Daf 56b (דַּף נ״ו ע״ב)

At that time of the rejoicing of the Torah, crowns are set (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְשִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה שַׁוְיָין), some say: rest (נ״א שְׁרֵי), as a crown upon the head of every Tzaddik above (עֲטָרָה בְּרֵישׁ כָּל צַדִּיק לְעִילָא), as you have said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר), “With the crown with which his mother crowned him” (Song of Songs 3) (בַּעֲטָרָה שֶׁעִטְּרָה לוֹ אִמּוֹ), “on the day of his wedding, and on the day of the gladness of his heart” (Song of Songs 3) (בְּיוֹם חֲתוּנָתוֹ וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ). On the day of his wedding-this is the lower Shekhinta (בְּיוֹם חֲתוּנָתוֹ דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה), and on the day of the gladness of his heart-this is the upper Shekhinta (וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ דָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה). And so Yisrael must be crowned in all (וְהָכִי צְרִיכִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאִתְעַטְרָא בְּכֹלָּא), some say: in all of them (נ״א כֻּלְּהוּ), with the crown upon their heads on the day of the rejoicing of the Torah (בַּעֲטָרָא עַל רֵישַׁיְיהוּ בְּיוֹמָא דְשִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה). “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a beautiful tree, palm branches, etc.” (Leviticus 23) (וּלְקַחְתֶּם לָכֶם בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן פְּרִי עֵץ הָדָר כַּפּוֹת תְּמָרִים וְגוֹ׳). The etrog is the lower Shekhinta (אֶתְרוֹג אִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה), and it is comparable to the heart (וְדַמְיָא לְלִבָּא), which is to the left, which is Gevurah (דְאִיהוּ לִשְׂמָאלָא דְאִיהוּ גְבוּרָה).

And therefore a man must take the etrog in the left hand (וּבְגִין כַּךְ צָרִיךְ בַּר נַשׁ לְנָטְלָא אֶתְרוֹג בִּידָא שְׂמָאלָא). And the etrog must be like the heart, whole in its integrity (וּצְרִיכָא לְמֶהֱוִי אֶתְרוֹג דְּדַמְיָא לְלִבָּא שְׁלֵימָא בִּתְיוֹמֶת דִּילָהּ), because of that which is said of it: “And Ya'akov was a simple man” (Bereshit 25) (וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם), to be whole with him (לְמֶהֱוִי שְׁלֵימָא עִמֵּיהּ). And just as there was no blemish in Ya'akov above (וּכְמָה דְלֵית פְּסוּל בְּיַעֲקֹב דִּלְעִילָא), so must there not be any blemish in the etrog (כֵּן צָרִיךְ דְּלָא יְהֵא פְסוּל בְּאֶתְרוֹג), to fulfill the verse: “You are altogether beautiful, my companion, and no blemish is in you” (Song of Songs 4) (כֻּלָּךְ יָפָה רַעִיָתִי וּמוּם אֵין בָּךְ). And if it is green, it is more praiseworthy (וְאִם הִיא יְרוֹקָא הִיא מְשׁוּבַּחַת יַתִּיר), like the appearance that Esther was greenish (כְּדִיּוֹקְנָא דַהֲוַת אֶסְתֵּר יְרַקְרֹקֶת), of whom it is said: “And Esther put on royal apparel” (Esther 5) (וַתִּלְבַּשׁ אֶסְתֵּר מַלְכוּת). And she is called Hadassah after the name of the Myrtle (Hadas) (וְאִתְקְרִיאַת הֲדַסָּה עַל שֵׁם הֲדַס), and the hadas has three leaves (וַהֲדַס אִית לֵיהּ תְּלַת הֲדַסִּין), to be completed in the three Patriarchs (לְאִשְׁתַּכְלָלָא בִּתְלַת אֲבָהָן). And it was called 'Willow' (Aravah), from the side of the two lips, which are the learners of Hashem (וְאִתְקְרִיאַת עֲרָבָה מִסִּטְרָא דִתְרֵין שִׂפְוָון דְּאִינוּן לִמּוּדֵי יְיָ).

And it was called lulav, from the side of the Life of the Worlds (וְאִתְקְרִיאַת לוּלָב מִסִּטְרָא דְחַ״י עָלְמִין), which is crowned with the Life of blessings of prayer (דְּאִיהוּ כְּלִיל חַ״י בִּרְכָאָן דִּצְלוֹתָא). And corresponding to them, eighteen shakings are done with the lulav in the six directions (וּלְקִבְלַיְיהוּ עָבְדִין חַ״י נִעִינוּעִין בְּלוּלָב בְּשִׁית סִטְרִין), three to each and every direction (תְּלַת לְכָל סִטְרָא וְסִטְרָא). Six directions are included in the body, which is the middle pillar (שִׁית סִטְרִין דִּכְלִילָן בְּגוּפָא דְאִיהוּ עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא), and therefore the lulav is called by its name “Lamed–Vav, Lamed–Bet” (דְלוּלָב עַל שְׁמֵיהּ אִתְקְרֵי ל״ו ל״ב). And those eighteen shakings are four times (וְאִינוּן נִעִינוּעִין חַ״י ד׳ זִמְנִין), which ascend to seventy-two (דְּסָלְקִין ע״ב). And those are eighteen shakings in “Give thanks to Hashem” at the beginning and at the end (וְאִינוּן חַ״י נִעִינוּעִין בְּהוֹדוּ לַיהוָה תְּחִלָּה וָסוֹף). Eighteen in “Please, Hashem, save now” (Psalm 118) (חַ״י בְּאָנָא יְיָ הוֹשִׁיעָה נָא), behold, seventy-two (הָא ע״ב). And those depend on four, which is the Shekhinta (וְאִינוּן תַּלְיָין מִן ד׳ דְּאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא). And the Tzaddik in her is called four times “eighteen, eighteen, eighteen, eighteen,” which ascend to seventy-two (וְצַדִּיק בָּהּ אִתְקְרֵי ד׳ זִמְנִין חַ״י חַ״י חַ״י חַ״י דְּסָלִיק ע״ב). From the side of the three Patriarchs (מִסִּטְרָא דִתְלַת אֲבָהָן), and the Shekhinta that is joined with them (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא דְאִשְׁתַּתְּפַת עִמְּהוֹן). These are eighteen: in the right arm (דְּאִינוּן חַ״י [פְּרָקִין] בִּדְרוֹעָא יְמִינָא), and eighteen in the left (וְחַ״י בִּשְׂמָאלָא), and eighteen in the body toward the spine (וְחַ״י בְּגוּפָא לְגַבֵּי שִׁדְרָה), and eighteen in the covenant of circumcision (וְחַ״י בִּבְרִית מִילָה). And these are six directions: the two arms of the King (וְאִינוּן ו׳ סִטְרִין תְּרֵין דְּרוֹעִין דְּמַלְכָּא), and the two legs of the King (וּתְרֵין שׁוֹקִין דְּמַלְכָּא), which are the two true prophets (דְאִינוּן תְּרֵי נְבִיאֵי קְשׁוֹט), and the body and the covenant-behold six (וְגוּפָא וּבְרִית הָא שִׁית). Eighteen shakings correspond to the eighteen vertebrae of the spine from the side of the body (חַ״י נִעִינוּעִין לָקֳבֵל חַ״י חוּלְיָין דְּשִׁדְרָה מִסִּטְרָא דְגוּפָא). And all this is from the side of the Tree of Life (וְכָל דָּא מִסִּטְרָא דְאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי), and from the side of the Tree of Good and Evil (וּמִסִּטְרָא דְאִילָנָא דְטוֹב וָרָע).

The etrog corresponds to the Righteous (אֶתְרוֹג דָּמֵי לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא), the Myrtle (Hadas) to the Beinoniyim (intermediates) (וַהֲדַס לְבֵינוּנִיִּים), and the Willow (Aravah) to the wicked (וַעֲרָבָה לָרְשָׁעִים). And about the Shekhinta it is said (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְּמַר בָּהּ): “And His kingdom rules over all” (Psalms 103) (וּמַלְכוּתוֹ בַּכֹּל מָשָׁלָה), even though it is said of her: “She is a tree of life to those who hold fast to her” (Proverbs 3) (עִץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ). She rules over the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (אִיהִי שָׁלְטָא עַל עִץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע). From her side she is near to the King (מִסִּטְרָא דִילֵיהּ הִיא קְרִיבָא לְמַלְכָּא). Some say: And from these sides at times the Nukvah is near to the King (נ״א וּמִסְטְרִין אֵלֵּין לְזִמְנִין אִיהִי נוּקְבָא קְרִיבָא לְמַלְכָּא). This is what is written: “With this shall Aharon come into the holy place” (Leviticus 16) (בְּזֹאת יָבֹא אַהֲרֹן אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ), from the side of the right (מִסִּטְרָא דִימִינָא). At times she is distant from Him, from the side of the left (לְזִמְנִין אִיהִי רְחִיקָא מִנֵּיהּ מִסִּטְרָא דִשְׂמָאלָא). And “he shall not come at all times into the holy place” (Leviticus 16) (וְאַל יָבֹא בְכָל עִת אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ).

From the side of the right she does not receive defilement (מִסִּטְרָא דִימִינָא אִיהִי לָא מְקַבְּלָא טוּמְאָה). The right is good (טוֹב הוּא יְמִינָא). But her place of good does receive defilement from evil and death (אֲבָל אַתְרָהָא טוֹב מְקַבְּלָא טוּמְאָה מֵרַע וּמָוְת). That place has no nearness (הוּא אֲתַר לֵית לֵיהּ קְרִיבוּ). Some say: Into the holy place she does not receive defilement, but her place of good receives defilement from evil and from that place that has no nearness (נ״א אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ אִיהִי לָא מְקַבְּלָא טוּמְאָה, אֲבָל אַתְרָהָא טוֹב מְקַבְּלָא טוּמְאָה מֵרַע וּמֵהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּלֵית לֵיהּ קְרִיבוּ). And there a sacrifice is needed to draw near (וְתַמָּן צָרִיךְ קוּרְבָּנָא לְקָרְבָא), and incense to drive away the spirit of defilement from that place (וּקְטֹרֶת לְרַחֲקָא רוּחַ הַטּוּמְאָה מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר), and to bring merit close to the left, the mistress (וּלְקָרְבָא זְכוּתָא לִשְׂמָאלָא גְבִירְתָּא), and to drive away the maidservant from there (וּלְרַחֲקָא שִׁפְחָה מִתַּמָּן). And because of this, all names are in her (וּבְגִין דָּא כָּל שְׁמָהָן אִית בָּהּ). And she is called “back” from the side of the moon (וְאִתְקְרֵי שִׁדְרָה אָחוֹר מִסִּטְרָא דְסִיהֲרָא), and from the side of the middle pillar she is called “front” (וּמִסִּטְרָא דְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא אִתְקְרֵי קֶדֶם).

And the mystery of the matter: “Behind and before You formed me” (Psalms 139) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי). And in exile: “He drew back His right hand before the enemy” (Lamentations 2) (וּבְגָלוּתָא הֵשִׁיב אָחוֹר יְמִינוֹ מִפְּנֵי אוֹיֵב). What is “enemy”? This is Samael (מַאי אוֹיֵב דָּא סַמָּא״ל). For all other gods are to the back (דְּכָל אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים אִינוּן לְאָחוֹר). And because they must not gaze upon the Shekhinta, which is to the west, which is the back (וּבְגִין דְּלָא יִסְתַּכְּלוּן בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא דְאִיהִי לְמַעֲרָב דְּאִיהוּ אָחוֹר), she was placed in the right (שַׁוִּי לָהּ בִּימִינָא). And because of this, it is forbidden to pray toward the west, which is the back (וּבְגִין דָּא אָסוּר לְצַלָּאָה לְמַעֲרָב דְּאִיהוּ אָחוֹר), because there are other gods (בְּגִין דְּתַמָּן אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים). And there is the poison of death of the Shabbtai (Saturn) (וְתַמָּן סַם הַמָּוְת שַׁבְּתַא״י). And because at first she was in the west, and afterward she returned to the right (וּבְגִין דַּהֲוַת בְּקַדְמֵיתָא לְמַעֲרָב וְחָזְרַת לִימִינָא), those other gods, Shabbtai (Saturn), asked of her: “Where is Shabbat?” (שָׁאֲלִין עֲלָהּ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים שַׁבְּתַא״י אֵ״י שַׁבָּ״ת). Shabbtai (Saturn) are His letters: “Where is Shabbat?” (שַׁבְּתַא״י אַתְוָון דִּילֵיהּ אֵי שַׁבָּת).