Daf 27b (דַּף כ״ז ע״ב)

The Thirteenth Tikkun

תִּקּוּנָא תְּלֵיסַר

Bereshit, there is 'Happy' [Ashrei] (בְּרֵאשִׁית תַּמָּן אַשְׁרֵ״י), and this is 'Happy is the man' [Ashrei ha-Ish] (וְדָא אִיהוּ אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ). And it is Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh (וְאִיהוּ אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה), the head of all heads (רֵישָׁא לְכָל רֵישִׁין). And regarding it, it is said: “Your head upon you is like Carmel” (Song of Songs 7) (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר רֹאשֵׁךְ עָלַיִךְ כַּכַּרְמֶל), and this is the tefillin of the head (וְדָא תְּפִלִּין דְּרֵישָׁא). “And the hair of your head like purple” (Song of Songs 7) (וְדַלַּת רֹאשֵׁךְ כָּאַרְגָּמָן), this is the tefillin of the hand (דָּא תְּפִלִּין דְּיָד). And with it they praise the daughter with this 'Happy' [Ashrei] (וּבֵיהּ מְשַׁבְּחִין לְבַת בְּהַאי אַשְׁרֵי). This is what is written: “In my happiness, for daughters have called me happy” (Bereshit 30) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב בְּאָשְׁרִי כִּי אִשְּׁרוּנִי בָּנוֹת). Who is worthy to ascend there (מָאן זָכֵי לְאַעָלָא תַמָּן)? “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” (Psalms 1) (אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָלַךְ בַּעֲצַת רְשָׁעִים), this is the evil counsel from the side of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (דְּאִיהִי עִצָה בִּישָׁא מִסִּטְרָא דְעִץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע). “And in the way of sinners did not stand” (Psalms 1) (וּבְדֶרֶךְ חַטָּאִים לֹא עָמָד) - what is the way of sinners? It is that which is said: “So is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says…” (Proverbs 30) (מָאן דֶּרֶךְ חַטָּאִים הַהִיא דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ כֵּן דֶּרֶךְ אִשָּׁה מְנָאָפֶת, אָכְלָה וּמָחֲתָה פִיהָ וְגוֹמֵר). “And in the seat of scorners did not sit” (Psalms 1) (וּבְמוֹשַׁב לֵצִים לֹא יָשָׁב).

What is the seat of scorners? This is Lilith, the mother of the Erev rav (מָאן מוֹשַׁב לֵצִים, דָּא לִילִי״ת אִימָּן דְּעִרֶב רַב), who defiles like a menstruant in her seat (דְּאִיהִי מְטַמְּאָה כְנִדָּה בְמוֹשָׁבָהּ). And likewise the Erev rav defile in their dwellings, to the Righteous who sit among them, like a menstruant (וְכֵן עִרֶב רַב מְטַמְּאִין בְּמוֹשָׁבָם לְצַדִּיקַיָּא דְיָתְבִין בֵּינַיְיהוּ כְנִדָּה). And whoever cleaves to this “Ashrei,” which is the Keter and the head of the Orayta (וּמָאן דְּאִתְדַּבַּק בְּהַאי אַשְׁרֵי, דְאִיהוּ כִתְרָא וְרֵישָׁא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא), it is said of him: “And he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water” (Psalms 1) (אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְהָיָה כְּעִץ שָׁתוּל עַל פַּלְגֵי מָיִם). And this is the Tree of Life (וְדָא עִץ חַיִּים). Regarding it, it is said: “And its leaf shall not wither” (Psalms 1) (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְעָלֵהוּ לֹא יִבּוֹל). And this is the first Tikkun (וְהַאי תִּקּוּנָא קַדְמָאָה).

The second is in the song: this is Chokhmah (תִּנְיָינָא בְּשִׁיר דָּא חָכְמָה). The minister is Yod (שָׁר י׳). And three Yods, Yod Yod Yod (וּתְלַת יוּדִי״ן אִנּוּן י׳ י׳ י׳), and they are the beginning, the end, and the middle of the letter Yod (וְאִינוּן רֵישָׁא וְסוֹפָא וְאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְאָת י׳). And they are hinted in the concealed Name, which is Yod Hei Vav Hei (וְאִינוּן רְמִיזִין בִּשְׁמָא סְתִים דְּאִיהוּ יו״ד ה״י וא״ו ה״י). With these three, King David praised the daughter of the King (בְּאִלֵּין תְּלַת שַׁבַּח דָּוִד מַלְכָּא לִבְרַתָּא דְמַלְכָּא). This is what is written: “A song of ascents” (Psalms 121) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב שִׁיר לַמַּעֲלוֹת).

Thirty ascents are they indeed (ל׳ מַעֲלוֹת אִינוּן וַדַּאי), they are thirty degrees (אִינוּן תְּלָתִין דַּרְגִּין), in which the daughter ascends to Abba (דִּבְהוֹן בְּרַתָּא סָלְקָא לְגַבֵּי אַבָּא). With five strings of the harp (בְּחָמֵשׁ נִימִין דְּכִנּוֹר), which are the five remembrances where Hashem is mentioned five times in this psalm (דְּאִינוּן חָמֵשׁ אַזְכָּרוֹת דְּאַדְכִּיר חָמֵשׁ זִמְנִין יְיָ בְּהַאי מִזְמוֹר): one, “My help is from Hashem” (Psalm 121) (חַד עִזְרִי מֵעִם יְיָ), two, “Hashem is your guardian” (Psalm 121) (ב׳ יְיָ שֹׁמְרֶךָ), three, “Hashem is your shade” (Psalm 121) (ג׳ יְיָ צִלְּךָ), four, “Hashem will guard you from all evil” (Psalm 121) (ד׳ יְיָ יִשְׁמָרְךָ מִכָּל רָע), five, “Hashem will guard your going out and your coming in” (Psalm 121) (ה׳ יְיָ יִשְׁמָר צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ). And with them the King said to the bride: “Lift up your voice, daughter of waves” (Isaiah 10) (וּבְהוֹן מַלְכָּא אָמַר לְגַבֵּי כַלָּה, צַהֲלִי קוֹלֵךָ בַּת גַּלִּים), the daughter of ten wheels (בַּת עֲשָׂרָה גַּלְגַּלִּים), in which ascends Yod Hei Vav Hei (דְּסָלִיק בְּהוֹן יו״ד ה״י וא״ו ה״י), in ten kinds of melodies (בַּעֲשָׂרָה מִינֵי נִגּוּנִין). And with four living beings ascends Hashem (וּבְאַרְבַּע חֵיוָן דְּסָלִיק יְיָ), in song that is simple, doubled, tripled, quadrupled (בְּשִׁיר פָּשׁוּט, כָּפוּל, מְשׁוּלָשׁ, מְרוּבָּע), which is Hashem (דְּאִיהוּ יְיָ), whose voice ascends like waves of the sea (דְּקוֹלוֹ סָלְקָא כְגַלֵּי יַמָּא). And the waves of the upper sea are the ten wheels (וְגַלֵּי יַמָּא דִלְעִילָא אִינוּן עֲשָׂרָה גַּלְגַּלִּין). And regarding them it is said: “His hands are rods of gold, set with beryl” (Song of Songs 5) (וַעֲלַיְהוּ אִתְּמַר יָדָיו גְּלִילֵי זָהָב מְמֻלָּאִים בַּתַּרְשִׁישׁ), in the two arms of the daughter (בִּתְרֵין דְּרוֹעִין דִּבְרַתָּא). And with them are six sections (וּבְהוֹן שִׁית פִּרְקִין), which are the six steps of the Throne (וְאִינוּן שִׁית דַּרְגִּין דְּכָרְסַיָּא), “Six steps to the throne” (II Chronicles 9) (שֵׁשׁ מַעֲלוֹת לַכִּסֵּא). And when the Vav ascends in them (וְכַד סָלִיק ו׳ בְּהוֹן), the Serafim are aroused toward him to receive him with their wings (יִתְעָרוּן לְגַבֵּיהּ לְקַבְּלָא לֵיהּ שְׂרָפִים בְּגַדְפַיְיהוּ). This is what is written: “Serafim stood above Him, each with six wings” (Isaiah 6) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב שְׂרָפִים עוֹמְדִים מִמַּעַל לוֹ שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם וְגוֹ׳). And whoever ascends on their wings and flies with them is the Vav (וּמָאן דְּסָלִיק עַל גַּדְפַיְיהוּ וּפָרַח בְּהוֹן אִיהוּ ו׳), including the six words of union in “Shema Yisrael” (כְּלִיל שִׁית תֵּיבִין דְּיִחוּדָא שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל).

And because of this it is said: “For a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice” (Ecclesiastes 10) (וּבְגִינֵיהּ אִתְּמַר כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וְגוֹ׳). And when the daughter ascends, she ascends in the two arms, which are Chesed and Gevurah (וְכַד סָלְקָא בְּרַתָּא סָלְקָא בִּתְרֵין דְּרוֹעוֹי דְּאִינוּן חֶסֶד וּגְבוּרָה), in which are the six sections, which is the Vav (דִבְהוֹן שִׁית פִּרְקִין דְּאִיהוּ ו׳). And the mystery of the matter: “His left hand under my head, and His right hand embraces me” (Song of Songs 2) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי). When this song ascends (כַּד סָלְקָא הַאי שִׁיר), it ascends in six words, which are “Shema Yisrael…” (שִׁית תֵּיבִין דְּאִינוּן שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹמֵר). And when it descends, it descends in six, which are 'Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever' [Baruch Shem Kevod Malkhuto Le'olam Va'ed] (נָחֲתָא בְשִׁית, דְּאִינוּן בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד).

And the melody, when it ascends, ascends in six (וְנִגּוּנָא כַּד סָלִיק סָלִיק בְּשִׁית), and when it descends, descends in six (וְכַד מָאִיךְ מָאִיךְ בְּשִׁית). And regarding them it is said: “His legs are pillars of marble” (Song of Songs 5) (וַעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר שׁוֹקָיו עַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ). And the ten wheels are Yod [ten] (וַעֲשָׂרָה גַלְגַּלִּין אִינוּן י׳), corresponding to the ten fingers that strike in melody—five with five (דְּאִינוּן לָקֳבֵל עֲשַׂר אֶצְבְּעָאן דְּבָטְשִׁין בְּנִגּוּנָא, חָמֵשׁ בְּחָמֵשׁ). And they are Hei–Hei [the two letters Hei] (וְאִינוּן ה״ה), which ascend in Yod [the letter Yod] through the six degrees that are Vav [the letter Vav] (דְּסָלְקִין בְּי׳ בְּשִׁית דַּרְגִּין דְּאִיהוּ ו׳). Within it, they ascend and descend (בֵּיהּ סָלְקִין וְנָחֲתִין). And it is like the ladder, regarding which it is said: “And behold, a ladder set on the earth” (Bereshit 28) (וְאִיהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דְסֻלָּם, דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְהִנֵּה סֻלָּם מֻצָּב אַרְצָה וְגוֹמֵר). “And behold, angels of Elohim were ascending and descending on it” (Bereshit 28) (וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִי״ם עֹלִים וְיֹרְדִים בּוֹ). And all is Hashem, Yod Hei Vav Hei, Yad (וְכֹלָּא יהו''ה, יו״ד ה״י וא״ו ה״י, יָ״ד). And David played with the hand (1 Samuel 19) (וְדָוִד מְנַגֵּן בְּיָד). The Vav is the body (ו׳ אִיהוּ גוּפָא), His wings are Hei Hei (גַּדְפוֹי ה״ה), His head is Yod (רֵישָׁא דִילֵיהּ י׳), in which ascends the voice of melody (בֵּיהּ סָלִיק קָלָא דְנִגּוּנָא). And further, the Vav is the Menorah (וְעוֹד ו׳ אִיהִי מְנַרְתָּא), “Three branches of the Menorah from one side…” (Exodus 25) (ה׳ ה׳ שְׁלֹשָׁה קְנֵי מְנוֹרָה מִצִּדָּהּ הָאֶחָת וְגוֹמֵר). The Vav is the Menorah in the middle (ו׳ מְנוֹרָה בְּאֶמְצַע), a lamp upon its head is Yod (נֵר עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ י׳). When it rests in the letter Vav, it becomes Zayin (כַּד שַׁרְיָא בְּאָת ו׳ אִתְעֲבִיד ז׳). And the mystery of the matter: “The seven lamps shall give light” (Numbers 8) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת).