Daf 250b (דַּף ר״נ ע״ב)

And then: “Draw” (וּכְדֵין מִשְׁכוּ). And concerning this: “On the tenth of this month” (וְעַל דָּא בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה), that the holy moon is joined with the sun (דְּאִתְחַבָּר סִיהֲרָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּשִׁמְשָׁא). As it is said of it: “For Hashem Elohim is a sun and a shield” (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ, כִּי שֶׁמֶשׁ וּמָגֵן יְיָ אֱלֹהִים) (Psalms 84). And that which was a small point (וּמַה דַּהֲוַת נְקוּדָה זְעֵירָא), some say: in this likeness (ס״א כְּגוַונָא דָּא), is filled in the moon (אִתְמַלְּאַת בְּסִיהֲרָא), and then she is the full month (וּכְדֵין אִיהִי הַחֹדֶשׁ מָלֵא). And the moon is filled in this likeness: “The whole earth is filled with His Glory” (וְסִיהֲרָא אִתְמַלְּיָיא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא: מָלֵא כָּל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ) (Isaiah 6). At first she was lacking, and now she is in completion (בְּקַדְמִיתָא חָסֵר, וּכְעַן בִּשְׁלִימוּ). Thus ends Ra‘aya Meheimna (ע״כ רַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא).

Ra‘aya Meheimna

Ra‘aya Meheimna said: Like the tongue, which is a staff for all the people of his household (אָמַר רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא, כְּגוֹן לִישָׁנָא דְּאִיהוּ מַקֵּל לְכָל אַנְשֵׁי בֵּיתֵיהּ). And it is the tongue of the letter Vav (וְאִיהוּ לִישָׁנָא דְּאָת ו׳). And it is the staff in which are ten letters (וְאִיהוּ מַטֵה דְּבֵיהּ עֶשֶׂר אוֹתִיוֹת). And with it Kudsha Berikh Hu struck upon Egypt ten plagues (וּבֵיהּ מָחָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל יְדוֹי י׳ מָחָאן). And because all the plagues were from the side of the Heh, Heh (וּבְגִין דְּכָל מָחָאן הֲווֹ מִסִּטְרָא דְּה׳ ה׳). Rabbi Akiva says: From where do we know that every plague that the Holy One Blessed Be He brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt was of five plagues, etc.? (רִבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, מִנַּיִן שֶׁכָּל מַכָּה וּמַכָּה שֶׁהֵבִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל הַמִּצְרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם הָיְתָה שֶׁל חָמֵשׁ מַכּוֹת וְגוֹ׳). Say from now, etc. (אֱמוֹר מֵעַתָּה וְגוֹ׳). And the Heh ascends with the Yod to fifty plagues, five times fifty, they are two hundred and fifty (וְאָת ה׳ סַלְּקָא בְּאָת י׳ לְחַמְשִׁין מָחָאן, חָמֵשׁ זִמְנִין חַמְשִׁין, אִינּוּן ר״ן). And because of this, at the sea they were struck with two hundred and fifty plagues (וּבְגִין דָּא, וְעַל הַיָּם לָקוּ ר״ן מַכּוֹת).

Yosef said: All the best of the land of Egypt is Ra‘amses (אָמַר יוֹסֵף, כָּל מֵיטַב אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם רַעְמְסֵס הִיא). And that land they set aside for their fear, for the Shepherd, and to go with all the delights of the world (וְהַהִיא אַרְעָא אַפְרִישׁוּ לְדַחֲלָן דִּלְהוֹן, לְרַעְיָא וּלְמֵיהַךְ בְּכָל עִנּוּגִין דְּעָלְמָא). And all the Egyptians considered those [Ḥet Samekh Resh Kaf Alef Nun Qof Tet Ayin Resh Ayin Yod Alef Mem Heh Yod Mem Nun Alef] (וְכָל מִצְּרָאֵי חָשִׁיבוּן לְאִינּוּן [ח ס ר כ א ן ק ט ע ר ע י א מ ה י מ נ א]) from all of it (מִכֹּלָּא). And not only this, but it is said of them: “And your staff in your hand” (וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוּ, וּמַקֶּלְכֶם בְּיְדְכֶם) (Exodus 12), to subjugate all the dread of the Egyptians beneath their hands (לְאִתְכַּפְיָיא כָּל דַּחֲלָן דְּמִצְּרָאֵי, תְּחוֹת יְדַיְיהוּ). And because they were the firstborn princes, it is written: “And Hashem struck all the firstborn” (וּבְגִין דְּאִינְהוּ בְּכוֹרוֹת מְמָנָן, כְּתִיב: וַיְיָ הִכָּה כָל בְּכוֹר) (Exodus 12). After all this it is written: “You shall eat no leavened bread; seven days you shall eat upon it matzot, the bread of affliction” (בָּתַר כָּל דָּא כְּתִיב, לֹא יִאָכֵל חָמֵץ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תֹּאכַל עָלָיו מַצּוֹת לֶחֶם עוֹנִי) (Deuteronomy 16). And it is written: “You shall eat no leavened thing” (וּכְתִיב, כָּל מַחְמֶצֶּת לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ) (Exodus 12). Ra‘aya Meheimna said: Why does it count that one may not eat chametz seven days, and to eat during them matzah (אָמַר רַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא, אֲמַאי מָנֵי דְּלָא לְמֵיכַל חָמֵץ שִׁבְעַת יוֹמִין, וּלְמֵיכַל בְּהוֹן מַצָּה). And why “it shall not be eaten,” and why “you shall not eat” (וַאֲמַאי לֹא יִאָכֵל, וַאֲמַאי לֹא תֹּאכֵלוּ). Rather, the seven moving stars, and they are Shabtai [Saturn], Tzedek [Jupiter], Ma’adim [Mars], Chamah [Sun], Nogah [Venus], Kokhav [Mercury], Levanah [Moon] (אֶלָּא ז׳ כֹּכְבֵי לֶכֶת, וְאִינּוּן: שצ״ם חנכ״ל). And they are from the side of good and evil (וְאִינּוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְּטוֹב וָרָע), the light of them is matzah (נְהוֹרָא דִּלְגוֹ מַצָּה), the husk of them is chametz (קְלִיפָה דִּלְבַר חָמֵץ). And they are chametz, male, and machmetzet, female (וְאִינּוּן חָמֵץ דְּכַר, מַחְמֶצֶּת נוּקְבָּא).

Matzah is guarded (מַצָּה דִּלְגוֹ שְׁמוּרָה). And they are: “seven maidens to be given her from the king’s house” (וְאִינּוּן, שֶׁבַע הַנְּעָרוֹת הָרְאוּיוֹת לָתֶת לָהּ מִבֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ) (Esther 2). And it is said of them: “And you shall guard the matzot” (וְאִתְּמַר עָלַיְיהוּ, וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת הַמַּצּוֹת) (Exodus 12). Matzah, she is guarded for her Husband, who is the Vav (מַצָּה אִיהִי שְׁמוּרָה לְבַעְלָהּ, דְּאִיהוּ ו׳). And with it a mitzvah is made (וּבֵיהּ אִתְעָבִיד מִצְוָה). And whoever guards her, regarding YH, which is concealed in the letters Mem-Tzadi from Matzah, they are Yam-Hetz (וּמַאן דְּנָטִיר לָהּ לְגַבֵּי יָהּ, דִּגְנִיזִין בְּמ״ץ מִן מַצָּה, וְאִינּוּן: י״ם ה״ץ). And Kudsha Berikh Hu counts to bless her with seven blessings on the night of Pesach (וּמָנֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְבָרֵךְ לָהּ שֶׁבַע בְּרָכוֹת לֵיל פֶּסַח), which are her seven maidens, Shabtai [Saturn], Tzedek [Jupiter], Ma’adim [Mars], Chamah [Sun], Nogah [Venus], Kokhav [Mercury], Levanah [Moon] (דְּאִינּוּן שֶׁבַע הַנְּעָרוֹת דִּילָהּ, שצ״ם חנכ״ל). And He counts to remove from them chametz and machmetzet, which are dark clouds that cover over the lights of the seven moving stars (וּמָנֵי לְאַעְבְרָא מִנְּהוֹן חָמֵץ וּמַחְמֶצֶּת, דְּאִינּוּן עֲנָנִים חֲשׁוּכִין דִּמְכַסְּיָין עַל נְהוֹרִין, דְּשִׁבְעָה כֹּכְבֵי לֶכֶת). Of them it is said: “They entered into her midst, and it was not known that they entered into her midst, and their appearance was evil” (דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן, וַתָּבֹאנָה אֶל קִרְבֶּנָּה וְלֹא נוֹדַע כִּי בָאוּ אֶל קִרְבֶּנָּה וּמַרְאֵיהֶן רַע) (Bereshit 41). Dark as at the beginning (חָשׁוּךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר בַּתְּחִלָּה). For so great is the darkness of their clouds that the lights cannot shine for them (דְּכָל כַּךְ חֲשׁוֹכָא דַּעֲנָנִין דִּלְהוֹן, דְּלָא יַכְלִין נְהוֹרִין לְאַנְהָרָא לְהוֹן). And because of this: “it was not known that they entered into her midst” (וּבְגִין דָּא, וְלֹא נוֹדַע כִּי בָאוּ אֶל קִרְבֶּנָה). Thus ends Ra‘aya Meheimna (ע״כ רַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא).

Rabbi Ḥiyya opened: “On the fourteenth day of the month is Pesach,” etc. (רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח, בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ פֶּסַח וְגוֹ׳) (Leviticus 23). A lamb, which is Pesach - why (אִימְרָא דְּאִיהוּ פִּסְחָא אֲמַאי). Rather, because the dread of the Egyptians and their god was the lamb (אֶלָּא דַּחֲלָא דְּמִצְרָאֵי, וְאֱלָהָא דִּלְהוֹן, הֲוָה אִמְרָא). Because the Egyptians worshipped the constellation Aries, and therefore they worshipped the lamb (בְּגִין דְּמִצְרָאֵי פַּלְחִין לְמַזַּל טָלֶה, וּבְגִין כָּךְ פַּלְחִין לְאִמְרָא).

Come and see: It is written, “Behold, we will sacrifice the abomination of Egypt” (תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב: הֵן נִזְבַּח אֶת תּוֹעֲבַת מִצְרַיִם) (Exodus 8). What is the abomination of Egypt (מַאי תּוֹעֲבַת מִצְרַיִם). And is it because they hated it, that it is written “the abomination of Egypt” (וְכִי עַל דְּשַׂנְאִין לֵיהּ, כְּתִיב תּוֹעֲבַת מִצְרַיִם). Rather, the idol of the Egyptians, and their god, is called the abomination of Egypt (אֶלָּא דַּחֲלָא דְּמִצְרָאֵי, וְאֱלָהָא דִּילְהוֹן, אִקְרֵי תּוֹעֲבַת מִצְרַיִם). As it is written: “Like the abominations of the nations” (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב, כְּתוֹעֲבֹת הַגּוֹיִם) (Deuteronomy 18) - the idol of the other nations (דַּחֲלָא דִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין).