Daf 56a (דַּף נ״ו ע״א)

The four compartments of the head are Ehyeh (אַרְבַּע בָּתֵּי דְרֵישָׁא אִינוּן אֶהי״ה), the four parshiyot which are: “Sanctify to Me” (Exodus 13) (אַרְבַּע פָּרָשִׁיָּין דְּאִינוּן קַדֶּשׁ לִי), “And it shall be when Hashem brings you” (ibid. 13:11) (וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ), “Hear O Yisrael” (Deuteronomy 6:4) (שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל), and “And it shall be if you surely listen” (ibid. 11:13) (וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ). This is YHVH (דָא יהו״ה). The four compartments of the hand are Adonai (אַרְבָּעָה בָּתֵּי דְיָד דָּא אדנ״י), the four parshiyot are YHVH (אַרְבָּעָה פָּרְשִׁיָּין דָּא יהו״ה). And in them forty-two mentions in the eight parshiyot (וּבְהוֹן מ״ב אַזְכָּרוֹת בִּתְמַנְיָא פָּרְשִׁיָּין), of which it is said: “Adonai is in them” (Psalms 68) (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן אדנ״י בָם). This is what is written: “For it is his garment for his skin” (Exodus 22) (דָּא אִיהוּ כִּי הִיא שִׂמְלָתוֹ לְעוֹרוֹ). And she is the blue in the tzitzit (וְאִיהִי תְּכֵלֶת שֶׁבַּצִּיצִית). She is the secret of Yibbum [levirate marriage], his Yevamah [levirate widow] in exile (אִיהִי סוֹד הַיִּבּוּם, יְבָמָה דִילֵיהּ בְּגָלוּתָא): Y”B M”H B”Y M”H (י״ב מ״ה ב״י מ״ה).

Her three Gilgulim [Reincarnations] are the three Patriarchs (תְּלַת גִּלְגּוּלִין דִּילָהּ אִינוּן תְּלַת אֲבָהָן), concerning whom it is said: “Behold, all these things El does, twice, three times with a man” (דַּעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר הֶן כָּל אֵלֶּה יִפְעַל אֵ״ל פַּעֲמַיִם שָׁלֹשׁ עִם גָּבֶר) (Job 33:29). She is his salvation and his redemption (אִיהִי יְשׁוּעָה דִילֵיהּ, גְּאוּלָה דִילֵיהּ), for Kudsha Berikh Hu has no permission to bring them out of exile until she goes out with Him (בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּתָא לְאַפָּקָא מִן גָּלוּתָא, עַד דְּאִיהִי נָפְקַת עִמֵּיהּ). She is His prophecy (הִיא נְבוּאָה דִילֵיהּ), prophecy inclusive of six levels from the side of the letter Vav, which is the Middle Column (נְבוּאָה כְלִילָא שִׁית דַּרְגִין מִסִּטְרָא דְאָת ו׳ דְּאִיהִי עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And she is one dream from sixty in prophecy (וְאִיהִי חֲלוֹם אֶחָד מִשִּׁתִּין בִּנְבוּאָה). And what is sixty? That there is no old age (some say: sleep-less than sixty (וּמַאי שִׁתִּין, אֶלָּא לֵית שֵׂיבָ״ה; נ״א שֵׁינָה פְּחוּתָה מִשִּׁתִּין). And this is Yisrael Sava (וְדָא יִשְׂרָאֵל סָבָא), who ascends in the letter Vav, six times ten, which is sixty (דְסָלִיק בְּאָת ו׳ שִׁית זִמְנִין עֲשַׂר דְּאִיהוּ שִׁתִּין). And she is Yirah [awe] from the side of the left (וְאִיהִי יִרְאָה מִסִּטְרָא דִשְׂמָאלָא), Ahavah [love] from the side of the right (אַהֲבָה מִסִּטְרָא דִימִינָא), and she is Torah from the side of the Middle Pillar (וְאִיהִי תוֹרָה מִסִּטְרָא דְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And she is Anokhi [I] from the side of Imma Ila’ah [the Supernal Mother], which holds to the right (וְאִיהִי אָנֹכִי מִסִּטְרָא דְאִמָּא עִלָּאָה דַאֲחִידָא בִימִינָא), for Anokhi [I] equals Kisse [throne] in gematria (בְּגִין דְאָנֹכִי אִיהוּ כִּסֵּ״א בְּחוּשְׁבָּן). And of it is said: “And a throne shall be established in Chesed” (Isaiah 16) (וְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְהוּכַן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסֵּא). And of her it is said: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20) (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל פָּנָי), from the side of Samael and the serpent, who are other gods (מִסִּטְרָא דְסַמָא״ל וְנָחָשׁ דְּאִינוּן אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים). And she is Pesach, from the side of the right (וְאִיהִי פֶּסַח מִסִּטְרָא דִימִינָא). And she is Rosh haShanah, from the side of the left (וְאִיהִי רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה מִסִּטְרָא דִשְׂמָאלָא). And she is the broken matzah from the side of the left (וְאִיהִי מַצָּה פְּרוּסָה מִסִּטְרָא דִשְׂמָאלָא). And she is the whole matzah from the side of the right (וְאִיהִי מַצָּה שְׁלֵמָה מִסִּטְרָא דִימִינָא). For the side of the north is not complete (בְּגִין דְסִטְרָא דְצָפוֹן לַאו אִיהוּ שְׁלִים). And because of this: “From the north evil shall be opened” (Jeremiah 1) (וּבְגִין דָּא מִצָּפוֹן תִּפָּתַח הָרָעָה). And she-the matzah-is mitzvah in the letter Vav, from the side of the Middle Column (וְהִיא מִצְוָה בְּאָת ו׳ מִסִּטְרָא דְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And she is Shavuot, from the side of the Middle Column (וְאִיהִי שָׁבוּעוֹת מִסִּטְרָא דְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). Seven weeks indeed are in them, seven Shabbatot (שִׁבְעָה שָׁבוּעוֹת וַדַּאי אִית בְּהוֹן שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת), and in them are forty-nine days (וּבְהוֹן מ״ט יוֹמִין), according to the number of forty-nine letters of Keri’at Shema (כְּחוּשְׁבַּן מ״ט אַתְוָון דִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע), which are “Hear O Yisrael…” “Blessed be the Name…” (דְּאִינוּן שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ׳, בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם וְגוֹ׳).

On the fiftieth day, the supernal Shekhinta rests in her (בְּיוֹמָא דְחַמְשִׁין שַׁרְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה בָּהּ), and she is called Matan Torah (וְאִתְקְרִיאַת מַתַּן תּוֹרָה). And the Middle Column is the Torah that was given in fifty days of Shavuot (וְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא אִיהוּ תוֹרָה דְאִתְיְיהִיבַת בְּחַמְשִׁין יוֹמִין דְּשָׁבוּעוֹת). Of it is said: “At fifty years, to old age”-some say: to Binah (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר בֶּן חֲמִשִּׁים לְזִקְנָה, נ״א לְבִינָה). In that which it is said: “For your mother has grown old” (כִּי זָקְנָה אִמֶּךָ). And of her it is said: “If you call to Binah” (Proverbs 2) (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר כִּי אִם לַבִּינָה תִקְרָא). For she is the Heh, and ascends in the letter Yod to fifty-five times ten (בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי ה׳ וְסָלְקָא בְּאָת יו״ד לְחַמְשִׁין חָמֵשׁ זִמְנִין עֲשַׂר). And of her it is said: “At fifty years, to old age” (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר בֶּן חֲמִשִּׁים לְזִקְנָה). In that which it is said: “Despise not, for your mother has grown old” (Proverbs 23) (בְּהַהִיא דְאִתְּמַר אַל תָּבוּז כִּי זָקְנָה אִמֶּךָ). (And Vav is the son of Y-H) (ו׳ בֵּן י״ה). And at times she is called closed Mem (וְזִמְנִין אִתְקְרִיאַת ם׳ סְתִימָא). And of her it is said: “At forty, to Binah” (וְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים לַבִּינָה). For with the partnership of the letter Yod she is called forty (בְּשׁוּתָּפָא דְאָת יו״ד אִתְקְרִיאַת אַרְבָּעִים). And she is the World to Come, in which there is no eating or drinking (וְאִיהִי עָלְמָא דְאָתֵי דְלֵית בֵּיהּ אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה). And when Moshe ascended to her, it is said of him: “And Moshe was on the mountain forty days and forty nights, and so forth” (Exodus 24) (וְכַד סָלִיק מֹשֶׁה לְגַבָּהּ אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וַיְהִי מֹשֶׁה בָּהָר אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לַיְלָה וְגוֹמֵר).

Matan Torah is the lower Shekhinta (מַתַּן תּוֹרָה דָא שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה), and of her it is said: “Moshe rejoiced in the gift of his portion” (יִשְׂמַח מֹשֶׁה בְּמַתְּנַת חֶלְקוֹ), because she is the likeness of the Middle Column (בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי דוּגְמָא דְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And furthermore, Shavuot is on the name of: “Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you also this one” (Bereshit 29) (וְעוֹד שָׁבוּעוֹת עַל שֵׁם מַלֵּא שְׁבֻעַ זֹאת וְנִתְּנָה לְךָ גַם אֶת זֹאת). “Fulfill the week of this one”-this is the supernal Shekhinta (מַלֵּא שְׁבוּעַ זֹאת דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה), “a full Heh, full Y-H” (מָלֵא שְׁבוּעַ ה׳ מָלֵא י״ה), of which it is said: “For a hand is on the throne of Yah” (Exodus 17) (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ כִּי יָד עַל כֵּ״ס י״הּ). “And we will give you also this one”-this is the lower Shekhinta, the small Heh (וְנִתְּנָה לְךָ גַם אֶת זֹאת דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה ה׳ זְעִירָא). The fullness of all, supernal and lower, this is the Vav (מַלֵּא דְכֹלָּא עִלָּאָה וְתַתָּאָה דָא ו׳). He is full Y-H above (אִיהוּ מַלֵּא י״ה לְעִילָא), which is filled Elohim (דְּאִיהִי מְלֵיאָ״ה אֱלֹהִים). And of her it is said: “I went out full” (Ruth 1) (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר אֲנִי מְלֵאָה הָלַכְתִּי), “I went out full to Mount Sinai” (מְלֵאָה הָלַכְתִּי לְטוּרָא דְסִינַי), “and empty Hashem has brought me back in exile” (Ruth 1) (וּבְגָלוּתָא רֵיקָם הֱשִׁיבַנִי יְהוָה). And He is filled with Heh (וְאִיהוּ מָלֵא ה׳), and in her “the earth is full of Your possessions” (Psalms 104) (וּבָהּ מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ קִנְיָנֶךָ). And the lower Shekhinta is Sukkah (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה אִיהִי סוּכָּ״ה), twenty-six, five (כ״ו ה״ס), which is YHVH Adonai (דְּאִיהִי יהו״ה אדנ״י), inclusive of both Names (כְּלִילָא מִתְּרֵין שְׁמָהָן). Sukkah is the union of both, in the likeness of this: YAHDVNHY (סוּכָּה חִבּוּרָא דְתַרְוַיְהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דָא יאהדונה״י). For she is His bride (בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי כַּלָּה דִילֵיהּ). And she is Bat Sheva, the general of the seven days of Sukkah (וְאִיהִי בַּת שֶׁבַע כְּלָלָא דְשֶׁבַע יְמֵי סוּכָּה). And when she takes from the supernal Imma, which is Simchat Torah and the rejoicing of the water-drawing (וְכַד נָטְלָא מֵאִמָּא עִלָּאָה דְאִיהִי שִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה שִׂמְחַת בֵּית הַשּׁוֹאֵבָה), then she is His huppah, and she is called Shemini Atzeret (וְאִיהִי חוּפָּה דִילֵיהּ, אִתְקְרִיאַת שְׁמִינִי חַג עֲצֶרֶת).