Daf 149b (דַּף קמ״ט ע״ב)

What is written regarding Moshe? (מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּמֹשֶׁה) “And all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the Tent, and all the people arose and bowed, each man at the entrance of his tent” (וְרָאָה כָּל הָעָם אֶת עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן עוֹמֵד פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וְקָם כָּל הָעָם וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ אִישׁ פֶּתַח אָהֳלוֹ) (Exodus 33). Fitting it is for Moshe (יֵאוֹת הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה), for he is the faithful prophet, supernal above all the prophets of the world (דְּאִיהוּ נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא עִלָּאָה עַל כָּל נְבִיאֵי עָלְמָא), and that generation which received the Orayta upon Mount Sinai (וְדָרָא הַהוּא דְּקַבִּילוּ אוֹרַיְּיתָא עַל טוּרָא דְּסִינַי), and beheld how many miracles and how many mighty deeds in Egypt and upon the sea (וְחָמוּ כַּמָה נִסִּין וְכַמָּה גְּבוּרָאן בְּמִצְרַיִם וְעַל יַמָּא). But here, in this generation (אֲבָל הָכָא בְּדָרָא דָּא), the supernal merit of Rabbi Shimon acts, that miracles be revealed through him (זְכוּתָא עִלָּאָה דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן קָא עָבִיד, לְאִתְחֲזָאָה נִסִּין עַל יְדוֹי). “And blue” (וּתְכֵלֶת) (Exodus 25).

Rabbi Yitzchak said (אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק), blue is from that fish of the sea of Ginosar (תְּכֵלֶת מֵהַהוּא נוּנָא דְּיַמָּא דְּגִינוֹסָר), which is in the portion of Zevulun (דְּאִיהוּ בְּעַדְבֵיהּ דִּזְבוּלוּן). And this color is required for the work of the Mishkan, to be revealed in this hue (וְאִצְטְרִיךְ גַּוְונָא דָּא לְעוֹבָדָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא לְאִתְחֲזָאָה הַאי גּוָֹון). He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “And Elohim said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide between waters and waters’” (וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם וִיְהִי מַבְדִּיל בֵּין מַיִם לָמָיִם) (Bereshit 1). This firmament was created on the second day (הַאי רְקִיעַ אִתְבְּרֵי בַּשֵּׁנִי), for this work is from the side of the left (דְּעוֹבָדָא דָּא מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא אִיהוּ). And on the second day, which is the side of the left (וּבְיוֹמָא תִּנְיָינָא דְּאִיהוּ סְטָר שְׂמָאלָא), Gehinom was created (אִתְבְּרֵי בֵּיהּ גֵּיהִנָּם), which goes out from the smelting of the fire of the left (דְּאִיהוּ נָפִיק מִגּוֹ הִתּוּכָא דְּנוּרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא), and in the sea was imprinted the color of blue (וּבְיַמָא אִצְטְבַע בָּהּ גּוָֹון תִּכְלָא), which is the throne of judgment (דְּאִיהוּ כּוּרְסְיָּיא דְּדִינָא). And this day took waters that were from the side of the right (וְנָטִיל הַאי יוֹמָא מַיִם דַּהֲווֹ מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא). And those waters that were from the side of the right did not appear until the second day (וְאִינּוּן מַיִם דַּהֲווֹ מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא, לָא אִתְגַּלּוּ אֶלָּא בְּיוֹם שֵׁנִי). On its own day, water did not appear, but rather was exchanged, because this was included in that, and that was sweetened in this (בְּיוֹמָא דִּילֵיהּ, לָא אִתְגְּלֵי מַיִם, אֶלָּא אִתְחַלָּף, בְּגִין דְּאִתְכְּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא, וְאִתְבָּסַּם דָּא בְּדָא).

The light of the First day is the Primordial Nehiru of all six lights (אוֹר דְּיוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה, נְהִירוּ קַדְמָאָה מִכָּל שִׁיתָא נְהוֹרִין אִיהוּ). And this light was in the side of fire (וְהַאי אוֹר בְּסִטְרָא דְּאֶשָּׁא הֲוָה), as it is written: “And the light of Yisrael shall be for fire” (דִּכְתִּיב, וְהָיָה אוֹר יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאֵשׁ) (Isaiah 10). And that light of Yisrael from the side of the right was included in fire (וְהַהוּא אוֹר דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא הֲוָה, אִתְכְּלִיל בְּאֶשָּׁא). And the first day, from among those six days, is water (וְיוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה מֵאִינּוּן שִׁיתָא יוֹמִין, מַיִם אִיהוּ). And it did not serve the work of water, but the work of light, which is from the side of fire, which is the second day (וְלָא שִׁמֵּשׁ עוֹבָדָא דְּמַיִם, אֶלָּא עוֹבָדָא דְּאוֹר, דְּאִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְּאֵשׁ, דְּאִיהוּ יוֹם שֵׁנִי). To show that Kudsha Berikh Hu did not create the world except on peace, and in the path of peace was everything (לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא בָּרָא עָלְמָא, אֶלָּא עַל שָׁלוֹם, וּבְאֹרַח שָׁלוֹם הֲוָה כֹּלָּא).

On the first day, everything He made was in the side of its companion (יוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה כָּל מַה דַּעֲבַד, מִסִּטְרָא דְּחַבְרֵיהּ עָבֵד). On the second day, in the side of the first day He made that craftsmanship and served in it, for each one served in the work of its companion, to show that they were included one in the other (יוֹמָא תִּנְיָינָא בְּסִטְרָא דְּיוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה עֲבַד הַהוּא אוּמָנָא, וְשִׁמֵּשׁ בָּהּ, דְּכָל חַד שִׁמֵּשׁ בְּעוֹבָדָא דְּחַבְרֵיהּ, לְאַחֲזָאָה, דְּהָא אִתְכְּלִילוּ דָּא בְּדָא).

The third day was in the side of both of them (יוֹמָא תְּלִיתָאָה, הֲוָה בְּסִטְרָא דְּתַרְוַויְיהוּ), and in it was argaman (וּבֵיהּ הֲוָה אַרְגָּמָן). And upon this it is written “that it was good, that it was good”-two times on the third day (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, כִּי טוֹב כִּי טוֹב תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי בְּיוֹמָא תְּלִיתָאָה). Blue, this is the second day (תְּכֵלֶת, דָּא יוֹמָא תִּנְיָינָא), was dyed in two colors, red and black (אִצְטְבַע בְּב' גַּוְונִין סוּמָק וְאוּכָם). And blue, the red is its own (וּתְכֵלֶת, סוּמָק אִיהוּ דִּילֵיהּ), from the very second day (מִיּוֹמָא תִּנְיָינָא מַמָּשׁ), like the appearance of fire (כְּעֵין גּוָֹון אֶשָּׁא), and this is Elohim (וְדָא אִיהוּ אֱלֹהִים), and it inherits the color of gold (וְיָרִית גּוָֹון דְּדַהֲבָא), that all is one color (דְּכֹלָּא גַּוְונָא חֲדָא). Blue emerged from within that red color (תְּכֶלְתָּא נָפִיק מִגּוֹ הַהוּא גּוָֹון סוּמָק), and when it descended below (וְכַד נָחִית לְתַתָּא), the red color became distant (אִתְרְחַק גּוָֹון סוּמָק), and it entered into the place that is the sea (וְעָאל גּוֹ הַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִיהוּ יַמָּא), and was dyed in the color of blue (וְאִצְטְבַע גּוָֹון תִּכְלָא). That redness entered into the sea (הַהוּא סוּמָקָא עָיֵיל גּוֹ יַמָּא), and its color weakened (וְאִתְחַלָּשׁ גּוָֹון דִּילֵיהּ), and it turned into blue (וְאִתְהַדָּר תִּכְלָא), and this is Elohim (וְדָא אִיהוּ אֱלֹהִים), but it is not as strong as the first (אֲבָל לָאו אִיהוּ תַּקִּיפָא כְּקַדְמָאָה).

Black, this color emerged from the melting of the redness (אוּכָם, גּוָֹון דָּא נָפִיק מֵהִתּוּכָא דְּסוּמָקָא), when it melted and weakened below in the melting of the filth (כַּד אִתְהֲתָּךְ וְאִתְחַלָּשׁ לְתַתָּא בְּהִתּוּכָא דְּזוּהֲמָא), and it descended below (וְנָחִית לְתַתָּא), and from that filth came out a red color (וְנָפִיק מֵהַהוּא זוּהֲמָא גּוָֹון סוּמָק), from strong filth (מִזּוֹהֲמָא תַּקִּיפָא), and from within that strong filth it turned to black (וּמִגּוֹ זוּהֲמָא תַּקִּיפָא, אִתְהַדָּר לְאוּכָם). And all is from that Primordial redness (וְכֹלָּא מֵהַהוּא סוּמָקָא קַדְמָאָה), Some say: upper redness (נ״א: עלאה), that melted (אִתְהֲתָּךְ). And all this was created on the second day (וְכָל דָּא אִתְבְּרֵי בַּשֵּׁנִי), and this is called “other Elohim” (וְהַאי אִקְרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים).

This black is darker still (הַאי אוּכָם אִיהוּ חָשׁוּךְ יַתִּיר), for its color is not seen within the darkness (דְּלָא אִתְחָזֵי גּוָֹון דִּילֵיהּ מִגּוֹ חֲשׁוֹכָא). The Holy Luminary said thus (בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא הָכִי אָמַר), that this black color is dark (דְּהַאי גּוָֹון אוּכָם חָשׁוּךְ), in what place was it dyed? (בְּאָן אֲתָר אִצְטְבַע). Rather, when that redness melted into the blue (אֶלָּא כַּד הַהוּא סוּמָקָא אִתְהֲתָּךְ בְּגוֹ תִּכְלָא), and the colors were mingled (וְאִתְעָרְבוּ גַּוְונִין), the melting of filth melted into the depths (אִתְהֲתָּךְ הִתּוּכָא דְּזוּהֲמָא לְגוֹ תְּהוֹמֵי), and from there became mire and clay (וְאִתְעָבִיד מִתַּמָּן רֶפֶשׁ וָטִיט). As you say: “its waters cast up mire and clay” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וַיִּגְרְשׁוּ מֵימָיו רֶפֶשׁ וָטִיט) (Isaiah 57). And from that mud of the depths (וּמִגּוֹ הַהוּא טִינָא דִּתְהוֹמֵי), went forth that darkness which is black (נָפַק הַהוּא חָשׁוּךְ דְּאִיהוּ אוּכָם), and not only black, but even darker (וְלָא אוּכָם אֶלָּא חָשׁוּךְ יַתִּיר). This is what is written: “And darkness was upon the face of the deep” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל פְּנִי תְהוֹם) (Bereshit 1). Why is it called darkness? (אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי חֹשֶׁךְ) Because its color is dark (בְּגִין דְּגָוֶון דִּילֵיהּ חָשׁוּךְ), and it darkened the faces of creatures (וְאַחְשִׁיךְ אַנְפֵּי בִּרְיָין). And this is the red and the black (וְדָא אִיהוּ סוּמָק וְאוּכָם), and because of this it is not written on the second day, “that it was good” (וּבְגִין דָּא לָא כְּתִיב בַּשֵּׁנִי כִּי טוֹב).