Daf 106a (דַּף ק״ו ע״א)

In the days of Rabbi Shim‘on, a man would say to his companion, “Open your mouth and let your words shine” (בְּיוֹמוֹי דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ אָמַר לְחַבְרֵיהּ, פְּתַח פִּיךָ וְיָאִירוּ דְּבָרֶיךָ). After he passed away, they would say, “Do not give your mouth…” etc. (בָּתַר דְּשָׁכִיב, הֲווֹ אַמְרֵי, אַל תִּתֵּן אֶת פִּיךָ וְגוֹ׳) (Ecclesiastes 5). In his days: “to eat to satisfaction” (בְּיוֹמוֹי, לֶאֱכוֹל לְשָׂבְעָה). After he passed away: “and to cover Atik” (בָּתַר דְּשָׁכִיב, וְלִמְכַסֶּה עָתִיק). For the friends stammered and did not stand firmly in words (דְּחַבְרַיָּיא מְגַמְגְמֵי, וְלָא קַיְימֵי בְּמִלִּין). Another matter: “To eat to satisfaction” - in those words that were revealed (דָּבָר אַחֵר, לֶאֱכוֹל לְשָׂבְעָה: בְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָין). “And to cover Atik” - in those words that were concealed (וְלִמְכַסֶּה עָתִיק: בְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּאִתְחַפְּיָין). “And the son of the Israelite woman pronounced the Name” (וַיִקּוֹב בֶּן הָאִשָּׁה הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית אֶת הַשֵּׁם) (Leviticus 24). What is “pronounced”? (מַהוּ וַיִקּוֹב). Rabbi Abba said: “pronounced” surely, as it is said, “And he bored a hole in his door” (וַיִּקּוֹב וַדַּאי, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, וַיִּקּוֹב חוֹר בְּדַלְתּוֹ) (II Kings 12), to pierce what was sealed (נָקִיב מַה דְּהֲוָה סָתִים). And the name of his mother was Shelomit bat Divri (וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ שְׁלוֹמִית בַּת דִּבְרִי). Until here the name of his mother was hidden (עַד כָּאן סָתִים שְׁמָא דְּאִמֵּיהּ). Since it is written “he pronounced,” the name of his mother was pierced, revealed (כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִיב וַיִקּוֹב, נָקִיב שְׁמָא דְּאִמֵּיהּ).

Rabbi Abba said: were it not that the Holy Luminary was present in the world, I would not permit to reveal (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, אִי לָאו דְּבוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא קַיְימָא בְּעָלְמָא, לָא אַרְשֵׁינָא לְגַלָּאָה). From here and onward, for this word was not given to be revealed except to the Friends, who are among the harvesters of the field (מִכָּאן וְהָלְאָה, דְּהָא לָא אִתְיְיהִיב מִלָּה דָּא לְגַלָּאָה אֶלָּא לְחַבְרַיָּיא, דְּאִינּוּן בֵּין מְחַצְּדֵי חַקְלָא). Cursed be the spirit of those who come to reveal to those who do not know (תִּיפַּח רוּחֵיהוֹן דְּאִינּוּן דְּאַתְיָין לְגַלָּאָה, לְאִינּוּן דְּלָא יַדְעֵי).

Come and see: it is written, “And they quarreled in the camp, the son of the Israelite woman and the Israelite man” (תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב וַיִּנָּצוּ בַּמַּחֲנֶה בֶּן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית וְאִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי) (Leviticus 24). This verse we have already established (הַאי קְרָא הָא אוֹקִימְנָא). But this one was the son of another woman, that Egyptian who was the husband of Shelomit (אֲבָל דָּא בַּר אִינְתּוּ אָחֳרָא דַּאֲבוֹי, בַּעְלָהּ דִּשְׁלוֹמִית הֲוָה). And when that Egyptian came upon her in the middle of the night, her husband returned home and perceived the matter (וְכֵיוָן דְּאָתָא הַהוּא מִצְרָאָה עָלָהּ, בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא, תָּב לְבֵיתָא וְיָדַע מִלָּה). He separated from her and never again came upon her (אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנָּהּ וְלָא אָתָא עָלָהּ). And he took another wife, and begot this one, who was called “the Israelite man” (וְנָטַל אִינְתּוּ אָחֳרָא, וְאוֹלִיד לְהַאי, וְאִקְרֵי אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי). And the other was “the son of the Israelite woman” (וְאָחֳרָא בֶּן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית). If they contended here together, what need was there for the Holy Name here? (אִי אִינּוּן אִינְצוּ הָכָא כַּחֲדָא, מַאי קָא בָּעֵי הָכָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). And why did he curse the Holy Name? (וַאֲמַאי קִלֵּל שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). Rather, the Israelite man spoke a word about his mother, from the quarrel (אֶלָּא, אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי אָמַר מִלָּה מֵאִמֵּיהּ, מִגּוֹ קְטָטָה). Immediately, “the son of the Israelite woman pronounced” (מִיַּד וַיִּקּוֹב בֶּן הָאִשָּׁה הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית) (Leviticus 24). As it is said, “And he bored a hole in the door” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, וַיִּקּוֹב חוֹר בְּדַלְתּוֹ) (II Kings 12). The secret of the word: he took the letter Heh of the Holy Name and cursed, to disgrace his mother (רָזָא דְּמִלָּה, נָטַל ה׳ דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְלָיִיט, לְאַגָּנָא עַל אִמֵּיהּ). And this is the “piercing,” for he pierced and revealed the Holy Name (וְדָא הוּא נְקִיבָא, דְּאִיהוּ נָקִיב וּפָרִישׁ שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). And this was spoken for the harvesters of the field (וְלִמְחַצְדֵּי חַקְלָא אִתְּמַר). And the secret of the matter: “So is the way of an adulterous woman…” (וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה, כֵּן דֶּרֶךְ אִשָּׁה מְנָאָפֶת וְגוֹ׳) (Proverbs 30). Fortunate is the portion of the Righteous, who know the word and conceal it (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא, דְּיַדְעִין מִלָּה, וּמְכַסְּיָין לָהּ). And concerning this it is said, “Debate your cause with your fellow, and the secret of another do not reveal” (וְעַל דָּא אִתְּמַר, רִיבְךָ רִיב אֶת רֵעֶךָ וְסוֹד אַחֵר אַל תְּגָל) (Proverbs 25).

The final Heh was feminine, which nursed from two sides (ה׳ בַּתְרָאָה, הֲוַת נוּקְבָּא דְּיָנְקָא בִּתְרֵין סִטְרִין). Therefore she took the weapons of the King, and avenged her vengeance, as it is written, “Bring forth the blasphemer” (בְּגִין כַּךְ נַטְלָא זַיְינִין דְּמַלְכָּא, וְנַקְמַת נִקְמָהָא, דִּכְתִיב הוֹצֵא אֶת הַמְקַלֵּל) (Leviticus 24). And concerning this it is written, “Every man, his mother and his father shall you fear” (עַל דָּא כְּתִיב, אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ) (Leviticus 19), for the awe of the mother precedes that of the father (דְּחִילוּ דְּאִמָּא אַקְדִים לְאַבָּא). And fortunate are Israel in this world and in the World to Come (וְזַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). As it is written, “And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, Any man, when he curses his Elohim, shall bear his sin” (כְּדִכְתִיב, וְאֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּדַבֵּר לֵאמֹר אִישׁ אִישׁ כִּי יְקַלֵּל אֱלֹהָיו וְנָשָׂא חֶטְאוֹ) (Leviticus 24). Rabbi Yehudah said: behold, this has already been established (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ). But “when he curses his Elohim” is closed (אֲבָל כִּי יְקַלֵּל אֱלֹהָיו סָתִים). And because it says “his Elohim” unspecified, therefore “he shall bear his sin” (וּבְגִין דְּאָמַר אֱלֹהָיו סְתָם, לְכַךְ וְנָשָׂא חֶטְאוֹ). For we do not know who is “his Elohim” - the one he fears - whether one of the princes, or one of the stars, or one of the powers of the world (דְּהָא לָא יַדְעֵינָן מַאן הוּא אֱלֹהָיו, מַאן דַּחֲלָא דִּילֵיהּ, אִי אֶחָד מִן הַשָּׂרִים, אוֹ חַד מִן כּוֹכְבַיָּיא, אוֹ חַד מִדַּבַרֵי עָלְמָא).

Rabbi Yose said: if he were a complete tzaddik, his power would not be aroused (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, אִי צַדִּיק גָּמוּר הוּא, לָא יִתְעַר חֵילֵיהוֹן). And since this word was aroused, we fear that heresy has burst within him, and he will not die - Some say: even a complete tzaddik will not die - for this, because it is a closed word (וְכֵיוָן דְּאִתְעַר מִלָּה דָּא, חַיְישִׁינָן מִינוּת אִזְדְּרִיקַת בֵּיהּ, וְלָא יְמוּת - ס״א: אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, אֲפִילוּ צַדִּיק גָּמוּר לֹא יָמוּת - עַל דָּא, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ מִלָּה סָתִים).

Rabbi Yehudah said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר): this has a favorable interpretation (דָּאִין לֵיהּ לְטָב בְּהָא). For if he said, “my God” (דְּאִי אָמַר אֱלֹהַי), he could claim: “My god was, until now, that which I was drawn after in my heart (יָכִיל לְמִטְעָן אֱלֹהַי דְּהֲוָה עַד הַשְּׁתָּא, דְּאִתְמַשְׁכְּנָא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ בְּלִבָּאִי), and now I have returned to accept the supernal faith” (וְהַשְׁתָּא אַהֲדַרְנָא לָקֳבְלָא מְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה). But if he said, “Hashem Elohim,” or “Hashem” (אֲבָל אִי אָמַר יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים, אוֹ יְיָ'), and explicitly mentioned the Name (וְנָקִיב לֵיהּ בִּשְׁמָא), he has no claim in this matter (הַאי לֵית לֵיהּ לְמִטְעָן בְּהַאי), because this is the faith of all (בְּגִין דְּדָא הוּא מְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא), and every letter of this Holy Name ascends to the Sh’ma Shleima [Complete Name] (וְכָל אָת וְאָת דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא דָּא, סַלְּקָא לִשְׁמָא שְׁלֵימָא). Some say: to praise (ס״א: לִשְׁבָּחָא). Another matter: “And the son of the Israelite woman pronounced the Name and cursed” (דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיִּקּוֹב בֶּן הָאִשָּׁה הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית אֶת הַשֵּׁם וַיְקַלֵּל) (Leviticus 24).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: why “pronounced the Name”? (רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, וַיִּקּוֹב בֶּן הָאִשָּׁה, אֲמַאי). But as it has already been established (אֶלָּא כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ). But the Israelite man was the husband of Shelomit (אֲבָל הָאִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי, בַּעְלָהּ דִּשְׁלוֹמִית הֲוָה). Rabbi Yehuda said: he was the son of the husband of Shelomit from another wife (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, בְּרֵיהּ דְּבַעְלָהּ דִּשְׁלוֹמִית מֵאִנְתּוּ אָחֳרָא הֲוָה).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: they contended together, and he spoke a word about his mother (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, נָצוּ כַּחֲדָא, וְאָמַר לֵיהּ מִלָּה מֵאִימֵיהּ). And his father was the one killed through the Holy Name, as it has already been established, as it is written, “Do you intend to kill me?” (וְכִי אֲבוֹי הֲוָה דְּאִתְקְטָל בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ דִּכְתִיב הַלְהָרְגֵנִי אַתָּה אוֹמֵר) (Exodus 2). For with the Holy Name, Moshe killed him (דְּהָא בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, קָטִיל לֵיהּ מֹשֶׁה). And therefore he thrust a word against it (וְעַל דָּא אוֹשִׁיט מִלָּה לָקֳבְלֵיהּ).