Daf 97b (דַּף צ״ז ע״ב)

But come and see (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי): Yisrael, when they were in Egypt (יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּד הֲווֹ בְּמִצְרַיִם), they were in another domain (הֲווֹ בִּרְשׁוּתָא אָחֳרָא), and were bound in defilement (וַהֲווּ אֲחִידָן בִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא), like this woman when she sits in the days of her defilement (כְּאִתְּתָא דָּא, כַּד הִיא יָתְבָא בְּיוֹמֵי דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא). After they were circumcised, they entered into the holy portion which is called Berit (בָּתַר דְּאִתְגְּזָרוּ, עָאלוּ בְּחוּלָקָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִקְרֵי בְּרִית).

Once they were united in it, defilement ceased from them (כֵיוָן דְּאִתְאֲחָדוּ בֵּיהּ, פְּסַק מְסַאֲבוּתָא מִנַּיְיהוּ), like a woman when the blood of her defilement ceases from her (כְּדָּא אִתְּתָא כַּד פַּסְקוּ מִנָּהּ דְּמֵי מְסַאֲבוּתָא). After it ceases from her, what is written? (בָּתַר דְּאִתְפְּסָקוּ מִנָּהּ, מַה כְּתִיב): “And she shall count for herself seven days” (וְסָפְרָה לָּהּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים) (Leviticus 15). So too here, once they entered into the holy portion, defilement ceased from them (אוּף הָכָא, כֵּיוָן דְּעָאלוּ בְּחוּלָקָא קַדִּישָׁא, פָּסְקָא מְסָאֲבוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ). And Kudsha Berikh Hu said: From here and onward, reckoning shall be for purification (וְאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה חוּשְׁבָּנָא לְדַכְיוּתָא). “And you shall count for yourselves” (וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם), for yourselves precisely (לָכֶם דַּיְיקָא), as it is said: “And she shall count for herself seven days” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְסָפְרָה לָּהּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים).

For herself-for her own self (לָהּ: לְעַצְמָהּ). So too here, for yourselves-for your own selves (אוּף הָכָא לָכֶם: לְעַצְמְכֶם). And why? (וְלָמָּה). In order to be purified in supernal holy waters (בְּגִין לְאִתְדַכְּאָה בְּמַיִין עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין), and afterwards to come and cleave to the King and to receive His Orayta (וּלְבָתַר לְמֵיתֵי לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בֵּיהּ בְּמַלְכָּא, וּלְקַבְּלָא אוֹרַיְיתֵיהּ). There it says: “And she shall count for herself seven days” (הָתָם וְסָפְרָה לָּהּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים), but here it says: “Seven weeks” (הָכָא שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת). Why seven weeks? (אֲמַאי שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת). In order to merit to be purified in the waters of that river that flows and goes forth, which is called living waters (בְּגִין לְמִזְכֵּי לְאִתְדַכְּאָה בְּמַיִין, דְּהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק. וְאִקְרֵי מַיִם חַיִּים). And from that river, seven weeks go forth (וְהַהוּא נָהָר, שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת נָפְקוּ מִנֵּיהּ).

And for this reason, seven weeks indeed, in order to merit in it (וְעַל דָּא שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת וַדַּאי, בְּגִין לְמִזְכֵּי בֵּיהּ), just as a woman-her purification by night is in order to be used by her husband (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּתָא, דַּכְיוּ דִּילָהּ בְּלֵילְיָא, לְאִשְׁתַּמְּשָׁא בְּבַעְלָהּ). Thus it is written: “And when the dew descended upon the camp at night” (כַּךְ כְּתִיב וּבְרֶדֶת הַטַּל עַל הַמַחֲנֶה לָיְלָה) (Numbers 11). “Upon the camp” it is written, and it is not written “when the dew descended at night” (עַל הַמַּחֲנֶה כְּתִיב, וְלָא כְּתִיב וּבְרֶדֶת הַטַּל לָיְלָה).

Rather, “upon the camp,” because it descends from that point upon those days which are called camp (אֶלָּא עַל הַמַּחֲנֶה, בְּגִין דְּיוֹרֵד מֵהַהוּא נְקוּדָה, עַל אִינּוּן יוֹמִין דְּאִתְקְרִיאוּ מַחֲנֶה). And it connects with the Holy King (וּמִתְחַבֶּרֶת בְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא). And when does this dew descend? (וְאֵימָתַי נָחַת הַאי טַלָא). When Yisrael drew near to Mount Sinai (כַּד קְרִיבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְטוּרָא דְּסִינַי), then that dew descended in perfection, and they were purified, and their pollution was removed from them (כְּדֵין נָחַת הַהוּא טַלָּא בִּשְׁלִימוּ, וְאִדָּכֵּי, וְאִתְפָּסְקַת זוּהֲמָתָן מִנַּיְיהוּ). And they were joined with the King and with Knesset Yisrael, and they received the Orayta (וְאִתְחַבָּרוּ בֵּיהּ בְּמַלְכָּא וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְקַבִּילוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא). And behold, we have already established this (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא). And at that time indeed, “all the rivers go to the sea,” to be purified and to be cleansed, and all were joined-some say: sanctified-and were united with the Holy King (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא, וַדַּאי כָּל הַנְּחָלִים הוֹלְכִים אֶל הַיָּם, לְאִתְדַכְּאָה וּלְאִסְתַחֲאָה, וְכֹלָּא אִתְקָשָּׁרוּ, ס״א אִתְקַדְּשׁוּ, וְאִתְחַבְּרוּ בֵּיהּ בְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Every man who does not count this reckoning of the seven complete weeks (כָּל בַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא מָנֵּי חוּשְׁבָנָא דָּא, אִינּוּן שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימוֹת), to merit in this purification, is not called pure and is not included among the pure (לְמִזְכֵּי לְדַכְיוּתָא דָּא. לָא אִקְרֵי טָהוֹר, וְלָאו בִּכְלָלָא דְּטָהוֹר הוּא). And he is not worthy to have a portion in the Orayta (וְלָאו הוּא כְּדַאי לְמֶהֱוֵי לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). And whoever reaches purity on this day, and the reckoning was not lost from him (וּמַאן דְּמָטֵי טָהוֹר לְהַאי יוֹמָא, וְחוּשְׁבָּנָא לָא אִתְאֲבִיד מִנֵּיהּ), when he reaches this night, he must occupy himself with Orayta, and cleave to it, and guard that supernal purity that comes upon him on that night, and he is purified (כַּד מָטֵי לְהַאי לֵילְיָא, לִבְעֵי לֵיהּ לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּלְאִתְחַבְּרָא בָּהּ, וּלְנַטְרָא דַּכְיוּ עִלָּאָה, דְּמָטֵי עָלֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא, וְאִתְדְּכֵי).