Daf 52b (דַּף נ״ב ע״ב)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), before Adam sinned, he ascended and stood in the supernal radiance of Chokhmah (עַד לָא חָטָא אָדָם, הֲוָה סָלִיק וְקָאִים בְּחָכְמָה דִנְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה), and he did not separate from the Tree of Life (וְלָא הֲוָה מִתְפָּרֵשׁ מֵאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי). Once lust increased in him to know and descend below (כֵּיוָן דְּאַסְגֵי תִּיאוּבְתָּא לְמִנְדַּע וּלְנַחֲתָא לְתַתָּא), he was drawn after them until he separated from the Tree of Life (אִתְמְשַׁךְ אַבַּתְרַיְיהוּ, עַד דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי), and he knew evil and abandoned good (וְיָדַע רָע וְשָׁבַק טוֹב). And on this it is written [Tehillim 5] (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “For You are not a God who desires wickedness; evil does not dwell with You” (כִּי לֹא אֵל חָפֵץ רֶשַׁע אַתָּה, לֹא יְגוּרְךָ רָע). One who is drawn after evil has no dwelling with the Tree of Life (מַאן דְּאִתְמְשַׁךְ בָּתַר רָע, לֵית לֵיהּ דִּירָה עִם אִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי). And before they sinned, they heard the voice from above (וְעַד לָא חָטְאוּ, הֲווּ שָׁמְעִין קָלָא מִלְּעֵילָא), and they knew supernal Chokhmah and stood in the existence of supernal brightness and were not afraid (וְהֲווּ יָדְעֵי חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה וְקָיְימֵי בְּקִיּוּמָא דְזִיהֲרָא עִלָּאָה וְלָא דָחֲלֵי). Once they sinned, even a voice from below they could not bear (כֵּיוָן דְּחָטְאוּ, אֲפִילּוּ קָלָא דִּלְתַתָּא לָא הֲוֵי יָכְלִין לְמֵיקַם בֵּיהּ).

In this way, until Yisrael sinned, when they stood at Mount Sinai, the defilement of that serpent passed from them (כְּגַוְונָא דָא: עַד לָא חָבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקָיְימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל טוּרָא דְסִינַי - אִתְעֲבַר מִנַּיְיהוּ זוּהֲמָא דְּהַאי חִיוְיָא), for then the evil inclination was nullified from the world and cast out from them (דְּהָא כְּדֵין בִּטּוּל יֵצֶר הָרָע הֲוָה מֵעָלְמָא וְדָחוּ לֵיהּ מִנַּיְיהוּ). Then they were joined to the Tree of Life and ascended above and did not descend below (וּכְדֵין אִתְאֲחִידוּ בְּאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי וְסָלְקוּ לְעֵילָא וְלָא נָחֲתוּ לְתַתָּא). Then they knew and saw the supernal mirror, and their eyes were illuminated, and they rejoiced to know and to hear (כְּדֵין הֲווּ יָדְעִין וְחָמָאן אִסְפַּקְלַרְיָין עִלָּאִין, וְאִתְנָהֲרִין עֵינַיְיהוּ, וְחָדָאן לְמִנְדַּע וּלְמִשְׁמַע). And then Kudsha Berikh Hu girded them with the belts of the letters of His holy Name (וּכְדֵין חָגַר לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חֲגוֹרִין דְּאַתְוָון דִּשְׁמֵיהּ קַדִּישָׁא), so that the serpent could not rule over them nor defile them as before (דְּלָא יֵיכוּל לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלַיְיהוּ הַאי חִיוְיָא וְלָא יְסָאַב לוֹן כְּקַדְמִיתָא). Once they sinned with the Calf, all those supernal levels and lights passed from them (כֵּיוָן דְּחָטְאוּ בָּעֵגֶל, אִתְעֲבַר מִנַּיְיהוּ כָּל אִנּוּן דַּרְגִּין וּנְהוֹרִין עִלָּאִין), and those girding adornments crowned with the supernal holy Name departed from them (וְאִתְעַבְּרוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ אִנּוּן חֲגִירוּ מְזַיְינִין דְּאִתְעַטְּרוּ מִשְׁמָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא), and the evil serpent drew upon them as before and brought death to the whole world (וְאַמְשִׁיכוּ עֲלַיְיהוּ חִיוְיָא בִישָׁא כְּמִלְקַדְּמִין, וְגָרְמוּ מוֹתָא לְכָל עַלְמָא). And afterward, what is written? [Shemot 34] (וּלְבָתַר מַה כְּתִיב): “And Aharon and all Bnei Yisrael saw Moshe, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him” (וַיַּרְא אַהֲרֹן וְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת משֶׁה, וְהִנֵּה קָרַן עוֹר פָּנָיו, וַיִּירְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָיו).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), what is written at first? [Shemot 14] (מַה כְּתִיב בְּקַדְמִיתָא): “And Yisrael saw the great hand…” (וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַיָּד הַגְּדוֹלָה), and all of them saw supernal radiances and were illuminated in the shining mirror, as it is written [Shemot 20] (וְכֻלְהוּ חָמָאן זָהֲרִין עִלָּאִין וּמִתְנַהֲרִין בְּאִסְפַּקְלַרְיָא דְּנָהֲרָא, דִּכְתִיב): “And all the people saw the voices” (וְכָל הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלוֹת). And at the Sea they saw and were not afraid, as it is written [Shemot 15] (וְעַל יַמָּא הֲווּ חָמָאן וְלָא דָחֲלִין, דִּכְתִיב): “This is my El, and I will glorify Him” (זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ). But after they sinned, they could no longer behold the face of the Intermediary, as it is written [Shemot 34] (לְבָתַר דְּחָטוּ, פְּנֵי הַסַּרְסוּר לָא הֲווּ יָכְלִין לְמֶחֱמֵי, דִּכְתִיב): “And they were afraid to approach him.” (וַיִּירְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָיו).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), what is written regarding them [Shemot 33] (מַה כְּתִיב בְּהוּ): “And Bnei Yisrael stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horev onward” (וַיִּתְנַצְּלוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֶדְיָם מֵהַר חוֹרֵב). For the adornments that were upon them at Mount Sinai were removed (דְּאִתְעֲבַר מִנַּיְיהוּ אִנּוּן מְזַיְינָן), [some say: that were joined in them] with which they were girded] (דְּאִתְחַבְּרוּ בְּהוּ [ד״א: דְּאִתְחַגְּרוּ בְּהוֹן), in order that the wicked serpent would not rule over them (בְּטוּרָא דְסִינַי בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט בְּהוּ הַהוּא חִוְיָא בִישָׁא). Once they were removed from them, what is written? [Shemot 33] (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעֲבַר מִנַּיְיהוּ, מַה כְּתִיב): “And Moshe would take the Tent and pitch it outside the camp, far from the camp” (וּמֹשֶׁה יִקַּח אֶת הָאֹהֶל וְנָטָה לוֹ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה הַרְחֵק מִן הַמַּחֲנֶה).

Rabbi El‘azar said (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): What is this verse referring to? (מַאי הַאי קְרָא לְגַבֵּי הַאי) Rather, once Moshe knew that the adornments had been removed from Yisrael (אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן דְּיָדַע מֹשֶׁה דְּאִתְעֲבָרוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִנּוּן זַיְינִין עִלָּאִין), he said: now certainly, from this point on, the wicked serpent will dwell among them (אָמַר: הָא וַדַּאי מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה חִוְיָא בִישָׁא יֵיתֵי לְדַיְירָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ). And if the Sanctuary stands here among them, it will be defiled (וְאִי יָקוּם מַקְדְּשָׁא הָכָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ - יִסְתָּאַב). Immediately: “And Moshe would take the Tent and pitch it outside the camp, far from the camp” (מִיָּד: וּמֹשֶׁה יִקַּח אֶת הָאֹהֶל וְנָטָה לוֹ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה הַרְחֵק מִן הַמַּחֲנֶה), for Moshe saw that the serpent would now rule - as it had not done before (בְּגִין דְּחָמָא מֹשֶׁה דְּהָא כְּדֵין יִשְׁלוֹט חִוְיָא בִישָׁא מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא). And he called it the Tent of Meeting, and was it not already the Tent of Meeting beforehand? (וְקָרָא לוֹ אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וְכִי לָא הֲוָה בְּקַדְמִיתָא אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד) Rather, earlier it was called simply Tent - now it is Tent of Meeting (אֶלָּא בְּקַדְמִיתָא: אֹהֶל סְתָם, הַשְׁתָּא: אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד). What is “Meeting”? (מַאי מוֹעֵד) Rabbi El‘azar said: for good (רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר: לְטַב), and Rabbi Abba said: for evil (וְרַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר: לְבִישׁ).

Rabbi El‘azar said: for good - just as “meeting” is a joyous day of the moon, in which sanctity increases (רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר: לְטַב - מַה מוֹעֵד דְּאִיהוּ יוֹם חֶדְוָה דְּסִיהֲרָא, דְּאִתּוֹסְפָא בֵּיהּ קְדוּשָׁה), and no blemish rules on it (לֹא שָׁלְטָא בֵּיהּ פְּגִימוּתָא), so too here it was called by this name to show that the serpent had been distanced from among them and was not defiling (אוּף הָכָא: קָרָא לָהּ בִּשְׁמָא דָא, לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּהָא אִתְרַחֵיק [חִוְיָא] אֹהֶל מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ וְלָא אִתְפְּגִים), and for this: “And he called it Tent of Meeting” is written (וְעַל דָּא: וְקָרָא לוֹ אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד כְּתִיב). And Rabbi Abba said: for evil - for originally it was simply a Tent, as it is said [Yeshayahu 33] (וְרַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר: לְבִישׁ - דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא: אֹהֶל סְתָם, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “A tent that shall not be moved; its stakes shall never be pulled up” (אֹהֶל בַּל יִצְעָן, בַּל יִסַּע יְתֵדוֹתָיו לָנֶצַח). And now: Tent of Meeting (וְהַשְׁתָּא: אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד). At first, it was to give long, eternal life, so that death would not rule over them (בְּקַדְמִיתָא: לְמֵיהַב חַיִּין אֲרוּכִּין לְעָלְמִין, דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט בְּהוּ מוֹתָא). From now on - Tent of Meeting, as it is said [Job 30] (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה: אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר׳): “And the house appointed for all living” (וּבֵית מוֹעֵד לְכָל חָי). Now, time was given in it, and fixed lifespans for the world (הַשְׁתָּא: אִתְיְיהִיב בֵּיהּ זִמְנָא וְחַיִּין קְצוּבִין לְעָלְמָא). At first it was not blemished, and now it is blemished (בְּקַדְמִיתָא לָא אִתְפְּגִים, וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְפְּגִים). At first there was union and Zivug of the moon with the sun in a state of permanence (בְּקַדְמִיתָא: חַבְרוּתָא וְזִוּוּגָא דְּסִיהֲרָא בְּשִׁמְשָׁא דְּלָא יַעֲדוּן), now the Tent of Meeting - their Zivug is from time to time (הַשְׁתָּא: אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד - זִוּוּגָא דִילְהוֹן מִזְמַן לִזְמַן). And for this it is called the Tent of Meeting, that which it was not called before (וּבְגִינֵי כָךְ: וְקָרָא לוֹ אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה קוֹדֶם).p1-56