Daf 255a (דַּף רנ״ה ע״א)

So too, in this manner it ascends in Thought (אוּף הָכִי, כְּגַוְונָא דָּא סָלִיק בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה), just as waste was separated from it (כְּמָה דְּאִתְבְּרַר בֵּיהּ פְּסוֹלֶת), some say: and it was clarified; so too, in them was completed whoever needed completion; surely, this ascended in Thought and all as it should be (ס״א: וְאִתְבְּרִיר אוּף הָכִי, אֵלִין בְּהוֹן אִשְׁתְּלִים מַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ, וְדַאי כַּךְ סָלִיק בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה וְכֹלָּא). And these were clarified (וְיִתְבְּרִיר אִלֵּין), in them was completed whoever required completion (בְּהוּ אִשְׁתְּלִים מַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ); surely, when it ascended, it ascended in Thought and all was as needed (וְדַאי כַּד סָלִיק, בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה סָלִיק וְכֹלָּא כְּמָה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ). Joy from this side (חִידוּ מִסִּטְרָא דָּא), and sorrow from that side (וַעֲצִיבוּ מִסִּטְרָא דָּא).

It is written (כְּתִיב): “Then I praised joy, for there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and to drink and to rejoice, and it will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life that Elohim has given him under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 8) (וְשִׁבַּחְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת הַשִּׂמְחָה אֲשֶׁר אֵין טוֹב לָאָדָם תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי אִם לֶאֱכוֹל וְלִשְׁתוֹת וְלִשְׂמוֹחַ וְהוּא יִלְוֶנּוּ בַּעֲמָלוֹ יְמֵי חַיָּיו אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ). “Then I praised joy” (וְשִׁבַּחְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת הַשִּׂמְחָה) and did King Shlomo praise this? (וְכִי שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא מְשַׁבַּח דָּא)

Rather, “Then I praised joy” (אֶלָּא וְשִׁבַּחְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת הַשִּׂמְחָה), this is the joy of the Holy King (דָּא חֶדְוָותָא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), at the time that He rules (בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִיהוּ שַׁלְטָא), on Shabbat and on Yomim Tovin (בְּשַׁבְּתָא וּבְיוֹמִין טָבִין), that from all the good deeds which a man does (דְּמִכָּל עוֹבָדִין טָבִין דְּבַר נָשׁ עָבִיד), “there is nothing good for a man under the sun” (אֵין טוֹב לָאָדָם תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ), except to eat and to drink (כִּי אִם לֶאֱכוֹל וְלִשְׁתוֹת), and to behold joy in that side (וּלְאַחְזָאָה חֶדְוָותָא בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא), some say: time (נ״א: זִמְנָא), so that he may have a portion in the World to Come (בְּגִין דִּיְהֵא לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). “And it will accompany him in his labor” (וְהוּא יִלְוֶנּוּ בַּעֲמָלוֹ) — who? (מַאן) This is Kudsha Berikh Hu (דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), He will accompany him (הוּא יִלְוֶנּוּ), and go with him to elevate him to the World to Come (וְיֵהַךְ עִמֵּיהּ לְאַעֲלָא לֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

Another matter: “And it will accompany him” (דָּבָר אַחֵר: וְהוּא יִלְוֶנּוּ) — who is he? (מַאן הוּא) That man who eats and drinks and rejoices (הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּאָכִיל וְשָׁתֵי וְחַדֵי), all that he spends for eating and drinking (כָּל מַאי דְּאַפִיק לְמֵיכַל וּלְמִשְׁתֵּי), he will accompany Kudsha Berikh Hu by way of lending (הוּא יִלְוֶנּוּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַלְוָאָה), and He will repay him double, double (וְאִיהוּ יָהִיב לֵיהּ כִּפְלֵי כִּפְלַיִם), from all that he expended in this world (מִכָּל מַה דְּאַפִיק בְּהַאי). In these two ways (בִּתְרֵין אִלֵּין), a man lends to Kudsha Berikh Hu (אוֹזִיף בַּר נָשׁ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), when he has mercy on the poor (כַּד חַיִּיס לֵיהּ לְמִסְכְּנָא), and when he spends on Shabbat and festivals (וְכַד אַפִיק בְּשַׁבָּתֵי וְזִמְנֵי).

For all of this is a loan to Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּהָא כֹּלָּא אוֹזִיף לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “He who lends to Hashem is gracious to the poor, and his reward He will repay him” (Proverbs 19) (מַלְוֶה יְיָ' חוֹנֵן דָּל וּגְמוּלוֹ יְשַׁלֶּם לוֹ). And because of this: this is joy, and this is sorrow (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, דָּא שִׂמְחָה, וְדָא עֲצִיבוּ), this is life and this is death (דָּא חַיִּים וְדָא מָוֶת), this is good and this is evil (דָּא טוֹב, וְדָא רָע), this is Gan Eden and this is Gehinnom (דָּא גַּן עֵדֶן, וְדָא גֵיהִנָּם). And all of it — this is in contrast to that (וְכֹלָּא, דָּא בְּהִפּוּכָא דְּדָא), and because of this, their body was in sorrow (וְעַל דָּא גּוּפָא דִּלְהוֹן הֲוָה בַּעֲצִיבוּ), and their Neshama in joy (וְנִשְׁמְתָא בְּחֶדְוָה). And when these ten, who are called 'The Ten Martyrs of the Kingdom' (Harugei Malchut) (וְכַד הֲווֹ אִלֵּין עֲשָׂרָה דְּאִקְרוּן הֲרוּגֵי מַלְכוּת), they were slain from the Sitra achra (הֲרוּגִים הֲווֹ מִסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא), and they completed a place of holiness (וְאַשְׁלִימוּ אֲתָר אַחֲרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה). And because of this, all was revealed before Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, כֹּלָּא גַּלֵּי קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and it was done as is fitting (וְאִתְעָבִיד כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת).

In this palace, stand these twelve (בְּהֵיכָלָא דָּא קַיְימִין אִינּוּן תְּרֵיסָר). Four are above (אַרְבַּע אִלֵּין לְעֵילָּא), and eight are with them (וּתְמַנְיָא עִמְּהוֹן), for each one takes with it two (בְּגִין דְּכָל חַד, נָטִיל עִמֵּיהּ תְּרִין), just as is the arrangement (כְּמָה דְּאִיהוּ סִדוּרָא) — some say: of two (נ"א: דְּתְּרֵין) — of the banners (דִּדְגָלִים), and so too in the arrangement below (וְכֵן בְּסִדוּרָא דִּלְתַתָּא), until the end of all gradations (עַד סוֹף דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין).

In this palace ascend all those prayers (בְּהֵיכָלָא דָּא, עָאלִין כָּל אִינּוּן צְלוֹתִין), and all those desires of praises that were made with love (וְכָל אִינּוּן רֵעוּתִין דִּשְׁבָחִין דְּאִתְעָבֵידוּ בִּרְחִימוּ), and when they ascend into this palace (וְכַד עָאלִין בְּהַאי הֵיכָלָא), they all cleave to it (כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְדַּבְּקָן בֵּיהּ), to Kudsha Berikh Hu (בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And every day, and every time that kisses are joined (וּבְכָל יוֹמָא, וּבְכָל זִמְנָא דְּנְשִׁיקִין אִתְחַבָּרוּ), then is the time (כְּדֵין אִיהוּ זִמְנָא) that Kudsha Berikh Hu delights in the Neshamot of the Righteous (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִשְׁתַּעֲשַׁע בְּנִשְׁמָתִין דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא). And what is the delight? The awakening of those kisses (וּמַהוּ הַשַׁעֲשׁוּעַ דְּמִתְעֲרִין אִינּוּן נְשִׁיקִין), and they precede to that delight (וְאִינּוּן אַקְדִּימוּ לְהַהוּא עִנּוּגָא). And about this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “Then you shall delight in Hashem” (Isaiah 58) (אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל יְיָ'), and we have established this (וְאוֹקִימְנָא).

This palace is the generality of all the lower palaces (הֵיכָלָא דָּא, כְּלָלָא דְּכָל אִינּוּן הֵיכָלִין תַּתָּאִין), all of them are encompassed in this palace (כֻּלְּהוּ כְּלִילָן בְּהַאי הֵיכָלָא). The first palace (הֵיכָלָא קַדְמָאָה), there stands that Ruach we spoke of (דְּתַמָּן קַיְימָא הַהוּא רוּחָא דְּקַאמְרָן), and all those beings within it (וְכָל אִינּוּן חֵיוָון דְּבֵיהּ), are supported by two supporters on the east side (אִסְתְּמִיךְ בִּתְרֵין סַמְכִין לִסְטַר מִזְרָח), and two supporters on the south side (וּבִתְרֵין סַמְכִין לִסְטַר דָּרוֹם), and two supporters on the west side (וּבִתְרֵין סַמְכִין לִסְטַר מַעֲרָב), and two supporters on the north side (וּבִתְרֵין סַמְכִין לִסְטַר צָפוֹן), and these are eight (וְאִינּוּן תְּמַנְיָא). And these are called the stakes of the Mishkan (וְאִלֵּין אִקְרוּן יְתֵדוֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן), and they stand on the outside (וְקַיְימֵי לְבַר).

When the Supernal King comes (כַּד מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה אָתֵי), He takes those stakes (נַטְלֵי אִינּוּן יְתֵדוֹת), and those cords are uprooted from their places (וְאִתְעַקְרָן מֵאַתְרַיְיהוּ אִינּוּן מֵיתָרִין), which are those other eight (דְּאִינּוּן תְּמַנְיָא אַחֲרָנִין), aside from those stakes we mentioned (בַּר מֵאִינּוּן יְתֵדוֹת דְּקָא אַמָרָן). And that first Ruach within this palace (וְהַהוּא רוּחָא קַדְמָאָה דִּי בְּגוֹ הֵיכָלָא דָּא), goes in first and enters (קָדִים וְעָאל), and is included within that (וְאִתְכְּלִיל בְּגוֹ הַהוּא) — some say: second, another spirit that is within it (ס״א: תִּנְיָינָא בְּרוּחָא אֲחֲרָא דְּבֵיהּ).

Those two supporters to the east side (אִינּוּן תְּרֵין סַמְכִין דְּלִסְטַר מִזְרָח) are Kar‘i’el (אִינּוּן קַרְעִיאֵ״ל), who was appointed outside over twelve thousand appointed ones (דְּאִתְמַנָא לְבַר עַל תְּרֵיסָר אַלְפֵי מְמָנָן), all of whom are called the stakes of the Mishkan (דְּכֻלְּהוּ אִקְרוּן יְתֵדוֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן). This one is to the right (דָּא לִימִינָא); to the left is Sham‘i’el (לִשְׂמָאלָא שַׁמְעִיאֵ״ל), and he was appointed over another twelve thousand appointed ones (וְאִתְמָנָא עַל תְּרֵיסָר אַלְפֵי מְמָנָן אַחֲרָנִין), and all of them are stakes as we have said (וְכֻלְּהוּ יְתֵדוֹת כִּדְקַאמְרָן).

They are other appointed ones (אִינּוּן מְמָנָן אַחֲרָנִין), the supporters appointed to the south side (סַמְכִין דְּאִתְמָנוּן לִסְטַר דָּרוֹם): one is Sa‘adi’el (חַד סַעֲדִיאֵ״ל), and one is Setari’el — some say: Sa‘aryah’el (וְחַד סְטָרִיאֵ״ל – נ״א: סַעַרְיָהֵ״ל). Each and every one (כָּל חַד וְחַד) over another twelve thousand appointed ones (עַל תְּרֵיסָר אַלְפֵי מְמָנָן אַחֲרָנִין). These were never removed from their dominion for all time (אִלֵּין לָא אִתְעֲדוּן מִשּׁוּלְטָנֵהוֹן לְעָלְמִין).