Daf 103a (דַּף ק״ג ע״א)

And come and see, in every place where it is written “And He said” without attribution, or “And He called” without attribution, it is the angel of the covenant, and not another (וְתָּא חֲזֵי, בְּכָל אֲתַר דִּכְתִיב וַיֹּאמֶר סְתָם אוֹ וַיִּקְרָא סְתָם הוּא מַלְאָכָא דִּבְרִית וְלָא אָחֳרָא). “And He said”, as it is written (Exodus 15): “And He said: If you will surely listen…”, and it does not say who said it (וַיֹּאמֶר דִּכְתִיב: וַיֹּאמֶר אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע וְגו׳ וְלָא קָאֲמַר מַאן הוּא). “And He called”, as it is written (Leviticus 1): “And He called to Moshe”, without stating who it was (וַיִּקְרָא דִּכְתִיב: וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְלָא קָאֲמַר מַאן הֲוָה). “He said”, as it is written (Exodus 24): “And to Moshe He said…”, again without attribution (אָמַר דִּכְתִיב: וְאֶל מֹשֶׁה אָמַר וְגו׳, וְלָא אָמַר מַאן הֲוָה). Likewise here: “And He said: I shall return…” is stated without attribution (אַף הָכִי דִּכְתִיב: וַיֹּאמֶר שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב-סְתָם, וְלֹא קָאָמַר מַאן הֲוָה). Rather, in all these, it was the angel of the covenant, and everything is stated in Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֶלָּא בְּכָל הַנֵּי: מַלְאָכָא דִּבְרִית הֲוָה, וְכֹּלָּא בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְּמָר). And for this reason it is written: “And He said: I shall return to you…” and “behold, a son…” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב: וַיֹּאמֶר שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ וְגו׳, וְהִנֵּה בֵן וְגו׳). “Behold, a son for Sarah your wife”-why does it not say “a son for you”? (וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ-מַאי טַעְמָא לָא כְּתִיב: וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְךָ) Rather, so he not think it is from Hagar, as before (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּלָא יַחֲשֹׁב דְּהָא מִן הָגָר אִיהוּ כִּדְבְקַדְמִיתָא).

Rabbi Shim‘on opened and said (Malachi 1): “A son honors his father, and a servant his master” (רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר: בֵּן יְכַבֵּד אָב וְעֶבֶד אֲדוֹנָיו). “A son honors his father”-this is Yitzchak to Avraham (בֵּן יְכַבֵּד אָב-דָּא יִצְחָק לְאַבְרָהָם). When did he honor him? At the time when he was bound on the altar, and was about to be offered as a sacrifice (אֵימָתַי כַּבִּיד לֵיהּ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעֲקַד לֵיהּ עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבֵּחָא וּבְעָא לְמִקְרַב לֵיהּ קָרְבָּנָא), and Yitzchak was thirty-seven years old (וְיִצְחָק בַּר תְּלָתִין וּשְׁבַע שְׁנִין הֲוָה), and Avraham was an old man (וְאַבְרָהָם הֲוָה סָבָא), that if he had kicked him with one foot, he could not have stood against him (דְּאִילּוּ הֲוָה בָּעִיט בֵּיהּ בְּרַגְלָא חַד לָא יָכִיל לְמֵיקַם קַמֵּיהּ-כָּל שֶׁכֵּן לְמֶעְבַּד לֵיהּ), but he honored his father and allowed himself to be bound like a lamb, to fulfill the will of his father (וְאִיהוּ אוֹקִיר לֵיהּ לְאֲבוּהִי וְעֲקַד לֵיהּ כְּחַד אִימְרָא בְּגִין לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתֵיהּ דְּאֲבוּהִי). “And a servant his master”-this is Eliezer to Avraham (וְעֶבֶד אֲדוֹנָיו-דָּא אֱלִיעֶזֶר לְאַבְרָהָם), when he sent him to Ḥaran, and he fulfilled all the will of Avraham (כַּד שַׁדַּר לֵיהּ לְחָרָן, וְעֲבַד כָּל רְעוּתֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם), and he honored him, as it is written (Bereshit 24): “And Hashem has blessed my master…” (וְאוֹקִיר לֵיהּ כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב: וַיְיָ בֵּרַךְ אֶת אֲדוֹנִי וְגו׳), and it is written (ibid).: “And he said: I am the servant of Avraham,” in order to honor Avraham (וּכְתִיב: וַיֹּאמֶר עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם אָנֹכִי, בְּגִין לְאוֹקִיר לֵיהּ לְאַבְרָהָם). For this man brought silver and gold and precious stones and camels, and still, with proper humility, did not say he was beloved of Avraham or his relative (דְּהָא בַּר נָשׁ דְּהֲוָה מַיְיתֵי כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וְאַבְנֵי יְקָר וּגְמַלִּין, וְאִיהוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת שַׁפִּיר בְּחֵיזוּ-לֹא אָמַר דְּאִיהוּ רְחִימָא דְּאַבְרָהָם אוֹ קָרִיבָא דִּילֵיהּ). Rather, he said “I am the servant of Avraham”, to raise up the praise of Avraham and honor him in their eyes (אֶלָּא אָמַר: עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם אָנֹכִי, בְּגִין לְסַלְּקָא בִּשְׁבָּחָא דְּאַבְרָהָם וּלְאוֹקִיר לֵיהּ בְּעֵינַיְיהוּ). And on this it is said: “A son honors his father, and a servant his master” (וְעַל דָּא: בֵּן יְכַבֵּד אָב וְעֶבֶד אֲדוֹנָיו). And you, Yisrael-My sons! It is shameful in your eyes to say that I am your Father, or that you are My servants? (וְאַתּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּנַי-קְלָנָא בְּעֵינַיְכוּ לוֹמַר דְּאַנָּא אֲבוּכוֹן אוֹ דְּאַתּוּן עֲבָדִין לִי) “And if I am a Father, where is My honor?” (Malachi 1) (וְאִם אָב אָנִי אַיֵּה כְּבוֹדִי וְגו׳). For this reason: “Behold, a son…”-this is truly a son, and not Yishma‘el (בְּגִין כָּךְ: וְהִנֵּה בֵן-דָּא הוּא בֵּן וַדַּאי, וְלָא יִשְׁמָעֵאל), for this is a son who honored his father properly (דָּא הוּא בֵּן דְּאוֹקִיר לְאֲבוּהִי כְּדְקָא חָזֵי). And behold, a son for Sarah your wife (וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ)-a son for Sarah, on account of whom she died (בֵּן לְשָׂרָה, דִּבְגִינֵיהּ מִיתַת), on account of whom her soul grieved until it departed from her (דִּבְגִינֵיהּ כְּאִיבַת נַפְשָׁהּ עַד דְּנַפְקַת מִינָהּ). And behold, a son for Sarah-to be elevated because of him at the time Kudsha Berikh Hu sits in judgment upon the world (וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה, לְאִסְתַּלָּקָא בְּגִינֵיהּ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָתִיב בְּדִינָא עַל עָלְמָא). As it is written: “And Hashem remembered Sarah” (Bereshit 21) -because He recalled Sarah for the sake of Yitzchak (דִּכְדֵין: וַיְיָ פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה וְגו׳, דְּהָא מַדְכְּרֵי לְשָׂרָה בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּיִצְחָק). And for that reason, he is a son for Sarah (וְעַל דָּא אִיהוּ בֵּן לְשָׂרָה). (They, the angels, said this). (אנהו מַלְאֲכֵי אָמְרוּ). And behold, a son for Sarah-because the female receives her child from the male (וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה, דְּהָא נוּקְבָא נָטְלָא לִבְרָא מִן דְּכוּרָא). And Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, and he was behind it (וְשָׂרָה שׁוֹמַעַת פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו). What is “and he was behind it”? It should have said: “and she was behind it” (מַאי: וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו-וְהִיא אַחֲרָיו מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). Rather, this is a secret: Sarah was hearing what was being said (אֶלָּא רָזָא אִיהוּ: וְשָׂרָה שׁוֹמַעַת מַה דְּהֲוָה אָמַר)-“the entrance of the tent”, that is Kudsha Berikh Hu (פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל-דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and he was behind it-whoever it was who was speaking (וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו-מַאן דְּהֲוָה אָמַר). The entrance of the tent-this is the lower level (פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל-דָּא דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה), the entrance of faith (פִּתְחָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא), and he was behind it-the supernal level (וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו-דְּאוֹדֵי לֵיהּ דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה). From the day Sarah existed in the world, she had never heard a word of Kudsha Berikh Hu until that moment (מִן יוֹמָא דְּהֲוַת שָׂרָה בְּעָלְמָא לָא שָׁמְעַת מִלָּה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בַּר הַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא).

Another matter: Sarah was sitting at the entrance of the tent in order to hear words (דָּבָר אַחֵר: דְּהֲוַת יָתְבָא שָׂרָה פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל בְּגִין לְמִשְׁמַע מִלִּין), and she heard this word that Avraham had been told (וְהִיא שָׁמְעַת הַאי מִלָּה דְּאִתְבַּשַּׂר בָּהּ אַבְרָהָם). Another reading: he was behind it-Avraham, who was positioned behind the Shekhinta (ד״א: וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו-אַבְרָהָם דְּהֲוָה יָתִיב אַחוֹרוֹי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא). And Avraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in days (וְאַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה זְקֵנִים בָּאִים בַּיָּמִים)-what is “advanced in days”? These are measures of days that were now visible for them-one hundred and ninety, entering into the measure of days as is fitting (מַאי: בָּאִים בַּיָּמִים שִׁעוּרִין דְּיוֹמִין דְּאִתְחֲזֵי כְּדֵין לְהוּ: חַד מֵאָה וְחַד תִּשְׁעִים-עָאלוּ בְּיוֹמִין שִׁעוּרָא דְּיוֹמִין כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת). “Advanced in days”-as it is said: “For the day has come”, when evening arrives to bring in the day (בָּאִים בַּיָּמִים-כְּמָא דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: כִּי בָא הַיּוֹם דְּאִעֲרַב יוֹמָא לְמֵיעַל). And it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women-and at that moment, she looked at her body in another season (חָדַל לִהְיוֹת לְשָׂרָה אֹרַח כַּנָּשִׁים, וְהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא חָמַאת גַּרְמָהּ בְּעִדּוּנָא אָחֳרָא), and for that reason she said: “And my lord is old,” for he is not fit for bearing children, for he is an old man (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמְרָה: וַאֲדוֹנִי זָקֵן-דְּהָא אִיהוּ לָא כְּדַאי לְאוֹלָדָא, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ סָבָא).

Rabbi Yehudah opened: (Proverbs 31) “Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land” (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח: נוֹדַע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בַּעֲלָהּ בְּשִׁבְתּוֹ עִם זִקְנֵי אָרֶץ). Come and see: Kudsha Berikh Hu is withdrawn in His glory, which is hidden and concealed in great transcendence (תָּא חֲזֵי: קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִסְתַּלַּק בִּיקָרֵיהּ-דְּאִיהוּ גָּנִיז וְסָתִים בְּעִילוּיָא סַגִּיא). He is not [manifest] in the world, and from the day the world was created, there was no one who could withstand His wisdom or endure in Him (לָאו אִיתַי בְּעָלְמָא, וְלָא הֲוָה מִן יוֹמָא דְּאִתְּבְּרֵי עָלְמָא דְּיָכִיל לְקָיְימָא עַל חָכְמָתָא דִּילֵיהּ וְלָא יָכִיל לְקָיְימָא בֵּיהּ).