Daf 119a (דַּף קי״ט ע״א)

And in all, it is necessary to show the deed as the likeness above (וּבְכֹלָּא בָּעֵי לְאַחֲזָאָה עוֹבָדָא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), and as the deed is shown below, so also is it aroused above, and so it has been established (וּכְמָּה דְּאַחְזֵי עוֹבָדָא לְתַתָּא, הָכִי נָמֵי אִתְּעַר לְעֵילָּא, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ). Rabbi Pinchas heard, and kissed Rabbi El'azar, and wept and rejoiced, and said: Blessed is my portion in this world and in the World to Come (שָׁמַע רִבִּי פִּנְחָס, וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ לְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וּבָכָה וְחַיִיךְ אָמַר, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקִי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). He opened and said: (Psalms 27) Hashem is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? etc. (פָּתַח וְאָמַר, יְיָ אוֹרִי וְיִשְׁעִי מִמִּי אִירָא וְגוֹ׳). Hashem is my light and my salvation: when a man gazes (Some say: unites) in the supernal light, and Kudsha Berikh Hu shines upon him, he does not fear from the supernal and the lower (יְיָ אוֹרִי וְיִשְׁעִי, כֵּיוָן דְּבַר נָשׁ אִסְתָּכַּל [נ״א אִתְאַחֵד] בִּנְהוֹרָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַנְהִיר עָלֵיהּ, לָא דָּחִיל מֵעִלָאִין וְתַתָּאִין). As it is said: (Isaiah 60) And upon you shall Hashem shine, and His glory shall be seen upon you (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְעָלַיִךְ יִזְרַח יְיָ וּכְבוֹדוֹ עָלַיִךְ יֵרָאֶה).

Hashem is the stronghold of my life: when Kudsha Berikh Hu holds in a man, he does not fear in this world from all the masters of judgment (יְיָ מָעוֹז חַיַי, כֵּיוָן דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָחִיד בֵּיהּ בְּבַר נָשׁ, לָא מִסְתָּפֵי בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא מִכָּל מָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינִין). So also I, in this manner: since I hold in your father and in you, I do not fear in this world nor in the next world (אוּף אֲנָא כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאַחִידְנָא בְּאָבוּךְ וּבָךְ לָא אֶסְתַּפֵינָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא וּבְעָלְמָא אַחֲרָא). And concerning you it is written: (Proverbs 23) Let your father rejoice, etc. (וְעָלָךְ כְּתִיב, יִשְׂמַח אָבִיךָ וְגוֹ׳). Since it is written let your father rejoice and your mother, what is and let she who bore you exult? For in your mother it is sufficient (כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִּיב יִשְׂמַח אָבִיךָ וְאִמֶּךָ, מַאי וְתָגֵל יוֹלַדְתֶּךָ, דְּהָא בְּאִמֶּךָ סַגְיָא). Rather, let your father rejoice: this is Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֶלָּא יִשְׂמַח אָבִיךָ: דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And your mother: this is the Congregation of Yisrael (וְאִמֶּךָ: דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל). And let she who bore you exult: this is your mother below (וְתָגֵל יוֹלַדְתֶּךָ: יוֹלַדְתֶּךָ דִּלְתַּתָּא).

Rabbi Shimon, your father, I am his joy (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָבוּךְ אָן חֶדְוָותָא דִּילֵיהּ). Rather, the verse alone it is, as it is written: (Proverbs 23) The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice-this is Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֶלָּא קְרָא הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי דִּכְתִּיב, גִּיל יָגִיל אֲבִי צַדִּיק: דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And he who begets a wise one shall rejoice in him: this is your father below (וְיוֹלֵד חָכָם יִשְׂמַח בּוֹ: דָּא אָבִיךָ דִּלְתַּתָּא). Another matter: The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice-this is your father below (דָּבָר אַחֵר, גִּיל יָגִיל אֲבִי צַדִּיק: דָּא אָבִיךָ דִּלְתַּתָּא). And he who begets a wise one shall rejoice in him is written with an added Vav, this is Kudsha Berikh Hu, who is above (וְיוֹלֵד חָכָם יִשְׂמַח בּוֹ, כְּתִיב בְּתוֹסֶפֶת וָא״ו, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הוּא לְעֵילָּא).

Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), it is written (כְּתִיב): “Into Your hand I entrust my spirit; You have redeemed me, Hashem, God of truth” (בְּיָדְךָ אַפְקִיד רוּחִי פָּדִיתָה אוֹתִי יְיָ אֵל אֱמֶת) (Psalm 31). This verse must be contemplated (הַאי קְרָא אִית לֵיהּ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ); see! who is it that deposits something into the hand of a king? (חֲמִיתּוּן מַאן דְּאַפְקִיד בִּידָא דְּמַלְכָּא מִידִי). Rather, assuredly, fortunate is the human being (אֶלָּא, וַדַּאי זַכָּאָה הוּא בַּר נָשׁ), who walks in the ways of the Holy King (דְּאָזִיל בְּאוֹרְחוֹי דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), and does not sin before Him (וְלָא חָטֵי קַמֵּיהּ). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): once night enters (כֵּיוָן דְּעָאל לֵילְיָא), the Tree of Death rules over the world (אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא שַׁלִּיט בְּעָלְמָא), and the Tree of Life ascends far above, higher and higher (וְאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי אִסְתַּלָּק לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא). And once the Tree of Death rules over the world alone (וְכֵיוָן דְּאִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא שַׁלִּיט בְּעָלְמָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), all people of the world taste the taste of death (כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא טַעֲמִין טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא).

Why is this so? (מַאי טַעְמָא). Because that Tree causes it (בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא אִילָנָא גָּרִים). And a human being must rise early and deposit his soul in trust into His hand (וּבַר נָשׁ בָּעֵי לְאַקְדְּמָא וּלְמִפְקַד בִּידֵיהּ נַפְשֵׁיהּ בְּפִקְדוֹנָא). Like the trust of a man (כְּפִקְדוֹנָא דְּבַר נָשׁ), who gives a deposit to another (דְּיָהִיב פִּקְדוֹנָא לְאַחֲרָא), that even though he has become obligated to him beyond that deposit (דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ אִתְחַיָּיב לְגַבֵּיהּ יַתִּיר מֵהַהוּא פִּקְדוֹנָא), it is not fitting to deny it (לָאו כְּדַאי לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בֵּיהּ), since the deposit has been handed to him (הוֹאִיל וּפִקְדוֹנָא אִתְמְסַר לְגַבֵּיהּ); and if he were to refuse it (וְאִי יְסָרֵב בֵּיהּ), surely he would be examined afterwards (וַדַּאי נִבְדוּק אֲבַתְרֵיהּ), for he is not of the holy seed (דְּלָאו מִזַּרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא הוּא), and not of the children of faithfulness (וְלָאו מִבְּנֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא). So it is with that Tree (כַּךְ הַהוּא אִילָנָא): human beings rise early and give to it the deposit of their souls (בְּנֵי נָשָׁא אַקְדִּימוּ וְיָהֲבִין לֵיהּ פִּקְדוֹנָא דְּנַפְשַׁיְיהוּ), and it takes all the souls of the people of the world (וְכָל נִשְׁמָתִין דִּבְנֵי עָלְמָא נָטִיל). And all of them taste the taste of death (וְכֻלְּהוּ טַעֲמִין טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא), because this is the Tree of Death (בְּגִין דְּהַאי אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא הוּא). And because all those souls (וּבְגִין דְּכָל אִינּוּן נַפְשָׁתָא), even though they have all become indebted to it (אַף עַל גַּב דְּכֻלְּהוּ אִתְחָיְיבוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ), it is not fitting that the deposit be returned to a human being (וְלָאו כְּדַאי הוּא לְאָתָבָא פִּקְדוֹנָא לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ). Rather, since all of them were entrusted to it as a deposit (אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן דְּכֻלְּהוּ אִתְמְסָרִי לֵיהּ בְּפִקְדוֹנָא), it returns all the deposits to their Master (אָתִיב כָּל פִּקְדוֹנִין לְמָארֵיהוֹן).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), this Tree of Death is not worthy to return the deposit to a human being (לָאו כְּדַאי הוּא הַאי אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא לְאָתָבָא פִּקְדוֹנָא לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ). But at the time when the Tree of Life is aroused in the world (אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי אִתְּעַר בְּעָלְמָא). And when is that Tree of Life aroused? (וְאֵימָתַי אִתְּעַר הַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי). At the time when the morning rises (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּסָלִיק צַפְרָא). Then, once this one is aroused in the world (וּכְדֵין, כֵּיוָן דְּהַאי אִתְּעַר בְּעָלְמָא), all the people of the world live (כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא חַיִּין), and that Tree of Death leaves and returns all the deposits that were entrusted to it, and goes its way (וְשָׁבִיק וְאַהְדָּר הַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא כָּל פִּקְדוֹנִין דְּאִתְפְּקָדוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְאָזִיל לֵיהּ).

Why do they live? (מַאי טַעְמָא חַיִּין). Because that Tree of Life causes it (בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי גָּרִים). And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא): behold, there are many people who are awake at night (הָא בְּנֵי נָשָׁא סַגִּיאִין אִינּוּן דְּמִתְעֲרִין בְּלֵילְיָא), while the Tree of Death still rules (בְּעוֹד דְּאִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא שַׁלִּיט). Rather, assuredly, it is that Tree of Life which acts (אֶלָּא, וַדַּאי הַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי קָא עָבִיד). Why is this so? (מַאי טַעְמָא). Because it is written: “To see if there is one who acts wisely, seeking after God” (לִרְאוֹת הֲיֵשׁ מַשְׂכִּיל דּוֹרֵשׁ אֶת אֱלֹהִים) (Psalm 14). And thus no human being will have an excuse to say (וְלָא יְהֵא לֵיהּ פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה לְבַר נָשׁ, דְּיֵימָּא), “Had I had power over my soul at night, I would have toiled in Orayta” (אִלְמָלֵי שְׁלִיטְנָא בְּנַפְשָׁאי בְּלֵילְיָא אִשְׁתָּדַּלְנָא בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא). Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה), this is in Israel assuredly, and so it is (הַאי בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַדַּאי וְהָכִי הוּא). But regarding the nations of the world, when I have seen such a manner (אֲבָל בְּאוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם דַּחֲמֵינָא כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא), why is this so? (מַאי טַעְמָא). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ), assuredly what you have said is right (וַדַּאי שַׁפִּיר הוּא דְּקָא אַמָרְת).