Daf 35a (דַּף ל״ה ע״א)

And when the prophet would ascend above (וְכַד נָבִיא הֲוָה סָלִיק לְעִילָא), and he would knock at the gate (וְדָפִיק לְתַרְעָא), if he ascended in the Shekhinta (אִי הֲוָה סָלִיק בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא), it would open to him immediately (הֲוָה פָתַח לֵיהּ מִיָּד), and it would say to him: Son of Adam, stand upon your feet, and I will speak with you (וַהֲוָה אָמַר לֵיהּ בֶּן אָדָם עֲמֹד עַל רַגְלֶיךָ וַאֲדַבֵּר אֹתָךְ) (Ezekiel 2), for you are the one who bore the Shekhinta in prayer in standing (דְּאַנְתְּ הוּא דַהֲוִית סָבִיל לִשְׁכִינְתָּא בִצְלוֹתָא בַעֲמִידָה), stand upon your feet (עֲמוֹד עַל רַגְלֶיךָ), as it is said of them (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן): “And the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot” (וְכַף רַגְלֵיהֶם כְּכַף רֶגֶל עִגֶל) (Ezekiel 1), round like the points that guide the letters (עֲגוּלִים כַּנְּקוּדִים דְּאִינוּן מַנְהִיגִים לְאַתְוָון), and from the side of the letters they are square (וּמִסִּטְרָא דְאַתְוָון אִינוּן מְרוּבָּעִין). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “Upon their four sides, when they went, they went” (עַל אַרְבַּעַת רִבְעִיהֶם בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ) (Ezekiel 1:17). And again: “Upon their four sides” (וְעוֹד עַל אַרְבַּעַת רִבְעִיהֶם) (ibid.), these are the four Kedushot that man says every day (אִינוּן אַרְבַּע קְדוּשׁוֹת דְּאוֹמֵר בַּר נַשׁ בְּכָל יוֹמָא). And further: “Stand upon your feet” (וְעוֹד עֲמוֹד עַל רַגְלֶיךָ) - in the first blessings (בְּקַדְמָאִין), and what is your request until half the kingdom - in the middle blessings (וּמַה שְּׁאֵלָתֵךְ עַד חֲצִי הַמַּלְכוּת בְּאֶמְצָעִיּוֹת), and it is accomplished in the latter blessings (וְתֵעָשׂ בְּבַתְרָאִין). There the man is like a servant receiving a portion from his Master and going away (דְּתַמָּן אִיהוּ בַּר נַשׁ כְּעֶבֶד הַמְקַבֵּל פְּרָס מֵרַבּוֹ וְהוֹלֵךְ לוֹ). These depart, to whom the King gave their requests (אִלֵּין נָפְקִין דְּיָהִיב לוֹן מַלְכָּא בָּעוּתְהוֹן). Behold, the others come and knock at the gate (הָא אָחֳרָנִין קָא דָפְקֵי לְתַרְעָא), masters of the covenant of circumcision (מָארֵי דִבְרִית מִילָה), and they say: “Adonai, open my lips” (וְאַמְרֵי אדנ״י שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח) (Psalms 51).

Happy are Yisrael (זַכָּאִין אִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל), for they are the legs of the Shekhinta (דְּאִינוּן רַגְלִין דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא), that stand upon them in prayer in standing (דְקָמַת עֲלַיְיהוּ בִצְלוֹתָא בַעֲמִידָה). For She indeed surely stands upon them in the prayer of standing (דְּאִיהִי וַדַּאי עֲלַיְיהוּ תְּפִלָּה מְעוּמָד). And She stands upon them in exile (וְקָמַת עֲלַיְיהוּ בְגָלוּתָא). And in what does She stand upon them (וּבְמַאי קָמַת עֲלַיְיהוּ)? Because they descend to Her - Hashem (בְּגִין דְּנָחֲתִין לְגַבָּה יהו״ה). Concerning Him it is said (דַּעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר): “All who raise themselves, raise themselves in the Name” (כָּל הַזּוֹקֵף זוֹקֵף בְּשֵׁם). With this Name a man must raise the Shekhinta (דְּבֵיהּ צָרִיךְ בַּר נַשׁ לְזַקְפָא לִשְׁכִינְתָּא). And those who do not raise Her in the Name of Hashem in their prayers (וְאִלֵּין דְּלָא זָקְפִין לָהּ בְּשֵׁם יהו״ה בִּצְלוֹתְהוֹן), or in the commandments of the Orayta (אוֹ בְּפִקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), some say: theirs (נ״א דלהון). She cries out against them (אִיהִי צָוְוחַת עֲלַיְיהוּ): “Hashem has delivered me into the hands of those against whom I cannot rise up” (נְתָנַנִי יְיָ בִּידֵי לֹא אוּכַל קוּם) (Lamentations 1). For Her support is in the two arms, which are Chesed and Gevurah (דִּסְמִיכוּ דִילָהּ אִיהוּ בִּתְרֵין דְּרוֹעִין דְּאִינוּן חֶסֶד וּגְבוּרָה). And Her standing is in the two thighs, which are Netzach and Hod (וַעֲמִידָה דִילָהּ בִּתְרֵין שׁוֹקִין דְּאִינוּן נֶצַח וָהוֹד). And Her raising is in the body, which is the middle column, Hashem is His Name (וּזְקִיפוּ דִילָהּ בְּגוּפָא דְאִיהוּ עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא, יהו״ה שְׁמֵיהּ).

And therefore all who raise, raise in the Name (וּבְגִין דָּא כָּל הַזּוֹקֵף זוֹקֵף בְּשֵׁם). And Her union is in the Tzaddik (וְיִחוּדָא דִילָהּ בְּצַדִּיק). And for those in whom She cannot stand in prayer (וּבְגִין אִלֵּין דְּלָא יְכִילַת לְמֵיקַם בְּהוֹן בִּצְלוֹתָא), and She has no support and no raising in them in exile (וְלֵית לָהּ סְמִיכוּ וְלָא זְקִיפוּ בְהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא), She is grieved because of them (אִתְעֲצִיבַת בְּהוֹן). And the secret of the matter (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה): “A wise son makes his father rejoice, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother” (בֵּן חָכָם יְשַׂמַּח אָב, וּבֵן כְּסִיל תּוּגַת אִמּוֹ) (Proverbs 10). And for this it is written: “And it grieved Him to His heart” (וּבְגִינֵיהּ וַיִּתְעַצֵּב אֶל לִבּוֹ) (Bereshit 6). And why all this to His Mother, and not to His Father (וְאַמַּאי כּוּלֵי הַאי לְאִמֵּיהּ וְלָא לַאֲבוּהִי)? Rather, this is a supernal secret (אֶלָּא דָא רָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ). The positive commandments are from the right side, there is Chokhmah (פִּקּוּדִין דַּעֲשֵׂה אִינוּן מִימִינָא דְתַמָּן חָכְמָה), as the masters of the Mishnah have established: “He who wishes to become wise should turn to the south” (כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין הָרוֹצֶה לְהַחְכִּים יַדְרִים). And the negative commandments are from the left side, there is the supernal Imma (וּפִקּוּדִין דְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה אִינוּן מִשְּׂמָאלָא דְתַמָּן אִימָּא עִלָּאָה), in them: “Adonai, hear; Adonai, forgive; Adonai, hearken and do, do not delay” (דִבְהוֹן אדנ״י שְׁמָעָה אדנ״י סְלָחָה אדנ״י הַקְשִׁיבָה וַעֲשֵׂה אַל תְּאַחַר) (Daniel 9).

On Yom haKippurim (בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים). And when they do not return in Teshuvah, those who transgress the negative commandments that are from the left side (וְכַד לָא חָזְרִין בִּתְיוּבְתָּא אִינוּן דְּעָבְרִין עַל לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה דְאִינוּן מִשְּׂמָאלָא), it is said of them: “And a foolish son is the grief of his mother” (אִתְּמַר עֲלַיְהוּ וּבֵן כְּסִיל תּוּגַת אִמּוֹ) (Proverbs 10), because there is Imma on the left side (בְּגִין דְּתַמָּן אִימָּא לִשְׂמָאלָא), and the heart is to the left side (וְלִבָּא אִיהוּ לִשְׂמָאלָא). And the secret of the matter (וְרָזָא דִּמִּלָּה): “And it grieved Him to His heart” (וּבְגִין דָּא וַיִּתְעַצֵּב אֶל לִבּוֹ) (Bereshit 6). And two Havayot are right and left (וּתְרֵין הֲוַיּוֹ״ת אִינוּן לִימִינָא וְלִשְׂמָאלָא), in this form: YHHV and YVHH (כְגַוְונָא דָא יהה״ו יוה״ה). The Yod is right, and with it: “Hashem in Chokhmah founded the earth” (י׳ לִימִינָא וּבֵיהּ יהו״ה בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אָרֶץ) (Proverbs 3). Abba with the daughter (אָב עִם בְּרַתָּא). The upper Heh with the Son, who is the Vav (ה׳ עִלָּאָה עִם בְּרָא דְאִיהוּ ו׳). The Tefillin on his head (תְּפִלִּין עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ). This is what is written: “And with the arm of His strength” - these are the head Tefillin (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וּבִזְרוֹעַ עִזּוֹ אֵלּוּ תְּפִלִּין דְּרֵישָׁא) (Isaiah 62). For in every place that the Heh comes upon the Vav, it is Imma (דִבְכָל אֲתַר דְּאָת ה׳ עַל ו׳ אִיהִי אִימָּא). And this is the secret of the Korban that ascends and descends. (וְדָא רָזָא דְקָרְבָּן עוֹלֶה וְיוֹרֵד). The Heh ascends to the Yod (דְּסָלִיק ה׳ לְגַבֵּי י׳), and the Heh descends to the Vav (וְנָחִית ה׳ לְגַבֵּי ו׳). Otherwise, this Havayah would be YHHV (וְאִם לַאו הַאי הֲוַיָּ״ה יהה״ו).

This is hinted in this verse: “But in this let him that glories glory: in understanding and knowing Me” (דְאִתְרְמִיז בְּהַאי קְרָא כִּי אִם בְּזֹאת יִתְהַלֵּל הַמִּתְהַלֵּל הַשְׂכֵּל וְיָדוֹעַ אוֹתִי) (Jeremiah 9). For without this, mankind would not know the Korban that ascends and descends. (לָא הֲווֹ יָדְעִין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא קָרְבָּן עוֹלֶה וְיוֹרֵד). For if a man would not bring together the Heh with the Yod, the Heh with the Vav (דְּכַד לָא הֲוָה בַּר נַשׁ קָרִיב אָת ה׳ עִם י׳, ה׳ עִם ו׳), who ascends and descends? (וּמָאן עוֹלֶה וְיוֹרֵד). Who would know what it is - the Heh which is the Daughter, who needs to ascend to Abba (מָאן הֲוָה יָדַע מָאי נִיהִי ה׳ דְּאִיהִי בְּרַתָּא, דְאִית לֵיהּ לְסַלְקָא לָהּ לְגַבֵּי אַבָּא). And the Heh which is Imma must descend to the Son (וְה׳ דְּאִיהִי אִימָּא לְנַחְתָא לָהּ לְגַבֵּי בְּרָא). But because of this Havayah, which is YHHV (אֶלָּא בְּגִין הַאי הֲוַיָּ״ה דְאִיהִי יהה״ו), that the Heh which is upon the Vav is the supernal Imma (דְה׳ דְּאִיהִי עַל ו׳ אִיהִי אִימָּא עִלָּאָה), and through her is heard the lower Heh which is under the Yod, who is the Daughter (וּבָהּ אִשְׁתְּמַע ה׳ תַּתָּאָה דְאִיהִי תְּחוֹת י׳ דְּאִיהִי בְּרַתָּא). And this is the secret of the Korban (וְדָא רָזָא דְקָרְבָּנָא): that one must raise the Heh to the Yod (דְצָרִיךְ לְסַלְקָא ה׳ לְגַבֵּי י׳), and lower the Heh to the Vav (וּלְנַחֲתָא ה׳ לְגַבֵּי ו׳).

YVHH - the Yod is right, Chokhmah (יוה״ה י׳ אִיהוּ לִימִינָא חָכְמָה). The Vav is the Torah that is written (ו׳ תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב). “From His right hand, a fiery law to them” (מִימִינוֹ אֵשׁ דָּת לָמוֹ) (Deuteronomy 33). And this is what they say: the brain of the son is drawn from the brain of the father (וְהַאי אִיהוּ דְאָמְרִין מוֹחַ הַבֵּן דְּאִתְמַשַּׁךְ מִמּוֹחַ הָאָב). The upper Heh is to the left side (ה׳ עִלָּאָה לִשְׂמָאלָא). And from there is given the Orayta that is oral (וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְיְהִיבַת אוֹרַיְיתָא שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה), which is the lower Heh (דְּאִיהִי ה׳ תַּתָּאָה).