Daf 63b (דַּף ס״ג ע״ב)

Give ear, O lioness (Laishah), as it is said (הַקְשִׁיבִי לַיְשָׁה כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), “The Laish (Lion) perishes for lack of prey” (לַיִשׁ אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי טֶרֶף) (Job 4). Laish (Lion) - male; lioness (Laishah) - female (לַיִשׁ דְּכַר, לַיְשָׁה נוּקְבָא). Why is it called Laish? Either because it is written: “The lion, mighty among beasts…” (אַמַּאי אִקְרֵי לַיִשׁ, אִי מִשּׁוּם: לַיִשׁ גִּבּוֹר בַּבְּהֵמָה) (Mishlei 30), or because it is written: “The lion perishes for lack of prey” (אוֹ מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב: לַיִשׁ אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי טֶרֶף). Rather, all of it is Laish (lion), lower strength that comes from upper strength (אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ לַיִשׁ - גְּבוּרָה תַּתָּאָה וּדְאָתֵי מִגְּבוּרָה עִלָּאָה).

“The Lion perishes for lack of prey”-in the time when the streams are withdrawn and do not enter within her, then she is called a Lioness, for she is lost without prey (לַיִשׁ אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי טֶרֶף - בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִנּוּן נְחָלִין מִסְתַּלְקִין וְלָא עָאלִין לְגַוָּוהּ, כְּדֵין אִתְקְרֵי לַיְשָׁה דְּאֲבִידַת מִבְּלִי טֶרֶף). As it is written: “The lion perishes for lack of prey, and the sons of the lioness are scattered” (דִּכְתִיב: לַיִשׁ אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי טֶרֶף, וּבְנֵי לָבִיא יִתְפָּרְדוּ). And what is meant by lioness? That is “poor, Anathoth” - poverty and affliction (וּמַה דְּאָמַר לַיְשָׁה: הַיְינוּ עֲנִיָּה עֲנָתוֹת - מִסְכֵּנָא דְּמִסְכֵּנוּתָא), as you say: “From the priests who were in Anathoth” (כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: מִן הַכֹּהֲנִים אֲשֶׁר בַּעֲנָתוֹת) (Yirmeyahu 1), and it is written: “Anathoth, go to your fields” (וּכְתִיב: עֲנָתוֹת, לֵךְ עַל שָׂדֶיךָ) (Melakhim I 2). Why particularly? (מַאי אִירְיָא) Rather, as long as King David was alive, Ebyatar was established in wealth and all (אֶלָּא כָּל זִמְנָא דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא הֲוָה קַיָּים, אִסְתַּלַּק אֶבְיָתָר בְּעוּתְרָא וּבְכֹלָּא). Afterwards, Shlomo said to him: “Anathoth, go to your fields” (לְבָתַר אָמַר לֵיהּ שְׁלֹמֹה: עֲנָתוֹת, לֵךְ עַל שָׂדֶיךָ). Why did Shlomo call him this? (אַמַּאי קָרֵי לֵיהּ שְׁלֹמֹה הָכִי) Rather, he said to him: “In your days, my father was in poverty; now, go to your field” (אֶלָּא אָמַר לֵיהּ: בְּיוֹמָךְ הֲוָה אַבָּא בְּמִסְכֵּנוּ, וְהַשְׁתָּא לֵךְ עַל שָׂדֶיךָ).

Now one may say: Why was Ebyatar called Anathoth? (הַשְׁתָּא אִית לוֹמַר: אַמַּאי אִקְרֵי אֶבְיָתָר עֲנָתוֹת) If you say because he was from Anathoth, behold we have learned that it is written: “One son escaped to Aḥimelekh son of Aḥituv, and his name was Ebyatar” (אִי תֵימָא דְּהֲוָה מֵעֲנָתוֹת, הָא תָּנִינָן דִּכְתִיב: וַיִּמָּלֵט בֵּן אֶחָד לַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן אֲחִיטוּב, וּשְׁמוֹ אֶבְיָתָר) (Shemuel I 22), and he was from Nov (וְהוּא מִנּוֹב הֲוָה), for Nov was the city of the priests (דְּהָא נוֹב עִיר הַכֹּהֲנִים הֲוָה). And even though they said that Nov is Anathoth (וְאַף עַל פִּי דְּאָמְרוּ דְּהִיא נוֹב הִיא עֲנָתוֹת), why is it called Anathoth? Because it descended to poverty, and the city was destroyed at the hand of Shaul, and the priests were destroyed (וְאַמַּאי לָהּ אִקְרֵי עֲנָתוֹת בְּגִין דְּנָחֲתַת לְמִסְכֵּנוּ, וְאִתְאֲבִיד קַרְתָּא עַל יְדָא דְּשָׁאוּל, וְאִתְאֲבִידוּ כָּהֲנִי). Rather, Anathoth was a village, and it was not Nov (אֶלָּא עֲנָתוֹת כְּפַר הֲוָה, וְלָאו הוּא נוֹב), and because of this he was called Ebyatar of Anathoth, because it is said: “Because you were afflicted in all that my father was afflicted” (וְעַל דָּא קָרֵי לֵיהּ אֶבְיָתָר עֲנָתוֹת, בְּגִין דְּאָמַר: וְכִי הִתְעַנִּיתָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר הִתְעַנָּה אָבִי) (Melakhim I 2). And he was from the city of Nov, and because of the poverty of David during his days, he was called by this name (וּמִקַּרְתָּא דְּנוֹב הֲוָה, וְעַל מִסְכְּנוּ דְּדָוִד דְּהֲוָה בְּיוֹמוֹי, אִקְרֵי לֵיהּ הָכִי).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said: The world was in a state of poverty from the day that Adam transgressed the commandments of Kudsha Berikh Hu (אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא: בְּמִסְכְּנוּתָא הֲוָה עָלְמָא מִיּוֹמָא דְּעֲבַר אָדָם עַל פִּקּוּדֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), until Noach came and brought a korban, and the world was settled (עַד דְּאָתָא נֹחַ וְקָרִיב קָרְבָּן, וְאִתְיְישַׁב עָלְמָא).

Rabbi Yosei said: The world was not settled, and the earth did not emerge from the filth of the serpent, until Yisrael stood at Mount Sinai and were bound to the Tree of Life-then the world was settled (אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: לָא אִתְיְישַׁב עָלְמָא וְלָא נַפְקָא אַרְעָא מִזּוּהֲמָא דְּנָחָשׁ, עַד דְּקָיְימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל טוּרָא דְסִינַי וְאִתְאֲחִידוּ בְּאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי-כְּדֵין אִתְיְישַׁב עָלְמָא). And had Yisrael not reverted and sinned before Kudsha Berikh Hu, they would not have died ever again (וְאִלְמָלֵא דְּהָדְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְחָאבוּ קַמֵּיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לָא הֲווּ מֵתִין לְעָלְמִין), for the filth of the serpent had been removed from them (דְּהָא אִתְפַּסַּק מִנַּיְיהוּ זוּהֲמָא דְּנָחָשׁ). Once they sinned, then the first Tablets were broken, which contained the freedom of all (כֵּיוָן דְּחָבוּ, כְּדֵין אִתְבָּרוּ אִנּוּן לוּחֵי קַדְמָאֵי, דְּהֲווּ בְּהוּ חֵירוּ דְּכֹלָּא)-freedom from that serpent who is the End of All Flesh (חֵירוּ דְּהַהוּא נָחָשׁ דְּאִיהוּ קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר). And when the Levites rose up to slay with the sword, then the evil serpent was aroused and was going before them, but he could not rule over them (וְכַד קָמוּ לֵיוָאֵי לְקַטְלָא קְטָלָא, כְּדֵין אִתְעַר חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא וְהֲוָה אָזִיל קַמַּיְיהוּ, וְלָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה בְּהוּ), because Yisrael were all girded with armor and ready (בְּגִין דְּהֲווּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִזְדָּרְזִין כֻּלְהוּ בְּחֲגִירוּ מְזַיְינָן), and that serpent could not rule over them (וְלָא יָכִיל הַהוּא נָחָשׁ לְשַׁלְטָאָה בְּהוּ). But once it was said to Moshe: “Now remove your ornament from upon you…” (כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר לְמֹשֶׁה: וְעַתָּה הוֹרֵד עֶדְיְךָ מֵעָלֶיךָ) (Shemot 33), permission was given to that serpent to rule over them (אִתְיְיהִיב רְשׁוּ לְהַהוּא נָחָשׁ לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלַיְיהוּ).

Come and see: What is written? “And the children of Yisrael stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Ḥorev” (תָּא חֲזֵי: מַה כְּתִיב וַיִּתְנַצְּלוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֶדְיָם מֵהַר חֹרֵב). “They stripped” and “were stripped” should have been written (וַיִּתְנַצְּלוּ וַיְנַצְּלוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ), but “they stripped” is written by the hand of Another, because permission was given to the serpent to rule (אֶלָּא: וַיִּתְנַצְּלוּ עַל יְדָא דְאַחֲרָא, בְּגִין דְּאִתְיְיהִיב רְשׁוּ לְנָחָשׁ לְשַׁלְטָאָה). “Their ornaments from Mount Ḥorev”-that they had received from Mount Ḥorev when the Orayta was given to Yisrael (אֶת עֶדְיָם מֵהַר חוֹרֵב - דְּקִבְּלוּ מִטּוּרָא דְחוֹרֵב, כַּד אִתְיְיהִיב אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said: Noach, who was a Tzaddik, why did he not nullify death from the world? (אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא: נֹחַ דְּהֲוָה צַדִּיק, אַמַּאי לָא הֲוָה בָּטִיל מוֹתָא מֵעָלְמָא). Rather, because the Filth had not yet ascended from the world (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּעַד לָא סָלְקַת זוּהֲמָא מֵעָלְמָא). And further, because they still did not believe in Kudsha Berikh Hu, and all were grasping the leaves of the Tree below and were enwrapped in an impure spirit (וְעוֹד דְּאִינּוּן לָא הֲווּ מְהֵימְנִין בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְכֻלְהוּ אֲחִידָן בְּטַרְפֵּי אִילָנָא לְתַתָּא, וּמִתְלַבְּשָׁאן בְּרוּחַ מְסָאֳבָא). And further, afterward they returned to sin and to follow the Evil inclination, as at first (וְתוּ: לְבָתַר אוֹסְפוּ לְמֶחֱטֵי וּלְמֵהַךְ בָּתַר יֵצֶר הָרָע, כַּד בְּקַדְמִיתָא). And the holy Orayta, which is the Tree of Life, had not yet descended to the earth (וְאוֹרַיְיתָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִיהִי אִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי, אַכַּתֵּי לָא נָחִית לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאַרְעָא). And further, that he dragged himself in the world, as it is written: “And he drank from the wine and was drunk and became exposed within his tent,” and this has been explained (וְתוּ דְּאִיהוּ אַמְשִׁיךְ לֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא, לְבָתַר דִּכְתִיב: וַיֵּשְׁתְּ מִן הַיַּיִן וַיִּשְׁכָּר, וַיִּתְגָּל בְּתוֹךְ אָהֳלָהּ, וְהָא אִתְּמָר).

While they were walking, they saw a certain Jew man who was approaching (עַד דְּהֲווּ אָזְלֵי, חָמוּ חַד יוּדָאָי דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי). Rabbi Yosei said: This man is a Jew, and he is appearing (אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: הַאי בַּר נָשׁ יוּדָאָי אִיהוּ, וְאִתְחֲזֵי). When he reached them, they asked him [who he was] (כַּד מָטָא גַּבַּיְיהוּ, שְׁאִילוּ לֵיהּ). [He said] 'I am a messenger [on the way] to perform a commandment (Shlicha d'Mitzvah). (אָמַר לוֹן: שְׁלִיחָא דְּמִצְוָה אֲנָא). For we dwell in the village of Dramin, and the time of the festival (Sukkot) has come, and we need a lulav and the species that accompany it, and I am going to cut them for the mitzvah (דְּהָא אֲנַן דָּיְירֵי בִּכְפַר דְּרָאמִין, וּמָטֵי זִמְנָא דְּחַג, וְאֲנַן צְרִיכִין לוּלָב וְזִינִין דְּעִמֵּיהּ, וְאֲנָא אָזִיל לְקָטְעָא לוֹן לְמִצְוָה).

They went together (אֲזְלוּ כְּחֲדָא). That Jew said to them: These four species of the lulav, in all of them we come to appease the world (אָמַר לְהוּ הַהוּא יוּדָאָי: הַנִּי אַרְבַּע מִינִין דְּלוּלָב, דְּבְּכֻלְהוֹ אָתָאן לְרַצוּיֵי עָלְמָא), some say: on the waters (נ״א: עַל מַיָּא). Have you heard why we need them on the festival? (שְׁמַעְתּוּן אַמַּאי אֲנַן צְרִיכִין לוֹן בַּחַג) He said to him: The friends have already awakened the matter in them (אָמַר לֵיהּ: כְּבָר אִתְעָרוּ בְּהוּ חַבְרַיָּיא), but if it is a new word under your hand, say it (אֲבָל אִי מִלָּה חַדְתָּא אִיהוּ תְּחוֹת יְדָךְ - אֵימָא לָהּ). He said to them: Indeed, the place where we dwell is small, and all are occupied in Orayta (אָמַר לוֹן: וַדַּאי, הַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאֲנַן דָּיְירֵי בֵיהּ הוּא זְעֵיר, וְכֻלְהוּ עָסְקֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). And there is among us a young scholar [tzurva me-rabbanan], Rabbi Yitzchak bar Yosei of Meḥoza is his name (וְאִית עֲלָן צוּרְבָא מֵרַבָּנָן, רַבִּי יִצְחָק בַּר יוֹסֵי מֵחוֹזָאָה שְׁמֵיהּ). And every single day he teaches us new explanations of the Orayta (וּבְכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא אָמַר לָן מִלִּין חַדְתִּין בְּאוֹרַיָּיתָא), and he said that the festival is a time for dominion (וְאָמַר: דְּהָא בְּחַג זִמְנָא הוּא לְשַׁלְטָאָה). Yisrael rule at that time, and we hold the lulav which shows that we are victorious over them-over all those who are called "waters of arrogance" (יִשְׂרָאֵל שַׁלְּטִין בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, וְנָקִיטְנָא לוּלָב דְּמִתְחַזֵּי דְּאַנַן נַצִּיחְנָא עֲלַיְיהוּ עַל כָּל אִנּוּן דְּאִתְקְרוֹן מַיִם הַזֵּידוֹנִים), as it is written: “Then the proud waters would have gone over our soul. Blessed be Hashem, who did not give us as prey to their teeth” (אַזַי עָבַר עַל נַפְשֵׁנוּ הַמַּיִם הַזֵּידוֹנִים… בָּרוּךְ יְיָ שֶׁלֹּא נְתָנָנוּ טֶרֶף לְשִׁנֵּיהֶם) (Tehillim 124). Are there two waters? Rather (וְכִי אִית שְׁנַיִם לְמַיִם אֶלָּא), some say: these are all the great ones (נ״א: דְּכָל אִנּוּן רַבְרְבִין), they are the nations of the world (אִנּוּן שְׁאָר עַמִּין). They are the mighty ones appointed over the nations who serve the stars and constellations (אִנּוּן רַבְרְבִין מְמַנָּן עַל שְׁאָר עַמִּין, עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת), and they are blessed only through the overflow from Yisrael (וּמִתְבָּרְכָאן מִסִּטְרַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), and we call them “arrogant waters” (וְקָרִינָן לוֹן מַיִם הַזֵּידוֹנִים), as it is said: “the arrogant waters” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: הַמַּיִם הַזֵּידוֹנִים) (Tehillim 124).