Daf 85b (דַּף פ״ה ע״ב)
And one who studies in Orayta, but does not toil in it in the way of truth and in the straight path (וּמַאן דְּלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא אִשְׁתָּדַּל בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַח קְשׁוֹט, וּבְאוֹרַח מֵישָׁר), that word ascends (הַהוּא מִלָּה סַלְּקָא), and the paths wander astray (וְסָטֵי אוֹרְחִין), and there is no one to join with it (וְלֵית מַאן דְּיִתְחַבָּר בָּהּ). And all of them cast it outside (וְכֹלָּא דַּחְיָּין לָהּ לְבַר), and it goes and travels in the world, and finds no place (וְאָזִיל וְשָׁאט בְּעָלְמָא וְלָא יִשְׁכַּח אֲתַר). Who causes this? (מַאן גָּרִים לֵיהּ הַאי). He who turned him aside from the straight path (הַהוּא דְּסַאטֵי לֵיהּ מֵאוֹרַח מֵישָׁר). This is what is written: “And before the blind you shall not place a stumbling block” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְלִפְנֵי עִוִּר לֹא תִתֵּן מִכְשׁוֹל) (Leviticus 19). And because of this it is written: “And you shall fear your God, I am Hashem” (וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ כְּתִיב, וְיָרֵאתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲנִי יְיָ') (Leviticus 19). And one whose desire is to study Orayta, but he does not find one to teach him (וּמַאן דְּתִיאוּבְתֵּיה לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא אַשְׁכַּח מַאן דְּיוֹלִיף לֵיהּ), and he, in the love of Orayta, studies it (וְהוּא בִּרְחִימוּתָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לָעֵי בָּהּ), and stammers in it, with stammering, not knowing (וּמְגַּמְגֵּם בָּהּ, בְּגִמְגוּמָא דְּלָא יָדַע). Every word ascends (כָּל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה סַלְּקָא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu rejoices in that word (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חַדֵּי בְּהַהִיא מִלָּה), and receives it (וְקַבִּיל לָהּ), and plants it by the merchants of that river (וְנָטַע לָהּ סָחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא נַחֲלָא). And from those words are made great trees (וְאִתְעָבִידוּ מֵאִלֵּין מִלִּין אִילָנִין רַבְרְבִין), and they are called Willows of the Brook (וְאִקְרוּן עַרְבֵי נַחַל). This is what is written: “With her love you shall wander always” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, בְּאַהֲבָתָהּ תִּשְׁגֶּה תָמִיד) (Proverbs 5). And King David said (וְדָוִד מַלְכָּא אָמַר): “Teach me, Hashem, Your way, that I may walk in Your truth” (הוֹרֵנִי יְיָ' דַּרְכֶּךָ אֲהַלֵךְ בַּאֲמִתֶּךָ) (Psalms 86). And it is written: “And lead me in a straight path, because of my watchful foes” (וּכְתִיב וּנְחֵנִי בְּאֹרַח מִישׁוֹר לְמַעַן שׁוֹרְרָי) (Psalms 27).
Happy are they who know the paths of Orayta (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן דְּיַדְעִין אוֹרְחוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and strive in it in the straight path (וּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בָּהּ בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר). For they plant trees of life above (דְּאִינּוּן נַטְעִין אִילָנִין דְּחַיִּין לְעֵילָּא), which are all healing (דְּכֻלְּהוּ אַסוּותָא). And because of this it is written: “The Torah of truth was in his mouth” (וּבְגִין כַּךְ כְּתִיב, תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת הָיְתָה בְּפִיהוּ) (Malachi 2). And is there a Torah that is not truth? (וְכִי אִית תּוֹרָה דְּלָאו אִיהִי אֱמֶת). Yes, such as in this case that we said (אִין כְּגַוְונָא דְּאַמָרָן), when one rules but does not know (דְּאוֹרֵי מַאן דְּלָא יָדַע), and it is not true (וְלָאו אִיהוּ קְשׁוֹט).
And the one who learns a word from him (וְהַהוּא דְּאוֹלִיף מִלָּה מִינֵיהּ), learns a word that is not truth (אוֹלִיף מִלָּה דְּלָאו אִיהוּ אֱמֶת). And because of this it is written: “The Torah of truth was in his mouth” (וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ כְּתִיב, תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת הָיְתָה בְּפִיהוּ) (Malachi 2). And with all this, a man must learn words of Orayta from every person (וְעִם כָּל דָּא, מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְמֵילַף מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא מִכָּל בַּר נָשׁ), even from one who does not know (אֲפִילּוּ מִמַּאן דְּלָא יָדַע). Because through this he will be aroused in Orayta (בְּגִין דְּעַל דָּא יִתְּעַר בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and will come to learn from one who knows (וְיֵיתֵי לְמֵילַף מִמַּאן דְּיָדַע), and afterward it will be found that he goes in Orayta in the way of truth (וּלְבָתַר אִשְׁתְּכַח, דְּאָזִיל בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט).
Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): let a man strive in the world in Orayta and its commandments (יִשְׁתְּדַל בַּר נָשׁ בְּעָלְמָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּפִקּוּדוֹי), even if not for its own sake (אֲפִילּוּ דְּלָא עָבִיד לִשְׁמָהּ), for from doing not for its own sake he will come to do for its own sake (דְּמִתּוֹךְ שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ בָּא לִשְׁמָהּ).
Rabbi Yosei opened the verse after it and said (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח קְרָא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וְאָמַר): “You shall not commit injustice in judgment…” (לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ עָוְל בַּמִּשְׁפָּט וְגוֹ') (Leviticus 19). “You shall not commit injustice in judgment,” according to its plain meaning (לֹא תַּעֲשׂוּ עָוְל בַּמִּשְׁפָּט, כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ). But it has been said (אֲבָל הָא אִתְּמַר), that this section has supernal and precious matters within it, among the commandments of Orayta (דְּפַרְשְׁתָּא דָּא מִלִּין עִלָּאִין וְיַקִּירִין אִית בָּהּ בְּפִקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא).
This verse, from its ending, makes clear (הַאי קְרָא מִסּוֹפֵיהּ קָא מַשְׁמַע), as it is written: “In righteousness shall you judge your fellow” (דִּכְתִּיב בְּצֶדֶק תִּשְׁפּוֹט עֲמִיתֶךָ) (Leviticus 19). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): there are two levels here (תְּרֵי דַּרְגִּין אִינּוּן הָכָא): Mishpat and Tzedek (מִשְׁפָּט, וְצֶדֶק). What is the difference between this one and that one? (מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי). One is mercy (אֶלָּא חַד רַחֲמֵי), and one is judgment (וְחַד דִּינָא), and this is sweetened through that (וְדָא אִתְבְּסָם בְּדָא).
When Tzedek is aroused (כַּד אִתְּעַר צֶדֶק), it judges judgment for all together (דָּאִין דִּינָא לְכֹלָּא כַּחֲדָא), without mercy and without leniency (דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ רַחֲמֵי, וְלָאו וַותְּרָנוּתָא). When Mishpat is aroused (כַּד אִתְּעַר מִשְׁפָּט), there is mercy within it (אִית בֵּיהּ רַחֲמֵי). Could it be that all should be only Mishpat? (יָכוֹל יְהֵא כֹּלָּא בְּמִּשְׁפָּט). Scripture comes and says: “In righteousness shall you judge your fellow” (אָתָא קְרָא וְאָמַר, בְּצֶדֶק תִּשְׁפּוֹט עֲמִיתֶךָ) (Leviticus 19). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא). Because Tzedek does not judge this one and leave that one, but all of them together in one balance (בְּגִין דְּצֶדֶק לָאו דָּאִין לְדָא וְשָׁבִיק לְדָא, אֶלָּא כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא בְּשִׁקּוּלָא חֲדָא).
In this manner: “You shall not show favor to the poor, nor respect the face of the great” (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא לֹא תִשָּׂא פְנֵי דָל וְלֹא תֶהְדַּר פְּנֵי גָּדוֹל) (Leviticus 19), but all of them in one balance, in righteousness (אֶלָּא כֻּלְּהוּ בְּשִׁקּוּלָא חֲדָא, בְּצֶדֶק). Could it be that all judgment should be only in Tzedek? (יָכוֹל יְהֵא כֹּלָּא דִּינָא בְּצֶדֶק בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). Scripture comes and says: “You shall judge” (אָתָא קְרָא וְאָמַר תִּשְׁפּוֹט), meaning to join them together as one (דְּבָעֵי לְחַבְּרָא לְהוּ כַּחֲדָא), so that neither be found without the other (דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח דָּא בְּלָא דָּא), and this is the completeness of judgment (וְהַאי שְׁלִימוּ דְּדִינָא). And why all this? (וְכָּל כַּךְ לָמָּה). Because Kudsha Berikh Hu is present there (בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שְׁכִיחַ תַּמָּן). And for this reason judgment must be made complete (וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ בָּעֵי לְאַשְׁלְמָא דִּינָא). In the same manner that is done below (כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד לְתַתָּא), in that very same manner it is done above (כְּגַוְונָא דִּילֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ עָבִיד לְעֵילָּא). And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי): Kudsha Berikh Hu established the throne of judgment (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁוִּי כּוּרְסְיָיא דְּדִינָא), at the time when the judges sit (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּדַיָינֵי יַתְבִין). This is what is written: “He established His throne for judgment” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, כּוֹנֵן לְמִשְׁפָּט כִּסְאוֹ) (Psalms 9). And from there is established the throne of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְתָּקַּן כּוּרְסְיָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).
And what is His throne? (וּמַאן אִיהוּ כּוּרְסְיָה). These are Tzedek [Righteousness] and Mishpat [Judgment] (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “Tzedek [Righteousness] and Mishpat [Judgment] are the foundation of Your throne” (צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט מְכוֹן כִּסְאֶךָ) (Tehillim 89:15). And one who judges a judgment (וּמַאן דְּדָאִין דִּינָא) must judge while seated upon the throne of the King (בָּעֵי לְמֵידַן בְּכוּרְסְיֵהּ דְּמַלְכָּא). And if he blemishes one of them (וְאִי פָּגִים חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ), it is as though he blemished the throne of the King (כְּאִלּוּ פָּגִים לְכוּרְסֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא). And then Kudsha Berikh Hu departs from among the judges (וּכְדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִסְתְּלַּק מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ דְּדַיְינֵי), and does not stand with their judgments (וְלָא קָאִים בְּדִינַיְיהוּ). And what does He say? (וּמַאי אָמַר). “Now I will arise, says Hashem…” (עַתָּה אָקוּם יֹאמַר יְיָ') (Tehillim 12:6). And the Ruach of Kedushah [spirit of holiness] says (וְרוּחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא אָמַר): “Be exalted above the heavens, O God” (רוּמָה עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם אֱלֹהִים) (Tehillim 57:6).