Daf 143b (דַּף קמ״ג ע״ב)

“And may Elohim give you” (וְיִתֵּן לְךָ הָאֱלֹהִים), Rabbi Yose said (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר), all these blessings were from the side of Ya'akov’s portion (כָּל הַנֵּי בִּרְכָאן מִסִּטְרָא דְּחוּלָקֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב הֲווּ), and from what was his, he took (וּמִדִּילֵיהּ נָטַל). And these were the blessings Yitzḥak intended to bless Esav with (וְאִלֵּין בִּרְכָאן הֲוָה קָא בָּעֵי יִצְחָק לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ לְעֵשָׂו), and because of this Kudsha Berikh Hu acted (וּבְגִין כָּךְ עֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and caused Ya'akov to take them from him (וְגָרַם לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב לְנַטְלָא מִדִּילֵיהּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), at the moment when that serpent brought destruction upon the world and the land was cursed (בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּהַהוּא נָחָשׁ אַיְיתֵי לְוָוטִין עַל עַלְמָא וְאִתְלַטְיָא אַרְעָא), what is written? “And to Adam He said, Because you listened to the voice of your wife…” (Bereshit 3) (וּלְאָדָם אָמַר כִּי שָׁמַעְתָּ לְקוֹל אִשְׁתְּךָ וְגו׳), “Cursed is the ground because of you…” (אֲרוּרָה הָאֲדָמָה בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ וְגו׳), meaning it would no longer yield fruits and produce properly (דְּלָא תְּהֵא עָבְדָא פֵּירִין וְאִיבִּין כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). Opposite this, “from the fatness of the earth” (לָקֳבֵל דָּא, וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ). “With pain you shall eat of it…” (ibid). (בְּעִצָּבוֹן תֹּאכֲלֶנָּה)-opposite this: “from the dew of the heavens” (לָקֳבֵל דָּא מִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם). “Thorns and thistles it shall sprout for you” (ibid). (וְקוֹץ וְדַרְדַּר תַּצְמִיחַ לָךְ)-opposite this: “and abundant grain and wine” (לָקֳבֵל דָּא, וְרוֹב דָּגָן וְתִירוֹשׁ). “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread” (ibid). (בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּךָ תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם)-opposite this: “Let peoples serve you and nations bow to you” (Bereshit 27) (לָקֳבֵל דָּא, יַעַבְדוּךָ עַמִּים וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְךָ לְאוּמִּים), meaning they shall serve the land and work in the field (דְּאִינוּן יַעַבְדוּן אַרְעָא וְיִפְלְחוּן בְּחַקְלָא), as it is said: “And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks and be your plowmen and your vinedressers” (Isaiah 61) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וּבְנֵי נֵכָר אִכָּרֵיכֶם וְכוֹרְמֵיכֶם). And all of it Ya'akov took (וְכֹלָּא נָטַל יַעֲקֹב), this opposite that (דָּא לָקֳבֵל דָּא), and he took what was rightfully his (וּמִדִּילֵיהּ נָטַל). And Kudsha Berikh Hu caused Ya'akov to take those blessings (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּרִים לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב דְּיִטּוֹל הַנֵּי בִּרְכָאן), to be connected to his place and portion (לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ וְחוּלָקֵיהּ), and Esav to be connected to his own place and portion (וְעֵשָׂו לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ וְחוּלָקֵיהּ).

Rabbi Ḥizqiyāh said (אָמַר רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה), but haven’t we seen that from the fatness of the earth and from the dew of the heavens, those blessings were given to Esav afterward? (וְהָא חָמִינָן דְּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ וּמִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם, אִינוּן בִּרְכָאן נָטַל עֵשָׂו לְבָתַר), as it is said: “Behold, from the fatness of the earth shall be your dwelling, and from the dew of the heavens above” (Bereshit 27) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, הִנֵּה מִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ יִהְיֶה מוֹשָׁבֶךָ וּמִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם מֵעָל).

Rabbi Shim'on said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), this one is not like that one, and that one is not like this one (לָאו הַאי כְּהַאי וְלָא דָּא כְּדָא), for many levels have been explained (כַּמָּה אִתְפָּרְשָׁאן דַּרְגִּין). With Ya'akov it is written: “And may Elohim give you…” (וּבְיַעֲקֹב כְּתִיב, וְיִתֵּן לְךָ הָאֱלֹהִים), and with this one it is written: “Shall be” (וּבְדָא כְּתִיב, יִהְיֶה). With Ya'akov it is written: “from the dew of the heavens and from the fatness of the earth” (בְּיַעֲקֹב כְּתִיב, מִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ); with Esav it is written: “from the fatness of the earth and from the dew of the heavens” (בְּעֵשָׂו כְּתִיב, מִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ וּטַל הַשָּׁמַיִם), for this is not like that (דְּהָא לָאו דָּא אִיהוּ כְּדָא). And many and many levels have been explained (וְדַרְגִּין אִתְפָּרְשָׁן כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה). Because in that of Ya'akov it is written (בְּגִין דִּבְדָא דְּיַעֲקֹב כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ), “And may Elohim give you from the dew of the heavens” (וְיִתֶּן לְךָ הָאֱלֹהִים מִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם)-this is the supernal dew that flows from Atik Yomin (דָּא טַל עִלָּאָה דְּנָגִיד מֵעַתִּיק יוֹמִין), which is called “the dew of the heavens,” the heavens above (דְּאִקְרֵי טַל הַשָּׁמַיִם, הַשָּׁמַיִם דִּלְעֵילָא), a dew that flows into the level of Shamayim (טַל דְּנָגִיד בְּדַרְגָּא דְשָׁמַיִם), and from there to the Field of Holy Apples (וּמִתַּמָּן לַחֲקַל תַּפּוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין). “And from the fatness of the earth” (וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ)-the earth (הָאָרֶץ), namely the supernal earth, the Land of Life (דָּא אֶרֶץ דִּלְעֵילָא אֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים). In Esav it is written: “And from the fatness of the earth” (בְּעֵשָׂו כְּתִיב וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ), whereas in Ya'akov: “the fatness of the earth”-this is the supernal Land of Life (בְּיַעֲקֹב מִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ דָּא אֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים דִּלְעֵילָא), and he inherited it in the supernal land and supernal heavens (וְיָרִית לָהּ בְּאַרְעָא דִלְעֵילָא וּבַשָּׁמַיִם דִלְעֵילָא). But to Esav-in this lower land (וּלְעֵשָׂו בְּאַרְעָא דְהָכָא לְתַתָּא), and in this lower heavens (וּבַשָּׁמַיִם דְהָכָא לְתַתָּא). Ya'akov-above, above (יַעֲקֹב לְעֵילָא לְעֵילָא), Esav-below, below (עֵשָׂו לְתַתָּא לְתַתָּא). Further: Ya'akov above and below, and Esav below (תוּ, יַעֲקֹב לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, וְעֵשָׂו לְתַתָּא). And even though it is written (Bereshit 27) “And it shall come to pass, when you grow restless, you shall break his yoke from your neck” (וְאַף עַל גַּב דִּכְתִיב וְהָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר תָּרִיד וּפָרַקְתָּ עֻלּוֹ מֵעַל צַוָּארֶךָ), this is only from here below (מֵהַאי דְהָכָא לְתַתָּא), but above — nothing at all (אֲבָל לְעֵילָא לָא כְלוּם). As it is written (Psalms 30): “For Hashem’s portion is His people; Ya'akov is the rope of His inheritance” (דִּכְתִיב כִּי חֵלֶק יְיָ עַמּוֹ יַעֲקֹב חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ).

Come and see: at the time when they came to receive their blessings, Ya'akov and Esav (תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּשָׁרוּ לְנָטְלָא בִּרְכָאן דִּלְהוֹן, יַעֲקֹב וְעֵשָׂו), Ya'akov took his portion above (יַעֲקֹב נָטַל חוּלָקֵיהּ דִּלְעֵילָא), and Esav took his portion below (וְעֵשָׂו נָטִיל חוּלָקֵיהּ לְתַתָּא). Rabbi Yose son of Rabbi Shim'on ben Lakunya said to Rabbi El'azar (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקוּנְיָא אָמַר לְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), have you ever heard from your father why the blessings that Yitzchak gave to Ya'akov were not fulfilled, while the blessings that Yitzchak gave to Esav were all fulfilled? (כְּלוּם שָׁמַעְתָּ מֵאָבִיךָ, אַמַּאי לָא אִתְקַיְימוּ בִּרְכָאן דְּבָרְכֵיהּ יִצְחָק לְיַעֲקֹב, וְאִינוּן בִּרְכָאן דִּבְרִיךְ יִצְחָק לְעֵשָׂו אִתְקַיְימוּ כֻּלְּהוּ). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ), all those blessings will be fulfilled (כָּל אִינוּן בִּרְכָאן מִתְקַיְימֵי), and there are other blessings that Kudsha Berikh Hu blessed Ya'akov with (וּבִרְכָאן אָחֳרָנִין דְּבָרְכֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיַעֲקֹב). But immediately, Ya'akov took above (אֲבָל מִיָּד, יַעֲקֹב נָטַל לְעֵילָא), and Esav took below (וְעֵשָׂו נָטִיל לְתַתָּא). Later, when the King Mashiach arises (לְבָתַר כַּד יָקוּם מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא), Ya'akov will take both above and below (יִטּוֹל יַעֲקֹב לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא), and Esav will be erased from everything (וְיִתְאֲבִיד עֵשָׂו מִכֹּלָּא), and he will have no portion, no inheritance, and no remembrance in the world (וְלָא יְהֵא לֵיהּ חוּלְקָא וְאַחְסָנָא וְדוּכְרָנָא בְּעַלְמָא), as it is said (Obadiah 1): “And the House of Ya'akov shall be fire, and the House of Yosef a flame, and the House of Esav for straw…” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְהָיָה בֵּית יַעֲקֹב אֵשׁ וּבֵית יוֹסֵף לֶהָבָה וּבֵית עֵשָׂו לְקַשׁ וְגו׳). Because Esav will be consumed from all (בְּגִין דְּיִתְאֲבִיד עֵשָׂו מִכֹּלָּא), and Ya'akov will inherit two worlds-this world and the World to Come (וְיָרִית יַעֲקֹב תְּרֵין עָלְמִין, עַלְמָא דֵין וְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי).