Daf 201b (דַּף ר״א ע״ב)

And this verse was established with regard to Yosef the righteous-who did not seek to repay evil to his brothers at the time they fell into his hands (וְהַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ, בְּיוֹסֵף זַכָּאָה, דְּלָא בָּעָא לְאַשְׁלָמָא בִּישָׁא לַאֲחוֹי, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּנָפְלוּ בִּידוֹי). “Hope to Hashem, and He will save you”-because he feared Kudsha Berikh Hu (קַוֵּה לַיְיָ וְיוֹשַׁע לָךְ, בְּגִין דְּהוּא הֲוָה דָּחִיל לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written: “This do and live…” (Bereshit 42) (דִּכְתִיב: זֹאת עֲשׂוּ וִחְיוּ). And he would constantly hope for Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְאִיהוּ תָּדִיר הֲוָה מְחַכֵּה לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא) [Some say: as it is said, “Hope to Hashem and He will save you” (ס״א: כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר, קַוֵּה לַיְיָ וְיוֹשַׁע לָךְ)].

Rabbi Abba opened and said (Proverbs 20) “Deep waters are the counsel in the heart of man, and a man of understanding draws it out” (רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר: מַיִם עֲמוּקִים עֵצָה בְּלֵב אִישׁ, וְאִישׁ תְּבוּנָה יִדְלֶנָּה). “Deep waters are the counsel in the heart of man”-this is Kudsha Berikh Hu (מַיִם עֲמוּקִים עֵצָה בְּלֵב אִישׁ, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), because He devises counsels, bringing reasons for revolving revolutions upon the world through Yosef (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד עֵצוֹת, דְּאַיְיתֵי טַעֲמִין לְגַלְגְּלָא גִּלְגּוּלִין עַל עַלְמָא עַל יְדָא דְּיוֹסֵף), to fulfill the decree that He decreed-famine upon the land [Some say: upon the world] (לְקַיְּימָא הַהוּא גְּזֵרָה דְּגָזַר כַּפְנָא עַל אַרְעָא) [נ״א: עַל עַלְמָא]. “And a man of understanding draws it out”-this is Yosef, who revealed those depths that Kudsha Berikh Hu had decreed upon the world (וְאִישׁ תְּבוּנָה יִדְלֶנָּה, דָּא יוֹסֵף. דְּגָלֵי אִינוּן עֲמִיקִין, דְּגָזַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל עַלְמָא).

Come and see: not only did Yosef not repay evil to his brothers-but he acted toward them with kindness and truth (תָּא חֲזֵי: יוֹסֵף לָא דַי לֵיהּ דְּאִיהוּ לָא שַׁלֵּם בִּישָׁא לַאֲחוֹי, אֶלָּא דְּעָבַד עִמְּהוֹן טִיבוּ וּקְשׁוֹט). And so is the way of the righteous constantly (וְכָךְ אָרְחֵיהוֹן דְּזַכָּאֵי תָּדִיר). And because of this, Kudsha Berikh Hu constantly has mercy upon them-in this world and in the world to come (בְּגִין דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָיִיס עֲלַיְיהוּ תָּדִיר, בְּעַלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעַלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). “Deep waters are counsel in the heart of a man”-this is Yehudah (מַיִם עֲמוּקִים עֵצָה בְּלֵב אִישׁ, דָּא יְהוּדָה). And this has been established-at the moment he approached Yosef concerning the matter of Binyamin (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּאִתְקָרִיב לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּיוֹסֵף, עַל עִסְקָא דְבִנְיָמִין). “And a man of understanding draws it out”-this is Yosef (וְאִישׁ תְּבוּנָה יִדְלֶנָּה, דָּא יוֹסֵף).

Rabbi Abba was sitting at the entrance of the gate of Lod (רִבִּי אַבָּא הֲוָה יָתִיב אֲתַרְעָא דְּאַבָּבָא דְלוֹד), and he saw a certain man who came and sat on a clod of earth (חָמָא חַד בַּר נָשׁ דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי, וְיָתִיב בְּחַד קוּלְטָא דְתָלָא דְאַרְעָא), and he was weary from the road and sat and slept there (וְהֲוָה לָאֵי מֵאָרְחָא, וְיָתִיב וְנָאִים תַּמָּן). Meanwhile, he saw a serpent approaching him (אַדְּהָכִי חָמֵי חַד חִוְיָא, דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי לְגַבֵּיהּ), a gourd thorn dropped from above and killed the serpent (נָפַק קוֹסְטְפָא דְגוּרְדְּנָא, וְקָטִיל לֵיהּ לְחִוְיָא). When that man awoke, he saw the dead serpent in front of him (כַּד אִתְעַר הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, חָמָא הַהוּא חִוְיָא לְקֳבְלֵיהּ, דְּהֲוָה מִית). That man stood up and the clod fell into the depth beneath him, and he was saved (אִזְדַּקַּף הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, וְנָפַל הַהוּא קוּלְטָא לְעוּמְקָא דִּתְחוֹתוֹי, וְאִשְׁתֵּזִיב).

Rabbi Abba came toward him and said to him: Tell me your deeds (אֲתָא רִבִּי אַבָּא לְגַבֵּיהּ, אָמַר לֵיהּ: אֵימָא לִי מָאן עוֹבָדָךְ), for Kudsha Berikh Hu has performed for you these two miracles, and they are not in vain (דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רָחִישׁ לָךְ אִלֵּין תְּרֵין נִסִּין, לָאו אִינוּן לְמַגָּנָא). That man said to him: All my days no man has repaid me evil that I did not appease him and forgive him (אָמַר לֵיהּ הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ: כָּל יוֹמָאי לָא אַשְׁלִים לִי בַּר נָשׁ בִּישָׁא בְּעַלְמָא, דְּלָא אִתְפַּיַּיסְנָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וּמָחִילְנָא לֵיהּ). And furthermore, if I could not appease him, I would not go to bed until I forgave him (וְתוּ, אִי לָא יָכִילְנָא לְאִתְפַּיְיסָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ, לָא סָלִיקְנָא לְעַרְסִי, עַד דְּמָחִילְנָא לֵיהּ). And to all who caused me pain, I bore no resentment from that day and onward-I tried to do them good (וּלְכָל אִינוּן דִּמְצַעֲרוּ לִי, וְלָא חַיְישָׁנָא כָּל יוֹמָא לְהַהוּא בִּישָׁא דְּאַשְׁלִים לִי. וְלָאו דִּי לִי דָא, אֶלָּא דִּמְהַהוּא יוֹמָא וּלְהָלְאָה, אִשְׁתַּדַּלְנָא לְמֶעְבַּד עִמְּהוֹן טָבָא).

Rabbi Abba wept and said: Greater are the deeds of this man than Yosef-for Yosef’s brothers were truly his brothers, and he had reason to have mercy on them (בָּכָה רִבִּי אַבָּא וְאָמַר: יַתִּיר עוֹבָדוֹי דְּדֵין מִיּוֹסֵף, דְּיוֹסֵף הֲווּ אֲחוֹי וַדַּאי, וְהֲוָה לֵיהּ לְרַחֲמָא עֲלוֹי). But what this man did-is greater than Yosef (אֲבָל מַה דְּעֲבִיד דָּא, יַתִּיר הוּא מִיּוֹסֵף). Worthy is he that Kudsha Berikh Hu has wrought for him miracle upon miracle (יָאוֹת הוּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יַרְחִישׁ לֵיהּ נִיסָּא עַל נִיסָּא).

He opened and said: “He who walks in integrity shall walk securely, but he who perverts his ways shall be known” (Proverbs 10) (פָּתַח וְאָמַר: הוֹלֵךְ בַּתֹּם יֵלֶךְ בֶּטַח, וּמְעַקֵּשׁ דְּרָכָיו יִוָּדֵעַ). “He who walks in integrity shall walk securely”-this is the man who walks in the ways of Orayta (הוֹלֵךְ בַּתּוֹם יֵלֶךְ בֶּטַח, דָּא הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּאָזִיל בְּאָרְחִין דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא). “Shall walk securely”-that the harms of the world cannot overpower him (יֵלֶךְ בֶּטַח, דְּלָא יָכִילוּ נִזְקֵי דְּעַלְמָא לְאַבָּאֵשׁ לֵיהּ). “But he who perverts his ways shall be known”-who is “shall be known”? This is one who deviates from the path of truth and turns against his companion (וּמְעַקֵּשׁ דְּרָכָיו יִוָּדֵעַ-מַאן יִוָּדֵעַ דָּא הוּא מַאן דְּאַסְטֵי מֵאָרְחָא דִּקְשׁוֹט, וּבָעֵי גַבֵּי דְּחַבְרֵיהּ). “Shall be known”-what is “shall be known”? He shall be recognized by the eyes of all the masters of judgment, so that his form will not be hidden from them (יִוָּדֵעַ-מַהוּ יִוָּדֵעַ יִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע אִיהוּ בְּעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּכָל מָארֵי דְּדִינָא, דְּלָא יִתְאֲבִיד מִנַּיְיהוּ דִּיוּקְנָא דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ), in order to bring him to the place where they may exact punishment from him (בְּגִין לְאַיְיתָאָה לֵיהּ לְאַתְרָא דְּיִנְקְמוּן מִנֵּיהּ). And for this reason: “He shall be known” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: יִוָּדֵעַ). And come and see: that one who walks in the path of truth-Kudsha Berikh Hu shelters him, so that he is neither seen nor recognized by the masters of judgment (וְתָּא חֲזֵי: הַהוּא דְּאָזִיל בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָפֵי עֲלֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּלָא אִתְיְדַע, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע לְגַבֵּי מָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינָא). But “he who perverts his ways shall be known”-he shall be recognized before them (אֲבָל מְעַקֵּשׁ דְּרָכָיו יִוָּדֵעַ, וְיִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע לְגַבַּיְיהוּ). Blessed are those who walk in the path of truth, and go in clarity upon the world (זַכָּאִין אִינוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּאָזְלֵי בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט, וְאָזְלֵי לְרוֹחֲצָן עַל עַלְמָא), for they do not fear in this world, nor in the world to come (דְּלָא דָּחֲלֵי אִינוּן בְּעַלְמָא דֵּין, וְלָא בְּעַלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). “And the men were afraid because they were brought to Yosef’s house” (Bereshit 43) (וַיִּירְאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים כִּי הוּבְאוּ בֵּית יוֹסֵף).

Rabbi Yose said: Woe to those people who neither know nor regard the ways of Orayta (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר: וַוֵי לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא, דְּלָא יָדְעֵי וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּאָרְחֵי דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא). Woe to them at the moment when Kudsha Berikh Hu comes to exact judgment from them for their deeds, and their body and soul must give account for all their actions before they are separated from each other (וַוֵי לוֹן בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יֵיתֵי לְמִתְבַּע לוֹן דִּינָא עַל עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן, וְיָקוּם גּוּפָא וְנַפְשָׁא לְמֵיהַב חוּשְׁבָּנָא מִכָּל עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן, עַד לָא יִתְפָּרְשׁוּן נַפְשָׁא מִן גּוּפָא). And that day-that is the Day of Judgment, the day when the books are opened, and the masters of judgment stand ready (וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא: יוֹמָא דְּדִינָא אִיהוּ, יוֹמָא דְּסִפְרִין פְּתִיחָן, וּמָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינָא קָיְימִין). For at that time, the serpent is present in his power to bite him (בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, קָיְימָא נָחָשׁ בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ, לְנַשְׁכָּא לֵיהּ). And all surroundings tremble around him, and the soul is separated from the body, and it goes and wanders (וְכָל שַׁיְיפֵי מִתְרַגְּשִׁין לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְנִשְׁמָתָא אִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִן גּוּפָא, וְאָזְלָא וְשַׁטְיָא), and it does not know which path it walks or to which place it ascends (וְלָא יָדְעַת לְאָן אָרְחָא תְּהַךְ, וּלְאָן אֲתַר סָלְקִין לָהּ).