Daf 7a (דַּף ז׳ ע״א)

But to the three he did not come (וְאֶל הַשְּׁלשָׁה לֹא בָא), they were those who came to him (אִנּוּן הֲווּ אַתְיָאן לְגַבֵּיהּ), and gave to him with the will of the heart (וְיַהֲבֵי לֵיהּ בִּרְעוּתָא דְלִבָּא), while he would not go to them (וְאִיהוּ לָא הֲוֵי אָתֵי לְגַבֵּיהוֹן). And even though he did not enter into their count and their accounting (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא עָאל בְּמִנְיָינָא וְחוּשְׁבְּנָא דִּלְהוֹן), “David set him over his command” (וַיְשִימֵהוּ דָּוִד אֶל מִשְׁמַעְתּוֹ) [Shmuel II 23]. For he was never separated from the tablet of his heart (דְּלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִלּוּחָא דְלִבֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין), they were never separated from him forever (לֵית פִּירוּדָא לְהוֹן לְעָלְמִין). David placed him in his heart (דָּוִד שָׂם לֵיהּ לִבֵּיהּ), but he was not for David (וְאִיהוּ לָאו לְדָוִד), because through the praises, songs, and mercies of the moon (בְּגִין דְּתוּשְׁבְּחָן וְשִׁירִין וְרַחֲמִין דְּסִיהֲרָא), she acted for the sun (עָבִיד לְשִׁמְשָׁא), and she drew him to herself (אִיהִי מְשִׁיכַת לֵיהּ לְגַבָּהּ), to be his dwelling with her (לְמֶהוֵי דִיּוּרֵיהּ בַּהֲדָהּ). And this is what is meant by: “And David set him over his command” (וְדָא אִיהוּ וַיְשִׂימֵהוּ דָּוִד אֶל מִשְׁמַעְתּוֹ).

Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Abba fell before him (נָפְלוּ רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא קַמֵּיהּ). In the meantime, they no longer saw him (אַדְהָכִי וְהָכִי לָא חֲמוּ לֵיהּ). They arose and looked in all directions (קָמוּ וְאִסְתַּכָּלוּ לְכָל סִטְרִין), and they did not see him (וְלָא חֲמוּ לֵיהּ). They sat down and wept (יָתְבוּ וּבָכוּ), and could not speak one to the other (וְלָא יָכִילוּ לְמַלָּלָא דָּא לְדָא). After some time, Rabbi Abba said (לְבָתַר שַׁעֲתָא אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא), “Surely this is what we have learned-that on every path in which the Righteous go, and words of Orayta are among them (וַדַּאי הָא דְּתָנֵינָן דְּבְּכָל אָרְחָא דְצַדִּיקַיָּיא אָזְלִין וּמִילֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ), those who are meritorious in that world come to them (דְּאִנּוּן זַכָּאִין דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא אַתְיָאן לְגַבֵּיהוֹן). Surely this was Rav Hamnuna Sava who came to us from that world to reveal to us these words (וַדַּאי דָּא הוּא רַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא דְּאָתָא לְגַבָּן מֵהַהוּא עָלְמָא לְגַלָּאָה לָן מִלִּין אִלֵּין), and before we became aware of him, he went away and was hidden from us” (וְעַד לָא נִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע בֵּיהּ אֲזַל לֵיהּ וְאִתְכַּסֵּי מִינָן). They arose and sought to load the donkeys, but could not go (קָמוּ וְהֲווּ בָּעוּ לְמִטְעַן לְחַמְרֵי וְלָא אָזְלוּ), they sought to load and could not go (בָּעוּ לְמִטְעַן וְלָא אָזְלוּ). They trembled and left the donkeys alone (דְּחִילוּ וְאַנְחוּ לוֹן לְחַמְרֵי). And until today they call that place Dukh de-Ḥamrei-“Place of the Donkeys” (וְעַד יוֹמָא הֲווּ קָרָאן לְהַהוּא אֲתַר דּוּךְ דְּחֲמָרֵי).

Rabbi El'azar opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), “How great is Your goodness, which You have hidden for those who fear You…” (וְאָמַר מָה רַב טוּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ לִירֵאֶיךָ וְגו׳) [Tehillim 31:20]. How great is the supernal and precious good that Kudsha Berikh Hu is prepared to bestow (כַּמָּה הוּא טָבָא עִלָּאָה וְיַקִּירָא דְּזָמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד) upon the sons of man (גַּבֵּי בְּנִי נְשָׁא), to those lofty righteous ones who fear sin and engage in Orayta (לְאִנּוּן זַכָּאִין עִלָּאִין דַּחֲלֵי חֶטְאָה דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא) when they enter that world (כַּד עָאלִין לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא). Tuvkha is not written, but rav tuvkha-great is Your goodness (טוּבְךָ לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא רַב טוּבְךָ). And who is it? “The remembrance of Your great goodness they shall express” (וּמָאן אִיהוּ זֵכֶר רַב טוּבְךָ יַבִּיעוּ). And this is the delight of life which streams forth from the World to Come (וְדָא אִיהוּ עִנּוּגָא דְּחַיִּין דְּנַגְדִין מֵעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), to the Life of the Worlds, who is “the remembrance of Your great goodness” (לְגַבֵּי חַי עָלְמִין דְּאִיהוּ זֵכֶר רַב טוּבְךָ). Surely it is as written: “and great goodness to the house of Yisrael…” (וַדַּאי אִיהוּ וְרַב טוּב לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגו׳). Furthermore: “How great is Your goodness…” (תּוּ מָה רַב טוּבְךָ), here is engraved the secret of Chokhmah and all the mysteries are contained here (הָכָא אַגְלִיף רָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא וְכָל רָזִין אִתְכְּלִילוּ הָכָא).

Mah [What] (מָ״ה)—as it is said (כְּמָה דְּאִתְמָר). Rav [Great] (רַב)—this is the Tree, great and mighty (דָּא אִילָנָא רַ״ב וְתַקִּיף), for there is another tree smaller than it (בְּגִין דְּאִית אִילָנָא אָחֳרָא זוּטָא מִנֵּיהּ), and this one is Rav [Great], and He brought it into the heights of the heavens (וְדָא הוּא רַב וְאָעִיל לֵיהּ בְּרוּם רְקִיעִין). Tuvkha [Your goodness] (טוּבְךָ)—this is the light that was created on the first day (דָּא אוֹר דְּאִתְבְּרֵי בְּיוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה). “Which You have hidden for those who fear You” (אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ לִירֵאֶיךָ) (Psalms 31:20), because He concealed it for the Tzaddikim [Righteous Ones] in that world (בְּגִין דְּגָנִיז לֵיהּ לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא). Pa'alta [You established] (פָּעַלְתָּ)—this is the supernal Gan Eden (דָּא גַּן עֵדֶן עִלָּאָה). As it is written (דִּכְתִיב): “A dwelling-place for Your presence You have established, Hashem” (מָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ פָּעַלְתָּ יְיָ) (Exodus 15:17), and this is Pa'alta [You established] (וְדָא הוּא פָּעַלְתָּ), “for those who take refuge in You” (לַחוֹסִים בָּךְ). “Before the children of men” (נֶגֶד בְּנֵי אָדָם)—this is the lower Gan Eden (דָּא גַּן עֵדֶן דִּלְתַתָּא), situated within the heavenly academy (לְגוֹ מְתִיבְתָּא דִרְקִיעָא), within that supernal Gan Eden above (בְּהַהוּא גַּן עֵדֶן דִּלְעֵילָא). And they fly and are nourished by the dews of the rivers of refined Afarsemon [Balsam] (וּפָרְחֵי וְאִסְתַּחְיָין בְּטַלֵּי נַהֲרֵי אֲפַרְסְמוֹנָא דַכְיָא), and they descend and dwell below (וְנַחֲתֵי וְשָׁרָאן לְתַתָּא). And at times they appear before human beings (וּלְזִמְנִין אִתְחֲזוּן נֶגֶד בְּנֵי אָדָם), to perform miracles for them like the supernal angels (לְמֶעְבַּד לוֹן נִסִּין כְּמַלְאָכִין עִלָּאִין), in the manner that we have now seen the radiance of the supernal Lamp (כְּגַוְונָא דְּחֲזֵינָא הַשְׁתָּא נְהִירוּ דְּבוּצִינָא עִלָּאָה), and we were not worthy to gaze upon it or to know its mysteries of wisdom more deeply (וְלָא זָכִינָא לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא וּלְמִנְדַע רָזִין דְּחָכְמָתָא יַתִּיר).

Rabbi Abba opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי אַבָּא וְאָמַר), “And Manoach said to his wife, ‘We shall surely die, for we have seen Elohim’” (וַיֹּאמֶר מָנוֹחַ אֶל אִשְׁתּוֹ מוֹת נָמוּת כִּי אֱלֹהִים רָאִינוּ) [Shoftim 13:22]. Even though Manoach did not know what he had seen (אַף עַל גַּב דְּמָנוֹחַ לָא הֲוָה יָדַע מַאי עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ), he said, “Since it is written: ‘For no man shall see Me and live’” (אָמַר הוֹאִיל וּכְתִיב כִּי לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי), surely we have seen, and therefore we must die (וַדַּאי אֲנַן חֲזֵינָן וּבְגִין כָּךְ מוֹת נָמוּת). But we-we have seen and merited to witness this light that walked with us (וְאֲנַן חָמֵינָן וְזָכֵינָן לִנְהוֹרָא דָא דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל בַּהֲדָן), and we have endured in this world (וְנִתְקַיֵּים בְּעָלְמָא). For Kudsha Berikh Hu sent him to us to make known to us revealed secrets of Chokhmah (דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁדְּרֵיהּ לְגַבָּן לְאוֹדְעָא לָן רָזִין דְּחָכְמְתָא דְּגָלֵי), fortunate is our portion (זַכָּאָה חוּלְקָנָא).

They went and reached a certain mountain, and the sun was setting (אֲזְלוּ מְטוּ לְחַד טוּרָא וְהֲוָה נָטֵי שִׁמְשָׁא). The branches of the trees on the mountain began to bend one to another and to recite song (שָׁרוּ עַנְפִין דְּאִילָנָא דְטוּרָא לְאֲקָשָׁא דָּא בְדָא וְאָמְרֵי שִׁירָתָא). While they were walking (עַד דַּהֲווּ אָזְלֵי), they heard a mighty voice proclaiming (שְׁמָעוּ חַד קָלָא תַּקִּיפָא דְּהֲוָה אָמַר): “Holy sons of Elohim are they, scattered among the living of this world (בְּנֵי אֱלָהִין קַדִּישִׁין אִנּוּן דְּאִתְבַּדְּרוּ בֵּינֵי חַיָּיא דְהַאי עָלְמָא), they are the lamps of the sons of the Academy (אִנּוּן בּוֹצִינֵי בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא); let them be gathered to their places to delight in their Master through Orayta (אִתְכַּנְּשׁוּ לְדוּכְתַּיְיהוּ לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא בְּמָארֵיכוֹן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא).” They trembled, stood in their place, and sat (דְּחִילוּ אִלֵּין וְקָאִימוּ בְּדוּכְתַּיְיהוּ וְיָתְבֵי). Then a voice went out as before and said (אַדְּהָכִי נָפִיק קָלָא כְּמִלְקַדְּמִין וְאָמַר): “Fiery furnaces, mighty hammers! Behold, the Master of Forms is weaving images, He stands on His platform-enter and be gathered!” (טִנָּרִין תַּקִיפִין פַּטִּישִׁין רָמְאִין הָא מָארֵי דִּגְוָונִין מְרַקְמָא בְּצִיּוּרִין קָאִים עַל אִצְטְוָונָא, עוּלוּ וְאִתְכַּנְשׁוּ). At that moment they heard the voice of the branches of mighty and powerful trees (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא שְׁמָעוּ קָל עַנְפֵי דְאִילָנִין רַב וְתַקִּיף), and they were saying, “The voice of Hashem shatters the cedars…” (וְהֲווּ אָמְרֵי קוֹל יְיָ שׁוֹבֵר אֲרָזִים).

Rabbi El'azar and Rabbi Abba fell on their faces (נָפְלוּ עַל אַנְפַּיְיהוּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא), and great trembling fell upon them (וּדְחִילוּ סַגְיָא נָפַל עֲלַיְהוּ). They arose in terror and left, but heard nothing further (קָאמוּ בִּבְהִילוּ וְאֲזְלוּ וְלָא שְׁמָעוּ מִידִי). They left the mountain and departed (נָפְקוּ מִן טוּרָא וְאָזְלוּ).