Daf 253a (דַּף רנ״ג ע״א)

When a person is in the presence of his Master (בַּר נָשׁ כַּד אִיהוּ בְּבֵי מַרְעֵיהּ), here he is judged (הָכָא אִתְּדָּן), and all the other judgments of the world (וְכָל שְׁאַר דִּינִין דְּעָלְמָא). And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא): when a person is in the presence of his Master (בַּר נָשׁ בְּבֵי מַרְעֵיהּ), if he is judged for life, they give it to him (אִי אִתְּדָּן לַחַיִּים יָהֲבִין לֵיהּ) not so, for life does not depend here (לָאו דְּחַיִּין תַּלְיָין הָכָא), rather, when he is judged here for life (אֶלָּא כַּד אִתְּדָּן הָכָא לְחַיִּים), then life is drawn down from above (כְּדֵין נַגְדִּין חַיִּים מִלְּעֵילָּא), and they give it to him (וְיָהֲבֵי לֵיהּ). And if not, they do not give it to him (וְאִי לָא, לָא יָהֲבִין). Fortunate is the portion of the Righteous in this world and in the World to Come (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), who know the paths of the Orayta (דְּיַדְעֵי אָרְחוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), and merit through it to eternal life (וְזַכָּאן בָּהּ לְחַיֵּי עָלְמָא). Of them it is written: “And your people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever…” (עָלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב: וְעַמֵּךְ כּוּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ) (Isaiah 60).

The Palace of Love, Chesed

הֵיכָל אַהֲבָה חֶס״ד

The fifth palace (הֵיכָלָא חֲמִישָּׁאָה), this palace stands to illuminate those below (הֵיכָלָא דָּא קַיְּימָא לְאַנְהָרָא לְאִילֵּין תַּתָּאֵי). And this is the palace that stands to shine with the secret of faith (וְהַאי אִיהוּ הֵיכָלָא דְּקַיְּימָא לְאַנְהָרָא בְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא). One gate stands in this palace (פִּתְחָא חֲדָא קַיְּימָא בְּהַאי הֵיכָלָא), and one appointed one over it (וְחַד מְמָנָא עָלֵיהּ), and that appointed one is called Sanigoryah (וְהַהוּא מְמָנָא אִקְרֵי סָנִיגוֹרְיָ״הּ). This appointed one stands over this gate (הַאי מְמָנָא קַיְּימָא עַל פִּתְחָא דָּא), in order to be the defender (סַנֵּיגוֹרָא) for Yisrael before their Master (בְּגִין לְמֵילַף סַנֵּיגוֹרָא דִּלְהוֹן קַמֵּיהּ דְּמָארֵיהוֹן). And because of this, he is called by this name (וּבְגִין דָּא אִקְרֵי שְׁמֵיהּ כָּךְ), for he is the appointed one over all the good deeds of Yisrael to enter (דְּהָא אִיהוּ מְמָנָא עַל כָּל אִינּוּן טָבִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְמֵעַל). And the Sitra achra does not rule over them (וְלָא יִשְׁלוֹט עֲלַיְיהוּ סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא).

In this palace stands one spirit (בְּהֵיכָלָא דָּא קַיְּימָא חַד רוּחָא), which is comprised of four (דְּכָלִיל בְּאַרְבַּע). For this spirit is comprised of four colors (דְּהָא רוּחָא דָּא כָּלִיל בְּאַרְבַּע גְּוָונִין): white, black, green, and red (חִוָּור וְאוּכָּם, יָרוֹק וְסוּמָק). And this is the spirit that stands encompassing all (וְהַאי אִיהוּ רוּחָא דְּקַיְּימָא כָּלִיל בְּכֹלָּא), and it is called Suriyah (וְאִקְרֵי סוּרִיָּ״הּ), master over all the lower forces (רַב עַל כָּל אִינּוּן חַיָּילִין תַּתָּאִין). And all of them stand beneath it (וְכֻּלְּהוּ קַיְּימִין תַּחוֹתֵיהּ), and are appointed under its hand (וּמְמָנָן תַּחוֹת יְדֵיהּ). This spirit opens and closes (הַאי רוּחָא, דְּסָגִיר וּפָתַח). All the supernal keys are entrusted to it (כָּל מַפְתְּחָאן עִלָּאִין, כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְמַסְּרָן בִּידֵיהּ). Three times a day (תְּלַת זִמְנִין בְּיוֹמָא), all the lower forces (כָּל חַיָּילִין תַּתָּאִין), are gathered and stand beneath it (כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְכְּלִילָן וְקַיְּימָן תַּחוֹתֵיהּ), and are nourished from it (וּמִנֵּיהּ אִתְזָנוּ). It stands in all the secrets of its Master (הַאי קַיְּימָא בְּכָל רָזִין דְּמָארֵיהּ), and all the supernal treasuries are entrusted to it (כָּל גְּנִיזִין עִלָּאִין, כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְמַסְּרָן בִּידֵיהּ). This spirit is called Love (הַאי רוּחָא אִקְרֵי אַהֲבָה). And because of this, this palace is called the palace of Love (וּבְגִין דָּא, אִקְרֵי הֵיכָל דָּא, הֵיכָל אַהֲבָה). Because here are hidden all the secrets of secrets (בְּגִין דְּהָכָא אִתְגְּנִיזוּ כָּל רָזָא דְּרָזִין), for one who is worthy to cleave to it (לְמַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בֵּיהּ).

And this is the secret of what is written: “There I will give my love to you” (וְהָכָא הוּא רָזָא דִּכְתִיב: שָׁם אֶתֵּן אֶת דּוֹדִי לָךְ) (Song of Songs 7). This spirit is the guardian of all supernal guarding (רוּחָא דָּא, אִיהוּ נָטִיר כָּל נְטִירוּ דִּלְעֵילָּא), and this is called “Guardian of Yisrael” (וְדָא אִקְרֵי: שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל) (Psalms 121); “Guardian of the covenant” (שׁוֹמֵר הַבְּרִית) (Deuteronomy 7). Because this is the guardian of all the supernal treasuries (בְּגִין דְּהָכָא אִיהוּ נְטִירוּ דְּכָל גִּנְזִין עִלָּאִין), and therefore, the treasuries of the Master are hidden within it (וְעַל דָּא גְּנִיזִין דְּמָארֵיהּ גְּנִיזִין בֵּיהּ). From this spirit go out paths and ways to those below (מֵהַאי נַפְקֵי שְׁבִילִין וְאָרְחִין לְאִינּוּן דִּלְתַּתָּא), in order to arouse within them a spirit of love (בְּגִין לְאַתְעֲרָא בְּהוּ רוּחָא דִּרְחִימוּתָא). These four colors within it (אִלֵּין ד׳ גְּוָנִין דְּבֵיהּ), are interincluded one with the other (אִתְּכְּלִילָן דָּא בְּדָא).

And when they seek to interinclude (וְכַד בָּעָאן לְאַכְלְלָא), they strike one against the other (בָּטַשׁ דָּא בְּדָא), and from all of them emerges one sacred beast (וְנָפַק מִכֻּלְּהוּ חַד חֵיוָתָא קַדִּישָׁא), which is called Zohar (דְּאִקְרֵי זוֹהַר). And this Chayot—concerning it is written: “This is the living creature that I saw by the River Kevar” (וְהַאי חֵיוָתָא עַל דָּא כְּתִיב: הִיא הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי עַל נְהַר כְּבָר) — (Ezekiel 10). From this palace go forth all the holy spirits (מֵהֵיכָלָא דָּא, נָפְקִין כָּל רוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין), which stand in the existence of supernal kisses (דְּקַיְּימִין בְּקִיּוּמָא דְּנְשִׁיקִין עִלָּאִין). For from those kisses there goes out the atmosphere of spirit (דְּהָא מֵאִינּוּן נְשִׁיקִין, נָפְקָא אֲוֵירָא דְּרוּחָא), to sustain the soul of all those supernal souls (לְקִיּוּמָא דְּנַפְשָׁא לְכָל אִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין עִלָּאִין), which are given into human beings (דְּאִתְיְהִיבוּ בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא). And this is the secret of what is written: “For by every utterance of the mouth of Hashem shall man live” (וְרָזָא הַהוּא דִּכְתִיב: כִּי עַל כָּל מוֹצָא פִּי יְיָ׳ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם) — (Deuteronomy 8). Because in this palace (בְּגִין דְּבְהַאי הֵיכָלָא), stand all the souls and all the spirits (קַיְּימִין כָּל נִשְׁמָתִין, וְכָל רוּחִין), that are destined to descend into human beings (דִּזְמִינִין לְנַחְתָּא בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא), from the day the world was created (מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְּבְּרֵי עָלְמָא). And because of this (וְעַל דָּא), this palace holds all those souls (הֵיכָלָא דָּא נַקְטָא, כָּל אִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין), that go out from that river which flows and goes forth (דְּנָפְקִין מֵהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק).

And because of this (וּבְגִין דָּא), this palace never stands empty (הֵיכָלָא דָּא לָא קַיְּימָא לְעָלְמָא בְּרֵיקָנַיָּא). And from the day the Holy Temple was destroyed (וּמִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא), no new souls have entered here (לָא עָאלוּ הָכָא נִשְׁמָתִין אַחֲרָנִין). And when these are completed (וְכַד יִסְתַּיְּימוּן אִילֵּין), the palace will stand empty (הֵיכָלָא קַיְּימָא בְּרֵיקָנַיָּא), and it will be commanded from above (וְיִתְפְּקַד מִלְּעֵילָּא), and then the King Mashiach will come (וּכְדֵין יֵיתֵי מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא). And this palace above will be awakened (וְאַתְעַר הֵיכָלָא דָּא לְעֵילָּא), and the palace below will be awakened (וְיִתְעַר הֵיכָלָא לְתַתָּא). And in the secret of this palace it is written (וּבְרָזָא דְּהֵיכָלָא דָּא כְּתִיב): “Your two breasts are like two fawns…” (שְׁנִי שָׁדַיִךְ כִּשְׁנֵי עֹפֳרִים) (Song of Songs 4).

Because in this palace, that spirit we mentioned, and that beast (בְּגִין דִּבְּהֵיכָלָא דָּא, הַהוּא רוּחָא דְּקָאָמַרָן, וְהַהוּא חֵיוָתָא), bring forth two lights interincluded one with the other (אַפִּיק תְּרֵין נְהוֹרִין, כְּלִילָן דָּא בְּדָא), connected one with the other (מִתְקַשְּׁרָן דָּא בְּדָא), and they are called El Shaddai (וְאִקְרוּן אֵ״ל שַׁדַּ״י). These are called Shaddai and El below (אִלֵּין אִקְרוּן שַׁדַּ״י, וְאֵ״ל דִּלְתַּתָּא), joined together one with the other (מִתְחַבְּרָן דָּא בְּדָא), and one enters into the other (וְאָעִיל דָּא בְּדָא), and it is called El Shaddai (וְאִקְרֵי אֵ״ל שַׁדַּ״י), because it goes forth from the concept of these breasts (בְּגִין דְּנָפַק מִכְּלָלָא דְּאִילֵּין שָׁדַיִם). And this El which is on the right side (וְהַאי אֵ״ל דְּאִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא), takes from this place all those compassions (נָטִיל מֵאֲתָר דָּא, כָּל אִינּוּן רַחֲמִין), which stand to nourish that lower palace (דְּקַיְּימֵי לְאַתְזָנָא הַהוּא הֵיכָלָא דִּלְתַּתָּא), which is called Merit (דְּאִקְרֵי זְכוּתָ״א), after the name of that spirit within it we mentioned (עַל שְׁמָא דְּהַאי רוּחָא דְּבֵיהּ דְּקָאָמַרָן).

This Shaddai nourishes all those below (הַאי שַׁדַּי, יָנִיק לְכָל אִינּוּן תַּתָּאִין), and all those palaces (וּלְכָל אִינּוּן הֵיכָלִין), and all those external to them (וּלְכָל אִינּוּן דִּלְבַּר), who stand from this side (דְּקַיְּימֵי מִסִּטְרָא דָּא), who are called “the boards of the Mishkan” (דְּאִקְרוּן יְתֵדוֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן), as we have established (כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא). And because of this, it is called Shaddai (וְעַל דָּא אִקְרֵי שַׁדַּי), because it provides sustenance to all those below (בְּגִין דִּמְסַפְּקָא מְזוֹנָא לְכֻלְּהוּ תַּתָּאֵי), as it receives from the right side (כְּמָה דְּאִיהוּ מְקַבְּלָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא).