Daf 180a (דַּף ק״פ ע״א)

The primordial secret : Yod, the primordial point (רָזָא קַדְמָאָה, יוֹ״ד, נְקוּדָה קַדְמָאָה), which stands upon nine supports that support it (דְּקַיְּימָא עַל תֵּשַׁע סַמְכִין דְּסַמְכִין לָהּ). And they stand toward the four directions of the world (וְאִינּוּן קַיְימִין לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא), just as the end of thought, the final point, stands toward the four directions of the world (כְּמָה דְּסוֹפָא דְּמַחֲשָׁבָה, נְקוּדָה בַּתְרָאָה, קַיְּימָא לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא)—except that this is male, and she is female (בַּר דְּהַאי דְּכָר, וְאִיהִי נוּקְבָּא). And this one stands without a body (וְהַאי קַיְּימָא בְּלָא גּוּפָא), and when it stands in a garment that enclothes within it (וְכַד קַיְּימָא בִּלְבוּשָׁא, דְּאִתְלָבַּשׁ בְּהוּ), it stands upon nine supports (אִיהִי קַיְּימָא עַל תֵּשַׁע סַמְכִין), in the mystery of the letter mem without a circle (בְּרָזָא דְּאָת ם בְּלָא עִגּוּלָא). And even though the letter samekh is circular (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאָת ס׳ אִיהִי בְּעִגּוּלָא), and it stands in a circle (וְקַיְּימָא בְּעִגּוּלָא), yet in the mystery of engraved letters, through radiant points above (אֲבָל בְּרָזָא דְּאַתְוָון חֲקִיקִין, גּוֹ נְקוּדֵי, טְהִירִין לְעֵילָּא), these are in a square (אִינּוּן בְּרִבּוּעָא), though below it is circular (דִּלְתַתָּא אִיהוּ בְּעִגּוּלָא).

This square stands in the measure of nine points (הַאי בְּרִבּוּעַ אִיהִי קַיְּימָא בְּשִׁיעוּרָא דְּתֵשַׁע נְקוּדִין), three three to each direction (תְּלַת תְּלַת לְכָל סְטָר). And they are in the measure of the computation of eight points, and they are nine (וְאִינּוּן בְּשִׁיעוּרָא דְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא תְּמַנְיָא נְקוּדִין, וְאִינּוּן תֵּשַׁע). And these are those that stand from the mystery of the lamp in the square, nine supports for the letter yod, one point (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן דְּקַיְימִין מֵרָזָא דְּבוּצִינָא בְּרִיבּוּעָא בְּסַמְכִין תִּשְׁעָה לְאָת יוֹ״ד, נְקוּדָה חֲדָא). These nine, they are eight in the mystery of the letter mem in the square, in this pattern: three three to each side (אִינּוּן תִּשְׁעָה. אִינּוּן תְּמַנְיָא בְּרָזָא דְּאָת ם בְּרִבּוּעָא, כְּגַוְונָא דָּא: תְלָת תְלַת לְכָל סְטָר), and this is the mystery of the letter yod, one point (וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא: דְּאָת יוֹ״ד נְקוּדָה חֲדָא). And even though it is one point (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהִי נְקוּדָה חֲדָא), its image—its head is above and its thorn is below (דִּיּוּקְנָא דִּילָהּ, רֵישָׁא לְעֵילָּא, וְקוֹצָא לְתַתָּא), and its measure is three points, in this pattern (וְשִׁיעוּרָא דִּילָהּ תְּלַת נְקוּדִין כְּגַוְונָא דָּא). And for this reason its extension is to four directions, three three to each side (וְעַל דָא אִתְפַּשְׁטוּתָא לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין, תְלָת תְלַת לְכָל סְטָר), she is nine and she is eight (אִיהִי תֵשַׁע וְאִיהִי תְמַנְיָא). And these are the supports that emerge from the mystery of the luminary (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן סַמְכִין דְּנָפְקִין מֵרָזָא דְּבוּצִינָא), to serve as supports for the letter yod (לְמֶהוֵי סַמְכִין לְאָת יוֹ״ד), And these are called her chariot (וְאִלֵּין אִקְרוּן רְתִיכָא דִּילָהּ). And they do not stand in the name, except in the mystery of the nine points of the Orayta (וְלָא קַיְּימִין בִּשְׁמָא, בַּר בְּרָזָא דְּתֵשַׁע נְקוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). And in the mystery of the Book of Adam (וּבְרָזָא דְּסִפְרָא דְּאָדָם), these nine, which are eight, were divided (אִתְפְּלָגוּ אִלֵּין תֵּשַׁע דְּאִינּוּן תְּמַנְיָא), in the combination of the letters of the Holy Name (בְּצֵרוּפָא דְּאַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), to combine them and unite them in all those colors (לְצָרְפָא לוֹן וּלְיַחֲדָא לוֹן בְכָל אִינּוּן גַּוְונִין). When these eight, which are nine, are taken (כַּד נַטְלִין אִלֵּין תְּמַנְיָא דְּאִינּוּן תֵּשַׁע), they shine in the Nehiru of the letter mem in the square (נַהֲרִין בִּנְהִירוּ דְּאָת ם בְּרִבּוּעָא), and they emit eight lights (וְאַפִּיק נְהוֹרִין תְּמַנְיָא). Some say: eight were seen (נ״א: תְּמַנְיָא אִתְחָזוּן), and nine letters appeared (וְאַתְוָון תִּשְׁעָה). And they were divided below to receive all the dwelling (וְאִתְפַּלְגָּן לְתַתָּא לְנַטְלָא כָּל מַשְׁכְּנָא). And these are the combinations of the Holy Name (וְאִינּוּן צֵרוּפָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), in the mystery of the seventy-two engraved letters (בְּרָזָא דְּשִׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין אַתְוָון מְחַקְּקָן), that emerge from the mystery of three colors (דְּנַפְקֵי מֵרָזָא דִּתְלַת גַּוְונִין), right, left, and center (יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא וְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And all is from the mystery of three points (וְכֹלָּא מֵרָזָא דִּתְלַת נְקוּדִין), the measure of the letter yod (שִׁיעוּרָא דְּאָת יוֹ״ד), which is to four directions (דְּאִיהִי לְד׳ סִטְרִין), and they are eight points (וְאִינּוּן תְּמַנְיָא נְקוּדִין), and they are nine points (וְאִינּוּן תֵּשַׁע נְקוּדִין), and they are twelve supernal points (וְאִינּוּן תְּרֵיסַר נְקוּדִין עִלָּאִין), three by three to each and every direction (ג׳ ג׳ לְכָל סְטָר וּסְטָר), and from here they descend below into twelve toward six directions (וּמֵהָכָא נַחְתִּין לְתַתָּא בִּתְרֵיסַר לְשִׁית סִטְרִין). And when these twelve are engraved in six directions (וְכַד אִתְחָקְּקָן תְּרֵיסַר אִלֵּין בְּשִׁית סִטְרִין), these are the seventy-two names (אִינּוּן שִׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין שְׁמָהָן), the mystery of the Holy Name of seventy-two that is this sacred Name (רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּשִׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין דְּאִינּוּן שְׁמָא דָּא קַדִּישָׁא). And all of it rises in desire, the support of thought, in those supports of the letter Yod (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ סָלִיק בִּרְעוּתָא, דִּסְמִיכוּ דְּמַחֲשָׁבָה בְּאִינּוּן סַמְכִין דְּאָת יוֹ״ד), and for this reason the letters in their combinations, three three in each of its combinations (וְעַל דָּא אַתְוָון בְּצִרוּפַיְּיהוּ, תְּלַת תְּלַת בְכָל צֵרוּפָא דִּילֵיהּ), to elevate through the desire of the letter Yod (בְּגִין לְסַלְּקָא בִּרְעוּתָא דְּאָת יו״ד), which is three points (דִּתְלַת נְקוּדִין), as has been said (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר).

And for this reason it does not ascend through the ascent of combination (וְעַל דָּא לָא אִסְתְּלִיק בִּסְלִיקוּ דְּצֵרוּפָא), except from the root and origin of the mystery of these supports (אֶלָּא מֵעִקָרָא וְשָׁרְשָׁא דְּרָזָא דְּאִלֵּין סַמְכִין), that support the letter Yod (דְּסַמְכִין לְאָת יו״ד), the mystery of the letter mem in a square (רָזָא דְּאָת ם׳ בְּרִבּוּעָא), nine points (ט׳ נְקוּדִין), eight points (תְּמַנְיָא נְקוּדִין), twelve points (תְּרֵיסַר נְקוּדִין), seventy-two points (שִׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין נְקוּדִין). It is found that the entire mystery of the Holy Name stands in the letter Yod (אִשְׁתְּכַח, דְּכָל רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, קַיְּימָא בְּאָת יו״ד), and all is one mystery (וְכֹלָּא רָזָא חֲדָא), and it stands in the mystery of the luminary (וְקַיְּימָא בְּרָזָא דְּבוּצִינָא), as was said, to form support for each and every letter (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר לְמֶעְבַּד סְמִיכוּ לְכָל אָת וְאָת). And they are supports, they are their chariot, for each and every letter (וְאִינּוּן סַמְכִין אִינּוּן רְתִיכָא דִּלְהוֹן, דְּכָל אָת וְאָת), as was said (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר).

The second mystery: the letter heh, which stands upon five supports that support her (רָזָא תִּנְיָינָא, אָת ה׳, דְּקַיְּימָא עַל חֲמִשָּׁה סַמְכִין, דְּסַמְכִין לָהּ), which emerge from the secret of the luminary (דְּנָפְקִין מֵרָזָא דְּבוּצִינָא), when gathered to ascend above, from the mystery of the anointing (כַּד אִתְכְּנַשׁ לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא, מֵרָזָא דְּמִשְׁחָתָא). This letter is called the Holy Palace (אָת דָּא הֵיכְלָא קַדִּישָׁא אִקְרֵי), inwardly, the point we have mentioned (לְגוֹ, נְקוּדָה דִּקְאַמְרָן). And all is in the mystery that we have mentioned of the letter mem in a square (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ בְּרָזָא דִּקְאַמְרָן דְּאָת ם בְּרִבּוּעָא). But here, nothing is impressed apart from the letter heh (אֲבָל הָכָא לָא אִתְרְשִׁים בַּר אָת ה׳), And her chariot has five supports, as we have said (וּרְתִיכָא דִּילָהּ חֲמִשָּׁה סַמְכִין דִּקְאַמְרָן).