The Twentieth Tikkun (תִּקּוּנָא עֶשְׂרִין)

Daf 42b (דַּף מ״ב ע״ב)

Bereshit bara Elohim (בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים). Elohim is “Mi” (Who) Eleh (these)” (אֱלֹהִים מִי אֵלֶּ״ה). Of this it is said: “Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these?” (עֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר שְׂאוּ מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם וּרְאוּ מִי בָּרָא אֵלֶּ״ה) (Isaiah 40).

The Twenty-First Tikkun (וְחַד וְעֶשְׂרִין)

Bereshit - two elders descended there (בְּרֵאשִׁית, נָחְתוּ תַמָּן תְּרֵין סָבִין), and they said: “We have been engaged in what you have been, and we were not” (וְאָמְרִין אִתְעֲסַקְנָא בְּמַה דַּהֲוִיתוּן וַאֲנַן לָא הֲוִינָן) (some say: “and we were not”) (נ״א וְלֹא הֲוִינָן). And this is Bet, the two begennings (וְדָא ב׳ תְּרֵין רֵאשִׁית).

Behold, a supernal elder descended among them (הָא סָבָא עִלָּאָה קָא נָחִית בֵּינַיְיהוּ). He said: “Behold, we are one, and we are three, and now we are one” (אָמַר הָא אֲנַן חַד, וּתְלַת הֲוִינָן וּכְעַן אֲנַן חַד). Elohim indeed - Mi created Eleh (אֱלֹהִים וַדַּאי מִי בָּרָא אֵלֶּה). “Mi created” - in these three (מִי בָּרָא בְּאִלֵּין תְּלַת), and She is the fourth, and the seventh (וְאִיהִי רְבִיעָאָה, וּשְׁבִיעָאָה) (some say: and the fifth) (ס״א וַחֲמִשָּׁאָה), (and some say: and the ninth) (וס״א וְתִשְׁעָאָה).

Bereshit - these are six elders (בְּרֵאשִׁית אִינוּן שִׁית סָבִין). And who are they? “The heavens and the earth” (וּמָאן נִינְהוּ אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ). Behold, we are seven, and three mysteries upon them (הָא אֲנַן שִׁבְעָה וּתְלַת גְּנִיזִין עֲלַיְיהוּ). In these seven elders and a unique daughter opposite them seven (בְּאִלֵּין שִׁבְעָה סָבִין וּבַת שְׁבַּת יְחִידָה לְקִבְלַיְיהוּ שִׁבְעָה). And because of this: behold, we are seven weeks (וּבְגִין דָּא הָא אֲנַן שִׁבְעָה שָׁבוּעוֹת). One youth was trailing behind them (חַד עוּלֵימָא הֲוָה מְזַנֵּב אַבַּתְרַיְיהוּ). And these elders were aroused in the supernal spark and his companions (וְאִלֵּין סָבִין אַעִירְעוּ בְּבוֹצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא וְחַבְרוֹי). They said to him: “Rabbi, Rabbi, you and your companion have found one youth who is on the way, trailing behind you” (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ רַבִּי רַבִּי, אַנְתְּ וַחֲבֵרָךְ אַשְׁכַּחְתּוּן חַד עוּלֵימָא דְאִיהוּ בְאָרְחָא מְזַנֵּב אַבַּתְרַיְיכוּ).

He said to them: “I was aroused among many hosts who were coming from the battle of the serpent” (אָמַר לוֹן, אַעִירַעֲנָא בְּמַשִּׁרְיָין סַגִּיאִין דַּהֲווֹ קָא אַתְיָין מִקְּרָבָא דְחִוְיָא). And these hosts are angels that descend, strengthening to receive the prayers (וְאִנּוּן מַשִּׁרְיָין דְּמַלְאָכִין דְּנָחְתִין מְזַרְזָן לְקַבְּלָא צְלוֹתִין), from the side of the fifty letters with which Yisrael unite every day (מִסִּטְרָא דְחַמְשִׁין אַתְוָון דִּמְיַחֲדִין יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל יוֹמָא). Of them it is said: “And chamushim the children of Yisrael went up from Egypt” (דִּבְהוֹן וַחֲמוּשִׁים עָלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם) (Exodus 13). These are angels that descend to wage war, who are appointed over the prayers (דְּמַלְאָכִין דְּנָחֲתִין לְאַגָּחָא קְרָבָא, דְּקָא מְמַנָּן עַל צְלוֹתִין). All of them descend (some say: ascend) in the might of Gevurah (כֻּלְּהוּ הֲוָה נָחֲתִין [ס״א סָלְקִין] בְּתוּקְפָא דִגְבוּרָה). When they overcome the serpent, and many of his forces that pursue after them through the sins of Yisrael (כַּד נָצְחִין לְחִוְיָא, וְכַמָּה חֲיָלִין דִּילֵיהּ דְּקָא רָדְפִין אַבַּתְרַיְיהוּ בְּכַמָּה חוֹבִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). And these are masters of prayer (וְאִינוּן מָארֵי צְלוֹתִין), and they gaze at the Name YHVH, which is Binah (וּמִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּשֵׁם יְהוָ״ה דְּאִיהִי בִינָה), which descends upon them with the might of Gevurah (דְּנָחְתָא עֲלַיְיהוּ בְּתוּקְפָא דִגְבוּרָה). All of them fall from their existence (כֻּלְּהוּ נָפְלִין מִקִּיּוּמַיְהוּ). And it is fulfilled in them: “The horse and his rider He cast into the sea” (וְאִתְקַיַּים בְּהוּ סוּס וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם) (Exodus 15). This is the sea - the fifty gates of Binah, the fifty letters of Shema (דָּא יָם נ׳ שַׁעֲרֵי בִינָה, חֲמִשִּׁין אַתְוָון דִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע).

They said to him and his companions: “It was proper for you to look, to gaze after that one who trails after the weak prayers” (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ וּלְחַבְרַיָּא הֲוָה לְכוּ לְעַיְינָא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בָתַר הַהוּא דִמְזַנֵּב בָּתַר צְלוֹתִין דְּאִינוּן חַלָּשִׁין), for they have no permission to ascend with the others and to fly with them above (וְלֵית לוֹן רְשׁוּ לְסַלְקָא עִם אָחֳרָנִין וּלְפָרְחָא עִמְּהוֹן לְעִילָא). And because these prayers are weak, it is said: “And he tailed behind you all the stragglers behind you” (וּבְגִין אִינוּן צְלוֹתִין חַלָּשִׁין אִתְּמַר וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ כָּל הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים אַחֲרֶיךָ) (Deuteronomy 25). “And a little child shall lead them” (נַעַר קָטָן נוֹהֵג בָּם) (Isaiah 11). For these ten ascend in Yod-Heh Vav-Heh (דְּאִלֵּין עִשֶׂר סָלְקִין בְּיוֹ״ד ה״א וָא״ו ה״י), and each one has its prayer (וְכָל חַד אִית לֵיהּ צְלוֹתֵיהּ). And if one of them is lacking, even the last, his prayer does not ascend with them (וְאִם חָסֵר חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ אֲפִילוּ בַתְרָאָה, לָא סָלִיק צְלוֹתָא דִילֵיהּ עִמֵּיהּ). Because he is poor (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ עַנְיָא), and has no permission to cause his prayer to ascend with the others (וְלֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְסַלְקָא צְלוֹתֵיהּ עִם אָחֳרָנִין). All the prayers are delayed from ascending until that prayer of the poor ascends (כֻּלְּהוּ צְלוֹתִין מִתְעַכְּבָן לְסַלְקָא, עַד דְּהַהִיא צְלוֹתָא דְעַנְיָא סְלִיקַת). And because of this: “A prayer of the afflicted, when he faints” (וּבְגִין דָּא תְּפִלָּה לְעָנִי כִּי יַעֲטוֹף) (Psalms 102).

For all of them are enwrapped for her sake, until she ascends with them (דְּכֻלְּהוּ מִתְעַטְּפִין בְּגִינָהּ, עַד דְּאִיהִי סָלְקָא עִמְּהוֹן). For there is no separation in her from them (דְּלֵית פִּרוּדָא בָּהּ מִנַּיְיהוּ). And the prayer of the poor - this is the Shekhinta (וּצְלוֹתָא דְעָנִי אִיהוּ שְׁכִינְתָּא). Who is the poor? This is the Tzaddik (מָאן עָנִי דָא צַדִּיק). And this prayer is called heel, in relation to the other prayers (וְהַאי צְלוֹתָא אִתְקְרִיאַת עָקֵב לְגַבֵּי צְלוֹתִין אָחֳרָנִין). And because of this it is said: “Even if a snake is wrapped upon his heel, he shall not interrupt” (וּבְגִינָהּ אִתְּמַר אֲפִילוּ נָחָשׁ כָּרוּךְ עַל עֲקֵבוֹ לֹא יַפְסִיק).

Even though it is hinted to that point, which is the thorn of the letter Dalet (אַף עַל גַּב דְּסָחִיר לָהּ לְהַאי נְקוּדָה דְאִיהִי קוֹצָא דְאָת ד׳), with many sins to arouse accusation against the children of the Shekhinta (בְּכַמָּה חוֹבִין לְאוֹלָפָא קַטֵּיגוֹרָא עַל בְּנוֹי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא) - he shall not interrupt for that point (לֹא יַפְסִיק לְהַהִיא נְקוּדָה). For if he interrupts, because of him the thorn is removed from the Dalet of Echad, and remains Acher (דְּאִם יַפְסִיק, בְּגִינֵיהּ אִסְתַּלַּק קוֹצָא מִן ד׳ מִן אֶחָד, וְאִשְׁתָּאַר אַחֵר). That is, the snake wrapped upon his heel (דְּאִיהוּ נָחָשׁ כָּרוּךְ בַּעֲקֵבוֹ). Therefore, for the serpent he shall not interrupt (דִּבְגִין חִוְיָא לָא יַפְסִיק). And the thorn of the letter Dalet shall not be removed from Echad (וְלָא אִסְתַּלַּק קוֹצָא דְאָת ד׳ מִן אֶחָד). But for a scorpion, it is removed, and he interrupts, and flees from it (אֲבָל בְּגִין עַקְרָב אִסְתַּלַּק, וְאִיהוּ פּוֹסֵק, וּבָרַח מִנֵּיהּ). This is what is written: “And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and went outside” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיַּעֲזוֹב בִּגְדוֹ בְּיָדָהּ וַיָּנָס וַיֵּצֵא הַחוּצָה) (Bereshit 39).