Daf 67b (דַּף ס״ז ע״ב)

And if the nations of the world press Yisrael too much (וְאִי אוּמִין דְּעָלְמָא דָחֲקִין לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי), Kudsha Berikh Hu has mercy upon the Dalet of Chesed, which is Dalet in exile (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָס עַל ד׳ מִן חֶסֶד דְּאִיהִי דָּלֵ״ת בְּגָלוּתָא). And the verse is fulfilled in it: “Before she travailed she brought forth” (Isaiah 66:7) (וְאִתְקַיַּים קְרָא בֵיהּ בְּטֶרֶם תָּחִיל יָלָדָה). And the seventy words of the psalm “May Hashem answer you in the day of trouble” (Psalms 20:2) (וְשַׁבְעִין תֵּיבִין דְּמִזְמוֹר יַעַנְךָ יְהוָה בְּיוֹם צָרָה) are corresponding to the seventy princes (אִינוּן לָקֳבֵל שִׁבְעִים שָׂרִים), which are the pangs and travails of the Shekhinta above and below (דְּאִינוּן צִירִים וַחֲבָלִים דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה וְתַתָּאָה). And the letters Bet in it are called great palaces (דְּאַתְוָון ב׳ בֵּיהּ אִתְקְרִיאָן פַּלְטְרִין גְּדוֹלִים). This is what is written: “Great are the works of Hashem” (Psalms 111:2) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב גְּדֹלִים מַעֲשֵׂי יְהוָה). And Kudsha Berikh Hu in it is called Great (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בֵּיהּ אִתְקְרִי גָּדוֹל), as it is said: “Great is our Lord and abundant in strength” (Psalms 147:5) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר גָּדוֹל אֲדוֹנֵינוּ וְרַב כֹּחַ). And in it Yisrael ascend to greatness (וּבֵיהּ סָלְקִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לִגְדוּלָה). And of the Shekhinta it is said: “Behold, there is a place with Me” (Exodus 33:21) (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא בָּהּ אִתְּמַר הִנֵּה מָקוֹם אִתִּי).

At that time the verse is fulfilled in it: “Magnify Hashem with me” (Psalms 34:4) (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִתְקַיַּים בָּהּ קְרָא גַּדְּלוּ לַיהוָה אִתִּי). And in it - some say: and in Him - it is said of Kudsha Berikh Hu at that time: “For You are great” (Psalms 86:10) (וּבָהּ נ״א וּבֵיהּ אִתְּמַר בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא כִּי גָדוֹל אַתָּה וְגוֹמֵר). And in Him He makes great things beyond searching out (Job 9:10) (וּבֵיהּ עוֹשֶׂה גְדוֹלוֹת עַד אֵין חֵקֶר). And this is Chesed (וְדָא אִיהוּ חֶסֶ״ד). In it “And they were completed” (בֵּיהּ וַיְכֻלּוּ), “the sixth day” - some say: “and in it And they were completed on the sixth day” (ה׳ בַּשִּׁשִּׁי נ״א וּבֵיהּ וַיְכֻלּוּ בַּשִּׁשִּׁי) - because in it the Heh of Avraham, the Vav goes to her (בְּגִין דְּבֵיהּ ה׳ דְאַבְרָהָם אָזִיל ו׳ לְגַבָּהּ).

Immediately Y-H is aroused to battle (מִיָּד יִתְעַר י״ה לִקְרָבָא). This is what is written: “For the hand is upon the throne of Y-H” (Exodus 17:16) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי יָד עַל כֵּס י״ה). And the sixth is the sixth millennium (וְשִׁשִּׁי אִיהוּ אֶלֶף שְׁתִיתָאָה). The seventh is Yesod (שְׁבִיעִי יְסוֹד). In it are included and united the six Sefirot (בֵּיהּ אִתְכְּלִילוּ וְאִתְיַיחֲדוּ שִׁית סְפִירָן). This is what is written: “And the heavens and the earth were completed” (Bereshit 2:1) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ). This is Kudsha Berikh Hu and the Shekhinta (דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתָּא), which are Vav and Heh (דְאִינוּן ו״ה). “The sixth day” because concerning it is said: “For all that is in the heavens and in the earth” (1 Chronicles 29:11) (יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי בְּגִין דַּעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר כִּי כֹל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ). And its Targum is: “He who holds in the heavens and in the earth” (וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ דַאֲחִיד בִּשְׁמַיָּא וּבְאַרְעָא). And this is “Kol” (All) (וְדָא אִיהוּ כֹּ״ל). And concerning it is said: “And all their hosts” (Bereshit 2:1) (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר וְכָל צְבָאָם). What is “their hosts”? Two supporting truths (מַאי צְבָאָם תְּרֵי סַמְכֵי קְשׁוֹט). And in it are called the three Patriarchs “sevenths” (וּבֵיהּ אִתְקְרִיאוּ תְּלַת אֲבָהָן שְׁבִיעִיּוֹת), as it is said: “And Elohim completed on the seventh day, and He rested on the seventh day, and Elohim blessed the seventh day” (Bereshit 2:2–3) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, וַיִּשְׁבּוֹת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי). And He blessed it from the side of blessing (וַיְבָרֶךְ אוֹתוֹ מִסִּטְרָא דִבְרָכָה), and He sanctified it from the side of holiness (וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹתוֹ מִסִּטְרָא דִקְדוּשָׁה), and He rested in it from the side of union (וַיִּשְׁבּוֹת בּוֹ מִסִּטְרָא דְיִחוּד). And this is “And they were completed” (וְדָא אִיהוּ וַיְכֻלּוּ), in which are included the three Patriarchs (דְאִתְכְּלִילוּ בֵּיהּ תְּלַת אֲבָהָן).

These are in the secret of the seventy-two-letter Name (דְּאִינוּן בְּרָזָא דִשְׁמָא דְע״ב), like the seventy-two words (כְּגַוְונָא דְע״ב תֵּיבִין). Gevurah, the inclusive of the 216 letters that are in the seventy-two-letter Name (גְּבוּרָ״ה כְּלָלָא דְרִי״ו אַתְוָון דְּאִית בִּשְׁמָא דְע״ב). The Middle Column, which is Vav, includes all (עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְאִיהוּ ו׳ כְּלִיל כֹּלָּא). And this is the secret: “And Hashem passed before him” (Exodus 34:6) (וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהוָה עַל פָּנָיו). Seventy-two, 216, Hashem (ע״ב רִי״ו יְהוָה). “Before him” - what is “before him”? His face, which is Vav, the thirteen attributes of mercy (עַל פָּנָיו מַאי פָּנָיו אַנְפּוֹי דָּא וָא״ו י״ג מְכִילָן דְּרַחֲמֵי). Of which it is said: “And with great mercies I will gather you” (Isaiah 54:7) (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וּבְרַחֲמִים גְּדוֹלִים אֲקַבְּצֵךְ). “Great” surely, from the side of Chesed, who is the great God (גְּדוֹלִים וַדַּאי מִסִּטְרָא דְחֶסֶד דְּאִיהוּ הָאֵ״ל הַגָּדוֹל). And all is included in the seventh, which is Malkhut (וְכֹלָּא אִתְכְּלִיל בַּשְּׁבִיעִית דְּאִיהִי מַלְכוּת). The seventh is surely the Heh, included in all the sevenths (הַ שְׁבִיעִי ה׳ וַדַּאי בְּכָל שְׁבִיעִיּוֹת כְּלִילָא). And she is the Heh of the sixth day (וְאִיהִי ה׳ דְיוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי). This day is the Tzaddik (יוֹם דָּא צַדִּיק). Of him it is said: “And Hashem shall be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9) (עֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר וְהָיָה יְהוָה לְמֶלֶךְ עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ וְגוֹמֵר). He is the sixth day (אִיהוּ יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי). And the seventh day is the day of all days (וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי יוֹם דְּכֻלְּהוּ יוֹמִין). And of it is said: “Lie until the morning” (Ruth 3:13) (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר שִׁכְבִי עַד הַבֹּקֶר). And this is the morning of Avraham (וְדָא הוּא בֹּקֶר דְּאַבְרָהָם), as it is written: “And Avraham rose early in the morning” (Bereshit 19:27) (דִּכְתִיב וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר). And he rose early for redemption (וַיַּשְׁכֵּם לְפוּרְקָנָא). And in it the morning is light (וּבֵיהּ הַבֹּקֶר אוֹר). Of it is said: “And Torah is light” (Proverbs 6:23) (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְתוֹרָה אוֹר). And this is the light of which it is said: “And to all the children of Yisrael there was light” (Exodus 10:23) (וְהַאי אִיהוּ אוֹר דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וּלְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה אוֹר). And this is Pesach, the right arm (וְאִיהוּ פֶּסַח דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא). And with it they are destined to be redeemed (וּבֵיהּ עֲתִידִין לִיגָאֵל).

Another matter: “Set me as a seal upon your heart” (Song of Songs 8:6) (דָּבָר אַחֵר שִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם עַל לִבֶּךָ). This verse is said of the Shekhinta who is in exile (הַאי קְרָא עַל שְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְּמַר דְּאִיהִי בְגָלוּתָא). “Seal” it is not written, but “as a seal” (חוֹתָם לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא כַחוֹתָם). Like that seal of the signet which is the seal of truth (כְּהַהוּא חוֹתָם דְּגוּשְׁפַּנְקָא דְאִיהִי חוֹתָם אֱמֶת). And in it - some say: and this - “You have sealed us for life” (וּבָהּ נ״א וְדָא חָתְמֵנוּ לְחַיִּים). And what is this seal in which there is life? (וּמַאי נִיהוּ הַאי חוֹתָם דְּבָהּ חַיִּים). It is the Tree of Life (אֶלָּא דָא עִץ הַחַיִּים), in which children, life, and sustenance come forth (דְּבֵיהּ בָּנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי נָפְקִין). A tree indeed, that of which it is said: “The Tree of Life, a journey of five hundred years” (עִץ וַדַּאי הַהוּא דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ עִץ הַחַיִּים מַהֲלַךְ חָמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה). And this tree is Vav (וְהַאי עִץ אִיהוּ ו׳). The journey of five hundred years is the Heh (מַהֲלַךְ חָמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שְׁנִין דָּא ה׳). “The life” - these are Abba and Imma which are Y-H (הַחַיִּים אִינוּן אַבָּא וְאִמָּא דְאִינוּן י״ה). Yod is Chokhmah (י׳ אִיהוּ חָכְמָה). And from where do we know it is called life? (וּמְנָלָן דְּאִתְקְרֵי חַיִּים). As it is said: “And wisdom gives life to those who have it” (Ecclesiastes 7:12) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר וְהַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה בְעָלֶיהָ). The Heh is Imma Ila’ah (ה׳ בֵּיהּ אִמָּא עִלָּאָה). And from where do we know she is called life? (מְנָא לָן דְּאִתְקְרֵי חַיִּים). As it is said: “She is a Tree of Life indeed” (Proverbs 3:18) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר עִץ חַיִּים הִיא וַדַּאי). And both of them: “For they are life to those who find them” (Proverbs 4:22) (וְתַרְוַיְיהוּ כִּי חַיִּים הֵם לְמוֹצְאֵיהֶם).