Daf 54a (דַּף נ״ד ע״א)

Another matter: “And YHVH appointed a great fish to swallow Yonah” (Jonah 2) (דָּבָר אַחֵר וַיְמַן יְהוָה דָּג גָּדוֹל לִבְלוֹעַ אֶת יוֹנָה)-this is poverty (דָּא עֲנִיּוּתָא), which is pain (דְּאִיהוּ עִצֶּב), and its Nukva is anguish (וְנוּקְבָא דִילֵיהּ עִצָּבוֹן). The male is “dag,” the female is “dagah” (דְּכוּרָא דָּג נוּקְבָא דָּגָה). This is: “And Yonah prayed to YHVH his God from the belly of the fish” (Jonah 2) (דָּא הוּא וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל יוֹנָה אֶל יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו מִמְּעִי הַדָּגָה)-from the hunger of poverty that reached the inwardness of Yisrael (מִכַּפְנָא דַעֲנִיּוּתָא דְמָטֵי לִמְעוֹי דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). At that time: “And YHVH spoke to the fish, and it vomited Yonah” (Jonah 2) (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לַדָּג וַיָּקֵא אֶת יוֹנָה)-from the distress of their worry, when they worried from poverty (בְּדוֹחֲקָא דִדְאָגָה דִלְהוֹן דְּדוֹאֲגִין מִן עֲנִיּוּתָא). From distress they will go out from exile (מִדּוֹחֲקָא יִפְקוּן מִן גָּלוּתָא). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “And the afflicted people You shall save” (2 Samuel 22) (וְאֶת עַם עָנִי תּוֹשִׁיעַ). This is the prophecy of Yonah, who prophesied that Yisrael would go out from exile through the worry, some say: through the distress of poverty (דָּא נְבוּאָה דְיוֹנָה דְנִתְנַבָּא דְיִפְקוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן גָּלוּתָא בִדְאָגָה, ס״א בְּדוֹחֲקָא דַעֲנִיּוּתָא). And through the right side they will go out (וּבִימִינָא יִפְקוּן), because Tzaddik, life of the worlds, is the poor one who is bound with the right (בְּגִין דְּצַדִּיק חַי עָלְמִין אִיהוּ עָנִי דְאִתְקַשַּׁר בִּימִינָא). This is Pesach (דְאִיהוּ פֶּסַח). In the likeness of Yisrael, of whom it is said (כְּגַוְונָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן): “You were naked and bare” (Ezekiel 16) (וְאַתְּ עֵרוֹם וְעֵרְיָה). And this Yonah is the Yonah of the ark of Noah (וְהַאי יוֹנָה אִיהִי יוֹנָה דְּתֵיבַת נֹחַ).

Another matter: “And YHVH spoke to the fish, and it vomited Yonah upon the dry land” (Jonah 2) (דָּבָר אַחֵר וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לַדָּג וַיָּקֵא אֶת הַיוֹנָה אֶל הַיַּבָּשָׁה). A certain elder arose after the shade, opened and said (קָם סָבָא מִבָּתַר טוּלָא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “And the manna was like coriander seed” (Numbers 11) (וְהַמָּן כִּזְרַע גַּד הוּא). What is “like coriander seed” (מַאי כִּזְרַע גַּד)? Rather Gad is right and left (אֶלָּא גַד אִיהוּ יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא)-“bestowing to the poor” (גְמוֹל דַּלִּים). “Like coriander seed”-this is Yonah, Yod surely, a white drop (כִּזְרַע גַּד דָּא יוֹנָה יו״ד וַדַּאי, טִפָּה חִוַּורְתָּא), in which Gad is completed and becomes a sinew (דְּבֵיהּ אִשְׁתַּלִּים גַּד וְאִתְעֲבִיד גִּיד). And because this seed, which is Yod, the holy drop (וְעַל דָּא הַאי זַרְעָא דְאִיהִי יו״ד דְּאִיהִי טִפָּה קַדִּישָׁא), it is said: “And it vomited Yonah upon the dry land” (Jonah 2) (אִתְּמַר וַיָּקֵא אֶת יוֹנָה אֶל הַיַּבָּשָׁה)-which is the Nukva (דְאִיהִי נוּקְבָא). And from what was dry land, Heh, it was called Eretz (וּמִמַּה דַּהֲוַת יַבָּשָׁה ה׳ אִתְקְרִיאַת אֶרֶץ), to bring forth seeds and growth (לְאַפָּקָא זַרְעִין וְאִיבִין). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “And Elohim called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas” (Bereshit 1) (וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לַיַּבָּשָׁה אֶרֶץ, וּלְמִקְוֵה הַמַּיִם קָרָא יַמִּים). This is “the hope of Yisrael, his Savior in time of trouble” (Jeremiah 14) (דָּא מִקְוֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹשִׁיעוֹ בְּעֵת צָרָה).

The source that flows from that seed drawn from the Supernal Brain (מְקוֹרָא דִנְבִיעוּ מֵהַהוּא זֶרַע דְּאִתְמַשַּׁךְ מִמּוֹחָא עִלָּאָה). And that drop is the small Yod (וְהַאי טִפָּה אִיהִי יו״ד זְעִירָא). When Alef goes forth from the brain, which is Chokhmah (כַּד נָפְקַת א מִן מוֹחָא דְאִיהִי חָכְמָה), each Sefirah takes its portion (כָּל סְפִירָה נָטְלַת חֶלְקָהָא), until it is divided into nine points (עַד דְּאִתְפַּלִּיגַת לְתֵשַׁע נְקוּדִין). And when each one has taken its portion (וְכַד נָטִיל כָּל חַד חוּלָקֵיהּ), a tenth remains from all the drops (אִשְׁתָּאַרַת עִשּׂוּרָא מִכֻּלְּהוּ טִפִּין). This is taken by that dry land, which is the tenth of an ephah of fine flour (דְּנַטִּילַת הַהִיא יַבָּשָׁה דְּאִיהִי עֲשִׂירִית הָאֵיפָה סֹלֶת). And because of this one gives tithes (וּבְגִינָהּ מְעַשְּׂרִין). And that drop, in the Middle Column, is extended (וְהַהִיא טִפָּה בְּעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא אִתְאָרְכַת), and becomes the seed Vav, which includes six directions (וְאִתְעֲבִידַת זֶרַע ו׳ דְּכָלִיל שִׁית סִטְרִין). And just as all the Sefirot take their portions from that drop (וּכְמָה דְכָל סְפִירָן נָטְלִין חוּלָקֵיהוֹן מֵהַהוּא טִפָּה), so they take from the seed that is Vav (הָכִי נָטְלִין מִזֶּרַע דְּאִיהוּ ו׳). When it is small, it becomes six (כַּד אִיהוּ זְעִיר אִתְעֲבִיד שִׁית). When it is taken in Yod, it ascends to sixty (כַּד נָטִיל בְּיו״ד סָלִיק לְשִׁתִּין)-six times ten (שִׁית זִמְנִין עֲשַׂר). But each Sefirah is nine (אֲבָל כָּל סְפִירָן כָּל חַד אִיהוּ תֵשַׁע). And in Malkhut each one is completed to ten (וּמַלְכוּת בָּהּ אִשְׁתַּלִּים כָּל חַד לְעִשֶׂר). And all is drawn to the sinew, which is the Tzaddik (וְכֹלָּא אִתְמַשַּׁךְ לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּגִיד דְּאִיהוּ צַדִּיק). And from him to that dry land (וּמִנֵּיהּ לְהַהוּא יַבָּשָׁה). And at that time when all is poured into her, she is called the Ark of Noah (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְאָרִיק בָּהּ כֹּלָּא אִתְקְרִיאַת תֵּיבַת נֹחַ). And the secret of the matter: “And the ark rested in the seventh month” (Bereshit 8) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וַתָּנַח הַתֵּיבָה בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי). That which was the Heh of “dry land” (מַה דַּהֲוַת ה׳ יַבָּשָׁה) became the seventh Heh (אִתְעֲבִידַת הֵ׳ הַשְּׁבִיעִי). And this is: “And the ark rested in the seventh month” (וְדָא אִיהוּ וַתָּנַח הַתֵּיבָה בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי)-indeed it rested in the seventh month (וַתָּנַח וַדַּאי בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי). And this is the sinew of the Tzaddik, life of the worlds (וְדָא אִיהוּ גִיד צַדִּיק חַי עָלְמִין), because from him goes forth seed to that dry land (בְּגִין דְּמִנֵּיהּ נָפִיק זֶרַע לְהַאי יַבָּשָׁה).