Daf 72b (דַּף ע״ב ע״ב)

Sava arose and said (קָם סָבָא וְאָמַר), Rabbi, Rabbi (רַבִּי רַבִּי), with what did you establish the secret of Yibbum [Levirate marriage] and Chalitzah [the shoe-removal]? (בְּמַאי אוּקִימְתָּא סוֹד יִבּוּם וַחֲלִיצָה). For surely the clear matter I heard (דְּהָא בְּרִירָא דְמִלָּה שְׁמַעִינָא). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ), what you heard, say (מַה דִּשְׁמַעִתְּ אֵימָא). He said (אָמַר), surely in the secret of Yibbum is found the place of that naked soul (וַדַּאי בְּרָזָא דְיִבּוּם אַשְׁכַּח אַתְרָא הַהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא עַרְטִילָאָה). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב) (Psalms 84:4), also the bird has found a house (גַּם צִפּוֹר מָצְאָה בַיִת), and this is the nefesh that comes in gilgul the first time (וְדָא נֶפֶשׁ דְּאַתְיָא בְּגִלְגּוּל זִמְנָא קַדְמָאָה). And the swallow a nest for herself (וּדְרוֹר קֵן לָהּ) (ibid.), this is the ruach that comes in gilgul the second time (דָּא רוּחָא דְּאַתְיָא בְגִלְגּוּלָא זִמְנָא תִנְיָינָא). Where she places her young (אֲשֶׁר שָׁתָה אֶפְרוֹחֶיהָ) (ibid.), this is the neshama that comes in gilgul the third time (דָּא נִשְׁמָתָא דְאַתְיָא בְגִלְגּוּלָא זִמְנָא תְּלִיתָאָה). And from it go forth the chicks, who are the children (וּמִינָהּ נָפְקִין אֶפְרוֹחִין דְּאִינוּן בְּנִין).

And in the secret of Yibbum, all three descend at once (וּבְרָזָא דְיִבּוּם כֻּלְּהוּ תְּלַת נָחֲתִין בְּבַת אַחַת). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב) (Job 34:14), if He sets His heart upon him, if His ruach and His neshama unto Him He gathers (אִם יָשִׂים אֵלָיו לִבּוֹ רוּחוֹ וְנִשְׁמָתוֹ אֵלָיו יֶאֱסוֹף). His heart-there is the nefesh (לִבּוֹ דְתַמָּן נֶפֶשׁ), ruach in the wings of the lungs (רוּחַ בְּכַנְפֵי רֵיאָה), neshama in the brain (נִשְׁמָתָא בְמוֹחָא), and all are one in one bond (וְכֻלְּהוּ חַד בְּקִשׁוּרָא חֲדָא). But chalitzah is the release of that nefesh and ruach and neshama (אֲבָל חֲלִיצָה אִיהִי שֵׁזְבַת הַהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא וְרוּחָא וְנַפְשָׁא), which are bound in the three bonds of the serpent (דְּאִינוּן קְטִירִין בִּתְלַת קִשּׁוּרִין דְּחִוְיָא). And the secret of the matter: our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken and we are escaped (וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה נַפְשֵׁנוּ כְּצִפּוֹר נִמְלְטָה מִפַּח יוֹקְשִׁים הַפַּח נִשְׁבַּר וַאֲנַחְנוּ נִמְלָטְנוּ) (Psalms 124:7). Rabbi Shimon arose to kiss him (קָם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן כְּדֵי לְנַשְׁקָא לֵיהּ), but he flew immediately and was not seen (פָּרַח מִיָּד וְלָא אִתְחֲזִי).

The Twenty-Eighth Tikkun

תִּקּוּנָא עֶשְׂרִין וּתְמַנְיָא

In Bereshit, there are three commandments (בְּרֵאשִׁית בֵּיהּ תְּלַת פִּקּוּדִין). The first is Yirat Hashem [fear of Hashem] (חַד יִרְאַת יהו״ה), in this manner: Bereshit [In the beginning]—Yirah [fear], Boshet [shame] (כְּגַוְונָא דָא בְּרֵאשִׁי״ת יְרָ״א בֹּשֶׁ״ת), and this has already been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהוּ). The second is Brit [covenant] (תִּנְיָינָא בְּרִית), in this manner: Bereshit [In the beginning]—Brit Esh [covenant of fire] (כְּגַוְונָא דָא בְּרֵאשִׁי״ת בְּרִי״ת אֵ״שׁ). The third is Shabbat [Sabbath] (תְּלִיתָאָה שַׁבָּת), in this manner: Shabbat [Sabbath]—Yare [he shall fear] (כְּגַוְונָא דָא שַׁבָּ״ת יָרֵ״א).

The first commandment is Yirat Hashem (פִּקּוּדָא קַדְמָאָה יִרְאַת יהו״ה). About it, it is said (עֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר) (Isaiah 33:6), Yirat Hashem is His treasure (יִרְאַת יהו״ה הִיא אוֹצָרוֹ). And further it is said about it (וְעוֹד אִתְּמַר בָּהּ) (Proverbs 1:7), Yirat Hashem is the beginning of knowledge (יִרְאַת יהו״ה רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת). The beginning of wisdom is Yirat Hashem (רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה יִרְאַת יהו״ה) (Psalms 111:10). And surely, whoever does not have Yirah, which is the treasure, there is no wisdom there (וּבְוַדַּאי מָאן דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ דְּחִילוּ דְאִיהוּ אוֹצָר, לֵית תַּמָּן חָכְמָה). The treasury of this wisdom is Bet (אוֹצָרָא דְהַאי חָכְמָה אִיהִי ב׳). And in another tikkun: Bereshit - Bet Reshit (וּבְתִקּוּנָא אָחֳרָא בְּרֵאשִׁית ב׳ רֵאשִׁית), a point in His palace (נְקוּדָה בְּהֵכָלֵיהּ). About it, it is said (עֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר) (Song of Songs 4:12), a locked garden, my sister, bride, a locked spring, a sealed fountain (גַּן נָעוּל אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה גַּל נָעוּל מַעִיָן חָתוּם). Gan [garden] is the Orayta de-bi-Khetav [Written Torah] (גַּן אִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא דְבִכְתָב), which is Gan [the fifty-three] orders of the Orayta [Torah] (דְּאִיהוּ גַּ״ן סְדָרִים דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). Gal is the Orayta de-be‘al Peh [Oral Torah] (גַּל אִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא דִבְעַל פֶּה). And both are Bet from Bereshit (וְתַרְוַיְהוּ ב׳ מִבְּרֵאשִׁית). The sealed fountain is Reshit, the point in His palace (מַעִיָן חָתוּם דָּא רֵאשִׁית נְקוּדָה בְהֵיכָלֵיהּ). And with what is it sealed? (וּבְמַאי אִיהוּ חָתוּם). With the letter Vav (בְּאוֹת ו׳). And Bet is made with the sealing of Vav Mem (וְאִתְעֲבִידַת ב׳ עִם חֲתִימוּ דְו׳ ם). That which was Bet is made Mem (מַה דַּהֲוָה ב׳ אִתְעֲבִידַת ם). Wine hidden and sealed (יַיִן סָתוּם וְחָתוּם). Wine of the Orayta hidden and sealed, that no stranger may enter there (יֵינָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא סָתִים וְחָתִים דְּלָא יֵעוּל נוּכְרָאָה תַּמָּן). And this is the wine kept in its grapes from the six days of Creation (וְדָא יַיִן הַמְּשׁוּמָּר בַּעֲנָבָיו מִשֵּׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְרֵאשִׁית). And not for vanity did the masters of the Mishnah establish it (וְלַאו לְמַגָּנָא תַקִּינוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין): the sealing of the wine is so that it not be poured and mingled into the Sitra achra (חֲתִימַת יַיִן דְּלָא יִתְנַסֵּךְ וְיִתְעָרֵב בְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא). And about this wine it is said (וְעַל הַאי יַיִן אִתְּמַר) (Psalms 147:12), He has not done so for any nation, and His judgments they do not know (לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן לְכָל גּוֹי וּמִשְׁפָּטִים בַּל יְדָעוּם). Surely so (כֵ״ן וַדַּאי). Wine is the seventy faces of the Orayta (יַיִ״ן שַׁבְעִין אַנְפִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). And about them it is said (וַעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר) (Psalms 25:14), the secret of Hashem is to those who fear Him (סוֹד יהו״ה לִירֵאָיו).

The vessel of this wine is the heart of man (קַנְקַן דְּהַאי יַיִ״ן דָּא לִבָּא דְבַר נַשׁ). If it is a new vessel and was poured with wine of libation, which is the evil inclination (אִם הוּא קַנְקַנָּא חַדְתָּא וְאִתְנַסַּךְ בְּיַיִן נֶסֶךְ דְּאִיהוּ יִצְרָא בִישָׁא), it requires threefold rinsing (צָרִיךְ תְּלַתָא זִמְנִין הֲדָחָה). And this is, behold, all these does El do, twice, three times with a man (וְהֶן כָּל אֵלֶּה יִפְעַל אֵ״ל פַּעֲמַיִם שָׁלוֹשׁ עִם גָּבֶר) (Job 33:29). And not for vanity was it established in the cup of blessing, likewise rinsing and washing (וְלַאו לְמַגָּנָא תַּקִּינוּ בְּכוֹס דִּבְּרָכָה אוּף הָכִי הֲדָחָה וּשְׁטִיפָה). Rinsing is from the inside, washing from the outside (הֲדָחָה מִבִּפְנִים שְׁטִיפָה מִבַּחוּץ), so that its inside should be as its outside (לְמֶהֱוֵי תּוֹכוֹ כְּבַרוֹ). And the secret of the matter: and he shall purify it and sanctify it (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וְטִהֲרוֹ וְקִדְּשׁוֹ) (Leviticus 16:19). And when it is a vessel which is the pure heart, inside and outside (וְכַד אִיהוּ קַנְקַן דְּאִיהוּ לִבָּא דַּכְיָא מִלְּגָאו וּמִלְּבָר), wisdom rests there (שַׁרְיָא תַמָּן חָכְמָה). Of which it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ) (Proverbs 8:22), Hashem created me as the beginning of His way (יהו״ה קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ). Created me-this is truly the vessel (קָנָנִי אִיהוּ קַנְקַן וַדַּאי). And if this vessel is pure (וְאִם הַאי קַנְקַן אִיהוּ דַכְיָא), it is said of it: and He will cleanse (אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְנַקֵּה). But if not, it is said: He will not cleanse, everyone who touches her (וְאִם לַאו לֹא יְנַקֵּה כָּל הַנּוֹגֵעַ בָּהּ) (Proverbs 6:29). And the vessel of man-this is woman (וְקַנְקַן דְּבַר נַשׁ דָּא אִתְּתָא). And she is the cup (וְאִיהוּ כּוֹס). Therefore she requires washing and rinsing (לְהָכִי צְרִיכָה שְׁטִיפָה וַהֲדָחָה). If she is a cup of blessing (אִם הִיא כּוֹס דִּבְרָכָה), about her it is said (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר) (Ezekiel 44:30), to cause a blessing to rest in your house (לְהָנִיחַ בְּרָכָה אֶל בֵּיתֶךָ). But if not, she is called the cup of poison (וְאִם לַאו אִתְקְרִיאַת כּוֹס הַתַּרְעִלָה). And her wine, about it, it is said (וְיַיִן דִּילָהּ עֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר) (Proverbs 31:6), give strong drink to him who is lost, and wine to those of bitter soul (תְּנוּ שֵׁכָר לְאוֹבֵד וְיַיִן לְמָרֵי נָפֶשׁ וְגוֹ׳). Her breasts are clusters of bitterness (שָׁדַיִם דִּילָהּ אִינוּן אַשְׁכּוֹלוֹת מְרוֹרוֹת). But the wine of the cup of blessing, about it, it is said (אֲבָל יַיִן דְּכוֹס דִּבְּרָכָה עֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר) (Psalms 104:15), and wine makes glad the heart of man (וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ), where the commandments of Hashem are upright, rejoicing the heart (דְּתַמָּן פִּקּוּדֵי יהו״ה יְשָׁרִים מְשַׂמְּחֵי לֵב) (Psalms 19:9). These are her clusters (דְּאִינוּן אֶשְׁכּוֹלוֹת דִּילָהּ).