Daf 115a (דַּף קט״ו ע״א)

And concerning this, in everything, Kudsha Berikh Hu commanded Yisrael to perform actions (וְעַל דָּא בְּכוֹלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא פַּקִּיד לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְמֶעְבַּד עוֹבָדָא), in order that one who is not needed should not rule over them (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט עֲלַיְיהוּ מַאן דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ), and that judgment should not rule over them (וְלָא יִשְׁלוֹט עֲלַיְיהוּ דִּינָא), and that they should all be meritorious in the land, like the love of a father toward his sons (וִיהוֹן כֻּלְהוֹן זַכָּאִין בְּאַרְעָא – כִּרְחִימוּ דְּאַבָּא עַל בְּנִין). And everything depends on action and on words (וְכוֹלָּא בְּעוֹבָדָא וּבְמִלִּין תַּלְיָא), and we have already established the matter of speech (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלִּין).

“And Hashem remembered Sarah as He had said” (וַיְיָ פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר) (Bereshit 21); for it is written: “At the appointed time I shall return to you, at the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son” (דִּכְתִיב: לַמּוֹעֵד אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה – וּלְשָׂרָה בֵן) (Bereshit 18). And we have learned (וְתָנִינָן): “He visited Sarah” (פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה) — visitation is for the female (פְּקִידָה לְנוּקְבָא), remembrance is for the male (זְכִירָה לִדְכוּרָא)., and because of this it says: “And Hashem pekad Sarah, as He said,” for it is written: “I shall return to you at the time of life” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: וַיְיָ פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר דִּכְתִיב: שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה וְגוֹ'). From here we understand that He said it: “I shall return to you,” and it was said plainly, meaning He Himself, not another messenger (מֵהָכָא מַשְׁמַע דְּאָמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ – וַיֹּאמֶר סְתָם – דְּאִיהוּ הֲוָה וְלָא שְׁלִיחָא אָחֳרָא).

“And Hashem did for Sarah…” (וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ לְשָׂרָה וְגוֹ')—since it had already said, “And Hashem pekad Sarah,” what does it mean: “And Hashem did for Sarah”? (כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר: וַיְיָ פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה – מַהוּ: וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ לְשָׂרָה) Rather, thus we have learned: that the source of Kudsha Berikh Hu’s works is from that river that flows and goes out of Eden (אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּנִינָן: דְּאִיבָּא דְּעוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא – מֵהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק מֵעֵדֶן אִיהוּ). And that is the Neshamah of the Righteous (וְאִיהוּ נִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא), and it is the mazala from which all blessings flow, and rains of blessings flow from it, and from there they emerge (וְאִיהוּ מַזָּלָא – דְּכָל בִּרְכָאן טָבָאן וְגִשְׁמֵי בִּרְכָאן נָזְלֵי מִנֵּיהּ, וּמִתַּמָּן נָפְקֵי). As it is written: “to water the garden”—he pours and irrigates from above to below (דִּכְתִיב: לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן דְּאִיהוּ מַזִּיל וּמַשְׁקֶה מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא), because children depend on that mazal, and not on any other place (בְּגִין דְּבָנֵי בְּהַאי מַזָּלָא תַּלְיָין וְלָא בְּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא). And concerning this it is written: “And Hashem visited Sarah”—visitation alone (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב: וַיְיָ פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה – פְּקִידָה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). “And Hashem did for Sarah…” (וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ לְשָׂרָה)—Asiyah is higher than this level (עֲשִׂיָּה אִיהוּ לְעֵילָא מֵהַאי דַּרְגָּא), as has been said, for it depends on mazal (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר דְּהָא בְּמַזְּלָא תַּלְיָיא). And for that reason here is visitation, and here is Asiyah (וְעַל דָּא: כָּאן פְּקִידָה וְכָאן עֲשִׂיָּיה). And therefore it says “Hashem” and again “Hashem”—and all is one (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמַר: יְיָ… וַיְיָ וְכוֹלָּא חַד).

Rabbi El‘azar opened and said: “Behold, a heritage from Hashem are children, a reward is the fruit of the womb” (רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח וְאָמַר: הִנֵּה נַחֲלַת יְיָ בָּנִים – שָׂכָר פְּרִי הַבָּטֶן) (Psalms 127). “Behold, a heritage from Hashem”—a possession to be joined to Hashem, never to be separated from Him (הִנֵּה נַחֲלַת יְיָ אַחְסַנְתָּא לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בַּיְיָ דְּלָא יִתְעֲבַר מִינָהּ לְעָלְמִין). For the man who merits children in this world, merits through them to enter the veil in the World to Come (דְּבַר נָשׁ דְּזָכֵי לִבְנִין בְּהַאי עַלְמָא – זָכֵי בְּהוּ לְמֵיעַל לְפַרְגּוֹדָא בְּעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי). Because that son whom the man leaves behind, and who merits in this world, that one will merit for him in the World to Come, and cause him to enter into the Heritage of Hashem (בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא בְּרָא דְּשָׁבִיק בַּר נָשׁ, וְזָכֵי בֵיהּ בְּעַלְמָא דָא – אִיהוּ יִזְכֵּי לֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי, וְזָכֵי לְאַעָלָא בֵּיהּ לְנַחֲלַת יְיָ). Who is the Heritage of Hashem? This is the Land of the Living (מַאן נַחֲלַת יְיָ דָּא אֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים). And thus it calls the Land of Yisrael: the Land of the Living (וְהָכִי קָרָא לָהּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל – דְּאִיהִי אֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים).