Daf 194a (דַּף קצ״ד ע״א)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “Blessed is Hashem day by day; He loads us with salvation” (בָּרוּךְ אֲדֹנָי יוֹם יוֹם יַעֲמָס לָנוּ) (Psalms 68). “Blessed is Hashem” - written with Alef-Dalet-Nun-Yod (בָּרוּךְ אֲדֹנָי, בְּאָלֶ״ף דָּלֶ״ת נוּ״ן יוּ״ד), and this verse is a secret of Chokhmah (וְהַאי קְרָא רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא אִיהוּ). “Day by day” (יוֹם יוֹם) - these are “two full years” (אֵלּוּ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “And it came to pass at the end of two full years, and Pharaoh dreamed…” (וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים וּפַרְעֹה חוֹלֵם וְהִנֵּה עוֹמֵד עַל הַיְאֹר) (Bereshit 41). It is a secret, as it is said: this is Yosef (רָזָא אִיהוּ, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר: דָּא יוֹסֵף).

For the river (some say: every river) this is Yosef the Tzaddik (דְּנָהָר [ס״א דְּכָל נָהָר], דָּא יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק הוּא). “And behold, out of the river came up seven cows, beautiful in appearance and healthy in flesh, and they grazed in the meadow” (וְהִנֵּה מִן הַיְאֹר עֹלוֹת שֶׁבַע פָּרוֹת יְפוֹת מַרְאֶה וּבְרִיאוֹת בָּשָׂר וַתִּרְעֶינָה בָּאָחוּ). “And behold, from the river” - for from this river all lower levels are blessed (וְהִנֵּה מִן הַיְאֹר, דְּהָא מִנָּהָר דָּא אִתְבָּרְכָאן כָּל אִינוּן דַּרְגִּין דִּלְתַּתָּא). For that river which flows and issues forth, it waters and sustains all (בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק, אִיהוּ אַשְׁקֵי וְזָן לְכֹלָּא), and Yosef is that river (וְיוֹסֵף אִיהוּ נָהָר), by whom all the land of Egypt was blessed (לְאִתְבָּרְכָא כָּל אַרְעָא דְּמִצְרַיִם בְּגִינֵיהּ). And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי): that river - seven levels are watered and blessed from it (הַהוּא נָהָר, שֶׁבַע דַּרְגִּין אִתְשַׁקְיָין וְאִתְבָּרְכָן מִנֵּיהּ), and these are “beautiful in appearance and healthy in flesh” (וְאִלֵּין אִינוּן יְפוֹת מַרְאֶה וּבְרִיאוֹת בָּשָׂר). “And they grazed in the meadow” - in unity and brotherhood, without separation among them (וַתִּרְעֶינָה בָּאָחוּ, בְּחִבּוּרָא בְּאַחְוָותָא דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח בְּהוּ פִּירוּדָא). And all of them stand for praise (וְכֻלְּהוּ לְשַׁבָּחָא קָיְימִין), for all these seven levels mentioned are a secret (דְּהָא כָּל הַנֵּי דַּרְגִּין שֶׁבַע דְּקָאֲמָרָן, רָזָא אִיהוּ), as it is said: “And the seven maids who were suitable to be given her from the king’s house…” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: וְאֵת שֶׁבַע הַנְּעָרוֹת הָרְאוּיוֹת לָתֵּת לָהּ מִבֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ) (Esther 2). And corresponding to this, it is written: “The seven eunuchs who served before the king…” (וְלָקֳבֵל דָּא כְּתִיב: שִׁבְעַת הַסָּרִיסִים הַמְשָׁרְתִים אֶת פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ) (Esther 1).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said (רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר): “The seven good cows” - these are higher levels above others (שֶׁבַע פָּרוֹת הַטּוֹבוֹת, דַּרְגִּין אִינוּן עִלָּאִין עַל אָחֳרָנִין). “And the seven bad cows” - these are other, lower levels (וְשֶׁבַע הַפָּרוֹת הָרָעוֹת, דַּרְגִּין אָחֳרָנִין דִּלְתַּתָּא). These are from the side of holiness (אִלֵּין מִסִּטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה), and those are from the side of impurity (וְאִלֵּין מִסִּטְרָא דְּמְסָאֲבָא). “The seven ears of grain” (שֶׁבַע הַשִּׁבֳּלִים), Rabbi Yehuda said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר): these first ones are good (אִלֵּין קֳדָמָאי אִינוּן טָבִין), because they are from the side of the right, of which it is written, “for it is good” (בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן מִסִּטְרָא דִימִינָא, דִּכְתִיב: כִּי טוֹב). And these evil ones are below them (וְאִלֵּין בִּישִׁין אִינוּן לְתַתָּא מִנַּיְיהוּ). “The seven ears of grain” are from the side of purity (שֶׁבַע הַשִּׁבֳּלִים אִינוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְּדַכְיוּ), and these others are from the side of defilement (וְאִלֵּין מִסִּטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבוּ). And all of them are levels (וְכֻלְּהוּ דַּרְגִּין), these upon those (קָיְימִין אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין), and these corresponding to those (וְאִלֵּין לָקֳבֵל אִלֵּין), and all of them Pharaoh saw in his dream (וְכֻלְּהוּ קָא חָמָא פַּרְעֹה בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ).

Rabbi Yisa said (אָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא): and is it for that wicked one, Pharaoh, that all these were shown to him? (וְכִי לְהַהוּא חַיָּיבָא דְּפַרְעֹה אַחְזְיוּן לֵיהּ כָּל הַנִּי). Rabbi Yehuda said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): according to his manner, he saw (כְּגַוְונָא דִלְהוֹן חָמָא). For many levels upon levels, these corresponding to those, and those above others (דְּכַמָּה דַּרְגִּין עַל דַּרְגִּין, אִלֵּין לָקֳבֵל אִלֵּין, וְאִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין), and he saw in those levels which are below (וְאִיהוּ חָמָא בְּאִינוּן דַּרְגִּין דִּלְתַתָּא). And we have learned (וְהָא תָּנִינָן): that just as a person is, so he is shown in his dream (דְּהָא כְּמָה דְּאִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ, הָכִי אַחְזְיוּ לֵיהּ בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ), and thus he sees (וְהָכִי חָמֵי). And the Neshama ascends to perceive (וְנִשְׁמָתָא הָכִי סָלְקַת לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא), each according to his level, as is fitting for him (כָּל חַד וְחַד כְּפוּם דַּרְגֵּיהּ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ). And for this reason, Pharaoh saw according to what was fitting for him, and no more (וּבְגִין כָּךְ פַּרְעֹה חָמָא כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ, וְלָא יַתִּיר). “And it came to pass at the end…” (וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ וְגו׳), Rabbi Ḥizkiyah opened and said (רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “To everything there is a time, and a season for every desire under the heavens” (לַכֹּל זְמָן וְעֵת לְכָל חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם) (Ecclesiastes 3).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): everything that Kudsha Berikh Hu made below, He assigned a time and a fixed season for all (כָּל מַה דְּעֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְתַתָּא, לְכֹלָּא שַׁוֵּי זִמְנָא וּזְמַן קָצוּב). A time is appointed for light and for darkness (זְמַן שַׁוֵּי לִנְהוֹרָא וְלַחֲשׁוֹכָא); a time for the light of the other nations, who presently rule the world (זִמְנָא שַׁוֵּי לִנְהוֹרָא דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין, דְּאִינוּן שָׁלְטִין הַשְׁתָּא עַל עַלְמָא); and a time for darkness, which is the exile of Yisrael under their dominion (וְזִמְנָא שַׁוֵּי לַחֲשׁוֹכָא, דְּאִיהוּ גָּלוּתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל תְּחוֹת שָׁלְטָנוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן). A time is appointed by Kudsha Berikh Hu for everything (זִמְנָא שַׁוֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְכֹלָּא). Therefore: “To everything there is a time, and a season for every desire” (בְּגִין כָּךְ: לַכֹּל זְמָן וְעֵת לְכָל חֵפֶץ). What is “and a season for every desire”? (מַהִי: וְעֵת לְכָל חֵפֶץ) - a time and occasion for everything below, for every desire found below (זִמְנָא וְעִדָּן הוּא לְכֹלָּא, לְכָל הַהוּא רְעוּתָא דְּאִשְׁתַּכַּח לְתַתָּא).

Another matter: “And a time for every desire” (דָּבָר אַחֵר: וְעֵת לְכָל חֵפֶץ), what is ‘a time’? (מַאי עֵת), as it is written (כְּדִכְתִיב): “A time to act for Hashem” (עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיְיָ), “they have voided Your Torah” (הֵפֵרוּ תוֹרָתֶךָ) (Psalms 119). And it is written (וּכְתִיב): “And he shall not come at all times into the Holy” (וְאַל יָבֹא בְּכָל עֵת אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ) (Leviticus 16). And it is a level of appointment (וְאִיהוּ דַרְגָּא מְמַנָּא), and this has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). And therefore “a time” is an appointee (וּבְגִין כָּךְ עֵת אִיהוּ מְמַנָּא), for every desire beneath the heavens (לְכָל חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם). “And it was at the end of two full years” (וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים) (Bereshit 41), from the side of that ‘end’ (מִסִּטְרָא דְהַהוּא קֵץ), Pharaoh saw darkness in his dream (דְּחֲשׁוֹךְ חָמָא פַרְעֹה בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ), and from there he understood (וּמִתַּמָּן יָדַע), and that dream was revealed to him (וְאִתְגְּלִי לֵיהּ הַהוּא חֶלְמָא). “And it was in the morning” (וַיְהִי בַבֹּקֶר), “and his spirit was agitated” (וַתִּפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ), “and he sent and called all the magicians of Egypt” (וַיִּשְׁלַח וַיִּקְרָא אֶת כָּל חַרְטֻמֵּי מִצְרַיִם), “and all her wise men…” (וְאֶת כָּל חֲכָמֶיהָ וְגו׳) (Bereshit 41). “And his spirit was agitated” (וַתִּפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ), what is “agitated”? (מַאי וַתִּפָּעֶם). Rabbi Yosei said (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר): this has been established (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ). With Pharaoh it is written “was agitated” (בְּפַרְעֹה כְּתִיב: וַתִּפָּעֶם), and with Nevukhadnetzar it is written “was deeply agitated” (וּבִנְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר כְּתִיב: וַתִּתְפָּעֶם) (Daniel 2). And this has been explained (וְאוּקְמוּהָ): with Pharaoh it is written “was agitated” (דְּהָא בְּפַרְעֹה כְּתִיב: וַתִּפָּעֶם), because he remembered the dream (בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה יָדַע חֶלְמָא), but did not know its interpretation (וּפִשְׁרָא לָא הֲוָה יָדַע). But Nevukhadnetzar saw the dream (אֲבָל נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר חָמָא חֶלְמָא), and saw the interpretation (וְחָמָא פִּשְׁרָא), and forgot it all from himself (וְאִתְנְשֵׁי כֹּלָּא מִנֵּיהּ).