Daf 203a (דַּף ר״ג ע״א)

Fortunate is the portion (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ) of the one who aligns his heart and will to this (מַאן דִּישַׁוֵּי לִבֵּיהּ וּרְעוּתֵיהּ לְדָא), and completes them every day (וּלְאַשְׁלְמָא לוֹן בְּכָל יוֹמָא). And upon these depend many other matters (וּבְאִלֵּין תַּלְיָין אַחֲרָנִין סַגִּיאִין). But when a person reaches these stations (אֲבָל כַּד מָטֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאַתְרִין אִלֵּין), he must direct his heart and will (אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְכַוְּונָא לִבֵּיהּ וּרְעוּתֵיהּ), to complete that command which is fulfilled in that word (לְאַשְׁלְמָא הַהוּא פִּקּוּדָא דְּקַיְימָא בְּהַהוּא מִלָּה). Then they proclaim over him and say (וּכְדֵין אַכְרִיזוּ עָלֵיהּ וְאַמְרֵי): “And He said to me, You are My servant, Yisrael, in whom I will be glorified” (Isaiah 49) (וַיֹּאמֶר לִי עַבְדִי אַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר). Rabbi Abba came and kissed him (אָתָא רִבִּי אַבָּא וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ).

Rabbi Yitzchak opened after him and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי יִצְחָק אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וְאָמַר): “And Moshe gathered all the assembly of the children of Yisrael…” (Exodus 35) (וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ׳). Why did he gather them? (אֲמַאי כָּנִישׁ לוֹן). In order to transmit to them the Shabbat, as at first (בְּגִין לְמִמְסַר לוֹן שַׁבָּת כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין).

For originally, before the children of Yisrael made the calf, he gave them the Shabbat (דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא עַד לָא עָבְדוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יַת עֶגְלָא, מָסַר לוֹן אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת). And this they did not observe, those of the mixed multitude (וְדָא אִיהוּ דְּלָא נַטְרוּ אִינּוּן עֵרֶב רַב). Once they heard “Between Me and the children of Yisrael” (כֵּיוָן דְּשַׁמְעוּ: בֵּינִי וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), they said, “And we—this matter was withheld from us!” (אָמְרוּ: וַאֲנָן מִלָּה דָּא אִתְמָנַּע מִינָן), and immediately: “And the people gathered upon Aharon…” (Exodus 32) (מִיַּד: וַיִּקָּהֵל הָעָם עַל אַהֲרֹן וְגוֹ׳), and many were drawn after them (וְאִתְמְשָׁכוּ סַגִּיאִין אֲבַתְרַיְיהוּ). After those who perished died (לְבָתַר דְּמִיתוּ אִינּוּן דְּמִיתוּ), Moshe gathered only the children of Yisrael (כָּנִישׁ מֹשֶׁה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ), and gave them the Shabbat anew (וְיָהַב לוֹן שַׁבָּת כְּמִלְּקַדְמִין).

This is what is written: “Six days work shall be done…” (Exodus 35) (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב: שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תֵּעָשֶׂה מְלָאכָה וְגוֹ׳). “You shall not kindle fire in any of your dwellings”—here lies a secret of secrets (לֹא תְבַעֲרוּ אֵשׁ בְּכָל מוֹשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם, הָכָא אִית רָזָא דְּרָזִין), for those who know supernal wisdom (לְאִינּוּן דְּיַדְעֵי חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה), the secret of Shabbat—this the companions have established (רָזָא דְּשַׁבָּת הָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא). But this secret was transmitted to supernal sages (אֲבָל רָזָא דָּא, אִתְמְסָר לְחַכִּימֵי עֶלְיוֹנִין), for Shabbat is a supernal mystery (דְּהָא שַׁבָּת רָזָא עִלָּאָה הוּא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי) Some say: on the sixth day, at the time of arrival (ס״א: בְּיוֹמָא שְׁתִּיתָאָה, בִּשְׁעַתָא דְּמָטֵי)—at the time of the sixth day approaching evening (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּיוֹמָא שְׁתִּיתָאָה מָטָא זִמְנָא דְּעֶרֶב), then one star from the north shines (כְּדֵין, כֹּכָבָא חַד מִסִּטְרָא דְּצָפוֹן נָהִיר), and with it seventy other stars (וְעִמֵּיהּ שִׁבְעִין כֹּכָבִין אַחֲרָנִין), and that star strikes those other stars (וְהַהוּא כֹּכָבָא בָּטַשׁ בְּאִינּוּן כֹּכָבִין אַחֲרָנִין), and they are all included within that star (וְאִתְכָּלְילוּ כֻּלְּהוּ בְּהַהוּא כֹּכָבָא), and they become one collective of seventy (וְאִתְעָבִיד חַד כְּלָלָא דְּשִׁבְעִין). And that star expands and becomes a single flame (וְהַהוּא כֹּכָבָא אִתְפָּשַׁט, וְאִתְעָבִיד כְּמָדוּרָא חֲדָא), burning in all directions (לְהִיטָא בְּכָל סִטְרִין). Then that flame spreads around a thousand mountains (כְּדֵין אִתְפָּשַׁט הַהוּא מָדוּרָא סַחֲרָנַיְיהוּ דְּאֶלֶף טוּרִין), and stands like a single thread of encircling fire (וְקַיְּימָא כְּחַד חוּטָא דְּסָחֲרָא). And this fiery flame (וְהַאי מָדוּרָא דְּאֶשָּׁא), draws to itself other colors within it (מָשִׁיךְ לְגַבֵּיהּ גַּוְונִין אַחֲרָנִין דִּלְגוֹ מִנֵּיהּ).

The first color is green (גּוָֹון קַדְמָאָה יְרוֹקָא). Once that color is present (כֵּיוָן דְּקַיְּימָא הַאי גַּוְונָא), the flame of fire ascends (סַלְּקָא הַהוּא מָדוּרָא דְּאֶשָּׁא), and leaps upward over that green color (וְדָלִיג לְעֵילָּא עַל הַהוּא גּוָֹון יְרוֹקָא), and enters within it (וְעָאל לְגוֹ מִנֵּיהּ), and casts that green color outward (וְשַׁדֵּי לְהַהוּא גּוָֹון יְרוֹקָא לְבַר), and the green remains outside (וְקַיְּימָא יְרוֹקָא לְבַר), and the fiery flame of the star is encompassed within (וְהַהוּא מָדוּרָא דְּאֶשָּׁא דְּכֹכָבָא כְּלִילָא לְגוֹ).

Afterward it draws after it another second color—white (לְבָתַר, אַמְשִׁיךְ אֲבַתְרֵיהּ גּוָֹון אַחֲרָא תִּנְיָינָא חִוָּורָא), and that white enters within (וְהַהוּא חִוָּורָא עָאל לְגוֹ). Once that color is present (כֵּיוָן דְּקַיְּימָא הַאי גּוָֹון), the fiery flame of that star ascends (סַלְּקָא הַהוּא מָדוּרָא דְּאֶשָּׁא דְּהַהוּא כֹּכָבָא), and casts that white outward (וְשַׁדֵּי לְהַהוּא חִוָּורָא לְבַר), and it enters within (וְעָאל אִיהוּ לְגוֹ). And so with all the other colors (וְכֵן כָּל אִינּוּן גַּוְונִין), until it casts them out and enters within (עַד דְּשַׁדֵי לוֹן לְבַר, וְעָיִיל אִיהוּ לְגוֹ), and draws near to that hidden point to receive light (וְקָרִיב לְגַבֵּי הַהִיא נְקוּדָה טְמִירָא, לְמֵיטָל נְהוֹרָא). He opened and said: “And I saw, and behold, a stormy wind came from the north…” (Ezekiel 1) (פָּתַח וְאָמַר: וָאֵרֶא וְהִנֵּה רוּחַ סְעָרָה בָּאָה מִן הַצָּפוֹן וְגוֹ׳). Yeḥezkel saw this vision (יְחֶזְקֵאל חָמָא לְהַאי חֵיזוּ), in a configuration that was not stable (בְּתִקּוּנָא דְּלָא קַיְּימָא), except at the time when that star ruled as said above (בַּר בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּשַׁלִּיט הַהוּא כֹּכָבָא כִּדְקָאָמְרָן).

But this verse has already been established (אֲבָל הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ): “And behold, a stormy wind”—this was explained as coming to subdue the entire world before the wicked Nevukhadnetzar (וְהִנֵּה רוּחַ סְעָרָה, אוּקְמוּהָ: דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי לְמִכְבַּשׁ כָּל עָלְמָא לְקַמֵּיהּ דִּנְבוּכַדְנֶצַר חַיָּיבָא). But this “stormy wind” here (אֲבָל רוּחַ סְעָרָה דָּא), is that star we mentioned (אִיהוּ הַהוּא כֹּכָבָא דְּקָאָמְרָן), which swallowed seventy other stars (דְּבָלַע שִׁבְעִין כֹּכָבִין אַחֲרָנִין), and this is the “stormy wind” that Eliyahu saw (וְדָא אִיהוּ רוּחַ סְעָרָה דְּחָמָא אֵלִיָּהוּ), “that tore mountains and shattered rocks” (I Kings 19) (מְפָרֵק הָרִים וּמְשַׁבֵּר סְלָעִים), and this stands continually before all (וְדָא דְּקַיְּימָא תָּדִיר קֳדָם כֹּלָּא), to guard that which is within, like a Klipah over the brain (לְמֵיטַר הַהוּא דִּלְגוֹ, כִּקְלִיפָה לְמוֹחָא). And why is it called Se‘arah (Storm)? (וַאֲמַאי אִקְרֵי סְעָרָה). Because it stirs up everything, above and below (דְּסָעִיר כֹּלָּא, עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא). “It came from the north”—for from that side it comes (בָּאָה מִן הַצָּפוֹן, דְּהָא מִן הַהוּא סִטְרָא קָא אַתְיָא). And your sign: “From the north shall the evil be unleashed” (Jeremiah 1) (וְסִימָנִךְ: מִצָּפוֹן תִּפָּתַח הָרָעָה). For many Sitra achras are unified in that stormy wind (דְּהָא כַּמָה סִטְרִין אַחֲרָנִין אִתְאַחֲדָן בְּהַהוּא רוּחַ סְעָרָה), and because of this it goes forth from the north (וּבְגִין כָּךְ נָפְקָא מִן הַצָּפוֹן).

A cloud—because it is a golden burning flame (עָנָן, בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי סוּסְפִיתָא דְּדַהֲבָא). And from the side of the north this is unified (וּמִסִּטְרָא דְּצָפוֹן אִתְאַחֲדָא דָּא). And this is the central point (וְהַאי אִיהִי נְקוּדָה אֶמְצָעִיתָא) which stands in the ruin (דְּקַיְּימָא בְּחוּרְבָּא). And because it knows how to open, it rules within the point of settlement (וּבְגִין דְּיָדַע לִמְפָתֵּי, שַׁלִּיט בְּגוֹ נְקוּדָה דִּישׁוּבָא), and all matters of civilization (וְכָל מִלִּין דִּישׁוּבָא). In the Land of Yisrael, when Yisrael dwell within it (בַּר אַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, כַּד שָׁרָאן יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגַוָּהּ), it—Some say: not—rules over them (אִיהוּ [ד״א: לָא] שַׁלְטָא עָלַיְיהוּ). But afterward, when Yisrael sinned (וּלְבָתַר דְּחָבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל), it—Some say: not—ruled over the Holy Land (שַׁלְטָא עַל אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא [ד״א: לָא]), because it is written: “He withdrew His right hand before the enemy” (Lamentations 2) (בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב: הֵשִׁיב אָחוֹר יְמִינוֹ מִפְּנֵי אוֹיֵב).