Daf 75a (דַּף ע״ה ע״א)

The mystery of these letters is near (וְרָזָא דְּאִינּוּן אַתְוָון אִיהוּ קָרִיב). That which was previously distant (דָּא הֲוָה רָחִיק), now these letters protrude in his face (וְהַשְׁתָּא אִינּוּן אַתְוָון בַּלְטִין בְּאַנְפּוֹי), and they testify about him in suddenness (וְסָהֲדִין בֵּיהּ בִּבְהִילוּ). And the sign of this is the letter Kuf (some say Heh (וְסִימָנָא דָּא ק׳ [ד״א: ה׳]) from the right side are certain letters (מִסְּטַר יְמִינָא אַתְוָון), and others from the left side (אַחֲרָנִין מִסְּטַר שְׂמָאלָא). And although other projecting strokes appear in his face (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּשׁוּרְיֵיקֵי אַחֲרָנִין אִתְחָזוּן בְּאַנְפּוֹי), they do not protrude outward like these (לָא בַּלְטִין לְבַר כְּהָנֵי), except at the time when he walks in crookedness (בַּר בְּזִמְנָא דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל בְּעַקִּימוּ).

This one is the seed of David (הַאיִ אִיהוּ זַרְעָא דְּדָוִד), and he shifts from this appearance (אִתְהַפַּךְ מֵחֵיזוּ דָּא). At first, he appears in the image of Adam (בְּקַדְמִיתָא אִתְחָזֵי בְּדִּיּוּקְנָא דְּאָדָם), and afterward he endures in the image of the lion (וּלְבָתַר קַיְימָא בְּדִּיּוּקְנָא דְּאַרְיֵה), and then is distinguished in the image of the other side (וְאִתְפְּרַשׁ בְּדִּיּוּקְנָא דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), and altogether, he transforms differently from all other people (וּבְכֹלָּא מִתְהַפְּכָא מִשְּׁאָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא).

The third form-if that man walks in an unrectified path (צִיּוּרָ״א תְּלִיתָאָה, אִי הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ אָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא דְּלָא מְתַתְקְנָא), and deviates his ways from the ways of the Orayta (וְסָטֵי אוֹרְחוֹי מֵאָרְחֵי דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), then the holy spirit departs from him (הַהוּא רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא אִסְתַּלָּק מִנֵּיהּ), and another spirit is seen in him (וְרוּחָא אַחֲרָא אִתְחָזֵי בֵּיהּ), and a different image (וּדְיוּקְנָא אַחֲרָא), and it protrudes outward (וּבָלִיט לְבַר), in the gaze of the eyes of the wise-hearted (בְּאִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא דְּעַיְינִין דְּחַכִּימֵי לִבָּא), in the momentary appearance of the image of an ox (לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּשׁוֹר). At the moment they see him (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּחָמָאן לֵיהּ), that image passes through their hearts (מַעְבְּרָן בְּלִבַּיְיהוּ הַהוּא דִּיּוּקְנָא), and they look again upon him (וְאִסְתַּכְּלָן בֵּיהּ).

Three red lines appear in his face (ג׳ קוּרְטָמֵי סוּמָקֵי בְּאַנְפּוֹי), on the right side (בְּסִטְרָא דִּימִינָא), and these are fine red projecting strokes (וְאִינּוּן שׁוּרְיֵיקֵי סוּמָקִין דְּקִיקִין). And three are on the left side (וּתְלַת בִּשְׂמָאלָא), and these are letters that project from him (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן אַתְוָון דְּבַלְטִין בֵּיהּ). One is a fine projecting stroke in a circle (חַד אִיהוּ שׁוּרְיֵיקָא דָּקִיק בְּעִגּוּלָא), and two other fine ones are over it (וּתְרֵין דְּקִיקִין אַחֲרָנִין עָלֵיהּ), and all of them are in a circle (וְכֻלְּהוּ בְּעִגּוּלָא). And then his eyes sink in (וּכְדֵין שְׁקִיעִין עֵינוֹי).

And the mystery of these letters-one is the letter Kaf (וְרָזָא דְּאִינּוּן אַתְוָון, חַד אִיהוּ כ׳), and two others are the initials Resh and Tav (תְּרֵין אַחֲרָנִין ר״ת אִינּוּן). And likewise on the left side (וְכֵן לִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא), and the sign for this is what is written: “The expression of their faces testifies against them” (Isaiah 3) (וְסִימָנָא דָּא הַהוּא דִּכְתִּיב: הַכָּרַת פְּנֵיהֶם עָנְתָה בָּם), and these letters protrude on his face above all other projecting strokes (וְאִלֵּין אַתְוָון בַּלְטִין בְּאַנְפּוֹי, עַל כָּל שְׁאָר שׁוּרְיֵיקִין). And if he returns from the left to the right (וְאִי תָּב מִשְּׂמָאלָא לִימִינָא), that spirit is subdued (אִתְכַּפְיָא הַהוּא רוּחָא), and the spirit of holiness is strengthened (וְאִתְתַּקַּף רוּחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא), and these projecting lines lie flat (וְאִלֵּין שׁוּרְיֵיקִין שְׁכִיבוּ), and others protrude outward (וְאַחֲרָנִין בַּלְטִין לְבַר), as was previously explained (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר).

The seed of David is the inverse (זַרְעָא דְּדָוִד אִיהוּ בְּהִפּוּכָא); first he appears in the image of a lion (אִתְחַזְיָא בְּדִּיּוּקְנָא דְּאַרְיֵה בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and afterwards returns in the image of an ox (וּלְבָתַר אִתְהַדַּר בְּדִּיּוּקְנָא דְּשׁוֹר). Two black projecting strokes are on his face (תְּרִין שׁוּרְיֵיקִין אוּכָּמִין בְּאַנְפּוֹי), one on the right (חַד מִימִינָא), and one on the left (וְחַד מִשְּׂמָאלָא), and these are letters (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן אַתְוָון): one is called Dalet (חַד אִקְרֵי ד׳), and one is called Ayin (וְחַד אִקְרֵי ע׳), and all of this is opposite to other human beings (וְכֹלָּא מִתְהַפְּכָא מִשְּׁאָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא).

The fourth form is the form of a man (צִיּוּרָ״א רְבִיעָאָה, דָּא אִיהוּ צִיּוּרָא דְּבַר נָשׁ), who constantly prepares to correct according to the primordial mystery (דְּקַיֵּימָא תָּדִיר לְאִתְתַּקְּנָא עַל רָזָא דְּמִלְקַדְּמִין). This is a vision for the wise-hearted (הַאי אִיהוּ חֵיזוּ לְחַכִּימֵי לִבָּא), in the image of an eagle (בְּדִּיּוּקְנָא דְּנֶשֶׁר). His spirit is a weakened spirit (הַהוּא רוּחָא דִּילֵיהּ אִיהוּ רוּחָא חַלְשָׁא).

This one does not show in the face any letters that protrude outward (הַאי לָא אַחֲזֵי בְּאַנְפִּין אַתְוָון דְּבַלְטִין לְבַר), for they were lost from him (דְּהָא אִתְאֲבִידוּ מִנֵּיהּ), and were absorbed into an earlier time from before (וְאִשְׁתְּקָעוּ בְּזִמְנָא אַחֲרָא דְּמִלְקַדְּמִין), when they departed from him (דְּאִסְתַּלְּקוּ מִנֵּיהּ), and therefore they do not protrude within him (וְעַל דָּא לָא בַּלְטִין בֵּיהּ). And his mystery is this: his eyes do not shine with sparkle when he is in joy (וְרָזָא דִּילֵיהּ, עֵינָו לָא נְהִירִין בִּנְצִיצוּ, כַּד אִיהוּ בְּחֶדְוָה). And at the time that he cuts the hair of his head and beard (וּבִזְמָנָא דְּסָפַר שַׂעַר רֵישֵׁיהּ וְדִיקְנֵיהּ), because his spirit does not shine for him in letters (בְּגִין דְּרוּחֵיהּ לָא נָהִיר לֵיהּ בְּאַתְוָון), and the sparkle that had been within him earlier has sunken away (וְאִשְׁתְּקַע נְצִיצוּ דִּילֵיהּ דְּהֲוָה בְּקַדְמִיתָא). He does not endure in the contemplative gaze of the face (לָא קַיֵּימָא בְּאִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא דְּאַנְפִּין לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא). And this is the mystery of the verse (וְרָזָא דְּהַאי): “I praised the dead who are already dead, more than the living who are still alive” (Ecclesiastes 4) (וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת הַמֵּתִים שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ מִן הַחַיִּים אֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה חַיִּים עֲדֶנָּה). The seed of David (זַרְעָא דְּדָוִד): “The secret of Hashem is with those who fear Him, and His covenant to make it known to them” (Psalms 25) (סוֹד יְיָ לִירֵאָיו וּבְרִיתוֹ לְהוֹדִיעָם).