The traps
This section tells about the turning wheels of light that are called 'traps'. They are described as the 'judgments of the Left Column' and they travel and turn around the world. There is one great pillar thrust into the abyss, and stones within the abyss, and many wheels revolving around the pillar. We read that above the pillar is a wheel that is present in twelve thousand worlds and it revolves within the Tabernacle, it both turns and does not turn. In the Tabernacle is a crier who proclaims: 'Beware of the turning wheel'. Rabbi Shimon says that anyone who understands may have access to the high secrets and the keys hidden within the holy Tabernacle. He ends by saying how happy those people are who put their strength in God and who are chosen by Him.
287. Tosefta (addendum). In the high mysteries, NAMELY, THE HIGH LIGHTS, there are traps, THE JUDGMENTS OF THE LEFT COLUMN. These LIGHTS go up and down, and THE TRAPS remain at their place. THESE LIGHTS are turning wheels. They exist from the time that the dust was gathered. And the wheels turn around the world and circle it.
287. (תוספתא) בְּרָזִין עִלָּאִין. טַסְקוּרֵי קְמִיטִין שְׁכִיחִין, אִלֵּין סַלְּקִין וְנַחְתִּין, וְאִלֵּין קַיְימִין בְּקִיּוּמַיְיהוּ. גַּלְגַּלִּין דְּסַחֲרָאן, הֲווֹ קַיְימָן מֵהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּעַפְרָא אִתְכְּנִישׁ. אִינּוּן גַּלְגַּלִּין סָחֲרִין עָלְמָא, בְּסָחֲרָנוּתָא.
288. When they circle the deserts, the ruling of the receiving OF CHOCHMAH is within them. There is one wheel among them, which turns and turns not, present in twelve thousand worlds. It is in the midst OF THE WHEELS, rising and traveling among them.
288. סָחֲרָנוּתָא דְּסָחֲרִין מִדְבָּרִין, טִיפְסְרָא דְּקוּלְטָא בְּגַוַּויְיהוּ. חַד גַּלְגַּלָּא אִית בְּגַוַויְיהוּ, הַאי גַּלְגַּלָּא סָחֲרָא וְלָא סָחֲרָא. קַיְּימָא בִּתְרֵיסַר אַלְפֵי עָלְמִין. בֵּינַיְיהוּ שְׁכִיחַ, סָלִיק וְנָטִיל בְּגַוַויְיהוּ.
289. Under that FOURTH wheel, stands one pillar, thrust into the great abyss. In THE GREAT ABYSS, stones roll within abysses, going up and down. That one pillar stands upon them, moving yet not moving, thrust from above to below. Two hundred and twenty other wheels are turning around that pillar.
289. תְּחוֹת הַהוּא גַּלְגַּלָּא, קַיְּימָא חַד עַמּוּדָא דְּנָעִיץ עַד תְּהוֹמָא רַבָּא. בֵּיהּ, מִתְגַּלְגְּלָאן אֲבָנִין גּוֹ תְּהוֹמֵי, אִינּוּן סַלְּקִין וְנַחְתִּין. הַהוּא עַמּוּדָא קָאֵים עָלַיְיהוּ, נָטִיל וְלָא נָטִיל, נָעִיץ מֵעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא, סָחֲרָאן מָאתָן וְעֶשְׂרִין גַּלְגַּלִּין אַחֲרָנִין, סַחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא עַמּוּדָא.
290. HE EXPLAINS: The other wheel above THE THRUST PILLAR, NAMELY THE FOURTH WHEEL, that is present in twelve thousand worlds, turns round within the Tabernacle, NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, turning and turning not. That Tabernacle stands upon twelve thousand worlds. In it there is a crier proclaiming 'beware of the turning wheel'.
290. הַהוּא גַּלְגַּלָּא אַחֲרָא דְּעָלֵיהּ, דְּקָאֵים בִּתְרֵיסַר אַלְפֵי עָלְמָא, אִיהוּ סָחֲרָא גּוֹ מַשְׁכְּנָא, סָחֲרָא וְלָא סָחֲרָא. הַהוּא מַשְׁכְּנָא קָאֵים עַל תְּרֵיסָר אַלְפֵי עָלְמִין, בֵּיהּ קַיְּימָא הַהוּא כָּרוֹזָא, דְּקָרֵי אִסְתָּמָרוּ מְגַלְגַּלָא דְּסָחֲרָא.
291. Whoever has understanding eyes, he may know and behold the Wisdom of his Master, and know most high matters, where the keys of his Master are found, hidden within the holy Tabernacle. They are happy in this world, and happy in the World to Come. Of them it is written, "Happy is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are Your highways" (Tehilim 84:6), and "Happy is the man whom You choose, and causes to approach to You, that he may dwell in Your courts: we will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your Temple" (Tehilim 65:5). (End of Tosefta).
291. מַאן דְּאִיהוּ מָארֵי דְּעַיְינִין בְּסָכְלְתָנוּ, יִנְדַּע וְיִסְתָּכַּל בְּחָכְמְתָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, וְיִנְדַּע דְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין עִלָּאִין, דְּמַפְתְּחָן דְּמָארֵיהּ קַיְימָן תַּמָּן, דִּי אִינּוּן טְמִירָאן גּוֹ מַשְׁכְּנָא קַדִּישָׁא. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְזַכָּאִין אִינּוּן בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, עָלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם עוֹז לוֹ בָךְ מְסִלּוֹת בִּלְבָבָם. אַשְׁרֵי תִּבְחַר וּתְקָרֵב יִשְׁכּוֹן חֲצֵרֶיךָ נִשְׂבְּעָה בְּטוּב בֵּיתֶךָ קְדוֹשׁ הֵיכָלֶךָ. (ע"כ תוספתא)