Daf 14a (דַּף י״ד ע״א)

“As the radiance of the firmament” (כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ) (Daniel 12:3)—this is the mirror that shines in the face of a man (דָא אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָאָה דְנַהֲרָא בְּאַנְפּוֹי דְּאָדָם), from which depend the ears, the eyes, the nose, and the mouth (דְּמִינָהּ תַּלְיָין אוּדְנִין וְעַיְינִין וְחוֹטָמָא וּפוּמָא), which are the guides of the body and its limbs (דְאִינוּן מַנְהִיגֵי גוּפָא וְאֵבָרִין דִּילֵיהּ), in the likeness of the Ta‘amei [cantillation marks], which guide the Otiyot [letters] and Nekudot [vowel points] of the Orayta [Torah] (כְּגַוְונָא דְטַעֲמֵי, דְאִינוּן מַנְהִיגֵי אַתְוָון וּנְקוּדֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא). Just as the lips, and the teeth, and the palate, and the tongue, and the throat serve the letters (כְּמָה דְשִׂפְוָון וְשִׁינַיִן וְחֵיךְ וְלָשׁוֹן וְגָרוֹן אִנּוּן מְשַׁמְּשִׁין לְאַתְוָון), so in this likeness the wings of the eye, and the eyelids of the eye, and the three colors of the eye, they serve the eye (הָכִי כְּגַוְונָא דָא כַנְפֵי עִינָא וְעַפְעַפֵּי עִינָא וּתְלַת גַּוָּונֵי דְעִינָא, אִינוּן מְשַׁמְּשִׁין לְעִינָא). And all is bound in five Nekudot, in this likeness: [Hiriq, Kubutz, Tzere, Holam, Pataḥ] (וְכֹלָּא אִתְקַשַּׁר בְּחָמֵשׁ נְקוּדִין כְּגַוְונָא דָא אִאֻאֵאֹאַ), letters and Nekudot-five within five (אַתְוָון וּנְקוּדֵי חָמֵשׁ בְּגוֹ חָמֵשׁ). And about them it is said (Deuteronomy 29:9) “Your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers, all the men of Yisrael”-behold five (וַעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל הָא חֲמִשָּׁה). “Your little ones, your wives, and your stranger who is in the midst of your camp, from the hewer of your wood to the drawer of your water”-behold five others (טַפְּכֶם נְשֵׁיכֶם וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶיךָ מֵחֹטֵב עִצֶיךָ עַד שֹׁאֵב מֵימֶיךָ הָא חָמֵשׁ אָחֳרָנִין). Five within five-these are the Heh, Heh (חָמֵשׁ לְגוֹ חָמֵשׁ אִלֵּין ה״ה). And from them were given the Ten Utterances-this is Yod (וּמִנַּיְיהוּ אִתְיְיהִיבוּ עֲשַׂר דִּבְּרָן דָּא י׳). “And all the people saw the voices” (Exodus 20:15)-from the side of Vav (וְכָל הָעָם רוֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלוֹת מִסִּטְרָא דְו׳).

Another matter: “And the Wise”-these are masters of Mikra (Scripture) in Asiyah (דָּבָר אַחֵר וְהַמַּשְׂכִּילִים, אִלֵּין מָארֵי מִקְרָא בְעֲשִׂיָה). They shall shine-these are masters of Mishnah in Yetzirah (יַזְהִירוּ אִלֵּין מָארֵי מִשְׁנָה בִיְצִירָה). These are masters of the Mishnah, forty-nine aspects pure and forty-nine aspects impure (דְּאִינוּן מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין מ״ט אַנְפִּין טָהוֹר וּמ״ט אַנְפִּין טָמֵא). The forty-nine pure aspects (מ״ט אַנְפִּין טָהוֹר) are the forty-nine letters of the passage of the supernal unification (אִנּוּן מ״ט אַתְוָון דְּפָרָשָׁה דְיִחוּדָא עִלָּאָה), namely Shema Yisrael [Hear, O Israel]—twenty-five letters (דְאִיהוּ שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל כ״ה אַתְוָון)—and the twenty-four letters of the second passage of unification (וְכ״ד אַתְוָון דְּפָרָשָׁה תִּנְיָינָא דְיִחוּדָא), namely Barukh Shem Kevod Malkhuto Le‘olam Va‘ed [Blessed be the Name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever] (דְאִיהִי בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעִד). About the twenty-five letters it is said (Exodus 19:3): “Thus shall you say to the house of Ya'akov” (כ״ה אַתְוָון עֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב). And the twenty-four letters include the twenty-four books, which are twenty-four drawn from the sea of the Orayta (וּבְּכ״ד אַתְוָון דִּכְלִילָן בְּהוֹן כ״ד סְפָרִים, דְּאִינוּן כ״ד דְּשָׁאִיב מִן יַמָּא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא). About them it is said: “And tell the children of Yisrael” (Exodus 19:3) (אִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). And what is it that they draw from it? This twenty-four which is the Shekhinta, included from twenty-four books of the Orayta (וּמַאי נִיהוּ דְשָׁאֲבִין מִנֵּיהּ הַאי כ״ד דְּאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא, כְּלִילָא מִכ״ד סִפְרֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). This is the Tzaddik, who is the river that goes forth from the supernal Eden (דָּא צַדִּיק, דְּאִיהוּ נָהָר דְּנָפִיק מֵעִדֶן עִלָּאָה), for in it descends the Vav, which is the Son of Yod–Heh (בְּגִין דְּנָחִית בֵּיהּ ו׳, דְּאִיהוּ בֶּן י״ה).

And in exile it was removed from him (וּבְגָלוּתָא אִסְתַּלַּק מִנֵּיהּ), and about him it is said (Isaiah 19:5): “And the river shall be wasted and dried up” (וְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְנָהָר יֶחֱרַב וְיָבֵשׁ). “Wasted” in the first House, “dried up” in the second House (יֶחֱרַב בְּבַיִת רִאשׁוֹן, וְיָבֵשׁ בְּבַיִת שֵׁנִי). And he is poor in the twenty-four books (וְאִיהוּ דָךְ בְּכ״ד סְפָרִים). And with all this, though he is wasted and dried up, about him it is said (Psalms 74:21): “Let not the oppressed return ashamed” (וְעִם כָּל דָּא דְּאִיהוּ חָרֵב וְיָבֵשׁ, אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ אַל יָשׁוֹב דַּךְ נִכְלָם). “Let not the oppressed”—this is the Tzaddik, “Blessed be the Name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever” (אַל יָשׁוֹב דַּךְ, דְּאִיהוּ צַדִּיק בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעִד).

The oppressed (crushed) one is in the Shekhinta, which is the twenty-four letters of union (דַּ״ךְ בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּאִיהִי כ״ד אַתְוָון דְּיִחוּדָא). Concerning it, it is said (1 Kings 2): “And King Shlomo is blessed” (עֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר וְהַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה בָּרוּךְ). And regarding these twenty-four letters it is said (Isaiah 54): “And I will make your windows of kadkod stones, etc.” (וְעַל אִלֵּין כ״ד אַתְוָון אִתְּמַר וְשַׂמְתִּי כַּ״דְכֹ״ד שִׁמְשׁוֹתַיִךְ וְכוּ'). This poor one is the oppressed (crushed) one (הַאי עָנִי אִיהוּ דַּ״ךְ), and his mate is the crushed one (וּבַת זוּגֵיהּ דַכָּ״ה), and she is her pitcher upon her shoulder (וְאִיהִי כַדָּ״הּ עַל שִׁכְמָהּ). Twenty-four Heh—this refers to the five books of the Torah (כ״ד ה׳, דְאִיהִי חֲמִשָּׁה חוּמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה), and these are the five fingers (וְאִינוּן ה׳ אֶצְבְּעָאן), about which it is said (Bereshit 24): “And she filled her pitcher, and she went up” (דִּבְהוֹן אִתְּמַר וַתְּמַלֵּא כַדָּ״הּ וַתָּעַל). And from where do they draw? From the twenty-five letters (וּמֵאַיִן שׁוֹאֲבִין, מִכ״ה אַתְוָון). And the secret of the matter: “Thus shall you bless the children of Yisrael” (Numbers 6:23) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה כֹּ״ה תְבָרַכוּ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). “Et”-indeed (אֶת וַדַּאי). With what is she blessed and filled? With the letter Vav, which includes six words of the Union (בְּמַאי אִתְבָּרְכַת וְאִתְמְלִיאַת, בְּאָת ו׳ דְּאִיהוּ כְּלִיל שִׁית תֵּיבִין דְּיִחוּדָא), which are: “Shema Yisrael Hashem Eloheinu Hashem Echad” (שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יהו״ה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יהו״ה אֶחָד), and in it the letter was made (וּבֵיהּ אִתְעֲבִידַת אוֹת).

Twenty-five is the supernal Imma, the sea of the Orayta (כ״ה אִיהִי אִימָּא עִלָּאָה יַמָּא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא). The Vav is the river that goes out from there (ו׳ נָהָר דְּנָפִיק מִתַּמָּן), and from it is filled the twenty-four, which is the lower Shekhinta (וּמִנֵּיהּ אִתְמְלִיאַת כ״ד דְּאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה). And from Her is given drink in exile, that which was at the beginning, She drinks from it (וּמִנָּהּ אִתְשַׁקְיָא בְּגָלוּתָא, מַה דַּהֲוָה בְּקַדְמֵיתָא הִיא אִתְשַׁקְיָא מִנֵּיהּ). And the secret of the matter: “And she hastened and lowered her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink” (Bereshit 24:18) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וַתְּמַהֵר וַתּוֹרֶד כַּדָּהּ עַל יָדָהּ וַתַּשְׁקֵהוּ). And about her it is said: “Drink, my lord” (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר וַתֹּאמֶר שְׁתֵה אֲדוֹנִי), for He is her Master (דְאִיהוּ אָדוֹן דִּילָהּ). “And when she had finished giving him drink, she said: Also for your camels will I draw” (וַתְּכַל לְהַשְׁקוֹתוֹ וַתֹּאמֶר גַּם לִגְמַלֶּי״ךָ אֶשְׁאָב). These are the 248 words of the recitation of the Shema (אִלֵּין רְמַ״ח תֵּיבִין דִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע), which correspond to the 248 commandments of the Orayta (דְּאִינוּן שְׁקִילִין לְרַמַ״ח פִּקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). By them those who are rewarded suck milk, and the aged from the breasts (דִבְהוֹן גְּמוּלֵ״י חָלָב יָנְקִין, וְעַתִּיקֵי מִשָּׁדַיִם). About them it is said (Song of Songs 7:8): “Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle” (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן שְׁנֵי שָׁדַיִךְ כִּשְׁנֵי עֳפָרִים תְּאוֹמֵי צְבִיָּה). And these are the two Tablets of the Orayta (וְאִינוּן תְּרֵי לוּחֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא).

Twenty-five is the upper Shekhinta, in which Yisrael went out from Egypt (כ״ה אִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה, דְבָהּ נָפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם), as you say (Exodus 11:4): “Thus says Hashem, About midnight…” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר כֹּה אָמַר יהו״ה כַּחֲצוֹת הַלַּיְלָה וְכוּ'). She is the twenty-five letters of the Union of Shacharit (אִיהִי כ״ה אַתְוָון דְּיִחוּדָא דְשַׁחֲרִית), and the twenty-five letters of the Union of Arvit (וְכ״ה אַתְוָון דְּיִחוּדָא דְעַרְבִית). “And I will make your windows of kadkod stones” (Isaiah 54:12) (וְשַׂמְתִּי כַּ״דְכֹ״ד שִׁמְשׁוֹתַיִךְ), this is the lower Shekhinta (דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה), which is the twenty-four letters of the first Union of Shacharit (דְּאִיהִי כ״ד אַתְוָון דְּיִחוּדָא קַדְמָאָה דְשַׁחֲרִית), and the twenty-four letters of the Union of Arvit (וְכ״ד אַתְוָון דְּיִחוּדָא דְעַרְבִית).