Daf 93a (דַּף צ״ג ע״א)

Rabbi Abba stood and placed his hands on his head and blessed him (קָם רַבִּי אַבָּא וְשַׁוֵּי יְדוֹי בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ וּבָרְכֵיהּ), saying: Surely I had considered that Chokhmah is not found except among those worthy who have merited her (אָמַר: וַדַּאי חֲשִׁיבְנָא דְּחָכְמְתָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בַּר בְּאִנּוּן זַכָּאֵי דְּזָכוּ בָּהּ). Now I see that even children in the generation of Rabbi Shim'on have merited Chokhmah Ila’ah (הַשְׁתָּא חָמֵינָא דְּאֲפִילּוּ יְנוּקֵי בְּדָרָא דְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן זָכוּ לְחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה). Fortunate are you, Rabbi Shim'on (זַכָּאָה אַנְתְּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן). Woe to the generation when you will be taken from it (וַוַי לְדָרָא דְּאַנְתְּ תִסְתַּלַּק מִנֵּיהּ). They sat until morning and engaged in Orayta (יָתְבוּ עַד צַפְרָא וְאִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא).

Rabbi Abba opened and said: “And your people-all of them are righteous…” (Isaiah 60) (פָּתַח רַבִּי אַבָּא וְאָמַר: וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים וְגו׳). This word-behold, the companions have already established (מִלָּה דָא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָיא): Why is it written “all of your people are righteous”? (מַאי טַעְמָא כְּתִיב: וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים), are all of Yisrael truly righteous? (וְכִי כֻּלְהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל צַדִּיקֵי נִינְהוּ) But behold, how many guilty ones are among them, how many sinners and wicked ones who transgress the commandments of Orayta? (וְהָא כַּמָּה חַיָּיבִין אִית בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, כַּמָּה חַטָּאִין וְכַמָּה רַשִּׁיעִין דְּעָבְרִין עַל פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא) Rather, so it was taught in the secret of our mishnah: Fortunate are Yisrael who offer a sacrifice of will to Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֶלָּא הָכִי תָנָא בְּרָזָא דְּמַתְנִיתִין: זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּעָבְדִין קָרְבָּנָא דְרַעֲוָא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), by offering their sons at eight days as a Korban (דְּמַקְרִיבִין בְּנַיְיהוּ לִתְמַנְיָא יוֹמִין לְקָרְבָּנָא). And once they are circumcised, they enter this good portion of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְכַד אִתְגְּזָרוּ, עָאלוּ בְּהַאי חוּלָקָא טָבָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written: “And the righteous is the foundation of the world” (Proverbs 10) (דִּכְתִיב: וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם). Since they enter the portion of the Tzaddik, they are called Tzaddikim (כֵּיוָן דְּעָאלוּ בְּהַאי חוּלָקָא דְּצַדִּיק, אִקְרוּן צַדִּיקִים), and certainly, all of them are righteous (וַדַּאי כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים). And therefore they shall inherit the land forever (וְעַל כֵּן לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ), as it is written: “Open for me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them” (Psalms 118) (כְּדִכְתִיב: פִּתְחוּ לִי שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק אָבֹא בָם), and it is written: “This is the gate of Hashem; the righteous shall enter through it” (וּכְתִיב: זֶה הַשַּׁעַר לַי־יָ צַדִּיקִים יָבֹאוּ בוֹ). These are they who are circumcised and are called Tzaddikim (אִנּוּן דְּאִתְגְּזָרוּ וְאִקְרוּן צַדִּיקִים). A shoot of My planting-a shoot from among those plantings that Kudsha Berikh Hu planted in the Garden of Eden (נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי-נִצֶר מֵאִנּוּן נְטִיעִין דְּנָטַע קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגִנְתָא דְעֵדֶן). That land is one of them (הַאי אֶרֶץ חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ), and therefore Yisrael have a good portion in the world to come (וְעַל כֵּן אִית לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל חוּלָקָא טָבָא בְּעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי), as it is written: “The righteous shall inherit the land” (Psalms 37) (וּכְתִיב: צַדִּיקִים יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ), and also: “They shall inherit the land forever” (Isaiah 60) (לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ).

What is forever? (מַהוּ לְעוֹלָם) As we have established in our Mishnah, and this word has already been said among the companions (כְּמָה דְאוֹקִימְנָא בְּמַתְנִיתָּא דִילָן, וְהָא אִתְּמָר הַאי מִלָּה בֵּין חַבְרַיָיא). And a Tanna said: What did the verse see that it did not call him Avraham until now? (וְתַנָּא: מַאי קָא חָמָא קְרָא דְּלָא אַקְרֵי אַבְרָהָם עַד הַשְׁתָּא). Some say: Come and see, Kudsha Berikh Hu did not call him Avraham until now-why? (נ״א: תָּא חֲזֵי, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא קָרָא לְאַבְרָהָם “אַבְרָהָם” עַד הַשְׁתָּא-מַאי טַעְמָא) Rather, so we have established: until now he had not been circumcised, and when he was circumcised, this letter Hei united with him and the Shekhinta rested upon him, and then he was called Avraham (אֶלָּא הָכִי אוֹקִימְנָא: דְּעַד הַשְׁתָּא לָא אִתְגְּזַר, וּכְד אִתְגְּזַר, אִתְחַבַּר בְּהַאי ה״א וּשְׁכִינְתָא שַׁרְיָא בֵיהּ, וּכְדֵין אִקְרֵי אַבְרָהָם). And this is what is written: “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created” (Bereshit 2) (וְהַיְנוּ דִּכְתִיב: אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם). And the Tanna said: With a Heh He created them (וְתָאנָא: בְּה״א בְּרָאָם). And the Tanna said: With Avraham (וְתָאנָא: בְּאַבְרָהָם). What are they saying? Rather, this is Chesed and this is Shekhinta, and all descends as one (מַאי קָאַמְרֵי אֶלָּא: דָּא חֶסֶד וְדָא שְׁכִינְתָא, וְכֹלָּא נָחִית כְּחֲדָא), and there is no contradiction in the matter; both are true (וְלָא קַשְׁיָא מִלָּה, וְהַאי וְהַאי הֲוֵי).

Rabbi Ya'akov said to Rabbi Abba: This Heh in behibbar'am is small, and the Heh of Hashem (Deuteronomy 32) is large-what is the difference between this and that? (אָמַר רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב לְרַבִּי אַבָּא: הַאי ה״א דְּבְּהִבָּרְאָם זְעִירָא, וְה״א דְּהַלַּי־יָ רַבְרְבָא-מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי) He said to him: This is Shekhinta in Shemittah, and that is Jubilee (אָמַר לֵיהּ: דָּא שְׁכִינְתָא שְׁמִיטָה, וְדָא יוֹבְלָא). And there are those who teach: all is one-for when the moon is illuminated properly, then it stands in wholeness and the Heh is large (וְאִית דְּמַתְנֵי דְּכֹלָּא חַד, דְּכַד מִנְהֲרָא מִצַּדִּיק, כְּדֵין קַיְּימָא בְּאֶשְׁלֵמוּתָא וְהֵ״א רַבְרְבָא), for it shines as is proper (דְּהָא מִתְנַהֲרָא כְּדְקָא יָאוּת), but sometimes it is not complete and it draws from the Sitra Achra, and then the Heh is small (וּלְזִמְנִין דְּלָא קַיְּימָא בְּאֶשְׁלֵמוּתָא וְיָנְקָא מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא, כְּדֵין ה״א זְעִירָא). And for this reason, sometimes the moon is whole, and sometimes it is blemished (וּבְגִין כָּךְ זִמְנִין דְּסִיהֲרָא קָיְימָא בְּאֶשְׁלֵמוּתָא וְזִמְנִין בִּפְגִימוּתָא), and it is seen and made known through the face-and all is proper (וּבְאַנְפָּהָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע, וְכֹלָּא שַׁפִּיר). And this is the clarification of the matter (וְהַאי אִיהוּ בְּרִירָא דְמִלָּה).

Rabbi Abba said: Fortunate are Yisrael, for Kudsha Berikh Hu desired them more than all other nations (אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא: זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרָעֵי בְּהוֹן מִכָּל שְׁאָר עַמִּין), and gave them this sign of covenant (וְיָהִיב לוֹן אוֹת קְיָימָא דָא), for whoever has this sign will not descend to Gehinnom if he guards it properly (דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִית בֵּיהּ הַאי אוֹת לָא נָחֵית לַגֵּיהִנֹּם, אִי אִיהוּ נָטִיר לֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יָאוּת), that he not enter it into foreign authority nor profane the Name of the King (דְּלָא עָיִיל לֵיהּ בִּרְשׁוּתָא אָחֳרָא וְלָא מְשַׁקֵּר בִּשְׁמֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא), for whoever profanes this is as one who profanes the Name of Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּכָל מַאן דִּמְשַׁקֵּר בְּהַאי, כְּמַאן דִּמְשַׁקֵּר בִּשְׁמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written: “They have betrayed Hashem, for they have begotten strange children” (Hosea 5) (דִּכְתִיב: בַּי־יָ בָּגָדוּ, כִּי בָּנִים זָרִים יָלָדוּ). Furthermore, Rabbi Abba said: At the time that a human being brings up his son to enter into this covenant (תוּ אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא: בְּזִמְנָא דְּבַר נָשׁ אַסִּיק בְּרֵיהּ לְאָעֳלֵיהּ לְהַאי בְּרִית), Kudsha Berikh Hu calls to His retinue and says: See what creature I have made in the world (קָרֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְפַמַּלְיָא דִילֵיהּ וְאָמַר: חָמוּ מַאי בְּרִיָּה עֲבָדִית בְּעָלְמָא). At that moment, Eliyahu is summoned and the world flies with four wings and he is present there (בֵּיהּ שַׁעֲתָא אִזְדַּמַּן אֵלִיָּהוּ וְטָאס עָלְמָא בְּד׳ טָאסִין וְאִזְדַּמַּן תַּמָּן). And for this reason we have learned: a human being must prepare another chair for his honor and say (וְעַל דָּא תָּנִינָן: דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְתַקָּנָא כֻּרְסְיָיא אָחֳרָא לִיקָרָא דִילֵיהּ, וְיֵימָא), “This is the chair of Eliyahu,” and if not, he may not be present there (דָּא כֻּרְסְיָיא דְּאֵלִיָּהוּ, וְאִי לָאו לָא שָׁרֵי תַּמָּן). And he ascends and testifies before Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְהוּא סָלִיק וְאַסְהִיד קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

Come and see: At first it is written, “What are you doing here, Eliyahu?” (I Kings 19) (תָּא חֲזֵי: בְּקַדְמִיתָא כְּתִיב: מַה לְּךָ פֹה אֵלִיָּהוּ וְגו׳), and it is written, “I have been very zealous for Hashem... because the children of Yisrael have forsaken Your covenant…” (וּכְתִיב: קַנֹּא קִנֵאתִי לַי־יָ אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת, כִּי עָזְבוּ בְּרִיתְךָ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגו׳). He said to him: By your life, in every place where My children inscribe this holy sign upon their flesh, you shall be present there (אָמַר לֵיהּ: חַיֶּיךָ, בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּהַאי רְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא יִרְשְׁמוּן לֵיהּ בָּנַי בִּבְשַׂרְהוֹן, אַנְתְּ תִּזְדַּמַּן תַּמָּן), and the mouth that testified that Yisrael had forsaken shall testify that Yisrael upholds this covenant (וּפוּמָא דְּאַסְהִיד דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל עָזְבוּ, הוּא יַסְהִיד דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מְקַיְימִין הַאי קְיָימָא). And we have learned: for what was Eliyahu punished before Kudsha Berikh Hu? Because he spoke slander against His children (וְהָא תָּנִינָן: עַל מָה אִתְעַנַּשׁ אֵלִיָּהוּ קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל דְּאָמַר דִּלְטוֹרָא עַל בְּנוֹי). Meanwhile, the light of day arrived, and they were speaking words of Orayta (אַדְהָכִי הֲוָה אָתֵי נְהוֹרָא דְיוֹמָא, וְהֲווּ אֲמָרֵי מִילֵי דְאוֹרַיְּיתָא). They rose to go (קָמוּ לְמֵיזַל). That man said to them: What you were engaged in during this night-complete it in action (אָמַר לֵיהּ הַהוּא גַבְרָא: בַּמֶּה דְּעַסְקִיתוּ בְּהַאי לֵילְיָא אַשְׁלִימוּ). They said: What is that? (אֲמָרֵי: מַאי הוּא). He said to them: That you should tomorrow behold the face of the Master who stands, for my household has requested this matter of you (אָמַר לְהוּ: דְּתֶחמוּן לִמְחָר אַנְפּוֹי דְּמָרֵיהּ דְּקַיָּימָא, דְּהָא דְּבֵיתָאֵי בָּעָאת בָּעוּתָא דָּא מִנַּיְיכוּ). And I have decreed the covenant of the son who was born to me-tomorrow shall be his Hillula (וּגְזַר קְיָימָא דִּבְרֵי דְּאִתְיְילִיד לִי, לְמָחָר לֵיהֱוֵי הִלּוּלָא דִּילֵיהּ). Rabbi Abba said: This is a sacred invitation, and to behold the face of the Shekhinta-let us sit (אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא: הַאי בְּעוּתָא דְּמִצְוָה אִיהוּ, וּלְמֶחֱמֵי אַפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא נֵיתִיב).