Daf 1b (דַּף א ע״ב)

And it is the firmament which is above the living beings (וְאִיהוּ רָקִיעַ דְּאִיהוּ לְעִיל מֵחֵיוָון), this is what is written: “And above the firmament that was over their heads” (Ezekiel 1) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ אֲשֶׁר עַל רֹאשָׁם). And overturn the firmament and you will find its root (וַהֲפוֹךְ רָקִי״עַ וְתִשְׁכַּח לֵיהּ עִיקָ״ר), and the foundation of the Merkava upon which stand the living beings and the Throne of the supernal Merkava (וִיסוֹדָא דְמֶרְכַּבְתָּא דַעֲלֵיהּ קַיְימִין חֵיוָון וְכָרְסַיָּא דְמֶרְכַּבְתָּא עִלָּאָה). And upon it is said: “But the Tzaddik is the foundation of the world” (Proverbs 10) (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם). Upon the Tzaddik above stands the concealed world (עַל צַדִּיק דִּלְעִילָא קַיְימָא עָלְמָא דְאִתְכַּסְיָיא), and upon the Tzaddik below stands the revealed world (וְעַל צַדִּיק דִּלְתַתָּא קַיְימָא עָלְמָא דְאִתְגַּלְיָיא). And this is “those who make the many righteous” (וְהַיְינוּ מַצְדִּיקֵי הָרַבִּים). From that Tzaddik of the world they depend (מֵהַהוּא צַדִּיקָא דְעָלְמָא תַלְיָין). What is “the many”? (מַאי הָרַבִּים) These of whom it is said: the halakhah is according to the majority [Shabbat 15a] (אִלֵּין דְּאִתְּמַר עֲלַיְיהוּ הֲלָכָה כְרַבִּים), who are from the side of the Patriarchs (דְּאִינוּן מִסִּטְרָא דַאֲבָהָן), for there is no majority with less than three (דְּלֵית רַבִּים פָּחוּת מִתְּלַת).

The halakhah is according to the majority-this is the Shekhinta (הֲלָכָה כְרַבִּים דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא). And from there: “And your people are all Tzaddikim, forever they shall inherit the land” (Isaiah 60) (וּמִתַּמָּן וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ). This is what is said of her: “And the earth is My footstool” (Isaiah 66) (הַאי דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ וְהָאָרֶץ הֲדֹם רַגְלָי). This is the Shekhinta, who is crowned from ten Sefirot (דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא דְאִיהִי כְּלִילָא מֵעֲשַׂר סְפִירָן). And from there they were called Yisrael: kings, Tzaddikim, seers, prophets, masters of Torah, mighty ones, pious ones, men of understanding, wise ones, heads of the thousands of Yisrael (וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְקְרִיאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְלָכִים צַדִּיקִים חוֹזִים נְבִיאִים מָארֵי תּוֹרָה גִּבּוֹרִים חֲסִידִים נְבוֹנִים חֲכָמִים רָאשֵׁי אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). And permission was given to these Neshamot who have wandered from their places, after Kudsha Berikh Hu and His Shekhinta, to nest within this connection (וּרְשׁוּתָא אִתְיְהִיב לְאִלֵּין נִשְׁמָתִין דְּאִתְתַּרְכוּ מֵאַתְרַיְיהוּ בָּתַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ, לְקַנְּנָא בְהַאי חִבּוּרָא). Of which it is said: “Like a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man that wanders from his place” (Proverbs 27) (דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ כְּצִפּוֹר נוֹדֶדֶת מִן קִנָּהּ כֵּן אִישׁ נוֹדֵד מִמְּקוֹמוֹ). And there is no bird except the Shekhinta (וְלֵית צִפּוֹר אֶלָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא), who wanders from her place (דְאִיהִי מִתְתַּרְכָא מֵאַתְרָהָא).

This is what is written: “You shall surely send away the (et) mother, and the (et) children you may take for yourself” (Deuteronomy 22) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם וְאֶת הַבָּנִים תִּקַּח לָךְ). “Et” - to include the lower Shekhinta (אֶת לְרַבּוֹת שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה). “The mother” - the supernal Shekhinta (הָאֵם שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה). This is what is written: “And for your transgressions your mother was sent away” (Isaiah 50) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וּבְפִשְׁעִיכֶם שֻׁלְּחָה אִמְּכֶם). Both of them were exiled from their places (דְּתַרְוַיְהוּ אִתְתַּרְכוּ מֵאַתְרֵיהוֹן). And therefore it is written: “You shall surely send” - two sendings, one from the First House and one from the Second House (וּבְגִין דָּא שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח תְּרֵין שִׁלּוּחִין חַד מִבַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן וְחַד מִבַּיִת שֵׁנִי). To fulfill in it: “I am Hashem, that is My Name, and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42) (לְקַיְימָא בֵּיהּ אֲנִי יְיָ הוּא שְׁמִי וּכְבוֹדִי לְאַחֵר לֹא אֶתֵּן שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה, וּתְהִלָּתִי לַפְּסִילִים שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה). “So is a man that wanders from his place” - this is Kudsha Berikh Hu, of whom it is said: “Hashem is a man of war” (Exodus 15) (כֵּן אִישׁ נוֹדֵד מִמְּקוֹמוֹ דָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ יְיָ אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה), who wanders after them (דְאִתְתָּרֵךְ אַבַּתְרַיְיהוּ).

And furthermore, “so is a man that wanders from his place”-this is Moshe (וְעוֹד כֵּן אִישׁ נוֹדֵד מִמְּקוֹמוֹ, דָא מֹשֶׁה), as it is written: “And the man Moshe was very humble” (Numbers 12) (דִכְתִיב וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה עָנָו מְאֹד), that his spirit wandered after them (דְּאִתְתָּרַךְ רוּחֵיהּ אַבַּתְרַיְהוּ). And furthermore, “so is a man that wanders from his place”-this refers to the Tzaddik who goes as a wanderer from his place, like the Shekhinta (וְעוֹד כֵּן אִישׁ נוֹדֵד מִמְּקוֹמוֹ מָאן דְּאִיהוּ אִישׁ צַדִּיק דְּאָזַל נָע וָנָד מֵאַתְרֵיהּ כְּשְׁכִינְתָּא), of whom it is said: “And the dove found no rest” (Bereshit 8) (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ וְלֹא מָצְאָה הַיּוֹנָה מָנוֹחַ).

Thus the Rabbis have established: at the time when the Temple was destroyed, a decree was issued that the houses of the Tzaddikim should be destroyed, that each one should go, wandering from his place (דְּהָכִי אוּקְמוּהוּ רַבָּנָן בְּזִמְנָא דְאִתְחֲרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא גָזַר עַל בָּתֵּי הַצַּדִּיקִים דְּיִחָרְבוּ, דְּאָזְלִין כָּל חַד נוֹדֵד מִמְּקוֹמוֹ). For it is enough for the servant to be as his master (דְּדַיּוֹ לְעִבֶד לְמֶהֱוִי כְּרַבֵּיהּ). And the secret of the matter: “wandering” refers to bread-“Ayeh, ayeh” (“where, where”) is the one who has compassion upon him (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה נֹדֵד הוּא לַלֶּחֶם אַיֵּה אַיֵּ״ה דִמְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהּ). Likewise it is said: “There is none to guide her…” (Isaiah 51) (אוּף הָכִי אֵין מְנַהֵל לָהּ וְגוֹ׳). And therefore, it is enough for the servant to be as his master (וּבְגִין דָּא דַיּוֹ לְעִבֶד לְמֶהֱוֵי כְּרַבֵּיהּ). And there is no bread except Orayta (וְלֵית לֶחֶם אֶלָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא). This caused the masters of Torah to go wandering (הַאי גָּרַם לְמָארֵי תוֹרָה דְּאָזְלִין מִתְתַּרְכִין).

Blessed is he, master of the Academy, master of the Midrash, master of Torah (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מָארֵי מְתִיבְתָּא מָארֵי מֶדְרָשׁ מָארֵי תוֹרָה), of whom it is said: “Even the bird has found a house” (Psalms 84) (דְּגַם צִפּוֹר מָצְאָה בַיִת). A house wherein are heard the words of Orayta (בַּיִת דְּנִשְׁמָעִין בֵּיהּ פִּתְגָמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא). For where there is Torah-which is the middle pillar (דְּבַאֲתַר דְּאִית תַּמָּן תּוֹרָה דְאִיהוּ עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא)-even the bird has found a house there (גַּם צִפּוֹר מָצְאָה בַיִת תַּמָּן). And therefore the Rabbis established: every house wherein are not heard words of Torah, in the end will be destroyed (וּבְגִין דָּא אוּקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן כָּל בַּיִת שֶׁאֵין נִשְׁמָעִין בּוֹ דִבְרֵי תוֹרָה לְסוֹף תֵּחָרֵב). But those in which are heard words of Torah-these are called eggs, chicks, children (וְאִלֵּין דְּנִשְׁמָעִין דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה בְּהוֹן אִתְקְרִיאוּ בֵּיצִים אֶפְרֹחִים בָּנִים). Eggs-masters of Mikra (Scripture) (בֵּיצִים מָארֵי מִקְרָא). Chicks-masters of Mishnah (אֶפְרֹחִים מָארֵי מִשְׁנָה). Children-masters of Kabbalah (בָּנִים מָארֵי קַבָּלָה).

And concerning them it is said: “And the mother sitting upon the chicks or upon the eggs, you shall surely send the mother away from them” (Deuteronomy 22) (וַעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר וְהָאֵם רוֹבֶצֶת עַל הָאֶפְרֹחִים אוֹ עַל הַבֵּיצִים, שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח מִנַּיְהוּ). But concerning the masters of Kabbalah it is said: “You shall not take the mother upon the children” (Deuteronomy 22) (אֲבָל עַל מָארֵי קַבָּלָה אִתְּמַר לֹא תִקַּח הָאֵם עַל הַבָּנִים), for we have not the wisdom to comprehend in the Shekhinta as these masters of Kabbalah (דְּלֵית סִכְלְתָנוּ לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדָע בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא כְּאִלֵּין מָארֵי קַבָּלָה). And these prepare for her a dwelling, and for Kudsha Berikh Hu, and they fly with her (וְאִלֵּין עָבְדִין לָהּ דִּירָה וּלְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּפָרְחִין עִמָּהּ). In every place that she flies, all of them wander with her in her mission (בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּאִיהִי פָּרְחַת כֻּלְּהוּ מְנַדְּדִין עִמָּהּ בִּשְׁלִיחוּתָא דִילָהּ). But the chicks have not wings complete for them with which to fly (אֲבָל אֶפְרוֹחֵי לֵית גַּדְפִין דִּלְהוֹן שְׁלֵמִין דְּפָרְחִין בְּהוֹן). These are the positive commandments (דְּאִינוּן פִּקּוּדֵי דַעֲשֵׂה), and how much more so the eggs (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בֵּצִים). And therefore it is said concerning them with regard to the mother: “You shall surely send away the mother” (Deuteronomy 22) (וּבְגִין דָּא אִתְּמַר עֲלַיְהוּ לְגַבֵּי אִימָּא שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם).