Daf 65b (דַּף ס״ה ע״ב)

And she is the form of all (וְאִיהִי צִיּוּרָא דְכֻלְּהוּ), and from within her - that which is the structure of the body - shines Kudsha Berikh Hu who is Hashem (וּמִלְּגָאו מִינָהּ דְּאִיהוּ תִּקּוּנָא דְגוּפָא נָהִיר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְאִיהוּ יהו״ה), like a soul in a body (כְּנִשְׁמָתָא בְּגוּפָא), within all - that One who grasps all and binds all (לְגוֹ מִכֹּלָּא הַהוּא דַאֲחִיד כֹּלָּא וְקָשִׁיר כֹּלָּא), who is not alluded to in any allusion (דְלָא אִתְרְמִיז בְּשׁוּם רְמִיזוּ), and all is alluded to in the Shekhinta (וְכֹלָּא אִתְרְמִיז בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא), who is clothed in garments wherein are formed all creatures (דְאִתְלַבִּישַׁת בִּלְבוּשִׁין דִּבְהוֹן מְצוּיָּירִין כָּל בִּרְיָין).

She is called by all the names (אִיהִי אִתְקְרִיאַת בְּכָל שְׁמָהָן), and she is the likeness of the four living creatures in her garment (וְאִיהִי דְמוּת אַרְבַּע חֵיוָון בִּלְבוּשָׁהָא), in each of which are inscribed four letters (דִּבְכָל חַד וְחַד רָשִׁים אַרְבַּע אַתְוָון), and the likeness of man upon them (וּדְמוּת אָדָם לָהֵנָה). This is the inscription of ten letters (דָא רְשִׁימוּ דַעֲשַׂר אַתְוָון) - which are Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh (דְּאִינוּן יו״ד ה״א וא״ו ה״א) - which ascend to the calculation of Adam (דְסָלִיק לְחוּשְׁבָּן אָדָם). The likeness of Adam - surely this is the Shekhinta who is His likeness (דְּמוּת אָדָם וַדַּאי דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא דְאִיהִי דִיּוֹקְנֵיהּ) - some say: the likeness of man (נ״א: דיוקנא דאדם). And concerning her it is said: “And the form of Hashem shall he behold” (Numbers 12:8) (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר וּתְמוּנַת יהו״ה יַבִּיט). And this is from the side of the garment (וְהַאי מִסִּטְרָא דִלְבוּשָׁא).

But from the side of the body, she is the union of the Middle Column (אֲבָל מִסִּטְרָא דְגוּפָא אִיהִי יִחוּדָא דְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). He - some say: she (נ״א: איהי) - is the seal from the side of the body (אִיהוּ חוֹתָמָא מִסִּטְרָא דְגוּפָא). And because he is the seal (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ חוֹתָמָא), the Shekhinta says regarding Hashem who is within (אָמְרַת שְׁכִינְתָּא לְגַבֵּי יהו״ה דְּאִיהוּ מִלְּגָאו): “Set me as a seal upon Your heart” (Song of Songs 8:6) (שִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם עַל לִבֶּךָ). For even though You are withdrawn from me in the exile (דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּאַנְתְּ תִּסְתַּלֵּק מִנִּי בְּגָלוּתָא), Your seal remains with me (חוֹתָמָא דִילָךְ אִשְׁתָּאַר עִמִּי), and it is never removed from me forever (וְלָא אִתְעַדֵּי מִנִּי לְעָלַם).

Rabbi Shimon arose and said (קָם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר), Sava, Sava (סָבָא סָבָא), I shall tell you a verse that I learned in this manner: “Set me as a seal upon Your heart” (שִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם עַל לִבֶּךָ). It is not written “set me a seal” but rather “as a seal” (שִׂימֵנִי חוֹתָם לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא כַחוֹתָם). The Shekhinta says: Master of the worlds (אָמְרַת שְׁכִינְתָּא רִבּוֹן עָלְמִין), set me as a seal (שִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם), like that impression of Your seal (כְּהַהִיא רְשִׁימוּ דְחוֹתָמָא דִילָךְ). For even though the seal remains in Your hand (דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּחוֹתָמָא אִשְׁתָּאַר בִּידָךְ), its impression is in the tablet (רְשִׁימוּ דִילֵיהּ בְּפִתְקָא אִיהוּ). And from that impression the supernal and the lower tremble (וּמֵהַהוּא רְשִׁימוּ מִזְדַעִזַעִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין). Like a king of flesh and blood (כְּגַוְונָא דְמַלְכָּא דְאִיהוּ בִּשְׂרָא וּדְמָא), whatever is inscribed in the tablet, its impression of the seal is his (מַאי דְּרָשִׁים בְּפִתְקָא רְשִׁימוּ דִילֵיהּ דְּחוֹתָמָא בִּידֵיהּ הוּא). And even though the seal remains in his hand (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּחוֹתָמָא בִּידֵיהּ אִשְׁתָּאַר), nevertheless they fear the impression of the seal, as though it were the king himself (הָכִי דְחִילִין מֵרְשִׁימוּ דְחוֹתָמָא כְּאִלּוּ הֲוָה מַלְכָּא). How much more so, if it were the seal itself (עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה אִי הֲוָה חוֹתָמָא).

“Set me as a seal upon your heart” (שִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם עַל לִבֶּךָ), and who has seen a seal upon the heart (וְכִי מָאן חָמָא חוֹתָמָא עַל לִבָּא) - some say: placed (נ״א שׁוֹי). Rather, these are the Tefillin (אֶלֵּין תְּפִלִּין), whose straps are suspended upon the heart (דְּאִינוּן רְצוּעִין דִּלְהוֹן תַּלְיָין עַל לִבָּא). And these are the Tefillin of the head (וְאִלֵּין תְּפִלִּין דְּרֵישָׁא), and the Tefillah of the hand which is on the left, opposite the heart (וּתְפִלָּה דְיָד דְּאִיהוּ בִּשְׂמָאלָא לָקֳבֵל לִבָּא). And this is “as a seal upon your heart” (וְדָא אִיהוּ כַחוֹתָם עַל לִבֶּךָ). And “as a seal upon your arm” (וְכַּחוֹתָם עַל זְרוֹעִךָ), this is the Tefillah of the hand (תְּפִלָּה דְיָד). These are the inscriptions of the Holy Name (דְּאִינוּן רְשִׁימוּ דִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא): Yod “Sanctify to Me every firstborn” (י׳ קַדֶּשׁ לִי כָּל בְּכוֹר), Heh “And it shall be when Hashem shall bring you” (ה׳ וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ), Vav “Hear O Yisrael” (ו׳ שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל), Heh “And it shall be if you shall surely listen” (ה׳ וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ). And from that inscription the nations of the world tremble (וּמֵהַהוּא רְשִׁימוּ מִזְדַעִזַעִין אוּמִין דְּעָלְמָא). This is what is written: “And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of Hashem is called upon you, and they shall be afraid of you” (Deuteronomy 28:10) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְרָאוּ כָּל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ כִּי שֵׁם יהו״ה נִקְרָא עָלֶיךָ וְיָרְאוּ מִמֶּךָּ). And so they have established, that the Name of Hashem is these Tefillin of the head (וְהָכִי אוּקְמוּהוּ שֵׁם יהו״ה אִלֵּין תְּפִלִּין דְּרֵישָׁא).

“Set me as a seal” (שִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם), this is the sign of the covenant of circumcision (דָּא אוֹת בְּרִית מִילָה), and the sign of the festival days (וְאוֹת דְּיֹמִין טָבִין). This is the inscription of the Holy Name (דְּאִיהוּ רְשִׁימוּ דִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). In this manner: “Who shall go up for us to heaven” (Deuteronomy 30:12) (כְּגַוְונָא דָא מִי יַעֲלֶה לָּנוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה). The initial letters spell Milah (circumcision) (רֵישֵׁי אַתְוָון מִילָה) - some say: words (נ״א תֵּיבִין). And the final letters are Hashem (וְסוֹפִי אַתְוָון יהו״ה). Whoever guards this inscription, it is as though he guards the Holy Name (מָאן דְּנָטִיר הַאי רְשִׁימוּ כְּאִלּוּ נָטִיר שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). And whoever denies this inscription, it is as though he denies the Holy Name (וּמָאן דִּמְשַׁקֵּר בְּהַאי רְשִׁימוּ כְּאִלּוּ מְשַׁקֵּר בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). For this is called the seal of the signet of the King (דְּהַאי אִתְקְרֵי חוֹתָמָא דְגוּשְׁפַּנְקָא דְמַלְכָּא).

For every man who guards this inscription below (דְּכָל בַּר נַשׁ דְּנָטִיר הַאי רְשִׁימוּ לְתַתָּא), which is the sign of the covenant (דְאִיהוּ אוֹת בְּרִית), the sign of Shabbat (אוֹת שַׁבָּת), the sign of Tefillin (אוֹת תְּפִלִּין), the sign of the festival days (אוֹת דְּיֹמִין טָבִין), he is inscribed and engraved above (אִיהוּ רָשִׁים וְחָקִיק לְעִילָא), and he shines above (וְנָהִיר לְעִילָא). And from him the supernal and the lower tremble (וּמִנֵּיהּ מִזְדַעִזַעִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין), as it is said: “And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of Hashem is called upon you” (Deuteronomy 28:10) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר וְרָאוּ כָּל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ כִּי שֵׁם יהו״ה נִקְרָא עָלֶיךָ). The Name of Hashem indeed (שֵׁם יהו״ה וַדַּאי). This is that inscription of the sign of the covenant of circumcision (דָּא הַהוּא רְשִׁימוּ דְאוֹת בְּרִית מִילָה), and the sign of the Tefillin (וְאוֹת דִּתְּפִלִּין), and the sign of Shabbat and of the festival days (וְאוֹת דְּשַׁבָּת וְיֹמִין טָבִין). And whoever denies it below (וּמָאן דִּמְשַׁקֵּר לְתַתָּא בֵּיהּ), his engraving is removed from above (אִתְעַבַּר גְּלִיפוּ דִילֵיהּ מִלְּעִילָא). At that time all the accusers above and below rule over him (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא שָׁלְטִין עֲלֵיהּ כָּל מְקַטְרְגִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין).

“Set me as a seal” (שִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם), this is the Neshama (דָּא נִשְׁמָתָא), whose inscription is engraved above (דְּאִיהוּ רְשִׁימוּ דִילָהּ גְּלִיפָא לְעִילָא), as they established regarding Ya'akov (כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהוּ בְּיַעֲקֹב), that the image of Ya'akov is engraved upon the Throne of Glory (דִּיּוֹקְנוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב חֲקוּקָה בְּכִסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד). For all souls that are decreed from there (דְּכָל נִשְׁמָתִין דְּאִינוּן גְּזִירִין מִתַּמָּן), their engraving is inscribed above (גְּלִיפוּ דִלְהוֹן אִיהוּ חָקוּק לְעִילָא), and their inscription below (וּרְשִׁימוּ דִלְהוֹן לְתַתָּא). And that engraving above is the seal (וְהַהוּא גְלִיפוּ דִלְעִילָא אִיהוּ חוֹתָם), and the inscription below is the inscription of the seal (וּרְשִׁימוּ דִלְתַתָּא רְשִׁימוּ דְחוֹתָם). And from the moment that the engraving of the Neshama is above (וּמִיָּד דִּרְשִׁימוּ דִגְלִיפוּ דְנִשְׁמָתָא אִיהוּ לְעִילָא), and her inscription is below (וּרְשִׁימוּ דִילָהּ לְתַתָּא), it is said of her: “And behold, the angels of Elohim ascending and descending on it” (Bereshit 28:12) (אִתְּמַר בָּהּ וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים עוֹלִים וְיֹרְדִים בּוֹ). They ascend above and gaze upon the image of the Neshama that shines in that engraving (סָלְקִין לְעִילָא וּמִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּדִיּוֹקְנָא דְנִשְׁמָתָא דְנַהֲרָא בְּהַהוּא גְלִיפוּ), and they tremble from it (וּמִזְדַעִזַעִין מִנֵּיהּ). They descend below and gaze upon the inscription of that image below (נָחֲתִין לְתַתָּא וּמִסְתַּכְּלִין בִּרְשִׁימוּ דְהַהוּא דִיּוֹקְנָא דִלְתַתָּא), and they see that it has not changed from the image above (וְחָזָאן דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּנֵּי מִדִּיּוֹקְנָא דִלְעִילָא), and they fear from it (וְדָחֲלִין מִנֵּיהּ).