Daf 69b (דַּף ס״ט ע״ב)

For there is no Sitra achra (דְּהָא לֵית סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), that does not contain a subtle, faint Nehiru from the side of Kedushah (דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ נְהִירוּ דָּקִיק זְעֵיר מִסִּטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה), like the manner of most dreams (כְּגַוְונָא דְּרוֹב חֶלְמִין), that in their abundance of structure (דְּבִסְגִיאוּת תַּבְנָא), there is one kernel of wheat (אִית חַד גַּרְעִינָא דְּחִטִּין). Except for these impudent, thin husks (בַּר אִלֵּין טַפְסֵי דְּקִיקִין חֲצִיפִין), which are all the more defiled (דְּכֻלְּהוּ מְסָאֲבֵי יַתִּיר). And in them, Bil‘am had knowledge (וּבְהוּ הֲוָה בִּלְעָם יוֹדֵעַ).

Blessed is the portion of Moshe (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה), for he is above all supernal sanctities (דְּאִיהוּ לְעֵילָּא בְּכָל קְדוּשִׁין עִלָּאִין), and gazed into that which permission was not granted to any other man in the world to gaze upon (וְאִסְתַּכַּל, בְּמָה דְּלָא אִתְיְיהִב רְשׁוּ לְבַר נָשׁ אַחֲרָא בְּעָלְמָא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא). And just as Bil‘am saw a faint, subtle Nehiru as through a wall (וּכְמָה דְּבִלְעָם הֲוָה חָמֵי נְהִירוּ זְעֵיר דָּקִיק כְּמִבָּתַר כּוֹתָלָא), from within that Sitra achra (מִגּוֹ הַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), so too Moshe (אוּף הָכִי מֹשֶׁה), from within a supernal, great and abundant Nehiru (מִגּוֹ נְהִירוּ עִילָּאָה רַב וְסַגִּי), saw downward as through a wall (הֲוָה חָמֵי לְתַתָּא כְּמִבָּתַר כּוֹתָלָא), one subtle darkness that appeared to him (חַד חֲשׁוֹכָא דָּקִיק, דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ). And not at all times (וְלָאו בְּכָל זִמְנָא), just as Bil‘am did not perceive that Nehiru at all times (כְּמָה דְּבִלְעָם לָא הֲוָה מִסְתַּכֵּל הַהוּא נְהִירוּ בְּכָל זִמְנָא).

Blessed is the portion of Moshe, the faithful prophet (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא), what is written about him? (מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ) “And the angel of Hashem appeared to him in a flame of fire from within the bush” (Exodus 3) (וַיֵּרָא מַלְאַךְ יְיָ' אֵלָיו בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה). The bush was certainly within that Kedushah (הַסְּנְה וַדַּאי הֲוָה בְּגוֹ הַהוּא קְדוּשָׁה) and clung to it (וְאִתְדָבַּק בֵּיהּ). For all is bound, one to the other (דְּכֹלָּא אִתְדָּבַּק דָּא בְּדָא), pure and impure (טָהוֹר וְטָמֵא), there is no pure except from within impure (לֵית טָהוֹר אֶלָּא מִגּוֹ טָמֵא). And this is the Secret: (וְרָזָא דָּא) “Who can bring the pure from the impure?” (Job 14) (מִי יִתֵּן טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא). Klipah and Brain ascend together (קְלִיפָה וּמוֹחָא דָּא בְּדָא סַלְּקָא). And this Klipah will not be cast off and not broken (וְדָא קְלִיפָה לָא יִתְעֲדֵי וְלָא יִתְּבַּר), until the time that the dead will rise from the dust (עַד זִמְנָא דִּיקוּמוּן מֵתִין מֵעַפְרָא), then the Klipah will be broken (כְּדֵין יִתְּבַּר קְלִיפָה), and the Nehiru will shine in the world (וּנְהִירוּ יַנְהִיר בְּעָלְמָא), without concealment from within the brain (בְּלֹא סְתִימוּ מִגּוֹ מוֹחָא).

Blessed are the Righteous in this world and in the world that is coming (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). And “her two sons” - Rabbi Ḥiyya said: (וְאֵת שְׁנֵי בָּנֶיהָ, אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא) and were they her sons, and not the sons of Moshe? (וְכִי בָּנְיהָ וְלֹא בָּנָיו שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה) Rather, because she had labored after them, without her husband, (אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי אִשְׁתַּדְּלַת אֲבַתְרַיְיהוּ, בְּלָא בַּעְלָהּ) the Orayta called them her sons, and not his sons. (קָרָא לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא בָּנֶיהָ, וְלֹא בָּנָיו). Rabbi Yosi said: Even though they were Moshe’s children, (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסִי, אַף עַל גַּב דִּבְנוֹי דְּמֹשֶׁה הֲווֹ) the word of truth calls them her sons, indeed. (מִלָּה דִּקְשׁוֹט בָּנֶיהָ וַדַּאי).

Rabbi El'azar said: Moshe was being joined in union in another supernal, holy place, (ר' אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, הָא מֹשֶׁה הֲוָה מִזְדַּוֵּוג בַּאֲתָר אַחֲרָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה) and it was not his honor to have them called his sons. (וְלָאו יְקָרָא דִּילֵיהּ לְמִקְרֵי לוֹן בָּנָיו). Now, even though they were his sons, (הַשְׁתָּא אַף עַל גַּב דִּבְנוֹי הֲווֹ) because of the honor of that place in which he was joined, (בְּגִין יְקָרָא דְּהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִזְדָּוַּוג בֵּיהּ) the verse calls them her sons here; afterward it calls them his sons. (קָרָא לוֹן בָּנֶיהָ הָכָא, לְבָתַר קָרָא לוֹן בָּנָיו). Why is that? (מַאי טַעְמָא) Because at that moment when they came, (בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא דְּמָטוּ) Moshe was speaking with the Shekhinta. (הֲוָה מֹשֶׁה מְמַלֵּל בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא). And after he parted and went to his father-in-law, (לְבָתַר דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ וְנָפַק לְגַבֵּי חָמוּי) then it is written: “And Yitro, the father-in-law of Moshe, came with his sons and his wife” (Exodus 18) (כְּדֵין כְּתִיב וַיָּבֹא יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה וּבָנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְגוֹ')

Rabbi Shim‘on said: El'azar, El'azar, (אָמַר ר' שִׁמְעוֹן, אֶלְעָזָר אֶלְעָזָר) I see in this explanation that you began the matter properly, (אָנָא חֲמֵינָא בְּפַרְשְׁתָּא דָּא, דְּאַתְּ שָׁארֵי מִלָּה כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת) but the conclusion is not so. (וְסִיּוּמָא לָאו הָכִי). Indeed, for the honor of the Shekhinta, (וַדַּאי בְּגִין יְקָרָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא) the supernal union in which Moshe was joined- (אִזְדַּוְּוגוּתָא עִלָּאָה דְּאִזְדָּוַּוג בֵּיהּ בְּמֹשֶׁה) it is written her sons. (כְּתִיב בָּנְיהָ). And if you say: But behold it is written, “And Yitro, the father-in-law of Moshe, came with his sons and his wife to Moshe”- (וְאִי תֵּימָא, וְהָא כְּתִיב וַיָּבֹא יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה וּבָנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ אֶל מֹשֶׁה) all of it is one inclusive account. (כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ כְּלָלָא חֲדָא). And his sons-these are the sons of Yitro, (וּבָנָיו, בָּנָיו דְּיִתְרוֹ) for after Moshe came to him, he had sons. (דְּהָא לְבָתַר דְּאָתָא מֹשֶׁה לְגַבֵּיהּ, הֲווֹ לֵיהּ בְּנִין). And so it was with Ya‘akov: (וְהָכִי הֲוָה בְּיַעֲקֹב) once he came to Lavan and made his dwelling with him, (דְּכֵיוָן דְּאָתָא לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּלָבָן, וְשַׁוֵּי דִּיוֹרֵיהּ בֵּיהּ) he had sons. (הֲווֹ לֵיהּ בְּנִין).

So too here with Moshe: (אוּף הָכָא מֹשֶׁה) once he made his dwelling with Yitro, (כֵּיוָן דְּשַׁוֵּי דִּיוֹרֵיהּ בְּיִתְרוֹ) Yitro had sons and brought his whole household with him, (הֲווֹ לֵיהּ לְיִתְרוֹ בְּנִין וְכָל בֵּיתֵיהּ אַיְיתֵי עִמֵּיהּ) to enter them beneath the wings of the Shekhinta, (לְמֵיעַל לוֹן תְּחוֹת גַּדְפֵּי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא) and Yitro said to Moshe: “I, your father-in-law Yitro, have come to you, and your wife and her two sons with her”- (וְיִתְרוֹ אָמַר לְמֹשֶׁה, אֲנִי חוֹתֶנְךָ יִתְרוֹ בָּא אֵלֶיךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ וּשְׁנִי בָּנֶיהָ עִמָּהּ) her two sons is what is written, (וּשְׁנֵי בָּנֶיהָ כְּתִיב) not your two sons. (וְלָא כְּתִיב וּשְׁנֵי בָּנֶיךָ). Some say: And Yitro, the father-in-law of Moshe, came with his sons... (ס"א ויבא יתרו חתן משה ובניו) they were sons to Yitro, (בְּנִין הֲווֹ לֵיהּ לְיִתְרוֹ) as it is written: “And the children of Keni, the father-in-law of Moshe, went up from the city of palm trees…” (Judges 1) (דִּכְתִּיב, וּבְנֵי קֵנִי חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה עָלוּ מֵעִיר הַתְּמָרִים) and his sons stayed with Moshe. (וּבְנוֹי שָׁבַק עִם מֹשֶׁה). And Yitro, the father-in-law of Moshe, came. (וַיָּבֹא יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה). He opened and said: (פָּתַח וְאָמַר) “And many nations shall go and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of Hashem…” (Isaiah 2) (וְהָלְכוּ עַמִּים רָבִּים וְאָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַעֲלֶה אֶל הַר יְיָ' וְגוֹ'). This verse has been established in many places, (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּכַמָּה אֲתָר) but there will be times when the other nations will go and tread their feet (אֲבָל זְמִינִין שְׁאַר עַמִּין לְמֵהַךְ וּלְכַתְּתָא רַגְלַיְיהוּ) to enter beneath the wings of the Shekhinta. (לְמֵיעַל תְּחוֹת גַּדְפֵּי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא). “Come, let us go up”-all the sins of the world cause descent, (לְכוּ וְנַעֲלֶה, כָּל טַעֲוָון דְּעָלְמָא אִית לוֹן יְרִידָה) but one who cleaves to the Kudsha Berikh Hu-there is ascent within him. (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מַאן דְּאִתְדַּבָּק בֵּיהּ, אִית בֵּיהּ עֲלִיָּה). “To the mountain of Hashem”-this is Avraham, (אֶל הַר יְיָ', דָּא אַבְרָהָם) as it is written: “As it shall be said today, on the mountain of Hashem it shall be seen” (Bereshit 22) (אֲשֶׁר יֵאָמֵר הַיּוֹם בְּהַר יְיָ' יֵרָאֶה) for Avraham called it a mountain. (דְּהָא אַבְרָהָם קָרֵי לֵיהּ הַר).

Just as a mountain is ownerless to anyone in the world who desires it, (מַה הַר הֶפְקֵירָא לְכָל מַאן דְּבָעֵי בְּעָלְמָא) so too this holy place is ownerless to be received by any in the world who desire it. (אוּף אֲתָר דָּא קַדִּישָׁא, הֶפְקֵירָא לְקַבְּלָא לְכָל מַאן דְּבָעֵי בְּעָלְמָא). “To the house”-this is Ya‘akov, (אֶל בֵּית, דָּא יַעֲקֹב) who called this place Bayit-house, (דְּקָרָא לְהַאי אֲתָר בַּיִת) as it is written: “This is none other than the house of Elohim.” (Bereshit 28) (אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם בֵּית אֱלֹהִים).