Daf 91a (דַּף צ״א ע״א)

And because of this (וּבְגִין כַּךְ), nothing dwells except in a place that is whole (לָא שַׁרְיָא כֹּלָּא, אֶלָּא בַּאֲתַר שְׁלִים). And for this reason it is written (וְעַל דָּא): Any man who has a blemish shall not draw near (כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ מוּם לֹא יִקְרָב) (Vayikra 21). In this manner also, a korban that has in it a blemish shall not be brought (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא קָרְבְּנָא דְּבֵיהּ מוּמָא לָא יִתְקְרִיב).

What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא) Because it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): It shall not be acceptable for you (כִּי לֹא לְרָצוֹן יִהְיֶה לָכֶם) (Vayikra 22). And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא): But Kudsha Berikh Hu dwells only in the broken place, in a broken vessel (הָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא שָׁארֵי אֶלָּא בַּאֲתַר תְּבִירָא, בְּמָאנָא תְּבִירָא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): And with the contrite and lowly of spirit (וְאֶת דַּכָּא וּשְׁפַל רוּחַ) (Yeshayahu 57)-this place is more complete than all (הַאי אֲתַר שְׁלִים יַתִּיר הוּא מִכֹּלָּא), because he lowers himself so that the supernal exaltation may rest upon him (בְּגִין דְּמָאִיךְ גַּרְמֵיהּ לְמִשְׁרֵי עָלֵיהּ גָּאוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא), the supernal exaltation (גָּאוּתָא עִלָּאָה), and this is wholeness (וְדָא הוּא שְׁלִים). But it is not written (אֲבָל לָא כְּתִיב): And with the blind and broken and maimed and crippled (ואֶת עִוֵּר וְשָׁבוּר וְחָרוּם וְשָׂרוּעַ), rather (אֶלָּא): With the contrite and lowly of spirit (וְאֶת דַּכָּא וּשְׁפַל רוּחַ). One who lowers himself (מַאן דְּמָאִיךְ גַּרְמֵיהּ), Kudsha Berikh Hu lifts him up (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא זָקִיף לֵיהּ).

And for this reason (וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ), the Kohen who stands below in the likeness of above (כַּהֲנָא דְּקָאֵים לְתַתָּא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), must be more complete than all (בָּעֵי לְמֶהֱוִי שְׁלִים יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָּא), and not be seen with a blemish (וְלָא יִתְחֲזֵי פָּגִים). And for this reason, the Kohanim were warned (וְעַל דָּא אַזְהַר לְהוּ לְכַהֲנֵי), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): Any man of your seed throughout their generations in whom there is a blemish (אִישׁ מִזַּרְעֲךָ לְדוֹרוֹתָם אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בוֹ מוּם) (Vayikra 21).

Again he opened and said (תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר): And when you bring the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you bring the lame and the sick, is it not evil? (וְכִי תַגִּישׁוּן עִוֵּר לִזְבּוֹחַ אֵין רָע, וְכִי תַגִּישׁוּ פִסֵּחַ וְחוֹלֶה אֵין רָע) (Malakhi 1). And did Kudsha Berikh Hu say: “There is no evil”? (וְכִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר אֵין רָע).

If so, is it good? (אִי הָכִי טוֹב הוּא). Rather, the end of the verse proves it (אֶלָּא סוֹפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא אוֹכַח), for Yisrael in those days were appointing blemished Kohanim (דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאִינּוּן יוֹמִין הֲווֹ מְמָנָן כַּהֲנֵי מָארֵי דְּמוּמִין), over the altar (עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבְּחָא), to serve in the Temple (וּלְשַׁמְּשָׁא עַל מַקְדְּשָׁא), and they said: “What does it matter to Kudsha Berikh Hu - this one or another?” (וְאַמְרֵי מַאי אִכְפַּת לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דָּא אוֹ אָחֳרָא). And they were the ones who said: “There is no evil” (וְאִינּוּן הֲווֹ דְּאַמְרֵי אֵין רָע). And Kudsha Berikh Hu returned to them the very words they had spoken (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָתִיב לְהוֹן הַהִיא מִלָּה דַּהֲווֹ אַמְרֵי). He said: “Yisrael, you say when offering blemished Kohanim upon My service, ‘There is no evil.’ What does it matter to Kudsha Berikh Hu?” (אָמַר: יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתּוּן אַמְרֵי כַּד מְקָרְבֵי מָארֵי דְּמוּמִין עַל פּוּלְחָנִי אֵין רָע, מַאי אִכְפַּת לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

The end of the verse - what is written (סוֹפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא מַה כְּתִיב): Present it now to your governor; will he be pleased with you or will he lift up your face? (הַקְרִיבֵהוּ נָא לְפֶחָתְךָ הֲיִרְצְךָ אוֹ הֲיִשָּׂא פָנֶיךָ) (Malakhi 1). A man among you (בַּר נָשׁ מִנַּיְיכוּ), if you sought to make peace with a king (אִי בָּעִיתוּ לְשַׁלוּמֵי לְמַלְכָּא), and to draw near before him a gift (וּלְקָרְבָא קַמֵּיהּ דּוֹרוֹנָא), would you send him something blemished, or not? (אַתּוּן מְשַׁדְרִין לֵיהּ בִּפְגִימָא, אוֹ לָא). Would he be pleased with you, or lift up your face with such a gift? (הֲיִרְצְךָ אוֹ הֲיִשָּׂא פָנֶיךָ בְּהַהוּא דּוֹרוֹנָא). All the more so (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן), that you offer before Me a blemished man as a sacrificial gift (דְּאַתּוּן מְקָרְבִין קָמַאי בַּר נָשׁ פָּגִים לְקָרְבָּא דּוֹרוֹנָא). That gift of yours is given to a dog (הָא דּוֹרוֹנָא דִּלְכוֹן לְכַלְבָּא אִתְמְסַר), for surely a man who is blemished (דְּוַדַּאי בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִיהוּ פָּגִים), is blemished in every way (פָּגִים הוּא מִכֹּלָּא), blemished is his trustworthiness (פָּגִים הוּא מְהֵימְנוּתָא). And for this reason it is written (וְעַל דָּא): Any man who has a blemish shall not draw near (כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ מוּם לֹא יִקְרָב) (Vayikra 21).

Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): Kudsha Berikh Hu is destined to make Yisrael complete (זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַשְׁלְמָא לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), and to find them whole in all things (וּלְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא שְׁלֵימִין בְּכֹלָּא), that there be among them no masters of blemish at all (דְּלָא יְהֵא בְּהוֹן מָארֵי דְּמוּמִין כְּלַל), because they are the rectification of the world (בְּגִין דִּיהוֹן תִּקּוּנָא דְּעָלְמָא), like the garments and clothing of a man (כְּאִילֵּין מָאנֵי וּלְבוּשָׁא דְּבַר נָשׁ), which are the repair of the body (דְּאִינּוּן תִּקּוּנָא דְּגוּפָא). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): And they shall be as garments set in order (וְיִתְיַצְּבוּ כְּמוֹ לְבוּשׁ) (Iyov 38). Some say otherwise (ס״א: ד״א):

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): When they awaken from the dust (כַּד יִתְּעֲרוּן מֵעַפְרָא), as they entered, so they shall rise (כְּמָה דְּעָאלוּ, הָכִי יְקוּמוּן): lame or blind (חִגְרִין אוֹ סוּמִין). If they entered lame and blind (עָאלוּ חִגְרִין וְסוּמִין), they shall arise in that same garment (יְקוּמוּן בְּהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא), so that they not say that another was awakened (דְּלָא יֵימְרוּן דְּאָחֳרָא הוּא דְּאִתְּעַר). And afterward (וּלְבָתַר), Kudsha Berikh Hu will heal them (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יֵיסֵי לוֹן), and they will be found complete before Him (וְיִשְׁתַּכְחוּן שְׁלֵימִין קַמֵּיהּ), and then the world will be complete in all things (וּכְדֵין יְהֵא עָלְמָא שְׁלִים בְּכֹלָּא). Then it shall be (כְּדֵין): On that day, Hashem will be One and His Name One (בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה יְיָ אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד) (Zekharyah 14).

An ox or a sheep or a goat, when it is born, it shall be seven days under its mother… (שׁוֹר אוֹ כֶשֶׂב אוֹ עֵז כִּי יִוָּלֵד וְהָיָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תַּחַת אִמּוֹ וְגוֹ׳) (Vayikra 22). Rabbi Yose opened (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח): Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are a great deep; man and beast You save, Hashem (צִדְקָתְךָ כְּהַרְרֵי אֵל מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ תְּהוֹם רַבָּה אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה תּוֹשִׁיעַ יְיָ) (Tehillim 36). This verse is worthy of deep contemplation (הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ).

But come and see (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי): Tzedek - the supernal holy Keter (צֶדֶק: כִּתְרָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה). Like the mountains of God - like those supernal holy mountains (כְּהַרְרֵי אֵל: כְּאִינּוּן טוּרִין עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין), which are called the mountains of refined afarsmon (דְּאִקְרוּן טוּרֵי דְּאֲפַרְסְמוֹנָא דַּכְיָא). And because she ascends to be bound to them above (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהִי סַלְּקָא לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּהוּ לְעֵילָּא), all judgment is balanced as one measure for all (כָּל דִּינָהָא בְּשִׁקוּלָא חֲדָא לְכֹלָּא), for there is no mercy in that judgment (דְּלֵית בְּהַהוּא דִּינָא רַחֲמֵי). Your judgments are a great deep (מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ תְּהוֹם רַבָּה) - the judgment that is mercy (מִשְׁפָּט דְּאִיהוּ רַחֲמֵי), descends below to that level (נָחִית לְתַתָּא לְהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא), to repair the worlds (לְתַקְּנָא עָלְמִין), and has compassion upon all (וְחָיֵיס עַל כֹּלָּא), and performs judgment with mercy to sweeten the world (וְעָבִיד דִּינָא בְּרַחֲמֵי לְבַסְּמָא עָלְמָא). And because it is mercy (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ רַחֲמֵי), man and beast You save, Hashem (אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה תּוֹשִׁיעַ יְיָ) - to all in one scale (לְכֹלָּא בְּשִׁקוּלָא חֲדָא). Man and beast - this has already been established (אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ): one who is a man, but makes himself like a beast (מַאן דְּהוּא אָדָם, וְשַׁוִּי לְגַרְמֵיהּ כַּבְּהֵמָה). Man and beast - the law of man and the law of beast is one (אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה: דִּין אָדָם וְדִין בְּהֵמָה חַד הוּא). Man - on the eighth day shall every male be circumcised (אָדָם: וּבֶן שְׁמֹנַת יָמִים יִמּוֹל לָכֶם כָּל זָכָר) (Bereshit 17). Beast - seven days shall it be under its mother, and from the eighth day onward it shall be accepted for a fire-offering to Hashem (בְּהֵמָה: וְהָיָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תַּחַת אִמּוֹ וּמִיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי וָהָלְאָה יֵרָצֶה לְקָרְבַּן אִשֶּׁה לַיְיָ) (Vayikra 22), because one Shabbat has passed over them (בְּגִין דִּיעָבַר עָלַיְיהוּ שַׁבָּת חַד), and this has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ) (Introduction 13).