Daf 72a (דַּף ע״ב ע״א)

And above the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man upon it from above. (וְעַל דְּמוּת הַכִּסֵּא דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם עָלָיו מִלְּמַעְלָה). This is the written Torah. (דָּא הוּא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב). From here we learn that the Written Torah is placed upon the Oral Torah. (מִכָּאן דְּתוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב יְשַׁוּוּן יָתָהּ עַל תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה). For this throne is for that one, like the appearance of a man. (בְּגִין דְּהַאי כּוּרְסְיָיא לְדָא, כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם) And this is the likeness of Ya’akov, who sits upon it. (דְּאִיהוּ דִּיוּקְנָא דְּיַעֲקֹב דְּאִיהוּ יָתִיב עֲלָהּ).

Rabbi Yehudah rose one night to engage in Orayta during the middle of the night at the guest house in the city of Makhseya. (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה קָם לֵילְיָא חַד לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּפַלְגוּ לֵילְיָא בְּבֵי אוּשְׁפִּיזָא בְּמָתָא מַחְסֵיָא). And there was in that house a certain Jew who had come with two straps of baggage. (וְהֲוָה תַּמָּן בְּבֵיתָא חַד יְהוּדָאָי דְּאֲתָא בִּתְרֵי קְסִירָא דְּקַטְפִּירָא).

Rabbi Yehudah opened and said: (פָּתַח רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְאָמַר) “And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be a House of Elohim.” (וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱלֹהִים – בְּרֵאשִׁית כ״ח). This is the Foundation Stone, from which the world was planted and upon which the Temple was built. (דָּא הִיא אֶבֶן שְׁתִיָּיָה דְּמִתַּמָּן אִשְׁתִּיל עָלְמָא וְעֲלָהּ אִתְּבְּנֵי בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא). That Jew lifted his head and said to him: (זָקַף רֵישֵׁיהּ הַהוּא יְהוּדָאָי וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ) “How can this be? Was not the Foundation Stone from before the world’s creation, and from it the world was planted? And you say: ‘This stone which I have set’?!” (הַאי מִלָּה אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר, וְהָא אֶבֶן שְׁתִיָּיָה עַד לָא אִתְּבְּרֵי עָלְמָא הֲוַת וּמִינָהּ אִשְׁתִּיל עָלְמָא, וְאַתְּ אֲמַרְתְּ וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה). For it seems that Ya'akov now set it, as it is written: “And he took the stone that he had placed under his head.” (דְּמַשְׁמַע דְּיַעֲקֹב שַׁוֵי לָהּ הַשְׁתָּא דִּכְתִּיב, וַיִּקַּח אֶת הָאֶבֶן אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מֵרַאֲשׁוֹתָיו – בְּרֵאשִׁית כ״ח). And moreover, Ya'akov was in Beit El, and this stone was in Yerushalayim. (וְתוּ דְּיַעֲקֹב בְּבֵית אֵל הֲוָה, וְהַאי אַבְנָא הֲוַת בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם).

Rabbi Yehudah did not turn his face toward him. (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה לָא אַסְחַר רֵישֵׁיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ). He opened and said: (פָּתַח וְאָמַר) “Prepare to meet your Elohim, O Yisrael.” (הִכּוֹן לִקְרַאת אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל – עָמוֹס ד׳). And it is written: “Take heed and hear, Yisrael.” (וּכְתִיב: הַסְכֵּת וּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל). Words of Orayta require intention (מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בָּעְיָין כַּוָּונָה). And the words of Orayta must be established in the body and will as one. (וּמִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בָּעָאן לְאִתְּתַקָּנָא בְּגוּפָא וּרְעוּתָא כְּחֲדָא).

That Jew rose, dressed himself, and sat before Rabbi Yehudah. (קָם הַהוּא יְהוּדָאָי וְאִתְלַבַּשׁ, וְיָתִיב לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה). And he said: Fortunate are you, Righteous, who labor in Orayta by day and night. (וְאָמַר: זַכָּאִין אַתּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יוֹמָא וּלֵילֵי). Rabbi Yehudah said to him, “Now that your mind is aligned, let us speak a word and connect as one.” (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הַשְׁתָּא דְּכַוְּנַת גַּרְמָךְ, אֵימָא מִילָךְ דְּנִתְחַבֵּר כְּחֲדָא). “For words of Orayta require rectification of the body and rectification of the heart.” (דְּהָא מִילֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בָּעְיָין תִּקּוּנָא דְּגוּפָא וְתִּקּוּנָא דְּלִבָּא). “And if not, I would be lying on my bed and with my heart I would say words.” (וְאִי לָאו בְּעַרְסָאי שְׁכִיבְנָא וּבְלִבָּאי אָמַרְנָא מִלִּין). “But behold, we have learned: even one who sits and learns Orayta, the Shekhinta connects with him.” (אֶלָּא הָא תָּנִינָן דְּאֲפִילּוּ חַד דְּיָתִיב וְלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא שְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְחַבְּרַת בַּהֲדֵיהּ), “And if the Shekhinta is here, and I am lying on my bed-” (וּמַה שְׁכִינְתָּא הָכָא וַאֲנָא שָׁכִיב בְּעַרְסָאי). “Moreover, refinement is required.” (וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּבָעְיָין צַחוּתָא). “And further: every person who rises to engage in Orayta at midnight, when the northern wind is aroused-” (וּתוּ דְּכָל בַּר נָשׁ דְּקָם לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא מִפַלְגוּ לֵילְיָא כַּד אִתְעַר רוּחַ צָפוֹן), “Kudsha Berikh Hu comes to delight with the Righteous in the Garden of Eden.” (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָתֵי לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא עִם צַדִּיקַיָּא בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן). “And He and all the Righteous in Gan Eden all listen to the words that come from his mouth.” (וְהוּא וְכָל צַדִּיקַיָּיא דִּבְגִנְתָּא כֻּלְּהוּ צַיְּיתִין לְאִלֵּין מִלִּין דְּנָפְקֵי מִפֻּמֵּיהּ). “And if Kudsha Berikh Hu and all the Righteous delight to hear words of Orayta at this time, shall I lie in bed?” (וּמַה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְכָל צַדִּיקַיָּיא מִתְעַדְּנִין לְמִשְׁמַע מִילֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דָּא וַאֲנָא אֱהֵא שָׁכִיב בְּעַרְסָאי) “Say now your word.” (אָמַר לֵיהּ הַשְׁתָּא אֵימָא מִילָךְ).

He said to him: I asked concerning what you said in this verse, the secret of the Foundation Stone that you mentioned (אָמַר לֵיהּ שְׁאֵילְנָא עַל מַה דְּאֲמַרְתְּ בִּפְסוּקָא דָּא רָזָא דְּאֶבֶן שְׁתִיָּיה דְּאָמַרְתְּ), “And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be a house of Elohim” (Bereshit 28) (וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱלֹהִים), “That this is the Foundation Stone.” (דְּדָא אֶבֶן שְׁתִיָּיָה). “Now that you listen to my words-how can this be?” (הַשְׁתָּא דְצָיֵּית לְמִלִּי, הֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר) “Wasn’t the Foundation Stone in existence before the world was created, and from it the world was planted?” (דְּהָא אֶבֶן שְׁתִיָּיָה עַד לָא אִתְּבְּרֵי עָלְמָא הֲוַת, וּמִנָּהּ אִשְׁתִּיל עָלְמָא), “And you say: ‘which I set’-which implies that Ya'akov placed it just now?” (וְאַתְּ אֲמַרְתְּ אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי, דְּמַשְׁמַע דְּיַעֲקֹב שַׁוֵּי לָהּ הַשְׁתָּא). “And it is written: ‘And he took the stone that he placed under his head.’” (וּכְתִיב: וַיִּקַּח אֶת הָאֶבֶן אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מֵרַאֲשֹׁתָיו – בְּרֵאשִׁית כ״ח).

“And further: Ya'akov was in Beit El, and this stone was in Yerushalayim!” (וְתוּ: דְּיַעֲקֹב בְּבֵית אֵל הֲוָה, וְאַבְנָא דָּא הֲוַת בִּירוּשָׁלַם). He said to him: “All the land of Yisrael was folded underneath, and that stone was beneath it.” (אָמַר לֵיהּ: כָּל אַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִכְפַּל תְּחוֹתוֹי, וְהַהוּא אֶבֶן תְּחוֹתֵיהּ הֲוַת). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): “It is written ‘which he placed’” (אֲשֶׁר שָׂם כְּתִיב). And it is written (וּכְתִיב): “And this stone which I have set as a pillar” (וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה). He said to him: “If you know the matter, say it.” (אָמַר לֵיהּ: אִי יָדַעְתְּ מִלָּה אֵימָא לָהּ).

He opened and said, “(Tehillim 17): I, in righteousness, shall behold Your face; I shall be satisfied upon awakening with Your likeness (פָּתַח וְאָמַר אֲנִי בְצֶדֶק אֶחֱזֶה פָנֶיךָ אֶשְׂבְּעָה בְהָקִיץ תְּמוּנָתֶךָ). King David-his belovedness and his cleaving were with this stone (דָּוִד מַלְכָּא חֲבִיבוּתָא וּדְבֵקוּתָא דִילֵיהּ בְּהַאי אֶבֶן הֲוָה). And regarding it he said,(Tehillim 118): The stone the builders despised became the cornerstone (וְעֲלָהּ אָמַר אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה). And when he sought to behold the vision of the glory of his Master, he first took this stone in his hand, and afterward entered (וְכַד בָּעָא לְאִסְתַּכַּלָּא בְּחִיזוּ יְקָרָא דְמָרֵיהּ, נְטַל לְהַאי אֶבֶן בִּידֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא וּלְבָתַר עָיֵיל). Because anyone who desires to be seen before his Master, does not enter except through this stone (בְּגִין דְּכָל מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קַמֵּי מָרֵיהּ, לָא עָאִיל אֶלָּא בְּהַאי אֶבֶן). As it is written, (Vayikra 16): With this shall Aharon enter the holy (דִּכְתִּיב, בְּזֹאת יָבֹא אַהֲרֹן אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ). And David praises himself and says, I, in righteousness, shall behold Your face (וְדָוִד מְשַׁבַּח גַּרְמֵיהּ וְאָמַר אֲנִי בְצֶדֶק אֶחֱזֶה פָנֶיךָ). And all the striving of David was to be seen through this stone fittingly before the One Above (וְכָל אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתֵיהּ דְּדָוִד לְאִתְחֲזָאָה בְּהַאי אֶבֶן כְּדְקָא יְאוּת לְגַבֵּי דִּלְעֵילָא).

Come and see: Avraham established the prayer of morning, and made known the goodness of his Master in the world (תָּא חֲזֵי, אַבְרָהָם אַתְקִין צְלוֹתָא דְּצַפְרָא וְאוֹדַע טִיבוּ דְּמָרֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא). And he established that hour in its proper arrangement, (Bereishit 22): And Avraham rose early in the morning (וְאַתְקִין הַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא בְּתִקּוּנָהָא כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת דִּכְתִיב וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר). Yitzchak established the prayer of afternoon, and made known in the world that there is judgment and there is a Judge who is able to save and to judge the world (יִצְחָק אַתְקִין צְלוֹתָא דְּמִנְחָה וְאוֹדַע בְּעָלְמָא דְּאִית דִּין וְאִית דַּיָּין דְּיָכוֹל לְשֵׁזָבָא וּלְמֵידַן עָלְמָא).