Daf 97b (דַּף צ״ז ע״ב)

He said to him: What is “to those who sacrifice” (אָמַר לֵיהּ מַאי לַמְזַבְּחִים)? He said to him: To every image they would make (אָמַר לֵיהּ לְכָל דִּיּוֹקְנָא הֲווֹ עָבְדִין), that they would take in cities or birds according to that constellation (דְּנָטְלִין בְּעִירָן אוֹ עוֹפִין כְּפוּם הַהוּא מַזָּל), and they would slaughter upon them (וַהֲווֹ דָבְחִין עֲלַיְיהוּ). And this is “to those who sacrifice” (וְדָא אִיהוּ לַמְזַבְּחִים). And they would descend to them and speak with them, and they would do their will (וַהֲווֹ נָחֲתִין לוֹן וּמְמַלְּלִין עִמְּהוֹן וַהֲווֹ עָבְדֵי רְעוּתֵהוֹן). And they would bow to them and believe in them (וְהַווּ סָגְדִין לוֹן וְהֵמָנִין בְּהוֹן). He said to him: By what would they descend to them (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּמַאי הֲווֹ נָחֲתִין לוֹן)? He said to him: My son, they knew all the Names of the Explicit Name (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי הֲווֹ יָדְעִין כָּל שְׁמָהָן דִּשְׁמָא מְפָרַשׁ). And they would adjure them (וַהֲווֹ מַשְׁבִּיעִין לוֹן). And afterward the Explicit Name would enter into the mouths of these images, and they would speak (וּלְבָתַר עָאלִין שְׁמָא מְפָרַשׁ בְּפוּמֵיהוֹן דְאִלֵין דִּיּוֹקְנִין וַהֲווֹ מְמַלְלָן). And this is the secret of the verse: “And I will bring out his swallowing from his mouth” (Jeremiah 51:44) (וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא דִקְרָא וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶת בִּלְעוֹ מִפִּיו). The Explicit Name fell, and immediately the image fell on its face (נָפַל שְׁמָא מְפָרַשׁ וּמִיָּד נָפְלַת צַלְמָא עַל אַנְפּוֹהִי).

Rabbi El'azar said: And how was it that the Name of Kudsha Berikh Hu spoke in them (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְכִי אֵיךְ הֲוָה שְׁמָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מַלִּיל בְּהוֹן)? He said to him: My son, concerning this it is said: “You shall not bear the Name of Hashem your Elohim in vain, for Hashem will not cleanse…” (Exodus 20:7) (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי עַל הַאי אִתְּמַר לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת שֵׁם יְהו״ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא כִּי לֹא יְנַקֶּה וְכוּ׳). He said to him: And can a man learn the Name of Kudsha Berikh Hu for nothing (אָמַר לֵיהּ וְכִי יָכִיל בַּר נַשׁ לְאוֹלִיף שְׁמָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמַגָּנָא)? He said to him: Yes (אָמַר לֵיהּ אִין). And in this manner, one who goes out from the domain of the private and enters into the domain of the many (וּכְגַוְונָא דָא מָאן דְּנָפִיק מֵרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד וְאַעִיל בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים), or who brings forth seed from himself of the sign of the holy covenant and enters it into a foreign domain (אוֹ דְאַפִּיק זֶרַע מִנֵּיהּ מֵאוֹת בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ וְאַעִיל בִּרְשׁוּת נוּכְרָאָה), it is as if this one planted the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil (כְּאִלּוּ הַאי נָטַע אִילָנָא דְטוֹב וָרָע).

And because of this, the son born of a harlot, or a maidservant, or a gentile woman, or a niddah (וּבְגִין הַאי בַּר דְּנָטַע בְּזוֹנָה אוֹ שִׁפְחָה אוֹ גוֹיָה אוֹ נִדָּה), concerning him it is said: “You shall not make for yourself a graven image” (Exodus 20:4) (אִתְּמַר לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְּךָ פֶסֶל). And concerning the daughter made in this manner, she is called a molten image (וְעַל בְּרַתָּא דְאִתְעֲבִידַת בְּגַוָּונָא דָא אִתְקְרִיאַת מַסֵּכָה). And concerning them it is said: “Cursed be the man who makes a graven or molten image, and so forth” (Deuteronomy 27:15) (וַעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר אָרוּר הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה פֶסֶל וּמַסֵּכָה וְגוֹמֵר). “And puts it in secret”-what is “in secret”? In the secret of the world (וְשָׂם בַּסָּתֶר, מַאי בַּסָּתֶר בְּסִתְרוֹ דְעָלְמָא). And because of this Kudsha Berikh Hu said: “You shall not make with Me gods of silver and gods of gold” (Exodus 20:23) (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן אִתִּי אֱלֹהֵי כֶסֶף וֵאלֹהֵי זָהָב). And thus the Friends established: “You shall not make with Me”-like the likeness of My servants who serve Me above (וְהָכִי אוּקְמוּהוּ חַבְרַיָּא לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן אִתִּי כִּדְמוּת שַׁמָּשַׁי שֶׁמְּשַׁמְּשִׁין אוֹתִי (נ״א לִפְנֵי בַּמָּרוֹם), to portray in My secret any image or form (לְצַיְירָא בַסֵּתֶר דִילִי שׁוּם צִיּוּר אוֹ דִמְיוֹן).

For whoever portrays above to Kudsha Berikh Hu in the secret-which is His Shekhinta, inclusive of ten Sefirot-any image or likeness like the forms they depict in His servants (דְּכָל מָאן דְּצִיֵּיר לְעִיל לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בַּסָּתֶר דַּאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ, כְּלִילָא מֵעֲשַׂר סְפִירָאן, שׁוּם צִיּוּר וְצֶלֶם וּדְמוּת כְּגַוְונָא דִמְצַיְירִין בְּשַׁמָּשִׁין דִילֵיהּ), his soul is clothed in that image when it departs this world (נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ אִתְלַבְּשַׁת בְּהַהוּא צַלְמָא כַּד נָפְקַת מֵהַאי עָלְמָא). A voice goes forth toward that image: Burn it in fire (קָלָא נָפְקַת לְגַבָּהּ לְצַלְמָא תּוֹקְדוּן בְּנוּרָא). And because of this Kudsha Berikh Hu said: “To whom will you liken Me and make Me equal, says the Holy One” (Isaiah 40:25) (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאֶל מִי תְדַמְּיוּנִי וְאֶשְׁוְה יֹאמַר קָדוֹשׁ). “And to whom will you liken God, and what likeness will you compare to Him” (Isaiah 40:18) (וְאֶל מִי תְּדַמְּיוּן אֵ״ל וּמַה דְּמוּת תַּעַרְכוּ לוֹ). And my son, surely, whoever goes out from the domain of the many (וּבְרִי וַדַּאי כָּל מָאן דְּנָפִיק מֵרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים) and enters into the domain of the one (וְאַעִיל בִּרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד), or from the domain of the one and enters into the domain of the many (אוֹ מֵרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד וְאַעִיל בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים), it is as if he mixed the Name of Kudsha Berikh Hu with idolatry (כְּאִלּוּ עָרַב שְׁמָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה), and made the Tree of Good and Evil (וְעָבִיד אִילָנָא דְטוֹב וָרָע). And this is the secret that went forth swallowed from his mouth (וְדָא הוּא רָזָא דַהֲוָה נָפִיק בְּלָעוֹ מִפִּיו), in which the image of Nevukhadnetzar said: “I am Hashem your Elohim” (דְּבֵיהּ הֲוָה אָמַר צַלְמָא דִנְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר אָנֹכִי יהו״ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ). And because of this: “You shall not take the Name of Hashem your Elohim in vain” (וּבְגִין דָּא לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת שֵׁם יהו״ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא) (Exodus 20). And in the future the Holy One Blessed Be He will uproot this tree from the world (וְעָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאַעִיקָרָא הַאי אִילָנָא מֵעָלְמָא), and burn it in Gehinnom (וּלְאוֹקָדָא לֵיהּ בְּגֵיהִנָּם). This is what is written: “And the strong shall be as tow, and his work as a spark, and both of them shall burn together” (וְהָיָה הֶחָסֹן לִנְעֹרֶת וְגוֹ׳) (Isaiah 1:31).

Rabbi El'azar said to him: If so, it is forbidden for the people to use the name of any angel, and not any name in the world after there was mixture (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אִם כֵּן אֲסִיר לְעַמָּא לְאִשְׁתַּמְּשָׁא בְּשׁוּם מַלְאָךְ וְלָא בִשְׁמָא בְעָלְמָא בָתַר דְּאִית עִרְבוּבְיָא). He said to him: My son, it is not so (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי לַאו הָכִי), for behold Kudsha Berikh Hu said to Adam (דְהָא אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאָדָם): “From every tree of the garden you may surely eat, but from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat” (מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן אָכוֹל תֹּאכֵל, מֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל) (Bereshit 2:16). Rabbi El'azar said: This was before he sinned (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַאי הֲוָה קֳדָם דְּחָאב), after he sinned and descended from his place and was mixed with the Tree of Good and Evil (בָּתַר דְּחָב וְנָחִית מֵאַתְרֵיהּ וְאִתְעָרַב בְּאִילָנָא דְטוֹב וָרָע). He said to him: Surely, so it is (אָמַר לֵיהּ וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא). And in the time that Yisrael are in exile, it is as if they are mixed with the Tree of Good and Evil (וּבְזִמְנָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִינוּן בְּגָלוּתָא, כְּאִלּוּ הֲווֹ מְעוּרָבִין בְּאִילָנָא דְטוֹב וָרָע). And because of this the ancients established (וּבְגִין דָּא אוּקְמוּהוּ קַדְמָאִין): Yisrael in exile serve idolatry in purity (יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא עוֹבְדִין עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה בְּטַהֲרָה הֵם).

But those who know the Tree of Kudsha Berikh Hu, which is the Tree of Life (אֲבָל אִלֵּין דְּיָדְעִין אִילָנָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאִיהוּ עֵץ הַחַיִּים), planted in His garden which is His Shekhinta (נָטוּעַ בְּגַן דִּילֵיהּ דְּאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא דִילֵיהּ), as it is said of Her: “Evil shall not dwell with You” (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ לֹא יְגוּרְךָ רָע) (Psalms 5:5). They are able to draw strength from there to His Shekhinta, without mixture at all (יָכְלִין לְנַחְתָּא חֵילָא מִתַּמָּן לְגַבֵּי שְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ בְּלָא עִרְבוּבְיָא כְּלָל). In every commandment, it is the Tree of Fruit producing fruit after its kind (בְּכָל פִּקּוּדָא וּפִקּוּדָא, אִיהוּ עֵץ פְּרִי עוֹשֶׂה פְּרִי לְמִינוֹ) (Bereshit 1:11), planted in the garden without mixture at all (נָטוּעַ בְּגַן בְּלָא עִרְבוּבְיָא כְּלָל). And because of this it is said “after its kind” (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר לְמִינוֹ). But of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil it is not said “after its kind” (אֲבָל עֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לָא אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ לְמִינוֹ), but rather it is mixed, a kind not of its kind (אֲבָל מְעוּרָב מִין דְּלָא בְּמִינֵיהּ). And concerning it is said: “You shall not sow your field with mixed seeds … you shall not wear shatnez” (וּבְגִינֵיהּ אִתְּמַר שָׂדְךָ לֹא תִזְרַע כִּלְאָיִם וְגוֹ׳, שַׁעַטְנֵז לֹא יַעֲלֶה עָלֶיךָ) (Leviticus 19:19).

Happy is he who raises up the faith of Kudsha Berikh Hu (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מָאן דְּסָלִיק אֱמוּנָה דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), which is His Shekhinta (דְאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ), crowned from ten utterances (כְּלִילָא מֵעִשֶׂר אֲמִירָן), with one thought, with one desire, without mixture at all (בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתָּא חֲדָא בִּרְעוּתָא חֲדָא בְּלָא עִרְבוּבְיָא כְּלָל). For every Sefirah is planted in Her (דְּכָל סְפִירָה וּסְפִירָה נְטוּעָה בֵּיהּ), and She is the garden in which all the Sefirot are one (וְאִיהִי גַן דְּכֻלְּהוּ סְפִירָן בָּהּ אִינוּן חָד). And each one produces in Her fruit after its kind (וְכָל חַד עָבִיד בָּהּ פְּרִי לְמִינוֹ). She is a kind in which each one does not send forth seeds outside of it (אִיהִי מִין דְּכָל חַד וְחַד לָא נָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ זַרְעִין לְבָר). So it is necessary for a man not to bring forth seed outside of his mate (הָכִי צָרִיךְ בַּר נַשׁ דְּלָא אַפִּיק זַרְעָא לְבָר מִבַּת זוּגֵיהּ). For she is his kind, his union (דְּאִיהִי מִין דִּילֵיהּ יִחוּדָא דִילֵיהּ). And at that time when a man needs to unite Kudsha Berikh Hu with His Shekhinta (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְצָרִיךְ בַּר נַשׁ לְיַחֲדָא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ), he must strip from himself all thoughts that are shells (צָרִיךְ לְהַפְשִׁיט מִנֵּיהּ כָּל מַחֲשָׁבִין דְּאִינוּן קְלִיפִין). As it is said of them: “Many are the thoughts in the heart of man” (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן רַבּוֹת מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּלֶב אִישׁ) (Proverbs 19:21). And to raise up His Shekhinta unto Him with one thought (וּלְסַלְקָא שְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתָּא חֲדָא), this is what is written: “But the counsel of Hashem shall stand” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַעֲצַת יהו״ה הִיא תָקוּם) (Proverbs 19:21). In the likeness of a man who unites with his mate (כְּגַוְונָא דְבַר נַשׁ דְּמִתְיַחֵד בְּבַת זוּגֵיהּ), and strips from his garments to be with her as one (וְאִתְפַּשַּׁט מִלְּבוּשׁוֹי לְמֶהֱוִי עִמָּה חַד).

This is what is written: “And they shall be one flesh” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד) (Bereshit 2:21). So must a man strip from himself all other thoughts (הָכִי צָרִיךְ לְאַפְשָׁטָא מִנֵּיהּ כָּל מַחֲשָׁבִין אָחֳרָנִין), at the time when he unites Kudsha Berikh Hu every day twice (בְּזִמְנָא דִמְיַחֵד לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּכָל יוֹמָא תְּרֵין זִמְנִין): “Shema Yisrael, Hashem Eloheinu, Hashem Echad” (שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יהו״ה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יהו״ה אֶחָד) (Deuteronomy 6:4).