Daf 210b (דַּף ר״י ע״ב)

Even the heavens and the earth mourned (וְאֲפִילּוּ שְׁמַיָא וְאַרְעָא, כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְאַבָּלוּ) as it is written, (Isaiah 50) “I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering” (דִּכְתִיב, אַלְבִּישׁ שָׁמַיִם קַדְרוּת וְשַׂק אָשִׂים כְּסוּתָם). All the supernal angels mourned over him (מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְאַבָּלוּ עֲלֵיהּ) as it is written, (Isaiah 33) “Behold, their mighty ones cry without; the angels of peace weep bitterly” (דִּכְתִיב, הֵן אֶרְאֶלָּם צָעֲקוּ חוּצָה מַלְאֲכֵי שָׁלוֹם מַר יִבְכָּיוּן). The sun and the moon mourned, and their light was darkened (שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא אִתְאַבָּלוּ וְחָשְׁכוּ נְהוֹרֵיהוֹן) as it is written, (Isaiah 13) “The sun was darkened in its going forth” etc. (דִּכְתִיב, חָשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בְּצֵאתוֹ וְגו׳). And all, above and below, wept over her and mourned (וְכֹלָּא עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, בָּכוּ עֲלָהּ וְאִתְאַבָּלוּ). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא) Because the Other Side ruled over her (בְּגִין דְּשָׁלְטָא עֲלָהּ סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא) who ruled over the Holy Land (דְּשָׁלְטָא עַל אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא).

He opened and said, (Ezekiel 7) “And you, son of man, thus says Hashem Elohim to the soil of Yisrael: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land” (פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וְאַתָּה בֶן אָדָם כֹּה אָמַר ה׳ אֱלֹהִים לְאַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל קֵץ בָּא הַקֵּץ עַל אַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ). This verse is a supernal secret (הַאי קְרָא רָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ). “To the soil of Yisrael-an end!” What is it? (לְאַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל קֵץ, מַאי אִיהוּ). Is the soil of Yisrael the end? (וְכִי אַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל קֵץ הִיא).

Rather, so it surely is, and it was taught (אֶלָּא הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי וְאִתְּמַר) There is an end to the right, and an end to the left (קֵץ אִיהוּ לִימִינָא, קֵץ אִיהוּ לִשְׂמָאלָא). The end to the right, as it is written, (Daniel 12) “To the end of the right” (קֵץ לִימִינָא, דִּכְתִיב, לְקֵץ הַיָּמִין). The end to the left, as it is written, (Job 28) “He set an end to darkness, and to every limit He investigates” (קֵץ לִשְׂמָאלָא, דִּכְתִיב, קֵץ שָׂם לַחֹשֶׁךְ וּלְכָל תַּכְלִית הוּא חוֹקֵר) and this is (Bereshit 6) “the end of all flesh,” as it is said (וְדָא הוּא קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). The end to the right is what is written: “To the soil of Yisrael-an end!” (קֵץ דִּימִינָא, הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב לְאַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל קֵץ). “The end has come”-this is the end of the left (בָּא הַקֵּץ, דָּא קֵץ דִּשְׂמָאלָא).

The end to the right is the end of the good inclination (קֵץ דִּימִינָא, דָּא קֵץ דְּיֵצֶר הַטּוֹב). The end to the left is the end of the evil inclination (קֵץ דִּשְׂמָאלָא, דָּא קֵץ דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע) and this is when sins caused and prevailed (וְדָא אִיהוּ דְּכַד חוֹבִין גָּרְמוּ וְאִתְגַּבְּרוּ) then judgment was decreed and authority was given to the kingdom of wickedness to rule (אִתְגְּזַר וְאִתְיְהִיב שָׁלְטָנָא לְמַלְכוּת הָרְשָׁעָה לְשַׁלְטָאָה) and to destroy His House and His Sanctuaries (וּלְחָרָבָא בֵּיתֵיהּ וּמִקְדְּשֵׁיהּ). And this is what is written, (Ezekiel 7) “Thus says Hashem Elohim: Evil after evil-behold, it is coming!” And it is all one (וְדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב, כֹּה אָמַר ה׳ אֱלֹהִים רָעָה אַחַר רָעָה הִנֵּה בָאָה, וְכֹלָּא חַד). Because of this, those above and those below mourned (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, אִתְאַבָּלוּ עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי) over the fact that dominion was given to this left-side end (עַל דְּאִתְיְיהִיב שָׁלְטָנוֹ לְהַאי קֵץ דִּשְׂמָאלָא). And because of this, since the Holy Molcho, the Kingdom of Heaven, was subdued (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, כֵּיוָן דְּמַלְכוּ קַדִּישָׁא, מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם אִתְכַּפְיָא) and the guilty kingdom (i.e. the Other) (וּמַלְכוּת חַיָּיבָא (אחרא)) was strengthened (אִתְגַּבַּר) then every human being must mourn with her (כדין אִית לֵיהּ לְכָל בַּר נָשׁ, לְאִתְאַבָּלָא עִמָּהּ) and be subdued with her (וּלְאִתְכַּפְיָא עִמָּהּ). Because when she is elevated, and the world is renewed (וּבְגִין דְּכַד אִיהִי יִזְדַּקְּפָא, וְעַלְמָא יִתְחַדֵּי) he too will be renewed with her (יִתְחַדֵּי אִיהוּ בַּהֲדָהּ). As it is written, (Isaiah 66) “Rejoice with her in gladness, all who mourn for her” (דִּכְתִיב, שִׂישׂוּ אִתָּהּ מָשׂוֹשׂ כָּל הַמִּתְאַבְּלִים עָלֶיהָ).

Come and see, it is written about them in Egypt, (Jeremiah 46) “Egypt is a very fair heifer” (תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב בְּהוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם, עֶגְלָה יְפֵיפִיָּה מִצְרַיִם). And the secret of this heifer is: Yisrael were under her dominion for many times and many years (וְרָזָא דְּעֶגְלָה דָא, הֲווּ יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּחוֹת שָׁלְטָנֵיהּ כַּמָּה זִמְנִין וְכַמָּה שְׁנִין). And because Yisrael are destined to rule over her afterwards (וּבְגִין דִּזְמִינִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְשַׁלְּטָאָה לְבָתַר עֲלָהּ) they are alluded to now through wagons (אִתְרְמִיז לוֹן הַשְׁתָּא עֲגָלוֹת).

Rabbi El'azar said (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר) a hint was given by Yosef to Ya'akov concerning the Eglah Arufah (רֶמֶז רָמַז לֵיהּ יוֹסֵף לְיַעֲקֹב עַל עֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה). For in that very passage they were separated (דְּהָא בְּהַהוּא פִּרְקָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנֵּיהּ). And it was established: Eglah Arufah (וְאוּקְמוּהָ, עֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה) that it comes when a slain one is found, and it is not known who killed him (דְּאִיהִי אַתְיָא עַל דְּאִשְׁתַּכַּח קָטוֹלָא, וְלָא אִתְיְידַע מַאן קָטִיל לֵיהּ). And so that impure spirits, which are not needed, shall not rule upon the land (וּבְגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁלְטוּן עַל אַרְעָא רוּחִין בִּישִׁין דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיכוּ) they offer this Eglah for rectification (יַהֲבִין הַאי עֶגְלָה לְתִקּוּנָא) so that they will not become aware of it (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעוּן לְגַבֵּיהּ) and will not rule over them (וְלָא יִשְׁלְטוּ עֲלַיְיהוּ). (Earlier 114a)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי) all human beings pass through the hands of the Angel of Death (כָּל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא כֻּלְּהוּ עָבְרִין עַל יְדֵי דְּמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת) except for this one to whom human beings came first (בַּר מֵהַאי דְּאַקְדִּימוּ לֵיהּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא) before the time arrived for the Angel of Death to rule over him and to receive permission (עַד לָא יִמְטֵי זִמְנָא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בֵּיהּ וְלִיטוֹל רְשׁוּ). For he does not rule over a person until permission is granted (דְּהָא לָא שַׁלִּיט בְּבַר נָשׁ, עַד דְּנָטִיל רְשׁוּ). And because of this, there is judgment for him to rule over that place (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, אִית לֵיהּ דִּינָא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה עַל הַהוּא אֲתַר). As it is said, (Deuteronomy 21) “It is not known who struck him” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, לֹא נוֹדַע מִי הִכָּהוּ). So too, there is judgment when it is not known, in order to accuse that place (הָכִי נָמֵי אִית לֵיהּ דִּינָא דְּלָא אִתְיְידַע, בְּגִין לְקַטְרְגָא עַל הַהוּא אֲתַר). And therefore, (Deuteronomy 21) “The elders of that city shall take a heifer…” etc. (וְעַל דָּא, וְלָקְחוּ זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִיא עֶגְלַת בָּקָר וְגו׳). To pass judgment from that place (בְּגִין לְאַעֲבָרָא דִּינֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא אֲתַר) and to rectify it so that the accuser shall not rule over it (וּלְאִתְתַּקָּנָא דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט בֵּיהּ מְקַטְרְגָא) and it shall be saved from him (וּלְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא מִנֵּיהּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי) Yosef, when he parted from his father (יוֹסֵף כַּד אִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאֲבוֹי) he departed without escort and without food (בְּלָא לְוָיָה, וּבְלָא אֲכִילָה אִשְׁתַּדַּר) and what happened, happened (וְהֲוָה מַה דְּהֲוָה). And when Ya'akov said, (Bereshit 37) “Yosef is surely torn to pieces” (וְכַד אָמַר יַעֲקֹב, טָרוֹף טֹרַף יוֹסֵף) he said, “I will go down to my son mourning into She’ol” (אָמַר, כִּי אֵרֵד אֶל בְּנִי אָבֵל שְׁאוֹלָה) for I caused it (דְּאֲנָא גָרִימְנָא לֵיהּ). And furthermore, I knew that his brothers hated him (וְתוּ, דַּהֲוֵינָא יָדַע דַּאֲחוֹי סַנְיָין לֵיהּ) and I sent him (וְשַׁדַּרְנָא לֵיהּ). And a hint was hinted to him (וְרֶמֶז קָא רָמִיז לֵיהּ).

Rabbi Yehudah said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יְהוּדָה) those wagons, Yosef sent them according to the mouth of Pharaoh (אִינוּן עֲגָלוֹת עַל פִּי פַּרְעֹה שַׁדַּר לוֹן) as it is written, “And Yosef gave them wagons according to the command of Pharaoh” (דִּכְתִיב, וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם יוֹסֵף עֲגָלוֹת עַל פִּי פַּרְעֹה). He said to him, this is the precise form of the word (אָמַר לֵיהּ, דִּיּוּקָא דְמִלָּה) as it is written, “And you have been commanded, this do” (דִּכְתִיב, וְאַתָּה צֻוֵּיתָה זֹאת עֲשׂוּ). And the phrase “and you have been commanded” is exact (וְאַתָּה צֻוֵּיתָה דַּיְיקָא) and because of this, it is written with a Heh (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב בְּה״א) indicating that Yosef requested it of them (מַשְׁמַע דְּיוֹסֵף תָּבַע לוֹן) and therefore “And Yosef gave them wagons according to the mouth of Pharaoh” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם יוֹסֵף עֲגָלוֹת עַל פִּי פַּרְעֹה). And Ya'akov did not find confirmation in the word (וְיַעֲקֹב לָא אִתְקְיַּים בְּמִלָּה) until he saw them (עַד דְּחָמָא לוֹן). As it is written, “And he saw the wagons that Yosef had sent to carry him, and the spirit of their father Ya'akov revived” (דִּכְתִיב, וַיַּרְא אֶת הָעֲגָלוֹת אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח יוֹסֵף לָשֵׂאת אוֹתוֹ וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם).