Daf 86b (דַּף פ״ו ע״ב)

And Shekhinta in exile (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא בְגָלוּתָא), at the time that her Husband distances Himself from her (בְזִמְנָא דְאִיהוּ מְרַחֲקָא בַעִלָהּ מִינָהּ), sometimes she is sustained through a messenger (לְזִמְנִין אִתְפַּרְנֶסֶת עַל יְדֵי שְׁלִיחַ), sometimes through the Patriarchs (לְזִמְנִין עַל יְדֵי אֲבָהָן), sometimes through Imma (לְזִמְנִין עַל יְדֵי אִימָּא), sometimes through Abba (לְזִמְנִין עַל יְדֵי אַבָּא), sometimes through the children (לְזִמְנִין עַל יְדֵי בְּנִין), sometimes through the Tzaddik (לְזִמְנִין עַל יְדֵי דְצַדִּיק). And all is given by her Husband, who is the Vav (וְכֹלָּא יָהֵיב בַּעִלָהּ דְּאִיהוּ ו׳). He is between Abba and Imma, the son of Yod-Heh (אִיהוּ בֵּין אַבָּא וְאִימָּא בֶּן י״ה). And when he is between Abba and Imma, sustenance descends to her through Abba and Imma (וְכַד אִיהוּ בֵּין אַבָּא וְאִימָּא, נָחִית לָהּ פַּרְנָסָא עַל יְדֵי אַבָּא וְאִימָּא). And when he descends between the two arms, in which are six joints (וְכַד נָחִית בֵּין תְּרֵין דְּרוֹעִין דְּאִית בְּהוֹן שִׁית פִּרְקִין), sustenance descends to her by way of the two arms (נָחִית לָהּ פַּרְנָסָא בִּתְרֵין דְּרוֹעִין). And when he descends into the body, which is Ya'akov (וְכַד נָחִית בְּגוּפָא דְאִיהוּ יַעֲקֹב), sustenance descends to her through him (נָחִית לָהּ מְזוֹנָא עַל יְדֵיהּ). And when he descends into the two thighs, which are “his thighs are pillars of marble” (שׁוֹקָיו עַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ) (Song of Songs 5:15), in which are six joints (דְּאִית בְּהוֹן ו׳ פִּרְקִין), sustenance descends to her through them (נָחִית לָהּ מְזוֹנָא עַל יְדַיְהוּ). And when he descends into the Tzaddik, sustenance descends to her through him (וְכַד נָחִית בְּצַדִּיק נָחִית לָהּ מְזוֹנָא עַל יְדֵיהּ). And when he descends into her, that the Vav joins with the Heh (וְכַד נָחִית בָּהּ דְּאִתְחַבַּר ו׳ בְּה׳), there is no need for sustenance to descend to her through a messenger in the world, but through him directly (לָא צָרִיךְ לְנַחְתָא מְזוֹנָא לָהּ עַל יְדֵי שְׁלִיחָא בְעָלְמָא, אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵיהּ). And when he goes forth in her, he ascends until Ein Sof, who is Alef (וְכַד נָפִיק בָּהּ, אִסְתַּלַּק עַד אֵין סוֹף דְּאִיהוּ א׳). Her sustenance then does not depend on merit (מְזוֹנָא דִילָהּ לַאו בִּזְכוּתָא תַלְיָא מִלְתָא), And not in Chayim [Life], which are Abba and Imma (וְלָא בְחַיִּים דְּאִינוּן אַבָּא וְאִימָּא), nor on the children, which are Netzach and Hod (וְלָא בְּבָנֵי דְאִינּוּן נֶצַח וְהוֹד), but on Mazal depends the matter (אֶלָּא בְמַזָּלָא תַלְיָא מִלְתָא). And when she descends from her place and Kudsha Berikh Hu descends to dwell with her (וְכַד נְחִיתַת מֵאַתְרָהָא וְנָחִית קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְדַיְירָא עִמָּהּ), it is said regarding Him and His children: “There is no mazal for Yisrael” (אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וּבִבְנָהָא אֵין מַזָּל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). But Kudsha Berikh Hu rides upon the Keruv, which is Metatron, and he is blessed (אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רָכִיב עַל כְּרוּ״ב דְּאִיהוּ מטטרו״ן וְאִיהוּ בָּרוּ״ךְ), and she is sustained through him (וּמִתְפַּרְנֶסֶת עַל יְדֵיהּ). For he is the servant of the world, her servant (דְּאִיהוּ עִבֶד עוֹלָם עִבֶד דִּילָהּ). And at that time she is sustained through a messenger (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִיהִי אִתְפַּרְנֶסָת עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ). And all this according to the deeds of Yisrael, so is she sustained (וְכָל דָּא כְּפוּם עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הָכִי אִתְפַּרְנֶסָת).

Fortunate is he who raises her to her place, and Kudsha Berikh Hu to His place (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מָאן דְּסָלִיק לָהּ לְאַתְרָהּ, וּלְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַתְרֵיהּ). Of Him it is said: “Behold, Hashem rides upon a swift cloud” (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ הִנֵּה יְהו״ה רֹכֵב עַל עָב קַל) (Isaiah 19:1). “Behold, Hashem goes forth from His place” (הִנֵּה יְהו״ה יוֹצֵא מִמְּקוֹמוֹ) (Isaiah 26:21). Rabbi El'azar said: Father (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אַבָּא), can a man cause Kudsha Berikh Hu to return to His place? (וְכִי יָכוֹל בַּר נַשׁ לְאַחְזָרָא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַתְרֵיהּ). He said to him: Yes (אָמַר לֵיהּ אִין). As we find by David, who said: “If I give sleep to my eyes, slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for Hashem…” (כְּמָה דְאַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּדָוִד דְּאָמַר אִם אֶתֵּן שְׁנָת לְעֵינָי לְעַפְעַפַּי תְּנוּמָה עַד אֶמְצָא מָקוֹם לַיְהו״ה) (Psalms 132:4-5). At that time, when man returns Him to His place (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְבַר נַשׁ אַחְזַר לֵיהּ לְאַתְרֵיהּ), what is written of him? “From His place He will turn in His mercy to His people” (מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ יִפֶן בְּרַחֲמָיו לְעַמּוֹ). And with what do they return Him to His place? (וּבְמַאי חָזְרִין לֵיהּ לְאַתְרֵיהּ). Only with the perfection of the repair that they repair in prayer (אֶלָּא בִשְׁלִימוּ דְתִקּוּנָא דְתַקִּינוּ בִצְלוֹתָא).

And proof: after it is said “From His place He will turn in His mercy to His people” (וְאוֹכַח דְּבָתַר דְּאָמַר מִמְּקוֹמוֹ יִפֶן בְּרַחֲמָיו לְעַמּוֹ), he said: Those who unite His Name evening and morning always every day say it twice (אָמַר הַמְיַחֲדִים אֶת שְׁמוֹ עִרֶב וָבֹקֶר תָּמִיד בְּכָל יוֹם אוֹמְרִים פַּעֲמַיִם). And these are the two Heh’s (וְאִינוּן ה״ה), that the Yod must be returned to the Heh which is the place above (דְּצָרִיךְ לְאַחְזָרָא י׳ לְגַבֵּי ה׳ דְּאִיהוּ מָקוֹם דִּלְעִילָא), and the Vav must be returned to the Heh which is the place below (וּלְאַחְזָרָא ו׳ לְגַבֵּי ה׳ דְּאִיהִי מָקוֹם דִּלְתַתָּא). For Kudsha Berikh Hu swears that He will not return to the Heh above until He returns to the Heh below (בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹמֵי דְלָא יַחֲזִיר לְה׳ דִּלְעִילָא, עַד דְּיַחֲזִיר לְה׳ דִּלְתַתָּא). And the secret of the matter: “I will not come into the city…” (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה לֹא אָבוֹא בְּעִיר וְגוֹ׳) (Hosea 11:9). And behold, it has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

The Fifty-First Tikkun

(תִּקּוּנָא חַד וַחֲמִשִּׁין)

Bereshit Bara (created) Elohim et hashamayim (the heavens) ve’et ha’aretz (the earth) (בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אלהי״ם אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ), what is “Et” (מַאי אֶת)? Rather, thus the ancients established it: all instances of Et are for inclusion (אֶלָּא הָכִי אוּקְמוּהָ קַדְמָאִין, כָּל אֶתִין לְרִבּוּיָא). And this Et is the Orayta, inclusive from Alef to Tav (וְדָא אֶ״ת אוֹרַיְיתָא כְלִילָא מֵא׳ וְעַד ת׳), through which heaven and earth were created (דְּבָהּ אִתְבְּרִיאוּ שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא). And furthermore, Et HaShamayim [the heavens] (וְעוֹד אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם): Shamayim [heaven]—this is Kudsha Berikh Hu [the Holy One, blessed be He] (שָׁמַיִם דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written: “And You shall hear in heaven” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְאַתָּה תִּשְׁמַע הַשָּׁמַיִם) (I Kings 8:32). And Et, His mate with Him (וְאֶת בַּת זוּגֵיהּ עִמֵּיהּ). And et, this is the Tzaddik and his mate (וְאֶת דָּא צַדִּיק וּבַת זוּגֵיהּ). The earth, a vessel from which all seeds and plants come forth (הָאָרֶץ מָאנָא דְכֻלְּהוּ לְאַפָּקָא בָּהּ זַרְעִין וְאִבִּין). And the secret of the matter: “And every shrub of the field before it was in the earth…” (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וְכָל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ׳) (Bereshit 2:5).

Rabbi Shimon said: My son, here is a supernal mystery (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בְּרִי, רָזָא עִלָּאָה הָכָא). Even though all was created and established in the Name of Hashem (אַף עַל גַּב דְּכֹלָּא אִתְבְּרִי וְאִתַּקַּן בִּשְׁמָא דְיהו״ה), which are Et HaShamayim [the heavens] (דְּאִינוּן אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם). And the secret of the matter: Yod-Heh in the heavens, Vav-Heh on the earth (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה י״ה בַּשָּׁמַיִם, ו״ה בָּאָרֶץ). This is what is written: “Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב יִשְׂמְחוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְתָגֵל הָאָרֶץ) (Psalms 96:11). With all this, though all was established with the four letters (עִם כָּל דָּא דְכֹלָּא אִתַּקַּן בְּד׳ אַתְוָון), the spring did not descend from above upon the seeds and plants (לָא נָחִית נְבִיעוּ מִלְּעִילָא עַל זַרְעִין וְאִיבִּין) - which are the shrub of the field, the Tzaddik (דְּאִינוּן שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה דְאִיהוּ צַדִּיק), and the grass of the field, the Middle Column (וְעִשֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶה דְאִיהוּ עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And why? Because man was not (וְלָמָּה בְּגִין דְּאָדָם אַיִן), who is Yod-Heh Vav-Heh (דְּאִיהוּ יו״ד ה״א וָא״ו ה״א), to work the ground (לַעֲבוֹד אֶת הָאֲדָמָה).

Rabbi El‘azar said to him, “Father” (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אַבָּא): From where do we know that Siaḥ [shrub] is the Tzaddik [Righteous One]? (שִׂיחַ מְנָא לָן דְּאִיהוּ צַדִּיק). He said to him: “My son, in it you will find Ḥai [life]” (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי בֵּיהּ תִּשְׁכַּח חַ״י). Shin is inclusive of three flocks of sheep (ש׳ אִיהוּ כְּלִיל תְּלַת עִדְרֵי צֹאן); these are the root of the Tree (דְּאִינוּן שָׁרָשָׁא דְאִילָנָא). And this is Ḥai Almin [Life of Worlds] (וְדָא חַי עָלְמִין), for it is a sign in His host (דְּאִיהוּ אוֹת בַּצָּבָא דִילֵיהּ). Tzeva’ot [Hosts]—He is with them (צבאו״ת אִיהוּ עִמְּהוֹן), inclusive of three degrees corresponding to the three branches of Shin (כְּלִיל תְּלַת דַּרְגִּין לָקֳבֵל תְּלַת עַנְפִין דְש׳).