Daf 176b (דַּף קע״ו ע״ב)

Korach went in dispute (קֹרַח אָזִיל בְּמַחְלוֹקֶת). What is Machloket [dispute]? (מַאי מַחֲלוֹקֶת). Division (פְּלוּגְתָּא): a division above and below (פְּלוּגְתָּא דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא). Whoever seeks to divide the Tikkun [rectification] of the world (וּמַאן דְּבָעֵי לְאַפְלְגָא תִּקּוּנָא דְּעָלְמָא), will perish from all the worlds (יִתְאֲבִיד מְכֻּלְּהוּ עָלְמִין). Machloket [dispute] is a division of peace (מַחֲלוֹקֶת, פְּלוּגְתָּא דְּשָׁלוֹם). Whoever contends against peace (וּמַאן דְּפָלִיג עַל שָׁלוֹם), contends against the Holy Name (פָּלִיג עַל שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), because the Holy Name is called Peace (בְּגִין דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, שָׁלוֹם אִקְרֵי).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), the world exists only on peace (לֵית עָלְמָא קָאִים אֶלָּא עַל שָׁלוֹם). When Kudsha Berikh Hu created the world (כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא), it could not endure (לָא יָכִיל לְאִתְקַיְּימָא), until peace came and rested upon it (עַד דְּאָתָא וְשָׁרָא עָלַיְיהוּ שָׁלוֹם). And what is that? (וּמַאי הוּא) Shabbat, which is the peace of above and below (שַׁבָּת, דְּאִיהוּ שְׁלָמָא דְּעִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי), and then the world endured (וּכְדֵין אִתְקָיָּים עָלְמָא). And whoever opposes it (וּמַאן דְּפָלִיג עָלֵיהּ), is removed from the world (יִתְאֲבִיד מֵעָלְמָא).

Tzelafchad contended against Shabbat (צְלָפְחָד פָּלִיג עַל שַׁבָּת), for he was gathering wood (דְּהֲוָה מְקוֹשֵׁשׁ עֵצִים). And what are the trees? (וּמַאן אִינּוּן עֵצִים). They are other trees (אִינּוּן אִילָנִין אַחֲרָנִין), as we have said (כִּדְאַמָרָן). And they are matters of weekday (וְאִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּחוֹל), and weekday does not rest within holiness (וְחוֹל בַּקֹּדֶשׁ לָא שַׁרְיָיא). From here onward, matters of weekday are surely forbidden on Shabbat (מִכָּאן וְהַלְאָה מִילֵי דְחוֹל בְּשַׁבָּת אָסִיר וַדַּאי), for he contended against the peace of the world (דְּפָלִיג עַל שְׁלָמָא דְּעָלְמָא).

Rabbi Yose said (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר), it is written (Psalms 119) "Great peace have those who love Your Orayta, etc." (כְּתִיב שָׁלוֹם רָב לְאוֹהֲבֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ וְגוֹ'). Orayta is peace (אוֹרַיְתָא הוּא שָׁלוֹם), as it is written (Proverbs 3) "And all its paths are peace" (דִּכְתִּיב, וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם). And Korach came to damage the peace of above and below (וְקֹרַח אָתָא לְאַפְגָּמָא שָׁלוֹם דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא), and therefore he was punished from above and below (בְּגִין כָּךְ אִתְעֲנִישׁ הוּא מֵעֵילָּא וְתַתָּאָה). And they rose up before Moshe, etc. (וַיָּקוּמוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה וְגוֹ'). This verse was established by the friends (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא).

Rabbi Shimon said (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר): keri’ei [those summoned] is written (קְרִיאֵי מוֹעֵד קְרִאֵי כְּתִיב), lacking a Yod (חָסֵר יוֹ״ד). Why is it written keri’ei? (אֲמַאי קְרִאֵי). Rather, this is so (אֶלָּא הָכִי הוּא): the kingship of earth is like the kingship of heaven (מַלְכוּתָא דְּאַרְעָא כְּעֵין מַלְכוּתָא דִּרְקִיעָא). And the secret of this is (וְרָזָא דָּא): all those supernal crowns, in which the Holy Name is united (כָּל אִינּוּן כִּתְרִין עִלָּאִין, דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְאֲחִיד בְּהוּ), are all summoned from the place called holiness (כֻלְּהוּ זְמִינִין מֵאֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “Holy convocations” (מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ) (Leviticus 23). And when is this? (וְאֵימָתַי). At the time when the appointed season is summoned into the world (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמוֹעֵד זַמִּין בְּעָלְמָא), in the likeness of those supernal crowns (כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִינּוּן כִּתְרִין עִלָּאִין), which are summoned from supernal holiness (דִּזְמִינִין מִקֹדֶשׁ עִלָּאָה). So too, the lower holiness summons its legions (הָכִי נָמֵי קֹדֶשׁ תַּתָּא זַמִּין לְחֵילוֹי), to crown them and raise them (לְאַעְטְרָא וּלְאַעְלָאָה לְהוּ).

The supernal holiness is known (קֹדֶשׁ עִלָּאָה יְדִיעָא); the lower holiness is the Chokhmah [Wisdom] of Shlomo (קֹדֶשׁ תַּתָּאָה חָכְמַת שְׁלֹמֹה). So too, she is prepared for all her forces (הָכִי נָמֵי אִיהִי זְמִינַת לְכָל חֵילָהָא). And all those legions (וְאִינּוּן חַיָּילִין כּוּלְּהוּ) are summoned to be crowned with this lower holiness (זְמִינִין לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּהַאי קֹדֶשׁ תַּתָּאָה), at the time when the appointed season rests upon the world (בְּזִמְנָא דְּמוֹעֵד שַׁרְיָיא בְּעָלְמָא). And just as her forces stand above (וּכְגַוְונָא דְּחֵילָהָא קַיְימִין לְעֵילָּא), so too the appointed officers of the people stand below, in her likeness (הָכִי נָמֵי קַיְימֵי מְמָנָן דְּעַמָּא, כְּדוּגְמָא דִּילָהּ לְתַתָּא). Because of this they are called keri’ei mo’ed [those summoned to the appointed season] (וְעַל דָּא אִקְרוּן קְרִיאֵי מוֹעֵד). And because they are below (וּבְגִין דְּאִנּוּן לְתַתָּא), keri’ei mo’ed [those summoned to the appointed season] is written defectively (קְרִיאֵי מוֹעֵד חָסֵר), in the likeness of that which is above (כְּגוונָא דְּלְעֵילָּא); yet in completeness they are greater (אֲבָל בִּשְׁלִימוּ יַתִּיר אִינּוּן).

Men of the Name, indeed (אַנְשֵׁי שֵׁם וַדַּאי), but not men of Hashem (וְלָא אַנְשֵׁי יְיָ). And this is the secret (וְדָא הוּא רָזָא), "when he pronounces the Name, he shall be put to death" (בְּנָקְבוֹ שֵׁם יוּמָת), and we have already established this (וְאוֹקִימְנָא). And for this it is called here "men of name," indeed (וְעַל דָּא אִקְרֵי הָכָא, אַנְשֵׁי שֵׁם וַדַּאי). Since they come from the side of Gevurah (כֵּיוָן דְּמִסִטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה קָא אַתְיָין), they are men of name (אַנְשֵׁי שֵׁם אִינּוּן). Their praise is indeed great (הָא שְׁבָחָא דִּלְהוֹן יַתִּיר), but they took it for themselves (אֲבָל אִינּוּן נַטְלוּ לְגַרְמַיְיהוּ), and they joined together in dispute (וְאִתְאַחֲדוּ בְּמַחְלוֹקֶת).

In the morning Hashem will make known who is His (בֹּקֶר וְיוֹדַע יְיָ אֶת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ). Why morning (אֲמַאי בֹּקֶר), and why “holy” and not “pure” (וַאֲמַאי קָדוֹשׁ וְלָא טָהוֹר). Rather, they come from the side of “pure” (אֶלָּא אִינּוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְּטָהוֹר קָא אַתְיָין), and “holy” is the Kohen (וְקָדוֹשׁ כַּהֲנָא). Moshe said (אָמַר מֹשֶׁה), morning, for then the crown of the priest is awakened in the world (בֹּקֶר, דִּכְדֵין כִּתְרָא דְּכַהֲנָא אִתְּעַר בְּעָלְמָא). If you are priests (אִי אַתּוּן כַּהֲנֵי), then here is morning, perform the service of the morning (הָא בֹּקֶר, פַּלְחוּ עֲבוֹדָה דְּבֹקֶר), and then Hashem will make known who is His and who is the holy one (וּכְדֵין וְיוֹדַע יְיָ אֶת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ וְאֶת הַקָּדוֹשׁ). “Who is His” without specification, this is the Levi (אֶת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ סְתָם, דָּא לֵיוָאֵי). And “the holy one,” this is the Kohen (וְאֶת הַקָּדוֹשׁ, דָּא כַּהֲנָא). Then he shall bring him near to Him (כְּדֵין וְהִקְרִיב אֵלָיו). And there is no one who can discern the matter except in the morning (וְלֵית מַאן דְּאַבְחִין מִלָּה, אֶלָּא בֹּקֶר). If you appear to remain on the side of judgment (אִי תִּתְחֲזוּן לְאִשְׁתַּאֲרָא בִּסְטַר דִּינָא), morning will not tolerate you (בֹּקֶר לָא סָבִיל לְכוּ), for it is not its time (דְּהָא לָאו זִמְנֵיהּ הוּא). But if you appear to remain in Chesed (וְאִי תִּתְחֲזוּן לְאִשְׁתַּאֲרָא בְּחֶסֶד), then it is his time (הָא זִמְנֵיהּ הוּא), and you will remain with him, and he will receive you (וְתִשְׁתַאֲרוּן גַּבֵּיהּ, וִיקַבֵּל לְכוּ).

With what (בְּמָה). With the incense (בַּקְּטֹרֶת). For the incense requires a escort to rise through him entirely and to be bound (דְּהָא קְטֹרֶת בָּעֵי לְשׁוּשְׁבִינָא, לְאִתְקַטְּרָא עַל יְדֵיהּ בְּכֹלָּא, וּלְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא). Who is the escort (מַאן שׁוּשְׁבִינָא). This is the Kohen (דָּא כַּהֲנָא). And for this it is written (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), "and the man whom Hashem shall choose, he is the holy one" (וְהָיָה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְיָ הוּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ), and not “the pure” (וְלָא הַטָּהוֹר). There are two levels (תְּרֵין דַּרְגִּין אִינּוּן): “holy” and “pure” (קָדוֹשׁ. וְטָהוֹר). The Kohen is holy (כֹּהֵן, קָדוֹשׁ). The Levi is pure (לֵוִי, טָהוֹר). And concerning this, “the holy one” is written (וְעַל דָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ כְּתִיב). And they fell on their faces and said, “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh” (וַיִּפְּלוּ עַל פְּנֵיהֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵל אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחוֹת לְכָל בָּשָׂר).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), Moshe and Aharon gave over themselves to death (מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן מָסְרוּ גַּרְמַיְיהוּ לְמִּיתָה). In what (בְּמָה), because it is written, “and they fell on their faces and said: O God, God of the spirits” (בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב וַיִּפְּלוּ עַל פְּנֵיהֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵל אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחוֹת). Ruchat is written, without vav (רוּחַת כְּתִיב, חָסֵר וָא״ו). And because of this, it is the Tree of Death (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא הוּא), and in every place, the falling upon the face is toward that place (וּבְכָל אֲתָר נְפִילַת אַנְפִּין לְהַהוּא אֲתָר הֲוִי). And for this, “El, God” - this is what is written (וְעַל דָּא אֵל אֱלֹהֵי, אֵל: הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב) (Psalms 7) “and El rages every day” (וְאֵל זוֹעֵם בְּכָל יוֹם). “God of the spirits” - this is the place of the treasury of the souls of the world (אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחוֹת, דְּאִיהוּ אֲתָר צְרוֹרָא דְּנִשְׁמָתִין דְּעָלְמָא), and all souls ascend there (וְכָל נִשְׁמָתִין תַּמָּן סַלְּקִין), and from there they come forth (וּמִתַּמָּן אַתְיָין). Some say: from there they are revealed (נ״א: תַּמָּן אִתְחֲזַיְּין).