Daf 74a (דַּף ע״ד ע״א)

And because of this Kudsha Berikh Hu said (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא) (Song of Songs 2:7), I have adjured you daughters of Yerushalayim by the hosts or by the gazelles of the field, if you awaken and if you arouse the love until it pleases (הִשְׁבַּעִתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַם בִּצבאו״ת אוֹ בְּאַיְלוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה אִם תָּעִירוּ וְאִם תְּעוֹרְרוּ אֶת הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ), which is love (דְאִיהוּ רְחִימוּ) [Some say: which is mercy (נ״א דְּאִיהִי רַחֲמֵי)] without reward (בְּלַאו פְּרָס) [until He desires it (עַד דְּאִיהוּ יַחְפּוֹץ)], and not on condition to receive reward (וְלָא עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס). For Yirah [awe] and Ahavah [love], performed on condition of receiving reward, are of the maidservant (דְּיִרְאָה וְאַהֲבָה עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס אִיהִי שֶׁל שִׁפְחָה). And under three the earth trembles, and so forth (וְתַחַת שָׁלֹשׁ רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ וְגוֹ׳) (Proverbs 30:21), under a slave when he reigns, and a maidservant when she inherits her mistress (תַּחַת עֶבֶד כִּי יִמְלוֹךְ, וְשִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ).

Elohim—this, from “And Elohim said, ‘Let there be light’” (אלהי״ם דָּא מִן וַיֹּאמֶר אלהי״ם יְהִי אוֹר)—is the third path (אִיהוּ נָתִיב תְּלִיתָאָה) (Genesis 1:3). Yehi Ohr [Let there be light] is Yod–Hei Avir [air] (יְהִי אוֹר י״ה אַוִּי״ר). Ohr [light] is Yod (אוֹ״ר י׳). And when this point was enveloped—some say, spread out—in this light and became Avir [air] (וְכַד הַאי נְקוּדָה אִתְעַטְּפַת [נ״א אִתְפַּשְׁטַת] בְּהַאי אוֹר וְאִתְעֲבִידַת אַוִּיר), from here all Havayot [beings] were drawn forth (מֵהָכָא אִתְמַשְׁכוּ כָּל הַהֲוַיּוֹת). One Sava [elder] arose, opened, and said (קָם סָבָא חַד פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “Yehi Ohr [Let there be light], VaYehi Or [And there was light]” (יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי אוֹר). Yehi Ohr [Let there be light] is the right (יְהִי אוֹר דָּא יְמִינָא). VaYehi Or [And there was light] is the left (וַיְהִי אוֹר דָּא שְׂמָאלָא), for in every place VaYehi [and it was] is a term of sorrow (דִּבְכָל אֲתַר וַיְהִי אִיהוּ לָשׁוֹן צַעַר). Because of this, VaYehi HaYom [and it was the day] is Rosh HaShanah [the New Year] (וּבְגִין דָּא וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם דְּדָא אִיהוּ רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה) (Job 1:6), which is the left, judging the judgment of the whole world (דְּאִיהוּ שְׂמָאלָא דְּאִיהוּ דָן דִּינָא דְכָל עָלְמָא).

And because of this it is said (וּבְגִינָהּ אִתְּמַר) (Bereshit 1:3), “And there was light, and Elohim saw the light that it was good” (וַיְהִי אוֹר, וַיַּרְא אלהי״ם אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב). This is the middle pillar, which is good (דָּא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְאִיהוּ טוֹב). “And Elohim divided between the light and between the darkness” (וַיַּבְדֵּל אלהי״ם בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ) (Bereshit 1:4). Between the light-this is Aharon the priest (בֵּין הָאוֹר דָּא אַהֲרֹן כַּהֲנָא). And between the darkness-this is Korach (וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ דָּא קֹרַח). Moshe said: to me it is fitting to separate the dispute (אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִי אִתְחֲזֵי לְאַפְרָשָׁא מַחֲלֹקֶת). For I am the likeness of the higher good (דַּאֲנָא אִיהוּ דִיּוֹקְנָא דְטוֹב דִּלְעִילָא). He saw that Korach cleaved to the darkness of the sitra achra (חָזָא דְאִתְדַּבַּק קֹרַח בַּחֲשׁוֹכָא דְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא), and denied the work of Bereshit (וְאַכְחִישׁ עוֹבָדָא דִבְּרֵאשִׁית). For he did not want to cleave to the left, which is Levi (דְּלָא בָעָא לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בִשְׂמָאלָא דְאִיהוּ לֵוִי). He said: “Separate yourselves from among this congregation” (אָמַר הִבָּדְלוּ מִתּוֹךְ הָעִדָה הַזֹּאת) (Numbers 16:21). And the secret of the matter: “And Elohim divided between the light and between the darkness” (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וַיַּבְדֵל אלהי״ם בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ) (Bereshit 1:4). “And Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night” (וַיִּקְרָא אלהי״ם לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה) (Bereshit 1:5). The right thigh is light (שׁוֹקָא דִיְמִינָא דְהוּא אוֹר). As it is said: “And Elohim divided between the light”-this is the right thigh, the priest (דְּאִתְּמַר וַיַּבְדֵּל אלהי״ם בֵּין הָאוֹר אִיהוּ שׁוֹקָא יְמִינָא כַּהֲנָא). Of him it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ) (Psalms 16:11), pleasantness is in Your right hand forever (נְעִימוֹת בִּימִינְךָ נֶצַח). And as Netzach is bound to the right (וּכְמָה דְנֶצַח אִתְקַשַּׁר בִּימִינָא), so Hod is bound to the left (הָכִי הוֹד אִתְקַשַּׁר בִּשְׂמָאלָא). “And it was evening and it was morning, one day” (וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד) (Bereshit 1:5). Evening-this is the evening of Yitzchak (עֶרֶב דָּא עֶרֶב דְּיִצְחָק). Morning-this is the morning of Avraham (בֹּקֶר דָּא בֹּקֶר דְּאַבְרָהָם). One day-the middle pillar, and the tzaddik, which are counted as one (יוֹם אֶחָד עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא וְצַדִּיק דְּחַשְׁבִינָן חַד). And there is no day without night, which is the Shekhinta (וְלֵית יוֹם בְּלָא לַיְלָה דְאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא).

Meanwhile a voice ascended and burst in the heights of the firmaments (אַדְהָכִי הָא קָלָא סָלִיק וּמִתְפּוֹצֵץ בְּרוּמֵי רְקִיעִין), and it was saying (וַהֲוָה אָמַר), holy camps of the Academy of the firmament above and below (מַשִּׁרְיָין קַדִּישָׁאן דִּמְתִיבְתָּא דִרְקִיעָא דִלְעִילָא וְתַתָּא), be aroused and be prepared to greet the Matronita (אִזְדַּרְזוּ וְאִתַּקְנוּ לְקַדְמוּת מַטְרוֹנִיתָא), who is coming to enter before the King (דְקָא אַתְיָא לְמֵיעָאל קֳדָם מַלְכָּא), with many adornments of the positive commandments (בְּכַמָּה קִשּׁוּטִין דְּפִקּוּדִין דַּעֲשֵׂה). Arise, camps, to greet her (קוּמוּ מַשִּׁרְיָין לְקַדְמוּתָהּ). Meanwhile, behold, a second voice was arousing toward the Masters of the Gates (אַדְהָכִי הָא קָלָא תִנְיָנָא הֲוָה מִתְעָרָא לְגַבֵּי מָארֵי מַפְתְּחָן): behold the Shekhinta is coming to enter Her palace (הָא שְׁכִינְתָּא קָא אַתְיָא לְמֵיעָאל לְהֵיכָלָא דִילָהּ), “Adonai, open my lips” (אדנ״י שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח).

At that time the supernal Matronita descended toward her (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא עִלָּאָה קָא נָחֲתַת לְגַבָּהּ), to receive her with the first commandment (לְקַבְּלָא לָהּ בְּפִקּוּדָא קַדְמָאָה), with many voices and shofarot (בְּכַמָּה קָלִין וְשׁוֹפָרוֹת). And both ascend before the King (וְסָלְקִין תַּרְוַיְיהוּ לְגַבֵּי מַלְכָּא), and all were asking (וְכֻלְּהוּ הֲווֹ שָׁאֲלִין): “Who is this that ascends from the wilderness?” (מִי זֹאת עוֹלָה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר) (Song of Songs 3:6). Mi [Who] is Imma Ila’ah [the Supernal Mother] (מִ״י דְאִיהִי אִימָּא עִלָּאָה); in Zot [This], she ascends (בְזֹא״ת עוֹלָה). And when she ascends above, she becomes a throne for the Supernal King (וְכַד סְלִיקַת לְעִילָא אִתְעֲבִידַת כִּסֵּא לְמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה), and with her He opened Anokhi [I] (וּבָהּ פָּתַח אָנֹכִ״י). For thus it ascends in gematria to Kisse [throne] (דְהָכִי סְלִיק לְחֻשְׁבַּן כִּסֵּ״א). And when both were joined (וְכַד אִתְחַבְּרוּ תַּרְוַיְיהוּ), it is said of them: “Anokhi [I] am Hashem your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (אִתְּמַר בְּהוּ אָנֹכִי יהו״ה אלהי״ך אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם) (Exodus 20:2). Asher [that] is hinted in the word Bereshit [In the beginning] (אֲשֶׁר אִיהוּ רְמִיז בְּמִלַּת בְּרֵאשִׁית). Asher [that] is Imma [Mother], for she is Asher Ehyeh [that I will be] (אֲשֶׁר דָּא אִימָּא, דְאִיהִי אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶ״ה). “Who has sanctified us with His commandments” (אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו). “Who sanctified the beloved from the womb” (אֲשֶׁר קִדֵּשׁ יְדִיד מִבֶּטֶן). For she is the womb of which it is said (דְּאִיהִי בֶּטֶן דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ) (Job 39:29), from the womb, who brought forth the frost (מִבֶּטֶן מִי יָצָא הַקָּרַח). The awesome frost (הַקֶּרַח הַנּוֹרָא) (Ezekiel 1:22). What is awesome? This is the middle pillar (מַאי נוֹרָא דָא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). What is “sanctified the beloved from the womb”? The womb of which it is said, this is the Tzaddik (מַאי קִדֵּשׁ יְדִיד מִבֶּטֶן, בֶּטֶן דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ דָּא צַדִּיק). “Asher” which is Imma Ila’a (אֲשֶׁר דְּאִיהִי אִימָּא עִלָּאָה), sanctified us in the middle pillar (קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא), and commanded us in the Tzaddik (וְצִוָּנוּ בְּצַדִּיק). Concerning every commandment (עַל כָּל פִּקּוּדָא וּפִקּוּדָא). For one is the commander and one performs (בְּגִין דְּחַד אִיהוּ מְצֻוְּה וְחַד עוֹשֶׂה). One commands regarding the mitzvah, which is the Shekhinta (חַד מְצֻוְּה עַל הַמִּצְוָה דְאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא), “the mitzvah of Hashem is pure, enlightening the eyes” (מִצְוַת יהו״ה בָּרָה מְאִירַת עֵינָיִם) (Psalms 19:9). And one performs its performance, which is the act of the commandment (וְחַד עוֹשֶׂה עֲשִׂיָּיתָהּ דְּאִיהוּ מַעֲשֶׂה דְפִקּוּדָא). Thus have the Masters of the Mishnah established (דְּהָכִי אוּקְמוּהוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין): greater is he who is commanded and performs than one who is not commanded and performs (גָּדוֹל הַמְּצוּוְּה וְעוֹשֶׂה מִמִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְצוּוְּה וְעוֹשֶׂה).