Daf 128a (דַּף קכ״ח ע״א)

The fifth arrangement (סִדּוּרָא חֲמִישָׁאָה): a drawing was drawn, a stirring of water (אִתְנְגִיד חַד מְשִׁיכוּ, דִּרְחִישׁוּ דְּמַיָּא), and it made service to bring forth that Nehiru from the arrangement of the fourth day (וְעָבִיד שִׁמּוּשָׁא לְאַפָּקָא הַהוּא נְהִירוּ, דְּסִדּוּרָא דְּיוֹמָא רְבִיעָאָה). And it made service in this Appiryon (וְעָבִיד בְּהַאי אַפִּרְיוֹן שִׁמּוּשָׁא), and it brought forth forms in their likenesses (וְאַפִּיק זִינִין לְזִינֵיהּ), those that were seen in exactly that likeness (אִינּוּן דְּאִתְחָזֵי כְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא מַמָּשׁ). And this day performed that service more than all the other days (וְהַאי יוֹמָא שִׁמֵּשׁ הַהוּא שִׁמּוּשָׁא יַתִּיר מִכָּל שְׁאַר יוֹמִין). And all was dependent upon the sixth day (וְכֹלָּא תַּלְיָא עַד יוֹמָא שְׁתִיתָאָה), when the Appiryon brought forth everything that had been hidden within it (דְּאַפִּיק אַפִּרְיוֹן כָּל מַה דְּהֲוָה גָּנִיז בֵּיהּ), as it is written: “Let the earth bring forth living soul after its kind, etc.” (דִּכְתִּיב: תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ וְגוֹ') (Bereshit 1). And this is the fifth day, one of those trees of the Levanon (וְדָא אִיהוּ יוֹמָא חֲמִישָׁאָה, חַד מֵאִינּוּן עֲצֵי הַלְּבָנוֹן).

The sixth arrangement (סִדּוּרָא שְׁתִיתָאָה): this is the day when the entire Appiryon was prepared (דָּא אִיהוּ יוֹמָא דְּאַתְקִין כָּל הַאי אַפִּרְיוֹן), and it has no Tikkun and no power (וְלֵית לֵיהּ תִּקּוּנָא, וְלֵית לֵיהּ תֻּקְפָּא), except on this day (בַּר מֵהַאי יוֹמָא). When this day arrives, this Appiryon is repaired (כַּד אָתָא הַאי יוֹמָא, אִתְתָּקַּן הַאי אַפִּרְיוֹן), with many Spirits, with many souls, with many youthful maidens of beautiful form (בְּכַמָּה רוּחִין, בְּכַמָּה נִשְׁמָתִין, בְּכַמָּה עוּלֵימָתָן שְׁפִירָן בְּחֵיזוּ), those who were seen fit to sit in the palace of the King (אִינּוּן דְּאִתְחָזוּן לְמֵיתָב בְּהֵיכְלָא דְּמַלְכָּא). Also, it was prepared more beautifully than all the other days that had preceded (אוּף אִיהוּ אִתְתָּקַּן בִּשְׁפִירוּ כָּל שְׁאָר יוֹמִין דַּהֲווֹ בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and He arranged them in one desire (וְאַתְקִין לוֹן בְּתִיאוּבְתָּא חֲדָא), with Desire and joy (בִּרְעוּתָא בְּחֶדְוָה), a Tikkun of above and below (תִּקּוּנָא דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא). Then was sanctified this Appiryon (כְּדֵין אִתְקַדָּשׁ הַאי אַפִּרְיוֹן), with supernal sanctities (בְּקִדּוּשִׁין עִלָּאִין), and it was crowned with its crowns (וְאִתְעַטָּר בְּעִטְרוֹי), until it ascended in the ascent of the crown of peace (עַד דְּסָלִיק בִּסְלִיקוּ דְּעִטְרָא דְּנַיְיחָא), and was called a supernal name, a holy name (וְאִקְרֵי שְׁמָא עִלָּאָה, שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), and this is Shabbat (דְּאִיהִי שַׁבָּת): the peace of all (נַיְיחָא דְּכֹלָּא), the desire of all (תִּיאוּבְתָּא דְּכֹלָּא), the union of all (דְּבֵקוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא), of above and below as one (דְּעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא כַּחֲדָא). And then it is written: “Appiryon did King Shlomo make for himself from the trees of the Levanon” (וּכְדֵין כְּתִיב: אַפִּרְיוֹן עָשָׂה לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה מֵעֲצֵי הַלְּבָנוֹן) (Shir haShirim 3).

Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): Whoever merits that Appiryon, merits everything (מַאן דְּזָכֵי בְּהַהוּא אַפִּרְיוֹן, זָכֵי בְּכֹלָּא), he merits to sit in the peace of the shade of Kudsha Berikh Hu (זָכֵי לְמֵיתַב בְּנַיְיחָא דְּצִלָּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written: “In His shade I delighted and sat” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: בְּצִלּוֹ חִמַּדְתִּי וְיָשַׁבְתִּי) (Shir haShirim 2). And now that we are sitting in this peaceful shade (וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּיָתִיבְנָא בְּצִלָּא דְּנַיְיחָא דָּא), we must reflect that we do not sit in any shade except in the shade of Kudsha Berikh Hu, within that Appiryon (אִית לָן לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא דְּלָא יַתְבֵינָן אֶלָּא בְּצִלָּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, גּוֹ הַהוּא אַפִּרְיוֹן). And we must crown this place (וְאִית לָן לְאַעֲטָרָא הַאי אֲתָר), with supernal crowns (בְּעִטְרִין עִלָאִין), until the trees of that Appiryon are aroused (עַד דְּיִתְעָרוּן אִילָנֵי דְּהַהוּא אַפִּרְיוֹן), to bring us beneath another shade (לְמֵיתֵי עֲלָן בְּצִלָּא אַחֲרָא).

Rabbi Shim‘on opened initially and said (פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בְּרֵישָׁא וְאָמַר): “And let them take for Me a donation from every man whose heart impels him you shall take My donation” (וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ תִּקְחוּ אֶת תְּרוּמָתִי) (Shemot 25). “And let them take for Me”-this refers to one who seeks to engage in a mitzvah (וְיִקְחוּ לִי: הַאי מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּמִצְוָה), and to engage in it with Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּלְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). He must not engage in it with emptiness or for nothing (אִצְטְרִיךְ דְּלָא יִשְׁתָּדַּל בֵּיהּ בְּרֵיקָנַיָּיא וּבְמַגָּנָא), rather a person must engage in it properly, according to his strength (אֶלָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בֵּיהּ כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת כְּפוּם חֵילֵיהּ).

And this word we have established in many places (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה דָּא בְּכַמָּה אַתְרֵי): it is proper for a person to offer that effort to Kudsha Berikh Hu (יֵאוֹת לְמֵיסַב בַּר נָשׁ הַהוּא אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is said: “A man according to the gift of his hand…” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: אִישׁ כְּמַתְּנַת יָדוֹ וְגוֹ') (Devarim 16). And if you say, but it is written: “Go, buy and eat, and go, buy without silver and without price, wine and milk” (וְאִי תֵּימָא: הָא כְּתִיב: לְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ וֶאֱכֹלוּ, וּלְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ בְּלא כֶסֶף וּבְלא מְחִיר יַיִן וְחָלָב) (Yeshayahu 55), for behold this is for free (דְּהָא אִיהוּ בְּמַגָּנָא), and it is the engagement of Kudsha Berikh Hu (and its pursuit is without silver) (וְאִיהוּ אִשְׁתַּדְלוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא (וְאִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָהּ בְּלא כֶּסֶף)?

Rather, the engagement with Orayta-whoever seeks, may merit it (אֶלָּא אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָא דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא, כָּל מַאן דְּבָעֵי זָכֵי בָּהּ). The engagement of Kudsha Berikh Hu to know Him-whoever seeks, may merit Him, with no reward at all (אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ, כָּל מַאן דְּבָעֵי זָכֵי בֵּיהּ, בְּלָא אַגְרָא כְּלָל). But the engagement with Kudsha Berikh Hu that endures in action-it is forbidden to receive it for free or emptily (אֲבָל אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּקַיְּימָא בְּעוֹבָדָא, אָסִיר לְנַטְּלָא לֵיהּ לְמַגָּנָא וּבְרֵיקָנַיָּיא), for he does not truly merit in that deed (בְּגִין דְּלָא זָכֵי בְּהַהוּא עוֹבָדָא כְּלָל), to draw upon himself the spirit of Kudsha Berikh Hu (לְאַמְשָׁכָא עָלֵיהּ רוּחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא), except with a complete reward (אֶלָּא בַּאֲגַר שְׁלִים).

In the Book of the Charmers (בְּסִפְרָא דְּחַרְשֵׁי), which Ashmedai taught to King Shlomo (דְּאוֹלִיף אַשְׁמְדָאי לִשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא), anyone who seeks to exert effort to remove from himself an impure spirit (כָּל מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא לְאַעְבְּרָא מִנֵּיהּ רוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא), and to subdue another spirit (וּלְאַכְפֵּיָיא רוּחָא אַחֲרָא), that act in which he wishes to engage (הַהוּא עוֹבְדָא דְּבָעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בֵּיהּ), he must acquire it with full payment (בָּעֵי לְמִקְנֵי לֵיהּ בַּאֲגָר שְׁלִים), whatever may be asked of him, whether small or great (בְּכָל מַה דְּיִבְעוּן מִנֵּיהּ, בֵּין זְעֵיר בֵּין רַב), because the impure spirit (בְּגִין דְּרוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא) is always available for free and without cost (אִיהוּ אִזְדָּמַּן תָּדִיר בְּמַגָּנָא וּבְרֵיקָנַיָּיא), and is acquired without price (וְאִזְדְּבַן בְּלָא אַגְרָא). It imposes itself upon people to rest upon them (וְאָנִיס לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא לְמִשְׁרֵי עָלַיְיהוּ), and it entices them to dwell with it (וּמְפַתֵּי לוֹן לְדַיְירָא עִמְּהוֹן), with many seductions and in many ways (בְּכַמָּה פִּתּוּיִין, בְּכַמָּה אָרְחִין), leading them to make its dwelling equal with theirs (סָטֵי לוֹן לְשַׁוָּואָה דִּיּוּרִיהּ עִמְהוֹן).

But the Holy Spirit is not so (וְרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא לָאו הָכִי): rather, only with full reward (אֶלָּא בַּאֲגַר שְׁלִים), with very great exertion (וּבְאִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָא רַב סַגִּי), with purification of his body (וּבְאִתְדַּכְּאוּתָא דְּגַרְמֵיהּ), and purification of his habitation (וּבְאִתְדַּכְּאוּתָא דְּמִשְׁכָּנֵיהּ), and with the desire of his heart and soul (וּבִרְעוּתָא דְּלִבֵּיהּ וְנַפְשֵׁיהּ). And fortunate is he who can merit it (וּלְוָאי דְּיָכִיל לְמִרְוַוח לֵיהּ), to make its dwelling with him (דִּישַׁוֵּי מָדוֹרֵיהּ עִמֵּיהּ). And even with all that, he must walk in a straight path (וְעִם כָּל דָּא דְּיָהַךְ בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר), not turning to the right or to the left (דְּלָא יִסְטֵי לִימִינָא וְלִשְׂמָאלָא), and if not-immediately it departs from him (וְאִי לָאו, מִיָּד אִסְתַּלָּק מִנֵּיהּ), and distances itself from him (וְאִתְרְחַק מִנֵּיהּ). And he will not be able to merit it again as at first (וְלָא יָכִיל לְמִרְוַוח לֵיהּ כְּדִבְקַדְמֵיתָא).