Daf 217a (דַּף רי״ז ע״א)

And for this reason, it is necessary to mention in that redemption four times: truth, truth, truth, truth (וְעַל דָּא אִית לְאַדְכְּרָא בְּהַהִיא גְּאוּלָה, ד׳ זִמְנִין: אֱמֶת. אֱמֶת. אֱמֶת. אֱמֶת), until “the help of our fathers” (עַד עֶזְרַת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ). For this is the help and support of all of Yisrael (דְּדָא הוּא עֶזְרָה וְסֶמֶךְ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלְּהוּ). And from there onward, four other times: truth, truth, truth, truth (וּמִתַּמָּן וּלְהָלְאָה אַרְבַּע זִמְנִין אַחֲרָנִין: אֱמֶת, אֱמֶת, אֱמֶת, אֱמֶת), to establish these four redemptions with firm existence (לְמֶהֱוֵי אַרְבַּע גְאוּלוֹת אִלֵּין בְּקִיּוּמָא תַּקִּיף), with a firm seal of the signet ring of the King (בְּחוֹתָמָא תַּקִּיף דְּגוּשְׁפַּנְקָא דְּמַלְכָּא), four redemptions doubled in their confirmation (ד׳ גְאוּלוֹת כְּפוּלִין בְּקִיּוּמָא).

And all of them in that Exodus from Egypt (וְכֻלְּהוּ בְּהַהִיא יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם), for if those four redemptions had not been found in that Exodus from Egypt (דְּאִילּוּ לָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ אִינּוּן ד׳ גְאוּלוֹת בְּהַהִיא יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם), then at every time there would be exile, she would not be joined in her repair to unite the Holy Name (כָּל זִמְנָא דְּלִהוֵי גָּלוּתָא, לָא אִתְחַבְּרַת בְּתִקּוּנָהָא לְאִתְיַיחֲדָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). And for this reason, the redemption of Egypt must be mentioned constantly (וְעַל דָּא אִית לְאַדְכְּרָא גְּאוּלָה דְּמִצְרַיִם תָּדִיר), in all the sanctifications of Kudsha Berikh Hu (בְּכָל קִדּוּשִׁין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), blessed is His Name forever and ever (בְּרִיךְ שְׁמֵיהּ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא).

The mystery of the holiness of His Name — this we have already established (רָזָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה דִּשְׁמֵיהּ הָא אוֹקִימְנָא), for in the Kedushah all are sanctified (דְּהָא בִּקְדוּשָּׁה מִתְקַדְּשֵׁי כֹּלָּא), above and below (עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא), and all rungs (וְכָל דַּרְגִּין), and all supernal and lower chariots (וְכָל רְתִיכִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין), all are sanctified in this sanctity (כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְקַדְּשֵׁי בִּקְדוּשָׁתָא דָּא). And in this holiness, we have established supernal mysteries (וּבִקְדוּשָּׁה דָּא, אוֹקִימְנָא רָזִין עִלָּאִין), for those masters of mysteries who contemplate the holiness of their Master (לְאִינּוּן מָארֵי רָזִין דְּמִסְתַּכְּלִין בִּקְדוּשָּׁה דְּמָארֵיהוֹן), fortunate is their portion (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן).

A mystery to surrender the soul to his Master — this is fitting (רָזָא לְמִמְסַר נַפְשָׁא לְמָארֵיהּ, שַׁפִּיר אִיהוּ), for thus you have said, companions (דְּקָא אֲמַרְתּוּן חַבְרַיָּיא), fortunate is your portion (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיכוֹן), and fortunate are the eyes that have seen such (וְזַכָּאִין עֵינַי דְּחָמוּ כַּךְ), for I have merited in my lifetime to be aroused by these sacred words in this world (דְּזָכֵינָא בְּחַיֵּי, דְּמִתְעָרִין מִלִּין קַדִּישִׁין אִלֵּין בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). Some say: because all of them (נ״א: בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ), and all are written above before the Holy King (וְכֻלְּהוּ כְּתִיבֵי לְעֵילָּא קַמֵי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא). He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “Then those who feared Hashem spoke one to another, and Hashem hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear Hashem and for those who think upon His Name” (Malachi 3) (אָז נִדְבְּרוּ יִרְאֵי יְיָ׳ אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ וַיַּקְשֵׁב יְיָ׳ וַיִּשְׁמָע וַיִּכָּתֵב סֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן לְפָנָיו לְיִרְאֵי יְיָ׳ וּלְחוֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ). This verse is worthy to contemplate (הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ): “Then they spoke” — it should have said “they spoke” in the active form (אָז נִדְבְּרוּ — אָז דִּבְּרוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). What is “they spoke”? (מַאי נִדְבְּרוּ).

Rather, they spoke above (אֶלָּא נִדְבְּרוּ לְעֵילָּא), above all the holy chariots (מִכָּל אִינּוּן רְתִיכִין קַדִּישִׁין), and all the holy armies (וְכָל אִינּוּן חַיָּילִין קַדִּישִׁין). Because these are sacred words (בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין קַדִּישִׁין), they ascend above (סַלְּקִין לְעֵילָּא), and many there are who rise to receive them before the Holy King (וְכַמָּה אִינּוּן דִּמְקַדְּמֵי וְנַטְלִין לוֹן קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), and they are crowned with many crowns (וּמִתְעַטְּרָן בְּכַמָּה עִטְרִין), in those supernal lights (בְּאִינּוּן נְהוֹרִין עִלָּאִין), and all of them are spoken above before the supernal King (וְכֻלְּהוּ נִדְבְּרוּ מִקַּמֵּי מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה). Who sees the joy (מַאן חָמֵי חֶדְוָון), who sees the praises (מַאן חָמֵי תּוּשְׁבְּחָן) that ascend in all those firmaments (דְּסַלְּקִין בְכָל אִינּוּן רְקִיעִין), when these words ascend (כַּד סַלְּקִין מִלִּין אִלֵּין), and the Holy King looks upon them (וּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא מִסְתָּכַּל בְּהוּ), and is crowned with them (וְאִתְעַטָּר בְּהוּ), and they ascend (וְאִינּוּן סַלְּקִין). Some say: upon His head they become a crown and descend and sit, etc. (נ״א: עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ דְּהֲווּ עֲטָרָה וְנַחְתִּין וְיַתְבִין וְכוּ').

And they sit upon His bosom (וְיַתְבִין עַל חֵיקֵיהּ), and He delights in them (וּמִשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע בְּהוּ). From there they ascend upon His head (מִתַּמָּן סַלְּקִין עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ), and they become a crown (וַהֲווּ עֲטָרָה). And concerning this the Orayta says (וְעַל דָּא אָמְרָה אוֹרַיְיתָא), “And I was His delight day by day” (Proverbs 8) (וָאֶהְיֶה שַׁעֲשׁוּעִים יוֹם יוֹם). It is not written “and I was” (וְהָיִיתִי לָא כְּתִיב), but rather “and I am” (אֶלָּא וָאֶהְיֶה), in every time and in every season (בְכָל זְמָן, וּבְכָל עִידָּן), when supernal words ascend before Him (דְּמִלִּין עִלָּאִין סַלְּקִין קַמֵּיהּ). Twice it is written: “those who fear Hashem” (תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי כְּתִיב: יִרְאֵי יְיָ׳ יִרְאֵי יְיָ׳).

Rather: “those who fear Hashem” above, “those who fear Hashem” below (אֶלָּא: יִרְאֵי יְיָ׳ לְעֵילָּא, יִרְאֵי יְיָ׳ לְתַתָּא). “Those who fear Hashem” stand below (יִרְאֵי יְיָ׳ קַיְימִין לְתַתָּא), and those words stand in their likeness above (וְאִינּוּן מִלִּין קַיְימִין בְּדִיּוּקְנֵיהוֹן לְעֵילָּא). And this mystery we found in the Book of Enoch (וְרָזָא דָּא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּסִפְרָא דְּחֲנוֹךְ), that all the words of the Tzaddikim in this world (דְּכָל מִלִּין דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא דִּי בְּאַרְעָא), are crowned and stand before the King (אִינּוּן מִתְעַטְּרָן וְקַיְימָן קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu delights in them (וּמִשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע בְּהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And afterward they descend (וּלְבָתַר אִינּוּן נַחְתֵּי), and they stand before Him in the likeness of that Tzaddik who spoke them (וְקַיְימִין קַמֵּיהּ בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּהַהוּא צַדִּיק דְּקָאָמַר לוֹן), and Kudsha Berikh Hu delights in that likeness (וְאִשְׁתַּעֲשַׁע קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַהוּא דִּיּוּקְנָא).

And afterward they are written in a Book of Remembrance before Him (וּלְבָתַר אַכְתִּיבוּ בְּסֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן לְפָנָיו), to stand before Him in continual existence (לְקַיְּימָא קַמֵּיהּ בְּקִיּוּמָא תָּדִיר). And “to those who think upon His Name,” what is “and to those who think upon His Name”? (וּלְחוֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ, מַאי: וּלְחוֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ). This has already been established (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ), but all those who contemplate words of Orayta (אֲבָל כָּל אִינּוּן דִּמְחַשְּׁבֵי מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), to cleave to their Master in the mystery of the Holy Name (לְאַדְבְּקָא לְמָארֵיהוֹן בְּרָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), in order to know Him (בְּגִין לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ), and to establish the wisdom of His Name in their hearts (וּלְאִתְתַּקְנָא חָכְמָה דִּשְׁמֵיהּ בְּלִבַּיְיהוּ), as it is written: “and to those who think upon His Name” (דִּכְתִּיב: וּלְחוֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ), which is the mystery of the Holy Name (דְּהוּא רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). It is written, “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne” (Ezekiel 1) (כְּתִיב וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ אֲשֶׁר עַל רֹאשָׁם כְּמַרְאֵה אֶבֶן סַפִּיר דְּמוּת כִּסֵּא). This verse has been established (הַאי קְרָא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

But “above the firmament” refers to that firmament below (אֲבָל וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ, בְּהַהוּא רָקִיעַ לְתַתָּא), as you, my companions, have said (כְּמָה דְּאָמַרְתּוּן חַבְרַיָּיא), fortunate is my portion (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקִי), and fortunate is your portion (וְזַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיכוֹן). In that firmament below (בְּהַהוּא רָקִיעַ לְתַתָּא), for in the supernal firmament, none can gaze (דְּהָא בִּרְקִיעָא דִּלְעֵילָּא לֵית מַאן דְּאִסְתָּכַּל בֵּיהּ). And above it stands that sapphire stone (וּמִלְּעֵילָּא מִנֵּיהּ קַיְּימָא הַהוּא אֶבֶן סַפִּיר), for we have already been aroused there concerning the mystery of that precious, fine pearl (דְּהָא אִתְּעַרְנָא בֵּיהּ בְּרָזָא דְּהַהוּא מַרְגָּלִית טָבָא יַקִּירָא), as we have established (כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא).