Daf 110b (דַּף ק״י ע״ב)

He said to him: And who caused that they were cast there? (אָמַר לֵיהּ וּמָאן גָּרִים דְּאִזְדְּרִיקוּ תַּמָּן). He said to him: The image of his father that appeared to him, which was the image of Adam Kadma’ah-this caused that they were cast (אָמַר לֵיהּ דִּיּוֹקְנָא דַאֲבוּהָ דְאִזְדַּמַּן לְגַבֵּיהּ, דַּהֲוָה דִיּוֹקְנָא דְאָדָם קַדְמָאָה, דָּא גָרִים דְּאִזְדְּרִיקוּ לוֹן). And he thrust his nails into the ground and cast forth his body (וְנָעַץ צִפָּרְנָיו בְּקַרְקַע וּבָרַח גַּרְמֵיהּ), and they were not cast into that harlot-for had the image of his father not appeared to him, they would not have been cast in that way. And the image of his father caused that drop, and “he fled and went outside” (וְלָא אִזְדְּרִיקוּ בְּהַהִיא זוֹנָה, דְּאִי לָאו דְּאִתְחֲזִיאַת לֵיהּ דִּיּוֹקְנָא דַאֲבוּהָ לָא הֲווֹ אִזְדְּרִיקוּ הָכִי, וְדִיּוֹקְנָא דַאֲבוּהָ גָּרַם דְּהַהִיא טִפָּה, וַיָּנָס וַיֵּצֵא הַחוּצָה, וְלָאו בַּעֲבֵירָה, וּבִשְׂכַר וַיָּנֹס). [Some say: Had he cast them into that harlot, Yisrael would have drowned in the sea. And the ancients did not establish it in vain; in the merit of “and he fled,” it was established.] (נ״א בְּהַאי זוֹנָה, דְּאִי הֲוָה זָרִיק לוֹן בְּהַאי זוֹנָה, הֲווֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל טָבְעִין בְּיַמָּא, וְלָאו לְמֶגְנָא אוּקְמוּהוּ קַדְמָאִין, בִּשְׂכַר וַיָּנוּס). “The sea saw and fled” (הַיָּם רָאָה וַיָּנֹס) (Psalms 114:3). And had it not been so, Yisrael would not have gone forth from the sea (וְאִי לָא, לָא הֲווֹ נָפְקִין יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן יַמָּא). And he received his punishment in the Ten Martyrs, for from him were destined to come forth the ten tribes (וְאִיהוּ קַבִּיל עוֹנְשֵׁיהּ בְּאִלֵּין עֲשָׂרָה הֲרוּגֵי מַלְכוּת, דַּהֲווֹ עֲתִידִין לְמֵיפַק מִינֵיהּ עֲשָׂרָה שִׁבְטִין). And because of this, the Ten Martyrs correspond to the ten tribes that were destined to come forth from him (וּבְגִין דָּא הֲווֹ עֲשָׂרָה הֲרוּגֵי מַלְכוּת כְּגַוְונָא דַעֲשָׂרָה שִׁבְטִין דַּהֲווֹ עֲתִידִין לְמֵיפַק מִנֵּיהּ). And the companions thought that they were the ten sons of Ya'akov (וַהֲווֹ חָשְׁבִין חַבְרַיָּא דַעֲשָׂרָה בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב הֲווֹ).

He said to him: If so, who gave this secret into Shet? (אָמַר לֵיהּ אִם כֵּן מָאן יְהִיב רָזָא דָא בְּשֵׁת). [He said to him: The souls of the Righteous were created before the world was created, as the ancients established.] (אָמַר לֵיהּ נִשְׁמָתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא אִתְבְּרִיאוּ קֳדָם דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהוּ קַדְמָאִין). [Some say: As it is written, Bereshit-there is no reshit but the soul…] (נ״א כְּמָ״שׁ בְּרֵאשִׁית, אֵין רֵאשִׁית אֶלָּא נְשָׁמָה, וְכוּ׳).

He said to him: Because of this the verse says: “Declaring the end from the beginning” (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּגִין דָּא אָמַר קְרָא מַגִּיד מֵרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית) (Isaiah 46:10). And because of this Shet is the completion of the letters, and from them are known the beginning of the letters, which is Alef–Bet in Atbash (וּבְגִין דָּא שֵׁת אִיהוּ סִיּוּמָא דְאַתְוָון, וּמִינַיְיהוּ אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָאן רֵישָׁא דְאַתְוָון דְּאִיהוּ א״ב בְּאַ״תְּ בַּ״שׁ). And furthermore, Shet: his Shin is the three branches of the supernal tree, and she is the root below, and shows in them three gilgulim above and three below (וְעוֹד שֵׁת, ש׳ דִּילֵיהּ אִינוּן תְּלַת עַנְפֵי אִילָנָא לְעִילָא, וְאִיהִי שֹׁרֶשׁ לְתַתָּא, וְאַחֲזֵי בְּהוֹן תְּלַת גִּלְגּוּלִין לְעִילָא, וּתְלַת לְתַתָּא). His Tav is Tiferet, shalom, inclusive of six sides-and this is the level of Moshe, inclusive of the three Patriarchs and the three grades beneath them (ת׳ תִּפְאֶרֶת [גש׳] שָׁלוֹם, כְּלִיל שִׁית סִטְרִין, וְדָא דַרְגָּא דְמֹשֶׁה, כְּלִיל תְּלַת אֲבָהָן וּתְלַת דַּרְגִּין תַּחוֹתַיְיהוּ). And these are the gilgulim of Adam: Shet, Enosh, Hevel; Noach, Shem, Yefet (וְאִינוּן גִּלְגּוּלָא דְאָדָם, שֵׁת אֱנוֹשׁ הֶבֶל, נֹחַ שֵׁם יָפֶת). And from Shet and Enosh all generations were traced (וּמִשֵּׁת וְאֱנוֹשׁ אִתְיַחֲסוּ כָּל דָּרִין). This is what is written: “Then it was begun to call upon the Name of Hashem” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב אָז הוּחַל לִקְרֹא בְּשֵׁם יהו״ה) (Bereshit 4:26). Az is that which is said of him: “For I drew him from the waters” (אָז הַהוּא דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ כִּי מִן הַמַּיִם מְשִׁיתִהוּ) (Exodus 2:10). Az began to come in gilgul, that which is said of him: “Then Moshe sang” (אָז הוּחַל לְמֵיתֵי בְּגִלְגּוּלָא, הַהוּא דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ אָז יָשִׁיר מֹשֶׁה) (Exodus 15:1).

And the mystery of the matter-behold, it has already been established: “A generation goes and a generation comes, and the earth stands forever” (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דּוֹר הֹלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא וְהָאָרֶץ לְעוֹלָם עֹמָדֶת) (Ecclesiastes 1:4). For she is fixed among them (דְּאִיהִי קְבִיעָא בֵינַיְיהוּ). [Like this: Nefesh is fixed in the body, and the Ruach ascends and descends in the body and spreads in all the veins of the heart. As we have already said, gilgulim [reincarnations] are like the wheels, which ascend and descend in one revolution.] (כגוונא דא, נֶפֶשׁ אִיהוּ בִּקְבִיעוּ דְגוּפָא, וְרוּחָא סַלְקָא וְנָחֲתָא בְּגוּפָא וּמִתְפַּשְׁטָא בְּכָל וָרִידֵי דְלִבָּא, כְּבַר אָמַרְנָא דְּגִלְגּוּלִין אִינּוּן כְּגוֹנָא דְּגַלְגַּלִּין דְּסַלְקִין וְנָחֲתִין בְּגִלְגּוּל חַד). Like this: the Nefesh is fixed in the body (כְּגַוְונָא דָא נֶפֶשׁ אִיהִי בִּקְבִיעוּ דְגוּפָא), and the Ruach descends and ascends in the body, and spreads in all the veins of the heart that pulse (וְרוּחָא נָחֲתָא וְסָלְקָא בְּגוּפָא, וּמִתְפַּשְׁטָא בְּכָל וָרִידֵי דְלִבָּא דְמִתְנַעֲנְעִין). This is what is written: “Wherever the Ruach was to go, they went” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב אֶל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה שָּׁמָּה הָרוּחַ לָלֶכֶת יֵלֵכוּ) (Ezekiel 1:20). But the Nefesh is fixed in the heart, like a woman who is fixed in her house (אֲבָל נַפְשָׁא קְבִיעָא בְלִבָּא, כְּאִתְּתָא דְאִיהִי קְבִיעָא בְּבֵיתָא). This is what is written: “He causes the barren woman to dwell in the house” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב מוֹשִׁיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת) (Psalms 113:9). And her husband: “And he went out, going and returning” (וּבַעֲלָהּ וַיֵּצֵא יָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב) (Bereshit 8:7). So: “A generation goes and a generation comes”-this is the middle pillar, which goes and comes in gilgul (הָכִי דּוֹר הוֹלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא, דָּא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא, אִיהוּ אָזִיל וְאָתֵי בְּגִלְגּוּלָא). But the Shekhinta stands forever-she does not go in gilgul, nor is she transplanted to another place (אֲבָל שְׁכִינְתָּא לְעוֹלָם עוֹמָדֶת, אִיהִי לָא אָזְלָא בְגִלְגּוּלָא, וְלָא אִתְרְכִיבַת בַּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא). And because of this it is said of her: “Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine” (וּבְגִין דָּא אִתְּמַר בָּהּ אֶשְׁתְּךָ כְּגֶפֶן פֹּרִיָּה) (Psalms 128:3). For just as the vine does not accept grafting from another species from all the trees of the world, so too the Shekhinta does not accept another grafting in the world, except from her husband (מַה גֶּפֶן לָא קַבִּילַת הַרְכָּבָה מִמִּין אָחֳרָא מִכָּל אִילָנָא דְעָלְמָא, הָכִי שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא קַבִּילַת עֲלֵיהּ הַרְכָּבָה אָחֳרָא בְעָלְמָא אֶלָּא מִבַּעֲלָהּ).