Daf 160b (דַּף קס׳ ע״ב)

Come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי), when a human being prays his prayer (בַּר נָשׁ כַּד צַלֵּי צְלוֹתֵיהּ), let him not say over himself “Remember me and take note of me” (לָא יֵימָא עֲלֵיהּ: זָכְרֵנִי וּפָקְדֵנִי), because there is remembrance and visitation for good (בְּגִין דְּאִיכָּא זְכִירָה וּפְקִידָה לְטַב), and remembrance and visitation for evil (וּזְכִירָה וּפְקִידָה לְבִישׁ), and they are poised to seize a word from the mouth (וְזַמִּינִין לְנַטְלָא מִלָּה מִן פּוּמָא), and come to recall the sins of the person and to punish him (וְאַתְיָין לְאַדְכָּרָא חוֹבוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ וְלַעֲנָשָׁא לֵיהּ). Except if he is fully meritorious (בַּר אִי אִיהוּ זַכָּאָה שְׁלִים), for when they examine his sins (דְּכַד בַּדְקֵי חוֹבוֹי), that remembrance and visitation for evil will not be remembered against him (הַהִיא זְכִירָה וּפְקִידָה לְבִישׁ לָא יִשְׁכְּחוּן לוֹן), like Ezra who said (כְּגוֹן עֶזְרָא דְּאָמַר): “Remember me, my God, for good” (Neḥemiah 13) (זָכְרָה לִי אֱלֹהַי לְטוֹבָה). For in every place that a person prays his prayer (דְּהָא בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּבַר נָשׁ צַלֵּי צְלוֹתֵיהּ), he should include himself among the many, in the collective of the many (יַכְלִיל גַּרְמֵיהּ בֵּין סַגִּיאִין בִּכְלָלָא דְסַגִּיאִין). And come and see the Shunamit (וְתָא חֲזֵי שׁוּנַמִּית): when Elisha said to her (כַּד אָמַר לָהּ אֱלִישָׁע): “Do you wish to speak to the king or to the captain of the army?” [Melakhim II 4] (הֲיֵשׁ לְדַבֵּר לָךְ אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ אוֹ אֶל שַׂר הַצָּבָא). “Do you wish to speak to the king”—that day was the festival day of Rosh Hashanah (הֲיֵשׁ לְדַבֵּר לָךְ אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ, הַהוּא יוֹמָא, יוֹם טוֹב דְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הֲוָה), and that day the kingship of the firmament ruled to judge the world (וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּמַלְכוּתָא דִּרְקִיעָא שָׁלְטָא לְמֵידַן עַלְמָא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu is called “King of Judgment” at that time (וּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִקְרֵי מֶלֶךְ הַמִּשְׁפָּט בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא). And therefore he said to her, “Do you wish to speak to the king?” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמַר לָהּ: הֲיֵשׁ לְדַבֵּר לָךְ אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ).

What is written? (מַה כְּתִיב) “And she said, ‘I dwell among my people’” (Melakhim II 4) (וַתֹּאמֶר בְּתוֹךְ עַמִּי אָנֹכִי יוֹשֶׁבֶת). What was she saying? (מַאי קָאָמְרָה) “I do not wish to be marked above” (לָא בָעֵינָא לְמֶהֱוֵי רְשִׁימָאָה לְעֵילָא), but to lift my head among the many (אֶלָּא לְאַעֲלָאָה רֵישָׁאִי בֵּין סַגִּיאִין), and not to be separated from their collective (וְלָא לְאֲפָקָא מִכְּלָלָא דִילְהוֹן). And so too should a person be (וְכָךְ בָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ), to be included within the collective of the many (לְאִתְכְּלָלָא בִּכְלָלָא דְסַגִּיאִין), and not to isolate himself alone (וְלָא לְאִתְיַיחֲדָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), so that they not look upon him (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁגְּחוּן עֲלֵיהּ), to recall his sins, as we have said (לְאַדְכָּרָא חוֹבוֹי כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן).

Rabbi Yehudah opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְאָמַר): “Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of shadow-death?” (Job 38) (הֲנִגְלוּ לְךָ שַׁעֲרֵי מָוֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵי צַלְמָוֶת תִּרְאֶה). This verse, Kudsha Berikh Hu said to Job (הַאי קְרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר לֵיהּ לְאִיּוֹב), when He saw that Job was pressuring himself about the judgment of Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּד חָמָא דְּאִיּוֹב דָּחִיק גַרְמֵיהּ עַל דִּינוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), Job said (אִיּוֹב אָמַר): “Behold, though He slay me, I will wait for Him” (Job 13) (הֵן יִקְטְלֵנִי לוֹ אֲיַחֵל)—it is written lo with an Alef, but read lo with a Vav (כְּתִיב לֹא בְּאָלֶ״ף וְקָרֵי לוֹ בְּוָא״ו), and both are true (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): “Do I kill human beings? (וְכִי אֲנָא קָטִיל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא) Have the gates of death been revealed to you, and the gates of shadow-death, have you seen?” (הֲנִגְלוּ לְךָ שַׁעֲרֵי מָוֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵי צַלְמָוֶת תִּרְאֶה) — how many gates are open on that side (כַמָּה תַּרְעִין אִינוּן פְּתִיחָן בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא), and death rules over them (וּמוֹתָא שָׁלְטָא עֲלַיְיהוּ), and all of them are hidden from human beings (וְכֻלְּהוּ סְתִימִין מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא), Some say: and they cannot be guarded against, because they are hidden from humanity (נ״א: וְלֹא יְכֵילִין לְאִסְתַּמָּרָא מִנַּיְיהוּ בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן סְתִימִין מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא), and those gates are unknown (וְלָא יָדְעִין אִינוּן שְׁעָרִים). “And the gates of shadow-death, have you seen?” (וְשַׁעֲרֵי צַלְמָוֶת תִּרְאֶה). Who are the gates of death, and who are the gates of shadow-death? (מַאן אִינוּן שַׁעֲרֵי מָוֶת, וּמַאן אִינוּן שַׁעֲרֵי צַלְמָוֶת ) Rather, “death” and “shadow of death” are as one (אֶלָּא מָוֶת וְצַלְמָוֶת כְּחֲדָא אִינוּן), and they are one Zivug (וְזִוּוּגָא חָדָא אִינוּן). death—behold it is stated—this is the Angel of Death (מָוֶת, הָא אִתְּמָר: דָּא מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת), and it has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). “Tzal-mavet” is the shadow of death (צַלְמָוֶת: צֵל מָוֶת), this is the one who rides upon him (הַאי אִיהוּ מַאן דְּרָכִיב עֲלֵיהּ), and he is his shadow (וְאִיהוּ צִלָּא דִילֵיהּ), and his strength (וְתוּקְפָא דִילֵיהּ), to unite as one in a single bond (לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא כְּחֲדָא בְּקִשּׁוּרָא חַד), and they are one (וְאִינוּן חַד). And all those levels that go out from them and are connected to them—those are their gates below, as above (וְכָל אִינוּן דַּרְגִּין דְּנָפְקֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ וּמִתְקַשְּׁרָן בְּהוּ, אִינוּן שְׁעָרִים דִּלְהוֹן כְּמָה דִּלְעֵילָא), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), “Lift up your heads, O gates…” (Tehillim 24) (שְׂאוּ שְׁעָרִים רָאשֵׁיכֶם וְגוֹ׳). And these gates are called rivers and streams, the six directions of the world (וְאִלֵּין אִיקְּרוּ נַהֲרִין וְנַחֲלִין, שִׁית סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא). So too are the gates of death and the gates of shadow-death, from the Sitra Achra (אוּף הָכִי אִינוּן שַׁעֲרֵי מָוֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵי צַלְמָוֶת מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא), known levels that rule in the world (דַּרְגִּין יְדִיעָן דְּשָׁלְטִין בְּעָלְמָא). The gates of death and the gates of shadow-death—this one is female and this one is male, and both are one (שַׁעֲרֵי מָוֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵי צַלְמָוֶת: דָּא נוּקְבָא וְדָא דְכוּרָא, וְתַּרְוַיְיהוּ כְּחֲדָא). And because of this, Kudsha Berikh Hu said to Job (וְעַל דָּא אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לֵיהּ לְאִיּוֹב), on account of all those words he had spoken (בְּגִין כָּל אִינוּן מִלִּין דְּאִיהוּ אָמַר): “The cloud is consumed and goes, so he who goes down to She’ol shall not ascend” (Job 7) (כָּלָה עָנָן וַיֵּלַךְ, כֵּן יוֹרֵד שְׁאוֹל לֹא יַעֲלֶה), and all those other words (וְכָל אִינוּן שְׁאָר מִלִּין). Kudsha Berikh Hu said: “Have the gates of death been revealed to you?” (אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא: הֲנִגְלוּ לְךָ שַׁעֲרֵי מָוֶת), to know that all of these are under My authority (לְמִנְדַּע דְּהָא כֻּלְּהוּ בִּרְשׁוּתִי), and all of them are destined to be abolished from the world (וְכֻּלְּהוּ זְמִינִין לְאִתְבַּעֲרָא מֵעָלְמָא), as it is written: “Death shall be swallowed forever…” (Yeshayah 25) (בִּלַּע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח וְגוֹ׳).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): “And Elohim remembered Rachel, and Elohim listened to her and opened her womb” (Bereshit 30) (וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת רָחֵל וַיִּשְׁמַע אֵלֶיהָ אֱלֹהִים וַיִּפְתַּח אֶת רַחְמָהּ). Twice the name Elohim, Elohim—why? (תְּרֵי זִמְנִין: אֱלֹהִים, אֱלֹהִים. אַמַּאי) Rather, one from the world of male, and one from the world of female (אֶלָּא: חַד מֵעָלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא, וְחַד מֵעָלְמָא דְּנוּקְבָא), because the matter depends upon mazal (בְּגִין דִּבְמַזָּלָא תָּלְיָא מִלְּתָא). And when Rachel was aroused through that Name, as it is written: “May Hashem add for me another son” (Bereshit 30) (יוֹסֵף יְיָ לִי בֵּן אַחֵר), Ya'akov knew that she was appearing for the completion of all the tribes (יָדַע יַעֲקֹב דְּאִיהִי אִתְחַזְיָיא לְאַשְׁלָמָא כֻּלְּהוּ שִׁבְטִין), and that she would not remain in the world (וְלָא תִּתְקַיֵּים בְּעָלְמָא). Because of this, he sought to leave and could not (בְּגִין כָּךְ בָּעָא לְמֵיזַל וְלָא יָכִיל). And when the time came for Binyamin (וּכְדֵין מָטָא זִמְנָא דְּבִנְיָמִין), he fled and went away (עָרַק וַאֲזַל לֵיהּ), because in another land the house would not be completed (בְּגִין דְּבְאַרְעָא אָחֳרָא לָא יִשְׁתַּלֵּם בֵּיתָא), to bind the holy world within it (לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא עָלְמָא קַדִּישָׁא בֵּיהּ).