Daf 60b (דַּף ס׳ ע״ב)

It was taught (תָּאנָא): One thousand five hundred masters of shields, masters of dominions, unite from this side—these are the mighty ones (אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשׁ מְאָה מָארֵי תְּרִיסִין, מָארֵי דְּשׁוּלְטָנוּתָא, אִתְאַחֲדָן מְהַאי סִטְרָא, דְּאִינּוּן גִּבָּרִין). In the hand of that one called Na'ar [Youth] (בִּידוֹי דְּהַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי נַעַר) are four great keys (אַרְבַּע מַפְתְּחִין רַבְרְבָן). The Tanninim [Dragons] go beneath the ship of that great sea, to its four corners (תַּנִּינַיָיא אַזְלִין תְּחוֹת סְפִינָה דְּהַאי יַמָּא רַבָּא, לְאַרְבַּע זָוְיָין). This one goes to this side, and that one goes to that side, and so with them all (דָּא אָזִיל לְסִטְרָא דָּא, וְדָא אָזִיל לְסִטְרָא דָּא, וְכֵן כֻּלְּהוּ). Four visions of faces appear among them, and when they are included as one, it is written (וְכַד אִתְכְּלִילָן בְּחַד, כְּתִיב): “And the likeness of their faces: they had the face of a man” (וּדְמוּת פְּנֵיהֶם פְּנֵי אָדָם פְּנֵיהֶם דְּכֹלָּא) (Ezekiel 1:10).

Great faces and small faces are included together as one above (אַפֵּי רַבְרְבֵי וְאַפֵּי זוּטְרֵי כְּלִילָן כְּחַד לְעֵילָּא). Two ascend and travel, and two magrofin [shovels] are in their hands (תְּרֵי סַלְּקִין וְשָׁאטִין, וּתְרֵין מַגְרוֹפִין בִּידַיְיהוּ). A thousand mountains ascend and enter (אֶלֶף טוּרִין סַלְּקִין וְעָאלִין), some say: these hidden ones enter and ascend ([ס״א אִלֵּין טָמִירִין עָאלִין וְסַלְּקִין]). Every day from the flow of that sea (בְּכָל יוֹמָא מִשַּׁקְיוּ דְּהַהוּא יַמָּא); afterwards they are uprooted from it and ascend to another sea (לְבָתַר אִתְעֲקָרוּ מִנָּהּ, וְסַלְּקִין לְיַמָּא אָחֳרָא). There is no number to those who are united in her hair (לֵית חוּשְׁבָּנָא לְאִינּוּן דְּאִתְאַחֲדָן בְּשַׂעְרָהָא). Two children suckle every day, called rulers of the earth (תְּרֵין בְּנִין יַנְקִין כָּל יוֹמָא, דְּאִקְרוּן מְאַלְלֵי אַרְעָא). And this is the secret of the Sifra de-Tzeni'uta (וְדָא הוּא רָזָא דְּסִפְרָא דִּצְנִיעוּתָא). As it is written (דִּכְתִיב): “And Yehoshua ben Nun sent from Shittim two men, spies secretly, saying” (וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן מִן הַשִּׁטִּים שְׁנַיִם אֲנָשִׁים מְרַגְּלִים חֶרֶשׂ לֵאמֹר) (Joshua 2:1). And these suckle from beneath the sides of the wings (וְאִלֵּין יַנְקִין מִתְּחוֹת סִטְרֵי אֶבְרָהָא), some say: these suckle from the side of the wings ([ס״א וְאִלֵּין יַנְקִין מִסִּטְרָא דְּאֶבְרָהָא]). Two daughters are beneath her feet (תְּרֵין בָּנוֹת בִּתְחוֹת רַגְלָהָא). And concerning this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “And the sons of the Elohim saw the daughters of man” (וַיִּרְאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם) (Genesis 6:2). And these are joined at the tarpei [edges] of that bed (וְאִלֵּין מִתְאַחֲדָן בְּטַרְפֵּי דְּהַהִיא עַרְסָא), some say: at the tufrei [tips/claws] ([ס״א בְּטוּפְרֵי]). And this is what we learned (וְדָא הוּא דְּתָנֵינָן). As it is written (דִּכְתִיב): “Then came two women, prostitutes, unto the king” (אָז תָּבֹאנָה שְׁתַּיִם נָשִׁים זוֹנוֹת אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ) (I Kings 3:16).

Then they came—but not before this (אָז תָּבֹאנָה, וְלָא מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא). And at the time when Yisrael are below (וּבְזִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא), they turn their necks away from Kudsha Berikh Hu (אָהֲדְרוּן קְדָל מִבָּתַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). What is written? (מַאי כְּתִיב). “My people—their oppressors are children, and women rule over them” (עַמִּי נוֹגְשָׂיו מְעוֹלֵל וְנָשִׁים מָשְׁלוּ בוֹ) (Isaiah 3:12). Certainly (וַדַּאי).

In the left hand are seventy branches (בִּידָא שְׂמָאלָא, שִׁבְעִין עַנְפִין), which grow among the fish of the sea (דְּמְגַדְּלִין בֵּין נוּנֵי יַמָּא), all of them red like a rose (כֻּלְּהוּ סוּמָקֵי כְּוַורְדָּא). And above them is one branch, redder than the others (וְעֵילָּא מִנְּהוֹן, עַנְפָּא חַד סוּמָקָא יַתִּיר). This one ascends and descends (דָּא סָלִיק וְנָחִית), and they are all covered by her hair (וְכֻלְּהוּ אִתְחַפְיָּין בְּשַׂעְרָהָא). Masters of the evil tongue (מָארֵי דְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא). When the serpent descends (כַּד נָחִית חִוְיָא), it becomes one who leaps upon the mountains (אִתְעָבִיד מְקַפֵּץ עַל טוּרִין), skipping upon the cliffs (מְדַלְגָא עַל טִנָרֵי), until it finds prey (עַד דְּיִשְׁכַּח טַרְפָּא), which it grasps in its tufrei [claws] and devours (דְּאָחִיד בְּטוּפְרֵי וְיֵיכוּל). Then it rests (כְּדֵין שָׁכִיךְ), and its tongue returns to good (וְאִתְחַזָר לִישָׁנֵיהּ לְטָב). Happy are Yisrael, who prepare its prey for it (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּמְזַמְּנִין לֵיהּ טַרְפֵיהּ). It returns to its place (אַהֲדָר לְאַתְרֵיהּ), some say: behind it ([ס״א לְבַתְרֵיהּ]), and enters into the female of the great Tehom (עַיִּיל בְּנוּקְבָּא דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא). When the masters of spears and swords ascend (כַּד [ס״א סַלֵּיק סַלְקִין] מָארֵי דְּרוֹמְחִין וְסַיְיפִין), whose number cannot be reckoned (דְּלֵית לוֹן חוּשְׁבָּנָא), those surrounding them are the sixty supernal ones (סוּחֲרָנַיְיהוּ דְּאִינּוּן שִׁתִּין עִלָּאִין). For those surrounding this bed are thousands of thousands and myriads of myriads, standing on every side of this bed Above (דְּסוּחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּהַאי עַרְסָא, אֶלֶף אַלְפִין וְרִבּוֹא רִבְּוָון, קַיְימִין בְּכָל סִטְרָא דְּהַאי עַרְסָא לְעֵילָּא). And from it they are all nourished (וּמִנֵּיהּ אַתְּזְנָן). They all stand before Him (כֻּלְּהוּ מִקָּמֵיהּ יְקוּמוּן), some say: and from it they are nourished; they all serve Him and stand before Him ([ס״א וּמִנֵּיהּ אַתְּזְנוּ, לֵיהּ פָּלְחִין כּוּלְּהוּ קַמֵּיהּ]). From beneath them all emerge many thousands and myriads whose number cannot be reckoned (מִתְּחוֹת כֻּלְּהוּ, נָפְקִין כַּמָה אֶלֶף וְרִבְּבָן, דְּלֵית לוֹן חוּשְׁבָּנָא), and they descend and roam throughout the world (וְנַחְתִּין וְשָׁאטִין בְּעָלְמָא), until the masters of the shofar sound and they are gathered together (עַד דְּתַקְעֵי מָארֵי שׁוֹפָרָא, וּמִתְכַּנְּשֵׁי). And these are grasped in the defilement of the tufrei [claws] (וְהָנֵי בְּזוּהֲמָא דְּטוּפְרֵי אֲחִידָן).

This bed encompasses them all (דָּא עַרְסָא כָּלִיל לוֹן). This bed—its legs are held in the four directions of the world (דָּא עַרְסָא, רַגְלוֹהִי אֲחִידָן בְּאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא). All enter into the totality that is found Above and is found below (כֹּלָּא עָאלִין בִּכְלָלָא, דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח לְעֵילָּא, וְאִשְׁתְּכַח לְתַתָּא): “In the heavens above and upon the earth beneath” (בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל, וְעַל הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת) (Deuteronomy 4:39). And concerning this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “Behold” (הִנֵּה). What is “Behold”? (מַאי הִנֵּה). Because it is prepared for all, Above and below (בְּגִין דִּזְמִינָא לְכֹלָּא לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא). And the sign of this bed, from the totality, is called Adonai (וּרְשׁוּמָא הַאי עַרְסָא מִכֹּלָּא, אֲדֹנָ״י אִתְקְרֵי), Master of all (רִבּוֹנָא דְּכֹלָּא), inscribed among the hosts (רְשִׁימָא בֵּין חַיָּילָהָא). For this reason (בְּגִין כַּךְ), the priest must direct the supernal words (כַּהֲנָא בָּעֵי לְכַוְּונָא מִלֵּי דִּלְעֵילָּא), to unite the Holy Name from the place where it must be united (לְיַחֲדָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא מֵאֲתַר דְּבָעָא לְיַחֲדָא).

And concerning this we have learned (וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן): It is written (כְּתִיב), “With this shall Aharon come into the holy place” (בְּזֹאת יָבֹא אַהֲרֹן אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ) (Leviticus 16:3). With this he must bring holiness near to its place (בְּהַאי בָּעֵי לְקָרְבָא קְדוּשָּׁה לְאַתְרֵיהּ). From this place a man must fear before Kudsha Berikh Hu (מֵהַאי אֲתַר, בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְדַחֲלָא מִקַּמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

And concerning this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “If they were wise, they would understand this; immediately they would perceive their latter end” (לוּ חָכְמוּ יַשְׂכִּילוּ זֹאת, מִיַּד יָבִינוּ לְאַחֲרִיתָם) (Deuteronomy 32:29). That is to say (כְּלוֹמַר): If men would look upon the punishment (אִי יִסְתַּכְּלוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא בְּעוֹנְשָׁא), how this Zot [This] is held among the hosts (הֵיךְ אֲחִידַת זֹאת בֵּין חַיָּילָהָא), and how all those legions have been appointed before Her (וְהֵיךְ אִתְמָנוּ קַמָּהּ כָּל אִינּוּן בְּנֵי חַיָּילִין), all of them bound in service to exact punishment from the guilty (וַאֲחִידָן בְּפוּלְחָנָא לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִן חַיָּיבַיָּא), immediately they would perceive their latter end (מִיַּד יָבִינוּ לְאַחֲרִיתָם), they would guard their deeds (וְיִסְתַּמְרוּן עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן), and they would not sin before the Holy King (וְלָא יְחוּבוּן קָמֵי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא).

Further Rabbi Shimon said (תוּ אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): every man who merits to study Orayta and guards this Zot, this Zot guards him, and decrees with him covenant upon his covenant that it shall not depart from him, nor from his sons, nor from his sons’ sons forever (כָּל בַּר נָשׁ דְּזָכֵי לְמֵילַף אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְנָטִיר לָהּ לְהַאי זֹאת. הַאי זֹאת נְטִירַת לֵיהּ, וְגָזַר עִמֵּיהּ קַיְּימָא עַל קַיְּימָא דִּילֵיהּ, דְּלָא יִתְעֲדֵי מִנֵּיהּ, וּמִן בְּנוֹהִי וּמִן בְּנֵי בְּנוֹהִי לְעָלְמִין). This is what is written: and as for Me, this is My covenant with them (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַאֲנִי זֹאת בְּרִיתִי אוֹתָם וְגוֹ׳) (Isaiah 59).

They sat to eat (יָתְבוּ לְמֵיכַל). While they ate, Rabbi Shimon said to the friends: let each one say a new word of Orayta upon the table before Rabbi Pinchas (עַד דְּאָכְלוּ, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְחַבְרַיָּיא, כָּל חַד וְחַד לֵימָא מִלָּה חַדְתָּא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא עַל פָּתוֹרָא, לְקָמֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי פִּנְחָס).