Daf 242a (דַּף רמ״ב ע״א)

And come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), “when they go, they go,” as we have said (בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ כִּדְקַאמְרָן). And when they are lifted up from the earth, the ofanim are lifted up beside them (וּבְהִנָּשְּׂאָם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ יִנָּשְׂאוּ הָאוֹפַנִּים לְעוּמָּתָם). For as these chayot take and ascend, so too do they (דְּהָא כְּמָה דְּאִלֵּין חַיוֹת נַטְלִין וְסַלְּקִין, הָכִי אִינּוּן). What is the reason (מַאי טַעֲמָא)? Because “the spirit of the chayah is in the ofanim” (בְּגִין, כִּי רוּחַ הַחַיָּה בָּאוֹפַנִּים). The spirit of the chayah is the spirit of holiness, which blows and strikes into all the ofanim, to move them (רוּחַ הַחַיָּה, רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא, דְּנָשִׁיב וּבָטַשׁ בְּכֻלְּהוּ אוֹפַנִּים, לְמֵהַךְ). Thus it is found that whoever is in a higher level, he bears the one who is borne by him (אִשְׁתְּכַח, דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִיהוּ בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה, אִיהוּ נָטִיל לְמַאן דְּנָטִיל לֵיהּ).

And come and see, the Ark would bear those who bore it (תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּאָרוֹן אִיהוּ הֲוָה נָטִיל לְמַאן דְּנָטִיל לֵיהּ). So too here, the chayot bear the ofanim (אוּף הָכָא, חַיוֹת, אִינּוּן נַטְלִין לָאוֹפַנִּים). And if you would say, “For the spirit of the chayah is in the ofanim” is written (וְאִי תֵּימָא כִּי רוּחַ הַחַיָּה בָּאוֹפַנִּים כְּתִיב) — so it is indeed. This chayah is to the right side, to the left side, to the front, and to the back; and this is the chayah, and these are the chayot (הָכִי נָמֵי, דָּא חַיָּה, דְּאִיהוּ לִסְטַר יְמִינָא, לִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא, וְלִסְטָר קָמָא, וְלִסְטָר אֲחוֹרָא, וְדָא אִיהִי חַיָּה, וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן חַיוֹת). It is written: “It is the chayah that I saw beneath the God of Yisrael by the river Kevar” (Ezekiel 10) (כְּתִיב הִיא הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּנְהָר כְּבָר), this is the chayah spread to the four directions of the world (דָּא הִיא חַיָּה דִּמְרַבָּע לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא). And this is what establishes the throne for the likeness of man (וְדָא אִיהִי דְּקַיְּימָא כּוּרְסְיָיא, לְדִיּוּקְנָא דְּאָדָם), as it is written: “And upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above” (Ezekiel 1) (כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, וְעַל דְּמוּת הַכִּסֵּא דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם עָלָיו מִלְמָעְלָה).

And all this is for that supernal holy concealed level, called God of Yisrael (וְכֹלָּא לְהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא סְתִימָאָה, דְּאִקְרֵי אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). And this chayah below stands beneath all the supernal holy chayot (וְדָא חַיָּה דִּלְתַתָּא, דְּקַיְּימָא תְּחוֹת כֻּלְּהוּ חֵיוָון עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין), for there are supernal chayot, one upon another (בְּגִין דְּאִית חֵיוָון עִלָּאִין אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין). The throne beneath God of Yisrael is the likeness of Ya‘akov (כוּרְסְיָיא דִּתְחוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, דָּא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּיַעֲקֹב). And the lower throne is the likeness of David (וְכוּרְסְיָיא דִּלְתַתָּא, דָּא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּדָוִד). It is spread to the four directions of the world (אִיהִי דִּמְרַבְּעָא לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא). And therefore the spirit goes forth from above and flows, and is drawn from level to level, until it strikes all the lower levels below (וּבְגִין כַּךְ רוּחָא נָפִיק מִלְּעֵילָּא, וְנָגִיד וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ מִדַּרְגָּא לְדַרְגָּא, עַד דְּבָטַשׁ בְּכֻלְּהוּ תַּתָּאֵי דִּלְתַתָּא), and that spirit guides all and prepares the arrangement of all to be established (וְהַהוּא רוּחָא אַנְהִיג לְכֹלָּא, וְאַתְקִין תִּקּוּנָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ לְאַתְקְנָא). Some say: In the very same manner that the order is above, so it is below (ס״א: בְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא מַמָּשׁ, אִתְתָּקַּן לְתַתָּא). What is written above? “For the spirit of the chayah is in the ofanim” (Ezekiel 1) (מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָּא, כִּי רוּחַ הַחַיָּה בָּאוֹפַנִּים). And it is written: “Wherever the spirit was to go, they went” (Ezekiel 1) (וּכְתִיב אֶל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה שָּׁמָּה הָרוּחַ לָלֶכֶת יֵלְכוּ).

Below, what is written? “And Moshe erected the Mishkan” (Exodus 40) (לְתַתָּא מַה כְּתִיב, וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן). With what? Some say: For what reason (בְּמָּה. ס״א: לְמַאי)? To be the spirit of that level below, in the likeness of that supernal spirit. “It is the chayah that I saw beneath God of Yisrael” (Ezekiel 10) (לְמֶהֱוֵי רוּחַ דְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דִּלְתַתָּא, בְּהַהוּא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּהַהוּא רוּחַ עִלָּאָה, הִיא הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), and from this chayah goes forth spirit to prepare all (וּמֵהַאי חַיָּה נָפְקָא רוּחָא לְאַתְקְנָא כֹּלָּא). So too Moshe (הָכִי נָמֵי מֹשֶׁה), he is the chayah that gives spirit below to prepare all (הִיא הַחַיָּה דְּיָהַב רוּחָא לְתַתָּא, לְאַתְקְנָא כֹּלָּא). Therefore it is written: “And he erected, and he set, and he placed” (Exodus 40) (בְּגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, וַיָּקֶם, וַיִתֵּן, וַיָּשֶׂם). And in all of it he set spirit, to prepare all (וּבְכֹלָּא שַׁוִּי רוּחָא, לְאַתְקְנָא כֹּלָּא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), at first, in the Mishkan that Moshe made, he prepared it (בְּקַדְמִיתָא, בְּמַשְׁכְּנָא דְּעֲבַד מֹשֶׁה, אִיהוּ אַתְקִין לֵיהּ), in the secret of that supernal level in which he stood (בְּרָזָא דְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה דְּאִיהוּ קַיְימָא בֵּיהּ). In the Mikdash that Shlomo made, he prepared it (בְּמַקְדְּשָׁא דְּעָבַד שְׁלֹמֹה, אִיהוּ תַּקִּין לֵיהּ), in the secret of that river which goes out from Eden (בְּרָזָא דְּהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָפִיק מֵעֵדֶן), which is the peace of the house, and it is the rest of the house (דְּאִיהוּ שְׁלָמָא דְּבֵיתָא, וְאִיהוּ נַיְיחָא דְּבֵיתָא).

And therefore, in the secret of the Mishkan, it is the nearness of love (וְעַל דָּא בְּרָזָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא, אִיהוּ קוּרְבָּא דַּחֲבִיבוּתָא), in the level of the body (בְּדַּרְגָּא דְּגוּפָא), that level of Moshe (הַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּמֹשֶׁה), there stood the nearness of love, but not of rest (קַיְּימָא בֵּיהּ קוּרְבָּא דַּחֲבִיבוּתָא, וְלָאו דְּנַיְיחָא). When Shlomo came and prepared the Mikdash (כַּד אָתָא שְׁלמֹה, וְאַתְקִין מַקְדְּשָׁא), that Mikdash was prepared in the secret of beloved rest (הַהוּא מַקְדְּשָׁא אִתְתָּקַּן, בְּרָזָא דַּחֲבִיבוּ דְּנַיְיחָא). And therefore it is written of Shlomo: “He shall be a man of rest” (1 Chronicles 22) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב בִּשְׁלֹמֹה, הוּא יִהְיֶה אִישׁ מְנוּחָה). And therefore, this one was prepared in one level, and that one was prepared in one level (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, דָּא אַתְקִין בְּחַד דַּרְגָּא, וְדָא אַתְקִין בְּחַד דַּרְגָּא), the likeness of this in that (דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּהַאי בְּהַאי). And this is the secret: “These are the generations of Ya‘akov, Yosef” (Bereshit 37) (וְרָזָא דָּא, אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף).

The service that Moshe began was to prepare in that place (שֵׁירוּתָא דְּשָׁאֲרִי מֹשֶׁה, לְאַתְקְנָא בְּהַאי אֲתָר), which is the side of holiness (דְּאִיהוּ סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה), to establish the standing of the point that is in the middle (אוֹקִים קִימָה דִּנְקוּדָה דְּקַיְּימָא בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא), which was dark and sunken in its place, not seen and not shining at all (דְּהֲוָה חָשׁוּךְ וְשָׁקוּעַ בְּאַתְרֵיהּ, וְלָא אִתְחָזֵי, וְלָא נָהִיר כְּלַל). And the service of all was to establish for that point, that was sunken in its place (וְשֵׁירוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא אוֹקִים לָהּ לְהַאי נְקוּדָה, דְּאִשְׁתְּקָעַת בְּאַתְרָהָא). And afterwards, everything else, which is the building of this point (וּלְבָתַר לְכָל אַחֲרָא, דְּאִיהוּ בִּנְיָינָא דְּהַאי נְקוּדָה). And if this point was not prepared at first (וְאִם הַאי נְקוּדָה לָא אִתְתָּקַּן בְּקַדְמִיתָא), whoever spread from it could not be prepared (כָּל מַאן דְּאִתְפָּשַּׁט מִנָּהּ, לָא יָכִיל לְאִתְתַּקְנָא). But once this point was established and illuminated (וְכֵיוָן דְּהַאי נְקוּדָה אִתְּקָמַת וְאִתְנְהִירַת), then every other correction was prepared and settled in its place (כְּדֵין, כָּל שְׁאַר תִּקּוּנָא אַחֲרָא אִתְתָּקַּן, וְאִתְיְישָׁבַת בְּדוּכְתָּהּ). And upon this, “And Moshe erected the Mishkan” (Exodus 40) (וְעַל דָּא, וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן).

“Et”—this is the point which was darkness and sunken in its place (אֶת דָּא נְקוּדָה דַּהֲוַות חֲשׁוֹכָא וּשְׁקִיעָא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ). And afterwards, “And he put its sockets”—these are the supports, which are from here and from there (וּלְבָתַר, וַיִּתֵּן אֶת אֲדָנָיו, אִינּוּן סַמְכִין דְּאִינּוּן מִכָּאן וּמִכָּאן). Because there are sockets and there are sockets (בְּגִין דְּאִית אֲדָנִים וְאִית אֲדָנִים). And all were one hundred in number, and all divided to their places (וְכֻלְּהוּ הֲווֹ מֵאָה לְחֶשְׁבֹּנָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ אִתְפְּלָגוּ לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ). As it is written: “One hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket” (Exodus 38) (דִּכְתִּיב, מְאַת אֲדָנִים לִמְאַת הַכִּכָּר כִּכָּר לָאָדֶן).