Daf 20a (דַּף כ ע״א)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזִי), the Kamatz is hidden in the letter Yod from every side, above, middle, and below (קָמֵ״ץ אִיהוּ סָתִים בְּאָת י׳ מִכָּל סִטְרָא, עִילָּא וְאֶמְצָעִיתָא וְתַתָּא), and this is hidden and kometz (compressed) in three Sefirot (וְדָא קוֹמֶץ סָתִים בִּתְלַת סְפִירָן), its opening is in five lights (פְּתִיחוּ דִילֵיהּ אִיהוּ בְּחָמֵשׁ אוֹר), which are five supernal fingers (דְּאִינוּן חָמֵשׁ אֶצְבְּעָאן עִלָּאִין), and these are the upper Heh (וְאִינוּן ה׳ עִלָּאָה), five [Kamatz, Pataḥ, Holam, Kubutz, Hiriq] (חָמֵשׁ אָאַאֹאֻאִ), which are “Ohr Ohr Ohr Ohr Ohr” [light] five times (דְּאִנּוּן אוֹר אוֹר אוֹר אוֹר אוֹר, חָמֵשׁ זִמְנִין), five lights of the Work of Creation (חָמֵשׁ נְהוֹרִין דְּעוֹבָדָא דִבְּרֵאשִׁית), and their point [Kamatz, Pataḥ, Holam, Kubutz, Hiriq] five which ascend into ten (וּנְקוּדָא דִלְהוֹן אָאַאֹאֻאִ חָמֵשׁ דְּסָלְקִין לְעִשֶׂר). And the secret of the matter: “And behold, we were binding sheaves…” (Bereshit 37) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וְהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ מְאַלְּמִים וְגוֹמֵר), and “behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright” (Bereshit 37) (וְהִנֵּה קָמָה אֲלֻמָּתִי וְגַם נִצָּבָה), this is Alef with Cholem (דָּא א׳ בְּחֹלֵ״ם), which is above all points (דְּאִיהוּ לְעִילָּא מִכָּל נְקוּדִין), in upright stature (בְּקוֹמָה זָקִיף), and in it Yosef ascended in the dream (וּבֵיהּ אִסְתַּלַּק יוֹסֵף בְּחֶלְמָא), some say: Yosef beheld (נ״א: אסתכל), and likewise Ya'akov (וְכֵן יַעֲקֹב), this is that which is written: “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder was set upon the earth, and its head reached to the heavens” (Bereshit 28) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיַּחֲלֹם וְהִנֵּה סֻלָּם מֻצָּב אַרְצָה וְרֹאשׁוֹ מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמָיְמָה), this is Alef which is the head (דָא א דְּאִיהוּ רֹאשׁ), and “behold, angels of Elohim ascending and descending upon it” (Bereshit 28) (וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלהִים עוֹלִים וְיוֹרְדִים בּוֹ), the masters of the Mishnah said: two ascend and two descend (אָמְרוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, עוֹלִים תְּרֵי, וְיוֹרְדִים תְּרֵי), and these are [Kamatz, Sheva, Hiriq, Kubutz] (וְאִנּוּן אָאְאִאֻ). And this letter which is Alef with Cholem in the middle (וְהַאי אָת דְּאִיהִי אַלֶּ״ף חֹלֵ״ם דְּאִיהִי בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא), it is the supernal Keter that crowns the head of the middle pillar (אִיהִי כֶתֶר עִלָּאָה דְאַסְחַר עַל רֵישָׁא דְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא), and because of this: “And behold your sheaves gathered around and bowed to my sheaf” (Bereshit 37) (וּבְגִין דָּא וְהִנֵּה תְסֻבֶּינָה אֲלֻמֹּתֵיכֶם וַתִּשְׁתַּחֲוְיןָ לַאֲלֻמָּתִי), this Keter is said of it: “The stone the builders despised became the head cornerstone” (Psalms 118) (הַאי כִּתְרָא אִתְּמַר בָּהּ אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה), and it is the stone that was cut without hands (וְאִיהִי אַבְנָא דְאִתְגַּזְרַת דְּלָא בִידַיִן), this is that which is written: “Until a stone was cut without hands…” (Daniel 2) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב עַד דִּי הִתְגְּזֶרֶת אֶבֶן דִּי לָא בִידַיִן וְגוֹמֵר), and because we do not find for it a place from where it was cut (וּבְגִין דְּלָא אַשְׁכְּחָן לָהּ אֲתַר מֵאָן אִתְגַּזְרָא), the holy angels ask: “Where is the place of His glory to revere Him?” (שָׁאֲלִין מַלְאָכַיָּא קַדִּישַׁיָּא אַיֵּה מְקוֹם כְּבוֹדוֹ לְהַעֲרִיצוֹ), and they do not find for it a place (וְלָא אַשְׁכְּחִין לָהּ אֲתַר), until they say: “Blessed be the glory of Hashem from His place” (Ezekiel 3) (עַד דְּאָמְרִין בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד יְיָ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ).

(Some say: at that moment Sava came near to him (נ״א אדהכי הא סַבָּא לְגַבֵּיהּ), and said Rabbi, Rabbi (וַאֲמַר רַבִּי רַבִּי), this is in the lower Shekhinta (הַאי בִּשְׁכִינְתָא תַּתָּאָה), for she has no place there except Atzilut (דְּלֵית לָהּ תַּמָּן אֶלָּא אֲצִילוּתָא), and this is the stone cut (וְדָא הוּא אִתְגַּזְרַת אֶבֶן), for she is the decree of kings (בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי גְּזֵרַת מַלְכִין), and in her is decreed a lenient judgment (וּבָהּ גָּזְרִין דִּינָא רַפְיָא), this is the final judgment (דָּא דִּין בָּתְרָאָה), and the Keter of Malkhut is called a Sefirah (וְכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת אִתְקְרִיאַת סְפִירָה), and there is no complete Sefirah below except for her (דְּלֵית סְפִירָה שְׁלֵימָה בַּר מִינָּה לְתַתָּא). And this stone is the Segulah of kings (וְהַאי אֶבֶן אִיהִי סְגוּלַת מְלָכִים), it is the speech of the ministering angels (אִיהִי שִׂיחַת מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת), the speech of the Chayot, and the Serafim, and the Ofanim (שִׂיחַת חֵיוָן וּשְׂרָפִים וְאוֹפַנִּים), the speech of all the supernal and lower beings (שִׂיחַת כָּל עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין), the knowledge of the sun and the moon in their times (יְדִיעַת שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא בְּעִתִּים), a time and a season for everything (עִת וּזְמַן לְכֹלָּא).

All the Ta‘amei [cantillation marks], Nekudot [vowel points], and Otiyot [letters] are included in her (כָּל טַעֲמֵי וּנְקוּדֵי וְאַתְוָון כְּלִילָן בָּהּ). Voice, speech, and thought are included in her (קָלָא דִבּוּר וּמַחֲשָׁבָה כְּלִילָן בָּהּ). She is the Keter Torah [Crown of Torah] (אִיהִי כֶתֶר תּוֹרָה), the Keter Kehunah [Crown of Priesthood] (וְכֶתֶר כְּהוּנָה), and the Keter Malkhut [Crown of Kingship] (וְכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת). She is the crown upon the head of all the letters (וְאִיהִי תַּגָּא בְּרֵישׁ כָּל אַתְוָון), in the likeness of this Shin (כְּגַוְונָא דָא שֹׂ). And concerning this stone Rabbi Akiva said to his companions (וְעַל הַאי אַבְנָא אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא לַחֲבֵרָיו): when you reach the pure marble stones, do not say “water, water” (כְּשֶׁתַּגִּיעוּ לְאַבְנֵי שַׁיִשׁ טָהוֹר אַל תֹּאמְרוּ מַיִם מַיִם). And she is the thorn of all the letters (וְאִיהִי קוֹצָא דְכָל אַתְוָון), Bet in the likeness of this Dalet (בּ כְּגַוְונָא דָא דּ), the thorn of every single letter (קוֹץ דְּכָל אָת וְאָת), the measure of their stature is six (שִׁיעוּר קוֹמָה דִּילְהוֹן ו׳), from above to below and from below to above (מֵעִילָּא לְתַתָּא וּמִתַּתָּא לְעִילָּא). And the secret of the matter: “From one end of the heavens to the other end of the heavens” (Deuteronomy 4) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה מִקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם וְעַד קְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם), and the secret of this: “Yours, Hashem, is the greatness, and the strength, and the beauty…” (1 Chronicles 29) (וְרָזָא דָא לְךָ יְיָ הַגְּדֻלָּה וְהַגְּבוּרָה וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת וְגוֹמֵר), “Yours, Hashem, is the kingship” - this is Malkhut, which is in everything (לְךָ יְיָ הַמַּמְלָכָה דָא מַלְכוּת, דְּאִיהִי בְּכֹלָּא). And it is the chirping of holy birds (וְאִיהוּ צִפְצוּף עוֹפִין קַדִּישִׁין), of which it is said (Ecclesiastes 10) (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן): “For the bird of the heavens shall carry the voice” (כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל), the chirping of all the birds, which are holy souls (צִפְצוּפָא דְכָל צִפָּרִין דְּאִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין קַדִּישִׁין), who chirp in many prayers (דִּמְצַפְצְפִין בְּכַמָּה צְלוֹתִין), the speech of the living creatures, which are the Talmidei Chakhamim (Torah scholars) (שִׂיחַת חֵיוָן דְּאִינוּן תַּ״ח), and because of her it is said (Bereshit 24) (וּבְגִינָהּ אִתְּמַר): “And Yitzchak went out to meditate in the field” (וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה וְגוֹ׳), and there is no meditation except prayer (וְלֵית שִׂיחָה אֶלָּא צְלוֹתָא). And because of her it is said: the Shacharit prayer is an obligation (וּבְגִינָהּ אִתְּמַר תְּפִלַּת שַׁחֲרִית חוֹבָה), the Arvit prayer is optional (תְּפִלַּת עַרְבִית רְשׁוּת), for it is the domain of night in itself (דְּאִיהוּ רְשׁוּ דְּלַיְלָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ), and because of this there is no fixity at night, which resembles exile (וּבְגִין דָּא לֵית לָהּ קְבִיעוּת בַּלַּיְלָא דְּדַמְיָא לְגָלוּתָא), but sometimes she is found there and sometimes she is not found there (אֶלָּא זִמְנִין אִשְׁתַּכְּחַת תַּמָּן וְזִמְנִין לָא אִשְׁתַּכְּחַת).

Happy is he who encounters her (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מָאן דְּפָגַע בָּהּ), like Ya'akov, of whom it is said (Bereshit 28) (כְּגוֹן יַעֲקֹב דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ): “And he encountered the place, and he lodged there, because the sun had set” (וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי בָּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ), until her husband came and guarded her (עַד דְּאָתָא בַעֲלָהּ וְנָטִיר לָהּ), and she dwelt there with him (וּבַת תַּמָּן עִמָּהּ), from there on she was established as an obligation (מִתַּמָּן וְאֵילֵךְ קְבָעוּהָ חוֹבָה). But on Shabbat she is the reshut of the yachid (אֲבָל בְּשַׁבָּת אִיהִי רְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד), for she is in the domain of her husband (דְּאִיהִי בִרְשׁוּתָא דְּבַעֲלָהּ), and not in the likeness of the night, which was alone in her own domain (וְלָאו כְּגַוְונָא דְלֵילְיָא דַּהֲוַת יְחִידָה בִרְשׁוּתָא דִילָהּ), this is that which is written (Lamentations 1) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “How she sits alone” (אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָדָד).