Daf 29b (דַּף כ״ט ע״ב)

The neshamah that rules in weekdays (נְשָׁמָה דְּשַׁלְטָא בְּיוֹמִין דְּחוֹלָא), over the servant of Hashem (עַל עֶבֶד יְיָ׳), it is from the Throne of Glory (אִיהִי מִכִּסֵא הַכָּבוֹד). As the masters of the Mishnah have established (כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין), all the neshamot are hewn from beneath the Throne of Glory (כָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת גְּזוּרוֹת מִתַּחַת כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד). And the ruach that rules in weekdays (וְרוּחַ דְּשַׁלְטָא בְּיוֹמֵי דְּחוֹל), over the servant of Hashem (עַל עֶבֶד יְיָ׳), it is from the servant of the King, Metatron (אִיהִי מֵעַבְדָא דְּמַלְכָּא מְטַטְרוֹ״ן), who is encompassed in the six orders of Mishnah (כָּלִיל שִׁית סִדְרֵי מִשְׁנָה), and it is the six steps to the Throne (וְאִיהִי שֵׁשׁ מַעֲלוֹת לַכִּסֵּא).

And the nefesh that rules on weekdays (וְנֶפֶשׁ דְּשַׁלִּיט בְּחוֹל), it is from the Throne of Judgment, Sandalfon (אִיהִי מִכִּסֵא דִּין סַנְדַלְפוֹ״ן), the tekhelet in the tzitzit (תְּכֵלֶת שֶׁבַּצִּיצִּית), like the work of a sapphire brick (כְּמַעֲשֵׂה לִבְנַת הַסַּפִּיר). But the daughter of the King (אֲבָל בְּרַתָּא דְּמַלְכָּא) — on Pesach, it is the intellectual nefesh (בַּפֶּסַח אִיהִי נֶפֶשׁ הַשִּׂכְלִית), the night of guarding (לֵיל שִׁמּוּרִים), the matzah that is guarded (מַצָּה שְׁמוּרָה). And the ruach of guarding opposite it is Yom Tov (וְרוּחַ שִׁמּוּר לָקֳבְלֵיהּ אִיהִי יוֹם טוֹב), and it is Shabbat (וְאִיהִי יוֹם שַׁבָּת), “Remember” and “Guard” (זָכוֹר וְשָׁמוֹר), because it is Atzilut from Malchut (בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי אֲצִּילוּת מִמַּלְכוּת). And thus the Torah scholars (וְהָכִי תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים), children of the King and the Matronita (בְּנוֹי דְּמַלְכָּא וּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא), are called Shabbatot and Yomim Tovim (אִתְקְרִיאוּ שַׁבָּתוֹת וְיָמִים טוֹבִים).

And they have nothing of their own (וְלֵית לוֹן מִדִּלְהוֹן), for they are not workers like the other servants, children of weekdays (דְּלָאו אִינּוּן בַּעֲלֵי מְלָאכָה כִּשְׁאָר עֲבָדִין בְּנוֹי דְּחוּלִין). Their reward is in this world and in the world to come (אַגְרָא דִּלְהוֹן בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), to delight them with all kinds of food and drink (לְעַנְּגָא לוֹן בְּכָל מִינֵי מַאֲכָל וּמִשְׁתֶּה), and to honor them with beautiful garments (וּלְאוֹקְרָא לוֹן בִּלְבוּשִׁין שַׁפִּירִין), in the likeness of Shabbat, of which it is said: Honor it with clean garments (כְּגַוְונָא דְּשַׁבָּת דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ כַּבְּדֵהוּ בִּכְסוּת נְקִיָּה). Whatever a man does for Shabbatot and Yomim Tovim, it is fitting to do for them (כָּל מַה דְּעָבַד בַּר נָשׁ לְשַׁבָּתוֹת וְיָמִים טוֹבִים אִית לְמֶעְבַּד לוֹן). And one who desecrates Shabbat is liable to stoning (וּמַאן דִּמְחַלֵּל שַׁבָּת חַיָּיב סְקִילָה). And thus one who uses the crown passes (וְהָכִי מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּמַּשׁ בְּתָגָא חֲלָף). And thus is he who uses one who studies halakhot, for he desecrates his Torah (וְהָכִי הוּא הַמִּשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּמִי שֶׁשּׁוֹנֶה הֲלָכוֹת דִּמְחַלֵּל תּוֹרָתֵיהּ).

All the more so one who disgraces him (וְכָּל שֶׁכֵּן הַמְבַזֶּה לֵיהּ), it is as though he disgraces Shabbatot and festivals (כְּאִילּוּ מְבַזֶּה שַׁבָּתוֹת וּמוֹעֲדוֹת). And the masters of the Mishnah have established (וְאוּקְמוּהָ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין): Whoever disgraces the festivals, it is as if he denies the root (כָּל הַמְבַזֶּה אֶת הַמּוֹעֲדוֹת כְּאִלּוּ כּוֹפֵר בָּעִיקָר). And in the likeness that all the vessels of the Beit HaMikdash are called holy (וּכְגַוְונָא דְּכָל מָאנֵי בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וְאִתְקְרִיאוּ קֹדֶשׁ), so too all those who serve the Torah scholars are called holy (הָכִי כָּל אִינּוּן דִּמְשַׁמְשֵׁי תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים אִתְקְרִיאוּ קֹדֶשׁ). And the students of the Rav, who correspond to the limbs of the body (וְתַלְמִידֵי דְּרַב דְּאִינּוּן לָקֳבֵל אֵבָרִים דְּגוּפָא), are called Holy of Holies (אִתְקְרִיאוּ קֹדֶשׁ קֳדָשִׁים).

And the secret of the matter is hinted in them (וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה קָא רָמִיז בְּהוֹן): And the veil shall separate for you between the kodesh and between the Holy of Holies (וְהִבְדִּילָה הַפָּרֹכֶת לָכֶם בֵּין הַקֹּדֶשׁ וּבֵין קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים) (Exodus 26). And Metatron, you and your hosts (וּמְטַטְרוֹ״ן אַתְ וּמַשִּׁרְיָין דִּילָךְ), you must bring sacrifices before Hashem every night (צְּרִיכִין לְקָרְבָא לוֹן קָרְבְּנָא קֳדָם יְיָ׳ בְּכָל לֵילְיָא).

Asiyah is to accept upon oneself the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven (עֲשִׂיָּה לְקַבֵּל עָלֵיהּ עוֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם), this is the acceptance of the afflictions of poverty (דָּא קַבָּלַת יִסוּרִין דַּעֲנִיוּת), for the Torah scholar it is death to the body of beasts (לְתַּלְמִיד חָכָם אִיהוּ מָוְת לְגוּפָא דִּבְעִירָן). For the sustenance of Orayta (דִּמְזוֹנָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), is sustenance for the neshamah, ruach, and nefesh intellectual (אִיהוּ מְזוֹנָא דְּנִשְׁמְתָא וְרוּחָא וְנַפְשָׁא שִׂכְלִיִּים), which are Kohen, Levi, and Yisrael (דְּאִינּוּן כֹּהֵן לֵוִי וְיִשְׂרָאֵל). Kohen, within it the Yod, truly Chokhmah (כֹּהֵן בֵּיהּ יו״ד חָכְמָה וַדַּאי).

Levi, within it the Heh, Tevunah (לֵוִי בֵּיהּ הֵ״א תְּבוּנָה). Yisrael, within it Da‘at, and this is the Vav (יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּיהּ דַּעַת וְדָא ו׳). The extra nefesh is the final Heh (נֶפֶשׁ יְתֵירָה ה׳ בַּתְרָאָה), the 248 positive mitzvot and 365 negative mitzvot (רמ״ח מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה וְשׁס״ה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה). And the Torah is Adam (וְתוֹרָה דָּא אָדָם), as it is written: This is the Torah: man (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אָדָם) (Numbers 19). And this includes the Explicit Name, Yod–Heh–Vav–Heh (וְדָא כָּלִיל שְׁמָא מְפֹרָשׁ יו״ד הֵ״א וָא''ו הֵ״א). This is Orayta, sustenance for man (הַאי אִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא מְזוֹנָא לְאָדָם), in its four aspects (בְּד׳ אַנְפִּין דִּילֵיהּ). The sustenance of beasts is bread, wine, meat, and all kinds of fruits (מְזוֹנָא דִּבְעִירָן נָהֲמָא וְחַמְרָא וּבִשְׂרָא וְכָל מִינֵי פֵּירוֹת), as it is written: This opposite that God has made (זֶה לְעֻמַּת זֶה עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים) (Ecclesiastes 7). And a man must each night bring a sacrifice of nefesh, ruach, and neshamah of beasts before Hashem (וְצָּרִיךְ בַּר נָשׁ לְקָרְבָּא בְּכָל לֵילְיָא קָרְבָּן נַפְשָׁא וְרוּחָא וְנִשְׁמְתָא דִּבְעִירָן קֳדָם יְיָ׳). And he should confess with many kinds of confessions (וְיִתְוַדֶּה בְּכַמָּה מִינֵי וִדוּיִין), and raise them in his thought as a sacrifice before Hashem (וְיִסְלַק לוֹן בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתֵיהּ קָרְבְּנָא קֳדָם יְיָ׳), to bring them forth in the recitation of Shema with one heart (לְאַפָּקָא לוֹן בְּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע [בְּלֵב אֶחָד]), before Kudsha Berikh Hu (לְקָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and expel the breath that knocks within the chambers of the heart (וְיַפִּיק רוּחֵיהּ דְּדָפִיק בְּעַרְקִין דְּלִבָּא).

The nefesh—he should intend its burning, its slaughtering, and its pinching (נֶפֶשׁ יְכַוִּין בִּשְׂרֵפָתָהּ וּבִשְׁחִיטָתָהּ וּבִנְחִירָתָה), for the pinching are the Kohanim (דַּהֲווֹ נְחִירִין כַּהֲנַיָיא), as it is written: And he shall pinch off its head from the back of its neck, but shall not divide it (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וּמָלַק אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ מִמּוּל עָרְפּוֹ וְלֹא יַבְדִּיל) (Leviticus 1). And this is strangulation (וְהַיְינוּ חֶנֶק). And these three deaths are like the gall—red, green, and black (וּתְלָתָא מִיתוֹת אִלֵּין הֲווֹ כְּמָרָה סוּמָקָא יְרוֹקָא אוּכָמָא), which are in the liver, gall, and spleen (דְּאִינּוּן בַּכָּבֵד בַּמָּרָה בַּטְחוֹל), and they are like the three shells of a nut (וְאִינּוּן כִּתְלַת קְלִיפִּין דֶּאֱגוֹזָא). And before this, he should prepare an altar of stones (וְקוֹדֶם דָּא יְתַקֵּן מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים), and intend to perform stoning, from the white gall that rules in the wings of the lungs (וִיכַוִּין לְמֶעְבְּדָהּ סְקִילָה מִמָּרָה חִוָּורָא דְּשַׁלְטַת בְּכַנְפֵי רֵיאָה), in those cords by which these beasts are grasped (בְּאִינּוּן סִרְכוֹת דְּאִלֵּין בְּעִירָן תְּפוּסִין תַּמָּן).

And the descent of consuming fire consumes them (וּנְחִיתַת אֶשָּׁא תְּכֵלָא וִישֵׁצֵּי לוֹן), and they shall become purified as beasts, cattle, and birds, fit for offering to Hashem (וִיהוֹן חֵיוָון וּבְעִירָן וְעוֹפִין דַּכְיָין לְקָרְבָּא לַיְיָ׳), and for His Name to dwell upon them (וּלְשַׁרְיָיא שְׁמֵיהּ עָלַיְיהוּ). At that time it shall be fulfilled in them: And you who cleave to Hashem your God are alive (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא יִתְקַיֵּים בְּהוּ וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים) (Deuteronomy 4). And they shall be as horses upon which their Master rides (וִיהוֹן כְּסוּסְיָא דְּרָכִיב מָארֵיהּ עָלַיְיהוּ), as it is written: You rode upon Your horses, Your chariots of salvation (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי תִרְכַּב עַל סוּסֶיךָ מַרְכְּבוֹתֶיךָ יְשׁוּעָה) (Habakkuk 3). And at that time: Man and beast You save, Hashem (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה תּוֹשִׁיעַ יְיָ׳) (Psalms 36).