Daf 226a (דַּף רכ״ו ע״א)

And Yisrael below do not stand in calculation (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא לָא קַיְימִין בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא), but rather in another aspect (אֶלָּא בְּסִטְרָא דְּמִלָּה אַחֲרָא). And redemption is that which stands in calculation (וּפוּרְקָנָא אִיהוּ דְּקַיְּימָא בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא). And for this reason (וּבְגִין כַּךְ), when Yisrael enter into calculation (יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּד עָאלִין בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא), redemption is taken from them, as has been said (נַטְלֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ פּוּרְקָנָא כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). And for this reason, in the days of David (וְעַל דָּא בְּיוֹמוֹי דְּדָוִד), when he made a reckoning of Yisrael (כַּד עָבֵד חוּשְׁבָּנָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), and did not take from them redemption (וְלָא נָטִיל מִנְּהוֹן פּוּרְקָנָא), there was wrath (הֲוָה רוּגְזָא), and many armies and hosts of Yisrael were destroyed (וְאִתְאֲבִידוּ מִיִשְׂרָאֵל כַּמָּה חֵילִין וְכַמָּה מַשִׁרְיָין).

And for this reason it is written concerning the work of the Mishkan (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב בְּעוֹבָדָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא): “And the silver of the reckoning of the congregation…” (וְכֶסֶף פְּקוּדֵי הָעֵדָה וְגוֹ׳) (Exodus 38), “everyone that passed over to the reckoning” (וְכֹל הָעוֹבֵר עַל הַפְּקֻדִים). And all was sanctified for the service of the Mishkan (וְכֹלָּא אִתְקַדָּשׁ לַעֲבִידַת מַשְׁכְּנָא). And this has been established: talents are one reckoning (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ: כִּכָּרִין חוּשְׁבָּנָא חֲדָא). Shekalim are one reckoning (שְׁקָלִים חוּשְׁבָּנָא חֲדָא). Because there are supernal ones that ascend into a supernal reckoning (בְּגִין דְּאִית עִלָּאִין דְּסַלְקָן לְחוּשְׁבָּנָא עִלָּאָה), and there are others that ascend into another reckoning (וְאִית אַחֲרָנִין דְּסַלְקָן לְחוּשְׁבְּנָא אַחֲרָא). This one is supernal, and this one is below (דָּא עִלָּאָה וְדָא תַּתָּאָה). And for this reason it is written: “And there were one hundred talents of silver to cast the sockets of the sanctuary…” (וּבְגִין כַּךְ כְּתִיב: וַיְהִי מְאַת כִּכָּר הַכֶּסֶף לָצֶקֶת אֵת אַדְנֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְגוֹ׳) (Exodus 38).

These sockets—this has been established (אִלֵּין אֲדָנִים הָא אוּקְמוּהָ). Again, he opened and said (תוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “A Song of Ascents, of Shlomo: Unless Hashem builds the house, its builders labor in vain…” (שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת לִשְׁלֹמֹה אִם יְיָ׳ לֹא יִבְנֶה בַיִת וְגוֹ׳) (Psalms 127). This verse King Shlomo said (הַאי קְרָא שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא אֲמַר לֵיהּ), at the time when he was building the Temple and began to build (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּהֲוָה בָּנֵי בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא וְשָׁארִי לְמִבְנֵי), and he saw that the work was established by their hands (וַהֲוָה חָמֵי דְּעוֹבָדָא אִתְתַּקְנַת בִּידַיְיהוּ), and that it was being built of itself (וַהֲוָה מִתְבְּנֵי מִגַּרְמֵיהּ). Then he began and said (כְּדֵין שָׁארֵי וְאָמַר): “Unless Hashem builds the house…” (אִם יְיָ׳ לֹא יִבְנֶה בַיִת וְגוֹ׳).

This is the secret of what is written: “In the beginning Elohim created” (הַיְינוּ רָזָא דִּכְתִיב: בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים) (Bereshit 1). For Kudsha Berikh Hu created and established this world with all that was required (דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בָּרָא וְאַתְקִין לְהַאי עָלְמָא, בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ), which is the house (דְּאִיהוּ בַּיִת). “In vain they labor who build it” (שָׁוְא עָמְלוּ בוֹנָיו בּוֹ) (Psalms 127)—these are the mysteries of the rivers (some say: streams) (אִלֵּין רָזָא דְּאִינּוּן נַהֲרִין (נ״א נַחֲלִין)), which all flow and enter into this house (דְּנָפְקִין וְעָאלִין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּגוֹ הַאי בַּיִת), to establish it with all that is required (לְאַתְקְנָא לֵיהּ בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ). And even though they all come to establish its rectification (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּכֻלְּהוּ קָא אַתְיָין לְאַתְקְנָא לְמֶעְבַּד תִּקּוּנֵיהּ), surely “Unless Hashem”, who is the secret of the supernal world, makes and prepares the house as is proper (וַדַּאי אִם יְיָ׳, דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאַתְקִין וְעָבִיד בֵּיתָא כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת), then those builders labor in vain (אִינּוּן בּוֹנִין לְמַגָּנָא אִינּוּן), except for what He Himself has done and prepared (אֶלָּא מַה דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד וְאַתְקִין). “Unless Hashem guards the city…” (אִם יְיָ׳ לֹא יִשְׁמָר עִיר) (Psalms 127), as it is written: “The eyes of Hashem your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year” (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב: תָּמִיד עֵינֵי יְיָ׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּהּ מֵרֵאשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָה) (Deuteronomy 11), and this has been established (וְאוּקְמוּהָ).

And with this providence, it is guarded on every side (וּבְאַשְׁגָּחוּתָא דָּא, אִיהִי נְטִירָא בְּכָל סִטְרִין). And even though it is written (וְאַף עַל גַּב דִּכְתִּיב): “Behold the bed of Shlomo, sixty mighty ones surround it, of the mighty ones of Yisrael” (הִנֵּה מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹה שִׁשִּׁים גִּבּוֹרִים סָבִיב לָהּ מִגִּבּוֹרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) (Song of Songs 3). And all of them guard it (וְכֻלְּהוּ נַטְרֵי לָהּ). What is the reason that they guard it? (מַאי טַעְמָא נַטְרֵי לָהּ). Because it is written: “From the fear in the nights” (מִפַּחַד בַּלֵּילוֹת) (Song of Songs 3)—this is the fear of Gehinnom (דָּא פַּחְדָּא דְּגֵיהִנָּם), which stands opposite it, in order to drive it away (דְּקָאִים לָקֳבְלָה, בְּגִין לְדַחְיָיא לָהּ). And for this reason all of them encircle it (וּבְגִין דָּא כֻּלְּהוּ סַחֲרִין לָהּ). And even though all of them stand in the radiance of a thought not known (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּכֻלְּהוּ קַיְימֵי בִּנְהִירוּ דְּמַחֲשָׁבָה דְּלָא אִתְיְידַע). Then, that radiance of a thought not known (וּכְדֵין הַאי נְהִירוּ דְּמַחֲשָׁבָה דְּלָא אִתְיְידַע) struck against the radiance of a separation (בָּטַשׁ בִּנְהִירוּ דִּפְרִיסָא), and they shone together (וְנַהֲרִין כַּחֲדָא), and became nine palaces (וְאִתְעָבִידוּ תֵּשַׁע הֵיכָלִין). And the palaces are not lights (וְהֵיכָלִין לָאו אִינּוּן נְהוֹרִין), nor are they spirits (וְלָאו אִינּוּן רוּחִין), nor are they souls (וְלָאו אִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין), nor is there anyone who stands in them (וְלָא אִית מַאן דְּקַיְּימָא בְּהוּ).

The desire of all nine lights (רְעוּתָא דְּכָל תֵּשַׁע נְהוֹרִין) that all stand in thought (דְּקַיְימֵי כֻּלְּהוּ בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה)—that is, one of them is in reckoning (דְּאִיהִי חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא), that all pursue after one another (דְּכֻלְּהוּ לְמִרְדַּף אַבַתְרַיְיהוּ), at the time that they stand in thought (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקַיְימֵי בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה). But they do not cleave, and they are not known (וְלָא מִתְדַּבְּקָן, וְלָא אִתְיְידִיעוּ). These do not stand—neither in desire, nor in supernal thought (אִלֵּין לָא קַיְימֵי, לָא בִּרְעוּתָא, וְלָא בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה). They grasp it, and they do not grasp it (תָּפְסִין בָּהּ וְלָא תַּפְסִין). In these stand all the mysteries of faith (בְּאִלֵּין קַיְימִין כָּל רָזֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא), and all those lights are from the secret of supernal thought (וְכָל אִינּוּן נְהוֹרִין מֵרָזָא דְּמַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה). Below, all are called Ein Sof (דִּלְתַתָּא כֻּלָּהוּ אִקְרוּן אֵין סוֹף). Up to this point, lights reach and do not reach, and are not known (עַד הָכָא מָטוּן נְהוֹרִין וְלָא מָטוּן, וְלָא אִתְיְידִיעוּ). Here there is no thought and no desire (לָאו הָכָא מַחֲשָׁבָה, וְלָאו רְעוּתָא). When thought shines (כַּד נָהִיר מַחֲשָׁבָה), and it is not known from where it shines (וְלָאו אִתְיְידַע מִמַּה נָהִיר), then it is clothed and hidden within Binah (כְּדֵין אִתְלַבַּשׁ וְאַסְתִּים גּוֹ בִּינָה), and it shines (וְנָהִיר), one shining to the other (לְמַה דְּנָהִיר), and this one enters into that one (וְעָאִיל דָּא בְּדָא), until all are included as one (עַד דְּאִתְכְּלִילוּ כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא). And this has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). And in the secret of the offering (וּבְרָזָא דְּקָרְבְּנָא), when all ascends (כַּד סָלִיק כֹּלָּא), this is bound one with the other, and this shines into that (אִתְקָשָּׁר דָּא בְּדָא, וְנָהִיר דָּא בְּדָא). Then all stand in ascent (כְּדֵין קַיְימִין כֻּלְּהוּ בִּסְלִיקוּ), and thought is crowned in Ein Sof (וּמַחֲשָׁבָה אִתְעַטָּר בְּאֵין סוֹף). That radiance which shines from supernal thought is called Ein Sof (הַהוּא נְהִירוּ דְּנָהִיר מִנֵּיהּ מַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה, אִקְרֵי אֵין סוֹף). When radiance shone and armies spread from it (כֵּיוָן דְּאַנְהִיר וְאִתְפָּשָּׁטוּ מִנֵּיהּ חֵילִין), that thought was hidden and concealed and not known (הַהִיא מַחֲשָׁבָה אַסְתִּים וְאַגְנִיז וְלָא יְדִיעַ). And from there simplicity spreads to all sides (וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְפָּשַּׁט פְּשִׁיטוּתָא לְכָל סִטְרִין), and one simplicity spread forth from it (וְאִתְפָּשַּׁט מִנֵּיהּ חַד פְּשִׁיטוּ), which is the secret of the supernal world (דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה).