Daf 208b (דַּף ר״ח ע״ב)

Come and see: “And Yosef could not restrain himself before all who stood by him”- (תָּא חֲזֵי, וְלֹא יָכוֹל יוֹסֵף לְהִתְאַפֵּק לְכָל הַנִּצָּבִים) these are all those who stand to be sustained and watered by him. (אִלֵּין אִינוּן כָּל דְּקָיְימֵי לְאִתְּזָנָא וּלְאִתְשַׁקְיָיא מִנֵּיהּ). “And no man stood with him when Yosef made himself known to his brothers.” (וְלֹא עָמַד אִישׁ אִתּוֹ בְּהִתְוַדַּע יוֹסֵף אֶל אֶחָיו). “With him”-this is Knesset Yisrael. (אִתּוֹ, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל). “His brothers”-these are the other orders of hosts, as it is written of them: “For the sake of my brothers and friends.” (Psalms 122) (אֶחָיו, אִלֵּין שְׁאָר רְתִיכִין חֲיָילִין, דִּכְתִיב בְּהוּ לְמַעַן אֲחַי וְרֵעָי).

Another matter: “And no man stood with him”- (דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְלֹא עָמַד אִישׁ אִתּוֹ). at the time when Kudsha Berikh Hu comes to unite with Knesset Yisrael. (בְּזִמְנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָתֵי לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בִּכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל). “When Yosef made himself known to his brothers”-this is when Kudsha Berikh Hu connects with Yisrael, (בְּהִתְוַדַּע יוֹסֵף אֶל אֶחָיו, בְּזִמְנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה מִתְחַבֵּר בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל) because they alone are His, and not with the association of the nations, idolaters and astrologers. (בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן נָטְלֵי בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ, וְלָא חִבּוּרָא דְּעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ). For this reason it is written: “On the eighth day, there shall be for you an atzeret.” (Numbers 29) (בְּגִין כָּךְ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם). For at that time, Kudsha Berikh Hu is alone in a single union with Yisrael, as it is written: “My brothers and my friends,” as has been established. (דְּהָא בְּזִמְנָא דָּא, אִיהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, בְּחִבּוּרָא חָדָא עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִיב בְּהוּ אֲחַי וְרֵעָי כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ).

Rabbi Yisa opened the verse (רִבִּי יֵיסָא פָּתַח קְרָא): at the time when Kudsha Berikh Hu will raise Knesset Yisrael from the dust (בְּזִמְנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יוֹקִים לָהּ לִכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעַפְרָא), and will seek to take vengeance upon the nations who serve idolatry and the constellations (וְיִבָּעֵי לְאִנָּקְמָא נִקְמָתָא מֵעַמְמַיָּא עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת). Then it is written: “And among the nations, no man was with Me.” (Isaiah 63) (כְּדֵין כְּתִיב וּמֵעַמִּים אֵין אִישׁ אִתִּי). And it is written here: “And no man stood with him when Yosef made himself known to his brothers.” (וּכְתִיב הָכָא, וְלֹא עָמַד אִישׁ אִתּוֹ בְּהִתְוַדַּע יוֹסֵף אֶל אֶחָיו). As it is said: “And He bore them and carried them all the days of old.” (Isaiah 63) (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר וַיְנַטְּלֵם וַיְנַשְּׂאֵם כָּל יְמֵי עוֹלָם). “And Yosef could not restrain himself” Rabbi Ḥizkiyah opened and said: “A Song of Ascents: To You I lifted my eyes, You Who dwell in the heavens.” (Psalms 123) (וְלֹא יָכוֹל יוֹסֵף לְהִתְאַפֵּק, רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה פָּתַח וְאָמַר שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי הַיּוֹשֵׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם). This verse has already been established and spoken upon. (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ וְאִתְּמָר). But come and see: “To You I lifted my eyes”-and it is written: “I lift my eyes to the mountains.” (Psalms 121) (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי, וּכְתִיב אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי אֶל הֶהָרִים).

Rather, this one is above and this one below. (אֶלָּא, דָּא לְעֵילָא וְדָא לְתַתָּא). “I lift my eyes to the mountains”-this is above, (אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי אֶל הֶהָרִים, דָּא לְעֵילָא) in order to draw blessings from above to below, from those supernal mountains, (בְּגִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא בִּרְכָּאן מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא, מֵאִלֵּין הָרִים עִלָּאִין) to draw from them blessings to Knesset Yisrael, that is blessed from them. (לְאַמְשָׁכָא מִנַּיְיהוּ בִּרְכָּאן לִכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִתְבָּרְכָא מִנַּיְיהוּ). “To You I lifted my eyes”-to hope and await those blessings that descend from there to below. (אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי, לְמִצְפֵּי וּלְחַכָּאָה לְאִנּוּן בִּרְכָּאן דְּנָחֲתוּ מִתַּמָּן לְתַתָּא). “You Who dwell in the heavens” for all strength and power and sustenance is in the heavens. (הַיּוֹשֵׁבִי בַּשָּׁמַיִם, דְּכָל תּוּקְפָהָא וְחֵילָאָה וְקִיּוּמָהָא, אִיהוּ בַּשָּׁמַיִם).

Because when the Jubilee opens the fountains of all those gates, all stand in the heavens. (בְּגִין דְּכַד יוֹבֵלָא אַפְתַּח מַבּוּעֵי דְּכָל אִינוּן תַּרְעִין, כֻּלְּהוּ קָיְימֵי בַּשָּׁמַיִם). And since the heavens receive all those lights that issue from the Jubilee, (וְכֵיוָן דְּשָׁמַיִם נָטִיל כָּל אִינוּן נְהוֹרִין דְּנָפְקֵי מִיּוֹבֵלָא) then it nourishes and waters Knesset Yisrael through the hand of one Tzaddik. (כְּדֵין אִיהוּ זָן וְאַשְׁקֵי לָהּ לִכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל יְדָא דְּצַדִּיק חַד). And once this is aroused toward her, (וְכֵיוָן דְּדָא אִתְעַר לְגַבָּהּ) how many are those who stand from every direction to be watered and blessed from there. (כַּמָּה אִינוּן דְּקָיְימָן בְּכָל סִטְרִין לְאִתְשַׁקְאָה וּלְאִתְבָּרְכָא מִתַּמָּן). As it is said: “The young lions roar for prey and to seek their food from El.” (Psalms 104) (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר הַכְּפִירִים שׁוֹאֲגִים לַטֶּרֶף וּלְבַקֵּשׁ מֵאֵל אָכְלָם). And then, she ascends in the secret secrets as is proper (וּכְדֵין, אִיהִי סָלְקָא בְּרָזָא דְּרָזִין כְּדְקָא חָזֵי) [Some say: to Him (ד״א: לֵיהּ)] and receives delights from her Husband properly. (וּמְקַבְּלָא עִדּוּנִין מִבַּעֲלָהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת) And all those who stand in all directions stood alone. (וְכֻּלְּהוּ דְּקָיְמִין בְּכָל סִטְרִין עָמְדֵי בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ). As it is said: “And no man stood with him.” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְלֹא עָמַד אִישׁ אִתּוֹ). As it is written: “And he cried, ‘Remove every man from before me!’” (Bereshit 45) (דִּכְתִיב, וַיִּקְרָא הוֹצִיאוּ כָּל אִישׁ מֵעָלָי) And after she receives delights from her Husband, they are all watered afterward and sustained. (וּלְבָתַר דְּאִיהִי מְקַבְּלָא עִדּוּנִין מִבַּעֲלָהּ, כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְשַׁקְיָין לְבָתַר וְאִתְּזָנוּ). As it is said: “All the beasts of the field drink, the wild donkeys quench their thirst.” (Psalms 104) (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר יַשְׁקוּ כָּל חַיְתוֹ שָׂדָי, יִשְׁבְּרוּ פְרָאִים צְמָאָם). Rabbi Yosei opened a verse regarding Eliyahu, as it is written: (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח קְרָא בְּאֵלִיָּהוּ, דִּכְתִיב) “And he called to Hashem and said, Hashem my God, have You also brought evil upon the widow with whom I am sojourning, to cause the death of her son?” (1 Kings 17) (וַיִּקְרָא אֶל ה׳ וַיֹּאמַר, ה׳ אֱלֹהָי, הֲגַם עַל הָאַלְמָנָה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מִתְגּוֹרֵר עִמָּהּ, הֲרֵעוֹתָ לְהָמִית אֶת בְּנָהּ).

Come and see: two there were who spoke words before Kudsha Berikh Hu-Moshe and Eliyahu. (תָּא חֲזֵי, תְּרֵי הֲווּ דְּקָאָמְרִין מִלִּין לָקוֹבֵיל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מֹשֶׁה וְאֵלִיָּהוּ). Moshe said, (מֹשֶׁה אָמַר) “Why have You done evil to this people?” (Exodus 5) (לָמָּה הֲרֵעוֹתָ לָעָם הַזֶּה). And Eliyahu said, (וְאֵלִיָּהוּ אָמַר) “Have You done evil to cause the death of her son?” (הֲרֵעוֹתָ לְהָמִית אֶת בְּנָהּ). And both of them spoke one and the same word. (וְתַרְוַיְיהוּ מִלָּה חֲדָא קָאֲמְרוּ). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא) Rather, it is a secret. (אֶלָּא רָזָא אִיהוּ). Moshe said, (מֹשֶׁה אָמַר) “Why have You done evil?”-what is the reason? (לָמָּה הֲרֵעוֹתָ, מַאי טַעְמָא) Rather, because permission was given to the other side to rule over Yisrael (אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דְּאִתְיְהִיב רְשׁוּ לְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה עֲלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל) “You have done evil”-You have given permission to the evil side to rule over them. (הֲרֵעוֹתָ, יְהַבְתְּ רְשׁוּ לְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא דְּרַע, לְמִשְׁלַט עֲלַיְיהוּ). Eliyahu said, (אֵלִיָּהוּ אָמַר) “You have done evil”-You have given permission to the evil side to take the Neshama of this one. (הֲרֵעוֹתָ, יְהַבְתְּ רְשׁוּ לְסִטְרָא דְּרַע לִיטוֹל נִשְׁמָתָא דְּדָא). And this is what “You have done evil” means. (וְדָא הוּא הֲרֵעוֹתָ). And all is one secret. (וְכֹלָּא רָזָא חֲדָא).