Daf 259b (דַּף רנ״ט ע״ב)

Blessed is the portion of Yisrael (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), who know to ascend into the inside of the nut’s brain (דְּיַדְעֵי לְאַעְלָאָה לְגוֹ מוֹחָא דֶּאֱגוֹזָא). And in order to enter into the inside of the brain, they break these shells, and ascend (וּבְגִין לְמֵיעָאל לְגוֹ מוֹחָא, מְתַבְּרִין קְלִיפִין אִלֵּין, וְעָאלִין). What is written after all this (מַה כְּתִיב לְבָתַר כָּל הַאי)? “On the eighth day shall be for you an Atzeret” (Leviticus 23) (בַּיוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם). After you break all these shells (לְבָתַר דְּתַבְרוּ כָּל הָנֵי קְלִיפִין), and break many cuttings, and kill many serpents, and many scorpions that were in those mountains of darkness (וְתַבְרוּ כַּמָה גְּזִּיזִין, וְכַמָּה נְחָשִׁים קַטְלוּ, וְכַמָּה עַקְרַבִּים דַּהֲווֹ לוֹן בְּאִינּוּן טוּרֵי דַּחֲשׁוֹכָא), until they find a settled place and a holy city (עַד דְּאַשְׁכָּחוּ אֲתָר דִּישׁוּבָא, וְקַרְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא), encompassed with walls all around (מַקְפָּא שׁוּרִין סְחוֹר סְחוֹר). Then they entered into her, to rest there, and to rejoice in her (כְּדֵין עָאלוּ לְגַבָּהּ, לְמֶעְבַּד נַיְיחָא תַּמָּן, וּלְמֵחדֵי בָּהּ). And behold, we have already established this matter (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה). And this is Atzeret, gathering (וְדָא אִיהוּ עֲצֶרֶת, כְּנִישׁוּ)-a place where all is gathered into her (אֲתָר דְּמִתְכְּנַשׁ כֹּלָּא לְגַבָּהּ). “It shall be for you” (תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם), and not for another (וְלָא לְאַחֲרָא), that you may rejoice with your Master, and He is with you (לְמֶחְדֵּי אַתּוּן בְּמָארֵיכוֹן, וְאִיהוּ בַּהֲדַיְיכוּ). And on this it is written: “Be glad in Hashem, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all upright in heart” (Psalms 32) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, שִׂמְחוּ בַּיְיָ וְגִילוּ צַדִּיקִים וְהַרְנִינוּ כָּל יִשְׁרֵי לֵב). Rabbi Shimon said: whoever rejoices, etc., until “before they performed kindness with the poor” (אָמַר ר' שִׁמְעוֹן כָּל מָאן דְּחָדֵי וְכוּ׳ עַד שֶׁלֹּא עָשׂוּ חֶסֶד עִם הָעֲנִיִּים).

Parashat Matot

s for all the little ones among the women, who have not known a man by lying with him” (Numbers 31) (וְכָל הַטַּף בַּנָּשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדְעוּ מִשְׁכַּב זָכָר). There we learned (תַּמָּן תָּנֵינָן): Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה), the world is conducted only by two colors (אֵין הָעוֹלָם מִתְנַהֵג אֶלָּא בִּתְרֵי גַּוְונִין), which come from the side of the woman, who is found wise of heart (דְּאָתוּ מִסְּטַר אִתְּתָא דְּאִשְׁתְּכָחַת חַכִּימַת לִבָּא). This is what is written: “And every woman that was wise-hearted did spin with her hands, and brought that which they had spun, the blue and the purple” (Exodus 35) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וְכָל אִשָׁה חַכְמַת לֵב בְּיָדֶיהָ טָווּ וַיָּבִיאוּ מַטְוְה אֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת וְאֶת הָאַרְגָּמָן). And what did they bring (וּמַאי מַתְיָּין)? The blue and the purple (אֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת וְאֶת הָאַרְגָּמָן)-these are colors that are included within colors (גַּוְונִין דִּכְלִילָן בְּגוֹ גְּוָונֵי). This is what is written: “She seeks wool and flax, and works willingly with her hands” (Proverbs 31) (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב, דָּרְשָׁה צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים וַתַּעַשׂ בְּחֵפֶץ כַּפֶיהָ). And it is written: “And with her hands they spun” (וּכְתִיב, בְּיָדֶיהָ טָווּ). What is “they spun” (מַאי טָווּ)? Rabbi Yehudah said: They spun with judgment, they spun with mercy (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, טָווּ בְּדִינָא, טָווּ בְּרַחֲמֵי). Rabbi Yitzchak said: Why is she called “woman” (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אֲמַאי אִתְקַרְיָא אִשָּׁה)? He said to him: Because she is included in judgment, and included in mercy (אָמַר לֵיהּ, דִּכְלִילָא בְּדִינָא, וּכְלִילָא בְּרַחֲמֵי).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), Rabbi El'azar said (דְּאָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): Every woman is called judgment (כָּל אִתְּתָא בְּדִינָא אִתְקַרְיָא), until she tastes the taste of mercy (עַד דְּאַטְעֲמָא טַעֲמָא דְּרַחֲמֵי). For it was taught (דְּתַנְיָא): From the side of the man comes whiteness (מִסִּטְרָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ, אָתֵי חִוָּורָא), and from the side of the woman comes redness (וּמִסִּטְרָא דְּאִתְּתָא, אָתֵי סוּמָקָא). The reason (טַעֲמָא) is: Some say, from the woman (ס״א: אִתְּתָא), comes whiteness, and whiteness is superior (דְּאִתְּתָא מֵחִוָּורָא, וְחִוָּורָא עָדִיף). And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי): Why are the women of the other nations, idol worshippers, forbidden (אֲמַאי אֲסִירָן נְשֵׁי שְׁאַר עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת)? Because they know the beds of males (דְּיַדְעֵי מִשְׁכְּבֵי דְּכוּרָא).

For we learned (מִשּׁוּם דְּתָנֵינָן): There is right, and there is left (אִית יְמִינָא, וְאִית שְׂמָאלָא). Yisrael, and the other nations idol worshippers (יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּשְׁאַר עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת). Gan Eden, and Gehinnom (וְגַּן עֵדֶן, וְגֵיהִנָם). This world, and the world to come (עָלְמָא דָּא, וְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). Yisrael correspond to mercy (יִשְׂרָאֵל לָקָבְלֵי דְּרַחֲמֵי), and the other nations idol worshippers correspond to judgment (וּשְׁאַר עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת לָקֳבְלֵי דְּדִינָא). And it was taught (וּתְנָן): A woman who tastes the taste of mercy, mercy is victorious (אִתְּתָא דְּאַטְעֲמָא טַעֲמָא דְּרַחֲמֵי, רַחֲמֵי נַצְחָא). A woman who tastes the taste of judgment, judgment is bound with judgment (אִתְּתָא דְּטַעֲמָא טַעֲמָא דְּדִינָא, דִּינָא בְּדִינָא אִתְדַּבְּקַת). And upon them it is called: “And the dogs are greedy, they do not know satisfaction” (Isaiah 56) (וְעָלַיְיהוּ אִתְקְרֵי, וְהַכְּלָבִים עַזֵּי נֶפֶשׁ לֹא יָדְעוּ שָׂבְעָה).

And on this we learned (וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן): A woman who is cohabited with by an idolater is bound to him like a dog (הַנִּבְעֶלֶת לְעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת קְשׁוּרָה בּוֹ כַּכֶּלֶב). Just as a dog is strong in his spirit and brazen (מַה כַּלְבָּא תַּקִּיפָא בְּרוּחֵיהּ חֲצִיפָא), so here it is judgment with judgment, brazen in everything (אוּף הָכָא דִּינָא בְּדִינָא, חֲצִיפָא בְּכֹלָּא). But the woman who is cohabited with by Yisrael, we learned (הַנִּבְעֶלֶת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, תָּנֵינָן): It is written, “But you who cleave to Hashem your God are alive every one of you this day” (Deuteronomy 4) (כְּתִיב, וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם). What is the reason (מַאי טַעְמָא)? Because the Neshama of Yisrael comes from the spirit of the Living God (מִשּׁוּם דְּנִשְׁמְתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, אַתְיָיא מֵרוּחָא דֶּאֱלֹהִים חַיִּים). As it is written, “For the spirit from before Me will enwrap” (Isaiah 57) (דִּכְתִיב, כִּי רוּחַ מִלְּפָנַי יַעֲטוֹף)-it is implied that it is written “from before Me” (מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב מִלְּפָנַי).

And therefore, the woman who is a virgin and has not cleaved in hard judgment of the other nations, but cleaves with Yisrael, mercy is victorious and she is bound (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, אִתְתָא דְּהִיא בְּתוּלְתָא, וְלָא אִתְדְּבָקַת בְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא דִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין, וְאִתְדְּבָקַת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, רַחֲמֵי נַצְחָא וְאִתְכְּשָׁרַת). And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי): It is written, “I said, the world shall be built with Chesed” (Psalms 89) (כְּתִיב, אָמַרְתִּי עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה). What is Chesed (מַאי חֶסֶד)? It is one of the supernal crowns of the King (הוּא חַד מִכִּתְרֵי עִלָּאֵי דְּמַלְכָּא), that the Neshama of Yisrael Kudsha Berikh Hu calls Chesed (דְּנִשְׁמְתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל קָרָא לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חֶסֶד). On condition that it will be built, and Chesed will not depart from the world (עַל תְּנַאי דְּיִתְבְּנֵי, וְלָא יִשְׁתֵּיצֵי חֶסֶד מֵעָלְמָא). It is implied by what is written: “shall be built” (מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב יִבָּנֶה). And therefore, we learned (וּבְגִין כָּךְ תָּנֵינָן): Whoever removes Chesed from the world is removed from the World to Come (מַאן דְּשֵׁצֵי חֶסֶד מֵעָלְמָא, אִשְׁתֵּיצֵי הוּא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). And on this it is written: “The wife of the dead shall not be to a stranger outside” (Deuteronomy 25) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, לֹא תִהְיֶה אֵשֶׁת הַמֵּת הַחוּצָה)-in order to perform Chesed with the dead (בְּגִין לְמֶעְבַּד חֶסֶד עִם מִיתָא). And thus a building is made (וְאִתְעָבִיד בִּנְיָינָא), as it is written: “The world shall be built with Chesed” (Psalms 89) (דִּכְתִיב, עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה).