Daf 176b (דַּף קע״ו ע״ב)

“And the sons of Ya‘akov were twelve” (וַיְּהִיוּ בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר), these are the twelve tribes in whom the Shekhinta is established (אִלֵּין תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְתַּקָּנַת בְּהוּ). And who are they? (וּמַאן אִינוּן), these are they whom the Orayta restored and counted as at the beginning (אִלֵּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אַהֲדָרַת וְעָבִיד לוֹן חוּשְׁבְּנָא כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין). All of them are holy (כֻּלְּהוּ קַדִּישִׁין), all of them appear before the Shekhinta (כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְחַזְיָין לְגַבֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא), to behold the holiness of their Master (לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בִּקְדוּשָׁה דְּמָארֵיהוֹן). For had he committed that act (דְּאִילּוּ עֲבַד הַהוּא עוֹבָדָא), Re’uven would not have been included in the count (לָא יֵיתֵי רְאוּבֵן בְּמִנְיָנָא). And with all that, he was punished (וְעִם כָּל דָּא אִתְעֲנַשׁ), for his birthright was taken from him (דְּאִתְנְטִיל בְּכוֹרָתֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ), and it was given to Yosef (וְאִתְיְהִיב לְיוֹסֵף), as it is said (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר): (I Chronicles 5) “And the sons of Re’uven the firstborn of Yisra’el—for he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s couch, his birthright was given to Yosef” (וּבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן בְּכוֹר יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי הוּא הַבְּכוֹר, וּבְחַלְּלוֹ יְצוּעֵי אָבִיו, נִתְּנָה בְּכוֹרָתוֹ לְיוֹסֵף).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): (Daniel 2) May the Name of God be blessed from world to world (לֶהֱוֵא שְׁמֵהּ דִּי אֱלָהָא מְבָרַךְ מִן עָלְמָא וְעַד עָלְמָא), for all His deeds are truth and His ways are justice (דִּי כָּל מַעְבְּדוֹהִי קְשׁוֹט וְאָרְחָתֵיהּ דִּין), and everything that He does, all of it is in supernal wisdom (וְכָל מַה דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ בְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), how much the deed of a human causes (כַּמָּה גָּרִים עוֹבָדָא דְּבַר נָשׁ), for whatever one does (דְּהָא כָּל מַאי דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד), all is inscribed and established before Kudsha Berikh Hu (כֹּלָּא אִתְרְשִׁים וְקָיְימָא קַמֵּי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). For when Ya‘akov entered unto Leah (דְּהָא יַעֲקֹב, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּעָאל לְגַבָּהּ דְּלֵאָה), that entire night his desire and heart were with Rachel (כָּל הַהוּא לֵילְיָא רְעוּתֵיהּ וְלִבֵּיהּ הֲוָה בְּרָחֵל), for he thought that she was Rachel (דְּחָשִׁיב דְּרָחֵל אִיהִי). And from that union (וּמֵהַהוּא שִׁמּוּשָׁא), and that first drop (וְטִפָּה קַדְמָאָה), and from that Desire (וּמֵהַהוּא רְעוּתָא), Leah conceived and gave birth (אִתְעֲבָרַת לֵאָה וְאוּקְמוּהָ). For had Ya‘akov not known (דְּהָא אִלְמָלֵא דְּיַעֲקֹב לָא יָדַע), Re’uven would not have been elevated in the count (לָא יִסְתַּלִּיק רְאוּבֵן בְּחוּשְׁבְּנָא). And for this reason (וְעַל דָּא), he was not elevated with a known name (לָא אִסְתַּלַּק בִּשְׁמָא יְדִיעָא), but his name remained simply Re’uven (אֶלָּא שְׁמֵיהּ סְתָּם רְאוּבֵן). And with all this (וְעִם כָּל דָּא), the act returned to its place (אַהֲדַר עוֹבָדָא לְאַתְרֵיהּ), just as that initial Desire had been enacted with Rachel (כְּמָה דְּהַהוּא רְעוּתָא קַדְמָאָה אִתְעֲבִידַת בְּרָחֵל), so was that Desire restored to her (הַהוּא רְעוּתָא אִתְהַדָּרַת בָּהּ). For his birthright was returned to Yosef (דְּהָא בְּכוֹרָתֵיהּ אַהֲדַרַת לְיוֹסֵף), the firstborn of Rachel (בּוּכְרָא דְּרָחֵל), the place wherein the Desire was with Rachel (אֲתַר דִּרְעוּתָא הֲוַת בְּרָחֵל), and all was aligned in its place (וְכֹּלָּא סָלִיק בְּאַתְרֵיהּ). For all the deeds of Kudsha Berikh Hu are entirely just and pure (בְּגִין דְּכָל עוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כֻּלְּהוּ קְשׁוֹט וּזְכוּ).

Rabbi Ḥizkiyah once found Rabbi Yosei (רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ יוֹמָא חַד לְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי), who was sealing a stove inside coils of fire (דְּהֲוָה מִסְטְמִיט סַפְסִינָא גּוֹ קִטְרֵי דְּנוּרָא), and the smoke of the furnace was rising upward (וְהֲוָה סָלִיק קִטּוֹרָא דִּתְנָנָא לְעֵילָא). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): If the smoke of the offering’s furnace (אִלּוּ קִטּוּרָא דִּתְנָנָא דְּקָרְבָּנָא), which used to rise upon the altar (דְּהֲוָה סָלִיק עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבֵּחָא), would rise constantly in this manner (הֲוָה סָלִיק תָּדִיר כִּי הַאי גַּוְונָא), wrath would not rest in the world (לָא שַׁרְיָא רוּגְזָא בְּעַלְמָא), and Yisra’el would not be exiled from the land (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לָא אִתְגְּלִי מֵעַל אַרְעָא).

Rabbi Yosei opened and said (פָּתַח רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר): (Song of Songs 3) “Who is this rising from the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense from all powders of the perfumer?” (מִי זֹאת עֹלָה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר כְּתִימְרוֹת עָשָׁן, מְקֻטֶּרֶת מֹר וּלְבוֹנָה מִכָּל אַבְקַת רוֹכֵל). “Who is this rising?” (מִי זֹאת עוֹלָה). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): At the time when Yisra’el were walking in the wilderness (בְּזִמְנָא דְּהֲווּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אָזְלֵי בְּמַדְבְּרָא), the Shekhinta would go before them (שְׁכִינְתָּא אָזְלָא קַמַּיְיהוּ), and they would walk after Her (וְאִינְהוּ הֲווּ אָזְלֵי אֲבַתְרָהּ). As it is written (דִּכְתִיב): (Exodus 13) “And Hashem went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to guide them on the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light…” (וַייָ הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן לַנְחוֹתָם הַדֶּרֶךְ, וְלַיְלָה בְּעַמּוּד אֵשׁ לְהָאִיר לָהֶם וְגו׳). And because of this it is written (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב): (Jeremiah 2) “Thus said Hashem: I remember the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, your walking after Me in the wilderness…” (כֹּה אָמַר ייָ: זָכַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ, אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלוֹתַיִךְ, לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר וְגו׳). And the Shekhinta would go, and all the clouds of glory were with Her (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוַת אָזְלָא, וְכֻּלְּהוּ עֲנָנֵי יְקָר בַּהֲדָהּ). And when the Shekhinta was lifted, they would travel (וְכַד הֲוָה שְׁכִינְתָּא נָטְלָא, הֲווּ נָטְלִין). As it is written (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב): (Exodus 40) “And when the cloud was lifted from over the Tent, then the children of Yisra’el would travel…” (וּבְהֵעָלוֹת הֶעָנָן מֵעַל הָאֹהֶל, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יִסְּעוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגו׳). And when She would ascend, that cloud would ascend upward (וְכַד אִיהִי סָלְקָא, הַהוּא עֲנָנָא סָלְקָא עַד לְעֵילָא), and all the people of the world would see and ask and say (וְכָל בְּנֵי עַלְמָא חָמָאן וְשָׁאֲלֵי וְאָמְרֵי): “Who is this rising from the wilderness like pillars of smoke?” (מִי זֹאת עוֹלָה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר כְּתִימְרוֹת עָשָׁן). That cloud of the Shekhinta appeared as smoke (הַהוּא עֲנָנָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְחַזְיָא עָשָׁן), why was it smoke? (מַאי טַעֲמָא אִיהִי עָשָׁן).

Because the fire that Avraham and Yitzḥak his son kindled (בְּגִין דְּנוּרָא דְּאַדְלִיק אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק בְּרֵיהּ), was seized in it and did not depart from it (הֲוָה אָחִיד בָּהּ וְלָא אַעֲדֵי מִינָהּ). And when that fire merged within it (וְכַד אִתְאַחְדַת הַהוּא נוּרָא בְּגַוָּוהּ), a cloud would rise (הֲוָה סָלִיק עֲנָנָא) — some say: furnace (נ״א: תַּנְנָא). And with all this (וְעִם כָּל דָּא), “perfumed with myrrh and frankincense” (מְקֻטֶּרֶת מֹר וּלְבוֹנָה). What is “perfumed”? (מַאי מְקֻטֶּרֶת), it means it is intertwined from two other sides (מִתְקַטְרָא בִּתְרֵין סִטְרִין אָחֳרָנִין), the cloud of Avraham to the right (עֲנָנָא דְּאַבְרָהָם לִימִינָא), the cloud of Yitzḥak to the left (עֲנָנָא דְּיִצְחָק לִשְׂמָאלָא). “From all the powder of the perfumer” (מִכָּל אַבְקַת רוֹכֵל), this is Ya‘akov (דָּא יַעֲקֹב).

Another matter: this is Yosef the Tzaddik (דָּבָר אַחֵר: דָּא יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק), because the ark of Yosef would go with it (בְּגִין דַּאֲרוֹנָא דְּיוֹסֵף הֲוָה אָזִיל לְגַבֵּיהּ). Why is he called “perfumer” (rokhel)? (אַמַּאי רוֹכֵל), because he would “travel” and report to his father about his brothers (בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה רָכִיל לַאֲחוֹי לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּאֲבוֹי). Another matter: why “perfumer” (rokhel)? (דָּבָר אַחֵר אַמַּאי רוֹכֵל), it is like a shopkeeper who binds bundles of spices and all types of perfumes in his hands (אֶלָּא מַה חֶנְוָנִי דָּא קְטִירֵי דְּקוּסְטְרֵי וְאַבְקֵי דְּפוּלְמֵי כֻּלְּהוּ בִּידֵיהּ), so too Yosef (הָכִי נָמֵי יוֹסֵף), he is the sustainer of the Orayta (אִיהוּ קִיּוּמָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), because he fulfilled it (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ קִיֵּים לָהּ). For all the precepts of the Orayta are bound with the guarding of the holy covenant (בְּגִין דְּכָל פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא מִתְקַשְּׁרָן בִּנְטִירוּ דִּבְרִית קַדִּישָׁא).

And because of this (וְעַל דָּא), the Shekhinta is perfumed with Avraham, Yitzḥak, Ya‘akov, and Yosef (שְׁכִינְתָּא מִתְקַטְּרָא בְּאַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב וְיוֹסֵף), they are as one (כְּחֲדָא אִינוּן), and their image is one (וְדִיוּקְנָא חָדָא לְהוּ). This is what is written: (Bereshit 37) “These are the generations of Ya‘akov: Yosef” (הַדָּא הוּא דִּכְתִיב אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף). And for this reason (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), “from all the powder of the perfumer” (מִכָּל אַבְקַת רוֹכֵל), because from the place of that river which flows and goes forth, all is perfumed and all faces are illuminated (בְּגִין דְּמֵאֲתַר דְּנַהֲרָא דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק, אִשְׁתַּקְיָיא כֹּלָּא, וּנְהִירוּ כָּל אַנְפִּין).