Daf 104a (דַּף ק״ד ע״א)

And therefore: “There is a vanity which is done upon the earth” (וּבְגִין דָּא יֶשׁ הֶבֶל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ) (Ecclesiastes 8:14). The companions said to him: Rabbi, tell us some hint in this verse, that this wisdom not be concealed from the companions (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ חַבְרַיָּיא רַבִּי אֵימָא לָן שׁוּם רְמִיזָא בְּהַאי קְרָא, דְלָא אִתְכַּסְיָּא חָכְמָתָא דָא מִן חַבְרַיָּיא). He said to them: Rabbis, surely a supernal mystery is there, but I will tell you by hint (אָמַר לוֹן רַבָּנָן בְּוַדַּאי רָזָא עִלָּאָה אִית תַּמָּן, אֲבָל אֵימָא לְכוּ בִרְמִיזָא). Seven vanities they are (שֶׁבַע הֲבָלִים אִינוּן), and fortunate is one who does not take his reward in this world (וְזַכָּאָה מָאן דְּלָא נָטִיל לְאַגְרָיְיהוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And they are those that are included in the daughter of seven (וְאִינוּן דִּכְלִילָן בְּבַת שֶׁבַע). And they are in this verse: “Hevel [vanity]” is one; “Havalim [vanities]” is two—behold, three. “Hevel Havalim [vanity of vanities]” is three—behold, six. “Hakol Hevel [all is vanity]”—behold, seven (וְאִינוּן בְּהַאי קְרָא, הֲבֵל חַד, הֲבָלִים תְּרֵין—הָא תְּלַת. הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים תְּלַת—הֲרֵי שִׁית. הַכֹּל הָבֶל—הָא שֶׁבַע). And corresponding to them are seven names: ABGYTTZ and its companions (וּלְקִבְלַיְיהוּ שֶׁבַע שְׁמָהָן אבגית״ץ וְגוֹ׳).

These seven vanities are doubled, corresponding to the seven lights of the Menorah, doubled (אֵלּוּ שֶׁבַע הֲבָלִים אִינוּן כְּפוּלִים, לָקֳבֵל שֶׁבַע שְׁרַגִּין דִּמְנַרְתָּא, כְּפוּלִים), about which it is said: “Seven and seven pipes to the lamps” (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן שִׁבְעָה וְשִׁבְעָה מוּצָקוֹת) (Zechariah 4:2). And these are the seven existences, about which it is said in the utterance: “Let there be light, and there was” (שֶׁבַע הֲוַיּוֹת, דְאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן בַּאֲמִירָה יְהִי אוֹר, וַהֲוִי מִיָּד). And the garments of these seven existences are the seven names ABGYTTZ and its companions (וּלְבוּשִׁין דְּאִינוּן שֶׁבַע הֲוַיּוֹת אִינוּן שֶׁבַע שְׁמָהָן אבגית״ץ וְחַבְרוֹי). Hevel is a single flame, Havalim are flames (הֶבֶל אִיהוּ לַהַב, הֲבָלִים לֶהָבִים). And about them it is said: “The voice of Hashem hews flames of fire” (וַעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר קוֹל יהו״ה חוֹצֵב לַהֲבוֹת אֵשׁ) (Psalms 29:7). And one who knows these vanities, when he brings them forth from his mouth and from his heart, he knows to intend in the supernal Shekhinta (וּמָאן דְּיָדַע בְּאִלֵּין הֲבָלִים, כַּד אַפִּיק לוֹן מִפּוּמוֹי וּמִלִּבֵּיהּ יָדַע לְכַוְונָא בִשְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה), for all the vanities depend upon Her (דְכָל הֲבָלִים מִינָה תַּלְיָין), and they are clothed in the lower Shekhinta (וּמִתְלַבְּשָׁן בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה), in which are included the seven names ABGYTTZ and its companions (דִכְלִיל שֶׁבַע שְׁמָהָן אבגית״ץ וְחַבְרוֹי). For they are the letters by which heaven and earth were created (דְּאִינוּן אַתְוָון דִּבְּהוֹן אִתְבְּרִיאוּ שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא). Some depend upon utterance, and some upon deed (דְּאִלֵּין תַּלְיָין בַּאֲמִירָה וְאִלֵּין בַּעֲשִׂיָּה). In the mystery of “He says and He does immediately” (בְּרָזָא דְאוֹמֵר וְעוֹשֶׂה מִיָּד). And these seven vanities are doubled, corresponding to the seven lights of the Menorah, doubled (וְאִלֵּין שֶׁבַע הֲבָלִים אִינוּן כְּפוּלִים, לָקֳבֵל שֶׁבַע שְׁרַגִּין דִּמְנַרְתָּא, כְּפוּלִים), about which it is said: “Seven and seven pipes to the lamps…” (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוּ שִׁבְעָה וְשִׁבְעָה מוּצָקוֹת לַנֵּרוֹת וְגוֹ׳) (Zechariah 4:2). These are in utterance, and these are in deed, and they are YH Yod Heh, V’H Vav Heh (אֵלִּין בַּאֲמִירָה וְאֵלִּין בַּעֲשִׂיָּה, וְאִינוּן י״ה יו״ד ה״א, ו״ה וא״ו ה״א). These are the seven and seven pipes (אֵלִּין אִינוּן שִׁבְעָה וְשִׁבְעָה מוּצָקוֹת).

Blessed is the people who know how to raise prayers in utterance and deed (זַכָּאָה עַמָּא דְיָדְעִין לְסַלְקָא צְלוֹתִין בַּאֲמִירָה וְעוֹבָדָא), and about them it is said: “And I have placed My words in your mouth…” (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר וָאָשִׂים דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ וְגוֹ׳) (Isaiah 51:16). And indeed it has been established: Do not read Ami (My people), but rather Imi (with Me), as partner (וְהָא אוּקְמוּה אַל תִּקְרֵי עַמִּי, אֶלָּא עִמִּי בְּשׁוּתָּפוּ). As it is said: “By the word of Hashem the heavens were made…” (כְּמָה דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ בִּדְבַר יהו״ה שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ וְגוֹ׳) (Psalms 33:6). So are you with Me in partnership, that by your speech heaven and earth are made (הָכִי אַנְתְּ בְּשׁוּתָּפוּ עִמִּי, דִּבְמִלּוּלָךְ אִתְעֲבִידוּ שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא). And further: Hevel, Heh Lamed Bet, Heh is divided into two partzufim (וְעוֹד הֲבֵל ה׳ ל״ב, ה׳ אִתְפַּלֵּג לְד״וּ פַּרְצוּפִין).

D’’u: Dalet is the four legs of the throne (ד״וּ, ד׳ אַרְבַּע רַגְלִין דְּכָרְסַיָּיא), and Vav: “Six steps to the throne” (ו׳, שֵׁשׁ מַעֲלוֹת לַכִּסֵּא) (I Kings 10:19). Blessed is he who inherits a Neshama from the precious throne, crowned from these ten Tikkunim (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מָאן דְּיָרִית נִשְׁמָתָא מִכָּרְסַיָּיא יַקִּירָא, כְּלִילָא מֵעֲשַׂר תִּקּוּנִין אִלֵּין), and makes for it a throne for Hashem (וְעָבִיד לָהּ כָּרְסַיָּיא לַיהו״ה), for the Name of Hashem that is in the path of Atzilut (דִּשְׁמָא דְיהו״ה דְּאִיהוּ בְּאֹרַח אֲצִילוּת). To establish for him a throne, man for his Neshama (לְתַקְנָא לֵיהּ כּוּרְסַיָּיא בַּר נַשׁ לְנִשְׁמָתֵיהּ). For thus have the ancients established: All Neshamot are hewn from the Throne of Glory (דְּהָכִי אוּקְמוּהוּ קַדְמָאִין, כָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת גְּזוּרוֹת מִכִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד), and there rests the supernal Shekhinta (וְתַמָּן שַׁרְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה). And there is no Heh without Yod (וְלֵית ה׳ בְּלָא י׳). And in proof: “For the hand upon the throne of Y-H” (וּבג״ד כִּי יָד עַל כֵּס י״ה) (Exodus 17:16).

Vav dwells in Metatron (ו׳ שַׁרְיָא בְּמטטרו״ן), and this is the intellectual Ruach that is Atzilut (וְדָא אִיהוּ רוּחַ הַשִּׂכְלִי דְּאִיהוּ אֲצִּילוּת). Heh dwells in Ofan (ה׳ שַׁרְיָא בְּאוֹפַן), and this is the intellectual Nefesh in the path of Atzilut (וְדָא נֶפֶשׁ הַשִּׂכְלִית בְּאֹרַח אֲצִּילוּתָא). For there is Neshama and Ruach and Nefesh intellectual, but not in the path of Atzilut (דְּאִית נְשָׁמָה וְרוּחַ וְנֶפֶשׁ שִׂכְלִית וְלָא בְאֹרַח אֲצִּילוּת), but it is said of them: they are hewn (אֶלָּא אִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן גְּזוּרוֹת). And these are Throne and Angel and Ofan (וְאִינוּן כִּסֵּא וּמַלְאַךְ וְאוֹפָן). Blessed are Yisrael, who raise the vanities of their prayers through them (זַכָּאִין אִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּסָלְקִין הֲבָלִים דִּצְּלוֹתִין בְּהוֹן), to the letters of Kudsha Berikh Hu and the Shekhinta, above and below (לְגַבֵּי אַתְוָון דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה וְתַתָּאָה). And in proof: “There is a vanity which is done upon the earth” (וּבג״ד יֶשׁ הֶבֶל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ) (Ecclesiastes 5:14). And there is a vanity of the wicked, which are vanities of falsehood (וְיֵשׁ הֶבֶל דְּרַשִּׁיעַיָּא, דְאִינוּן הֲבָלִים דְּשִׁקְרָא). And the angels of destruction take them (וְנָטְלִין לוֹן מַלְאֲכֵי חַבָּלָה), and they plant through them firmaments and earths of falsehood (וְנָטְעִין בְּהוֹן רְקִיעִין וְאַרְעִין דְּשִׁקְרָא). And about them it is said: “They are vanity, the work of delusion” (וַעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר הֶבֶל הֵמָּה מַעֲשֵׂה תַּעְתּוּעִים) (Jeremiah 10:15). Here it is lacking (כָּאן חָסֵר). They all arose and prostrated themselves before Him (קָמוּ כֻלְּהוּ וְאִשְׁתַּטְחוּ קַמֵּיהּ), and said: If we came into the world only to hear this, it would be enough (וְאָמְרוּ אִלּוּ לָא אַתֵינָא לְעָלְמָא, אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמַע דָּא דַי).