Daf 53b (דַּף נ״ג ע״ב)

He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “And the one to be purified shall take two living clean birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop” (וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים חַיּוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת וְעֵץ אֶרֶז וּשְׁנִי תּוֹלַעַת וְאֵזוֹב) (Vayikra 14:4). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): when a person labors in the service of his Master (בַּר נָשׁ דְּמִשְׁתַּדֵּל בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ), and labors in the Orayta (וְאִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu dwells upon him (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁארֵי עֲלוֹי), and the Shekhinah joins with him (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִשְׁתַּתְּפָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ). But when a person comes to defile himself (כֵיוָן דְּבַּר נָשׁ אָתֵי לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא), the Shekhinah departs from him (שְׁכִינְתָּא אִסְתָּלָקַת מִנֵּיהּ), Kudsha Berikh Hu withdraws from him (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְחִיק מִנֵּיהּ), every side of the holiness of his Master distances itself from him (וְכָל סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה דְּמָארֵיהּ מְרַחֲקִין מִנֵיהּ), and an unclean spirit rests upon him together with every side of impurity (וְשָׁארִי עָלֵיהּ רוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא וְכָל סִטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא). When he comes to purify himself (אָתֵי לְאִתְדַכְּאָה), they assist him (מְסַיְּיעִין לֵיהּ). After he has become purified and returned in Teshuvah [Repentance] (בָּתַר דְּאִתְדָכֵּי וְאַהְדָּר בִּתְשׁוּבָה), that which had departed from him returns (הַהוּא דְּאִסְתַּלָּק מִנֵּיהּ אַהְדָּר), and rests upon him (וְשָׁארִי עֲלוֹי).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): it is written, “And the one to be purified shall take two living clean birds” (וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים חַיּוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת) (Vayikra 14:4). Since it says “two birds” (כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים), do I not already know that they are living? (לָא יְדַעְנָא דְּאִינּוּן חַיּוֹת). Rather (אֶלָּא), this has already been established (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ). But “living” means truly Living Ones (אֲבָל חַיּוֹת, חַיּוֹת מַמָּשׁ), as it is said: “And I saw the Living Creatures” (וָאֵרֶא הַחַיּוֹת) (Yechezkel 1:15). They correspond to the place from which the faithful prophets draw nourishment (לָקֳבֵל אֲתַר דְּיַנְקֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ נְבִיאֵי מְהֵימְנֵי). “And cedar wood” (וְעֵץ אֶרֶז)—this has already been explained (הָא אִתְּמַר). “And scarlet” (וּשְׁנִי תּוֹלַעַת)—this is the red aspect of Gevurah [Might], which first joined with her (סְטָר סוּמָקָא דִּגְבוּרָה דְּאִשְׁתַּתֵּף בַּהֲדֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא). “And hyssop” (וְאֵזוֹב)—this is the small Vav (דָּא ו׳ זְעֵירָא), from which Knesset Yisrael receives nourishment (דְּיָנִיק לֵיהּ לִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל). Therefore (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), cedar wood and hyssop go together (עֵץ אֶרֶז וְאֵזוֹב אַזְלָן כַּחֲדָא), and thus two Vavs are found together (וְעַל דָּא ו׳ ו׳ כַּחֲדָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ): one supernal (חַד עִלָּאָה), and one small (וְחַד זְעֵירָא), and they are called the Supernal Vav and the Lower Vav (וְקַרְיָין לוֹן ו׳ עִלָּאָה ו׳ תַּתָּאָה). Then all return to dwell upon him (וְכֻלְּהוּ אָהַדְרוּ לְשַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי), because he has become purified (בְּגִין דְּהָא אִתְדָּכֵי), corresponding to these below (לָקֳבֵל אִלֵּין לְתַתָּא [מִנַּיְיהוּ]): cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet (עֵץ אֶרֶז וְאֵזוֹב וּשְׁנִי תּוֹלַעַת), which are found in this state of purity (אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ [בִּשְׁמָא] בְּדַכְיוּתָא דָּא), and are dependent upon those above (וְתַלְיָין מֵאִלֵּין עִלָּאִין).

Rabbi Yitzḥak opened (רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח): “And He called to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying” (Leviticus 1) (וַיִקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ׳ אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר). “Vayikra” is written with a small alef, why? (וַיִקְרָא אָלֶף זְעֵירָא, אֲמַאי). But to show who is it that called—He who dwells in the Mikdash—and then summoned Moshe, as one who summons a guest (אֶלָּא בְּגִין לְאַחֲזָאָה מַאן הוּא הַהוּא דְּקָרָא, הַהוּא דְּשָׁרֵי בְּמַקְדְּשָׁא, וּכְדֵין זַמִּין לְמֹשֶׁה, כְּמַאן דְּזַמִּין אוּשְׁפִּיזָא). Here is a small alef, there a great alef—Adam, Shet, Enosh (הָכָא א׳ זְעֵירָא, הָתָם א׳ רַבְּתָא, אָדָם שֵׁת אֱנוֹשׁ). Some say: Adam (ס״א אָדָם). This is the completeness of all (דָּא שְׁלִימוּ דְּכֹלָּא).

Come and see the difference between Moshe and Aharon—hei is above them (תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה בֵּין מֹשֶׁה לְאַהֲרֹן, הֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ עִלָּאָה). But Moshe is above—Moshe is the escort of the King, Aharon is the escort of the Matronita (אֶלָּא מֹשֶׁה עִלָּאָה, מֹשֶׁה שׁוּשְׁבִינָא דְּמַלְכָּא, אַהֲרֹן שׁוּשְׁבִינָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא). It is like a king who had a Matronita above—what did he do? He appointed for her a escort to arrange her and to oversee the matters of the house (מְתַל לְמַלְכָּא דְּהֲוָה לֵיהּ מַטְרוֹנִיתָא עִלָּאָה. מָה עֲבַד. יָהַב לָהּ שׁוּשְׁבִינָא לְתַקְּנָא לָהּ וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּמִלֵּי דְּבֵיתָא). And for this, when this escort enters to the King, he does not enter except with the Matronita. This is what is written: “With this shall Aharon come…” (Leviticus 16) (וְעַל דָּא, כַּד עַיִּיל שׁוּשְׁבִינָא דָּא לְמַלְכָּא, לָא עַיִּיל אֶלָּא עִם מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, בְּזֹאת יָבֹא אַהֲרֹן וְגוֹ׳). Moshe is the escort of the King; therefore he was summoned as a guest, and afterward: “And Hashem spoke to him” (Leviticus 1) (מֹשֶׁה שׁוּשְׁבִינָא לְמַלְכָּא, בְּגִין כָּךְ אִזְדָּמַן כְּאוּשְׁפִּיזָא, וּלְבָתַר, וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ׳ אֵלָיו). Aharon is the escort of the Matronita, and all his matters were to appease the King with the Matronita, and the King is appeased with her (אַהֲרֹן הוּא שׁוּשְׁבִינָא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְכָל מִלּוֹי הֲווֹ, לְפַיְּיסָא לְמַלְכָּא בְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְיִתְפְּיָיס מַלְכָּא בַּהֲדָהּ). And for this, because he is her escort, his dwelling was placed with her, to arrange the house and to look constantly into the matters of the house (וְעַל דָּא בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ, שׁוּשְׁבִינָא לָהּ שַׁוִּי מָדוֹרֵיהּ בַּהֲדָהּ, לְתַקְּנָא בֵּיתָא וּלְעַיְינָא תָּדִיר בְּמִלֵּי דְּבֵיתָא). And for this it was established corresponding to above, and he is called the High Priest (וְעַל דָּא אִתְתְּקַּן כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וְאִקְרֵי כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל). From where do we know this? As it is written: “You are a priest forever after the manner of Malki-Tzedek” (Psalms 110) (מְנָא לָן. דִּכְתִיב, אַתָּה כֹהֵן לְעוֹלָם עַל דִּבְרָתִי מַלְכִּי צֶדֶק).