Daf 87b (דַּף פ״ז ע״ב)

Rabbi El'azar said to that Jew, “What is your name?” (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְהַהוּא יוּדָאָי, מַה שְּׁמָךְ) He said to him, “Yo‘ezer.” (אָמַר לֵיהּ: יוֹעֶזְרִ). He said to him, “Yo‘ezer and El‘azar, one word (one utterance), are now sitting together.” (אָמַר לֵיהּ: יוֹעֶזֶר וְאֶלְעָזָר, מִלָּה חֲדָא, יְתִיבָן כְּחֲדָא). They sat beside one furnace in that field. (יָתְבוּ גַּבֵּי חַד טִנָּרָא בְּהַהוּא חֲקַל). That Jew opened and said: “I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My sake, and your sins I will not recall” (Isaiah 43) (פָּתַח הַהוּא יוּדָאָי וְאָמַר: אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי הוּא מוֹחֶה פְשָׁעֶיךָ לְמַעֲנִי וְחַטֹּאתֶיךָ לֹא אֶזְכּוֹר). What is the reason for “I, I” stated twice? (מַהִי טַעְמָא תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי: אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי) Rather: once at Sinai, and once at the moment of the world’s creation. (אֶלָּא: חַד בְּסִינַי, וְחַד בִּשְׁעַתָּא דְּבָרָא עָלְמָא). As it is written: “I am Hashem your God”-that was at Sinai (Exodus 20) (דִּכְתִיב: אָנֹכִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ-דָּא הוּא בְּסִינַי). And once when He created the world, as it is written: “I made the earth, and man upon it I created” (Isaiah 45) (וְחַד כַּד בְּרָא עָלְמָא, דִּכְתִיב: אָנֹכִי עָשִׂיתִי אֶרֶץ וְאָדָם עָלֶיהָ בָּרָאתִי). He-to show that there is no separation between the upper and the lower. (הוּא-בְּגִין לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּלָא הֲוֵי פִּירוּדָא בֵּין עֵילָא וְתַתָּא). He who blots out your transgressions-it does not say removes your transgressions, but blots out (מוֹחֶה פְשָׁעֶיךָ-מַעֲבִיר פְשָׁעֶיךָ לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא מוֹחֶה), So that they shall never be seen again. (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְחַזּוּן לְעָלְמִין). For My sake-what does this mean? For those mercies that depend on Me, (לְמַעֲנִי-מַהִי לְמַעֲנִי בְּגִין אִנּוּן רַחֲמִין דְּתַלְיָין בִּי), as it is written: “For Hashem your God is a merciful God” (Deuteronomy 4) (דִּכְתִיב: כִּי אֵל רַחוּם יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ וגו').

Another matter: “He who blots out your transgressions for My sake”-come and see: (דָּבָר אַחֵר: מוֹחֶה פְשָׁעֶיךָ לְמַעֲנִי-תָּא חֲזֵי:) the sinners of the world cause blemish above. (חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא עָבְדִין פְּגִימוּתָא לְעֵילָא). For when they sin, mercy and supernal Nehiru ascend, (דְּכַד אִנּוּן חוֹבִין, סָלְקִין רַחֲמִין וּנְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה), and the flow of blessing does not descend below, (וְיַנִּיקוּ דְּבִרְכָּאן לָא נָחֵית לְתַתָּא), and that level does not receive blessing from above to flow downward. (וְהַאי דַּרְגָּא לָא נָטִיל בִּרְכָּאן דִּלְעֵילָא לְיַנָּקָא לְתַתָּא). Therefore, for My sake-so that the blessings will not be withheld from flowing to all. (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: לְמַעֲנִי-בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְמָנְעוּן בִּרְכָּאן לְיַנָּקָא לְכֹלָּא). As in: “See now that I, I am He” (Deuteronomy 32)-to show there is no separation between the upper and the lower, as stated. (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא: רְאוּ עַתָּה כִּי אֲנִי אֲנִי הוּא-לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּלָא הֲוֵי פִּירוּדָא בֵּין עֵילָא וְתַתָּא, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר).

Come and see: in this manner, when there are worthy ones in the world, blessings are aroused for all worlds. (תָּא חֲזֵי: כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, כַּד אִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ זַכָּאִין בְּעָלְמָא, אִתְעָרוּ בִּרְכָּאן לְעָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ). When Avraham came, blessing was aroused in the world, as it is written: “And I will bless you, and you shall be a blessing” (Bereshit 12) (כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא אַבְרָהָם, אִתְעַר בִּרְכָּאן לְעָלְמָא, דִּכְתִיב: וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וְהְיֵה בְּרָכָה). What is “and you shall be a blessing”? A hint that through him blessings will be found, above and below, as it is written: “And through you shall all the families of the earth be blessed,” and: “I will bless those who bless you.” (מַאי: וְהְיֵה בְּרָכָה רֶמֶז דְּיִשְׁתַּכְּחוּן בְּגִינֵיהּ בִּרְכָּאן לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, דִּכְתִיב: וְנִבְרְכוּ בְּךָ וגו', וּכְתִיב: וַאֲבָרְכָה מְבָרְכֶיךָ). Yitzchak came to make known to all that there is judgment and there is a Judge above, (אֲתָא יִצְחָק אוֹדַע לְכֹלָּא דְּאִית דִּין וְאִית דַּיָּין לְעֵילָא) to exact retribution from the wicked, (לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מֵרַשִּׁיעַיָא), and he aroused judgment in the world, (וְאִיהוּ אִתְעַר דִּינָא בְּעָלְמָא) so that all the people of the world would be in awe of Kudsha Berikh Hu. (בְּגִין דְּיִדְחֲלוּן לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא). Ya'akov came and aroused compassion in the world, (אֲתָא יַעֲקֹב וְאִתְעַר רַחֲמֵי בְּעָלְמָא) and established faithfulness in the world as fitting. (וְאַשְׁלִים מְהֵימְנוּתָא בְּעָלְמָא כְּדְקָא חָזֵי).

In the days of Avraham, what is written? “And Malki-Tzedek, king of Shalem…”-the Throne was crowned in its place, (בְּיוֹמֵי דְאַבְרָהָם מַה כְּתִיב וּמַלְכִּי צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם-דְּאִתְעַטְּרַת כֻּרְסְיָיא בְּדוּכְתֵּיהּ), and then King of Shalem was found without any blemish at all. (וּכְדֵין אִשְׁתְּכַח מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם בְּלָא פְּגִימוּ כְּלָל). He brought out bread and wine-he brought forth sustenance for all worlds as fitting. (הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן-דְּאַפִּיק מְזוֹנִין לְעָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי). He brought out bread and wine-so that blessings would not be withheld from all worlds. (הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן-דְּלָא אִתְמְנָעוּ בִּרְכָאן מִכֻּלְהוּ עָלְמִין). He brought out-as you say: “Let the earth bring forth…” (Bereshit 1) (הוֹצִיא כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ). From the supernal levels He brought forth sustenance and blessing to all the worlds. (מִדַרְגִּין דִּלְעֵילָא, אַפִּיק מְזוֹנִין וּבִרְכָאן לְעָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ). And he is a priest to El Elyon, in whom all is found in supernal perfection as fitting- (וְהוּא כֹהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן, דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח כֹּלָּא בִּשְׁלִימוּ עִלָּאָה כְּדְקָא חָזֵי), to be seen, as the sinners cause blemish in the world and withhold blessing. (לְאִתְחֲזָאָה, כְּמָה דְחַיָּיבַיָא עָבְדֵי פְּגִימוּ בְּעָלְמָא וּמָנְעֵי בִּרְכָאן). So too, through the merit of the righteous, blessings appear in the world, (הָכִי נָמֵי בְּגִין זַכָּאִין, אַתְיָין בִּרְכָאן לְעָלְמָא), and through them, all the people of the world are blessed. (וּבְגִינַיְיהוּ אִתְבָּרְכָאן כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא). And he gave him a tenth of all-what is a tenth of all? From those blessings that emerge from all. (וַיִּתֶּן לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל-מַאי: מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל מֵאִנּוּן בִּרְכָאן דְּנָפְקֵי מִכֹּל). For that place is the source from which all blessings that descend into the world flow. (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אֲתַר דְּכָל בִּרְכָאן דְּנָחֲתֵי לְעָלְמָא, מִתַּמָּן נָפְקֵי). Another matter: “And he gave him a tenth of all”-Kudsha Berikh Hu gave him the tenth. (דָּבָר אַחֵר: וַיִּתֵּן לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יַהַב לֵיהּ מַעַשְׂרָא). And who is this? This is the level upon which all gates of faith and the blessings of the world depend. (וּמַאן אִיהוּ דָּא דַרְגָּא דְּכָל פִּתְחִין דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא וּבִרְכָאן דְּעָלְמָא בֵּיהּ קָיְימֵי). He is the tenth, he is one of ten, and he is ten from a hundred. (וְאִיהוּ מַעֲשֵׂר, וְאִיהוּ חַד מֵעֲשָׂרָה, וְאִיהוּ עֲשָׂרָה מִמֵּאָה). From that point onward, Avraham entered the supernal establishment as is fitting. (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה, עָאל אַבְרָהָם בְּקִיּוּמָא דִלְעֵילָא כְּדְקָא חָזֵי).

Rabbi El'azar said to him, “You have spoken well.” (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר שַׁפִּיר קָא אֲמַרְתָּ). Rabbi El'azar said to him, “What is your occupation?” (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: מַאי עֲבִידְתָּךְ) He said to him, “I am a children’s teacher in my town. Now Rabbi Yosei of Kefar Ḥanin has come into town, and they removed me from my post and appointed him in my place. (אָמַר לֵיהּ: קַרְיָנָא דַרְדַּקֵּי בְּאַתְרִי. הַשְׁתָּא אֲתָא רַבִּי יוֹסֵי דִּכְפַר חָנִין לְמָתָּא, וּסְלִיקוּ לוֹן מִגַּבָּאי וְאוֹתְבוּ לוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ). And all the townspeople gave me compensation at that time when the children were under my care. (וְהֲווּ יָהֲבִין לִי כָּל בְּנֵי מָתָא אַגְרָא כְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּדַרְדַּקֵּי הֲווּ גַּבָּאי). And I considered it for myself that it was not fitting for me to benefit from them for nothing, (וְאִסְתַּכַּלְנָא בְּנַפְשָׁאי דְּלָא אִתְחֲזֵי לִי לְאִתְהַנֵּי מִנַּיְיהוּ לְמַגָּנָא), and I joined myself to this sage.” (וַאֲגִירְנָא גַּרְמָאי בַּהֲדֵי דְּהַאי חַכִּים). Rabbi El'azar said, “The blessings of Father were needed here.” (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: בִּרְכָּאן דְּאַבָּא אִצְטְרִיכוּ הָכָא).