Daf 65a (דַּף ס״ה ע״א)

Meanwhile, behold the Elder descended toward him as before (אַדְהָכִי הָא סָבָא קָא נָחִית לְגַבֵּיהּ כְּמִלְּקַדְמִין), he opened and said: Rabbi, Rabbi (פָּתַח וְאָמַר רַבִּי רַבִּי). The Yod is surely the covenant, the Tzaddik, life of the worlds (י׳ בְּרִית אִיהוּ וַדַּאי צַדִּיק חַ״י עָלְמִין), for it is the small Yod from the side of the supernal Chokhmah (דְּאִיהוּ י׳ זְעִירָא מִסִּטְרָא דְחָכְמָה דִלְעִילָא). When the Yod descends toward him, even though in its place it is called the supernal Yod, when it descends toward the Tzaddik it is called the small Yod (דְּכַד נָחֲתָא י׳ לְגַבֵּיהּ, אַף עַל גַּב דִּבְאַתְרֵיהּ י׳ עִלָּאָה אִתְקְרֵי, כַּד נָחִית לְגַבֵּי צַדִּיק י׳ זְעִירָא אִתְקְרֵי). And the Vav, even though it is the supernal vav in its place in the Middle Column, when it descends toward the Tzaddik to join with the hei, it is called the small vav (וְאָת ו׳ אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ ו׳ עִלָּאָה בְּאַתְרֵיהּ בְּעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא, כַּד נָחִית לְגַבֵּי צַדִּיק לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בְּה׳, ו׳ זְעִירָא אִתְקְרִי).

The Alef–Bet of small letters are in it (אַלְפָא בֵּיתָא דְאַתְוָון זְעִירָן בֵּיהּ אִינוּן). And the supernal Hei, when she descends toward the Tzaddik, she is called small Hei (וְה׳ עִלָּאָה כַד נָחֲתָא לְגַבֵּי צַדִּיק, זְעִירָא אִתְקְרִיאַת). And even though the letters of the Holy Name are included in it, they are hidden in it (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בֵיהּ כְּלִילָן, סְתִימִין אִינוּן בֵּיהּ). Of it is said: The secret of Hashem is with those who fear Him, and His covenant to make them know (וּבְגִינֵיהּ אִתְּמַר סוֹד יְהוָ״ה לִירֵאָיו וּבְרִיתוֹ לְהוֹדִיעָם) (Psalms 25). And if they are hidden in it, by what are they known? By the Shekhinta, who is the shining mirror (וְאִי סְתִימִין אִינוּן בֵּיהּ, בְּמַאי אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָאן, בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּאִיהִי אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָאָה דְנַהֲרָא). When Hashem descends toward the Tzaddik to shine in her, surely He is known from her (כַד נָחִית יְהוָ״ה לְגַבֵּי צַדִּיק לְנַהֲרָא בָּהּ וַדַּאי, וּמִנָּהּ אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן). This is what is written: Thus says Hashem, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָ״ה אַל יִתְהַלֵּל חָכָם בְּחָכְמָתוֹ) (Jeremiah 9). If He is there, she is called the shining mirror (אִי אִיהוּ תַמָּן אִתְקְרִיאַת אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָאָה דְנַהֲרָא). And at that time: But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא כִּי אִם בְּזֹאת יִתְהַלֵּל הַמִּתְהַלֵּל הַשְׂכֵּל וְיָדוֹעַ) (Jeremiah 9). And if He departs from the Tzaddik, and she remains desolate and dry, immediately she is called the mirror that does not shine (וְאִם יִסְתַּלַּק מִצַּדִּיק וְאִשְׁתָּאַר אִיהוּ חָרֵב וְיָבֵשׁ, מִיָּד אִתְקְרִיאַת אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָאָה דְלָא נַהֲרָא). At that time: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא אַל יִתְהַלֵּל חָכָם בְּחָכְמָתוֹ). And who causes her to shine, and to be known through her to Kudsha Berikh Hu? He who guards the covenant (וּמָאן גְּרִים לְאַנְהָרָא לָהּ, וּלְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא בָהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מָאן דְּנַטִּיר בְּרִית). And the secret of the matter: This is the gate of Hashem, the righteous shall enter into it (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה זֶה הַשַּׁעַר לַיְהוָ״ה צַדִּיקִים יָבֹאוּ בוֹ) (Psalms 118). This is the gate of the Righteous (דָּא אִיהִי תַרְעָא דְצַדִּיקַיָּיא). And they have permission to enter there (וְאִית לוֹן רְשׁוּ לְאַעָלָא תַמָּן). And this is he who is the Tzaddik, and in him is Hashem (וְדָא אִיהוּ מָאן דְּאִיהוּ צַדִּיק, וּבֵיהּ יְהוָ״ה). He merits the Shekhinta and inherits her, and ascends in her to the King, who is the Middle Column (אִיהוּ זָכֵי בִשְׁכִינְתָּא וְיָרִית לָהּ, וְסָלִיק בָּהּ לְמַלְכָּא דְאִיהוּ עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא), who is King, and she is His Malkhut (דְּאִיהוּ מֶלֶךְ, וְאִיהִי מַלְכוּת דִּילֵיהּ).

And the secret of the matter: And your people, all of them righteous, shall inherit the land forever (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ) (Isaiah 60). And this is the Shekhinta, of which it is said: And the earth is My footstool (וְדָא אִיהוּ שְׁכִינְתָּא דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ וְהָאָרֶץ הֲדוֹם רַגְלָי) (Isaiah 66). And the Shekhinta is the form of the supernal and the lower (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִיהִי צִיּוּרָא דְעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין). All the images of the Sefirot and all of their Names are depicted in her (כָּל דִּיּוֹקְנִין דִּסְפִירָן וְכָל שְׁמָהָן דִּלְהוֹן בָּהּ אִינוּן מְצוּיָירִים). And in her are engraved souls and angels and holy beasts (וּבָהּ אִינוּן גְּלִיפִין נִשְׁמָתִין וּמַלְאָכִין וְחֵיוָון קַדִּישִׁין). And in her are engraved that which is said of them: And the likeness of their faces, the face of man, etc. (וּבָהּ גְּלִיפִין מַה דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וּדְמוּת פְּנֵיהֶם פְּנֵי אָדָם וְגוֹ׳) (Ezekiel 1).

Rabbi Shimon arose and said (קָם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר), Sava, Sava (סָבָא סָבָא), and behold the Shekhinta is the union of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא אִיהִי יִחוּדָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), how are engraved in her the likenesses below which are not her essence (אֵיךְ גְּלִיפִין בָּהּ דִּיּוֹקְנִין דִּלְתַתָּא דְלַאו אִינוּן מְצִיאוּתָהּ)? He said to him, Rabbi (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי), to the king who sits in his palace (לְמַלְכָּא דְאִיהוּ יָתִיב בְּהֵיכָלֵיהּ), and many men enter to behold him (וְכַמָּה בְּנֵי נָשָׁא עָאלִין לְמֶחְזְיֵיהּ). Of them, some gaze upon his garments (מִנְּהוֹן מִסְתַּכְּלִין בִּלְבוּשׁוֹי), and of them, upon his body (וּמִנְּהוֹן בְּגוּפוֹי), and of them, they gaze upon his actions (וּמִנְּהוֹן מִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּעוֹבָדוֹי). And surely by his actions is known what the king is (וּבְוַדַּאי בְּעוֹבָדוֹי אִשְׁתְּמוֹדָע מַאי נִיהוּ מַלְכָּא). For in his garments he is changed in them to many changes (דִּלְבוּשִׁין אִיהוּ מִשְׁתַּנֵּי בְּהוֹן לְכַמָּה שִׁנּוּיָין), and the garments that he wears in the morning he does not wear in the evening (וּלְבוּשִׁין דְּאִיהוּ לָבוּשׁ בְּצַפְרָא לָא לָבִישׁ בְּרַמְשָׁא), and the garments he wears one day he does not wear the next day (וּלְבוּשִׁין דְּלָבִישׁ יוֹמָא חֲדָא לָא לָבִישׁ יוֹמָא תִנְיָנָא). And so it is every day and month and year and Shabbat and festival days that he changes in garments (וְהָכִי בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיַרְחָא וְשַׁתָּא וְשַׁבַּתָּא וְיֹמִין טָבִין אִשְׁתַּנֵּי בִּלְבוּשִׁין).

In this manner the Shekhinta has many garments (כְּגַוְונָא דָא שְׁכִינְתָּא כַּמָּה לְבוּשִׁין אִית לָהּ), from which Kudsha Berikh Hu created thrones (דְּמִנְּהוֹן בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כָּרְסַיָּין) (some say: a throne (נ״א: כרסיא) and angels and living creatures and seraphim (וּמַלְאָכִין וְחֵיוָון וּשְׂרָפִים), and heavens and earth (וּשְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא), and all that He created in them (וְכָל מַה דְּבָרָא בְהוֹן). And all creatures He created from these garments of hers (וְכָל בִּרְיָין דְּבָרָא מֵאִלֵּין לְבוּשִׁין דִּילָהּ), He inscribed them all and engraved them in her garment (רָשִׁים לוֹן כֻּלְּהוּ וְגָלִיף לוֹן בִּלְבוּשָׁהָא), in order to behold from her all creatures, to have mercy upon them (בְּגִין לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא מִינָהּ בְּכָל בִּרְיָין לְרַחֲמָא עֲלַיְיהוּ).

And the secret of the matter: “And I will see it, to remember the everlasting covenant” (Bereshit 9:16) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וּרְאִיתִיהָ לִזְכּוֹר בְּרִית עוֹלָם). And I will see it - in these garments that shine in every time (וּרְאִיתִיהָ בְּאִלֵּין לְבוּשִׁין דְּאִינוּן נְהִירִין בְּכָל), when Yisrael illumine them with good deeds (זִמְנִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל נַהֲרִין לוֹן בְּעוֹבָדִין טָבִין). And for their sake Kudsha Berikh Hu loves them (וּבְגִינַיְיהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רָחִים עֲלַיְיהוּ). And if they perform evil deeds (וְאִי עָבְדִין עוֹבְדִין בִּישִׁין), she is clothed in other black garments (אִיהִי אִתְלַבְּשַׁת לְבוּשִׁין אָחֳרָנִין אוּכְמִין), in which are inscribed all those masters of judgments who are called nights (דִּבְהוֹן רְשִׁימִין כָּל אִינוּן מָארֵי דְּדִינִין דְּאִתְקְרִיאוּ לֵילוֹת), to bring judgment upon the world (לְמֵידָן בְּהוּ לְעָלְמָא). And at that time she says: “Look not upon me that I am blackened” (Song of Songs 1:6) (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִיהִי אָמְרַת אַל תִּרְאוּנִי שֶׁאֲנִי שְׁחַרְחֹרֶת). And because of this, those from the side of the garments are engraved in her (וּבְגִין דָּא אִלֵּין מִסִּטְרָא דִלְבוּשִׁין אִינוּן גְּלִיפִין בָּהּ), the supernal ones who are kings and rulers over the lower ones (עִלָּאִין דְּאִינוּן מַלְכִין וְשַׁלְטִין עַל תַּתָּאִין). And angels (וּמַלְאָכִין) (some say: and kings (נ״א: וּמַלְכִין) (are called from the side of Malkhut (אִתְקְרִיאוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְמַלְכוּת). And from the side of the body it is called Chesed, the right arm (וּמִסִּטְרָא דְגוּפָא אִתְקְרֵי חֶסֶד דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא), Gevurah, the left arm (גְּבוּרָה דְרוֹעָא שְׂמָאלָא), the body, the middle column (גּוּפָא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא), Netzach and Hod, the two thighs (נֶצַח וְהוֹד תְּרֵין שׁוֹקִין), the Tzaddik, the sign of the covenant (צַדִּיק אוֹת בְּרִית). And behold, this has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ).