Daf 217b (דַּף רי״ז ע״ב)

“The likeness of a throne” (דְּמוּת כִּסֵּא), and it is not written “the likeness of the throne” (וְלָא כְּתִיב דְּמוּת הַכִּסֵּא), because there is a throne, and there is a throne (בְּגִין דְּאִית כִּסֵּא, וְאִית כִּסֵּא). The throne refers to the supernal, hidden, concealed throne that is not revealed (הַכִּסֵּא: עִלָּאָה טְמִירָא גְּנִיזָא דְּלָא אִתְגַּלְיָיא), and no one can stand within it to know or contemplate (וְלֵית מַאן דְּקַיְּימָא בֵּיהּ לְמִנְדַּע וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא). And for this reason it is written simply “throne” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב כִּסֵּא סְתָמָא), this being the throne below (דָּא כִּסֵּא דִּלְתַתָּא). “A likeness as the appearance of a man” (דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם), once it says “likeness,” why add “as the appearance”? (כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר דְּמוּת, אֲמַאי כְּמַרְאֵה), for it would have sufficed with “likeness of man” (דְּהָא סַגִּי לֵיהּ דְּמוּת אָדָם).

Rather, “the likeness of man” is the supernal mystery (אֶלָּא דְּמוּת אָדָם, דָּא אִיהוּ רָזָא עִלָּאָה), within that supernal Kavod, the form of Adam (בְּהַהוּא כָּבוֹד עִלָּאָה, דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּאָדָם). But the addition of “as the appearance” is to include those forms of the words of wisdom (אֲבָל הָא דְּאִתּוֹסָף כְּמַרְאֵה, לְאַכְלְלָא אִינּוּן דִּיוּקְנִין דְּמִלִּין דְּחָכְמְתָא), and those mysteries of wisdom that ascend and are crowned above (וְאִינּוּן רָזִין דְּחָכְמְתָא דְּסַלְקָן וּמִתְעַטְּרָן לְעֵילָּא), and afterward stand in the form of Adam, in the likeness of the Tzaddikim who crown them (וּלְבָתַר קַיְימִין בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּאָדָם בְּהַהוּא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא דִּמְעַטְּרִין לוֹן), and in all of them Kudsha Berikh Hu delights through their crown (וּבְכֻלְּהוּ אִשְׁתַּעֲשַׁע קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעִטְרוֹי). And you, my companions (וְאַתּוּן חַבְרַיָּיא), behold, Kudsha Berikh Hu now delights (הָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִשְׁתַּעֲשַׁע הַשְׁתָּא), in those words that you are speaking (בְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּקָא אַמְרִיתּוּ), and they are crowned in that path (מִתְעַטְּרָן בְּהַהוּא אוֹרְחָא).

And behold, you are established before your Master in your holy likenesses (וְהָא קְיַּימְתּוּן קַמֵּי מָארֵיכוֹן בְּדִיּוּקְנַיְיכוּ קַדִּישִׁין), for when I look upon you and gaze at your likenesses (דְּהָא אֲנָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דַּחֲמֵינָא לְכוּ, וְאִסְתַּכַּלְנָא בְּדִיּוּקְנַיְיכוּ), I see in you that you are marked with the mystery of Adam (חֲמֵינָא בְּכוּ דְּאַתּוּן רְשִׁימִין בְּרָזָא דְּאָדָם), and I knew that your likeness is destined to ascend above (וְיָדַעְנָא דְּהָא דִּיּוּקְנָא דִּילְכוֹן אִתְעַתְּדָא לְעֵילָּא). And so the Tzaddikim are prepared for the time to come (וְהָכִי אִזְדַּמְּנָן צַדִּיקַיָּיא לְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי), to be revealed before the eyes of all (לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא לְעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּכֹלָּא), and to display the holy Face before the whole world (וּלְאַחֲזָאָה פַּרְצוּפָא קַדִּישָׁא לְקָמֵי כָּל עָלְמָא). This is what is written: “All who see them will recognize that they are the seed blessed by Hashem” (Isaiah 61) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כָּל רוֹאֵיהֶם יַכִּירוּם כִּי הֵם זֶרַע בֵּרַךְ יְיָ').

Meanwhile he saw Rabbi Yosei, who was meditating on matters of the world (אַדְּהָכִי חָמָא לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, דְּהֲוָה מְהַרְהֵר בְּמִלֵּי דְּעָלְמָא). He said to him, “Yosei, arise and complete your form, for there is one thing lacking in you” (אָמַר לֵיהּ, יוֹסֵי קוּם אַשְׁלִים דִּיּוּקְנָךְ, דְּאָת חַד חָסֵר בָּךְ). Rabbi Yosei arose and rejoiced in the words of the Orayta (קָם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְחַדֵּי בְּמִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and stood before him (וְקָם קַמֵּיהּ). Rabbi Shimon looked at him (אִסְתָּכַּל בֵּיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן) and said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ), “Rabbi Yosei, now you are complete before Atik Yomin, and your likeness is complete” (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, הַשְׁתָּא אַנְתְּ שְׁלִים קַמֵּי עַתִּיק יוֹמִין, וְדִיּוּקְנָךְ שְׁלִים). He opened and said: “And he made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold…” (Exodus 28) (פָּתַח וְאָמַר וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת צִיץ נֵזֶר הַקֹּדֶשׁ זָהָב טָהוֹר וְגוֹ').

Why is it called Tzitz? (אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי צִיץ). A gaze to be looked at (אִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ). And because it stood for the gaze of man (וּבְגִין דְּהֲוָה קַיְּימָא עַל אִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ), it is called Tzitz (אִקְרֵי צִיץ). And whoever gazed upon that Tzitz was recognized by it (וְכָל מַאן דְּאִסְתָּכַּל בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא צִיץ אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא בֵּיהּ). In the Tzitz were the letters of the Holy Name engraved in engraving (בַּצִּיץ הֲווֹ אַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא גְּלִיפָן בְּגִלּוּפָא), and they were inscribed within it (וּמְחַקְּקָן בֵּיהּ). And if the person standing before it was meritorious (וְאִי זַכָּאָה הֲוָה הַהוּא דְּקַיְּימָא קַמֵּיהּ), those letters that were engraved within it inside the gold (אִינּוּן אַתְוָון דִּמְחַקְּקָן בֵּיהּ גּוֹ דַּהֲבָא), would sparkle from below to above (הֲווֹ בַּלְטִין מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא), and would ascend from that engraving in radiance (וְסַלְּקִין מֵהַהוּא גְּלִיפוּ בִּנְהִירוּ), and would shine in the face of that person (וַהֲווּ נָהֲרִין בְּאַנְפִּין דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ).

They sparkled flashes within it (נָצִיץ נְצִיצוּ בֵּיהּ), and not outwardly sparkled (וְלָא נַצְצִין). At the first moment when the Kohen would gaze at it (בְּשַׁעֲתָא קַדְמִיתָא דְּאִסְתָּכַּל כַּהֲנָא בֵּיהּ), he would see the radiance of all the letters in the face (הֲוָה חָמֵי נְהִירוּ דְּאַתְוָון כֻּלְּהוּ בְּאַנְפִּין). But when one would try to focus his eye on it (וְכַד הֲוָה מִסְתַּכְלָּא לְעַיְינָא בֵּיהּ), he would not see anything (לָא הֲוָה חָמֵי מִדִי), only the shining of his face shining (אֶלָּא נְהִירוּ דְּאַנְפּוֹי דְּנָהִיר), as though a spark of gold was flashing in it (כְּאִילּוּ נִיצוֹצָא דְּדַהֲבָא הֲוָה נָצִיץ בֵּיהּ). Except the Kohen would know the vision of the first gaze (בַּר דְּכַהֲנָא הֲוָה יָדַע חֵיזוּ דְּאִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא קַדְמָאָה), which he saw at that moment (דְּהֲוָה חָמֵי לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא), that the will of Kudsha Berikh Hu was in that person (דְּהָא רְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ), and he knew that he was destined for the World to Come (וְיָדַע דְּאִיהוּ זַמִּין לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), because this vision was shining upon him from above (בְּגִין דְּחֵיזוּ דָּא נָהֲרִין עָלֵיהּ מִלְּעֵילָּא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu was favorable toward him (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה אִתְרְעֵי בֵּיהּ). And when one would look at him afterward, he would see nothing (וְכַד מִסְתַּכְּלִין בֵּיהּ לָא חָמָאן מִדִי), because the vision from above is not revealed except at the proper moment (בְּגִין דְּחֵיזוּ דִּלְעֵילָּא לָא אִתְגַּלְיָיא אֶלָּא לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא). And if a person stood before that Tzitz, and his face was not visible at that moment (וְאִי קַיְּימָא בַּר נָשׁ קַמֵּי הַהוּא צִיץ, וְאַנְפּוֹי לָא אִתְחַזְיָין לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא), it was a holy vision (חֵיזוּ קַדִּישָׁא), and the Kohen would know that this one had a hardened forehead (הֲוָה יָדַע כַּהֲנָא דְּהָא אִיהוּ תַּקִּיף מִצְחָא), and he needed atonement upon him (וּבָעֵי לְכַפְּרָא עָלֵיהּ), and to pray mercy for him (וּלְמִבָּעֵי עֲלוֹי רַחֲמִין). “And he made the plate of the holy crown” (Exodus 40) (וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת צִיץ נֶזֶר הַקֹּדֶשׁ).

Rabbi Yehudah opened the verse in Ruth: “Let your eyes be on the field which they shall reap…” (Ruth 2) (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח קְרָא בְּרוּת: עֵינַיִךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר יִקְצֹרוּן וְגוֹ'). This verse is worthy to contemplate (הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ), why was it necessary to write it here? (אֲמַאי אִצְטְרִיךְ הָכָא לְמִכְתַּב).

Rabbi Yitzchak said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יִצְחָק), “If so, how many verses in the Orayta appear that did not need to be written, and we see that all are supernal mysteries?” (אִי הָכִי כַּמָּה קְרָאִין אִינּוּן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאִתְחֲזִיאוּ דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיכוּ לְמִכְתַּב, וְחָמֵינָן דְּכֻלְּהוּ רָזִין עִלָּאִין).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה), “This verse, whoever sees it but does not contemplate it, is like one who does not taste the dish” (הַאי קְרָא מַאן דְּחָמֵי וְלָא אִסְתָּכַּל בֵּיהּ, כְּמָה דְּלָא טָעִים תַּבְשִׁילָא דָּמֵי).

Rather, the mystery here is that it was spoken in the Holy Spirit (אֶלָּא רָזָא הָכָא, וּבְרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא אִתְּמַר), because Boaz, the judge of Yisrael, saw (בְּגִין דְּחָמָא בֹּעַז דַּיָּינָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), the humility of that righteous woman (עַנְוָותָנוּתָא דְּהַהִיא צַדֶּקֶת), that she did not lift her eyes to look elsewhere (דְּלָא מְסַלְּקָא עֵינָא לְמֵחֲמֵי בַּאֲתָר אַחֲרָא), but only in front of her (אֶלָּא לְקַמָּהּ). And all that she saw, she saw with a good eye (וְחָמָאת כָּל מַה דְּחָמָאת, בְּעֵינָא טָבָא), and the strength of forehead was not in her (וְתּוּקְפָּא דְּמִצְחָא לָא הֲוָה בָּהּ), blessed is that eye (שִׁבַּח עֵינָהָא).