Daf 11a (דַּף י״א ע״א)

The second is YHVH—Some say: YHV (תִּנְיָינָא יְהוֹה [נ״א: יה״ו])—which is called Elohim (דְּאִקְרֵי אֱלֹהִים). For that river is Rachamim [Mercy] (בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא נָהָר רַחֲמֵי), and because judgments are aroused from it (וּבְגִין דְּדִינִין מִתְעָרֵי מִנֵּיהּ). Some say: thirty-three letters emerged as Elohim (ס״א: ל״ג אֱלֹהִים וְנָפְקוּ). Therefore, the letters are written as Rachamim [Mercy] (אַתְוָון דְּרַחֲמֵי כְּתִיב), but vocalized as Elohim (וְנָקוּד אֱלֹהִים), and not as Elohim of judgment (וְלָא אֱלֹהִים דִּינָא). The third is El (תְּלִיתָאָה אֵל), and this is Gedulah (וְהוּא גְּדוּלָה), and it is called “Ha-El HaGadol [The Great God]” (וְהוּא אִקְרֵי הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל) (Devarim 10:17).

The fourth is Elohim (רְבִיעָאָה, אֱלֹהִים), within which judgments are aroused (דְּדִינִין בֵּיהּ אִתְעֲרָן), and this is harsh judgment (וְהוּא דִּינָא תַּקִּיפָא). The fifth is YHVH (חֲמִישָׁאָה, יְהוָֹ״ה), the totality of all the wholeness of faith (כְּלָלָא דְּכָל שְׁלִימוּ דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא). And this is mercy in wholeness, and this is Tiferet (וְדָא הוּא רַחֲמֵי בִּשְׁלִימוּ, וְדָא הוּא תִּפְאֶרֶת). The sixth and the seventh are called Tzevaot (שְׁתִיתָאָה וּשְׁבִיעָאָה, צְבָאוֹת אִקְרוּן). The eighth is El Chai (תְּמִינָאָה, אֵ״ל חָי), as it is said: “For there Hashem commanded the blessing — life…” (Psalms 133) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: כִּי שָׁם צִוָּה יְיָ' אֶת הַבְּרָכָה חַיִּים וְגוֹ'). And this is the Tzaddik, from whom all life goes forth (וְדָא צַדִּיק, דְּכָל חַיִּים נָפְקִין מִתַּמָּן). And it is called YHVH (ואִקְרֵי יְהוָֹ״ה), as it is said: “Hashem tests the righteous” (Psalms 11) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: יְיָ' צַדִּיק יִבְחָן). And this is the small Vav of the Holy Name (וְדָא הִיא ו׳ זְעֵירָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). Therefore Vav, two Vavs (בְּגִין כָּךְ וָ״ו וָוִין תְּרֵין).

The ninth is Adonai (תְּשִׁיעָאָה, אֲדֹנָ״י), and this is the holy Malkhut (וְדָא מַלְכוּת קַדִּישָׁא), from which judgments go forth to the world (דְּדִינִין נַפְקִין מִתַּמָּן לְעָלְמָא). And this is the final crown of all the Names (וְדָא הוּא כִּתְרָא בַּתְרָאָה, דְּכֻלְּהוּ שְׁמָהָן). And the Name Ehyeh (וְשֵׁם אֶהְיֶ״ה), the generality and concealment of the beginning (כְּלָלָא וּסְתִימָא דְּקַדְמֵיתָא). And this is the supernal Keter, the head of all heads (וְדָא הוּא כִּתְרָא עִלָּאָה, רֵישָׁא דְּכָל רֵישִׁין), His Name concealed and not revealed (שְׁמֵיהּ סָתִים וְלָא אִתְגַּלְּיָיא), as it has been said (וְאִתְּמַר). And in the Book of Aggadah it is written: Ten Names are inscribed in another manner (וּבְסִפְרָא דְּאַגַּדְתָּא, עֶשֶׂר שְׁמָהָן כְּתִיבָן בְּגַוְונָא אָחֳרָא), but I have not learned thus (וַאֲנָא לָא תָּנֵּינָא הָכִי).

Rabbi Abba opened (רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח): “Awake, O north wind, and come, O south; blow upon my garden, let its spices flow; let my beloved come into his garden and eat its choice fruits” (Song of Songs 4) (עוּרִי צָפוֹן וּבֹאִי תֵימָן הָפִיחִי גַנִּי יִזְּלוּ בְשָׂמָיו יָבֹא דּוֹדִי לְגַנּוֹ וְיֹאכַל פְּרִי מְגָדָיו). “Awake, O north wind” (עוּרִי צָפוֹן), these are the Burnt Offerings (Olot) which are slaughtered in the north (אִלֵּין עוֹלוֹת דְּנִשְׁחָטוֹת בַּצָּפוֹן), because they are the thoughts concealed in the hiddenness of the heart, and in the place of judgment (בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן מַחְשָׁבוֹת בִּצְפוּנִי לִבָּא, וּבַאֲתַר דְּדִינָא).

For thought is found at night, at the time when judgment is present (בְּגִין דְּמַחֲשָׁבָה אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּלֵילְיָא, בְּזִמְנָא דְּדִינָא אִשְׁתְּכַח). The north wind blows in the middle of the night (רוּחַ צָפוֹן מְנַשְׁבָא בְּפַלוּגְתָּא דְּלֵילְיָא), when men awake (כַּד מִתְעָרֵי אַנְשֵׁי), and the harp of David plays of itself (וְכִנּוֹר דְּדָוִד מְנַגֵּן מֵאֵלָיו), and the thoughts of men are aroused (וּמַחֲשַׁבְתָּן דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא מִתְעָרֵי). “And come, O south wind” (וּבֹאִי תֵימָן), These are the peace-offerings that are slaughtered in the south (אִלֵּין שְׁלָמִים דְּנִשְׁחָטִין בַּדָּרוֹם), because they are the peace of all (בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן שְׁלָמָא דְּכֹלָּא), the peace of the supernal and the lower (שְׁלָמָא דְּעִלָּאֵי וּדְתַתָּאֵי). And these are the completeness of the sides of the world (וְאִלֵּין שְׁלִימוּ דְּסִטְרֵי עָלְמָא), the completeness of all from the side of faith (שְׁלִימוּ דְּכֹלָּא מִסִּטְרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא). And peace-offerings: because they are the peace of all (וּשְׁלָמִים: בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן שְׁלָמָא דְּכֹלָּא). The owners eat from them and enjoy them (בְּעָלִים אָכְלִין מִנַּיְיהוּ, וּמִתְהַנְיָין מִנַּיְיהוּ). For peace is theirs, and for all the world, in one level (דְּהָא שְׁלָמָא הוּא לֵיהּ, וּלְכָל עָלְמָא, בְּדַרְגָּא חֲדָא). Sin-offerings and guilt-offerings are eaten by the Kohanim (חֲטָאוֹת וַאֲשָׁמוֹת נֶאֱכָלִין לְכַהֲנֵי), because they are prepared to atone for them, and to remove their sins (בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן זְמִינִין לְכַפָּרָא עָלַיְיהוּ, וּלְאַעְבְּרָא חוֹבַיְיהוּ). And of all the offerings, none are so beloved before Kudsha Berikh Hu as the peace-offerings (וּמִכָּל קָרְבְּנִי לָא חֲבִיבִין קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּמוֹ שְׁלָמִים), because through them peace is found above and below (בְּגִין דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח שְׁלָמָא בְּעִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי). And above them all is the incense (וְעֵילָּא מְכֻּלְּהוּ קְטֹרֶת), which is complete from all sides (דְּאִיהוּ שְׁלִים מִכֹּלָּא), and it does not come for sin (וְלָא אַתְיָא לָא עַל חֵטְא), nor for guilt (וְלָא עַל אָשָׁם), nor for iniquity (וְלָא עַל עָוֹן), but only for joy (אֶלָּא עַל שִׂמְחָה). As it is said: “Oil and incense gladden the heart” (Proverbs 27) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: שֶׁמֶן וּקְטֹרֶת יְשַׂמַּח לֵב), and this we have established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

And because of this, the incense is not offered except at the time when the oil is offered (וְעַל דָּא, קְטֹרֶת לָא מִתְקָרֵב אֶלָּא בְּזִמְנָא דְּשֶׁמֶן מִתְקָרֵב). This is what is written: “And Aharon shall burn upon it incense of spices; every morning when he cleans the lamps, he shall burn it” (Exodus 30) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וְהִקְטִיר עָלָיו אַהֲרֹן קְטֹרֶת סַמִּים בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר, בְּהֵיטִיבוֹ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת יַקְטִירֶנָּה). And it is written: “And when Aharon lights the lamps in the evening, he shall burn it” (Exodus 30) (וּכְתִיב: וּבְהַעֲלוֹת אַהֲרֹן אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם, יַקְטִירֶנָּה). Because oil and incense are found together (בְּגִין דְּאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ שֶׁמֶן וּקְטֹרֶת כַּחֲדָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): peace-offerings are entirely peace (שְׁלָמִים בְּכֹלָּא הוּא שְׁלָמָא), and strife or accusation is not aroused in the world (וּקְטָטָה וְקִטְרוּגָא לָא אִתְעֲר בְּעָלְמָא). But the incense ties the bond of faith (אֲבָל קְטֹרֶת, קָשִׁיר קְשִׁירוּ דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא).

Rabbi El'azar said (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר): All ten Names are written (כֻּלְּהוּ עֲשָׂרָה שְׁמָהָן כְּתִיבֵי), and we have learned them (וַאֲנָן תָּנֵינָן).

The Primordial (קַדְמָאָה), Ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה), this is the Supernal Concealment (דָּא סְתִימָא עִלָּאָה), as one who says: I am who I am (כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר: אֲנָא מַאן דַּאֲנָא), and it is not known who He is (וְלָא אִתְיְידַע מַאן הוּא). Afterward: Asher Ehyeh (לְבָתַר: אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה), meaning: I am He who is destined to be revealed (אֲנָא דְּזַמִּין לְאִתְגַּלְיָא), in those crowns — Some say: other crowns (בְּאִינּוּן כִּתְרִין [אַחֲרָנִין]), for at first He is concealed (דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא סָתִים), and afterward He begins to be revealed (וּלְבָתַר שָׁרֵי לְאִתְגַּלְיָא), until it reaches the revelation of the Holy Name (Some say: of its wholeness (עַד דְּמָטֵי לְגִלּוּיָא דִּשְׁמָא [ס״א דְּשְׁלִימוּ] קַדִּישָׁא). And so it is written regarding Moshe (וְכַךָ כְּתִיב בְּמֹשֶׁה): Ehyeh at first (אֶהְיֶה בְּקַדְמִיתָא), the concealment of all (סְתִימוּ דְּכֹלָּא) — I am He who I am (אֲנָא הוּא מַאן דַּאֲנָא). Afterward: Asher Ehyeh (לְבָתַר אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה) — I am destined to be revealed (אֲנָא זַמִּין לְאִתְגַּלְיָא).

Afterward: the final Ehyeh (לְבָתַר אֶהְיֶה בַּתְרָאָה), and this is when Imma becomes impregnated, and it is still concealed (וְדָא כַּד אִימָּא מִתְעַבְּרָא, וַעֲדַיִין הוּא סָתִים). When is it revealed? (אֵימָתַי אִתְגַּלְיָא). At the time that it is written: “Go and gather the elders of Yisrael, and say to them: Hashem, the God of your fathers…” (Exodus 3) (בְּזִמְנָא דִּכְתִּיב: לֵךְ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם וְגוֹ'). This is the wholeness of all (דָּא שְׁלִימוּ דְּכֹלָּא), and here is the revelation and the binding of the Holy Name (וְהָכָא הוּא גִּלּוּיָא וְקִשּׁוּרָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). Therefore, the first of all is Ehyeh (בְּגִין כָּךְ, קַדְמָאָה דְּכֹלָּא, אֶהְיֶה). The second is Yah (תִּנְיָינָא, יָהּ), because Chokhmah brings forth the Hei (בְּגִין דְּחָכְמָה אַפִּיק ה״א), and it is concealed within it (וְסָתִים בֵּיהּ), and it is never separated from it for all eternity (וְלָא אִתְפָּרְשָׁא לְעָלְמִין מִנֵּיהּ). And this we have already established, as it is written: “And a river went out from Eden…” (Bereshit 2) (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ דִּכְתִּיב, וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן כְּהַאי גַּוונָא). Hei (ה).