Daf 185b (דַּף קפ״ה ע״ב)

Rather, Reuven saw that harm was found in the hands of his brothers (אֶלָּא חָמָא רְאוּבֵן דְּנִזְקָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח בִּידַיְיהוּ דְּאֲחוֹי), because he knew how much they hated him and their intent was to kill him (בְּגִין דְּיָדַע כַּמָּה שָׂנְאִין לֵיהּ וּרְעוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן לְקָטְלָא לֵיהּ). Reuven said: better that he fall into a pit of snakes and scorpions (אָמַר רְאוּבֵן: טַב לְמִנְפַל לֵיהּ לְגוֹ גּוֹבָא דְּנְחָשִׁין וְעַקְרַבִּין), and not be handed into the hands of his haters who have no mercy on him (וְלָא יִתְמְסַּר בִּידָא דְּשַׂנְאוֹי דְּלָא מְרַחֲמֵי עֲלֵיהּ). From here they said: a person should cast himself into fire or into a pit of snakes and scorpions (מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ: יַפִּיל בַּר נָשׁ גַּרְמֵיהּ לְאֶשָּׁא אוֹ לְגוּבָא דְּנְחָשִׁין וְעַקְרַבִּין), and not be handed into the hands of his haters (וְלָא יִתְמַסַּר בִּידָא דְּשַׂנְאוֹי). (Some say: for they are few who can be saved. And because of this it says “to save him from their hands”) (נ״א: דְּזְעֵירִין אִינוּן דְּיָכְלִין לְאִשְׁתַּזָּבָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמַר: לְמַעַן הַצִּיל אוֹתוֹ מִיָּדָם). Because this was a place of snakes and scorpions (בְּגִין דְּהָכָא אֲתַר דְּנְחָשִׁים וְעַקְרַבִּים). If he is a Tzaddik, Kudsha Berikh Hu will perform a miracle for him (אִי אִיהוּ צַדִּיקָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יַרְחִישׁ לֵיהּ נִיסָא). And sometimes the merit of the fathers helps a person and he is saved from them (וּלְזִמְנִין דִּזְכוּ דְּאֲבָהָן מְסַיְּיעִין לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ וְיִשְׁתְּזִיב מִנַּיְיהוּ). But once he is handed over to his haters, they are few who can be saved (אֲבָל כֵּיוָן דְּיִתְמַסַּר בִּידָא דְּשַׂנְאוֹי, זְעִירִין אִינוּן דְּיָכְלִין לְאִשְׁתַּזָּבָא). And because of this it says: “to save him from their hands” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמַר: לְמַעַן הַצִּיל אוֹתוֹ מִיָּדָם). “From their hands” precisely (מִיָּדָם דַּיְיקָא), for it does not say only “to save him” and no more (וְלָא כְּתִיב: לְמַעַן הַצִּיל אוֹתוֹ וְתוּ לָא), but Reuven said: let him be saved from their hands, and if he dies in the pit, let him die (אֶלָּא אָמַר רְאוּבֵן: יִשְׁתְּזִיב מִן יְדַיְיהוּ, וְאִי יְמוּת בְּגוּבָא, יְמוּת). And because of this it is written: “Reuven heard and rescued him from their hands” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב: וַיִּשְׁמַע רְאוּבֵן וַיַּצִּילֵהוּ מִיָּדָם).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), how great was the piety of Reuven (כַּמָּה חֲסִידוּתֵיהּ דִּרְאוּבֵן), for because he knew that Shim‘on and Levi were partners in wisdom and comradeship, they were harsh (דִּבְגִין דְּיָדַע דְּשִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי שׁוּתָּפוּתָא וַחֲכִימוּתָא וְחַבְרוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן, קַשְׁיָא אִינוּן). For when they joined together in Shekhem, they killed all the males (דְּכַד אִתְחַבָּרוּ בִּשְׁכֶם, קָטְלוּ כָּל דְּכוּרָא) some say: and that they killed all the males (ס״א: וְהָא דְּקָטְלוּ כָּל דְּכוּרָא) not only that (לָא דַי לוֹן), but they took the women and children and silver and gold, and all possessions and all valuable vessels and all that was found in the city (אֶלָּא דְּנָטְלִין נָשִׁין וָטַף וְכַסְפָּא וְדַהֲבָא וְכָל בְּעִירֵי וְכָל מָאנֵי דִּיקָר וְכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּכַּח בְּקַרְתָּא). And not only all that, but even everything in the field they took (וְלָא דַי כָּל דָּא, אֶלָּא דְּאֲפִילּוּ כָּל מַה דִּבְּחַקְלָא נָטְלוּ), as it is written (Bereshit 35): “and that which was in the city and that which was in the field they took” (דִּכְתִיב: וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר בָּעִיר וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה לָקָחוּ).

He said: and if such a great city like this was not saved from them (אָמַר: וּמַה קַּרְתָּא רַבָּתָא כִּי הַאי לָא אִשְׁתְּזִיב מִנְּהוֹן), if this lad falls into their hands, they will not leave in him even a bone in the world (אִלְמָלֵא רַבְיָא דָּא יִפּוֹל בִּידַיְיהוּ, לָא יַשְׁאֲרוּן מִנֵּיהּ אוּמְצָא בְּעָלְמָא). And because of this he said: better he be saved from them, so that something may remain of him in the world, and so that his father not see nothing of him forever (וְעַל דָּא אָמַר: טַב לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא מִנַּיְיהוּ דְּלָא יַשְׁאֲרוּן מִנֵּיהּ אִשְׁתָּאֲרוּתָא בְּעָלְמָא, וְלָא יֶחֱמֵי אַבָּא מִנֵּיהּ כְּלוּם לְעָלְמִין). And here, if he should die, they will not be able to harm him, and his whole body will remain whole, and he will return to his father complete (וְהָכָא, אִי יְמוּת, לָא יָכְלִין לֵיהּ, וְיִשְׁתָּאַר כָּל גּוּפֵיהּ שְׁלִים, וַאֲתִיב לֵיהּ לְאַבָּא שְׁלִים). And for this it is written: “to save him from their hands to return him to his father” (וְעַל דָּא: לְמַעַן הַצִּיל אוֹתוֹ מִיָּדָם לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ אֶל אָבִיו), even though he might die there (אַף עַל גַּב דִּימוּת הָתָם). And because of this he said: “The boy is not” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמַר: הַיֶּלֶד אֵינֶנּוּ), and he did not say: “He is not alive,” but said “he is not”-even if dead (וְלָא אָמַר: אֵינֶנּוּ חַי, אֶלָּא אָמַר: אֵינֶנּוּ, אֲפִילּוּ מֵת).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), what he did-he wisely associated himself with them (מַאי דְּעֲבַד, דְּאִיהוּ בְּחָכְמְתָא הֲוָה שַׁתִּיף גַּרְמֵיהּ בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ), for it is written: “Let us not strike him mortally” (דִּכְתִיב: לֹא נַכֶּנּוּ נֶפֶשׁ), and it is not written: “Do not strike him” (וְלֹא כְּתִיב: לֹא תַכּוּהוּ). And he was not there when Yosef was sold (וְאִיהוּ לָא הֲוָה תַּמָּן כַּד אִזְדַּבַּן יוֹסֵף), for all of them served their father, each one a day (דְּהָא כֻּלְּהוּ מְשַׁמְּשֵׁי לַאֲבוּהוֹן כָּל חַד וְחַד יוֹמָא חַד). And that day was Reuven’s service (וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא דִרְאוּבֵן הֲוָה). And for this reason he wanted that on the day of his service Yosef would not be lost (וְעַל דָּא בָּעָא דִּבְהַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּהֲוָה שִׁמּוּשָׁא דִילֵיהּ לָא יִתְאֲבִיד יוֹסֵף). And for this it is written: “And Reuven returned to the pit, and behold Yosef was not in the pit, and he tore his garments” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב: וַיָּשָׁב רְאוּבֵן אֶל הַבּוֹר, וְהִנֵּה אֵין יוֹסֵף בַּבּוֹר, וַיִּקְרַע אֶת בְּגָדָיו). “And behold Yosef was not”-precisely (וְהִנֵּה אֵין יוֹסֵף דַּיְיקָא); whether alive or dead (אֲפִילּוּ חַי אוֹ מֵת), immediately: “And he returned to his brothers and said: The boy is not” (מִיָּד: וַיָּשָׁב אֶל אֶחָיו, וַיֹּאמֶר: הַיֶּלֶד אֵינֶנּוּ). And even Reuven did not know of that sale of Yosef (וְאֲפִילּוּ רְאוּבֵן לָא יָדַע מֵהַהוּא זְבִינָא דְּיוֹסֵף), and behold it has been established that the Shekhinta participated with them (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ: דְּאִשְׁתַּתִּיף בְּהוּ שְׁכִינְתָּא), and for this reason Reuven did not know of that sale of Yosef (וְעַל דָּא לָא יָדַע רְאוּבֵן מֵהַהוּא זְבִינָא דְּיוֹסֵף), and it was not revealed to him until the moment when Yosef revealed himself to his brothers (וְלֹא אִתְגַלְיָיא לֵיהּ עַד הַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאִתְגְּלֵי יוֹסֵף לַאֲחוֹהִי).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), how much reward was given to Reuven because he strove to save Yosef’s life (כַּמָּה גָּרִים לֵיהּ לִרְאוּבֵן בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אִשְׁתַּדַּל לְאַחֲיָיָא לֵיהּ לְיוֹסֵף). What is written? (Deuteronomy 33): “Let Reuven live and not die…” (מַה כְּתִיב: יְחִי רְאוּבֵן וְאַל יָמוֹת וְגו׳). For because of this, even though he knew that his birthright had been taken from him and given to Yosef (דְּהָא בְּגִין דָּא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּיָדַע דְּאִשְׁתַּקֵּיל בְּכֵירוּתֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ וְאִתְיְהִיב לְיוֹסֵף), he still strove to save him (אִשְׁתַּדַּל לְאַחֲיָיָא לֵיהּ). And Moshe prayed and said: “Let Reuven live and not die” (וְצַלֵּי מֹשֶׁה וְאָמַר: יְחִי רְאוּבֵן וְאַל יָמוֹת), and it was fulfilled in this world and in the world to come (וְאִתְקַיֵּים בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וְאִתְקַיֵּים בְּעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי). Why? Because of this (מַה טַעְמָא בְּגִין דָּא), and because he repented from that matter (וּבְגִין דְּעֲבַד תְּשׁוּבָה מֵהַהוּא עוֹבָדָא). For whoever repents, Kudsha Berikh Hu sustains him in this world and in the world to come (דְּכָל מַאן דְּעָבִיד תְּשׁוּבָה, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קַיֵּים לֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי).

Come and see what is written (תָּא חֲזֵי מַה כְּתִיב): “And they took Yosef’s coat…” (וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת כְּתֹנֶת יוֹסֵף וְגו׳). Behold it has been established (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ): that the blood of the goat resembles the blood of a man (דְּבְגִין דְּדָמָא דְּשָׂעִיר דָּמְיָא לְדָמָא דְּבַר נָשׁ). But come and see (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי), even though the matter was done properly (אַף עַל גַּב דְּמִלָּה אַתְיָא כְּדְקָא חָזֵי), Kudsha Berikh Hu judges the Righteous even to a hair’s breadth (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְדַקְדֵּק בְּהוּ בְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא אֲפִלּוּ כְּחוּט הַשַּׂעֲרָה). Ya‘akov acted properly (יַעֲקֹב עָבַד עוֹבָדָא כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת). In what? Because he offered to his father a goat (בְּמַאי בְּגִין דְּאַקְרִיב לְגַבּוֹי אֲבוּהֵי שָׂעִיר), which is the side of harsh judgment (דְּאִיהוּ סִטְרָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא). And with all this, because he offered the goat and mocked that side (וְעִם כָּל דָּא, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אַקְרִיב שָׂעִיר וְאַכְּחִישׁ לֵיהּ לְאֲבוּהֵי דְּאִיהוּ סִטְרָא דִּילֵיהּ), he was punished with that other goat (אִתְעֲנַשׁ בְּהַהוּא שָׂעִיר אָחֳרָא), that his sons offered its blood (דְּאַקְרִיבוּ לֵיהּ בְּנוֹי דָּמָא דִּילֵיהּ).