R. Judah here began a discourse with the verse: Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land (Prov. 31, 23). He said: ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, is transcendent in His glory, He is hidden and removed far beyond all ken; there is no one in the world, nor has there ever been one, whom His wisdom and essence do not elude, since He is recondite and hidden and beyond all ken,
so that neither the supernal nor the lower beings are able to commune with Him until they utter the words “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place” (Ezek. 3, 12). The creatures of the earth think of Him as being on high, declaring, “His glory is above the heavens” (Ps. 113, 4), while the heavenly beings think of Him as being below, declaring, “His glory is over all the earth” (Ps. 57, 12), until they both, in heaven and on earth, concur in declaring, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place”, because He is unknowable and no one can truly understand Him. This being so, how can you say, “Her husband is known in the gates”?
But of a truth the Holy One makes Himself known to every one according to the measure of his understanding and his capacity to attach himself to the spirit of Divine wisdom; and thus “Her husband is known”, not “in the gates” (bishe’arim), but, as we may also translate, “by measure”, though a full knowledge is beyond the reach of any being.’
R. Simeon said: ‘The “gates” mentioned in this passage are the same as the gates in the passage, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates” (Ps. 24, 7), and refer to the supernal grades by and through which alone a knowledge of the Almighty is possible to man, and but for which man could not commune with God.
Similarly, man’s soul cannot be known directly, save through the members of the body, which are the grades forming the instruments of the soul. The soul is thus known and unknown. So it is with the Holy One, blessed be He, since He is the Soul of souls, the Spirit of spirits, covered and veiled from anyone; nevertheless, through those gates, which are doors for the soul, the Holy One makes Himself known.
For there is door within door, grade behind grade, through which the glory of the Holy One is made known. Hence here “the tent door” is the door of righteousness, referred to in the words, “Open to me the gates of righteousness” (Ps. 118, 19), and this is the first entrance door: through this door a view is opened to all the other supernal doors. He who succeeds in entering this door is privileged to know both it and all the other doors, since they all repose on this one.
At the present time this door remains unknown because Israel is in exile; and therefore all the other doors are removed from them, so that they cannot know or commune;
but when Israel return from exile, all the supernal grades are destined to rest harmoniously upon this one. Then men will obtain a knowledge of the precious supernal wisdom of which hitherto they wist not, as it is written, “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” (Is. 11, 2). All these are destined to rest on this lower door which is the “tent door”; all too will rest upon the Messiah in order that he may judge the world, as it is written, “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, etc.” (Ibid. 4).
Thus when the good tidings were brought to Abraham, it was that grade which brought them, as we have deduced from the fact that the word vayomer (and he said) is used without a specific subject in the passage “And he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round.”
Observe how the great love of the Almighty towards Abraham was manifested in the fact that Isaac was not born to him until he was circumcised. In this way it was made certain that his seed should be holy, according to the words of the Scripture, “wherein is the seed thereof after its kind” (Gen. 1, 12).
For had Abraham begotten before he was circumcised, his seed would not have been holy, as it would have issued from the state of orlah, and thus would have clung to that state here below; but after Abraham’s circumcision the seed issued from the state of holiness and became attached to supernal holiness, and he begat children in the higher plane and thus became attached to his grade in the manner fitting.’
R. Eleazar asked one day of his father, R. Simeon: ‘In regard to the name Isaac, why did the Holy One give him that name before he came into the world, by commanding “And thou shalt call his name Isaac” (Gen. 17, 19)?’
R. Simeon answered: ‘We have elsewhere stated that through Isaac fire supplanted water. For water comes from the side of Geburah (Force), and it is further required of the Levites that they should entertain that side with hymns and songs on divers instruments. Hence Isaac was joyousness, because he issued from that side and became attached to it. Observe that the word Yitzhak (Isaac) means “laughter”, to wit, rejoicing because water was changed to fire and fire to water;
You will see that in other cases the Holy One permitted the parents, even the mothers, to give names to their children. Here, however, the Holy One did not give permission to the mother to name the child, but only to Abraham, as it is written: “And thou shalt call his name Isaac”-thou and no other, so as to intermingle water with fire and fire with water and to range it on his side.’
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח (משלי ל״א:כ״ג) נוֹדַע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בַּעֲלָהּ בְּשִׁבְתּוֹ עִם זִקְנֵי אָרֶץ. תָּא חֲזֵי, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִסְתַּלַּק בִּיקָרֵיהּ דְּאִיהוּ גָּנִיז וְסָתִים בְּעִילוּיָא סַגְיָא. לָאו אִיתַי בְּעָלְמָא וְלָא הֲוָה מִן יוֹמָא דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא דְּיָכִיל לְקָיְימָא עַל חָכְמָתָא דִילֵיהּ וְלָא יָכִיל לְקָיְימָא בֵּיהּ.
R. Judah here began a discourse with the verse: Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land (Prov. 31, 23). He said: ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, is transcendent in His glory, He is hidden and removed far beyond all ken; there is no one in the world, nor has there ever been one, whom His wisdom and essence do not elude, since He is recondite and hidden and beyond all ken,
בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ גָּנִיז וְסָתִים וְאִסְתַּלַּק לְעֵילָא לְעֵילָא, וְכֻלְהוּ עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי לָא יָכְלִין לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא, עַד דְּכֻלְהוּ אָמְרִין (יחזקאל ג׳:י״ב) בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד יְיָ מִמְקוֹמוֹ. תַּתָּאֵי אָמְרֵי דְּאִיהוּ לְעֵילָא דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים קי״ג:ד׳) עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם כְּבוֹדוֹ. עִלָאֵי אָמְרֵי דְּאִיהוּ לְתַתָּא דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים נ״ז:ו׳) עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדֶךָ. עַד דְּכֻלְהוּ עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי אָמְרֵי בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד יְיָ מִמְקוֹמוֹ. בְּגִין דְּלָא אִתְיְידַע וְלָא הֲוָה מַאן דְּיָכִיל לְקָיְימָא בֵּיהּ, וְאַתְּ אֲמַרְתְּ נוֹדָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בַּעֲלָהּ.
so that neither the supernal nor the lower beings are able to commune with Him until they utter the words “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place” (Ezek. 3, 12). The creatures of the earth think of Him as being on high, declaring, “His glory is above the heavens” (Ps. 113, 4), while the heavenly beings think of Him as being below, declaring, “His glory is over all the earth” (Ps. 57, 12), until they both, in heaven and on earth, concur in declaring, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place”, because He is unknowable and no one can truly understand Him. This being so, how can you say, “Her husband is known in the gates”?
אֶלָּא וַדַּאי נוֹדָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בַּעְלָהּ דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאִיהוּ אִתְיְדַע וְאִתְדָּבַּק לְפוּם מַה דִּמְשַׁעֵר בְּלִבֵּיהּ כָּל חַד כַּמָּה דְּיָכִיל לְאִדַּבְּקָא בְּרוּחָא דְּחָכְמְתָא. וּלְפוּם מַה דִּמְשַׁעֵר בְּלִבֵּיהּ הָכִי אִתְיְדַע בְּלִבֵּיהּ. וּבְגִינִי כָךְ נוֹדָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בְּאִנּוּן שְׁעָרִים. אֲבָל דְּאִתְיְדַע כְּדְקָא יְאוּת לָא הֲוָה מַאן דְּיָכִיל לְאִדַּבְּקָא וּלְמִנְדַע לֵיהּ.
But of a truth the Holy One makes Himself known to every one according to the measure of his understanding and his capacity to attach himself to the spirit of Divine wisdom; and thus “Her husband is known”, not “in the gates” (bishe’arim), but, as we may also translate, “by measure”, though a full knowledge is beyond the reach of any being.’
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר נוֹדָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בַּעֲלָהּ. מַאן שְׁעָרִים. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים כ״ד:ז׳) שְׂאוּ שְׁעָרִים רָאשֵׁיכֶם וְהִנָּשְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵי עוֹלָם. וּבְגִין אֵלּוּ שְׁעָרִים דְּאִנּוּן דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין בְּגִינַיְיהוּ אִתְיְדַע קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְאִי לָא לָא יָכְלִין לְאִתְדַּבָּקָא בֵּיהּ.
R. Simeon said: ‘The “gates” mentioned in this passage are the same as the gates in the passage, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates” (Ps. 24, 7), and refer to the supernal grades by and through which alone a knowledge of the Almighty is possible to man, and but for which man could not commune with God.
תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּהָא נִשְׁמָתָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ לָאו אִיהוּ (נ"א לא אית) מַאן דְּיָכִיל לְמִנְדַע לָהּ, אֶלָּא בְּגִין אִלֵּין שַׁיְיפִין דְּגוּפָא וְאִנּוּן דַּרְגִּין דְּעָבְדִין אוּמָנוּתָא דְּנִשְׁמָתָא בְגִין כָּךְ אִתְיְדַע וְלָא אִתְיְדַע. כָּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְיְדַע וְלָא אִתְיְדַע בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ נִשְׁמָתָא לְנִשְׁמָתָא רוּחָא לְרוּחָא גָּנִיז וְטָמִיר מִכֹּלָּא, אֲבָל בְּאִנּוּן שְׁעָרִים דְּאִנּוּן פִּתְחִין לְנִשְׁמָתָא אִתְיְדַע קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
Similarly, man’s soul cannot be known directly, save through the members of the body, which are the grades forming the instruments of the soul. The soul is thus known and unknown. So it is with the Holy One, blessed be He, since He is the Soul of souls, the Spirit of spirits, covered and veiled from anyone; nevertheless, through those gates, which are doors for the soul, the Holy One makes Himself known.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אִית פִּתְחָא לְפִתְחָא וְדַרְגָּא לְדַרְגָּא, וּמִנַּיְיהוּ יְדִיעַ יְקָרָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל, דָּא הוּא פִּתְחָא דְצֶדֶק. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהלים קיח) פִּתְח"וּ לִ"י שַׁעֲרֵ"י צֶדֶ"ק וְגו' דָּא פִּתְחָא קַדְמָאָה לְאָעֳלָא בֵּיהּ, וּבְהַאי פִּתְחָא אִתְחַזּוּן כָּל שְׁאָר פִּתְחִין עִלָּאִין. מַאן דְּזָכֵי לְהַאי (פתחא) זָכֵי לְמִנְדַע בֵּיהּ וּבְכֻלְהוֹ שְׁאָר פִּתְחִין בְּגִין דְּכֻלְהוּ שָׁרָאן עֲלֵיהּ.
For there is door within door, grade behind grade, through which the glory of the Holy One is made known. Hence here “the tent door” is the door of righteousness, referred to in the words, “Open to me the gates of righteousness” (Ps. 118, 19), and this is the first entrance door: through this door a view is opened to all the other supernal doors. He who succeeds in entering this door is privileged to know both it and all the other doors, since they all repose on this one.
וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּפִתְחָא דָא לָא אִתְיְדַע. בְּגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא וְכֻלְהוּ פִּתְחִין אִסְתַּלָּקוּ מִנֵּיהּ וְלָא יָכְלִין לְמִנְדַע וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא. אֲבָל בְּזִמְנָא דְּיִפְקוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן גָּלוּתָא זְמִינִין כֻּלְהוּ דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין לְמִשְׁרֵי עֲלֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת.
At the present time this door remains unknown because Israel is in exile; and therefore all the other doors are removed from them, so that they cannot know or commune;
וּכְדֵין יִנְדְעוּן בְּנִי עָלְמָא חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה יַקִּירָא מַה דְּלָא הֲווּ יָדְעִין מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא. דִּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו י״א:ב׳) וְנָחָה עָלָיו רוּחַ יְיָ רוּחַ חָכְמָה וּבִינָה רוּחַ עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה רוּחַ דַּעַת וְיִרְאַת יְיָ. כֻּלְהוּ זְמִינִין לְאַשְׁרָאָה עַל הַאי פִּתְחָא תַּתָּאָה דְּאִיהוּ פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל. וְכֻלְהוּ זְמִינִין לְאַשְׁרָאָה עַל מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא בְּגִין לְמֵידַן עָלְמָא דִּכְתִיב וְשָׁפַט בְּצֶדֶק דַּלִּים וְגו'.
but when Israel return from exile, all the supernal grades are destined to rest harmoniously upon this one. Then men will obtain a knowledge of the precious supernal wisdom of which hitherto they wist not, as it is written, “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” (Is. 11, 2). All these are destined to rest on this lower door which is the “tent door”; all too will rest upon the Messiah in order that he may judge the world, as it is written, “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, etc.” (Ibid. 4).
בְּגִינֵי כָךְ כַּד אִתְבַּשַּׂר אַבְרָהָם, הַאי דַרְגָּא הֲוָה אָמַר כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר דִּכְתִיב וַיֹּאמֶר שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה. וַיֹּאמֶר, לָא כְּתִיב מַאן הֲוָה. וְדָא הוּא פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל. וְעַל דָּא וְשָׂרָה שׁוֹמַעַת הַאי דַרְגָּא דְּהֲוָה מַלִּיל עִמֵּיהּ מַאן דְּלָא הֲוָה שְׁמָעַת מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא. דִּכְתִיב וְשָׂרָה שׁוֹמַעַת פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל דְּהֲוָה מְבַשֵּׂר וְאָמַר שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ.
Thus when the good tidings were brought to Abraham, it was that grade which brought them, as we have deduced from the fact that the word vayomer (and he said) is used without a specific subject in the passage “And he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round.”
תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה הוּא חֲבִיבוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם, דְּהָא לָא נָפַק מִנֵּיהּ יִצְחָק עַד דְּאִתְגְּזַר, לְבָתַר דְּאִתְגְּזַר אִתְבַּשַּׂר בֵּיהּ בְּיִצְחָק, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ כְּדֵין זַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְעַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר לָאו אִיהוּ זַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא. וּכְדֵין אִיהוּ כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית א׳:י״ב) אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ בוֹ לְמִינֵהוּ.
Observe how the great love of the Almighty towards Abraham was manifested in the fact that Isaac was not born to him until he was circumcised. In this way it was made certain that his seed should be holy, according to the words of the Scripture, “wherein is the seed thereof after its kind” (Gen. 1, 12).
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, עַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם הַהוּא זַרְעָא דִילֵיהּ לָא הֲוָה קַדִּישָׁא, בְּגִין דְּנָפַק בְּגוֹ עָרְלָה וְאִתְדְּבַק בְּעָרְלָה לְתַתָּא. לְבָתַר דְּאִתְגְּזַר נָפַק הַהוּא זַרְעָא בְּגוֹ קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִתְדְּבַק בִּקְדוּשָׁה דִּלְעֵילָא וְאוֹלִיד לְעֵילָא, וְאִתְדְּבַק אַבְרָהָם בְּדַרְגֵּיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד אוֹלִיד אַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק נָפַק קַדִּישָׁא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. וְהַאי (נ"א ודאי) מַאי אַעֲדוּ וְאוֹלִידוּ חֲשׁוֹכָא.
For had Abraham begotten before he was circumcised, his seed would not have been holy, as it would have issued from the state of orlah, and thus would have clung to that state here below; but after Abraham’s circumcision the seed issued from the state of holiness and became attached to supernal holiness, and he begat children in the higher plane and thus became attached to his grade in the manner fitting.’
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר שָׁאִיל יוֹמָא חַד לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוֹי, אָמַר לֵיהּ הַאי דְּקָרָא לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יִצְחָק דִּכְתִיב וְקָרָאת אֶת שְׁמוֹ יִצְחָק. אַמַּאי, דְּהָא אִתְחֲזֵי דְּעַד לָא נָפַק לְעָלְמָא קָרָא לֵיהּ יִצְחָק.
R. Eleazar asked one day of his father, R. Simeon: ‘In regard to the name Isaac, why did the Holy One give him that name before he came into the world, by commanding “And thou shalt call his name Isaac” (Gen. 17, 19)?’
אָמַר לֵיהּ הָא אִתְּמָר דְּאֶשָׁא נָטַל מַיָא. דְּהָא מַיָא מִסִּטְרָא דִגְבוּרָה קָא אַתְיָין. וְתוּ (נ"א ותא שאיל להו ללואי) (שאיל ליה) לֵוָאֵי דְּאִנּוּן בְּדִיחִין לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא בְּמָאנֵי זֶמֶר וְתֻשְׁבְּחָן לָקֳבֵיל הַאי סִטְרָא, בְגִין כָּךְ יִצְחָק אִיהוּ חֶדְוָה בְּגִין דְּאָתֵי מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא וְאִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ.
R. Simeon answered: ‘We have elsewhere stated that through Isaac fire supplanted water. For water comes from the side of Geburah (Force), and it is further required of the Levites that they should entertain that side with hymns and songs on divers instruments. Hence Isaac was joyousness, because he issued from that side and became attached to it. Observe that the word Yitzhak (Isaac) means “laughter”, to wit, rejoicing because water was changed to fire and fire to water;
תָּא חֲזֵי, יִצְחָק בְּדִיחוּתָא חֶדְוָה דְּאַחְלַף מַיָא בְּאֶשָׁא וְאֶשָׁא בְּמַיָא, וְעַל דָּא אִקְרֵי הָכִי. וּבְגִין כָּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָרֵי לֵיהּ הָכִי עַד לָא יִפּוּק לְעָלְמָא שְׁמָא דָּא וְאוֹדַע לֵיהּ לְאַבְרָהָם.
hence he was called Isaac, and hence the Holy One called him so before he came into the world, and He announced that name to Abraham.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, בְּכֻלְהוּ אָחֳרָנִין שָׁבַק לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִקְרֵי לוֹן שְׁמָהָן, וְאֲפִילּוּ נָשֵׁי הֲווּ קָרָאן לִבְנַיְיהוּ שְׁמָהָן, אֲבָל הָכָא לָא שָׁבַק קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִמֵּיהּ לְמִקְרֵי לֵיהּ שְׁמָא אֶלָּא לְאַבְרָהָם, דִּכְתִיב וְקָרָאתָ אֶת שְׁמוֹ יִצְחָק אַנְתְּ וְלָא אָחֳרָא, בְּגִין לְאַחְלָפָא מַיָּא בְּאֶשָׁא וְאֶשָׁא בְּמַיָא לְאַכְלָלָא לֵיהּ בְּסִטְרֵיהּ.
You will see that in other cases the Holy One permitted the parents, even the mothers, to give names to their children. Here, however, the Holy One did not give permission to the mother to name the child, but only to Abraham, as it is written: “And thou shalt call his name Isaac”-thou and no other, so as to intermingle water with fire and fire with water and to range it on his side.’