Daf 231a (דַּף רל״א ע״א)

And come and see (וְתָא חֲזֵי), all of these converted afterwards (כָּל אִלֵּין אִתְגַּיָּירוּ לְבָתַר), when they saw the miracles and mighty deeds that Kudsha Berikh Hu did for Yonah in the sea (כַּד חָמוּ נִסִּין וּגְבוּרָן דְּעָבַד לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיוֹנָה בְּיַמָּא). And they all saw him when he fell into the sea (וְכֻלְּהוּ חָמוּ לֵיהּ כַּד נָפַל בְּיַמָּא), and that fish arose and swallowed him before them (וְהַהוּא נוּנָא דְּסָלִיק וּבָלַע לֵיהּ קָמַּיְיהוּ). And when that great fish came before the eyes of all of them (וְכַד אָתָא הַהוּא נוּנָא רַבָּא לְעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּכֹלָּא), and spat him out onto the dry land (וּפָלַט לֵיהּ לְיַבֶּשְׁתָּא), they came to him and they all converted (אָתוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ וְאִתְגַיְּירוּ כֻּלְּהוּ). This is what is written: “They that keep vanities of emptiness forsake their own mercy” (Jonah 2) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, מְשַׁמְּרִים הַבְלֵי שָׁוְא חַסְדָּם יַעֲזוֹבוּ).

And come and see (וְתָא חֲזֵי), all of these were righteous converts (כֻּלְּהוּ אִלֵּין הֲווֹ גֵּרֵי צֶדֶק), and they became wise in the Orayta (וְאִתְחַכָּמוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and they became supernal sages (וַהֲווּ חַכִּימִין עִלָּאִין), because Kudsha Berikh Hu took delight in them (בְּגִין דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בְּהוּ), and in all those who draw near to Him (וּבְכָל אִינּוּן דְּמִקְרְבֵי לְגַבֵּיהּ), and sanctify His Name in revelation (וּמְקַדְּשִׁין שְׁמֵיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא). For when His Name is sanctified in revelation (דְּכַד אִתְקַדָּשׁ שְׁמֵיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא), His hidden Name ascends upon His throne of glory (שְׁמֵיהּ דְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא, אִסְתְּלִיק עַל כּוּרְסֵי יְקָרֵיהּ), as it is written: “And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Yisrael” (Leviticus 22) (דִּכְתִיב, וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל).

Come and see what is written (תָּא חֲזֵי מַה כְּתִיב): “And they bound the breastplate from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a thread of tekhelet” (Exodus 39) (וַיִּרְכְּסוּ אֶת הַחֹשֶׁן מִטַּבְּעוֹתָיו אֶל טַבְּעוֹת הָאֵפוֹד בִּפְתִיל תְּכֵלֶת). Why with a thread of tekhelet? (אֲמַאי בִּפְתִיל תְּכֵלֶת). But to show that this blue is bound in all (אֶלָּא לְאַחֲזָאָה בְּהַאי תִּכְלָא אִתְקָשַׁר בְּכֹלָּא). And because of this, all is in the supernal secret (וְעַל דָּא כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה). What is written? (מַה כְּתִיב) “A golden bell and a pomegranate” (Exodus 28) (פַּעֲמוֹן זָהָב וְרִמּוֹן). And we have established it (וְאוֹקִימְנָא). And all is in the supernal secret as we said (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה כִּדְקָאָמְרָן). What is written? (מַה כְּתִיב) “And its sound shall be heard when he goes into the holy place before Hashem” (Exodus 28) (וְנִשְׁמַע קוֹלוֹ בְּבֹאוֹ אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ לִפְנֵי יְיָ). Because a sound must be heard (בְּגִין דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ קָלָא דְּאִשְׁתְּמַע). And blessings rest upon the world because of the priest (וּבִרְכָּאן יִשְׁרוּן עַל עָלְמָא בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּכַהֲנָא), for he blesses all (דְּאִיהוּ מְבָרֵךְ כֹּלָּא), and serves all (וּפָלַח כֹּלָּא). “A golden bell”—behold, we have established it (פַּעֲמוֹן זָהָב, הָא אוֹקִימְנָא). “A pomegranate”—which is filled as this pomegranate (רִמּוֹן, דְּאִתְמַלְּיָיא כְּרִמוֹנָא דָּא), for it is filled with all (דְּאִיהוּ אִתְמַלְיָיא מִכֹּלָּא), and all has been established (וְכֹלָּא אוֹקִימְנָא). “And he made the robe of the ephod, the work of a weaver, all of tekhelet” (Exodus 39) (וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת מְעִיל הָאֵפוֹד מַעֲשֵׂה אוֹרֵג כְּלִיל תְּכֵלֶת). Behold, this has been explained in the secret of the breastplate and the ephod, and all is one (הָא אִתְּמַר בְּרָזָא דְּחֹשֶׁן וְאֵפוֹד, וְכֹלָּא חַד). “All of tekhelet”—for thus it appeared, as we have established (כְּלִיל תְּכֵלֶת, דְּהָכִי אִתְחָזֵי כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא).

For blue is the secret of the light of the Throne (דְּתִכְלָא אִיהוּ רָזָא דִּנְהוֹרָא דְּכוּרְסְיָיא). blue, which is in the bond of the white brilliance, all as one (תִּכְלָא, דְּאִיהוּ בְּקִשּׁוּרָא דִּנְהִירוּ חִוָּורָא, כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא) (Bereshit 51a). And because of this, blue is for the ephod (וְעַל דָּא תִּכְלָא לְאֵפוֹדָא אִיהוּ).

Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), these garments of clothing of the priest (הָנֵי מָאנִי דִּלְבוּשִׁין דְּכַהֲנָא), all are in the supernal secret (כֻּלְּהוּ בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ), to be garments below after the likeness of above (לְמֶהוֵי לְבוּשִׁין דִּלְתַתָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), since Mikha’el is the great priest (כֵּיוָן דְּמִיכָאֵל כַּהֲנָא רַבָּא אִיהוּ), and he comes from the side of the right (וְאָתֵי מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא), why then is it written concerning Gavri’el (אֲמַאי כְּתִיב בְּגַּבְרִיאֵל), “the man clothed in linen” (Daniel 12) (הָאִישׁ לְבוּשׁ הַבַּדִּים), for behold, garments are for the great priest (דְּהָא לְבוּשִׁין לְכַהֲנָא רַבָּא אִיהוּ), and Mikha’el is the priest, and comes from the side of the right (וּמִיכָאֵל אִיהוּ כַּהֲנָא, וְאָתֵי מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא). Rather, from here we learn (אֶלָּא מֵהָכָא), that the left is always included in the right (דִּשְׂמָאלָא אִתְכְּלִיל בִּימִינָא תָּדִיר), and Gavri’el was clothed in these garments (וְאִתְלָבָּשׁ גַּבְרִיאֵל בִּלְבוּשִׁין אִלֵּין).

Furthermore (תוּ), Gavri’el was appointed a messenger in this world (דְּהָא גַּבְרִיאֵל אִיהוּ אִתְמַנָּא שְׁלִיחָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And every messenger appointed in this world (וְכָל שְׁלִיחָא דְּאִתְמַנָּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), must be clothed in the garments of this world (אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בִּלְבוּשִׁין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא).

And behold we have established (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא), in the secret of the Neshama (בְּרָזָא דְּנִשְׁמְתָא), that when she ascends above (כַּד סַלְקַת לְעֵילָּא), she is clothed in a garment after the likeness of above (אִתְלַבְּשַׁת בִּלְבוּשָׁא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), in order to be there (בְּגִין לְמֶהֱוֵי תַּמָּן). And so when she descends below from above (וְכֵן כַּד נַחְתַּת לְתַתָּא מִלְּעֵילָּא), all is according to the likeness of the place to which she goes (כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאַזְלַת תַּמָּן). In this manner (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא), all those messengers appointed on a mission in this world (כָּל אִינּוּן שְׁלִיחָן דְּאִתְמְנָן בִּשְׁלִיחוּתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and behold, we have established this (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא).

And come and see (וְתָא חֲזֵי), this robe of the Ephod (הַאי מְעִילָא דְּאֵפוֹדָא), to cover upon him when he is clothed in it (לְחַפְיָא עָלֵיהּ, כַּד לָבִישׁ לֵיהּ). It is written: “Behind and before You have beset me, and You placed Your hand upon me” (Psalms 139) (כְּתִיב, אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי וַתָּשֶׁת עָלַי כַּפֶּכָה). This verse has already been established (הַאי קְרָא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ). But come and see (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי), at the time when Kudsha Berikh Hu created Adam HaRishon (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן). Male and female were created (דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא אִתְבְּרִיאוּ), and both of them were together, this one with this one, in a bond (וַהֲווּ תַּרְוַויְיהוּ דָּא עִם דָּא קִשׁוּרָא), the female to the back (נוּקְבָּא לַאֲחוֹרָא), and the male to the front (וּדְכוּרָא לְקָמָא). Until Kudsha Berikh Hu cut them apart (עַד דְּנָסַר לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and prepared her (וְאַתְקִין לָהּ), and brought her before Adam (וְאָעִיל לָהּ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּאָדָם), to look face to face (לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין). And when they looked face to face (וְכֵיוָן דְּאִסְתַּכְּלוּ אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין), then love multiplied in the world (כְּדֵין אִתְסָגֵּי רְחִימוּתָא בְּעָלְמָא), and they brought forth offspring in the world (וְאוֹלִידוּ תּוֹלָדִין בְּעָלְמָא), that which was not before this (מַה דְּלָא הֲוַת מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא).

And behold, we have established this (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא). And after Adam and his wife sinned (וּלְבָתַר דְּחָב אָדָם וְאִתְּתָא), and the serpent came upon Ḥavah (וְאָתָא נָחָשׁ עַל חַוָּה), and cast in her defilement (וְאָטִיל בָּהּ זוּהֲמָא), Ḥavah bore Kayin (אוֹלִידַת חַוָּה לְקַיִן). And his form was the form of above and below (וַהֲוָה דִּיּוּקְנֵיהּ, דִּיּוּקְנָא דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא), from the secret of the defilement of the Sitra achra (מֵרָזָא דְּזוּהֲמָא דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), and from the side of below (וּמִסִּטְרָא דִּלְתַתָּא) (קס״ז ע״א). And because of this he was the first to bring death into the world (וְעַל דָּא אִיהוּ הֲוָה קַדְמָאָה, דְּעֲבַד מוֹתָא בְּעָלְמָא), for his side caused it (בְּגִין דְּסִטְרָא דִּילֵיהּ גָּרִים).

The serpent’s way is to be a killer (חִוְיָא אוֹרְחֵיהּ הוּא לְמֶהֱוֵי כַּמִין לְקַטוּלָא). That which comes from him takes his way and goes (הַהוּא דְּאָתֵי מִנֵּיהּ אוֹרְחֵיהּ נָקִיט וְאָזִיל). And because of this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Kayin rose up against Hevel his brother and slew him” (Bereshit 4) (וַיְהִי בִּהְיוֹתָם בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיָּקָם קַיִן אֶל הֶבֶל אָחִיו וַיַּהַרְגֵהוּ).