Daf 180a (דַּף ק״פ ע״א)

“And Ya‘akov dwelled in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan” (וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו, בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן). Rabbi Yosei opened and said (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח): (Isaiah 57)“The Tzaddik perishes, and no one lays it to heart; and men of kindness are taken away, with none understanding that from the face of the evil the Tzaddik is gathered” (הַצַּדִּיק אָבַד וְאֵין אִישׁ שָׂם עַל לֵב, וְאַנְשֵׁי חֶסֶד נֶאֱסָפִים, בְּאֵין מֵבִין, כִּי מִפְּנֵי הָרָעָה נֶאֱסַף הַצַּדִּיק).

“The Tzaddik perishes”-at a time when Kudsha Berikh Hu observes the world and it is not behaving properly (הַצַּדִּיק אָבַד, בְּזִמְנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַשְׁגַּח בְּעָלְמָא וְלָא הֲוֵי עָלְמָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת), and judgment is destined to be released upon the world (וְאִזְדַּמַּן דִּינָא לְשַׁרְיָיא עַל עָלְמָא), then Kudsha Berikh Hu removes the Tzaddik who is found among them (כְּדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיל זַכָּאָה דְּאִשְׁתַּכַּח בֵּינַיְיהוּ), in order that judgment may be released upon the others (בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁרֵי דִּינָא עַל כֻּלְּהוּ אָחֳרָנִין), and there will be none to grieve over them (וְלָא יִשְׁתַּכַּח מַאן דְּיָגִין עֲלַיְיהוּ). For as long as a Tzaddik remains in the world, judgment cannot rule over the world (דְּהָא כָּל זִמְנָא דְּזַכָּאָה שָׁארֵי בְּעָלְמָא, דִּינָא לָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה עַל עָלְמָא). From where do we learn this? From Moshe, as it is written: (Psalms 106) “And He said to destroy them, had not Moshe His chosen stood in the breach before Him…” (מְנָלָן מִמֹּשֶׁה, דִּכְתִּיב: וַיֹּאמֶר לְהַשְׁמִידָם לֻלֵי מֹשֶׁה בְּחִירוֹ עָמַד בַּפֶּרֶץ לְפָנָיו וְגו׳). And therefore Kudsha Berikh Hu removes the Tzaddik from among them and takes him from the world, and only then does He exact retribution and collect His due (וּבְגִין כָּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיל לְזַכָּאָה מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ וְסַלִּיק לֵיהּ מֵעַלְמָא, וּכְדֵין אִתְפְּרַע וְגָבֵי דִּילֵיהּ).

The end of the verse: “Because from the face of the evil the Tzaddik is gathered” (סוֹפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא: כִּי מִפְּנֵי הָרָעָה נֶאֱסַף הַצַּדִּיק) before evil comes to rule the world, the Tzaddik is gathered away (עַד דְּלָא יֵיתֵי רָעָה לְשַׁלְטָאָה עַל עָלְמָא, נֶאֱסַף הַצַּדִּיק). Another matter: “Because from the face of the evil”-this refers to the Evil inclination (דָּבָר אַחֵר: כִּי מִפְּנֵי הָרָעָה, דָּא יֵצֶר הָרָע).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Ya‘akov was the completion of the patriarchs (יַעֲקֹב שְׁלִימוּ דַאֲבָהָן הֲוָה), and he stood as one established in exile (וְאִיהוּ קָאֵים לְקַיְּימָא בְּגָלוּתָא). But because he was a Tzaddik, judgment was held back and did not rule over the world (אֲבָל מִגּוֹ דְּאִיהוּ צַדִּיק, אִתְעַכַּב דִּינָא דְּלָא שָׁלְטָא בְּעָלְמָא). For all the days of Ya‘akov, judgment did not settle upon the world, and famine was annulled (דְּהָא כָּל יוֹמֵי דְּיַעֲקֹב, לָא שָׁרָא דִּינָא עַל עָלְמָא, וְכַפְנָא אִתְבַּטְּלַת). And likewise, in the days of Yosef-who was the likeness of his father (וְאוּף הָכִי בְּיוֹמוֹי דְּיוֹסֵף, דְּאִיהוּ דִּיוּקְנָא דְּאֲבוֹי) as long as he lived, exile (i.e. judgment) did not rest upon the world (כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהוּ מֵת, מִיָּד שָׁרָא עֲלַיְיהוּ גָּלוּתָא), for he shielded them all his days (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אָגִין עֲלַיְיהוּ כָּל יוֹמוֹי). Once he died, exile immediately came upon them (כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהוּ מֵת, מִיָּד שָׁרָא עֲלֵיהוּ גָּלוּתָא). As it is said: (Exodus 1) “And Yosef died…” followed immediately by: “Come, let us deal wisely with him” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: וַיָּמָת יוֹסֵף וְגו׳… וְסָמִיךְ לֵיהּ: הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ). And it is written: “And they embittered their lives with hard labor, with mortar and brick…” (וּכְתִיב: וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה בְּחֹמֶר וּבִלְבֵנִים וְגו׳).

In this same manner, wherever a Tzaddik resides in the world (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּשָׁרְיָא זַכָּאָה בַּעֲלְמָא), on his account Kudsha Berikh Hu shields the world (בְּגִינֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָגִין עַל עָלְמָא). And as long as he exists, judgment does not rest upon the world (וְכָל זִמְנָא דְּאִיהוּ קַיָּים, דִּינָא לָא שָׁרְיָא עַל עָלְמָא), and this has been said (וְהָא אִתְּמָר).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): “And Ya‘akov dwelled in the land of his father's sojournings” (וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו). What is “the sojournings of his fathers” (megurei aviv)? As it is said: (Jeremiah 6) “Terror from all around” (magor misaviv) (מַאי מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: מָגוֹר מִסָּבִיב) that all his days he lived in fear and trembling (דְּכָל יוֹמוֹי הֲוָה דָּחִיל וְהֲוָה בִּדְחִילוּ).

Rabbi El‘azar said (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר): that he was joined and settled in that place that is attached to darkness (דְּאִתְקַשַּׁר וְיָתִיב בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִתְאֲחִיד בַּחֲשׁוֹךְ). “The land of his father’s sojournings” (eretz megurei aviv) precisely (אֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו דַּיְיקָא) “in the land of Canaan” the place was joined to his place (בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, אִתְקַשַּׁר אַתְרָא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ). “His father's sojournings”-this is harsh judgment (מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו, דָּא דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא). “In the land of his father's sojournings”-this is the softened judgment that is “land,” which is associated with harsh judgment (בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר: הַהוּא דִּינָא רַפְיָא דְּאִיהִי אֶרֶץ, דְּאִתְאַחִיד מִן דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא), and in it Ya‘akov dwelled and was joined (וּבֵיהּ אִתְיַשֵּׁב יַעֲקֹב וְאִתְאַחִיד בֵּיהּ). (And that land is the dim mirror) (וְהַהִיא אַרְעָא אִיהִי אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא דְּלָא נֶהֱרָא).

“These are the generations of Ya‘akov: Yosef…” (Bereshit 37) (אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף וְגו׳). After Yosef settled within Ya‘akov (בָּתַר דְּאִתְיַשַּׁב יוֹסֵף בְּיַעֲקֹב), and the sun joined with the moon (וְאִזְדַּוַּוג שִׁמְשָׁא בְּסִיהֲרָא), then it was proper to produce generations (כְּדֵין שָׁרָא לְמֶעְבַּד תּוֹלְדוֹת). And who is it that makes generations? He returned and said: Yosef (וּמַאן אִיהוּ דְּעֲבִיד תּוֹלְדוֹת אַהֲדַר וְאָמַר: יוֹסֵף), for that is the river that flows and goes forth (דְּהָא הַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק), and it is he who produces generations (אִיהוּ עָבִיד תּוֹלְדוֹת), for his waters never cease (בְּגִין דְּלָא פָסְקִין מֵימוֹי לְעָלְמִין), and he produces offspring in this land, and from him come generations into the world (וְאִיהוּ עָבִיד תּוֹלְדוֹת בְּהַאי אֶרֶץ, וּמִנֵּיהּ נָפְקִין תּוֹלְדוֹת לְעָלְמָא). For the sun, even though it draws near to the moon (דְּהָא שִׁמְשָׁא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְקָרַב בְּסִיהֲרָא), does not produce offspring except in that level which is called Tzaddik (לָא עָבִיד אִיבִּין בַּר הַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּאִקְרֵי צַדִּי״ק). And Yosef is the level of Ya‘akov to produce offspring and bring forth generations into the world (וְיוֹסֵף אִיהוּ דַּרְגָּא דְּיַעֲקֹב, לְמֶעְבַּד אִיבִּין וּלְאַפָּקָא תּוֹלָדִין לְעָלְמָא). And for this reason it is written: “These are the generations of Ya‘akov: Yosef” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב: אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף). “These are the generations of Ya‘akov: Yosef…” (Bereshit 37) (אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף) anyone who would look at the likeness of Yosef would say: this is the likeness of Ya‘akov (כָּל מַאן דְּהֲוָה מִסְתַּכֵּל בְּדִיוּקְנָא דְּיוֹסֵף, הֲוָה אָמַר: דָּא הוּא דִּיוּקְנָא דְּיַעֲקֹב). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): among all the sons of Ya‘akov it is not written “These are the generations of Ya‘akov Re’uven…”-only about Yosef (דִּבְכֻּלְּהוּ בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב לָא כְּתִיב: אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב רְאוּבֵן, בַּר יוֹסֵף), for his likeness resembled that of his father (דִּיוּקְנֵיהּ דָּמֵי לְדִּיוּקְנָא דְּאֲבוֹי). “Seventeen years old” (בֶּן שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה).

Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא): Kudsha Berikh Hu hinted with this (רָמַז לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), for when Yosef was lost from him, he was seventeen years old (דְּהָא כַּד אִתְאֲבִיד מִנֵּיהּ יוֹסֵף, בֶּן שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שְׁנִין הֲוָה). And all the days that he did not see Yosef, he wept over those seventeen years (וְכָל אִינוּן יוֹמִין דְּאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ דְּלָא חָמָא לֵיהּ לְיוֹסֵף, הֲוָה בָּכֵי עַל אִינוּן שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שְׁנִין). And as much as he wept for him (וּכְמָה דְּהֲוָה בָּכֵי עֲלֵיהּ), Kudsha Berikh Hu gave him another seventeen years (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהַב לֵיהּ שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שְׁנִין אָחֳרָנִין), in which he lived in the land of Egypt (דְּאִתְקַיֵּים בְּאַרְעָא דְּמִצְרַיִם), in joy, honor, and complete wholeness (בְּחֵדוּ, בִּיקָרָא וּבִשְׁלִימוּ דְּכֹלָּא). His son Yosef was king (בְּרֵיהּ יוֹסֵף הֲוָה מַלְכָּא), and all his sons were before him (וְכָל בְּנוֹי קַמֵּיהּ הֲווּ). Those seventeen years were life for him (אִינוּן שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שְׁנִין הֲווּ חַיֵּין לְגַבֵּיהּ). And for this reason (וּבְגִין כָּךְ): “Seventeen years old he was when he was lost from him” (בֶּן שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה הֲוָה אִיהוּ, כַּד אִתְאֲבִיד מִנֵּיהּ).