Daf 18a (דַּף י״ח ע״א)

The First Tikkun

תִּקּוּנָא קַדְמָאָה

Bereshit - Bet Reshit [two beginnings] (בְּרֵאשִׁית, ב׳ רֵאשִׁית). “This is the gate of Hashem; the righteous shall enter into it” (זֶה הַשַּׁעַר לַיהו״ה צַדִּיקִים יָבֹאוּ בוֹ) (Psalms 118). This is the gate of the Righteous (דָּא אִיהוּ תַרְעָא דְצַדִּיקַיָּיא), for they have permission to enter there (דְאִית לוֹן רְשׁוּ לְאַעָלָא תַמָּן). But others, who are not Righteous, are pushed away from there (וְאָחֳרָנִין וּדְלַאו אִינוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא אִתְדַּחְיָין מִתַּמָּן). In her are inscribed, engraved, and marked the forms of the supernal and lower beings (בָּהּ רְשִׁימִין וּמְצוּיָירִין וּמִתְחַקְּקִין דִּיּוֹקְנִין דְּעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין). The image of man is inscribed there (צִיּוּרָא דְאָדָם רְשִׁימָא תַמָּן), and it is the likeness of man (וְאִיהוּ דְּמוּת אָדָם). The image of the lion is there on the right (רְשִׁימָא דְאַרְיֵה תַמָּן לִימִינָא). And the image of the ox is there on the left (וּרְשִׁימָא דְשׁוֹר לִשְׂמָאלָא). And the image of the eagle is in the middle (וּרְשִׁימָא דְנִשְׁרָא בְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And the mystery of the matter: “As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of the four…” (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וּדְמוּת פְּנֵיהֶם פְּנֵי אָדָם וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה אֶל הַיָּמִין לְאַרְבַּעִתָּם וְגוֹ׳) (Ezekiel 1). Every living creature had four faces (לְכָל חֵיוָתָא אַרְבַּע אַנְפִּין). These are the four letters of the holy Name YHVH (אִלֵּין אַרְבַּע אַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא דְיהו״ה), which shine in them (דְּנָהִיר בְּהוֹן). The King over all the creatures - this is man (מַלְכָּא דְכֻלְּהוּ חֵיוָון דָּא אָדָם), who is Yod–Heh–Vav–Heh (דְּאִיהוּ יו״ד ה״א וָא״ו ה״א), which ascends in the reckoning of one (דְּסָלִיק בְּחֻשְׁבָּן חָד). The likeness of man - this is the holy Shekhinta, who is His image (דְּמוּת אָדָם דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִיהִי דִיּוֹקְנֵיהּ). She is His seal (אִיהִי חוֹתָם דִילֵיהּ). And about her it is said: “Set me as a seal upon your heart” (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר שִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם עַל לִבֶּךָ) (Song of Songs 8).

For so the Shekhinta says (דְּהָכִי אָמְרַת שְׁכִינְתָּא): Even though You withdraw above (אַף עַל גַּב דְּאַנְתְּ תִּסְתַּלַּק לְעִילָא), Your likeness shall never depart from me (דִיּוֹקְנָךְ לָא אִתְעַדֵּי מִנָּאִי לְעָלַם). Like a seal, in that place where it is pressed, the impression of the master of the seal never departs from it (כְּהַהוּא חוֹתָם דִּבְהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִתְדַּבַּק בֵּיהּ רְשִׁימוּ דְּמָארֵי חוֹתָמָא לָא אִתְעַדֵּי מִנֵּיהּ דִיּוֹקְנָא דְחוֹתָמָא), so as to be recognized in it (לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא בֵיהּ). And therefore Knesset Yisrael in exile said: “Set me as a seal upon your heart” (וּבְגִין כַּךְ אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא שִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם עַל לִבֶּךָ), like the impression of the tefillin of the hand, which are opposite the heart (כִּרְשִׁימוּ דִּתְּפִלִּין דְּיָד דְּאִינוּן לָקֳבֵל לִבָּא). “As a seal upon your arm” (כַחוֹתָם עַל זְרוֹעֲךָ) - like the tefillin of the head, whose straps hang to all sides, upon the heart and the arm (כִּתְפִלִּין דְּרֵישָׁא דְּאִינוּן תַּלְיָין רְצוּעִין לְכָל סִטְרִין עַל לִבָּא וּדְרוֹעָא). And in them are the impressions of those who are the people of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּבְהוֹן אִינוּן רְשִׁימִין דְּאִינוּן עַמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And furthermore: “Set me as a seal” - this is the seal of the sign of the holy covenant (וְעוֹד שִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם דָּא חוֹתָם דְּאוֹת בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ). And this is the sign of the covenant of the holy Shabbat and the festivals (וְהוּא אוֹת בְּרִית שַׁבָּת קֹדֶשׁ וְיָמִים טוֹבִים).

“For love is strong as death” (כִּי עַזָּה כַמָּוֶת אַהֲבָה) (Song of Songs 8). Strong is the separation of Kudsha Berikh Hu and the Shekhinta from Yisrael (תַּקִּיפָא אִיהִי אַפְרָשׁוּתָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתָּא מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל), like the separation of Neshamah, Ruach, and Nefesh from the body (כִּפְרִישׁוּ דְּנִשְׁמָתָא וְרוּחָא וְנַפְשָׁא מִגּוּפָא). And furthermore: “For love is strong as death” (וְתוּ כִּי עַזָּה כַמָּוֶת אַהֲבָה), when Yisrael unifies the Name of Kudsha Berikh Hu in love (כַּד יִשְׂרָאֵל מְיַחֲדִין שְׁמָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּרְחִימוּ), and they say: “Who chooses His people Yisrael with love” (וְאָמְרִי הַבּוֹחֵר בְּעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאַהֲבָה).

“Jealousy is cruel as the grave” (קָשָׁה כִשְׁאוֹל קִנְאָה) (Song of Songs 8): this is Kudsha Berikh Hu, who is jealous over them (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאִיהִי מְקַנֵּי עֲלַיְיהוּ), at the time when they go forth from exile (בְּזִמְנָא דְיִפְקוּן מִן גָּלוּתָא). For in that time He shall be zealous, and avenging, and full of wrath (דְּאִיהוּ יְהֵא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא קַנָּא וְנוֹקֵם וּבַעַל חֵמָה).

“Its coals are coals of fire” (רְשָׁפֶיהָ רִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ) (Song of Songs 8) - in that time the left side shall be aroused with its flames, which are coals of fire (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא יִתְעַר שְׂמָאלָא בְּשַׁלְהוֹבִין דִּילֵיהּ דְּאִנּוּן רִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ). “A flame of Yah” (שַׁלְהֶבֶת י״הּ) (Song of Songs 8) - and He shall burn many palaces of houses of idolatry (וְיוֹקִיד כַּמָּה הֵיכָלִין דְּבָתֵּי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה), and He shall take vengeance on Amalek (וְיִטּוֹל נוּקְמִין מֵעֲמָלֵק), for he seizes after the two letters of the holy Name Yod–Hei (דְּאִיהוּ אוֹמֵי בִתְרֵין אַתְוָן דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִינוּן י״ה). To take vengeance on him, as it is written: “And he said: Because a hand is upon the throne of Yah” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי יָד עַל כֵּס י״הּ) (Exodus 17). And this is “coals of fire, a flame of Yah” (וְדָא אִיהוּ רִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ שַׁלְהֶבֶת י״הּ). And Yisrael say: Master of the world, even though I am in exile, far from You (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אָמְרִין רִבּוֹן עָלְמָא אַף עַל גַּב דַּאֲנָא בְגָלוּתָא מְרַחֲקָא מִמָּךְ), “Set me as a seal upon Your heart” (שִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם עַל לִבֶּךָ) (Song of Songs 8), and let not Your likeness depart from us (וְלָא יִתְעַדִּי מִינָּן דִּיּוֹקְנָךְ). For it is Your seal, Your Shekhinta (דְּאִיהִי חוֹתָם דִילָךְ, שְׁכִינְתָּא דִילָךְ), for whose sake You remember us in exile (דִּבְגִינָהּ אַנְתְּ הֲוִית דָּכִיר לָן בְּגָלוּתָא). And the seal of Kudsha Berikh Hu is indeed the Shekhinta (וְחוֹתָמָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וַדַּאי אִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא).

Bereshit Bara - it is Bet [two], certainly (בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא, ב׳ אִיהִי וַדַּאי). With it the Orayta opened with Bet (בָּהּ פָּתְחַת אוֹרַיְיתָא בְּב׳). And this is Bereshit - Bet Reshit [two beginnings] (וְדָא בְּרֵאשִׁית ב׳ רֵאשִׁית). Bet is indeed the storehouse of all (ב׳ אִיהוּ וַדַּאי אוֹצָרָא דְכֹלָּא). About her it is said: “The fear of Hashem is His treasure” (עֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר יִרְאַת יְיָ הִיא אוֹצָרוֹ) (Isaiah 33).

The Second Tikkun

וְדָא תִּקּוּנָא תִּנְיָינָא

Bereshit—there are many occurrences of Reshit [beginning] in the Orayta (בְּרֵאשִׁית, זִמְנִין סַגִּיאִין אִינּוּן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא רֵאשִׁית), and each one is explained in its place (וְכָל חַד אִתְפְרַשׁ בְּאַתְרֵיהּ). The first is: “Hashem acquired me as the beginning of His way” (קַדְמָאָה אִיהוּ יְהו״ה קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ) (Proverbs 8:22). And this is the Orayta (וְדָא אוֹרַיְיתָא), which has in it Ta‘amei [cantillation marks], Nekudot [vowel points], and Otiyot [letters] (דָּאִית בָּהּ טַעֲמֵי וּנְקֻדִּי וְאַתְוָן), as well as many positive and negative commandments (וְכַמָּה פְּקוּדִין דַּעֲשֵׂה וְלָא תַעֲשֵׂה). And all of them depend upon the Name YHVH (דְּכֻלְּהוּ תַּלְיָין בְּשֵׁם יְהו״ה), as it is written: “This is My Name forever …” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב זֶה שְׁמִי לְעוֹלָם וְגוֹ׳) (Exodus 3:15). Shemi [My Name], together with Yod–Hei, equals three hundred and sixty-five (שְׁמִ״י עִם י״ה ש״ס״ה). Zikhri [My remembrance], together with Vav–Hei, equals two hundred and forty-eight (זִכְרִ״י עִם ו״ה רמ״ח). The three hundred and sixty-five are from the left side; they were given from the fear of Gevurah [Might] (שׁ״ס״ה מִשְׂמָאלָא מִדְּחִילוּ דְּגְבוּרָה אִתְיְהִיבוּ). This is Pachad Yitzḥak [the fear of Isaac] (פַּחַד יִצְחָק).