Daf 298b (דַּף רצ״ח ע״ב)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), thus said Rabbi El'azar in the name of his father (הָכִי אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דַּאֲבוֹי): Yisrael said before Kudsha Berikh Hu (אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), from the day we fell into exile (מִיּוֹמָא דְּנָפִלְנָא בְּגָלוּתָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu left us in exile (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁבִיק לָן בְּגָלוּתָא), and has forgotten us (וְאַנְשֵׁי לָן). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב): “And Tziyon said: Hashem has abandoned me, and Hashem has forgotten me” (Isaiah 49) (וַתֹּאמֶר צִיּוֹן עֲזָבַנִי יְיָ וַיְיָ שְׁכֵחָנִי). The Shekhinta said (אָמְרָה שְׁכִינְתָּא): “Can a woman forget her child? (הֲתִשְׁכַּח אִשָּׁה עוּלָהּ) And Yisrael, who are called children (וְכִי יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִקְרוּן בְּנִין), as you say (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר): ‘You are children to Hashem your Elohim’” (Devarim 14) (בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם).

From the compassion of the child of her womb (מֵרַחֵם בֶּן בִּטְנָהּ), as you say (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “And I planted you as a noble vine, entirely a seed of truth” (Yirmeyahu 2) (וְאָנֹכִי נְטַעְתִּיךְ שׂוֹרֵק כֻּלּוֹ זֶרַע אֱמֶת). “Even these may forget” (גַּם אֵלֶּה תִשְׁכַּחְנָה), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth” (Bereshit 2) (אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ). “And I will not forget you” (וְאָנֹכִי לֹא אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ). From here we learn (מִכָּאן), that Kudsha Berikh Hu never abandons Yisrael forever (דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא שָׁבִיק לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְעָלְמִין). Again he said (תּוּ אָמַר): “Can a woman forget her child, from the compassion of the child of her womb?” (הֲתִשְׁכַּח אִשָּׁה עוּלָהּ מֵרַחֵם בֶּן בִּטְנָהּ). This is the supernal secret (דָּא הוּא רָזָא עִלָּאָה), that Kudsha Berikh Hu said (דְּאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): “These words are bound in My Name” (הָא מִלִּין אִלֵּין בִּשְׁמֵיהּ אֲחִידָן). Just as Kudsha Berikh Hu never forgets His Name (כְּמָה דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אַנְשֵׁי שְׁמֵיהּ), for He is all (דְּהָא הוּא כֹּלָּא), so Kudsha Berikh Hu never forgets Yisrael who are truly bound in His Name (כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אַנְשֵׁי לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִינּוּן אֲחִידָן בִּשְׁמֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ).

Rabbi Chiyya was stirred (אִתְרְגִּישׁ רִבִּי חִיָּיא), and said: Surely this is the word (אָמַר וַדַּאי דָּא הִיא מִלָּה). Blessed be Kudsha Berikh Hu who has awakened you to me (בְּרִיךְ יְהֵא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאַעְרַעְנָא לָךְ), and I have known the word (וְיָדַעְנָא מִלָּה), and I have known from whom I heard it (וְיָדַעְנָא מַאן הַהוּא דְּשָׁמַעְנָא מִנֵּיהּ). And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי): That day I was running after four matters (דְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּרָהִיטְנָא ד' מִילֵּי), and I could not find who it was (וְלָא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא מַאן הֲוָה). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Because I entered into one cave of Rabbi El'azar, and the hour was extended (בְּגִין דְּעָאלְנָא בְּחַד מְעַרְתָּא דְּרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר נָּפִישׁ שַׁעֲתָא חֲדָא). Rabbi Chiyya read over him these verses (קָרֵי עָלֵיהּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא הָנֵי קְרָאֵי): “Then your light shall burst forth like the dawn…” (Isaiah 58) (אָז יִבָּקַע כַּשַּׁחַר אוֹרֶךָ וְגוֹ'). “Then you shall call, and Hashem shall answer…” (אָז תִּקְרָא וַיְיָ יַעֲנֶה וְגוֹ'). “Then you shall delight in Hashem…” (אָז תִּתְעַנָּג עַל יְיָ וְגוֹ'). “Remember the days of old, understand the years of generation and generation” (Devarim 32) (זְכוֹר יְמוֹת עוֹלָם, בִּינוּ שְׁנוֹת דּוֹר וָדוֹר וְגוֹ'). “Remember the days of old”-Rabbi Abba said (זְכוֹר יְמוֹת עוֹלָם, רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר): Who are the days of old? (מַאן יְמוֹת עוֹלָם)? They are the six days in which Kudsha Berikh Hu made the world (אִינּוּן שִׁיתָּא יוֹמִין דְּעָבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא בְּהוּ), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “For six days Hashem made…” (Shemot 31) (כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה יְיָ וְגוֹ'). “Six days”-and not “in six days” (שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים, וְלָא בְּשֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים), and this we have already established (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא). “Understand the years of generation and generation” (בִּינוּ שְׁנוֹת דּוֹר וָדוֹר)-that is to say (כְּלוֹמַר): Those are the days of old (אִינּוּן יְמוֹת עוֹלָם), let all those years and days be known and understood (יָדְעוּ וְיִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעוּ כָּל אִינּוּן שְׁנִין וְיוֹמִין), and every generation and generation (וְכָל דָּרָא וְדָרָא), until this generation in which you stand (עַד דָּרָא דָּא דְּאַתּוּן קַיְימִין). “Ask your father and he will tell you” (שְׁאַל אָבִיךָ וְיַגֵּדְךָ)-this is Kudsha Berikh Hu (דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “Is He not your Father, your Creator?” (הֲלֹא הוּא אָבִיךָ קָּנֶךָ). “And he will tell you” (וְיַגֵּדְךָ)-and He will reveal the depth of Chokhmah (וְהוּא יְגַלֶּה עוּמְקָא דְּחָכְמְתָא). And what is it? (וּמַאי הִיא). Rather, when those six days completed the world (אֶלָּא כַּד אִינּוּן שִׁיתָּא יוֹמִין שַׁכְלִילוּ עָלְמָא), they did not complete it except for your sake (לָא שַׁכְלִילוּ לֵיהּ אֶלָּא בְּגִינָךְ), that you would come and uphold the Orayta (דְּתֵיתֵי אַנְתְּ וּתְקַיֵּים אוֹרַיְיתָא).

For we have learned (דְּתָנֵינָן): everything that Kudsha Berikh Hu made, He made on condition (כָּל מַה דְּעֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל תְּנַאי עֲבַד), that when Yisrael would come, if they accepted the Orayta properly (דְּכַד יֵיתוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, אִי יְקַבְּלוּן אוֹרַיְיתָא יָאוּת), well and good-but if not, it would return to tohu vavohu (וְאִי לָא דְּיְהָדַר לֵיהּ לְתֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ). And because of this (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), those Days of Old are known and revealed in everything (אִינּוּן יְמוֹת עוֹלָם יָדְעוּ וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן כֹּלָּא). And we have learned (וְהָא תָּנֵינָן): those are the branches of the tree (הַנְהוּ עַנְפֵּי דְּאִילָנָא), how they are united in the tree (הֵיךְ מִתְאַחֲדָן בְּגוֹ אִילָנָא). And we have already established (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא): then Kudsha Berikh Hu chose them (כְּדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּרֵר לוֹן), to appoint them as shields over the other nations (לִמְמָנָן תְּרִיסִין עַל שְׁאַר עַמִּין). And as for you, what is written? (וְאַתּוּן מַה כְּתִיב): “For Hashem’s portion is His people, Yaakov is the lot of His inheritance” (כִּי חֵלֶק יְיָ עַמּוֹ יַעֲקֹב חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ). He did not give them to a great one (דְּלָא יָהַב לְהוּ לְרַבְרְבָא), nor to an angel (וְלָא לְמַלְאָכָא), nor to any other appointed being (וְלָא לִמְמָנָא אַחֲרָא), but this people Kudsha Berikh Hu took as His portion (וְהַאי עַמָּא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָסַב לְחוּלָקֵיהּ). In what place did He find them? (בְּאָן אֲתָר אַשְׁכַּח לֵיהּ). “He found him in a desert land, and in the wasteland of howling wilderness…” (יִמְצָאֵהוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר וּבְתֹהוּ יְלֵיל יְשִׁימוֹן וְגוֹ'). As it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “Terach, the father of Avraham…” (Yehoshua 24) (תֶּרַח אֲבִי אַבְרָהָם וְגוֹ'). “And I took your father Avraham…” (וָאֶקַּח אֶת אֲבִיכֶם אֶת אַבְרָהָם וְגוֹ'). And from there He spoke to Yisrael in every generation (וּמֵהָכָא דָּבַּר לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל דָּרָא וְדָרָא), and He never separated from them (וְלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנַּיְיהוּ), but spoke to them with compassion (וְדָבַּר לְהוּ בְּרַחֲמֵי). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִּיב): “As an eagle arouses its nest…” (Devarim 32) (כְּנֶשֶׁר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ וְגוֹ'). “As an eagle arouses its nest” (כְּנֶשֶׁר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ).

Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): I have not found one who has mercy on his children like this eagle (לָא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא מַאן דְּחָיִיס עַל בְּנוֹי כְּהַאי נִשְׁרָא). And for this reason we have learned (וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן): it is written (כְּתִיב): “And the face of a lion to the right, and the face of an ox to the left” (Yechezkel 1) (וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה אֶל הַיָּמִין, וּפְנֵי שׁוֹר מֵהַשְּׂמֹאל). Where is the eagle? (נֶשֶׁר בְּאָן דּוּכְתֵּיהּ). In the place where Yaakov stands (בַּאֲתָר דְּיַעֲקֹב קָאִים). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִּיב): “The way of the eagle in the heavens” (Mishlei 30) (דֶּרֶךְ הַנֶּשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם). In that very place (בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר מַמָּשׁ).

What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא). Because it has mercy on its children (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ רַחֲמֵי עַל בְּנוֹי), but judgment toward others (וְדִינָא לְגַבֵּי אַחֲרָנִין). So too is Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): He spoke to His children like this eagle (דָּבַּר לִבְנוֹי כְּנֶשֶׁר דָּא). What is written: “Hashem alone will guide him, and there was no foreign god with Him” (מַה כְּתִיב, יְיָ בָּדָד יַנְחֶנּוּ, וְאֵין עִמּוֹ אֵל נֵכָר). He alone (הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “And Hashem went before them…” (Shemot 13) (וַיְיָ הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם וְגוֹ'). “And there was no foreign god with Him” (וְאֵין עִמּוֹ אֵל נֵכָר)-for He did not speak to Yisrael by means of an angel (דְּלָא דָּבַּר לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לָא מַלְאָכָא), nor by another appointed power (וְלָא מְמָנָא אַחֲרָא), for these are called a foreign god (דְּאִינּוּן אִקְרוּן אֵל נֵכָר). And this is what Moshe said (וְדָא הוּא דְּאָמַר מֹשֶׁה): “If Your Presence does not go, do not bring us up from here” (Shemot 33) (אִם אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הוֹלְכִים אַל תַּעֲלֵנוּ מִזֶּה). This is what is written: “Hashem alone will guide him” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, יְיָ בָּדָד יַנְחֶנּוּ)-He alone, and there was no foreign god with Him (הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וְאֵין עִמּוֹ אֵל נֵכָר).

Happy is the portion of Yisrael (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), that Kudsha Berikh Hu spoke with them (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דָּבַּר עִמְּהוֹן). Regarding Yisrael, thus it is written (בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הָכִי עָלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב): “For Hashem has chosen Yaakov for Himself, Yisrael for His treasure” (Tehillim 135) (כִּי יַעֲקֹב בָּחַר לוֹ יָהּ, יִשְׂרָאֵל לִסְגוּלָתוֹ). And it is written (וּכְתִיב): “For Hashem will not forsake His people…” (Shmuel I 12) (כִּי לֹא יִטּוֹשׁ יְיָ אֶת עַמּוֹ וְגוֹ').

What is the reason that Hashem will not forsake His people? (מַאי טַעְמָא לֹא יִטּוֹשׁ יְיָ אֶת עַמּוֹ). For the sake of His great Name (בַּעֲבוּר שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל), because this is bound with that (בְּגִין דְּהַאי בְּהַאי אִתְדְּבַק). And for this reason Kudsha Berikh Hu will not abandon them (וְעַל דָּא לָא יִשְׁבּוֹק לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), for wherever they dwell (דִּבְכָל אֲתָר דְּאִינּוּן שַׁרְיָין), Kudsha Berikh Hu is with them (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עִמְּהוֹן), as we have established (כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא). “If only they were wise, they would understand this” (Devarim 32) (לוּ חָכְמוּ יַשְׂכִּילוּ זֹאת).

Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): All these verses here (כָּל הָנֵי קְרָאֵי דְּהָכָא) prove (אוֹכָחֵי אִינּוּן) that Moshe reproved Yisrael (דְּאוֹכַח לְהוּ מֹשֶׁה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל) in the merit of that Holy Name (בַּר הַהוּא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), which was revealed in the fullness of its letters (דְּגַלֵּי בְּשֵׁירוּתָא דְּמִלוֹי). Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא): Even that which Moshe reproved Yisrael (וַאֲפִילּוּ מַה דְּאוֹכַח לְיִשְׂרָאֵל) is included within the Holy Name (בִּכְלָלָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא הוּא). For there is no word in the Orayta that goes out from the inclusion of the Holy Name (דְּלֵית מִלָּה בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּנָפִיק מִכְּלָלָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). For the entire Orayta is the Name of Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא שְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִינּוּן).