Daf 106a (דַּף ק״ו ע״א)

Rabbi Shimon said to the companions (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְחַבְרַיָּא), fortunate is our portion, that the supernal and the lower are in agreement to assist us (זַכָּאָה חוּלְקָנָא דְעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין אִינוּן בְּאַסְכָּמוּתָא לְסַיֵּיעַ לָן). This is what the Masters of the Mishnah established: a human who exerts himself in the service of his Master-then all creatures of the world are in his assistance (הַאי אִיהוּ דְאוּקְמוּהוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין דְּבַר נַשׁ דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְמָארֵיהּ דְּכָל בִּרְיָין דְּעָלְמָא אִינוּן בְּסַיְעַתָּא דִילֵיהּ), as they established: “The entire world was not created except to accompany this one” (כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהָ כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ לֹא נִבְרָא אֶלָּא לְצַוּוֹת לָזֶה). And even Seraphim and Chayot and Ofanim were created only to assist him (וַאֲפִילוּ שְׂרָפִים וְחַיּוֹת וְאוֹפַנִּים לָא אִתְבְּרִיאוּ אֶלָּא לְסַיַּיעִתֵּיהּ). And when a person brings forth breaths and words in his prayer, how many birds open their wings and their mouths to receive them (וְכַד בַּר נַשׁ אַפִּיק הֲבָלִים וְדִבּוּרִים בִּצְלוֹתֵיהּ, כַּמָּה עוֹפִין פָּתְחִין גַּדְפַיְיהוּ וּפִימַיְיהוּ לְקַבְּלָא לוֹן). This is what is written: “For a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and the possessor of wings shall tell the matter” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל וּבַעַל כְּנָפַיִם יַגֵּיד דָּבָר) (Ecclesiastes 10). And Kudsha Berikh Hu takes these words and builds with them worlds (וְנָטִיל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִלֵּין מִלִּין וּבָנֵי בְּהוֹן עָלְמִין), of which it is said: “For as the new heavens and the new earth which I am making…” (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן כִּי כַאֲשֶׁר הַשָּׁמַיִם הַחֲדָשִׁים וְהָאָרֶץ הַחֲדָשָׁה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה) (Isaiah 66:22). And the mystery of the matter: “And I have placed My words in your mouth, and in the shadow of My hand I have covered you, to plant the heavens and to found the earth, and to say to Zion: You are My people” (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וָאָשִׂים דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ וּבְצֵל יָדִי כִּסִּיתִיךָ, לִנְטֹעַ שָׁמַיִם וְלִיסֹד אָרֶץ וְלֵאמֹר לְצִיּוֹן עַמִּי אָתָּה) (Isaiah 51:16). Do not read “Ami (My people)” but “Imi (with Me),” in partnership (אַל תִּקְרֵי עַמִּי אֶלָּא עִמִּי בְּשׁוּתָּפוּ).

Meanwhile, behold, the elder descended, opened and said: “I sleep, but my heart is awake” (אַדְהָכִי הָא סָבָא קָא נָחִית פָּתַח וְאָמַר אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה וְלִבִּי עִר) (Song of Songs 5:2). “I sleep” from my lovers who have distanced themselves from me (אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מֵרְחִימָאי דְּאִתְרַחַק מִנִּי), “and my heart is awake” when it comes to me (וְלִבִּי עִר כַּד אַתְיָא לְגַבָּי). Of a bride who had been married to a bridegroom and was distanced from him (לְכַלָּה דַהֲוַת נְשׂוּאָה לְחָתָן, וְאִתְרַחַק מִינָהּ), she fell into the house of illness (נָפְלַת בְּבֵי מַרְעָא), and all physicians gathered to her (וְאִתְכַּנְשׁוּ כָל אַסְיָין לְגַבָּהּ), and they were not able to know her illness (וְלָא הֲווֹ יָכְלִין לְמִנְדַּע מַרְעָא דִילָהּ). There was a heart-physician there who would diagnose by the beating (אַסְיָא קַרְטְנָא הֲוָה תַמָּן דַּהֲוָה אִשְׁתְּמוֹדָע בִּדְפִיקוּ), in ten kinds of beats that a physician must contemplate in them, corresponding to the ten fingers (בַּעֲשָׂרָה מִינֵי דְפִיקִין דְּבָעִי לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהוֹן אַסְיָא, לָקֳבֵל עֲשַׂר אֶצְבְּעָאן). And they were not able to identify her illness except he (וְלָא הֲווֹ אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָאן בְּמַרְעָא דִילָהּ אֶלָּא הוּא).

For how many beverages and good scents from apples-of which it is said: “And the scent of your nose is like apples” (דְכַמָּה מַשְׁקִין וְרֵיחִין טָבִין מִתַּפּוּחִין, דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וְרֵיחַ אַפֵּךְ כַּתַּפּוּחִים) (Song of Songs 7:9)-and how many beverages from pomegranate juice did other physicians give her (וְכַמָּה מַשְׁקִין מֵעֲסִיס רִמּוֹנִים הֲווֹ מַשְׁקִין לָהּ אַסְיָין אָחֳרָנִין), and they did not benefit her (וְלָא הֲווֹ מְהַנְּיָין לָהּ), until that heart-physician came, contemplated in her beating, and she was identified by the physician (עַד דְּאָתָא אַסְיָא קַרְטְנָא אִסְתַּכַּל בִּדְפִיקוּ דִילָהּ, וְאִיהִי אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא בְאַסְיָא). And she said: “The voice of my beloved knocks” (וְאָמְרַת קוֹל דּוֹדִי דוֹפֵק) (Song of Songs 5:2). And he said: “Open for me” (וְאִיהוּ אָמַר פִּתְחִי לִי), “Open for the letter Yod, which is ten kinds of beats” (פִּתְחִי לְאָת יו״ד דְּאִיהִי עֲשָׂרָה מִינֵי דְפִיקוּ). “The voice of my beloved knocks”-this is Vav knocking at the gate, in the six joints of the arms (קוֹל דּוֹדִי דוֹפֵק דָּא ו׳ דָּפִיק לְתַרְעָא, בְּשִׁית פִּרְקִין דִּדְרוֹעִין). And the mystery of the matter: “His hands are rods of gold filled with beryl” (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה יָדָיו גְּלִילֵי זָהָב מְמוּלָּאִים בַּתַּרְשִׁישׁ) (Song of Songs 5:14), in two sixes, in the two arms, six joints (בִּתְרֵ״י שֵׁ״שׁ, בִּתְרֵין דְּרוֹעִין שִׁית פִּרְקִין). And all of them are hinted in the word “Bereshit,” which is “bara shit” (created six) (וְכֻלְּהוּ רְמִיזִין בְּמִלַּת בְּרֵאשִׁית דְּאִיהוּ בָּרָ״א שִׁי״ת). And about them it is said: “Open for me with the letter Bet” (וַעֲלַיְהוּ אִתְּמַר פִּתְחִי לִי בְּאָת ב׳). “Open for me the gates of righteousness” (פִּתְחוּ לִי שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק) (Psalms 118:19). “Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in” (שְׂאוּ שְׁעָרִים רָאשֵׁיכֶם וְהִנָּשְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵי עוֹלָם וְיָבֹא מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד) (Psalms 24:7).

And because of this: “Open for me with the letter Bet” (וּבְגִין דָּא פִּתְחִי לִי בְּאָת ב׳). “This is the gate to Hashem” (זֶה הַשַּׁעַר לַיהו״ה) (Psalms 118:20). And this is the letter Bet from Bereshit (וְדָא אָת ב׳ מִן בְּרֵאשִׁית). “My sister” is the letter Alef from Bereshit (אֲחוֹתִי בְּאָת א׳ מִן בְּרֵאשִׁית). “My companion” is the letter Resh from Bereshit (רַעְיָתִי בְּאָת ר׳ מִן בְּרֵאשִׁית). “My dove” is the letter Yod from Bereshit (יוֹנָתִי בְּאָת יו״ד מִבְּרֵאשִׁית). “My perfect one” is the letter Tav from Bereshit (תַּמָּתִי בְּאָת ת׳ מִן בְּרֵאשִׁית). “My head” is the letter Shin from Bereshit (שֶׁרֹאשִׁי בְּאָת ש׳ מִן בְּרֵאשִׁית). [It is filled with dew, the mystery of the matter: YHVH One, whose calculation is 39 (נִמְלָא ט״ל, רָזָא דְמִלָּה יהו״ה אַחַ״ד דְּסָלִיק לְחַשְׁבָּן ט״ל). Another matter: filled with dew in Elohim, and in it she is filled (דָּבָר אַחֵר נִמְלָא ט״ל בְּאֱלֹהִי״ם, וּבֵיהּ אִיהִי מְלֵיאָ״ה). In what place? On the seventh day, which is the sixth (בְּאָן אֲתַר בְּיוֹמָא שְׁבִיעָאָה דְּאִיהוּ שְׁתִיתָאָה). And upon its head, Yod, a crown, inclusive of ten (וְעַל רֵישֵׁיהּ יו״ד עֲטָרָה כְּלִילָא מֵעֲשָׂרָה). Yod is the drop that is drawn from the brain toward the Heh, outflows of water (יו״ד אִיהִי טִפָּה דְאִתְמַשְׁכַת מִן מוֹחָא לְגַבֵּי ה׳ אֲפִיקֵי מָיִם). Vav is the Ruach that goes forth from the left ear, the northern wind that went forth from the left ear of the heart (ו׳ רוּחָא דְנָפִיק מֵאֹזֶן שְׂמָאלָא, רוּחַ צְפוֹנִית דַהֲוָה נָפִיק מֵאֹזֶן שְׂמָאלָא דְלִבָּא). And it would blow into the harp of David, and it would play of itself (וַהֲוָה מְנַשֵּׁב בְּכִנּוֹר דְּדָוִד וַהֲוָה מְנַגֵּן מֵאֵלָיו). And about it, it is said: “The voice of my beloved knocks” (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר קוֹל דּוֹדִי דוֹפֵק) (Song of Songs 5:2). At first she said, the small Heh: “I sleep, from Y-H” (דִּבְקַדְמֵיתָא אָמְרַת ה׳ זְעִירָא אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן י״ה), until the Vav was aroused toward her, which is Ruach (עַד דְּאִתְעַר ו׳ לְגַבִּי דְאִיהוּ רוּחַ).

And immediately: “The voice of my beloved knocks” in six letters of Bereshit (וּמִיָּד קוֹל דּוֹדִי דוֹפֵק בְּשִׁית אַתְוָון מִן בְּרֵאשִׁית), which correspond to the six words of unification (דְּאִינוּן לָקֳבֵל שִׁית תֵּיבִין דְּיִחוּדָא). And they correspond to the six days of Bereshit (וְאִינוּן לָקֳבֵל שִׁית יוֹמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית). And further: “Open for me” on the first day, which is the right side (וְעוֹד פִּתְחִי לִי בְּיוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה דְאִיהִי יְמִינָא). Of it, it is said: “You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor” (דַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶיךָ וּמַשְׂבִּיעַ לְכָל חַי רָצוֹן) (Psalms 145:16). “Your hands” means “Your Yods”-this is Yod, which is on the right (יָדֶיךָ יוּדֶיךָ, דָּא יו״ד דְּאִיהוּ לִימִינָא). “My sister” on the second day, where there is Heh (אֲחוֹתִי בְּיוֹמָא תִּנְיָינָא דְתַמָּן ה׳). “My dove” on the third day, where there is Vav (יוֹנָתִי בְּיוֹמָא תְּלִיתָאָה דְתַמָּן ו׳). “My head is filled with dew” on the fourth day [some say: the third], which is the sum of Yod Heh Vav, whose calculation is 39 (שֶׁרֹאשִׁי נִמְלָא טָל בְּיוֹמָא רְבִיעָאָה [נ״א תְּלִיתָאָה], דְּאִיהוּ כְּלָלָא דְיו״ד ה״א וא״ו דְּאִיהוּ חוּשְׁבַּן ט״ל). And this is the body and the covenant, which we count as one in calculation, for this is Vav Alef Vav, which ascends as Echad (וְדָא אִיהוּ גוּפָא וּבְרִית דְּחַשְׁבֵינָן חַד בְּחֻשְׁבָּן, דְּאִיהוּ וָא״ו דְּסָלִיק אֶחָ״ד). The supernal Vav is the middle pillar (ו׳ עִלָּאָה עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). The lower Vav is the Tzaddik (ו׳ תַּתָּאָה צַדִּיק). Alef holds upon both of them, that they are one (א׳ אַחֲזֵי עַל תַּרְוַיְיהוּ דְאִינוּן חָד).