Daf 68a (דַּף ס״ח ע״א)

“Where is He who placed within him His Holy Spirit?”-this is Moshe, who caused the Shekhinta to dwell among Yisrael (אַיֵּה הַשָּׂם בְּקִרְבּוֹ אֶת רוּחַ קָדְשׁוֹ-דָּא אִיהוּ מֹשֶׁה, דְּאַשְׁרֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). “Who led them through the depths”-when the waters split and went into the depths upon dry land, for the waters were congealed (מוֹלִיכָם בַּתְּהֹמוֹת-כַּד אִתְבָּקְעוּ מַיָּא וַאֲזְלוּ בְּגוֹ תְּהוֹמֵי בְּיַבֶּשְׁתָּא, דִּגְלִידוּ מַיָּא) [Yeshayahu 63:11–13]. And all of this was said about Moshe (וְכֻלָּא אִתְּאַמַר עַל מֹשֶׁה). [Some say: And therefore he is called “Moshe, His people” (נ״א: וְעַל דָּא אִקְרֵי מֹשֶׁה עַמּוֹ)]-because he gave himself for the sake of Yisrael (בְּגִין דְּאַמְסַר גַּרְמֵיהּ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה): Even though Noach was righteous, he was not worthy enough that Kudsha Berikh Hu would shield the world on his account (אַף עַל גַּב דְּזַכָּאָה הֲוָה נֹחַ, לָאו אִיהוּ כְּדַאי בִּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָגִין עַל עָלְמָא בְּגִינֵיהּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Moshe did not base the matter on his own merit, but on the merit of the patriarchs (מֹשֶׁה לָא תָּלָה מִלָּה בִּזְכוּתֵיהּ, אֶלָּא בִּזְכוּת אֲבָהָן קַדְמָאֵי). But Noach had no one upon whom he could rely in merit as Moshe did (אֲבָל נֹחַ לָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ בְּמַאן דְּיִתְלֵי בִּזְכוּתָא כְּמֹשֶׁה).

Rabbi Yitzchak said (אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק): And with all that, once Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him, “And I will establish My covenant with you”, he should have sought mercy on their behalf (וְעִם כָּל דָּא, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא: וַהֲקִימוֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּךְ-הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמִבְעֵי רַחֲמֵי עֲלַיְיהוּ) [Bereishit 6:18]. And the offering that he brought afterward-he should have brought it beforehand, perhaps wrath would have subsided from upon the world (וְקָרְבָּנָא דְּאַקְרִיב לְבָתַר-דְּיַקְרִיב לֵיהּ מִן קַדְמִיתָא, דִּלְמָא יִשָּׁכֵּךְ רוּגְזָא מֵעָלְמָא).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה): What should he have done? The guilty of the world were provoking before Kudsha Berikh Hu, and he would bring an offering? (מַאי הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמֶעְבַּד דְּהָא חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא הֲווּ מַרְגִּיזִין קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאִיהוּ יַקְרִיב קָרְבָּנָא) Rather, certainly Noach feared for himself (אֶלָּא וַדַּאי נֹחַ דָּחִיל עַל גַּרְמֵיהּ הֲוָה), lest death befall him among the guilty of the world (בִּגִין דְּלָא יֶעֱרַע בֵּיהּ מוֹתָא בְּגוֹ חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא), for he saw their evil deeds every day, and how they provoked before Kudsha Berikh Hu daily (דְּהֲוָה חָמֵי עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן בִּישָׁא כָּל יוֹמָא, וְהֵיךְ מַרְגְּזָן קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כָּל יוֹמָא).

Rabbi (El'azar opened) Yitzchak said (רַבִּי [אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח] יִצְחָק אָמַר): At every time when the guilty of the world increase (כָּל זִמְנָא דְּחַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא אַסְגִּיאוּ), fortunate is the one who is found among them as righteous, for he is seized first (זַכָּאָה דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּינַיְיהוּ-הוּא אִתְפַּס בְּקַדְמִיתָא), as it is written: “Begin from My sanctuary” (דִּכְתִיב: וּמִמִּקְדָּשִׁי תָּחֵלּוּ) [Yeḥezkel 9:6]. And we have learned: Do not read “from My sanctuary”, but “from My sanctified ones” (וְתָנִינָן: אַל תִּקְרֵי מִמִּקְדָּשִׁי אֶלָּא מִמְּקוּדָשִׁי). And Noach-how did Kudsha Berikh Hu save him among all those guilty? (וְנֹחַ הֵיךְ שֵׁזִיב לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בֵּין כָּל אִנּוּן חַיָּיבַיָּא) Only because there would come forth from him offspring for the world, and he was truly righteous as was proper (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּיִפְקוּן מִנֵּיהּ תּוֹלָדִין בְּעָלְמָא, דְּהֲוָה צַדִּיק כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). And furthermore (וְתוּ): he rebuked them every single day, and they did not accept from him (דְּאִיהוּ אַתְרֵי בְּהוּ כָּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא, וְלָא קַבִּילוּ מִנֵּיהּ). And he fulfilled in himself the verse as it is written: “But you, when you have warned the wicked…” (וְקִיֵּים בְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ קְרָא דִּכְתִיב: וְאַתָּה כִּי הִזְהַרְתָּ רָשָׁע..). [Yeḥezkel 3:19]; and it is written: “But you have saved your soul” (וּכְתִיב: וְאַתָּה אֶת נַפְשְׁךָ הִצַּלְתָּ) [ibid.]. From here we learn: whoever warns the guilty, even if they do not accept from him, he saves himself, and the guilty one is seized for his own sin (מִכָּאן: כָּל מַאן דְּאַזְהַר לְחַיָּיבָא-אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא קַבִּיל מִנֵּיהּ, הוּא שֵׁזִיב לֵיהּ לְגַרְמֵיהּ, וְהַהוּא חַיָּיבָא אִתְפַּס בְּחוֹבֵיהּ). And until when should he keep warning him? Until he is rejected by him-this the Friends have already established (וְעַד כַּמָּה יַזְהַר לֵיהּ עַד דְּיִמְחֵי לֵיהּ-הָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּא).

Rabbi Yose was present before Rabbi Shim'on one day (רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲוָה שְׁכִיחַ קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן יוֹמָא חַד). He said to him: What did Kudsha Berikh Hu see to destroy every beast of the field and bird of the heavens along with the guilty? (אָמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי חָמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְשֵׁיצָאָה כָּל חֵיוַת בְּרָא וְעוֹף שְׁמַיָּא עִמְּהוֹן דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא) If human beings sinned-what did the wild animals, the birds of heaven, and the other creatures do? (אִי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא חָטָאן-בְּעִירֵי וְעוֹפֵי שְׁמַיָּא וּשְׁאָר בְּרִיָּין מַה חָטוּ) He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Because it is written: “For all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth” (בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב: כִּי הִשְׁחִית כָּל בָּשָׂר אֶת דַּרְכּוֹ עַל הָאָרֶץ) [Bereishit 6:12]. All of them were corrupting their ways (כֻּלְּהוּ הֲווּ מְחַבְּלֵי אָרְחַיְיהוּ); they abandoned their species and cleaved to other kinds (שַׁבְּקֵי זִינַיְיהוּ וְדָבְקוּ בְּזִינָא אָחֳרָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): those guilty of the world caused all creatures to be destroyed (אִנּוּן חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא גָּרְמוּ הָכִי לְכָל בִּרְיָין), and they sought (וּבָעוֹן) to erase the work of Bereishit (לְאַכְּחָשָׁא עוֹבָדָא דִּבְרֵאשִׁית). And they caused all creatures to corrupt their ways, just as they were themselves corrupt (וְאִנּוּן גָּרְמוּ לְכָל בִּרְיָין לְחַבְּלָא אָרְחַיְיהוּ, כְּמָה דְּאִנּוּן מְחַבְּלָן). Said Kudsha Berikh Hu (אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): You seek to erase the work of My hands? I will fulfill your will and blot out all existence which I made from upon the face of the earth (אַתּוּן בְּעִיתוּ לְאַכְּחָשָׁא עוֹבְדֵי יְדַי, אֲנָא אַשְׁלִים רְעוּתָא דִּלְכוֹן-וּמָחִיתִי אֶת כָּל הַיְקוּם אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה) [Bereishit 7:4]. He returned the world to water, as it was originally-water within water (אַהֲדַר עָלְמָא לְמַיִין כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה בְּקַדְמִיתָא: מַיִין בְּמַיִין). And behold, it is said (וְהָא אִתְּמַר). From here and onward I will make other creatures in the world as is fitting (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה: אַעֲבִיד בִּרְיָין אֲחֳרָנִין בְּעָלְמָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). And Noach came in, and his sons, and his wife, and the wives of his sons with him (וַיָּבֹא נֹחַ וּבָנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וּנְשֵׁי בָנָיו אִתּוֹ) [Bereishit 7:7].

Rabbi Ḥiyya opened and said (רַבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “Can a man hide himself in secret places and I not see him?” says Hashem (אִם יִסָּתֵר אִישׁ בַּמִּסְתָּרִים וַאֲנִי לֹא אֶרְאֶנּוּ-נְאֻם י־יָ) [Yirmeyahu 23:24]. How many are the children of men with stopped hearts, closed eyes, who do not regard or recognize the glory of their Master (כַּמָּה אִנּוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא אֲטִימִין לִבָּא, סְתִימִין עַיְינִין, דְּלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין וְלָא יָדְעִין בִּיקָרָא דִּמָארֵיהוֹן), of whom it is written: “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” (דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ: הֲלוֹא אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲנִי מָלֵא) [Yirmeyahu 23:24]. How do men seek to hide their sins and say: “Who sees us? Who knows us?” (הֵיךְ בָּעוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לְאִסְתַּתְּרָא מֵחוֹבַיְיהוּ וְאָמְרֵי: מִי רוֹאֵנוּ וּמִי יוֹדְעֵנוּ) [Yeshayahu 29:15]. And it is written: “And their deeds are in darkness…” (וּכְתִיב: וְהָיָה בַּמַּחְשָׁךְ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם) [Yeshayahu 29:15]. Where can they hide themselves from Him? (לְאָן יִתְטַמְרוּן מִקַּמֵּיהּ)

It is like a king who built a palace and made hidden, narrow passageways beneath the ground (לְמַלְכָּא דְּבָנָה פַלְטְרִין, וְעֲבַד תַּחוֹת אַרְעָא טְמִירִין פְּסִירִין). One day, the children of the palace rebelled against the king (לְיוֹמִין מָרְדוּ בְּנֵי פַלְטְרִין בְּמַלְכָּא), and the king was angered against them with his legions (וְאִצְטַעַר עֲלַיְיהוּ מַלְכָּא בְּגַיְיסוֹי). What did they do? They went and hid themselves under the narrow passageways (מָה עֲבַדוּ עָאלוּ וּטְמִירוּ גַּרְמַיְיהוּ תַּחוֹת נוּקְבֵי פְּסִירִין). Said the king: I made these for them-and now they seek to hide from Me?! (אָמַר מַלְכָּא: אֲנָא עֲבַדִּית לוֹן, וּמִקַּמָּאי אַתּוּן בָּעָאן לְאִתְטַמָּרָא) This is what is written: “Can a man hide himself in secret places and I not see him?” says Hashem (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: אִם יִסָּתֵר אִישׁ בַּמִּסְתָּרִים וַאֲנִי לֹא אֶרְאֶנּוּ-נְאֻם י־יָ) [Yirmeyahu 23:24]. I am the One who made the secret tunnels (אֲנָא הוּא דַּעֲבָדִית נוּקְבֵי פְּסִירִין), and made darkness and light (וְעֲבָדִית חֲשׁוֹכָא וּנְהוֹרָא), and you think you can hide yourselves from before Me?! (וְאַתּוּן אֵיךְ יָכְלִין לְאִתְטַמְּרָא קַמָּאי)