָא). That Reshimu is inscribed and not inscribed (הַהוּא רְשִׁימוּ, רָשִׁים וְלָא רָשִׁים). Masters of understanding and those with open eyes cannot stand within it (מָארֵי דְּסָכְלְתָנוּ, וּפִקְחִין דְּעַיְינִין, לָא יַכְלִין לְמֵיקָם בֵּיהּ). It is the sustenance of all (אִיהוּ קִיּוּמָא דְּכֹלָּא). That Reshimu is minute, not seen and not revealed (הַהוּא רְשִׁימוּ אִיהוּ זְעֵיר, דְּלָא אִתְחַזְיָא וְלָא אִתְגַּלְיָא). It exists in desire to sustain all (קַיְּימָא בִּרְעוּתָא, לְקַיְּימָא כֹּלָּא). It draws that which it draws from that which has no Reshimu and no desire, that which is not seen (לְנַטְלָא מַה דְּנַטְלָא מִמַּה דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ רְשִׁימוּ וְלָא רְעוּתָא דְּלָא אִתְחָזֵי).

That Reshimu desired to conceal itself (הַהוּא רְשִׁימוּ בָּעָא לְאַחֲפָיָא גַּרְמֵיהּ), and made for itself a form to be concealed within (וְעָבִיד לֵיהּ לְגַרְמֵיהּ לְאִתְטַמְּרָא בֵּיהּ), one palace (חַד הֵיכָלָא). That palace emanated from itself (הַהוּא הֵיכָלָא אַפִּיק לֵיהּ מִגַרְמֵיהּ), and extended itself with a great and vast extension in all directions (וּמָתַח לֵיהּ בִּמְתִּיחוּ רַב וְסַגִּיא לְכָל סִטְרִין). It adorned itself with garments of glory (אוֹקִיר לֵיהּ בִּלְבוּשֵׁי יְקָר), and opened for itself fifty gates (פָּתַח לֵיהּ חַמְשִׁין תַּרְעִין). Within within (לְגוֹ בְּגוֹ), that Reshimu was concealed and hidden (אִתְטָמַּר וְאִתְגְּנִיז הַהוּא רְשִׁימוּ). Once it was hidden within it and entered into it (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגְּנִיז בֵּיהּ, וְעָאל בְּגַוֵּיהּ), it was filled with light (אִתְמַלְיָא נְהוֹרָא). From that Nehiru, lights flowed forth (מֵהַהוּא נְהִירוּ, נַבְעִין נְהוֹרִין), and sparks came forth from those gates (וְנִצוֹצִין נָפְקִין מֵאִינּוּן תַּרְעִין), and all was illuminated (וְנָהֲרִין כֹּלָּא). That palace was covered with six curtains (הַהוּא הֵיכָלָא אִתְחַפְיָיא בְּשִׁית יְרִיעָן). These six curtains are five (אִינּוּן שִׁית יְרִיעָן, אִינּוּן חֲמֵשׁ). Within within those curtains stands one embroidered curtain (לְגוֹ בְּגוֹ אִינּוּן יְרִיעָן, קַיְּימָא חַד יְרִיעָא מְרֻקָּמָא), and in that curtain the palace is concealed (בְּהַהוּא יְרִיעָה אִתְחַפְיָיא הַהוּא הֵיכָלָא), and from there it watches and sees all (מִנֵּיהּ אַשְׁגַּח וְחָמָא לְכֹלָּא).

This palace is the open eye that never sleeps (הַאי הֵיכָלָא אִיהוּ פְּקִיחָא דְּעַיְינִין, דְּלָא נָיִים). It continually watches to shine downward (אִיהוּ אַשְׁגַּח תָּדִיר לְאַנְהָרָא לְתַתָּא), from the illumination of that Reshimu (מִגּוֹ נְהִירוּ דְּהַהוּא רְשִׁימוּ). That understanding (הַהוּא סָכְלְתָנוּ), the hidden Chokhmah (חָכְמְתָא טְמִירְתָּא), the desire of desires (רְעוּ דִּרְעוּתִין), some say: the request of all requests (ס״א: בְּעוּ דְּבָעוּתִין), is hidden and concealed (הֲוֵי גָּנִיז וְטָמִיר), and not revealed (וְלָא אִתְגַּלְיָא), it exists and it does not exist (קַיְּימָא וְלָא קַיְּימָא). Blessed is He from the concealment of concealment (בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִטְּמִיר דִּטְמִירוּ), blessed is He forever and to all eternity, Amen (בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עַד אָמֵן). (Thus concludes the Tosefta) (ע״כ תּוֹסֶפְתָּא).