Daf 231b (דַּף רל״א ע״ב)

We have found in the early books (אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּסִפְרִין קַדְמָאִין), that when Kayin killed Hevel (דְּכַד קָטַל לֵיהּ קַיִן לְהֶבֶל), he bit him with bites, like a serpent (הֲוָה נָשִׁיךְ לֵיהּ נְשִׁיכִין, כְּחִוְיָא), until he expelled his soul, and killed him (עַד דְּאַפִּיק נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ, וְקָטַל לֵיהּ). And all things returned to the first foundation (וְכָל מִלִּין אָהַדְרוּ לִיסוֹדָא קַדְמָאָה). And if Kayin had not been from that side (וְאִי לָאו דְּהֲוָה קַיִן מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא), such a thing would not have been found against his brother (לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח הָכִי לְגַבֵּי אָחוּהּ). And because of this, when Adam saw that Hevel was killed (וְעַל דָּא, כֵּיוָן דְּחָזָא אָדָם דְּאִתְקְטִיל הֶבֶל), and Kayin was cast out (וְאִתְתְּרִיךְ קַיִן), he said: What shall I beget from now and onward? (אָמַר, מַה אֲנָא אוֹלִיד מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה).

He separated from his wife one hundred and thirty years (אִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאִתְּתֵיהּ מֵאָה וּתְלָתִין שְׁנִין). And female spirits of impurity would come and warm themselves from him (וְרוּחִין נוּקְבֵי מִסְאֲבֵי, הֲווֹ אַתְיָין וּמִתְחַמְּמָן מִנֵּיהּ). And he begot spirits and demons (וַהֲוָה אוֹלִיד רוּחִין וְשֵׁדִין), and they are called plagues of the children of men (וְאִקְרוּן נִגְעֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם). And we have established this (וְאוֹקִימְנָא). Afterwards he acquired and was clothed in jealousy (לְבָתַר קָנֵי וְאִתְלָבָּשׁ בְּקִנְאָה), and he joined with his wife (וְאִתְחַבָּר בְּאִתְּתֵיהּ), and begot Shet (וְאוֹלִיד לְשֵׁת). As it is written: “And he begot in his likeness, after his image, and called his name Shet” (Bereshit 5) (דִּכְתִּיב, וַיּוֹלֶד בִּדְמוּתוֹ כְּצַלְמוֹ וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ שֵׁת).

This is “in his likeness, after his image” (דָּא אִיהוּ בִּדְמוּתוֹ כְּצַלְמוֹ), which was not so in the beginning, with those first children that were from before this (מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה הָכִי בְּקַדְמִיתָא, בְּאִינּוּן בְּנִין קַדְמָאֵי, דַּהֲווֹ מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא). Because at first, another union was with him (בְּגִין, דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא, אִתְחַבְּרוּתָא אַחֲרָא הֲוַות לְגַבֵּיהּ), and this has been established (וְאוּקְמוּהָ).

Until Ḥavah came, and Kudsha Berikh Hu prepared her for Adam (עַד דְּאָתַת חַוָּה, וְאַתְקִין לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּאָדָם), and they were joined face to face (וְאִתְחַבָּרוּ אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין). And because of this it is written: “For this shall she be called Woman” (Bereshit 2) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, לְזֹאת יִקָּרֵא אִשָּׁה), this is the true wife (דָּא אִיהִי אִתְּתָא), but another is not called thus (אֲבָל אַחֲרָא לָא אִקְרֵי הָכִי). And behold, this has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). And because Adam and Ḥavah were created together (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, דְּאָדָם וְחַוָּה כַּחֲדָא אִתְבְּרִיאוּ), it is written: “Male and female He created them and blessed them” (Bereshit 5) (כְּתִיב, זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בְּרָאָם וַיְבָרֶךְ אוֹתָם). Both of them together were one (תַּרְוַויְיהוּ כַּחֲדָא הֲווֹ). And because of this it is written: “Behind and before You have beset me” (Psalms 139) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), the Ephod and the Ḥoshen were back and front (אֵפוֹד וְחֹשֶׁן, אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם הֲווֹ). And when the priest was clothed in them (וְכַד כַּהֲנָא אִתְלְבַּשׁ בְּהוּ), he resembled the supernal form (הֲוָה דָּמֵי בְּדִיּוּקְנָא עִלָּאָה). And behold, it has been explained (וְהָא אִתְּמַר), that then his face shone (דִּכְדֵין אַנְפּוֹי נְהִירִין), and the letters flashed (וְאַתְוָון בַּלְטִין), and they ascended above and illuminated (וְסַלְּקִין לְעֵילָּא מְנַהֲרָן), and then the word was known (וּכְדֵין הֲוָה יָדַע מִלָּה).

And because of this (וּבְגִין כַּךְ), the arrangement of the Ḥoshen (תִּקּוּנָא דְּחוֹשְׁנָא), and the arrangement of the Ephod (וְתִקּוּנָא דְּאֵפוֹדָא), are bound as one (כַחֲדָא מִתְקַשְּׁרָן). And even though the arrangement of this is not as the arrangement of that (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּתִקּוּנָא דְּדָא לָאו אִיהוּ כְּתִקּוּנָא דְּדָא), all is in one secret (וְכֹלָּא בְּרָזָא חֲדָא). The bond of this with that (קִשּׁוּרָא דְּדָא בְּדָא), to unite the Ḥoshen with the Ephod (לְאִתְאַחֲדָא חוֹשְׁנָא בְּאֵפוֹדָא), with four rings (בְּאַרְבַּע עִזְקָן), that were bound in this place and in that place (דְּאִתְקְשָׁרוּ בְּהַאי אֲתָר, וּבְהַאי אֲתָר). And these are the secret of the chariots (וְאִינּוּן רָזָא דְּאִינּוּן רְתִיכִין), that are bound from this lower side (דְּמִתְקַשְּׁרָן בְּהַאי סִטְרָא דִּלְתַתָּא), to those above (לְאִינּוּן דִּלְעֵילָּא).

And all is in the secret of Ofanim and Ḥayyot (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ בְּרָזָא דְּאוֹפַנִין וְחַיּוֹת). It is written (כְּתִיב): “In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth” (Bereshit 1) (בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ). And it has been established (וְאוּקְמוּהָ), that all was after this likeness the Mishkan was made (דְּהָא כֹּלָּא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא אִתְעָבִיד מַשְׁכְּנָא), after the likeness of the lower world (כְּגַוְונָא דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה), He made it after the likeness of the upper world (עֲבַד כְּגַוְונָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה). And all the works that He made were after the likeness of above (וְכָל עוֹבָדוֹי דְּעָבַד כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). So too the Mishkan (הָכִי נָמֵי מַשְׁכְּנָא), all its works are after the work and likeness of the world above (כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי אִינּוּן כְּעוֹבָדָא וּכְגַוְונָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה). Some say (ס״א): “And it has been established, that after this likeness was the Mishkan made” (וַאֲוּקְמוּהָ כְגוֹוָנָא דָּא אִתְעֲבִיד מִשְׁכְּנָא), “and all its works that were made in this world were after the likeness of above” (וְכָל עוֹבָדוֹי דַּעֲבִיד בְּהַאי עָלְמָא כְגוֹוָנָא דְּלְעֵילָּא עֲבִיד). “And so too the Mishkan, all its works are in the likeness of above, in the likeness of the lower world and the likeness of the upper world” (וְהָכִי נָמֵי מִשְׁכְּנָא, כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי אִינּוּן כְגוֹוָנָא דְּלְעֵילָּא, כְגוֹוָנָא דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה וּכְגוֹוָנָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה). And this secret (וְרָזָא דָּא), all the works of the Mishkan (כָּל עוֹבָדִין דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא), all are works and arrangements of above and below (כֻלְּהוּ עוֹבָדִין וְתִקּוּנִין דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא), in order to cause the Shekhinta to dwell in the world (בְּגִין לְאַשְׁרָאָה שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּעָלְמָא), in the upper dwellings and in the lower dwellings (בְּדִיוּרִין עִלָּאִין, וּבְדִיוּרִין תַּתָּאִין). In this manner (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא), the Garden of Eden below (גַּן עֵדֶן לְתַתָּא), is as the likeness of above (אִיהוּ כְּגַוְונָא עִלָּאָה). And in the likeness below (וּכְגַוְונָא תַּתָּאָה), all forms and all images of the whole world are there (כָּל צִיּוּרִין, וְכָל דִּיוּקְנִין דְּעָלְמָא כֻּלְּהוּ תַּמָּן).

And because of this (וְעַל דָּא), the making of the Mishkan and the making of the heavens and the earth (עֲבִידַת מַשְׁכְּנָא, וַעֲבִידַת שָׁמַיִם וְאֶרֶץ), all are in one secret (כֻלְּהוּ בְּרָזָא חֲדָא). It is written (כְּתִיב): “Lift up your eyes on high and see who created these” (Isaiah 40) (שְׂאוּ מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם וּרְאוּ מִי בָּרָא אֵלֶּה וְגוֹ׳). This verse has been established (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

But come and see (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי): is it because a man lifts his eyes upward and raises them above (וְכִי בְּגִין דְּיִסְתַּכַּל בַּר נָשׁ עֵינוֹי לְעֵילָּא, וְזָקִיף לוֹן לְעֵילָּא), that he is able to know and gaze upon that which is not permitted to be known and seen? (יָכִיל לְמִנְדַּע וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּמָה דְּלָא אִתְּרָשׁוּ לְמִנְדַּע וּלְמֶחמֵי). Rather: “Lift up your eyes on high” (אֶלָּא שְׂאוּ מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם), whoever seeks to contemplate and to know the works of Kudsha Berikh Hu (מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא וּלְמִנְדַּע בְּעוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), let him raise his eyes above (יִזְקוֹף עֵינוֹי לְעֵילָּא), and he will see how many forces and how many legions (וְיֶחְמֵי כַּמָה חַיָּילִין, וְכַמָּה מַשִׁרְיָין), works differing one from another (עוֹבָדִין מְשַׁנְיָין דָּא מִן דָּא), the higher greater than the lower (רַבְרְבִין אִלֵּין מֵאִלֵּין). And then you shall see and ask and say (וּכְדֵין תֶּחמוּן וְתִשְׁאֲלוּן וְתֵימְרוּן): “Who created these?” (מַאן בָּרָא אִלֵּין). “Who created these”—behold, we have established the secret of “Mi” (Who) (מִי בָּרָא אֵלֶּה, הָא אוֹקִימְנָא רָזָא דְּמִי, בָּרָא אֵלֶּה), which is the place that stands on high, hidden, and concealed, and unknown (דְּהוּא אֲתָר דְּקַיְּימָא מָרוֹם וְגָנִיז וְסָתִים וְלָא יְדִיעַ). And it stands continually for inquiry (וְקַיְּימָא תָּדִיר לִשְׁאֵלָה), because it has not been revealed to that place p1-9(בְּגִין דְּלָא אִתְגַּלְיָיא לְהַהוּא אֲתָר) (Isaiah 40).