Daf 96a (דַּף צ״ו ע״א)

Rabbi Abba opened and said: “Let me sing now to my beloved, the song of my beloved regarding his vineyard…” (Isaiah 5) (פָּתַח רַבִּי אַבָּא וְאָמַר: אָשִׁירָה נָא לִידִידִי שִׁירַת דּוֹדִי לְכַרְמוֹ וְגו׳). “He fenced it and cleared it of stones…” (וַיְעַזְּקֵהוּ וַיְסַקְּלֵהוּ וְגו׳). These verses are worthy of deep examination (הַנִּי קְרָאֵי אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּהוּ). Why is it written “a song”? It should have said “a reproof” (אַמַּאי כְּתִיב שִׁירָה, תּוֹכָחָה מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). “To my beloved”-it should have said “to my friend” (לִידִידִי, לְדוֹדִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ), as it says: “the song of my beloved” (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב: שִׁירַת דּוֹדִי). “A vineyard my beloved had on a horn, a son of oil…” (Isaiah 5:1) (כֶּרֶם הָיָה לִידִידִי בְּקֶרֶן בֶּן שֶׁמֶן). I searched throughout the entire Orayta and did not find a place called 'The Horn of Oil' [Keren Shemen] (אִסְתַּכַּלְנָא בְּכָל אוֹרַיְּיתָא וְלָא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא אַתְרָא דְּאִקְרֵי קֶרֶן שָׁמֶן). Rather, these verses were established by the friends in many ways, and all are valid and truthful (אֶלָּא הַנִּי קְרָאֵי הָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא בְּכַמָּה גְוָונִין וְכֻלְּהוּ שַׁפִּיר, וְהָכִי הוּא). However, “Let me sing now to my beloved”-this is Yitzchak, who was beloved (אָשִׁירָה נָא לִידִידִי, דָּא יִצְחָק דְּהֲוָה יְדִיד), and he was called “Beloved” even before entering the world (וְאִקְרֵי יְדִיד עַד לָא יִפּוּק לְעָלְמָא).

Why “Beloved”? For it was taught: abundant love had Kudsha Berikh Hu for him, that he was not brought into being until Avraham his father had been circumcised (אַמַּאי יְדִיד, דְּתָנִינָן: רְחִימוּ סַגִּי הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בֵּיהּ, דְּלָא אִתְעֲבִיד עַד דְּלָא אִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם אֲבוּהָ), and he was called complete, and the letter Heh was added to him for perfection (וְאִקְרֵי שְׁלִים וְאִתּוֹסַף לֵיהּ ה״א לְאַשְׁלָמוּתָא). And likewise to Sarah, this Heh was given to her (וְכֵן לְשָׂרָה: הַאי ה״א אִתְיְהִיבַת לָהּ). Here there is cause to examine: Heh to Sarah is fitting (הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא: ה״א לְשָׂרָה שַׁפִּיר), but to Avraham why a Heh and not a Yod? A Yod should have been expected, since he was male (אֲבָל לְאַבְרָהָם אַמַּאי ה״א וְלֹא יו״ד יו״ד מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, דְּהָא הוּא דְּכַר הֲוָה). Rather, this is a supernal secret, hidden within Avraham, who ascended above and took the secret from the upper Heh-that is, the world of the male principle (אֶלָּא רָזָא עִלָּאָה הֲוָה סָתִים בְּגַוָּון אַבְרָהָם, סָלִיק לְעֵילָא וְנָטִיל רָזָא מֵה״א עִלָּאָה דְּאִיהוּ עָלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא). The upper Heh and the lower Heh: this one is dependent on the male (ה״א עִלָּאָה וְה״א תַּתָּאָה, הַאי תַלְיָא בִּדְכוּרָא), and that one on the female for certain (וְהַאי בְּנוּקְבָא וַדַּאי). Therefore, Avraham ascended into the upper Heh, and Sarah descended into the lower Heh (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אַבְרָהָם סָלִיק בְּה״א דְּעֵילָא, וְשָׂרָה נָחֲתָא בְּה״א דְּלְתַתָּא). Furthermore, it is written: “Thus shall your seed be” (Bereshit 15) (תוּ דִּכְתִיב: כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ). And it was taught: your seed-literally your seed (וְתָנָא: זַרְעֶךָ מַמָּשׁ), who was permitted to enter this covenant (דְּהֲוָה שָׁארֵי לְמֵיעַל בְּהַאי קְיָימָא), and whoever is permitted to enter this covenant enters (וּמָאן דְּשָׁארֵי לְמֵיעַל בְּהַאי קְיָימָא עָאל). And for this reason, a convert who is circumcised is called a righteous convert (וּבְגִין כָּךְ גִּיּוֹרָא דְּאִתְגְּזַר, גֵּר צֶדֶק אִקְרֵי), for he does not descend from the holy stock of those who were circumcised (בְּגִין דְּלָא אֲתָא מִגִּזְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִתְגְּזָרוּ). And therefore, one who enters this name as Avraham did-regarding him it is written “Thus shall your seed be”, your seed precisely (וְעַל דָּא מַאן דְּעָאל בְּהַאי שְׁמֵיהּ כְּהַאי אַבְרָהָם, בְּגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ: כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ, זַרְעֶךָ מַמָּשׁ). And the Heh was given to him (וְאִתְמָסַר לֵיהּ ה״א), and if not that the Heh had been given to Sarah, then Avraham would only have fathered from the lower realm, just as “Koh” begets below (וְאִי לָאו דְּאִתְמָסַר ה״א לְשָׂרָה, הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְאַבְרָהָם לְאוֹלִיד לְתַתָּא, כְּמָה דְּהַאי כ״ה אוֹלִידַת לְתַתָּא). After the letter Heh was given to Sarah (בָּתַר דְּאִתְמַסְרַת ה״א לְשָׂרָה), the two Heh’s became joined as one (אִתְחַבָּרוּ תְּרֵין הֵהִין כְּחֲדָא), and they gave birth above (וְאוֹלִידוּ לְעֵילָא). And what issued from them was the letter Yod (וּמַאי דְּנָפַק מִנַּיְיהוּ הוּא יו״ד). Therefore, Yod is the first letter of Yitzchak, a male (בְּגִינֵי כָךְ יו״ד אָת רֵישָׁא דְּיִצְחָק דְּכַר). From there male expansion begins (מִכָּאן שָׁארֵי דְּכוּרָא לְאִתְפַּשְּׁטָא), and regarding this it is written: “For in Yitzchak shall seed be called to you” (Bereshit 21) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב: כִּי בְיִצְחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע). In Yitzchak, not from you (בְּיִצְחָק וְלֹא בְךָ). Yitzchak begets above, as it is written (וְיִצְחָק אוֹלִיד לְעֵילָא דִּכְתִיב): “You will give truth to Ya'akov” (Micah 7) (תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב). Ya'akov completes all (יַעֲקֹב אַשְׁלִים כֹּלָּא). And if you say: did Avraham become unified only through this and no more? But is it not written: “Kindness to Avraham” (Micah 7) (וְאִי תֵימָא וְכִי אַבְרָהָם בְּהַאי אִתְאַחִיד וְלָא יַתִּיר, וְהָא כְּתִיב חֶסֶד לְאַבְרָהָם)? Rather, his portion is thus, for he performed kindness with the people of the world (אֶלָּא חוּלָקָא דִּילֵיהּ כָּךְ הוּא, בְּגִין דְּעָבִיד חֶסֶד עִם בְּנֵי עָלְמָא). But for offspring, here he held, and from here it begins (אֲבָל לְאוֹלָדָא הָכָא אָחִיד, וּמֵהָכָא שָׁארֵי). And therefore Avraham was not circumcised until he was ninety-nine years old (וְעַל דָּא לֹא אִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם אֶלָּא בֶּן תִּשְׁעִים וְתֵשַׁע שָׁנָה). And the secret of this matter has already been explained and established in our Mishnah (וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה הָא אִתְיְידַע וְאוֹקִימְנָא בְּמַתְנִיתָּא דִילָן). And therefore, Yitzchak, who is strict judgment, emerged to seize his portion (וּבְגִין כָּךְ יִצְחָק דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא נָפַק לְאַחֲדָא לְחוּלָקֵיהּ), and for offspring and kindness he is called (וּלְאוֹלָדָא וְחֶסֶד אִקְרֵי). And thus Ya'akov completed everything (וְעַל דָּא יַעֲקֹב אַשְׁלִים כֹּלָּא)-from this side and from that side (מֵהַאי סִטְרָא וּמֵהַאי סִטְרָא): from the side of what Avraham and Yitzchak held above, that is the completeness (מִסִּטְרָא דְּאֲחִידוּ אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק לְחוּלָקֵיהוֹן לְעֵילָא הוּא שְׁלֵימוּתָא); from the side of what was given to them for offspring from below to above, that is completeness (מִסִּטְרָא דְּאִתְיְהִיב לְהוּ לְאוֹלָדָא מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא הוּא שְׁלֵימוּתָא). And regarding this it is written: “Yisrael, in whom I will be glorified” (Isaiah 49) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב: יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאַר). In him, the colors were unified from above and from below (בֵּיהּ אִתְאֲחִידוּ גְּוָונִין מֵעֵילָא וּמִתַּתָּא). And because of this it says shirah here, as it is written: “Let me sing now to my beloved” (Isaiah 5) (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב הָכָא שִׁירָה דִּכְתִיב: אָשִׁירָה נָא לִידִידִי). Shirah certainly, for this refers to offspring, male (שִׁירָה וַדַּאי, דְּהָא אִקְרֵי לְאוֹלָדָא דְּכַר), for he was called “beloved” even before he entered the world (דְּהָא אִקְרֵי יְדִיד עַד לָא יִפּוּק לְעָלְמָא). And some say that Let me sing now to my beloved refers to Avraham (וְאִית דְּאָמְרֵי דָּא אָשִׁירָה נָא לִידִידִי דָּא אַבְרָהָם), as it says: “What has My beloved to do in My house?” (Jeremiah 11) (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: מַה לִּידִידִי בְּבֵיתִי). And Avraham inherited the legal right to this portion (וְאַבְרָהָם יָרִית יְרוּתָא דְּאַחְסָנַת חוּלָקָא דָּא). But according to what we have said, that this is Yitzchak-so it is (אֲבָל מַה דְּאֲמִינָא דְּדָא יִצְחָק, הָכִי הוּא). The song of my beloved for His vineyard (שִׁירַת דּוֹדִי לְכַרְמוֹ), this is Kudsha Berikh Hu (דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), who is called “my beloved” (דְּאִקְרֵי דּוֹדִי), as it is written (Song of Songs 5): “My beloved is radiant and ruddy” (דִּכְתִיב דּוֹדִי צַח וְאָדוֹם). “My beloved” (Yedidi) is held within “my beloved” (Dodi), male, and from him the vineyard was planted (יְדִידִי אָחִיד בְּדוֹדִי דְּכַר, וּמִנֵּיהּ אִתְנְטַע כֶּרֶם), as it is written: “A vineyard was to my beloved” (דִּכְתִיב כֶּרֶם הָיָה לִידִידִי).

In a horn, a son of oil (בְּקֶרֶן בֶּן שָׁמֶן) - what is in a horn, a son of oil? (מַהוּ בְּקֶרֶן בֶּן שָׁמֶן) - rather, by what did this vineyard go forth, and with what was it planted? (אֶלָּא בְּמָה נָפִיק הַאי כֶּרֶם וּבְמָה אִתְנְטַע) - he returned and said: In a horn (חָזַר וְאָמַר בְּקֶרֶן). What is a horn? As it is written (Joshua 6): “In the horn of the Jubilee” (מַהוּ קֶרֶן דִּכְתִיב בְּקֶרֶן הַיּוֹבֵל). In the horn of the Jubilee - it begins (בְּקֶרֶן הַיּוֹבֵל שָׁארֵי). And this horn is unified with the male who is called 'Son of Oil' [Ben Shemen] (וְהַאי קֶרֶן אִתְאַחִיד בְּהַהוּא דְּכַר דְּאִקְרֵי בֶּן שָׁמֶן).

What is 'Ben Shemen' (a son of oil)? It is as you say, 'Ben Chorin' (a free man) (מַהוּ בֶּן שָׁמֶן כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר בֶּן חוֹרִין). And both are one concept (וְתַרְוַיְיהוּ חַד מִלָּה): Shemen, from which oil flows, and growth, to ignite lamps (שֶׁמֶן דְּמִתַּמָּן נְגִיד מִשְׁחָא וּרְבוּ לְאַדְלָקָא בּוֹצִינִין). And therefore, 'Ben Shemen' (a son of oil) (וּבְגִין כָּךְ בֶּן שָׁמֶן). And this oil and its abundance flows and comes forth and kindles lamps (וְדָא שֶׁמֶן וּרְבוּ נְגִיד וּנְפִיק וְאַדְלִיק בּוֹצִינִין), until this horn takes it and gathers it (עַד דְּנָטִיל לֵיהּ וְכָנִישׁ לֵיהּ הַאי קֶרֶן). And this is called 'Horn of the Jubilee' (Keren HaYovel) (וְדָא אִקְרֵי קֶרֶן הַיּוֹבֵל). Therefore, there is no anointing of kingship except through a horn (בְּגִינֵי כָךְ לֵית מְשִׁיחוּתָא דְּמַלְכוּתָא אֶלָּא בְּקֶרֶן), and for this reason the kingship of David was anointed with a horn and became unified with it (וְעַל דָּא אִתְמְשַׁךְ מַלְכוּתָא דְּדָוִד דְּאִתְמְשַׁח בְּקֶרֶן וְאִתְאַחִיד בֵּיהּ).