Daf 221a (דַּף רכ״א ע״א)

“A judge and one who seeks justice and one swift in righteousness” (שׁוֹפֵט וְדוֹרֵשׁ מִשְׁפָּט וּמְהִיר צֶדֶק). “A judge” is from the side of judgment (שׁוֹפֵט מִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא). “And one who seeks justice” is from the side of mercy (וְדוֹרֵשׁ מִשְׁפָּט, מִסִּטְרָא דְּרַחֲמֵי). “And one swift in righteousness” — this is the throne of judgment, which is the house of judgment below (וּמְהִיר צֶדֶק, אִיהוּ כּוּרְסְיָּיא דְּדִינָא, דְּאִיהוּ בֵּי דִּינָא לְתַתָּא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): in this manner the Mishkan was not established except in this side and in this likeness (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, מַשְׁכְּנָא לָא אִתְתָּקַּן אֶלָּא בְּסִטְרָא דָּא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא), of chesed, as we have said above (דְּחֶסֶד כִּדְקָאָמְרָן לְעֵיל). And for this reason offspring were numbered and all were established below (וְעַל דָּא אִתְמְנוּן תּוֹלָדִין וְאִתָּתְקָנוּ כֻּלְּהוּ לְתַתָּא). “These are the accounts of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the testimony which was accounted by the command of Moshe” (אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדוּת אֲשֶׁר פֻּקַּד עַל פִּי מֹשֶׁה) (Exodus 38).

Rabbi Shimon opened (רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח): “In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth” (בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ) (Bereshit 1). This verse has been established and explained in many aspects (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ וְאִתְּמַר בְּכַמָּה סִטְרִין). But when Kudsha Berikh Hu created the world, He created it as above, that this world might be in the likeness of the world above (אֲבָל כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא, בָּרָא לֵיהּ כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, לְמֶהֱוֵי עָלְמָא דָּא בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּעָלְמָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). And all the colors above He prepared for below, so that world be joined to world and bound (וְכָל אִינּוּן גַּוְונִין דִּלְעֵילָּא, אַתְקִין לוֹן לְתַתָּא, לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא וּלְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא עָלְמָא בְּעָלְמָא). And when Kudsha Berikh Hu desired to create the world, He gazed into the Orayta and created it (וְכַד בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִבְרֵי עָלְמָא, אַשְׁגַּח בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּבָרָא לֵיהּ). And He gazed into the Holy Name, which is the totality of Orayta, and established the world (וְאִסְתָּכַּל בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, כְּלָלָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְקִיֵּם עָלְמָא). In three aspects the world exists, which are Chokhmah, Tevunāh, and Da‘at (בִּתְלַת סִטְרִין אִתְקָיָּים עָלְמָא, וְאִינּוּן חָכְמָה וּתְבוּנָה וָדַעַת). “With Chokhmah” — as it is written: “Hashem founded the earth by Chokhmah” (בְּחָכְמָה, דִּכְתִּיב, יְיָ' בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אָרֶץ) (Proverbs 3). “With Tevunāh” — as it is written: “He established the heavens with Tevunāh” (בִּתְבוּנָה, דִּכְתִּיב כּוֹנֵן שָׁמַיִם בִּתְבוּנָה). “With Da‘at” — as it is written: “By His Da‘at the depths were broken up” (בְּדַעַת, דִּכְתִּיב בְּדַעְתּוֹ תְּהוֹמוֹת נִבְקָעוּ). Behold, all of them are for the sustaining of the world (הָא כֻּלְּהוּ בְּקִיּוּמָא דְּעָלְמָא). And with these three was the Mishkan built (וּבְאִלֵּין תְּלָתָא אִתְבְּנֵי מַשְׁכְּנָא), as it is written: “And I filled him with the spirit of Elohim, with Chokhmah, Tevunāh, and Da‘at” (דִּכְתִּיב וָאֲמַלֵּא אוֹתוֹ רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים בְּחָכְמָה בִּתְבוּנָה וּבְדַעַת) (Exodus 31). And all these three are hinted in this verse: “Bereshit” — this is as it is written, “With Chokhmah” (וְכֻלְּהוּ תְּלָתָא רְמִיזִין בִּקְרָא דָּא, בְּרֵאשִׁית, הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב בְּחָכְמָה). “Created Elohim” — this is as it is written, “With Tevunāh” (בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב בִּתְבוּנָה). “The heavens” — this is as it is written, “With Da‘at” (אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב בְּדַעַת). And all these are written in the work of the Mishkan (וְכֻלְּהוּ כְּתִיבֵי בַּעֲבִידַת מַשְׁכְּנָא). And in this secret it is written: “These are the accounts of the Mishkan” — this is the secret of Chokhmah (וּבְרָזָא דָּא כְּתִיב, אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן, דָּא רָזָא דְּחָכְמָה). “The Mishkan of the testimony” — this is the secret of Tevunāh (מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדוּת, דָּא רָזָא דִּתְבוּנָה). “Which was accounted by the command of Moshe” — this is the secret of Da‘at (אֲשֶׁר פֻּקַּד עַל פִּי מֹשֶׁה, דָּא רָזָא דְּדַעַת). And all of this corresponds to that (וְכֹלָּא דָּא לָקֳבֵל דָּא), because everything that Kudsha Berikh Hu created in this world, He created according to the likeness of the world above (בְּגִין דְּכָל מַה דְּבָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, בָּרָא לֵיהּ כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). And all of it was inscribed in the work of the Mishkan (וְכֹלָּא אִתְרְשִׁים בַּעֲבִידַת מַשְׁכְּנָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): At the time when Kudsha Berikh Hu said to Moshe, “Make the Mishkan” (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה עֲבִיד מַשְׁכְּנָא), Moshe stood bewildered, not knowing what to do (הֲוָה קָאִים מֹשֶׁה תּוֹהֵא, דְּלָא יָדַע מַה לְמֶעְבַּד), until Kudsha Berikh Hu showed him with the eye, as it is written: “And see and make according to their form that you are shown on the mountain” (עַד דְּאַחְזֵי לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעֵינָא, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, וּרְאֵה וַעֲשֵׂה בְּתַבְנִיתָם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה מָרְאֶה בָּהָר) (Exodus 25).

What is “according to their pattern”? (מַאי בְּתַבְנִיתָם). Rather, we have learned (אֶלָּא אוֹלִיפְנָא): Kudsha Berikh Hu [the Holy One, blessed be He] showed Moshe the image of each and every thing (דְּאַחְמֵי לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּכָל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה), according to that image which is above (כְּהַהוּא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּאִיהוּ לְעֵילָּא), and each and every one had its own image, corresponding to the image that was made on earth (וְכָל חַד וְחַד הֲוָה עָבִיד דִּיּוּקְנָא דִּילֵיהּ כְּדִּיוּקְנָא דְּאִיהוּ אִתְעַבִיד בְּאַרְעָא). “Which you are shown on the mountain” (אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה מָרְאֶה בָּהָר) (Shemot 25:40)—it should have been written, “which you see” (אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה רוֹאֶה מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). Rather, we have learned (אֶלָּא אוֹלִיפְנָא): it was through the Aspaklaria d’la Nahara [mirror that does not shine] that He showed him, within it, all those colors and forms made below (דְּאַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא דְּלָא נַהֲרָא, הֲוָה אַחְמֵי לֵיהּ בְּגַוֵיהּ כָּל אִינּוּן גַּוְונִין וְדִיּוּקְנִין דְּאִתְעָבֵידוּ לְתַתָּא), like this vision which shows within it all those images (כְּהַאי חֵיזוּ דְּאַחְזֵי בְּגַוֵיהּ כָּל אִינּוּן דִּיוּקְנִין).

Thus it is implied in what is written, “that you are shown” — you, this is the secret of the mirror that does not shine, in which were shown all those images (מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִּיב אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה מָרְאֶה, אַתָּה, רָזָא דְּאַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא דְּלָא נָהֲרָא, דְּאַחְזֵי לֵיהּ בְּגַוֵיהּ כָּל אִינּוּן דִּיוּקְנִין). And Moshe saw each thing in its arrangement, as one sees within a glass, in which all forms are seen (וַהֲוָה חָמֵי לוֹן מֹשֶׁה כָּל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה עַל תִּקּוּנֵיהּ, כְּמָה דְּחָמֵי גּוֹ עֲשָׁשִׁיתָא, וְגוֹ חֵיזוּ דְּאַחְזֵי כָּל דִּיוּקְנִין). When Moshe looked upon them, he was perplexed before Him (וְכַד אִסְתָּכַּל בְּהוּ מֹשֶׁה, אִתְקָשֵׁי קַמֵּיהּ). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him: “Moshe, you with your signs, and I with Mine” (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מֹשֶׁה, אַתְּ בְּסִימָנִיךְ, וַאֲנִי בְּסִימָנִי). Then Moshe was settled in all the work (כְּדֵין אִתְיָישַׁב מֹשֶׁה בְּכָל עֲבִידְתָּא).

When all the work was completed, Moshe needed to count everything, lest Yisrael say that silver and gold was left over and he took it (כַּד אִתְעָבִיד כָּל עֲבִידְתָּא, אִצְטְרִיךְ מֹשֶׁה לְמִמְנֵי כֹּלָּא, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִיִמְרוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִשְׁתְּאַר כַּסְפָּא וְדַהֲבָא, וְאִסְתְּלִיק לְנַטְלָא לֵיהּ). For this reason he needed to make an accounting before Yisrael, as it is written: “And you shall be clean before Hashem and before Yisrael” (וְעַל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִמְנִי חוּשְׁבָּנָא קַמַּיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב, וִהְיִיתֶם נְקִיִּים מֵיְיָ' וּמִיִּשְׂרָאֵל) (Numbers 32).

And because of this it is written: “These are the accounts of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the testimony” (וּבְגִין דָּא כְּתִיב, אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדוּת) (Exodus 38). For the spirit of holiness was showing everything — the accounting of all the gold and silver that Yisrael contributed (דְּהָא רוּחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא, הֲוָה אַחְזֵי לְכֹלָּא, חוּשְׁבָּנָא דְּכָל דַּהֲבָא וְכַסְפָּא דִּנְדִיבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל). And the spirit of holiness declared: “The silver of the congregation was a hundred talents … all the gold used for the work …” (וְרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא הֲוָה אָמַר וְכֶסֶף פְּקוּדֵי הָעֵדָה מְאַת כִּכָּר וְגוֹ', כָּל הַזָּהָב הֶעָשׂוּי לַמְּלָאכָה וְגוֹ'). For Kudsha Berikh Hu desired them — those craftsmen — and wanted to bring forth their faithfulness before all (בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בְּהוּ, בְּאִינּוּן אוּמָנִין, וּבָעָא לְאַפָּקָא מְהֵימְנוּתָא דִּילְהוֹן קַמֵּי כֹּלָּא).