The cubit, the upper world, and two kinds of death · Lines 1–9
Oxford Great Parchment:
חמש עשרה אמה ולא אמות כי אמה כת"ר עליון ויכסו ההרים ויגוע מיתה מעולה ויגוע ויאסף כל אשר בחרבה מתו
TranslationLineHebrew transcription
in the bride. This is what the author intended by “cubit,” not “cubits”; for had he said “cubits,”1
1
בכלה ועל זה כיון המחבר אמה לא אמות שאם היה אומ' אמות היה
the intended reference would have been to Atarah, included in this name, which is Yah, and he would not have said [illegible] [illegible],
2
המכוון לע' הנכללת בזה השם שהוא יה' ולא היה אומ' <..> <..>
for the world would follow its usual course. Rather, “the mountains were covered”—they are the upper world—by
3
כי יהיה עולם כמנהגו נוהג ﭏא ויכסו ההרים שהם עולם העליון מן
that radiance likened to water. Concerning this the author said “he expired,” a superior death.2
4
הזוהר ההוא הנמשל למים ועל זה אמ' המחבר ויגוע מיתה מעולה
“He expired and was gathered”: whoever [was among] all those in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, emanated from Binah,
5
ויגוע ויאסף מי כל אשר נשמת רוח חיים באפיו הנאצלה מהבינה
as it says, “The breath of the Almighty gives them understanding”—those rose to their place, like a person who draws back
6
כדא' ונשמת שדי תבינם אותם נתעלו אל מקומם כאדם שמחזיר
his wing [?]. But the other kinds of animals, since the substance [?] of their spirit emanates from something outside
7
כנפו[?] · אמנם שאר מיני בעלי חיים כי עצם[?] רוחם נאצל מדבר חוץ
the Chariot, do not endure forever. Therefore he said “on dry ground,” for from there [come] destruction
8
למרכבה אינם קיימים לעולם לכן אמ' בחרבה כי משם החרבן
and wars. He also mentioned death, for from there death rolls down to all who enter the world.
9
והמלחמות · והזכיר גם כן מיתה כי משם תתגלגל המיתה לכל באי עולם ·
Remembrance, living creatures, and the tongue · Lines 16–23
Oxford Great Parchment:
ויזכור אלהים את נח דבק על כן נהנו ממנו כל החיה בעלת שפע יניקה והבהמה הולכת על ארבע יתרון הלשון
TranslationLineHebrew transcription
“God remembered Noah”—cleaving; for “remembered” is an expression of [?] “Yah [?] has remembered us.” “God” [is] Atarah.4
16
ויזכר ﭏהים את נח דבק כי ויזכר מלשון[?] יה'[?] זכרנו · ﭏהים הע'
Thus you have the agents [?], the universal ones [?], and the upper world. This is what he intended by “cleaving,” for they are united
17
הרי לך הפועלים[?] הכללים[?] ועולם העליון ועל זה כיון דבק כי מיוחדים
in mercy. Therefore all the living creatures benefited from him, for from the radiance [?], and [that] which was added to the human being [?],
18
הם ברחמים · על כן נהנו ממנו כל החיה כי מהצוהר[?] ושניתוסף לאדם[?]
[it] spreads to the other creatures. Yet the wild animal possesses four [unresolved construction], [with] a greater drawing of divine abundance
19
מתפשט לשאר בריות · אמנם החייה היא בעלת ד' יניקת שפע ﭏהי יותר
than the domesticated animal that walks on four, corresponding to the four elements. Although the wild animal walks
20
מן הבהמה ההולכת על ארבע כנגד ד' יסודות אפי' שהחייה הולכת
on four, the elements are not as coarse [literally: “mighty”] as in the domesticated animal. Therefore the palace [?] [has]
21
על ארבע אינם היסודות כל כך כבירים כמו בבהמה על כן היכל[?]
a greater drawing of divine abundance than the domesticated animal. Yet the tongue—which [means] the birds—for [illegible] ⟨advantage [?]⟩,
22
יניקת שפע ﭏהי יותר מן הבהמה · אמנם הלשון שהם העופות כי א<..> ⟨יתרון[?]⟩
[they are] closer in their activity to human activity than the kind [?] of wild animal and the kind [?] of domesticated animal.
23
יותר קרובים בפעולתם אל פעולת האדם ממין[?] החייה ומין[?] הבהמה :
Judgment, bitter waters, and the tenth · Lines 24–30
Oxford Great Parchment:
ובעמק יהושפט הוא עמק המלך לתת לאיש לפי מעלליו כי גמול ידיו יעשה לו והמים המרים היו הלוך וחסור עד העשירי והעשירי יהיה קדש לייי' וכלם וכלם קדש
TranslationLineHebrew transcription
“In the valley of Jehoshaphat,” which alludes to Atarah [?], “it is the king’s valley,” which is the middle line.5
24
ובעמק יהושפט שהוא רמז לע'[?] הוא עמק המלך שהוא קו' האמצעי
And the Name [?] gives to each and every one of the lower kinds according to its deeds [?]; and the recompense of [?]
25
והש'[?] נותן לכל אחד ואחד מן המינים השפלים כפי מעלליו[?] וגמול[?]
his hands shall be done to them, at the time of [?] the great judgment. “The waters,” the bitter ones, “continued to diminish,” and so forth, through6
26
ידיו יעשה להם בשת[?] דין הגדול · והמים המרים הלוך וחסור וכו' עד
“You shall not drink bitter waters.” The bitter waters are the great judgment, but [?] they [?] were boiling;
27
ומים מרים לא תשתה והמים המרים הם דין הג' אבל[?] נהם[?] רותחים
they “continued to diminish”—the power of the great judgment grows less—“until the tenth,” until there rises
28
היו הלוך וחסור · מתמעט כח הדין הגדול · עד עשירי עד שיעלה
the channel [?] to Thought, which is tenth. “The tenth shall be holy to the Lord,” for [illegible]
29
הצינור[?] אל המחשבה שהוא עשירי · והעשירי יהיה קדש ליי כי מ<..>
stands [?] forgiveness. In any case, all of them are holy; that is, all the hypostases are holy. Therefore
30
עמד[?] הסליחה מכל מקום כלם קדש כלומ' כל ההויות הם קודש · לכן
The bush, the shoe, and the serpent · Lines 31–36
Oxford Great Parchment:
ושל נעליך ולא יבער הסנה וקח הנחש ויהיה למטה בכפך
TranslationLineHebrew transcription
he said to Moses, “Remove your shoe,” and “the bush shall not burn.” That is, there is nothing compelled [?]7
31
אמ' למשה · של נעלך · ולא יבער הסנה כלומ' אין שום דבר הכרחי[?]
above, nor any change, for change comes from those below. Therefore he said to him: although [?]
32
למעלה ולא שום שינוי כי השינוי מגיע מן התחתונים לכן אמ' לו אעפ'[?]
fire has been permitted to destroy according to the deeds of those below [?], it is “remove your shoe,” which is
33
שניתן רשות לאש לחבל · כפי המעשה התחתונים[?] הוא של נעלך שהוא
the mystery [?] of the foreskin [?] and the material powers. “The bush shall not burn” means that the attribute alluded to
34
סוד[?] הע'דלה[?] והכוחות החמריות · ולא יבער הסנה ר"ל לא יפעול מה' הנרמזת
by the bush will not act according to its power, but will turn toward [conjectural expansion: mercy] [?] for the sake of those below; then you will rule
35
בסנה כפי כחה אבל יתהפך למד'[?] בעבור התחתונים ואז תהיה שולט
over the serpent. “It became a staff in your hand” [?] means that [?] all accusers will become defenders [?]; and Atarah,
36
על הנחש · ויהי למטה בכפך[?] ר"ל ש[?]כל הקטיגורין יהיו סניגורין[?] והע'
The hand, the river, and the princes of the nations · Lines 37–46
Oxford Great Parchment:
והיד שבה כבשר ולא תשוב מי היאור לדם כי לא יכלו מצרים לשתות ממימי היאור. והדגה אשר ביאור תמות ובאש
TranslationLineHebrew transcription
alluded to by the staff, will be a shield over you [?] against them. “The hand returned to being flesh” means Miriam,8
37
הנרמזת במטה יהיה מגן עליך[?] כנגדם · והיד שבה כבשר ר"ל מרים
who is the moon [?]: although she is leprous as snow, which alludes to the severity of judgment, by your merit [?]
38
שהיא הלב'[?] אעפ' שהיא מצורעת כשלג הרומז אל קושי הדין בזכותך[?]
she returned to being flesh, which alludes to [conjectural expansion: redness] [?]. “You shall not turn the waters of the river to blood.” That is, the river, which is the attribute,9
39
שבה כבשר הרומז לאד'[?] ולא תשוב מי היאור לדם · כל' היאור שהוא מה'
you shall not turn to blood, which alludes to the serpent’s pollution, which is a grade [?], a harsh attribute. “For
40
לא תשוב לדם הרומז לזוהמת הנחש שהוא מדה[?] מה' קשה · כי לא
Egypt will not be able to drink from the waters [?] of the river.” That is, if Atarah becomes a harsh attribute, then it is
41
יוכלו לשתות מצרים מימימי[?] היאור ר"ל אם יהיה הע' מה' קשה אז היא
a consuming fire [that consumes] all the fires, which allude to the princes of the nations. No nation falls
42
אש אוכלה כל האישים שהם רומזים לשרי האומות ואין אומה נופלת
below until its prince above falls; Egypt will not be able to drink the waters of [?]
43
למטה עד שיפול שרו שלמעלה ולא יוכלו לשתות מצרים מימי[?]
[A short row of filler strokes; no text.]
44
(short row of line-filler strokes
כ כ כ …, no text)the river, for they have no share in the house of the Lord and in his treasuries [?]. “The fish in the river will die,
45
היאור כי אין להם חלק בבית ה' ובאוצרותיו[?] · והדגה אשר ביאור תמות
and [it] will stink.” That is, the fish, who are the princes of the nations, who receive—
46
ובאש כל' הדגה שהם שרי האומות המקבלים
Flow, judgment, and recipients
| Passage | Claim of the JTS commentary | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| 1–9 | The superior death returns souls to their source in Binah. | The opening and the “wing” comparison retain textual gaps. |
| 10–23 | Noah and the ark have one meaning; divine abundance reaches other creatures. | The identification of the tongue with birds is retained without a conjectural repair. |
| 24–36 | Judgment diminishes as the channel rises; all hypostases remain holy. | The claim that there is no change above stands beside language of turning toward mercy. |
| 37–46 | Miriam, the river, and the nations’ princes model degrees of judgment. | Several abbreviations remain uncertain; the final sentence continues on 81b. |
Notes
- The opening completes 80b:54, “they apprehended only … in the bride.” Genesis 7:20 uses singular אמה after fifteen. The commentary contrasts this with plural אמות and associates the divine name with Atarah; the unfinished wording in line 2 prevents a complete reconstruction. יה = 10 + 5 = 15. Oxford’s explicit כתר עליון is a parallel, not a replacement for the JTS explanation. The abbreviation ע׳ is expanded as Atarah provisionally, following the local transcription notes. Biblical, numerical, and comparative note. ↩
- The exposition combines the Flood’s ויגוע (Genesis 7:21) with the patriarchal death formula ויגוע ויאסף (Genesis 25:8). Genesis 7:22 supplies the breath of life and dry ground; Job 32:8 supplies “the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.” The commentary distinguishes a superior death, in which souls return to Binah, from the extinction of animal spirits derived outside the Chariot. The word חרבה, “dry ground,” is linked to חורבן, “destruction.” Line 7’s “wing” remains uncertain. Biblical and lexical note. ↩
- Genesis 7:23 supplies Noah and the ark; Isaiah 3:11 supplies recompense. The image reads “with his sons … six extremities,” replacing the earlier “with a belly … two extremities.” The text calls the Righteous One “seventh”; it is not silently renumbered to fit another sefirotic order. Image review also gives “at the head of the corner,” echoing Psalm 118:22. Two kings sharing one crown recalls b. Hullin 60b. The interlinear “seventh” takes precedence over the struck word, but the uncertain reading of that deletion is still shown. “Will delight” is provisional. Biblical, rabbinic, and textual note. ↩
- Genesis 8:1 supplies God’s remembrance of Noah and the creatures. Psalm 115:12 has “the Lord has remembered us,” but the abbreviation transcribed יה׳ remains uncertain and is not replaced with the biblical spelling. The reading דבק, “cleaving,” is supported by the line image and Oxford. Lines 17–23 connect divine unity with the distribution of abundance among creatures. The isolated ד׳ in line 19 and היכל[?] in line 21 are not silently repaired. Line 22 reads הלשון, “the tongue,” in both the image and Oxford; the exposition identifies it with birds. This difficult identification is retained. The interlinear יתרון, “advantage,” may belong beside the lemma, as in Oxford, but remains at its manuscript line position. Wild and domesticated animals are distinguished by the relative coarseness of the four elements. Biblical and image-review note. ↩
- The valley of Jehoshaphat recalls Joel 4:2, 12 (English numbering 3:2, 12); “the king’s valley” is Genesis 14:17. Recompense according to deeds recalls Jeremiah 17:10, and the recompense of hands is from Isaiah 3:11. The change from singular “his hands” to plural “to them” is in JTS and is retained; Oxford instead has “to him.” Atarah and “the Name” expand uncertain abbreviations. Biblical, comparative, and textual note. ↩
- Genesis 8:3–5 supplies diminishing waters and the tenth month. The adjective “bitter” is part of the mystical recasting; compare the bitter waters of Numbers 5:18. Leviticus 27:32 supplies the tenth being holy. Image review replaces the unintelligible lemma ען יעשהו[?] with עד עשירי, “until the tenth”; Oxford has עד העשירי. The “forgiveness” phrase in line 30 has no counterpart in this Oxford passage and remains syntactically incomplete. No numerical equation is asserted here: “tenth” is an ordinal assigned to Thought. Biblical, image-review, and comparative note. ↩
- Exodus 3:5 supplies removing the shoes, but JTS and the English retain the singular. Exodus 3:2 says that the bush was not consumed; the base text recasts it as “the bush shall not burn.” The exposition locates change in the lower recipients rather than above, while still describing a change toward mercy in the following lines. This tension is retained. The staff and hand refer to Exodus 4:4; JTS has second-person “your hand,” not the biblical “his hand.” Biblical and interpretive note. ↩
- Exodus 4:6–7 describes Moses’ hand becoming leprous and returning to flesh; Numbers 12:10 describes Miriam as leprous as snow. The commentary joins the two scenes and provisionally identifies Miriam with the moon. “Redness” in line 39 is a conjectural expansion of אד׳; “flesh” is not silently translated as mercy. The accusation/defense vocabulary in line 36 is juridical, but no specific rabbinic quotation is claimed. Biblical and textual note. ↩
- Exodus 4:9 and 7:17–21 describe water becoming blood. Here the negative “you shall not turn” is shared by JTS and Oxford; it must not be normalized to the biblical positive event. JTS uses תשוב rather than a regular causative form; the transitive English follows the exposition’s address to Moses, with that grammatical difficulty left explicit here. The repeated מימימי in line 41 remains uncertain. “A consuming fire” echoes Deuteronomy 4:24. The princes are the heavenly counterparts of nations; the claim that a nation falls only after its prince does is preserved without assigning an unverified exact rabbinic source. The sentence about receiving abundance continues at 81b:1. Biblical, comparative, and syntactic note. ↩