Daf 61b (דַּף ס״א ע״ב)

He opened and said: Zarqa (lit. throw), Maqqaf, Shofar Holekh, Segolta (פָּתַח וְאָמַר זַרְקָ״א מַקַּ״ף שׁוֹפָ״ר הוֹלֵ״ךְ סֶגוֹלְתָּ״א). Meanwhile, behold the youth descended-Ra‘aya Meheimna, Rabbi Shimon opened-(אַדְהָכִי הָא עוּלֵימָא קָא נָחִית [רַעִיָּא מְהֵימְנָא פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן])-and said: Ra‘aya Meheimna, you are the Master of the slingshot (וְאָמַר, רַעִיָּא מְהֵימְנָא אַנְתְּ אִיהוּ מָארֵי דְקִירְטָא), the Shepherd who goes with the flock (דְּרַעִיָּא דְאָזִיל בְּעָאנָא), because bears, wolves, and evil beasts come to devour the flock (בְּגִין דּוּבִּין זְאֵבִין וְחֵיוָון בִּישִׁין דְּקָא אַתְיָין לְמֵיכַל עָאנָא). His path is to be a slingshot with him, to hurl stones against them (אָרְחָא דִילֵיהּ לְמֶהֱוִי קִירְטָא בַהֲדֵיהּ לְזַרְקָא אַבְנִין לְגַבַּיְיהוּ), so that the flock may be guarded from evil beasts (לְמֶהֱוֵי עָאנָא נְטִיר מֵחֵיוָן בִּישָׁן). Arise, take the slingshot in your hand (קוּם נָטִיל קִירְטָא בִּידָךְ).

He opened and said: Zarqa, Holy Shekhinta (פָּתַח וְאָמַר זַרְקָ״א, שְׁכִינְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא), you are the holy slingshot of Kudsha Berikh Hu (אַנְתְּ הוּא קִירְטָא קַדִּישָׁא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), in you are hurled three stones, which are the Segolta (דְבָּךְ, אִזְדַּרִיקוּ תְּלַת אַבְנִין דְּאִינוּן סֶגוֹלְתָּ״א), three precious stones, which are the three Patriarchs (תְּלַת אַבְנִין יַקִּירִין דְּאִינוּן תְּלַת אֲבָהָן). And you are the precious stone above them all, the crown at the head of them all (וְאַנְתְּ אֶבֶן יְקָרָא עַל כֻּלְּהוּ, תַּגָּא בְרֵישָׁא דְכֻלְּהוּ). Of you it is said (Psalms 118) (עֲלָךְ אִתְּמַר), “The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner” (אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה). And “this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be the house of Elohim” (Bereshit 28) (וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱלֹהִים). You are that of which it is said (Daniel 2) (אַנְתְּ הוּא דְאִתְּמַר עֲלָךְ), “The stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” (אַבְנָא דִי מְחָת לְצַלְמָא וַהֲוַת לְטוּר רַב וּמְלָאת כָּל אַרְעָא). And she is the crown, like the likeness of this final mem, at the head of the line of Zarqa (וְאִיהִי תַּגָּא כְּגַוְונָא דָא ם בְּרֵישָׁא דְחוּטָא דְזַרְקָ״א), a stone encompassed and adorned (אַבְנָא כְּלִילָא וּמִתְעַטְּרָא; נ״א: מוּכְלֶלֶת וּמְעוּטֶרֶת), like a stone at the head of a diadem (כְּאַבְנָא בְרֵישׁ עִזְקָא). And when there are in Yisrael those who are wise in Chokhmah, which is the Yod, the supernal thought (וְכַד אִית בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מַשְׂכִּילִים בְּחָכְמָה דְאִיהִי י׳ מַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה), they know to hurl it, this stone which is the only daughter (יָדְעִין לְזָרְקָא לָהּ לְהַאי אַבְנָא דְאִיהִי בַּת יְחִידָה), to that place which is cut (לְהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִתְגְּזֶרֶת), because the daughter was made by Abba (בְּגִין דִּבְרַתָּא בְּאַבָּא אִתְעֲבִידַת). This is what is written (Proverbs 3) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), “Hashem by Chokhmah founded the earth” (יְהוָ״ה בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אָרֶץ), in Chokhmah, which is Abba, He founded the daughter, which is the earth, His footstool (בְּחָכְמָה דְאִיהוּ אַבָּא יָסַד בְּרַתָּא דְאִיהִי אָרֶץ הֲדוֹם רַגְלָיו). And that line of hers is the Vav (וְהַהוּא חוּט דִּילָהּ אִיהוּ ו׳), for the stone which is the crown, the diadem on its head (דְּאַבְנָא דְאִיהִי תַּגָּא עֲטָרָה עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ), the diadem of the Sefer Torah (עֲטָרָה דְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה). And concerning this it is said: “He who uses the crown passes away” (וּבְגִינָהּ אִתְּמַר וּדְאִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּתַגָּא חֲלָף). This is surely the Keter of Torah (אִיהוּ כֶּתֶר תּוֹרָה וַדַּאי), for three crowns are they: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship (דִּתְלַת כִּתְרִין אִינוּן, כֶּתֶר תּוֹרָה וְכֶתֶר כְּהוּנָה וְכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת). And the crown of Torah (some say: and the crown of a good name) is above them (וְכֶתֶר תּוֹרָה [נ״א: וכתר שם טוב] עַל גַּבַּיְיהוּ). And this stone is the Yod at the beginning of alef, and it is the Yod at its end (וְהַאי אַבְנָא אִיהִי י׳ בְּרֵישׁ א, וְאִיהִי י׳ בְּסוֹפָה). Of it is said (Isaiah 46) (עֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר), “Declaring the end from the beginning” (מַגִּיד מֵרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית). And it is Yod–Heh–Vav–Heh (יו״ד ה״א וא״ו ה״א), some say Yod–Heh–Yod–Heh (נ״א יו״ד ה״י וא״ו ה״י), encompassed by the ten Sefirot (כְּלִיל עֲשַׂר סְפִירָן), which are-some say: which is-its end embedded in its beginning and its beginning in its end (דְּאִינוּן [ס״א: דאיהו] נָעוּץ סוֹפָן בִּתְחִלָּתָן וּתְחִלָּתָן בְּסוֹפָן).

All the Masters of the Academy arose and said (קָמוּ כֻּלְּהוּ מָארֵי מְתִיבְתָּא וְאָמְרוּ), Ra‘aya Meheimna, how mighty you are to hurl a stone (רַעִיָּא מְהֵימְנָא כַּמָּה אַנְתְּ תַּקִּיף לְזַרְקָא אַבְנָא), for it has reached the place that none knows its place (דְּהָא מָטָא לַאֲתַר דְּלֵית מָאן דְּיָדַע אַתְרָהָא). And the holy angels ask concerning it: Where is the place of His glory to revere Him (וּמַלְאָכִין קַדִּישִׁין שָׁאֲלִין בְּגִינָהָא אַיֵּה מְקוֹם כְּבוֹדוֹ לְהַעֲרִיצוֹ), for there is none who knows His place (דְלֵית מָאן דְּיָדַע מְקוֹמוֹ). When it ascends above to the place it is cast (כַּד סָלְקָא לְעִילָא בַּאֲתַר דִּזְרִיקַת לָהּ), all of them say (עַד דְּאָמְרִין כֻּלְּהוּ): Blessed be the glory of Hashem from His place (בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד יְהוָ״ה מִמְּקוֹמוֹ) (Ezekiel 3). And even though she is small below (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהִי זְעִירָא לְתַתָּא), above she has no end (לְעִילָא לֵית לָהּ סוֹף).

Who can wage war in the place where you are (מָאן יָכִיל לְאַגָּחָא קְרָבָא בַאֲתַר דְּאַנְתְּ תַּמָּן)? With a small stone that you hurled, the heavens trembled until Ein Sof (בְּאַבְנָא זְעִירָא דִזְרִיקַת אִזְדַּעֲזַעוּ רְקִיעִין עַד אֵין סוֹף), and the angels until there is no limit (וּמַלְאָכִין עַד אֵין תַּכְלִית). And all the Masters of the Academy trembled and fell in prostration from their places before her (וְכָל מָארֵי מְתִיבְתָּא כֻּלְּהוּ אִזְדַּעֲזַעוּ וְנָפְלוּ בִּנְפִילַת אַפַּיִם, מִקִּיּוּמַיְהוּ קֳדָמָהָא). And they said: And if with this small stone-how much more with the sword (וְאָמְרוּ וְכִי בְאַבְנָא זְעִירָא הַאי, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן מָאן יַגִּיחַ עִמָּךְ בְּסַיְיפָא), of which it is said (דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ): The high praises of El in their throat, and a two-edged sword in their hand (רוֹמְמוֹת אֵ״ל בִּגְרוֹנָם וְחֶרֶב פִּיפִיּוֹת בְּיָדָם) (Psalms 149). This is the recitation of Shema (דְּאִיהִי קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע), your sword which you have prepared for yourself (חַרְבָּא דִילָךְ דְּאַנְתְּ תַּקִּינַת לָךְ; some say: לָהּ). With it you slew the Egyptian (דְּבָהּ קְטִילַת לַמִּצְרִי). This is what is written: And he looked this way and that way, and he struck the Egyptian (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיִּפֶן כֹּה וָכֹה וְגוֹמֵר וַיַּךְ אֶת הַמִּצְרִי) (Exodus 2). This way and that way rise to fifty letters (כֹ״ה וָכֹ״ה סָלְקִין לְחַמְשִׁין אַתְוָון), which unite in them Kudsha Berikh Hu twice (דִּמְיַחֲדִין בְּהוֹן לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא פַּעֲמַיִם): Hear O Yisrael, Hashem Eloheinu, Hashem is One (שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָ״ה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָ״ה אֶחָד). For in them are twenty-five letters, twice, rising to fifty gates of Binah (דְּאִית בְּהוֹן כ״ה אַתְוָון תְּרֵין זִמְנִין, וְסָלְקִין לְחַמְשִׁין תַּרְעִין דְּבִינָה), which is the eighth from the ten Sefirot, below and above (דְּאִיהִי ח׳ תְּמִינָאָה מֵעֲשַׂר סְפִירָן מִתַּתָּאָה וּלְעִילָא).

The Yod is the head of the sword (י׳ רֵישָׁא דְחַרְבָּא), the Vav its body (ו׳ גּוּפָא דְחַרְבָּא), and its two edges are the heh–heh (תְּרֵין פִּפִיּוֹת דִילָהּ ה״ה). The sheath of the sword is Ehyeh (נַרְתְּקָא דְחַרְבָּא אֶהְיֶה), and thus below the sheath of this sword is Adonai (וְהָכִי לְתַתָּא נַרְתְּקָא דְהַאי חַרְבָּא אֲדנָ״י). And it is YAHDVNHY below, YAHHVYHH above (וְאִיהוּ יאהדונה״י לְתַתָּא, יאההויה״ה לְעִילָא). Some say: YHV HV YHH (נ״א יה״ו הֵ״ו יה״ה). And the secret of the matter: Then sang Moshe (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה אָז יָשִׁיר מֹשֶׁה) (Exodus 15), eight letters in connection above (תְּמַנְיָא אַתְוָון בְּחִיבּוּרָא לְעִילָא). Then you shall call, and Hashem shall answer (אָ״ז תִּקְרָא וַיְהוָ״ה יַעֲנֶה) (Isaiah 58). And who can withstand your spear, which is the 248 words of the recitation of Shema (וּמָאן יָכִיל בְּרוּמְחָא דִילָךְ דְּאִיהוּ רְמַ״ח תֵּיבִין דִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע)? Wage battle with Rabbi Shimon and his companions (אַגַּח קְרָבָא לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְחַבְרוֹי). Let us see what is his power and might (נֶחזֵי מַאי נִיהוּ חֵילָא וּתְקִיפוּ דִילֵיהּ), for he arouses the supernal and the lower, and all the worlds above and below tremble, and all hosts above and below come to his aid (דְּהָא אִיהוּ אַתְעַר עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, וְיִזְדַּעֲזַעוּ כָּל עָלְמִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, וּבְאוּמָאָה לְכָל חֲיָילִין לְעִילָא וְתַתָּא לְמֶהֱוִי בְּעָזְרֵיהּ). Wage battle with him (אַגַּח לֵיהּ). Rabbi Shimon, arise and gird yourself with your weapons of war (קוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן זָרֵיז גַּרְמָךְ בְּמָאנֵי קְרָבָא דִילָךְ). Let us see what is your power and might (נֶחזֵי מַאי תַּקִּיפוּ וּגְבוּרָה דִילָךְ).