Daf 42a (דַּף מ״ב ע״א)

He said to him: My son, in everything he sinned - in thought, which is the garment for the hidden thought (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי בְּכֹלָּא חָאב, בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה דְאִיהִי לְבוּשָׁא לְמַחֲשָׁבָה סְתִימָא), and in hidden thought itself (וּבְמַחֲשָׁבָה סְתִימָא). And this was his death (וְדָא הֲוָה מִיתָה דִילֵיהּ): that the hidden thought of all that is hidden departed from him (דְּאִסְתַּלַּק מַחֲשָׁבָה סְתִימָא דְכָל סְתִימִין מִנֵּיהּ), which is the Life of lives (דְּאִיהוּ חַ״י הַחַיִּי״ם). For in the place where it is, there is no death there (דְּבַאֲתַר דְּאִיהוּ תַמָּן לֵית מִיתָה תַמָּן). And he sinned in hidden thought, and was left naked from it (וְחָאב בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה סְתִימָא וְאִשְׁתָּאַר עִירוֹם מִינָהּ), from all that is above from supernal Imma, who is Teshuvah (מִכָּל מַה דִּלְעִילָא מִן אִמָּא עִלָּאָה דְאִיהִי תְּשׁוּבָה). He sinned, and they departed from him (חָאב, וְאִסְתַּלְקוּ מִנֵּיהּ). And if not that Teshuvah stood with him and was exiled with him (וְאִי לַאו דְּקָמַת עִמֵּיהּ תְּשׁוּבָה וְגָלַת עִמֵּיהּ), he would have been lost completely (הֲוָה אִתְאֲבִיד מִכָּל וָכֹל). And because of this: “If You, Yah, should mark iniquities, Adonai, who shall stand?” (וּבְגִין דָּא אִם עֲוֹנוֹת תִּשְׁמָר יָהּ אֲדֹנָי מִי יַעֲמוֹד) (Psalms 130). Who shall stand - indeed! (מִי יַעֲמוֹד וַדַּאי). And because of this: “For your iniquities was your mother sent away” (וּבְגִין דָּא וּבְפִשְׁעִיכֶם שֻׁלְּחָה אִמְּכֶם) (Isaiah 50). This is that of which it is said: “You shall surely send away the mother” (הַהִיא דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם) (Deuteronomy 22). “Et” - to exalt the lower Shekhinta with Her (אֶת לְאַסְגָּאָה שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה עִמָּהּ).

Supernal Imma stood with Adam (אִמָּא עִלָּאָה קָמַת בְּאָדָם), and lower Imma with Hevel (וְאִמָּא תַּתָּאָה בְּהֶבֶל). For the sin of Adam was greater than that of Hevel (דְּחוֹבָא דְאָדָם רַב הֲוָה מִדְּהֶבֶל). And because of this: “My son, Where” - from Ehyeh (וּבְגִין דָּא בְּרִי א״י מִן אֶהְיֶה). This is “Where”, for Hevel sinned in it (אִיהוּ א״י דְחָב בֵּיהּ הֶבֶל). And they departed, and remained (וְאִסְתַּלְקוּ וְאִשְׁתְּאָרַת) - some say: Kayin, and they departed, and remained (נ״א קַיִן וְאִסְתַּלַּק וְאִשְׁתָּארוּ). The two Hehs (ה״ה). And because of this: “Where Hevel your brother” (וּבְגִין דָּא אֵ״י הֶבֶל אָחִיךָ) (Bereshit 4). And this is “(Ei) Where” from Adonai (וְאִיהוּ א״י מִן אֲדֹנָי). And Din remained from Adonai (וְאִשְׁתָּאַר ד״ן מִן אֲדֹנָי). The sin of Adam caused that Yod-Vav departed from YHVH, and there remained Heh-Heh (חוֹבָא דְאָדָם גָּרַם דְּאִסְתַּלַּק יו״ וְמִן יְהוָ״ה, וְאִשְׁתָּאַר ה״ה).

He said to him: Father, but the Yod-Vav should have been Vav-Yod (אָמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּא וְהָא יו״ הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמֶהֱוֵי ו״י). He said to him: My son, indeed this is the secret: that he sinned in supernal thought, that Yod departed from Alef, and remained Vav-Yod (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי וַדַּאי דָּא רָזָא דְחָב בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה, דְּאִסְתַּלַּק יו״ד מִן א, וְאִשְׁתְּאָרַת ו״י). Because the Cause of causes, which is the hidden thought, departed from there, from the letter Yod of Alef (בְּגִין דְּאִסְתַּלַּק מִתַּמָּן עִלַּת הָעִלּוֹת דְּאִיהוּ מַחֲשָׁבָה סְתִימָא בְּאָת יו״ד מִן א). There is no Yichud (some say: thought) apart from it (דְּלֵית יִחוּדָא [ס״א מַחֲשָׁבָה] בַּר מִנֵּיהּ). And this is a secret that was not revealed until now (וְהָכָא רָזָא דְלָא אִתְגַּלְיָיא עַד הַשְׁתָּא). And this is: “Because he has known My Name, he shall call upon Me and I will answer him” (וְדָא אִיהוּ כִּי יָדַע שְׁמִי יִקְרָאֵנִי וְאֶעֱנֵהוּ) (Psalms 91). The Name Yod - above it there is nothing at all (שֵׁם יו״ד, דְּלֵית לְעִילָא מִנֵּיהּ כְּלָל). Only that which created all (אֶלָּא הַהוּא דְבָרָא כֹּלָּא). And there is none who created it (וְלֵית מָאן דְּבָרָא לֵיהּ). There is a Creator that was created, such as water, which creates grasses and grows them, and yet it was created (דְּאִית בּוֹרֵא דְאִתְבְּרִי, כְּגוֹן מַיָּא דְאִיהוּ בֹּרֵא לַעֲשָׂבִּים וְגָדֵל לוֹן וְאִיהוּ אִתְבְּרִי). But this created and was not created (אֲבָל הַאי בָּרָא וְלָא אִתְבְּרִי). He - there is no God above Him (אִיהוּ דְלֵית אֱלוֹהַּ לְעִילָא מִנֵּיהּ).

He said to him: Father, what is (Woe) AVY–(Ah) HVY? (אָמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּא מַאי או״י הו״י). He said to him: My son, this is when Alef departed from Ehyeh, together with Yod-Vav from YHVH - it became (Woe) AVY (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי הַאי אִיהוּ כַּד אִסְתַּלַּק א מִן אֶהְיֶה, עִם יו״ מִן יְהוָ״ה, אִתְעֲבִיד או״י). He said to him: If so, this Alef that is there - the Vav-Yod is above the Alef from Ehyeh, and from all Names (אָמַר לֵיהּ, אִי הָכִי הַאי א דְּתַמָּן ו״י לְעִילָא מִן א׳ מִן אֶהְיֶה אִיהִי, וּמִכָּל שְׁמָהָן). He said to him: My son, there is an Alef that is in the form of Yod - Yod above, Vav in the middle, Dalet below (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי אִית א׳ דְּאִיהִי בְּדִיּוֹקְנָא דָא יו״ד, יו״ד לְעִילָא, ו׳ בְּאֶמְצַע, ד׳ לְתַתָּא). And this is Alef - from Ehyeh, Alef from Adonai (וְדָא א׳ מִן אֶהְיֶה, א׳ מִן אֲדֹנָי). But this Alef - its end is as its beginning, and its beginning as its end (אֲבָל הַאי א סוֹפָהּ כִּתְּחִלָּתָהּ וּתְחִלָּתָהּ כְּסוֹפָהּ). And of it said the Cause of causes: “I am the first and I am the last” (וּבָהּ אָמַר עִלַּת הָעִלּוֹת אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן וַאֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן) (Isaiah 44). And in the Vav of the middle, “and besides Me there is no God” (וּבְאָת ו׳ דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא וּמִבַּלְעָדַי אֵין אֱלֹהִים).

He said to him: Behold, indeed, it has been revealed to me that which I did not know until now, and is not destined to be revealed until the days when the King Mashiach shall come (אָמַר לֵיהּ הָא וַדַּאי אִתְגַּלְיָא לִי מַה דְּלָא יְדַעִינָא עַד הַשְׁתָּא, וְלָא עָתִיד לְאִתְגַּלְיָא עַד יוֹמִין דְּיֵיתֵי מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא). He said to him: If so, know that there is Adam Kadmon, before all primordials, and there is another Adam (אָמַר לֵיהּ אִי הָכִי אִשְׁתְּמוֹדָע דְּאִית אָדָם קַדְמוֹן לְכָל קְדוּמִין, וְאִית אָדָם אָחֳרָא). He said to him: My son, so it is indeed. The Adam that the Cause of causes created in His likeness was concealed and hidden (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, אָדָם דְּבָרָא לֵיהּ עִלַּת הָעִלּוֹת בְּדִיּוֹקְנָא דִילֵיהּ סָתִים וְגָנִיז). This caused the Cause of causes to depart (הַאי גָּרַם דְּאִסְתַּלַּק עִלַּת הָעִלּוֹת). The second Adam sinned in thought (אָדָם תִּנְיָינָא חָאב בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה). And the third Adam sinned in deed (וְאָדָם תְּלִיתָאָה חָאב בְּמַעֲשֶׂה). These three Adams are: Adam of Beri’ah, Adam of Yetzirah, Adam of Asiyah (דִּתְלַת אָדָם אִינוּן, אָדָם דִּבְּרִיאָה, אָדָם דִּיצִירָה, אָדָם דַּעֲשִׂיָּה). For not all sins are equal (דְּלַאו כָּל חוֹבִין שָׁוִין).

He said to him: My son, with all this, the Heh stood before Adam (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי עִם כָּל דָּא הֲוָה ה׳ קַיְימָא קַמֵּיהּ דְּאָדָם). After the Erev rav came and made the calf, they caused the supernal Heh to depart to the Vav-Yod, and it became (Ah) HVY (בָּתַר דְּאָתוּ עֵרֶב רַב וְעָבְדוּ יַת עִגְלָא, גָּרְמוּ דְּאִסְתַּלַּק ה׳ לְגַבֵּי ו״י, וְאִתְעֲבִיד הו״י). And who caused this? “Hoy, sinful nation” (וּמָאן גָּרַם דָּא, הוֹי גּוֹי חוֹטֵא) (Isaiah 1). And the last Heh remained alone (וְאִשְׁתְּאָרַת ה׳ בַּתְרָאָה יְחִידָה). This is what is written: “How does she sit alone” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָדָד) (Lamentations 1). At first, the two walked together - the two Hehs (דִּבְקַדְמֵיתָא וַתֵּלַכְנָה שְׁתֵּיהֶן) (Ruth 1). Afterwards, the supernal Heh departed, and the lower Heh remained alone (לְבָתַר אִסְתַּלְּקַת ה׳ עִלָּאָה, אִשְׁתְּאָרַת ה׳ תַּתָּאָה בַּתְרָאָה יְחִידָה). After good and evil were mixed (בָּתַר דְּאִתְעָרְבוּ טוֹב עִם רָע), that which Kudsha Berikh Hu had separated (מַה דְּאַפְרִישׁ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). This is what is written: “And Elohim separated between the light and between the darkness” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ) (Bereshit 1). They caused the Shekhinta to be exiled, and She was mixed among the nations of the world (גָּרְמוּ דְּגָלַת שְׁכִינְתָּא וְאִתְעָרְבַת בֵּין אוּמִין דְּעָלְמָא) - some say: among the nations of the world, and She dwelled with them (ס״א בֵּין אוּמִין דְּעָלְמָא וּבְנָהָא עִמָּהּ). And She guards them in exile (וּמְנַטְרָא לוֹן [ס״א לְנַטְרָא לָהּ] בְּגָלוּתָא). At that time, Kudsha Berikh Hu descended in all the letters that were exiled (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא נָחִית קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּכָל אַתְוָוי דְּאִסְתַּלְקוּ בְּגָלוּתָא). This is what is written: “I am Hashem, that is My Name, and My glory I will not give to another” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב אֲנִי יְהוָ״ה הוּא שְׁמִי וּכְבוֹדִי לְאַחֵר לֹא אֶתֵּן וְגוֹ׳) (Isaiah 42).