Daf 74b (דַּף ע״ד ע״ב)

And further, “commanded” is the middle pillar (וְעוֹד מְצוּוְה דָא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא), for it is “commanded” from the side of Abba, who is Rosh [Head] (דְאִיהוּ מְצוּוְה מִסִּטְרָא דְאַבָּא דְאִיהוּ רֹא״שׁ), and from the side of Imma, who is Asher (וּמִסִּטְרָא דְאִימָּא דְאִיהִי אֲשֶׁ״ר). And thus the Tzaddik is “commanded and performs” from both of them (וְהָכִי צַדִּיק מְצוּוְה וְעוֹשֶׂה מִתַּרְוַיְיהוּ). And because of this it is said concerning both: “Asher Kideshanu [Who sanctified us]” (וּבְגִין דָּא אִתְּמַר עַל תַּרְוַיְיהוּ אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ). Imma [Mother] sanctified us, and Abba [Father] commanded us (אִמָּא קִדְּשָׁנוּ וְאַבָּא צִוָּנוּ). Concerning whom? (עַל מָאן). Concerning the Lower Shekhinta [Divine Presence] (עַל שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה), for she is the Petter Kol Reḥem [opener of every womb] (דְאִיהִי פֶּטֶר כָּל רֶחֶם), the opening of the womb (פְּתִיחוּ דְרֶחֶם), which is the two hundred and forty-eight commandments (דְּאִיהוּ רְמַ״ח פִּקּוּדִין). She is the Mitzvat Hashem [commandment of Hashem] in every limb of the King (אִיהִי מִצְוַת יהו״ה בְּכָל אֵבֶר וְאֵבֶר דְּמַלְכָּא); she is Mitzvah [commandment] (אִיהִי מִצְוָה). And furthermore, Asher Kideshanu [Who sanctified us] is from the side of Abba [Father] and Imma [Mother] (וְעוֹד אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְאַבָּא וְאִימָּא). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “And Elohim said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (וַיֹּאמֶר אלהי״ם יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי אוֹר) (Genesis 1:3). Vayomer [and He said] is from the side of Abba [Father], who is Yod (וַיֹּאמֶר מִסִּטְרָא דְאַבָּא דְאִיהוּ י׳); Yehi [let there be] is from the side of Imma [Mother], who is Hei (יְהִי מִסִּטְרָא דְאִימָּא דְאִיהִי ה׳): one utterance and one Havaiyah [existence] (חַד אֲמִירָה וְחַד הֲוַיָּה). The action of both is Yehi Ohr [let there be light] (עֲשִׂיָּיתָהּ דְּתַרְוַיְיהוּ יְהִי אוֹר).

And furthermore, Asher [that] is on account of: “Be’oshri [in my happiness], for daughters have called me happy” (וְעוֹד אֲשֶׁר עַל שֵׁם בְּאָשְׁרִי כִּי אִשְּׁרוּנִי בָּנוֹת) (Genesis 30:13); “Asher [who] brought you out from the land of Egypt” (אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם) (Exodus 20:2). And as for a slave who is in the king’s prison, and the king promised him to bring him out from the prison (וְכִי עֶבֶד דְּאִיהוּ בְּבֵי אֲסִירֵי דְמַלְכָּא, וְאַבְטַח לֵיהּ מַלְכָּא לְאַפָּקָא לֵיהּ מִבֵּי אֲסִירֵי), has the king to praise himself “who brought you out of the land of Egypt” many times? (אִית לֵיהּ לְמַלְכָּא לְשַׁבְּחָא גַרְמֵיהּ, אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כַּמָּה זִמְנִין). Rather, fifty times is the exodus from Egypt mentioned in the Orayta (אֶלָּא חַמְשִׁין זִמְנִין אַדְכִּיר בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם), corresponding to the fifty gates of Binah (לָקֳבֵל חַמְשִׁין תַּרְעִין דְּבִינָה), to make known to them from which place He brought them out from the exile (לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא לוֹן מֵאָן אֲתַר אַפִּיק לוֹן מִן גָּלוּתָא). And when she descended to them, she descended to redeem them with many voices and lightnings (וְכַד נָחֲתַת לְגַבַּיְיהוּ נָחֲתַת לְמִפְרַק לוֹן בְּכַמָּה קָלִין וּבְרָקִין). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב) (Exodus 19:16), And it was on the third day, when it was morning, there were voices and lightnings, and so forth (וַיְהִי בַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בִּהְיוֹת הַבֹּקֶר וַיְהִי קוֹלוֹת וּבְרָקִים וְגוֹ׳). And about them it is said (וַעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר) (Exodus 20:18), And all the people saw the voices (וְכָל הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלֹת).

“Et”-this is the lower Shekhinta (אֶת דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה), which was ascending in every voice and voice from those seven voices (דַּהֲוַת סָלְקָא בְּכָל קָלָא וְקָלָא מֵאִינוּן שֶׁבַע קָלִין), and she was the bat kol of each and every one (וְאִיהִי הֲוַת בַּת קוֹל דְּכָל חַד וְחַד). “A voice of words you were hearing” (קוֹל דְּבָרִים אַתֶּם שֹׁמְעִים) (Deuteronomy 4:12): this is the supernal voice, inclusive of the three supernal voices (דָּא קָלָא עִלָּאָה כְּלִילָא מִתְּלַת קָלִין עִלָּאִין), which are the three supernal Sefirot (דְּאִינוּן תְּלַת סְפִירָן עִלָּאִין). And about Imma Ila’a it is said (וְעַל אִימָּא עִלָּאָה אִתְּמַר) (ibid.), and a likeness you do not see, except a voice (וּתְמוּנָה אֵינְכֶם רוֹאִים זוּלָתִי קוֹל). But about the bat kol it is said (אֲבָל בַּת קוֹל עֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר), And all the people saw the voices-“Et”: and “Et” surely (וְכָל הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלֹת, וְאֶת, וְאֶת וַדַּאי), of which it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ) (Numbers 12:8), and the likeness of Hashem does he behold (וּתְמוּנַת יהו״ה יַבִּיט). The voices are from the side of the middle pillar (קוֹלוֹת אִינוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא); it is the voice of the shofar, the seventh in Imma Ila’a (אִיהוּ קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר שְׁבִיעָאָה בְּאִימָּא עִלָּאָה), and below, six voices (וּלְתַתָּא שִׁית קָלִין).

Lightnings are from the side of the Tzaddik (בְּרָקִים מִסִּטְרָא דְּצַדִּיק), of whom it is said (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ) (Zechariah 9:14), and His arrow shall go forth like lightning (וְיָצָא כַבָּרָק חִצּוֹ). The cloud-this is the Shekhinta, included from seven clouds of glory (עָנָן דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא כְּלִילָא מִשִּׁבְעָה עֲנָנֵי כָּבוֹד), in which voices and lightnings are covered (דְּבָהּ מִתְכַּסִּין קָלִין וּבְרָקִין). And from the side of the right it is called cloud (וּמִסִּטְרָא דִימִינָא אִתְקְרִיאַת עֲנָנָא), and from the side of the left, thick darkness (וּמִסִּטְרָא דִשְׂמָאלָא עֲרָפֶל). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב) (Exodus 20:21), and Moshe drew near to the thick darkness where the Elohim was (וּמֹשֶׁה נִגַּשׁ אֶל הָעֲרָפֶל אֲשֶׁר שָׁם הָאלהי״ם). And furthermore, Anokhi [I]—this is the Lower Shekhinta [Divine Presence] (וְעוֹד אָנֹכִי דָא שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה). And the secret of the matter is: “Anokhi, Anokhi—it is I who comfort you” (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי הוּא מְנַחֶמְכֶם) (Isaiah 51:12). Imma Ila’ah [the Supernal Mother] is Anokhi [I] above (אִימָּא עִלָּאָה אָנֹכִי לְעִילָא); Anokhi [I] is Imma Tata’ah [the Lower Mother] below (אָנֹכִי אִימָּא תַּתָּאָה לְתַתָּא). And concerning both it is said: “See now that I, I am He” (וְעַל תַּרְוַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר רְאוּ עַתָּה כִּי אֲנִי אֲנִי הוּא) (Deuteronomy 32:39). “As Your name is Elohim, so is Your praise unto the ends of the earth” (כְּשִׁמְךָ אלהי״ם כֵּן תְּהִלָּתֶךָ עַל קַצְוֵי אֶרֶץ) (Psalms 48:11).

Behold, here is the first commandment (הָא הָכָא פִּקּוּדָא קַדְמָאָה). There is no commandment that is not given in Dekhilu [fear] and Reḥimu [love], which is Bet (וְלֵית פִּקּוּדָא דְלָא אִתְיְיהִיב בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ דְאִיהוּ ב׳). And this Bet of Bereshit [In the beginning] is the fear of Yirah [awe] and love (וְדָא ב׳ מִן בְּרֵאשִׁית דְּחִילוּ דְּיִרְאָה וּרְחִימוּ). These are the upper Bet and the lower Bet (דְאִינוּן ב׳ עִלָּאָה ב׳ תַּתָּאָה). The upper Bet, as has been said, is Dekhilu [fear] and Reḥimu [love] (ב׳ עִלָּאָה הָא אִתְּמַר דְּאִיהוּ דְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ). The latter Bet—some say, the lower Bet—is Torah and Mitzvah [commandment] (ב׳ בַּתְרָאָה [נ״א תַּתָּאָה] תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוָה). And she is the Bet of Bara [He created]; by reversal of the letters, Eiver [limb] (וְאִיהִי ב׳ מִבָּרָ״א, בְּהִפּוּךְ אַתְוָון אֵבֶ״ר). She is Mitzvah [commandment] in every limb—some say, in all limbs (אִיהִי מִצְוָה בְכָל [נ״א דְּכָל] אֵבֶר וְאֵבֶר).

The first commandment is Anokhi Hashem Elohekha [I am Hashem your God] (פִּקּוּדָא קַדְמָאָה אִיהוּ אָנֹכִי יהו״ה אלהי״ך) (Exodus 20:2). And it is Bet, Dekhilu [fear] and Reḥimu [love] (וְאִיהוּ ב׳, דְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ). “Every man shall fear his mother and his father” (אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ) (Leviticus 19:3)—from the side of Dekhilu [fear] (מִסִּטְרָא דִדְחִילוּ). “Honor your father and your mother” (כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ) (Exodus 20:12)—from the side of Reḥimu [love] (מִסִּטְרָא דִרְחִימוּ). And both of them are Zakhor [remember] and Shamor [observe] (וְתַרְוַיְיהוּ אִינוּן זָכוֹר וְשָׁמוֹר).

Tefillin of the head and tefillin of the hand (תְּפִלִּין דְּרֹאשׁ וּתְפִלִּין דְּיָד). Abba is the tefillin of the head [Some say: upon the head] (אַבָּא תְּפִלִּין דְּרֵישָׁא [נ״א עַל רֵישָׁא]) for he is the head: “the beginning of Your word is truth” (דְּאִיהוּ רֹאשׁ דְּבָרְךָ אֱמֶת) (Psalms 119:160), the middle pillar (עַמּוּדָא דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא). Imma is the tefillin of the hand, for she is the lower Shekhinta (אִימָּא תְפִלִּין דְּיָד דְאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה). Abba and Imma are the tefillin of the Master of the world (אַבָּא וְאִימָּא תְּפִלִּין דְּמָארֵי עָלְמָא). Kudsha Berikh Hu and His Shekhinta, who are Father and Daughter, are our tefillin (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ דְּאִינוּן בְּרָא וּבְרַתָּא אִינוּן תְּפִלִּין דִּילָן).