R. Judah discoursed on the verse: “Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters”, etc. (Ps. 104, 3). ‘When’, he said, ‘God created the world, He brought it forth from water and established it on water. He divided the waters in two, one half above and the other half below, and from each half created a world. Out of the lower half He made this world, which he established on this half of the waters, as it is written: “For he hath founded it upon the seas” (Ps. 24, 2). The upper half He took aloft, and made with it upper chambers, and on this half He established supernal holy beings
Among these he appointed some to sing His praises, fiery hosts, who sing praises in the morning and songs at even, all ceasing at night. Above them are hosts of a still more fiery nature who breathe fire and eat it, and then return to their places.
In the other side there are abysses, one above the other, in all of which are executioners of judgement from the side of stern justice. In the lowest depth there are flames that burn flames, fires for the punishment of sinners issuing from the “river of fire”, all fiery and flaming, situated between the higher and the lower.
But when the smoke of the altar ascends, they leave that place where they were standing to destroy and annihilate, and the stream of flaming fire from the “river of fire” returns to its place and all enjoy the smoke from the altar when it goes straight towards the most high King. We have explained that it is the desire of each one to ascend above in order to please the Holy King,
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, (תהילים ק״ד:ג׳) הַמְקָּרֶה בַמַּיִם עֲלִיּוֹתָיו וְגוֹ'. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד בָּרָא עָלְמָא, מִגּוֹ מַיָּא אַפִּיק לֵיהּ, וְסִדֵּר לֵיהּ עַל מַיָּא. מָה עֲבַד. פָּלַג מַיָּא לִתְרֵין. פַּלְגּוּתָא לְתַתָּא, וּפַלְגּוּתָא לְעֵילָּא. וְעָבִיד מִנַּיְיהוּ עוֹבָדִין, מִפַּלְגוּתָא תַּתָּאָה עָבֵד וְתִקֵּן עָלְמָא דָּא, וְסִדֵּר לֵיהּ עַל פַּלְגּוּתָא דָּא, וְאַתְקִין לֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא עָלַיְיהוּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים כ״ד:ב׳) כִּי הוּא עַל יַמִּים יְסָדָהּ. וּפַלְגּוּ אָחֳרָא סַלְקֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא, וְתָקַר בֵּיהּ תִּקְרָאִין עִלָּאִין, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב הַמְקָרֶה בַמַּיִם עֲלִיּוֹתָיו וְגוֹ'.
R. Judah discoursed on the verse: “Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters”, etc. (Ps. 104, 3). ‘When’, he said, ‘God created the world, He brought it forth from water and established it on water. He divided the waters in two, one half above and the other half below, and from each half created a world. Out of the lower half He made this world, which he established on this half of the waters, as it is written: “For he hath founded it upon the seas” (Ps. 24, 2). The upper half He took aloft, and made with it upper chambers, and on this half He established supernal holy beings
וַעֲבַד רָקִיעַ בֵּין תְּרֵין פַּלְגּוּתַיָּא אִלֵּין, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית א׳:ו׳) יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם וְגוֹ', וְעָלַיְיהוּ אַתְקִין וְסִדֵּר עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין מִגּוֹ טִיפֵּי טִיפֵּי בְּרוּחָא דְאִתְגַזְרָא בְּבְּסִיטָא (ס"א בבוצינא) (ס"א וסדר מלאכי עלאי קדישי, מגו רוחא דאתגזר מפומיה.) דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים ל״ג:ו׳) וּבְרוּחַ פִּיו כָּל צְבָאָם.
made from the spirit which was detached from His mouth, as it is written, “And through the breath of his mouth all their hosts” (Ps. 23, 6).
וּבְאִלֵּין אַתְקִין וְסִדֵּר מְזַמְּרֵי תּוּשְׁבַּחְתֵּיהּ בְּיוֹמָא, וְאִתְעָרְבוּ בְּשַׁלְהוֹבֵי אֶשָּׁא. וְאִינּוּן גְדוּדֵי חַיָּילִין, אַמְרִין שִׁירָתָא בְּיוֹמָא, תּוּשְׁבְּחָן בְּצַפְרָא, וּזְמִירָן בְּרַמְשָׁא. כַּד מָטֵי לֵילְיָא, כֻּלְּהוּ פַּסְקֵי שִׁירָתָא. לְעֵילָּא מִנַּיְיהוּ, גְּדוּדִין דְּאֶשָּׁא, בְּשַׁלְהוֹבָא תַּקִּיף, קַיְימִין וּמְרִיחִין אֶשָּׁא דְּאָכְלָא, וְאָהַדְרֵי לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ.
Among these he appointed some to sing His praises, fiery hosts, who sing praises in the morning and songs at even, all ceasing at night. Above them are hosts of a still more fiery nature who breathe fire and eat it, and then return to their places.
וְאִית בְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, דִּתְהוֹמִין סַלְּקִין אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין. וְאִית תְּהוֹמָא עִלָּאָה, וּתְהוֹמָא תַּתָּאָה, וּבְכֻלְּהוּ שָׁארָן מָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינִין מִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא. וְאִית בְּגוֹ סִטְרָא דִּתְהוֹמָא תַּתָּאָה, שַׁלְהוֹבָן דְּאוֹקְדִין זִיקִין נוּרִין, מְמָנָן עַל דִּינִין דְּעָלְמָא, לְאוֹקְדָא לְחַיָּיבַיָּא בְּנוּרָא, דְּנַגְדֵּי מֵהַהוּא נָהָר דִּינוּר. וְכֻלְּהוּ אֶשָּׁא, וְחֵיזוּ דִּלְהוֹן אֶשָּׁא דְּלָהִיט, וְקַיְימִין בֵּין עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי.
In the other side there are abysses, one above the other, in all of which are executioners of judgement from the side of stern justice. In the lowest depth there are flames that burn flames, fires for the punishment of sinners issuing from the “river of fire”, all fiery and flaming, situated between the higher and the lower.
וְכַד תְּנָנָא דְּמַדְבְּחָא סָלִיק, מִתְעַבְּרָן וְסַלְּקִין מֵהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא, דְּקַיְימִין לְשֵׁיצָאָה וּלְאוֹבָדָא, וְהַהוּא נְגִידוּ דְּאֶשָּׁא תַּקִּיפָא דְּנָהַר דִּינוּר, דְּאִיהוּ תַּקִּיף וְעִלָּאָה, אַהְדָּר לְאַתְרֵיהּ. וְכֻלְּהוּ, מִתְהַנְיָין מִתְּנָנָא דְּמַדְבְּחָא, בְּגִין דְּאִתְתָּקְנַת לָקֳבְלֵי (ס"א מדבחא) מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, וּבְגִין כָּךְ מִתְהַנְיָין מִנֵּיהּ, וְאִינּוּן קְרֵבִין לְהָכָא. וּתְנָנָא אָחֳרָא סָלִיק, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, לְכָל חַד וְחַד, רְעוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא דְּסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא, דְּאִיהוּ נַיְיחָא דְּרוּחָא, לְגַבֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא.
But when the smoke of the altar ascends, they leave that place where they were standing to destroy and annihilate, and the stream of flaming fire from the “river of fire” returns to its place and all enjoy the smoke from the altar when it goes straight towards the most high King. We have explained that it is the desire of each one to ascend above in order to please the Holy King,