Daf 127a (דַּף קכ״ז ע״א)

And once He brought them forth and they were completed as one (וְכֵיוָן דְּאַפִּיק לוֹן וְאִשְׁתַּכְּלָלוּ כַּחֲדָא), then it is one union (כְּדֵין אִיהוּ חִבּוּרָא חֲדָא). And they are the secret of the letter Vav (וְאִינּוּן רָזָא דְּאָת וי״ו), which is joined in that concealed world (דְּאִתְחַבָּר בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא סְתִימָא), (here a section is missing) (כָּאן חָסֵר). And then it is written: “For Ya‘akov did Yah choose” (וּכְדֵין כְּתִיב: כִּי יַעֲקֹב בָּחַר לוֹ יָהּ) (Psalms 135). When the Vav emerges and is completed from within Yod–Heh (כַּד נָפִיק וי״ו, וְאִשְׁתַּכְּלַל מִגּוֹ י״ה), then-“Yisrael for His treasured one” (כְּדֵין: יִשְׂרָאֵל לִסְגֻלָּתוֹ).

The rest of the people of the world (שְׁאַר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא) were not given permission to ascend so (לָא אִתְיְהִיב לוֹן רְשׁוּ לְסַלְּקָא הָכִי), except “for His treasured one” (אֶלָּא לִסְגֻלָּתוֹ)-a place that takes and gathers all (אֲתַר דְּנָטִיל וְכָנִישׁ כֹּלָּא). And this is the lower level (וְדָא אִיהוּ דַּרְגָּא לְתַתָּא), and from within this, they take above (וּמִגּוֹ דָּא נַטְלִין לְעֵילָּא), in the concealment of desire (בִּסְתִימוּ דִּרְעוּ), but not in revelation (אֲבָל לָא בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא), as Ya‘akov took (כְּמָה דְּנָטִיל יַעֲקֹב). This is what is written: “And let them take for Me a donation” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה) (Shemot 25). “And let them take for Me a donation” p1-0(וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה) (Shemot 25). Rabbi Yehudah opened (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח): “How abundant is Your goodness, which You have hidden for those who fear You; You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, in front of the children of man” (מָה רַב טוּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ לִירֵאֶיךָ פָּעַלְתָּ לַחוֹסִים בָּךְ נֶגֶד בְּנֵי אָדָם) (Psalms 31). This verse-we have already established it and it has been said (הַאי קְרָא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ וְאִתְּמַר). But this secret (אֲבָל רָזָא דָּא), this has been established by the Holy Luminary (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא), within supernal secrets (גּוֹ רָזִין עִלָּאִין).

The supernal level, which is the secret of the supernal world (דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה), is called “Mi” (Who) (אִקְרֵי: מִ״י). The lower level, which is the secret of the lower world (דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה), is called “Mah” (What) (אִקְרֵי: מַ״ה). And we have learned (וְתָנֵינָן): Do not read “Mah” (אַל תִּקְרֵי מַ״ה) but “Me’ah (100)” (אֶלָּא מֵאָה)-because all the supernal levels are perfected here (בְּגִין דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין בְּאַשְׁלְמוּתְהוֹן הָכָא אִינּוּן). Further: why is it called “Mah” (What)? (תּוּ אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי מַ״ה). Because even though it draws from above (אֶלָּא אַף עַל גַּב דִּמְשִׁיכוּ עִלָּאָה אִתְמְשַׁךְ), it is not revealed until it is completed here (לָא אִתְגַּלְיָא עַד דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים הָכָא), for this is the final place of all levels (דְּאִיהוּ אֲתָר סוֹפָא דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין), the end of the drawing down of all (סוֹפָא דְּאַמְשָׁכוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא), and it stands in revelation (וְקַיְּימָא בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא). And even though it is revealed more than all (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָּא), it remains in a state of questioning: “Mah” (What) (קַיְּימָא לִשְׁאֵלָא: מַ״ה). “What have you seen?” (מַה חָמִית), “What have you known?” (מַה יָדַעְתְּ) (Bereshit 2a), as it says: “For you saw no image” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: כִּי לֹא רְאִיתֶם כָּל תְּמוּנָה) (Devarim 4).

And for this reason: “Mah (What), how abundant is Your goodness” (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, מָה, מָה רַב טוּבְךָ), this is the Yesod of the world (דָּא אִיהוּ יְסוֹדָא דְּעָלְמָא), which is called “abundant good” (דְּאִקְרֵי רַב טוּב). As it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “And abundant good to the house of Yisrael” (וְרַב טוּב לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל) (Isaiah 63), for this is indeed abundant good (בְּגִין דְהַאי אִיהוּ רַב טוּב). The primordial light (אוֹר קַדְמָאָה), is called simply “good” (אִקְרֵי טוֹב סְתָם), and here male and female are encompassed as one (וְהָכָא כְּלִילָן דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא כַּחֲדָא). “Which You have hidden” (אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ): this is concealed (דְּהַאי אִתְגְּנִיז), like the form of the primordial light (כְּגַוְונָא דְּאוֹר קַדְמָאָה), which is hidden and concealed (דְּאִתְגְּנִיז וְאִתְטַמַּר). “You have wrought” (פָּעַלְתָּ): this is the craftsmanship of all (דְּהָכָא אִיהוּ אוּמָנוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא), the craftsmanship of all worlds (אוּמָנוּתָא דְּכָל עָלְמָא), the craftsmanship of souls and spirits (אוּמָנוּתָא דְּנִשְׁמָתִין וְרוּחִין).

In this secret (בְּרָזָא דָּא), Kudsha Berikh Hu fashioned the craftsmanship of all worlds (עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוּמָנוּתָא דְּכָל עָלְמָא), and this is the secret (וְרָזָא דָּא): “In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth” (בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ) (Bereshit 1). In this secret the Mishkan was made and built (בְּרָזָא דָּא אִתְעָבִיד מַשְׁכְּנָא וְאִתְבְּנֵי), which is in the image of the upper world (דְּאִיהוּ בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּעָלְמָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), and in the image of the lower world (וּבְדִיּוּקְנָא דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה). This is what is written: “And let them take for Me a donation” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה) (Shemot 25). “For Me. A donation.” (לִי. תְּרוּמָה).-two levels (תְּרֵין דַּרְגִּין), that are one (דְּאִינּוּן חַד), which are joined as one (דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן כַּחֲדָא). “And let them take for Me a donation, etc.” (וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה וְגוֹ').

Rabbi Shim‘on, and Rabbi El‘azar, and Rabbi Abba, and Rabbi Yosi (רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא וְרִבִּי יוֹסִי), were sitting one day (הֲווֹ יַתְבֵי יוֹמָא חַד), beneath the trees (תְּחוֹת אִילָנֵי), in a valley near the Sea of Ginosar (בְּבִקְעָתָא גַּבֵּי יַמָּא דְּגִנּוֹסָר). Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): How beautiful is this shade (כַּמָּה יָאֶה צִלָּא דָּא), which covers us from within the trees (דְּחַפְיָא עֲלָן מִגּוֹ אִילָנֵי), and we are obligated to crown this place with words of Orayta (וַאֲנָן צְרִיכִין לְאַעְטְּרָא הַאי אֲתָר בְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא).

Rabbi Shim‘on opened and said (פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר): “A litter did King Shlomo make for himself from the trees of the Levanon” (שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים ג: אַפִּרְיוֹן עָשָׂה לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה מֵעֲצֵי הַלְּבָנוֹן) (Shir haShirim 3). This verse-we have already established it and it has been explained (הַאי קְרָא הָא אוֹקִימְנָא לֵיהּ וְאִתְּמַר), but Appiryon-this is the lower palace (אֲבָל אַפִּרְיוֹן: דָּא הֵיכָלָא דִּלְתַתָּא), which is in the likeness of the supernal palace (דְּאִיהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דְּהֵיכָלָא עִלָּאָה). And Kudsha Berikh Hu called it the Garden of Eden (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָרָא לֵיהּ גִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן), which He planted for His own delight (דְּאִיהוּ נָטַע לֵיהּ לַהֲנָאָתֵיהּ), and for His longing to be delighted in it (וְכִסּוּפָא דִּילֵיהּ לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא בֵּיהּ), among those souls of the Righteous (גּוֹ אִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא), who all stand and are inscribed within it (דְּתַמָּן כֻּלְּהוּ קַיְּימִין וּרְשִׁימִין בְּגַוֵּיהּ). These are the souls who have no body in this world (אִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּלֵית לוֹן גּוּפָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא); they all ascend and are crowned there (כֻּלְּהוּ סַלְּקִין וּמִתְעַטְּרָן תַּמָּן), and they have a place to behold (וְאִית לוֹן דּוּכְתִּין לְמֵחֲמֵי), to be delighted in the supernal delight that is called “the pleasantness of Hashem” (לְאִתְעַנְּגָא גּוֹ עִנּוּגָא עִלָּאָה דְּאִקְרֵי נֹעַם יְיָ) (Tehillim 27).

And there they are filled with all the longings of the rivers of pure Afarsmona (וְתַמָּן אִתְמַלְּיָין מִכָּל כִּסּוּפִין דְּנַהֲרֵי דְּאֲפַרְסְמוֹנָא דַּכְיָא). Afarsmon-this is the hidden, concealed supernal palace (אֲפַרְסְמוֹן: דָּא הֵיכָלָא עִלָּאָה טְמִירָא גְּנִיזָא). Appiryon-this is the lower palace (אַפִּרְיוֹן: דָּא הֵיכָלָא דִּלְתַתָּא), which has no support until it is supported (some say: drawn) from within the supernal palace (דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ סְמָךְ, עַד דְּאִסְתְּמִיךְ (נ״א דְּאִתְמְשַׁךְ מִגּוֹ הֵיכָלָא עִלָּאָה). And therefore the letter Samekh is closed on all sides (וּבְגִין כַּךְ אָת סָמֶךְ אִיהוּ סָתִים בְּכָל סִטְרוֹי), like this letter Samekh (some say: Mem), which is sealed (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא אָת ס׳ (ס״א מ״ם סְתִימָא). What is the difference between this and that? (מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי). But at the time when it is concealed and hidden within it (אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּסָתִים וְאִתְגְּנִיז בְּגַוֵּיהּ), within the light above (גּוֹ נְהוֹרָא עִלָּאָה לְעֵילָּא), then it stands in the form (some say: in the form of) the letter Samekh (כְּדֵין אִיהִי קַיְּימָא בְּדִיּוּקְנָא (נ״א דָּא דְּאָת סָמֶךְ), sealed within it (סָתִים בְּגַוֵּיהּ), and is hidden within it, to ascend above (וְאִתְגְּנִיז בֵּיהּ, לְסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא) And when it returns and dwells fourth upon the children below to nourish them (וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּהַדְרָא וְיָתְבָא רְבִיעָא עַל בְּנִין לְתַתָּא לְיַנְקָא לוֹן), then it stands in the form of the letter Mem-a square, sealed form (כְּדֵין אִיהִי קַיְּימָא בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּאָת ם׳ רְבִיעָא סְתִימָא), within the four sides of the world (לְגוֹ אַרְבַּע סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא).