Daf 88a (דַּף פ״ח ע״א)

The Fifty-Fifth Tikkun

תִּקּוּנָא חֲמִשִּׁין וַחֲמֵשׁ

Bereshit Bara: Bayit Rosh [A House for the Head] (בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא בַּיִ״ת רֹא״שׁ), and these are Abba and Imma (וְאִינוּן אַבָּא וְאִימָּא). Bara [He created]—in Targum, Bera [the son] (בָּרָא תַּרְגּוּם בְּרָא). This is the Middle Column (אִיהִי עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא). Regarding it, it is said: “And a river went out from Eden” (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעִדֶן) (Bereshit 2:10). There is Eden and there is Eden (אִית עִדֶן וְאִית עִדֶן). This is what is written: “And from the river of Your delights You give them drink” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְנַחַל עֲדָנֶיךָ תַשְׁקֵם) (Psalms 36:9). “Your delights” indeed (עֲדָנֶיךָ וַדַּאי). This is the supernal Eden, the supernal Keter (דָּא עִדֶן עִלָּאָה כֶּתֶר עִלָּאָה). The lower Eden is Yod (עִדֶן דִּלְתַתָּא דָא י׳). And there is a lower Eden - this is Imma Ila’ah, which is Dalet (וְאִית עִדֶן דִּלְתַתָּא וְדָא אִימָּא עִלָּאָה דְאִיהִי ד׳). She is Eden in relation to the lower river which is from her (אִיהִי עִדֶן לְגַבֵּי נָהָר דִּלְתַתָּא מִינָהּ). This is what is written: “And a river went out from Eden to water the garden” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעִדֶן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן) (Bereshit 2:10).

Come and see how many rivers there are, differing one from another (תָּא חֲזִי כַּמָּה נְהָרוֹת אִינוּן מְשַׁנְּיָין דָּא מִן דָּא). There is a river and there is a river (אִית נָהָר וְאִית נָהָר). There is a river from the supernal light, called the river of the waters of the Orayta (אִית נָהָר מִנְּהוֹרָא דִלְעִילָא דְאִתְקְרֵי נַהֲרָא דְמַיָּא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא). Of it, it is said: “The Torah of the wise is a fountain of life” (דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ תּוֹרַת חָכָם מְקוֹר חַיִּים) (Proverbs 13:14). And there is a river called “the river of its streams,” for many deep streams depend upon it (וְאִית נָהָר דְּאִתְקְרֵי נָהָר פְּלָגָיו, דְּכַמָּה פַּלְגִין עֲמִיקִין תַּלְיָין מִנֵּיהּ). Of them it is said: “The king’s heart is streams of water…” (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן פַּלְגֵי מַיִם לֶב מֶלֶךְ וְגוֹ׳) (Proverbs 21:1). And there is a river called “the stream of antiquity,” which extends from the supernals, and from it depend seven rivers (וְאִית נָהָר דְּאִתְקְרֵי נַחַל קְדוּמִים, דְּאִתְמַשַּׁךְ מֵעִלָּאִין, וּמִנֵּיהּ תַּלְיָין שִׁבְעָה נְהָרוֹת). Of them it is said: “The rivers clap their hands; together the mountains sing for joy” (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן נְהָרוֹת יִמְחֲאוּ כָף יַחַד הָרִים יְרַנֵּנוּ) (Psalms 98:8). And there is a river called “the river of fire,” from the side of the left (וְאִית נָהָר דְּאִתְקְרֵי נְהַר דִּינוּר מִסִּטְרָא דִשְׂמָאלָא). Of it, it is said: “A river of fire was flowing and went forth from before Him…” (דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ נְהַר דִּינוּר נָגֵיד וְנָפֵיק מִן וְגוֹ׳) (Daniel 7:10).

And a river, everywhere, is Vav (וְנָהָר בְּכָל אֲתַר אִיהוּ ו׳). From the side of Abba and Imma it is called “the stream of antiquity” (מִסִּטְרָא דְאַבָּא וְאִימָּא אִתְקְרֵי נַחַל קְדוּמִים). And from the side of the supernal Eden, it is said of it: “And from the river of Your delights You give them drink” (וּמִסִּטְרָא דְעִדֶן עִלָּאָה אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְנַחַל עֲדָנֶיךָ תַשְׁקֵם) (Psalms 36:9). And from the side of the right it is called “the river of its streams” (וּמִסִּטְרָא דִימִינָא אִתְקְרֵי נָהָר פְּלָגָיו). And from the side of the left it is called “the river of fire” (וּמִסִּטְרָא דִשְׂמָאלָא אִתְקְרֵי נְהַר דִּינוּר). And from it depend sixty branches of fire that are called sixty mighty ones (וּמִנֵּיהּ תַּלְיָין שִׁתִּין עַנְפִין דְּנוּרָא דְאִתְקְרִיאוּ שִׁשִּׁים גִּבּוֹרִים). And they are sixty sparks of fire that give life to Metatron (וְאִינוּן שִׁתִּין פּוּלְסִין דְּנוּרָא דְמַחְיוּהָ לְמטטרו״ן). And from the side of right and left it is said: in all the streams that depend upon them, rivers and streams of honey and milk (וּמִסִּטְרָא דִימִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא אִתְּמַר בְּכָל נְחָלִין דְּתַלְיָין מִנַּיְיהוּ, נַהֲרֵי נַחֲלֵי דְּבַשׁ וְחֶמְאָה). And “the river of Your delights” - this is the river that goes out from Eden (וְנַחַל עֲדָנֶיךָ דָּא נָהָר דְּנָפִיק מֵעִדֶן), of which it is said: “And a river went out from Eden” (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעִדֶן) (Bereshit 2:10). And this is Eden of which it is said: “Eye has not seen, O Elohim…” (וְהַאי אִיהוּ עִדֶן דְּעַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִי״ם וְגוֹ׳) (Isaiah 64:3). Hidden and concealed, this is the supernal Keter (סָתִים וְגָנִיז, דְּאִיהוּ כֶתֶר עִלָּאָה). And from there it divides and becomes four heads (וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד וְהָיָה לְאַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים) (Bereshit 2:10). These are YHVH, which are Abba and Imma, son and daughter (אִלֵּין יְהו״ה דְּאִינוּן אַבָּא וְאִימָּא בְרָא וּבְרַתָּא).

Come and see: the skull, this is Alef (תָּא חֲזִי קַרְקַפְתָּא דָא אל״ף). In this manner, its four directions - in them was YHVH, He and His Name are one (כְּגַוְונָא דָא אַרְבַּע סִטְרִין דִּילֵיהּ בְּהוֹן הֲוָה יְהו״ה הוּא וּשְׁמֵיהּ חַד). “There is none else besides Him” (אֵין עוֹד מִלְבַדוֹ) (Deuteronomy 4:35), without separation and without partnership at all (בְּלָא פִּרוּד וּבְלָא שִׁתּוּף כְּלָל). And furthermore, the river - this is the Vav (וְעוֹד וְנָהָר דָּא ו׳), that goes out from Eden - this is the Yod (יוֹצֵא מֵעִדֶן דָּא י׳). And from there it divides and becomes four heads - this is the Dalet (וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד וְהָיָה לְאַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים דָּא ד׳), these are the four letters (אֵלִּין אַרְבַּע אַתְוָן). And furthermore, “a river went out from Eden” - this is Imma Ila’ah, which is the Alef, the second one (וְעוֹד וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעִדֶן דָּא אִימָּא עִלָּאָה דְאִיהִי א׳ תִּנְיָינָא). As the masters of the Mishnah have established: what is Alef? Alef is Binah (כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין מַאי אַלֶּ״ף אַלֵּף בִּינָה). And to where does it extend? Into the body (וּלְאָן אִתְמַשַּׁךְ בְּגוּפָא). And from there it divides and becomes four heads - these are the two arms and the two thighs (וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד וְהָיָה לְאַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים אִלֵּין תְּרֵין דְּרוֹעִין וּתְרֵין שׁוֹקִין). What is the garden that is watered from it below? This is the Shekhinta (מָאן גַּן דְּאִתְשַׁקְיָיא מִנֵּיהּ לְתַתָּא דָא שְׁכִינְתָּא). For the two gardens, one is above and one is below (דִתְרֵין גַּנִּין אִינוּן חַד לְעִילָא וְחַד לְתַתָּא). This is what is written: “O you who dwell in the gardens” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּגַּנִּים) (Song of Songs 8:13). And behold, it has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). And there is a river below, which is Metatron (וְאִית נָהָר לְתַתָּא דְּאִיהוּ מטטרו״ן). He is spread into four directions - these are Micha’el, Gavri’el, Uri’el, Refa’el (דְּאִתְפָּרַשׁ לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין דְּאִינוּן מִיכָאֵ״ל גַּבְרִיאֵ״ל נוּרִיאֵ״ל רְפָאֵ״ל). “The name of the first is Pishon, that surrounds all the land of Havilah, where there is gold” (שֵׁם הָאֶחָד פִּישׁוֹן הוּא הַסֹּבֵב אֵת כָּל אֶרֶץ הַחֲוִילָה אֲשֶׁר שָׁם הַזָּהָב) (Bereshit 2:11). And gold is to the north (וְזָהָב אִיהוּ לַצָּפוֹן). This is what is written: “From the north comes gold” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב מִצָּפוֹן זָהָב יֶאֱתָה) (Job 37:22). And the secret of the matter: “Going toward the north” - this is Gavri’el (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה הוֹלֵךְ אֶל צָפוֹן דָּא גַבְרִיאֵ״ל). And afterward, “going toward the south” - this is Gichon, and there is Micha’el (וּלְבָתַר הוֹלֵךְ אֶל דָּרוֹם וְדָא גִּיחוֹן דְּתַמָּן מִיכָאֵ״ל) (Ecclesiastes 1:6). The reverse from above (הִפּוּכָא מִלְּעִילָא). For the verse said of him: “Going toward the south first, and afterward it turns toward the north” (דְאָמַר קְרָא עֲלֵיהּ הוֹלֵךְ אֶל דָּרוֹם בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וּלְבָתַר סוֹבֵב אֶל צָפוֹן). “It goes around, around” - to the two directions, which are east and west (סוֹבֵב סוֹבֵב לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין דְּאִינוּן מִזְרָח וּמַעֲרָב). These are Hiddekel and Perat, where are Uri’el and Refa’el (דְּאִינוּן חִדֶּקֶל וּפְרָת, דְּתַמָּן אוּרִיאֵ״ל רְפָאֵ״ל).