Daf 195b (דַּף קצ״ה ע״ב)

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא): It is so (הָכִי הוּא): the speech of a person cannot express (דְּדִבּוּרָא דְּבַר נָשׁ לָא יָכִיל לְמַלָּלָא), and the eyes to see, and the ears to hear (וְעַיְנִין לְמֶחֱמֵי, וְאוּדְנִין לְמִשְׁמַע); and “there is nothing new under the sun” (וְאֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ) (Ecclesiastes 1).

And Come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי): even the creations and constellations that Kudsha Berikh Hu made beneath the sun (אֲפִילוּ בִּרְיָין וְקַסְטוֹרִין דְּעֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ) are not able to speak all the words of the world (לָא יָכְלִין לְמַלָּלָא כָּל מִלִּין דְּעָלְמָא); and the eye is not able to control or to see (וְעֵינָא לָא יָכִיל לְמִשְׁלַט וּלְמֶחֱמֵי), and the ear to hear (וְאוּדְנָא לְמִשְׁמַע). And because of this (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), Shlomo, who knew all things, said this (שְׁלֹמֹה דְּהֲוָה יָדַע כָּל מִלָּה, הֲוָה אָמַר דָּא).

And Come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי): all the workings of the world depend on many constellations (כָּל עוֹבָדִין דְּעָלְמָא בְּכַמָּה קַסְטְרִין תַּלְיָין), and all the people of the world do not know, and do not pay attention to what sustains the world (וְכָל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא לָא יָדְעִין, וְלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין עַל מַה קָּיְימֵי בְּעָלְמָא), and even King Shlomo, who was wiser than all people (וַאֲפִילוּ שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא דְּהֲוָה חֲכִּים מִכָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא), was not able to grasp them (לָא יָכִיל לְקָיְימָא בְּהוּ). He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאֲמַר): “He has made everything beautiful in its time; also the world He has placed in their heart, without which man cannot find the work that Elohim has done…” (אֶת הַכֹּל עָשָׂה יָפֶה בְּעִתּוֹ גַּם אֶת הָעוֹלָם נָתַן בְּלִבָּם מִבְּלִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִמְצָא הָאָדָם אֶת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים וְגו׳) (Ecclesiastes 3).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): blessed are those who labor in the Orayta and know how to contemplate in the spirit (some say: the secret) of Chokhmah (זַכָּאִין אִינוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא וְיָדְעֵי לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּרוּחָא [ס״א בְּרָזָא] דְּחָכְמָתָא). “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (אֶת הַכֹּל עָשָׂה יָפֶה בְּעִתּוֹ) - all the deeds that Kudsha Berikh Hu has done in the world (כָּל עוֹבָדִין דְּעֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעָלְמָא), for every single act, there is a level appointed over that action in the world (בְּכָל עוֹבָדָא וְעוֹבָדָא, אִית דַּרְגָּא מְמַנָּא עַל הַהוּא עוֹבָדָא בְּעָלְמָא), whether for good or for evil (הֵן לְטַב, הֵן לְבִישׁ). Some of these levels are on the right (מִנֵּיהוֹן דַּרְגִּין לִימִינָא), and some are on the left (וּמִנֵּיהוֹן דַּרְגִּין לִשְׂמָאלָא). When a person walks in the right direction (אָזִיל בַּר נָשׁ לִימִינָא), the deed he performs (הַהוּא עוֹבָדָא דְּעָבִיד) is assisted by the level appointed to that side (הַהוּא דַּרְגָּא מְמַנָּא לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא), and that level assists him, and many assist him (וְעָבִיד לֵיהּ סִיּוּעָא, וְכַמָּה אִינוּן דִּמְסַיְּיעֵי לֵיהּ).

If a person goes to the left (אָזַל בַּר נָשׁ לִשְׂמָאלָא), and performs actions accordingly (וְעָבִיד עוֹבָדוֹי), the act he performs is governed by a left-sided level (הַהוּא עוֹבָדָא דְּעָבִיד, מְמַנָּא [ס״א דַּרְגָּא דִּשְׂמָאלָא] לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא), which prosecutes him and draws him to that side, and darkens him (וְקָא מְקַטְרֵג לֵיהּ, וְאוֹבִיל לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא, וְאַסְטֵי לֵיהּ). Therefore, the act that a person performs properly (וּבְגִין כָּךְ הַהוּא עוֹבָדָא דְּעָבִיד בַּר נָשׁ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי), that level of the right side assists him (הַהוּא מְמַנָּא דִּסְטַר יְמִינָא קָא מְסַיֵּיעַ לֵיהּ). And this is “beautiful in its time” (וְדָא הוּא בְּעִתּוֹ, יָפֶה בְּעִתּוֹ) - that the deed is bound to its proper time (דְּהַהוּא עוֹבָדָא מִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּעִתּוֹ, כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ). “And also the world He placed in their hearts” (גַּם אֶת הָעוֹלָם נָתַן בְּלִבָּם) - all the world and all its actions are nothing but the desire of the heart (כָּל עָלְמָא, וְכָל עוֹבָדוֹי דְּעָלְמָא, לָא אִינוּן אֶלָּא בִּרְעוּתָא דְּלִבָּא), when it rises in a person’s desire (כַּד סָלִיק בִּרְעוּתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ).

Blessed are the Righteous who draw good actions into the world (זַכָּאִין אִינוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא דְּאַמְשִׁיכוּ עוֹבָדִין טָבִין), for the good of themselves and of all the world (לְאוֹטָבָא לוֹן וּלְכָל עָלְמָא), and they know how to cleave to the Et Shalom (וְאִינוּן יָדְעִין לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּעֵת שָׁלוֹם). And by the power of Charity which they perform below (וּבְחֵילָא דִּצְדָקָה דְּעָבְדִין לְתַתָּא), they draw that level called Kol (אִינוּן מָשְׁכִין לְהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּאִקְרֵי כֹּל), to radiate at its time (לְאַנְהָרָא בְּעִתּוֹ).

Woe to the wicked who do not know the time of that act (וַוַי לְחוֹיָיבַיָּא דְּלָא יָדְעִין עֵת דְּהַהוּא עוֹבָדָא), and do not pay attention to perform their deeds in the world in accordance with the repair the world requires (וְלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין לְמֶעְבַּד עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן בַּעַלְמָא עַל תִּקּוּנָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא), nor to rectify the act in the level appropriate to it (וּלְאַתְקָנָא עוֹבָדָא בְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ). Why? (מַאי טַעְמָא) Because they do not know (בְּגִין דְּלָא יָדְעִין). And because of this, everything is given over to the will of human beings (וְעַל דָּא אִתְיְהִיב כֹּלָּא בִּרְעוּתְהוֹן דִּבְנֵי נָשׁ), as it is written: “Without which man cannot find the work that Elohim has made from beginning to end” (דִּכְתִיב: מִבְּלִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִמְצָא הָאָדָם אֶת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים מֵרֹאשׁ וְעַד סוֹף) - (Ecclesiastes 3). And because those deeds are not done in proper repair (וּבְגִין כָּךְ דְּאִינוּן עוֹבָדִין לָא אִתְעֲבִידוּ לְאַתְקָנָא בְּדַרְגַּיְיהוּ כִּדְקָא חָזֵי), that the deed be integrated in its proper level (דְּיִתְכְּלִיל עוֹבָדָא דָא בְּדַרְגָּא דָא), everything would be in perfection - but it proceeds according to the will of man (כֹּלָּא כְּתִקּוּנָא - אֶלָּא כְּפוּם רְעוּתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ).

What is written afterward? “I knew that there is nothing better than to rejoice and do good in his life” (מַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ: יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אֵין טוֹב בָּם כִּי אִם לִשְׂמוֹחַ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת טוֹב בְּחַיָּיו) - (Ecclesiastes 3). “I knew that there is nothing good in them” - in those deeds (יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אֵין טוֹב בָּם - בְּאִינוּן עוֹבָדִין), that are not done properly (דְּלָא אִתְעֲבִידוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). “But to rejoice” - in whatever comes upon him (כִּי אִם לִשְׂמוֹחַ - בְּכָל מַה דְּיֵיתֵי עֲלוֹי), and to give thanks to Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּלְמֵיהַב הוֹדָאָה לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). “And to do good in his life” - for if that deed brings evil upon him (וְלַעֲשׂוֹת טוֹב בְּחַיָּיו - דְּהָא אִי הַהוּא עוֹבָדָא גָרִים לֵיהּ בִּישָׁא), because of the level that was appointed over it (בְּגִין הַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּקָא מְמַנָּא עֲלוֹי), he has cause to rejoice in it and give thanks (אִית לֵיהּ לְמֶחֱדֵי בֵיהּ וּלְהוֹדָאָה עֲלֵיהּ), for he caused it to himself (דְּאִיהוּ גָּרִים לֵיהּ לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ), and he went unknowingly, like a bird within a trap (וְאִיהוּ אָזִיל בְּלָא יְדִיעָא, כְּצִיפֳרָא דָּא בְּגוֹ קוּסְטִירָא).

And where do we know all this from? (וְכָל דָּא מְנָלָן) As it is written: “For man does not know his time; like fish caught in an evil net, and like birds caught in a snare, so are men ensnared at a time of misfortune when it falls suddenly upon them” (דִּכְתִיב: כִּי גַם לֹא יֵדַע הָאָדָם אֶת עִתּוֹ, כַּדָּגִים שֶׁנֶּאֱחָזִים בְּמְצוֹדָה רָעָה וְכַצִּפֳּרִים הָאֲחֻזוֹת בַּפָּח - כָּהֵם יוּקָשִׁים בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לְעֵת רָעָה כְּשֶׁתִּפּוֹל עֲלֵיהֶם פִּתְאֹם) (Ecclesiastes 9). “For man does not know his time” - what is “his time”? (כִּי גַם לֹא יֵדַע הָאָדָם אֶת עִתּוֹ מַהִי עִתּוֹ) The time of that action he is doing (עִתּוֹ דְּהַהוּא עוֹבָדָא דְּקָא עָבִיד), as it is said: “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: אֶת הַכֹּל עָשָׂה יָפֶה בְּעִתּוֹ). And for this reason (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), they are like birds caught in a snare (אִינוּן כַּצִּפֳּרִים הָאֲחוּזוֹת בַּפָּח). And for this reason (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), blessed are those who labor in the Orayta (זַכָּאִין אִינוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), and who know the paths and ways of the Orayta of the Supernal King (וְיָדְעֵי אוֹרְחוֹי וּשְׁבִילוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא דְּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה), to go in it in the path of truth (לְמֵיהַךְ בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַח קְשׁוֹט).

Come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי): one should never open his mouth for evil (לְעוֹלָם אַל יִפְתַּח בַּר נָשׁ פּוּמֵיהּ לְבִישׁ), because he does not know who will take that word (דְּאִיהוּ לָא יָדַע מַאן נָטִיל הַהִיא מִלָּה). And when a person does not know, he stumbles with it (וְכַד לָא יָדַע בַּר נָשׁ אִתְכְּשַׁל בָּהּ). But the Righteous, when they open their mouths, all is whole (וְצַדִּיקַיָּא כַּד פָּתְחֵי פוּמַיְיהוּ, כֻּלְּהוּ שְׁלָם)