Daf 205a (דַּף ר״ה ע״א)

He said: Certainly, union is found on this night (אָמַר, וַדַּאי זִוּוּגָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּלֵילְיָא דָּא). Why? (מַאי טַעְמָא) Because on this night (בְּגִין דְּהַאי לֵילְיָא), souls are separated out for all those sages who know the secrets of wisdom (אַפְרִישַׁת נִשְׁמָתִין לְכָל אִינּוּן חַכִּימִין דְּיַדְעִין רָזִין דְּחָכְמְתָא). And connection and union are not found on another day with such joy, without mixture (some say: except for this night (וְחִבּוּרָא וְזִוּוּגָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּיוֹמָא אַחֲרָא בְּכָל חֶדְוָה בְּלָא עִרְבּוּבְיָא [ס״א: אֶלָּא בְּגִין דָּא]).

Because these souls that are distributed, are distributed to sages, to the righteous, and to the pious as is fitting (בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דִּפְלִיגַת, פְלִיגַת לוֹן בְּחַכִּימִין, בְּצַדִּיקִים, בַּחֲסִידֵי כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת). And on every single night, certainly union is found (וּבְכָל לֵילְיָא וְלֵילְיָא, זִוּוּגָא אִשְׁתְּכַח וַדַּאי), but when? At midnight (אֵימָתַי בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא). And this has been established (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא). But not in all directions is there a union like this one (אֲבָל לָא בְּכָל סִטְרִין כְּהַאי זִוּוּגָא). And for this reason, the sages who know the secrets (וּבְגִין דָּא, חַכִּימִין דְּיַדְעִין רָזִין), desire to arrange their coupling on this night (בַּעְיָין לְסַדְּרָא שִׁמּוּשָׁא דִּלְהוֹן בְּהַאי לֵילְיָא).

Why? (מַאי טַעֲמָא) Because on every day of Shabbat (בְּגִין דְּכָל יוֹמֵי דְּשַׁבְּתָא), there is another spirit that rests upon the world (אִית לוֹן רוּחָא אַחֲרָא דְּשָׁרָא עַל עָלְמָא). But on this night, there is another supernal holy spirit (וּבְהַאי לֵילְיָא אִית לוֹן רוּחָא אַחֲרָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה), that descends upon the holy ones (דְּנַחְתָּא לִבְנִי קַדִּישִׁין). And this spirit blows from Atikah of all Atikin (וְהַהוּא רוּחָא נָשִׁיב מֵעַתִּיקָא דְּכָל עַתִּיקִין), and descends into the lower point (וְנַחְתָּא לְגוֹ נְקוּדָה תַּתָּאָה), to bring rest upon all (לְמֵיהַב בָּהּ נַיְיחָא לְכֹלָּא).

And this is distributed in all directions, above and below (וְדָא אִתְפְּלִיג לְכָל סִטְרִין, לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא), as it is said: “Between Me and the children of Yisrael” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר: בֵּינִי וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). And when those sages sit in that holy spirit, the supernal spirit (וְכַד אִינּוּן חַכִּימִין יַתְבִין בְּהַהוּא רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא, רוּחָא עִלָּאָה), they desire to use their beds (בָּעָאן לְשַׁמְּשָׁא עַרְסַיְיהוּ), because this spirit draws after it below all those holy souls (דְּהַאי רוּחָא אַמְשִׁיךְ אֲבַתְרֵיהּ לְתַתָּא כָּל אִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין קַדִּישִׁין), and holy inheritances from the supernal ones (וְיָרְתִין קַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין), through this spirit holy souls are transmitted to their children as is fitting (בְּהַאי רוּחָא נִשְׁמָתִין קַדִּישִׁין לִבְנֵיהוֹן כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת).

Once this spirit rests upon the world (כֵּיוָן דְּהַאי רוּחָא שָׁרָא עַל עָלְמָא), all evil spirits and all evil accusers are removed from the world (כָּל רוּחִין בִּישִׁין, וְכָל מְקַטְרְגִין בִּישִׁין אִסְתָּלָקוּ מֵעָלְמָא), and there is no need to pray for protection (וְלָא בָּעֵינָן לְצַלָּאָה עַל נְטוּרָא), because Yisrael are guarded by that spirit (בְּגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִינּוּן נְטִירִין בְּהַהוּא רוּחָא), and the sukkah of peace spreads her wings over them (וְסֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם פְּרִיסָת גַּדְפָהָא עָלַיְיהוּ), and they are protected from everything (וְאִינּוּן נְטִירִין מִכֹּלָּא).

And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא), have we not learned (הָא תָּנֵינָן) that a person should not go out alone (דְּלָא יִפּוּק בַּר נָשׁ יְחִידָאי), not on the fourth night of the week (לָא בְּלֵילְיָא רְבִיעָאָה דְּשַׁבְּתָא), and not on the night of Shabbat (וְלָא בְּלֵילְיָא דְּשַׁבְּתָא), and that a person must guard himself (וּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא)? Yet we have said (וְהָא אַמָרָן) that on the night of Shabbat, human beings are protected (דִּבְלֵילְיָא דְּשַׁבְּתָא נְטִירִין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא) from all the accusers of the world (מִכָּל מְקַטְרְגִין דְּעָלְמָא), and we do not need to pray for protection (וְלָא בָּעִינָן לְצַלָּאָה עַל נְטוּרָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): so it is, certainly (הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי), on the fourth night of the week (לֵילְיָא רְבִיעָאָה דְּשַׁבְּתָא), one must guard oneself from them (בָּעֵינָן לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מִנַּיְיהוּ). Why? (מַאי טַעְמָא) Because it is written (בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב): “Let there be lights” (Bereshit 1) (יְהִי מְאֹרֹת), but it is written defectively, without a vav: me’erot (מְאֵרַת כְּתִיב חָסֵר). And it has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ) that because it is defective (דִּבְגִין דְּהִיא חֲסֵרָה), many bands of impurity are included in this “lights” (כַּמָה חֲבִילֵי טְהִירִין אִתְכְּלִילָן בְּהַאי מְאֹרֹת). Leviathan and “lights” are in the deficiency of the moon (לְוָוטִין וּמְאֹרֹת אִינּוּן בִּגְרִיעוּתָא דְּסִיהֲרָא), and all of them have dominion on that night (וְכֻלְּהוּ שַׁלִּיטִין בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא).

But on the night of Shabbat (בְּלֵילְיָא דְּשַׁבְּתָא), since they are all dispersed above (כֵּיוָן דְּכֻלְּהוּ מִתְבָּדְרָן לְאַעֲלָא), into the nukvah of dust (בְּנוּקְבָּא דְּעַפְרָא), they are unable to rule (דְּלָא יַכְלִין לְשַׁלְּטָאָה). Still, a person who is alone must guard himself (בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ יְחִידָאי לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא). Moreover (וְתוּ), even though they cannot rule (אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא יַכְלִין לְשַׁלְּטָאָה), they sometimes appear (אִתְחַזְיָין לְזִמְנִין), and a person alone must be cautious (וּבַר נָשׁ יְחִידָאי בָּעֵי לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא). This matter is taught thus (מִלָּה דָּא הָכִי תָּנֵינָן), and if so, the defect is not in the guarding itself (וְאִי הָכִי, גְּרִיעוּתָא דִּנְטוּרָא אִיהוּ).

But on Shabbat, protection is found for the holy people (אֲבָל בְּשַׁבְּתָא נְטִירוּ אִשְׁתְּכַח לְעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא), and the Holy One Blessed Be He, when Shabbat enters, crowns each and every one of Yisrael (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד עָאל שַׁבְּתָא, מְעַטֵּר לְכָל חַד וְחַד מִיִשְׂרָאֵל). And they must guard this holy crown (וּבָעֵי דְּיִנְטְרוּן לֵיהּ לְהַאי עִטְרָא קַדִּישָׁא) with which they were crowned (דְּאִתְעַטָּרוּ בֵּיהּ). And even though they are not in settled habitation (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִינּוּן לָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בְּיִשּׁוּבָא), at times, to a person alone they appear (לְזִמְנִין לְבַר נָשׁ יְחִידָאי אִתְחָזוּן), and his mazal is harmed (וְאִתְּרַע מַזָּלֵיהּ). And a person must be crowned with that holy crown (וְאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּעִטְרָא קַדִּישָׁא), and to guard it (וּלְנַטְרָא לֵיהּ). In the end, protection is surely found on that night for the holy nation (סוֹף סוֹף, נְטִירוּ אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא לְעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא), since the Sukkah of Peace spreads over the people (הוֹאִיל וְסֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם פְּרִיסָא עַל עַמָּא), for we have learned (דְּהָא תָּנֵינָן): in every place where the Sukkah of Peace is found, the Sitra achra is not found there (בְּכָל אֲתָר דְּסֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם אִשְׁתְּכַח, סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח תַּמָּן). And because of this, it is protection and a protection that endures (וְעַל דָּא נְטוּרָא אִיהוּ, וּנְטוּרָא שְׁכִיחַ).

The day of Shabbat is joy for all (יוֹמָא דְּשַׁבְּתָא, חֶדְוָה אִיהוּ לְכֹלָּא), and everything is protected above and below (וְכֹלָּא אִתְנְטָר לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא). And the lower light—some say: the lower point—shines to ascend above (וּנְהוֹרָא [נ״א: וְנְקוּדָה] תַּתָּאָה נַהֲרָא לְסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא), with the beauty of seventy fold more crowns (בִּשְׁפִירוּ דְּעִטְרִין שִׁבְעִין חוּלָקִין יַתִּיר), and the Elder of all the Elders is aroused (וְסָבָא דְּכָל סָבִין אִתְעַר). Then, when the light ascends (כְּדֵין כַּד סָלִיק נְהוֹרָא), the holy people go early to the synagogue in garments of honor and with joy (עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא מְקַדְּמֵי לְבֵי כְּנִישְׁתָּא בִּלְבוּשׁ יְקָר בְּחֶדְוָה), they are crowned with the supernal holy crown (מִתְעַטְּרָן בְּעִטְרָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּלְעֵילָּא), in that spirit that rests upon them below (בְּהַהוּא רוּחָא דְּקַיְּימָא עָלַיְיהוּ לְתַתָּא). They praise with songs and praises (מְשַׁבְּחָן בְּשִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן), and their praises rise above (וְסַלְּקִין תּוּשְׁבְּחָן לְעֵילָּא). And the supernal and lower ones are all in joy (וְעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּחֶדְוָה), and all are crowned together (וּמִתְעַטְּרָן כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא). The supernal gates open and say (פַּתְחֵי עִלָּאֵי וְאַמְרֵי): Blessed are you, holy nation on earth (זַכָּאִין אַתּוּן עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא בְּאַרְעָא), for your Master is crowned over you (דְּמָארֵיכוֹן אִתְעֲטָּר עָלַיְיכוּ), and all the holy hosts are crowned because of you (וְכָל חֵילִין קַדִּישִׁין מִתְעַטְּרִין בְּגִינֵיכוֹן).