Daf 44a (דַּף מ״ד ע״א)

And because of this, hear, O mountains, these are the Patriarchs (וּבְגִין דָּא שִׁמְעוּ הָרִים אִלֵּין אֲבָהָן), the contention of Hashem, this is the Shekhinta (אֶת רִיב יי דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא), for She contends with the Patriarchs (דְאִיהִי רִיב עִם אֲבָהָן), because they distance Her from Her Husband (בְּגִין דִּמְרַחֲקִין לָהּ מִבַּעִילָהּ), and these are called Amora’im (דְּאִינוּן אִתְקְרִיאוּ אֱמוֹרָאִים). And the mighty ones, the foundations of the earth, these are the Tanna’im (וְהָאֵיתָנִים מוֹסְדֵי אָרֶץ אִלֵּין אִינוּן תַּנָּאִים), and these Tanna’im are Eitani’im by reversal of letters (וְאִלֵּין תַּנָּאִי״ם אֵיתָנִי״ם בְּהִפּוּךְ אַתְוָון), and these are Netzach and Hod, the Tzaddikim, the eternal ones of the world (וְאִינוּן נֶצַח וָהוֹד (צדיקים) אֵיתָנֵי עוֹלָם).

And behold, Eitan, by the reversal of letters, is Tanya, who helps him in exile (וְהָא אֵיתָ״ן בְּהִפּוּךְ אַתְוָון תַּנְיָ״א דִמְסַיֵּיעַ לֵיהּ בְּגָלוּתָא). And concerning this it is said: “Eitan is your dwelling, and set your nest in the rock” (Numbers 24) (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר אֵיתָן מוֹשָׁבֶךָ וְשִׂים בַּסֶּלַע קִנֶּךָ). And this rock, it is said concerning it that nothing flows from it except drop by drop, the waters of Orayta, in these divisions (וְהַאי סֶלַע אתמר בה דלא נפיק אלא טפין טפין דמיא דאורייתא באלין פסקות), and because Moshe struck the rock with his staff twice (Numbers 20) (ובגין ויך משה את הסלע במטהו פעמים), this caused that nothing would come forth from it except drop by drop, little here, little there (דא גרים ד לָא נָפִיק מִינָהּ אֶלָּא טִפִּין טִפִּין זְעִיר שָׁם זְעִיר שָׁם). And how many disputes are upon these drops (וְכַמָּה מַחֲלוֹקוֹת עַל אִלֵּין טִפִּין), and who caused this-The 'Teachers' [Ha-Morim] (וּמָאן גְּרִים דָּא, הַמּוֹרִים), as it is said concerning them: “Whoever teaches halakha in the presence of his master is liable to death” (וְאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן כָּל הַמּוֹרֶה הֲלָכָה בִּפְנֵי רַבּוֹ חַיָּיב מִיתָה). And because of this: “Hear now, you 'Teachers' [Ha-Morim]” (Numbers 20) (וּבְגִין דָּא שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמּוֹרִים), and because of them Moshe struck the rock with his staff twice (וּבְגִינַיְיהוּ וַיַּךְ מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַסֶּלַע בְּמַטֵּהוּ פַּעֲמָיִם). For had he not struck it, Yisrael, the Tanna’im, and the Amora’im would not have labored in the Oral Orayta, which is the rock (דְּאִם לָא דְמָחָא בָּהּ לָא הֲווֹ טָרְחִין יִשְׂרָאֵל וְתַנָּאִים וְאֱמוֹרָאִין בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא דִבְעַל פֶּה דְּאִיהִי סֶלַע). Rather, it is said of it: “And you shall speak to the rock, and it shall give forth its water” (Numbers 20) (אֶלָּא אִתְּמַר בּוֹ וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע וְנָתַן מֵימָיו), without labor (בְּלָא טוֹרַח). And then would be fulfilled in them: “And they shall not teach any more…” (Jeremiah 31) (וְיִהְיֶה מִתְקַיֵּים בְּהוֹן וְלֹא יְלַמְּדוּ עוֹד וְגוֹמֵר). And then water would go forth without question, dispute, or ruling (וַהֲוָה נָפִיק מַיָּא בְּלָא קֻשְׁיָא וּמַחֲלוֹקֶת וּפְסַק). Because the Shekhinta, of which it is said: “Behold, My word is like fire, says Hashem” (Jeremiah 23) (בְּגִין דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ הֲלֹא כֹה דְבָרִי כָּאֵשׁ נְאֻם יי), was dwelling in the mouths of Yisrael (הֲוָה שָׁרִי בְּפוּמֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), for this is the Oral Orayta (דְּאִיהִי אוֹרַיְּיתָא דִבְעַל פֶּה), which is the rock upon sixty, meaning the sixty tractates (דְּאִיהִי סֶלַע עַ״ל ס׳, דְּאִינוּן שִׁתִּין מַסֶּכְתּוֹת), for thus it is: rock upon sixty (דְּהָכִי אִיהוּ סֶלַ״ע עַ״ל ס׳).

The Shekhinta was resting upon the rock [tinnara] (דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוָה נָח עַל טִנָּרָא), for in every place where Kudsha Berikh Hu desired to perform a miracle, the Shekhinta would first go before to that place (דִּבְכָל אֲתַר דְּבָעִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעֱבַד נֵס, שְׁכִינְתָּא אַקְדִּמַת לְהַהוּא אֲתַר). And since the Shekhinta was there, it was not fitting to strike the rock (וְכֵיוָן דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוָה תַּמָּן, לָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ לִמְחָאָה בַסֶּלַע), for this was a disgrace to the Shekhinta, who was there, that She had no strength to give water (דִּקְלָנָא הֲוַות לִשְׁכִינְתָּא דַהֲוַת תַּמָּן דְּלָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ חֵילָא לְמֵיהַב מַיָּא). And this is: “Because you did not sanctify Me” (Deuteronomy 32) (וְדָא אִיהוּ עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִדַּשְׁתֶּם אוֹתִי), “Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me” (Numbers 20) (יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי לְהַקְדִּישֵׁנִי). And because of this the Shekhinta departed from the rock (וּבְגִין דָּא אִסְתַּלַּק שְׁכִינְתָּא מִן הַסֶּלַע), which is the Yod from Metatron (דְּאִיהִי י׳ מִן מיטטרו״ן), and Metatron remained dry (וְאִשְׁתָּאַר מטטרו״ן יְבֵשָׁה). And the secret of the matter: “Let the waters be gathered under the heavens to one place…” (Bereshit 1) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם אֶל מָקוֹם אֶחָד וְגוֹמֵר), that one is Malkhut (אֶחָד אִיהִי מַלְכוּת), and “let the dry land appear”-this is the rock of Metatron (וְתֵרָאֶה הַיַּבָּשָׁה דָא סֶלַע מטטרו״ן). Concerning him it is said: “And He took one of his ribs, and closed the flesh in its place” (Bereshit 2) (דִּבְגִינֵיהּ אִתְּמַר וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעוֹתָיו וַיִּסְגּוֹר בָּשָׂר תַּחְתֶּנָּה).

What is flesh? That of which it is said: “For he is also flesh” (Bereshit 6) (מַאי בָּשָׂר, הַהוּא דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ בְּשַׁגָּם הוּא בָשָׂר). And until she descended to it, the rock did not rise and did not give its waters (וְעַד דְּנָחִית לָהּ לָא עָלָה הַסֶּלַע וְלָא יָהִיב מֵימוֹי). And after this spring departed from there (וּבָתַר דְּאִסְתַּלַּק הַאי מַבּוּעָא מִתַּמָּן), Marah [bitterness] ruled in its place (שַׁלִּיטַת מָרָה בְּאַתְרָהָא). This is what is written: “And they came to Marah” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיָּבֹאוּ מָרָתָה) (Exodus 15:23). And the secret of the matter is: “And they embittered their lives with hard service …” (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וַיְמָרַרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה וְגוֹמֵר) (Exodus 1:14). “With hard service” (בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה)—this is Kushya [difficulty] (דָּא קוּשְׁיָא); “with mortar” (בְּחֹמֶר)—this is Kal Va-Ḥomer [an a fortiori inference] (דָּא קַל וָחֹמֶר). Behold, this has already been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהוּ). And thus were Yisrael until they grasped the tree (וְהָכִי הֲווֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד דְּאַחֲזֵי לוֹן עִץ), this is what is written: “And Hashem showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were sweetened” (Exodus 15) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיּוֹרֵהוּ יי עִץ וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ אֶל הַמַּיִם וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם), and this is the Tree of Life (וְדָא עִץ הַחַיִּים), which was multiplied over that spring, which is the Shekhinta (דְּאִתְרַבִּי עַל הַהוּא מַבּוּעָא דְאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא), the Yod is a spring that waters the tree, which is the Vav (י' מַבּוּעָא דְאַשְׁקֵי לְאִילָנָא דְאִיהוּ ו׳), and this tree extends five hundred years, which are the Heh (וְהַאי עִץ מַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה דְאִינוּן ה׳), and the waters were sweetened-this is the final Heh (וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם דָּא ה׳ בַּתְרָאָה), of which it is said: “Call me Marah” (Ruth 1) (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ קְרֶאןָ לִי מָרָה). The lower Shekhinta is the fountain of gardens that does not cease (דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה אִיהִי מַעִיַּן גַּנִּים דְּלֵית לֵיהּ פָּסֵק), a drop that extends from the brain (טִפָּה דְאִתְמַשְׁכָא מִן מוֹחָא), and how many drops are drawn from it (וְכַמָּה טִפִּין אִתְמַשְׁכָאן מִנֵּיהּ), these are: “Virgins after her, her companions” (Psalms 45) (דְּאִינוּן בְּתוּלוֹת אַחֲרֶיהָ רֵעוֹתֶיהָ).

The skull is the rock (קַרְקַפְתָּא אִיהִי סֶלַע), and the spring inside is the brain (וּמַבּוּעָא מִלְּגָאו דָּא מוֹחָא). Concerning these drops it is said: “Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them… they shall speak with enemies in the gate” (Psalms 127) (עַל אִלֵּין טִפִּין אִתְּמַר אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר מִלֵּא אֶת אַשְׁפָּתוֹ מֵהֶם וְגוֹמֵר, אֶת אוֹיְבִים בַּשָּׁעַר), which is the gate of the Tzaddik, the letter of the holy covenant (דְּאִיהוּ תַרְעָא דְצַדִּיק אוֹת בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ), concerning which it is said: “This is the gate of Hashem; the righteous shall enter into it” (Psalms 118) (דַּעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר זֶה הַשַּׁעַר לַיי צַדִּיקִים יָבֹאוּ בוֹ). And furthermore: “Hear, O mountains, the contention of Hashem” (Micah 6) (וְעוֹד שִׁמְעוּ הָרִים אֶת רִיב יי), these are the three Yods (אִלֵּין תְּלַת יוּדִי״ן). And “the mighty, the foundations of the earth” (Micah 6) (וְהָאֵיתָנִים מוֹסְדֵי אָרֶץ), these are the three Vavs (אִלֵּין תְּלַת וָוִי״ן), for all of them are hinted in “And they journeyed, and they came, and they encamped” (Exodus 19) (דְּכֻלְּהוּ אִתְרְמִיזוּ בְּוַיִּסַּע וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּט).