Daf 166a (דַּף קס״ו ע״א)

Concerning Avraham it is written (בְּאַבְרָהָם כְּתִיב): “Walk before Me and be Tamim [whole]” (הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי וְהְיֵה תָמִים) (Bereshit 17)—the circumcision of the sign of the Brit [Covenant] (גְּזִירוּ דְּאָת קַיָּימָא). “Walk before Me” (הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי)—from here, a man should not walk after a woman, but before her; this is the proper way (מֵהָכָא, דְּלָא יְהַךְ גָּבֶר בָּתַר אִתְּתָא, אֶלָּא קַמָהָא, אֹרַח כָּשֵׁר אִיהוּ).

And behold, it is written: “Behold, I send an angel before you” (וְהָא כְּתִיב, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שׁוֹלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ) (Exodus 23). “And I will send an angel before you” (וְשָׁלַחְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ מַלְאָךְ) (Exodus 33). Concerning Avraham, who was not circumcised, He pushed him forward (לְאַבְרָהָם דְּלָא הֲוָה גָּזִיר, דָּחָה לֵיהּ לְקַמָּהּ). And because of this, it is not written, “Be Tamim [whole],” and afterward, “walk before Me” (וְעַל דָּא לָא כְּתִיב הֶיֵה תָּמִים, וְהִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי). Rather, “walk before Me” (אֶלָּא הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי), meaning: you are not fit until you become Tamim [whole] (דְּלָא יֵאוֹת אַנְתְּ, עַד שֶׁתְּהֵא תָּמִים). And so it is in all cases: once a person is Tamim [whole] and guards it (וְכֵן בְּכֻלְּהוּ, כֵּיוָן דְּבַּר נָשׁ תָּמִים, וְנָטִיר לֵיהּ), immediately she is before him and he is after her; this is proper (מִיַּד הִיא לְקָמֵיהּ, וְאִיהוּ אֲבַתְרָהּ, כָּשֵׁר אִיהוּ לְדָא). In the case of deficiency, what is written? (לְגִרְעוֹנָא מַה כְּתִיב). “For he has turned back from following Me” (כִּי שָׁב מֵאַחֲרַי) (I Samuel 15). Noaḥ was circumcised and Tamim [whole], but Peri‘ah [uncovering] was not in him (נֹחַ גָּזִיר הֲוָה, וְתָמִים, פְּרִיעָה לָא הֲוָה בֵּיהּ). And because Peri‘ah [uncovering] was not in him, what is written? (וּבְגִין דְּלָא הֲוָה בֵּיהּ פְּרִיעָה, מַה כְּתִיב). “With the Elohim” (אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים), and not “after the Elohim” (וְלָא אַחַר הָאֱלֹהִים). Before, he was not (לְקַמָּא לָא הֲוָה), because he was circumcised (בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה גְּזִיר). Behind, he was not (לַאֲחוֹרָא לָא הֲוָה), because he was not parua [uncovered] (בְּגִין דְּלָא אִתְפְּרַע). How, then, was it? (אֵיךְ הֲוָה). “With the Elohim” (אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים): he was close to Him, but could not gaze upon Him, for he was not altogether fit (סָמִיךְ לֵיהּ, וְלָא יָכִיל לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, דְּלָאו כָּשֵׁר כָּל כַּךְ). Concerning Yisrael it is written (בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּתִיב): “And Hashem went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire, etc.” (וַיְיָ הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן וְלַיְלָה בְּעַמּוּד אֵשׁ וְגוֹ׳) (Exodus 13). Once Yisrael said (כֵּיוָן דְּאָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל): “Because there were no graves in Egypt, etc.; it would have been better for us to serve Egypt” (הֲמִבְּלִי אֵין קְבָרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם וְגוֹ׳. כִּי טוֹב לָנוּ עֲבוֹד אֶת מִצְרַיִם) (Exodus 14), as it were, the mind was weakened (כִּבְיָכוֹל, אִתְחֲלָשׁ דַּעְתָּא). It is written (כְּתִיב): “And the angel of Elohim, who went before the camp of Yisrael, went behind them” (וַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים הַהוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵי מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיֵּלֶךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם) (Exodus 14). “And it moved” (וַיִּסַּע)—to exact vengeance upon them (לְמֶעְבַּד בְּהוּ נוּקְמִין). Missing Text (חֲסֵר).

And because of this Mashiach rejoices (וְעַל דָּא חַדֵּי מָשִׁיחַ), and the Head of the Academy rejoices, for he was gladdened with this (וְחַדֵּי רַב מְתִיבְתָּא, דְּקָא אִתְבָּשָּׂר בְּדָא). And the Head of the Academy said (וְאָמַר רַב מְתִיבְתָּא), behold he inquired of Mashiach and said (דְּהָא דָּיִיק לְמָשִׁיחַ וְאָמַר): From where did Daniel know to say (מְנָא הֲוָה לְדָנִיאֵל דְּקָאָמַר): “Your kingdom is divided and given to Media and Persia” (Daniel 5) (פְּרֵיס פְּרִיסַת מַלְכוּתָךְ וִיהִיבַת לְמָדַי וּפָרָס). From those letters of “ufarsin” it was heard to him (מֵאִינּוּן אַתְוָון דְּוּפַרְסִין אִשְׁתְּמַע לֵיהּ). And here what is it? (וְהָכָא מַאי הוּא). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): So it is surely (הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי): “Your kingdom is divided” - the guilty one - by the hand of another Mashiach (פְּרֵיס פְּרִיסַת מַלְכוּתָךְ חַיָּיבָא, עַל יְדֵי דְּמָשִׁיחַ אַחֲרָא). And afterward the king of Persia shall rule (וּלְבָתַר יִשְׁלוֹט מֶלֶךְ פְּרָס), and he shall take many kingdoms (וְיִטּוֹל מַלְכְּוָון סַגִּיאִין). And he shall rule over the Holy Land twelve months (וְהוּא יִשְׁלֹט עַל אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא תְּרֵיסָר יַרְחֵי). And he shall rule and kill many (וְהוּא יִשְׁלוֹט וְיִקְטוֹל סַגִּיאִין). And that Mashiach - afterward he shall fall (וְהַהוּא מְשִׁיחָא, וּלְבָתַר יִפּוֹל). And the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom (וִיקַבְּלוּן מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין). And concerning this: “ufarsin” - the king of Persia - is heard here (וְעַל דָּא, וּפַרְסִין, מַלְכָּא דְּפָרַס, אִשְׁתְּמַע הָכָא).

If a holy pious one, how much joy upon joy in that spring (אִי חֲסִידָא קַדִּישָׁא, כַּמָּה חֶדְוָה עַל חֶדְוָה, בְּהַהוּא מַעְיָינָא). In that spring grows all kinds of trees which Kudsha Berikh Hu planted in Gan Eden (בְּהַהוּא מַעְיָינָא, מְגַדְּלָא כָּל זִינֵי אִילָנִין, דְּנָצִיב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגַּן עֵדֶן). And all of them stand for healing - leaves, fruits, and branches - and to gladden the heart always (וְכֻלְּהוּ קַיְימֵי לְאַסְוָותָא, טַרְפִּין וְאֵיבִין וְעַנְפִין, וּלְחַדוּ לִבָּא תָּדִיר). And among them there is no hunger, no worry, and no sighing forever (וְלֵית בֵּינַיְיהוּ כַּפְנָא, וּדְאָגָה, וַאֲנָחָה, לְעָלְמִין). Meritorious is the people that waits for all this, and all this is hidden for them (זַכָּאָה עַמָּא דְּכָל דָּא מְחַכָּאן, וְכָל דָּא גָּנִיז לוֹן).

Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): In the ground of this Mikdash there are wonders (בְּקַרְקַע דְּהַאי מַקְדְּשָׁא, אִית מֵאִלֵּין פְּלִיאָן). He said to him: O my master, O my master, meritorious is your portion in all this (אָמַר לֵיהּ, אִי רִבִּי, אִי רִבִּי, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָךְ דְּכָל הַאי). On that, above that woven spring (בְּהַהוּא. עַל גַּבֵּי הַהוּא מַעְיָינָא רְקִימָא), but there is none able to gaze into it (אֲבָל לֵית מַאן דְּיָכִיל לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ). At times its radiance is light (לְזִמְנִין נְהִירוּ דִּילֵיהּ נְהוֹרָא). At times darkness (לְזִמְנִין חֲשׁוֹכָא). At times the color of purple (לְזִמְנִין גּוָֹון אַרְגְּוָונָא). Sparkling in such a way that the eyes are unable to gaze above (מְנַצְּצָן דְּלָא יַכְלִין עַיְינִין לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא לְעֵילָּא). Some say (ס״א הִיא): this is what the holy pious one asked, from that ground of the Mikdash (דְּשָׁאַלְת חֲסִידָא קַדִּישָׁא, מֵהַהוּא קַרְקַע דְּמַקְדְּשָׁא). The Head of the Academy did not explain it (רַב מְתִיבְתָּא לָא פָּרִישׁ מִנֵּיהּ), for behold, it is hidden in the Jordan (דְּהָא גָּנִיז אִיהוּ גּוֹ יַרְדְּנָא). And I have told you what I told you, but one word was asked, and you shall know what you shall know (וְהָא אֲמֵינָא לָךְ מַה דַּאֲמֵינָא, אֲבָל נִשְׁאַל מִלָּה דָּא, וְתִנְדַּע מַה דְּתִנְדַּע).

This Jordan enters and flows once in the year (יַרְדֵּן דָּא, עָאל וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ זִמְנָא חֲדָא בְּשַׁתָּא), within that river that goes forth from Eden (גוֹ הַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָפִיק מֵעֵדֶן). Not from those four rivers that are drawn from it, but within it itself (לָאו מֵאִינּוּן אַרְבַּע נַהֲרִין דְּאִתְמַשְּׁכָן מִנֵּיהּ, אֶלָּא בֵּיהּ מַמָּשׁ). When it reaches it, it flows and spreads, and enters into the Jordan (כֵּיוָן דְּמָטֵי לְגַבֵּיהּ, אִיהוּ אִתְמְשַׁךְ וְאִתְפָּשַׁט וְעָאל גּוֹ יַרְדְּנָא). And when it reaches the ground of the Mikdash, it is found there for three days (וְכֵיוָן דְּמָטֵי גּוֹ קַרְקַע דְּמַקְדְּשָׁא, אִשְׁתְּכַח תַּמָּן תְּלַת יוֹמִין). And it does not spread nor flow to another place (וְלָא אִתְפְּשַׁט וְלָא אִתְמְשַׁךְ לְאֲתָר אַחֲרָא). And the Head of the Academy said (וְאָמַר רַב מְתִיבְתָּא): when that river returns to its place (דְּכַד אַהְדָּר הַהוּא נָהָר לְאַתְרֵיהּ), it leaves there all kinds of designs (שָׁבִיק תַּמָּן, כָּל זִינֵי צִיּוּרִין), which Kudsha Berikh Hu makes in Gan Eden (דְּקָא עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגַּן עֵדֶן). And these designs are hidden, beneath their places (דְּאִינּוּן צִיּוּרִין גְּנִיזִין, דִּתְחוֹת דּוּכְתַּיְיהוּ). Missing text (חֲסֵר).