(א) אין דורשין בעריות בשלשה .ולא במעשה בראשית בשנים. ולא במרכבה ביחיד, אלא אם כן היה חכם ומבין מדעתו. כל המסתכל בארבעה דברים, ראוי לו כאלו לא בא לעולם, מה למעלה, מה למטה, מה לפנים, ומה לאחור. וכל שלא חס על כבוד קונו, ראוי לו שלא בא לעולם.
1) They may not expound upon the subject of forbidden relations in the presence of three. 2) Nor the work of creation in the presence of two. 3) Nor [the work of] the chariot in the presence of one, unless he is a sage and understands of his own knowledge. 4) Whoever speculates upon four things, it would have been better had he not come into the world: (a) what is above, (b) what is beneath, (c) what came before, and (d) what came after. 5) And whoever takes no thought for the honor of his creator, it would have been better had he not come into the world. (Trans. Josh Kulp)
(א) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בִּשְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה בָּֽרְבִיעִי֙ בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֣ה לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ וַאֲנִ֥י בְתֽוֹךְ־הַגּוֹלָ֖ה עַל־נְהַר־כְּבָ֑ר נִפְתְּחוּ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וָאֶרְאֶ֖ה מַרְא֥וֹת אֱ-לֹהִֽים ... (ד) וָאֵ֡רֶא וְהִנֵּה֩ ר֨וּחַ סְעָרָ֜ה בָּאָ֣ה מִן־הַצָּפ֗וֹן עָנָ֤ן גָּדוֹל֙ וְאֵ֣שׁ מִתְלַקַּ֔חַת וְנֹ֥גַֽהּ ל֖וֹ סָבִ֑יב וּמִ֨תּוֹכָ֔הּ כְּעֵ֥ין הַחַשְׁמַ֖ל מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵֽשׁ׃ (ה) וּמִ֨תּוֹכָ֔הּ דְּמ֖וּת אַרְבַּ֣ע חַיּ֑וֹת וְזֶה֙ מַרְאֵֽיהֶ֔ן דְּמ֥וּת אָדָ֖ם לָהֵֽנָּה׃
1 In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, when I was in the community of exiles by the Chebar Canal, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God ... 4 I looked, and lo, a stormy wind came sweeping out of the north — a huge cloud and flashing fire, surrounded by a radiance; and in the center of it, in the center of the fire, a gleam as of amber. 5 In the center of it were also the figures of four creatures. And this was their appearance: They had the figures of human beings.
ת"ר מעשה בתינוק אחד שהיה קורא בבית רבו בספר יחזקאל והיה מבין בחשמל ויצאה אש מחשמל ושרפתו וביקשו לגנוז ספר יחזקאל אמר להם חנניה בן חזקיה אם זה חכם הכל חכמים הן.
The Rabbis taught: There once was a child who was reading from the Book of Ezekiel in the house of his teacher, and he understood the [verses regarding] the Chashmal, and fire came out from a Chashmal and burned him, And they wanted to hide the Book of Ezekiel. Chananiah the son of Chizkiyah said to them, "If this [child] is a sage, they are all sages."
ת"ר ארבעה נכנסו בפרדס ואלו הן בן עזאי ובן זומא אחר ורבי עקיבא אמר להם ר"ע כשאתם מגיעין אצל אבני שיש טהור אל תאמרו מים מים משום שנאמר (תהלים קא, ז) דובר שקרים לא יכון לנגד עיני בן עזאי הציץ ומת עליו הכתוב אומר (תהלים קטז, טו) יקר בעיני יקוק המותה לחסידיו בן זומא הציץ ונפגע ועליו הכתוב אומר (משלי כה, טז) דבש מצאת אכול דייך פן תשבענו והקאתו אחר קיצץ בנטיעות רבי עקיבא יצא בשלום.
The Rabbis taught: There were four who entered the Orchard, and they are - Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher (Elisha Ben Avuya) and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva said to them: "When you reach near the pure marble stones, do not say 'Water, water'," Because it is said, "A speaker of lies shall not abide before my eyes (Psalms 101:7)." Ben Azzai glanced and died, and upon him the verse says, "It is precious in the eyes of the Lord, the death to his pious (Psalms 116:15)." Ben Zoma glanced and was hurt (mentally; he went insane), and upon him the verse says, "Honey you have found- eat [only] your fill, lest you become satisfied of it and regurgitate it (Proverbs 25:16)." Acher chopped down saplings [ie. he became a heretic]. Rabbi Akiva emerged in peace.
(א) בשלשים ושתים נתיבות פליאות חכמה חקק יה יקוק צבאות אלקי ישראל אלוקים חיים ומלך עולם אל שדי רחום וחנון רם ונשא שוכן עד וקדוש שמו מרום וקדוש הוא וברא את עולמו בשלשה ספרים בספר בספר וספור:
(1) With 32 mystical paths of Wisdom/ engraved Yah/ the Lord of Hosts/ the God of Israel/the living God/ King of the universe/ El Shaddai/ Merciful and Gracious/ High and Exalted/ Dwelling in eternity/ Whose name is Holy -/ He is lofty and holy -/ And He created His universe/ with three books (Sepharim),/ with text (Sepher)/ with numbers (Sephar)/ and with communication (Sippur)....
(ט) עשר ספירות בלימה אחת רוח א-לוהים חיים ברוך ומבורך שמו של חי העולמים קול ורוח ודבור והוא רוח הקודש:
(י) שתים רוח מרוח חקק וחצב בה עשרים ושתים אותיות יסוד שלש אמות ושבע כפולות ושתים עשרה פשוטות ורוח אחת מהן:
(יא) שלש מים מרוח חקק וחצב בהן כ״ב אותיות מתהו ובהו רפש וטיט חקקן כמין ערוגה חצבן כמין חומה סככן כמין מעזיבה ויצק עליהם שלג ונעשה עפר שנאמר כי לשלג יאמר הוֵא ארץ:
(9) Ten Sephirot of Nothingness:/ One is the Breath of the Living God/ Blessed and benedicted is the name/ of the Life of Worlds/ The voice of breath and speech/ And this is the Holy Breath.
(10) Two: Breath from Breath./ With it He engraved and carved/ 22 Foundation Letters/ Three Mothers/ Seven Doubles/ and Twelve Elementals/ And one Breath is from them.
(11) Three: Water from Breath./ With it He engraved and carved/ [22 letters from]/ chaos and void/ mire and clay/ He engraved them like a sort of garden/ He carved them like a sort of wall/ He covered them like a sort of ceiling/ [And he poured snow over them/ and it became dust/ as it is written/ "For to snow He said, 'Become earth'" (Job 37:6).]
(ב) פָּתַח אֵלִיָּהוּ וְאָמַר, רִבּוֹן עָלְמִין דְּאַנְתְּ הוּא חָד וְלָא בְחֻשְׁבָּן, אַנְתְּ הוּא עִלָּאָה עַל כָּל עִלָּאִין, סְתִימָא עַל כָּל סְתִימִין, לֵית מַחֲשָׁבָה תְּפִיסָא בָךְ כְּלָל, אַנְתְּ הוּא דְאַפִּיקַת עֲשַׂר תִּקּוּנִין, וְקָרִינָן לוֹן עֲשַׂר סְפִירָן, לְאַנְהָגָא בְהוֹן עָלְמִין סְתִימִין דְּלָא אִתְגַּלְיָין, וְעָלְמִין דְּאִתְגַּלְיָין, וּבְהוֹן אִתְכְּסִיאַת מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא, וְאַנְתְּ הוּא דְקָשִׁיר לוֹן, וּמְיַחֵד לוֹן, וּבְגִין דְּאַנְתְּ מִלְּגָאו, כָּל מָאן דְּאַפְרֵישׁ חַד מִן חַבְרֵיהּ מֵאִלֵּין עֲשַׂר, אִתְחַשֵּׁיב לֵיהּ כְּאִלּוּ אַפְרֵישׁ בָּךְ.
(ג) וְאִלֵּין עֲשַׂר סְפִירָן אִינּוּן אָזְלִין כְּסִדְרָן, חַד אֲרִיךְ, וְחַד קְצִר, וְחַד בֵּינוּנִי, וְאַנְתְּ הוּא דְאַנְהִיג לוֹן, וְלֵית מָאן דְּאַנְהִיג לָךְ, לָא לְעִילָא וְלָא לְתַתָּא וְלָא מִכָּל סִטְרָא, לְבוּשִׁין תְּקִינַת לוֹן, דְּמִנַּיְיהוּ פָּרְחִין נִשְׁמָתִין לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא, וְכַמָּה גוּפִין תְּקִינַת לוֹן, דְּאִתְקְרִיאוּ גוּפָא לְגַבֵּי לְבוּשִׁין דִּמְכַסְיָין עֲלֵיהוֹן, וְאִתְקְרִיאוּ בְּתִקּוּנָא דָא, חֶסֶד דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא, גְּבוּרָה דְרוֹעָא שְׂמָאלָא, תִּפְאֶרֶת גּוּפָא, נֶצַח וְהוֹד תְּרֵין שׁוֹקִין, וִיסוֹד סִיּוּמָא דְגוּפָא אוֹת בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ, מַלְכוּת פֶּה תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה קָרִינָן לֵיהּ.
(ד) חָכְמָה מוֹחָא אִיהוּ מַחֲשָׁבָה מִלְּגָו, בִּינָה לִבָּא וּבָהּ הַלֵּב מֵבִין, וְעַל אִלֵּין תְּרֵין כְּתִיב (דברים כט כח) הַנִּסְתָּרוֹת לַיהו''ה אלהינ''ו, כֶּתֶר עִִלְיוֹן אִיהוּ כֶּתֶר מַלְכוּת, וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר (ישעיה מו י) מַגִּיד מֵרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית, וְאִיהוּ קַרְקַפְתָּא דִתְּפִלֵּי, מִלְּגָו אִיהוּ יו''ד יקוק'א וא''ו יקוק'א, דְּאִיהוּ אֹרַח אֲצִילוּת, אִיהוּ שַׁקְיוּ דְאִילָנָא בִּדְרוֹעוֹי וְעַנְפּוֹי, כְּמַיָּא דְאַשְׁקֵי לְאִילָנָא, וְאִתְרַבֵּי בְּהַהוּא שַׁקְיוּ.
(ה) רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים, אַנְתְּ הוּא עִלַּת הָעִלּוֹת, סִבַּת הַסִּבּוֹת, דְּאַשְׁקֵי לְאִילָנָא בְּהַהוּא נְבִיעוּ, וְהַהוּא נְבִיעוּ אִיהוּ כְּנִשְׁמָתָא לְגוּפָא, דְאִיהוּ חַיִּים לְגוּפָא, וּבָךְ לֵית דִּמְיוֹן וְלֵית דִּיוֹקְנָא מִכָּל מַה דִּלְּגָו וּלְבָר, וּבְרָאתָ שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא, וְאַפִּיקַת מִנְּהוֹן שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא וְכֹכְבַיָּא וּמַזָּלֵי, וּבְאַרְעָא אִלָנִין וְדִשְׁאִין וְגִנְּתָא דְעִדֶן וְעִשְׂבִּין וְחֵיוָון וְעוֹפִין וְנוּנִין וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא בְהוֹן עִלָּאִין, וְאֵיךְ יִתְנַהֲגוּן בְּהוֹן עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, וְאֵיךְ אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָאן מֵעִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, וְלֵית דְּיָדַע בָּךְ כְּלָל.
Elijah began saying: Lord of the worlds You Who are One and not just a number You are the highest of the highest most hidden of the undisclosed no thought scheme grasps You at all.
You are He Who pours forth Ten Tikkunim. We call them the Ten S’firot to lead through them Worlds hidden and undisclosed and Worlds manifest and known.
In them are You hidden from the sons of men. You are He Who binds them, Who unites them.
And since You are within them whosoever sunders one from its mate of these Ten S’firot to him it is accounted as if he had sundered You. These Ten S’firot proceed in their order one—long one—short and one between. You are He who governs them. No one governs You neither below nor above nor at any side. You made wraps for them (The Ten S’firot) from whence blossom forth souls for the sons of men. Many bodies You fashioned for them ‘bodies’ they are called when compared to the ‘wraps’ covering them. They are thus called in the following Tikkun. Hesed the ‘Right Arm’ Gevurah the ‘Left Arm’ Tiferet the ‘Trunk’ Netzakh and Hod the two ‘Thighs’ Y’sod the trunk’s ‘Extremity’; sign of the Covenant most holy. Malkhuth the ‘Orifice’; the oral Torah we call it. Hokhmah the ‘Brain’; it is the Thought within Binah the ‘Heart’ in it understands the very heart of understanding. Concerning these two (Hokhmah and Binah) it is written “Mysteries hidden are they of YHVH God” : Keter, the highest, for it is the Crown of Majesty, concerning it is said: He tells the End from the Beginning. It is the scalp of the t’fillin within it is the ‘Mah’ name (of value 45) YUD-HA-VAV-HA it is the Heaven— way—of Azilut–Emanation. The rooting place of the Tree of Boughs and Branches. Like water drenching the Tree causing it to increase through the root’s sap. O Lord of the worlds You are Origin of Origins Cause of Causes Who drenches that Tree by this flux. And this flux like soul to body is the body’s life. In You There is nothing like image or form of anything within or without. You create Heaven and Earth bringing forth of their substance Sun, Moon Planets, Stars. And on Earth, grass and trees a Garden of Eden flora and fauna beasts, birds, fish and Man. All this so that what is above may become known so that we may have models of those above and below. Those above can become known through those below (and since there is no model in creation for You) there is no one who knows You at all. Outside of You there is no One (whole—all—complete) among those above and those below – Thus are You made known as the Origin of All and the Master of All. Each S’firah, has a known Name by these Names Angels are called. (An Angel— entity of force directed to an aim, an energy discharged by its own function.) You have no known Name because all the Names are filled by You. You are the fulfillment of them all. When You rise up from them all the Names remain as bodies bereft of soul. You are wise yet not in wisdom known You are understanding yet not in understanding known In You there is no place for knowledge (to hold on). But Your power and strength You make knowable to Man as You show to him how the world is conducted in Law and Mercy For there is Righteousness and Justice according to the deeds of the sons of Man. Law is Gevurah Justice—the middle column Righteousness—the Holy Majesty . the just scales two true supports the righteous HIN (liquid measure) — is the holy Covenant. All this portrays how the world is conducted but not that there is in You known righteousness identical with Law (which binds You) Nor is there Justice in You which is Mercy or any other attribute at all. Be drawn down to us —Blessed channeled YHVH into the world for ever truly so truly so Amen Amen.
Zohar 2:94b
RABBI HIYVA and Rabbi Yose met one night at the Tower of Tyre. They stayed there as guests, delighting in deach other. Rabbi Yose said, “I am so glad to see the face of Shekhinah! For just now, the whole way here, I was pestered by an old man, a donkey driver, who kept asking me riddles the whole way: “‘Who is a serpent that flies in the air and wanders alone, while an ant lies peacefully between its teeth? Beginning in union, it ends in separation. “‘Who is an eagle that nests in a tree that never was? Its young who have been plundered, who are not created creatures, lie somewhere uncreated. Going up, they come down; coming down, they go up. Two who are one, and one who is three. “‘Who is a ravishing maiden without eyes, her body concealed and revealed? She comes out in the morning and is hidden all day. She adorns herself with adornments that are not.’ “All this he asked on the way; I was annoyed. Now I can relax. If we had been together, we would have engaged in words of Torah instead of strange words of chaos.” Rabbi Hiyya said, “That old man, the donkey driver, do you know anything about him?” Rabbi Yose answered, “I know that there is nothing in his words. If he knew anything, he should have opened with Torah; then the way would not have been empty!” Rabbi Hiyya said, “That donkey driver, is he here? For sometimes in those empty fools, you discover bells of gold!” Rabbi Yose said, “Here he is, fixing some food for his donkey.” They called him, and he came over. He said to them, “Now two are three, and three are like one!” Rabbi Yose said, “Didn’t I tell you that all his words are empty nonsense?” He sat before them and said, “Rabbis, I turned into a donkey driver only a short time ago. Before, I wasn’t one. But I have a small son, and I put him in school; I want him to engage Torah. When I find one of the rabbis traveling on the road, I guide his donkey from behind. Today I thought that I would hear new words of Torah, but I haven’t heard anything!” Rabbi Yose said, “Of all the words I heard you say, there was one that really amazed me. Either you said it out of folly, or they are empty words.” The old man said, “And which one is that?” He said, “The one about the ravishing maiden.” The old man opened and said, “‘YHVH is on my side; I have no fear. What can any human do to me? YHVH is by my side, helping me. It is good to take refuge in YHVH.’ “How good, pleasant, precious, and high are words of Torah! But how can I say them in front of rabbis from whose mouths, until now, I haven’t heard a single word? But I should say them because there is no shame at all in saying words of Torah in front of everyone!” The old man covered himself. The old man opened and said, “‘Moses went inside the cloud and ascended the mountain.’ What is this cloud? The same one of which it is written: ‘I have placed my bow in the cloud.’ We have learned that the rainbow took off her garments and gave them to Moses. Wearing that garment, he went up the mountain; from inside it he saw what he saw, delighting in the all, up to that place.” The companions approached and threw themselves down in front of the old man. They cried, and said, “If we have come into the world only to hear these words from your mouth, it is enough for us!” The old man said, “Companions, not for this alone did I begin the word. An old man like me doesn’t rattle with just a single word. Human beings are so confused in their minds. They do not see the way of truth in Torah. She calls out to them every day, in love, but they do not want to turn their heads. She removes a word from her sheath, is seen for a moment, then quickly hides away, but she does so only for those who know her intimately. “A parable. To what can this be compared? To a beloved, ravishing maiden, hidden deep within her palace. She has one lover, unknown to anyone, hidden too. Out of love for her, this lover passes by her gate constantly, lifting his eyes to every side. Knowing that her lover hovers about her gate constantly, what does she do? She opens a little window in her hidden palace, revealing her face to her lover, then swiftly withdraws, concealing herself. No one near him sees or reflects, only the lover, and his heart and his soul and everything within him flow out to her. He knows that out of love for him she revealed herself for that one moment to awaken love in him. “So it is with a word of Torah: she reveals herself to no one but her lover. Torah knows that one who is wise of heart hovers about her gate every day. What does she do? She reveals her face to him from the palace and beckons him with a hint, then swiftly withdraws to her hiding place. No one there knows or reflects— he alone does, and his heart and his soul and everything within him flows out to her. This is why Torah reveals and conceals herself. With love she approaches her lover to arouse love with him. “Come and see the way of Torah. At first, when she begins to reveal herself to a human, she beckons him with a hint. If he perceives, good; if not, she sends him a message, calling him simple. Torah says to her messenger: ‘Tell that simple one to come closer, so I can talk with him.’ He approaches. She begins to speak with him from behind a curtain she has drawn, words he can follow, until he reflects a little at a time. This is derasha. Then she converses with him through a veil, words riddled with allegory. This is haggadah. “Once he has grown accustomed to her, she reveals herself face to face and tells him all her hidden secrets, all the hidden ways, since primordial days secreted in her heart. “Now he is a complete human being, husband of Torah, master of the house. All her secrets she has revealed to him, withholding nothing, concealing nothing. “She says to him, ‘Do you see that word, that hint with which I beckoned you at first? So many secrets there! This one and that one!’ “Now he sees that nothing should be added to those words and nothing taken away. Now the peshat of the verse, just like it is. Not even a single letter should be added or deleted. “Human beings should become aware, pursuing Torah to become her lovers.” The old man was silent for a moment. The companions were amazed; they did not know if it was day or night, if they were really there or not. “Enough, companions! From now on, you know that evil has no power over you. I, Yeiva Sava, have stood before you to awaken your awareness of these words.” They rose as if awakened from sleep and threw themselves down in front of him, unable to utter a word. After a while they began to cry. Rabbi Hiyya opened and said, “‘Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm.’ Love and sparks from the flame of our heart will escort you. May it be the Will that our image be engraved in your heart as your image is engraved in ours.” He kissed them and blessed them, and they left. When they rejoined Rabbi Shim’on and told him everything that happened, he was delighted and amazed. He said, “You are fortunate to have attained all this. Here you were with a heavenly lion, a fierce warrior for whom many warriors are nothing, and you could not recognize him! I am amazed that you escaped his punishment. The Blessed Holy One must have wanted to save you.” He called out these verses for them: “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, growing brighter and brighter until the day is full. When you walk, your stride will be free; if you run, you will not stumble. Your people, all of them righteous, will inherit the land forever— a sprout of my planting, the work of my hands, making me glorious.”