Daf 180b (דַּף קפ ע״ב)

Since the guilty ones multiplied in the world (כֵּיוָן דְּאַסְגִּיאוּ חַיָּיבִין בְּעָלְמָא), the matter was concealed in another manner (כָּסִּיאוּ מִלָּה בְּגַוְונָא אַחֲרָא), in the wing of a garment (בְּכַנְפָא דְּמַלְבּוּשָׁא). And this garment is a supernal Tikkun (וְהַאי מַלְבּוּשָׁא הִיא תִּקּוּנָא עִלָּאָה), and the secret of the matter: “And he shall not uncover the wing of his father” is written (וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה, וְלֹא יְגַלֶּה כָּנָף אָבִיו כְּתִיב) (Deuteronomy 23).

“This is the statute of the Torah” (זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה) (Numbers 19). “This” - this is the letter Tav standing firm (זֹאת: דָּא אָת קַיָּימָא), that this is not separated from this (דְּלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ דָּא מִן דָּא). And when it is separated, all is called “Zeh” (this) (וְכַד אִתְפְרַע דָּא כֹּלָּא דְּאִקְרֵי זֶה). And from the female it enters into the male (וּמִנוּקְבָא עָיֵיל לִדְכַר). And because of this, “Guard” and “Remember” are joined as one (וְעַל דָּא, שָׁמוֹ״ר וְזָכוֹ״ר כַּחֲדָא מִתְחַבְּרָן).

“The statute of the Torah” - it ought to have said “the statute of Torah” (חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה, חֹק הַתּוֹרָה מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). What is “statute”? (מַאי חֻקַּת). Rather, surely “statute” (אֶלָּא חֻקַּת וַדַּאי). Some say: we have established, Heh Dalet was (נ״ח, ס״א: וְאוֹקִימְנָא, ה׳ ד׳ הֲוַת). Some say: Ḥok (נ״א: חֹק). And behold, it has already been said (וְהָא אִתְּמַר). But the Tav - it is Dalet and Nun joined as one (אֲבָל תּ׳, הוּא ד׳ וְנ׳ מְחֻבָּר כַּחֲדָא). And Nun - behold, it has been said: Why is Nun called thus, Nun? (וְנוּ״ן הָא אִתְּמַר, נוּ״ן אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי הָכִי בְּנוּ״ן). Rather, as you say: “And you shall not wrong one another” (אֶלָּא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְלֹא תוֹנוּ אִישׁ אֶת עֲמִיתוֹ) (Leviticus 25). For now she is in a shining countenance and yet does wrong to mankind (דְּהַשְׁתָּא הִיא בְּאַנְפָּהָא נְהִירִין וְעַבְדָא אוֹנָאָה לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא). Afterwards she strikes like a serpent, and spits and kills (לְבָתַר מַחְיָא כְּחִוְיָא, וְשָׁצֵי וְקָטִיל). “And she says: I have done no wrong” (וְאָמְרָה לֹא פָעַלְתִּי אָוֶן) (Proverbs 30). And because of this, thus she is called Nun, as it has been said about her (וְעַל דָּא הָכִי אִקְרֵי בְּנוּ״ן, דְּאִתְּמַר עָלֵיהּ). Tav - all is together Dalet Nun (ת׳ כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא דָּלֶ״ת נוּ״ן). Dalet Nun, Nun Dalet, Resh (ד׳ נוּ״ן, דָּלֶ״ת רֵי״שׁ). Heh Heh, Nun Resh (ה״א ה״א; נו״ן רי״שׁ). Resh and Dalet is one word (רֵי״שׁ וְדָלֶ״ת חַד מִלָּה הוּא).And they are in engraved letters (וּבְאַתְוָו״ן גְּלִיפִין אִינּוּן): come and see, Ḥok [statute] and Tav [the letter Tav] (תָּא חֲזֵי חֹק וֹת). [Some say: they are Ḥok [statute] and Tav [the letter Tav]] (ס״א: אִינּוּן חֹק וְת׳). And all is one word (וְכֹלָּא חַד מִלָּה). “Speak to the children of Yisrael, and they shall take for you a cow” (דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ פָרָה) (Numbers 19). This cow comes for purification (הַאי פָּרָה לְדַכְיוּתָא קָא אַתְיָיא), to purify from defilement (לְדַכְּאָה לְמִסְאֲבֵי). A cow that receives from the left side (פָּרָה דְּקַבִּילַת מִן שְׂמָאלָא). And who is on the left side? An ox (וּמַאן הוּא לִשְׂמָאלָא - שׁוֹר). As you say (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “And the face of the ox was on the left side” (וּפְנֵי שׁוֹר מֵהַשְּׂמֹאל) (Ezekiel 1). “Red” (אֲדוּמָה): crimson as a rose (סוּמָקָא כְּוַורְדָּא). As it is written (דִּכְתִיב): “As a rose among the thorns” (כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים) (Song of Songs 2). “Red” (אֲדוּמָּה): the decree of judgment (גִּזְרַת דִּינָא).

Perfect (תְּמִימָה), what is “perfect”? (מַאי תְּמִימָה). As we have learned: an innocent ox and a forewarned ox (כְּמָה דְּתָנֵינָן, שׁוֹר תָּם וְשׁוֹר מוּעָד). An innocent ox is a lenient judgment (שׁוֹר תָּם דִּינָא רַפְיָיא). A forewarned ox is a harsh judgment (שׁוֹר מוּעָד דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא). So too here, “perfect” is a lenient judgment (אוּף הָכָא תְּמִימָה דִּינָא רַפְיָיא), the lower Gevurah - this is “perfect” (גְּבוּרָה תַּתָּאָה, דָּא הִיא תְּמִימָה). The upper Gevurah is harsh judgment (גְּבוּרָה עִלָּאָה, דָּא הִיא דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא), and it is the strong and mighty hand (וְהִיא יַד הַחֲזָקָה תַּקִּיפָא). “In which there is no blemish” (אֲשֶׁר אֵין בָּהּ מוּם), as you say: “You are all fair, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: כֻּלָּךְ יָפָה רַעְיָתִי וּמוּם אֵין בָּךְ) (Song of Songs 4). “Upon which a yoke has not come” (אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָלָה עָלֶיהָ עוֹל). “Upon” is written (עַל כְּתִיב), as you say: “And the saying of the man who was set on high” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: וּנְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר הוּקַם עָל) (II Samuel 23). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא). Because she is the completeness of the faith of Yisrael (בְּגִין דְּהִיא שְׁלוּמֵי אֱמוּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), and “upon her” is not said, but rather “with her” (וְעָלֶיהָ לָאו הִיא, אֶלָּא עִמָּהּ). “Upon which a yoke has not come” (אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָלָה עָלֶיהָ עֹל), this is what is written: “The virgin of Yisrael” (הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל) (Amos 5), “a virgin, and no man had known her” (בְּתוּלָה וְאִישׁ לֹא יְדָעָה) (Bereshit 24). “And you shall give her to El'azar” (וּנְתַתֶּם אוֹתָהּ אֶל אֶלְעָזָר) - her commandment is with the Sagan (מִצְוָותָהּ בַּסְּגַן), and this has been established (וְאוֹקְמוּהָ). What is the reason to him and not to Aharon? (מַאי טַעְמָא לֵיהּ וְלָא לְאַהֲרֹן). Rather, Aharon is the escort of the Matronita (אֶלָּא אַהֲרֹן שׁוּשְׁבִינָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא). And furthermore, Aharon does not come from the side of “pure” (וְעוֹד דְּאַהֲרֹן לָא אָתֵי מִסִּטְרָא דְּטָהוֹר), but rather from the side of “holy” (אֶלָּא מִסִּטְרָא דְּקָדוֹשׁ). And because this one comes for purification (וּבְגִין דְּדָא אַתְיָיא לְטָהֳרָה), it was not given to him (לָא אִתְיְיהִיב לֵיהּ). Every matter of this cow is in seven (כָּל מִלָּה דְּהַאי פָּרָה, הִיא בְּשֶׁבַע), seven washings, etc. (ז׳ כִּבּוּסִים וְכוּ׳). And behold, it has been said, what is the reason? (וְהָא אִתְּמַר, מַאי טַעְמָא). Because she is the seven years of Shemitah (בְּגִין דְּהִיא שֶׁבַע שְׁנֵי שְׁמִטָּה), and is called “the daughter of seven” (וּבַת שֶׁבַע אִתְקְרֵי). And because of this, all her service is in seven (וְעַל דָּא כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי בְּשֶׁבַע).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): all that is done from this cow is to purify, and not to sanctify (כָּל מַאי דְּאִתְעָבִיד מֵהַאי פָּרָה, בְּגִין לְדַכְּאָה, וְלָא לְקַדְּשָׁא). And even though it was given to the Sagan (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְיְיהִיב לַסְּגָן), he does not slaughter and he does not burn (הוּא לָא שָׁחִיט וְלָא שָׂרִיף), in order that judgment not be found in his side (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח דִּינָא בְּסִטְרוֹי). And all the more so Aharon, who is in a higher degree (וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן אַהֲרֹן דְּאִיהוּ בְּדַרְגָּא שְׁלִים יַתִּיר), that he should not be found there, and not be prepared there (דְּלָא בָּעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא תַּמָּן, וּלְאִזְדַּמְּנָא תַּמָּן). This cow, once it has become ashes (הַאי פָּרָה, כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעָבִיד אֵפֶר), requires that cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet thread be thrown into it (בָּעֵי לְמִשְׁדֵּי בֵּיהּ עֵץ אֶרֶז, וְאֵזוֹב, וּשְׁנִי תּוֹלַעַת). And behold, these have already been spoken of (וְהָא אִלֵּין אִתְּמָרוּ). “And a pure man shall gather” (וְאָסַף אִישׁ טָהוֹר), and not “holy” (וְלָא קָדוֹשׁ). “And he shall place it outside the camp in a pure place” (וְהִנִּיחַ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה בְּמָקוֹם טָהוֹר). For behold, “pure” is not called except from the side of defilement first (דְּהָא טָהוֹר לָא אִקְרֵי, אֶלָּא מִן סִטְרָא דִּמְסָאֵב בְּקַדְמִיתָא).