Daf 122b (דַּף קכ״ב ע״ב)

Another matter: King-this is the woman who fears Hashem (דָּבָר אַחֵר: מֶלֶךְ-דָּא אִשָּׁה יִרְאַת יְיָ), as you say: A woman who fears Hashem, she shall be praised (כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר אִשָּׁה יִרְאַת יְיָ הִיא תִתְהַלָּל) (Mishlei 31). A cultivated field-this is the foreign woman (לְשָׂדֶה נֶעֱבָד-דָּא אִשָּׁה זָרָה), as you say: To guard you from the foreign woman (כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר לִשְׁמָרְךָ מֵאִשָּׁה זָרָה) (Mishlei 7). For there is a field and there is a field (בְּגִין דְּאִית שָׂדֶה וְאִית שָׂדֶה). There is a field in which all blessings and sanctities dwell (אִית שָׂדֶה דְּכָל בִּרְכָאָן וְקִדּוּשִׁין בֵּיהּ שַׁרְיָין), as it is said: As the fragrance of a field that Hashem has blessed (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: כְּרֵיחַ שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַכוֹ יְיָ) (Bereishit 27). And there is a field in which all destruction and defilement and demons and killing and wars dwell (וְאִית שָׂדֶה דְּכָל חִירוּב וּמְסָאֲבוּ וְשֵׁיצָאָה וְקָטוֹלִין וּקְרָבִין בֵּיהּ שָׁרְיָין). And this King-there are times when he is subjugated to that field, as it is written: Under three things the earth trembles… under a servant when he reigns… and a handmaid who displaces her mistress (וְהַאי מֶלֶךְ זִמְנִין דְּאִיהוּ נֶעֱבַד לְהַאי שָׂדֶה, דִּכְתִיב תַּחַת שָׁלֹשׁ רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ… תַּחַת עֶבֶד כִּי יִמְלוֹךְ… וְשִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ) (Mishlei 30). And this King-his Nehorah is concealed, and he is darkened, until he is purified and joined Above (וְהַאי מֶלֶךְ אִתְכַּסְּיָא נְהוֹרֵיהּ וְאִתְחַשָּׁךְ עַד דְּאִתְדַּכֵּי וְאִתְחַבַּר לְעֵילָא).

And because of this, the goat of Rosh Chodesh (וּבְגִין כָּךְ שָׂעִיר דְּרֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ), because that field was separated from the Holy King (בְּגִין דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ הַהוּא שָׂדֶה מִמַּלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), and no blessings dwell in that field from this King (וְלָא שַׁרְיָין בְּהַאי שָׂדֶה בִּרְכָאָן מֵהַאי מֶלֶךְ). And when He is joined to that field, then it is written (וְכַד אִיהוּ נֶעֱבַד לְהַאי שָׂדֶה, כְּדֵין כְּתִיב): For in the field the man found her… (כִּי בַשָּׂדֶה מְצָאָהּ וְגו׳) (Devarim 22). For in the field-as it is said (כִּי בַשָּׂדֶה-כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Chavah came into the world, and she was joined with that serpent (אָתַת חַוָּה לְעַלְמָא, אִתְדַּבְּקַת בְּהַאי חִוְּיָא), and he cast into her contamination (וְאַטִּיל בָּהּ זוּהֲמָא). And she caused death to the world and to her husband (וְגָרְמָא מוֹתָא לְעַלְמָא וּלְבַעֲלָהּ). Sarah came and descended and ascended, and was not joined with it (אָתַת שָׂרָה וְנָחֲתַת וְסָלְקַת וְלָא אִתְדַּבְּקַת בֵּיהּ), as it is said: And Avram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וַיַּעַל אַבְרָם מִמִּצְרַיִם, הוּא וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ).

Noach came into the world-what is written? And he drank of the wine and became drunk, and he uncovered himself… (אֲתָא נֹחַ לְעַלְמָא, מַה כְּתִיב וַיֵּשְׁתְּ מִן הַיַּיִן וַיִּשְׁכָּר וַיִּתְגָּל…). And because Avraham and Sarah were not joined with it (וּבְגִין דְּאַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה לָא אִתְדַּבָּקוּ בֵּיהּ), therefore Sarah merited supernal life for herself, and for her husband, and for her son after her (בְּגִין כָּךְ שָׂרָה זָכְתָה לְחַיִּין עִלָּאִין לָהּ וּלְבַעֲלָהּ וְלִבְנָהָא בַּתְרָאָה). This is what is written: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב הַבִּיטוּ אֶל צוּר חֻצַּבְתֶּם וְאֶל מַקֶּבֶת בּוֹר נֻקַּרְתֶּם) (Yeshayah 51). And concerning this it is written: And the life of Sarah was…-for she merited them all (וְעַל דָּא: וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה-דְּזָכְתָה בְּהוּ בְּכֻלְּהוּ). And it is not written by any other woman And the life of Chavah was… (וְלָא כְּתִיב בְּכֻלְּהוּ נָשֵּׁי: וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי חַוָּה). And so in all: she was joined to life (וְכֵן בְּכֹלָּא-הִיא אִתְדַּבְּקַת בַּחַיִּין). And therefore, her life was truly life (וְעַל דָּא-דִּילָהּ הֲווּ חַיִּין).

Tosefta

Fortunate is he who makes himself small in this world (תּוֹסֶפְתָּא: זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מַאן דְּאַזְעִיר גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא). How great and elevated he is in that world (כַּמָּה אִיהוּ רַב וְעִלָּאָה בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא). And so the Head of the Academy opened: He who is small is great (וְהָכִי פָּתַּח רַב מְתִּיבְתָּא: מַאן דְּאִיהוּ זְעֵיר-אִיהוּ רַב). He who is great is small (מַאן דְּאִיהוּ רַב-אִיהוּ זְעֵיר), as it is written: And the life of Sarah was… (דִּכְתִיב: וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה וְגו׳) (Bereishit 23), One hundred — for it is a great calculation — concerning it is written: “year” (מֵאָה-דְּאִיהוּ חוּשְׁבַּן רַב-כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ: שָׁנָה). The smallest of the years, the one, it is made small (זְעִירוּ דִּשְׁנִין-חַד-אַזְעִיר לֵיהּ). Seven — for it is a small calculation — He increased it and multiplied it — as it is written: “years” (שֶׁבַע-דְּאִיהוּ חוּשְׁבַּן זָעִיר אַסְגֵּי לֵיהּ וְרַבֵּי לֵיהּ-דִּכְתִיב: שָׁנִים). Come and see: Kudsha Berikh Hu increases only for one who makes himself small (תָּא חֲזֵי: דְּלָא רַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֶלָּא לִדְאַזְעִיר), and one who is small is only for one who will be made great (וְלָא אַזְעִיר אֶלָּא לִדְרַבֵּי). Fortunate is he who makes himself small in this world (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מַאן דְּאַזְעִיר גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא), how great he is in exaltation for that world (כַּמָּה אִיהוּ רַב בְּעִלּוּיָא לְהַהוּא עַלְמָא). Until here (עַד כָּאן).

He who interrupts, will be interrupted (מַאן דְּפָּסַק-יִתְּפַּסַק). He who shortens, will be shortened (מַאן דְּקָצַּר-יִתְּקַצַּר). He who shortens, will be lengthened (מַאן דְּקָצַּר-יִתְּאָרַךְ). That is to say: He who interrupts words of Orayta for idle matters-his life will be interrupted from this world, and his judgment will remain in that world (רְצוֹנוֹ לוֹמַר: מַאן דְּפָּסַק מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא עַל מִלִּין בְּטֵלִין-יִתְּפַּסְקוּן חַיּוֹהִי מֵהַאי עַלְמָא, וְדִינֵיהּ קָיְימָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא). He who shortens Amen and does not prolong it with rest, will be shortened from the life of this world (מַאן דְּקָצַּר אָמֵן וְלָא מַאֲרִיךְ גּוֹ נַיְיחָא-יִתְּקַצַּר מֵחַיֵּי הַעָלְמָא). He who says Echad must snatch the Alef and shorten its tip, and not delay on this letter at all (מַאן דְּאָמַר אֶחָד-אִצְּטְרִיךְ לְחָטְפָא אָלֶ״ף וּלְקַצֵּר קַרְנָא דִילֵיהּ, וְלָא יְעַכֵּב בְּהַאי אוֹת כְּלָל), and one who does this-his life will be extended p3-0(וּמַאן דְּיַעֲבִיד דָּא-יִתְּאָרְכוּן חַיָּיו). Until here, the Tosefta (עַד כָּאן הַתּוֹסֶפְתָּא).

And the life of Sarah was (וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה). Those lives-all of them were Above (אִינוּן חַיִּין כֻּלְּהוּ לְעֵילָא), one hundred years Above (מֵאָה שָׁנָה לְעֵילָא), and twenty years Above (וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה לְעֵילָא), and seven years Above (וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים לְעֵילָא), all of them were as fitting (כֻּלְּהוּ הֲווּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת).