Daf 25b (דַּף כ״ה ע״ב)

At that time when Kudsha Berikh Hu unites with His Shekhinta (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דִמְיַחֵד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ), all the Chayot receive one from the other blessings (כֻּלְּהוּ חֵיוָון מְקַבְּלִין דֵּין מִן דֵּין בִּרְכָאָן), and all in holiness (וְכֻלְּהוּ בִקְדוּשָׁה). And for this they established Kiddushin and blessings for the bride (וּבְגִין דָּא תַּקִּינוּ קִדּוּשִׁין וּבִרְכָאָן לְכַלָּה), to correspond to the blessing, holiness, and union of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְלָקֳבֵל בְּרָכָה וּקְדוּשָׁה וְיִחוּד דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). So must Yisrael, that their union be in holiness and blessing (הָכִי צְרִיכִין יִשְׂרָאֵל דִּיְהֵא יִחוּדָא דִלְהוֹן בִּקְדוּשָׁה וּבְרָכָה). And thus all their sustenance is in blessing and holiness (וְהָכִי כָּל מְזוֹנַיְיהוּ בִּבְרָכָה וּקְדוּשָׁה). And there is no holiness with fewer than ten, which is the Yod (וְלֵית קְדוּשָׁה בְּפָחוּת מֵעֲשָׂרָה דְאִיהִי י). And because the ring is the Yod, in the likeness of the Samekh (וּבְגִין דְּטַבַּעַת אִיהִי י כְּגַוְונָא דָא סּ), with it the bride is sanctified (בָּהּ אִתְקַדְּשַׁת כַּלָּה). And it must be placed on her finger (וְצָרִיךְ לְאַעָלָא לָהּ בְּאֶצְבְּעָא דִילָהּ), which is the form of the letter Vav (דְּאִיהוּ דִיוֹקְנָא דְאָת ו), and it becomes the Zayin (וְאִתְעֲבִידַת ז). And there must be two witnesses, who correspond to the Heh (וְצָרִיךְ תְּרֵין סַהֲדִין דְּאִינוּן לָקֳבֵל ה). And when the ring is at the head of the finger and it becomes the Zayin (וְכַד אִיהִי טַבַּעַת בְּרֵישָׁא דְאֶצְבְּעָא וְאִתְעֲבִידַת ז), at that time it must be blessed with the seven blessings of the inheritance of the bride (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא צָרִיךְ לְבָרְכָא לָהּ בְּשֶׁבַע בִּרְכָאָן דְּיַרְתָא כַלָּה). At that time they unite: “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth” (Song of Songs 1:2) (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְמִתְיַחֲדִין יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ). What are the kisses of his mouth (מַאי נְשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ)? His two lips and her two lips (תְּרֵין שִׂפְוָון דִּילֵיהּ וּתְרֵין דִּילָהּ)-these are the four wings of the Chayot (אִינוּן אַרְבַּע גַּדְפִין דְּחֵיוָון). Of them it is said: “And each one had four wings” (Ezekiel 1:6) (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וְאַרְבַּע כְּנָפַיִם לְאַחַת מֵהֶן). And when his two faces and her two faces are joined (וְכַד אִתְכְּלִילָן תְּרֵין אַנְפִּין דִּילֵיהּ וּתְרֵין דִּילָהּ), and the four arms of them both (וְאַרְבַּע דְּרוֹעִין דְּתַרְוַיְהוּ), it is said of them: “Each had four faces, and each had four wings” (Ezekiel 1:6) (אִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וְאַרְבָּעָה פָנִים לְאֶחָת, וְאַרְבַּע כְּנָפַיִם לְאַחַת מֵהֶם). And these are the four faces of the Name YHVH (וְאִינוּן אַרְבַּע אַנְפִּין יהו״ה), and the four wings of Adonai (אַרְבַּע גַּדְפִין אדנ״י), in one union YAHDVNHY (בְּחִבּוּרָא חֲדָא יאהדונה״י). When the letters join together it is called Chashmal (כַּד מִתְחַבְּרָן אַתְוָון אִקְרֵי חַשְׁמַ״ל), “living creatures of fire speaking” (חַיּוֹת אֵשׁ מְמַלְּלָן), sometimes silent, sometimes speaking (זִמְנִין חָשׁוֹת, זִמְנִין מְמַלְּלוֹת). And concerning them it is said: “Great is the one who answers Amen more than the one who blesses” (וּבְגִינַיְהוּ אִתְּמַר גָּדוֹל הָעוֹנֶה אָמֵן יוֹתֵר מִן הַמְּבָרֵךְ), because the bridegroom and the bride are joined, eight letters as one (בְּגִין דְּמִתְחַבְּרִין חָתָן וְכַלָּה, תְּמַנְיָא אַתְוָון כַּחֲדָא). These are the four Chayot (אִינוּן אַרְבַּע חֵיוָון), and they are lion, ox, eagle, and man (וְאִינוּן אַרְיֵה שׁוֹר נֶשֶׁר אָדָם). The lion receives upon him the Yod in the brain (אַרְיֵה מְקַבֵּל עֲלֵיהּ י׳ בְּמוֹחָא). And at the time that he is to the right, of which it is said: “And the face of the lion to the right of the four of them” (Ezekiel 1:10) (וּבְזִמְנָא דְאִיהוּ בִימִינָא דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה אֶל הַיָּמִין לְאַרְבַּעִתָּם), he who wishes to become wise should turn south (הָרוֹצֶה לְהַחְכִּים יַדְרִים).

The Ox is on the left, corresponding to the heart (שׁוֹר לִשְׂמָאלָא לָקֳבֵל לִבָּא), the heh is the breath of the heart (ה׳ הֶבֶל דְּלִבָּא). There the Heh: “Out of the north comes golden splendor” (Job 37:22) (תַמָּן ה׳ מִצָּפוֹן זָהָב יֶאֱתֶה). At the time that the Heh is in the heart (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְאִיהִי ה׳ בְּלִבָּא), he who wishes to become rich should turn north (הָרוֹצֶה לְהַעֲשִׁיר יַצְפִּין).

Yod–Heh are awe and love, Abba and Imma (י״ה דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ, אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), the right arm and the left arm (דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא). “And He passed” is Chesed and Gevurah (וַיַּעֲבֹר חֶסֶד וּגְבוּרָה), which ascend in the reckoning of seventy-two words (דְּסָלְקִין לְחוּשְׁבַּן ע״ב תֵּיבִין), and two hundred and sixteen letters of the seventy-two names (וְרי״ו אַתְוָון דְע״ב שְׁמָהָן). And this is the secret of “And He passed,” the pregnancy of the totality of both (וְדָא רָזָא דְוַיַּעֲבֹר עִיבוּר כְּלָל תַּרְוַיְיהוּ).

The Vav is the Orayta, which rests in the mouth (ו׳ דָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא דְשַׁרְיָא בְפוּמָא), and with the breath of the mouth it flies upon the eagle (וּבְרוּחָא דְפוּמָא פָרְחַת עַל נֶשֶׁר). The eagle is the nose (דְּנֶשֶׁר אִיהוּ חוֹטָמָא), its two wings are its two lips (תְּרֵין גַּדְפוֹי דִּילָהּ תְּרֵין שִׂפְוָון). Concerning it, it is said: “For a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and the master of wings shall tell the matter” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל וּבַעַל כְּנָפַיִם יַגִּיד דָּבָר). And this is the middle pillar (וְדָא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). Chokhmah and Binah are hidden in the brain and heart in love and awe (דְּחָכְמָה וּבִינָה אִינוּן נִסְתָּרוֹת בְּמוֹחָא וְלִבָּא בִּרְחִימוּ וּדְחִילוּ). And the Orayta without awe and love does not ascend above (וְאוֹרַיְיתָא בְלָא דְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ לָא פָרְחַת לְעִילָא). And in Keter are dependent children, life, and sustenance (וְכֶתֶר בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָין בָּנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי). For it is the Mazal from which all depend (דְּאִיהוּ מַזָּלָא דְכֻלְּהוּ). And it itself does not depend on Mazal (וְאִיהוּ לָא תַלְיָא בְּמַזָּלָא). And for this they established that children, life, and sustenance do not depend on merit (וּבְגִין דָּא אוּקְמוּהוּ בָּנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי לַאו בִּזְכוּתָא תַלְיָא מִלְתָא), but on Mazal the matter depends (אֶלָּא בְּמַזָּלָא תַלְיָא מִלְתָא). For Chesed is merit (דְּחֶסֶד אִיהוּ זְכוּתָא).

The small Heh is the likeness of man (ה׳ זְעִירָא דְמוּת אָדָם). In her the Name YHVH is completed (בָּהּ אִשְׁתַּלִּים יהו״ה). And she is the holy Malkhut (וְהִיא מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא). She is the mitzvah (אִיהִי מִצְוָה), the doing of the commandments (עֲשִׂיַּית פִּקּוּדִין), which dwells in the 248 limbs (דְּאִיהִי שַׁרְיָא בְּרַמַ״ח אֵבָרִים). And concerning Torah and mitzvah it is said: “And the revealed things are for us” (Deuteronomy 29:28) (וְתוֹרָה וּמִצְוָה עֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר וְהַנִּגְלוֹת לָנוּ). And mitzvah without awe and love cannot ascend and stand before Yod-Heh (וּמִצְוָה בְּלָא דְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ לָא יְכִילַת לְסַלְקָא וּלְמֵיקַם קֳדָם י״ה). She is the crown of all (אִיהִי כְלִילָא דְכֹלָא), and above all is Adam (וְעַל כֹּלָּא אָדָ״ם), Yod Heh Vav Heh (יו״ד ה״א וָא״ו ה״א). This is thought (דָא מַחֲשָׁבָה), by which all ascends until Ein Sof (דְסָלִיק כֹּלָּא עַד אֵין סוֹף). In Malkhut all, above and below, is completed (בְּמַלְכוּתָא אִשְׁתַּלִּים כֹּלָּא עִילָא וְתַתָּא). And she is comprised of the four passages of Keri’at Shema [the recitation of Shema] (וְאִיהִי כְלִילָא מֵאַרְבַּע פָּרָשִׁיָּין דִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע), which are two hundred and forty-eight words together with El Melekh Ne’eman [God, faithful King] (דְּאִינוּן רְמַ״ח תֵּיבִין עִם אֵל מֶלֶךְ נֶאֱמָן). And so that they should not make a Hafsaqah [interruption] (וּבְגִין דְּלָא יַעַבְדוּן הַפְסָקָה), they ordained that the Sheliaḥ Tzibbur [emissary of the congregation] repeat: “Hashem Eloheichem Emet [Hashem your God is true]” (תַקִּינוּ לְמֶהְדַּר שְׁלִיחָא דְצִבּוּרָא יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֱמֶת). And when Yisrael say Shema (וְכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל אָמְרִין שְׁמַע), the masters of the Chayot [living beings] lower their wings (מָארֵי חֵיוָון שָׁמְטִין גַּדְפַיְיהוּ). Where? (בְּאָן אֲתַר). In the wings of the mitzvah, concerning which it is said: “Upon the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself” (בְּכַנְפֵי מִצְוָה דְאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן עַל אַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת כְּסוּתְךָ אֲשֶׁר תְּכַסֶּה בָּהּ) (Deuteronomy 22:12). This is in the likeness of the robe of the ephod (דְּאִיהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דִמְעִיל הָאֵפוֹד), for the bells and pomegranates correspond to the links and knots (דְּפַעֲמוֹנִים וְרִמּוֹנִים אִינוּן לָקֳבֵל חֻלְיָין וְקִשְׁרִין). The hems of the robe correspond to the wings of the mitzvah (שׁוּלֵי הַמְּעִיל אִינוּן לָקֳבֵל כַּנְפֵי מִצְוָה).