Daf 268b (דַּף רס״ח ע״ב)

They sat and engaged in the Orayta (יָתְבוּ אִתְעַסְּקוּ בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), until the day shone (עַד דְּנָהִיר יוֹמָא). After the day shone (בָּתַר דְּנָהִיר יוֹמָא), they rose and went (קָמוּ וְאָזְלוּ). As they were going (עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלוּ), they saw one man who was going on the road (חָמוּ חַד גְּבָר דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא), and his head was wrapped (וְרֵישֵׁיהּ עָטִיף). They drew near to him (קְרִיבוּ גַּבֵּיהּ), and he was murmuring with his lips (וַהֲוָה רָחִישׁ בְּשִׂפְוָותֵיהּ), but he did not answer them at all (וְלָא אָתִיב לוֹן מִדֵּי). Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), surely this one is consulting with his Master (וַדַּאי הַאי אִמְלַךְ בְּמָארֵיהּ).

Rabbi El'azar and Rabbi Acha sat and prayed a prayer (יָתִיב רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרַבִּי אֲחָא וְצַלּוּ צְלוֹתָא), and that man was standing in his prayer in another place (וְהַהוּא גְּבַר קָאִים בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ בַּאֲתָר אַחֲרָא). After they finished the prayer (בָּתַר דְּסִיְּימוּ צְלוֹתָא), they went on the road (אַזְלוּ בְּאָרְחָא), and that man slipped away from them (וְהַהוּא גַּבְרָא אִשְׁתְּמִיט מִנַּיְיהוּ). Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), this man is either foolish (הַאי גַּבְרָא, אוֹ טִפְּשָׁא הוּא), or his ways are not proper (אוֹ אָרְחוֹי לָא מִתְיַשְּׁרָן). He said (אָמַר), let us engage in the Orayta, for this is the time (נִתְעֲסָק בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא, דְּהָא שַׁעֲתָא הִיא).

Rabbi El'azar opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר), “The wise shall inherit honor, but fools lift up disgrace” (Proverbs 3) (כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ וּכְסִילִים מֵרִים קָלוֹן). “The wise shall inherit honor” (כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ), fortunate are those who engage in the Orayta (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן דְּמִתְעַסְּקֵי בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא). Before he opened his word (עַד לָא פָּתַח מִלָּה), that man drew near to them (קָרִיב הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ גַּבַּיְיהוּ). Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), we should not interrupt the words of the Orayta (לֵית לָן לְמִפְסַק מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), for whoever engages in the Orayta (דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), merits to inherit the inheritance of the possession that is Above (זָכֵי לְמֵירַת יְרוּתָא דְּאַחֲסָנָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), in the glory of the holy supernal King (בִּיקָרָא דְּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא). And he merits to inherit the inheritance of the possession in this world (וְזָכֵי לְמֵירַת יְרוּתָא דְּאַחֲסָנָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And what is that? (וּמַאי אִיהוּ) That which is called the honor of Hashem (הַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי כְּבוֹד יְיָ), which never departs from them forever (דְּלָא פָּסַק מִנַּיְיהוּ לְעָלְמָא). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), “The wise shall inherit honor” (Proverbs 3) (כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ), that is what is called the honor of Hashem (הַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי כְּבוֹד יְיָ). “But fools lift up disgrace” (וּכְסִילִים מֵרִים קָלוֹן), what is this? (מַאי הוּא)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): when a man goes in the upright path before Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּד בַּר נָשׁ אָזַל בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and engages in the Orayta (וְאִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), behold that one inherits to himself the honor of Hashem (הָא הַהוּא כְּבוֹד יְיָ יָרִית לְגַרְמֵיהּ). And many guardians and advocates are found Above for that man (וְכַמָּה אַפּוֹטְרוֹפְּסִין סַנֵּיגוֹרִין אִשְׁתַּכְּחוּ לְעֵילָּא עָלֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ), and all of them teach merit for him (וְכֻלְּהוּ אוֹלְפִין עָלֵיהּ זְכוּ), before the holy King (קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא).

But if a man does not engage in the Orayta (וְאִי בַּר נָשׁ לָא אִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), and does not go in the path of his Master (וְלָא אָזַל בְּאָרְחָא דְּמָארֵיהּ), then he makes an accuser against himself (הוּא עָבִיד קַטֵיגוֹרָא עָלֵיהּ). And that accuser flies in the air (וְהַהוּא קַטֵיגוֹרָא שָׁאט בַּאֲוִירָא), and goes about (וַאֲזִיל לֵיהּ), and it does not ascend Above (וְלָא סָלִיק לְעֵילָּא), in case the man repents from his sins (דִּלְמָא יְתוּב אָדָם מֵחוֹבוֹי). But once he sees that the man did not repent (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמֵי דְּבַר נָשׁ לָא תָּב), and does not wish to engage in the Orayta (וְלָא בָּעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), then it ascends Above (כְּדֵין הוּא סָלִיק לְעֵילָּא), and teaches guilt against him (וְאוֹלִיף עָלֵיהּ חוֹבָא). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), “But fools lift up disgrace” (Proverbs 3) (וּכְסִילִים מֵרִים קָלוֹן), and it ascends Above and makes accusation (וְסָלִיק לְעֵילָּא וְעָבִיד קִטְרוּגָא).

He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר), “And if the family of Egypt does not go up and does not come, upon them shall be the plague, etc.” (Zechariah 14) (וְאִם מִשְׁפַּחַת מִצְרַיִם לֹא תַעֲלֶה וְלֹא בָאָה וְלֹא עֲלֵיהֶם תִּהְיֶה הַמַּגֵּפָה וְגוֹ׳). Why is Egypt different here (מַאי שְׁנָא מִצְרַיִם הָכָא), from all the other nations (מִכָּל שְׁאָר עַמִּין)? For concerning all of them it is written (דְּהָא לְכֻלְּהוּ כְּתִיב), “Upon them there shall be no rain” (Zechariah 14) (וְלֹא עֲלֵיהֶם יְהִי הַגָּשֶׁם), but here not so (וְהָכָא לָא). Rather, my friends have already explained this (אֶלָּא הָא אוֹקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא), that the land of Egypt does not require rain (דְּהָא אַרְעָא דְּמִצְרַיִם לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִטְרָא). And therefore it is not included in the generality of those who need rain (וְעַל דָּא לָאו הִיא בִּכְלָלָא דְּאִינּוּן דְּבָעָן מִטְרָא). But for them another judgment was decreed (אֲבָל אִינּוּן, דִּינָא אַחֲרָא אִסְתַּלָּק עָלַיְיהוּ). And they have spoken well (וְשַׁפִּיר קָאַמְרוּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), it is written (כְּתִיב), “For the land to which you are going to possess it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you came out, etc.” (Deuteronomy 11) (כִּי הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָא שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּה לֹא כְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם הִיא אֲשֶׁר יְצָאתֶם מִשָּׁם וְגוֹ׳). For the river rises (דְּהָא נַהֲרָא סָלִיק), and from it the land is watered (וּמִנֵּיהּ מִשְׁתַּקְיָּיא אַרְעָא). But here, “from the rain of the heavens you shall drink water” (Deuteronomy 11) (אֲבָל הָכָא לִמְטַר הַשָּׁמַיִם תִּשְׁתֶּה מָּיִם). For the holy land is always watered from heaven (דְּהָא אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא מִן שְׁמַיָיא אִתְשַׁקְיָיא תָּדִיר). And when Yisrael were engaging in the Orayta (וְכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲווֹ עַסְקִין בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), then it was watered properly (הֲוָה אִתְשַׁקְיָיא כְּדְּקָא יָאוּת). And whoever withholds the Orayta from her (וּמַאן דְּמָנַע אוֹרַיְּיתָא מִנָּהּ), it is as if he withholds good from the whole world (כְּאִילּוּ מָנַע טַב מִן כָּל עָלְמָא). They entered into a certain cave that was on the road (עָאלוּ לְגוֹ מְעַרְתָּא חֲדָא דְּהֲוָה בְּאָרְחָא). That man entered with them (עָאל הַהוּא גְּבַר עִמְּהוֹן), and they sat down (יָתְבוּ).

That man opened and said (פָּתַח הַהוּא גַּבְרָא וְאָמַר), “And Hashem spoke to Moshe face to face, as a man speaks, etc.” (Exodus 33) (וְדִבֶּר יְיָ אֶל מֹשֶׁה פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר וְגוֹ׳). This verse - its beginning is not its end, and its end is not its beginning (הַאי קְרָא לָאו רֵישֵׁיהּ סֵיפֵיהּ וְלָאו סֵיפֵיהּ רֵישֵׁיהּ). And this word is not like that word (וְלָא מִלָּה דָּא כְּמִלָּה דָּא). At first, “And Hashem spoke to Moshe face to face” - that is proper (בְּקַדְמִיתָא וְדִבֶּר יְיָ אֶל מֹשֶׁה פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים שַׁפִּיר). Afterward, “And he returned to the camp” (לְבָתַר וְשָׁב אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה). Afterward, “And his servant Yehoshua bin Nun, a youth” - what is that? (לְבָתַר וּמְשָׁרֲתוֹ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן נַעַר, מַהוּ). Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), surely Kudsha Berikh Hu delights in our glory (וַדַּאי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בִּיקָרָא דִּילָן), for now our Zivug is with the Shekhinta (דְּהַשְׁתָּא זִוּוּגָא דִּילָן בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא), and the Shekhinta does not turn aside from us (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִתְעָדֵי מִנָּן). He who opens the gate shall say a word (מַאן דְּפָתַח פִּתְחָא, לֵימָּא מִלָּה).

He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר), “And Hashem spoke to Moshe face to face” (Exodus 33) (וְדִבֶּר יְיָ אֶל מֹשֶׁה פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים). In many supernal and precious degrees (בְּכַמָּה דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין וְיַקִּירִין), Moshe the faithful prophet was distinguished (אִתְפְּרַשׁ מֹשֶׁה נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא), above all the other prophets of the world (עַל כָּל שְׁאַר נְבִיאֵי דְּעָלְמָא). For they are all compared before him like an ape before men (דְּהָא כֻּלְּהוּ לָקֳבְלֵיהּ, כְּקוֹף בִּפְנֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא). The other prophets beheld in a mirror that does not shine (שְׁאַר נְבִיאֵי הֲווֹ מִסְתַּכְּלֵי בְּאַסְפָּקְלַרְיָא דְּלָא נָהִיר), and even so they did not raise their faces upward to look (וְעִם כָּל דָּא לָא הֲווֹ זַקְפָן אַנְפִּין לְעֵילָּא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא), but only as it is written (אֶלָּא כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב), “And I was in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground” (Daniel 10) (וַאֲנִי הָיִיתִי נִרְדָּם עַל פָּנַי וּפָנַי אָרְצָה). And not only that, but the words were not with them in revelation (וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּמִלִּין לָא הֲווֹ גַּבַּיְיהוּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא).