Daf 53a (דַּף נ״ג ע״א)

And on the other side there is the dark lamp of Gehinom (וּלְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא אִית נֵר חֲשׁוֹכָא דְגֵיהִנָּם), and it has three colors (וְאִית לֵיהּ תְּלַת גַּוָּונִין): the red color, this is the liver (גַּוָּון סוּמָק דָּא כָּבֵד), “Esav is Edom” (Bereshit 36) (עֵשָׂו הוּא אֱדוֹם); the gall, green color (מָרָה גַוָּון יָרוֹק); the spleen, black color (טְחוֹל גַּוָּון שָׁחוֹר). Of it, it is said (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר): “And his eyes were dim from seeing” (Bereshit 27) (וַתִּכְהֶיןָ עֵינָיו מֵרְאוֹת). And your sign in these colors is “greenish or reddish depressions” (Leviticus 14) (שְׁקַעֲרוּרוֹת יְרַקְרַקּוֹת אוֹ אֲדַמְדַּמּוֹת), and their appearance lower than the wall (וּמַרְאֵיהֶן שָׁפָל מִן הַקִּיר). “Lower” is the black color (שָׁפָל הוּא גַּוָּון אוּכָם), of which it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ): “If it be dim and it be not lower than the skin, then the priest shall shut him up” (Leviticus 13) (וּשְׁפָלָה אֵינֶנָּה מִן הָעוֹר וְהִיא כֵהָה). And this is the lowness of the Neshama in the body (וְאִיהִי שִׁפְלוּת דְּנִשְׁמָתָא בְּגוּפָא). Some say: Nefesh–Ruach–Neshama are revealed in the liver, gall, and spleen (נ״א נִשְׁמָתָא וְרוּחָא וְנַפְשָׁא אִתְגַּלְיָין בְּכָבֵד מָרָה וּטְחוֹל). All those limbs of the body, which are the holy nation (כָּל אִינוּן אֵבָרֵי דְגוּפָא דְּאִינוּן עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא), all of them pressed in bitterness (כֻּלְּהוּ דַחֲקָן בִּמְרִירוּ).

For the Neshama, her place is in the brain (בְגִין דְּנִשְׁמָתָא אַתְרָא דִילָהּ מוֹחָא), the holy dove (יוֹנָה קַדִּישָׁא), the dwelling Neshama (נִשְׁמָתָא נִשְׁרָא). In this dove she is sustained (דִּבְהַאי יוֹנָה אִתְפַּרְנְסַת), through many prayers and services (בְּכַמָּה צְלוֹתִין וּפוּלְחָנִין). The ship of the dove is the skull (סְפִינָה דְיוֹנָה קַרְקַפְתָּא). And how many rulers are in this ship that guide her (וְכַמָּה מְמַנָּן אִית בְּהַאי סְפִינָה דְמַנְהִיגִין לָהּ)? These are ears, eyes, nose, and mouth (וְאִינוּן אוּדְנִין עַיְינִין חוֹטָמָא פוּמָא). They are seven rulers (שֶׁבַע מְמַנָּן אִינוּן). And they ascend to the seventy tongues that were in the ship of the dove (וְסָלְקִין לְשִׁבְעִים לָשׁוֹן דַּהֲווֹ בִּסְפִינָה דְיוֹנָה). And the dove is prayer, the lower Shekhinta (וְיוֹנָה אִיהִי צְלוֹתָא שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה), the dwelling in which is sustained the supernal Shekhinta (נִשְׁרָא דְאִתְפַּרְנְסַת בָּהּ דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה). If Yisrael are not engaged in prayers and supplications and services of the dwelling, which is the lung (אִם יִשְׂרָאֵל לָא מִשְׁתַּדְּלִין בִּצְלוֹתִין וּבָעוּתִין וּפוּלְחָנִין דְּנִשְׁרָא דְּאִיהִי רֵיאָה), immediately: “And YHVH cast a great wind into the sea” (Jonah 1) (מִיָּד וַיְהוָה הֵטִיל רוּחַ גְּדוֹלָה אֶל הַיָּם)-this is the storm wind (דְּאִיהִי רוּחַ סְעָרָה). “The spirit of YHVH shall guide him” (Isaiah 11) (רוּחַ יְהוָה תְּנִיחֵהוּ) at first (בְּקַדְמֵיתָא). The spirit that blows in the wings of the eagle, which is the Middle Column (רוּחַ דְּנָשִׁיב בְּכַנְפֵי נִשְׁרָא דְאִיהוּ עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). In it the eagle flies with its two wings (דְּבֵיהּ פָּרַח נִשְׁרָא בְאִינוּן תְּרֵין שִׂפְוָון). The spirit that blows in all of them is the spirit of the nose (רוּחַ דְּנָשִׁיב בְּכֻלְּהוּ דָא רוּחַ דְּחוֹטָמָא).

This Ruach, in every place where it is, there the supernal Shekhinta and the lower Shekhinta are found (הַאי רוּחַ בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּאִיהוּ שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה וְתַתָּאָה תַמָּן אִשְׁתַּכְּחוּ). It is the Vav that blows in the wings of the lung (אִיהוּ ו׳ דְּנָשִׁיב בְּכַנְפֵי רֵיאָה). And upon the heart there is “the lamp of YHVH” (וְעַל לִבָּא דְּתַמָּן נֵר יהו״ה). This is the Neshama in the brain, Ruach in the wings of the lung, and Nefesh in the heart (דָּא נִשְׁמָתָא בְּמוֹחָא, רוּחַ בְּכַנְפֵי רֵיאָה, נֶפֶשׁ בְּלִבָּא). And at times, three within three Mochin (וּלְזִמְנִין תְּלַת בִּתְלַת מוֹחִין), and thought rides upon them, which is Adam (וּמַחֲשָׁבָה רָכִיב עֲלַיְיהוּ דְאִיהוּ אָדָם). And so too, three in the heart: Ner [lamp] - Neshama, Ruach (וְהָכִי תְּלַת בְּלֵב, נֵ״ר נְ״שָׁמָה ר״וּחַ).

The Ruach that blows in them - Ner [lamp] - in the two chambers of the heart, and these are Nefesh and Ruach, a sign: Ner [lamp] (רוּחָא דְנָשִׁיב בְּהוֹן נֵ״ר בִּתְרֵי בָּתֵּי לִבָּא, וְאִינוּן נֶפֶ״שׁ וְרוּ״חַ, סִימָן נֵ״ר). And this Vav is what blows in the arms with their six joints (וְהַאי ו׳ אִיהוּ דְנָשִׁיב בִּדְרוֹעִין בְּשִׁית פִּרְקִין דִּלְהוֹן). And it blows in the two legs with their six joints (וְאִיהוּ נַשִּׁיב בִּתְרֵין שׁוֹקִין בְּשִׁית פִּרְקִין). Of them it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן): “His legs are pillars of marble” (Song of Songs 5) (שׁוֹקָיו עַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ). And of it, it is said (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר): “And the spirit of YHVH shall rest upon him” (Isaiah 11) (וְנָחָה עָלָיו רוּחַ יהו״ה). When the limbs of the body are conducted by this Ruach in the holy Orayta, in the commandments of the Orayta (כַּד אֵבָרִין דְּגוּפָא מִתְנַהֲגִין בְּהַאי רוּחָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּפִקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), the ship is conducted to every direction that a man desires (סְפִינָה מִתְנַהֲגָא לְכָל סִטְרָא דְבָעִי בַּר נַשׁ). As it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר): “Wherever the spirit was to go, they went” (Ezekiel 1) (אֶל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה שָׁמָּה הָרוּחַ לָלֶכֶת יֵלֵכוּ). For the ship is the head, and it is the heart, and it is the body (דִּסְפִינָה אִיהִי רֵישָׁא וְאִיהִי לִבָּא וְאִיהִי גוּפָא). And if the limbs of the body, which are the masters of the ship, which are the Holy Nation (וְאִם אֵבָרִין דְּגוּפָא דְאִינוּן מָארֵי סְפִינָה דְאִינוּן עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא), are not conducted in the Orayta, which is the Neshama, and in the mitzvah, which is the Nefesh (לָא מִתְנַהֲגִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְאִיהִי נִשְׁמָתָא וּבְמִצְוָה דְאִיהִי נַפְשָׁא), the Ruach flies away from among them (פָּרַח רוּחָא מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ). At that time it is said: “And YHVH cast a great wind into the sea” (Jonah 1) (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא וַיְהוָה הֵטִיל רוּחַ גְּדוֹלָה אֶל הַיָּם), which is a storm wind (דְּאִיהִי רוּחַ סְעָרָה), which is a decree of harsh judgment (דְּאִיהִי גְזֵרַת דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא). “Storm” is the body of man, which are Yisrael (דִסְעָרָה גוּפֵיהּ דְּבַר נַשׁ דְּאִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל), and Yisrael are in the storm (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִינוּן בִּסְעָרָה). And the ship, which is the body, thought to be broken (וְהָאֳנִיָּה דְאִיהִי גוּפָא חִשְּׁבָה לְהִשָּׁבֵר).

At that time, “And Yonah went down into the innermost parts of the ship” (Jonah 1) (בֵּיהּ זִמְנָא וְיוֹנָה יָרַד אֶל יַרְכְּתֵי הַסְּפִינָה)-this is the lower Shekhinta (דָא שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה). Of her it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ): “And she uncovered his feet and lay down” (Ruth 3) (וַתְּגַל מַרְגְּלוֹתָיו וַתִּשְׁכָּב)-a lying to the dust (שְׁכִיבַת לְעַפְרָא). And this is: “And he lay and was fast asleep” (Jonah 1) (וְדָא אִיהוּ וַיִּשְׁכַּב וַיֵּרָדַּם). And why did she fall (וְאַמַּאי נָפְלַת)? Because the Ruach, which is the Middle Column that supports her, flew away from her (בְּגִין דְּפָרַח מִינָהּ רוּחָא דְאִיהוּ עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְסָמִיךְ לָהּ), and she fell (וְאִיהִי נָפְלַת). At that time it is said of her (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִתְּמַר בָּהּ): “How does she sit solitary” (Lamentations 1) (אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָדָד). And who caused her descent (וּמָאן גָּרִים נְחִיתוּ דִילָהּ)? Because Yisrael nullified Orayta and mitzvah (בְּגִין דִּבְטִילוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹרַיְיתָא וּמִצְוָה). At that time, when she descended between the legs (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְאִיהִי נָחֲתַת בֵּין רַגְלִין), Yisrael below were pressed between the legs (יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנָהָא אִינוּן מְהוּדָקִין בֵּין רַגְלִין), and they were crushed in the millstones (וְאִינוּן בְּמַרְעִין בְּמַכְתָּשִׁין). At that time, when the body was in the mill of Yisrael (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְגוּפָא בְּבֵי מַרְעִין דְּאִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל), and Shekhinta was with them, who is Yonah (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא עִמְּהוֹן דְּאִיהִי יוֹנָה), what is written of her (מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ)? “And the shipmaster came near to him” (Jonah 1) (וַיִּקְרַב אֵלָיו רַב הַחוֹבֵל)-this is he who smites the flesh in the house of grinding (הַהוּא דְחָבִיל בִּשְׂרָא בְּבֵי מַרְעָא).