Daf 115b (דַּף קט״ו ע״ב)

King David called it the heritage of Hashem (דָּוִד מַלְכָּא קָרָא לֵיהּ נַחֲלַת יְיָ), as it is written (דִּכְתִיב): “For they have driven me out this day from cleaving to the heritage of Hashem, saying: Go serve other gods” (כִּי גֵּרְשׁוּנִי הַיּוֹם מֵהִסְתַּפֵּחַ בְּנַחֲלַת יְיָ לֵאמֹר לֵךְ עֲבֹד אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים) (I Samuel 26). And because of this it is written: “Behold, the heritage of Hashem is children” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ הִנֵּה נַחֲלַת יְיָ בָּנִים). Who brings merit to a man? His children (מַאן אַזְכֵּי לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ בְּנִין). If he merits through them in this world (אִי זָכֵי בְּהוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), “a reward is the fruit of the womb” (שָׂכָר פְּרִי הַבָּטֶן), a reward and a good portion in that world (אַגְרָא וְחוּלָקָא טָבָא בְּהַהִיא עָלְמָא), through that source by which the man becomes worthy in that world through them (בְּהַהוּא אִיבָּא דְּמֵעוֹי אִיהוּ דְּזָכֵי בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא בְּהוּ).

Come and see: “Behold, the heritage of Hashem is children” (תָּא חֲזֵי: הִנֵּה נַחֲלַת יְיָ בָּנִים), a gift and inheritance that issues from above, from the works of Kudsha Berikh Hu (יְרוּתָא וְאַחְסַנְתָּא דְּאִיבִּין דְּעוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִלְּעֵילָא), from the Tree of Life (אִיהוּ מֵאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי), for from there a man becomes worthy of children, as it is said (דְּהָא מִתַּמָּן זָכֵי בַּר נָשׁ לִבְנִין כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “From Me your fruit is found” (מִמֶּנִּי פֶּרְיְךָ נִמְצָא) (Hosea 14). What is written? “Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them; he shall not be ashamed…” (מַה כְּתִיב: אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר מִלֵּא אֶת אַשְׁפָּתוֹ מֵהֶם לֹא יֵבוֹשׁוּ וְגוֹ') (Psalms 127). Happy in this world and happy in the World to Come (אַשְׁרֵי בְּעָלְמָא דֵין וְאַשְׁרֵי בְּעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי).

“They shall not be ashamed when they speak with enemies in the gate” (לֹא יֵבוֹשׁוּ כִּי יְדַבְּרוּ אֶת אוֹיְבִים בַּשָּׁעַר). Who are the enemies in the gate? (מַאן אוֹיְבִים בַּשָּׁעַר) These are the masters of judgment (אִלֵּין מָארִיהוֹן דְּדִינִין), for when the soul departs from this world (דְּכַד נִשְׁמָתָא נָפְקַת מֵהַאי עַלְמָא), many masters of judgment are appointed before it (כַּמָּה אִנּוּן מָרֵיהוֹן דְּדִינִין דְּזַמִּינִין קַמֵּיהּ), before it enters its place at the gate (עַד לָא יֵיעוּל לְדוּכְתֵּיהּ בַּשָּׁעַר), at that portal through which it must enter there (בְּהַהוּא תַּרְעָא דְּיֵיעוּל תַּמָּן), because of the pledges he left in this world (בְּגִין דְּמַשְׁכּוֹנִין שָׁבִיק בְּהַאי עַלְמָא), and through them he merits in that world (וּבְגִינֵיהוֹן יִזְכֵּי בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא), and for this reason: “they shall not be ashamed when they speak with enemies in the gate” (וְעַל דָּא לֹא יֵבוֹשׁוּ כִּי יְדַבְּרוּ אֶת אוֹיְבִים בַּשָּׁעַר).

Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Yosei were walking on the way (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲווּ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא). Rabbi Yehudah said to Rabbi Yosei (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה לְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי): Open your mouth and engage in Orayta (פְּתַח פּוּמָךְ וְלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), for the Shekhinta is found with you (דְּהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא אִשְׁתַּכְּחַת גַּבָּךְ), for whenever one engages in words of Orayta (דְּכָל זְמַן דִּבְמִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא לָעָאן), the Shekhinta comes and connects (שְׁכִינְתָּא אַתְיָא וּמִתְחַבְּרָא), and all the more so on the way (וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בְּאוֹרְחָא), for the Shekhinta precedes and comes and walks before those people who merit in the faith of Kudsha Berikh Hu (עַט ב: דְּשְׁכִינְתָּא קַדְמָא וְאָתְיָא וְאַזְלָא קֳמֵיהוֹן דְּבְנֵי נָשָׁא דְּזָכָן בִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

Rabbi Yosei opened and said (פָּתַח רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר): “Your wife is as a fruitful vine in the recesses of your house; your children as olive saplings around your table” (אֶשְׁתְּךָ כְּגֶפֶן פֹּרִיָּה בְּיַרְכְּתֵי בֵיתֶךָ בָּנֶיךָ כִּשְׁתִילֵי זֵיתִים סָבִיב לְשֻׁלְחָנֶךָ) (Psalms 128). “Your wife is as a fruitful vine”—as long as the woman is in the recesses of the house and does not go outside (אֶשְׁתְּךָ כְּגֶפֶן פֹּרִיָּה כָּל זִמְנָא דְּאִתְּתָא בְּיַרְכְּתֵי בֵיתָא וְלָא נָפְקָא לְבַר), she is modest and is fitting to give birth to righteous children (הִיא צְנוּעָה וְאִתְחֲזֵי לְאוֹלָדָא בְּנִין דְּכָשְׁרָן). As a vine—just as the vine is not planted except with its own species and not with another (כְּגֶפֶן – מַה גֶּפֶן לָא אִתְנַטְּעָא אֶלָּא בְּזִינָהּ וְלָא בְּזִינָא אָחֳרָא), so too a proper woman shall not be planted by another man (כָּךְ אִתְּתָא דְּכָשְׁרָא לָא תֶעֱבַד נְטִיעָן בְּבַר נָשׁ אָחֳרָא). Just as the vine has no grafting from another tree (מַה גֶּפֶן לָא אִית בֵּיהּ רְכִיבָה מֵאִילָנָא אָחֳרָא), so too a proper woman is the same (אוּף הָכִי אִתְּתָא דְּכָשְׁרָא הָכִי נָמֵי).