Daf 180a (דַּף קפ ע״א)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): “And He said: Do not come near; take your shoes from upon your feet…” (וַיֹּאמֶר אַל תִּקְרַב הֲלוֹם, שַׁל נְעָלֶיךָ מֵעַל רַגְלֶיךָ וְגוֹ׳) (Exodus 3). And why a shoe here? (וְכִי אֲמַאי נַעַל הָכָא). Rather, it has been said: He commanded him about a woman, to be separated from her (אֶלָּא אִתְּמַר, דְּפָקִיד לֵיהּ עַל אִתְּתָא, לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנָּהּ), and to be joined [Some say: in that place] with another woman, that supernal holy radiance, and this is the Shekhinta (וּלְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא [ס״א: באתר] בְּאִתְּתָא אַחֲרָא, דִּנְהִירוּ קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה, וְאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא). And that shoe, He established it in another place (וְהַהוּא נַעַל אוֹקִים לֵיהּ בַּאֲתָר אַחֲרָא), Some say: and this is the Shekhinta (ס״א: וְאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא), He transferred it from this world (אַעְבָּר לֵיהּ מֵהַאי עָלְמָא), and established it in another world (וְאוֹקִים לֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא אַחֲרָא). And because of this, whenever death is given to a man in a dream, it is good (וְעַל דָּא, כָּל מַה דְּיָהִיב מִיתָא לְבַר נָשׁ בְּחֶלְמָא טַב). He takes his garments from the evil house, such as his sandals (נָטִיל מָאנֵיהּ מִן בֵּיתָא בִּישׁ, כְּגוֹן סַנְדָלֵיהּ).

What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא). Because his feet, which are the support of man, are removed from this world (בְּגִין דְּאַעְבָּר רַגְלֵיהּ, דְּאִינּוּן קִיוּמָא דְּבַר נָשׁ, מֵהַאי עָלְמָא), and they are gathered into another world (וְכָנִישׁ לוֹן לְעָלְמָא אַחֲרָא), the place where death rests (אֲתָר דְּמוֹתָא שָׁארֵי בֵּיהּ). As it is written: “How beautiful are your steps in shoes, O daughter of the noble” (דִּכְתִיב: מַה יָפוּ פְעָמַיִךְ בַּנְעָלִים בַּת נָדִיב) (Song of Songs 7). What is the daughter of the noble? This is the daughter of Avraham, as it is written: “The nobles of the peoples are gathered, the people of the God of Avraham,” and not the God of Yitzchak (מַאי הִיא בַּת נָדִיב - דָּא בַּת אַבְרָהָם, דִּכְתִיב: נְדִיבֵי עַמִּים נֶאֶסְפוּ, עִם אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם, וְלֹא אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק) (Psalms 47). And this is the secret of the matter among the friends (וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה בֵּין חַבְרַיָּיא אִיהוּ). And this - at death He takes them (וְדָא כַּד מִיתָא נָטִיל לוֹן). But at the time of life, when one takes off his shoes and gives them to another man (אֲבָל בְּזִמְנָא דְּחַיָּיא, שָׁלִיף מָסָאנֵיהּ, וְיָהִיב לְבַר נָשׁ אַחֲרָא), in order to confirm standing, he acts according to the decree above (בְּגִין לְקַיְּימָא קְיָּים, קָא עָבִיד בִּגְזֵרָה דִּלְעֵילָּא). The shoe of Halitzah, like the pattern above - another shoe - and all is one place (נַעַל דַּחֲלִיצָה, כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא נַעַל אַחֲרָא, וְכֹלָּא אֲתָר חַד); Some say: all is united (ס״א: כֻּלָּא אִתְיַחֵד); Some say: one secret (נ״א: רָזָא חֲדָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): that death, when he departs from the world without children (הַהוּא מִיתָא דְּאִסְתַּלָּק מֵעָלְמָא בְּלָא בְּנִין), this daughter of the noble does not gather that man to her (הַאי בַּת נָדִיב לָא כְּנִישַׁת לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ לְגַבָּהּ). And he goes, wandering in the world, not finding a place (וְאָזִיל לְאִתְטָרְדָא בְּעָלְמָא, דְּלָא אַשְׁכַּח אֲתָר). And Kudsha Berikh Hu has mercy upon him (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָיִיס עָלֵיהּ), and commands his brother to redeem him (וּפָקִיד לְאָחוּהִי לְמִפְרַק לֵיהּ), to return and to be rectified in another body (לְאָתָבָא וּלְאִתְתַּקְנָא בְּעַפְרָא אַחֲרָא). As it is written: “And man returns to dust” (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב: וְאָדָם עַל עָפָר יָשׁוּב) (Job 34). And this has been established (וְאוֹקְמוּהָ). And if that redeemer does not wish to establish for his brother in this world (וְאִי הַהוּא פָּרוּקָא לָא בָּעֵי לְקַיְּימָא לְאָחוּהִי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), he must bind one shoe upon his foot (בָּעֵי לְמִקְטַר חַד נַעַל בְּרַגְלֵיהּ), and that woman who abides for him receives that shoe to herself (וְהַהוּא אִתְּתָא דְּתִשְׁרֵי לֵיהּ וּמְקַבְּלָא לְהַהוּא נַעַל לְגַבָּהּ).

Why a shoe? (אֲמַאי נַעַל). Rather, because that shoe is for the sake of death (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא נַעַל בְּגִין מִיתָא הוּא); Some say: because that shoe is the existence of death in this world (ס״א: בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא נַעַל קִיּוּמָא דְּמִיתָא הוּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And it is given upon the foot of the living, his brother (וְאִתְיְהִיב בְּרַגְלֵיהּ דְּחַיָּיא אָחוּהִי), and the woman receives that shoe to herself (וְאִתְּתָא מְקַבְּלָהּ לְהַהוּא נַעַל לְגַבָּהּ), to show that this death is returned among the living by this act (לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּהָא הַהוּא מִיתָא בֵּין חַיָּיא אַהְדַּר בְּעוֹבָדָא דָּא). And it is the reversal of that shoe which took death from the living (וְהוּא בְּהִפּוּכָא מֵהַהוּא נַעַל דְּנָטִיל מִיתָא מֵחַיָּיא). And now this shoe takes life from death (וְהַשְׁתָּא הַאי נַעַל נָטִיל חַיָּיא מִמִּיתָא). And with that shoe, that death goes among the living (וּבְהַהוּא נַעַל הַהוּא מִיתָא אָזִיל בֵּין חַיָּיא); Some say: and requires the shoe of that death, that it should go with it in his life (נ״א: וּבָעֵי נַעַל דְּהַהוּא מִיתָא דָּא אָזִיל בֵּיהּ בְּחַיּוֹהִי). And the woman takes it to herself (וְאִתְּתָא נַטְלָא לֵיהּ לְגַבָּהּ), to show that this woman is the crown of her husband (לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּהַהִיא אִתְּתָא עֲטֶרֶת בַּעְלָהּ). She takes it and receives it to herself (נַטְלָא לֵיהּ וּמְקַבְּלָא לֵיהּ לְגַבָּהּ).

And it is necessary to strike that shoe upon the earth (וּבָעֵי לְבַטְּשָׁא לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא נַעַל בְּאַרְעָא), to show that the body of that dead one has been subdued (לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּשָׁכִיךְ גּוּפֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא מִיתָא). And Kudsha Berikh Hu, at that time or at another time, has mercy upon him and will receive him to another world (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְזִמְנָא דָּא, אוֹ לְבָתַר זִמְנָא, חָיִיס עָלֵיהּ, וִיקַבֵּל לֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא אַחֲרָא). Furthermore, the striking of that shoe in the hand of the woman upon the earth (תּוּ בְּטָשׁוּתָא דְּהַהוּא נַעַל בְּיָדָא דְּאִתְּתָא לְאַרְעָא; ס״א: מִידָא), is to show that this dead one will be rebuilt in another body of this world (לְאַחֲזָאָה, דְּהָא יִתְבְּנֵי הַהוּא מִיתָא בְּעַפְרָא אַחֲרָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And now he shall return to his dust, that he was from there in the beginning (וְהַשְׁתָּא יְתוּב לְעַפְרֵיהּ דְּהֲוָה מִתַּמָּן בְּקַדְמִיתָא; נ״א: אַכְּדֵין יְתוּב לְעַפְרֵיהּ). And then that woman is permitted to bring forth other seed (וּכְדֵין הַהִיא אִתְּתָא תִּשְׁתְּרֵי לְמֶעְבַּד זַרְעָא אַחֲרָא). And this has been established (וְאוּקְמוּהָ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): therefore, one who desires to establish a standing, takes off his shoe and gives it to his fellow, to establish for him that standing (עַל דָּא מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְקַיְּימָא קְיָּים, נָטִיל נַעֲלֵיהּ, וְיָהַב לְחַבְרֵיהּ, לְקַיְּימָא עָלֵיהּ קַיָּימָא). “The daughter of the noble” - this is what is written: “And this was formerly in Yisrael concerning redemption” (דְּבַת נָדִיב - הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וְזֹאת לְפָנִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל עַל הַגְּאוּלָה) (Ruth 4:7). What is “And this”? (מַאי וְזֹאת). A complete standing in all (קַיָּימָא שְׁלִים בְּכֹלָּא). “Formerly in Yisrael” - when they were modest and holy (לְפָנִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, כַּד הֲווֹ צְנוּעִין קַדִּישִׁין). To establish every matter, truly every matter, for this is existence (לְקַיֵּם כָּל דָּבָר, כָּל דָּבָר מַמָּשׁ, דְּהָא דָּא הוּא קִיּוּמָא). And then: “And this is the attestation in Yisrael” - indeed (וּכְדֵין וְזֹאת הַתְּעוּדָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וַדַּאי).

Do not say that it is merely human agreement, and that they did it by their own will (דְּלָא תֵּימָא דְּהַסְכָּמָה בְּעָלְמָא הִיא, וּמִדַּעֲתַּיְיהוּ עַבְדֵּי לָהּ), but it was a supernal establishment (אֶלָּא קִיוּמָא עִלָּאָה הֲוָה), that their deeds should be in the secret above (לְמֶהֱוֵי עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן בְּרָזָא דִּלְעֵילָּא).