Said R. Simeon, ‘Eleazar, son of mine, cease thy discourse, that there may be revealed the higher mysteries which remain sealed for the people of this world.’ R. Eleazar then fell into silence. R. Simeon wept a while and then said: ‘Eleazar, what is meant by the term “these”? Surely not the stars and the other heavenly bodies, since they are always visible, and were created through Mah, as we read, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made” (Ps. 33, 6). Nor can it imply the things inaccessible to our gaze, since the vocable “these” obviously points to things that are revealed.
This mystery remained sealed until one day, whilst I was on the sea-shore, Elijah came and said to me, “Master, what means ‘Mi (Who?) created these?’ “I said to him, “That refers to the heavens and their hosts, the works of the Holy One, blessed be He, works through the contemplation of which man comes to bless Him, as it is written, ‘When I behold thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, etc. O Lord our God, how glorious is thy name in all the earth!’ ” (Ps. 8, 4-10).
Then he said to me, “Master, the Holy One, blessed be He, had a deep secret which He at length revealed at the celestial Academy. It is this. When the most Mysterious wished to reveal Himself, He first produced a single point which was transmuted into a thought, and in this He executed innumerable designs, and engraved innumerable gravings.
He further graved within the sacred and mystic lamp a mystic and most holy design, which was a wondrous edifice issuing from the midst of thought. This is called MI, and was the beginning of the edifice, existent and non-existent, deep-buried, unknowable by name. It was only called MI (Who?). It desired to become manifest and to be called by name. It therefore clothed itself in a refulgent and precious garment and created ELeH (these), and ELeH acquired a name. The letters of the two words intermingled, forming the complete name ELoHIM (God). (When the Israelites sinned in making the golden calf, they alluded to this mystery in saying ‘Eleh (these are) thy Gods, O Israel’ (Exod. 32, 4).)
And once MI became combined with ELeH, the name remained for all time. And upon this secret the world is built.” Elijah then flew away and vanished out of my sight. And it is from him that I became possessed of this profound mystery.’ R. Eleazar and all the companions came and prostrated themselves before him, weeping for joy and saying, ‘If we had come into the world only to hear this we should have been content.’
אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אֶלְעָזָר בְּנִי פְּסוֹק מִילָךְ וְיִתְגְּלֵי סְתִימָא דְרָזָא עִלָּאָה דִּבְנֵי עָלְמָא לָא יָדְעִין. שָׁתִיק רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר. בָּכָה רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְקָאִים רִגְעָא (נ"א שְׁעָתָא) חָדָא. אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעון, אֶלְעָזָר מַאי אֵלֶּה. אִי תֵימָא כֹּכְבַיָא וּמַזָּלֵי, הָא אִתְחֲזָאָן תַּמָּן תָּדִיר. וּבְמָּ"ה אִתְבְּרִיאוּ כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (תהילים ל״ג:ו׳) בִּדְבַר יְיָ שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ. אִי עַל מִלִּין סְתִימִין לָא לִכְתּוב אֵלֶּה דְּהָא אִיתְגַּלְּיָא אִיהוּ.
Said R. Simeon, ‘Eleazar, son of mine, cease thy discourse, that there may be revealed the higher mysteries which remain sealed for the people of this world.’ R. Eleazar then fell into silence. R. Simeon wept a while and then said: ‘Eleazar, what is meant by the term “these”? Surely not the stars and the other heavenly bodies, since they are always visible, and were created through Mah, as we read, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made” (Ps. 33, 6). Nor can it imply the things inaccessible to our gaze, since the vocable “these” obviously points to things that are revealed.
אֶלָּא רָזָא דָא לָא אִתְגַּלְּיָא בַּר יוֹמָא חַד דַּהֲוֵינָא עַל כֵּיף יַמָּא, וְאָתָא אֵלִיָּהוּ וְאָמַר לִי רִבִּי, יָדַעְתְּ מַה הוּא, מִי בָּרָא אֵלֶּה. אֲמִינָא לֵיהּ אִלֵּין שְׁמַיָּא וְחֵילֵהון עובָדָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהוּ וּלְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים ח׳:ב׳) כִּי אֶרְאֶה שָׁמֶיךְ מַעֲשֵׂה אֶצְבְּעוֹתֶיךְ וְגו' יְיָ אֲדוֹנֵינוּ מָה אַדִּיר שִׁמְךְ בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ.
This mystery remained sealed until one day, whilst I was on the sea-shore, Elijah came and said to me, “Master, what means ‘Mi (Who?) created these?’ “I said to him, “That refers to the heavens and their hosts, the works of the Holy One, blessed be He, works through the contemplation of which man comes to bless Him, as it is written, ‘When I behold thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, etc. O Lord our God, how glorious is thy name in all the earth!’ ” (Ps. 8, 4-10).
אָמַר לִי רִבִּי מִלָּה סְתִימָא הֲוָה קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְגָלֵי בִּמְתִיבְתָּא עִלָּאָה וְדָא הוּא. בְּשַׁעְתָּא דִּסְתִימָא דְכָל סְתִימִין בָּעָא לְאִתְגַּלְּיָא, עֲבַד בְּרֵישָׁא נְקוּדָ"ה (להלן ט"ו א', משפטים ק"ה א', ט' ב', שמות רכ"ו ב', רכ"ח א) חֲדָא, וְדָא סָלִיק לְמֶהוֵי מַחֲשָׁבָה. צִיֵּיר בָּהּ כָּל צִיּוּרִין. חָקַק בָּהּ כָּל גְּלִיפִין.
Then he said to me, “Master, the Holy One, blessed be He, had a deep secret which He at length revealed at the celestial Academy. It is this. When the most Mysterious wished to reveal Himself, He first produced a single point which was transmuted into a thought, and in this He executed innumerable designs, and engraved innumerable gravings.
וְאַגְלִיף גּוֹ בּוֹצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא סְתִימָא גְּלִיפוּ דְּחַד צִיּוּרָא סְתִימָאָה קֹדֶשׁ קַדִּישִׁין בִּנְיָינָא עֲמִיקָא דְּנָפַק מִגּוֹ מַחֲשָׁבָה וְאִקְרֵי מִ"י שֵׁירוּתָא (נ"א ראשיתא) לְבִנְיָנָא. קַיָּימָא וְלָא קַיָּימָא. עָמִיק וְסָתִים בִּשְׁמָא. לָא אִקְרֵי אֶלָּא מִ"י. בָּעָא לְאִתְגַּלְיָיא וּלְאִתְקְרֵי בִּשְׁמָא (דא) וְאִתְלַבַּשׁ בִּלְבוּשׁ יְקָר דְּנָהִיר וּבָרָא אֵלֶּה, וְסָלִיק אֵלֶּ"ה בִּשְׁמָא. אִתְחַבְּרוּן אַתְוָון אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין וְאִשְׁתְּלִים בִּשְׁמָא אֱלֹהִים. וְעַד לָא בָרָא אֵלֶּה לָא סָלִיק בִּשְׁמָא אֱלֹהִים. וְאִנּוּן דְּחָבוּ בְּעֶגְלָא (נ"א בעלמא). עַל רָזָא דְנָא אָמְרוּ (שמות לכ) אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל.
He further graved within the sacred and mystic lamp a mystic and most holy design, which was a wondrous edifice issuing from the midst of thought. This is called MI, and was the beginning of the edifice, existent and non-existent, deep-buried, unknowable by name. It was only called MI (Who?). It desired to become manifest and to be called by name. It therefore clothed itself in a refulgent and precious garment and created ELeH (these), and ELeH acquired a name. The letters of the two words intermingled, forming the complete name ELoHIM (God). (When the Israelites sinned in making the golden calf, they alluded to this mystery in saying ‘Eleh (these are) thy Gods, O Israel’ (Exod. 32, 4).)
וּכְמָה דְּאִשְׁתַּתַּף מִ"י בְּאֵלֶּה, הָכִי הוּא שְׁמָא דְּאִשְׁתַּתַּף תָּדִיר. וּבְרָזָא דָא אִתְקַיֵּים עָלְמָא. וּפְרַח אֵלִיָּהוּ וְלָא חָמֵינָא לֵיהּ. וּמִנֵּיהּ יְדַעְנָא מִלָּה (דא) דְאוֹקִימְנָא (וקאימנא) עַל רָזָא וְסִתְרָא דִילָהּ. אֲתָא רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְכֻלְהוּ חַבְרַיָיא וְאִשְׁתְּטָחוּ קַמֵּיהּ. בָּכוּ וְאָמְרוּ אִלְמָלֵא לָא אֲתֵינָא לְעָלְמָא אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמַע דָּא דַּיַּי.
And once MI became combined with ELeH, the name remained for all time. And upon this secret the world is built.” Elijah then flew away and vanished out of my sight. And it is from him that I became possessed of this profound mystery.’ R. Eleazar and all the companions came and prostrated themselves before him, weeping for joy and saying, ‘If we had come into the world only to hear this we should have been content.’