Daf 246b (דַּף רמ״ו ע״ב)

And these four are included in the secret of the letters of Adonai (וְאִלֵּין אַרְבַּע אִינּוּן כְּלִילָן בְּרָזָא דְּאַתְוָון אֲדֹנָ״י), with Sandalfon, master of the chariots, making use of them (דִּי סַנְדַּלְפוֹ״ן מָארֵי רְתִיכִין מִשְׁתַּמֵשׁ בְּהוּ). These four letters fly in the air (אִלֵּין אַרְבַּע אַתְוָון פַּרְחִין בַּאֲוִירָא), and that air is included in the letters of the Holy Name, YHVH, Yod–Heh–Vav–Heh (דְּהַהוּא אֲוִירָא כָּלִיל בְּאַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, יְהוָֹ״ה, יוֹ״ד הֵ״א וָא״ו הֵ״א). And that air included them, and they became included one in another (וְהַהוּא אֲוִירָא כָּלִיל לוֹן, וְאִתְכְּלִילוּ אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין). And these four take them, in the secret of that Bazak (וְאִלֵּין ד׳ נַטְלִין לוֹן, בְּרָזָא דְּהַהוּא בָּזָק). And these four ascend in four, one within the other (וְאִלֵּין ד׳ עָאלִין בְּד׳, אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין), as it is written: “Coupled one loop to another” (Exodus 26) (דִּכְתִּיב, מַקְבִּילוֹת הַלּוּלָאוֹת אֶחָת אֶל אֶחָת). And we have established, and the secret is to include one in the other, and to join one with the other (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, וְרָזָא אִיהוּ לְאִתְכַּלְּלָא אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין, וּלְשַׁלְּבָא אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין), in the secret of that Ruach, which is included in the secret of the Holy Name (בְּרָזָא דְּהַהוּא רוּחָא דְּכָלִיל בְּרָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא).

For this Name is included in that Name (דְּכָלִיל שְׁמָא דָּא בִּשְׁמָא דָּא). And all in this palace are conducted, and take in that Ruach, in the secret of the Holy Name that rules over all (וְכֹלָּא בְּהַאי הֵיכָלָא מִתְנַהֲגֵי, וְנַטְלֵי בְּהַהוּא רוּחָא, בְּרָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּשַׁלִּיט עַל כֹּלָּא). In this palace is YAHDVNHY (בְּהַאי הֵיכָלָא אִיהוּ יְאַהֲדוֹנָהִ״י), the general of two Names, because it is Ruach within Ruach (כְּלָלָא דִּתְרֵין שְׁמָהָן, מִגּוֹ דְּאִיהוּ רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא). And when this Name, included in the secret of Ruach within Ruach (וְכַד שְׁמָא דָּא, דְּכָלִיל בְּרָזָא דְּרוּחָא בְּרוּחָא), is included one in the other (וְכָלִיל דָּא בְּדָא), then this shines in that, and that shines in this (נָהִיר דָּא בְּדָא, כְּדֵין נָהִיר כֹּלָּא), and light ascends and descends (וְסַלְּקָא נְהוֹרָא וְנַחְתָּא), like the light of the sun in the water, as we have established (כִּנְהוֹרָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא גּוֹ מַיָּא וְאוֹקִימְנָא). And then, when this Ruach takes hold (וּכְדֵין הַאי רוּחָא נָטִיל), all take hold through it (כֹּלָּא נַטְלִין בְּגִינֵיהּ), as it is written: “Wherever the Ruach was to go, they went; they turned not as they went” (Ezekiel 1) (דִּכְתִּיב, אֶל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה שָׁמָּה הָרוּחַ לָלֶכֶת יֵלֵכוּ לֹא יִסַּבּוּ בְּלֶכְתָּן). And when this Ruach shines in this Name (וְכַד רוּחָא דָּא נָהִיר בִּשְׁמָא דָּא), then all enter one into the other (כְּדֵין עָאלִין כֻּלְּהוּ דָּא בְּדָא), and all are bound together as one (וְאִתְקַשָּׁרוּ כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא), to ascend above (לְסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא), in the secret of this Holy Name (בְּרָזָא דִּשְׁמָא דָּא קַדִּישָׁא).

In the center of this palace stands one pillar (בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּהֵיכָלָא דָּא קַיְּימָא חַד עַמּוּדָא), planted from this palace to the second palace (נָעִיץ מֵהֵיכָלָא דָּא לְהֵיכָלָא תִּנְיָינָא). Through this, the lower Ruach ascends toward the upper Ruach (בְּהַאי סָלִיק רוּחָא דִּלְתַּתָּא לְגַבֵּי רוּחָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), to unite Ruach with Ruach (לְאִתְאַחֲדָא רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא), and so on, all the way above (וְכֵן עַד לְעֵילָּא מְכֻּלְּהוּ), until all become one Ruach (לְמֶהֱוֵי כֻּלְּהוּ רוּחָא חֲדָא), as it is said: “And the Ruach was one to them” (Ezekiel 1) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וְרוּחַ אֶחָד לָהֶם).

This pillar that stands in the center (עַמּוּדָא דָּא דְּקַיְּימָא בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא), its name is Adrahani’el (אַדְרָהָנִי״אֵל שְׁמֵיהּ), and the secrets of the keys of the Holy Name are in his hand (וְרָזִין דְּמַפְתְּחָן דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בִּידֵיהּ). When prayers ascend and reach this pillar (כַּד צְלוֹתִין סַלְּקָאן וּמָטָאן לְהַאי עַמּוּדָא), then all who are in this palace are carried into the second palace (כְּדֵין נַטְלֵי כֻּלְּהוּ דְּאִינּוּן בְּהֵיכָלָא דָּא לְגוֹ הֵיכָלָא תִּנְיָינָא), to unite one with the other (לְאִתְאַחֲדָא דָּא בְּדָּא), so that all may be in one secret (לְמֶהֱוִי כֹּלָּא בְּרָזָא חֲדָא), to unite Above and Below as one (לְאִתְיַיחֲדָא עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא כַּחֲדָא), to become the Holy Name complete, as is proper (לְמֶהֱוֵי שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא שְׁלִים כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת).

The Palace

of the Essence of the Heavens, Hod

הֵיכָל עֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם הו״ד

The second palace (הֵיכָלָא תִּנְיָינָא), this palace (הֵיכָלָא דָּא), stands within the secret of faith (קַיְּימָא גּוֹ רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא), to be united with the secret above (לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בְּרָזָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). This palace (הַאי הֵיכָלָא) is hidden and concealed more than the first (טָמִיר וְגָנִיז יַתִיר מִן קַדְמָאָה). In this palace (בְּהֵיכָלָא דָּא), there are three gates (אִית תְּלַת פִּתְחִין), and one minister serves over them (וְחַד שַׁמָשָׁא מְמָנָא עָלַיְיהוּ), his name is Orfanei’el (אוּרְפָנִי״אֵל שְׁמֵיהּ). This minister (הַאי מְמָנָא) rules over three directions of the world (שַׁלִּיט עַל תְּלַת סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא): south, north, and east (דָּרוֹם וְצָפוֹן וּמִזְרָח). South from this side (דָּרוֹם מֵהַאי סִטְרָא), north from this side (וְצָפוֹן מֵהַאי סִטְרָא), and east in the middle (וּמִזְרָח בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא).

These three gates (אִלֵּין תְּלַת פִּתְחִין) correspond to these three directions (לִתְלַת סִטְרִין אִלֵּין). Two are closed (תְּרֵין סְתִימִין), and one in the middle is open (וְחַד בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא פָּתִיחַ), in the secret of what is written: “And as the very heaven for purity” (Exodus 24) (בְּרָזָא דִּכְתִיב, וּכְעֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם לָטֹהַר). This minister (הַאי מְמָנָא) is appointed and stands at that gate which is open (אִתְפְּקַד וְקַיְּימָא בְּהַהוּא פִּתְחָא דְּאִיהוּ פָּתִיחַ), and under his hand are two other ministers (וּתְחוֹת יְדֵיהּ תְּרֵין מְמָנָן אַחֲרָנִין), who are appointed over the other closed gates (דִּמְמָנָן עַל אִינּוּן פִּתְחִין אַחֲרָנִין סְתִימִין). And all those souls (וְכָל אִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין), who are those executed by the court (דְּאִינּוּן קְטוּלֵי בֵּית דִּין), or those slain by the nations (אוֹ אִינּוּן קְטוּלֵי שְׁאַר עַמִּין), all of them are entrusted beneath their hands (כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְמָנָן תְּחוֹת יְדֵיהוֹן). And this minister who rules over them (וְהַאי מְמָנָא דְּעָלַיְיהוּ), engraves their images on his garments (חָקִיק לוֹן לְדִיּוּקְנֵיהוֹן בִּלְבוּשׁוֹי), which are flaming fire (דְּאִינּוּן נוּר דָּלִיק).

And he raises them upward (וְסָלִיק לוֹן לְעֵילָּא), and shows them to his Master (וְאַחְמֵי לוֹן לְמָארֵיהּ), and then he takes them (וּכְדֵין נָטִיל לוֹן), and engraves them in his purple garment (וְחָקִיק לוֹן בְּפוּרְפּוּרוֹי), those who were slain by the nations (לְאִינּוּן קְטוּלֵי שְׁאַר עַמִּין). But those executed by the court (וְאִינּוּן קְטוּלֵי בֵּית דִּין), this minister descends with them (נָחִית לוֹן הַאי מְמָנָא), and brings them in through those two closed gates (וְאָעִיל לוֹן בָּתַר אִינּוּן תְּרֵין פִּתְחִין סְתִימִין), which two other ministers stand over (דְּאִינּוּן תְּרֵין מְמָנָן אַחֲרָנִין קַיְימִין עָלַיְיהוּ). And there they behold the glory of all those who upheld the Orayta (וְתַמָּן חָמָאן יְקָרָא דְּכָל אִינּוּן דְּקַיְימוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא), and kept its commandments (וְנָטְרוּ פִּקּוֹדוֹי). And those are ashamed within themselves (וְאִינּוּן כְּסִיפִין בְּגַרְמַיְיהוּ), and are scorched from their canopy (וְנִכְוִין מֵחוּפָּה דִּלְהוֹן).

Until this minister who rules over them (עַד דְּהַאי מְמָנָא דְּקַיְּימָא עָלַיְיהוּ) opens for them the gate of the east (פָּתַח לוֹן תַּרְעָא דְּמִזְרָח), and it shines upon them (וְנָהִיר לוֹן), and gives them life (וְיָהִיב לוֹן חַיִּים), which opened through that gate of the east (דְּאִתְפָּתָחוּ בְּהַהוּא תַּרְעָא דְּמִזְרָח). And in the hand of that minister is one cup of life (וּבִידָא דְּהַהוּא מְמָנָא חַד כַּסָּא דְּחַיִּין), which is filled with lights (דְּאִיהוּ מַלְיָא נְהוֹרִין). And this is called the cup of consolations (וְהַאי אִקְרֵי כּוֹס תַּנְחוּמִין), the cup of life (כַּסָא דְּחַיֵּי). Some say: and it shines and gives them life (נ״א: ונהיר ויהיב לון חיים), for because of that other cup which they drank first (דְּהָא בְּגִין כַּסָּא אַחֲרָא דְּשָׁתוּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא), they merited this one (זָכוּ לְהַאי).