Daf 169a (דַּף קס״ט ע״א)

O holy pious one (אִי חֲסִידָא קַדִּישָׁא), how great and precious is this word (כַּמָה מִלָּה דָּא רַבָּא וְיַקִּירָא). These voices, what becomes of them (אִלֵּין קָלִין, מַה אִתְעָבִיד מִינַיְיהוּ), and to what place they enter and dwell (וּלְאָן אֲתָר עָאלִין וְשָׁרָאן). These are voices of pain (אִלֵּין קָלִין דְּצַעֲרָא אִינּוּן), that go and wander in the air (וְאָזְלִין וּמְשַׁטְטֵי בַּאֲוִירָא), and travel from end of the world to end of the world (וְאָזְלֵי מִסַּיְיפֵי עָלְמָא, עַד סַיְיפֵי דְּעָלְמָא), and enter into cracks and tunnels of the earth (וְעָאלִין גּוֹ נְקִיקִין וּמְחִילִין דְּעַפְרָא), and are concealed there (וְאִתְטַמְּרָן תַּמָּן). And when a man gives voice (וְכַד יָהִיב בַּר נָשׁ קָלָא), they are aroused toward that voice (אִינּוּן מִתְעָרִין לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא קָלָא).

The voice of the serpent is not aroused toward the voice of man (קָלָא דְּנָחָשׁ, לָא אִתְּעַר לְגַבֵּי קָלָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ). How is it aroused (הֵיאַךְ יִתְּעַר). By striking (בְּמָחָאָה). When a man strikes a blow (כַּד מָחֵי בַּר נָשׁ מָחָאָה), the voice of the serpent is aroused (אִתְּעַר קָלָא דְּנָחָשׁ), which is concealed toward that voice, and not another voice (דְּאִתְטַמַּר לְגַבֵּיהּ הַהוּא קָלָא, וְלָאו קָלָא אַחֲרָא). Voice is aroused after voice, kind after its kind (קָלָא אִתְּעַר בָּתַר קָלָא, זִינָא בָּתַר זִינֵיהּ).

And because of this, on the day of Rosh haShanah (וְעַל דָּא בְּיוֹמָא דְרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה), the voice of the shofar arouses another voice of shofar (קוֹל שׁוֹפָר, אִתְּעַר קוֹל שׁוֹפָר אַחֲרָא), kind after its kind goes (זִינָא בָּתַר זִינֵיהּ אָזְלָא). The way of the serpent is evil (אָרְחֵיהּ דְּנָחָשׁ לְבִישׁ אִיהוּ), to kill and to strike (לְקָטְלָא וּלְמָחָאָה). With that very voice, the voice of this serpent is not aroused, except after its kind (בְּהַהוּא קָלָא מַמָּשׁ, לָא אִתְּעַר קָלָא דְּהַאי נָחָשׁ, אֶלָּא בָּתַר זִינֵיהּ). And this is when a man strikes with a staff on the ground (וְדָא אִיהוּ, כַּד בַּר נָשׁ מָחֵי בְּחוּטְרָא בְּאַרְעָא), and calls to its kind (וְקָרֵי לֵיהּ לְזִינֵיהּ). Then the voice of the serpent is aroused to return to its kind (כְּדֵין אִתְּעַר הַהוּא קָלָא דְּנָחָשׁ, לְאָתָבָא לְזִינֵיהּ). And this secret is hidden (וְרָזָא דָּא אִיהוּ טְמִירוּ).

Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): Surely this word is a hidden word (וַדַּאי מִלָּה דָּא מִלָּה סְתִימָא הִיא). And I wondered how King Shlomo did not know this word (וְתַוַּוהְנָא אֵיךְ שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא לָא יָדַע מִלָּה דָּא). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): King Shlomo knew to know (שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא מִנְדַּע יָדַע), but not completely (וְלָא כָּל כַּךְ). But what he did not know was what usefulness there is in that voice, and how it sits (אֲבָל מַה דְּלָא יָדַע, הַהוּא קָלָא מַה תּוֹעַלְתָּא אִית בָּהּ, וְהֵיךְ יָתְבָא). And the Head of the Academy thus said (וְרַב מְתִיבְתָּא הָכִי אָמַר): This precision King Shlomo did not know (דִּקְדוּקָא דָּא לָא יָדַע שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא). For that voice is a mixture of spirit and Nefesh (דְּהָא הַהוּא קָלָא, אִיהִי כְּלִילָא רוּחָא וְנַפְשָׁא), and the breath of the bones from the sadness of the flesh (וְהַבַל גַּרְמֵי מֵעִצְּבוֹנָא דְּבִשְׂרָא), and it wanders in the air (וּמְשַׁטְּטָא בַּאֲוִירָא), and each one separates from the other (וְכָל חַד מִתְפְּרַשׁ דָּא מִן דָּא). And when it reaches the place it enters (וְכַד מָטָא לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּעָאל בֵּיהּ), it sits like a dead thing (יָתְבָא כְּמֵיתָא). And all those sorcerers and diviners know these places by their sorceries (וְכָל אִינּוּן חַרְשִׁין וְקוֹסְמִין יַדְעִין אַתְרִין אִלֵּין בְּחַרְשַׁיְיהוּ), and they bend to the earth and hear this voice (וְגַחְנִין לְאַרְעָא, וְשַׁמְעִין קָלָא דָּא), in which are joined spirit and Nefesh and the breath of the bones (דְּמִתְחַבְּרוּן אִינּוּן רוּחָא וְנַפְשָׁא, וְהַבַל דְּגַרְמֵי), and they know a word (וְאוֹדְעִין מִלָּה). And this is “a ghost out of the earth” (Isaiah 29) (וְדָא אִיהוּ אוֹב מֵאֶרֶץ). And because of this, Shlomo pursued to know what is done from that voice, and did not know (וְעַל דָּא רָדִיף שְׁלֹמֹה, לְמִנְדַּע מַה דְּאִתְעָבִיד מֵהַהוּא קָלָא, וְלָא יָדַע). Meritorious is your portion, Rabbi, that a word of truth has been clarified for you (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָךְ רִבִּי, דְּאִתְבְּרִיר לָךְ מִלָּה דִּקְשׁוֹט).

When a man arouses a voice (כַּד בַּר נָשׁ אִתְּעַר קָלָא), immediately that voice is aroused and joins (מִיַּד [מִתְחַבְּרַן] אִתְּעַר הַהוּא קָלָא), and it has no permission to lengthen further (וְלֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְאַרְכָּא יַתִּיר). Only like that voice which the man aroused, and no more (אֶלָּא כְּעֵין הַהוּא קָלָא, דְּאִתְּעַר בַּר נָשׁ, וְלָא יַתִּיר). And if the man lengthens his voice (וְאִי אָרִיךְ בַּר נָשׁ קָּלֵיהּ), it does not lengthen with him completely (אִיהוּ לֹא אֲרִיךְ כָּל כַּךְ בָּהֲדֵיהּ), but to the end of the voice (אֶלָּא לְסוֹפָא דְקָלָא), because it cannot lengthen (בְּגִין דְּלָא יָכִיל לְאֲרְכָּא). Why? Because when it first went out (מַאי טַעֲמָא, בְּגִין דְּכַד נָפְקָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא), it stretched from one end of the world to the other (אִתְאֲרִיךְ מִסַּיְיפֵי עָלְמָא עַד סַיְיפֵי עָלְמָא). And now that it entered there (וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּעָאל תַּמָּן), it cannot lengthen the voice (לָא יָכִיל לְאַרְכָּא קָלָא), for there is no place for it to expand there as at first (דְּהָא לֵית לֵיהּ אֲתָר לְאִתְפַּשְׁטָא תַּמָּן כִּדְבְּקַדְמִיתָא).

Rabbi Shim‘on rejoiced and said (חַדֵּי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר): If we merited only to hear this word, it is enough for me to rejoice (אִלְמָלֵי לָא זָכֵינָא לְמִשְׁמַע, אֶלָּא מִלָּה דָּא, דַּי לִי, לְמֶהֱוִי חַדֵּי), that we merited to hear true words of that world (דְּזָכֵינָא לְמִשְׁמַע מִלִּין דִּקְשׁוֹט, דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): O holy pious one (אִי חֲסִידָא קַדִּישָׁא), if you knew the joy of words in that world before the Head of the Academy, you would rejoice more (אִלְמָלֵי יַדְעַת חֶדְוָה דְּמִלִּין בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא קַמֵּי רַב מְתִיבְתָּא, תְּהֵא חַדֵּי יַתִּיר). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): What renewal was there now, when you came to me (מַאי חִדּוּשָׁא הֲוָה הַשְׁתָּא, כַּד אָתִית לְגַבָּי). He said (אָמַר): The Head of the Academy opened and said (רַב מְתִיבְתָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “And Yosef shall put his hand upon your eyes” (Bereshit 46) (וְיוֹסֵף יָשִׁית יָדוֹ עַל עֵינֶיךָ). Joy it is (חֶדְוָה הוּא). Why the closing of the eyes at death (אֲמַאי סְתִימוּ דְּעַיְינִין לְמִיתָא). Because the eyes are the visions of this world (בְּגִין דְּעַיְינִין, גַּוְונִין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא אִינּוּן), and the sights and images of this world are in them (וְחֵיזוּ וּדְיוּקְנָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא בְּהוּ). He closes from him this world’s vision (אִיהוּ אַסְתִּים מִנֵּיהּ הַאי עָלְמָא, חֵיזוּ דְּהַאי עָלְמָא). When his eyes are closed (אַסְתִּימוּ עֵינוֹי), all vision of this world is darkened from him (כָּל חֵיזוּ דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, הָא אִתְחֲשָׁךְ מִנֵּיהּ). And when the vision of the eyes is darkened from him (וְחֶשְׁכִין מִנֵּיהּ חֵיזוּ דְּעֵינוֹי), he has no vision in this world from then on (לֵית לֵיהּ חֵיזוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, מִתַּמָּן וּלְהָלְאָה).

Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): Fitting is the arrangement of the ancients (יָאוּת תִּקּוּנָא דְּקַדְמָאֵי), and their wisdom is greater than the holy angels (וְחָכְמְתָא דִּלְהוֹן יַתִּיר מִמַּלְאָכִין קַדִּישִׁין). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Why Yosef, of all his sons, shall put his hand (יוֹסֵף אֲמַאי יָשִׁית יָדוֹ מִכָּל בְּנוֹי). And if you say, because of his good tidings, it should have said: “Yosef lives, you shall see” (וְאִי תֵּימָא עַל בְּשׂוֹרָה דִּילֵיהּ, מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ וְיוֹסֵף חַי תִּרְאֶה). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): He shall put his hand because of his love for him (יָשִׁית יָדוֹ בְּגִין דִּרְחִימוּ דִּילֵיהּ הֲוָה). And because of this, this one shall close from him the radiance of this world, and this one shall take it (וּבְגִין כָּךְ דָּא אַסְתִּים מִינֵּיהּ נְהִירוּ דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְדָא נָטִיל לֵיהּ). Whoever closes his eyes, his beloved shows him thus (מַאן דְּאַסְתִּים עֵינוֹי, רְחִימָא דִּילֵיהּ אַחְזֵי הָכִי): Your vision of this world is lost (חֵיזוּ דִּילָךְ דְּהַאי עָלְמָא אִתְאֲבִיד), behold I am your vision in your place (הָא אֲנָא חֵיזוּ דִּילָךְ בְּאַתְרָךְ). From here and onward, another vision shall be set for you, of that world (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה יִתַּתְקְנוּן לָךְ חֵיזוּ אַחֲרָא, דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא).

Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): What benefit has this one for death, and what advantage has he in this (מַה אִתְהֲנֵי הַאי לְמִּיתָא, וּמַה תּוֹעַלְתָּא אִית לֵיהּ בְּהַאי). Whoever wants to ask: On the day it is necessary to open his eyes, it is to show that he is still prepared to return to the vision of this world as before (מַאן דְּיִבְעֵי לְמִשְׁאַל יוֹמָא מַה דְּאִצְטְרִךְ לְאַפְקְחָא עֵינוֹי, בְּגִין לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּעֲדַיִין אִזְדְּמַן אִיהוּ, לְאָתָבָא לְחֵיזוּ דְּהַאי עָלְמָא כִּדְבְּקַדְּמִין).