Daf 100a (דַּף ק ע״א)

And the twelve constellations - these are Vav (וּתְרֵיסַר מַזָּלוֹת אִינוּן וְאִינוּן ו״ו). That are found as Vav (דאשתכח ו׳). Some say: They are found from Alef, and this is the secret of Vav and Alef, and there is Alef there, Vav supreme, that is the supernal Mazal that ascends in thought (נ״ל דאשתכחין מאת א׳ ודא רזא דוא״ו, וא׳ תמן ו׳ עלאה דאיהו מזלא עלאה דסליק במחשבה). And Alef is there (דְּאִיהוּ א תַּמָּן), Vav of the middle of the Alef (ו׳ דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְאָת א), it is the Mazal of all (אִיהוּ מַזָּלָא דְכֹלָּא), that ascends in the supernal Yod, which is at the head of the Alef (דְסָלִיק בְּאָת י׳ עִלָּאָה דְאִיהִי בְּרֵישָׁא דְאָת א). And when it ascended in thought, it is said: “Yisrael arose in thought” (בְּכַד סָלִיק בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה אִתְּמַר יִשְׂרָאֵל עָלָה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה). That is the Yod upon the head of the Alef (דְאִיהִי י׳ דְּעַל רֵישָׁא דְא׳). And because of this there is no Mazal for Yisrael (וּבְגִין דָּא לֵית מַזָּל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). For it ascended in thought, and every Mazal is appointed over the hour from the twelve constellations (דהא במחשבה סליק, וכל מזלא איהו ממנא על שעתא מתרין עשר מזלות). And it is the Mazal of all (דְּאִיהוּ מַזָּלָא דְכֹלָּא). And all the constellations depend on it - they are Vav Vav (וְכָל מַזָּלוֹת מִנֵּיהּ תַּלְיָין דְּאִינוּן ו׳ ו׳), which are appointed over the twelve hours (דִּי מְמַנָּן עַל תְּרֵיסַר שַׁעִתֵּי), which are Heh Heh (דְּאִינוּן ה׳ ה׳). Blessed is he for whom the hour endures (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מָאן דְּקַיְימָא לֵיהּ שַׁעִתָּא).

That is the Gilgul of all (דְּאִיהוּ גִלְגּוּל דְּכֻלְּהוּ), this is the Yod that is the Galgal (דָא י׳ דְּאִיהוּ גַלְגַּל), and with the Vav the Gilgul (wheel) is made (וְעִם ו׳ אִתְעֲבִיד גִּלְגּוּל), which is in the secret of 66 from Yesod (דְּאִיהוּ בְּרָזָא דְס״ו מִן יְסוֹד). About which it is said (Bereshit 46): “All the souls that came with Ya‘akov to Mitzrayim, sixty-six” (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ כָּל הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַבָּאָה לְיַעֲקֹב מִצְרַיְמָה שִׁשִּׁים וָשֵׁשׁ). For the arousal of the Middle Column - sixty (לְאַתְעָרוּתָא דְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא שִׁשִּׁים). For the arousal of the Tzaddik - six (לְאַתְעָרוּתָא דְצַדִּיק וָשֵׁשׁ). And all is hinted in the Tzaddik, in whom is the Gilgul (וְכֹלָּא אִתְרְמִיז בְּצַדִּיק דְּבֵיהּ גִּלְגּוּל). And further: Yesod there is the Yod (וְעוֹד יְסוֹד תַּמָּן יו״ד), that rolls within and rests within from all the Gilgulim that rolled (דְּאִתְגַּלְגַּל בֵּיהּ וְנָח בֵּיהּ מִכָּל גִּלְגּוּלִין דְּאִתְגַּלְגַּל). And because of this it is said (Bereshit 2): “And Elokim completed on the seventh day His work that He had made” (וּבְגִין דָּא וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה). And the Vav of Gilgul, in it the Tzaddik ascends to six hundred thousand (וְאוֹת ו׳ דְּגִלְגּוּל בֵּיהּ סָלִיק צַדִּיק לְשִׁתִּין רִבּוֹא). In the Tzaddik - six (בְּצַדִּיק אִינוּן שִׁית). And in the Middle Column ascends to sixty (וּבְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא סָלִיק לְשִׁתִּין). And in the supernal Keter, that is Alef, ascends to six hundred thousand (וּבְכֶתֶר עִלָּאָה דְאִיהוּ א סָלִיק לְשִׁתִּין רִבּוֹא). And this is: “A generation goes and a generation comes” (Ecclesiastes 1) (וְדָא אִיהוּ דּוֹר הוֹלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא).

Rabbi Shimon said to him: But the Elder said that the Gilgul is in Yesod (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְהָא סָבָא אָמַר דְּאִיהוּ גִלְגּוּל בַּיְסוֹד אִיהוּ). And there the Yod rolls within and rests upon it, and rests within from that labor of Gilgul that toils in the six days (וְתַמָּן י׳ דְּמִתְגַּלְגַּל בֵּיהּ וְשַׁרְיָא עֲלֵיהּ וְנָח בֵּיהּ מֵהַהוּא טָרְחָא דְגִלְגּוּלָא דְטָרַח בְּשִׁית יוֹמֵי). That ascend to six in the letter Vav (דְּסָלְקִין לְשִׁית בְּאָת ו׳). And to sixty in the Yod, six times ten (וּלְשִׁתִּין בְּי׳ שִׁית זִמְנִין עֶשֶׂר). And to six thousand in the Alef (וּלְשִׁית אַלְפִין בְּאַלֶּף). And to six hundred thousand in the supernal Keter (וּלְשִׁתִּין רִבּוֹא בְכֶתֶר עִלָּאָה). And this is: “A generation goes and a generation comes, and the earth stands forever” (Ecclesiastes 1) (וְדָא אִיהוּ דּוֹר הוֹלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא וְהָאָרֶץ לְעוֹלָם עוֹמָדֶת). And in every time that comes and goes, the hour endures for him (וּבְכָל זִמְנָא דְאָתֵי וְאָזִיל שַׁעִתָּא קַיְימָא לֵיהּ). This is what is written: “And the earth stands forever” (Ecclesiastes 1) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְהָאָרֶץ לְעוֹלָם עוֹמָדֶת). For to this one, his mate endures for him in every place, and in every Gilgul, and in every hour (דִּלְהַאי בַּת זוּגֵיהּ קַיְימָא לֵיהּ בְּכָל אֲתַר וּבְכָל גִּלְגּוּלָא וּבְכָל שַׁעִתָּא). Even though he goes and comes in many Gilgulim (אַף עַל גַּב דְּאָזִיל וְאָתֵי בְכַמָּה גִלְגּוּלִין), this one is a Tzaddik to whom it is good (הַאי אִיהוּ צַדִּיק וְטוֹב לוֹ). But to one whose hour does not endure for him, except another hour that is not his mate, endures for him (וּלְמָאן דְּשַׁעִתָּא דִילֵיהּ לָא קַיְימָא לֵיהּ אֶלָּא שַׁעִתָּא אָחֳרָא דְלַאו בַּת זוּגֵיהּ קַיְימָא לֵיהּ), this one is a Tzaddik to whom it is evil (וְהַאי אִיהוּ צַדִּיק וְרַע לוֹ). As the masters of the Mishnah have established: whoever presses the hour, the hour presses him (כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהָ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין כָּל מִי שֶׁדּוֹחֵק אֶת הַשָּׁעָה הַשָּׁעָה דוֹחֲקָתוֹ).

Rabbi El'azar said to him: But behold, Rabbi Pedat was a complete Tzaddik (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וְהָא ר׳ פְּדָת צַדִּיק גָּמוּר הֲוָה), and why did he not fall in his hour, that is his mate, his equal (וְאַמַּאי לָא נָפַל בְּשַׁעִתָּא דִילֵיהּ דְּאִיהִי בַּת זוּגֵיהּ בֶּן גִּילוֹ)? He said to him: My son, there is a Gilgul that requires him to fall into the Mazal that is his equal (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי אִית גִּלְגּוּלָא דִמְחַיֵּיב לֵיהּ דְּנָפִיל בְּמַזָּלֵיהּ דְּאִיהוּ בֶּן גִּילוֹ). As it is said (Deuteronomy 8): “A land wherein you shall eat bread without poverty” (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לֹא בְמִסְכֵּנוּת תֹּאכַל בָּהּ לֶחֶם). This is the hour of sustenance, and the hour of life and children (דְּאִיהִי שַׁעִתָּא דִמְזוֹנֵי וְשַׁעִתָּא דְחַיֵּי וּבָנֵי). And there is a Gilgul that requires him not to fall into the hour of sustenance, that is his mate (וְאִית גִּלְגּוּלָא דִמְחַיֵּיב לֵיהּ דְּלָא נָפִיל בְּשַׁעִתָּא דִמְזוֹנֵי דְאִיהִי בַּת גִּילוֹ). Even though he has done many merits in the world (אַף עַל גַּב דְּעָבִיד כַּמָּה זַכְוָון בְּעָלְמָא). And because of this the masters of the Mishnah have established: children, life, and sustenance do not depend on merit, but on Mazal depends the matter (וּבְגִין דָּא אוּקְמוּהָ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין בָּנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי לַאו בִּזְכוּתָא תַלְיָא מִלְתָא אֶלָּא בְמַזָּלָא תַלְיָא מִלְתָא). For Gilgul causes it to him, as if the matter depends on Mazal (דְּגִלְגּוּלָא גָרִים לֵיהּ כְּאִלּוּ בְּמַזָּלָא תַלְיָא מִלְתָא). And that which He said: “If I desire, I will destroy the world and again create it” (וּמַה דְּאָמַר אִי בָּעִית דְּאַחֲרִיב לְעָלְמָא וְהָדַר אִבְרֵיהּ), perhaps you will fall in the hour of sustenance (וְאֶפְשַׁר דִּנְפַלְתְּ בְּשַׁעִתָּא דִמְזוֹנֵי). Thus I certainly hear that every Tzaddik has a world of his own (הָכִי שְׁמַעִינָא בְּוַדַּאי דְּכָל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק יֵשׁ לוֹ עוֹלָם בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ). This is the body of man, which is called a small world (דָא גוּפָא דְבַר נַשׁ דְּאִתְקְרֵי עוֹלָם קָטָן). And for this reason it is said: “If I desire, I will destroy the world” (וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִתְּמַר אִי בָּעִית דְּאַחֲרִיב לְעָלְמָא). And I will bring him in another Gilgul (וְאַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ בְּגִלְגּוּלָא אָחֳרָא). And perhaps you will fall in the hour of sustenance (וְאוּלַי דִּנְפַלְתְּ בְּשַׁעִתָּא דִמְזוֹנֵי).

Meanwhile, behold, the Ancient of Ancients descended to him (אַדְהָכִי הָא סָבָא דְסָבִין עַתִּיקָא דְעַתִּיקִין קָא נָחִית לְגַבֵּיהּ). And He said: The world of every Tzaddik - this is the Shekhinta (וְאָמַר עוֹלָם דְּכָל צַדִּיק דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא). When the Middle Column departs from her, she remains desolate (כַּד אִסְתַּלַּק מִינָהּ עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא וְאִשְׁתְּאָרַת חֲרֵיבָה). And because of this it is said: “If I desire, I will destroy the world” (וּבְגִינָהּ אִתְּמַר תִּבְעִי דְאַחֲרִיב עָלְמָא). For every Sefirah is called a Galgal (דְּכָל סְפִירָה וּסְפִירָה אִתְקְרִיאַת גַּלְגַּל). And with the Vav is Gilgul (וְעִם ו׳ אִיהוּ גִלְגּוּל). And the six Sefirot, through the letters, ascend to six hundred thousand (וְשִׁית סְפִירָן בְּאַתְוָון סָלְקִין לְשִׁתִּין רִבּוֹא). And this is: “A generation goes and a generation comes” (Ecclesiastes 1) (וְדָא אִיהוּ דּוֹר הוֹלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא). And no generation is less than six hundred thousand (וְלֵית דּוֹר פָּחוּת מִשִּׁתִּין רִבּוֹא). “And the earth stands forever” (Ecclesiastes 1) (וְהָאָרֶץ לְעוֹלָם עוֹמָדֶת) - this is the Shekhinta (דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא).