Daf 87b (דַּף פ״ז ע״ב)

After three years a supernal force is appointed over it above (בָּתַר ג' שְׁנִין, אִתְפְּקָּדַת עָלֵיהּ חֵילָא עִלָּאָה לְעֵילָּא). And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy for praises (וּבַשָּׁנָה הָרְבִיעִית, יִהְיֶה כָּל פִּרְיוֹ קֹדֶשׁ הִלּוּלִים) (Leviticus 19). What is “holy for praises”? Songs, to praise Kudsha Berikh Hu (מַאי קֹדֶשׁ הִלּוּלִים. תּוּשְׁבְּחָן, לְשַׁבְּחָא לֵיהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Until here (עַד הָכָא). From here onward, the secret of the matter: in the fourth year Knesset Yisrael unites with Kudsha Berikh Hu, and one celebration is found (מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ רָזָא דְּמִלָּה, דְּבַשָּׁנָה הָרְבִיעִית מִזְדְּוָּוגַת כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהִלּוּלָא חַד אִשְׁתְּכַח). As it is written, “holy praises”-a celebration and joy in one time of union (דִּכְתִיב קֹדֶשׁ הִלּוּלִים, הִלוּלָא וְחֶדְוָה בְּזִמְנָא חֲדָא). What is the fourth year? This is Kudsha Berikh Hu (מַאי שָׁנָה דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And we have learned: the fourth year-this is Knesset Yisrael, which stands fourth to the Throne, and all is one (וְתָנֵינָן, שָׁנָה הָרְבִיעִית, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִיהִי קַיְּימָא רְבִיעָאָה לְכוּרְסְיָיא, וְכֹלָּא חַד). For then Kudsha Berikh Hu unites in Knesset Yisrael, and then she is holy, and a holy celebration is found (דְּהָא כְּדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִזְדַּוַּוג בָּהּ בִּכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּכְדֵין הִיא קֹדֶשׁ, וְהִלּוּלָא קַדִּישָׁא אִשְׁתְּכַח). And then forces are appointed over the world, over every matter as is fitting (וּכְדֵין חַיָּילִין אִתְמָנָן עַל עָלְמָא, עַל כָּל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה כַּדְקָא חֲזֵי לֵיהּ). From then on, all are blessed, and it is permitted to eat (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה מִתְבָּרְכָאן כֻּלְּהוּ, וְשָׁארִי לְמֵיכַל). For all is in the perfection of all-above and below (דְּהָא כֻּלְּהוּ בִּשְׁלֵימוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא, בִּשְׁלֵימוּתָא דְּעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא). And until it is completed in all, above and below, it is forbidden to eat from it (וְעַד לָא אִשְׁתְּלִים בְּכֹלָּא מִתַּתָּא וּמֵעֵילָּא, אָסִיר לְמֵיכַל מִנֵּיהּ). And one who eats from it is as if he has no portion in Kudsha Berikh Hu and in Knesset Yisrael (וּמַאן דְּאָכִיל מִנֵּיהּ, כְּמַאן דְּלֵית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּבִּכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל).

For that budding stands without supernal holy permission, for it has not yet rested upon it until it is completed (דְּהָא הַהוּא אִיבָּא בְּלָא רְשׁוּתָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא קַיְּימָא, דְּלָא שָׁארֵי עָלֵיהּ עַד דְּיִשְׁתְּלִים). And without permission below, for the power of the land has not yet been established in it (וּבְלָא רְשׁוּתָא תַּתָּאָה, דְּהָא לָא אִסְתַכְּמַת חֵילָא דְּאַרְעָא בֵּיהּ). And one who eats from it shows himself as if he has no portion above or below (וְהַהוּא דְּאָכִיל מִנֵּיהּ, אַחְזֵי גַּרְמֵיהּ דְּלֵית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא). And if he blesses upon it, it is a blessing in vain (וְאִי בָּרִיךְ עָלֵיהּ, בְּרָכָה לְבַטָּלָה הוּא). For Kudsha Berikh Hu has not yet rested upon it, and it has no portion (דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַד כָּען לָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי, וְלֵית בֵּיהּ חוּלָקָא). May the Merciful One save us from those who do not regard the honor of their Master (רַחֲמָנָא לִישֵׁזְבִינָן מֵאִינּוּן דְּלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין לִיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן).

Rabbi Yosi opened a verse and said (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח קְרָא וְאָמַר), “You shall not eat over the blood” (Leviticus 19) (לֹא תֹאכְלוּ עַל הַדָּם). Behold, in several places my friends have established it (הָא בְּכַמָּה אֲתַר אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא), and all those verses after it (וְכָל הָנֵי קְרָאֵי אֲבַתְרֵיהּ). And each and every one in revelation (וְכָל חַד וְחַד בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא). But this verse has to be aroused within it (אֲבָל הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִתְעָרָא בֵּיהּ), as it is written “Before the aged you shall rise, and so on” (מִפְּנֵי שֵׂיבָה תָּקוּם וְגוֹ'). “Before the aged”-this aged is Orayta in general (מִפְּנֵי שֵׂיבָה, שֵׂיבָה דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא סְתָם). “You shall rise”-from here a person must rise in standing (תָּקוּם, מִכָּאן דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְמֵיקָם בְּקִיּוּמָא) before a Sefer Torah (מִקָּמֵי סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה). And thus Rav Hamnuna (הָכִי רַב הַמְנוּנָא), some say Yissa (ס״א יִיסָא) the Elder (סָבָא), when he would see a Sefer Torah (כַּד הֲוָה חָמֵי סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה), he would stand before it (הֲוָא קָם מִקַּמֵּיהּ), and he would say “Before the aged you shall rise” (וְאָמַר מִפְּנֵי שֵׂיבָה תָּקוּם). Some say: When he saw a Chumash of the Orayta he would stand before it (כְּד הֲוָה חָמֵי חוּמַשׁ דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא הוּא קָם מִקַּמֵּיהּ). Some say: He made it an adornment (ס״א עֲבִיד לֵיהּ הֲדוּרָא). And he would say “And you shall honor the presence of the elder” (וְהֲוָה אֲמַר וְהָדַרְתָּ פְּנֵי זָקֵן). In this manner (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא), a person must stand in his establishment before a Torah scholar (בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְמֵיקָם בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּתַלְמִיד חָכָם), because he stands in the holy supernal establishment (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ קָאֵים בְּקִיּוּמָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה). And it hinted to the Supernal Kohen (וְרָמַז לְכַהֲנָא עִלָּאָה), some say: and here it hints to Atika (ס״א וְהָכָא רָמִיז לְעַתִּיקָא), the Supernal Holy (קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה), as it is written “And you shall honor the presence of the elder” (דִּכְתִיב וְהָדַרְתָּ פְּנֵי זָקֵן), that he is in the world (דְּאִיהוּ בְּעָלְמָא).

Rabbi Shimon said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), from here is a hint to the Torah that is written and a hint to the Oral Torah (מִכָּאן רֶמֶז לְתוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב וְרֶמֶז לְתוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל־פֶּה). And furthermore we have learned (וְתוּ תָּנֵינָן), This verse comes for the sake of an exposition (Drasha) (הַאי קְרָא לִדְרָשָׁא הוּא דְּאָתָא), “Before the aged you shall rise” (מִפְּנֵי שֵׂיבָה תָּקוּם), just as my friends have aroused in it (כְּמָה דְּאִתְעֲרוּ בֵּיהּ חַבְרַיָּיא), “Before the aged you shall rise” (מִפְּנֵי שֵׂיבָה תָּקוּם), warning to a person (אַזְהַר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ), before he departs in his old age (עַד לָא יִסְתָּלַק בְּסִיבוּתָא), that he should rise in good establishment in the world (דִּיְקוּם בְּקִיּוּמָא טָבָא בְּעָלְמָא), for this is an adornment for him (בְּגִין דְּדֵין הוּא הִדּוּרָא לֵיהּ). But at the end of his days (אֲבָל לְסוֹף יוֹמוֹי), there is no great praise for a person (לֵית שְׁבָחָא לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ כָּל כַּךְ), when he is old and cannot be evil (כַּד אִיהוּ סִיב וְלָא יָכִיל לְמֶהֱוִי בִּישׁ). Rather his praise is (אֶלָּא שְׁבָחָא דִּילֵיהּ), when he is in his strength (כַּד אִיהוּ בְּתוּקְפֵיהּ), and he is good (וְאִיהוּ טַב). And Shlomo the King cried out and said (וּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא צָוַוח וְאָמַר), “Even a child is known by his doings” (Proverbs 20) (גַּם בְּמַעֲלָלָיו יִתְנַכֶּר נָעַר וְגוֹ'). In this manner it is written (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא כְּתִיב), “And remember your Creator in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 12) (וּזְכוֹר אֶת בּוֹרְאֶךָ בִּימֵי בְּחוּרוֹתֶיךָ). Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), indeed so it is (וַדַּאי [הכי הוא]), this path is established before us (אוֹרְחָא דָּא מְתוּקָּנָא קָמָן), and this is the path of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְהַאי אוֹרְחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).