Daf 85b (דַּף פ״ה ע״ב)

Another matter: “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest” – this is Avraham (דָּבָר אַחֵר כְּתַפּוּחַ בַּעֲצֵי הַיַּעַר. דָּא אַבְרָהָם). He resembles the apple, which sends forth fragrance (דְּדָמֵי לֵיהּ לְתַפּוּחַ דְּסָלִיק רֵיחִין), and he was impressed with complete faith upon all the people of his generation (וְאִתְרְשִׁים בִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא עַל כָּל בְּנֵי דָרֵיהּ); and one impression rose above (וְאִתְרְשִׁים חַד לְעֵילָא), and one impression was made below, as it is written (Yechezkel 33:24): “Avraham was one” (וְאִתְרְשִׁים חַד לְתַתָּא דִּכְתִיב אֶחָד הָיָה אַבְרָהָם). Why was he called “one”? (מַאי טַעְמָא הֲוָה אֶחָד). Because there was no other in the world who ascended to faith in Kudsha Berikh Hu besides him (דְּלָא הֲוָה אָחֳרָא בְּעָלְמָא דִי סָלִיק לִמְהֵימְנוּתָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בַּר אִיהוּ).

Rabbi Ḥizkiyah said to him: But isn’t it written, “And the soul(s) that they made in Charan”? (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה וְהָא כְּתִיב וְאֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן). He said to him: Until then, they were not in the supernal degrees with which Avraham was crowned (אָמַר לֵיהּ עַד כְּעָן אִנּוּן לָא הֲווּ בְּדַרְגִּין עִלָאִין דְּאִתְעַטַּר בְּהוּ אַבְרָהָם). Afterward, he said to him: Furthermore, hear this – Avraham was not called “one” until Yitzchak and Ya'akov were established (לְבָתַר אָמַר לֵיהּ תוּ שְׁמַעְנָא דְּלָא אִקְרֵי אַבְרָהָם אֶחָד עַד דְּאִסְתַּלַּק בְּיִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב). Once Yitzchak and Ya'akov were established – some say: and behold (כֵיוָן דְּאִסְתַּלַּק בְּיִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב [נ״א וְהֲווּ]) – and all three became the Fathers of the world (וְהֲווּ כֻּלְהוּ תְּלָתְהוֹן אֲבָהָן דְּעָלְמָא), then Avraham was called “one” (כְּדֵין אִקְרֵי אַבְרָהָם אֶחָד). And then that apple in the world left its mark upon all the inhabitants of the world (וּכְדֵין הוּא תַּפּוּחַ בְּעָלְמָא רָשִׁים מִכָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא). He said to him: Well have you spoken (אָמַר לֵיהּ שַׁפִּיר קָא אֲמַרְתְּ). Another teaching: “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest” – this is Kudsha Berikh Hu (דָּבָר אַחֵר כְּתַפּוּחַ בַּעֲצֵי הַיַּעַר דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). “So is my beloved” – this is Kudsha Berikh Hu (כֵּן דּוֹדִי דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). “In His shade” – this is Kudsha Berikh Hu (בְּצִלּוֹ דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), “I desired and sat” – on the day that Kudsha Berikh Hu was revealed upon Mount Sinai, and Yisrael received the Orayta and said (שֶׁחִמַדְתִּי וְיָשַׁבְתִּי, בְּיוֹמָא דְאִתְגְּלֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל טוּרָא דְסִינַי וְקַבִּילוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹרַיְיתָא וְאָמְרוּ), “We will do and we will hear” (נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמַע). And its fruit was sweet to my palate – these are the words of the Orayta concerning which it is written (Tehillim 19), “sweeter than honey and the honeycomb” (וּפִרְיוֹ מָתוֹק לְחִכִּי. אִלֵּין מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דִּכְתִיב בְּהוּ וּמְתוּקִים מִדְּבַשׁ וְנוֹפֶת צוּפִים).

Another matter: “And its fruit was sweet to my palate” – these are the souls of the Righteous, all of whom are the essence of the service of Kudsha Berikh Hu and stand with Him above (דָּבָר אַחֵר וּפִרְיוֹ מָתוֹק לְחִכִּי, אִלֵּין נִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא דְּכֻלְהוּ אִיבָּא דְּעוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְקָיְימֵי עִמֵּיהּ לְעֵילָא).

Come and see: all souls of the world, which are the essence of the service of Kudsha Berikh Hu – they are all one in a single secret (תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל נִשְׁמָתִין דְּעָלְמָא דְּאִנּוּן אִיבָּא דְּעוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כֻּלְהוּ חַד בְּרָזָא חַד); and when they descend into the world, they all separate into male and female aspects (וְכַד נָחֲתֵי לְעָלְמָא כֻּלְהוּ מִתְפָּרְשִׁין בִּגְוָונִין דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא), and these male and female aspects are joined as one (וְאִנּוּן דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא מְחֻבָּרִין כְּחֲדָא). And come and see: the desire of the female toward the Male produces a Nefesh (וְתָּא חֲזֵי, תִּיאוּבְתָּא דְנוּקְבָא לְגַבֵּי דְכוּרָא עָבִיד נֶפֶשׁ), and the desire of the desire of the Male toward the female, and his cleaving to her, brings forth a Nefesh (וּרְעוּתָא דְּתִיאוּבְתָּא דִּדְכוּרָא לְגַבֵּי נוּקְבָא וְאִתְדַּבְּקוּתָא דִילֵיהּ בָּהּ, אַפִּיק נֶפֶשׁ), and it includes the desire (Repentance) of the female and takes it (וְכָלִיל תִּיאוּבְתָּא [נ״א תִּיאוּבְתֵּיהּ] דְנוּקְבָא וְנָטִיל לָהּ). And the lower Repentance becomes included in the upper Repentance, and they become one desire without separation (וְאִתְכְּלִיל תִּיאוּבְתָּא תַּתָּאָה בְּתִיאוּבְתָּא דִּלְעֵילָא וְאִתְעֲבִידוּ רְעוּתָא חָדָא בְּלָא פִּירוּדָא). And then the whole of the female is included, and she becomes pregnant from the Male, and their desires (Repentance) of both of them are joined as one (וּכְדֵין [נְטִיל] כָּלִיל כֹּלָא נוּקְבָא וְאִתְעַבְּרַת מִן דְּכוּרָא וְתִיאוּבְתִּין דְּתַרְוַויְיהוּ מִתְדַּבְּקָן כְּחֲדָא), and therefore all is included one within the other (וְעַל דָּא כֹּלָּא כָּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא). And when the souls emerge, male and female, they emerge as one (וְכַד נִשְׁמָתִין נָפְקִין דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא כְּחֲדָא נָפְקִין). Afterward, once they descend, they are separated – this one to this side and that one to that side (לְבָתַר כֵּיוָן דְּנָחֲתֵי מִתְפָּרְשָׁן דָּא לְסִטְרָא דָא וְדָא לְסִטְרָא דָא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu arranges their Zivug afterward (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְזַוִּוג לוֹן לְבָתַר). And the Zivug is not given to another, except to Kudsha Berikh Hu alone (וְלָא אִתְיְיהִיב זִוּוּגָא לְאָחֳרָא אֶלָּא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), for He alone knows their Zivug – how to unite them as is fitting (דְּאִיהוּ יָדַע זִוּוּגָא דִּלְהוֹן לְחַבְּרָא לוֹן כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת). Blessed is the man who merits in his deeds and walks in the path of righteousness, for then Nefesh is bound to Nefesh as it was at first (זַכָּאָה הוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּזָכֵי בְּעוֹבָדוֹי וְאָזִיל בְּאוֹרַח קְשׁוֹט בְּגִין דְּאִתְחַבַּר נֶפֶשׁ בְּנֶפֶשׁ כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה מֵעִיקָרָא), for if he merits in his deeds, this is a man who is complete and as is fitting (דְּהָא אִי זָכֵי בְּעוֹבָדוֹי דָּא הוּא בַּר נָשׁ שְׁלִים כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). And therefore it is written, “And its fruit was sweet to my palate” – he is in Tikkun, blessed so that the world may be blessed from him (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב וּפִרְיוֹ מָתוֹק לְחִכִּי. דְּהוּא בְּתִקּוּנָא מְבֹרָךְ לְאִתְבָּרְכָא מִנֵּיהּ עָלְמָא), for everything depends on the deeds of man – whether he merits or does not merit (בְּגִין דְּכֹלָּא בְּעוֹבָדִין דְּבַר נָשׁ תַּלְיָא אִי זָכֵי אִי לָא זָכֵי).

Rabbi Ḥizkiyah said: Thus I have heard it is written (Hoshea 14), “From Me your fruit is found” (אָמַר רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה הָכִי שָׁמַעְנָא דִּכְתִיב, מִמֶּנִּי פֶּרְיְךָ נִמְצָא). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to Knesset Yisrael: “From Me, surely, your fruit is found” (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר לֵיהּ לִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמֶּנִּי וַדַּאי פֶּרְיְךָ נִמְצָא). It is not written “My fruit is found,” but “your fruit” (פֶּרְיִי נִמְצָא לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא פֶּרְיְךָ). That desire (Repentance ) of the female which produces a Nefesh, and becomes included in the force of the Male, and the Nefesh is included within Nefesh, and they become one – all this one within that, as we have said (הַהוּא תִּיאוּבְתָּא דְּנוּקְבָא דְּעֲבִיד נֶפֶשׁ וְאִתְכְּלִיל בְּתוּקְפָא דִדְכוּרָא וְאִתְכְּלִיל נֶפֶשׁ בְּנֶפֶשׁ וְאִתְעֲבִידוּ חָד כָּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא כִּדְאֲמָרָן). Afterwards, they are both found in the world, and this one – by the power of the Male – finds the essence of the female (לְבָתַר אִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ תַּרְוַויְיהוּ בְּעָלְמָא, וְדָא בְּחֵילָא דִדְכוּרָא אִשְׁתְּכַח אִיבָּא דְנוּקְבָא).

Another matter: by the Repentance of the female, the essence of the Male is found (דָּבָר אַחֵר בְּתִיאוּבְתָּא דְּנוּקְבָא אִשְׁתְּכַח אִיבָּא דִדְכוּרָא), for if not for the desire of the female toward the Male, no fruits would be produced in the worlds (דְּאִי לָאו תִּיאוּבְתָּא דְּנוּקְבָא לְגַבֵּי דְכוּרָא לָא אִתְעֲבִידוּ פֵּירִין לְעָלְמִין); this is what is written: “From Me your fruit is found” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב מִמֶּנִּי פֶּרְיְךָ נִמְצָא).

“And it came to pass in the days of Amrafel, king of Shinar, etc.” Rabbi Yose opened (Yeshayahu 41): “Who aroused from the east, Tzedek shall call him to His steps…” (וַיְהִי בִּימֵי אַמְרָפֶל מֶלֶךְ שִׁנְעָר וְגו' רַבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח מִי הֵעִיר מִמִּזְרָח צֶדֶק יִקְרָאֵהוּ לְרַגְלוֹ וְגו'). This verse was already established by the Friends (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא), but this verse is in the secret of chokhmah (אֲבָל הַאי קְרָא בְּרָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא אִיהוּ). For we have learned: seven firmaments did Kudsha Berikh Hu make above (דְּהָא תָּנִינָן שִׁבְעָה רְקִיעִין עֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעֵילָא), and all of them are to make known the glory of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְכֻלְהוּ לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע יְקָרָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and all of them stand to reveal the secret of the supernal faith(וְכֻלְהוּ קָיְימִין לְאוֹדָעָא רָזָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה).