Daf 44b (דַּף מ״ד ע״ב)

Arise, El‘azar, and take the Kerita [city], which is the Shekhinta (קוּם אֶלְעָזָר וּנְטֵיל קִירְטָא דְאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא), and encircle her with a crown (וְאַקִּיף לָהּ תָּגָא), and cast from her a holy drop—a stone (וּזְרֵיק מִנָּהּ אִיהִי אֶבֶן טִפָּה קַדִּישָׁא), concerning which it is said: “And a mist went up from the earth” (דַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר וְאֵד יַעֲלֶה מִן הָאָרֶץ) (Genesis 2:6). And because of this (ובגין דא), The ring [seal] was removed from the Aleph, from the Zarka (אִסְתַּלְּקַת עִזְקָא מִן א׳ מִן זרק״א), to receive upon it the precious stone, which is the drop (לְקַבְּלָא עֲלָהּ אֶבֶן יְקָרָה דְאִיהִי טִפָּה), and immediately it watered the whole face of the ground (וּמִיָּד וְהִשְׁקָה אֶת כָּל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה). When it ascends, it ascends in Imma (כַּד סְלִיקַת, סְלִיקַת בְּאִימָּא), which is the Alef of Adonai Ehyeh (דְאִיהוּ א׳ מִן אדנ״י אהי״ה). And upon what does it ascend? Upon the middle pillar, which is the Vav (וְעַל מָאן סְלִיקַת, עַל עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְאִיהוּ ו׳), which is bound with it like a ring upon the finger (דְּאִיהִי כְּרִיכָא בֵיהּ כְּעִזְקָא בְּאֶצְבְּעָא). And it ascends in the Dalet of Adonai, which are the two arms and the two legs (וּסְלִיקַת בְּד׳ מִן אדנ״י, דְּאִינוּן תְּרֵין דְּרוֹעִין וּתְרֵין שׁוֹקִין), until it ascends to the Yod, which is Abba, Chokhmah, the supernal Yod (עַד דְּסָלִיק לְאָת י׳ דְּאִיהִי אַבָּא חָכְמָה י׳ עִלָּאָה). Because from there it is taken (בְּגִין דְּמִתַּמָּן אִתְנְטִילַת). This is what is written: “Hashem by Chokhmah founded the earth” (Proverbs 3) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב יי בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אֶרֶץ). And the taking of the spring and its watering goes from it above (וּנְטִילַת נְבִיעוּ וְשַׁקְיוּ מִנֵּיהּ לְעִילָא), in its upper tip, in the middle, and in its lower tip (בְּקוֹצָא דִילֵיהּ לְעִילָא, וּבְאֶמְצָעִיתָא, וּבְקוֹצָא דִילֵיהּ לְתַתָּא). And when it descends, it descends as a whole from three drops (וְכַד נְחִיתַת, נְחִיתַת כְּלִילָא מִתְּלַת טִפִּין). At that time it is said of it: “The segolta goes” (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִתְּמַר בָּהּ הוֹלֵךְ סֶגוֹלְתָּ״א). And it is called Yod-Yod-Yod in three Yods (וְאִתְקְרִיאַת י׳ י׳ י׳ בִּתְּלַת יוּדִי״ן). The upper Yod is upon the head of the Alef (י׳ עִלָּאָה אִיהִי עַל רֵישָׁא דְא), which is the supernal Keter above all that are above (דְאִיהִי כֶּתֶר עִלְיוֹן עַל כָּל עִלָּאִין). And afterward it descends in the middle and is taken from there in the middle pillar (וּלְבָתַר נְחִיתַת בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא וְנָטְלָא מִתַּמָּן (בעמודא דאמצעיתא)), some say in the middle (נ״א באמצע). And afterward it descends below, in its place, the Yod which is below the Alef (וּלְבָתַר נְחִיתַת לְתַתָּא בְּאַתְרָהָא י׳ דְאִיהִי לְתַתָּא מִן א).

The young man arose after the shadow (קָם עוּלֵימָא בָּתַר טוּלָא), he said: Rabbi, Rabbi, behold, the drop is descending (אָמַר רַבִּי רַבִּי הָא טִפָּה קָא נָחְתָא), take the bow in your hand (טוֹל קֶשֶׁת בִּידָךְ), for it is like the manner of a finger with a ring upon it (דְּאִיהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דְאֶצְבְּעָא וְעִזְקָא בֵיהּ). Take it and draw (טוּל לֵיהּ וּדְרֵךְ), some say: and cast it (ס״א וזרקה), toward it (לֵיהּ לְגַבָּהּ), that it should receive it upon itself (דְּקַבִּילַת לָהּ עֲלֵיהּ). For when it ascends from below to above upon the head of the letter Vav (דְּהָא כַּד סְלִיקַת מִתַּתָּא לְעִילָא עַל רֵישָׁא דְאָת ו׳), it is like a spear, the Vav (אִיהוּ כְּרוּמְחָא ו׳), extended within it like a star-staff (אִתְאָרְכַת בֵּיהּ כְּשַׁרְבִיטָא דְכֹכָבָא). And when it ascends above, the Yod rests upon it and becomes a Zayin (וְכַד סְלִיקַת לְעִילָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלָהּ י׳ וְאִתְעֲבִידַת ז׳). Surely this is the crown upon the head of the Sefer Torah (וַדַּאי תַּגָּא עַל רֵישָׁא דְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה). And when it descends, it is necessary to draw the bow toward it, which is the Tzaddik (כֵיוָן דְּנָחְתַת, צָרִיךְ לְמִדְרַךְ קֶשֶׁת לְגַבָּהּ דְּאִיהוּ צַדִּיק), and from him it descends and is cast in its place (וּמִנֵּיהּ נְחִיתַת וְאִזְדְּרִיקַת בְּאַתְרָהָא). And the sword, which is this drop, divides it into three drops (וְחַרְבָּא דְאִיהִי (דהאי) טִפָּה אִיהִי חַתִּיכַת לָהּ לִתְלַת טִפִּין), because it goes in the segolta (בְּגִין דְּאַזִּילַת סֶגוֹלְתָּא). For when it descends upon it, it is a Yod (דְכַד נְחִיתַת עֲלָהּ הֲוָה י׳), and afterward it is divided into three (וּלְבָתַר חַתִּיכַת לָהּ לִתְלַת), to be a crown and diadem upon the head of the three Patriarchs (לְמֶהֱוֵי תַּגָּא וַעֲטָרָה בְרֵישָׁא דִתְלַת אֲבָהָן), that it may be the crown of Torah, the crown of Kehunah, and the crown of Kingship (דִּתְהֵא כֶתֶר תּוֹרָה וְכֶתֶר כְּהוּנָה וְכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת). And this is the secret of the drawing of the three crowns upon it (וְדָא רָזָא דְ תְּלַת תַּגִּין עֲלָהּ).

The head of the sword is Yod (דְּרֵישָׁא דְחַרְבָּא אִיהִי י׳), the body of the sword is Vav (גּוּפָא דְחַרְבָּא ו׳), its two edges are Heh-Heh (תְּרֵין פִּיפִיּוֹת דִּילָהּ ה״ה), its sheath is Adonai (נַרְתְּקָא דִילָהּ אדנ״י), and the sword of Hashem (וחרבא יי). And when it is Hashem apart from His Shekhinta (וְכַד אִיהִי יי בַּר מִשְּׁכִינְתֵּיהּ), it is judgment that cuts from every side (אִיהוּ דִין דְּחַתִּיךְ מִכָּל סִטְרָא). But when it enters its sheath, it becomes mercy and does not cut judgments (כַּד עָאל בְּנַרְתְּקָהּ אִתְעֲבִיד רַחֲמֵי וְלָא חַתִּיךְ דִּינִין). And the secret of the sword in its sheath is YAHDVNHY-thus it surely is (וְרָזָא דְחַרְבָּא בְּנַרְתְּקָהּ, יאהדונה״י הָכִי וַדַּאי). And at the time when Hashem is apart from His Shekhinta (וּבְזִמְנָא דְיי בַּר מִשְּׁכִינְתֵּיהּ), it is said of Him: “For Hashem your God is a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4) (אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ כִּי יי אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵשׁ אֹכְלָה הוּא), for He takes from Gevurah to kindle the world (דְּנָטִיל מִגְּבוּרָה לְאוֹקָדָא עָלְמָא). The Yod becomes a coal (י׳ אִתְעֲבִיד גַּחֶלֶת), the Vav is the flame of the coal (ו׳ שַׁלְהוֹבָא דְגַחֶלֶת), the Heh-Heh, one, are five colors (ה״ה חַד חָמֵשׁ גַּוָּונִין), the second, five lights that shine within them (תִּנְיָינָא חָמֵשׁ נְהוֹרִין דְּנַהֲרִין בְּהוֹן). And at the time when the upper Heh departs from the lower Heh (וּבְזִמְנָא דְה׳ עִלָּאָה אִסְתַּלְּקַת מֵה׳ תַּתָּאָה), She says: “Look not upon me, that I am black” (Song of Songs 1) (אִיהִי אָמְרָה אַל תִּרְאוּנִי שֶׁאֲנִי שְׁחַרְחֹרֶת). And at the time when She shines in Her colors (וּבְזִמְנָא דְאִיהִי נַהֲרָא בְּגַוְּונָהָא), it is said of Her: “And I will see it, to remember the everlasting covenant” (Bereshit 9) (אִתְּמַר בָּהּ וּרְאִיתִיהָ לִזְכֹּר בְּרִית עוֹלָם). The Tanna’im and Amora’im above arose (קָמוּ תַּנָּאִים וְאֱמוֹרָאִים דִּלְעִילָא), and they said: 'Rabbi, Rabbi! How powerful is your sling! (וְאָמְרוּ רַבִּי רַבִּי כַּמָּה תַקִּיפָא קִירְטָא דִילָךְ), that it ascends to Ein Sof and descends to no end (דִּי סְלִיקַת לָהּ עַד אֵין סוֹף, וּנְחִיתַת לָהּ עַד אֵין תַּכְלִית).

He opened as from the beginning and said (פָּתַח כְּמִלְּקַדְמִין וְאָמַר): “Hear, O mountains, the contention of Hashem” (Micah 6) (שִׁמְעוּ הָרִים אֶת רִיב יי). He said to them: Patriarchs, Patriarchs, great mountains, hear (אָמַר לוֹן אֲבָהָן אֲבָהָן טוּרִין רַבְרְבִין, שְׁמָעוּ), for this stone which is hewn from these mountains of yours (דְּהַאי אֶבֶן דְּאִתְגְּזֶרֶת מֵאִלֵּין טוּרִין דִּלְכוֹן), which is the crown upon the head of all (דְּאִיהִי כִּתְרָא בְרֵישָׁא דְכֻלְּהוּ), and the Eitanim, which is the crown above all (וְהָאֵיתָנִים דְּאִיהִי כִּתְרָא עַל כֻּלְּהוּ), She is raising a contention upon you (אִיהִי סְלִיקַת רִיב עֲלַיְיכוּ), because of Her Husband (בְּגִין בַּעִילָהּ), for She is the concealed spring like the rock (דְּאִיהִי מַבּוּעָא סְתִימָא כַּסֶּלַע). Until Her Husband comes, She does not give Her waters (עַד דְּיֵיתֵי בַּעִילָהּ לָא יַהֲבָא מֵימוֹי). For these tongues are like hammers striking upon that rock (דְּהָא לִישָׁנִין אִינוּן כַּפַּטִּישִׁין דִּמְחָאָן בְּהַהוּא סֶלַע), and none of them brings forth a spring from it except Her Husband, who knows to draw Her forth (וְלֵית חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ דְאַפִּיק מִינָהּ נְבִיעוּ, בַּר מִבַּעִילָהּ דְּיָדַע לְאַמְשָׁכָא לָהּ).