Daf 85a (דַּף פ״ה ע״א)

Sava arose after the shade of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai (קָם סָבָא חֲדָא מִבָּתַר טוּלָא דְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי), and he said: Rabbi, Rabbi, you have spoken well (וְאָמַר רַבִּי רַבִּי שַׁפִּיר קָאֲמַרְתְּ), but this cup must be elevated to its level (אֲבָל הַאי כּוֹס צָרִיךְ לְסַלְקָא לֵיהּ בְּדַרְגּוֹי), a crown from the side of the crown, which is the supernal Keter (עִטּוּר מִסִּטְרָא דַעֲטָרָה דְאִיהִי כֶּתֶר עִלְיוֹן), upon the head of the Tzaddik (עַל רֵישָׁא דְצַדִּיק), a covering like “Who enwraps Himself with light as a garment” (עִטּוּף כְּגוֹן עוֹטֶה אוֹר כַּשַּׂלְמָה), what is “Who enwraps” (מַאי עוֹטֶה)? This is Yod, which enwrapped in light and became air (דָּא י' דְּאִתְעַטַּף בְּאוֹר וְאִתְעֲבִיד אַוִּיר), and this enwrapping is Chokhmah (וְהַאי דְּאִתְעַטַּף אִיהוּ חָכְמָה), purification and washing which purified him and sanctified him (הֲדָחָה וּשְׁטִיפָה דְּאִיהוּ וְטִהֲרוֹ וְקִדְּשׁוֹ), purification from the side of the priest (טַהֲרָה מִסִּטְרָא דְּכַהֲנָא), as it is said regarding the priest: he immersed and ascended, purified to eat of terumah (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּכַהֲנָא טָבַל וְעָלָה אִתְדַּכֵּי לְמֵיכַל בִּתְרוּמָה), and his sanctification is from the side of the left (וְקִדְּשׁוֹ מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא), as it is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “And you shall sanctify the Levites” (וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֶת הַלְוִיִּם) (Numbers 8).

Chai [life] is from the side of the Tzaddik, the Life of Worlds (חַ״י מִסִּטְרָא דְצַדִּיק חַ״י עָלְמִין), included with the Chai [life] of blessings of prayer (כְּלִיל חַ״י בִּרְכָּאָן דִּצְלוֹתָא), and fullness from the side of the Middle Column (וּמָלֵא מִסִּטְרָא דְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא), and he receives it with both of his hands and gives it with the right (וּמְקַבְּלוֹ בִּשְׁתֵּי יָדָיו וְנוֹתְנוֹ בְּיָמִין). This is what is said of it (דָּא הַהוּא דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ): “From His right hand went a fiery law for them” (מִימִינוֹ אֵשׁ דָּת לָמוֹ) (Deuteronomy 33:2). For Your right hand is outstretched to receive penitents (כִּי יְמִינְךָ פְּשׁוּטָה לְקַבֵּל שָׁבִים), and it is “Your right hand, Hashem, glorious in power” (יְמִינְךָ יְי נֶאְדָּרִי בַּכֹּחַ) (Exodus 15:6). Two hands, they are the two letters Heh Heh (תְּרֵין יְדַיִן אִינוּן ה״ה), one left and one right (חַד שְׂמָאלָא וְחַד יְמִינָא). And because of this, it must be given with five fingers (וּבְגִין דָּא צָרִיךְ לְאִתְיַיהֲבָא בְּחָמֵשׁ אֶצְבְּעָאן), because of “I will lift up the cup of salvations” (כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא) (Psalms 116:13), and he sets his eyes upon it (וְנוֹתֵן עֵינָיו בּוֹ). Regarding them it is said: “The eyes of all look to You with hope” (עֵינֵי כֹל אֵלֶיךָ יְשַׂבֵּרוּ) (Psalms 145:15).

And they are the two true supports, which are Yod Yod (וְאִינוּן תְּרֵי סַמְכֵי קְשׁוֹט דְּאִינוּן י' י'), which are the pupil of the right eye and the pupil of the left eye (דְּאִינוּן בַּת עִינָא יְמִינָא וּבַת עִינָא שְׂמָאלָא). And between them is the small Vav, Ze’ir Anpin (וּבֵינַיְיהוּ ו' זְעִירָא זְעִיר אַנְפִּין), which is “His legs are pillars of marble” (שׁוֹקָיו עַמּוּדֵי שֵשׁ) (Song of Songs 5:15). And he elevates it from the ground one handbreadth, from the side of the small Yod, the wisdom of Shlomo (וּמְסַלְּקוֹ מִן הַקַּרְקַע טֶפַח מִסִּטְרָא דְּי' זְעִירָא חָכְמַת שְׁלֹמֹה), and he sends it as a gift to his household, this is the supernal Imma (וּמְשַׁגְּרוֹ בְּמַתָּנָה לְאַנְשֵׁי בֵיתוֹ דָּא אִמָּא עִלָּאָה), of which it is said: “Moshe rejoiced in the gift of his portion” (יִשְׂמַח מֹשֶׁה בְּמַתְּנַת חֶלְקוֹ) (Deuteronomy 33:4). And in exile we have only four (וּבְגָלוּתָא לֵית לָן אֶלָּא אַרְבַּעָה): Life (Chai) [is] Full (Malei); Rinsing (Shtifah) [and] Washing (Hadachah) (חַ״י מָ״לֵא שְׁ״טִיפָה הֲ״דָחָה), and your sign is five (וְסִימָנִיךְ חֲמִשָּׁה). And they are from the side of the letter Heh, which is the fourth in the reckoning (וְאִינוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְאָת ה' דְּאִיהִי רְבִיעִית לְחֻשְׁבָּנָא), and it is the poor Dalet (וְאִיהִי דָּלֵ״ת עֲנִיָּה), because the Vav, which is six levels, has been removed from her (בְּגִין דְּאִסְתַּלַּק מִינָהּ ו' דְּאִיהוּ שִׁית דַּרְגִּין). The cup is in the secret of YAHDVNHY, which is 26 and 65 (הַכּוֹס אִיהוּ בְּרָזָא דְיאהדונה״י דְּאִיהוּ כ״ו ה״ס), a cup in the reckoning of Elohim (כּוֹס בְּחֻשְׁבָּנָא אֱלהִי״ם).

The Forty-Eighth Tikkun

תִּקּוּנָא תְּמַנְיָא וְאַרְבְּעִין

Bereshit, there are there two, there are there Shabbat (בְּרֵאשִׁית תַּמָּן תְּרֵ״י תַּמָּן שַׁבָּ״ת), in this manner: Bereshit - Bara Shit, “Created Six” (כְּגַוְונָא דָא בְּרֵאשִׁי״ת בָּ״רָא שִׁי״ת), and these are the two Shabbatot (וְאִינוּן תְּרֵי שַׁבָּתוֹת). Regarding them it is said: “And the children of Yisrael shall keep the Shabbat, to make the Shabbat…” (וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת וְגוֹמֵר) (Exodus 31:16). Twice is Shabbat mentioned here (תְּרֵין זִמְנִין אַדְכִּיר הָכָא שַׁבָּת), corresponding to the supernal and the lower Shekhinta (לָקֳבֵל שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה וְתַתָּאָה). “For their generations”-what is “for their generations”? (לְדֹרֹתָם מַאי לְדֹרֹתָם). Rather, fortunate is he who makes for them a dwelling on Shabbat, in the two houses of the heart (אֶלָּא זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מָאן דְּעָבִיד לוֹן דִּירָה בְּשַׁבָּת בִּתְרֵי בָתֵּי לִבָּא), and from there the evil inclination departs, which is the desecration of Shabbat (וְאִתְפְּנֵי מִתַּמָּן יֵצֶר הָרָע דְּאִיהוּ חִלּוּל שַׁבָּת). “An everlasting covenant”-this is the Tzaddik (בְּרִית עוֹלָם דָּא צַדִּיק), upon whom both rest (דְּשַׁרְיָין תַּרְוַיְיהוּ עֲלֵיהּ), one to fill him and one to be filled from him (חַד לְאַמְלָאָה לֵיהּ וְחַד לְאִתְמַלְיָא מִינֵיהּ).

The children of Yisrael, they are the two kidneys, Netzach and Hod (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִינוּן תְּרֵין כֻּלְיָין נֶצַח וָהוֹד), the beauty of Yisrael Saba, the Middle Column (בְּנוֹי דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל סָבָא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). Three sevenths, seventh, seventh-these are the three Patriarchs (תְּלַת שְׁבִיעִי שְׁבִיעִי שְׁבִיעִי אִלֵּין תְּלַת אֲבָהָן). “Delight of Shabbat,” and “A river went forth from Eden to water the garden” (וְנָ״הָר יוֹצֵא מֵעִדֶ״ן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּ״ן) (Bereshit 2:10). And river-there is a river and there is a river (וְנָהָר, אִית נָהָר וְאִית נָהָר). There is a river called the river of its streams (אִית נָהָר דְּאִתְקְרֵי נָהָר פְּלָגָיו), and there is a river called the stream of antiquity (וְאִית נָהָר דְּאִתְקְרֵי נַחַל קְדוּמִים). The supernal Eden-regarding it is said: “Eye has not seen, O Elohim, besides You” (עַיִן לֹא רָאֲתָה אֱלהִי״ם זוּלָתֶךָ) (Isaiah 64:3). This river, it is the Vav (הַאי נָהָר אִיהוּ ו׳), which goes forth from the supernal Eden, which is the Alef (דְּנָפִיק מֵעִדֶן עִלָּאָה דְאִיהוּ א׳), and it passes between Abba and Imma (וְאַעֲבַר בֵּין אַבָּא וְאִימָּא), and it goes five hundred years (וְאָזִיל חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה), and reaches until the Tzaddik, the seventh (וּמָטֵי עַד צַדִּיק שְׁבִיעִי), and from there waters the garden, which is the lower Shekhinta (וּמִתַּמָּן אַשְׁקֵי לְגִנְּתָא דְאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה).

Fortunate is he who guards the dwelling of Shabbat, which is the heart (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מָאן דְּנָטִיר דִּירָה לְשַׁבָּת דְּאִיהוּ לִבָּא), that there not approach there the sadness of the spleen (דְלָא אִתְקְרִיב תַּמָּן עֲצִיבוּ דִטְחוֹל), and the anger of the gall, which is the fire of Gehinnom (וְכַעַס דְּמָרָה דְאִיהוּ נוּרָא דְגֵיהִנָּם). Regarding it is said (דַּעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר): “You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the day of Shabbat” (לֹא תְבַעֲרוּ אֵשׁ בְּכֹל מוֹשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת) (Exodus 35:3). And so it is indeed, that whoever becomes angry, it is as if he kindled the fire of Gehinnom (וְהָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי דְּכָל מָאן דְּכָעִיס כְּאִלּוּ אוֹקִיד נוּרָא דְגֵיהִנָּם). Forty labors less one are they (אַרְבָּעִים מְלָאכוֹת חָסֵר חַד אִינוּן), corresponding to forty lashes less one on Shabbat (לָקֳבֵל אַרְבָּעִים מַלְקִיּוֹת חָסֵר חַד בְּשַׁבָּת). And they are ten for Adam, and ten for Chavah, and ten for the serpent, and nine for the earth (וְאִינוּן עֲשָׂרָה דְלָקָה אָדָם וַעֲשָׂרָה לְחַוָּה וַעֲשָׂרָה לְנָחָשׁ וְתִשְׁעָה לְאַרְעָא). And because of this the masters of the Mishnah said: there are no lashes on Shabbat (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמְרוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין אֵין לוֹקִין בְּשַׁבָּת), for these labors are themselves considered for Yisrael as the equivalent of lashes (דְּאִלֵּין מְלָאכוֹת אִינוּן חֲשִׁיבִין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לָקֳבֵל מַלְקִיּוֹת).