R. Abba then began to discourse on the verse: “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth hath he given to the children of men” (Ps. 115, 16). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘contains a difficulty. For would it not have sufficed to say “the heavens are of the Lord”? Why, then, repeat the word “heavens”, and say “the heavens are the heavens”, etc.? But we account for it in this way. There are heavens and heavens; to wit, lower heavens with an earth beneath them, and upper heavens also having an earth beneath them. They constitute upper grades and lower grades, the two being counterparts of each other.
The lower heavens are identical with the ten curtains, to which allusion is made in the words: “Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain” (Ps. 104, 2). The Holy One made them, with the legions that people them, to regulate the affairs of the lower earth. The ninth heaven propels all the lower heavens, which are harnessed to it, as it were, by a chain of links. (The tenth, however, is the chief of them all.)
In each heaven are controlling angels, as far as the seventh; the rest are all illumined by the light that radiates from the Divine Throne, reaching the tenth heaven, whence it is extended towards the ninth and further to the eighth, whence it reaches those below.
It is the light of the eighth which gives to each of the stars, when they are brought out to their places, its requisite light and force. In regard to this it is written: “He that bringeth out their host by number… by the greatness of might” (Isa. 40, 26), the term “greatness of might” referring to the supernal resplendency.
Furthermore, there is in each heaven a chieftain who is in charge of a part of the world and a part of the earth, except the Land of Israel, which is not under the rule of any heaven or any other power but that of the Holy One, blessed be He, alone. But, it may be said, how can the sky over the Land of Israel be without effect, seeing that the Land of Israel receives rain and dew from heaven like any other land?
The explanation is as follows. In the case of other lands, the ruler in each heaven transmits of his power to the earth below through the medium of the heaven under his charge-of that power which he himself has received from the residue left of the supernal source. But the heaven which is over the Holy Land is not ruled by any chieftain or any other power, but is in the sole charge of the Holy One, blessed be He, who Himself directs the affairs of that land from that heaven.
Each heaven is provided with a certain number of portals, and the charge of each chieftain extends from one portal to the next, and he may not encroach on the sphere of his fellow-chieftain by even so much as a hairbreadth, except he receive authorization to exercise dominion over his neighbour; when this happens one king on earth obtains power over another.
There is, besides, in the centre of the whole of the heavens, a door called G’bilon; underneath that door are seventy other doors, with seventy chieftains keeping guard, at a distance from it of two thousand cubits, so that no one should come near it. From that door, again, there is a path mounting higher and ever higher until it reaches the Divine Throne. The same door gives access to all quarters of heaven as far as the gate called Magdon,1ai. Mandon. where is the end of the heaven that extends over the Land of Israel.
All the seventy doors that are inscribed on the door called G’bilan, are called “gates of righteousness”, being under the direct control of the Divine Throne, and no other power; and it is through those gates that the Holy One provides the Land of Israel with all that it needs; and it is from the residue of that provision that the Chieftains take and transmit to all the lower chieftains.
פָּתַח רִבִּי אַבָּא וְאָמַר, כְּתִיב (תהילים קט״ו:ט״ז) הַשָּׁמַיִם שָׁמַיִם לַיְיָ' וְהָאָרֶץ נָתַן לִבְנֵי אָדָם הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, וְהָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֵימַר הַשָּׁמַיִם לַיְיָ', וְהָאָרֶץ נָתַן לִבְנִי אָדָם. מַאי הַשָּׁמָיִם שָׁמַיִם. אֶלָּא הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, בְּגִין דְּאִית שָׁמַיִם, וְאִית שָׁמַיִם. שָׁמַיִם לְתַתָּא, וְאֶרֶץ לְתַתָּא מִנַּיְיהוּ. שָׁמַיִם לְעֵילָּא, וְאֶרֶץ לְתַתָּא מִנַּיְיהוּ. וְכָל דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, כֻּלְּהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין.
R. Abba then began to discourse on the verse: “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth hath he given to the children of men” (Ps. 115, 16). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘contains a difficulty. For would it not have sufficed to say “the heavens are of the Lord”? Why, then, repeat the word “heavens”, and say “the heavens are the heavens”, etc.? But we account for it in this way. There are heavens and heavens; to wit, lower heavens with an earth beneath them, and upper heavens also having an earth beneath them. They constitute upper grades and lower grades, the two being counterparts of each other.
שָׁמַיִם לְתַתָּא, אִינּוּן עֶשֶׂר יְרִיעוֹת, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים ק״ד:ב׳) נוֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם כַּיְרִיעָה. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עֲבַד לוֹן, וּמַשִׁרְיָין דִּי בְּגַוַּויְיהוּ, לְאַנְהָגָא אַרְעָא תַּתָּאָה. תְּשִׁיעָאָה אַנְהִיג לְתַתָּאֵי, דְּסַחֲרָן כְּקוּפְטְרָא דְּקוּלְטָא. עֲשִׁירָאָה, אִיהוּ עִקָּרָא.
The lower heavens are identical with the ten curtains, to which allusion is made in the words: “Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain” (Ps. 104, 2). The Holy One made them, with the legions that people them, to regulate the affairs of the lower earth. The ninth heaven propels all the lower heavens, which are harnessed to it, as it were, by a chain of links. (The tenth, however, is the chief of them all.)
וּבְכֻלְּהוּ מַשִׁירְיָין מְמָנָן עַד שְׁבִיעָאָה. מִשְּׁבִיעָאָה וּלְהָלְאָה, אִית נְהוֹרָא דְּאִתְפָּשַּׁט לְתַתָּא, מִגּוֹ כּוּרְסְיָּיא עִלָּאָה, וְנָהִיר לַעֲשִׂירָאָה. וַעֲשִׂירָאָה, מֵהַהוּא נְהִירוּ דְּנַקְטָא, יָהִיב לִתְשִׁיעָאָה, וְאִיהוּ לִתְמִינָאָה וּלְתַתָּא.
In each heaven are controlling angels, as far as the seventh; the rest are all illumined by the light that radiates from the Divine Throne, reaching the tenth heaven, whence it is extended towards the ninth and further to the eighth, whence it reaches those below.
הַאי תְּמִינָאָה, כַּד אִתְפַּקְדוּן חֵילֵי דְּכוֹכָבַיָּא, וְאַפִּיק לוֹן, הַהוּא נְהִירוּ, קַיְּימָא וְיָהִיב חֵילֵיהּ לְכָל חַד וְחַד, לְאִתְמַנָאָה בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ. דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו מ׳:כ״ו) הַמּוֹצִיא בְּמִסְפָּר צְבָאָם וְגוֹ', מֵרֹב אוֹנִים, דָּא אִיהוּ זֹהֲרָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, דְּאִקְרֵי רוֹב אוֹנִים.
It is the light of the eighth which gives to each of the stars, when they are brought out to their places, its requisite light and force. In regard to this it is written: “He that bringeth out their host by number… by the greatness of might” (Isa. 40, 26), the term “greatness of might” referring to the supernal resplendency.
וּבְכָל רְקִיעָא וּרְקִיעָא, אִית מְמָנָא, וְאִתְפְּקַד עַל עָלְמָא, וְעַל אַרְעָא, לְאַנְהָגָא כֹּלָּא. בַּר אַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּלָא אַנְהִיג לָהּ רְקִיעָא, וְלָא חֵילָא אַחֲרָא, אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ. וְאִי תֵּימָא הֵיךְ שַׁרְיָא לְמַגָּנָא רְקִיעָא עַל אַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהָא מִטְרָא וְטָלָא מֵרְקִיעָא נָחִית עָלָה, כִּשְׁאַר כָּל אַרְעָא אַחֲרָא.
Furthermore, there is in each heaven a chieftain who is in charge of a part of the world and a part of the earth, except the Land of Israel, which is not under the rule of any heaven or any other power but that of the Holy One, blessed be He, alone. But, it may be said, how can the sky over the Land of Israel be without effect, seeing that the Land of Israel receives rain and dew from heaven like any other land?
אֶלָּא, בְכָל רְקִיעָא וּרְקִיעָא אִית מְמָנָן שַׁלְטִין עַל עָלְמָא, וְהַהוּא מְמָנָא דְּשַׁלְטָא עַל הַהוּא רְקִיעָא, יָהִיב מֵחֵילָא דְּאִית לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא רְקִיעָא בְּגִין לְמֵיחָב לְתַתָּא, וְהַהוּא רְקִיעָא נָקִיט מֵהַהוּא מְמָנָא, וְיָהִיב לְתַתָּא לְאַרְעָא. וְהַהוּא מְמָנָא לָא נָקִיט, אֶלָּא מִתַּמְצִית דִּלְעֵילָּא. אֲבָל אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, לָא שַׁלִּיט עַל הַהוּא רְקִיעָא דְּעָלֵיהּ מְמָנָא אַחֲרָא, וְלָא חֵילָא אַחֲרָא, אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי וְאִיהוּ פָּקִיד לְאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּהַהוּא רְקִיעָא.
The explanation is as follows. In the case of other lands, the ruler in each heaven transmits of his power to the earth below through the medium of the heaven under his charge-of that power which he himself has received from the residue left of the supernal source. But the heaven which is over the Holy Land is not ruled by any chieftain or any other power, but is in the sole charge of the Holy One, blessed be He, who Himself directs the affairs of that land from that heaven.
בְּכָל רְקִיעָא וּרְקִיעָא, אִית פִּתְחִין יְדִיעָן, וְשׁוּלְטָנוּ דְּכָל מְמָנָן, מִפִּתְחָא לְפִתְחָא רְשִׁימָא, וּמֵהַהוּא פִּתְחָא וּלְהַלָּן, לָא שַׁלְטָא אֲפִילּוּ כִּמְלֹא נִימָא, וְלָא עָאל דָּא, (אפילו) בִּתְחוּמָא דְּפִתְחָא דְּחַבְרֵיהּ, בַּר כַּד אִתְיְהִיב לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ, לְשַׁלְּטָאָה חַד עַל חַבְרֵיהּ. כְּדֵין, שַׁלְטִין מַלְכִין דִּי בְּאַרְעָא, חַד עַל חַבְרֵיהּ.
Each heaven is provided with a certain number of portals, and the charge of each chieftain extends from one portal to the next, and he may not encroach on the sphere of his fellow-chieftain by even so much as a hairbreadth, except he receive authorization to exercise dominion over his neighbour; when this happens one king on earth obtains power over another.
בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ רְקִיעִין, אִית פִּתְחָא חֲדָא, דְּאִקְרֵי גְּבִילוֹ"ן, וּתְחוֹת הַאי פִּתְחָא, אִית שִׁבְעִין פִּתְחִין אַחֲרָנִין לְתַתָּא, וְשִׁבְעִין מְמָנִין נַטְרִין, מֵרָחִיק תְּרֵי אַלְפִין אַמִּין, דְּלָא קְרָבִין לְגַבֵּיהּ. וּמֵהַהוּא פִּתְחָא אָרְחָא סָלִיק לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא, עַד דִּי מָטָא לְגוֹ כּוּרְסְיָּיא עִלָּאָה, וּמֵהַהוּא פִּתְחָא לְכָל סִטְרִין דִּרְקִיעָא, עַד תַּרְעָא דְּפִתְחָא דְּאִקְרֵי מַגְדוֹ"ן, (ס"א מנדו"ן) דְּתַּמָּן אִיהוּ סִיּוּמָא דִּרְקִיעָא דִּתְחוּמָא דְּאַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
There is, besides, in the centre of the whole of the heavens, a door called G’bilon; underneath that door are seventy other doors, with seventy chieftains keeping guard, at a distance from it of two thousand cubits, so that no one should come near it. From that door, again, there is a path mounting higher and ever higher until it reaches the Divine Throne. The same door gives access to all quarters of heaven as far as the gate called Magdon,1ai. Mandon. where is the end of the heaven that extends over the Land of Israel.
וְכָל אִינּוּן ע' פִּתְחִין, דִּרְשִׁימִין גּוֹ הַהוּא פִּתְחָא דְּאִקְרֵי גְּבִילוֹ"ן, כֻּלְּהוּ רְשִׁימִין בְּכוּרְסְיָּיא קַדִּישָׁא, וְכֻלְּהוּ קָרִינָן לוֹן שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק, דְּלָא שַׁלִּיט אַחֲרָא עָלַיְיהוּ. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא פָּקִיד לְאַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַהוּא רְקִיעָא, מִפִּתְחָא לְפִתְחָא, בִּפְקִידוּ כְּמָה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ. (קמ"א ע"א) וּמִתַמְצִיתָא דְּהַהוּא פְּקִידָא, נַטְלִין אִינּוּן שִׁבְעִין מְמָנָן, וְיָהֲבִין לְכֻלְּהוּ מְמָנָן אַחֲרָנִין.
All the seventy doors that are inscribed on the door called G’bilan, are called “gates of righteousness”, being under the direct control of the Divine Throne, and no other power; and it is through those gates that the Holy One provides the Land of Israel with all that it needs; and it is from the residue of that provision that the Chieftains take and transmit to all the lower chieftains.