Daf 142b (דַּף קמ״ב ע״ב)

And now, my son, listen to my voice (וְעַתָּה בְּנִי שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלִי). At that time, it was the eve of Pesach (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, עֶרֶב פֶּסַח הֲוָה), and the evil inclination sought to ignite and to dominate the moon, the secret of Faith (וּבָעֵי יֵצֶר הָרָע לְאִתְבָּעֲרָא, וּלְשַׁלְּטָאָה סִיהֲרָא, רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא). And for this reason, she made two dishes (וְעַל דָּא עָבְדַת תְּרֵי תַּבְשִׁילִין).

Rabbi Yehudah said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר), this alludes to the fact that the children of Ya'akov are destined to offer two goats, one to Hashem and one to Azazel on Yom Kippur (רָמַז הָכָא דְּזַמִּינִין בְּנוֹי דְיַעֲקֹב לְקָרְבָּא שְׁנֵי שְׂעִירִים, חַד לַיְיָ, וְחַד לַעֲזָאזֵל בְּיוֹמָא דְכִפּוּרֵי). And for this reason she offered two kid goats (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, קָרִיבַת שְׁנֵי גְדָיֵי עִזִּים), one for the supernal level (חַד בְּגִין דַּרְגָּא דִלְעֵילָא), and one to subdue the level of Esav so that he should not rule over Ya'akov (וְחַד בְּגִין לְכַפְיָיא דַרְגֵּיהּ דְּעֵשָׂו דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט עֲלֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב). And because of this: “two kid goats,” and Yitzḥak tasted of both and ate (וְעַל דָּא שְׁנֵי גְדָיֵי עִזִּים, וּמִתַּרְוַיְיהוּ טָעִים יִצְחָק וְאָכִיל). “And he brought him wine, and he drank” (Bereshit 27) (וַיָּבֵא לוֹ יַיִן וַיֵּשְׁתְּ), “he brought him wine”-this is a hinted allusion, that from a distant place it was brought to him, from that side of Esav (וַיָּבֵא לוֹ יַיִן, רֶמֶז רָמִיז, מֵאֲתַר רָחִיק קָרִיב לֵיהּ מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּעֵשָׂו).

Rabbi El'azar said (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר), a hint of that wine in which all joy is found, to bring rejoicing to Yitzḥak, who needed joy, just as joy is required to awaken his own left-side aspect (רֶמֶז מֵהַהוּא יַיִן דְּכָל חֲדוּ אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ, בְּגִין לְחַדְתָּא לֵיהּ לְיִצְחָק, דְּבָעֵי חֶדְוָה, כְּדְקָא בָּעְיָין חֶדְוָה לְחַדְתָּא סִטְרָא [דְּלֵיוָא] דִילֵיהּ), and for this reason: “he brought him wine and he drank” (וְעַל דָּא וַיָּבֵא לוֹ יַיִן וַיֵּשְׁתְּ). “And Rivqah took the garments of Esav…” (Bereshit 27) (וַתִּקַּח רִבְקָה אֶת בִּגְדֵי עֵשָׂו וְגו׳)-these were the Garments that Esav had taken from Nimrod (אִלֵּין אִינוּן לְבוּשִׁין דְּרָוַח עֵשָׂו מִנִּמְרוֹד), and these garments of glory had belonged to Adam HaRishon (וְאִלֵּין לְבוּשֵׁי יְקָר דְּהֲווּ מִן אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן), and they came to the hands of Nimrod (וְאֲתוּ לְיָדָא דְּנִמְרוֹד), and with them Nimrod hunted game (וּבְהוּ הֲוָה צָד צֵידָה נִמְרוֹד), as it is written: “He was a mighty hunter before Hashem…” (Bereshit 10) (דִּכְתִיב, הוּא הָיָה גִּבּוֹר צַיִד לִפְנֵי יְיָ וְגו׳). And Esav went to the field and engaged in battle with Nimrod and killed him (וְעֵשָׂו נָפַק לְחַקְלָא, וְאַגַּח בֵּיהּ קְרָבָא בְּנִמְרוֹד וְקָטַל לֵיהּ), and took those garments from him (וְנָסַב אִלֵּין לְבוּשִׁין מִנֵּיהּ). This is what is written: “And Esav came from the field and he was weary” (Bereshit 25) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיָּבֹא עֵשָׂו מִן הַשָּׂדֶה וְהוּא עָיֵף), and this has been established (וְאוּקְמוּהָ). It is written here: “and he was weary” (כְּתִיב הָכָא וְהוּא עָיֵף), and it is written there: “for My soul is weary of murderers” (Jeremiah 4) (וּכְתִיב הָתָם, כִּי עָיְפָה נַפְשִׁי לְהֹרְגִים). And Esav would ascend with those garments to Rivqah (וְעֵשָׂו הֲוָה סָלִיק לוֹן לְאִינוּן לְבוּשִׁין לְגַבָּהּ דְּרִבְקָה), and with them he would go out and hunt game (וּבְהוּ הֲוָה נָפִיק וְצָד צֵידָה), but on that day he did not take them (וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא לָא נָטַל לוֹן), and he went out to the field and was delayed there (וְנָפַק לְחַקְלָא וְאִתְעַכַּב תַּמָּן). And when Esav wore them, their fragrance did not rise at all (וְכַד הֲוָה לָבִישׁ לוֹן עֵשָׂו, לָא הֲווּ סָלְקִין רֵיחִין כְּלָל). Once Ya'akov put them on, it was as if a lost object had returned to its place (כֵּיוָן דְּלָבִישׁ לוֹן יַעֲקֹב, כְּדֵין תָבַת אֲבֵדָה לְאַתְרָהּ), and the fragrances rose (וּסְלִיקוּ רֵיחִין). Because the beauty of Ya'akov was the beauty of Adam (בְּגִין דְּשׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּאָדָם הֲוָה). And for that reason, at that moment they returned to their place, and the fragrances ascended (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אַהֲדָרוּ בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ, וּסְלִיקוּ רֵיחִין).

Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): the beauty of Ya'akov was the beauty of Adam-how can that be? (שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב דְּאִיהוּ שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּאָדָם, אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר), for we have learned that the heel of Adam HaRishon would dim the sphere of the sun (וְהָא תָּנִינָן, תַּפּוּחַ עֲקֵבוֹ דְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן מַכְּהֶה גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה). And if you say that Ya'akov was like that (וְאִי תֵימָא דְּכָךְ הֲוָה יַעֲקֹב), Rabbi El'azar said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): indeed, so it was (וַדַּאי הָכִי הֲוָה). In the beginning, before Adam sinned, no created being could gaze at his beauty (בְּקַדְמִיתָא עַד לָא חָב אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, לָא הֲווּ יָכְלִין כָּל בְּרִיִּין לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּשׁוּפְרֵיהּ). Once he sinned, his beauty changed (כֵּיוָן דְּחָטָא, אִשְׁתַּנִּי שׁוּפְרֵיהּ), his glory was darkened (וְנִתְמָאָךְ רוּמֵיהּ), and he became a creature of one hundred kinds (וְאִתְעֲבִיד בַּר מְאָה אַמִּין). And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי), the beauty of Adam HaRishon is a secret (שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן רָזָא אִיהוּ), for supernal Faith depends on that beauty (דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה תַּלְיָא בְּהַהוּא שׁוּפְרָא). And for this it is written: “May the pleasantness of Hashem our God be upon us” (Psalms 90) (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, וִיהִי נֹעַם יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ). And it is written: “To gaze upon the pleasantness of Hashem” (Psalms 27) (וּכְתִיב, לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם יְיָ), and this is truly the beauty of Ya'akov (וְדָא הוּא שׁוּפְרֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב וַדַּאי), and all is a supernal secret (וְכֹלָּא רָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ).

“And he smelled the scent of his garments and blessed him” (Bereshit 27) (וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): it does not say “the scent of the garments” (וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ הַבְּגָדִים לֹא כְּתִיב), but “the scent of his garments” (אֶלָּא רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו), as it is said: “He wraps Himself in light like a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a curtain” (Psalms 104) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר עוֹטֶה אוֹר כַּשַּׂלְמָה נוֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם כַּיְרִיעָה). Another matter-Some say: this is (דָּבָר אַחֵר [נ״א: דָּא הוּא]) “and he smelled the scent of his garments and blessed him” (וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ): for as soon as Ya'akov wore them, the fragrances ascended at that moment (דְּכֵיוָן דְּאַלְבִּישׁ לוֹן יַעֲקֹב, סְלִיקוּ רֵיחִין בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא), and before he smelled the fragrance of his garments, he did not bless him (וְעַד דְּלָא אָרַח רֵיחִין דִּלְבוּשֵׁיהּ, לָא בָּרְכֵיהּ), for only then did he perceive that he was worthy of blessing (דְּהָא כְּדֵין יָדַע דְּאִתְחֲזֵי הוּא לְאִתְבָּרְכָא), for if he were not worthy of blessing, all those holy fragrances would not have ascended with him (דְּאִי לָא אִתְחֲזֵי לְאִתְבָּרְכָא, לָא סְלִיקוּ כָּל הַנִּי רֵיחִין קַדִּישִׁין בַּהֲדֵיהּ), and this is what is written: “And he smelled the scent of his garments and blessed him” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ).

“And he said: See, the scent of my son is like the scent of a field which Hashem has blessed” (Bereshit 27) (וַיֹּאמֶר רְאֵה רֵיחַ בְּנִי כְּרֵיחַ שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרֲכוֹ יְיָ). “And he said”-this is a hidden word (וַיֹּאמֶר, מִלָּה סָתִים הוּא). Some say: it was the Shekhinta (אִית דְּאַמְרֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוַת), and some say: it was Yitzḥak (וְאִית דְּאַמְרֵי יִצְחָק הֲוָה). “Like the scent of a field which Hashem has blessed”-what is “field”? This is the field of apples (כְּרֵיחַ שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרֲכוֹ יְיָ, מַאן שָׂדֶה, דָּא שָׂדֶה דְּתַפּוּחִין). A field to which the supernal Patriarchs cling (שָׂדֶה דְּאֲבָהָן עִלָּאִין סְמִיכוּ לֵיהּ), and they prepare it (וּמְתַקְנִין לֵיהּ). “And may Elohim give you from the dew of the heavens and from the fatness of the earth, and abundant grain and wine” (Bereshit 27) (וְיִתֵּן לְךָ הָאֱלֹהִים מִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ וְרֹב דָּגָן וְתִירוֹשׁ).

Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא), this verse has been established (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ). But Rabbi Abba opened and said (אֲבָל פָּתַח רִבִּי אַבָּא וְאָמַר): “A song of ascents. To Hashem in my distress I called, and He answered me” (Psalms 120) (שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת אֶל יְיָ בַּצָּרָתָה לִי קָרָאתִי וַיַּעֲנֵנִי). How many songs and praises did King David say before Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּמָּה שִׁירִין וּתְשׁוּבְחָן אָמַר דָּוִד מַלְכָּא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and all of it was in order to repair his level and to make for himself a name (וְכֹלָּא בְּגִין לְאַתְקָנָא דַּרְגֵּיהּ וּלְמֶעְבַּד לֵיהּ שְׁמָא), as it is said: “And David made a name” (2 Samuel 8) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וַיַּעַשׂ דָּוִד שֵׁם), and this song he said-Some say: he said it when he saw this deed concerning Ya'akov (וְשִׁירָתָא דָּא אָמַר [ס״א: לֵיהּ] כַּד חָמָא עוֹבָדָא דָּא לְיַעֲקֹב [ס״א: דְּיַעֲקֹב]).