Daf 238b (דַּף רל״ח ע״ב)

And upon this (וְעַל דָּא), whoever prays prayer (כָּל מַאן דְּצַלֵּי צְלוֹתָא), and ties the bond of union (וְקָשִׁיר יִחוּדָא), they look at it (מִסְתַּכְּלִין בֵּיהּ) — if that prayer and that bond are as is fitting (אִי אִיהִי צְלוֹתָא וְקִשּׁוּרָא כְּדְּקָא יֵאוֹת). And if that prayer and that bond are as is fitting (וְאִי הַהִיא צְלוֹתָא וְהַהוּא קִשּׁוּרָא כְּדְּקָא יֵאוֹת), then he is blessed first (כְּדֵין אִתְבְּרַךְ אִיהוּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא), from the place whence all blessings go forth (מֵאֲתָר דְּכָל בִּרְכָאן נָפְקִין). This is what is written: “And behold, they had made it, immediately Moshe blessed them” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְהִנֵּה עָשׂוּ אוֹתָהּ וְגוֹ׳, מִיַּד וַיְבָרֶךְ אוֹתָם מֹשֶׁה) (Exodus 39).

And because of this (וּבְגִין כָּךְ): “And they brought the Mishkan to Moshe” (וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֶל מֹשֶׁה), for he is the master of the house (דְּאִיהוּ מָארֵי דְּבֵיתָא), to behold the correction of his house (לְאַחֲזָאָה בְּתִקּוּנָא דְּבֵיתֵיהּ). And to him it was necessary to look at her repair and her mysteries (וְלֵיהּ אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֵחזֵי תִּקּוּנָהָא וְרָזִין דִּילָהּ), which were not given to another to gaze upon and to look at her, at those secrets and her mysteries (דְּלָא אִתְיְיהִיבוּ לְאַחֲרָא, לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא וּלְמֶחזֵי בָּהּ, בְּאִינּוּן סִתְרִין וּבְאִינּוּן רָזִין דִּילָהּ), except Moshe alone (בַּר מֹשֶׁה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). And upon this it is written: “And they brought the Mishkan to Moshe, the tent and all its vessels” (וְעַל דָּא וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֶל מֹשֶׁה אֶת הָאֹהֶל וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו) (Exodus 39). And when they brought it to Moshe (וְכַד אַיְיתִיאוּ לֵיהּ לְמֹשֶׁה), they brought everything to him in known forms (כֹּלָּא אַיְיתִיאוּ לֵיהּ בְּשַׁיְיפִין יְדִיעָאן), each and every part to be repaired, form by form, to raise this with this (כָּל חַד וְחָד לְאַתְקְנָא, שַׁיְיפָא בְּשַׁיְיפָא, לְאַעֲלָא דָּא בְּדָא).

And when they sought to arrange this with this, and to raise this with this, it did not succeed in their hands (וְכַד הֲווֹ בָּעָאן לְתַקְּנָא דָּא בְּדָא, וּלְאַעְלָאָה דָּא בְּדָא, לָא הֲוָה סָלִיק בִּידֵיהוֹן). But once they brought it to Moshe (כֵּיוָן דְּאַיְיתִיאוּ לֵיהּ לְמֹשֶׁה), immediately everything succeeded in his hands (מִיַּד כֹּלָּא אִסְתָּלִיק בִּידֵיהּ). And each and every part was established and entered into its place (וְכָל שַׁיְיפָא וְשַׁיְיפָא הֲוָה אִסְתָּלִיק וְעָאל בְּדוּכְתֵּיהּ). This is what is written: “And Moshe erected the Mishkan” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן) (Exodus 40), and it is written: “The Mishkan was erected” (וּכְתִיב הוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן) (Exodus 40). And behold, we have established this (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): in that hour when Moshe began to raise the Mishkan (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא כַּד שָׁארֵי מֹשֶׁה לְאַקָּמָא מִשְׁכְּנָא), and began to prepare the correction of the forms, to raise this with this (וְשָׁאֲרִי לְאַתְקְנָא תִּקּוּנָא דְּשַׁיְיפִין, לְאַעֲלָא דָּא בְּדָא). Then all the forms and all the corrections of the Sitra achra, the impure, were weakened (כְּדֵין, אִתְרְפִיוּ כָּל שַׁיְיפִין וְכָל תִּקּוּנִין דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא מְסַאֲבָא). For when this holy side begins to be strengthened (כַּד שָׁרֵי לְאַתְקְפָא הַאי סִטְרָא דְּאִיהִי קַדִּישָׁא), then the Sitra achra, the impure, is weakened (אִתְרַפֵי סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא מְסַאֲבָא). This one is strengthened and that one is weakened (אִתָּקַף דָּא וְאִתְרַפֵי דָּא).

And behold, we have established this (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא): whenever this one is strong, the Sitra achra is weakened (דְּכָל זִמְנָא דְּהִיא בִּתְקִיפוּ, סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא אִתְרַפָן). All its forms are filled, and the Sitra achra is desolate (כָל שַׁיְיפוֹי, דָּא מַלְיָא, וְדָּא חָרוּב). And this is the secret: Yerushalayim and Tyre the guilty one — when this one is filled, that one is destroyed (וְרָזָא דָּא יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְצוֹר חַיָּיבָא, כַּד מַלְיָא דָּא, חָרוּב דָּא). And upon this: when this one is strengthened, that one is weakened (וְעַל דָּא, כַּד אִתָּקַף דָּא אִתְרַפֵי דָּא). And because of this (וּבְגִין כַּךְ): “And Moshe erected the Mishkan” (וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן) — to be strengthened from the supernal secret (לְאִתְתַּקְּפָא מֵרָזָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), and not to be strengthened from the lower secret (וְלָא יִתְקַף מֵרָזָא דִּלְתַתָּא).

And upon this (וְעַל דָּא): Moshe, who was from the secret of the shining mirror (מֹשֶׁה דְּהֲוָה מֵרָזָא דְּגוֹ אַסְפָּקָלַרְיָא דְּנַהֲרָא), he needed to erect the Mishkan (אִצְטְרִיךְ אִיהוּ לְאַקָּמָא מַשְׁכְּנָא), to shine from him, and not from another (לְאַנְהָרָא מִנֵּיהּ, וְלָא מֵאַחֲרָא). And for this reason (וְעַל דָּא), the moon needs to shine from the sun, and not from another (סִיהֲרָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאַנְהָרָא מִן שִׁמְשָׁא, וְלָא מֵאַחֲרָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Knesset Yisrael needs to ascend above and cleave to the sun (כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִצְטְרִיכַת לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא, וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא גּוֹ שִׁמְשָׁא). He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “This is the Torah of the burnt-offering, it is the burnt-offering” (זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעוֹלָה הִיא הָעוֹלָה) (Leviticus 6). Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): it is written, “Man and beast You save, Hashem” (כְּתִיב אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה תּוֹשִׁיעַ יְיָ׳) (Psalms 36). “Burnt-offering” (עוֹלָה): this is the ascent and binding of Knesset Yisrael above (סְלִיקוּ וּקְשִׁירוּ דְּכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעֵילָּא).

And her cleaving is within the world to come (וְדִבּוּקָא דִּילָהּ בְּגוֹ עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), to be all one (לְמֶהוֵי כֹּלָּא חַד). She is called “burnt-offering, most holy” (אִקְרֵי עוֹלָה קֹדֶשׁ קֳדָשִׁים). And because of this she is called “burnt-offering” (וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִקְרֵי עוֹלָה): that she ascends and is crowned to be all one (דְּסַלְּקָא וְאִתְעַטְּרָא לְמֶהֱוֵי כֹּלָּא חַד), in one bond, in unity (בְּקִשּׁוּרָא חֲדָא בְּחִדוּ). And because she ascends higher and higher (וּבְגִין דְּסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא), it is written: “This is the Torah of the burnt-offering” (כְּתִיב זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעוֹלָה) (Leviticus 6).

The secret of male and female as one (רָזָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא כַּחֲדָא) — Written Torah and Oral Torah (תוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב וְתוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה). “The burnt-offering” (הָעוֹלָה): that ascends into the world to come (דְּסַלְּקָא גּוֹ עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), to be bound within it (לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּגַוֵיהּ), which is called “the Holy of Holies” (דְּאִקְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים וַדַּאי). And the burnt-offering likewise is “the Holy of Holies” (וְעוֹלָה נָמֵי קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים הִיא). And because of this (וּבְגִין כַּךְ), the order of her entry is to the north side (סִדּוּרָא דִּנְכִיסוּ דִּילָהּ לִסְטַר צָפוֹן), which is the side of the left (דְּאִיהוּ סְטָר שְׂמָאלָא).

For this Oral Torah does not ascend in belovedness except when the north side is aroused (דְּהַאי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה לָא סַלְּקָא בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא, אֶלָּא כַּד אַתְעַר סִטְרָא דְּצָפוֹן), as it is written: “His left hand is under my head, and His right hand embraces me” (דִּכְתִּיב, שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי) (Song of Songs 2). And then she ascends in belovedness (וּכְדֵין אִיהִי סַלְּקָא בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא), and is crowned in the right (וְאִתְעַטְּרָא בִּימִינָא), and is joined in the middle (וְאִתְחֲבָּרַת בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא), and all is illuminated (וְאִתְנְהִיר כֹּלָּא), from the secret of the Holy of Holies (מֵרָזָא דְּקֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים).

And this is from the secret of Adam (וְדָא מִגּוֹ רָזָא דְּאָדָם), through the will of the Kohanim (בִּרְעוּ דְּכַהֲנָא), and the singing of the Levi’im (וּבְשִׁירָתָא דְּלֵיוָאֵי), and the prayer of Yisrael (וּבִצְלוֹתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). And behold, we have established (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא), that the burnt-offering is “Holy of Holies” (דְּעוֹלָה קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים), in the secret of the supernal spirit (בְּרָזָא דְּרוּחַ עִלָּאָה). Because three spirits are bound as one (בְּגִין דִּתְלַת רוּחִין קְשִׁירִין כַּחֲדָא): the lower spirit (רוּחַ תַּתָּאָה), which is called “the spirit of holiness, the spirit that hovers” (דְּאִקְרֵי רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ רוּחַ דִּלְגוֹ), in the middle, which is called “the spirit of wisdom and understanding” (בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּאִקְרֵי רוּחַ חָכְמָה וּבִינָה). And so it is called the lower spirit (וְכֵן אִקְרֵי רוּחַ תַּתָּאָה). But this is called the spirit that goes out from the shofar (אֲבָל הַאי אִקְרֵי רוּחַ דְּנָפִיק מִגּוֹ שׁוֹפָר), included in fire and in water (כָּלוּל בְּאֶשָּׁא וּבְמַּיָּא). The supernal spirit (רוּחַ עִלָּאָה), which is hidden in concealment (דְּאִיהוּ סָתִים בַּחֲשָׁאי), in which all holy spirits abide (דְּבֵיהּ קַיְימָן כָּל רוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין), and all faces shine (וְכָל אַנְפִּין נְהִירִין). And because of this, the burnt-offering restores actual spirit (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, אַהֲדְרַת עוֹלָה רוּחַ מַמָּשׁ).