Parashat Vayera

Daf 97a (דַּף צ״ז ע״א)

abbi Ḥiyya opened (רַבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח) (Song of Songs 2): The blossoms appeared in the land; the time of singing has arrived, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land (הַנִּצָּנִים נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ וְקוֹל הַתּוֹר נִשְׁמַע בְּאַרְצֵנוּ). The blossoms appeared in the land (הַנִּצָּנִים נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ): When Kudsha Berikh Hu created the world (כַּד בְּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא), He placed in the earth all the strength that would be revealed in her (יָהַב בְּאַרְעָא כָּל חֵילָא דְּאִתְחֲזִי לָהּ). And all existed within the earth (וְכֹלָּא הֲוָה בְאַרְעָא), and no plants or growths emerged into the world (וְלָא אֲפִיקַת אִיבִּין בְּעָלְמָא) until Adam was created (עַד דְּאִתְבְּרֵי אָדָם). Once Adam was created (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְבְּרֵי אָדָם), all was revealed (כֹּלָּא אִתְחֲזֵי), Some say: revealed to go forth (ד״א ל״ג: לְמֵיפַק), into the world (בְּעָלְמָא), and the earth uncovered her produce and powers (וְאַרְעָא גַּלִּיאַת אִיבָּהָא וְחֵילָהָא), which had been appointed within her (דְּאִתְפָּקְדוּ בָהּ).

In this manner (כְּגַוְונָא דָא), the heavens did not give strength to the earth until Adam came (שָׁמַיִם לָא יָהֲבוּ חֵילִין לְאַרְעָא עַד דְּאָתָא אָדָם). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “And every shrub of the field had not yet appeared on the earth, and every herb of the field had not yet sprouted, for Hashem Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to work the soil” (Bereshit 2) (וְכָל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ וְכָל עֵשֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִצְמָח כִּי לֹא הִמְטִיר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים עַל הָאָרֶץ וְאָדָם אַיִן לַעֲבֹד אֶת הָאֲדָמָה). All those offspring were concealed and had not been revealed (אִטַּמָּרוּ כָּל אִנּוּן תּוֹלָדִין וְלָא אִתְגַּלּוּן), and the heavens were held back, and did not send rain upon the earth (וּשְׁמַיָא אִתְעַכָּבוּ דְּלָא אַמְטִירוּ עַל אַרְעָא), because there was no Adam—he was not found and not yet created (בְּגִין דְּאָדָם אַיִן, דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח וְלָא אִתְבְּרֵי), and everything was withheld because of him (וְכֹלָּא אִתְעַכַּב בְּגִינֵיהּ). Once Adam appeared (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְחֲזֵי אָדָם), immediately “the blossoms appeared in the land” (Song of Songs 2) (מִיָּד הַנִּצָּנִים נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ), and all the forces that had been concealed were revealed and given into it (וְכָל חַיָילִין דְּאִתְטַמָּרוּ אִתְגַּלִּיאוּ וְאִתְיְהִיבוּ בָהּ).