Daf 38b (דַּף ל״ח ע״ב)

And those who do not lend to Her and do not add to Shabbatot and festivals (וּבְאִלֵּין דְּלָא מַלְוִוין לָהּ וְלָא אוֹסִיפִין לְשַׁבָּתוֹת וּלְיָמִים טוֹבִים), She is closed to them (אִיהִי סְתִימָא לְהוֹן). And because of this: whoever adds, they add to him (וּבְגִין דָּא כָּל הַמּוֹסִיף מוֹסִיפִין לֵיהּ). And this is the addition of the extra Neshama (וְדָא תוֹסֶפֶת נִשְׁמָתָא יְתֵירָא), and it is the addition of the Ruach of holiness (וְאִיהִי תוֹסֶפֶת רוּחָא דִקְדוּשָׁה). And whoever diminishes, they diminish from him that extra Neshama (וְכָל הַגּוֹרֵעַ גּוֹרְעִין לֵיהּ הַהִיא נְשָׁמָה יְתֵירָה), and he remains poor (וְאִשְׁתָּאַר עָנִי). And if he is wise, his wisdom is removed from him (וְאִם הוּא חָכָם אִסְתַּלַּק מִנֵּיהּ חָכְמָתֵיהּ). And if he is wealthy with money, it is removed from him (וְאִם הוּא עָשִׁיר בְּמָמוֹנָא אִסְתַּלַּק מִנֵּיהּ). And he remains poor and dry (וְאִשְׁתָּאַר עָנִי יָבֵשׁ), just as he withheld above the extra Neshama, which is the Neshama of all life (כְּמָה דְאִיהוּ מָנַע מִלְּעִילָא נִשְׁמָתָא יְתֵירָה דְאִיהוּ נִשְׁמַת כָּל חַי). And Shabbat remains poor, and the Shekhinta dried up (וְאִשְׁתָּאַר יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת עָנִי וּשְׁכִינְתָּא יְבֵשָׁה).

Thus blessing is withheld from him (הָכִי אִתְמַנַּע בִּרְכָאָן מִנֵּיהּ). And it is measure for measure (וְאִיהוּ מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה). And whoever adds on Shabbat: “Then as a garden makes its seed spring forth, so Hashem will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth” (וְכָל מָאן דְּאוֹסִיף בְּשַׁבָּת, אָז וּכְגַנָּה זֵרוּעִיהָ תַצְמִיחַ) (Isaiah 61). So too I will make his goodness spring forth (אוּף הָכִי נַמִּי אַצְמִיחַ טוֹבָה דִילֵיהּ). And what are Her seeds above? These are the extra Neshamot that are sown from Her (וּמָאן זֵרוּעִיהָ דִשְׁכִינְתָּא לְעִילָא, אִינוּן נְשָׁמוֹת יְתֵירוֹת דְּזַרְעִין מִנֵּיהּ). And they are unified to Yisrael below from the radiance of Her glory (וְיֶחֱדוּן לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא מִזִּיו כְּבוֹדָהּ). And at the time when that closed Mem is opened (וּבְזִמְנָא דְהַהִיא מ׳ סְתִימָא אִתְפַּתְּחַת), it is not opened except by persuasion (לָא אִתְפַּתְּחַת אֶלָּא בְּפִיּוּסָא), as you say: “Open to Me, My sister, My companion, My dove, My perfect one, for My head is filled with dew” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר פִּתְחִי לִי אֲחוֹתִי רַעֲיָתִי יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי שֶׁרֹאשִׁי נִמְלָא טָל) (Song of Songs 5). And this persuasion is toward the Vav, which is the key that closes Her (וְהַאי פִּיּוּסָא לְגַבֵּי ו׳ דְּאִיהוּ מַפְתְּחָא דְסָתִים לָהּ). And because of this: “Open to Me on the first day” - to whom? To the letter Yod, which is the point of the Kamatz (וּבְגִין דָּא פִּתְחִי לִי בְיוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה, לְמָאן לְאָת יוֹד דְּאִיהִי נְקוּדָה דְקָמֵץ).

When it opens, it opens with a Pataḥ, which is the Vav (כַּד אִתְפַּתְּחַת אִתְפַּתְּחַת בְּפַתַּח דְּאִיהוּ ו׳). When it closes, it closes with Kamatz (כַּד סָתִים סָתִים בְּקָמֵץ). And this is Yod-Vav, a drop and seed that is drawn from it (וְאִיהוּ יוֹד־וָו טִפָּה וְזֶרַע דְּאִתְמַשַּׁךְ מִנֵּיהּ). And because of this: “Open to Me on the first day” - to the letter Yod, which is the point of Kamatz (וּבְגִין דָּא פִּתְחִי לִי בְיוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה לְאָת יוֹד דְּאִיהִי נְקוּדָה דְקָמֵץ). “My sister” - on the second day (אֲחוֹתִי בְּיוֹמָא תִנְיָינָא). “My companion” - on the third day, which is Ra‘aya Meheimna (רַעֲיָתִי בְּיוֹמָא תְלִיתָאָה, דְּאִיהוּ רַעִיָּא מְהֵימְנָא). “My dove” - on the fourth day (יוֹנָתִי בְּיוֹמָא רְבִיעָאָה). “My perfect one” - on the fifth day: your iniquity is finished, daughter of Zion (תַּמָּתִי בְּיוֹמָא חֲמִשָּׁאָה, תַּם עֲוֹנֵךְ בַּת צִיּוֹן). “For My head” - on the sixth day, as it is said: “And Yisrael bowed upon the head of the bed” (שֶׁרֹאשִׁי בְּיוֹמָא שְׁתִיתָאָה, דְּאִתְּמַר וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה) (Bereshit 47). Which is the sixth day (דְּאִיהוּ יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי). “Filled with dew” - on the seventh day (נִמְלָא טָל בְּיוֹמָא שְׁבִיעָאָה).

This is the drop, surely Yod (דָא טִפָּה יוֹד וַדַּאי). And this is the point of the letter Bet (וְדָא נְקוּדָה דְאָת בּ׳). And because of this, the Zivug of Talmidei Chakhamim (Torah scholars) is from Shabbat to Shabbat (וּבְגִין דָּא זִוּוּגָא דְתַלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים מִשַּׁבָּת לְשַׁבָּת), to inherit that drop which is Chokhmah (לְיַרְתָא הַהִיא טִפָּה דְאִיהִי חָכְמָה), the dew of Torah for their children (טַ״ל תּוֹרָה לִבְנַיְיהוּ). And not for nothing did our masters of blessed memory establish: “Whoever occupies himself with the dew of Torah, the dew of Torah revives him” (וְלַאו לְמַגָּנָא אוּקְמוּהוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, כָּל הָעוֹסֵק בְּטַל תּוֹרָה טַל תּוֹרָה מְחַיֵּיהוּ). “A locked fountain” (Song of Songs 4) (גַּל נָעוּל) - “fountain” is like a wheel (גַּל אִיהוּ כְּמוֹ גַלְגַּל). It is an allusion in which is the sealed spring, which is Yod (אִיהוּ רְמִיז דְּבֵיהּ מַעְיָן חָתוּם דְּאִיהִי יוֹ״ד). And immediately the flock drink, which are the holy limbs (וּמִיַּד הַשְׁקוּ הַצֹּאן דְּאִינוּן אֵבָרִין קַדִּישִׁין), of whom it is said: “And you are My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are man” (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וְאַתֵּן צֹאנִי צֹאן מַרְעִיתִי אָדָם אַתֶּם) (Ezekiel 34). All of them are shepherds (כֻּלְּהוּ רוֹעִים), and Moshe is over all of them (וּמֹשֶׁה עַל כֻּלְּהוֹן), as it is written: “And he sat by the well” (דִּכְתִיב וַיֵּשֶׁב עַל הַבְּאֵר) (Exodus 2). And it is written: “A prayer of Moshe, the man of Elohim…” (וּכְתִיב תְּפִלָּה לְמֹשֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וְגוֹ׳) (Psalms 90). His dominion is in the seven heavens (אִיהוּ שׁוּלְטָנוּתֵיהּ בְּשִׁבְעָה רְקִיעִין).

The Tzaddik is the firmament that separates between water and water (צַדִּיק אִיהִי רָקִיעַ דְּפַלִּיג בֵּין מַיָּא לְמַיָּא), between the upper sea, which is supernal Imma (בֵּין יָם עִלָּאָה דְאִיהִי אִמָּא עִלָּאָה), and the lower sea, which is the lower Imma (וּבֵין יָם תַּתָּאָה דְאִיהִי אִמָּא תַּתָּאָה). Of him it is said: “There is no separation between the upper waters and the lower waters except as the breadth of a hair” (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר אֵין בֵּין מַיִם הָעִלְיוֹנִים לְמַיִם הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים אֶלָּא כִּמְלֹא נִימָא), as the masters of the Mishnah established (כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין). And this thread is the Tzaddik (וְהַאי נִימָא אִיהוּ צַדִּיק). And not for nothing did the ancients establish that Kudsha Berikh Hu is exacting with the Tzaddikim even as a hair’s breadth (וְלַאו לְמַגָּנָא אוּקְמוּהוּ קַדְמָאִין, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְדַקְדֵּק עִם הַצַּדִּיקִים אֲפִילוּ כְּחוּט הַשַּׂעֲרָה). And there is no thread or thread of the hair of Atika Kadisha that does not go forth from the supernal fountain (וְלֵית נִימָא וְנִימָא דְשַׂעֲרָה דְעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא דְלָא נָפְקָא מִמַּבּוּעָא עִלָּאָה). And this thread is the Vav (וְהַאי נִימָא אִיהוּ ו׳).

Its fountain is the Yod (מַבּוּעָא דִילֵיהּ יוֹ״ד), that ascends in the air up to Ein Sof (דְּסָלְקָא בְאַוִּירָא עַד אֵין סוֹף), and descends down to no end (וְנָחְתָא עַד אֵין תַּכְלִית). And it is ten (וְאִיהִי עֶשֶׂר). And because of this it is said: “The length of each board shall be ten cubits” (וּבְגִינָהּ אִתְּמַר עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת אֹרֶךְ הַקָּרֶשׁ) (Exodus 26). When you rearange the letters of “cubits/amot” it becomoms “hundreds/me’ot”” (אַמּוֹ״ת אִינוּן מֵאוֹ״ת בְּהִפּוּכָא). “And a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of each board” (וְאַמָּה וַחֲצִי הָאַמָּה רֹחַב הַקֶּרֶשׁ הָאֶחָד). This is the secret of the measure of stature (דָּא רָזָא דְשִׁעוּר קוֹמָה), which goes by the line of measure (דְאִיהוּ אָזִיל עַל קַ״ו הַמִּדָּה). What is this line? It is the letter Vav (מַאי קַ״ו דָּא אָת ו׳), which is the measure for every measure of the body (דְּאִיהוּ מִדָּה לְכָל שִׁעוּרָא דְגוּפָא). It is the measure between eye and eye (אִיהוּ מִדָּה בֵּין עִינָא לְעִינָא). And of it is said: “It is the finger of Elohim” (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר אֶצְבַּע אֱלֹהִים הִיא) (Exodus 8). It is the measure of the length of the nose (אִיהוּ שִׁיעוּרָא דְאוּרְכָא דְחוֹטָמָא). And it is the measure of every finger and finger (וְאִיהִי שִׁעוּרָא דְכָל אֶצְבְּעָא וְאֶצְבְּעָא), and the measure between finger and finger - Vav (וְשִׁעוּרָא בֵּין אֶצְבְּעָא לְאֶצְבְּעָא ו׳) (some say: Yod [נ״א יו״ד]). Yod is the measure of the lip (יוֹ״ד אִיהִי מִדָּה דְשָׂפָה). And the measure of each and every eye in a circle (וּמִדָּה דְכָל עִינָא וְעִינָא בְּעִגּוּלָא). And the measure of each side of the face (וּמִדָּה דְפַן וּפַן דְּאַנְפִּין). And the measure of Kamatz closed (וּמִדָּה דְקָמֵ״ץ סָתִים). And when the Kamatz is opened, it is opened by five fingers, in the secret of the Heh (וְכַד אִתְפַּתַּח קָמֵ״ץ אִתְפַּתַּח בְּחָמֵשׁ אֶצְבְּעִין בְּרָזָא דְה׳). In them, this line goes five hundred years (דִּבְהוֹן הַאי קַו אָזִיל חֲמֵשׁ מְאָה שְׁנִין).