Daf 234b (דַּף רל״ד ע״ב)

And afterward the letters went out and created the world above and below (וּלְבָתַר נַפְקוּ אַתְוָון וּבָרוּ עָלְמָא לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא), in the world of unity and in the world of separation (בְּעָלְמָא דְּיִחוּדָא, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּפֵרוּדָא). And they are called the mountains of separation (וְאִתְקְרוּן הָרֵי בָתֶר, טוּרֵי דְּפִרוּדָא) which are found (דְּמִשְׁתַּקְיָין). When the side of the south begins to approach it (כַּד סִטְרָא דְּדָרוֹם שַׁארִי לְקָרְבָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ), then waters flow (וּכְדֵין מַיָּא נַגְדִּין), and by this supernal power it flows (וּבְחֵילָא דָּא דְּעֵילָּא, נָגִיד), and all is in unity (כֹּלָּא הוּא בְּחֵידוּ). When thought ascends in the desire of joy (כַּד מַחֲשָׁבָה סָלִיק בִּרְעוּ דְּחֶדְוָה), from the hidden of all hidden ones (מִטְּמִירָא דְּכָל טְמִירִין), there goes out and flows from within it one radiance (מָטֵי וְנָגִיד מִגַּוֵיהּ חַד זִיהֲרָא), they draw near one to the other (מִתְקָרְבִין דָּא בְּדָא), and behold it has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

And those forty-two letters (וְאִינּוּן אַרְבְּעִין וּתְרֵין אַתְוָון), they are the supernal secret (אִינּוּן רָזָא עִלָּאָה). And with them was created the world above and the world below (וּבְאִינּוּן אִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה וְעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה). And they are the existence and secret of all the worlds (וְאִינּוּן קִיוּמָא וְרָזָא דְּכָל עָלְמִין). And because it is the secret of the worlds (וְעַל דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּעָלְמִין), it is written: “The secret of Hashem is for those who fear Him, and His covenant to make them know” (כְּתִיב סוֹד יְיָ׳ לִירֵאָיו וּבְרִיתוֹ לְהוֹדִיעָם) (Psalms 25). This is the secret of the engraved letters (דָּא רָזָא, דְּאַתְוָון גְּלִיפִין), by engraving in revelation (בְּגִלָפוֹי בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא). It is written: “And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Tumim” (כְּתִיב וְנָתַתָּ אֶל חֹשֶׁן הַמִּשְׁפָּט אֶת הָאוּרִים וְאֶת הַתּוּמִּים) (Exodus 28), and behold it has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). “The Urim” (אֶת הָאוּרִים): that they shine (דְּנַהֲרִין), the secret of the shining mirror (רָזָא דְּאַסְפָקָלַרְיָא דְּנַהֲרָא). And this is the engraving of the letters of the Holy Name (וְדָא אִיהוּ גְּלִיפוּ דְּאַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), in the secret of the forty-two (בְּרָזָא דְּאַרְבְּעִין וּתְרֵין), with which the worlds were created (דִּבְהוּ אִתְבְּרוּן עָלְמִין), and they were sunk within it (וַהֲווּ מְשֻׁקָּעִין בֵּיהּ). “And the Tumim” (וְאֶת הַתּוּמִּים): this is the secret of the letters (רָזָא דְּאִינּוּן אַתְוָון), that are included in the place of the mirror that does not shine (דִּכְלִילָן בַּאֲתָר דְּאַסְפָקָלַרְיָא דְּלָא נַהֲרָא). And it (וְאִיהִי) is conducted (אִתְנַהֲגָא), some say: illuminated (ד״א אִתְנַהֲרָא), by seventy-two engraved letters p1-15(בְּע״ב אַתְוָון גְּלִיפִין), which are the secret of the Holy Name (דְּאִינּוּן רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִישָׁא). And all of them are called Urim and Tumim (וְכֻלְּהוּ אִקְרוּן אוּרִים וְתוּמִים).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): when those letters are sunken there (כַּד אִינּוּן אַתְוָון מְשֻׁקָּעָאן תַּמָּן), in that power (בְּהַהוּא חֵילָא), other letters shine (נָהֲרִין אַתְוָון אַחֲרָנִין), in the engraving of the names of the tribes (בִּגְלִיפוּ דְּאִינּוּן שְׁמָהָן דִּשְׁבָטִין). And they shine or darken (וְנַהֲרִין אוֹ אִתְחַשְׁכָאן). And all is in that secret of those letters of the Holy Names (וְכֹלָּא בְּהַהוּא רָזָא דְּאִינּוּן אַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָהָן קַדִּישִׁין), as we have said (כִּדְקַאמְרָן). And those letters of the Holy Names (וְאִינּוּן אַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָהָן קַדִּישִׁין), they come upon the secret of Orayta (אִינּוּן אַתְיָין עַל רָזָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). And all the worlds are letters (וְכֻלָּהוּ עָלְמִין אַתְוָון), some say: were created by letters (ס״א אִתְבְּרוּן), in the secret of these letters (בְּרָזָא דְּאִלֵּין אַתְוָון). These names were hidden and sunken there (אִלֵּין שְׁמָהָן הֲווֹ גְּנִיזִין מְשֻׁקָּעִין תַּמָּן), and the names of the tribes were engraved, their letters above (וּשְׁמָהָן דִּשְׁבָטִין הֲווֹ בַּלְטִין אַתְוָון דִּלְהוֹן לְעֵילָּא). And upon this, all is from the secret of these letters (וְעַל דָּא כֹּלָּא מֵרָזָא דְּאִינּוּן אַתְוָון), and all has been established (וְכֹלָּא אוֹקִימְנָא).

And behold, it has been said (וְהָא אִתְּמַר) in the secret of the letters of Orayta (בְּרָזָא דְּאַתְוָון דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). The letter Bet (ב׳), for Orayta dwells in it (דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא שָׁרָאת בָּהּ). And behold it has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ): Bet created (ב׳ בָּרָא), surely by supernal power (וַדַּאי בְּחֵילָא עִלָּאָה), in the might of the secret of the letters (בִּתְקִיפוּ דְּרָזָא דְּאִינּוּן אַתְוָון). Bet is feminine (ב׳ נוּקְבָּא), Alef is masculine (א׳ דְּכוּרָא). Just as by Bet it created (כְּמָה דְּב׳ בָּרָא), so also Alef (הָכִי נָמֵי א׳), it brought forth the letters (אַפִּיק אַתְוָון), the totality of the twenty-two letters (כְּלָלָא דְּעֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין אַתְוָון).

The letter Hei (ה׳): one Zivug in the heavens (זִוּוּגָא חֲדָא בַּשָּׁמַיִם), to give it life (לְמֵיהַב לֵיהּ חַיִּין), and to cause it to dwell (וּלְאַשְׁרָאָה לֵיהּ). The letter Vav (ו׳): the earth (הָאָרֶץ), to give her sustenance (לְמֵיהַב לָהּ מְזוֹנָא), and to prepare for her provision that is fitting for her (וּלְאַתְקְנָא לָהּ סִפּוּקָא דְּאִתְחָזֵי לָהּ). And this is the secret: “In the beginning… the heavens and the earth” (וְרָזָא דָּא בְּרֵאשִׁית וְגוֹ׳, עַד הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ) (Bereshit 1). The Vav and the word Et (ו׳ וְאֶת): the totality of the twenty-two letters (כְּלָלָא דְּעֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין אַתְוָון). And by them the earth is sustained (וּמִתְּזָן אַרְעָא). And the earth includes them within itself (וְאַרְעָא כָּלִיל לוֹן לְגַוָּוהּ), as you say (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר): “All the rivers run into the sea” (כָּל הַנְּחָלִים הוֹלְכִים אֶל הַיָּם) (Ecclesiastes 1). And this is the secret: “and the earth” (וְהַיְינוּ רָזָא, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ), that it gathers everything within it (דְּכָנִישׁ לְכֹלָּא בְּגַוָּוהּ), and receives them (וְקַבִּילַת לוֹן). The earth takes the Vav (הָאָרֶץ נַטְלַת ו׳), and receives them to be nourished (וְקַבִּילַת לוֹן לְאַתְּזָנָא).

And this is the secret (וְרָזָא דָּא): the Mishkan was not established except by the hand of Moshe (מַשְׁכְּנָא לָא אַתְּקָן אֶלָּא עַל יְדָא דְּמֹשֶׁה). Because from that side another supernal level was aroused (בְּגִין דְּמֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא, אַתְעַר דַּרְגָּא אַחֲרָא עִלָּאָה), to establish it (לְקַיְּימָא לֵיהּ), to be the existence of all (לְמֶהֱוֵי קִיוּמָא דְּכֹלָּא). And this is the secret (וְרָזָא דָּא): “And Moshe set up the Mishkan” (וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן) (Exodus 40). Its existence was (קִיוּמָא דִּילֵיהּ הֲוָה), by those letters in which were created the heavens and the earth (בְּאִינּוּן אַתְוָון דְּאִתְבְּרִיאוּ בְּהוּ שְׁמַיָא וְאַרְעָא). And because of this (וּבְגִין כַּךְ), all the works of the Mishkan (כָּל עֲבִידָאן דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא), Bezalel would make them (הֲוָה בְּצַלְאֵל עָבִיד לוֹן), in the secret of the engraving — some say: combination — of the letters (בְּרָזָא דְּגִלּוּפָא [דְּצֵרוּפָא] דְּאַתְוָון), with which were created the heavens and the earth (דְּאִתְבְּרִיאוּ בְּהוֹן שְׁמַיָא וְאַרְעָא). And because of this he is called Bezalel (וְעַל דָּא אִקְרֵי בְּצַלְאֵל), because he knew, Bezalel, the engraving — some say: combination — of the letters (בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה יָדַע בְּצַלְאֵל, גִּלּוּפָא [צֵרוּפָא] דְּאַתְוָון), with which the heavens and the earth were created (דְּאִתְבְּרִיאוּ בְּהוּ שְׁמַיָא וְאַרְעָא). And if Bezalel had not known them (וְאִי לָא דְּהֲוָה יָדַע לְהוּ בְּצַלְאֵל), he would not have been able to perform those works of the Mishkan (לָא הֲוָה יָכִיל לְמֶעְבַּד אִיהוּ אִינּוּן עֲבִידָאן דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעֲמָא). But, just as the supernal Mishkan (אֶלָּא, כְּמָה דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא עִלָּאָה) was not and all its works were not established except in that secret of the letters (לָא הֲוָה וְלָא אַתְקִינוּ כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי, אֶלָּא בְּהַהוּא רָזָא דְּאִינּוּן אַתְוָון), so also the Mishkan below (אוּף הָכָא מַשְׁכְּנָא דִּלְתַתָּא), it was not and was not rectified except in the mysteries of those letters (לָא הֲוָה וְלָא אִתְתָּקַּן, אֶלָּא בְּרָזִין דְּאִינּוּן אַתְוָון).

Bezalel would join those letters (בְּצַלְאֵל הֲוָה מְצָרֵף אִינּוּן אַתְוָון), and in the secret of every combination he would do craftsmanship (וּבְרָזָא דְּכָל צֵרוּפָא וְצֵרוּפָא הֲוָה עָבִיד אוּמָנוּתָא). And every work of the Mishkan (וְכָל עֲבִידָא וַעֲבִידָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא), in every combination he would make one craftsmanship (בְּכָל צֵרוּפָא הֲוָה עָבִיד חַד אוּמָנוּ), and all that appeared to him (וְכָל מַה דְּאִתְחָזֵי לֵיהּ). And so in all the works of the Mishkan (וְכֵן בְּכָל עֲבִידָאן דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא), and all those carvings and perfections of the Mishkan (וְכָל אִינּוּן שַׁיְיפִין וְתִקּוּנִין דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא), all of it was in the combination of the letters of the Holy Name (כֹּלָּא הֲוָה בְּצֵרוּפָא דְּאַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא).