Daf 218a (דַּף רי״ח ע״א)

Until they were sitting (עַד דַּהֲווֹ יַתְבֵי), they saw a certain shadow standing over them (חָמוּ חַד טוּלָא דְּקַיְימָא עָלַיְיהוּ), going and coming, going and coming within the house (אַזְלָא וְאַתְיָא, אַזְלָא וְאַתְיָא, בְּגוֹ בֵּיתָא). They were bewildered (תַּוְוהוּ). Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא): Yosi my son, I shall tell you what happened with me and the Holy Luminary (יוֹסֵי בְּנִי, אֵימָא לָךְ מַה דְּהֲוָה לִי עִם בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא). One day we were walking in the valley of Ono (יוֹמָא חַד הֲוִינָן אַזְלִינָן בְּבִקְעָתָא דְּאוֹנוֹ), and we were engaging in Orayta that whole day (וַהֲוִינָן לָעָאן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא). And from the strength of the sun we sat beside a certain furnace, within a certain hollow (וּמִגּוֹ תּוּקְפָּא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא אוֹתְבֵנָין גַּבֵּי חַד טִינָרָא, בְּגוֹ נוּקְבָּא חֲדָא).

I said to him (אֲמֵינָא לֵיהּ): What is this, that at every time when guilty ones abound in the world and judgment rests upon the world (מַאי הַאי, דִּבְכָל שַׁעֲתָא דְּחַיָּיבִין אַסְגִּיאוּ בְּעָלְמָא, וְדִינָא שַׁרְיָיא בְּעָלְמָא), the meritorious are seized upon because of them (זַכָּאִין דִּבְּהוֹן לָקָאן עָלַיְיהוּ). For so we have learned (דְּהָכִי תָּנֵינָן): In the guilt of the generation, the holy ones and the Righteous are seized (בְּחוֹבָא דְּדָרָא, קַדִּישַׁיָּיא וְצַדִּיקַיָּיא יִתָּפְסוּן). Why? (אֲמַאי). If it is because they do not rebuke the world for its deeds (אִי בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן דְּלָא מוֹכִיחִין לְעָלְמָא עַל עוֹבָדַיְיהוּ), there are many who rebuke them and they do not accept from them (כַּמָּה אִינּוּן דְּמוֹכִיחִין, וְלָא מְקַבְּלֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ), and the Righteous are subdued before them (וְצַדִּיקַיָּיא אִתְכַּפְיָין קַמַּיְיהוּ). And if it is because there is no one to shield the world (וְאִי בְּגִין דְּלָא הֲוִי מַאן דְּיָגִין עַל עָלְמָא), let them not die, and let them not be seized in their guilt (לָא יֵהוֹן מֵתִין, וְלָא יִתָּפְסוּן בְּחוֹבַיְיהוּ). For behold, it is joy to the Righteous in their destruction (דְּהָא חֶדְוָוה אִיהוּ לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא בְּאִבּוּדָא דִּלְהוֹן).

He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): In the guilt of the generation, surely the Righteous are seized (בְּחוֹבָה דְּדָרָא וַדַּאי מִתָּפְסִין צַדִּיקַיָּיא), and behold, we have already established these matters (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא הָנֵי מִילֵי). But at the time when the Righteous are seized in afflictions or in crushings (אֲבָל בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּיִתָּפְסוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא בְּמַרְעִין, אוֹ בְּמַכְתְּשִׁין), it is in order to atone for the world (בְּגִין לְכַפְּרָא עַל עָלְמָא הֲוִי). Then all the sins of the generation are atoned (כְּדֵין יִתְכַּפְּרוּן כָּל חוֹבֵי דָּרָא). From where do we know this? (מְנָלָן). From all the limbs of the body (מִכָּל שַׁיְיפֵי גּוּפָא). At the time when all the limbs are in pain and much illness rests upon them (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּכָל שַׁיְיפִין בְּעָאקוּ, וּמְרָע סַגֵּי שַׁרְיָיא עָלַיְיהוּ), one limb must be struck (שַׁיְיפָא חֲדָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאַלְקָאָה), in order that all may be healed (בְּגִין דְּיִתְסּוּן כֻּלְּהוּ). And what is that? The arm (וּמַנוּ. דְּרוֹעָא). The arm is struck and blood is drawn from it (דְּרוֹעָא אַלְקֵי וְאַפִּיקוּ מִינֵּיהּ דָּמָא). Then behold, healing comes to all the limbs of the body (כְּדֵין הָא אַסְוָותָא לְכָל שַׁיְיפֵי גּוּפָא).

Even so, the people of the world are the limbs, one with the other (אוּף הָכִי בְּנֵי עָלְמָא אִינּוּן שַׁיְיפִין דָּא עִם דָּא). At the time when Kudsha Berikh Hu desires to give healing to the world (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֵיהַב אַסְוָותָא לְעָלְמָא), He strikes one Tzaddik among them with afflictions and crushings (אַלְקֵי לְחַד צַדִּיקָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ, בְּמַרְעִין וּבְמַכְתְּשִׁין), and through him He gives healing to all (וּבְגִינֵיהּ יָהִיב אַסְוָותָא לְכֹלָּא). From where do we know this? (מְנָלָן). As it is written (Isaiah 53): And he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, etc. (דִּכְתִיב, וְהוּא מְחוֹלָל מִפְּשָׁעֵינוּ מְדוּכָּא מֵעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ וְגוֹ׳). And with his wound we are healed (וּבַחֲבוּרָתוֹ נִרְפָּא לָנוּ). “And with his wound” - this is the bleeding of blood (וּבַחֲבוּרָתוֹ, אֲקָזוּתָא דְּדָמָא), like one who bleeds the arm (כְּמַאן דְּאָקִיז דְּרוֹעָא). And with that wound we are healed (וּבְהַהוּא חַבּוּרָא נִרְפָא לָנוּ). It is healing for us for all the limbs of the body (אַסְוָותָא הוּא לָנָא לְכָל שַׁיְיפִין דְּגוּפָא).