Daf 205b (דַּף ר״ה ע״ב)

He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר), “Yah has chastised me sore, but He has not given me over to death” (יַסּוֹר יִסְּרַנִּי יָהּ וְגוֹ׳) (Psalms 118). King David said this (דָּוִד מַלְכָּא אָמַר דָּא), concerning all that (Some say: that I passed through) he did in this world (עַל כָּל מַה דְּעֲבַד בְּהַאי עָלְמָא; נ״א: דַּאֲעֲבַר). And he said it concerning the assurance he had in that world (וְאָמַר עַל אַבְטָחוּתָא דְּהֲוָה לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא). Concerning all that he passed through in this world, that they pursued him (עַל כָּל מַה דְּאַעְבָּר בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, דִּרְדִיפוּ לֵיהּ), and he fled in a foreign land (וַהֲוָה עָרִיק בְּאַרְעָא נוּכְרָאָה), in the land of Moav (בְּאַרְעָא דְּמוֹאָב), and in the land of the Philistines (וּבְאַרְעָא דִּפְלִשְׁתָּאֵי). And from all of them Kudsha Berikh Hu delivered him (וּמִכֻּלְּהוּ שֵׁזִיב לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and did not give him to death (וְלָא שָׁבִיק לֵיהּ לְמוֹתָא). And he said it concerning the assurance he had in that world (וְאָמַר עַל אַבְטָחוּתָא דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא).

David said (אָמַר דָּוִד), if here I have sinned before Kudsha Berikh Hu (אִי הָכָא חַבְנָא לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), here I was punished (הָכָא אַלְקֵינָא), and I received my punishment (וְקַבִּילְנָא עוֹנְשָׁא דִּילִי), and I was purified from all that I sinned (וְאַדְכֵּי לִי מִכָּל מַה דְּחַבְנָא), and my punishment was not left for that world after death (וְלָא שָׁבִיק עוֹנְשָׁא דִּילִי לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא, בָּתַר מִיתָה). Surely “Yasor yissrani Yah” — He chastised me in this world (וַדַּאי יַסּוֹר יִסְּרַנִּי יָהּ, בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), in order to cleanse me (בְּגִין לְנַקָּאָה לִי). “And to death He did not give me” — in that world (וְלַמָּוְת לֹא נְתָנָנִי, בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא), to take vengeance from me (לְנַטְלָא נִקְמָתָא מִנַּאי). And I, behold Kudsha Berikh Hu granted me once in this world (וַאֲנָא, הָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אַנְקֵי לִי זִמְנָא חֲדָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), from here onward I needed that I should not be in shame in the world to come (מִכָּאן וְהָלְאָה אִצְטְרִיכְנָא דְּלָא אֱהֵא בְּכִסּוּפָא בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

That Child, his son, opened and said (פָּתַח הַהוּא יַנּוּקָא בְּרֵיהּ וְאָמַר), “Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the midst of the congregation…” (אָבִינוּ מֵת בַּמִּדְבָּר וְהוּא לֹא הָיָה בְּתוֹךְ הָעֵדָה וְגוֹ׳) (Numbers 27). “Our father” — behold, the reason above (אָבִינוּ, הָא טַעֲמָא לְעֵילָּא), the word is long and drawn (אָרִיךְ מִלָּה וּמָשִׁיךְ לָהּ). If holy righteous ones, how many drawings of sorrow are in the mention “our father” (אִי חֲסִידִין קַדִּישִׁין, כַּמָה מְשִׁיכוּ דְּצַעֲרָא בְּמִקְרֵי אָבִינוּ). There is no sorrow and no pain of spirit and soul except when calling thus “our father” in the pain of the heart (לֵית צַעֲרָא, וְלֵית כְּאֵבָא דְּרוּחָא וְנַפְשָׁא, אֶלָּא כַּד קָרָאן הָכִי, אָבִינוּ, בִּכְאֵבָא מִלִּבָּא). “Died in the wilderness” — but did not others die in the wilderness? (מֵת בַמִּדְבָּר, וְכִי אַחֲרָנִין לָא מִיתוּ בְּמַדְבְּרָא).

Here he is inscribed, and it is said that he died in the wilderness (דְּהָכָא רָשִׁים לֵיהּ, וְאָמַר דְּאִיהוּ מֵת בַּמִּדְבָּר), yet thousands and myriads died in the wilderness (וְהָא אֶלֶף וְרִבְּבָן מִיתוּ בְּמַדְבְּרָא). But many men are naked of this (אֶלָּא כַּמָה בְּנֵי נָשָׁא עַרְטִילָאִין עַל דָּא). Some of them say that he was the gatherer of sticks (מִנְּהוֹן אַמְרֵי דְּהוּא מְקוֹשֵׁשׁ עֵצִים הֲוָה), as it is written: “For his sin he died” (דִּכְתִּיב כִּי בְחֶטְאוֹ מֵת) (Numbers 27). And some of them say thus, and some of them say thus (וּמִנְּהוֹן אַמְרֵי הָכִי, וּמִנְּהוֹן אַמְרֵי הָכִי). And I learned thus: the day my father fell into the house of his Master, he taught me this (וַאֲנָא הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, יוֹמָא דְּאַבָּא נָפַל בְּבֵי מַרְעֵיהּ, אוֹלְפֵי לִי דָּא).

And I saw what I saw, that my father commanded me not to reveal (וַאֲנָא חֲמֵינָא מַה דַּחֲמֵינָא, דְּפָקִיד לִי אַבָּא דְּלָא לְגַלָּאָה). But many, many were those who died in the wilderness (אֶלָּא כַּמָה וְכַמָּה הֲווֹ דְּמִיתוּ בְּמַדְבְּרָא), and not for the sin of Korach (וְלָא עַל חוֹבָא דְּקֹרַח), and not for the sin of the spies (וְלָא עַל חוֹבָא דִּמְרַגְלִים), when the decree was decreed (כַּד אִתְגְּזַר גְּזֵרָה). Some say: and not for the sin of the calf which they made, etc. (ס״א: וְלֹא עַל חוֹבָא דְּעֶגְלָא דַּעֲבָדוּ וְכוּ׳).

But before (אֶלָּא קּוֹדֶם), some say: they died for the sin of Korach, for the sin of the spies, when the decree was decreed, and before (ס״א: דְּמִיתוּ עַל חוֹבָא דְּקֹרַח, עַל חוֹבָא דִּמְרַגְלִים, כַּד אִתְגְּזַר גְּזֵרָה, וְקוֹדֶם). Before the giving of the Torah (מַתַּן תּוֹרָה), and after the calf which they made (וּבָתַר עֶגְלָא דְּעָבְדוּ), those corrupters of the world (אִינּוּן מַטָּעַי עָלְמָא), and those who were drawn after them (וְאִינּוּן דְּאִתְמְשָׁכוּ אַבַּתְרַיְיהוּ). But the claim that those daughters claimed (אֲבָל טַעֲנָה דְּטָעִינוּ אִינוּן בְּנָתִין), that “he died in the wilderness” (דְּמִית בַמִּדְבָּר), this was Tzelafchad, chief of the house of Yosef (אִיהוּ, וַהֲוָה צְלָפְחָד רַב לְבֵי יוֹסֵף). And since he did not know the paths of Orayta properly (וּמִגּוֹ דְּלָא יָדַע אָרְחוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת), he was not a prince (לָא הֲוָה נָשִׂיא). And he it was who did not guard his mouth and his words against Moshe (וְהוּא הֲוָה דְּלָא נָטַר פּוּמֵיהּ וּמִלּוֹי לָקֳבְלֵיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה), and concerning him it is written, “And many people of Yisrael died” (וְעָלֵיהּ כְּתִיב, וַיָּמָת עָם רָב מִיִשְׂרָאֵל) (Numbers 21). A man who did not know Orayta (גְּבָר דְּלָא יָדַע אוֹרַיְיתָא), Some say: not great in Orayta (ס״א לָאו רַב בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), yet he was a chief of the family (וְאִיהוּ רַב מִשְּׁפָּחָה).

A chief of the seed of Yosef, from the sons of Menasheh (רַב דְּזַרְעָא דְּיוֹסֵף, מִבְּנוֹי דִּמְנַשֶׁה). And because he sinned in the wilderness with words against Moshe (וּבְגִין דְּחָב בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּמִלּוּלָא לְגַבֵּי מֹשֶׁה), they thought that Moshe held anger in his heart against him (חָשִׁיבוּ דְּמֹשֶׁה אַנְטִיר דְּבָבוּ). And therefore they drew near before Moshe, and El'azar, and all the princes, and all the heads of the fathers (וּבְגִין כָּךְ קְרִיבוּ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה, וְאֶלְעָזָר, וְכָל הַנְשִׂיאִין, וְכָל רֵישֵּׁי אֲבָהָן). And they did not speak with Moshe except before them (וְלָא מַלִּילוּ עִם מֹשֶׁה אֶלָּא לְקַמַּיְיהוּ), because they were jealous with jealousy from him (בְּגִין דְּקַנִּיאוּ קִנְאָה מִנֵּיהּ).

From here: one who fears from a judge (מִכָּאן, מַאן דְּחָיִישׁ מִן דַּיָּנָא), should bring others close, and increase men with him before that judge (יְקָרֵב אַחֲרָנִין, וְיִסְגֵּי בְּגוּבְרִין בַּהֲדֵי הַהוּא דַּיָּינָא), so that he will hear judgment from him, and fear from them (בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁמְעוּן דִּינָא מִנֵּיהּ, וְיִדְחַל מִנַּיְיהוּ), and not judge except properly (וְלָא יְהֵא דָן אֶלָּא כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת). And if not, he will be rejected from the judgment (וְאִי לָא, יִדְחֵי לֵיהּ מִן דִּינָא). But they did not know that it is written, “And Moshe was very humble, more than any man on the face of the earth” (וְאִינּוּן לָא יָדְעוּ דְּהָא מֹשֶׁה עָנָו מְאֹד מִכָּל הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה) (Numbers 12). And they did not know that Moshe was not such (וְלָא יָדְעוּ דְּמֹשֶׁה לָאו הָכִי).

When Moshe saw thus (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא מֹשֶׁה כַּךְ), he said, I see that the whole assembly of great men of Yisrael, and all the heads of the fathers, and all the princes of the congregation, have approached me (אָמַר חֲמֵינָא דְּכֹל כְּנוּפְיָא דְּגוּבְרִין רַבְרְבִין מִיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכָל רֵישֵׁי אֲבָהָן וְכָל נְשִׂיאֵי כְּנִשְׁתָּא, עָלַי קְרִיבוּ).

Immediately Moshe separated himself from the judgment (מִיַּד אִתְפְּרַשׁ מֹשֶׁה מִן דִּינָא). This is what is written: “And Moshe brought their case before Hashem” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיַּקְרֵב מֹשֶׁה אֶת מִשְׁפָּטָן לִפְנֵי יְיָ) (Numbers 27). [Moshe said: this is not fitting for judgment] (אָמַר מֹשֶׁה דָּא לָא אִתְחֲזֵי לְדִינָא). The humility of Moshe: he brought their case before Hashem (עַנְוָתָנוּתָא דְּמֹשֶׁה, אַקְרִיב אֶת מִשְׁפָּטָן לִפְנֵי יְיָ). Other judges did not take this path (דַּיָּינִין אַחֲרָנִין, אָרְחָא דָּא לָא נַטְלֵי), for even though many groups came upon them (דְּאַף עַל גַּב דִּכְנוּפְיָא סַגִּי עֲלֵיהוֹן), those judges are called brazen-faced (אִינּוּן דַּיְינֵי אִקְרוּן עַזֵּי פָּנִים), and there is in them no humility of Moshe at all (לֵית בְּהוּ מֵעַנְוָתָנוּתָא דְּמֹשֶׁה כְּלָל). Fortunate is the portion of Moshe (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה). Rabbi El'azar and the friends rejoiced (חֲדוּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְחַבְרַיָּיא).