Daf 6a (דַּף ו ע״א)

The tenth degree is in Yirat Hashem (דַּרְגָּא עֲשִׂירָאָה בְּיִרְאַת יְיָ׳). There is Yirah and there is Yirah, not all aspects are equal (אִית יִרְאָה וְאִית יִרְאָה, לַאו כָּל אַפַּיָּא שָׁוִין). There is Yirah when a man fears Kudsha Berikh Hu lest he be struck with the strap (אִית יִרְאָה דְּדָחִיל בַּר נַשׁ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגִין דְּלָא יַלְקֶה לֵיהּ בִּרְצוּעָה), as it is said concerning her: “And the earth was tohu va-vohu” (Bereshit 1:2) (דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ). This is from the side of the Tree of Good and Evil, which is an empty earth, the evil maidservant (מִסִּטְרָא דְאִילָנָא דְטוֹב וָרָע, דְּאִיהִי אַרְעָא רֵקַנְיָא, שִׁפְחָא בִישָׁא). Like one of the four primary categories of damages, which is the pit (כְּגַוְונָא דְחַד מֵאַרְבַּע אָבוֹת נְזִיקִין דְּאִיהוּ הַבּוֹר). And like the pit of Yosef, of which it is established: “And they cast him into the pit, and the pit was empty…” (Bereshit 37:24) (וּכְגַוְונָא דְבוֹר דְּיוֹסֵף, דְּאוּקְמוּהוּ עֲלֵיהּ הַבֹּרָה, וְהַבּוֹר רֵק וְגוֹ׳). The pit, the female aspect, is evil (הַבֹּרָה נֻקְבָא בִּישָׁא); the pit, the male aspect (בּוֹר דְּכוּרָא). And pit, because from there it is, they established concerning it: “An ignoramus has no fear of sin” (וּבוֹר בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ מִתַּמָּן, אוּקְמוּהוּ עֲלֵיהּ אֵין בּוּר יְרֵא חֵטְא), for he has no Yirat Hashem (בָּתַר דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ יִרְאַת יְיָ׳). But one who fears from the Torah, which is Tiferet, from which it goes forth (מָאן דְּאִיהוּ דָחִיל מִגּוֹ אוֹרַיְיתָא דְאִיהִי תִּפְאֶרֶת, דְּמִנֵּיהּ נָפְקַת), such fear is considered proper with respect to him (כְּגוֹן דָּא אִיהִי שְׁקוּלָה לְגַבֵּיהּ). And because of this, not every Yirah is the same (וּבְגִין דָּא אֵין כָּל יִרְאָה שָׁוָה).

For Yirat Hashem is His Malkhut, inclusive of all the commandments of the Torah (דְּהָא יִרְאַת יְיָ׳ הִיא מַלְכוּת דִּילֵיהּ, כְּלִילָא מִכָּל פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא). For this is the Yirah that goes forth from the Torah, which is the middle pillar, which is Hashem (בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי יִרְאָה דְנָפְקַת מִגּוֹ תּוֹרָה דְאִיהוּ עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא, דְאִיהוּ יהו״ה). Because of this the masters of Mishnah established: “Great is Torah, for it brings a man to action” (דִּבְגִינָהּ אוּקְמוּהוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, גְּדוֹלָה תּוֹרָה שֶׁמְּבִיאָה לְאָדָם לִידֵי מַעֲשֶׂה). For if a man does not know Torah, and the reward of its commandments, and the punishments for one who transgresses its commandments (דְּאִי בַּר נַשׁ לָא יָדַע אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאַגְרָא דְפִקּוּדַיָּיא דִילָהּ, וְעוֹנְשִׁין דִּילָהּ לְמָאן דְּעָבַר עַל פִּקּוּדַיָּא), and who it is that created the Torah, and who it is that gave it to Yisrael (וּמָאן הוּא דְבָרָא אוֹרַיְיתָא, וּמָאן הוּא דִיְהִיב לָהּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), how would he fear Him and guard His commandments? (אֵיךְ דָּחִיל לֵיהּ וְנָטִיר פִּקּוּדוֹי).

And because of this David said to Shlomo his son: “Know the Elohim of your father, and serve Him” (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר דָּוִד לִשְׁלֹמֹה בְּנוֹ דַּע אֶת אֱלֹהֵי אָבִיךָ וְעָבְדֵהוּ) (I Chronicles 28:9). For if a man does not know Him who gave him the Torah, and appointed him to guard it (דְּאִי בַּר נַשׁ לָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדָע הַהוּא דִיְהִיב לֵיהּ אוֹרַיְיתָא, וּמַנִּי לֵיהּ לְנַטְרָא לָהּ), how will he fear Him and do His commandments? (אֵיךְ דָּחִיל מִנֵּיהּ וְעָבִיד פִּקּוּדוֹי). And because of this the Rabbis established: “A boor cannot be pious, and an ignoramus has no fear of sin” (וּבְגִין דָּא אוּקְמוּהוּ רַבָּנָן, וְלֹא עַם הָאָרֶץ חָסִיד, וְאֵין בּוּר יְרֵא חֵטְא). Because the Orayta, which is 611, was given from two degrees, from Chesed and Gevurah (בְּגִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְאִיהִי תרי״א מִתְּרֵין דַּרְגִּין אִתְיְהִיבַת, מֵחֶסֶד וּגְבוּרָה). From there are the two commandments: the love of Chesed and the dread of Gevurah, which is Yirah (דְּמִתַּמָּן תְּרֵין פִּקּוּדִין אַהֲבַת חֶסֶד וּדְחִילוּ דִגְבוּרָה דְאִיהִי יִרְאָה). With these are completed the 613 commandments (דִּבְהוֹן אִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ תַּרְיַ״ג פִּקּוּדַיָּא).

And because all the Orayta and its commandments were given from these two sides, the Rabbis established: “A unlearned person cannot be pious, and an ignoramus has no fear of sin” (וּבְגִין דְּכָל אוֹרַיְיתָא וּפִקּוּדָהָא מִתְּרֵן סִטְרִין אִתְיְהִיבַת, אוּקְמוּהוּ רַבָּנָן וְלֹא עַם הָאָרֶץ חָסִיד, וְאֵין בּוּר יְרֵא חֵטְא). And if you say: behold, Chesed and Gevurah, from which Malkhut is, are love and Yirah (וְאִי תֵּימָא הָא חֶסֶד גְּבוּרָה דְמִתַּמָּן מַלְכוּת אִיהִי אַהֲבָה וְיִרְאָה). How then did the Rabbis establish: “Great is Torah, for it brings a man to action”? (אֵיךְ אוּקְמוּהוּ רַבָּנָן גְּדוֹלָה תּוֹרָה שֶׁמְּבִיאָה לְאָדָם לִידֵי מַעֲשֶׂה). From here it implies that whoever precedes his Yirah to his wisdom, his wisdom endures (דְּמֵהָכָא מַשְׁמַע דְּכָל הַקּוֹדֶם יִרְאָתוֹ לְחָכְמָתוֹ חָכְמָתוֹ מִתְקַיֶּימֶת). But all is true (אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא קְשׁוֹט). Tiferet is called Adam (תִּפְאֶרֶת אִתְקְרֵי אָדָם). In its likeness was Adam Hei below (כְּגַוְונָא דִילֵיהּ הֲוָה אָדָם ה״א דִלְתַתָּא), of which it is established that he was first in thought and last in action (דְאוּקְמוּהוּ עֲלֵיהּ דַּהֲוָה רִאשׁוֹן לְמַחֲשָׁבָה וְאַחֲרוֹן לְמַעֲשֶׂה).

And because of this the Rabbis established: Yisrael arose in thought to be created (וּבְגִין דָּא אוּקְמוּהוּ רַבָּנָן, יִשְׂרָאֵל עָלָה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה לִיבָּרְאוֹת), as it is said of them: “You are Adam” (דְּאִתְּמַר עֲלַיְיהוּ אָדָם אַתֶּם). So too Tiferet, which is Hashem (אוּף הָכִי תִּפְאֶרֶת דְּאִיהוּ יהו״ה), He is first in thought, which is supernal Chokhmah (אִיהוּ רִאשׁוֹן לְמַחֲשָׁבָה דְאִיהִי חָכְמָה עִלָּאָה), and last in action, which is Yod from Adonai, the lower Chokhmah, Yirat Hashem, His Malkhut (וְאַחֲרוֹן לְמַעֲשֶׂה דְאִיהוּ י׳ מִן אדנ״י, חָכְמָה תַּתָּאָה, יִרְאַת יְיָ׳, מַלְכוּת דִּילֵיהּ). And because of this it is said of her: “If a woman conceives” (וּבְגִין דָּא אִתְּמַר בָּהּ אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ) (Leviticus 12:4). The woman has precedence in all the commandments (אִתְּתָא אִית לָהּ לְאַקְדָּמָא בְּכָל פִּקּוּדַיָּא), as it is said of her: “A woman who has Yirat Hashem, she shall be praised” (דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ אִשָּׁה יִרְאַת יְיָ׳ הִיא תִתְהַלָּל) (Proverbs 31:30).

And because of this: “He who finds a woman has found good” (וּבְגִין דָּא מָצָא אִשָּׁה בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, מָצָא טוֹב) (Proverbs 18:22), as it is said of Him: “Hashem is good to all” (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ טוֹב יהו״ה לַכֹּל) (Psalms 145:9). And if one precedes her in prayer, as they established: “Adonai, open my lips” (וְאִי אַקְדִּים לָהּ בִּצְלוֹתָא, כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהוּ אדנ״י שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח) (Psalms 51:17). Immediately: “And he will bring forth favor from Hashem” (מִיָּד וַיָּפֶק רָצוֹן מֵיהו״ה) (Proverbs 8:35). And because of this, kavanah, which is thought, must precede the mitzvah (וּבְגִין דָּא כַּוָּנָה דְּאִיהִי מַחֲשָׁבָה, צָרִיךְ לְאַקְדָּמָא לְמִצְוָה). And because of this the Rabbis equated the intention of prayer with the first blessing (וּבְגִין דָּא שַׁוִּיאוּ רַבָּנָן כִּוִּון מַחֲשַׁבְתָּא דִצְלוֹתָא בַּבְּרָכָה קַדְמָאָה), for thus they established: if he did not intend in the first blessing, he returns to the beginning (דְּהָכִי אוּקְמוּהוּ אִם לָא כִּוִּון בַּבְּרָכָה רִאשׁוֹנָה חוֹזֵר לְרֹאשׁ).

And because of this it is necessary to precede Yirah from the side of the Shekhinta, whether in the Orayta or in the commandments (וּבְגִין דָּא צָרִיךְ לְאַקְדָּמָא יִרְאָה מִסִּטְרָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא, בֵּין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בֵּין בְּפִקּוּדַיָּיא). But from the side of Kudsha Berikh Hu, it is necessary to precede the Orayta to Yirah in all the commandments (אֲבָל מִסִּטְרָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, צָרִיךְ לְאַקְדָּמָא אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִרְאָה בְּכָל פִּקּוּדַיָּא). For there is a Yirah of Orayta, which is called the female, the Oral Torah (דְּיִרְאָה דְאוֹרַיְיתָא אִית, דְּאִתְקְרֵי נוּקְבָא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה). Of her it is said there: “Then shall the trees of the forest sing” (דִּבְגִינָהּ אִתְּמַר תַּמָּן אָז יְרַנְּנוּ עֲצֵי הַיָּעַר) (I Chronicles 16:33). An angel answered from heaven and said: Behold, this is the Ma‘aseh Merkavah (עָנָה מַלְאָךְ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאָמַר הֵן הֵן מַעֲשֵׂה מֶרְכָּבָה). From this “az” depend seventy-two Names (מֵהַאי אָ״ז תַּלְיָין ע״ב שְׁמָהָן), which are Chesed (דְּהַיְינוּ חֶסֶד). In it is necessary to prepare the Throne for its Master with the wings of the mitzvah (דְּבֵיהּ צָרִיךְ לְאַתְקָנָא כָּרְסַיָּא לְמָארֵיהּ, בְּכַנְפֵי מִצְוָה). And He shall sit upon it in truth (וְיֵשֵׁב עָלָיו בֶּאֱמֶת). The tithe of truth is M”H, Yod Hei Vav Hei (עִשּׂוּר אֱמֶת מ״ה יו״ד ה״א וא״ו ה״א), who brings down the dew to the river to the Hei (מוֹרִיד הַטָּ״ל לְאַנְהָרָא לְגַבֵּי ה״א).