Daf 157b (דַּף קנ״ז ע״ב)

Rabbi Ḥizkiyah and Rabbi Yissa were walking on the road (רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה וְרִבִּי יֵיסָא הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא). Rabbi Yissa said to Rabbi Ḥizkiyah (אָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא לְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה): I see on your face that a thought is stirring within you (חֲמֵינָא בְּאַפָּךְ דְּהִרְהוּרָא אִית בְּגַוָּוךְ). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Indeed, I have been contemplating this verse (הָא וַדַּאי הַאי קְרָא אִסְתַּכַּלְנָא בֵּיהּ), since Shlomo said: “For the fate of human beings and the fate of beasts is one and the same…” (כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה, כִּי מִקְּרֶה בְנֵי הָאָדָם וּמִקְרֶה הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִקְרֶה אֶחָד לָהֶם וְגוֹ׳) (Ecclesiastes 3). And we have learned that all the words of King Shlomo are sealed from the levels of Ḥokhmah (וְתָנֵינָן, דְּכָל מִלּוֹי דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא, כֻּלְּהוּ סְתִימִין מִדַּרְגִּין דְּחָכְמְתָא). If so, this verse requires contemplation (אִי הָכִי, הַאי קְרָא אִית בֵּיהּ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא), for it opens a door for those who are not people of faith (דְּהָא פִּתְחָא לְאִינּוּן דְּלָאו בְּנֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ).

He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Indeed, it is so (וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא), and within it is much to know and to contemplate (וְאִית בֵּיהּ לְמִנְדַּע וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא). Meanwhile, they saw a certain man approaching (אַדְּהָכִי חָמוּ חַד בַּר נָשׁ דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי), and he asked them for water (שָׁאַל לוֹן מַיָּיא), for he was parched (דְּהֲוָה צָחֵי), and faint from the strength of the sun (וַהֲוָה לָאֵי בְּתוּקְפָּא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא). They said to him, Who are you? (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ, מַאן אַתְּ). He said to them, I am a jew, and I am faint and thirsty (אָמַר לוֹן יוּדָאי אֲנָא, וַאֲנָא לָאֵי וְצָחֵינָא). They said to him, Engage in Orayta (אָמְרוּ לָעִית בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). He said to them, Until I can speak with you in words, let me go up this mountain (אָמַר לוֹן, עַד דַּאֲנָא עִמְּכוֹן בְּמִלִּין, אֶסְלַּק לְהַאי טוּרָא), and there I will draw water and drink (וְתַמָּן אֶסַּב מַיָּיא וְאִשְׁתֵּי).

Rabbi Yissa took out a flask full of water and gave it to him (אַפִּיק רִבִּי יֵיסָא חַד זְפִירָא מָלֵי מַיִין, וִיהַב לֵיהּ). After he drank (בָּתַר דְּשָׁתָה), he said, Let me come up with you to the water (אָמַר נְסַלֵּק עִמָּךְ לְמַיָּיא). They ascended the mountain (סְלִיקוּ לְטוּרָא), and they found a thin thread of water (וְאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ חַד חוּטָא דְּמַיָיא דָּקִיק), and one stone vessel full (וּמַלֵּי קַטְפוּרָא חַד). They sat (יָתְבוּ). That man said to them (אָמַר לוֹן הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ): Now ask! (הַשְׁתָּא שָׁאִילוּ), for I have exerted myself in Orayta (דְּהָא אֲנָא אִשְׁתָּדַּלְּנָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), through the hand of a certain son (עַל יְדוֹי דְּחַד בְּרִי), whom I brought into the house of study (דַּאֲנָא עַיְילִית לֵיהּ לְבֵי רַב), and because of him I have flourished in Orayta (וּבְגִינֵיהּ רָוַוחְנָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא).

Rabbi Ḥizkiyah said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה): If it is through your son, good it is (אִי עַל יְדָא דִּבְרָךְ, טַב הוּא). But regarding the matter we are discussing (אֲבָל מִלָּה דַּאֲנָן בֵּיהּ), I see that it wishes to ascend to another place (אֲנָא חֲמֵינָא דְּלַאֲתָר אַחֲרָא בָּעֵי לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא). That man said (אָמַר הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ): Speak your word-for sometimes a precious gem may be found in a poor man's purse (אֵימָא מִלָּךְ, דִּלְזִמְנִין בְּאַפַּרְקָסָתָא דְּעַנְיָיא תִּשְׁכַּח מַרְגָּנִיתָא).

He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): This verse which Shlomo said, speak it out (הַאי קְרָא דְּאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה, סַח לֵיהּ). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): And what-some say: how-are you separated from the rest of humanity, who do not know? (וְכִי נ״א כַּמָּה בְּמָה אַתּוּן פְּרִישָׁן מִשְּׁאַר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּלָא יַדְעֵי). They said to him: And in what? (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ וּבְמָּה). He said to them (אָמַר לוֹן): Concerning this Shlomo said this verse (עַל דָּא אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה הַאי קְרָא), and he did not say this from his own reasoning, like those other words (וְלָא אָמַר הַאי מִגַּרְמֵיהּ, כִּשְׁאַר אִינּוּן מִלִּין). Rather, he repeated the words of the fools of the world who say such things (אֶלָּא אַהְדָּר אִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּטִפְּשָׁאֵי עָלְמָא דְּאַמְרֵי כַּךְ). And what do they say? (וּמַאי אַמְרֵי): “For the fate of man and the fate of the beast is one and the same…” (כִּי מִקְרֶה הָאָדָם וּמִקְּרֶה הַבְּהֵמָה וְגוֹ׳) (Ecclesiastes 3). Fools who do not know and do not contemplate wisdom say that this world proceeds by chance (טִפְּשָׁאֵי דְּלָא יַדְעֵי וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלָן בְּחָכְמְתָא אַמְרֵי דְּהַאי עָלְמָא אָזִיל בְּמִקְרֶה), and the Holy One, blessed be He, does not pay attention to them (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אַשְׁגַּח עָלַיְיהוּ), but rather, “the fate of man and the fate of the beast is one and the same…” (אֶלָּא מִקְרֶה הָאָדָם וּמִקְרֶה הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִקְרֶה אֶחָד וְגוֹ׳). And when Shlomo considered these fools who say this (וְכַד שְׁלֹמֹה אִסְתָּכַּל בְּאִלֵּין טִפְּשָׁאִין דְּקָאַמְרֵי דָּא), he called them “beasts” (קָרָא לוֹן בְּהֵמָה), for they make themselves into actual beasts (דְּאִינּוּן עַבְדִּין גַּרְמַיְיהוּ בְּהֵמָה מַמָּשׁ), because they say these words (בְּגִין דְּאַמְרֵי מִלִּין אִלֵּין). And how do we know this? (וּמְנָלָן). The verse itself rebukes them (קְרָא דְּעָלֵיהּ אוֹכַח), as it is written: “I said in my heart, concerning the matter of the children of man, that the Elohim might clarify them and show them that they themselves are beasts” (דִּכְתִּיב: אָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי עַל דִּבְרַת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לְבָרָם הָאֱלֹהִים וְלִרְאוֹת שְׁהֶם בְּהֵמָה הֵמָּה לָהֶם) (Ecclesiastes 3). “I said in my heart…”-meaning I considered this, to contemplate what? (אָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי, וַחֲשִׁיבְנָא בְּהַאי לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא עַל מָה). “Concerning the matter of the children of man” (עַל דִּבְרַת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם)-that matter of foolishness (עַל הַהוּא מִלָּה דְּטִפְּשׁוּתָא), that they say “Elohim created” alone (דְּאִינּוּן אַמְרֵי לְבָרָם הָאֱלֹהִים בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ), and they do not connect with other people who possess faith (וְלָא יִתְחַבְּרוּן בַּהֲדֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא אַחֲרָנִין דְּאִית לוֹן מְהֵימְנוּתָא), “and to show them that they themselves are beasts” (וְלִרְאוֹת שְׁהֶם בְּהֵמָה הֵמָּה לָהֶם).

“And to show them” (וְלִרְאוֹת), in them-that is, those who are people of faith (בְּהוּ אִינּוּן בְּנֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא)-that they are literally beasts (שֶׁהֵם בְּהֵמָה מַמָּשׁ), and their knowledge is like that of cattle (וְדַעְתַּיְיהוּ כִּבְעִירָא). “They themselves” (הֵמָּה לָהֶם)-for themselves alone (בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ), and not to elevate the people of faith by such foolish thinking (וְלָא לְאַעֲלָאָה לִבְנֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא בְּדַעְתָּא דְּטִפְּשׁוּתָא דָּא). And because of that: “They themselves”-and not others (וְעַל דָּא הֵמָּה לָהֶם, וְלָא לְאַחֲרָנִין). And what is their reasoning? (וּמַה דַּעְתָּא דִּלְהוֹן): “For the fate of human beings and the fate of beasts is one, and the same fate befalls them all…” (כִּי מִקְּרֶה בְנֵי הָאָדָם וּמִקְרֶה הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִקְרֶה אֶחָד לְכֻלָּם וְגוֹ׳) (Ecclesiastes 3). May their spirit be burst! (תִּיפַּח רוּחֵיהוֹן), those who are cattle (דְּאִינּוּן בְּעִירֵי). They are fools (אִינּוּן טִפְּשָׁאֵי), they are lacking in faith (אִינּוּן מְחוּסְרֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא).

Woe to them, woe to their souls (וַוי לוֹן, וַוי לְנַפְשַׁיְיהוּ). Better for them had they not come into the world (טַב לְהוּ דְּלָא יֵיתוּן לְעָלְמָא). And what answer did Shlomo give to them about this? (וּמַה אָתִיב לוֹן שְׁלֹמֹה עַל דָּא). The verse that follows, where he said: “And who knows the spirit of man, whether it ascends upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it descends downward to the earth?” (קְרָא אֲבַּתְרֵיהּ, וְאָמַר: וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ רוּחַ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם הָעוֹלָה הִיא לְמַעְלָה, וְרוּחַ הַבְּהֵמָה הַיּוֹרֶדֶת הִיא לְמַטָּה לָאָרֶץ) (Ecclesiastes 3). “Who knows?”-meaning, among those fools (מִי יוֹדֵעַ בְּאִינּוּן טִפְּשָׁאֵי), who do not know the glory of the supernal King (דְּלָא יַדְעֵי בִּיקָרָא דְּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה), and who do not contemplate the Orayta (וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). “The spirit of man ascends”-it is to above (רוּחַ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם הָעוֹלָה, הִיא לְמַעְלָה), to a supernal place (לַאֲתָר עִלָּאָה), to a place of glory (לַאֲתָר יְקָר), to a holy place (לַאֲתָר קַדִּישָׁא), to be nourished from the supernal light (לְאִתְּזְנָא מִנְּהִירוּ עִלָּאָה), from the light of the Holy King (מִנְּהִירוּ דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), to become bound in the bundle of life (לְמֶהֱוִי צְרוֹרָא בִּצְרוֹרָא דְּחַיֵּי), and to be found before the Holy King (וְאִשְׁתְּכָחַת קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), ascending in completeness (עוֹלָה תְּמִימָה). And this is: “that ascends upward” (וְדָא הוּא: הָעוֹלָה הִיא לְמַעְלָה).