The stranger again spoke, taking as his text the verse: Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten potentates which are in the city (Eccl. 12, 16). ‘This’, he said, ‘refers to Moses. When he went up into Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, all those firmaments, and all those supernal hosts, began to tremble and spake unto the Lord of the Universe, saying: “Is not all our bliss and all our joy based on the Torah, and art Thou minded to send her down to earth?” And they gathered round Moses in order to consume him with fire, but Moses prevailed over them all, as the scholars have already set forth;l1v. T. B. Shabbt 88b.
but there is more yet to be said. The man who gives himself up with ardour and diligence to the study of the Torah for her own sake will find in her a strong protection in time of need. From what region is it that he gains this strength? From the “ten rulers”, the Ten Words of Creation which are written in the Torah, for these are supernal “potentates” by means of which man is strengthened both in this world and in the world to come. All mysteries, all commandments, and all wisdom, concerning both the higher and the lower, are dependent on them; all are included in them, and all is in the Torah. Blessed is the man who is occupied continually with the Torah, that through her he may gain power for the world to come.
The “ten potentates” are also the ten aspects of Wisdom which are found in the Torah, contained in ten (Divine) Names, all included in one Name of twenty-two letters (of the Hebrew alphabet). Those mysteries of the world to come are imprinted in light such as no eye can look upon, nor can our imagination comprehend the measure of joy and delight which the Holy One, blessed be He, has in store for the righteous in the world to come, as it is written, “No eye hath seen it, O God, apart from thee, who has made it for those who wait for him” (Isa. 64, 4).
תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר. (קהלת ז׳:י״ט) הַחָכְמָה תָּעוֹז לֶחָכָם מֵעֲשָׂרָה שַׁלִּיטִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ בָּעִיר. הַחָכְמָה תָּעוֹז לֶחָכָם, דָּא מֹשֶׁה, כַּד סָלִיק לְטוּרָא דְּסִינַי לְקַבְּלָא אוֹרַיְיתָא, אִזְדַּעֲזָעוּ כָּל אִינּוּן רְקִיעִין, וְכָל אִינּוּן מַשִּׁרְיָין עִלָּאִין, וְאָמְרוּ קָמֵיהּ, מָארִיהּ דְּעָלְמָא, וּמַה כָּל טוּבָא, וְכָל חֶדְוָה דִּילָן, לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאַת בָּעֵי לְנַחְתָּא לָהּ בְּאַרְעָא. אִתְכְּנִישׁוּ עַל מֹשֶׁה לְאוֹקְדֵיהּ בְּנוּרָא, אִתְתָּקַּף מֹשֶׁה וְכוּ', כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר לֵיהּ לְמֹשֶׁה וְכוּלֵי.
The stranger again spoke, taking as his text the verse: Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten potentates which are in the city (Eccl. 12, 16). ‘This’, he said, ‘refers to Moses. When he went up into Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, all those firmaments, and all those supernal hosts, began to tremble and spake unto the Lord of the Universe, saying: “Is not all our bliss and all our joy based on the Torah, and art Thou minded to send her down to earth?” And they gathered round Moses in order to consume him with fire, but Moses prevailed over them all, as the scholars have already set forth;l1v. T. B. Shabbt 88b.
אֲבָל הַחָכְמָה תָּעוֹז לֶחָכָם, כָּל מַאן דְּאִתְעַסָּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאִשְׁתָּדַּל בָּהּ לִשְׁמָהּ, אִתְתָּקַּף בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֶהֱוֵי לֵיהּ תֻּקְפָּא וְחֵילָא, לְאַגָּנָא עָלֵיהּ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ. וְהַהוּא תֻּקְפָּא וְחֵילָא מֵאָן אֲתָר אִתְתָּקַּף. הָדָר וְאָמַר, מֵעֲשָׂרָה שַׁלִּיטִים. אִינּוּן (מ"ט ע"א) עֶשֶׂר אֲמִירָן דִּכְתִּיבִין בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִינּוּן שַׁלִּיטִין עִלָּאִין, דְּבַּר נָשׁ אִתְתָּקַּף בְּהוּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי כָּל רָזִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְכָל פִּקּוּדִין, וְכָל חָכְמְתָא דְּעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, בְּהוּ תַּלְיָא, וּבְהוּ אִתְכְּלִיל כֹּלָּא, וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. זַכָּאָה חוּלְקֵיהּ מַאן דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְמֶהֱוֵי מִתְתָּקַף בְּתֻּקְפָּא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
but there is more yet to be said. The man who gives himself up with ardour and diligence to the study of the Torah for her own sake will find in her a strong protection in time of need. From what region is it that he gains this strength? From the “ten rulers”, the Ten Words of Creation which are written in the Torah, for these are supernal “potentates” by means of which man is strengthened both in this world and in the world to come. All mysteries, all commandments, and all wisdom, concerning both the higher and the lower, are dependent on them; all are included in them, and all is in the Torah. Blessed is the man who is occupied continually with the Torah, that through her he may gain power for the world to come.
עֲשָׂרָה שַׁלִּיטִין, עֶשֶׂר זִינֵי חָכְמְתָא אִינּוּן בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּעֶשֶׂר שְׁמָהָן גְּלִיפָן, וְאִתְכְּלִילוּ בִּשְׁמָא חַד, דְּעֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין אַתְוָון גְּלִיפִין, רָזִין דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, בְּאִינּוּן זִיהֲרִין, דְּלָא שַׁלְטָא עֵינָא לְמֵחמֵי, וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּסָכְלְתָנוּ לְמִנְדַּע, וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהַהוּא עִדּוּנָא, וְכִסּוּפָא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחֲסִין לוֹן לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (ישעיהו ס״ד:ג׳) עַיִן לא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ.
The “ten potentates” are also the ten aspects of Wisdom which are found in the Torah, contained in ten (Divine) Names, all included in one Name of twenty-two letters (of the Hebrew alphabet). Those mysteries of the world to come are imprinted in light such as no eye can look upon, nor can our imagination comprehend the measure of joy and delight which the Holy One, blessed be He, has in store for the righteous in the world to come, as it is written, “No eye hath seen it, O God, apart from thee, who has made it for those who wait for him” (Isa. 64, 4).