Daf 47b (דַּף מ״ז ע״ב)

“Mightier than the breakers of the sea” (Psalms 93) (אַדִּירִים מִשְׁבְּרֵי יָם), these are the ta‘amei of the Orayta (אִלֵּין טַעֲמֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא), of which it is said: “All Your breakers and Your waves passed over me” (Psalms 42) (דְאִתְּמַר בְּהוּ כָּל מִשְׁבָּרֶיךָ וְגַלֶּיךָ עָלַי עָבָרוּ). And these are Zarqa, Makaf, Shofar Holekh, Segolta (וְאִלֵּין אִינוּן זַרְקָ״א מַקַּ״ף שׁוֹפָ״ר הוֹלֵ״ךְ סֶגּוֹלְתָּ״א).

Zarqa, the line of the form of the letter Vav (זַרְקָ״א, קַו דִּיּוֹקְנָא דְאָת ו׳), its head is Yod (רֵישָׁא דִילֵיהּ י׳). Three circles (נ״א אִית תְּלַת גַּלְגַּלִּים) ascend in it in the sea of the Orayta (סָלְקִין בֵּיהּ בְּיַמָּא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא), and these are Segol (וְאִינוּן סֶגוֹ״ל; נ״א סֶגוֹלְתָּא). And each circle ascends to ten circles above (וְכָל גַּלְגַּל סָלִיק לְי׳ גַּלְגַּלִּים לְעִילָא). “And the wheels were lifted up beside them” (Ezekiel 1) (וְהָאוֹפַנִּים יִנָּשְׂאוּ לְעִמָּתָם). And at the time when the wheels were lifted beside them (וּלְזִמְנָא דְיִנָּשְׂאוּ הָאוֹפַנִּים לְעוּמָתָם), immediately “the rivers have lifted up, Hashem” (Psalms 93) (מִיָּד נָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת יהו״ה). The two points, which are Segolta, ascend to that one point upon His wings (תְּרֵין נְקוּדִין דְּאִינוּן סֶגוֹלְתָּ״א סָלְקִין לְהַהִיא נְקוּדָה חֲדָא עַל גַּדְפוֹי). And they became Yod-Heh (וְאִתְעֲבִידוּ י״ה). And this is: “The rivers have lifted up, Hashem” (Psalms 93) (וְדָא אִיהוּ נָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת יהו״ה). These are two points of Alef, Yod above and Yod below (אִינוּן ב׳ נְקוּדִין דְּא׳, י׳ לְעִילָא וְי׳ לְתַתָּא). The Vav ascends upon the wings (סָלְקִין ו׳ עַל גַּדְפִין). And where do they ascend? Only their reckoning is to the reckoning of the Name of Hashem (וּלְאָן סָלְקִין, אֶלָּא חוּשְׁבָּנָא דִלְהוֹן לְחוּשְׁבַּן שְׁמָא דְיהו״ה). And when they ascend upon His wings (וְכַד סָלְקִין לָהּ עַל גַּדְפַיְיהוּ), they receive upon them the Cause of causes, that descends upon them (לְקַבְּלָא עֲלַיְיהוּ עִלַּת הָעִלּוֹת דְּנָחִית עַל גַּבַּיְיהוּ).

And furthermore, Zarqa is “Beautiful in elevation, the joy of all the earth” (Psalms 48) (וְעוֹד זַרְקָ״א אִיהוּ יְפֵה נוֹף מְשׂוֹשׂ כָּל הָאָרֶץ). It is the seventh (אִיהוּ ז׳), the seventh day (יוֹם הַשִּׁבְיעִי), and this is the Tzaddik (וְדָא צַדִּיק). And it is a branch from the body of the Tree, which is the middle pillar (וְאִיהוּ עַנְפָא מִגּוּפָא דְאִילָנָא דְאִיהוּ עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). “Mount Zion, on the sides of the north” (Psalms 48) (הַר צִיּוֹן יַרְכְּתֵי צָפוֹן), this is one small point, Yod (Some say Alef) (דָּא נְקוּדָה חֲדָא י׳ (נ״א א׳), the letter of the covenant (זְעִירָא אוֹת הַבְּרִית). Concerning her it is said: “The rivers have lifted up, Hashem” (Psalms 93) (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר נָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת יהו״ה). And what is “the sides of the north”? (Psalms 48) (וּמַאי נִיהוּ יַרְכְּתֵי צָפוֹן), that they ascend to Him, to Hashem, Who is her Husband (דְּסָלְקִין לָהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ דְיהו״ה דְּאִיהוּ בַּעֲלָהּ). And when they ascend to Him, that point is called “the city of the great King” (Psalms 48) (וְכַד סָלְקִין לָהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ אִתְקְרִיאַת הַהִיא נְקוּדָה קִרְיַת מֶלֶךְ רָב).

At the time when that point ascends in the two thighs (בְּהַהִיא זִמְנָא דְסָלְקַת הַהִיא נְקוּדָה בִּתְרֵין יַרְכֵי), the two arms, which are the two supernal rivers, receive her (מְקַבְּלִין לָהּ תְּרֵין דְּרוֹעִין דְּאִינוּן ב׳ נְהָרוֹת עִלָּאִין). And they ascend her in the middle pillar (וְסָלְקִין לָהּ בְּעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And this is: “The rivers have lifted up their voice” (Psalms 93) (וְדָא אִיהוּ נָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת קוֹלָם). The two thighs go to Him, her Husband (תְּרֵין יַרְכִין אָזְלִין לָהּ לְגַבֵּי בַּעֲלָהּ). And the two arms, these are receiving her to her Husband (וּתְרֵין דְּרוֹעִין אִינוּן מְקַבְּלִין לָהּ לְגַבֵּי בַּעֲלָהּ). And because of this, two rivers - of them it is said: “The rivers have lifted up, Hashem” (Psalms 93) (וּבְגִין דָּא תְּרֵין נְהָרוֹת אִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן נָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת יהו״ה). And the second two: “The rivers shall lift up” (Psalms 93) (וּתְרֵין תִּנְיָינִין יִשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת).

And furthermore it was said about her: “They ascend and descend” (וְעוֹד אִתְּמַר בָּהּ סְלִיקוּ וּנְחִיתוּ), in this manner (כְּגַוְונָא דָא). When they ascend to her, toward the Middle Pillar, it is said about him: “The rivers lifted up their voice” (כַד סָלְקִין לָהּ לְגַבֵּי עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא אִתְּמַר בֵיהּ נָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת קוֹלָם). But when they descend to her, toward the Tzaddik, it is said about him: “The rivers lift up, they are pure” (אֲבָל כַּד נָחֲתִין לָהּ לְגַבֵּי צַדִּיק אִתְּמַר בֵיהּ יִשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת דָּכְיָם). And that which was a Segulah above, in this manner, when she descends to the Tzaddik, she becomes Segol in this manner (וּמַה דַּהֲוָה סֶגוּלָה לְעִילָא כְּגַוְונָא דָא כַּד נָחְתָא לְגַבֵּי צַדִּיק אִתְעֲבִידַת סֶגוֹ״ל כְּגַוְונָא דָא). And because of this, that which was above is taken below (וּבְגִין דָּא מַה דַּהֲוַת לְעִילָא אִתְנַטְּלַת לְתַתָּא). Some say: returned (נ״א אִתְחֲזַרַת). And because of this she is called by the Tzaddik “pure” (וּבְגִין דָּא אִתְקְרִיאַת בְּצַדִּיק דָּכְיָם). And in her are the lower waters that weep (וּבָהּ מַיִם הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים בָּכָאן), because they are the gates of tears (בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן תַּרְעִין דְּדִמְעָה). And about them it is said: “The gates of tears are not locked” (וַעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר שַׁעֲרֵי דִּמְעָה לֹא נִנְעָלוּ). And because she is their tear, indeed pure (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהִי דִמְעָה דִלְהוֹן, דָּכְיָם וַדַּאי). And the Tzaddik in her: Dakh Yam (וְצַדִּיק בָּהּ דָּ״ךְ יָ״ם). And behold they have already established it: “Let not the oppressed return in shame” (Psalms 74:21) (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהוּ אַל יָשׁוֹב דַּךְ נִכְלָם). And in him: “Do not be silent at my tears” (Psalms 39:13) (וּבֵיהּ אֶל דִּמְעָתִי אַל תֶּחֱרַשׁ). And about her it is said: “The cry of the Children of Yisrael has come unto Me” (Exodus 3:9) (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר צַעֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָה אֵלָי).

A movement that ascends to her, to her Master, this is Revi‘a (תְּנוּעָה דְסָלִיק לָהּ לְגַבֵּי בַעִלָהּ דָּא רָבִי״עַ). And at that time it is called Zakef Gadol (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִתְקְרֵי זָקֵ״ף גָּדוֹ״ל). And she is called “City of the Great King” (וְאִיהִי אִתְקְרִיאַת קִרְיַת מֶלֶךְ רָב). And where he is straightened toward her, in two rivers (וּבְאָן אִיהוּ זַקְפָא לְגַבֵּיהּ, בִּתְרֵין נְהָרוֹת). About them it is said: “Your right hand, Hashem, glorious in power; Your right hand, Hashem, crushes the enemy” (Exodus 15:6) (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן יְמִינְךָ יי נֶאְדָּרִי בַּכֹּחַ, יְמִינְךָ יי תִּרְעַץ אוֹיֵב). And about them it is said: “Pleasures are in Your right hand forever” (Psalms 16:11) (וַעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר נְעִימוֹת בִּימִינְךָ נֶצַח). What is “in Your right hand”? This is Gedulah (מַאי בִּימִינְךָ דָּא גְדוּלָה). At that time it is called Zakef Gadol (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִתְקְרֵי זָקֵ״ף גָּדוֹ״ל). And when she descends in the Tzaddik she is called Zakef Katan (וְכַד נָחֲתַת בְּצַדִּיק אִתְקְרִיאַת זָקֵף קָטָ״ן). And what is this Tenuah [movement] that descends to her? (וּמַאי אִיהִי תְּנוּעָה דְקָא נָחִית לָהּ). This is Tevir [breaking] (דָּא תְּבִי״ר). Revi‘a [the fourth] is to the right—Erekh Appayim [long-suffering] toward the Beinonim [intermediate ones]—and through it He prolongs (רָבִי״עַ לִימִינָא, אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם עַל בֵּינוּנִים, וּבֵיהּ אִיהוּ מַאֲרִי״ךְ). Tevir [breaking] is to the left—the breaking of the guilty (תְּבִי״ר לִשְׂמָאלָא, תְּבִירוּ דְחַיָּיבַיָּא). One ascends in Tekia [a sustained blast] and prolongs through it (חַד סָלִיק בִּתְקִיעָ״ה וּמַאֲרִיךְ בָּהּ), and one descends in Shevarim [broken blasts] (וְחַד נָחִית לָהּ בִּשְׁבָרִי״ם). Shalshelet [chain]—this is Teru‘ah [a broken blast], the connection of both (שַׁלְשֶׁלֶ״ת דָּא תְרוּעָ״ה קִשּׁוּרָא דְתַרְוַיְיהוּ), the likeness of Shureq [u-vowel] below (דִיּוֹקְנָא דְשׁוּרֵ״ק דִּלְתַתָּא). In Shalshelet [chain] she ascends; in Shureq [u-vowel] she descends (בְּשַׁלְשֶׁלֶ״ת סָלְקָא, בְּשֻׁרֵ״ק נָחְתָא). This is Sulam [ladder]—some say, Holam [the o-vowel]—which ascends above (הַאי אִיהוּ סֻלָּם [נ״א חָל״ם] דְּסָלְקָא לְעִילָא). And this is Sulam [ladder]—some say, Ḥirik [the i-vowel]—which descends below (וְהַאי אִיהוּ סֻלָּם [נ״א חִירֶק] דְּנָחְתָא לְתַתָּא). And this is the rung of two Ta‘amei [cantillation marks] (וְהַיְינוּ דַרְגָּ״א תְרֵ״י טַעֲמֵ״י).