Daf 157a (דַּף קנ״ז ע״א)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), Moshe was the sun (מֹשֶׁה הֲוָה שִׁמְשָׁא), and he sought to ascend into the land (וּבָעָא לְאַעְלָאָה לְאַרְעָא). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): Moshe, when the light of the sun arrives (מֹשֶׁה, כַּד אָתֵי נְהוֹרָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא), the moon is integrated within it (אִתְכְּלִיל סִיהֲרָא בְּגַוִּיהּ). Now that you are the sun (הַשְׁתָּא דְּאַנְתְּ שִׁמְשָׁא), how can the sun and the moon exist together? (הֵיךְ יְקוּמוּן כַּחֲדָא שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא). The moon only shines when the sun is gathered in (לָא נָהִיר סִיהֲרָא אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְכְּנִישׁ שִׁמְשָׁא), but now, you are not able (אֲבָל הַשְׁתָּא לֵית אַנְּתְּ יָכִיל). If you wish to know of it, send for yourself men (אִי תִּבְעֵי לְמִנְדַּע מִנָּהּ שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים), for yourself, in order to know (לְגַרְמָךְ, בְּגִין לְמִנְדַּע).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), Moshe-if you should say that he did not know that he would not enter the land at that time (מֹשֶׁה, אִי תֵּימָא דְּהוּא לָא יָדַע דְּלָא יֵיעוּל לְאַרְעָא בְּזִמְנָא דָּא)-not so (לָאו הָכִי), rather he knew (אֶלָּא יָדַע), and he desired to know of her before he departed (וַהֲוָה בָּעֵי לְמִנְדַּע מִנָּהּ, עַד לָא יִסְתָּלַק), and he sent these explorers (וְשִׁלַּח לְאִלֵּין מְאַלְלֵי). But since they did not report the matter as was proper (כֵיוָן דְּלָא אָתִיבוּ מִלָּה כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת), he did not send again at another time (לָא שָׁלַח זִמְנָא אַחֲרָא), until the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him (עַד דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחְזֵי לֵיהּ), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “Go up to this Mount Abarim and see the land” (עֲלֵה אֶל הַר הָעֲבָרִים הַזֶּה וּרְאֵה אֶת הָאָרֶץ) (Deuteronomy 32). And it is written (וּכְתִיב): “And Hashem showed him all the land” (וַיַּרְאֵהוּ יְיָ אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ) (Deuteronomy 34). And not that alone (וְלָא דָּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), but all those who are destined to arise in every generation (אֶלָּא כָּל אִינּוּן דִּזְמִינִין לְמֵיקָם בְּכָל דָּרָא וְדָרָא), all of them He showed to Moshe (כֻלְּהוּ אַחְזֵי לֵיהּ לְמֹשֶׁה). And it was taught, and established by the friends (וְאִתְּמַר, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא).

Since Moshe permitted the mission (כֵּיוָן דְּשָׁארִי מֹשֶׁה לְמִשְׁלַח), what did he say to them? (מַה אָמַר לוֹן). “Is there a tree in it?” (הֲיֵשׁ בָּהּ עֵץ) (Numbers 13). And what was he saying? (וְכִי מַה הוּא דְּקָאָמַר). And if you say that he did not know (וְאִי תֵּימָא דְּלָא יָדַע)-later it will be explained, but here... (לְקַמָּן יֵימָא מִלָּה, אֲבָל הָכָא)-rather, thus said Moshe (אֶלָּא הָכִי אָמַר מֹשֶׁה): If there is a tree in it (אִם יֵשׁ בָּהּ עֵץ), then I know that I will enter there (הָא יְדַעְנָא דַּאֲנָא אִיעוּל לְתַמָן). What is “a tree”? (מַאי עֵץ). This is the Tree of Life (דָּא אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי). And that was only in the Garden of Eden on earth (וְתַמָּן לָא הֲוָה אֶלָּא בְּגַּן עֵדֶן דְּאַרְעָא). He said: If that tree is there, then I will enter there (אָמַר אִם יֵשׁ בָּהּ עֵץ דָּא, אֲנָא אִיעוּל לְתַמָן). And if not, I am not able to enter (וְאִי לָא, לָאו אֲנָא יָכִיל לְמֵיעַל).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָיא): It is written (כְּתִיב), “And they found a man gathering sticks on the day of Shabbat” (וַיִּמְצְאוּ אִישׁ מְקוֹשֵׁשׁ עֵצִים בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת) (Numbers 15). Who are these “sticks” here? (מַאן עֵצִים הָכָא). And who is this man? (וּמַאן הוּא דָּא). Rather, this is Tzelofḥad (אֶלָּא דָּא צְלָפְחָד), and he was investigating these trees (וַהֲוָה דָּיִיק עַל אִלֵּין אִילָנִין)-which among them was greater than the other (הֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ רַב עַל אַחֲרָא), and he did not regard the honor of his Master (וְלָא חָשַׁשׁ לִיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהּ), and he exchanged Shabbat for Shabbat (וְאַחְלַף שַׁבָּת לְשַׁבָּת). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “Because he died in his sin” (כִּי בְחֶטְאוֹ מֵת) (Numbers 27)-through the sin of Vav he died (בְּחֵטְא ו׳ מֵת). And the mystery of all this is surely “gathering sticks” (וְרָזָא דְכֻלָּא וַדַּאי מְקוֹשֵׁשׁ עֵצִים). Because of this, his judgment was sealed (בְּגִין כַּךְ, הֲוָה דִּינֵיהּ סָתִים), and his case was not explained (וְלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ דִּינֵיהּ) like other judgments (כְּדִינִין אַחֲרָנִין), because this matter required secrecy (בְּגִין דְּמִלָּה דָא בָּעֵי בַּחֲשַׁאי), and concealment, and not to be revealed (וְסָתִים וְלָא גַּלְיָיא). And therefore it was not said openly (וְעַל דָּא לָא אִתְּמַר בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu, gave honor to His honor (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עֲבַד יְקָר לִיקָרֵיהּ).

Rabbi Yose said (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר): Other sticks were being gathered with the Shabbat (שְׁאַר עֵצִים בַּהֲדֵי שַׁבָּת הֲוָה מְקוֹשֵׁשׁ), and he received punishment according to the moment (וְקַבִּיל עוֹנְשָׁא לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא), and his sin was atoned (וְאִתְכְּפַר חוֹבֵיהּ). And because of this, Moshe was perplexed about the law concerning the daughters (וְעַל דָּא אִתְקָשֵּׁי מֹשֶׁה בְּדִינָא דִּבְנָתָא), for he did not know whether the sin had been atoned such that they would receive a portion and inheritance, or not (דְּלָא יָדַע אִי אִתְכַּפָּר לְמֶהֱוִי לִבְנָתֵיהּ חוּלָק וְאַחֲסָנָא אִי לָאו). Once the Holy One, blessed be He, mentioned his name (כֵּיוָן דְּדָכַר שְׁמֵיהּ דְּצְלָפְחָד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written: “The daughters of Tzelofḥad speak rightly” (דִּכְתִּיב כֵּן בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד דּוֹבְרוֹת) (Numbers 27), it was known that his sin had been atoned (אִתְיְדַע דְּהָא אִתְכַּפָּר חוֹבֵיהּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): there are two trees (ב׳ אִילָנִין אִינּוּן)-one above and one below (חַד לְעֵילָּא, וְחַד לְתַתָּא): in this one is life (בְּדָא חַיִּין), and in this one is death (וּבְדָא מוֹתָא). Whoever exchanges them (מַאן דְּאַחְלַף לוֹן), causes death upon himself in this world (גָּרִים לֵיהּ מוֹתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and he has no share in that world (וְלֵית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא). And about this said Shlomo: “Have you found honey? Eat only enough for you…” (וְעַל דָּא אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה, דְּבַשׁ מָצָאתָ אֱכוֹל דַּיֶּךָּ וְגוֹ׳) (Proverbs 25).

The Ark and the Torah stand as one (אָרוֹן וְתוֹרָה בְּחַד קַיְימֵי): Torah is the essence (תּוֹרָה עִקָּרָא), the Ark is the house (אֲרוֹן בֵּיתָא). And therefore, “Ark” is deficient, written without a Vav in every place (וְעַל דָּא, אָרֹן חָסֵר בְּלָא וָא״ו בְּכָל אֲתָר): “Ark of the Covenant,” “Ark of the Testimony” (אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית, אֲרוֹן הָעֵדוּת). In every place Aharon is the right arm (בְּכָל אֲתָר אַהֲרֹן דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא), except in one (בַּר בְּחַד), as it is written: “All the numbered of the Levites whom Moshe and Aharon counted…” (דִּכְתִּיב כָּל פְּקוּדֵי הַלְוִיִּם אֲשֶׁר פָּקַד מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן) (Numbers 3), and it is marked above with a dot (נָקוּד לְעֵילָּא).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק): Moshe grasped the Tree of Life (מֹשֶׁה אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי נָקַט), and for this reason he wanted to know (וְעַל דָּא בָּעָא לְמִנְדַּע), whether it was found in the land or not (אִי הֲוָה שְׁכִיחַ בְּאַרְעָא, אִי לָאו). And because of this he said (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמַר): “Is there a tree in it or not? And strengthen yourselves and take from the fruit of the land” (הֲיֵשׁ בָּהּ עֵץ אִם אַיִן וְהִתְחַזַּקְתֶּם וּלְקַחְתֶּם מִפְּרִי הָאָרֶץ) (Numbers 13). For the Tree of Life is desirable to all (דְּהָא אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי אִתְחֲמָד לְכֹלָּא). But they brought only grapes, pomegranates, and figs (וְאִינּוּן לָא אַיְיתִיאוּ אֶלָּא עֲנָבִים וְרִמּוֹנִים וּתְאֵנִים), all of which depend on and are attached to another tree (בְּאִילָנָא אַחֲרָא תַּלְיָין וַאֲחִידָן).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): “Send for yourself men” (שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים) (Numbers 13)-for your own sake (בְּגִינָךְ). Rabbi Yehudah opened (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח): “Like the cold of snow on a harvest day, a faithful messenger to those who send him, and he restores the soul of his master” (כְּצִנַּת שֶׁלֶג בְּיוֹם קָצִיר צִיר נֶאֱמָן לְשׁוֹלְחָיו וְנֶפֶשׁ אֲדוֹנָיו יָשִׁיב) (Proverbs 25). “Like the cold of snow on a harvest day”-this benefits the body and the soul (כְּצִנַּת שֶׁלֶג בְּיוֹם קָצִיר, דְּאַהֲנֵי לְגוּפָא וּלְנַפְשָׁא). “A faithful messenger to those who send him”-these are Kalev and Pinchas (צִיר נֶאֱמָן לְשׁוֹלְחָיו, אֵלּוּ כָּלֵב וּפִנְחָס), who were faithful emissaries on behalf of Yehoshua (דַּהֲווֹ שְׁלִיחֵי מְהֵימְנֵי לְגַבֵּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ). “And he restores the soul of his master”-this means they returned the Shekhinta to dwell among Yisrael (וְנֶפֶשׁ אֲדוֹנָיו יָשִׁיב, דְּאָהַדְרוּ שְׁכִינְתָּא לְדַיְּירָא בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), and she did not depart from among them (וְלָא אִסְתָּלְקָא מִנַּיְיהוּ). And those whom Moshe sent (וְאִלֵּין דְּשָׁדַר מֹשֶׁה) caused weeping for future generations (גְּרִימוּ בְּכִיָיה לְדָרִין בַּתְרָאִין), and caused the death of many thousands and multitudes in Yisrael (וְגָרִימוּ לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא מִיִשְׂרָאֵל כַּמָּה אֶלֶף וְרִבְּבָן). And they caused the Shekhinta to depart from the land, from among Yisrael (וְגָרִימוּ לְסַלְּקָא שְׁכִינְתָּא מֵאַרְעָא מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). But those whom Yehoshua sent (אִינּוּן דְּשָׁדַר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ), “restored the soul of his master” (וְנֶפֶשׁ אֲדוֹנָיו יָשִׁיב).