Daf 93b (דַּף צ״ג ע״ב)

All that day he was extended (אוֹרִיכוּ כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא), and on that night that man gathered all those who loved him (בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא כָּנַשׁ הַהוּא גַבְרָא כָּל אִנּוּן רְחִימוֹי), and all that night they toiled in Orayta and there was no one who slept (וְכָל הַהוּא לֵילְיָא אִשְׁתַּדָּלוּ בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא וְלָא הֲוָה מַאן דְּנָאִים). That man said to them: I beseech you, each and every one, let him say a new explanation of the words of the Orayta (אָמַר לֶהוּ הַהוּא גַבְרָא בְּמָטוּ מִנַּיְיכוּ כָּל חַד וְחַד לֵימָא מִלָּה חַדְתָּא דְאוֹרַיְּיתָא).

One opened (Rabbi Abba) and said: “When breaches are breached [pra’ot] in Yisrael, when the people offer themselves willingly—bless Hashem” (פָּתַח חַד (רַבִּי אַבָּא) וְאָמַר בִּפְרוֹעַ פְּרָעוֹת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהִתְנַדֵּב עָם בָּרְכוּ יְיָ) (Judges 5). What did Devorah and Barak see that they opened with this verse? (מַאי קָא חָמוּ דְּבוֹרָה וּבָרָק דְּפָתְחוּ בְּהַאי קְרָא) Rather, so we have learned: The world stands only upon this covenant, as it is written (אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּנִינָן לֵית עָלְמָא מִתְקָיְימָא אֶלָּא עַל הַאי בְּרִית דִּכְתִיב), “If not for My covenant by day and night…” (אִם לֹא בְרִיתִי יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה וְגו׳) (Jeremiah 33), for the heavens and the earth stand upon this (דְּהָא שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא עַל דָּא קָיְימִין). Therefore, whenever Yisrael uphold this covenant (בְּגִין כָּךְ כָּל זִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מְקַיְּימִין הַאי בְּרִית), the structures of heaven and earth endure through their standing (נִמּוּסֵי שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא קָיְימִין בְּקִיּוּמַיְיהוּ), and whenever—Heaven forbid—Yisrael nullify this covenant (וְכָל זִמְנָא דְּחַס וְשָׁלוֹם יִשְׂרָאֵל מְבַטְּלִין הַאי בְּרִית), the heavens and the earth do not endure, and blessings are not found in the world (שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא לָא מִתְקָיְימִין, וּבִרְכָּאן לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין בְּעָלְמָא).

Come and see, the other nations do not rule over Yisrael except when they nullify this standing from among them (תָּא חֲזֵי, לָא שַׁלִּיטוּ שְׁאָר עַמִּין עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלָּא כַּדּ בְּטִילוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ קְיָימָא דָּא). And what did they neglect? [They performed the circumcision, but] they did uncover the corona [pri’ah] (וּמַה בְּטִילוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ דְּלָא אִתְפָּרְעָן וְלָא אִתְגַּלְיָין). And concerning this it is written: “And the children of Yisrael forsook Hashem…” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב וַיַּעַזְבוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת יְיָ וְגו׳) “And He sold them into the hand of Sisera…” (וַיִּמְכֹּר אוֹתָם בְּיַד סִיסְרָא), “And they truly forsook Hashem” (וַיַּעַזְבוּ אֶת יְיָ מַמָּשׁ). Until Devorah came and offered herself for all Yisrael in this matter (עַד דְּאֲתַת דְּבוֹרָה וְאִתְנַדְּבַת לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִלָּה דָא), then their enemies were subdued beneath them (כְּדֵין אִתְכְּנָעוּ שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן תְּחוֹתַיְיהוּ).

And this is what we have learned: that Kudsha Berikh Hu said to Yehoshua (וְהַיְינוּ דְּתָנִינָן דְּאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ), “Yisrael are not circumcised because they did not uncover the sacred flesh. Therefore they do not uphold my covenant. And yet you desire to bring them into the land and to subdue their enemies?” (וְכִי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲטִימִין אִנּוּן וְלָא אִתְפְּרָעוּ וְלָא אִתְגַּלְיָיא וְלָא קָיְימִין קְיָימָא דִילִי, וְאַתְּ בָּעֵי לְאָעֳלָא לְהוּ לְאַרְעָא וּלְאַכְנָעָא שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן). “Circumcise again the children of Yisrael a second time” (שׁוּב מוֹל אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֵׁנִית) (Joshua 5). And until this covenant was breached and revealed, they did not enter the land, and their enemies were not subdued (וְעַד דְּאִתְפְּרָעוּ וְאִתְגַּלְיָיא הַאי בְּרִית לָא עָאלוּ לְאַרְעָא וְלָא אִתְכְּנָעוּ שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן). So too here, once Yisrael offered themselves with this sign (אוּף הָכָא כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְנַדְּבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַאי אָת), their enemies were subdued beneath them, and blessings returned to the world (אִתְכְּנָעוּ שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן תְּחוֹתַיְיהוּ וּבִרְכָּאן אִתְחֲזָרוּ לְעָלְמָא). This is what is written: “When breaches are breached [pra’ot] in Yisrael, when the people offer themselves willingly—bless Hashem” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב בִּפְרוֹעַ פְּרָעוֹת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהִתְנַדֵּב עָם בָּרְכוּ יְיָ) (Judges 5).

Another rose, opened, and said: “And it came to pass on the way, at the lodging place, that Hashem met him, and sought to kill him—for whom? For Moshe” (קָם אָחֳרָא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וַיְהִי בַדֶּרֶךְ בַּמָּלוֹן וַיִּפְגְּשֵׁהוּ יְיָ וַיְבַקֵּשׁ הֲמִיתוֹ לְמַאן לְמֹשֶׁה) (Exodus 4). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him: “You are going to bring out Yisrael from Egypt and to subdue a great and mighty king, and you have forgotten from yourself the standing? Your son was not circumcised!” (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְכִי אַתְּ אָזִיל לְאַפָּקָא יַת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם וּלְאַכְנְעָא מַלְכָּא רַב וְשַׁלִּיטָא, וְאַתְּ אַנְשְׁיֵית מִנָּךְ קְיָימָא. דִּבְרָךְ לָא אִתְגְּזַר) Immediately He sought to kill him (מִיָּד וַיְבַקֵּשׁ הֲמִיתוֹ).

It was taught: Gavri’el descended in a flame of fire to burn him (תָּאַנָא נָחַת גַּבְרִיאֵל בְּשַׁלְהוֹבָא דְּאֶשָׁא לְאוֹקְדֵיהּ), and a serpent was signaled to emerge from the flame to bite him from within (וְאִתְרְמִיז חַד חִיוְיָא מִתּוֹקְדָא לְשָׁאפָא לֵיהּ בְּגַוֵּיהּ). Why a serpent? (אַמַּאי חִיוְיָא) Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him: “You are going to slay the great and mighty serpent, and your son has not been circumcised?” (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַתְּ אָזִיל לְקַטְלָא חִיוְיָא רַבְרְבָא וְתַקִּיפָא, וּבְרָךְ לָא אִתְגְּזַר) Immediately a serpent was signaled to kill him (מִיָּד אִתְרְמִיז לְחַד חִיוְיָא לְקַטְלָא לֵיהּ), until Tzipporah saw and circumcised her son, and he was saved (עַד דְּחָמַת צִפּוֹרָה וְגַזְרַת לִבְרָהּ וְאִשְׁתְּזִיב). This is what is written: “Then Tzipporah took a flint” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַתִּקַּח צִפּוֹרָה צוֹר) (Exodus 4). What is “a flint”? It is a healer (מַהוּ צוֹר אֶלָּא אַסְוָותָא). And what is the healing? As it is written: “And she cut the foreskin of her son” (וּמַאי אַסְוָותָא דִּכְתִיב: וַתִּכְרוֹת אֶת עָרְלַת בְּנָהּ). In her sparkled the spirit of holiness (דְּנִצְנְצָא בָּהּ רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא).

Another rose and said: “And Yosef said to his brothers, ‘Come near to me, I pray you,’ and they came near, and he said…” (קָם אָחֳרָא וְאָמַר וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל אֶחָיו גְּשׁוּ נָא אֵלַי וַיִּגָּשׁוּ וַיֹּאמֶר וְגו׳) (Bereshit 45). And why did he call them? Were they not already near him? (וְכִי אַמַּאי קָרֵי לְהוּ וְהָא קְרִיבִין הֲווּ גַבֵּיהּ) Rather, at the moment he said to them, “I am Yosef your brother,” they saw him in The Supernal Molcho (אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָמַר לוֹן: אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם, תְּוָוהוּ דְּחָמוּ לֵיהּ בְּמַלְכוּ עִלָּאָה). Yosef said: “[I recieved] this Molcho—because of this [the circumcision]; come near to me, and they came near” (אָמַר יוֹסֵף: מַלְכוּ דָּא בְּגִין דָּא רַוַוחְנָא לֵיהּ, גְּשׁוּ נָא אֵלַי וַיִּגָּשׁוּ), he showed them the standing of the sign [of the covenant] (דְּאַחֲזֵי לְהוּ הַאי קְיָימָא דְמִילָה). He said: “[because I have guarded the covenant], I have received this Molcho” (אָמַר: דָּא גָרְמַת לִי מַלְכוּ דָא בְּגִין דְּנָטְרִית לָהּ). From here we learn: whoever guards this sign of the covenant, Molcho is preserved for him (מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא: מַאן דְּנָטִיר לְהַאי אָת קְיָימָא, מַלְכוּ אִתְנַטְרַת לֵיהּ). From where? From Boaz, as it is written: “As Hashem lives, lie down until morning…” (מְנָלָן מִבֹּעַז דִּכְתִיב חַי יְיָ שִׁכְבִי עַד הַבֹּקֶר) (Ruth 3), for his inclination was accusing him until he arose and stood, and guarded this covenant (דְּהֲוָה מְקַטְרֵג לֵיהּ יִצְרֵיהּ עַד דְּאוֹמֵי אוֹמָאָה וּנְטִיר לְהַאי בְּרִית). Therefore, he merited that kings, rulers over all other kings, descended from him (בְּגִין כָּךְ זָכָה דְּנָפְקוּ מִנֵּיהּ מַלְכִין שַׁלִּיטִין עַל כָּל שְׁאָר מַלְכִין), and the King Mashiach who is called by the name of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּמַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא דְּאִתְקְרֵי בִּשְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

Another opened and said: It is written, “Though a camp encamp against me…” (פָּתַח אִידָךְ וְאָמַר: כְּתִיב אִם תַּחֲנֶה עָלַי מַחֲנֶה וְגו׳) (Psalms 27). So it was taught: “In this I trust”—what is “In this [zot]”? This is the sign of the covenant that always stands with a person and is signaled above (הָכִי תָאנָא: בְּזֹאת אֲנִי בוֹטֵחַ. מַהוּ בְּזֹאת דָּא אָת קְיָימָא דִּזְמִינָא תָּדִיר גַּבֵּי בַּר נָשׁ וְאִתְרְמִיזָא לְעֵילָא). Therefore it is said “In this [zot]”, as it is written: “This [zot] is the sign of the covenant” and “This is My covenant” (וּבְגִינֵי כָךְ אִתְּמָר: בְּזֹאת. כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב: זֹאת אוֹת הַבְּרִית… זֹאת בְּרִיתִי). And all is on one level (וְכֹלָּא בְּחַד דַּרְגָּא). And it was taught: this [zeh] and this [zot] are on one level and are never separated (וְתָאנָא: זֶה וְזֹאת בְּחַד דַּרְגָּא אִנּוּן וְלָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁן). And if you say: “If so, then why not the rest of the world as well? Why only David and not another?” (וְאִי תֵימָא: אִי הָכִי הָא שְׁאָר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא הָכִי. אַמַּאי דָּוִד בִּלְחוֹדוֹי וְלָא אָחֳרָא) Rather, because he grasped it [zot] and it appears in him, and he is the crown of kingship (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאֲחִידָא בֵּיהּ וְאִתְרְמִיזָא בֵּיהּ, וְהוּא כִתְרָא דְּמַלְכוּתָא).