קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְסָלְקִין וְאִתְעֲבִידוּ אַרְצוֹת הַחַיִּים. וְנַחְתִין וּמִתְעַטְּרִין לְגַבֵּי אֶרֶץ חַד, וְאִתְחַדַּשׁ וְאִתְעֲבִיד כֹּלָא אֶרֶץ חֲדָשָׁה מֵהַהִיא מִלָּה דְּאִתְחַדַּשׁ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.

On this subject, it is written, "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I - make, shall remain before Me, says the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain" (Isaiah 66:22). He does not say 'I have made,' but rather "I make," He constantly makes, from the secrets and the new teachings of the Torah.

וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו ס״ו:כ״ב) כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר הַשָּׁמַיִם הַחֲדָשִׁים וְהָאָרֶץ הַחֲדָשָׁה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה עוֹמְדִים לְפָנַי וְגו'. עָשִׂיתִי לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא עוֹשֶׂה, דְּעֲבִיד תָּדִיר מֵאִנּוּן חִדּוּשִׁין וְרָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו נ״א:ט״ו-ט״ז) וָאָשִׂים דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ וּבְצֵל יָדִי כִּסִּיתִיךָ לִנְטֹעַ שָׁמַיִם וְלִיסוֹד אָרֶץ. הַשָּׁמַיִם לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא שָׁמָיִם.

And on this subject, it is written, "And I have put My words in your mouth, and I have covered you in the shadow of My hand, that I may plant heavens, and lay the foundations of earth" (Is 51:16). He does not say "the heavens," but rather "heavens."

אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר מַהוּ וּבְצֵל יָדִי כִּסִּיתִיךָ. אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְאִתְמָסַר אוֹרַיְיתָא לְמשֶׁה, אָתוּ כַּמָּה רִבּוֹא דְּמַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאִין לְאוֹקְדָא לֵיהּ בְּשַׁלְהוֹבָא דְפוּמְהוֹן, עַד דְּחֲפָא עֲלֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְהַשְׁתָּא דְהַאי מִלָּה סָלְקָא וְאִתְעַטְּרַת וְקָיְימָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אִיהוּ חָפֵי עַל הַהִיא מִלָּה וְכַסֵּי עַל הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע לְגַבַּיְיהוּ אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְלָא יְקַנְּאוּן לְגַבֵּיהּ עַד דְּאִתְעֲבִיד מֵהַהִיא מִלָּה שָׁמַיִם חֲדָשִׁים וְאֶרֶץ חֲדָשָׁה הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וּבְצֵל יָדִי כִּסִּיתִיךָ לִנְטוֹעַ שָׁמַיִם וְלִיסוֹד אָרֶץ. מִכָּאן דְּכָל מִלָּה דְסָתִים מֵעֵינָא סָלְקָא לְתוֹעַלְתָּא עִלָּאָה הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו נ״א:ט״ז) וּבְצֵל יָדִי כִּסִּיתִיךָ. וְאַמַּאי אִתְחֲפֵי וְאִתְכַּסֵּי מֵעֵינָא, בְּגִין לְתוֹעַלְתָּא עִלָּאָה. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב לִנְטוֹעַ שָׁמַיִם וְלִיסוֹד אָרֶץ כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר.

Rabbi Elazar then asked, what is the meaning of "I have covered you in the shadow of My hand?" He told him, when the Torah was given to Moses, many tens of thousands of angels on high were about to burn him with the flames of their mouths, but the Holy One, blessed be He, protected him. So now, when the new explanation on the Torah is uttered, the saying rises up, is crowned, and then stands before the Holy One, blessed be He. And He guards that saying and shelters the person who said it so that it may be known only to Him and to stop the angels from envying him until a new heaven and earth are made from that saying. So it says, "I have covered you in the shadow of My hand, that I may plant heavens, and lay the foundations of earth." And from this we learn that everything which is hidden from the eye has a supernal advantage, as expressed in "I have covered you in the shadow of My hand." But why should it be covered and hidden out of sight? So that it may receive the supernal advantage. As it says, "that I may plant heavens and lay the foundations of earth," as we have learned.

וְלֵאמֹר לְצִיּוֹן עַמִּי אָתָּה. וְלֵאמֹר לְאִנּוּן תַּרְעִין וּמִלִּין דִּמְצוּיָינִין אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין עַמִּי אָתָּה. אַל תִּקְרֵי (בתיקון יח דף לה ב) עַמִּי אָתָּה, אֶלָּא עִמִּי אָתָּה לְמֶהוֵי שׁוּתָּפָא עִמִּי, מָה אֲנָא בְּמִלּוּלָא דִילִי עֲבָדִית שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (תהילים ל״ג:ו׳) בִּדְבַר יְיָ שָׁמַיִם נַעַשִׂוּ, אוּף הָכִי אַתְּ. זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְאִי תֵימָא דְּמִלָּה דְכָל בַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא יָדַע עָבִיד דָּא.

"And say to Zion, You are My people" [Is. 51:16]. The phrase "and say to Zion" — to those gates and those words that are stated one by the other, "You are My people" [Hebrew ami atah]. Do not pronounce it ami atah but rather imi atah, "be My partner." Just as I have made the heavens and the earth with My words, as is written, "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made" (Ps. 33:6), so shall you. Happy are those who occupy themselves in the Torah.

תָּא חֲזֵי, הַהוּא דְּלָאו אָרְחֵיהּ (יתרו פ''ז א) בְּרָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְחִדֵּשׁ מִלִּין דְּלָא יְדַע עַל בּוּרְיֵיהוֹן כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, הַהִיא מִלָּה סַלְקָא וְנָפִיק לְגַבֵּי הַהִיא מִלָה (משלי ט״ז:כ״ח) אִישׁ תַּהְפּוּכוֹת לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר, מִגּוֹ נוּקְבָא דִתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא וְדָלִיג חֲמֵשׁ מְאָה פַּרְסֵי לְקַבְּלָא לְהַהִיא מִלָּה וְנָטִיל לָהּ וְאָזִיל בְּהַהִיא מִלָּה לְגוֹ נוּקְבֵיהּ וְעָבִיד בָּהּ רְקִיעָא דְשָׁוְא דְּאִקְרֵי תֹּהוּ. וְטָס בְּהַהוּא רְקִיעָא הַהוּא אִישׁ תַּהְפּוּכוֹת שִׁיתָּא אַלְפֵי פַּרְסֵי בְּזִמְנָא חָדָא. כֵּיוָן דְּהַאי רְקִיעָא דְשָׁוְא קָאִים נָפְקַת מִיָּד (פקודי ער''ה) אֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים וְאַתְקִיף בְּהַהוּא רְקִיעָא דְשָׁוְא (נ''א היא) (נ''א ואיש תהפוכות) וְאִשְׁתַּתְּפַת בֵּיהּ וּמִתַּמָּן נָפְקַת וְקָטְלַת כַּמָּה אֲלָפִין וְרִבְוָון, בְּגִין דְּכַד קָיְימַת בְּהַהוּא רְקִיעָא אִית לָהּ רְשׁוּ וִיכָלְתָּא לְמֶהֱוֵי טָס כָּל עָלְמָא בְּרִגְעָא חֲדָא.

And so, you may say that those words, by any person, [even] one who is ignorant, have the same effect. Come and see, however, what happens when a person who is not familiar with the secrets of the Torah brings forth a new explanation of which he does not know the exact truth, as he should. Under those circumstances, that word rises upward, and "a perverse man" (Proverbs 16:29), 'a lying tongue' goes forth to grab it. He emerges from the cavern of the great abyss, makes a leap of 500 parasangs to receive that word, then grabs it, returns with it to his female partner, and makes a false heaven out of it, which is called Tohu [Chaos]. The perverse one then flies in that heaven, traversing 6,000 parasangs in one bound. And as soon as this false heaven is formed, a wife of harlotry emerges, seizes onto this false heaven, and joins it. From there, she leaves to slay by the thousands and tens of thousands. Because as long as she appends herself to this heaven, she has the authority and the ability to fly and traverse the whole world in an instant.

וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו ה׳:י״ח) הוֹי מוֹשְׁכֵי הֶעָוֹן בְּחַבְלֵי הַשְּׁוָא. הֶעָוֹן דָּא דְכוּרָא. וְכַעֲבוֹת הָעֲגָלָה חַטָּאָה. מַאן חַטָּאָה, דָּא נוּקְבָא דְאִקְרֵי חַטָּאָה. אִיהוּ מָשִׁיךְ הַהוּא דְאִקְרֵי עָוֹן בְּאִנּוּן חַבְלֵי הַשָּׁוְא. וּלְבָתַר כַּעֲבוֹת הָעֲגָלָה חַטָּאָה, לְהַהִיא נוּקְבָא דְאִקְרֵי חַטָּאָה, דְּתַמָּן אִתְתַּקְפַת לְמֶהוֵי טָס לְקַטְלָא בְּנֵי נָשָׁא. וְעַל דָּא (משלי ז׳:כ״ו) כִּי רַבִּים חֲלָלִים הִפִּילָה, מַאן הִפִּילָה, דָּא הַהִיא חַטָּאָה דְּקָטְלִית בְּנֵי נְשָׁא. מָאן גָּרִים דָּא, תַּלְמִיד חָכָם דְּלָא מָטֵי לְהוֹרָאָה וּמוֹרֶה, רַחֲמָנָא לִשֵּׁזְבָן.

And on this subject, it is written, "Woe to them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity" (Is. 5:18). "Iniquity" is related to the [perverse] man. "And sin as it were with a cart rope". What is sin? This is the female, namely the wife of harlotry. The gender is implied in the phrase, "and sin as it were with a cart rope." He [who sins] draws iniquity, [the Qlippoth], with these cords of vanity. And afterwards: "draws sin as it were with a cart rope." - that female, who is called "sin" - as she grows strong and flies off to slay human beings. Therefore, "she has cast down many deadly wounded" (Proverbs 7:26). Who "has cast down?" That sin that slays human beings. And who caused all this? The student of the law who did not earn the right to teach, but does so [anyway]. So may the Merciful One save us!

אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְחַבְרַיָא בְּמָטוּתָא מִנַּיְיכוֹ דְּלָא תַפְקוּן מִפּוּמַיְיכוּ מִלָּה דְאוֹרַיְיתָא דְלָא (יתרו פ''ז א') יְדַעְתּוּן וְלָא שְׁמַעְתּוּן מֵאִילָנָא רַבְרְבָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, בְּגִין דְּלָא תֶהווֹן גָּרְמִין לְהַהוּא חַטָּאָה לְקַטְלָא אֻכְלוֹסִין דְּבַּר נָשׁ לְמַגָּנָא. פָּתְחוּ כֻּלְהוֹן וְאָמְרוּ רַחֲמָנָא לִשֵּׁזְבָן, רַחֲמָנָא לִשֵּׁזְבָן.

Rabbi Shimon said to all the friends, I beg of you all not to utter any words of the Torah which you did not hear from a great tree and did not learn properly. So that you may not be the cause of that wife of harlotry slaying multitudes of human beings without reason! They all answered: May the Merciful One save us all!

תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ דִּכְתִיב, (משלי ח׳:ל׳) וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ אָמוֹן וָאֶהְיֶה שַׁעֲשׁוּעִים יוֹם יוֹם וְאִיהוּ אִסְתַּכַּל בָּהּ זִמְנָא וּתְרֵין וּתְלָתָא וְאַרְבַּע זִמְנִין, וּלְבָתַר אָמַר לוֹן, וּלְבָתַר עָבִיד בָּהּ עֲבִידְתָּא. לְאוּלְפָא לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא דְּלָא יִיִתוֹן לְמִטְעֵי בָּהּ. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (איוב כ״ח:כ״ז-כ״ח) אָז רָאָהּ וַיְסַפְּרָהּ הכִינָהּ וְגַם חֲקָרָהּ וַיֹּאמֶר לָאָדָם. וְלָקֳבֵיל אַרְבַּע זִמְנִין אִנּוּן דִּכְתִיב, אָז רָאָהּ, וַיְסַפְּרָהּ, הכִינָהּ, וְגַם חֲקָרָהּ, בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מַה דְּבָרָא. וְעַד לָא אַפִּיק עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ, אָעִיל אַרְבַּע תֵּבִין בְּקַדְמִיתָא דִּכְתִיב בְּ'רֵאשִׁית בָּ'רָא אֱ'לֹהִים אֶ'ת, הָא אַרְבַּע. וּלְבָתַר הַשָּׁמַיִם. אִנּוּן לָקֳבֵיל אַרְבַּע זִמְנִין דְּאִסְתַּכַּל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאוֹרַיְתָא עַד לָא יָפִּיק עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ לְאוּמְנוּתֵיהּ.

Come and see, the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world using the Torah. And this has been explained in the verse, "Then I was by Him as a nurseling, and I was daily all His delight" (Prov. 8:30). He looked at the Torah once, twice, and thrice. The fourth time He addressed them. Eventually, He used the Torah to teach people how not to be misled and to misunderstand it. As it is written, "Then He saw and declared it; He established it and searched it out. And He said to man..." [Job 28:27-28] So according to these four times, expressed as, "Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and searched it out," The Holy One created what He had created. And He did not accomplish His mission until He brought forth four words. Therefore it is written, "In the beginning Elohim created the..." (Gen 1:1) which contains four words [in Hebrew]. After that, "heaven". So these correspond to the four times that the Holy One, blessed be He, looked into the Torah before He brought his works into actuality.

רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הֲוָה אָזִיל לְמֶחמֵי לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקוֹנְיָא חֲמוֹי

Rabbi Elazar was on his way to visit his father-in-law, Rabbi Yossi, the son of Rabbi Shimon, son of Lakunya,