Daf 202a (דַּף ר״ב ע״א)

And this is the one who seeks to minister in this firmament by day (וְדָא אִיהוּ דְּבָעֵי לְשַׁמְּשָׁא בְּהַאי רְקִיעָא בִּימָמָא), and permission is not given to him (וְלָא אִתְיְהִיב לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ), until the light of the moon ascends (עַד דְּסָלִיק נְהוֹרָא דְּסִיהֲרָא), and then all those forces emerge (וּכְדֵין אַפִּיק כָּל אִינּוּן חֵילִין), and all those appointed ones (וְכָל אִינּוּן מְמָנָן). And when the day shines (וְכַד נָהִיר יְמָמָא), they all enter through one gate (עָאלִין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּפִתְחָא חֲדָא), which is of the nine gates (דְּאִינּוּן ט׳ פִּתְחִין), which is the supreme gate over all of them (דְּאִיהוּ פִּתְחָא עִלָּאָה עַל כֻּלְּהוּ). And when the prayer ascends (וְכַד צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא), it enters through that gate (עָאלַת בְּהַהוּא פִּתְחָא), and all the attendants and all the appointed ones (וְכֻלְּהוּ סַרְכִין, וְכֻלְּהוּ מְמָנָן), go forth from that gate (נָפְקִין מֵהַהוּא פִּתְחָא). And over them is Zevuliel, that great appointed one (וַעֲלֵיהוֹן זְבוּלִיאֵ״ל, הַהוּא רַב מְמָנָא), and they all go out and kiss it (וְנַפְקֵי כֻּלְּהוּ וְנַשְּׁקֵי לָהּ), and they escort it to the second firmament (וּמָטָאן עִמָּהּ עַד רְקִיעָא תִּנְיָינָא). (Some say: the prayer ascended to the second firmament and it was opened) (ס״א: בְּרְקִיעָא תִּנְיָינָא סַלְקָא צְלוֹתָא עַד הַהוּא רְקִיעָא וְאִתְפְּתַחוּ).

And when the prayer ascends to that firmament (וְכַד סַלְּקָא צְלוֹתָא עַד הַהוּא רְקִיעָא), twelve gates of that firmament are opened (אִתְפְּתָחוּ תְּרֵיסָר תַּרְעִין דְּהַהוּא רְקִיעָא). And at the twelfth gate stands one appointed one (וּבְהַהוּא תַּרְעָא דִּתְרֵיסָר, קָאִים מְמָנָא חַד), whose name is Anael (דִּשְׁמֵיהּ עָנָ״אֵל), and this appointed one is over many hosts (וְהַאי מְמָנָא עַל כַּמָה חַיָּילִין), over many legions (עַל כַּמָה מַשִּׁרְיָין), and when the prayer ascends (וְכַד צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא), this appointed one stands and proclaims over all those gates (קָאִים הַאי מְמָנָא וְכָרִיז עַל כָּל אִינּוּן פִּתְחִין), and says: “Open the gates…” (Isaiah 26) (וְאָמַר: פִּתְחוּ שְׁעָרִים וְגוֹ׳), and all the gates are opened (וְכֻלְּהוּ תַּרְעִין פְּתִיחִין), and the prayer enters through all those gates (וְעָאלַת צְלוֹתָא בְּכָל אִינּוּן פִּתְחִין).

Then one ancient appointed one is aroused, elder of days (כְּדֵין, אַתְעַר חַד מְמָנָא סָבָא דְּיוֹמִין), who stands at the southern side (דְּקָאִים לִסְטַר דָּרוֹם), whose name is Azriel Sava (דִּשְׁמֵיהּ עַזְרִיאֵ״ל סָבָא), and at times he is called Machniel (וּלְזִמְנִין אִתְקְרֵי מַחֲנִיאֵ״ל), because he is appointed over sixty myriad legions (בְּגִין דְּאִתְמַנָא עַל שִׁתִּין רִבּוֹא מַשִּׁרְיָין), and all are masters of wings, masters of legions, filled with eyes (וְכֻלְּהוּ מָארֵי דְּגַדְפִין, מָארֵי דְּמַשִּׁרְיָין, מַלְיָין עַיְינִין).

And with them stand those legions whose masters are the Ears (וּלְגַבַּיְיהוּ קַיְּימִין אִינּוּן מַשִּׁרְיָין מָארֵיהוֹן דְּאוּדְנִין). And they are called Ears, because they listen (וְאִקְרוּן אוּדְנִין, בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן צַיְיתִין), to all those who pray their prayers in whisper, with the will of the heart (כָּל אִינּוּן דִּמְצַלָאן צְלוֹתְהוֹן בִּלְחִישׁוּ, בִּרְעוּתָא דְּלִבָּא), such that that prayer is not heard by another (דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע הַהוּא צְלוֹתָא לְאַחֲרָא). That prayer ascends (הַאי צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא), and all those who are called masters of the Ears listen to it (וְצַיְיתִין לָהּ כָּל אִינּוּן דְּאִקְרוּן מָארֵי דְּאוּדְנִין). And if that prayer is heard by the ears of a person (וְאִי הַהִיא צְלוֹתָא אִשְׁתְּמַע לְאוּדְנִין דְּבַר נָשׁ), then no one listens to it above (לֵית מַאן דְּצַיִית לָהּ לְעֵילָּא), and others do not listen to it either (וְלָא צַיְיתִין לָהּ אַחֲרָנִין), except the one who heard it first (בַּר מַאן דְּשָׁמַע בְּקַדְמִיתָא).

Therefore it must be concealed, so that people do not hear that prayer (בְּגִין כָּךְ בָּעֵי לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא דְּלָא יִשְׁמְעוּן לְהַהִיא צְלוֹתָא בְּנֵי נָשָׁא). And furthermore, because the word of prayer is unified in the supernal world (וְתוּ, דְּמִלָּה דִּצְלוֹתָא אִתְאַחֲדָא בְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה), and a word of the supernal world does not need to be heard (וּמִלָּה דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִשְׁמַע).

In this manner (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא), one who reads in the book of the Orayta (מַאן דְּקָרֵי בְּסִפְרָא דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), one should read, and one should remain silent (חַד קָרֵי, וְחַד לִשְׁתּוֹק). And if two read from the Orayta (וְאִי תְּרֵי קָרָאן בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), they diminish the supernal faith (גַּרְעֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), because voice and speech must be completely one (בְּגִין דְּחַד קָלָא וְדִיבּוּר כֹּלָּא חַד). Then two voices and two speeches is a deficiency in faith (כְּדֵין תְּרֵין קָלִין וּתְרֵין דִּבּוּרִין, אִיהוּ גְּרִיעוּתָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא). Rather, let there be one voice and one speech, as is necessary (אֶלָּא דִּיְּהֵא קָלָא וְדִיבּוּר חַד כְּמָה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ), so that that voice and that speech are one (בְּגִין דִּיְּהֵא הַהוּא קָלָא וְהַהוּא דִּיבּוּר חַד). And that appointed one, his name is Azriel Sava (וְהַהוּא מְמָנָא, שְׁמֵיהּ עַזְרִיאֵ״ל סָבָא). When that prayer ascends in whisper (כַּד הַהִיא צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא בִּלְחִישׁוּ), all those sixty myriads of legions (כָּל אִינּוּן שִׁתִּין רִבּוֹא מַשִּׁרְיָין), and all those masters of eyes (וְכָל אִינּוּן מָארֵי דְּעַיְינִין), and all those masters of ears (וְכָל אִינּוּן מָארֵי דְּאוּדְנִין), all go out and kiss that word of prayer that ascends (כֻּלְּהוּ נַפְקֵי וְנַשְּׁקֵי לְהַהִיא מִלָּה דִּצְלוֹתָא דְּסַלְּקָא).

This is what is written: “The eyes of Hashem are toward the righteous, and His ears toward their cry” (Psalms 34) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: עֵינֵי יְיָ׳ אֶל צַדִּיקִים וְאָזְנָיו אֶל שַׁוְעָתָם). “The eyes of Hashem toward the righteous”—these are the masters of eyes below (עֵינֵי יְיָ׳ אֶל צַדִּיקִים, אִלֵּין מָארֵי דְּעַיְינִין דִּלְתַתָּא), because there are no masters of eyes above (בְּגִין דְּאִית [נ״א: דְּלֵית] מָארֵי דְּעַיְינִין לְעֵילָּא). “And His ears toward their cry”—these are the masters of the ears (וְאָזְנָיו אֶל שַׁוְעָתָם, אִלֵּין מָארֵיהוֹן דְּאוּדְנִין).

The third firmament—there the prayer ascends and reaches that firmament (רְקִיעָא תְּלִיתָאָה, הַהִיא צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא וּמָטֵי לְהַהוּא רְקִיעָא), and there is that appointed one called Gedaryah (וְתַמָּן הַהוּא מְמָנָא דְּאִקְרֵי גְּדַרְיָ״ה), and with him are many attendants and many appointed ones (וְעִמֵּיהּ כַּמָה סַרְכִין וְכַמָה מְמָנָן). And he ministers three times daily (וְאִיהוּ מְשַׁמֵשׁ ג׳ זִמְנִין בְּיוֹמָא), to receive a scepter of brilliance that goes out (לָקֳבֵל חַד שַׁרְבִיטָא דְּזִיהֲרָא דְּנָפִיק), it ascends and descends and does not rest in one place (סָלִיק וְנָחִית וְלָא קַיְּימָא בַּאֲתָר חַד), and this is the scepter that is taken three times and concealed (וְהַאי אִיהוּ שַׁרְבִיטָא דְּנָטִיל ג׳ זִמְנִין וְאִתְגְּנִיז). And when prayer ascends (וְכַד צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא), that scepter descends (נָחִית הַהוּא שַׁרְבִיטָא), and bows before that prayer (וְסָגִיד קַמֵּי הַהוּא צְלוֹתָא), and this firmament is called the Firmament of the Scepter (וְאִקְרֵי הַאי רְקִיעָא, רְקִיעָא דְּשַׁרְבִיטָא).

And then, when that prayer ascends (וְכַד סַלְּקָא הַהִיא צְלוֹתָא), that appointed one—after bowing (הַהוּא מְמָנָא בָּתַר דְּסָגִיד)—strikes with that scepter upon the furnace (בָּטַשׁ, בְּהַהוּא שַׁרְבִיטָא בְּטִינָרָא), a powerful radiant furnace (תַּקִּיפָא דְּזָהִיר), which stands in the center of that firmament (דְּאִיהוּ קָאִים בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּהַהוּא רְקִיעָא). And out from within that furnace emerge (וְנַפְקוּ מִגּוֹ הַהוּא טִינָרָא), three hundred seventy-five legions (תְּלַת מְאָה וְשִׁבְעִין וְחָמֵשׁ חַיָּילִין), which were hidden there since the day the Orayta descended to earth (דְּאִינּוּן גְּנִיזִין תַּמָּן מִן יוֹמָא דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא נַחְתַּת לְאַרְעָא), because they were strengthened against the companion (Some say: to the refuse) that it should not descend to earth (בְּגִין דְּאִתְתָּקָפוּ לְחַבְּרָא [ס״א: לְסַרְבָּא] דְּלָא תֵּחוֹת לְאַרְעָא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu rebuked them (וְאָנְזִיף בְּהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and they entered into that furnace (וְעָאלוּ גּוֹ הַהוּא טִינָרָא). But they do not go forth at the time when the prayer ascends (וְלָא נָפְקִין בַּר הַהוּא זִמְנָא דִּצְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא). They open and say: “Hashem, our Master, how mighty is Your Name…” (Psalms 8) (פָּתְחֵי וְאַמְרֵי: יְיָ׳ אֲדוֹנֵינוּ מַה אַדִּיר שִׁמְךָ וְגוֹ׳). That is the prayer which ascends above all the firmaments (דָּא הִיא צְלוֹתָא דְּסַלְּקָא עַל כָּל אִינּוּן רְקִיעִין). Then they bow before it (כְּדֵין סַגְּדִּין לְגַבָּהּ). From this point and onward (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה), the prayer is crowned with supernal crowns (צְלוֹתָא מִתְעַטְּרָא בְּעִטְרִין עִלָּאִין), and ascends into the fourth firmament (וְסַלְּקָא לְגוֹ רְקִיעָא רְבִיעָאָה). Then the sun goes out in its course (וּכְדֵין שִׁמְשָׁא נָפִיק בְּדַרְגּוֹי), and Shamshiel, the great appointed one, goes out (וְשַׁמְשִׁיאֵ״ל רַב מְמָנָא נָפִיק), and three hundred sixty-five legions ascend with him (וּתְלַת מְאָה וְשִׁתִּין וְחָמֵשׁ מַשִּׁרְיָין סַלְּקִין עִמֵּיהּ), into that firmament (לְגוֹ הַהוּא רְקִיעָא), and they are called “Days of the Sun” (וְאִקְרוּן יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה). And all of them crown that prayer (וְכֻלְּהוּ מְעַטְּרָן לְהַהִיא צְלוֹתָא), with crowns of spices from the Garden of Eden (בְּעִטְרִין דְּבוּסְמִין דְּגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן).