Daf 229b (דַּף רכ״ט ע״ב)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), all was made in the secret of faith (כֹּלָּא אִתְעָבִיד בְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא), to be all as the likeness of above (לְמֶהוֵי כֹּלָּא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). And therefore it is written: “The garments of Serad to minister in the holy” (Exodus 39) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, בִּגְדֵי הַשְּׂרָד לְשָׁרֵת בַּקֹּדֶשׁ). And they are called garments of Serad (וְאִקְרוּן בִּגְדֵי שְּׂרָד) because they are not called holy (בְּגִין דְּלָא אִקְרוּן קֹדֶשׁ), except when those colors rest in them (אֶלָּא כַּד שָׁרָאן בֵּיהּ אִינּוּן גַּוְונִין). As it is written: “They are holy garments” (Leviticus 16) (דִּכְתִּיב, בִּגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ הֵם). And it is written: “Yisrael is holiness to Hashem, the first of His produce” (Jeremiah 2) (וּכְתִיב, קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַי־יָ רִאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתֹה). “Yisrael is holiness”—because in Yisrael all the colors are seen (קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל: בְּגִין דִּבְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְחָזוּן כָּל גַּוְונִין): priests, Levites, and Yisrael (כֹּהֲנִים וּלְוִיִם וְיִשְׂרָאֵל). And these are the colors to be revealed within (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן גַּוְונִין לְאִתְחֲזָאָה לְגוֹ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), the Neshama does not ascend to appear before the Holy King (נִשְׁמְתָא לָא סַלְּקָא לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קָמֵי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), until it merits to be clothed in the garment of above to be revealed there (עַד דְּזָכָאת לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בִּלְבוּשָׁא דִּלְעֵילָּא לְאִתְחֲזָאָה תַּמָּן). And so in this manner it does not descend below (וְכֵן כְּגַוְונָא דָּא לָא נַחְתָּא לְתַתָּא), until it is clothed in the garment of this world (עַד דְּאִתְלַבְּשַׁת בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא).

In this manner, the supernal holy angels (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא מַלְאֲכִין קַדִּישִׁין דִּלְעֵילָּא), as it is written of them: “He makes His angels winds, His ministers a flaming fire” (Psalms 104) (דִּכְתִּיב בְּהוּ, עוֹשֶׂה מַלְאָכָיו רוּחוֹת מְשָׁרְתָיו אֵשׁ לוֹהֵט). When they perform their mission in this world (כַּד עַבְדִּין שְׁלִיחוּתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), they do not descend below until they are clothed in the garment of this world (לָא נַחְתִּין לְתַתָּא, עַד דְּמִתְלַבְּשִׁין בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And all is according to the likeness of the place where one goes (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאָזִיל תַּמָּן). And behold, we have established that the Neshama does not ascend except in a shining garment (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, דְּנִשְׁמְתָא לָא סַלְּקָא, אֶלָּא בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּנָהִיר). And come and see (וְתָא חֲזֵי), Adam HaRishon, when he was in the Garden of Eden (אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן כַּד הֲוָה בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן), he was clothed in a garment after the likeness of above (הֲוָה מִתְלָבַּשׁ בִּלְבוּשָׁא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), which is the garment of supernal light (וְאִיהוּ לְבוּשָׁא דִּנְהוֹרָא עִלָּאָה). When he was driven from the Garden of Eden (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְתָּרַךְ מִגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן), and required the colors of this world (וְאִצְטְרִיךְ לִגְוָונִין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא), what is written? “And Hashem Elohim made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and clothed them” (Bereshit 3) (מַה כְּתִיב, וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּישֵׁם).

At first they were garments of light (בְּקַדְמִיתָא הֲווֹ כָּתְנוֹת אוֹר), light of the supernal radiance (אוֹר, דְּהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא עִלָּאָה), in which he served in the Garden of Eden (דְּשִׁמֵּשׁ בֵּיהּ בְּגַן עֵדֶן). Because the Garden of Eden is the supernal light that shines within it (בְּגִין דְּהָא גִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, נְהוֹרָא עִלָּאָה דְּנָהִיר מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בֵּיהּ). And therefore, Adam Kadma’ah, when he entered into the Garden (וְעַל דָּא, אָדָם קַדְמָאָה כַּד עָאל לְגוֹ גִּנְתָּא), the Holy One, blessed be He, clothed him in the garment of that supernal light (אַלְבִּישׁ לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא), and brought him there (וְאָעִיל לֵיהּ תַּמָּן). And if he had not first been clothed in that light, he would not have been able to enter there (וְאִי לָא אִתְלָבַּשׁ בְּקַדְמִיתָא בְּהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא, לָא יֵיעוּל לְתַמָן). When he was driven from there (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְתָּרַךְ מִתַּמָּן), he required another garment (אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמַלְבּוּשָׁא אַחֲרָא). Then: “And Hashem Elohim made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin” (Bereshit 3) (כְּדֵין, וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר). And all is as it was needed (וְכֹלָּא כְּמָה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ). And here in this manner they made the 'Garments of Service' to minister in the holy, to ascend in holiness (וְהָכָא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, עָשׂוּ בִּגְדֵי שְׂרָד לְשָׁרֵת בַּקֹּדֶשׁ, לְאַעֲלָא בְּקוּדְשָׁא).

And behold (וְהָא), they have already established (ב׳ ע״א אוּקְמוּהָ), that the good deeds which a person does in this world (דְּעוֹבָדִין טָבִין דְּבַר נָשׁ דְּעָבִיד בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), those deeds draw from the light of the supernal radiance (אִינּוּן עוֹבָדִין מַשְׁכֵי מִנְּהוֹרָא דְּזִיוָא עִלָּאָה), a garment (לְבוּשָׁא), to be rectified in it for that world (לְאִתְתַּקְנָא בֵּיהּ לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא), to be revealed before Kudsha Berikh Hu (לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And in that garment that he is clothed (וּבְהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא דְּלָבִישׁ), he takes delight and beholds through the shining mirror (אִתְהֲנֵי וְחָמֵי גּוֹ אַסְפָּקָלַרְיָא דְּנַהֲרָא), as it is said: “To behold the pleasantness of Hashem and to visit in His Temple” (Psalms 27) (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם יְיָ וּלְבַקֵּר בְּהֵיכָלוֹ).

And therefore, the Neshama is clothed in two worlds (וְעַל דָּא, נִשְׁמְתָא אִתְלַבְּשַׁת בִּתְרֵין עָלְמִין), to have for itself completion in all (לְמֶהֱוֵי לָהּ שְׁלִימוּ בְּכֹלָּא), in this lower world (בְּהַאי עָלְמָא דִּלְתַתָּא), and in the world above (וּבְעָלְמָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). And therefore it is written: “Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your Name; the upright shall dwell before Your Presence” (Psalms 140) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, אַךְ צַדִּיקִים יוֹדוּ לִשְׁמֶךָ יֵשְׁבוּ יְשָׁרִים אֶת פָּנֶיךָ). “Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your Name”—in this world (אַךְ צַדִּיקִים יוֹדוּ לִשְׁמֶךָ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). “The upright shall dwell before Your Presence”—in that world (יֵשְׁבוּ יְשָׁרִים אֶת פָּנֶיךָ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא). “And he made the ephod of gold” (Exodus 39) (שְׁמוֹת לט וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת הָאֵפוֹד זָהָב), behold this has been established (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

Rabbi Yosi said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי), the Ephod and the Choshen were as one (אֵפוֹד וְחֹשֶׁן כַּחֲדָא הֲווֹ). And it has been established (וְאוּקְמוּהָ), that in the place where is their existence (דְּהָא בַּאֲתָר דְּהוּא קִיוּמָא), stand all those twelve stones (קַיְימָן כָּל אִינּוּן תְּרֵיסָר אֲבָנִין). All of them take the names of the children of Yisrael (כֻּלְּהוּ נַטְלֵי שְׁמָהָן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). And all of them are the twelve supernal boundaries (וְכֻלְּהוּ תְּרֵיסָר תְּחוּמִין עִלָּאִין). All of them are in the secret of the tribes of Yisrael (כֻּלְּהוּ בְּרָזָא דְּשִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִינּוּן). And this secret is written (וְרָזָא דָּא כְּתִיב): “For there the tribes went up, the tribes of Yah, a testimony for Yisrael, to give thanks to the Name of Hashem” (Psalms 122) (שֶׁשָּׁם עָלוּ שְׁבָטִים שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְהוֹדוֹת לְשֵׁם יְיָ). “For there the tribes went up”—these are the twelve supernal tribes above (שֶׁשָּׁם עָלוּ שְׁבָטִים, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן תְּרֵיסָר שְׁבָטִין עִלָּאִין לְעֵילָּא). They are the tribes of Yah (דְּאִינּוּן שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ), for this Name is a testimony for Yisrael (דְּהָא שְׁמָא דָּא עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָיא), it is written twice “tribes” (תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי כְּתִיב שְׁבָטִים). Rather: “For there the tribes went up”—these are the lower tribes (אֶלָּא, שֶׁשָּׁם עָלוּ שְׁבָטִים, אִלֵּין שְׁבָטִין דִּלְתַתָּא). “The tribes of Yah”—these are the supernal tribes (שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ, אִלֵּין שְׁבָטִין דִּלְעֵילָּא). “A testimony for Yisrael”—this is the secret (עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, דָּא רָזָא) of the supernal holy Name (דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה), which is called testimony (דָּא, דְּאִקְרֵי עֵדוּת), as it is said: “And My testimony that I will teach them” (Psalms 132) (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְעֵדוֹתִי זוֹ אֲלַמְּדֵם). And those twelve supernal holy tribes (וְאִינּוּן תְּרֵיסָר שְׁבָטִין קַדִּישִׁין עִלָּאִין), they are the twelve supernal holy stones (אִינּוּן תְּרֵיסָר אֲבָנִין קַדִּישִׁין). And therefore they stand below as the likeness of above (וְעַל דָּא אִינּוּן קַיְימִין לְתַתָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). And all those names of the twelve tribes (וְכָל אִינּוּן שְׁמָהָן דִּתְרֵיסָר שְׁבָטִין), all are engraved in those stones (כֻּלְּהוּ גְּלִיפָאן בְּאִינּוּן אֲבָנִין). And the great priest takes them (וְכַהֲנָא רַבָּא נָטִיל לוֹן).