Daf 115b (דַּף קט״ו ע״ב)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): these and those are words of the covenant (אִלֵּין וְאִלֵּין דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית הֲווֹ). For even though these words came from the mouth of the Mighty One (דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּמִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה הֲווֹ מִלִּין), they are words of covenant (מִלֵי בְּרִית הֲווֹ). For good and evil depend in it (דְּהָא טַב וּבִישׁ בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָין): good, which comes from Tzaddik [Righteous One] (טַב דְּאָתֵי מִצַדִּיק); evil, which comes from Din [Judgment] (בִּישׁ דְּאָתֵי מִן דִּינָא). Din [Judgment] derives from the place of Din [Judgment], namely Tzedek [Righteousness] (דִּינָא, מֵאֲתַר דְּדִינָא, וְהַיְינוּ צֶדֶק). And Tzaddik [Righteous One] and Tzedek [Righteousness] are covenant (וְצַדִּיק וְצֶדֶק בְּרִית אִינּוּן); they are called covenant (בְּרִית אִקְרוּן). And because of this, these words are words of covenant (וְעַל דָּא, מִלִּין אִלֵּין, מִלֵי בְּרִית אִינּוּן). And the covenant is bound as one (וְקָשִׁיר בְּרִית כַּחֲדָא). And because of this, Zachor [Remember] and Shamor [Keep] are bound as one (וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ זָכוֹר וְשָׁמוֹר, קָשִׁיר כַּחֲדָא): Zachor [Remember] by day (זָכוֹר בְּיוֹם), Shamor [Keep] by night (שָׁמוֹר בַּלַּיְלָה). Behold, the covenant is one (הָא בְּרִית כַּחֲדָא), and because of this, they are indeed words of covenant (וּבְגִין כַּךְ בְּרִית וַדַּאי, דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית נִינְהוּ). And in every place, covenant is in this place (וּבְכָל אֲתַר בְּרִית בַּאֲתַר דָּא אִיהוּ).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא): surely it is so, and because of this Shabbat, which is Remember and Keep, is called covenant (וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ שַׁבָּת דְּאִיהוּ זָכוֹר וְשָׁמוֹר, אִקְרֵי בְּרִית). It is written (דִּכְתִיב): And the children of Israel shall keep the Shabbat, to make the Shabbat throughout their generations, an everlasting covenant (וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת לְדֹרֹתָם בְּרִית עוֹלָם) (Exodus 31). And all is one thing, and this place is called covenant everywhere (וְכֹלָּא מִלָּה חַד, וַאֲתַר דָּא, אִקְרֵי בְּרִית בְּכָל אֲתַר).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): It is written: And I will give peace in the land (כְּתִיב וְנָתַתִּי שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ), this is Yesod, which is the peace of the land, the peace of the house, the peace of the world (הוּא יְסוֹד, דְּאִיהוּ שְׁלָמָא דְּאַרְעָא, שְׁלָמָא דְּבֵיתָא, שְׁלָמָא דְּעָלְמָא). And I will chastise you, even I, seven (וְיִסַּרְתִּי אֶתְכֶם אַף אָנִי שֶׁבַע). What is seven? This is Tzedek (מַאי ז׳. דָּא צֶדֶק). Behold, surely covenant, and because of this, they are words of the covenant (הָא וַדַּאי בְּרִית, וּבְגִין כָּךְ דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית נִינְהוּ).

Rabbi Yosei said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): It is written (כְּתִיב): And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, etc. (וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם וְגוֹ׳) (Leviticus 26). And yet-as you say: Even I (וְאַף, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, אַף אָנִי). Also-to include Kenesset Yisrael, which is called This, that she shall never forsake them (גַּם, לְרַבּוֹת כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִקְרֵי זֹאת, דְּלָא שַׁבְקַת לוֹן לְעָלְמִין). When they are in the land of their enemies-when they are all together as one (בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם, בִּהְיוֹתָם כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא). I will not reject them and I will not abhor them, so as to destroy them utterly-because I have not separated from them (לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְעַלְתִּים בְּגִין דְּלָא אִתְחֲבָּר בְּהוּ). To break My covenant with them-for if I did not redeem them, behold, My covenant would be divided, and because of this: To break My covenant with them (לְהָפֵר בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם, דְּאִי לָא אֶפְרוֹק לְהוּ, הָא בְּרִיתִי פָּלִיג, וּבְגִין כָּךְ לְהָפֵר בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא): I have heard a new word (אֲנָא שְׁמַעְנָא מִלָּה חַדְתָּא), that Rabbi El'azar said: I will not reject them and I will not abhor them to destroy them-it should have said: I did not smite them and I did not kill them to destroy them (דְּאָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְעַלְתִּים לְכַלֹּתָם, לָא הִכִּיתִים וְלָא הֲרַגְתִּים לְכַלּוֹתָם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). But: I will not reject them and I will not abhor them-for one who hates another rejects him before him and abhors him in disgust before him (אֶלָּא לָא מְאַסְתִּים וְלָא גְעַלְתִּים, מַאן דְּסָאנֵי לְאָחֳרָא מָאִיס הוּא לָקֳבְלֵיהּ, וְגַעֲלָא הוּא בְּגִיעוּלָא קַמֵּיהּ). But here: I will not reject them and I will not abhor them. What is the reason? Because of the love of My soul among them (אֲבָל הָכָא, לָא מְאַסְתִּים וְלָא גְעַלְתִּים. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דַּחֲבִיבוּתָא דְּנַפְשָׁאי בֵּינַיְיהוּ). And because of her, all are beloved before Me. This is what is written: to destroy them (וּבְגִינָהּ כֻּלְּהוּ חֲבִיבִין גַּבָּאי, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב לְכַלֹּתָם).

It is written to destroy them (לְכַלֹּתָם כְּתִיב), deficient of a Vav. Because of her, I will not reject them and I will not abhor them. Because she is the beloved of My soul, My love is upon her (חָסֵר וָי״ו, בְּגִינָהּ לָא מְאַסְתִּים וְלָא גְעַלְתִּים, בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי רְחִימָתָא דְּנַפְשָׁאי, רְחִימוּתָא דִּילִי גַּבָּהָא). It is like a man who loves a woman, and she was dwelling in the market of tanners. If she were not there, he would never enter there (לְבַּר נָשׁ דְּרָחִים אִתְּתָא, וַהֲוַת דַּיְירָא בְּשׁוּקָא דְּבוּרְסָקֵי, אִי לָא הֲוַת הִיא תַּמָּן, לָא עָיֵיל בָּהּ לְעָלְמִין). Since she is there, in his eyes it is like the market of spice-sellers, where all the good fragrances of the world are found (כֵּיוָן דְּהִיא תַּמָּן, דָּמֵי בְּעֵינוֹי כְּשׁוּקָא דְּרוֹכְלֵי, דְּכָל רֵיחִין דְּעָלְמִין טָבִין אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ תַּמָּן). So too here: And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies-which is the market of tanners-I will not reject them and I will not abhor them. And why? To destroy them-because of their bride (אוּף הָכָא, וְאַף גַּם זֹּאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם, דְּאִיהוּ שׁוּקָא דְּבוּרְסָקֵי, לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְעַלְתִּים. וַאֲמַאי. לְכַלֹּתָם). Because of their bride, for I love her, for she is the beloved of My soul, who dwells there. And in My eyes, she is like all the good fragrances of the world-because of that bride who is among them (בְּגִין כַּלָּתָם, דַּאֲנָא רְחִימְנָא לָהּ, דְּאִיהִי רְחִימָתָא דְּנַפְשָׁאי, דְּשַׁרְיָא תַּמָּן, וְדָמִי עָלַי כְּכָל רֵיחִין טָבָאן דְּעָלְמָא, בְּגִין הַהִיא כָּלָּה דִּבְגַוַויְיהוּ).

Rabbi Yosei said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): if we had not come here except to hear this word, it would have been enough (אִלּוּ לָא אָתֵינָא הָכָא, אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמַע מִלָּה דָּא, דַּיֵּי). He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): A son honors his father, and a servant his master (בֵּן יְכַבֵּד אָב וְעֶבֶד אֲדֹנָיו) (Malachi 1). A son honors his father-as you say: Honor your father and your mother (בֵּן יְכַבֵּד אָב, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ) (Exodus 20). And it has been established: with food and drink and all (וְאוֹקְמוּהָ, בְּמֵיכְלָא וּמִשְׁתְּיָיא וּבְכֹלָּא). This is in his lifetime, when he is obligated in him (הַאי בְּחַיּיוֹי דְּאִתְחַיָּיב בֵּיהּ).

After he dies, if you say he is exempt from him-no, not so (בָּתַר דְּמִית, אִי תֵּימָא הָא פָּטוּר מִנֵּיהּ הוּא, לָאו הָכֵי). For even though he died, he is obligated in his honor even more (דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּמִית, אִתְחַיָּיב בִּיקָרֵיהּ יַתִּיר). It is written (דִּכְתִיב): Honor your father (כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ). For if that son goes in a sinful path, surely he disgraces his father, surely he brings him shame (דְּאִי הַהוּא בְּרָא אָזִיל בְּאֹרַח תְּקָלָא, וַדַּאי מְבַזֶּה לַאֲבוּי הוּא, וַדַּאי עָבִיד לֵיהּ קְלָנָא). And if that son goes in the straight path, and his deeds are upright (וְאִי הַהוּא בְּרָא אָזִיל בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר, וְתָקִין עוֹבָדוֹי), surely this one honors his father (וַדַּאי דָּא אוֹקִיר לַאֲבוּי). He honors him in this world before mankind (אוֹקִיר לֵיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא גַּבֵּי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא), he honors him in that world before Kudsha Berikh Hu (אוֹקִיר לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, גַּבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And Kudsha Berikh Hu has compassion upon him, and seats him upon the throne of His glory (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָיִיס עָלֵיהּ, וְאוֹתִיב לֵיהּ בְּכוּרְסְיָיא דִּיקָרֵיהּ).

Surely: A son honors his father (וַדַּאי בֵּן יְכַבֵּד אָב). Such as Rabbi El'azar, who honored his father in this world (כְּגוֹן רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, דְּאִיהוּ אוֹקִיר לֵיהּ לַאֲבוּי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And in that world now the praise of Rabbi Shimon increases in both worlds- in this world, and in that world more than in his lifetime (וּבְהַהוּא עָלְמָא הַשְׁתָּא אַסְגֵּי שְׁבָחָא דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בִּתְרֵין עָלְמִין, בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּבְהַהוּא עָלְמָא יַתִּיר מְחַיּיוֹי). For he merited holy children and holy offspring (דְּזָכָה לִבְנִין קַדִּישִׁין, וּלְגִזְעִין קַדִּישִׁין). Fortunate are the Righteous, who merit holy children, holy offspring (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא, דְּזַכָּאן לִבְנִין קַדִּישִׁין, לְגִזְעִין קַדִּישִׁין). Upon them it is called: All who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed whom Hashem has blessed, Amen (עָלַיְיהוּ אִתְקְרֵי, כָּל רֹאֵיהֶם יַכִּירוּם כִּי הֵם זֶרַע בֵּרַךְ יְיָ אָמֵן) (Isaiah 61).

Blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen. May Hashem reign forever, Amen and Amen בָּרוּךְ יְיָ לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן. יִמְלוֹךְ יְיָ לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן