Daf 240a (דַּף ר״מ ע״א)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): “And from above the firmament that was over their heads, like the appearance of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne” (וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ אֲשֶׁר עַל רֹאשָׁם כְּמַרְאֵה אֶבֶן סַפִּיר דְּמוּת כִּסֵּא) (Ezekiel 1). “Like the appearance of a sapphire stone”-this is the stone of Yisrael (כְּמַרְאֵה אֶבֶן סַפִּיר, דָּא אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל). And this is the secret of what is written: “And they rolled the stone...” (וְדָא הוּא רָזָא דִּכְתִיב, וְגָלְלוּ אֶת הָאֶבֶן וְגו׳) (Bereshit 29). One stone descends from above (חַד אֶבֶן נַחְתָּא מִלְּעֵילָּא), when Yisrael wish to inherit the land (כַּד בָּעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמֵירַת אַרְעָא), and inscribed upon it is the word “lot” (וּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ גּוֹרָל). And it says: “This is for so-and-so, and this is for so-and-so” (וְאִיהוּ אָמַר, דָּא לִפְלַנְיָא, וְדָא לִפְלַנְיָא). And this stone comes down from beneath the throne of the King (וְדָא אֶבֶן הוּא מִתְּחוֹת כֻּרְסְיָיא דְּמַלְכָּא נַחְתָּא). Surely, as it is written: “From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Yisrael” (וַדַּאי מִשָּׁם רוֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּתִיב) (Bereshit 49). And for this reason: “According to the lot shall his inheritance be divided” (וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ עַל פִּי הַגּוֹרָל וַדַּאי תֵּחָלֵק נַחֲלָתוֹ).

Rabbi Yitzchak and Rabbi Yehudah were going from Usha to Lod (רִבִּי יִצְחָק וְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי מֵאוּשָׁא לְלוּד), and they encountered Rabbi El'azar (פָּגַע בְּהוּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר). They ran after him (רָהֲטוּ אֲבַּתְרֵיהּ). They said: Surely we should run after the Shekhinta (אָמְרוּ, וַדַּאי נַרְהִיט אֲבַּתְרֵיהּ דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא). When they reached him (עַד דְּמָטוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ), they said: Surely we should join with you and hear a new word (אָמְרוּ וַדַּאי נִשְׁתַּתֵּף בַּהֲדָךְ, וְנִשְׁמַע מִלָּה חַדְתָּא).

He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “Listen to Me, pursuers of righteousness, seekers of...” (Isaiah 51) (שִׁמְעוּ אֵלַי רוֹדְפֵי צֶדֶק מְבַקְשֵׁי וְגו׳). “Listen to Me, pursuers of righteousness”-these are those who walk after faith (שִׁמְעוּ אֵלַי רוֹדְפֵי צֶדֶק, אִינּוּן דְּאַזְלִין בָּתַר מְהֵימְנוּתָא). “Pursuers of righteousness”-surely they are the seekers of Hashem (רוֹדְפֵי צֶדֶק, וַדַּאי אִינּוּן מְבַקְשֵׁי יְיָ). If you wish to know faith and to grasp this righteousness (אִי בָּעִיתוּ לְמִנְדַּע מְהֵימְנוּתָא, וּלְאַחֲדָא לְהַאי צֶדֶק), do not gaze upon her alone like the rest of the people of the world (לָא תִּסְתַּכְּלוּן בָּהּ בִּלְחוֹדָהָא כִּשְׁאַר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא), who brought death upon themselves because of this (דְּגַרְמוּ מִיתָה לְגַרְמַיְיהוּ עַל דָּא). But rather, as it is written: “Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the hollow of the pit from which you were dug” (Isaiah 51) (אֲבָל הַבִּיטוּ אֶל צוּר חוּצַּבְתֶּם וְאֶל מַקֶבֶת בּוֹר נוּקַּרְתֶּם).

“Command the children of Yisrael and say to them: My offering, My food…” (צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם אֶת קָרְבָּנִי לַחְמִי וְגו׳) (Numbers 28). “Is the desire of Hashem in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Hashem?” (הַחֵפֶץ לַיְיָ בְּעוֹלוֹת וּזְבָחִים כִּשְׁמוֹעַ בְּקוֹל יְיָ וְגו׳) (I Samuel 15). There is no desire of Kudsha Berikh Hu that a person should be guilty, and for his sin bring a sacrifice (לֵית רְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּיֵחוּב בַּר נָשׁ, וְעַל חוֹבֵיהּ יַקְרִיב קָרְבָּן). Rather, a sacrifice that is without obligation-this is a complete offering (אֶלָּא קָרְבָּן דְּאִיהוּ בְּלִי חוֹבָה, דָּא אִיהוּ קָרְבָּן שְׁלִים), and it is called Shelamim (וְאִקְרֵי שְׁלָמִים). And the Tamid offering is likewise so (וְקָרְבָּן תָּמִיד אוּף הָכִי), even though it atones for sins (וְאַף עַל גַּב דִּמְכַפֵּר עַל חוֹבִין).

Rabbi Abba opened: “The sacrifices of Elohim are a broken spirit…” (רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח, זִבְחֵי אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה וְגו׳) (Psalms 51). This verse has been established (הַאי קְרָא אוֹקְמוּהָ): the desire of Kudsha Berikh Hu is not aroused by a person’s sacrifice over his sins, but by a broken spirit (דִּרְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אִתְרְעֵי בְּקָרְבָּן דְּבַּר נָשׁ עַל חוֹבוֹי, אֶלָּא רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה). And human beings do not know what they are saying (וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא לָא יַדְעֵי מַאי קָאָמְרֵי), and thus I have heard from the Holy Luminary (וְהָכִי שְׁמַעְנָא מִבּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא): that when a person comes to defile himself through his sin, he draws upon himself a spirit from the defiled side (דְּכַד אָתֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא בְּחוֹבוֹי, אַמְשִׁיךְ עָלֵיהּ רוּחַ מִסִּטְרָא דְּמִסְאֲבָא), and it becomes haughty over him (וְאִתְגָּאֵי עַל בַּר נָשׁ), and it rules over him in all his desires (וְשָׁלִיט עָלֵיהּ לְכָל רְעוּתָא). And that defiled side strengthens in its power (וְהַהוּא סִטְרָא מִסְאֲבָא אִתְגַּבָּר בְּחֵילֵיהּ), and is empowered (וְאִתְתָּקַף), and it rules over his will (וְשָׁלִיט עָלֵיהּ לִרְעוּתֵיהּ). The person comes and prevails to purify himself (אָתֵי בַּר נָשׁ וְשָׁלִיט עָלֵיהּ לְאִתְדַּכְּאָה), they purify him (מְדַכְּאִין לֵיהּ).

When the Beit Mikdash stood (בְּזִמְנָא דְּהֲוָה בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא קַיָּים), he would offer his sacrifice (אַקְרִיב קָרְבָּנֵיהּ), and all his atonement depended on it (כָּל כַּפָּרָה דִּילֵיהּ תַּלְיָיא עָלֵיהּ), until he regretted and broke that spirit from within his pride and subdued it (עַד דְּאִתְחֲרָט, וְתָבַר לְהַהוּא רוּחַ מִגּוֹ גָּאוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ, וּמָאִיךְ לֵיהּ). And this is the breaking of that level of defilement (וְדָא הוּא תְּבִירוּ, דְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּמִסְאֲבָא). And when that impure spirit is broken (וְכַד אִתְבַּר הַהוּא רוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא), and he offers his sacrifice (וְקָרִיב קָרְבָּנֵיהּ), this is what is received with proper will (דָּא אִיהוּ דְּאִתְקַבֵּל בְּרַעֲוָא כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת). But if that spirit is not broken (וְאִי לָא אִתְבַּר הַהוּא רוּחַ), his sacrifice is nothing (לָאו קָרְבָּנֵיהּ כְּלוּם), and it is handed over to the dogs (וּלְכַלְבֵּי אִתְמְסַר), for this sacrifice is not to Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּהָא קָרְבְּנָא דָּא לָאו דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), but to the dogs (אֶלָּא מִכַלְבֵּי). And for this reason, the true sacrifices of Elohim are a broken spirit (וּבְגִין כָּךְ זִבְחֵי אֱלֹהִים כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת, הוּא רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה), that the impure spirit should be broken and not rule (דְּיִתְבַּר הַהוּא רוּחָא מִסְאֲבָא, וְלָא יִשְׁלוֹט).

And concerning this, one who is properly broken-it is written about him: “A spirit that passes and does not return” (וְעַל דָּא מַאן דְּיִתְבַּר לֵיהּ כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת, עָלֵיהּ כְּתִיב: רוּחַ הוֹלֵךְ וְלֹא יָשׁוּב) (Psalms 78). Let that man be secure (לִיהֱוִי הַהוּא גַּבְרָא בְּאַבְטָחוּתָא), for it will never return to him (דְּלָא יְתוּב לְגַבֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין). This is what is written: “And it shall not return” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: וְלֹא יָשׁוּב). “A broken and crushed heart”-this is the man who does not become haughty (לֵב נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה, הַהוּא גַּבְרָא דְּלָא אִתְגָּאֵי), and does not indulge in the pleasures of this world (וְלָא אִתְעַנֵּג בְּעִנּוּגִין דְּעָלְמָא). “Elohim will not despise” (אֱלֹהִים לֹא תִבְזֶה)-he is precious before Him (בִּיקָרָא אִיהוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ). “Command the children of Yisrael” (צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) (Numbers 28). What is “Command” (מַאי צַו)? This is avodah zarah (דָּא עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה). For one should not cause himself to be defiled by an impure spirit (בְּגִין דְּלָא יֵיעוּל גַּרְמֵיהּ לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא בְּרוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא), which is truly avodah zarah (דְּאִיהוּ עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה מַמָּשׁ).