Daf 70a (דַּף ע׳ ע״א)

He began and said: “And Noach built an altar to Hashem, and took of every pure beast and of every pure bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar” (פָּתַח וְאָמַר: וַיִּבֶן נֹחַ מִזְבֵּחַ לַי־יָ וַיִּקַּח מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהוֹרָה וּמִכָּל הָעוֹף הַטָּהוֹר וַיַּעַל עֹלוֹת בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ) [Bereishit 8:20]. “And Noach built an altar”-this is the altar upon which Adam Kadma'ah offered (וַיִּבֶן נֹחַ מִזְבֵּחַ-דָּא אִיהוּ מִזְבֵּחַ דְּאַקְרִיב בֵּיהּ אָדָם קַדְמָאָה). Noach-why did he offer a burnt offering? (נֹחַ-אַמַּאי קָרִיב עוֹלָה) For the burnt offering does not ascend except for the inner thoughts of the heart (הָא עוֹלָה לָא סַלְקָא אֶלָּא בְּגִין הִרְהוּרָא דְּלִבָּא), and what had Noach sinned? (וְנֹחַ-בְּמָה חָב) Rather, Noach thought to himself and said: Behold, Kudsha Berikh Hu decreed judgment upon the world to destroy it-perhaps, because He saved me, all merit has been consumed for me, and I have no merit remaining in the world (אֶלָּא נֹחַ הִרְהֵר וְאָמַר: הָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּזַר דִּינָא עַל עָלְמָא דְּיִתְחָרַב; דִּילְמָא בְּגִין דְּשֵׁזִיב לִי, כָּל זְכוּתָא פָּקַע לִי, וְלָא יִשְׁתָּאֲר לִי זְכוּ בְּעָלְמָא). Immediately: “And Noach built an altar to Hashem” (מִיָּד: וַיִּבֶן נֹחַ מִזְבֵּחַ לַי־יָ).

That altar was the one on which Adam HaRishon had offered (הַהוּא מִזְבֵּחַ-דְּאַקְרִיב בֵּיהּ אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן הֲוָה). If so, why does it say “And he built”? (אִי הָכִי-אַמַּאי וַיִּבֶן) Rather, because the guilty of the world had caused it not to remain in its place (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּחַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא גָּרְמוּ דְּלָא קָיְמָא בְּדוּכְתֵּיהּ). Once Noach came, it is written: “And he built” (כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא נֹחַ, כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ: וַיִּבֶן). “And he offered burnt offerings”-it is written burnt offering, singular (וַיַּעַל עֹלוֹת-עֹלַת כְּתִיב חֲדָא [הוּא]). It is written: “a burnt offering-it is a fire offering, a pleasing fragrance to Hashem” (כְּתִיב: עוֹלָה הִיא אִשֶּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ לַי־יָ) [Vayikra 1:9]. Always a burnt offering ascends as male (לְעוֹלָם עוֹלָה סַלְקָא דְּכַר). The burnt offering ascends as male and not as female, as it is written: “A male without blemish shall he bring it” (עוֹלָה סַלְקָא דְּכַר וְלָא סַלְקָא נוּקְבָא, דִּכְתִיב: זָכָר תָּמִים יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ) [Vayikra 1:3]. Why is it written isheh? Because fire must be present there (אַמַּאי כְּתִיב אִשֶּׁה דְּהָא אֵשׁ בָּעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא תַּמָּן).

Rather, even though the Burnt offering is brought as male (אֶלָּא אַף עַל גַּב דְּעוֹלָה אִתְקְרִיב דָּכָר), and in its place it is offered (וּלְאַתְרֵיהּ אִתְקְרִיב), the female should not be separated from him (נוּקְבָא לָא בָּעְיָא לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנֵּיהּ), rather, she is brought with him in order to unify this with that (אֶלָּא בָּהּ אִתְקְרִיב בְּגִין לְחַבְּרָא דָּא בְּדָא), for the female ascends to the male to become joined as one (דְּסָלְקָא נוּקְבָא לְגַבֵּי דְּכוּרָא לְאִתְחַבָּרָא כְּחֲדָא). And even though “woman” (Isheh) implies “fires” (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִשֶּׁה לִשׁוּם אִישִׁים), Noach needed to bring a Burnt offering (נֹחַ אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְמִקְרַב עוֹלָה), because he was in the aspect of male (דְּאִיהוּ בְּאֲתַר דִּדְכוּרָא). Kudsha Berikh Hu arranged it for him to be joined and elevated in the ark (עֲבַד לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְחַבָּרָא וּלְאַעֲלָאָה בַּתֵּיבָה), and for this he brought a Burnt offering (וְעַל דָּא אַקְרִיב עוֹלָה). a burnt offering—it is a fire-offering (עוֹלָה-הוּא אִשֶּׁה), the fire of Hashem, which connects the left with the female (אֵשׁ י־יָ דְּאִתְחַבַּר [בָּהּ] שְׂמָאלָא בְּנוּקְבָא), for all females derive from the side of the left (דְּהָא כָּל נוּקְבָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא קָא אָתְיָא), and the male from the side of the right (וּדְכוּרָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּיָמִינָא), in the bonding of this with that (בְּאִתְדַּבְּקוּתָא דָּא בְּדָא). And for this the female is called “woman” (Isheh) (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי נוּקְבָא אִשֶּׁה), fire-offering-a tether of love in which the left grasps her to raise her upward and bind as one (אִשֶּׁה קְטִירוּ דִּרְחִימוּ דְּאָחִיד בָּהּ שְׂמָאלָא לְסַלְקָא לָהּ לְעֵילָא וּלְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא כְּחֲדָא), and because of this it is written: ““It is a burnt offering, a fire-offering”” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ [דָּ"א: כְּתִיב]: עוֹלָה הִיא אִשֶּׁה), a bonding of male and female, this with that (קְשִׁירוּ דִּדְכַר וְנוּקְבָא-דָּא בְּדָא). “And Hashem smelled the pleasing fragrance” (וַיָּרַח י־יָ אֶת רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ) [Bereishit 8:21], and it is written: a fire-offering, a pleasing aroma” (וּכְתִיב: אִשֶּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ) [Vayikra 1:9]. Fire-offering, thus we have learned: smoke and fire are joined as one (אִשֶּׁה-הָכִי שְׁמַעְנָא: תְּנָנָא וְאֶשָּׁא מְחוּבָּרִין כְּחֲדָא), For behold, there is no smoke without fire (דְּהָא לֵית תְּנָנָא בְּלָא אֶשָּׁא), as it is written (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב): “And Mount Sinai was entirely in smoke, because Hashem descended upon it in fire” (וְהַר סִינַי עָשַׁן כֻּלּוֹ מִפְּנֵי אֲשֶׁר יָרַד עָלָיו י"י בָּאֵשׁ) [Shemot 19:18].

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי) fire emerges from within and is subtle (אֵשׁ נָפִיק מִלְּגוֹ וְאִיהוּ דַּק), and it clings to another thing outside which is not so subtle (וְאָחִיד בְּמִלָּה אֲחֳרָא לְבַר דְּלָאו אִיהוּ דַּק הָכִי), and they are joined together, this with that, and then the smoke rises (וְאִתְאַחֲדוּן דָּא בְּדָא, וּכְדֵין תְּנָנָא סָלְקָא). Why? Because fire joined with something that feels and responds (מַאי טַעְמָא בְּגִין דְּאִתְאַחִיד אֶשָּׁא בְּמִלָּה דְּרָגִישׁ). And your sign for this: the nose, through which smoke exits, comes from fire (וְסִימָנָךְ: חוּטְמָא-דְּנָפִיק בֵּיהּ תְּנָנָא מִגּוֹ אֶשָּׁא). And about this it is written: “They shall place incense in Your nose” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב: יָשִׂימוּ קְטוֹרָה בְּאַפֶּךָ) [Devarim 33:10], because the fire returned to its place (בְּגִין דְּאַהֲדַר אֶשָּׁא לְאַתְרֵיהּ), and the nose was stirred (וְחוֹטְמָא [אִתְרַגִּישׁ]) and received that fragrance inward and inward until all was unified and returned to its place (אִתְכְּנִישׁ בְּהַהוּא רֵיחָא לְגוֹ לְגוֹ עַד דְּאִתְאַחִיד כֹּלָּא וְתָב לְאַתְרֵיהּ), and everything was drawn inward to thought, and will became one (וְאִתְקְרִיב כֹּלָּא לְגוֹ מַחֲשָׁבָה, וְאִתְעֲבִיד רְעוּתָא חָדָא), and then: “A pleasing fragrance” (וּכְדֵין: רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ)-for wrath rested, and serenity was restored (דְּנָח רוּגְזָא וְאִתְעֲבִיד נַיְיחָא). For we have learned: the smoke gathers and enters, and is grasped by fire (דְּהָא תְּנָנָא: אִתְכְּנִישׁ וְעָיִּיל וְקָמִיט בְּאֵשָׁא), and the fire grasps the smoke (וְאֵשָׁא אָחִיד בִּתְּנָנָא), and both rise inward until wrath subsides (וְעָיִּילֵי תַּרְוַיְיהוּ לְגוֹ לְגוֹ עַד דְּנָח רוּגְזָא). And when all is united, this with that, and wrath is stilled (וְכַד אִתְאֲחִיד כֹּלָּא דָּא בְּדָא וְנָח רוּגְזָא), Then it is repose (כְּדֵין הוּא נַיְיחָא), and a single binding (וּקְשִׁירוּ חַד), and it is called repose (וְאִתְקְרֵי נַיְיחָא). The repose of the spirit, the joy of all as one (נַיְיחָא דְּרוּחָא, חֶדְוָותָא דְּכֹלָּא כְּחֲדָא), a radiance of sparks, a radiance of countenance (נְהִירוּ דְּבוֹצִינִין, נְהִירוּ דְּאַנְפִּין). And because of this it is written: “And Hashem smelled the pleasing fragrance” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב: וַיָּרַח יְיָ אֶת רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ) [Bereishit 8:21], like one who inhales and draws everything inward into his place (כְּמַאן דְּאָרַח וְכָנִישׁ כֹּלָּא לְגוֹ אַתְרֵיהּ).

Rabbi Yisa came and kissed him (אֲתָא רַבִּי יֵיסָא וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ). He said: how is it that all this goodness is under your hand and I didn’t know it? (אָמַר: וּמַה כָּל הָדֵין טָבָא אִית תְּחוֹת יְדָךְ וְלָא יְדַעְנָא בֵיהּ). He said: I turned from the road to accompany you (אָמַר: אַהֲדַרְנָא מִן אוֹרְחָא, וְנִתְחַבֵּר בַּהֲדָךְ). They went together (אַזְלוּ). Rabbi Ḥizkiyah said: this road is with the Shekhinta, pleasant is it, for it is repaired before us (אָמַר רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה: אָרְחָא דָא בַּהֲדֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא, נְהַךְ-דְּהָא מִתַקְנָא קַמָּן). He grasped the hand of the Yenuka and they went (אָחִיד בִּידָא דְּהַהוּא יְנוּקָא, וְאֲזְלוּ). They said to him: tell us one verse from among those your father taught you (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ: אֵימָא לָן קְרָא חַד מֵאִינוּן דְּאָמַר לָךְ אֲבוּךְ).

The Yenuka opened and said: “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth” (פָּתַח הַהוּא יְנוּקָא וְאָמַר: יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ) [Shir haShirim 1:2]. This is the supernal desire that the desire emerges from the mouth for a kiss, and not from the nose as fire goes forth (דָּא הוּא תְּאוֹבְתָּא עִלָּאָה, דְּיִפּוּק רְעוּתָא מִפּוּמָא לְנַשְׁקָא, וְלָא נָפִיק מֵחוֹטְמָא כַּד אֶשָׁא נָפְקָא). For when mouth is joined to kiss, fire emerges in desire, in the radiance of the countenance, in the joy of all, in the bonding of tranquility (דְּהָא כַּד אִתְחַבֵּר פּוּמָא לְנַשְׁקָא, נָפִיק אֶשָׁא בִּרְעוּתָא, בִּנְהִירוּ דְּאַנְפִּין, בְּחֶדְוָה דְּכֹלָּא, בְּאִתְדַּבְּקוּתָא דְּנַיְיחָא).