The
Holy
Idra
Rabah
[Big
Circle]
Introduction
of
the
Idra
Rabah
1.
Rabbi
Shimon
said
to
the
friends,
“Until
when
will
we
sit
with
the
existence
of
one
pillar
in
the
world
of
Tohu,”
that
ZAT
were
in
one
line,
one
above
the
other?
Rabbi
Shimon
wanted
to
reveal
to
them
the
matter
of
the
degrees
of
the
world
of
correction,
which
are
in
three
pillars,
three
lines
right,
left,
and
middle.
It
is
written,
“Time
to
do
for
the
Lord;
they
have
broken
Your
law.”
The
days
are
few
and
the
owner
of
the
sins,
the
slanderer,
is
pressing.
The
herald
calls
each
day
for
repentance,
and
the
harvesters
of
the
field
are
few,
namely
those
who
have
been
rewarded
with
the
crops
of
the
upper
field,
Malchut,
which
is
the
attainment
of
the
secrets
of
Torah.
Even
those
who
attained
are
at
the
end
of
the
vineyard,
Malchut,
and
do
not
notice
and
do
not
know
properly
to
which
place
they
are
going.
2.
The
friends
gathered
to
the
place
of
the
settlement
dressed
in
shields
and
swords,
with
lances
in
their
hands,
which
are
unifications
to
stop
the
shells.
Hurry
with
your
corrections,
hurry
to
make
the
corrections
of
the
three
lines
HBD,
HGT,
NHY.
With
counsel,
wisdom,
intelligence,
knowledge,
with
vision,
with
hands,
which
are
HGT,
and
with
legs,
which
are
NHY.
Crown
over
you
the
one
in
whose
possession
are
life
and
death,
to
decree
words
of
truth,
words
that
upper
holy
ones
listen
to,
and
which
they
are
happy
to
hear
and
know.
Idra
means
assembly
[as
well
as
seat
and
circle],
the
seat
of
the
Sanhedrin,
who
warn
the
people.
3.
Rabbi
Shimon
sat
and
wept.
He
said
“Woe
if
I
tell;
woe
if
I
do
not
tell.”
If
he
does
not
tell,
the
innovations
of
Torah
will
be
lost.
If
he
tells,
perhaps
someone
who
is
unworthy
of
the
secrets
of
Torah
might
hear.
The
friends
who
were
there
were
silent.
Rabbi
Aba
arose
and
said
to
him,
“If
it
is
good
in
the
eyes
of
my
master
to
reveal,
then
it
is
written,
‘The
secret
of
the
Lord
to
those
who
fear
Him,’
and
these
friends
are
all
fearing
the
Creator,
and
they
have
already
entered
the
Idra
of
the
tabernacle,
and
we
learned
that
they
went
into
the
Idra
Rabah
and
came
out,
but
not
everyone,
since
three
friends
passed
away.”
4.
The
friends
were
counted
before
Rabbi
Shimon
and
there
were
Rabbi
Elazar
his
son,
Rabbi
Aba,
Rabbi
Yehuda,
Rabbi
Yosi
Bar
Yaakov,
Rabbi
Yitzhak,
Rabbi
Hizkiyah
Bar
Rav,
Rabbi
Hiya,
Rabbi
Yosi,
and
Rabbi
Yisa.
They
gave
their
hands
to
Rabbi
Shimon
and
directed
the
fingers
upward,
and
went
into
a
field
among
the
trees,
and
sat.
Rabbi
Shimon
arose
and
prayed
his
prayer.
He
sat
among
them
and
said,
“Each
one
will
place
his
hands
in
his
bosom.”
They
placed
their
hands
each
one
in
his
bosom,
and
Rabbi
Shimon
took
them.
He
opened
and
said,
“Damned
be
the
man
who
will
make
a
statue
and
a
mask,
an
abomination
to
the
Lord,
the
work
of
an
artisan,
and
places
in
concealment.”
Everyone
answered
“Amen!”
Immediately
after
the
friends
were
counted
before
him,
they
observed
what
he
had
warned
them,
“Hurry
with
your
corrections,”
and
they
promptly
did
the
unification
of
three
lines
to
extend
them
to
Malchut.
They
did
a
deed
below
in
order
to
awaken
its
likeness
above.
They
gave
the
hands
to
Rabbi
Shimon,
since
Rabbi
Shimon
is
Daat,
the
root
of
the
middle
line.
This
is
why
they
gave
him
their
hands,
right
and
left,
and
united,
and
their
right
and
left
were
incorporated
in
one
another
though
Rabbi
Shimon,
the
middle
line.
By
this,
the
unification
of
the
three
lines
awakened
above.
At
that
time,
the
fingers,
which
imply
illumination
of
Hochma
in
the
fingers,
they
held
them
upward
so
they
would
shine
only
from
below
upward,
since
after
the
right
and
left
are
incorporated
together
through
the
middle
line,
the
Hochma
in
the
left
shines
only
from
below
upward.
Afterwards,
they
had
to
draw
all
the
illumination
of
three
lines
to
Malchut,
and
entered
the
field
among
the
trees,
the
field
of
holy
apples,
Malchut,
and
sat,
to
draw
in
it
VAK
of
Hochma.
Rabbi
Shimon
said,
“Each
will
place
his
hand
in
his
bosom.”
His
bosom
indicates
the
concealment
of
GAR,
since
placing
the
hand
in
the
bosom
is
an
act
of
concealment.
However,
there
are
two
discernments
in
placing
the
hand
in
the
bosom:
1)
Placing
the
Yod
in
the
Ohr
[light],
so
the
Ohr
becomes
Avir
[air].
This
is
applied
in
the
right
line,
the
dot
of
Holam,
because
of
which
VAK
is
done
without
a
Rosh
[head].
2)
In
the
middle
line,
which
causes
only
diminution
of
GAR
of
Hochma,
but
VAK
of
Hochma
remain
there.
The
middle
line
diminishes
the
left
line
so
it
shines
only
from
below
upward,
which
is
VAK
of
Hochma.
To
explain,
I
will
clarify
the
text.
“Again,
the
Lord
said
to
him,
‘Place
your
hand
in
your
bosom.’
He
placed
his
hand
in
his
bosom,
and
when
he
took
it
out,
behold,
his
hand
was
leprous,
like
snow.”
“He
placed
his
hand
in
his
bosom”
is
placing
a
Yod
in
the
light,
which
diminishes
it
into
air,
VAK,
applied
in
the
right
line,
in
the
dot
of
Holam.
Afterwards,
when
he
took
it
out,
he
took
out
the
Yod
once
more
from
the
air,
and
the
air
became
light
once
more,
and
revealed
the
light
of
Hochma
from
above
downward
applied
in
the
left
line,
before
the
correction
of
the
middle
line,
at
which
time
there
are
harsh
judgments
in
it
that
are
hidden,
and
all
the
lights
are
blocked,
since
the
Hochma
is
without
Hassadim.
For
this
reason,
“And
behold,
his
hand
was
leprous,
like
snow,”
since
blocking
and
closing
the
lights
is
leprosy.
Afterwards,
the
correction
of
the
middle
line
was
revealed,
as
it
is
written,
“And
He
said,
‘Place
your
hand
back
in
your
bosom,’
and
he
placed
his
hand
back
in
his
bosom.”
The
first
action
is
of
the
middle
line,
which
awakens
the
screen
of
Hirik
of
the
lock,
which
diminishes
it
into
VAK.
Afterwards,
“And
he
took
it
out
from
his
bosom,”
the
second
act,
revealing
the
Hochma
once
more,
but
with
a
clothing
of
the
bosom,
which
drew
only
VAK
of
Hochma.
Then,
all
three
lines
are
united
and
Hochma
clothed
in
Hassadim,
as
it
is
written,
“And
behold,
it
was
restored
like
the
rest
of
his
flesh,”
returning
to
GAR,
but
in
VAK
of
Hochma.
This
is
why
he
said,
“Each
will
place
his
hand
in
his
bosom,
in
the
bosom
of
the
middle
line,
for
then,
when
they
take
it
out
of
the
bosom,
the
left
hand
will
shine
only
from
below
upward
in
the
clothing
of
the
bosom,
as
this
is
the
heart
of
the
whole
correction
of
the
middle
line,
Hirik.
This
is
why
Rabbi
Shimon,
the
middle
line,
warned
them
about
it.
They
placed
their
hands
in
their
bosom,
and
Rabbi
Shimon
took
them
from
their
bosom.
He
took
out
their
hands
from
the
bosom
with
the
clothing
of
the
bosom,
as
is
the
way
of
the
middle
line.
He
opened
and
said,
“Damned
be
the
man
who
will
make
a
statue
and
a
mask,”
since
extension
of
Hochma
from
above
downward
is
the
root
of
the
statue
and
the
mask,
the
work
of
an
artisan,
and
places
in
the
concealed
one
in
the
world,
who
reveals
what
must
be
covered
and
hidden.
Therefore,
in
the
end,
he
swore
them
over
it.
5.
Rabbi
Shimon
opened
and
said,
“Time
to
do
for
the
Lord;
they
have
broken
Your
law.”
It
is
time
to
do
for
the
Lord
because
they
have
broken
Your
law.
“Broken
Your
law,”
broke
the
law
[Torah]
of
above,
ZA,
since
she
is
canceled
if
she
is
not
done
with
her
corrections
of
three
lines.
This
verse
is
written
for
Atik
Yomin
from
whom
the
root
of
all
the
corrections
begins.
It
is
written,
“Happy
are
you,
Israel,
who
is
like
you,”
since
they
are
adhered
to
the
middle
line.
It
is
also
written,
“Who
is
like
You
among
the
gods,
Lord,”
concerning
ZA,
the
middle
line.
6.
He
called
Rabbi
Elazar
his
son,
and
had
him
sit
in
front
of
him,
and
Rabbi
Aba
on
the
other
side,
and
said,
“We
are
the
whole
of
everything,”
since
the
soul
of
Rabbi
Elazar
was
from
Hochma,
and
that
of
Rabbi
Aba
was
from
Bina,
and
Rabbi
Shimon
was
Daat,
which
unites
HB
with
one
another.
Therefore,
he
said,
“We
are
the
whole
of
everything,”
since
HBD
are
the
sum
of
all
the
degrees.
Until
now,
the
pillars
were
established,
meaning
that
until
now,
they
engaged
in
the
correction
of
the
three
lines,
which
are
called
“three
pillars.”
They
were
silent.
They
heard
a
voice,
and
their
knees
knocked
against
each
other
from
fear.
The
sound
of
the
High
Assembly
gathering,
the
Merkavot
[structures/chariots]
of
the
Creator.
7.
Rabbi
Shimon
was
glad
and
said,
“Lord,
I
have
heard
the
report
of
You
and
was
afraid.”
There,
it
was
appropriate
for
him
to
fear,
since
his
root
is
from
the
left
line.
But
we,
who
are
united
in
the
middle
line,
the
matter
depends
on
love,
on
Hassadim,
which
are
love,
as
it
is
written,
“And
you
shall
love
the
Lord
your
God,”
and
it
is
written,
“For
the
love
of
the
Lord
for
you,”
and
it
is
written,
“‘I
have
loved
you,’
says
the
Lord.”
8.
Rabbi
Shimon
opened
and
said,
“He
who
gossips
reveals
a
secret,
and
he
who
has
a
faithful
spirit
conceals
a
matter.
“Gossips”
means
one
who
is
not
settled
in
his
spirit
and
is
unfaithful.
When
he
hears
something,
he
has
no
rest
until
he
reveals
to
another.
But
one
whose
spirit
is
settled
and
of
persistence,
it
is
written
about
him,
“He
who
has
a
faithful
spirit
conceals
a
matter,”
and
his
spirit
persists.
The
matter
depends
on
the
spirit,
and
it
is
written,
“Do
not
let
your
mouth
make
your
flesh
sin.”
9.
The
world
exists
only
through
the
secret.
If
matters
of
the
world
require
a
secret,
then
the
matters
of
the
secret
of
the
secrets
of
Atik
Yomin,
which
are
not
given
even
to
the
high
angels,
are
several
times
more
so.
Rabbi
Shimon
said,
“I
do
not
tell
the
heaven
to
listen;
I
do
not
tell
the
earth
to
hear,
since
we
are
the
ones
sustaining
the
worlds.”
Moses
and
Isaiah
testified
about
heaven
and
earth
that
if
the
children
of
Israel
will
not
sustain
the
world,
they
will
be
punished:
The
sky
will
not
rain
and
the
earth
will
not
yield
its
crop.
But
Rabbi
Shimon
was
speaking
to
the
righteous
who
sustain
the
worlds,
who
do
not
need
a
testimony.