Daf 161b (דַּף קס״א ע״ב)

Once the world was created (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא), each and every word would not endure (כָּל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה לָא הֲוָה מִתְקַיֵּים), until it arose in His desire to create man (עַד דְּסָלִיק בִּרְעוּתָא לְמִבְרֵי אָדָם), who would labor in the Orayta (דִּיהֱוֵי מִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and for her sake the world would be sustained (וּבְגִינָהּ אִתְקְיָּים עָלְמָא). Now, whoever contemplates the Orayta and engages in her (הַשְּׁתָּא כָּל מַאן דְּאִסְתָּכַּל בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאִשְׁתָּדַּל בָּהּ), is, so to speak, sustaining the entire world (כִּבְיָכוֹל, הוּא מְקַיֵּים כָּל עָלְמָא). Kudsha Berikh Hu looked into the Orayta and created the world (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִסְתָּכַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּבָרָא עָלְמָא); man looks into the Orayta and sustains the world (בַּר נָשׁ מִסְתַּכֵּל בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּמְקַיֵּים עָלְמָא). It is found, then, that the doing and sustaining of the entire world - it is the Orayta (אִשְׁתְּכַח דְּעוֹבָדָא וְקִיּוּמָא דְּכָל עָלְמָא, אוֹרַיְיתָא אִיהִי). Therefore, fortunate is the person who labors in the Orayta (בְּגִין כַּךְ זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), for he sustains the world (דְּהָא אִיהוּ מְקַיֵּים עָלְמָא).

At the time it rose in the desire of Kudsha Berikh Hu to create man (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּסָלִיק בִּרְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִבְרֵי אָדָם), he stood before Him in his image and form (קָאִים קָמֵיהּ בְּדִיוּקְנִיהּ וְקִיוּמֵיהּ), as he is in this world (כְּמָה דְּאִיהוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And even all the people of the world (וַאֲפִילּוּ כָּל אִינּוּן בְּנֵי עָלְמָא), before they enter this world (עַד לָא יֵיתוּן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), all of them stand in their structures and forms (כֻּלְּהוּ קַיְימִין בְּקִיּוּמַיְיהוּ וּבְתִקוּנַיְיהוּ), as they will stand in this world (כְּגַוְונָא דְּקַיְימִין בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), in one treasury where all the souls of the world are clothed in their images (בְּחַד אוֹצָר דְּתַמָּן כָּל נִשְׁמָתִין דְּעָלְמָא מִתְלַבְּשָׁן בְּדִּיוּקְנַיְיהוּ).

And when it is their time to descend to this world (וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דִּזְמִינִין לְנַחְתָּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu calls to a certain appointed one (קָרֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְחַד מְמָנָא), to whom Kudsha Berikh Hu entrusted all the souls destined to descend to this world (דִּי מָנֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ כָּל נִשְׁמָתִין דִּזְמִינִין לְנַחְתָּא לְהַאי עָלְמָא), and He says to him: “Go, bring Me the spirit of so-and-so” (וְאָמַר לֵיהּ: זִיל אַיְיתֵי לִי רוּחַ פְּלוֹנִי). At that moment, that Neshama comes (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא אַתְיָא הַהִיא נִשְׁמְתָא), and is clothed in the image of this world (מִתְלַבְּשָׁא בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and that appointed one presents it before the Holy King (וְהַהוּא מְמָנָא אַחְזֵי לָהּ קָמֵי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא).

Kudsha Berikh Hu says to it, and commands it (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר לָהּ, וְאוֹמֵי לָהּ): “When you descend to this world (דְּכַד תֵּיחוֹת לְהַאי עָלְמָא), you must labor in the Orayta (דְּתִשְׁתָּדַל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), to know Me (לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ), and to know the secret of faith (וּלְמִנְדַּע בְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא). For whoever is in this world and does not strive to know Me (דְּכָל מַאן דְּהֲוֵי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְלָא אִשְׁתָּדַּל לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ), it would have been better for him not to have been created (טָב לֵיהּ דְּלָא יִתְבְּרֵי). Therefore, you are seen before the Holy King (בְּגִין כָּךְ אִתְחָזֵי קָמֵי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), to know in this world (לְמִנְדַּע בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and to engage in Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּלְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), in the secret of faith (בְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא).

This is what is written: “You have been shown to know” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: אַתָּה הָרְאֵתָ לָדַעַת) (Deuteronomy 4) - you were shown by the hand of that appointed one before Kudsha Berikh Hu (אִתְחֲזִיאַת עַל יְדָא דְּהַהוּא מְמָנָא, קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). “To know,” meaning: to know and to perceive in this world (לָדַעַת לְמִנְדַּע וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), in the secret of faith (בְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא), in the secret of the Orayta (בְּרָזָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). And whoever is in this world and does not labor in the Orayta to know Him (וְכָל מַאן דְּהֲוָה בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְלָא אִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ), it would have been better for him not to have been created (טַב לֵיהּ דְּלָא אִתְבְּרֵי). For this reason, Kudsha Berikh Hu brought man into this world (דְּהָא בְּגִין דָּא אַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְבַר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא).

“To know that Hashem He is HaElohim” (לָדַעַת כִּי יְיָ' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים) - this is the generality of all secret of faith (דָּא אִיהוּ כְּלָלָא דְּכָל רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא), some say: the generality (נ״א כְּלָלָא) of the entire Orayta (דְּכָל אוֹרַיְיתָא), a generality of above and below (כְּלָלָא דְּעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא). And this secret is certainly the generality of all the secret of faith (וְרָזָא דָּא אִיהוּ כְּלָלָא דְּכָל רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְהָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי). The generality of the entire Orayta - this is the secret of the Written Torah (כְּלָלָא דְּכָל אוֹרַיְיתָא, דָּא אִיהוּ רָזָא דְּתוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב), and this is the secret of the Oral Torah (וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא דְּתוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה), and all is one (וְכֹלָּא חַד), a generality of the secret of faith (כְּלָלָא דְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא). Because it is the full Name (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ שֵׁם מָלֵּא), which is the secret of faith (דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא). And who is He? (וּמַאן אִיהוּ): “Hashem is One and His Name is One” (ה' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד) - “Hashem is One: Shema Yisrael Hashem Eloheinu Hashem Echad” (יְיָ' אֶחָד: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְיָ' אֶחָד).

This is one Union (דָּא אִיהוּ יִחוּדָא חַד). “And His Name is One” - “Blessed is the Name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever” (וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד: בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד) - behold another Union, that His Name be one (הָא יִחוּדָא אַחֲרָא לְמֶהֱוֵי שְׁמֵיהּ חַד). And this is the secret: “Hashem He is HaElohim” (וְרָזָא דָּא: יְיָ' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים) (II Kings 18), this is written when they were in one Union (דָּא כְּתִיב, כַּד אִינּוּן בְּיִחוּדָא חֲדָא). And if you say, if so, then like what is written: “Hashem is One and His Name is One” (וְאִי תֵּימָא, אִי הָכִי, כְּגַוְונָא דִּכְתִּיב: יְיָ' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד) (Zechariah 14), is it not “Hashem He is HaElohim”? (לָאו אִיהוּ יְיָ' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים). For if it were written (דְּאִי כְּתִיב): some say: “Hashem is He and His Name is One” (נ״א יְיָ' הוּא וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד), I would have said thus (הֲוָה אֲמֵינָא הָכִי). But it is not written so (אֲבָל לָא כְּתִיב), rather “Hashem is One and His Name is One” (אֶלָּא: יְיָ' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד), and it is necessary to say in this way: “Hashem - He is, He's HaElohim” (וְאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֵימַר: כְּגַוְונָא דָּא: יְיָ' הוּא, הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא), and “Hashem is One and His Name is One” is revealed (וְאִתְחַזֵּי: יְיָ' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד). Rather, all is one (אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא חַד), for when these two Names are unified (דְּכַד מִתְיַיחֲדָּן תְּרֵין שְׁמָהָן אִלֵּין), this one in one Union (דָּא בְּיִחוּדָא חַד), and that one in one Union (וְדָא בְּיִחוּדָא חַד), then these two Names become one (כְּדֵין תְּרֵין שְׁמָהָן אִלֵּין אִתְעָבִידוּ חַד), and are included one within the other (וְאִתְכְּלִילוּ דָּא בְּדָא), and all becomes a complete Name (וַהֲוֵי כֹּלָּא שְׁמָא שְׁלִים), in one Union (בְּיִחוּדָא חֲדָא). And thus, “Hashem He is HaElohim” (וּבְכֵן: יְיָ' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים), for then all is included, one in the other, to be one (דְּהָא כְּדֵין אִתְכְּלִיל כֹּלָּא דָּא בְּדָא, לְמֶהֱוֵי חַד). But until all is unified - this one on its own, and that one on its own (וְעַד דְּאִתְיַחֲדוּ כָּל חַד, דָּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וְדָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי) - they are not included one in the other, to be all one (לָא אִתְכְּלִילוּ דָּא בְּדָא, לְמֶהֱוֵי כֹּלָּא חַד).

The generality of the entire Orayta is certainly thus (כְּלָלָא דְּכָל אוֹרַיְיתָא הָכִי אִיהוּ וַדַּאי), for the Orayta is the Written Torah (דְּהָא אוֹרַיְיתָא אִיהִי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב), and He is the Oral Torah (וְאִיהוּ תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה). The Written Torah - that is what is written: “Hashem” (תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב: דָּא אִיהוּ דִּכְתִּיב יְיָ'), the Oral Torah - that is what is written: “HaElohim” (תּוֹרָה דְּבְּעַל פֶּה: דָּא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב הָאֱלֹהִים). And because the Orayta is the secret of the holy Name (וּבְגִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִיהוּ רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), it is thus called: Written Torah and Oral Torah (אִקְרֵי הָכִי: תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב וְתוֹרָה דְּבְּעַל פֶּה). This one is generality (דָּא כְּלָל), and this one is particular (וְדָא פְּרָט). The generality requires the particular (כְּלָל אִצְטְרִיךְ לִפְרָט), and the particular requires the generality (וּפְרָט אִצְטְרִיךְ לִכְּלָל), and they are unified one with the other (וְאִתְיַיחֲדוּ דָּא בְּדָא), to become all one (לְמֶהֱוֵי כֹּלָּא חַד).