Daf 119b (דַּף קי״ט ע״ב)

Command the salvations of Ya‘akov (צַוֵּה יְשׁוּעוֹת יַעֲקֹב), all those messengers who perform missions in the world (כָּל אִנּוּן שְׁלִיחָן דְּעָבְדֵּי שְׁלִיחוּתָא בְּעָלְמָא), that they should all be from the side of mercy (דְּלֶהֱוֵי כֻּלְּהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְּרַחֲמֵי), and not be from the side of judgment (וְלָא לֶהְווֹ מִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא), because there are masters of messengers from the side of mercy and from the side of harsh judgment (בְּגִין דְּאִית מָארֵי שְׁלִיחָן מִסִּטְרָא דְּרַחֲמֵי וּמִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא). Those messengers that come from the side of mercy do not perform missions of judgment in the world at all (אִנּוּן שְׁלִיחָן דְּאַתְיָין מִסִּטְרָא דְּרַחֲמֵי לָא עַבְדֵּי שְׁלִיחוּתָא דְּדִינָא בְּעָלְמָא כְּלָל). And if you say: but the angel that appeared to Bil‘am—have we not learned he was a messenger of mercy who turned to judgment? (וְאִי תֵּימָא הָא מַלְאָכָא דְּאִתְגְּלֵי לֵיהּ לְבִלְעָם הָא תָּנִינָן שְׁלִיחָא דְּרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה וְאִתְהַפַּךְ לְדִינָא). No. He never changed—rather, he was a messenger of mercy to protect Yisra’el and to be an advocate for them (לָא. לְעוֹלָם לָא אִשְׁתַּנֵּי, אֶלָּא שְׁלִיחָא דְּרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה לַאֲגָנָא עֲלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְמֶהֱוֵי סַנֵּיגוֹרְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ), and judgment was against him [Bil‘am] (וּלְקֳבְלֵיהּ הוּא דִּינָא). And thus is the way of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְכָךְ אוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): when He prepares for one [merit], He prepares judgment for the other (כַּד אוֹטִיב לְדָא, הַהוּא טִיבוּ דִּינָא לְדָא). So too this was a messenger of mercy for Yisra’el, and for Bil‘am it turned into judgment (כָּךְ הָא שְׁלִיחָא דְּרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְבִלְעָם אִתְהַפַּךְ לְדִינָא). Therefore, “Command the salvations of Ya‘akov,” said David (בְּגִין כָּךְ צַוֵּה יְשׁוּעוֹת יַעֲקֹב אָמַר דָּוִד), a command upon the world that the messengers sent should be from the side of mercy (פַּקִּיד עַל עָלְמָא כַּד יִשְׁתַּלְּחוּן שְׁלִיחָאָה דִּי לֶהֶוְיָן מִסִּטְרָא דְּרַחֲמֵי).

Rabbi Abba said: “Command the salvations of Ya‘akov”—this refers to those within exile (רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר: צַוֵּה יְשׁוּעוֹת יַעֲקֹב דְּאִנּוּן גוֹ גַלְוָותָא), and there will be deliverance for them within their exile (וְיִשְׁתַּכַּח פּוּרְקָנָא לְהוֹן גוֹ גָּלוּתְהוֹן). Come and see: the praises of the patriarchs were all with Ya‘akov (תָּא חֲזֵי, תּוּשְׁבְּחָן דְּאֲבָהָן יַעֲקֹב הֲוָה), and were it not for Yitzchak, Ya‘akov would not have come into the world (וְאִלְמָלֵא יִצְחָק לָא אֲתָא יַעֲקֹב לְעָלְמָא). And for that reason, “Command the salvations of Ya‘akov”—this is Yitzchak (וּבְגִין כָּךְ צַוֵּה יְשׁוּעוֹת יַעֲקֹב דָּא יִצְחָק), for when Yitzchak was saved, they became the salvations of Ya‘akov (דְּכֵיוָן דְּאִשְׁתְּזִיב יִצְחָק, יְשׁוּעוֹת יַעֲקֹב הֲווּ).

“And it came to pass after these things…” (וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה). Rabbi Shim‘on said: Have we not learned? “And it came to pass in the days of…” is always said about sorrow (רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר: הָא תָּנִינָן, וַיְהִי בִּימֵי – עַל צַעֲרָא אִתְּמָר), and “And it came to pass,” even without the words “in the days,” carries sorrow within it (וַיְהִי – אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא כְּתִיב בִּימֵי, טַפְסֵי דְּצַעֲרָא אִית בֵּיהּ). “And it came to pass after”—this refers to the lower level of all the upper levels (וַיְהִי אַחַר – בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין). And what are “the things”? As you say (Exodus 4): “I am not a man of words” (וּמַאן אִיהוּ דְּבָרִים כְּמָא דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: לֹא אִישׁ דְּבָרִים אָנֹכִי). And who was after this level? (וּמַאן הֲוָה בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא דָא), “And the Elohim tested Avraham” (וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם)—for the Evil inclination came to accuse before Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּאַתְיָא יֵצֶר הָרָע לְקַטְרְגָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Here one must contemplate: “And the Elohim tested Avraham”—should it not have said, “tested Yitzchak”? (הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא, וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם. אֶת יִצְחָק מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). For Yitzchak was thirty-seven years old (דְּהָא יִצְחָק בַּר תְּלָתִין וְשֶׁבַע שְׁנִין הֲוָה), and his father was not liable for his punishment (וְהָא אֲבוֹי לָאו בַּר עוֹנָשָׁא דִּילֵיהּ הֲוָה), for had Yitzchak said, “I do not want,” his father would not have been punished on account of him (דְּאִלְמָלֵא אָמַר יִצְחָק לָא בָעֵינָא לָא אִתְעֲנַשׁ אֲבוֹי עֲלֵיהּ). What is the reason then that it says, “And the Elohim tested Avraham,” and not “tested Yitzchak”? (מַאי טַעְמָא וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם וְלָא כְּתִיב נִסָּה אֶת יִצְחָק)? Rather, “Avraham” indeed—because he needed to be integrated with din (אֶלָּא אֶת אַבְרָהָם וַדַּאי, דְּבָעֵי לְאִתְכַּלָּלָא בְּדִינָא), for Avraham had within him no din at all beforehand (דְּהָא אַבְרָהָם לָא הֲוָה בֵיהּ דִּינָא כְּלָל מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא), and now he would be integrated— water with fire (וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְכְּלִיל מַיָּא בְּאֶשָּׁא). And Avraham was not complete until now, until he was crowned to perform judgment and to rectify it in its place (וְאַבְרָהָם לָא הֲוָה שְׁלִים עַד הַשְׁתָּא, דְּאִתְעַטַּר לְמֶעְבַּד דִּינָא וּלְאַתְקָנָא לֵיהּ בְּאַתְרֵיהּ). And all his days he was not complete until now, when water was integrated with fire, and fire with water (וְכָל יוֹמוֹי לָא הֲוָה שְׁלִים עַד הַשְׁתָּא, דְּאִתְכְּלִיל מַיָּא בְּאֶשָּׁא וְאֶשָּׁא בְּמַיָּא). And because of this: “And the Elohim tested Avraham,” and not Yitzchak (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם וְלֹא אֶת יִצְחָק), for Avraham was invited to be integrated with judgment (דְּאַזְמִין אַבְרָהָם לְאִתְכַּלָּלָא בְּדִינָא). And when he performed this, fire entered into water, and this one was completed with that one (וְכַד עָבִיד דָּא, עָאַל אֶשָּׁא בְּמַיָּא וְאִשְׁתְּלִים דָּא עִם דָּא). And this performed judgment in order to integrate this one with that one (וְדָּא עָבִיד דִּינָא לְאִתְכַּלָּלָא דָּא בְּדָא). And then the Evil inclination came to accuse Avraham (וּכְדֵין יֵצֶר הָרָע אֲתָא לְקַטְרְגָא עֲלֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם), that he was not yet fully perfected as was fitting, until he should perform judgment upon Yitzchak (דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּלִים כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, עַד דְּיַעֲבִיד דִּינָא בְּיִצְחָק). For the Evil inclination—“after these things”—this it is, and it came to accuse (דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים אִיהוּ, וְאָתָא לְקַטְרְגָא). And come and see the secret of the matter (וְתָא חֲזֵי רָזָא דְּמִלָּה): even though we have said that “Avraham” is written and not “Yitzchak” (אַף עַל גַּב דְּקָאֲמָרָן דְּאַבְרָהָם כְּתִיב וְלָא יִצְחָק), Yitzchak too is included in this verse (יִצְחָק נָמֵי אִתְכַּלִּיל בֵּיהּ בְּהַאי קְרָא), the secret being what is written: “And the Elohim tested Avraham” (רָזָא דִּכְתִיב וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם). It does not say, “tested Avraham” without et—rather, “et Avraham,” precisely; and this is Yitzchak (נִסָּה לְאַבְרָהָם לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא אֶת אַבְרָהָם אֶת דַּיְיקָא, וְדָא יִצְחָק). For at that moment, lower Gevurah rested (דְּהָא בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא בִּגְבוּרָא תַּתָּאָה שַׁרְיָא), and once he was bound and prepared for din by the hand of Avraham as was fitting (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעַקַּד וְאִזְדַּמַּן בְּדִינָא עַל יְדָא דְּאַבְרָהָם כְּדְקָא יְאוּת), then he was crowned in his place alongside Avraham (כְּדֵין אִתְעַטַּר בְּאַתְרֵיהּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם), and fire was integrated with water, and they rose above (וְאִתְכְּלִילוּ אֵשָׁא בְּמַיָּא וּסְלִיקוּ לְעֵילָא), and then a dispute is found as is fitting (וּכְדֵין אִשְׁתַּכַּח מַחְלוֹקֶת כְּדְקָא יְאוּת), water in fire (מַיָּא בְּאֵשָׁא). Who has ever seen such a thing? The compassionate Abba made to appear as cruel (מַאן חָמָא אַבָּא רַחֲמָנָא דְּאִתְעֲבִיד אַכְזָר). But it was only in order that the dispute of water and fire be revealed (אֶלָּא בְּגִין לְאִשְׁתַּכָּחָא מַחְלוֹקֶת מַיָּא בְּאֵשָׁא), and that he be crowned in their places—(דְּלְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּאַתְרַיְיהוּ), in order that all should be rectified as is proper (עַד דְּאָתָא יַעֲקֹב וְאִתְתַּקַּן כֹּלָּא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת), and the three patriarchs became whole (וְאִתְעַבִּידוּ תְּלָתָא אַבָּהָן שְׁלֵמִין), and the upper and lower worlds were rectified (וְאִתְתַּקָּנוּ עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי).