Daf 10b (דַּף י׳ ע״ב)

From that day (מֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא), whenever he would come to the house of Rav (כַּד הֲוָה אָתֵי לְבֵי רַב), and words of Orayta were spoken (וְאַמְרֵי מִלְּתָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), he would cry (הֲוָה בָּכֵי). They said to him: Why are you crying? (אַמְרֵי לֵיהּ, אֲמַאי קָא בָּכִית). He said to them (אָמַר לוֹן): Because I transgressed the trust in the words of the Sages (בְּגִין דְּעָבַרְנָא עַל מְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּמִלֵּי דְּרַבָּנָן), and I fear the judgment of that world (וּמִסְתָּפֵינָא מִדִּינָא דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא). “And Elohim said: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters…” (Bereshit 1) (וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם).

Rabbi Yehudah said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר): If not for that firmament that separates between the upper waters and the lower waters (אִלְמָלֵא הַהוּא רְקִיעָא דְּאַפְרִישׁ בֵּין מַיִין עִלָּאֵי לְתַתָּאֵי), the world would have perished from them (הֲוָה פְּלִיגוּ בְּעָלְמָא מִנַּיְיהוּ). But that firmament makes peace between them (אֲבָל הַאי רָקִיעַ, עָבִיד שְׁלָמָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ), and the world exists only through peace (וְעָלְמָא לָא מִתְקַיְּימָא אֶלָּא עַל שָׁלוֹם). Come and see (תָּא חֲזִי): Kudsha Berikh Hu is called Shalom (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִקְרֵי שָׁלוֹם), He is Shalom (הוּא שָׁלוֹם), and His Name is Shalom (וּשְׁמֵיהּ שָׁלוֹם), and all is bound in Shalom (וְאִתְקְשַּׁר כֹּלָּא בְּשָׁלוֹם).

Rabbi Abba said (רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר): I have seen that this Supernal Holy Name is entirely Shalom (חֲמֵינָא דְּהַאי שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה כֹּלָּא הוּא שָׁלוֹם), and all is one (וְכֹלָּא חַד), and its paths divide to this side and to that side (וְאָרְחָן מִתְפָּרְשָׁאן לְהַאי סִטְרָא, וּלְהַאי סִטְרָא). Some say: here the beginning of the passage is missing (ס״א: כָּאן חָסֵר הַתְחַלַּת הַמַּאֲמָר).

The letter Yod of the Holy Name is bound in three bonds (יו״ד דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְקְשַׁר בִּתְלַת קִשְׁרִין). Because of this (בְּגִין דָּא), this Yod has one tag upward (הַאי יו״ד, קוֹצָא חַד לְעֵילָּא), one tag downward (וְקוֹצָא חַד לְתַתָּא), and one in the middle (וְחַד בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא). Because three connections are extended Some say: bound within it (בְּגִין דִּתְלַת קִשְׁרִין אִשְׁתֶּלְשָׁלוּ — נ״א: אִתְקַשְׁרוּ — בָּהּ), one thorn above — the Supernal Crown (חַד קוֹצָא לְעֵילָּא, כִּתְרָא עִלָּאָה), which is higher than all high (דְּהוּא עִלָּאָה מִכָּל עִלָּאִין), the head of all heads (רֵישָׁא דְּכָל רֵישִׁין), and it stands over all (וְהוּא קָאִים עַל כֹּלָּא). One thorn in the middle (חַד קוֹצָא בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא), which is another head (דְּהוּא רֵישָׁא אָחֳרָא). Because there are three heads (בְּגִין דִּתְלַת רֵישִׁין הֲווֹ), and each one is a head by itself (וְכָל חַד וְחַד רֵישָׁא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). And because of this, the thorn in the middle is the other head (וְעַל דָּא קוֹצָא דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, דָּא הוּא רֵישָׁא אָחֳרָא), which emerges from the thorn above (דְּנָפִיק מִקּוֹצָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), and it is the head of all the other heads (וְהוּא רֵישָׁא לְכָל שְׁאָר רֵישִׁין), to construct the Holy Name (לְאִתְבָּנָהָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), and this head is the sealed head of all (וְהַאי רִישָׁא סְתִימָא דְּכֹלָּא). Another head below (רֵישָׁא אָחֳרָא תַּתָּאָה), it is the head to water the garden (הוּא רֵישָׁא לְאַשְׁקָאָה לְגִנְתָּא), and it is the fountain of waters (וְהוּא מַבּוּעָ דְּמַיִין), from which all the plants are watered (דְּכָל נְטִיעָן אִשְׁתַּקְיָין מִנֵּיהּ). And this is the Yod in three bonds (וְדָא הוּא יו״ד בִּתְלַת קִשְׁרִין). And for this reason it is called a chain (וְעַל דָּא שַׁלְשֶׁלֶת אִקְרֵי). Like a chain, this is bound with that, and all is one (כְּהַאי שַׁלְשֶׁלֶת, דְּאִתְקָשָׁר דָּא בְּדָא, וְכֹלָּא חַד).

It is taught in the Book of Enoch (תָּאנָא בְּסִפְרָא דַּחֲנוֹךְ): At the time that they showed him the wisdom of supernal secrets (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַחְזִיאוּ לֵיהּ חָכְמְתָא דְּרָזִין עִלָּאִין), and he beheld the tree of the garden of Eden (וְחָמָא אִילָנָא דְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן), they showed him wisdom in a supernal secret (אַחְזִיוּ לֵיהּ חָכְמְתָא, בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה). And he saw that all the worlds were bound one with another (וְחָמָא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין הֲווֹ מִתְקַשְּׁרָן דָּא בְּדָא). He asked them: On what do they stand? (שָׁאִיל לוֹן, עַל מַה קַיְימִין). They said to him: On the Yod all of them stand (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ, עַל יו״ד קַיְימֵי כֻּלְּהוּ). From it they were built and extended (Some say: created and perfected (מִנֵּיהּ אִתְבְּנִיאוּ וְאִשְׁתֶּלְשָׁלוּ (נ״א אִתְבְּרִיאוּ וְאִשְׁתְּכַלְּלוּ). As it is written: “All of them You made with wisdom” (Psalms 104) (דִּכְתִּיב, כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ). And he saw that all were shaken from the fear of their Master (וְחָמָא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ מִזְדַּעֲזְעוּ מִדְּחִילוּ דְּמָארֵיהוֹן), and by His Name all of them are called (וְעַל שְׁמֵיהּ אִתְקְרוּן כֻּלְּהוּ). And in the book of King Shlomo it is said (וּבְסִפְרָא דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא אָמַר): The balance of the three knots is in the shoulder of His body (מָטוּן דִּי בְּקַטְפוּרָא דִּתְלָתָא, דִּכְלִילָן בְּקִיטְפָא דְּגוּפֵיהּ): One is the fear (Some say: wholeness) of all (חַד דְּחִילוּ (ס״א שְׁלִימוּ דְּכֹלָּא). One closes the paths (חַד סָתִים שְׁבִילִין). One is a deep river (חַד נָהָר עֲמִיקָא). Afterward, He set them forth in letters (לְבָתַר פָּרִיט בְּאַתְוָון): Alef, Bet, in their fullness Yod-Hei (דאלפא, בֵּיתָא בְּשַׁכְלוּלֵיהּ יו״ד ה״א), the building of all (בִּנְיָינָא דְּכֹלָּא). One closes the paths and one is a deep river to all (חַד סָתִים שְׁבִילִין. וְחַד נָהָר עֲמִיקָא לְכֹלָּא). The wholeness of the Holy Name: the Yod, head of all (שְׁלִימוּ דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא: יו״ד רֵישָׁא דְּכֹלָּא), the father of all (אָב לְכֹלָּא). The Vav, the son who is begotten and emerges from it (ו׳ בֵּן דְּאוֹלִיד וְנָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ). And from it is found the Dalet, the daughter (וּמִנֵּיהּ אִשְׁתְּכַח ד׳, בַּת), the Matronita in whose hand all judgments — Some say: judges — are found (מַטְרוֹנִיתָא דְּכָל דִּינִין; ס״א דַּיְנִין בִּידָהָא). She is hidden in all the worlds (אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ טְמִירָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין), Some say: above they emerge, and above and below they are sustained from her (ס״א: עִלָּאִין נָפְקִין, וְעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין מִנָּהּ אִתְּזָנוּ).

Behold, the Yod is the perfection of all (הָא יו״ד שְׁלִימוּ דְּכֹלָּא), and the Holy Name is completed within it (וּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִשְׁתָּכְלַל בֵּיהּ), and is found concealed within it (וְאִשְׁתְּכַח סָתִים בְּגַוִּיהּ). From it—Some say: and within it they dwell (מִנֵּיהּ [ס״א: וּבֵיהּ יָתְבִין])—there are ten words (בֵּיהּ עֲשַׂר תֵּיבִין), and from it emerged Vav–Dalet (נַפְקוּ ו״ד), a hint to ten in numerical value (רֶמֶז לַעֲשָׂרָה בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן). The letters of Yod encompass Vav–Dalet (אַתְוָון יו״ד כָּלִיל לוֹן ו״ד)—Some say: the Yod itself (ס״א: יו״ד)—the perfection of all (שְׁלִימוּ דְּכֹלָּא). Vav–Dalet signifies male and female (ו״ד: דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא). Together we call them Du [Two] (דּוּ קָרֵינָן לוֹן, תְּרֵין). Therefore Adam was created as Du [Two]-Partzufin [Faces/Configurations] (וְעַל דָּא אָדָם דּוּ פַּרְצוּפִין אִתְבְּרֵי), and these Partzufin were male and female (וְאִינּוּן פַּרְצוּפִין דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא הֲווֹ), in the pattern of that which is above (כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). Vav–Dalet extends from above to below (ו״ד מֵעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא), while Dalet–Vav extends from below to above (ד״ו מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא). All is one matter (וְכֹלָּא חַד מִלָּה). The Thirteen Middot [Attributes] depend upon it (י״ג מְכִילָן תַּלְיָין בֵּיהּ). Therefore the Yod includes Vav–Dalet, as has been stated (וְעַל דָּא יו״ד כָּלִיל ו״ד כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר), and this we have already established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי): there are ten Names (י׳ שְׁמָהָן אִינּוּן), corresponding to the ten letters (לָקֳבֵל י׳ אַתְוָון).

And in the Sefer [Book] of Rav Hamnuna Sava (וּבְסִפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא), they are eight (תְּמַנְיָא אִינּוּן), together with two levels corresponding to two firmaments (וּתְרֵין דַּרְגִּין, לָקֳבֵל תְּרֵין רְקִיעִין). Their names change (וּמִשְׁתַּנְיָין שְׁמָהָן): ten, nine, eight, and seven (עֲשָׂרָה, וְתִשְׁעָה, וּתְמַנְיָא, וּשְׁבִיעָאָה). The first is Yah (קַדְמָאָה י״ה), because the Yod includes the Hei (בְּגִין דְּיו״ד כָּלִיל ה״א), and the Hei emerges from the Yod (וְה״א נַפְקָא מִן יו״ד). Therefore Chokhmah is called Yah (בְּגִין כָּךְ חָכְמָה יָ״הּ אִקְרֵי).