Daf 233b (דַּף רל״ג ע״ב)

And this is the measuring line that is in greater holiness (וְדָא אִיהוּ מִשְׁחָתָא דְּאִיהוּ בִּקְדוּשָּׁה יַתִּיר), because there is another measuring line (בְּגִין דְּאִית מִשְׁחָתָא אַחֲרָא), which covers over this that is within (דְּאִיהִי לְחַפְיָא עַל דָּא דְּאִיהִי לְגוֹ). For in the other measuring line that covers over this (דְּהָא בְּמִשְׁחָתָא אַחֲרָא דְּחַפְיָּא עַל דָּא), it rises in the number of thirty-four (סָלְּקָא בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא בְּחוּשְׁבָּן ד״ל), and within in the number of thirty-two (וּלְגָאו בְּחוּשְׁבָּן ל״ב). Some say: that which covers over this which is within rises in the number, without thirty-four and within thirty-two (ס״א דאיהי דחפיא על דא דאיהי לגו וסלקא בחושבנא, בחושבן ד״ל ולגאו בחושבן ל״ב).

And this is the secret of this covering over this (וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא דְּחַפְיָא דָּא עַל דָּא), thirty-two within (ל״ב לְגוֹ), thirty-four without (ד״ל לְבַר). Thirty-two is established within, thirty-four is established without (ל״ב איהו קיימא לגו, ד״ל איהו קיימא לְבַר). Because this first measuring line (בְּגִין דְּהָא מִשְׁחָתָא קַדְמָאָה), that is holy in holy colors (דְּאִיהוּ קַדִּישָׁא בִּגְוָונִין קַדִּישִׁין), which are six-threaded and tekhelet and purple and scarlet (דְּאִינּוּן שֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר וּתְכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְתוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי), these are holy colors (אִלֵּין גַּוְונִין קַדִּישִׁין), and all its number rises to the number thirty-two (וְכָל חוּשְׁבָּן דִּילֵיהּ סַלְּקָא לְחוּשְׁבָּן ל״ב). And the second measuring line, which is outside to cover over this (וּמִשְׁחָתָא תִּנְיָינָא דְּאִיהוּ לְבַר לְחַפְיָיא עַל דָּא), it rises to the number thirty-four (אִיהִי סַלְּקָא לְחוּשְׁבָּן ד״ל). And this is the secret that is written (וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא דִּכְתִּיב): “Happy is he who considers the poor; in the day of evil Hashem will deliver him” (אַשְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּיל אֶל דָּל בְּיוֹם רָעָה יְמַלְּטֵהוּ יְיָ׳) (Psalms 41). In the day of evil indeed (בְּיוֹם רָעָה מַמָּשׁ), Hashem will deliver him (יְמַלְּטֵהוּ יְיָ׳).

The secret of the number within (רָזָא דְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא לְגוֹ), which is the secret thirty-two (דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא ל״ב). And in that number outside (וּבְהַהוּא חוּשְׁבָּנָא דִּלְבַר), what is written? (מַה כְּתִיב) “And you shall make curtains of goats’ hair” (וְעָשִׂיתָ יְרִיעוֹת עִזִּים). Curtains of goats (יְרִיעוֹת עִזִּים) — why goats? (אֲמַאי עִזִּים). Rather, the secret of its color (אֶלָּא רָזָא דְּגַוְונָא דִּילֵיהּ), to give place in the secret of holiness (לְמֵיהַב דּוּכְתָּא בְּרָזָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא), and therefore goats’ hair curtains indeed (וּבְגִין כָּךְ יְרִיעוֹת עִזִּים וַדַּאי). It is written: “I went down to the garden of nuts…” (כְּתִיב אֶל גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי וְגו׳) (Song of Songs 6). This has already been established (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ). But what of the nut? (אֲבָל מַה אֱגוֹז) — it has a shell that surrounds and covers the kernel, and the kernel is within (אִית לֵיהּ קְלִיפָה דְּסָחֲרָא וְחַפְיָיא עַל מוֹחָא, וּמוֹחָא לְגוֹ). So too in every matter of holiness (אוּף הָכִי בְּכָל מִלָּה דְּקוּדְשָׁא), holiness is within (קְדוּשָּׁה לְגוֹ), and the Sitra achra without (וְסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לְבַר). And this is the secret: “The wicked surrounds the righteous” (וְרָזָא דָּא, רָשָׁע מַכְתִּיר אֶת הַצַּדִּיק) (Habakkuk 1). And because of this it is called nut (וְעַל דָּא אִקְרֵי אֱגוֹז), and this has already been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): in that which is without (בְּהַהוּא דִּלְבַר), the more is added, the more is diminished (כָּל מַה דְּאוֹסִיף גָּרַע). And your sign is the bulls of the festival (וְסִימָנִיךְ פָּרֵי הֶחָג), which diminish and go (דְּמִתְמָעֲטִין וְאָזְלִין). So too here (אוּף הָכָא נָמֵי). In that which is within it is written: “And the Mishkan you shall make ten curtains” p1-14(בְּמָה דִּלְגָּאו כְּתִיב, וְאֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן תַּעֲשֶׂה עֶשֶׂר יְרִיעוֹת) (Exodus 26).

In that which is without it is written: eleven curtains (בְּמָה דִּלְבַר כְּתִיב, עַשְׁתֵּי עֶשְׂרֵה יְרִיעוֹת). He added letters and diminished from the number (אוֹסִיף אַתְוָון וְגָרַע מֵחוּשְׁבָּנָא). He added number and diminished letters (אוֹסִיף חוּשְׁבָּנָא וְגָרַע אֶתוָן). He added number, as it is written: “The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth four cubits the curtain” (אוֹסִיף חוּשְׁבָּנָא, דִּכְתִיב, אֹרֶךְ הַיְרִיעָה הָאַחַת שְׁלשִׁים בָּאַמָּה וְרֹחַב אַרְבַּע בָּאַמָּה הַיְרִיעָה) (Exodus 26). And when it goes up to the number (וְכַד סָלִיק לְחוּשְׁבְּנָא), it rises to the number thirty-four (סָלִיק לְחוּשְׁבָּן דּ״ל). For there is none among all those kinds of poverty like that which is called “poor” (דְּלֵית בְּכָל אִינּוּן זִינֵי מִסְכְּנוּתָא כְּהַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי דּ״ל). And therefore when the number increases (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כַּד סָלִיק לְחוּשְׁבְּנָא יַתִּיר), it rises in diminution (סָלִיק בִּגְרִיעוּ). And when it diminishes in number (וְכַד אִיהוּ גָּרַע בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא), it ascends in ascent (סָלִיק בִּסְלִיקוּ), for it ascends to the secret of thirty-two (דְּסָלִיק לְרָזָא דְּל״ב), which is the secret of all faith (דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּכָל מְהֵימְנוּתָא), and it is the secret of the Holy Name (וְאִיהוּ רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). And upon this: this ascends, and this diminishes (וְעַל דָּא, דָּא סָלִיק, וְדָא גָּרַע). This ascends and diminishes (דָּא סָלִיק וְגָרַע). And this diminishes and ascends (וְדָא גָּרַע וְסָלִיק). This is within (דָּא לְגוֹ). And this is without (וְדָא לְבַר).

This measuring line (הַאי קַו הַמִדָּה), begins to extend (שָׁרֵי לְאִתְפַּשְׁטָא), and measures the line for the boards (וּמְדִיד מִשְׁחָתָא לַקְּרָשִׁים), as it is written: “And he made the boards for the Mishkan of acacia wood, standing” (דִכְתִּיב וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת הַקְּרָשִׁים לַמִּשְׁכָּן עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים עוֹמְדִים) (Exodus 36). And these are the secret of the seraphim (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן רָזָא דִּשְׂרָפִים). And behold, it has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ): for it is written “acacia wood, standing” (דִּכְתִּיב עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים עוֹמְדִים), and it is written “seraphim standing” (וּכְתִיב שְׂרָפִים עוֹמְדִים) (Isaiah 6).

The measure of this line (מְדִידוּ דְּמִשְׁחָתָא דָּא): ten cubits the length of the board, and a cubit and a half the cubit (עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת אֹרֶךְ הַקָּרֶשׁ וְאַמָּה וַחֲצִי הָאַמָּה). Here it is written “ten cubits” (הָכָא כְּתִיב עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת), and it is not written “ten by the cubit” (וְלָא כְּתִיב עֶשֶׂר בָּאַמָּה). These are three, three, three (אִלֵּין תְּלַת תְּלַת תְּלַת), which are nine (דְּאִינּוּן תֵּשַׁע), and one that rests upon them (וְחַד דְּשַׁרְיָא עָלַיְיהוּ). And this is one spirit that rests upon them (וְדָא אִיהוּ רוּחָא חֲדָא דְּשַׁרְיָא עָלַיְיהוּ).

And we have already said (וְהָא אַמָרָן), what is the measure of the cubit (כַמָה אִיהוּ שִׁיעוּרָא דְּאַמָּה). And this is the secret of the measure eleven and a half (וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא דְּשִׁיעוּרָא חַד סְרֵי וּפַלְגָּא), that ascend and do not ascend (דְּסַלְּקִין, וְלָא סַלְּקִין), because they are diminished from those Ophanim (בְּגִין דְּגַרְעִין מֵאִינּוּן אוֹפַנִּים). And it has been established in the secret of the holy chariot (וְאוּקְמוּהָ בְּרָזָא דִּרְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא), and they are twenty (וְאִינּוּן עֶשְׂרִין): to this side ten (לְהַאי סִטְרָא עֶשֶׂר), and to that side ten (וּלְהַאי סִטְרָא עֶשֶׂר), until they ascend to the secret of the higher seraphim (עַד דְּסַלְּקִין לְרָזָא דִּשְׂרָפִים עִלָּאִין). And afterward the secret of holiness ascends (וּלְבָתַר סָלִיק רָזָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא), until all are aroused (עַד דְּאַתְּעֲרוּ כֻּלְּהוּ), some say: until all are awakened (ס״א דאתעדו), in the secret of that middle bar (בְּרָזָא דְּהַהוּא בָּרִיחַ הַתִּיכוֹן), as it has been established (כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ). And because of this, a half is in it without completion (וְעַל דָּא פְּלַג אִית בֵּיהּ בְּלָא שְׁלִימוּ).

The secret of this measuring line (Meshichta) (רָזָא דְּהַאי מִשְׁחָתָא), for twenty boards they are two hundred and thirty (לְעֶשְׂרִין דַּפִּין אִינּוּן מָאתָן וּתְלָתִין). And all of this stands in measurement by number (וְכָל הַאי קַיְּימָא בִּמְדִּידוּ בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא). And thus rises every number that goes out from this measurement (וְהָכִי סָלִיק כָּל חוּשְׁבָּן דְּנָפְקָא מֵהַאי מְדִידוּ), in the secret that they are seraphim (בְּרָזָא דְּאִינּוּן שְׂרָפִים).

The curtains of the Mishkan (יְרִיעוֹת דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא) that we have said, that they are supernal mysteries (דְּאַמָרָן דְּאִינּוּן רָזִין עִלָּאִין). The secret of the heavens (רָזָא דִּשְׁמַיָּא), and behold it has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָא): “Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain” (נוֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם כַּיְרִיעָה) (Psalms 104). And the secret of this is in that number which we have said (וְרָזָא דְּהַאי בְּהַהוּא חוּשְׁבָּן דְּקָאָמַרָן). And there are curtains that we have said in one secret (וְאִית יְרִיעָן דְּקָאָמַרָן בְּרָזָא חֲדָא), and there are curtains in another secret (וְאִית יְרִיעָן בְּרָזָא אַחֲרָא), and all is in the secret above (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ בְּרָזָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). And upon this, all is to know wisdom (וְעַל דָּא כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ לְמִנְדַּע חָכְמְתָא), of every side and side (דְּכָל סִטְרָא וְסִטְרָא), and of every word and word (וְכָל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה).

And upon this, a person discerns between good and evil (וְעַל דָּא אַבְחִין בַּר נָשׁ בֵּין טַב לְבִישׁ), between the secret of wisdom (בֵּין רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא), and between a word that does not stand in wisdom (וּבֵין מִלָּה דְּלָא קַיְּימָא בְּחָכְמְתָא). And in the secret of the first measurement (וּבְרָזָא דִּמְדִידוּ קַדְמָאָה), behold it has been said (הָא אִתְּמַר), in how many aspects it is (בְּכַמָּה סִטְרִין אִיהוּ).