Daf 251b (דַּף רנ״א ע״ב)

This spirit, which is the merit of El, as we have said (רוּחָא דָּא, דְּאִיהוּ זְכוּת אֵ״ל כִּדְקַאמְרָן), within it are inscribed three letters (בֵּיהּ רְשִׁימִין תְּלַת אַתְוָון), which are joined to it from above (דְּמִתְדַּבְּקָן בֵּיהּ מִלְּעֵילָּא), and they are Yod, Heh, Vav (דְּאִינּוּן יה״ו). And we have already established (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא), that when these letters become attached in this place (דְּכַד אִלֵּין אַתְוָון מִתְדַּבְּקָאן בְּהַאי אֲתָר), it is the union of male and female (דְּאִתְדַּבְּקוּתָא דִּדְכוּרָא בְּנוּקְבָא). Then these letters are inscribed within this spirit (כְּדֵין אִתְרְשִׁימוּ בְּהַאי רוּחָא, אִינּוּן אַתְוָון). And here David said: “And my God is the rock of my refuge” (וְהָכָא אָמַר דָּוִד: וֵאלֹהַי לְצוּר מַחְסִי) — (Psalms 94). The secret of this spirit that is called El (רָזָא דְּרוּחָא דָּא, דְּאִקְרֵי אֵ״ל), and the secret of those letters inscribed within it (וְרָזָא דְּאִינּוּן אַתְוָון דִּרְשִׁימִין בֵּיהּ), which are called Yod, Heh, Vav (דְּאִקְרוּן יה״ו), are these three directions of lights we mentioned (אִילֵּין תְּלַת סִטְרִין דִּנְהוֹרִין דְּקָאָמַרָן).

These are the three courts of judgment (אִינּוּן תְּלַת בָּתֵי דִּינִין), which are divided among other judgments (דְּמִתְפַלְּגֵי בְּדִינִין אַחֲרָנִין), concerning worldly matters (בְּמִילֵּי דְּעָלְמָא): in wealth (בְּעוּתְרָא), in poverty (בְּמִסְכְּנוּ), in illness (בְּמַרְעִין), in peace (בִּשְׁלִימוּ). These are the four palaces (דְּאִינּוּן אַרְבַּע הֵיכָלִין), which are rectified for all the others (דְּאִינּוּן מְתַקְּנָן לְכָל אִינּוּן אַחֲרָנִין): two palaces for those two directions of other lights (תְּרֵין הֵיכָלִין לְאִילֵּין תְּרֵי סִטְרֵי נְהוֹרִין אַחֲרָנִין), and one palace for all those masters of weighing (וְחַד הֵיכָלָא לְכָל אִינּוּן מָארֵי דְּעַיְּינִין), who calculate the deeds of the world (דְּעַבְדֵי חוּשְׁבָּנָא מִכָּל עוֹבָדִין דְּעָלְמָא). And one palace for the other scribes (וְחַד הֵיכָלָא לְסוֹפְרִין אַחֲרָנִין), who are beneath those innermost ones (דִּי תְּחוֹת אִילֵּין קַדְמָאֵי פְּנִימָאֵי).

These four palaces are encompassed within this palace (אִילֵּין אַרְבַּע הֵיכָלִין, כְּלִילָן בְּהֵיכָלָא דָּא), which is called by the name of this spirit — merit (דְּאִקְרֵי עַל שְׁמָא דְּהַאי רוּחָא: זְכוּתָא), as we said (כִּדְקַאמְרָן). At each and every gate of these palaces (בְּכָל פִּתְחָא וּפִתְחָא דְּאִילֵּין הֵיכָלִין), there is one appointed being (אִית מְמָנָא חַד). At the first gate, there is one appointed being (בְּפִתְחָא קַדְמָאָה אִית מְמָנָא חֲדָא), whose name is called Gavri’el (דִּשְׁמֵיהּ אִקְרֵי גַּזְרִיאֵ״ל). (At the first gate, whose name overall is Sansaniyyah, from whom this other one receives) ((לְפִתְחָא קַדְמָאָה, דִּשְׁמֵיהּ דִּכְלָא: סַנְסָנִיָּ״הּ, דְּמִינֵּיהּ נָטִיל)).

This other appointed one (הַאי מְמָנָא אַחֲרָא), that one is for revealing judgments (הַהוּא מְמָנָא אִיהוּ לְגַלָּאָה דִּינִין), that have been judged and decreed for that first appointed one (דְּאִתְדָּנוּ וְאִתְגְּזָרוּ לְהַהוּא מְמָנָא קַדְמָאָה), whose name is Sansaniyyah, and from whom this other receives (דִּשְׁמֵיהּ סַנְסָנִיָּ״הּ, דְּמִנֵּיהּ נָטִיל הַאי מְמָנָא אַחֲרָא), and who stands over the palace of the Sitra achra (דְּקַיְּימָא עַל הֵיכָלָא דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), and who oversees the name of remembrance that multiplies (וְקַיְּימָא עַל אַסְכָּרָה דְּרַבְיֵי), as we said (כִּדְקַאמְרָן). And this appointed one — Gavri’el — receives the matter from the inner court of judgment (וְהַאי מְמָנָא גַּזְרִיאֵ״ל, נָטִיל מִלָּה דְּבֵי דִּינָא פְּנִימָאָה). For everything is decreed there (דְּכֹלָּא, אִתְגְּזַר תַּמָּן), and then the matter is transmitted to the appointed one outside (וּכְדֵין אוֹדִיעַ מִלָּה לְהַאי מְמָנָא דִּלְבַּר). And all those heralds proclaim and say in all the firmaments (וְכָל אִינּוּן כָּרוֹזֵי מַכְרְזֵי וְאַמְרֵי בְּכָל רְקִיעִין): “Such and such was decreed from the palace of the King” (כַּךְ וְכַךְ אִתְגְּזַר מִבֵּי מַלְכָּא), until that decree descends into the lower palace (עַד דְּנַטְלֵי הַהִיא מִלָּה בְּהֵיכָלָא דִּלְתַּתָּא), and from there the decree goes forth and is proclaimed (וּמִתַּמָּן נַפְקֵי וּמַכְרְזֵי מִלָּה), until it is heard in all the lower firmaments (עַד דְּאִשְׁתְּמַע בְּכֻלְּהוּ רְקִיעִין תַּתָּאִין), and descends and makes known the matter to all below (וְנַחְתֵּי וְאוֹדְעֵי מִלָּה לְכֻלְּהוּ דִּלְתַּתָּא). And all those below take up the matter, step by step (וְנַטְלֵי מִלָּה כֻּלְּהוּ תַּתָּאִין, מִדַּרְגָּא לְדַרְגָּא), even the birds of the heavens and the fowl of the earth — all take up the decree (אֲפִילּוּ צִפֳּרֵי שְׁמַיָּא, וְעוֹפֵי דְּאַרְעָא, כֻּלְּהוּ נַטְלֵי מִלָּה), and make it known in the world (וְאוֹדְעֵי לָהּ בְּעָלְמָא), until all those masters of the celestial constellations receive the matter (עַד דְּנַטְלֵי מִלָּה כָּל אִינּוּן גַּרְדִּינֵי נִימוּסִין), and reveal it in dreams to human beings (וְאַחְזְיָין בְּחֶלְמָא לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא), and that word comes at its appointed time (וְאַתְיָא הַהִיא מִלָּה לִזְמַן קָרִיב).

And at times, that word is needed for the kings of the earth (וּלְזִמְנִין דְּהַהִיא מִלָּה דְּאִצְטְרִיכָא לְמַלְכֵי אַרְעָא), who are appointed to instruct and speak to the nations (דְּאִינּוּן מְמָנָן לְאַתְזְנָא, וּלְדַבְּרָא עַמִּין). That word is made known up to the firmament of the lower sun (דְּאוֹדְעִין הַהִיא מִלָּה עַד רְקִיעָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא דִּלְתַּתָּא), and it remains there (וְקַיֵּימָא תַּמָּן), until those appointed over the sun, who were appointed over the sun, take that word (עַד דְּאִינּוּן מְמָנָן שִׁמְשָׁא, דְּאִתְמָנוּן עַל שִׁמְשָׁא, נַטְלֵי הַהִיא מִלָּה), and make it known to those supernal appointees who are on the Sitra achra (וְאוֹדְעֵי לָהּ לְאִינּוּן מְמָנָן עִלָּאִין דִּי בְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), and they make that word known to the kings of the earth, who are on their side (וְאִינּוּן מוֹדִעִין הַהִיא מִלָּה לְמַלְכֵי אַרְעָא, דְּאִינּוּן בְּסִטְרָא דִּלְהוֹן).

And when prophets were among them in Yisrael (וְכַד הֲווֹ נְבִיאִים בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), they would receive their prophecy from the two supernal pillars upon which the Orayta rests (הֲווֹ נַטְלִין נְבוּאָה דִּלְהוֹן, מִתְּרֵין עַמּוּדִין עִלָּאִין דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא סָמִיךְ עָלַיְיהוּ). After the prophets departed from the world (לְבָתַר דְּאִסְתָּלְקוּ נְבִיאִים מֵעָלְמָא), and the masters of vision and the masters of dreams came (וְאָתוּ מָארֵי דְּמַרְאֶה, וּמָארֵי דְּחֶלְמָא), they would receive the word from its place, as we said (נַטְלֵי מִלָּה מֵאַתְרֵיהּ כִּדְקָאָמְרָן). And when there were kings among Yisrael, but prophets had departed (וְכַד מַלְכֵי הֲווֹ בֵּינַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּנְבִיאִים אִסְתָּלְקוּ), and masters of dreams and vision were not to be found (וּמָארֵי דְּחֶלְמָא וּמַרְאֶה לָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ), the word was made known to those kings, from this gate, as we said (אוֹדְעִין מִלָּה לְאִינּוּן מַלְכִין, מֵהַאי פִּתְחָא כִּדְקָאָמְרָן). And if you say: How is the word received from this place? (וְאִי תֵּימָא: הֵיךְ נָטִיל מִלָּה מֵהַאי אֲתָר).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): every level and every gate (כָּל דַּרְגָּא וְדַרְגָּא, וְכָל פִּתְחָא וּפִתְחָא), all of them have, externally, known appointees (כֻּלְּהוּ אִית לוֹן לְבַר, מְמָנָן יְדִיעָן), who were appointed (דְּאִתְמָנוּן), in their own direction (בְּסִטְרָא דִּלְהוֹן), in all the firmaments (בְּכָל אִינּוּן רְקִיעִין), until the matter descends below into the lower firmaments (עַד דְּנַחְתֵי לְתַתָּא בִּרְקִיעִין תַּתָּאִין), and the word is made known to those who need it (וְאוֹדְעִין מִלָּה לְאִינּוּן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ), because from these palaces (בְּגִין דְּהָא מֵאִלֵּין הֵיכָלִין), which are the side of holiness and the secret of faith (דְּאִינּוּן סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה וְרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא), the levels descend below (אִתְפְּרָשׁוּ דַּרְגִּין לְתַתָּא), all of them in the secret of faith (כֻּלְּהוּ בְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא), and the levels descend level by level (וְנַחְתוּ דַּרְגִּין עַל דַּרְגִּין), until they fly from this world and are appointed within it (עַד דְּפַרְחִין מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, וְאִתְמְנוּן בֵּיהּ).

Some of them to guard human beings from the Sitra achra (מִנְּהוֹן, לְנַטְרָא בְּנֵי נָשָׁא מִסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא), and from the damages of the world (וּמִנְּזִיקֵי עָלְמָא), and upon the paths on which they go (וּבְאִינּוּן אָרְחֵי דְּקָא אָזְלֵי). And some of them to assist human beings when they come to be purified (וּמִנְּהוֹן, לְסַיְּיעָא לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא, כַּד אָתָאן לְאִתְדַּכְּאָה). And some of them to perform signs and wonders in the world (וּמִנְּהוֹן, לְמֶעְבַּד אָתִין וְנִסִּין בְּעָלְמָא). And some of them stand to observe the actions of human beings, to testify as witnesses (וּמִנְּהוֹן דְּקַיְּימֵי לְאַשְׁגָּחָא בְּעוֹבָדִין דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, לְמִסְהַד סַהֲדוּתָא). And so (וְכֵן), in this manner (בְּגוּוַנָא דָּא), many levels are separated according to their sides (מִתְפָּרְשִׁין כַּמָּה דַּרְגִּין לְסִטְרַיְיהוּ), and all of them are in the secret of supernal faith (וְכֻלְּהוּ בְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה), in supernal holiness (בִּקְדוּשָּׁה עִלָּאָה).