Daf 87b (דַּף פ״ז ע״ב)

The Fifty-Third Tikkun

תִּקּוּנָא חֲמִשִּׁין וּתְלָת

Bereshit Bara Elohim, there is the daughter (בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אלהי״ם תַּמָּן בַּ״ת). There is the mother, who is the mother from Elohim (תַּמָּן אֵ״ם דְּהוּא אֵ״ם מֵאלהי״ם). And these are the supernal garden and the lower garden (וְאִינוּן גַּן עִלָּאָה גַן תַּתָּאָה). Rabbi Shimon opened and said (פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר): “And Hashem Elohim planted a garden in Eden from the east, and He placed there the man whom He had formed” (וַיִּטַּע יְהו״ה אֱלֹהִי״ם גַּן בְּעִדֶן מִקֶּדֶם וַיָּשֶׂם שָׁם אֶת הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר יָצָר) (Bereshit 2:8). “And Hashem Elohim planted” - this is Shekhinta (וַיִּטַּע יְהו״ה אֱלֹהִי״ם גַּן דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא). “In Eden” - this is Imma Ila’ah (בְּעִדֶן דָּא אִימָּא עִלָּאָה). “From the east” - Abba Ila’ah (מִקֶּדֶם אַבָּא עִלָּאָה). “And He placed there the man whom He had formed” - this is the Middle Column (וַיָּשֶׂם שָׁם אֶת הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר יָצָר דָּא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). Regarding him it is said: “And Hashem Elohim formed man, dust from the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…” (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר וַיִּיצֶר יְהו״ה אֱלֹהִי״ם אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וְגוֹ׳) (Bereshit 2:7). “And He formed” - He fashioned him in two worlds, in this world and in the world to come (וַיִּיצֶר צִיֵּיר לֵיהּ בִּתְרֵין עָלְמִין בְּעָלְמָא דֵין וּבְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי). “And He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” - this is the Neshama of all life (וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים דָּא נִשְׁמַת כָּל חַי). “And the man became” - this is the spirit of life (וַיְהִי הָאָדָם דָּא רוּחָא דְחַיֵּי). “A living soul” - this is the lower Shekhinta (לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה).

And furthermore, “And Hashem Elohim planted a garden” - this is the written Orayta (וְעוֹד וַיִּטַּע יְהו״ה אֱלֹהִי״ם גַּן דָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא דְבִכְתָב). “Eden” - this is the delight of the Orayta (עִדֶן דָּא עִדּוּנָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא). And He set there Adam of Beri’ah (וְשַׁוִּי תַמָּן אֶת הָאָדָם דִּבְּרִיאָה). And what is written of it? “In the day of your planting you shall increase” (וּמַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּיוֹם נִטְעִךְ תְּשַׂגְשֵׂגִי) (Isaiah 17:11). “And Hashem Elohim caused to grow…” (וַיַּצְמַח יְהו״ה אֱלֹהִי״ם וְגוֹ׳) (Bereshit 2:9). Hashem Elohim - Abba and Imma (יְהו״ה אֱלֹהִי״ם אַבָּא וְאִימָּא). “Every tree that is pleasant to the sight” - this is the Middle Column (כָּל עִץ נֶחְמָד לְמַרְאֶה דָּא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא), for in it all the beautiful colors are seen (דְכָל גַּוָּונִין שַׁפִּירִין בֵּיהּ אִתְחַזְיָין). And because of this, “pleasant to the sight” - Tiferet, the beauty of all colors (וּבְגִין דָּא נֶחְמָד לְמַרְאֶה, תִּפְאֶרֶת שַׁפִּירוּ דְכָל גַּוָּונִין). “And good for food” - this is the Tzaddik (וְטוֹב לְמַאֲכָל דָּא צַדִּיק).

Rabbi Yehuda said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה): But it is written “every tree” (וְהָא כָּל עִץ כְּתִיב). If it had said “a tree,” it would be fine. But it is written “every tree” (אִי הֲוָה אָמַר עִץ שַׁפִּיר, אֲבָל כָּל עִץ כְּתִיב). He said to him: Surely so, for in every place “kol” is the Tzaddik (אָמַר לֵיהּ וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא, דִבְכָל אֲתַר כָּ״ל צַדִּיק אִיהוּ). But all is one - all of this is the Tzaddik (אֲבָל כֹּלָּא חַד, כָּל דָּא צַדִּיק). “Tree” - this is the Middle Column (עִץ דָּא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא), for body and covenant are considered as one (דְּגוּף וּבְרִית חַשְׁבֵינָן חַד). But in this verse, “every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food” - this is the Tzaddik (אֲבָל בְּהַאי קְרָא כָּל עִץ נֶחְמָד לְמַרְאֶה וְטוֹב לְמַאֲכָל דָּא צַדִּיק). “Pleasant to the sight” - this is Shekhinta, as it is said: “In a vision I make Myself known” (לְמַרְאֶה דָא שְׁכִינְתָּא דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ בַּמַּרְאָה אֵלָיו אֶתְוַדָּע) (Numbers 12:6). “And the Tree of Life” - this is the Middle Column (וְעִץ הַחַיִּים דָּא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא), which is the supernal Tree of Life, as it is said: “Wisdom gives life to those who have it” (דְאִיהוּ עִץ הַחַיִּים דִּלְעִילָא דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ הַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה בְעָלֶיהָ) (Ecclesiastes 7:12).

He said to him: Behold, the lower Shekhinta is the garden (אָמַר לֵיהּ הָא שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה אִיהִי גַן), from there the Tree of Life is planted (דְּמִתַּמָּן עִץ הַחַיִּים נָטוּעַ), as it is said: “And the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden” (כְּמָה דְאִתְּמַר וְעִץ הַחַיִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן) (Bereshit 2:9). What is “from the ground”? (מַאי מִן הָאֲדָמָה). Rather, this is the supernal Shekhinta (אֶלָּא דָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה), from her is planted every tree which is the Tzaddik (דְמִינָהּ אִתְנַטַּע כָּל עִץ דְּאִיהוּ צַדִּיק). “Kol” (all) is from the side of “Mi” (who) (כָּ״ל אִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְמִ״י). For thus it rises to the calculation: Kol, Mi (דְהָכִי סְלִיק לְחֻשְׁבַּן כָּ״ל מִ״י). Regarding her it is said: “Out of whose womb came the ice?” (וּבְגִינָהּ אִתְּמַר מִבֶּטֶן מִי יָצָא הַקָּרַח וְגוֹ׳) (Job 38:29). This is the dreadful ice (דְּאִיהוּ הַקֶּרַח הַנּוֹרָא).

“And the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil” - this is below (וְעִץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע אִיהוּ לְתַתָּא). The Tree of Knowledge of good - this is Metatron (עִץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב דָּא מטטרו״ן). And evil - this is Samael (וָרָע דָּא סמא״ל). And because of this: “And the Tree of Knowledge” - the Vav came to include (וּבְגִין דָּא וְעִץ הַדַּעַת ו׳ אָתָא לְרִבּוּיָיא). For it came from another place (דְאִיהוּ אָתֵי מֵאֲתַר אָחֳרָא). “The Tree of Knowledge of good and evil” (עִץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע). And furthermore: “And Hashem Elohim caused to sprout from the ground every tree” (וְעוֹד וַיַּצְמַח יְהו״ה אֱלֹהִי״ם מִן הָאֲדָמָה כָּל עִץ) (Bereshit 2:9). This is the sprout, the Tzaddik (דָּא אִיהוּ צֶמַח צַדִּיק) (Jeremiah 23:5). “And under him shall it sprout” (וּמִתַּחְתָּיו יִצְמָח) (Zechariah 6:12). Come and see: whoever guards the covenant (תָּא חֲזִי כָּל מָאן דְּנָטִיר בְּרִית), that son whom Kudsha Berikh Hu gives him (הַהוּא בַר דְּיָהֵיב לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), regarding him it is said: “And Hashem Elohim caused to sprout every tree that is pleasant to the sight” (עֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר וַיַּצְמַח יְהו״ה אֱלֹהִי״ם כָּל עִץ נֶחְמָד לְמַרְאֶה) (Bereshit 2:9), with the secrets of the Orayta (בְּרָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). “And good for food” - with the commandments of the Orayta (וְטוֹב לְמַאֲכָל בְּפִקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא).

But another creation, which is not made with awe and love of Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֲבָל בְּרָא אָחֳרָא דְלָא אִתְעֲבִיד בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), what is written of it? “And the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil” (מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ וְעִץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע). And this is the mixture of good and evil (וְדָא עִרְבוּבְיָא דְטוֹב וָרָע), mingled of unleavened and leaven (מְעוּרָב מִמַּצָּה וּשְׂאוֹר). And because of this, Kudsha Berikh Hu commanded Yisrael to guard themselves in procreation (וּבְגִין דָּא מַנִּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְנַטְרָא גַרְמֵיהּ בְּפִרְיָה וְרִבְיָה). This is what is written: “But of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it” (הָדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וּמֵעִץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ) (Bereshit 2:17). Good - from the side of pure blood (טוֹב מִסִּטְרָא דְדַם טָהוֹר). And evil - from the side of the blood of impurity (וָרָע מִסִּטְרָא דְדַם נִדּוֹת). For this son causes destruction of the two worlds (דְּהָאי בַּר גָּרים אִבּוּדָא דִתְרֵין עָלְמִין). This is what is written: “For on the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת) (Bereshit 2:17). “Mot” (die) - in this world (מוֹת בְּעָלְמָא דֵין). “Tamut”(will die) - in the world to come (תָּמוּת בְּעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי).

The Fifty-Fourth Tikkun

תִּקּוּנָא חֲמִשִּׁין וְאַרְבַּע

Bereshit bara Elohim (בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אלהי״ם), et hashamayim, the Tree of Life (אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם עִץ הַחַיִּים), ve’et ha’aretz, every tree pleasant to the sight (וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ כָּל עִץ נֶחְמָד לְמַרְאֶה). “And the earth was tohu va’vohu” - this is the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil (וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ דָּא עִץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע). And this is the secret: tohu, the depth of evil; bohu, the depth of good (וְדָא רָזָא תֹהוּ עֹמֶק רָע, בֹּהוּ עֹמֶק טוֹב). And this is the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil (וְדָא עִץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע). For there Hashem confused the language of all the earth (כִּי שָׁם בָּלַל יְהו״ה שְׂפַת כָּל הָאָרֶץ) (Bereshit 11:9). And from here went forth all the mixture of good and evil (וּמֵהָכָא נָפַק כָּל עִרְבוּבְיָא דְטוֹב וָרָע). This is the secret of “a Tzaddik who has evil, and a wicked one who has good” (דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְצַדִּיק וְרַע לוֹ רָשָׁע וְטוֹב לוֹ).