32a (ל״ב:א׳)

And he did this according to the word of the Holy One Blessed Be He (וְעָשָׂה זֶה עַל פִּי הקב״ה), for if it had not been by His word, blessed is He, Ya'akov would not have done it (שֶׁאִלְמָלֵא הָיָה עַל פִּיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ לֹא הָיָה עוֹשֵׂה אוֹתוֹ יַעֲקֹב), for it is forbidden for Yisrael to derive benefit from these things (שֶׁאָסוּר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֵיהָנוֹת מֵאֵלּוּ הַדְּבָרִים), but the Holy One Blessed Be He, because of the wickedness of Lavan, said to Ya'akov that he should do this (אֶלָּא שֶׁהקב״ה בִּשְׁבִיל רִשְׁעוּת לָבָן אָמַר לְיַעֲקֹב שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה זֶה).

But we do not find explicitly in the Torah that the Holy One Blessed Be He commanded him to do this (אֲבָל לֹא מָצִינוּ בְּפֵרוּשׁ בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁצִּוָּהוּ הקב״ה לַעֲשׂוֹת זֶה), but we know it from the mouth of Ya'akov (אֶלָּא שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ יוֹדְעִים אוֹתוֹ מִפִּי יַעֲקֹב), who said: “And it came to pass at the time that the flock conceived, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream…” (Bereshit 31:10) (שֶׁאָמַר ״וַיְהִי בְּעֵת יַחֵם הַצֹּאן וָאֶשָּׂא עֵינַי וָאֵרֶא בַּחֲלוֹם״ וְגוֹ).

The meaning is, that he saw that from the conjunction of the planets it would follow that the flock would give birth to streaked, spotted, and speckled (הַכַּוָּנָה, שֶׁהָיָה רוֹאֶה שֶׁמִּצַּד חִבּוּר הַכּוֹכָבִים נִמְשָׁךְ שֶׁתֵּלַדְנָה הַצֹּאן עֲקוּדִים נְקֻדִּים וּבְרוּדִים), but even with this, he did not want to do it and benefit from it (אֲבָל עִם כָּל זֶה לֹא הָיָה רוֹצֶה לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ וּלְהֵיהָנוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ), until the angel called him to command him to do it (אֶלָּא שֶׁקְּרָאוֹ הַמַּלְאָךְ לְצַוּוֹתוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂנּוּ), as the verse says: “And the angel of Elohim said to me in the dream, Ya'akov…” (Bereshit 31:11) (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים בַּחֲלוֹם, יַעֲקֹב״ וְגוֹ), “And he said: Now lift up your eyes…” (Bereshit 31:12) (״וַיֹּאמֶר שָׂא נָא עֵינֶיךָ״ וְגוֹ), “For I have seen all that Lavan does to you” (Bereshit 31:12) ("כִּי רָאִיתִי אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לָבָן עֹשֶׂה לָּךְ).

Meaning, that he should lift his eyes and look at the conjunction of the planets and benefit from it (יִרְצֶה, שֶׁיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וְיִרְאֶה חִבּוּר הַכּוֹכָבִים וִיהֵנֶה מִמֶּנּוּ), and this was because of the wickedness of Lavan (וְזֶה הָיָה בִּשְׁבִיל רִשְׁעוּת לָבָן). But even with this, I do not give you permission to do this in other times (אֲבָל עִם כָּל זֶה אֵינִי נוֹתֵן לְךָ רְשׁוּת שֶׁתַּעֲשֶׂה זֶה בִּפְעָמִים אֲחֵרוֹת), and do not think that this comes from the stars (וְגַם לֹא תַּחְשֹׁב שֶׁזֶּה נִמְשָׁךְ מִן הַכּוֹכָבִים), for I am El, and everything is by My word (כִּי אָנֹכִי הָאֵל וְהַכֹּל בְּמַאֲמָרִי), and I rule over all (וַאֲנִי מוֹשֵׁל עַל כֻּלּוֹ). And this is what is written: “I am the El of Beit-El…” (Bereshit 31:13) (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב ״אָנֹכִי הָאֵל בֵּית אֵל״ וְגוֹ). And my intention in bringing this was not merely incidental, as I said (וְלֹא הָיְתָה כַּוָּנָתִי לְהָבִיא זֶה אַגַּב גְּרוֹרָא כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי), for certainly I could have explained Red Heifer without this introduction (שֶׁכְּבָר הָיִיתִי יָכוֹל לְפָרֵשׁ פָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה בִּלְעֲדֵי זֹאת הַהַקְדָּמָה), but my intention was to inform you of this very matter itself (אֲבָל כַּוָּנָתִי הָיְתָה לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ זֶה הָעִנְיָן בְּעַצְמוֹ).

And now let us return to the matter of the Heifer (וְעַתָּה נָשׁוּב לְעִנְיַן הַפָּרָה). Since the colors of created beings correspond to the conjunction of the planets, as we have said (בְּהִיוֹת כִּי צִבְעֵי הַנִּבְרָאִים הֵם כְּפִי הִתְחַבְּרוּת הַכּוֹכָבִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), the Holy One Blessed Be He commanded that the cow be entirely red (צִוָּה הקב״ה שֶׁהַפָּרָה תִּהְיֶה כֻּלָּהּ אֲדֻמָּה), since Mars rules over the red color (לְפִי שֶׁמַּאְדִּים מוֹשֵׁל עַל צֶבַע אָדוֹם), and it causes blood and killing in the world (וְהוּא גּוֹרֵם דָּם וְהֲרִיגָה בָּעוֹלָם), and Sama’el is the nefesh of the sphere of Mars, as I have said (וְסַמָּאֵ״ל הוּא נֶפֶשׁ גַּלְגַּל מַאְדִּים כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי). And Sama’el, in Mispar katan [reduced numeration], equals Adumah [redness] (וְסַמָּאֵ״ל עוֹלֶה בְּמִסְפָּר קָטָן אֲדֻמָּ״ה), and he ruled over all the forces of defilement (וְהָיָה מוֹשֵׁל עַל כָּל כֹּחוֹת הַטּוּמְאָה).

And because the cow is red (וּמִצַּד הֱיוֹת הַפָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה), it is known that the power that caused the birth of this cow is from Mars and Sama’el (יָדוּעַ הוּא שֶׁהַכֹּחַ שֶׁהָיָה בְּהֻלַּדַת זוֹ הַפָּרָה הוּא מִמַּאְדִּים וְסַמָּאֵ״ל), which are forces of defilement (וְהֵם כֹּחוֹת הַטּוּמְאָה). And this was the reason that it was burned outside the camp (וְזוֹ הָיְתָה הַסִּיבָּה שֶׁנִּשְׂרְפָה מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה). And even though it was from the forces of defilement (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיְתָה מִכֹּחוֹת הַטּוּמְאָה), it would purify the impure (הָיְתָה מְטַהֶרֶת אֶת הַטְּמֵאִים), for it is like the balm that contains the flesh of a viper (שֶׁהִיא כְּמוֹ הַצֳּרִי שֶׁנוֹתְנִים בוֹ בְּשַׂר אֶפְעֶה), which is the most intense venom in the world (שֶׁהוּא הָאֶרֶס הַיּוֹתֵר חַד שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם), and because of this it cures all poisons (וּבְסִיבָּה זוֹ הִיא מְרַפֵּאת לְכָל הָאֲרָסִיּוֹת). So too the cow contained all the force of the defilement of Sama’el (כָּךְ הַפָּרָה הָיָה בָּהּ כָּל כֹּחַ טֻמְאַת סַמָּאֵ״ל), and because of this, when a person was impure (וּמִצַּד זֶה כְּשֶׁהָיָה הָאָדָם טָמֵא), since he was not impure with the full power of defilement but only partially (בְּהִיוֹתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה טָמֵא בְּכָל כֹּחַ הַטּוּמְאָה אֶלָּא בְּצַד מָה), and the cow had in it the entire force of defilement (וְהַפָּרָה הָיָה בָּהּ כָּל כֹּחַ הַטּוּמְאָה), it would draw that defilement toward itself (וְהָיְתָה מְלַקֶּטֶת אוֹתָהּ טֻמְאָה אֵלֶיהָ), and the person would remain pure (וְהָיָה הָאָדָם נִשְׁאַר טָהוֹר).

But one who was pure (אֲבָל אוֹתוֹ שֶׁהָיָה טָהוֹר), since he had no defilement that the cow could draw from him (בְּהִיוֹתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה לוֹ טֻמְאָה שֶׁתְּקַבֵּל הַפָּרָה מִמֶּנּוּ), he would receive [defilement] from the cow (הָיָה הוּא מְקַבֵּל מֵהַפָּרָה). And this is like the example of kashering vessels for Pesach (וְזֶה דּוּגְמַת הַגְּעָלַת כֵּלִים שֶׁל פֶּסַח), that as long as they still have something to expel, they do not absorb (שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם מַה שֶּׁיּפְלְטוּ אֵינָם בּוֹלְעִים), but after they have expelled, they again absorb (אֲבָל אַחַר שֶׁפָּלְטוּ חוֹזְרִים וּבוֹלְעִים). And I have no permission to reveal more of this secret (וְאֵין לִי רְשׁוּת לְגַלּוֹת יוֹתֵר בָּזֶה הַסּוֹד). But I will bring you good tidings (אֲבָל אֲבַשֵּׂר לָכֶם בְּשׂוֹרָה), that speedily in our days the tenth cow will be prepared (שֶׁבִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ תֵּעָשֶׂה הַפָּרָה הָעֲשִׂירִית), and then we shall attain her secrets (וְאָז נַשִּׂיג סוֹדוֹתֶיהָ), and through her we will become pure (וּבָהּ נִהְיֶה טְהוֹרִים), as the verse says: “And I will sprinkle upon you pure waters, and you shall be purified…” (Ezekiel 36:25) (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״וְזָרַקְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם מַיִם טְהוֹרִים וּטְהַרְתֶּם״ וְגוֹ).

And now I will explain to you the teaching which our Sages, of blessed memory, said in Bava Metzia, in the chapter HaZahav, regarding the matter of the Oven of Akhnai (וְעַתָּה אֲפָרֵשׁ לְךָ מַאֲמָר שֶׁאָמְרוּ ז״ל בְּבָבָא מְצִיעָא פֶּרֶק הַזָּהָב בְּעִנְיַן תַּנּוּר שֶׁל עַכְנַאי): “Rabbi Eliezer responded to the Sages with all the answers in the world, but they did not accept from him. He said to them: ‘If the halakhah is as I say-this carob tree will prove it,’ etc.” (Bava Metzia 59b) (״הֵשִׁיב רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר לַחֲכָמִים כָּל תְּשׁוּבוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם וְלֹא קִבְּלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ, אָמַר לָהֶם אִם הֲלָכָה כָּמוֹנִי חָרוּב זֶה יוֹכִיחַ״ וְגוֹ).

Know (דַּע), that on account of this teaching many have been confounded (שֶׁבָּזֶה הַמַּאֲמָר נִבְכּוּ רַבִּים). And the intent of the teaching is (וּכְוַנַּת הַמַּאֲמָר), how the Holy One Blessed Be He wished to reveal (אֵיךְ רָצָה הקב״ה לְגַלּוֹת), that for the sake of those who fear Him, He alters the order of the four elements (שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל יְרֵאָיו הוּא מְשַׁדֵּד כָּל הַד׳ יְסוֹדוֹת), which are alluded to in this teaching through the four things mentioned (שֶׁהֵם רְמוּזִים בַּמַּאֲמָר הַזֶּה בְּד׳ דְּבָרִים שֶׁהִזְכִּיר). They are: the carob tree (חָרוּב), which contains the element of fire and the element of air (שֶׁשָּׁם יְסוֹד הָאֵשׁ וִיסוֹד הָאֲוִיר), for fire is latent in the wood (שֶׁהָאֵשׁ בַּכֹּחַ בָּעֵצִים), and the wind is also present in it (וְהָרוּחַ גַּם כֵּן מָצוּי בָּהֶם). And the element of water is alluded to in the channel of water (וִיסוֹד הַמַּיִם רָמוּז בַּאֲמַת הַמַּיִם), and the element of earth is in the wall (וִיסוֹד הֶעָפָר בַּכּוֹתֶל).