Daf 181a (דַּף קפ״א ע״א)

The third Secret: the letter Vav (רָזָא תְּלִיתָאָה אָת ו׳), this is the letter that is the form of the mystery of Adam, as has been said (הַאי אָת דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּרָזָא דְּאָדָם, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). And behold, we have established that this letter stands upon twelve chariots (וְהָא אוּקִימְנָא, דְּהַאי אָת, קַיְּימָא עַל י״ב רְתִיכִין). And when they spread, they are twenty-four chariots (וְכַד מִתְפָּרְשָׁאן, אִינּוּן כ״ד רְתִיכִין), which are included in this letter as the upright form of the image of the male (דִּכְלִילָן בְּהַאי אָת פְּשִׁיטוּ דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּבַר נָשׁ), corresponding to the arms and thighs and body—smooth parts of them (לָקֳבֵל דְּרוֹעִין וְיַרְכִין וְגוּפָא שַׁיְיפִין דִּלְהוֹן), twenty-four are the arms, thighs, and body (כ״ד אִינּוּן דִּדְּרוֹעִין, וְיַרְכִין, וְגוּפָא), behold, it has been stated (הָא אִתְּמַר). But all are sealed within the body (אֲבָל כֻּלְּהוּ סְתִימִין בְּגוּפָא), and the body stands through all twenty-four (וְגוּפָא קַיְּימָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ כ״ד), and all chariots are included in it in the body (וְכֻלְּהוּ רְתִיכִין כְּלִילָן בֵּיהּ בְּגוּפָא), and because all are included in it, it stands—vav upright as one (וּבְגִין דִּכְלִילָן כֻּלְּהוּ בֵּיהּ, קַיְּימָא, ו׳ פְּשִׁיטוּ חַד).

One body is included in twenty-four chariots (גּוּפָא חַד כָּלִיל בְּכ״ד רְתִיכִין), and these are: the head in six (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן: רֵישָׁא בְּשִׁית), the body in eighteen (גּוּפָא בְּי״ח). And even though all the chariots are—Some say: ten and ten (נ״א: י׳ י׳), Some say: eighteen (נ״א: י״ח)—twelve to each side (י״ב לְכָל סְטָר), the whole body stands in them (בְּכֹלָּא קַיְּימָא גּוּפָא). But twenty-four are the six of the head, which are polished to elevate the head (אֲבָל עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע אִינּוּן שִׁית דְּרֵישָׁא, דְּאִינּוּן שַׁיְיפִין לְאַעֲלָאָה רֵישָׁא), eighteen vertebrae upon which the head stands (תִּמְנִי סְרֵי חוּלְיָין דְּקַיְּימָא רֵישָׁא, וְסַמְכָא גּוּפָא עָלַיְיהוּ). And all is one upright form: head and body (וְכֻלְּהוּ פְּשִׁיטוּ חַד, בְּרֵישָׁא וְגוּפָא), and those sixty are all included in it (וְאִינּוּן שִׁיתִּין כֻּלְּהוּ כָּלִיל לוֹן), which is the secret of six (דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּשִׁית). And therefore, the measurement of the letter vav is: the head—six actual points (וְעַל דָּא שִׁיעוּרָא דְּאָת ו׳, רֵישָׁא שִׁיעוּרָא בְּשִׁית נְקוּדִין מַמָּשׁ), the body—eighteen (גּוּפָא בְּתַמְנֵי סְרֵי). In this manner, all these mysteries are explained to be included in the body (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא כָּל אִלֵּין רָזִין מִתְפָּרְשָׁן, לְאַכְלְלָא לוֹן בְּגוּפָא), because the arms and thighs are all concealed (בְּגִין דִּדְּרוֹעִין וְיַרְכִין כֻּלְּהוּ בִּגְנִיזוּ), and for this reason, all is included in the secret of the letter Vav and its image (וְעַל דָּא כֹּלָּא אִתְכְּלִיל בְּרָזָא דְּאָת ו׳ וּדְיּוּקְנָא דִּילָהּ). And when the completion of this letter is revealed (וְכַד שְׁלִימוּ דְּאָת דָּא אִתְחָזֵי), then all evil directions are sealed up (כְּדֵין כָּל סִטְרִין בִּישִׁין אִסְתָּתָמוּ), and removed from the moon, and are not concealed (וְאִתְפָּרְשָׁן מִסִּיהֲרָא, וְלָא אִתְחַפְיָין), because it splits all the gates of the firmaments and illuminates her (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ מַבְקַע כָּל מַשְׁקוֹפִין דִּרְקִיעִין, וְאַנְהִיר לָהּ), and the accuser cannot dominate her at all (וְלָא יַכְלָא מְקַטְרְגָא לְאַבְאָשָׁא כְּלַל). And when this departs, then it ascends, and conceals, and entices (וְכַד הַאי אִסְתַּלָּק, כְּדֵין סָלִיק וְאַסְטֵי וּמְפַתֵּי), and is able to accuse all the inhabitants of the world (וְיָכִיל לְקַטְרְגָא עַל כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא), because he is the old and foolish king (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ מֶלֶךְ זָקֵן וּכְסִיל), and behold, we have already established this (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא).

Vav is the light that shines to the moon (ו׳ אִיהוּ נְהוֹרָא דְּנָהִיר לְסִיהֲרָא), and even though many lights are included within it (וְאַף עַל גַּב דִּנְהִירִין סַגִּיאִין אִתְכְּלִילָן בֵּיהּ), the light that shines to the moon is one simple light that completely fills her (נְהוֹרָא דְּנָהִיר לְסִיהֲרָא אִיהוּ חַד פְּשִׁיטוּ לְמַלְיָּא לָהּ). And it is the secret of Alef, an imprint in all those mysteries (וְאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּאָלֶף, רְשִׁימוּ בְּכָל אִינּוּן רָזִין). And when it shines to the moon in the secret of Vav, it shines to her (וְכַד נָהִיר לְסִיהֲרָא בְּרָזָא דְּו׳, נָהִיר לָהּ). And in the Book of Adam Kadma’ah, in the forms of the letters (וּבְסִפְרָא דְּאָדָם קַדְמָאָה, בְּדִיּוּקְנִין דְּאַתְוָון), Vav is one point above and five points below (ו׳ חַד נְקוּדָה לְעֵילָּא, וְחָמֵשׁ נְקוּדִין דִּלְתַתָּא), and so is its measure in this form (וְכֵן שִׁיעוּרָא דִּילָהּ כְּגַוְונָא דָּא), Vav—and every point stands in the secret of ten (ו׳, וְכָל נְקוּדָה קַיְּימָא בְּרָזָא דְּעֶשֶׂר), for there is no point that does not complete to ten (בְּגִין דְּלֵית לָךָ נְקוּדָה דְּלָא אַשְׁלִים לְעֶשֶׂר), for every point has nine supporting chariots, and that point completes to ten (דְּכָל נְקוּדָה אִית בֵּיהּ תֵּשַׁע סַמְכִין רְתִיכִין, וְהַהִיא נְקוּדָה אַשְׁלִים לְעֶשֶׂר).

A point on the right has nine chariots supporting it, and it is ten (נְקוּדָה דִּימִינָא תֵּשַׁע סַמְכִין רְתִיכִין לָהּ, וְאִיהִי עֲשָׂרָה), and so too on the left (וְכֵן לִשְׂמָאלָא), and so in all directions (וְכֵן לְכָל סִטְרִין). And for this reason, all the points are each a totality of ten—each one with its channels (וְעַל דָּא, כֻּלְּהוּ נְקוּדִין אִינּוּן כָּל חַד וְחַד כְּלָלָא דְּעֶשֶׂר, אִיהִי וּרְתִּיכוֹי). And all are included in that one upright form of the letter Vav (וְכֻלְּהוּ כְּלִילָן בְּהַהוּא פְּשִׁיטוּ דְּאָת ו׳), and for this reason, all is in the image in the Secret of the letter Vav (בְּגִין כָּךְ כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ בְּדִיּוּקְנָא בְּרָזָא דְּאָת ו׳). And when the sun enters into the moon (וְכַד עָיִיִל שִׁמְשָׁא בְּסִיהֲרָא), one simple mystery of the covenant emerges from this Vav (נָפַק מֵהַאי ו׳ חַד פְּשִׁיטוּ רָזָא דִּבְרִית), in this form—Gimel (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא ג׳), and this is to elevate into the female (וְדָא אִיהוּ לְאָעֲלָא בְּנוּקְבָּא). And when all is included in this upright of the letter Vav (וְכַד אִתְכְּלִיל כֹּלָּא בְּהַאי פְּשִׁיטוּ דְּאָת ו׳), then it stands to minister in the Nukvah (כְּדֵין קַיְּימָא לְשַׁמְּשָׁא בְּנוּקְבָּא). And this is the mystery of what is written: “And you bring near to yourself Aharon your brother” (וְרָזָא דָּא דִּכְתִּיב, וְאַתָּה הַקְרֵב אֵלֶיךָ אֶת אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ) (Exodus 28), to be included—p1-61(וְאִתְכַּלְּלָא) The arm in the body, and his sons with him — these are all those chariots and his supports (דְּרוֹעָא בְּגוּפָא, וְאֶת בָּנָיו אִתּוֹ, אִלֵּין כָּל אִינּוּן רְתִיכִין וְסַמְכִין דִּילֵיהּ). The left arm alongside it, as it is written: “Take the Levites” (דְּרוֹעָא שְׂמָאלָא לְגַבֵּיהּ, דִּכְתִיב, קַח אֶת הַלְוִיִּם) (Numbers 3), so that the Vav be found to include all (לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא ו׳ דְּכָלִיל כֹּלָּא), in one simplicity, to become one (בְּחַד פְּשִׁיטוּ, לְמֶהֱוֵי חַד). And for this reason, unity is found in this: right, left, and center— all is one (וְעַל דָּא אִשְׁתְּכַח יִחוּדָא בְּהַאי, יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא וְאֶמְצָעִיתָא, כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ חַד). And for this reason, one upright is made, and it is called one (וְעַל דָּא אִתְעָבִיד חַד פְּשִׁיטוּ, וְאִקְרֵי אֶחָד), and do not forget: only one upright, and this is One (וְלָא תִּשְׁכַּח בַּר פְּשִׁיטוּ חַד בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וְדָא הוּא חַד).

The final Heh becomes one body, in that central point (ה׳ בַּתְרָאָה, אִתְעָבִיד חַד גּוּפָא, בְּהַאי נְקוּדָה דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And Vav entered into her, and the Vav was found between two points—one above and one below (וְאָעִיל בָּהּ ו׳, וְאִשְׁתְּכַח ו׳ בֵּין ב׳ נְקוּדִין, חַד לְעֵילָּא, וְחַד לְתַתָּא). And then, the upper world was unified with the lower world, and it is one (וּכְדֵין, אִתְאֲחִיד עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, בְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, וְאִיהוּ חַד).

And we have established this (וְאוֹקִימְנָא). Rabbi El'azar and Rabbi Abba came and kissed his hands (אָתָא רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא וְנָשְׁקוּ יְדוֹי). Rabbi Abba wept and said: Woe to the world when the sun will be gathered in and the world will be darkened (בָּכָה רִבִּי אַבָּא וְאָמַר, וַוי לְעָלְמָא כַּד יִתְכְּנִישׁ שִׁמְשָׁא וְיִתְחֲשָּׁךְ עָלְמָא).