Daf 183b (דַּף קפ״ג ע״ב)

What is written? “And he said to them: Hear now this dream that I have dreamed” (מַה כְּתִיב: וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַחֲלוֹם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר חָלָמְתִּי) he requested from them that they should listen to him (דְּבָעָא מִנַּיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׁמְעוּן לֵיהּ), and he informed them of that dream (וְאִיהוּ אוֹדַע לְהוּ הַהוּא חֶלְמָא), that if they had not reversed it to another form (דְּאִלְמָלֵא אִינוּן דְּאַהֲפָכוּ לֵיהּ לְגַוְונָא אָחֳרָא), so it would have been fulfilled (הָכִי אִתְקְיַּים). But they responded and said: “Shall you indeed reign over us? Shall you indeed rule over us?” (וְאִינוּן אֲתִיבוּ וְאָמְרוּ: הֲמָלֹךְ תִּמְלֹךְ עָלֵינוּ אִם מָשׁוֹל תִּמְשֹׁל בָּנוּ). Immediately they interpreted the dream and decreed a verdict (מִיָּד אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ פִּשְׁרָא דְּחָלְמָא וְגָזְרוּ גְּזֵרָה), and because of this: “They added yet more to hate him” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַיּוֹסִפוּ עוֹד שְׂנֹא אוֹתוֹ).

Rabbi Chiyya and Rabbi Yosei were frequent before Rabbi Shimon (רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲווּ שְׁכִיחֵי קַמֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), Rabbi Chiyya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא), behold, we have learned: a dream that is not interpreted (הָא תָּנִינָן חֶלְמָא דְלָא אִתְפַּשַּׁר) is like a letter that is not read (כְּאִגַּרְתָּא דְלָא מִתְקַרְיָא). Whether because it was fulfilled and he did not know (אִי בְּגִין דְּאִתְקְיַּים וְאִיהוּ לָא יָדַע), or because it was not fulfilled at all (אוֹ דְּלָא אִתְקְיַּים כְּלָל). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ), it was fulfilled but he did not perceive it (אִתְקְיַּים וְלָא אִתְיְידַע), for that dream is suspended upon him (דְּהָא הַהוּא חֶלְמָא חֵילָא תַּלְיָא עֲלֵיהּ), and he did not know and does not know (וְאִיהוּ לָא אִתְיְדַע וְלָא יְדִיעַ) whether it was fulfilled or not (אִי אִתְקְיַּים אִי לָא אִתְקְיַּים). And there is nothing in the world (וְלֵית לָךְ מִלָּה בְּעַלְמָא) that comes into the world (דְּעַד לָא יֵיתֵי לְעַלְמָא) that is not suspended upon a dream or through the hand of a herald (דְּלָאו אִיהִי תַּלְיָיא בְּחֶלְמָא אוֹ עַל יְדָא דְּכָרוֹזָא).

For it has been taught (דְּהָא אִתְּמָר) that every matter before it comes into the world (דְּכָל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה עַד לָא יֵיתֵי לְעַלְמָא), it is proclaimed in the firmament (מַכְרְזֵי עֲלֵיהּ בָּרָקִיעַ). And from there it spreads into the world (וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְפַּשַּׁט בְּעַלְמָא), and is given through the hand of a herald (וְאִתְיְהִיב עַל יְדָא דְּכָרוֹזָא). And all of this is because it is written: “For the Lord Hashem does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3) (וְכֹלָּא בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב כִּי לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה יְיָ אֱלֹהִים דָּבָר כִּי אִם גָּלָה סוֹדוֹ אֶל עֲבָדָיו הַנְּבִיאִים), in a time when prophets were present in the world (בְּזִמְנָא דִנְבִיאִים אִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ בְּעַלְמָא). And if not, even though prophecy does not rest (וְאִי לָאו, אַף עַל גַּב דִּנְבוּאָה לָא שַׁרְיָא), sages are greater than prophets (חַכִּימֵי עֲדִיפֵי מִנְּבִיאִים). And if not, it is given through a dream (וְאִי לָאו, אִתְיְהִיב בְּחֶלְמָא). And if not, among the birds of the heavens the matter is found (וְאִי לָאו, בְּצִפֳּרֵי שְׁמַיָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי מִלָּה), and this has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). And his brothers went to pasture the flock of their father in Shekhem (וַיֵּלְכוּ אֶחָיו לִרְעוֹת אֶת צֹאן אֲבִיהֶם בִּשְׁכֶם).

Rabbi Shim‘on said (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר), “To pasture the flock of their father” it should have said (לִרְעוֹת צֹאן אֲבִיהֶם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). What is “Et” with nikkud above? (מַאי אֶ״ת נָקוּד מִלְּעֵילָא). To include with them the Shekhinta (לְאַסְגָּאָה עִמְהוֹן שְׁכִינְתָּא), for She dwells among them (דְּאִיהִי עִמְּהוֹן שַׁרְיָיא). Because they were ten (בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן הֲווּ עֲשָׂרָה), for Yosef was not with them (דְּהָא יוֹסֵף לָא הֲוָה עִמְּהוֹן), and Binyamin was small in the house (וּבִנְיָמִין אִיהוּ זְעִיר בְּבֵיתָא). Therefore they were ten (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִינוּן הֲווּ עֲשָׂרָה). And when they went, the Shekhinta was among them (וְכַד אָזְלוּ הֲוַת שְׁכִינְתָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ). And for this reason “Et” has nikkud above (וְעַל דָּא אֶ״ת נָקוּד מִלְּעֵילָא). And because of this, at the time they sold Yosef (וּבְגִין כָּךְ בְּזִמְנָא דְּזַבִּינוּ לֵיהּ לְיוֹסֵף), they all became partnered with the Shekhinta (אִשְׁתַּתָּפוּ כֻּלְּהוּ בַּהֲדֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא), and they joined Her with them in that plot (וְאַשְׁתִּיפוּ לָהּ בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ כַּד עֲבִידוּ אוֹמָאָה). And until the matter of Yosef was revealed (וְעַד דְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא מִלָּה דְּיוֹסֵף), the Shekhinta did not rest upon Ya‘akov (לָא שַׁרְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עֲלֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב). And if you should say that the Shekhinta was not found with them (וְאִי תֵימָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִשְׁתַּכְּחַת עִמְּהוֹן).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): for it is written (דִּכְתִיב) (Psalms 122): “There the tribes went up, the tribes of Yah, a testimony for Yisrael, to give thanks to the name of Hashem” (שֶׁשָּׁם עָלוּ שְׁבָטִים, שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ, עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, לְהוֹדוֹת לְשֵׁם יְיָ). All of them are Tzaddikim and pious ones (כֻּלְּהוּ צַדִּיקֵי וַחֲסִידֵי), the sustenance of all the worlds (קִיּוּמָא דְכָל עַלְמָא), a sustenance above and below (קִיּוּמָא אִינוּן לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא).

He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the House of Hashem’” (Psalms 122) ( שָׂמַחְתִּי בְּאוֹמְרִים לִי בֵּית יְיָ נֵלֵךְ). This verse has been established (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ), that David had it in his heart to build the House (דְּדָוִד הֲוָה עִם לִבֵּיהּ לְמִבְנֵי בֵּיתָא), as you say (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “And it was in the heart of David my father to build a House for the Name of Hashem” (1 Kings 8) (וַיְהִי עִם לְבַב דָּוִד אָבִי לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת לְשֵׁם יְיָ). And afterwards, what is written? (וּלְבָתַר מַה כְּתִיב): “But you shall not build the House, rather your son who shall come forth from your loins, he shall build the House for My Name” (1 Kings 8) (רַק אַתָּה לֹא תִבְנֶה הַבַּיִת כִּי אִם בִּנְךָ הַיּוֹצֵא מֵחֲלָצֶיךָ הוּא יִבְנֶה הַבַּיִת לִשְׁמִי). And all Yisrael knew this (וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲווּ יָדְעֵי דָא), and they said (וְהֲווּ אָמְרוּ): “When will David die and Solomon his son rise and build the House?” (אֵימָתַי יָמוּת דָּוִד וְיָקוּם שְׁלֹמֹה בְּרֵיהּ וְיִבְנֶה בֵּיתָא). And then, “Our feet were standing within your gates, O Jerusalem” (Psalms 122) (וּכְדֵין עוֹמְדוֹת הָיוּ רַגְלֵינוּ בִּשְׁעָרַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם), then we shall go up and offer sacrifices there (כְּדֵין נִסַק וְנַקְרִיב תַּמָּן קָרְבָּנִין). And with all this (וְעִם כָּל דָּא), even though they said: “When will this elder die?” (אַף עַל גַּב דְּהֲווּ אָמְרוּ אֵימָתַי יָמוּת סָבָא דָא), then I rejoiced (כְּדֵין שָׂמַחְתִּי). And there was joy for me because of my son (וְחֶדְוָה הֲוָה לִי בְּגִין בְּרִי), that they said my son will rise in my place to fulfill the command to build the House (דְּהֲווּ אָמְרֵי דִבְרִי יָקוּם תְּחוֹתִי לְמִגְמַר פִּקוּדָא לְמִבְנִי בֵיתָא). Then he began to praise it and said (כְּדֵין שָׁרֵי וְשַׁבַּח לָהּ וְאָמַר): “Jerusalem that is built like a city that is joined together” (Psalms 122) (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הַבְּנוּיָה כְּעִיר שֶׁחֻבְּרָה לָהּ יַחְדָּו).

It was taught (תְּנַן): Kudsha Berikh Hu made Yerushalayim below (עֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יְרוּשָׁלַיִם לְתַתָּא) in the likeness of the one above (כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא), and this is established (וְדָא מִתְתַּקְּנָא) Corresponding to this, as it is written (לָקֳבֵל דָּא דִּכְתִיב): “A sanctuary, O Hashem, which Your hands established” (Exodus 15) ( מָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ פָּעַלְתָּ יְיָ). That which is built (הַבְּנוּיָה): For Kudsha Berikh Hu is destined to bring down to it the Yerushalayim above (דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְנַחֲתָא לָהּ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם דִּלְעֵילָא) properly (כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת), and therefore it is “that which is built” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ הַבְּנוּיָה). “That is joined together as one” (שֶׁחֻבְּרָה לָהּ יַחְדָּו): and this has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ), that it should have said “that they joined it” (שֶׁחִבְּרוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ), but rather that Imma was joined with her daughter (אֶלָּא דְּאִתְחַבָּרַת אִמָּא בִּבְרַתָּא), and they became one (וְהֲווּ כְּחֲדָא), and this has been established (וְאוּקְמוּהָ). And it was stated (וְאִתְּמָר): “There the tribes went up” (שֶׁשָּׁם עָלוּ שְׁבָטִים): these are the sustainers of the world (אִלֵּין אִינוּן קִיּוּמָא דְעַלְמָא), and the rectification of the lower world (וְתִקּוּנָא דְעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה). And do not say only the lower world (וְלָא תֵימָא דְּעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), but even of the upper world (אֶלָּא אֲפִילּוּ דְּעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה). As it is written: “The tribes of Yah, a testimony for Yisrael” (Psalms 122) (דִּכְתִּיב שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל): for Yisrael precisely (לְיִשְׂרָאֵל דַּיְיקָא). Because they are the sustenance below (בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן קִיּוּמָא לְתַתָּא), they are a testimony above (סַהֲדוּתָא אִינוּן לְעֵילָא). And all this is to give thanks to the Name of Hashem (וְכֹלָּא לְהוֹדוֹת לְשֵׁם יְיָ), to acknowledge His Name (לְאוֹדָאָה שְׁמֵיהּ) of Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא) — in all directions (לְכָל סִטְרִין), as it is written: “To give thanks to the Name of Hashem” (Psalms 122) (דִּכְתִּיב לְהוֹדוֹת לְשֵׁם יְיָ).