Daf 261b (דַּף רס״א ע״ב)

And therefore (וּבְּגִין כָּךְ), “You speak with us” (Deuteronomy 5) (וְאַתְּ תְּדַבֵּר אֵלֵינוּ), we do not want the supernal power from above (לָא בָּעֵינָן בְּתוּקְפָא עִלָּאָה דִּלְעֵילָּא), but only from the place of the Nukva and no more (אֶלָּא מֵאֲתָר דְּנוּקְבָּא וְלָא יַתִּיר), “and you speak with us…” (Deuteronomy 5) (וְאַתְּ תְּדַבֵּר אֵלֵינוּ וְגוֹ׳). Moshe said: Surely you weakened my strength (אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, וַדַּאי חָלַשְׁתּוּן חֵילָא דִּילִי), you weakened another strength (חָלַשְׁתּוּן חֵילָא אַחֲרָא). For had Yisrael not drawn back, and had they heard all that word as at first, the world would not have been able to be destroyed afterward, and they would have remained for generations (דְּאִלְמָלֵא לָא אִתְרַחֲקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִשְׁמְעוּן כָּל הַהִיא מִלָּה כַּד בְּקַדְמִיתָא, לָא הֲוָה יָכִיל עָלְמָא לְמֶהֱוֵי חָרִיב לְבָתַר, וְאִינּוּן הֲווֹ קַיְימִין לְדָרֵי דָּרִין). For at the first moment they died (דְּהָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא קַדְמִיתָא מִיתוּ).

What is the reason (מַאי טַעְמָא)? Because so it was necessary, for the Tree of Death caused it (בְּגִין דְּהָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ, דְּהָא אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא גָּרִים). Afterwards they were revived and stood, and Kudsha Berikh Hu wanted to raise them to the Tree of Life, which stands over the Tree of Death, in order that they be established forever (לְבָתַר דְּחַיּוּ [דְּחִיוּ] וְקָמוּ וְקָא סָגּוּ, וּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַעֲלָא לוֹן לְאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי, דְּקָאִים עַל הַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא, בְּגִין לְמֶהֱוֵי קַיְימִין לְעָלְמִין). They withdrew and did not want (אִתְרְחַק וְלָא בָּעוּן).

Then Moshe’s strength over them was weakened (כְּדֵין אִתְחֲלָשׁ חֵילָא דְּמֹשֶׁה עָלַיְיהוּ), and another strength was weakened (וְאִתְחַלָּשׁ חֵילָא אַחֲרָא). Kudsha Berikh Hu [the Holy One, blessed be He] said: “I desire to establish you in the supernal place (אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אֲנָא בָּעֵינָא לְקַיְּימָא לְכוּ בַּאֲתָר עִלָּאָה), and that you cleave to life (וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בַּחַיִּים). But you desired the place where the Nukva [Female] dwells (אַתּוּן בָּעִיתוּן אֲתָר דְּנוּקְבָּא שַׁרְיָא). Therefore: ‘Go, say to them …’” (Deuteronomy 5) (וּבְּגִין כָּךְ, לֵךְ אֱמוֹר לָהֶם וְגוֹ׳). Let each one go to his Nukva [Female] (כָּל חַד יְהַךְ לְנוּקְבֵיהּ), and be united with her (וְיִתְיַחֵד בָּהּ).

Yet, since Yisrael acted only from the supernal awe that was upon them (וְעִם כָּל דָּא, כֵּיוָן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לָא עָבְדוּ, אֶלָּא בִּדְחִילוּ עִלָּאָה דְּהֲוָה עָלַיְיהוּ), nothing was said concerning them except: “Oh, that their heart would be thus for them …” (Deuteronomy 5) (לָא אִתְּמַר עָלַיְיהוּ, אֶלָּא מִי יִתֵּן וְהָיָה לְבָבָם זֶה לָהֶם וְגוֹ׳). From here we learn: whoever performs an act (מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא, כָּל מַאן דְּעָבִיד מִלָּה), but whose heart and will are not directed toward the evil side (וְלִבָּא וּרְעוּתֵיהּ לָא שַׁוֵּי לְסִטְרָא בִּישָׁא), even if the act itself is evil (אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ בִּישׁ), since he did not act willfully (הוֹאִיל וְלָא עָבִיד בִּרְעוּתָא), punishment does not rest upon him (עוֹנְשָׁא לָא שַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ)—unlike another person (וְלָא כְּבַּר נָשׁ אַחֲרָא). Kudsha Berikh Hu [the Holy One, blessed be He] does not judge him as evil (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא דָּאִין לֵיהּ לְבִישׁ).

“And you, stand here with Me” (Deuteronomy 5) (וְאַתָּה פֹּה עֲמוֹד עִמָּדִי). From here: he separated from everything, from his wife, and cleaved and ascended to another place of the male, and not of the Nukva (מֵהָכָא, אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִכֹּל וָכֹל, מֵאִתְּתֵיהּ, וְאִתְדַּבָּק וְאִסְתַּלָּק בַּאֲתָר אַחֲרָא דִּדְכוּרָא, וְלָא בְּנוּקְבָּא). Blessed is the portion of Moshe the faithful prophet (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָא דְּמֹשֶׁה נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא), who merited supernal degrees, which no other man ever merited (דְּזָכָה לְדַרְגִּין עִלָּאִין, מַה דְּלָא זָכָה בַּר נָשׁ אָחֳרָא לְעָלְמִין). On this it is written: “The good before Elohim shall escape from her” (Ecclesiastes 7) (עַל דָּא כְּתִיב, טוֹב לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים יִמָּלֵט מִמֶּנָּה). What is “good” (מַאי טוֹב)? This is Moshe (דָּא מֹשֶׁה). As it is written: “For he was good” (Exodus 2) (דִּכְתִיב, כִּי טוֹב הוּא). And because he was good, he ascended to another supernal degree (וּבְגִין דְּהֲוָה טָב, סָלִיק לְדַרְגָּא אַחֲרָא עִלָּאָה). And on this it is written: “For the place where you stand is holy ground” (Exodus 3) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, כִּי הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עוֹמֵד עָלָיו אַדְמַת קֹדֶשׁ הוּא). “You stand upon it” precisely (עוֹמֵד עָלָיו דַּיְיקָא).

What is the reason (מַאי טַעְמָא)? Because “he was good” (בְּגִין כִּי טוֹב הוּא), and “good” is male (וְטוֹב הוּא דְּכוּרָא). And if you say, behold Rabbi Yehudah said: That David, about whom it is written “good,” as it is said: “And he was of beautiful eyes, and good to look upon” (1 Samuel 16) (וְאִי תֵּימָא, דְּהָא אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, הָא דָּוִד דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ טוֹב, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְטוֹב רֹאִי), why was it not greater (אֲמַאי לָא הֲוָה יַתִּיר)? He said to him: It is written “good to look upon” (אָמַר לֵיהּ, וְטוֹב רֹאִי כְּתִיב). “Good to look upon”-this means that he was a vision to behold, so was David (טוֹב רֹאִי, דָּא דְּאִיהוּ חֵיזוּ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, הָכִי הֲוָה דָּוִד). “Good to look upon”-he was good, that he was a vision (טוֹב רֹאִי, הֲוָה טוֹב דְּאִיהוּ חֵיזוּ). But with Moshe it is written: “He was good” (Exodus 2) (וּבְמֹשֶׁה כְּתִיב, טוֹב הוּא מַמָּשׁ), and here it is “good to look upon” (וְהָכָא טוֹב רֹאִי). And with all this, both of them were united, for this is joined to that (וְעִם כָּל דָּא, בְּתַרְוַויְיהוּ הֲוָה אָחִיד, דְּהָא דָּא בְּדָא אָחִיד). And Moshe, after he was good, ascended to be called “man” (וּמֹשֶׁה לְבָתַר דְּהֲוָה טַב, סָלִיק לְמֶהֱוֵי גּוּפָא אִישׁ): “The man of Elohim” (Deuteronomy 33) (אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים), “And the man Moshe was very humble” (Numbers 12) (וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה עָנָו מְאֹד).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): In all his deeds, a man must set himself to correspond to Kudsha Berikh Hu (בְּכָל עוֹבָדוֹי, בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְשַׁוָּאָה לָקֳבְלֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And behold, we have already established this matter (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה). Rabbi Yehudah, according to his opinion, for Rabbi Yehudah said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה לְטַעְמֵיהּ, דְּאָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): Whoever goes on the way should direct himself to three things, and above them is prayer (הַאי מַאן דְּאָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא, יְכַוֵּין לִתְלַת מִלִּין, וְעֵילָּא מִנְּהוֹן צְלוֹתָא). And even though prayer is more supernal than all, two or three friends who toil in matters of Orayta (וְאַף עַל גַּב דִּצְלוֹתָא יַתִּיר עִלָּאָה מִכֹּלָּא, תְּרֵי חַבְרֵי אוֹ תְּלָתָא דְּלָעָאן בְּמִלֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). For he is not afraid, because the Shekhinta joins with them (דְּהָא לָא מִסְתָּפֵי, בְּגִין דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִשְׁתַּתְּפָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ). (Some say: And above them is prayer, and more supernal than all, friends in matters of Orayta, for the Shekhinta (ס״א: וְעִילָּא מִנְּהוֹן צְלוֹתָא, וְעָלָאָה מִכֹּלְּהוּ, חֲבַרַיָּיא בְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. דְּהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא). As in the case of Rabbi El'azar and Rabbi Chiyya, who were going on the way (כִּי הָא דְּרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי חִיָּיא הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא).

Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): It is written: “And Hashem Elohim made for Adam and his wife coats of skin” (Bereshit 3) (כְּתִיב, וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר). And until now were they naked from that skin (וְכִי עַד הַשְׁתָּא פְּשִׁיטֵי הֲווֹ מֵהַהוּא עוֹר)? Yes (אִין). Rather, they were garments of precious raiment (אֶלָּא מָאנֵי לְבוּשֵׁי יְקַר הֲווֹ). Rabbi Chiyya said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא): If so, they should not have been seen as “coats of skin” (אִי הָכִי, לָא אִתְחָזוּן לְהוּ אֲפִילּוּ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר). And if you say: Before they sinned He clothed them, no (וְכִי תֵּימָא, דְּעַד לָא חָאבוּ אַלְבִּישׁוּ לְהוּ, לָא). Rather, after they sinned, it is written: “And Hashem Elohim made for Adam and his wife coats of skin and clothed them” (Bereshit 3) (אֶלָּא לְבָתַר דְּחָבוּ כְּתִיב, וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּישֵׁם וְגוֹ׳).