Daf 58a (דַּף נ״ח ע״א)

And about him it is said (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר): “And he raised Hadassah” (Esther 2) (וַיְהִי אֹמֵן אֶת הֲדַסָּה). He is her guardian (הוּא אוּמָן דִּילָהּ), and she is his faith (וְאִיהִי אֱמוּנָה דִילֵיהּ). And this is what is said (וְדָא אִיהוּ דְאִתְּמַר): “As she was with him in faith” (Esther 2) (כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה בְאָמְנָה אִתּוֹ). And no stranger touched her, who is Ahashverosh (וְלָא נָגַע בָּהּ נוּכְרָאָה דְאִיהוּ אֲחַשְׁוִרוֹ''שׁ). For a brother was certainly with her (בְּגִין דְּאָח עִמָּהּ וַדַּאי), and he concealed her from him (וְאִיהוּ סָתִיר לָהּ מִנֵּיהּ). With what did he conceal her from him (בְּמַאי סָתִיר לָהּ מִנֵּיהּ)? With the point, which is the thorn of the letter dalet from echad (בַּנְּקוּדָה דְאִיהִי קוֹצָא דְאָת ד' מִן אֶחָד). Aleph–Chet (א״ח) guards the dalet (נְטִיר ד'), so that no other may draw near to her (דְּלָא יִתְקַרִיב לְגַבָּהּ אַחֵר). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “I am Hashem, that is My name, and My glory I will not give to another” (Isaiah 42) (אֲנִי יהו״ה הוּא שְׁמִי וּכְבוֹדִי לְאַחֵר לֹא אֶתֵּן). And this point is the sign of the covenant (וְהַאי נְקוּדָה אִיהִי אוֹת בְּרִית), in which Aleph–Chet (א״ח) is completed to ten (דְּבָהּ אִשְׁתַּלִּים א''ח לְעִִשֶׂר), and in it the yod is made (וּבָהּ אִתְעֲבִיד י'). And one who lies in the covenant of circumcision (וּמָאן דִּמְשַׁקֵּר בִּבְרִית מִילָה) causes the Shekhinta to depart from him (גָּרִים לְאִסְתַּלְקָא מִינֵיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא), which is the union of Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְאִיהִי יִחוּדָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and (Shin–Dalet: demon) rules over him, who is “another [god]” (וְשַׁלִּיט עֲלֵיהּ ש״ד דְּאִיהוּ אַחֵר).

Indeed, the Yod of Shaddai is the thorn of the Dalet of echad (וַדַּאי י' דְּשַׁדַּי, אִיהִי קוֹצָא מִן ד' דְאֶחָד). And if he lies (וְאִם מְשַׁקֵּר), he removes the thorn of the Dalet from echad (אַעֲבַר קוֹצָא מִן ד' מִן אֶחָד) and remains “acher” [another] (וְאִשְׁתָּאַר אַחֵר). And because of this the verse says (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר קְרָא): “You shall not bow down to another god” (Exodus 34) (לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לְאֵל אַחֵר וְגוֹמֵר). And at that time when the demon who is another god rules over a man (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְשָׁלְטָא עַל בַּר נַשׁ שֵׁד דְּאִיהוּ אֵל אַחֵר), he is enslaved by him in all kinds of afflictions (אִיהוּ מִשְׁתַּעִִבֵּד בֵּיהּ בְּכָל מִינֵי עִנּוּיִין). And this sin caused Yisrael to be enslaved among the nations of the world (וְחוֹבָא דָא גָרָם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְאִשְׁתַּעִִבְּדָא בְּהוֹן אוּמִין דְּעָלְמָא). And one who guards the sign of the covenant in every place where it is (וּמָאן דְּנָטִיר אוֹת בְּרִית בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּאִיהִי), whether in circumcision, or in Shabbat and festivals (בֵּין בִּבְרִית מִילָה, בֵּין בְּשַׁבָּת וְיֹמִין טָבִין) - Kudsha Berikh Hu guards him for her sake in every place (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיר לֵיהּ בְּגִינָהּ בְּכָל אֲתַר), and covers him from his enemies (וּמְכַסֵּי עֲלוֹי מִשָּׂנְאוֹי). Like the aspect of Moshe (כְּגַוְונָא דְמֹשֶׁה), of whom it is said (דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ): “He shall lodge in the shadow of Shaddai” (Psalms 91) (בְּצֵל שַדָ''י יִתְלוֹנָן). And similar to Esther (וּכְגַוְונָא דְאֶסְתֵּר), when [the Holy One Blessed be He] hid her from Achashverosh, who is [the aspect of] the uncircumcised and the impure (דְּסָתִיר לָהּ מֵאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ דְּאִיהוּ עָרֵל וְטָמֵא), and put in her place another (וְשַׁוִּיבְּ אַתְרֵיהּ שֵׁנִית), namely a demoness (נ״א שְׁדִית), in her exact likeness (בִּדְיוֹקְנָא דִילָהּ). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “Whatever she said…” (Esther 2) (כָּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר וְגוֹמֵר). In the evening she came (בָּעִִרֶב הִיא בָאָה), and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women (וּבַבֹּקֶר הִיא שָׁבָה אֶל בֵּית הַנָּשִׁים שֵׁנִי). And He guarded her from Haman the wicked (וְאִיהוּ נָטִיר לָהּ מֵהָמָן הָרָשָׁע).

This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “From distress You guard me” (Psalms 32) (מִצַּר תִּצְּרֵנִי), for he is foe and enemy (דְאִיהוּ צַר וְאוֹיֵב). Because of this jealousy with which Kudsha Berikh Hu covered with His sign over Esther (וּבְגִין הַאי קִנְאָה דְכַסִּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְאוֹת דִּילֵיהּ עַל אֶסְתֵּר), who is His holiness (דְּאִיהִי קְדוּשָׁה דִילֵיהּ), that she is not holiness less than ten (דְּלָא אִיהִי קְדוּשָׁה פָּחוּת מֵעֲשָׂרָה), ten lower crowns were clothed in the ten sons of Haman (אִתְלַבְּשׁוּ עֲשָׂרָה כִּתְרִין תַּתָּאִין בַּעֲשָׂרָה בְּנִין דְּהָמָן), for there is a foreign god there (דְּתַמָּן אֵל אַחֵר), for Haman said: “And ten thousand talents of silver I will weigh, etc.” (Esther 3) (דְּהָמָן אָמַר וַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים כִּכַּר כֶּסֶף אֶשְׁקוֹל וְגוֹמֵר), and all this to take vengeance from Esther and her nation (וְכֹלָּא לְנָטְלָא נוּקְמָא מֵאֶסְתֵּר וְאוּמָתָהּ), as it is said of her: “And Esther put on royalty” (Esther 5) (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ וַתִּלְבַּשׁ אֶסְתֵּר מַלְכוּת). And Kudsha Berikh Hu delivered them into her hand and into the hand of her nation (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מָסַר לוֹן בִּידָהָא וּבִידָא דְאוּמָתָהּ), and they hanged him and his sons on the tree (Esther 9) (וְתָלוּ אוֹתוֹ וְאֶת בָּנָיו עַל הָעִץ), and he made a tree fifty cubits high (וְאִיהוּ עָבַד עִץ גָּבוֹהַּ חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה), and Kudsha Berikh Hu took vengeance from him and from his sons with the upper Shekhinta (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיל נוּקְמָא מִנֵּיהּ וּמִבְּנוֹי בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה), who struck the Egyptians fifty plagues (דְמָחַאת לְמִצְרָאֵי חֲמִשִּׁים מַכּוֹת). And further, the Shekhinta is called Tzedakah [Charity] (וְעוֹד שְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְקְרִיאַת צְדָקָה), and Kudsha Berikh Hu is the Master of Charity [or 'The Husband of Tzedakah'] (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בַּעַל צְדָקָה). And in exile she is poor (וּבְגָלוּתָא אִיהִי עֲנִיָּה), and her children are poor (וּבְנָהָא עֲנִיִּים), and Kudsha Berikh Hu, as it were, is poor when He is outside His place (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּבְיָכוֹל אִיהוּ עָנִי כַּד אִיהוּ בַּר מֵאַתְרֵיהּ). And because of her it is said: “Behold, their valiant ones cry outside, etc.” (Isaiah 33) (וּבְגִינָהּ אִתְּמַר הֵן אֶרְאֶלָּם צָעֲקוּ חוּצָה וְכוּ׳). And in that place He is poor and she is poor in the Tzaddik, who is the covenant (וּבְאָן אֲתַר אִיהוּ עָנִי וְאִיהִי עֲנִיָּה בְּצַדִּיק דְּאִיהוּ בְּרִית). And because Yisrael sinned in it below, “the river dries up and is parched” (Job 14) (וּבְגִין דְּחָאבוּ בֵּיהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא אִיהוּ נָהָר יֶחרַב וְיָבֵשׁ), in the First House and the Second (בְּבַיִת רִאשׁוֹן וְשֵׁנִי), and the Shekhinta is in it desolate and dry (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִיהִי בֵּיהּ חֲרֵבָה וִיבֵשָׁה), because they are the bones that the supernal waters should gather from it (בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן גְּרָמֵי דְיִתְכַּנְשׁוּן מִנֵּיהּ מַיִּין עִלָּאִין), and the Shekhinta remains dry land (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִשְׁתְּאָרַת יְבֵשָׁה).

This is what is written: “Let the waters be gathered… and let the dry land appear” (Bereshit 1) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם אֶל מָקוֹם אֶחָד וְתֵרָאֶה הַיַּבָּשָׁה). And whoever does Tzedakah [Charity] with a poor person (וְכָל מָאן דְּעָבִיד צְדָקָה בְּמִסְכֵּנָא) causes that the river be drawn from Eden, which is Imma Ila’ah (גָּרִים הַהוּא נָהָר דְּיִתְמַשֵּׁךְ מֵעִדֶן דְּאִיהִי אִימָּא עִלָּאָה), to water the garden, which is the dalet, the poor one (לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן דְּאִיהִי ד' דַּלָּה מִסְכֵּנָא). And the poor one is the day of Shabbat (וְעָנִי אִיהוּ יוֹם שַׁבָּת), and one who fulfills oneg Shabbat causes that dalet to be watered (וּמָאן דִּמְקַיֵּים בָּהּ עֹנֶג שַׁבָּת גָּרִים לְאַשְׁקָאָה הַהִיא ד'), and that poor one is filled and is called “river” (וְהַהוּא עָנִי אִתְמַלֵּי וְאִתְקְרֵי נָהָר). And one who has permission to do oneg Shabbat and does not do so (וּמָאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְמֶעֱבַד עֹנֶג שַׁבָּת וְלָא עָבִיד), his delight is turned to a plague of leprosy (אִתְהַפֵּךְ לֵיהּ עֹנֶג לְנֶגַע צָרַעַת), and his house and his money are destroyed (וְחָרִיב בֵּיתֵיהּ וּמָמוֹנֵיהּ). And likewise the poor one is the Oral Orayta indeed (וְכֵן עֲנִיָּה אִיהִי אוֹרַיְיתָא דְעַל פֶּה וַדַּאי), and she is Kabbalah when she receives from the Master of Charity [or 'The Husband of Tzedakah'], who is the Written Orayta (וְאִיהִי קַבָּלָה כַּד מְקַבְּלָא מִבַּעַל צְדָקָה, דְאִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא דְבִכְתָב). When she goes to him to receive, she is called Halakhah (כַּד אָזְלַת לְגַבֵּיהּ לְקַבָּלָה אִתְקְרִיאַת הֲלָכָה), when she receives from him, she is called Kabbalah (כַּד מְקַבְּלָא מִנֵּיהּ אִתְקְרִיאַת קַבָּלָה). And at that time she distributes what they give her to her servants and her sons and her worlds (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִיהִי פְלִיגַת מַה דְּיַהֲבִין לָהּ לְעַבְדִין דִּילָהּ וְלִבְנִין וּלְעוּלֵמִין דִּילָהּ), as you say: “And she gives prey to her household and a portion to her maidens” (Proverbs 31) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ וְחֹק לְנַעֲרוֹתֶיהָ), and they receive one from another, from that which they receive from her (וּמְקַבְּלִין דֵּין מִן דֵּין, מֵהַהוּא דִמְקַבְּלִין מִינָהּ).