Daf 162a (דַּף קס״ב ע״א)

This with that, which they were not able to speak of beforehand (דָּא עִם דָּא, מַה דְּלָא הֲווֹ יַכְלִין לְמַלְּלָא מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא). They went out from that opening (נַפְקוּ מֵהַהִיא פִּתְחָא), and sat in the garden beneath the trees (וְיָתְבוּ בְּגִנְתָא תְּחוֹת אִילָנִין). They said one to another (אָמְרוּ דָּא לְדָא): Since we are here and have seen all this (כֵּיוָן דַּאֲנָן הָכָא, וְחָמֵינָן כָּל דָּא), if we die here, surely we will enter the World to Come (אִי נֵמוּת הָכָא, וַדַּאי נֵיעוּל לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

They sat (יָתְבוּ). Sleep fell upon them (שֵׁינָתָא נַפְלַת עָלַיְיהוּ), and they slept (וְדַמְכוּ). Meanwhile, that appointed one came (אַדְהָכִי, הָא הַהוּא מְמָנָא אָתָא), and awakened them (וְאַתְעַר לוֹן). He said to them: Arise, go out into the garden of creation (אָמַר לוֹן, קוּמוּ פּוּקוּ לְגוֹ פַּרְדֵּס דְּאַבְרָא). They went out (נַפְקוּ), and they saw those masters of Scripture (חָמוּ לְאִלֵּין מָארֵי מִקְרָא), who were saying over that verse (דַּהֲווּ אַמְרֵי בְּהַהוּא קְרָא): “In this wilderness they shall be consumed” (Numbers 14) (בַּמִּדְבָּר הַזֶּה יִתַּמּוּ) - behold, in another place not (הָא בַּאֲתָר אַחֲרָא לָא). “And there they shall die” (וְשָׁם יָמוּתוּ) - behold, in another place not (הָא בַּאֲתָר אַחֲרָא לָא). And this is in bodies, but not in souls (וְדָא בְּגוּפִין, אֲבָל בְּנִשְׁמָתִין לָא), in the manner of the sons of the garden (כְּגַוְונָא דִּבְנֵי גִּנְתָא).

That appointed one said to them (אָמַר לוֹן הַהוּא מְמָנָא): Go out (פּוּקוּ). They went out with him (נַפְקוּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ). He said to them: Did you hear anything inside that level? (אָמַר לוֹן, שְׁמַעְתּוּן מִדִי לְגוֹ הַהוּא דַּרְגָּא). They said: We heard that one voice was saying (אָמְרוּ, שְׁמַעְנָא דְּהָא חַד קָלָא הֲוָה אָמַר): “Whoever cuts short shall be cut short; whoever shortens shall be shortened; whoever shortens shall be lengthened” (מַאן דְּפָסַק, יִתְפְּסַק. מַאן דְּקָצַר, יִתְקַצַּר. מַאן דְּקָצַר, יִתְאֲרָךְ). He said to them: Do you know what this is? (אָמַר לוֹן, יְדַעְתּוּן מַאי הַאי). They said: No (אָמְרוּ, לָא).

He said to them (אָמַר לוֹן): You saw that great eagle (חֲמִיתּוּן הַהוּא נִשְׁרָא רַבְרְבָא), and that child who was gathering herbs (וְהַהוּא יְנוֹקָא דְּקָא מְלַקֵּט עֲשָׂבִין)? It was Rabbi Ila’i of Netzivin (רִבִּי אִילָאִי דִּנְצִיבִין הֲוָה), he and his son (הוּא וּבְרֵיהּ). And he reached this place (וּמָטָא הָכָא), and he and his son saw this cave (וְחָמָא הוּא וִינוֹקָא בְּרֵיהּ מְעַרְתָּא דָּא). When they entered within, they encountered darkness (כֵּיוָן דְּעָאלוּ לְגוֹ חָשׁוּךְ), they could not endure (לָא יָכִילוּ לְמִסְבַּל), and they died (וּמִיתוּ). And that child, his son (וְהַהוּא יְנוֹקָא בְּרֵיהּ), would stand every day before Betzalel (קַיְּימָא בְּכָל יוֹמָא קָמֵּיהּ דִּבְצַלְאֵל), at the time when he descended from the supernal Academy (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָחִית מִמְּתִיבְתָּא עִלָּאָה), and he would say before him three words (וְאָמַר קָמֵּיהּ תְּלַת מִלִּין), before Betzalel would open in the hidden mysteries of wisdom (עַד לָא יִפְתַּח בְּצַלְאֵל בְּרָזִין סְתִימִין דְּחָכְמְתָּא), for all the fullness of mysteries are hidden (דְּכָל מִלּוֹי רָזִין סְתִימִין אִינּוּן). “For eye has not seen, O God, besides You” (Isaiah 64) (דְּעַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ).

This one said (הַאי [מָאן] דְּאָמַר): “Whoever cuts off shall be cut off” (מַאן דְּפָסַק יִתְפְּסַק). Whoever cuts off words of Orayta for idle words (מַאן דְּפָסַק מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא, עַל מִלִּין בְּטֵלִין), his life shall be cut off from this world (יִתְפַּסְקוּן חַיּוֹהִי מֵהַאי עָלְמָא), and his judgment shall remain in that world (וְדִינֵיהּ קַיְּימָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא). “Whoever shortens shall be shortened” (מַאן דְּקָצַר יִתְקַצַּר), whoever shortens “Amen,” and does not prolong it with tranquil breath (מַאן דְּקָצַר אָמֵן, וְלָא מַאֲרִיךְ בֵּיהּ גּוֹ נַיְיחָא), his life shall be shortened from this world (יִתְקְצַר מֵחַיִּין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא). “Whoever shortens shall be lengthened” (מַאן דְּקָצַר יִתְאֲרָךְ), whoever says “Echad,” he must seize the aleph (מַאן דְּאָמַר אֶחָד, אִצְטְרִיךְ לְחַטְּפָא אָלֶף), and shorten his reading of it (וּלְקַצְּרָא קְרִיאָה דִילֵיהּ), and not delay on this letter at all (וְלָא יְעַכֵּב בְּהַאי אָת כְּלָל). And whoever does this, his life shall be lengthened (וּמַאן דְּעָבִיד דָּא, יִתְאָרְכוּן חַיָּיו).

They said to him (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ): Say further (תּוּ אָמַר), “Two are they, and one is joined with them, and they are three. And when they are three, they are one” (תְּרֵין אִינּוּן, וַחֲדָא אִשְׁתְּתַּף בְּהוּ, וְאִינּוּן תְּלָתָא. וְכַד הֲווֹ תְּלָתָא, אִינּוּן חַד). He said to them (אָמַר לוֹן): These two are the names in Shema Yisrael (אִלֵּין תְּרֵין שְׁמָהָן דִּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל), which are “Hashem, Hashem” (דְּאִינּוּן יְיָ יְיָ). “Our God” is joined with them (אֱלֹהֵינוּ אִשְׁתְּתַּף בְּהוּ), and He is the seal of the signet, “Truth” (וְאִיהוּ חוֹתָמָא דְּגוּשְׁפַּנְקָא, אֱמֶת). And when they are joined together, they are one, in one union (וְכַד מִתְחַבְּרָן כַּחֲדָא, אִינּוּן חַד בְּיִחוּדָא חֲדָא).

Say further (תּוּ אָמַר): “Two are they, and one was concealed. When he rules, he flies upon the wings of the wind, and rides in two hundred thousand, and is hidden” (תְּרֵין אִינּוּן וְחַד אִתְהַדָר. כַּד שַׁלִּיט, טָאס עַל גַּדְפֵּי רוּחָא, וְשָׁאט בְּמָאתָן אֶלֶף, וְאִתְטָמַּר). He said to them (אָמַר לוֹן): These two are the Keruvim (אִלֵּין תְּרֵין כְּרוּבִים), upon which Kudsha Berikh Hu would ride (דְּהֲוָה רָכִיב בְּהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And from the day that Yosef was hidden from his brothers (וּמִן יוֹמָא דְּאַגְנִיז יוֹסֵף מֵאֲחוּי), one was concealed-Some say: one (אַגְנִיז אִיהוּ [ס״א: חַד])-and one remained with Binyamin (וְאִשְׁתְּאַר חַד לְגַבֵּי בִּנְיָמִין). This is what is written: “And He rode upon a Keruv and flew, and soared upon the wings of the wind” (Psalms 18) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיִּרְכַב עַל כְּרוּב וַיָּעֹף וַיֵּדֶא עַל כַּנְפֵי רוּחַ). And He was concealed in two hundred thousand worlds and hidden (וְאַגְנִיז בְּמָאתָן אֶלֶף עָלְמִין וְאִתְטָמַּר), that One who rides upon it (הַהוּא דְּרָכִיב עָלֵיהּ). And those two hundred thousand hidden ones are His (דְּאִינּוּן מָאתָן אֶלֶף גְּנִיזִין, אִינּוּן דִּילֵיהּ), blessed is He (בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

Go out from here, you are meritorious (פּוּקוּ מֵהָכָא, זַכָּאִין אַתּוּן). They went out (נַפְקוּ). That appointed one gave them a single rose (יָהַב לוֹן הַהוּא מְמָנָא וַּורְדָּא [אַחֲרָא] חֲדָא), and they went out (וְנַפְקוּ). When they went out, the mouth of the cave was closed (כַּד נַפְקוּ אַסְתִּים פּוּם מְעַרְתָּא), and it was not seen at all (וְלָא אִתְחֲזֵי כְּלָל). They saw that eagle (חָמוּ הַהוּא נִשְׁרָא), that was descending from that tree (דְּהֲוָה נָחִית מֵהַהוּא אִילָנָא), and entered into another cave (וְעָאַל גּוֹ מְעַרְתָּא אַחֲרָא). They walked by means of that rose (אַרְחוּ אִינּוּן בְּהַהוּא וַּורְדָּא), and entered there (וְעָאלוּ תַּמָּן). They found that eagle at the entrance of the cave (אַשְׁכָּחוּ הַהוּא נִשְׁרָא אַפּוּם מְעַרְתָּא). He said to them (אָמַר לוֹן): Enter, meritorious of truth, friends (עוּלוּ זַכָּאֵי קְשׁוֹט חַבְרִין). For behold, I have not seen the joy of friendship from the day that I was here, except with you (דְּהָא לָא חֲמֵינָא חֶדְוָה דְּחַבְרוּתָא, מִן יוֹמָא דַּאֲנָא הָכָא, אֶלָּא בְּכוּ).

They entered and came to another orchard (עָאלוּ מָאטוּ לַפַּרְדֵּס אַחֲרָא), and that eagle was with them (וְהַהוּא נִשְׁרָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ). When they came near to those masters of Mishnah (כַּד מָטוּ לְגַבֵּי אִינּוּן מָארֵיהוֹן דְּמִשְׁנָה), that eagle was transformed into the likeness of a man (אִתְהַדַּר הַהוּא נִשְׁרָא בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּאָדָם), in precious garments (בִּלְבוּשׁ יְקָר), radiant like them (מְנַהֲרָא כְּוָותַיְיהוּ), and he sat with them together (וְיָתִיב עִמְּהוֹן כַּחֲדָא). He said to those who were sitting (אָמַר לְאִינּוּן דְּיַתְבֵי): Give honor to the masters of Mishnah who have come here (הָבוּ יְקָר לְמָארֵי מַתְנִיתָא דְּאָתוּ הָכָא), for their Master has shown them great wonders here (דְּהָא מָארֵיהוֹן אַחְמֵי לוֹן פְּלִיאָן רַבְרְבָן הָכָא).

One of them said (אָמַר חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ): There is a sign with you (אִית בְּכוּ סִימָנָא). They said: Yes (אָמְרוּ הִין). They brought forth two roses (אַפִּיקוּ תְּרֵין וְרָדִין), and walked with them (וְאַרְחוּ בְּהוּ). They said (אָמְרוּ): Sit, masters of the Academy (תִּיבוּ מָארֵי מְתִיבְתָּא), sit, meritorious of truth (תִּיבוּ זַכָּאֵי קְשׁוֹט), grasp them (אֲחִידוּ בְּהוּ), and they sat (וְיָתְבוּ). At that moment (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא), they learned there thirty halakhot (אוֹלְפוּ תַּמָּן תְּלָתִין הֲלָכוֹת), which they had not known before this (דְּלָא הֲווֹ יַדְעֵי מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא), and other mysteries of Orayta (וְרָזִין אַחֲרָנִין דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא).