(ג) נָחֲתוּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא וּנְשָׁקוּהוּ. אָמְרוּ וּמַה כָּל חָכְמְתָא דָא אִית תְּחוֹת יְדָךְ וְאַתְּ טָעִין אַבַּתְרִין. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ מָאן אַנְתְּ. אָמַר לוֹן לָא תִשְׁאֲלוּן מָאן אֲנָא, אֶלָּא אֲנָא וְאַתּוּן נֵיזֵל וְנִתְעַסֵּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְכָל חַד יִיִמָא מִלִּין דְּחָכְמְתָא לְאַנְהָרָא אוֹרְחָא. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ מָאן יָהַב לָךְ לְמֵיזַל הָכָא וּלְמֶהֱוֵי (ולמהוי) טָעוּן (טעין) בְּחַמְרֵי, אָמַר לוֹן יוּ''ד עֲבַד קְרָבָא בִּתְרֵין אַתְוָון בְּכָ''ף וְסַמַ''ךְ לְאִתְקַשְׁרָא בַּהַדָּאי (נ''א כחדא). כָּ''ף לָא בָּעָא לְאִסְתַּלָּקָא וּלְאִתְקַשָּׁרָא בָּתַר (נ''א באתר) דְּלָא יָכְלָא לְמֶהֱוֵי רִגְעָא חָדָא אֶלָּא בֵּיהּ. סָמֶ''ךְ לָא בָעָא לְאִסְתַּלָּקָא בְּגִין לְסַעֲדָא לְאִנּוּן דְּנָפְלִין דְּהָא בְּלִי סָמֶ''ךְ לָא יָכְלִין לְמֶהֱוֵי.
(ד) יוּ''ד אֲתָא לְגַבָּאי יְחִידָאָה נָשִׁיק לִי וְגַפִּיף לִי בָּכָה עִמִּי וְאָמַר לִי בְּרִי מָה אַעֲבִיד לָךְ, אֲבָל הָא אֲנָא אִסְתַּלַּק וְאֲנָא אִתְמְלֵי מִכַּמָּה טָבִין וְאַתְוָון טְמִירִין עִלָּאִין יַקִּירִין, בָּתַר כֵּן אַיְתֵי לְגַבָּךְ וְאֲנָא אֶהֱוֵי סְעִיד לָךְ וְאֶתֶּן לָךְ אַחְסַנְתָּא דִּתְרֵין אַתְוָון עִלָּאִין יַתִּיר מֵאִלֵּין דְּאִסְתַּלָּקוּ דְּאִנּוּן י''ש יוּ''ד עִלָּאָה וְשִׁי''ן עִלָּאָה לְמֶהוֵי לָךְ אוֹצְרִין מַלְיָיא מִכֹּל. וּבְגִין כָּךְ בְּרִי זִיל וְהֱוֵי טְעִין חַמְרֵי. וְעַל דָּא אֲנָא אָזִיל בְּכָךְ.
(ה) חָדוּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא וּבָכוּ וְאָמְרוּ זִיל רְכִיב וְאֲנַן נַטְעִין אַבַּתְרָךְ. אָמַר לוֹן וְלָא אֲמָרִית לְכוֹן דְּפִּיקוּדָא דְּמַלְכָּא אִיהוּ עַד דְּיֵיתֵי הַהוּא דְטָעַן (דטעין) חַמְרֵי. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ הָא שְׁמָךְ לָא אָמַרְתְּ לָן, אֲתַר בֵּית מוֹתָבָךְ מַאי הוּא. אָמַר לוֹן אֲתַר בֵּית מוֹתְבִי אִיהוּ טַב וְעַיְילָא לְגַבָּאי, וְאִיהוּ (ריש תיקון כ''א דף נ''ב ע''א ובראשית ל''ו ע''ב) מִגְדָּל חַד דְּפָרַח בַּאֲוִירָא רַב וְיַקִּירָא. וְאִנּוּן דְּדַיְירִין בֵּיהּ בְּהַאי מִגְדְּלָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְחַד מִסְכְּנָא. וְדָא הוּא אֲתַר בֵּית מוֹתְבִי וְגָלֵינָא (נ''א ועלינא) מִתַּמָּן וְאֲנָא טָעִין חַמְרֵי. אַשְׁגָּחוּ רִבִּי אַבָּא וְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֵּיהּ וְאַטְעִים לוֹן מִלּוֹי דְּהֲווּ מְתִיקִין כְּמַנָּא וְדוּבְשָׁא. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ שְׁמָא דְּאֲבוּךְ אִי תֵימָא נַנְשִׁיק עַפְרָא דְרַגְלָךְ. אָמַר לוֹן וְאַמַּאי, לָאו אוֹרַח דִּילִי בְּכָךְ לְאִתְגָאָה בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.
(ו) אֲבָל אַבָּא דִילִי הֲוָה דִיּוּרֵיהּ בְּיַמָּא רַבָּא וְאִיהוּ הֲוָה חַד נוּנָא דְּהֲוָה (תקונים נ''ב, ובראשית לו ע''ב) אַסְחַר יַמָּא רַבָּא מִסִּטְרָא דָא לְסִטְרָא דָא, וְהֲוָה רַב וְיַקִּירָא וְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין, עַד דְּהֲוָה בָּלַע כָּל שְׁאָר נוּנִין דְּיַמָּא, וּלְבָתַר אַפִּיק לוֹן חָיִין וְקַיָּמִין מַלְיָין מִכָּל טָבִין דְּעָלְמָא. וְשָׁאַט יַמָּא בְּרִגְעָא חָדָא בְּתוֹקְפֵּיהּ, וְאַפִּיק לִי כְּגִירָא בִּידָא דִגְבַר תָּקִיף, וְטָמִיר לִי בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאֲמָרִית לְכוּ. וְהוּא תָּב לְאַתְרֵיהּ וְאִגְנִיז בְּהַהוּא יַמָּא.
(ז) אַשְׁגַּח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּמִלּוֹי. אָמַר לֵיהּ אַנְתְּ הוּא בְּרֵיהּ דְּבוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא, אַנְתְּ הוּא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, אַנְתְּ הוּא בְּרֵיהּ דִּנְהִירוּ דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְאַנְתְּ טָעִין אַבַּתְרָן. בָּכוּ כְּחֲדָא וּנְשָׁקוּהוּ וְאֲזְלוּ. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ אִי נִיחָא קַמֵּי מָארָנָא לְאוֹדְעָא לָן שְׁמֵיהּ.
(ח) פָּתַח וְאָמַר (שמואל ב כג) וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶּן יְהוֹיָדָע. הַאי קְרָא אוֹקְמוּהַ וְשַׁפִּיר אִיהוּ. אֲבָל הַאי קְרָא לְאַחֲזָאָה רָזִין עִלָּאִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא הוּא דְּאֲתָא. וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶּן יְהוֹיָדָע, עַל רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא קָא אֲתָא מִלָּה סְתִימָא אִיהוּ, וּשְׁמָא גָרִים. בֶּן אִישׁ חַי (ויצא קס''ד א') דָּא צַדִּיק חַי עָלְמִין.
(ט) רַב פְּעָלִים, מָארֵי דְּכָל עוֹבָדִין וְכָל חֵילִין עִלָּאִין, בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ נָפְקִין מִנֵּיהּ. יְיָ צְבָאוֹת אִיהוּ, אוֹת הוּא בְּכָל חַיָילִין דִּידֵיהּ רְשִׁים הוּא וְרַב מִכֹּלָא. רַב פְּעָלִים אִיהוּ מְקַבְצִאֵל הַאי אִילָנָא רַב וְיַקִּירָא, רַב מִכֹּלָּא. מֵאָן אֲתַר נָפַק, מֵאָן דַּרְגָא אֲתָא, אַהֲדַר קְרָא וְאָמַר מְקַבְצִיאֵל דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה סְתִימָאָה
(3) Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba dismounted, and kissed him. They said, "With all this wisdom in your possession you are leading donkeys behind us?!" They asked him: 'who are you?' He answered them, 'Do not ask me who I am, but let us, me and you, walk along and deal in the Torah. Let each of us speak words of wisdom to illuminate the way. They said to him: "Who has put you here to be a donkey driver?" He replies: The letter Yud waged war against the two letters, Kaph and Samekh, [to come and] join me. The letter Kaph did not want to leave and join me because it can only be at rest in [the Throne of Glory], and the Samekh did not want to leave, because it has to support those who fall. And without the Samech, they cannot survive!
(4) He continued: The letter Yud alone came over to me by itself, kissed me, embraced me, and wept together with me. It said to me, My son, what shall I do with you? I am leaving you to load myself with a plenitude of good things and of precious, sublime and secretive letters. And then I shall return to you and help you. I shall bring you the possessions of two letters that are much higher than those that have left you. These are substance [yesh, spelled Yud+Shin], the superior Yud together with the superior Shin. [They] shall become your treasure, full of all riches. So for this purpose, my son, go and drive the donkeys. And this is why I am still doing so!
(5) Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba rejoiced. They also wept and said to him, "Come, you shall ride on the donkey and we shall walk along behind you". He said to them, "have I not told you that it is the command of the King, until the donkey driver [the Messiah, cf. Zechariah 9:9] appears!?" They said to him, "Until now you have not given us your name. And where do you live?" He told them, "Where I live is a good place and very precious to me. It is a tower - a very highly exalted tower - that floats on air. And those who live in this tower are the Holy One, blessed be He, and one poor man! But I have been exiled from there, and came to drive the donkeys." Rabbi Aba and Rabbi Elazar looked at him, and his words tasted as sweet as the manna and honey to them. They said to him, "If you tell us the name of your father, we will kiss the earth under your feet!" He responded, "Why? What for? It is not my habit to take pride in the study of the Torah."
(6) 6. He continued, "but the place where my father lives is in the Great Sea. [The Mediterranean] And he was a fish that swam from one end of the Great Sea to the other. And he was mighty and noble, a venerable figure who became wise with his years, and was able to swallow up all the other fish in the sea. Then later, he released them, full of life, and all the good of the world. And with his might, he was able to cross over the entire Sea in an instant. And he released me, like an arrow in the hand of a valiant man, and hid me in that place that I told you about while he returned to his home and disappeared in the Ocean."
(7) Rabbi Elazar examined his words and then said to him: "You are the son of the Holy Luminary! You are the son of the venerable Rav Hamnuna Sabba! You are the son of the Light of the Torah! And you drive our donkeys for us!" They both wept and kissed him, then continued their journey. They asked him: "May it please our lord to tell us his name?"
(8) He began with the verse, "Benaiah the son of Jehoiada" (II Samuel 23:20). This verse has been explained, and explained well! But it came to show us the sublime secrets of the Torah. "Benaiah the son of Jehoiada" has been mentioned [as referring to] the secret of wisdom. It is a clue to something deep and concealed, and the name caused it. "a brave soldier who performed great deeds" applies to the Righteous, with life of the worlds. "Mighty of deeds" means that he is the Master of all actions and of all the hosts on high, because they all come from him. He [God] is "haShem Tzeva'ot" [because he is] the sign throughout His hosts and is distinguished as he stands high above them all.
(9) "Mighty of deeds", "of Kabzeel" [ibid.] So where did this great and precious tree, which is greater than all, come from? From which grade? The verse repeatedly states, "of Kabzeel," which is a high and concealed grade that "neither has the eye seen..." (Is. 64:3). It includes everything, and it gathers everything it receives from the supernal light, and from it everything goes forth.
(א) דְּעַיִן לא רָאֲתָה וְגו' דַּרְגָּא דְּכוֹלָא בֵּיהּ, וּכְנֵישׁ בְּגַוֵּיהּ מִגּוֹ נְהוֹרָא עִלָּאָה, וּמִנֵּיהּ נָפִיק כֹּלָּא. וְאִיהוּ הֵיכָלָא קַדִּישָׁא סְתִימָא דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין כְּנִישִׁין וּסְתִימִין בְּגַוֵּיהּ. וּבְגוּפָא דְּהַאי הֵיכָלָא (אילנא) קַיָּימִין, כָּל עָלְמִין וְכָל חַיָּלִין קַדִּישִׁין מִינֵּיהּ אִתְזָנוּ וְקַיְימֵי עַל קִיּוּמֵיהוֹן.
(ב) הוּא הִכָּה אֶת שְׁנֵי אֲרִיאֵל מוֹאָב. תְּרֵין מִקְדְּשִׁין הֲווּ קַיָּימִין בְּגִינֵיהּ וְאִתְזְנוּ מִנֵּיהּ מִקְדָּשׁ רִאשׁוֹן וּמִקְדָּשׁ שֵׁנִי, כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהוּ אִסְתַּלַּק, נְגִידוּ דְּהֲוָה נְגִיד מִלְּעֵילָא אִתְמְנַע, כִּבְיָכוֹל הוּא הִכָּה לוֹן וְחָרִיב לוֹן וְשָׁצֵי לוֹן. וְכֻּרְסְיָיא קַדִּישָׁא נָפְלַת הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (יחזקאל א׳:א׳) וַאֲנִי בְּתוֹךְ הַגּוֹלָה. הַהוּא דַרְגָּא דְּאִקְרֵי אֲנִי, הוּא בְּתוֹךְ הַגּוֹלָה. אַמַּאי. עַל נְהַר כְּבָר. עַל נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק דְּפָסִיק מֵימוֹי וּמַבּוּעוֹי וְלָא אִנְגִיד כַּד בְּקַדְמִיתָא (כדבקדמיתא).
(1) 1. It includes everything, and it gathers everything it receives from the supernal light, and from it everything goes forth. And this is the sacred concealed temple, into which all the grades are gathered and concealed. The body of this temple is where all the worlds are gathered, whereby all the holy hosts are nourished and sustained.
(2) 2. "He slew two lion-hearted men of Moab" (II Samuel 23:20). Two Temples existed and were sustained on his account: The first Temple and the second. However, as he was gone, the flow from above stopped. It is as if he "slew," destroyed, and ended them. And the holy throne collapsed. As it is written, "As I was in exile" (Ezekiel 1:1). (Meaning) that a certain grade, which is called I (Heb. אֲנִי, Aleph-Nun-Yud) was in exile. Where? "By the river Kevar" (Ibid.) By the river that had sprouted and flowed from Kevar (already), or in other words, by the river that had already sprouted and flowed, all its waters and fountains have dried up, (and) does not flow as before.