Daf 224a (דַּף רכ״ד ע״א)

Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): Ya'akov knew that his crown was with his fathers (יַעֲקֹב הֲוָה יָדַע, דְּהָא עִטּוּרָא דִילֵיהּ בַּאֲבָהָתֵיהּ הוּא), for the crown of the fathers was with him and he was with them (דְּהָא עִטּוּרָא דַאֲבָהָן עִמֵּיהּ הוּא, וְהוּא עִמְּהוֹן). And for this reason, in engraved letters we have learned (וְעַל דָּא בְּאַתְוָון גְּלִיפִין תָּנִינָן): three knots - two from one side, and one from the other side, and one that includes them all (ש תְּלַת קִּשְׁרִין, תְּרֵין קִשְׁרִין, חַד מֵהַאי סִטְרָא, וְחַד מֵהַאי סִטְרָא, וְחַד דְּכָלִיל לוֹן).

And this is what we have learned (וְדָא הוּא דְתָנִינָן): And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall pass through from end to end [Shemot 26] (וְהַבְּרִיחַ הַתִּיכוֹן בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּרָשִׁים מַבְרִיחַ מִן הַקָּצֶה אֶל הַקָּצֶה), and that central knot holds to this side and to that side (וְהַהוּא קִשְׁרָא דִּבְאֶמְצָעִיתָא, אָחִיד לְהַאי סִטְרָא, וּלְהַאי סִטְרָא). And upon this it is written: And I shall lie with my fathers - truly (וְעַל הַאי כְּתִיב, וְשָׁכַבְתִּי עִם אֲבוֹתַי וַדַּאי). And I shall lie with my fathers and so on (וְשָׁכַבְתִּי עִם אֲבוֹתַי וְגו').

Rabbi Yehudah opened and said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר): The deaf, hear; and the blind, look to see [Yeshayahu 42] (הַחֵרְשִׁים שְׁמָעוּ וְהַעִוְרִים הַבִּיטוּ לִרְאוֹת). The deaf, hear - these are people who do not listen to the words of Orayta (הַחֵרְשִׁים שְׁמָעוּ, אִלֵּין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּלָא צַיְיתִין לְמִלּוּלֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא), and do not open their ears to hear the commandments of their Master (וְלָא פָּקְחִין אוּדְנַיְיהוּ, לְמִשְׁמַע לְפִקּוּדֵי דְמָארֵיהוֹן). And the blind - who do not look to know upon what they stand (וְהַעִוְרִים, דְּלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין לְמִנְדַע עַל מָה אִינוּן קָיְימִין). For every single day, a herald goes out and calls (דְּהָא בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא כָּרוֹזָא נָפִיק וְקָרֵי), and no one gives heed (וְלֵית מַאן דְּיַשְׁגַּח).

For it was taught (דְּתַנְיָא): the days of a man, when he is created (אִינוּן יוֹמִין דְּבַּר נָשׁ כַּד אִתְבְּרֵי), on that day that he comes into the world (בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּנָפַק לְעַלְמָא), all of them stand in their existence (כֻּלְּהוּ קָיְימִין בְּקִיּוּמַיְיהוּ), and they go and fly in the world (וְאָזְלִין וְטָאסִין בְּעַלְמָא), descending and warning man every single day (נָחֲתִין וְאַזְהֲרָן לְבַּר נָשׁ, כָּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). And when that day comes and warns him (וְכַד הַהוּא יוֹמָא אָתֵי וְאַזְהַר לֵיהּ), and the person commits a sin on that day before his Master (וּבַר נָשׁ עָבִיד בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא חוֹבָא קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ), that day ascends in shame (הַהוּא יוֹמָא סָלִיק בְּכִסּוּפָא), and testifies (וְאַסְהִיד סַהֲדוּתָא), and stands alone outside (וְקָאִים בִּלְחוֹדוֹי לְבַר).

And it was taught (וְתָאנָא): after that day stands alone (בָּתַר דְּקָאִים בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), it waits (יָתִיב), until the person performs repentance through it (עַד דְּבַר נָשׁ עָבִיד מִנֵּיהּ תְּשׁוּבָה). If he merits (זָכָה), that day returns to its place (תָּב הַהוּא יוֹמָא לְאַתְרֵיהּ). If he does not merit (לָא זָכָה), that day descends and becomes associated with the spirit of the outside (הַהוּא יוֹמָא נָחִית, וְאִשְׁתַּתַּף בְּהַהוּא רוּחָא דִּלְבַר), and returns to his house (וְתָב לְבֵיתֵיהּ). And it is arranged in the image of that person exactly (וְאִתְתַּקַּן בְּדִיוּקְנֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ מַמָּשׁ), in order to accuse him (בְּגִין לְאַבְאָשָׁא לֵיהּ), and it dwells with him in the house (וְדַיָּיר עִמֵּיהּ בְּבֵיתָא). And there is one for good dwelling if he merits (וְאִית דְּדִיּוּרָא לְטַב אִי הוּא זָכֵי), and if not, its dwelling with him is for bad (וְאִי לָאו, דִּיּוּרֵיהּ עִמֵּיהּ לְבִישׁ). In either case (בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ), those days are diminished and deficient (אִתְפַּקְדָּן אִינוּן יוֹמִין וְחֲסֵרִים), and do not enter into the count of those that remain (וְלָא עָאלִין בְּמִנְיָינָא דְּאִינוּן דְּאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ). Woe to that man (וַוי לְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ), who lessens his days before the Holy King (דְּגָרַע יוֹמוֹי קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), and does not leave above days through which to be adorned in that world (וְלָא שָׁבִיק לְעֵילָא יוֹמִין, לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּהוּ בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא), and to be brought close among them before the Holy King (וּלְאִתְקָרְבָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): when those days approach before the Holy King (כַּד קְרִיבוּ אִינוּן יוֹמִין קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), if he is meritorious (אִי הוּא זַכָּאָה), this person who departs from the world (הַאי בַּר נָשׁ דְּנָפִיק מֵעַלְמָא), ascends and enters with those days (סָלִיק וְעָאל בְּאִינוּן יוֹמִין). And those are garments of glory (וְאִינוּן לְבוּשֵׁי יְקָר), with which his soul is clothed (דְּמִתְלַבְּשָׁא בֵּיהּ נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ). And those days are the ones in which he merited (וְאִינוּן יוֹמִין הֲווּ, דְּזָכָה בְּהוּ), and in which he did not sin (וְלָא חָב בְּהוּ). Woe to the one who diminishes his days above (וַוי לְהַהוּא דְגָרַע יוֹמוֹי לְעֵילָא). For when they seek to clothe him with his days (דְּכַד בָּעָאן לְאַלְבָּשָׁא לֵיהּ בְּיוֹמוֹי), those days which he blemished through his sins (אִינוּן יוֹמִין דְפָגִים אִיהוּ בְּחוֹבוֹי), are lacking from that garment (חָסְרִין מֵהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא), and he is clothed in a deficient garment (וְאִתְלַבַּשׁ בְּמָנָא חֲסֵרָא). All the more so if they are many (כָּל שְׁכֵּן אִי סַגִּיאִין אִינוּן), and the person has nothing in which to be clothed in that world (וְלָא לֶהוֵי לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ בַּמֶּה דְּאִתְלַבַּשׁ בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא).

Then woe to him, woe to his soul (כְּדֵין וַוי לֵיהּ, וַוי לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ), for he is judged in Gehinnom for those days (דְּדָיְינִין לֵיהּ בַּגֵּיהִנָּם עַל אִינוּן יוֹמִין) - day by day, day by each two (יוֹמִין עַל יוֹמִין, יוֹמִין עַל חַד תְּרִין). For when he departs from this world (דְּכַד נָפִיק מֵהַאי עַלְמָא), he finds no day with which to clothe himself (לָא אַשְׁכַּח יוֹמִין דְּאִתְלַבַּשׁ בְּהוּ), and he has no garment in which to be covered (וְלָא הֲוֵי לֵיהּ לְבוּשָׁא בַּמֶה דְּאִתְכַּסֵּי). Blessed are the Righteous (זַכָּאִין אִינוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא), whose days are all hidden with the Holy King (דְּיוֹמֵיהוֹן כֻּלְּהוֹן טְמִירִין אִינוּן לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), and from them are made garments of glory (וְאִתְעֲבִיד מִנַּיְיהוּ לְבוּשֵׁי יְקָר), to be clothed in them in the world to come (לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בְּהוּ בְּעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי).

It was taught in the secret of the Mishnah (תָּנִינָן בְּרָזָא דְּמַתְנִיתִין): what is written (מַה דִּכְתִיב), “And they knew that they were naked” (וַיֵּדְעוּ כִּי עֵרוּמִּים הֵם) (Bereshit 3) they truly knew (יְדִיעָה יָדְעֵי מַמָּשׁ), for that garment of glory which was made from those days (דְּהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא דִּיקָר דְּאִתְעֲבִיד מֵאִינוּן יוֹמִין), was stripped from them (גָּרַע מִנַּיְיהוּ), and not a single day from those days remained for them to be clothed with (וְלָא אִשְׁתָּאַר יוֹמָא מֵאִינוּן יוֹמִין לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בֵיהּ). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “Your unformed substance Your eyes saw, and in Your book all of them were written—days were formed…” (גָּלְמִי רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ וְעַל סִפְרְךָ כֻּלָּם יִכָּתֵבוּ. יָמִים יוּצָרוּ) (Psalms 139). “Days were formed” indeed (יָמִים יוּצָרוּ וַדַּאי), and not one among them (וְלֹא אֶחָד בָּהֶם), for not one day remained among them in which to be clothed (דְּהָא לָא אִשְׁתָּאַר חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בְּהוּ). Until the man labored and did repentance (עַד דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל אָדָם וְעָבַד תְּשׁוּבָה), and Kudsha Berikh Hu accepted him (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קַבִּיל לֵיהּ), and made for him garments of another clothing (וְעָבִיד לֵיהּ מָאנָא לְבוּשָׁא אָחֳרָנִין), and not from his original days (וְלָא מִן יוֹמוֹי). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): “And Hashem Elohim made for the man and his wife garments of skin, and He clothed them” (וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּישֵׁם) (Bereshit 3).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): regarding Avraham who merited, what is written? (בְּאַבְרָהָם דְּזָכָה, מַה כְּתִיב): “He came with his days” (בָּא בַּיָּמִים) (Bereshit 24) — because he merited (מִשּׁוּם דְּזָכָה). When he departed from this world (כַּד אִסְתַּלַּק מֵהַאי עַלְמָא), he entered and was clothed in those very days that were his (בְּאִינוּן יוֹמִין מַמָּשׁ דִּילֵיהּ עָאַל וְאִתְלַבַּשׁ בְּהוּ), and nothing diminished from that garment of glory (וְלָא גָרַע מֵהַהוּא לְבוּשׁ יְקָר כְּלוּם), for it is written: “He came with his days” (דִּכְתִיב: בָּא בַּיָּמִים). But with Job, what is written? (בְּאִיּוֹב מַה כְּתִיב): “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there” (וַיֹּאמֶר: עָרוֹם יָצָאתִי מִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי וְעָרוֹם אָשׁוּב שָׁמָּה) (Job 1) — for no garment remained with which to be clothed (דְּהָא לָא אִשְׁתָּאַר לְבוּשָׁא לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בֵיהּ).