Daf 148b (דַּף קמ״ח ע״ב)

And the word is thus (וּמִלָּה הָכִי הוּא). Three there were who were faithful prophets (תְּלָתָא אִינּוּן דַּהֲווֹ נְבִיאֵי מְהֵימְנֵי), and they served in the priesthood (וְשִׁמְּשׁוּ בִּכְהוּנָה). One was Moshe (חַד מֹשֶׁה), and one was Aharon (וְחַד אַהֲרֹן), and one was Shmuel (וְחַד שְׁמוּאֵל). And if you say Shmuel did not serve in the priesthood (וְאִי תֵּימָא שְׁמוּאֵל לֹא מָשִׁיךְ), some say: he served (ס״א: שמש) (בִּכְהוּנָה), but another served in the priesthood (אֶלָּא אַחֲרָא הֲוָה דְּשִׁמֵּשׁ בִּכְהוּנָה), and who was it? Yirmeyahu (וּמַנּוּ יִרְמְיָהוּ). Not so (לָאו הָכִי), for behold it is written, “Of the priests who were in Anatot” (דְּהָא כְּתִיב, מִן הַכֹּהֲנִים אֲשֶׁר בַּעֲנָתוֹת) (Jeremiah 1). He was of the priests (מִן הַכֹּהֲנִים הֲוָה), but he did not serve (אֲבָל לָא שִׁמֵּשׁ). And Shmuel in the days of Eli served (וּשְׁמוּאֵל בְּיוֹמֵי דְּעֵלִי שִׁמֵּשׁ). And Moshe one time, all those seven days of the inauguration (וּמֹשֶׁה זִמְנָא חֲדָא, כָּל אִינּוּן ז׳ יְמֵי מִלּוּאִים).

Shmuel merited the youth (שְׁמוּאֵל זָכָה לְנַעַר), as it is written, “And the youth was a youth” (דִּכְתִיב, וְהַנַעַר נָעַר) (I Samuel 1). And, “And Shmuel ministered” (וּשְׁמוּאֵל מְשָׁרֵת) (I Samuel 2). And because he stood in this degree (וּבְגִין דְּקַיְּימָא בְּהַאי דַּרְגָּא), surely he is like Moshe and Aharon (וַדַּאי אִיהוּ כְּמֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן). Whoever takes hold of this youth (מַאן דְּנָטִיל לְהַאי נַעַר), and merits in him (וְזָכֵי בֵּיהּ), merits in those supernal degrees (זָכֵי בְּאִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין), in which Moshe and Aharon stand (דְּקַיְימִן בְּהוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן).

The Keruvim are of gold (כְּרוּבִים אִינּוּן זָהָב), as it has been established (כְּמַה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ), because they go forth from the side of gold (בְּגִין דְּנַפְקֵי מִסִּטְרָא דְּזָהָב), and no silver is mixed in them (וְלָא אִתְעֲרָב בְּהוּ כֶּסֶף), nor any other color (וְלָא גּוָֹון אַחֲרָא), and this is the color of greenish gold (וְדָא אִיהוּ גּוָֹון זָהָב יְרַקְרָק). In the Mishkan the colors are mixed (בַּמִשְׁכָּן מִתְעָרְבִין גְּוָונִין), gold and silver going together (זָהָב וָכֶסֶף לְמֵיהַךְ כַּחֲדָא), to be the supernal secret in oneness (לְמֶהֱוֵי רָזָא דִּלְעֵילָּא בְּחַד).

Further, copper to be with them (תּוּ נְחֹשֶׁת לְמֶהוֵי בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ), and to go among them in all directions (וּלְמֵיזַל בֵּינַיְיהוּ כָּל סִטְרִין), so that perfection will be found in all together (לְאִשְׁתַּכְחָא שְׁלִימוּ בְּכֹלָּא כַּחֲדָא), as it is written, “Gold and silver and copper” (דִּכְתִיב זָהָב וָכֶסֶף וּנְחֹשֶׁת). Another matter: gold and silver (דָּבָר אַחֵר זָהָב וָכֶסֶף). Gold that returns to silver (זָהָב דְּאִתְהַדָר לְכֶסֶף), and silver to gold (וְכֶסֶף לְזָהָב), and all is included as one (וְכֹלָּא אִתְכְּלִיל כַּחֲדָא), and in one place (וּבְדוּכְתָּא חֲדָא).

In three colors it returns (בִּתְלַת גַּוְונִין אִתְהַדָּר): when it is needed for joy and not judgment, gold (כַּד אִצְטְרִיךְ לְחֶדְּוָותָא וְלָא דִּינָא, זָהָב). When it is needed for mercy, silver (כַּד אִצְטְרִיךְ לְרַחֲמֵי, כֶסֶף). When strength of judgment is needed, copper (כַּד אִצְטְרִיךְ תֻּקְפָּא דְּדִינָא, נְחֹשֶׁת). And on this Moshe looked (וְעַל דָּא אִסְתָּכַּל מֹשֶׁה), in the work of the serpent of brass (בְּעוֹבָדָא דִּנְחַשׁ הַנְּחֹשֶׁת), as it is written, “And Moshe made a serpent of brass” (דִּכְתִּיב וַיַּעַשׂ מֹשֶׁה נְחַשׁ נְחֹשֶׁת) (Numbers 21), and he knew the place of the fusion of gold in that brass (וַהֲוָה יָדַע אֲתָר דְּהִתוּכָא דְּזָהָב בְּהַהוּא נְחֹשֶׁת), because “nachash” is its own language (בְּגִין דְּנָחָשׁ כְּלִישָׁנָא דִּילֵיהּ הוּא), and he knew its place (וְאַתְרֵיהּ הֲוָה יָדַע). For Kudsha Berikh Hu did not say to him except, “Make for yourself a seraph” (דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אָמַר לֵיהּ אֶלָּא עֲשֵׂה לְךָ שָׂרָף), but he came and made a serpent of brass (וְאִיהוּ אָתָא וַעֲבַד נְחַשׁ נְחֹשֶׁת), as it is written, “And Moshe made a serpent of brass” (דְּכְתִיב וַיַּעַשׂ מֹשֶׁה נְחַשׁ נְחֹשֶׁת).

What is the reason? (מַאי טַעֲמָא). But rather, he knew the place (אֶלָּא אֲתָר הֲוָה יָדַע), and the essence of the matter was (וְעִקָרָא דְּמִלְתָּא הֲוָה), that at first it is written, “And Hashem sent among the people the fiery serpents” (דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא כְּתִיב, וַיְשַׁלַּח יְיָ' בָּעָם אֶת הַנְּחָשִׁים הַשְֹּׂרָפִים) (Numbers 21). And it is written, “Serpent, fiery” (וּכְתִיב, נָחָשׁ שָׂרָף) (Deuteronomy 8).

Their root is the serpent (עִקָּרָא דִּלְהוֹן נָחָשׁ אִיהוּ). And because Moshe knew the root and the foundation and the source from that place (וּבְגִין דְּמֹשֶׁה הֲוָה יָדַע עִקָּרָא וְשָׁרָשָׁא וִיסוֹדָא מֵהַהוּא אֲתָר), he made a serpent and relied upon it (עֲבַד נָחָשׁ וְאִסְתְּמִיךְ עָלֵיהּ). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא). Because Yisrael sinned with their tongues (בְּגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל חָטְאוּ בְּלִישָׁנֵהוֹן), as it is written, “And the people spoke against Elohim and against Moshe” (דְּכְתִיב, וַיְדַבֵּר הָעָם בֵּאלֹהִים וּבְמֹשֶׁה) (Numbers 21). And therefore, “And Hashem sent among the people the fiery serpents” (וְעַל דָּא וַיְשַׁלַּח יְיָ' בָּעָם אֶת הַנְּחָשִׁים הַשְּׂרָפִים).

And Moshe went only after the root (וּמֹשֶׁה לָא אָזַל אֶלָּא בָּתַר עִקָּרָא), and he made a serpent of brass (וַעֲבַד נְחַשׁ נְחֹשֶׁת), in that form which was required (בְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ), for its place is brass (דְּהָא אַתְרֵיהּ נְחֹשֶׁת אִיהוּ). And Kudsha Berikh Hu did not say to him from what it should be made (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִמָּה יִתְעֲבִיד), but Moshe looked and made it from brass as was proper for its place (וּמֹשֶׁה אִסְתָּכַּל וַעֲבַד לֵיהּ מִנְחֹשֶׁת, כְּמָה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְאַתְרֵיהּ). From where do we know? (מְנָלָן). For it is written, “And Moshe made a serpent of brass and placed it upon the banner” (דִּכְתִיב, וַיַּעַשׂ מֹשֶׁה נְחַשׁ נְחֹשֶׁת וַיְשִׂימֵהוּ עַל הַנֵּס). What is ‘upon the banner’? (מַאי עַל הַנֵּס). Upon that Reshimu which is above (עַל הַהוּא רְשִׁימוּ דְּאִיהוּ לְעֵילָּא).

And behold, we have learned (וְהָא תָּנֵינָן), in every place this serpent goes after the secret of the Woman of Valor (בְּכָל אֲתָר הַאי נָחָשׁ אַזְלָא בָּתַר רָזָא דְּאֵשֶׁת חַיִל), and the harlot woman seeks to repair herself in her own manner, but she is not able (וּבַעְיָא אֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים לְאִתְתַּקְנָא גַּרְמָהּ כְּגַוְונָא דִּילָהּ, וְלָא יָכִילַת). The Woman of Valor, her Reshimu and her letter is the letter Heh (אֵשֶׁת חַיִל, הַהוּא רְשִׁימוּ וְאָת דִּילָהּ, אִיהוּ אָת ה׳), and so it is seen to her (וְהָכִי אִתְחָזֵי לָהּ). The harlot woman, her Reshimu and her letter is in that form (אֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים הַהוּא רְשִׁימָא וְאָת דִּילָהּ אִיהוּ כְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא), some say: that is required (נ״א: דאצטריך׳), and she was not repaired to be thus (וְלָא אִתְתָּקַּן לְמֶהֱוֵי הָכִי). And her letter is Qof (וְאָת דִּילָהּ ק׳), her letter was repaired in the Tikkun of the letter Heh (אָת דִּילָהּ אִתְתַּקְנָא בְּתִקּוּנָא דְּאָת ה׳). Some say: her Qof in the form of the Heh, but she was not repaired to be thus, her letter was repaired in the Tikkun of the letter Heh (נ״א: את ק׳ בההוא גוונא דה׳ ולא אתתקנא למהוי הכי את דילה אתתקנא בתקונא דאת ה׳). Like an ape before men (כְּגַוְונָא דְּקוֹפָא אֵצֶל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא), that goes after men but is not repaired to act thus (דְּאַזְלָא בָּתַר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, וְלָא אִתְתָּקַּן לְמֶעְבַּד הָכִי).

In this manner Moshe made that serpent (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא עֲבַד מֹשֶׁה הַהוּא נָחָשׁ), upon that Reshimu that appeared to him (עַל הַהוּא רְשִׁימוּ דְּאִתְחָזֵי לֵיהּ), and it is always repaired for punishment (וְתָדִיר אִתְתָּקַּן לְאַבְאָשָׁא). And upon it man sinned (וְעָלֵיהּ חָב אָדָם), and was driven from the Garden of Eden (וְאִתְתָּרַךְ מִגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן), which was his dwelling place like the dwelling above (דְּהֲוָה אֲתָר דִּיוֹרֵיהּ כְּגַוְונָא דְּדִיוּרָא דִּלְעֵילָּא).p1-33 It is written, “And Elohim said, Let there be light, and there was light” (כְּתִיב, וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי אוֹר) (Bereshit 1).

Rabbi Yossi said (אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסִי), that light was hidden away (הַהוּא אוֹר אִתְגְּנִיז), and it was prepared for the Righteous for the world to come (וְאִיהוּ אִזְדָּמַן לְגַבֵּי צַדִּיקַיָּיא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). As it has been established (כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ), as it is written, “Light is sown for the righteous” (דִּכְתִּיב, אוֹר זָרוּעַ לַצַּדִּיק) (Psalms 97). To the righteous, certainly without qualification (לַצַּדִּיק וַדַּאי סְתָם). And that light did not serve in the world except on the first day (וְהַהוּא אוֹר לָא שִׁמֵשׁ בְּעָלְמָא, בַּר יוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה). And afterwards it was hidden (וּלְבָתַר אִתְגְנִיז), and it did not serve any longer (וְלָא שִׁמֵּשׁ יַתִיר).