Daf 230a (דַּף ר״ל ע״א)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), when Ya‘akov was going to Ḥaran (יַעֲקֹב כַּד הֲוָה אָזִיל לְחָרָן), what is written? “And he took from the stones of the place and set them at his head” (Bereshit 28) (מַה כְּתִיב, וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם וַיָּשֶׂם מְרַאֲשׁוֹתָיו). These are the twelve supernal stones (אִלֵּין תְּרֵיסָר אֲבָנִין קַדִּישִׁין), and all of them were made into one stone (וְכֻלְּהוּ אִתְעָבִידוּ חַד אַבְנָא), as it is written: “And this stone which I have set as a pillar” (Bereshit 28) (דִּכְתִיב, וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה). And he called them “stone” — what is the reason? (וְקָרֵי לְהוּ אֶבֶן, מַאי טַעֲמָא). Because all the twelve stones were included in one supernal holy stone (בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ תְּרֵיסָר אֲבָנִין אִתְכְּלִילוּ בְּאַבְנָא חַד קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה), which is above them (דְּאִיהִי לְעֵילָּא מִנְּהוֹן), as it is written: “And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be the house of Elohim” (Bereshit 28) (דִּכְתִיב, וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵבָה יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱלֹהִים).

And therefore, here, the great priest places them upon his heart (וְעַל דָּא הָכָא, כַּהֲנָא רַבָּא שַׁוֵּי לוֹן עַל לִבֵּיהּ), to remember them always (לְדַכְרָא לְהוֹן תָּדִיר), as it is written: “And Aharon shall bear the names of the children of Yisrael upon his heart before Hashem continually” (Exodus 28) (דִּכְתִּיב, וְנָשָׂא אַהֲרֹן אֶת שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל לִבּוֹ לִפְנֵי יְיָ תָּמִיד). And because of this, all is in the secret of twelve (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ בְּרָזָא דִּתְרֵיסָר) twelve above concealed supernally (תְּרֵיסָר עִלָּאִין טְמִירִין לְעֵילָּא), hidden in the supernal holy secret (דְאִתְגְּנִיזוּ בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא). And these are the secret of Orayta (וְאִינּוּן רָזָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), which go forth from one subtle voice (וְנַפְקֵי מִקּוֹל חַד דָּקִיק), and this has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). Twelve others are concealed below (תְּרֵיסָר אַחֲרָנִין טְמִירִין לְתַתָּא), in their likeness (כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְהוֹן), and they go forth in another voice (וְנַפְקֵי גּוֹ קָלָא אַחֲרָא), which is the stone, as it is written: “From there the shepherd, the stone of Yisrael” (Bereshit 49) (דְּאִיהִי אֶבֶן, דִּכְתִיב, מִשָׁם רוֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל). And because of this they have established in the secret of the verse, as it is written: “And all the flocks were gathered there, and they rolled the stone” (Bereshit 29) (וְעַל דָּא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּרָזָא דִּקְרָא דִּכְתִיב, וְנֶאֱסָפוּ שָׁמָּה כָל הָעֲדָרִים וְגָלְלוּ אֶת הָאֶבֶן).

This is the Shekhinta (דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא), which is called “the testing stone, the stone of Yisrael” (דְּאִקְרֵי אֶבֶן בֹּחַן, אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל). That they roll her (דִּמְגַּנְדְּרִין לָהּ), and she enters exile (וְעָאלִין לָהּ בְּגָלוּתָא). And it is written: “And they returned the stone upon the well’s mouth to its place” (Bereshit 29) (וּכְתִיב, וְהֵשִׁיבוּ אֶת הָאֶבֶן עַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר לִמְקוֹמָהּ). And by her name all the stones are called (וְעַל שְׁמָהּ אִקְרוּן כֻּלְּהוּ אֲבָנִין). And how many stones for stones! (וְכַמָּה אֲבָנִין לַאֲבָנִין). There are stones, and there are stones (אִית אֲבָנִין וְאִית אֲבָנִין). There are stones that are foundations of the House (אִית אֲבָנִין יְסוֹדֵי בֵּיתָא), as it is written: “And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house, hewn stones” (I Kings 5) (דִּכְתִיב, וַיְצַו הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיַסִּיעוּ אֲבָנִים גְּדוֹלוֹת אֲבָנִים יְקָרוֹת לְיַסֵּד הַבָּיִת אַבְנֵי גָּזִית). And there are supernal precious stones (וְאִית אֲבָנִין עִלָּאִין יַקִּירִין), and these are twelve (וְאִינּוּן תְּרֵיסָר). And these are four orders, three by three for each order (וְאִינּוּן אַרְבַּע סִדְרִין, תְּלָתָא תְּלָתָא לְכָל סִדְרָא), to the four directions of the world (לְאַרְבַּע רוּחֵי עָלְמָא). In this likeness are the four banners (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא אִינּוּן אַרְבַּע דְּגָלִים), that were traveling in the wilderness (דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְּמַדְבְּרָא). And these are the twelve tribes (וְאִינּוּן תְּרֵיסָר שְׁבָטִין), three by three for each side (תְּלָתָא תְּלָתָא לְכָל סִטְרָא), to the four directions of the world (לְאַרְבַּע רוּחֵי עָלְמָא). And all is one secret (וְכֹלָּא רָזָא חֲדָא), and this has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

And come and see (וְתָא חֲזֵי), at the time when the great priest would set these twelve stones (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּכַהֲנָא רַבָּא הֲוָה שַׁוֵּי אִלֵּין תְּרֵיסָר אֲבָנִין), and would clothe them in the Choshen and Ephod (וְלָבִישׁ לוֹן בְּחוֹשְׁנָא וֶאֱפוֹדָא), then the Shekhinta would rest upon him (כְּדֵין שַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא). And those twelve stones (וְאִינּוּן תְּרֵיסָר אֲבָנִין), were engraved with the names of all the tribes (גְּלִיפִין בִּשְׁמָהָן דְּכֻלְּהוּ שְׁבָטִין). And each tribe was engraved upon one stone (וְכָל שִׁבְטָא וְשִׁבְטָא אִתְגְּלִיף עַל אַבְנָא חַד). The letters were sunken into the stones (מְשַׁקְּעָן הֲווֹ אַתְוָון עַל אֲבָנִין). And when the stones would shine (וְכַד נְהִירִין אֲבָנִין), the letters would flash outward (אַטְוָון הֲווֹ בַּלְטִין לְבַר), and shine according to what was required (וְנָהֲרִין עַל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיכוּ). And with the letters of the tribes (וּבִשְׁבָטִין כֻּלְּהוּ, [ובאתוון דשבטין]), not two letters were Ḥet and Tet (לָא הֲווֹ תְּרֵין אַתְוָון ח׳ ט׳), because no sin was found among them all (בְּגִין דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח חוֹבָה בְּכֻלְּהוּ).

Rabbi Ḥizkiyah said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה): If so, the Ḥet of “sin” causes fittingly (אִי הָכִי ח׳ דִּשְׁמָא גָּרִים יֵאוֹת). But the Tet, which is the letter Tav (אֲבָל ט׳, דְּאִיהִי אָת טַב), and we have learned: One who sees the letter Tet in his dream, good is for him (וְתָנֵינָן, מַאן דְּחָמֵי אָת ט׳ בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ, טַב לֵיהּ), because in it the Torah begins with “good” (בְּגִין דְּבֵיהּ פַּתְחָא אוֹרַיְיתָא כִּי טוֹב). As it is written: “And Elohim saw the light, that it was good” (Bereshit 1) (דִּכְתִּיב, וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב). And since it is the letter Tet which is good (וְהוֹאִיל וְהִיא אָת טָב), why then was it not written among those tribes? (אֲמַאי לָא אִכְתּוּב בְּאִינּוּן שְׁבָטִין).

He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ), because two letters stand next to one another (בְּגִין דְּסַמְיכִין תְּרֵין אַתְוָון אַהֲדָדֵי). And furthermore, the letter Tet is hidden and concealed (וְתוּ, דְּהָא אָת ט׳ גָּנִיז וְטָמִיר). And it shines the radiance of them all (וְאִיהוּ נָהִיר נְהִירוּ דְּכֻלְּהוּ). For this letter is the radiance of them all (דְּהָא אָת דָּא נְהִירוּ דְּכֻלְּהוּ הֲוֵי). And no radiance is found except from this letter (וְלָאו נְהִירוּ אִשְׁתְּכַח בַּר מֵאָת דָּא), as it is written: “And Elohim saw the light that it was good” (Bereshit 1) (דִּכְתִּיב, וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב). And this is the radiance of that light which is hidden and concealed (וְהוּא נְהִירוּ דְּהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא דְּגָנִיז וְטָמִיר).

And because of this it is written: “No good will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalms 84) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, לֹא יִמְנַע טוֹב לַהוֹלְכִים בְּתָמִים). And this is the light of all the tribes (וְדָא אִיהוּ נְהוֹרָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ שְׁבָטִין). And therefore it was not engraved among them (וּבְגִין כַּךְ לָא אִתְגְּלָף בְּהוּ). And furthermore, all the twelve emerge from this concealed palace (וְתוּ, דְּכֻלְּהוּ תְּרֵיסָר נַפְקֵי מִגּוֹ אַכְסַדְרָא דָּא טְמִירָא), which is in the secret of the letter Tet (דְּאִיהִי בְּרָזָא דְּאָת ט׳). And because of this it is hidden and concealed, and is not seen among them (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִיהוּ טָמִיר וְגָנִיז, וְלָא אִתְחָזֵי בְּהוּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), all these stones stand by miracle and sign (כָּל הָנִי אֲבָנִין, קַיְימֵי בְּאוֹרַח אָת וְנִיסָא). And all of them, when they shone (וְכֻלְּהוּ כַּד הֲווֹ נָהֲרִין), then the great priest’s face would shine (כְּדֵין כַּהֲנָא רַבָּא הֲווֹ נְהִירִין אַנְפּוֹי). And the letters would shine and flash outward to be known (וְאַתְוָון נְהִרִין וּבַלְטִין לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא לְבַר). And when the face of the priest shone (וְכַד הֲווֹ נָהֲרִין אַנְפּוֹי דְּכַהֲנָא), then they were known through the shining of the letters, which is for good (כְּדֵין הֲווֹ אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן בְּלִיטוּ דְּאַתְוָון, דְּאִיהוּ לְטָב). And in this was the priest known, whether he was meritorious or not (וּבְדָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע כַּהֲנָא, אִי זַכָּאָה הוּא אִי לָאו). And because of this, all was by sign and miracle, and this has been established (וְעַל דָּא כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ בְּאָת וְנִיסָא, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

Rabbi Abba was found before Rabbi Shim‘on (רִבִּי אַבָּא הֲוָה שְׁכִיחַ קַמֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Behold, what is written: “And you shall place in the Choshen of judgment the Urim and the Tumim” (Exodus 28) (הָא דִּכְתִּיב, וְנָתַתָּ אֶל חֹשֶׁן הַמִּשְׁפָּט אֶת הָאוּרִים וְאֶת הַתּוּמִּים). And we have learned (וְתָנֵינָן): Urim—because they illuminate the word that was needed (אוּרִים: דְּנָהֲרִין בְּמִלָּה דְּאִצְטְרִיכוּ). Tumim—because they complete their words (תּוּמִים: דְּאַשְׁלִימוּ בְּמִלַּיְיהוּ). And further, we need to know this secret (תוּ אֲנָן צְרִיכִין לְמִנְדַּע הַאי רָזָא).