Daf 22b (דַּף כ״ב ע״ב)

And furthermore, they seek food, clothing, and Onah [conjugal rights] (וְעוֹד אִינוּן שָׁאֲלִין מְזוֹנָא וְכִסּוּיָא וְעוֹנָה), which is the Onah [conjugal right] of their Zivugim [unions] (דְאִיהִי עוֹנַת זְוִּגַיְיהוּ), as it is said concerning her: “Her food, her clothing, and her conjugal right he shall not diminish” (דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ שְׁאֵרָהּ כְּסוּתָהּ וְעֹנָתָהּ לֹא יִגְרָע) (Exodus 21:10). But there is none who asks for the food which is Torah (וְלָא אִית מָאן דְּשָׁאִיל מְזוֹנָא דְאִיהִי תוֹרָה), the sustenance of the Shekhinta (שְׁאֵרָהּ דִשְׁכִינְתָּא). And She is the Supernal Imma (וְאִיהִי אִימָּא עִלָּאָה), of whom it is said: “Do not forsake the Torah of your mother” (Proverbs 1) (דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ וְאַל תִּטֹּשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּךָ). Her clothing is the covering of the tzitzit (כְּסוּתָהּ דָּא כִסּוּיָא דְצִיצִית), and His wrapping, and the tefillin of the hand (וְעַטִּיפוּ דִילֵיהּ, וּתְפִלִּין דְּיָד), of which it is said: “A prayer of the afflicted when he is wrapped” (Psalms 102) (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ תְּפִלָּה לְעָנִי כִי יַעֲטֹף). And her onah is the recitation of Shema in its time (וְעוֹנָתָהּ דָּא קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע בְּעוֹנָתָהּ). And if one does not perform these three for the Shekhinta (דְּאִם שְׁלָשׁ אֵלֶּה לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה לָהּ לִשְׁכִינְתָּא), then “she shall go out free, without money” (Exodus 21) (וְיָצְאָה חִנָּם אֵין כָּסֶף), meaning he has no shame from the Shekhinta (לֵית לֵיהּ כִּסּוּפָא מִן שְׁכִינְתָּא). He is brazen (חָצִיף אִיהוּ). And furthermore, “without money”-he shall have no longing in the World to Come (וְעוֹד אֵין כָּסֶף לָא יְהֵא לֵיהּ כִּסּוּפָא לְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי).

“Behold, all these El does, twice, three times with a man” (וְהֶן כָּל אֵלֶּה יִפְעַל אֵ״ל פַּעֲמַיִם שָׁלֹשׁ עִם גָּבֶר) (Job 33:29). And because of this, “For it is his only covering” (וּבְגִין דָּא כִּי הִיא כְסוּתֹה לְבַדָּהּ) (Exodus 22:26)—this is the first Gilgul [Reincarnation] (דָא גִלְגּוּלָא קַדְמָאָה). “It is his garment for his skin” (הִיא שִׂמְלָתוֹ לְעוֹרוֹ)—this is the second Gilgul [Reincarnation] (דָא גִלְגּוּלָא תִנְיָינָא). “Wherein shall he sleep?” (בַּמֶּה יִשְׁכָּב)—this is the third Gilgul [Reincarnation] (דָא גִלְגּוּלָא תְּלִיתָאָה). And these are the three garments (וְאִלֵּין אִינוּן תְּלַת לְבוּשִׁין), which are the three coverings (דִּתְלַת כִּסּוּיָין), which are the three colors of the eye (דִּתְלַת גַּוָּונִין דְּעִינָא). And they are the garments of the Bat Ayin [pupil of the eye] (דְּאִינוּן לְבוּשִׁין לְבַת עַיִן), which is the Neshama [soul] (דְּאִיהִי נִשְׁמָתָא). And concerning these three it is said: “Three times in the year shall all your males appear” (Exodus 23) (וּבְאִלֵּין תְּלַת אִתְּמַר שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה יֵרָאֶה כָּל זְכוּרְךָ). And corresponding to three times, these are the three colors of the flame (וְלָקֳבֵל תְּלַת זִמְנִּין אִינוּן תְּלַת גַּוָּונִין דִּשְׁרַגָּא), of which it is said: “And the angel of Hashem appeared to him in a flame of fire from within the bush” (Exodus 3) (דְאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וַיֵּרָא מַלְאַךְ יְיָ׳ אֵלָיו בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה). “And he appeared”-this is one color (וַיֵּרָא הָא גַוָּון חַד). “In a flame of fire from within the bush”-this is the second color (בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה הָא גַוָּון תִּנְיָינָא). “And he saw, and behold, the bush burned with fire”-this is the third (וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה הַסְּנֶה בֹּעִר בָּאֵשׁ הָא תְּלָתָא). And these correspond to the three colors of the eye (וְאִינוּן לָקֳבֵל שְׁלֹשָׁה גַוָּונִין דְּעִינָא). In the flame of fire-this is the pupil of the eye (בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ דָּא בַּת עַיִן). At that time, the three colors of the eye shine (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דִיְהוֹן נְהִירִין תְּלַת גַּוָּונִין דְּעִינָא). And these correspond to the three colors of the rainbow (דְאִינוּן לָקֳבֵל תְּלַת גַּוָּונִין דְּקֶשֶׁת). “And I will see it, to remember the everlasting covenant” (Bereshit 9) (מִיָּד וּרְאִיתִיהָ לִזְכֹּר בְּרִית עוֹלָם). And at that time: “For eye to eye they shall see, when Hashem returns to Zion” (Isaiah 52) (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא כִּי עַיִן בְּעַיִן יִרְאוּ בְּשׁוּב יְיָ׳ צִיּוֹן).

The light of the eye is the middle pillar (אוֹר דְּעִינָא הוּא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא), and the pupil of the eye is its house (בַּת עַיִן בֵּיתָא דִילָהּ). At that time, when the cloud will depart from the pupil of the eye (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְיִתְפַּנֵּי עַנָּנָא מִן בַּת עִינָא), of which it is said: “You have covered Yourself with a cloud” (Lamentations 3) (דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ סַכֹּתָה בֶעָנָן לָךְ וְגוֹמֵר), which is the dimming of the eye (Bechorot 38b)(דְּאִיהִי תְּבַלּוּל דְּעִינָא). This is great Rome (דָא רוֹמִי רַבְּתָא). The Supernal Shekhinta is destined to say to the Kudsha Berikh Hu (שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה עֲתִידָה לְמֵימַר לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): “Why do you stand outside? And I have prepared the house” (Bereshit 24) (לָמָּה תַעֲמוֹד בַּחוּץ, וְאָנֹכִי פִּנִּיתִי הַבַּיִת). ‘I’ is the Exodus from Egypt (אָנֹכִי דִיְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם). And even though “a prisoner cannot free himself from the house of prisoners” (אֵין חָבוּשׁ מַתִּיר עַצְמוֹ מִבֵּית הָאֲסוּרִים)-which is the Shekhinta, who is bound in exile (דְאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְאִיהִי אֲסוּרָה בְגָלוּתָא)-the Supernal Shekhinta will redeem Her (שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה יִפְרוֹק לָהּ). This is what is written: “If he will redeem you, well, let him redeem; but if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you-I swear by Hashem-lie until morning” (Ruth 3) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב אִם יִגְאָלֵךְ טוֹב יִגְאָל, וְאִם לֹא יַחְפֹּץ לְגָאֳלֵךְ וּגְאַלְתִּיךְ אָנֹכִי, חַי יְיָ׳ שִׁכְבִי עַד הַבֹּקֶר). This is the right hand outstretched to receive those who return (דְּאִיהִי יְמִינָא פְּשׁוּטָה לְקַבֵּל שָׁבִים).

For this matter depends upon nothing except Teshuvah (דְּלֵית מִלְתָא דָא תַלְיָא אֶלָּא בִּתְיוּבְתָּא), the supernal right hand of the Shekhinta (יְמִין עִלָּאָה דִשְׁכִינְתָּא). At that time, the Supernal Shekhinta, “as an eagle awakens its nest” (Deuteronomy 32) (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה כְּנֶשֶׁר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ), which is Yerushalayim (דְאִיהוּ יְרוּשָׁלַם), “hovers over its young, spreads its wings, takes them, carries them on its pinions” (Deuteronomy 32) (ק״ן ו' עַל גּוֹזָלָיו יְרַחֵף, יִפְרוֹשׂ כְּנָפָיו יִקָּחֵהוּ יִשָּׂאֵהוּ עַל אֶבְרָתוֹ). This is what is written: “And I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me” (Exodus 19) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים וָאָבִיא אֶתְכֶם אֵלָי). At the time when the Shekhinta is in exile (דִּבְזִמְנָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא אִיהִי בְגָלוּתָא), of Her it is said: “And the dove found no rest…” (Bereshit 8) (דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ וְלֹא מָצְאָה הַיּוֹנָה מָנוֹחַ וְגוֹמֵר)-except on Shabbat and festivals (אֶלָּא בְּשַׁבָּת וְיוֹמִין טָבִין). And at that time She is united with Her Husband (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִתְיַיחֲדַת עִם בַּעִילָהּ), and many additional souls descend with Her (וְכַמָּה נְפָשׁוֹת יְתֵרִין קָא נָחֲתִין עִמָּהּ), to dwell among Yisrael (לְדַיָּירָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). This is what is written: “And the children of Yisrael shall keep the Shabbat for their generations” (Exodus 31) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת לְדֹרֹתָם). Fortunate is he who prepares for Her a beautiful dwelling in his heart (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מָאן דִּמְתַקֵּן לָהּ דִּירָה נָאָה בְּלִבֵּיהּ), beautiful vessels in his limbs (וְכֵלִים נָאִים בְּאֵיבָרִים דִּילֵיהּ), and a beautiful wife, which is his Neshama (וְאִשָּׁה נָאָה דְאִיהִי נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ). For because of her, the Supernal Shekhinta, which is the Neshama of all life, dwells upon him (דִּבְגִינָהּ שַׁרְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה דְאִיהִי נִשְׁמַת כָּל חַי עֲלֵיהּ). And the Kudsha Berikh Hu, He “rested” together with them (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִיהוּ שָׁבַת בְּחָד), and “was refreshed” together with them (וַיִּנָּפַשׁ בְּחָד). With the Supernal Shekhinta He rested upon them (בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ שָׁבַת עֲלַיְיהוּ), and with the lower Shekhinta He was refreshed upon them (וּבִשְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה אִיהוּ וַיִּנָּפַשׁ עֲלַיְיהוּ), and He gives them additional souls (וְיָהִיב לוֹן נַפְשָׁאן יְתֵירָן). These are the maidens after Her, Her companions (דְּאִינוּן בְּתוּלוֹת אַחֲרֶיהָ רֵעוֹתֶיהָ), who come with Her (דְּקָא אַתְיָיאן עִמָּהּ). And many appointed angels, and their ministers, come with them (וְכַמָּה מַלְאָכִים מְמַנָּן וּמְשַׁמְּשִׁין דִּלְהוֹן קָא אַתְיָיאן עִמָּהוֹן). And these are seventy, which depend upon Remember and Keep (דְּאִינוּן שַׁבְעִין, דְּתַלְיָין מִן זָכוֹר וְשָׁמוֹר). And this is “Vayekhullu,” which includes seventy-two (וְדָא אִיהוּ וַיְכֻלּ״וּ, כְּלִיל שַׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין). And these souls are called Ushpizin (וְאִתְקְרִיאוּ אִלֵּין נְפָשׁוֹת אוּשְׁפִּזִּין), because they only dwell among Yisrael on Shabbat (בְּגִין דְּלָא שַׁרְיָיאן בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלָּא בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת). And when Shabbat departs, all of them return to their places (וְכַד נָפִיק שַׁבָּת כֻּלְּהוּ חָזְרִין לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ).