Daf 135a (דַּף קַל״ה ע״א)

In the Orayta are sealed all supernal secrets that cannot be cleaved to (בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא אִינוּן כָּל רָזִין עִלָּאִין חֲתִימִין דְּלָא יָכְלִין לְאִתְדַּבָּקָא), in the Orayta are all supernal words (בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא כָּל אִינוּן מִלִּין עִלָּאִין), that are revealed and not revealed (דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָין וְלָא אִתְגַּלְּיָין), in the Orayta are all words from above and below (בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא אִינוּן כָּל מִלִּין דִּלְעֵילָא וּלְתַתָּא), all the words of this world (כָּל מִלִּין דְּעַלְמָא דֵין), and all the words of the world to come (וְכָל מִלִּין דְּעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי), in the Orayta they are (בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא אִינוּן). And there is no one who gazes upon them or knows them (וְלֵית מַאן דְּיַשְׁגַּח וְיָדַע לוֹן), and because of this it is written (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב), (Psalms 106): “Who can utter the mighty acts of Hashem?” (מִי יְמַלֵּל גְּבוּרוֹת יְיָ), “shall proclaim all His praise?” (יַשְׁמִיעַ כָּל תְּהִלָּתוֹ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), Shlomo came and sought to stand upon the words of the Orayta (אֲתָא שְׁלֹמֹה וּבָעָא לְמֵיקַם עַל מִלּוֹי דְאוֹרַיְּיתָא), and upon the details of the Orayta (וְעַל דִּקְדּוּקֵי אוֹרַיְּיתָא), and he was not able (וְלָא יָכִיל). He said (אָמַר), (Kohelet 7): “I said I will be wise, but it is far from me” (אָמַרְתִּי אֶחְכָּמָה וְהִיא רְחוֹקָה מִמֶּנִּי). David said (דָּוִד אָמַר), (Psalms 119): “Uncover my eyes, that I may behold wonders from Your Torah” (גַּל עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), it is written about Shlomo (כְּתִיב בִּשְׁלֹמֹה), (I Kings 5): “And he spoke three thousand parables” (וַיְדַבֵּר שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים מָשָׁל), “and his songs were a thousand and five” (וַיְהִי שִׁירוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה וָאָלֶף). And this has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ), that there were one thousand and five Ta‘amin in every parable and parable that he spoke (דְּחֲמִשָּׁה וְאֶלֶף טְעָמִים הֲווּ בְּכָל מָשָׁל וּמָשָׁל דְּהֲוָה אָמַר). And if Shlomo, who was flesh and blood, had such things in his words (וּמַה שְׁלֹמֹה דְּאִיהוּ בָּשָׂר וָדָם כָּךְ הֲווּ בְּמִלּוֹי), then the words of the Orayta, which Kudsha Berikh Hu speaks (מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא דְּקָאֲמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא)-how much more and more so! (עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה). For in each and every word (דְּבְּכָל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה), there are many parables (אִית בָּהּ כַּמָּה מְשָׁלִים), many songs (כַּמָּה שִׁירִין), many praises (כַּמָּה תּוּשְׁבְּחָן), many supernal secrets (כַּמָּה רָזִין עִלָּאִין), many wisdoms (כַּמָּה חָכְמָן). And concerning this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “Who can utter the mighty acts of Hashem?” (מִי יְמַלֵּל גְּבוּרוֹת יְיָ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), what is written above (מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָא), (Bereshit 25): “And these are the generations of Yishmael” (וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יִשְׁמָעֵאל), who are the twelve princes (דְּאִינוּן תְּרֵיסַר נְשִׂיאִין). Afterwards it says, “And these are the generations of Yitzchak” (לְבָתַר אָמַר וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יִצְחָק). You might think (סַלְּקָא דַּעְתָּךְ), that since it is written regarding Yishmael that he begot twelve princes (דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּיִשְׁמָעֵאל דְּאוֹלִיד תְּרֵיסַר נְשִׂיאִין), and Yitzchak begot two sons (וְיִצְחָק אוֹלִיד תְּרֵין בְּנִין), that this one was elevated and that one not elevated (דְּדָא אִסְתַּלַּק וְדָא לָא אִסְתַּלַּק). Therefore it is written, “Who can utter the mighty acts of Hashem” (עַל דָּא כְּתִיב מִי יְמַלֵּל גְּבוּרוֹת יְיָ), this refers to Yitzchak (דָּא יִצְחָק). And Yitzchak brought forth Ya'akov (וְיִצְחָק אַפִּיק לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב), who alone was greater than all of them (דְּהֲוָה אִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי יַתִּיר מִכֻּלְּהוּ), for he begot twelve tribes (דְּאוֹלִיד תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין), a sustenance above and below (קִיּוּמָא דִלְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא). But Yitzchak was above in supernal holiness (אֲבָל יִצְחָק לְעֵילָא בִּקְדוּשָּׁה עִלָּאָה), Some say: Yishmael (ס״א: יִשְׁמָעֵאל), and Esav was below (וְעֵשָׂו לְתַתָּא). And therefore it is written, “Who can utter the mighty acts of Hashem, shall proclaim all His praise” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, מִי יְמַלֵּל גְּבוּרוֹת יְיָ יַשְׁמִיעַ כָּל תְּהִלָּתוֹ), this refers to Ya'akov (דָּא יַעֲקֹב), when the sun cleaves to the moon (כַּד אִתְדָּבַּק שִׁמְשָׁא בְּסִיהֲרָא), how many stars shine from them (כַּמָּה כֹּכְבַיָא נְהִירִין מִנַּיְיהוּ). (Bereshit 25): “And these are the generations of Yitzchak, the son of Avraham” (וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יִצְחָק בֶּן אַבְרָהָם). Rabbi Yosei said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי), why is it that until here it did not say “the son of Avraham” (מַאי שְׁנָא דְּעַד הָכָא לָא כְּתִיב בֶּן אַבְרָהָם), and now it does? (וְהַשְׁתָּא אָמַר). Rather, even though it is written, “And Elohim blessed Yitzchak his son” (אֶלָּא אַף עַל גַּב דִּכְתִיב וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ), now that Avraham had died (הַשְׁתָּא דְמִית אַבְרָהָם), his image remained in him (דִּיוּקְנֵיהּ הֲוָה בֵּיהּ), and it remained in Yitzchak (וְאִשְׁתָּאַר בֵּיהּ בְּיִצְחָק), for anyone who saw Yitzchak (דְּכָל מַאן דְּחָמֵי לְיִצְחָק), would say: “This is surely Avraham” (הֲוָה אָמַר דָּא אַבְרָהָם וַדַּאי). And he would testify and say (וְהֲוָה סָהִיד וְאָמַר), (Bereshit 25): “Avraham begot Yitzchak” (אַבְרָהָם הוֹלִיד אֶת יִצְחָק).