Vayak'hel: Chapter 22

The Supernal Spirit

Synopsis

Rabbi Yitzchak says that the additional Neshamah gladly descends on man on the Shabbat to gladden his Nefesh. As man is given pleasure, which is the spirit, and gives it pleasure, so will he have enjoyment in the World to Come. Rabbi Aba is happy with this explanation. He says that he saw today the three high luminaries that shine upon this world and the World to Come, and they are the three rabbis, Rabbi Chiya, Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Yitzchak. He says all these utterances will go up before the holy throne and be taken by the chief minister Metatron who will turn them into crowns for his master. As the sun has set, the four rabbis go to a village and sleep, then arise at midnight to study the Torah. Rabbi Aba says this is the time when God and all the righteous in the Garden of Eden listen to the voice of the righteous on earth.

278. The high spirit, THE ADDITIONAL SOUL, gladly descends upon man ON SHABBAT, to gladdens his Nefesh. Then the Nefesh of man is transcended, so to speak, into the World to Come, in which it is to find pleasure in the future FROM THE SPIRIT. As man gives pleasure to the spirit in this world, so does the spirit give pleasure to man in the World to Come. As is written: "then shall you delight yourself in Hashem..." (Yeshayah 58:14), and "and satisfy your soul in drought" (Ibid. 11). As man is given pleasure, WHICH IS THE SPIRIT, and gives it pleasure, so will he have enjoyment in the World to Come. Then when a man is worthy of and accomplishes the precious wholeness of Shabbat, as we said, the Holy One, blessed be He, says to him "You are My servant, Yisrael, in whom I will be glorified" (Yeshayah 49:3).

278. הַהוּא רוּחָא עִלָּאָה דְּנָחִית עָלֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ בְּחֵדוּ, וְחַדֵּי לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ, כְּדֵין קַיְימָא נַפְשָׁא דְּבַר נָשׁ, כְּגַוְונָא דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דְּזַמִּין לְאִתְהֲנָאָה מִנֵּיהּ, כְּמָה דְּבַר נָשׁ, אַהֲנֵי לְהַאי רוּחָא בְּעָלְמָא דָּא. הָכִי הַהוּא רוּחָא אַהֲנֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דִּכְתִּיב אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל יְיָ' וְגוֹ'. וּכְתִיב וְהִשְׁבִּיעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת נַפְשֶׁךָ. כְּמָה דְּבַר נָשׁ, רַוֵי לְהַהוּא עִנּוּגָא, וְאַהֲנֵי לֵיהּ, הָכִי נָמֵי אִיהוּ רַוֵי לֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. כְּדֵין כַּד בַּר נָשׁ זָכֵי, וְאַשְׁלִים שְׁלִימוּ דִּיקָרָא דְּשַׁבְּתָא כִּדְקָאָמְרָן, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָארֵי עָלֵיהּ וְאָמַר, וַיֹּאמֶר לִי עַבְדִּי אָתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר.

279. Rabbi Aba and the rest of the friends stood up, and they kissed his head, OF RABBI YITZCHAK. They wept and said 'happy is our portion, that the Holy One, blessed be He, led us into this way'. And Rabbi Aba said 'the Holy One, blessed be He, led me into this way so I may be with you. Happy is my portion, to be worthy to be in this way'.

279. קָם רִבִּי אַבָּא, וּשְׁאַר חַבְרַיָּיא, וְנַשְׁקוּ רֵישֵׁיהּ. בָּכוּ וְאָמְרוּ, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָנָא דְּאָרְחָא דָּא זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָקֳבְלָן. אָמַר ר' אַבָּא, לִי זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָרְחָא דָּא, בְּגִין לְאִתְחַבְּרָא עִמְּכוֹן. זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ חוּלָקִי, דְּזָכֵינָא לְאָרְחָא דָּא.

280. He said to them, I will repeat to you what I saw today when I went on the way. I saw one light divided into three lights. They went ahead of me and then were hidden. I said, 'assuredly I have seen the Shechinah, happy is my portion'. And the three lights I have seen, are you, THAT IS, RABBI CHIYA, RABBI YOSI AND RABBI YITZCHAK. You are the lights and high luminaries that shine upon this world and the World to Come.

280. אָמַר לְהוּ, אֵימָּא לְכוּ מַה דַּחֲמֵינָא, יוֹמָא דָּא נָפַקְנָא לְאָרְחָא, וַחֲמֵינָא נְהוֹרָא חֲדָא, וְאִתְפְּלַג לִתְלַת נְהוֹרִין, וְאָזְלוּ קָמָאי, וְאִתְטָמָרוּ. וַאֲמֵינָא וַדַּאי שְׁכִינְתָּא חֲמֵינָא, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקִי. וְהַשְׁתָּא אִינּוּן תְּלַת נְהוֹרִין דַּחֲמֵינָא, אַתּוּן אִינּוּן, וַדַּאי אַתּוּן נְהוֹרִין, וּבוּצִינִין עִלָּאִין, לְאַנְהָרָא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.

281. Rabbi Aba said, until now I did not know that all these hidden jewels were in your possession. Since I saw that these words were said by the instructed will of your Master, I know that all these utterances go up on this day before the high throne, WHICH IS BINAH, and are taken by the chief minister, METATRON, who turns them into crowns for his Master. This day is crowned by sixty holy Chariots, CORRESPONDING TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, to honor the throne, BINAH, by these words that were said in this day.

281. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא עַד הָכִי לָא יְדַעְנָא, דְּכָל אִלֵּין מַרְגְּלָן סְתִימִין הֲווֹ תְּחוֹת יָדַיְיכוּ, כֵּיוָן דַּחֲמֵינָא, דְּהָא בִּרְעוּתָא דְּפִקּוּדָא דְּמָארֵיכוֹן אִתְאֲמָרוּ מִלִּין אִלֵּין, יְדַעְנָא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ מִלִּין סַלְּקִין יוֹמָא דָּא, לְגוֹ כּוּרְסְיָּיא עִלָּאָה, וְנָטִיל לוֹן הַהוּא מָארֵי דְּאַנְפִּין, וְעָבֵיד מִינַּיְיהוּ עִטְרִין לְמָארֵיהּ. וְיוֹמָא דָּא מִתְעַטְּרִין שִׁתִּין רְתִיכִין קַדִּישִׁין, לִיקָרָא דְּכֻרְסְיָיא, בְּאִלֵּין מִלִּין דְּאִתְאַמָּרוּ הָכָא, יוֹמָא דָּא.

282. While he was speaking, he lifted his eyes and saw that the sun set. Rabbi Aba said, let us go into that village in the desert, that is close to us. They went and slept there. By midnight, Rabbi Aba and the rest of the friends woke up to study Torah. Rabbi Aba said, from now on we shall say words with which to crown the righteous in the Garden of Eden, for now is the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, and all the righteous in the Garden of Eden listen to the voice of the righteous on earth.

282. אַדְּהָכִי זָקַף עֵינוֹי, וְחָמָא דְּאַעְרַב שִׁמְשָׁא. אָמַר ר' אַבָּא, נְהַךְ לְגַבֵּי הַאי כְּפַר, דְּאִיהוּ קָרִיב לְגַבָּן בְּמַדְבְּרָא. אָזְלוּ וּבֵיתוֹ תַּמָּן. בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא, קָם ר' אַבָּא וּשְׁאַר חַבְרַיָּיא, לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה נֵימָא מִלִּין לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּהוּ צַדִּיקַיָּא דִּבְגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, דְּהַשְׁתָּא אִיהוּ זִמְנָא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְכָל צַדִּיקַיָּא דִּבְגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, צַיְיתִין לְקָלֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא דִּי בְּאַרְעָא.

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