Daf 221b (דַּף רכ״א ע״ב)

These are the accountings of the Mishkan (אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), at that time when the making of the Mishkan was being done (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא דַּעֲבִידְתָּא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא אִתְעָבִיד), The Sitra achra was going and roaming to accuse (הֲוָה סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא אָזִיל וְשָׁאַט לְאַסְטָאָה), and could not find fault concerning the faithfulness of the artisans (וְלָא אַשְׁכַּחַת עִילָה עַל מְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּאוּמָנִין), until Kudsha Berikh Hu bent Himself before Moshe (עַד דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כָּפִיף לֵיהּ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה), and he made an accounting of the faithfulness against his own will (וְאִיהוּ עָבִיד חוּשְׁבָּנָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא בְּעַל כָּרְחֵיהּ), and their faithfulness was elevated above all (וְסָלִיק מְהֵימְנוּתָא דִּילְהוֹן לְגַבֵּי כֹּלָּא).

And this is the secret of what is written: These are the accountings of the Mishkan (וְרָזָא דָּא דִּכְתִיב אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן). And behold, we have established (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא): “These” – as you say (אֵלֶּה: כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר), “These too shall be forgotten” (גם אלה תִּשָּׁכַחְנָה) (Isaiah 49). And it is written (וּכְתִיב), “which was accounted by the mouth of Moshe” (אֲשֶׁר פֻּקַּד עַל פִּי מֹשֶׁה), for there was appointed and accounted (דְּתַמָּן אִתְמְנֵי וְאִתְפְּקִיד), until the accounting of the house of the Mishkan was completed (עַד דְּאִתְעָבִיד חוּשְׁבָּנָא דְּבֵי מַשְׁכְּנָא), before Moshe and all Yisrael (קַמֵּי מֹשֶׁה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלְּהוּ). “These are the accountings of the Mishkan, Mishkan of the testimony” (אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדוּת) (Exodus 38).

Who is the testimony? (מַאן עֵדוּת). Rather, it is written here “Mishkan” twice (אֶלָּא תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי כְּתִיב הָכָא מִשְׁכָּן), once above and once below (חַד לְעֵילָּא וְחַד לְתַתָּא), and Mishkan is called “Mishkan haEdut” (וּמִשְׁכָּן אִקְרֵי מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדוּת). And who is the testimony? (וּמַאן עֵדוּת). As it is said (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר), “the tribes of Yah, a testimony for Yisrael” (שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל) (Psalms 122). This name—it is testimony for Yisrael (שְׁמָא דָּא, אִיהוּ עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). In this manner: “A testimony in Yosef He set it” (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא: עֵדוּת בִּיהוֹסֵף שָׂמוֹ) (Psalms 81), testimony—the name Yah—in Yosef (עֵדוּת שֵׁם יָהּ בִּיהוֹסֵף); it is indeed a testimony (אִיהוּ עֵדוּת וַדַּאי). These two letters bear witness with testimony in all places (אִלֵּין תְּרֵין אַתְוָון סָהֲדִין סַהֲדוּתָא בְּכָל אֲתָר), and here it is testimony (וְהָכָא אִיהוּ עֵדוּת). And therefore: “Mishkan haEdut”—the Mishkan of this testimony (וּבְגִין כַּךְ: מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדוּת, מַשְׁכְּנָא דְּהַאי עֵדוּת).

And for this reason it is called Mishkan (וְעַל דָּא מַשְׁכְּנָא אִקְרֵי), on account of the secret of this holy Name (עַל רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא דָּא קַדִּישָׁא). And this is what is written: “And My testimonies, this I will teach them” (וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב: וְעֵדוֹתִי זוֹ אַלַּמְּדֵם) (Psalms 132), for this place is the concealment and hiddenness of all (בְּגִין דְּהַאי אֲתָר אִיהוּ סְתִימוּ וּגְנִיזוּ דְּכֹלָּא). “Which was accounted by the mouth of Moshe” (אֲשֶׁר פֻּקַּד עַל פִּי מֹשֶׁה)—until here we do not know whether this Mishkan was accounted (עַד הָכָא לָא יְדַעְנָא אִי הַאי מַשְׁכְּנָא פֻּקַּד), or this testimony (אוֹ הַאי עֵדוּת).

Rather, this testimony was certainly accounted (אֶלָּא פֻּקַּד וַדַּאי הַאי עֵדוּת), because from the day that the Fathers departed from the world (בְּגִין דְּמִן יוֹמָא דְּאִסְתְּלִיקוּ אֲבָהָן מֵעָלְמָא), and all those tribes the sons of Ya’akov (וְכָל אִינּוּן שְׁבָטִין בְּנוֹי דְּיַעֲקֹב), and Yisrael remained in exile (וְאִשְׁתָּאָרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא), among those peoples (בְּאִינּוּן עָאַקָן), the knowledge of the secret of this supernal holy Name was forgotten from among them (אִתְנְשֵׁי מִנַּיְיהוּ יְדִיעָא דְּרָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה דָּא), which is the name of testimony (דְּאִיהוּ שְׁמָא דְּעֵדוּת), the sustaining of heaven and earth (קִיּוּמָא דִּשְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא), for these two letters establish the supernal and the lower (דְּאִלֵּין תְּרֵין אַתְוָון אוֹקִימוּ עִילָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי), and all sides of the world (וְכֻלְּהוּ סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא).

Once Moshe came (כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא מֹשֶׁה), this Name was accounted and recalled in the world (אִתְפְּקַד וְאִדְכַּר שְׁמָא דָּא בְּעָלְמָא). For when he was at the bush (דְּכַד הֲוָה בַּסְּנֶה), he immediately inquired about this Name (מִיָּד שָׁאִיל עַל שְׁמָא דָּא), as it is written: “And they shall say to me: What is His Name? What shall I say to them?” (וְאָמְרוּ לִי מַה שְּׁמוֹ מָה אוֹמַר אֲלֵיהֶם) (Exodus 3). And there this Name was accounted by the mouth of Moshe (וְתַמָּן אִתְפְּקַד שְׁמָא דָּא עַל פִּי מֹשֶׁה).

He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “And the word of Hashem came to Eliyahu, saying: Arise, go to Tzarfat…” (וַיְהִי דְּבַר יְיָ' אֶל אֵלִיָּהוּ לֵאמֹר קוּם לֵךְ צָרְפָתָה וְגוֹ') “Behold, I have commanded there a widow woman to sustain you” (הִנֵּה צִוִּיתִי שָׁם אִשָּׁה אַלְמָנָה לְכַלְכְּלֶךָ) (I Kings 17). But did Kudsha Berikh Hu command her? (וְכִי אָן פָּקִיד לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Rather, before he even came into the world (אֶלָּא עַד לָא יֵיתֵי לְעָלְמָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu had decreed in His decree above (פָּקִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּגְזֵירָה דִילֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא), upon the ravens (עַל הָעוֹרְבִים), to bring sustenance to Eliyahu (לְמֵיתֵי מְזוֹנָא לְאֵלִיָּהוּ), and for that woman to provide him sustenance (וּלְהַהִיא אִתְּתָא לְמֵיהַב לֵיהּ מְזוֹנָא).