Daf 116a (דַּף קט״ז ע״א)

See what her reward is: “Your children are like olive saplings” (חֲמֵי מָה אַגְרָהּ – בָּנֶיךָ כִּשְׁתִילֵי זֵיתִים). Just as olives do not drop their leaves all year long (מַה זֵיתִים לָא נָפְלֵי טַרְפַּיְיהוּ כָּל יוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא), and they are all constantly bound (וְכֻלְּהוּ קְשׁוּרִין [נ״א: בְּסִירֵי] תָּדִיר), so too: “Your children are like olive saplings around your table” (אוּף הָכִי בָּנֶיךָ כִּשְׁתִילֵי זֵיתִים סָבִיב לְשֻׁלְחָנֶךָ). What is written afterward? “Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears Hashem” (מַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ: הִנֵּה כִּי כֵן יְבֹרַךְ גֶּבֶר יְרֵא יְיָ). What is [the meaning of] ‘Behold, thus’? (מַאי: הִנֵּה כִּי כֵן יְבֹרַךְ גֶּבֶר) It should have said only ‘Thus shall be blessed’ (הִנֵּה כֵּן מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). Rather, it comes to elevate another matter, for I have learned this from it (אֶלָּא לְאַסְגָּאָה מִלָּה אַחֲרָא – דְּאוֹלִיפְנָא דָּא מִינָּהּ), that whenever the Shekhinta was modest in Her place as is fitting for Her (דְּכָל זִמְנָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוָה צְנִיעָא בְּאַתְרָהּ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לָהּ), then, as it were: “Your children are like olive saplings”—these are Yisrael when they dwell in the land (כִּבְיָכוֹל: בָּנֶיךָ כִּשְׁתִילֵי זֵיתִים – אִלֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּד שָׁרָאן בְּאַרְעָא). “Around your table” (סָבִיב לְשֻׁלְחָנְךָ), who eat and drink and bring offerings and rejoice before Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּאָכְלֵי וְשָׁתָן וּקְרֵבִין קָרְבָּנִין וְחָדָאן קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and upper and lower realms are blessed because of them (וּמִתְבָּרְכָן עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין בְּגִינַיְיהוּ).

After the Shekhinta departs, Yisrael are exiled from the table of their fathers (לְבָתַר דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא נָפְקַת – אִתְגָּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעַל פְּתוֹרָא דְּאֲבוּהוֹן), and are among the nations, crying out every day, and there is none who watches over them (וְהֲווּ בֵּינֵי עַמָּמַיָּא, וְצָוְחִין כָּל יוֹמָא, וְלֵית דְּאַשְׁגַּח בְּהוּ בַּר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written (דִּכְתִיב): “And yet for all this, when they are in the land of their enemies…” (וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם וְגוֹ') (Leviticus 26). And we have seen how many supernal holy ones have died under harsh decrees (וְחָמִינָן כַּמָּה קַדִּישִׁין עִלָּאִין מִיתוּ בִּגְזֵרִין תַּקִּיפִין), and all of it is because of the punishment for the Orayta which Yisrael did not fulfill when they were dwelling in the holy land (וְכָל דָּא בְּגִין עוֹנָשָׁא דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא דְּלָא קִיְּימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּד הֲווּ שָׁרָאן בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא). See what is written (חֲמֵי מַה כְּתִיב): “Because you did not serve Hashem your God with joy and goodness of heart, out of the abundance of everything” (תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָבַדְתָּ אֶת יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְטוּב לֵבָב מֵרֹב כֹּל) (Deuteronomy 28). This verse is a secret (הַאי קְרָא אִיהוּ רָזָא): “Because you did not serve in joy” at the time when the Kohanim would offer sacrifices and atone, and this was in joy (תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָבַדְתָּ בְּשִׂמְחָה – בִּזְמַן דְּכֹהֲנֵי הֲווּ קְרֵבִין קָרְבָּנִין וַעֲלָוָון וְדָא הִיא בְּשִׂמְחָה). “And in goodness of heart”—these are the Levi’im (וּבְטוּב לֵבָב – אִלֵּין לֵיוָאֵי). “Out of the abundance of everything”—these are Yisrael, who were in the middle between them and took blessings from every side (מֵרֹב כֹּל – אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּהֲווּ אֶמְצָעִיִּין בֵּינַיְיהוּ וְנָטְלֵי בִּרְכָּאן מִכָּל סִטְרִין). As it is written (דִּכְתִיב): “You have multiplied the nation, You have increased the joy” (הִרְבִּיתָ הַגּוֹי לוֹ הִגְדַּלְתָּ הַשִּׂמְחָה) (Isaiah 9). These are the Kohanim (אִלֵּין כַּהֲנֵי). “They rejoice before You as with the joy of the harvest”—these are Yisrael, whom Kudsha Berikh Hu blessed with the produce of the field, and who gave tithes from everything (שָׂמְחוּ לְפָנֶיךָ כְּשִׂמְחַת בַּקָּצִיר – אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּרִיךְ לוֹן עִבּוּרָא דְּחַקְלָא וְיָהֲבֵי מַעַשְׂרָא מִכֹּלָּא). “As they rejoice when they divide the spoil”—these are the Levi’im, who took the tithe from the granary (כַּאֲשֶׁר יָגִילוּ בְּחַלְּקָם שָׁלָל – אִלֵּין לֵיוָאֵי דְּנָטְלָא מַעַשְׂרָא מִגּוֹ אִדְרָא).

Another matter: “You have multiplied the nation”—these are Yisrael, upon whom rests the faith of Kudsha Berikh Hu, as is fitting (דָּבָר אַחֵר: הִרְבִּיתָ הַגּוֹי – אִלֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי). “To him You increased the joy”—this is the supernal head level of Avraham, who clung to it, for he is great, and joy is found in him (לוֹ הִגְדַּלְתָּ הַשִּׂמְחָה – דָּא אִיהוּ דַּרְגָּא רֵישָׁא עִלָּאָה דְּאַבְרָהָם דְּאִתְדָּבַּק בָּהּ, דְּאִיהוּ גָּדוֹל וְחֶדְוָה בֵּיהּ אִשְׁתַּכַּח).