Daf 37a (דַּף ל״ז ע״א)

And at the time when these knock at the gate (וּבְזִמְנָא דְאִלֵּין דָּפְקִין לְפִתְחָא), and they say: “Adonai, open my lips” (וְאָמְרִין אדנ״י שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח) (Psalms 51), the gate of the palace is opened for them with many radiant lights (אִתְפַּתְּחַת לוֹן תַּרְעָא דְהֵיכָלָא בְּכַמָּה נְהוֹרִין מְרַקְּמָן), shining with all the colors of the world (נָהֲרִין מִכָּל גַּוָּונִין דְּעָלְמָא). And at the time when these enter the palace (וּבְזִמְנָא דְאִלֵּין עָאלִין לְהֵיכָלָא), the Shekhinta teaches merit upon them (שְׁכִינְתָּא אוֹלִיפַת זְכוּ עֲלַיְיהוּ), and she says: Master of the World, behold these are masters of stature (וְאָמְרַת רִבּוֹן עָלְמָא, הָא אִלֵּין מָארֵי דְקוֹמָה), who bow in prayer before You four times (דְקָא סָגְדִין בִּצְלוֹתָא לְגַבָּךְ אַרְבַּע זִמְנִין). In the first three, two (בִּתְלַת קַדְמָאִין תְּרֵי), and in the last three, two (וּבִתְלַת בַּתְרָאִין תְּרֵי), corresponding to Your four letters (לָקֳבֵל אַרְבַּע אַתְוָון דִּילָךְ). And they raise four prostrations in them to my four letters, which are Adonai (וְזָקְפִין אַרְבַּע זְקִיפוֹת בְּהוֹן לְאַרְבַּע אַתְוָון דִּילִי דְאִינוּן אדנ״י), to elevate the four of Adonai in the four of Hashem (לְסַלְקָא אַרְבַּע דְּאִינוּן אדנ״י, בְּאַרְבַּע דְּאִינוּן יהו״ה). And one must bow in all of them (וְצָרִיךְ לְמִכְרַע בְּכֻלְּהוּ), with eighteen vertebrae (בְּחַ״י חוּלְיָין), corresponding to the eighteen blessings (דְּאִינוּן לָקֳבֵל תַּמְנֵי סְרֵי בִרְכָאָן), which are included in the Life of Worlds (דִּכְלִילָן בְּחַ״י עָלְמִין). And this is what the masters of the Mishnah have established (וְדָא אִיהוּ דְתַקִּינוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין): until all the vertebrae of the spine are loosened (עַד דְּיִתְפַּקְקוּ כָּל חוּלְיוֹת שֶׁבַּשִּׁדְרָה). And the spine is the lulav (וְשִׁדְרָה אִיהוּ לוּלָב); if its leaves are split, it is invalid (אִם נִפְרְצוּ עַלָּיו פָּסוּל).

So it is necessary that there not be interruption in the eighteen blessings of prayer (כְּגַוְונָא דָא צָרִיךְ דְּלָא יַפְסִיק בְּתַמְנֵי סְרֵי בִרְכָאָן דִּצְלוֹתָא), which correspond to the eighteen shakings of the lulav (דְּאִינוּן לָקֳבֵל חַ״י נִעִינוּעִין דְּלוּלָב). As the masters of the Mishnah have established (כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין): even if a snake is wrapped around his heel, he should not interrupt (אֲפִילוּ נָחָשׁ כָּרוּךְ עַל עֲקֵבוֹ לֹא יַפְסִיק). Because the Life of Worlds is that which unites Hashem and Adonai (בְּגִין דְּחַ״י עָלְמִין אִיהוּ דַאֲחִיד בֵּין יהו״ה אדנ״י), in the likeness of YAHDVNHY (כְּגַוְונָא דָא יאהדונה״י), which ascends to the numerical value of Amen (דְסָלִיק לְחֻשְׁבַּן אָמֵ״ן). And because of this, even if a snake is wrapped around his heel, he should not interrupt (וּבְגִין דָּא אֲפִילוּ נָחָשׁ כָּרוּךְ עַל עֲקֵבוֹ לֹא יַפְסִיק). When he bows in “Blessed” (כְּשֶׁהוּא כוֹרֵעַ בְּבָרוּךְ). And what was said: but with a scorpion, he interrupts (וּמַה דְּאִתְּמַר אֲבָל עַקְרָב פּוֹסֵק), because, behold, it has been established: “And you shall live by them, and not die by them” (בְּגִין דְּהָא אוּקְמוּהוּ וָחַי בָּהֶם, וְלֹא שֶׁיָּמוּת בָּהֶם) (Leviticus 18). And further: everyone who bows, bows in “Blessed” (וְעוֹד כָּל הַכּוֹרֵעַ כּוֹרֵעַ בְּבָרוּךְ).

Behold, it has been established that he must include in it ten Sefirot (הָא אוּקְמוּהוּ דְצָרִיךְ לִכְלוֹל בֵּיהּ עִשֶׂר סְפִירָן), which are Yod Heh Vav Heh (דְּאִינוּן יו״ד ה״א וָא״ו ה״א). These are: Kaf of “Baruch” is Keter (דְּאִינוּן כ׳ מִן בָּרוּךְ כֶּתֶר), Resh is Reishit Chokhmah (ר׳ רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה), Bet is the two Hehs - supernal and lower Shekhinta (ב׳ תְּרֵין הֵהִי״ן שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה וְתַתָּאָה), Vav is the six Sefirot (ו׳ שִׁית סְפִירָן). Behold ten (הָא עִשֶׂר). And because of this it is said: “And blessed be El Elyon…” (וּבְגִינֵיהּ אִתְּמַר וּבָרוּךְ אֵל עֶלְיוֹן וְגוֹמֵר) (Bereshit 14), “And he gave him a tenth of all” (וַיִּתֶּן לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל). Yosef merited, because he was worthy to the Tzaddik, the Life of Worlds (יוֹסֵף בְּגִין דְּזָכָה לְצַדִּיק חַ״י עָלְמִין), in whom it is necessary to bow with all the Sefirot to the Shekhinta (דְּבֵיהּ צָרִיךְ לְמִסְגַּד בְּכָל סְפִירָן לְגַבֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא). He merited that dream (זָכָה לְהַאי חֶלְמָא). This is what is written: “Behold, the sun and the moon…” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְהִנֵּה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהַיָּרֵחַ וְגוֹמֵר) (Bereshit 37). And the prophet who ascends to this level - the sun, the moon, the stars, and the constellations (וְנָבִיא דְסָלִיק לְהַאי דַרְגָּא, שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא וְכֹכְבַיָּא וּמַזָּלֵי) - all of them give prophecy into his soul (כֻּלְּהוּ יָהֲבִין בֵּיהּ נְבִיעוּ בְּנִשְׁמָתֵיהּ), and the spirit of prophecy to prophesy from all of them (וְרוּחַ דִּנְבוּאָה לְאִתְנַבָּאָה מִכֻּלְּהוּ). And this is: “They bowed down to me” (וְהַאי אִיהוּ מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לִי), for from all of them prophecy descended to him (דְּמִכֻּלְּהוּ נָחִית לֵיהּ נְבוּאָה), and from all of them his soul was included (וּמִכֻּלְּהוּ אִתְכְּלִילַת נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ). And this is the reward of these masters of stature (וְהַאי אִיהוּ אַגְרָא דְאִלֵּין מָארֵי דְקוֹמָה).

Behold, these go out (הָא אִלֵּין נָפְקִין). Behold, others knock at the gate (הָא אָחֳרָנִין דָּפְקִין לְפִתְחָא), and they are masters of the arms (וְאִינוּן מָארֵי דְרוֹעִין). And they say: “Adonai, open my lips” (וְאָמְרִין אדנ״י שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח) (Psalms 51). Immediately, the guardians of the gates enter (מִיָּד עָאלִין נְטוּרֵי תַּרְעִין), and they say: Master of the world, behold, the masters of the arms knock at the gate (וְאָמְרִין רִבּוֹן עָלְמָא הָא מָארֵי דִדְרוֹעִין קָא דָפְקִין לְפִתְחָא). A voice goes forth and says (קָלָא נָפִיק וְיֵימָא): Behold, these are the masters of the arms in the binding of Tefillin (הָא אִינוּן מָארֵי דִדְרוֹעִין בְּקִשּׁוּרָא דִתְפִלִּין), and in the wrapping of the mitzvah (וּבַעֲטִיפוּ דְמִצְוָה). Of them it is said: “And they placed upon both their shoulders” (דְאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וַיָּשִׂימוּ עַל שְׁכֶם שְׁנֵיהֶם) (Bereshit 9), in the likeness of Shem and Yefet (כְּגַוְונָא דְשֵׁם וָיֶפֶת). Of them it is said: “And Shem and Yefet took the garment, and covered… and the nakedness of their father they did not see” (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וַיִּקַּח שֵׁם וָיֶפֶת אֶת הַשִּׂמְלָה וְגוֹמֵר, וְעִרְוַת אֲבִיהֶם לֹא רָאוּ) (Bereshit 9). Nakedness - this is from the side of Cham (עִרְוָה אִיהִי מִסִּטְרָא דְחָם). And this is the evil inclination (וְדָא אִיהוּ יֵצֶר הָרַע), that heats his body for the matter of nakedness (דִּמְחַמֵּם גּוּפֵיהּ לִדְבַר עִרְוָה) - some say: for sin (נ״א עֲבֵירָה) - and reveals nakedness in the world (וְגַלִּי עִרְיָן בְּעָלְמָא). This is from the side of the primordial serpent (דְאִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְנָחָשׁ הַקַּדְמוֹנִי), of which it is said: “Cursed are you from all the beasts” (דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ אָרוּר אַתָּה מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה) (Bereshit 3). And because this is from his side, it is said: “Cursed be Canaan” (וּבְגִין דְּהַאי אִיהוּ מִסִּטְרוֹי, אָמַר אָרוּר כְּנָעַן וְגוֹמֵר) (Bereshit 9). And further, these are masters of gifts (וְעוֹד אִלֵּין אִינוּן מָארֵי מַתְּנָן), who perform acts of kindness with the Shekhinta, who is poor (דְּעָבְדִין גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים עִם שְׁכִינְתָּא דְאִיהִי עַנְיָא). For they are: “You shall surely open your hand, you shall surely give, you shall surely grant…” (דְּאִנּוּן פָּתוֹחַ תִּפְתַּח, נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן, הַעֲנֵק תַּעֲנִיק וְגוֹ׳) (Deuteronomy 15). These are ten (עֲשָׂרָה אִינוּן). And behold, my companions, masters of the Mishnah, have established this (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהוּ חַבְרַיָּא מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין). And these are the hands of the nobles, from the side of the fathers (וְאִלֵּין אִינוּן יְדֵי נְדִיבִים מִסִּטְרָא דַאֲבָהָן), of whom it is said: “The nobles of the peoples…” (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן נְדִיבֵי עַמִּים וְגוֹמֵר) (Psalms 47). Hands are open in generosity toward the poor (יְדַיִן פְּתִיחָן בְּוַתְּרָנוּתָא לְגַבֵּי עֲנִיִּין). These are Tzaddik [Righteous One] and Tzedek [Righteousness] (דְּאִינוּן צַדִּיק וָצֶדֶק), who perform Gemilut Ḥasadim [acts of lovingkindness] with them in exile (דְּגָמְלִין עִמְּהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא גְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים), through the Orayta that was given from the right and from the left (בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְאִתְיְיהִיבַת מִימִינָא וּמִשְּׂמָאלָא). This is what is written: “By day Hashem commands His kindness, and in the night His song is with me” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב יוֹמָם יְצַוֶּה יְיָ חַסְדּוֹ וּבַלַּיְלָה שִׁירֹה עִמִּי) (Psalms 42). The Written Orayta and the Oral Orayta (אוֹרַיְיתָא דְבִכְתָב וְאוֹרַיְיתָא דִבְעַל פֶּה) - both of them were given (דְּמִתַּרְוַיְיהוּ אִתְיְהִיבוּ). This is what is written: “From His right hand went a fiery law for them” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב מִימִינוֹ אֵשׁ דָּת לָמוֹ) (Deuteronomy 33).