Daf 163a (דַּף קס״ג ע״א)

Behold, another appointed one came (הָא מְמָנָא אַחֲרָא), and said to them (אָתָא אָמַר לוֹן): friends, Rabbi Ila’i has sent me to you (חַבְרַיָּיא, רִבִּי אִילָאִי שָׁדַרְנִי לְכוּ). Lead him here to the mouth of the cave (תוֹרֵיכוּ לֵיהּ הָכָא אַפּוּם מְעַרְתָּא), and he will come and make known to you supernal matters that you have not known (וְהוּא יֵיתֵי וְיוֹדַע לְכוּ מִלִּין עִלָּאִין דְּלָא יְדַעְתּוּן).

For he requested from within the Academy (דְּאִיהוּ תָּבַע מִגּוֹ מְתִיבְתָּא), that he might have permission to reveal to you words (דִּיהֵא לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְגַלָּאָה לְכוּ מִלִּין). They went out with him (נַפְקוּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ), and brought him to the mouth of the cave (וְאוֹרִיכוּ אַפּוּם מְעַרְתָּא), and they were recounting to one another words, each to the other, from all that they had seen and learned there (וַהֲווּ מְהַדְרִין מִלֵּי דָּא לְדָא, מִכָּל מַה דְּחָמוּ וְאוֹלִפוּ תַּמָּן).

Meanwhile, behold, Rabbi Ila’i came, shining like the sun (אַדְּהָכִי, הָא רִבִּי אִילָאִי אָתָא, נָהִיר כְּשִׁמְשָׁא). He said to him: A New Orayta you have heard (אָמַר לֵיהּ אוֹרַיְּיתָא חַדְתָּא שְׁמַעְתָּא). He said to them: Surely, and permission has been given me to speak to you words (אָמַר לוֹן וַדַּאי, וּרְשׁוּ יָהֲבוּ לִי לְמֵימַר לְכוּ מִלֵּי). They joined together at the mouth of the cave and sat (אִתְחַבְּרָא כַּחֲדָא אַפּוּם מְעַרְתָּא, וְיָתְבוּ). He said to them: Meritorious are you, that your Master has shown you in the likeness of the World to Come (אָמַר לוֹן זַכָּאִין אַתּוּן, דְּאַחְמֵי לְכוֹן מָארֵיכוֹן כְּגַוְונָא דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

And behold, you have no fear or trembling (וְהָא לֵית לְכוּ דְּחִילוּ וְאֶמְתָּנוּ). They said: Surely, for here the path of the children of men is forgotten from us (אָמְרוּ וַדַּאי, הָא אִתְנְשֵׁי מִנָן אָרְחָא דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא), and desire is upon all that we have seen on this mountain (וּתַוָּוהָא אִיהוּ עַל כָּל מַה דַּחֲמֵינָן בְּהַאי טוּרָא). He said to them: Have you seen these mountains? (אָמַר לוֹן, חֲמִיתּוּן אִלֵּין טוּרַיָּא). They are all heads of academies for this people in the wilderness (כֻלְּהוּ רָאשֵׁי מְתִיבְתֵּי לְעַמָּא דָּא דִּבְמַדְבְּרָא). And now they have merited that which they did not merit when they were alive (וְזָכוּ הַשְׁתָּא, מַה דְּלָא זָכוּ כַּד הֲווֹ בַּחַיִּין). And these heads of the academies (וְאִלֵּין רֵישֵּׁי מְתִיבְתֵּי), all of them, on new moons, Sabbaths, and festivals (כֻּלְּהוּ בְּרֵישׁ יַרְחֵי וְשַׁבַּתֵּי וּמוֹעֲדַיָּיא), gather together at the mountain of Aharon the priest (מִתְכַּנְּשֵׁי לְגַבֵּי טוּרָא דְּאַהֲרֹן כַּהֲנָא), and are aroused toward him (וּמִתְעָרֵי לְגַבֵּיהּ). And they enter into his Academy (וְעָאלִין גּוֹ מְתִיבְתָּא דִּילֵיהּ), and are renewed there (וּמִתְחַדְּשָׁן תַּמָּן), through the purity of the holy dew that descends upon his head (בְּדַכְיוּ דְּטַלָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּנָחִית עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ), and anoints the master who rules over him (וּמְשַׁח רְבוּ דְּנָגִיד עָלֵיהּ). And with him they are all renewed with renewals of the beloved ones of the Holy King (וְעִמֵּיהּ מִתְחַדְּשָׁן כֻּלְּהוּ בְּחִדּוּשִׁין דִּרְחִימִין דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא).

Until it is called here: the Academy of Love (עַד דְּאִקְרֵי הָכָא מְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְחִימוּתָא). And he receives in every Academy (וְאִיהוּ נָטִיל בְּכָל מְתִיבְתָּא), in hidden fineness, they flutter like eagles in the Academy of light (בִּטְמִירוּ דָּקִיק מִתְעָפְפָן כְּנִשְׁרִין גּוֹ מְתִיבְתָּא דִּנְהוֹרָא). And this is the Academy of Moshe (וְאִיהִי מְתִיבְתָּא דְּמֹשֶׁה), and all of them stand outside and do not enter within (וְכֻלְּהוּ קַיְימֵי לְבַר, וְלָא עָאלִין לְגוֹ), except Aharon alone (בַּר אַהֲרֹן בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), and according to the moment they are called by name (וּכְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא אִקְרוּן בִּשְׁמָא). And no one sees Moshe (וְלֵית מַאן דְּחָמֵי לֵיהּ לְמֹשֶׁה), for behold, that veil of his face is spread before him (דְּהָא הַהוּא מַסְוְה דְּאַנְפּוֹי, פְּרֵיס קָמֵיהּ). And seven clouds of glory surround him (וּשְׁבַע עֲנָנֵי יְקָר סַחֲרָנֵיהּ). Aharon stands within a curtain beneath Moshe (אַהֲרֹן קָאִים גּוֹ פַּרְגּוֹדָא דִּלְתַּתָּא מִן מֹשֶׁה). And the curtain separates, yet does not separate between them (וּפַרְגּוֹדָא פָּסִיק, וְלָא פָּסִיק בְּגַוַּיְיהוּ). And all the heads of the Academy, outside the curtain of this veil (וְכָל רֵישֵּׁי מְתִיבְתֵּי, לְבַר מִפָּרוֹכְתָּא דְּפַרְגּוֹדָא דָּא). And all the rest, outside those clouds (וְכָל שְׁאָר, לְבַר מֵאִינּוּן עֲנָנִין). And according to the renewals of the radiance of Orayta that is illuminated, so shine those clouds (וּכְפוּם חִדּוּשֵׁי דִּנְהִירוּ דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא דְּאִתְנַהֲרָא, הָכִי מְנָהֲרָן אִינּוּן עֲנָנִין). And they are thinned with the fineness of light (וְאִתְקְלִישׁוּ בִּדְקִיקוּ דִּנְהוֹרָא), until that veil is seen (עַד דְּאִתְחֲזֵי הַהוּא מַסְוְה). And from within that veil (וּמִגּוֹ הַהוּא מַסְוְה), they behold a light shining brighter than all the lights of the world (חָמָאן נְהוֹרָא דְּנָהִיר יַתִּיר מִכָּל נְהִירִין דְּעָלְמָא). And these are the countenances of Moshe (וְאִינּוּן אַנְפֵּי מֹשֶׁה). His countenances were not seen at all (אַנְפּוֹי לָא אִתְחָזוּן כְּלָל), and no one saw them (וְלֵית מַאן דְּחָמֵי לוֹן), except that radiance which went forth from within that veil, after all those clouds (בַּר הַהוּא נְהִירוּ דְּנָפִיק מִגּוֹ הַהוּא מַסְוְה, בָּתַר כָּל אִינּוּן עֲנָנִין).

Moshe spoke a word in secret to Aharon (מֹשֶׁה אָמַר מִלָּה סְתָם לְאַהֲרֹן), and Aharon explained it to the great ones of the Academy (וְאַהֲרֹן פָּרִישׁ לְרַבְרְבֵי מְתִיבְתֵּי). In what did he explain? (בְּמַה פָּרִישׁ). In all those fountains that were hidden from him, when the time of Yehoshua came (בְּכָל אִינּוּן מַבּוּעִין דְּאַסְתִּימוּ מִנֵּיהּ, כַּד מָטָא זִמְנֵיהּ דִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ). And now he repeats them (וְהַשְּׁתָּא אִיהוּ מְהָדָר לוֹן), in many wonders and sources and fountains and rivers that flow from each and every word (בְּכַמָּה פְּלִיאָן, וּמְקוֹרִין וּמַבּוּעִין וּנְחָלִין דְּנַבְעִין מִכָּל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה).

All the women who are meritorious of this generation (כָּל נָשִׁין זַכְיָין דְּהַאי דָּרָא), come to Miriam also here in these times (אָתָאן לְמִרְיָם אוּף הָכָא בְּהָנֵי זִמְנִין). And then they all ascend, like pillars of smoke in this wilderness (וּכְדֵין סַלְּקִין כֻּלְּהוּ, כְּתִמְרוֹת עָשָׁן גּוֹ מַדְבְּרָא דָּא). And that day is called the day of rejoicing (וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא, אִקְרֵי יוֹמָא דְּהִלּוּלָא). Women on the nights of Sabbaths and on the nights of holy days (נָשִׁין בְּלֵילֵי שַׁבָּתוֹת וּבְלֵילֵי יוֹמִין טָבִין), all of them come to Miriam (כֻּלְּהוּ אָתָאן לְגַבֵּי מִרְיָם), and they know exertion in the knowledge of the Master of the world (וְיַדְעִין אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָא בִּידִיעָה דְּמָארֵי עָלְמָא). Meritorious is this generation, more than all the generations of the world (זַכָּאָה דָּרָא דָּא, מִכָּל דָּרִין דְּעָלְמָא). They go forth from the Academy of Moshe (נַפְקֵי מִמְּתִיבְתָּא דְּמֹשֶׁה), and fly to the Academy of the heavens (וּפַרְחֵי לְגַבֵּי מְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא), and those who are seen, fly to the supernal Academy (וְאִינּוּן דְּאִתְחָזוּן פַּרְחֵי לְגַבֵּי מְתִיבְתָּא עִלָּאָה). Concerning that generation it is written: “Happy is the people that is so; happy is the people whose God is Hashem” (Psalms 144) (עַל הַהוּא דָּרָא כְּתִיב, אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם שֶׁכָּכָה לוֹ אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם שֶׁיְיָ אֱלֹהָיו).

Rabbi Ila’i opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי אִילָאִי וְאָמַר): “You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your God” (Deuteronomy 18) (תָּמִים תִּהְיֶה עִם יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ). What is the difference between Tam and Tamim? (מַה בֵּין תָּם לְתָמִים). Concerning Avraham it is written: “Walk before Me and be Tamim” (Bereshit 17) (בְּאַבְרָהָם כְּתִיב, הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי וְהְיֵה תָמִים). Ya‘akov, who was completed more, concerning him it is written: “And Ya‘akov was an Ish Tam” (Bereshit 25) (יַעֲקֹב דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים יַתִּיר, כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם). Why is he called Ish Tam? (אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי אִישׁ תָּם). Because no refuse remained in him at all (בְּגִין דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּאַר בֵּיהּ פְּסוֹלֶת כְּלַל), for circumcision was in him (דְּהָא פְּרִיעָה הֲוָה בֵּיהּ). With what was he circumcised? (בְּמָה אִתְפְּרַע). (Some say: Circumcision was in him, that he was circumcised (ס״א פְּרִיעָה הֲוָה בֵּיהּ דְּאִתְפְּרַע). And he was purified from that refuse, because that place which was strong for refuse, opposite it the place of circumcision dwells (וְאִתְדַּכֵּי מֵהַהוּא פְּסוֹלֶת, בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאַתְקִיף לִפְסוֹלֶת, דִּלְגוֹ אֲתָר דִּפְרִיעָה שָׁארֵי). It is an ox, the image of the left of his throne (אִיהוּ שׁוֹר, דִּיּוּקְנָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא דְּכֻרְסַיָא דִּילֵיהּ). And that ox is called Shor Tam (וְהַהוּא שׁוֹר, אִקְרֵי שׁוֹר תָּם). For behold, the chariot of the throne, the mark of the covenant is in it (דְּהָא רְתִיכָא דְּכֻרְסְיָא, רְשִׁימָא דִּבְרִית אִית בֵּיהּ). And for this reason this ox is called Tam (וְעַל דָּא, הַאי שׁוֹר אִקְרֵי תָּם). And Ya‘akov grasped it within himself (וְיַעֲקֹב אָחִיד בֵּיהּ בְּגַוַּיהּ). And with this ox he performed circumcision (וּבְהַאי שׁוֹר עָבִיד פְּרִיעָה). And he removed all the defilement of refuse (וְאַעְבַּר זוּהֲמָא דִּפְסוֹלֶת כֻּלָּא).