Daf 229a (דַּף רכ״ט ע״א)

“The angel who redeems me from all evil…” (הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי מִכָּל רָע). Oti (me) meaning one who receives blessings from the supernal colors (אוֹתִי, דְּנָטִיל בִּרְכָאן מִגְּוָונִין דִּלְעֵילָא). And once he received (וְכֵיוָן דְּאִיהוּ נָטִיל), he blesses the youths (יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַנְּעָרִים) this is the secret of the Keruvim (דָּא רָזָא דִּכְרוּבִים), from whom blessings flow from above to below (דְּמִנַּיְיהוּ נָגְדֵי בִּרְכָאן מֵעִילָאֵי לְתַתָּאֵי). “The angel who redeems me from all evil-may he bless the youths…” (הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי מִכָּל רָע יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַנְּעָרִים וְגו׳).

Rabbi Ḥiyya opened and said (רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר), “A house and wealth are inherited from fathers…” [Mishlei 19] (בַּיִת וָהוֹן נַחֲלַת אָבוֹת). Is this truly an inheritance from fathers? (וְכִי נַחֲלַת אָבוֹת אִינְהוּ) But behold, Kudsha Berikh Hu gives all things to a person (וְהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב כֹּלָּא לְבַר נָשׁ). Rather (אֶלָּא), when a man acquires a house and wealth (דְּכֵיוָן דְּאַחְסִין בֵּיתָא לְבַר נָשׁ וּמָמוֹנָא), sometimes he passes everything to his son (לְזִמְנִין דְּיַחֲסִין כֹּלָּא לִבְרֵיהּ), and it is then considered an inheritance of the fathers (וִיהֵא אַחְסָנָא דְאָבוֹת). But “from Hashem is a wise woman” (וּמֵיְיָ אִשָּׁה מַשְׂכָּלֶת) for a woman, when a man acquires her (בְּגִין דְּאִתְּתָא, כַּד אַחְסִין לָהּ בַּר נָשׁ), it is Kudsha Berikh Hu who acquires her for him (מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחְסִין לָהּ), for Kudsha Berikh Hu does not give her to a man except when it is proclaimed about him in heaven (דְּהָא לָא יַחְסִין לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְבַר נָשׁ אֶלָּא כַּד מַכְרִיזִין עֲלֵיהּ בִּרְקִיעָא).

Kudsha Berikh Hu arranges Zivugim before they come into the world (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְזַוֵּוג זִוּוּגִין, עַד לָא יֵיתוּן לְעַלְמָא). And when people are meritorious according to their deeds (וְכַד זָכוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לְפוּם עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן), thus He gives them a wife (הָכִי יַהֲבֵי לוֹן אִתְּתָא). And everything is revealed before Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְכֹלָּא אִתְגַּלְּיָין קַמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and according to meritorious deeds He arranges Zivugim (וּלְפוּם עוֹבָדִין דְּזַכָּאִין, הָכִי מְזַוֵּוג זִוּוּגִין). But sometimes, if they ascend in accusations and that person strays from his path (וּלְזִמְנִין דְּקָא סְלִיקוּ בִּקְלִיטִין, וְאַסְטֵי הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ אָרְחֵיהּ), his Zivug goes to another (סָלִיק זִוּוּגֵיהּ לְאָחֳרָא), until his deeds are rectified (עַד דְּיִכְשַׁר עוֹבָדוֹי). And when his deeds are corrected, or his time arrives (וְכַד יִכְשַׁר עוֹבָדוֹי, אוֹ דְּמָטֵי זִמְנֵיהּ), one man is removed before another (אִתְדָּחֵי גְּבַר מִקַּמֵּי גְבַר), and this one comes and takes what is his (וְאָתֵי הַאי וְנָטִיל דִּילֵיהּ). And this is most difficult before Kudsha Berikh Hu-to push one person aside for another (וְדָא קָשֵׁי קַמִּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִכֹּלָּא לְדַחְיָא בַּר נָשׁ מִקַּמֵּי גַבְרָא אָחֳרָא). Therefore Kudsha Berikh Hu gives the woman to the man (וּבְגִין כָּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִיהוּ יָהִיב אִתְּתָא לְבַּר נָשׁ), and from Him come all Zivugim (וּמִנֵּיהּ אַתְיָין זִוּוּגִין). And concerning this it is written: “And from Hashem is a discerning wife” (וְעַל דָּא: וּמֵיְיָ אִשָּׁה מַשְׂכָּלֶת). Therefore (בְּגִין כָּךְ), Kudsha Berikh Hu gives all to a person (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב כֹּלָּא לְבַר נָשׁ). And if you say: only a wise wife and not other things (וְאִי תֵימָא אִשָּׁה מַשְׂכָּלֶת וְלָא אָחֳרָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): even though Kudsha Berikh Hu prepares good things for a man to give him (אַף עַל גַּב דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַזְמִין טָבָאן לְבַּר נָשׁ לְמֵיהַב לֵיהּ), and he strays from the path of Kudsha Berikh Hu to the side of impurity (וְהוּא אַסְטֵי אָרְחוֹי מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְגַבֵּי סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא), from that impure side he has clung to, one comes to him (מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא דְּאִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ, יֵיתֵי לֵיהּ מַאן דְּיֵיתֵי), with all accusations and all evils (בְּכָל קִטְרוּגִין וְכָל בִּישִׁין), and these do not come to him from Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְלָא אַתְיָין לֵיהּ מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), but from that impure side he clung to, through those actions he performed (אֶלָּא מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא בִּישָׁא דְּאִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ, בְּאִינוּן עוֹבָדִין דְּעָבַד).

And for this reason, a woman who is not discerning (וְעַל דָּא, אִתְּתָא דְּלָאו אִיהִי מַשְׂכֶּלֶת), concerning this Shlomo said: “I find more bitter than death the woman…” [Kohelet 7] (קָרָא עַל דָּא שְׁלֹמֹה: וּמוֹצֵא אֲנִי מַר מִמָּוֶת אֶת הָאִשָּׁה). Because of the man’s sins (בְּגִין דְּחוֹבוֹי דְּבַּר נָשׁ), he draws upon himself (הוּא מָשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ), through the deeds that he performed (בְּאִינוּן עוֹבָדִין דְּעָבַד). And for this reason, when Kudsha Berikh Hu finds favor in a person (וְעַל דָּא, כַּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרָעֵי בֵּיהּ בְּבַר נָשׁ), because of his worthy deeds (בְּגִין עוֹבָדוֹי דְּכָשְׁרָן), He appoints for him a wife who is discerning (אִיהוּ אַזְמִין לֵיהּ אִנְתּוּ דְּאִיהִי מַשְׂכֶּלֶת), and redeems him with redemption (וּפָרִיק לֵיהּ בְּפוּרְקָן), from the side of impurity (מִגּוֹ סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא). And concerning this Ya'akov said (וְעַל דָּא אָמַר יַעֲקֹב), “The angel who redeems me from all evil” (הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי מִכָּל רָע). What is “from all evil”? (מַאי מִכָּל רָע) That no woman came to me (דְּלָא אִזְדַּמְּנַת לִי אִתְּתָא) from the Sitra achra (דְּאִיהִי מִגּוֹ סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא), and no defect was introduced into my seed-Some say: in my bed (וְלָא אִעָרַע פְּסוּל בְּזַרְעִי (ס״א: בְּעַרְסִי), for all were righteous and complete in wholeness (דְּכֻלְּהוּ צַדִּיקֵי וּשְׁלֵימֵי בִּשְׁלִימוּ), because he was delivered from all evil (בְּגִין דְּאִתְפְּרַק מִכָּל רָע), and Ya'akov was never joined to the Sitra Achra at all (וְיַעֲקֹב לָא אִתְדָּבַּק בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא כְּלָל). And therefore (וְעַל דָּא), “The angel who redeems me from all evil-may he bless the youths” (הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי מִכָּל רָע יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַנְּעָרִים).

Why were they worthy to be blessed? (מַאי טַעְמָא אִתְחֲזוּ לְאִתְבָּרְכָא) Because Yosef guarded the holy covenantal sign (בְּגִין דְּנָטִיר יוֹסֵף אוֹת קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא). And for this reason Yosef said, “They are my sons, whom Elohim gave me here” (וְעַל דָּא אָמַר יוֹסֵף: בָּנַי הֵם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לִי אֱלֹהִים בָּזֶה) he showed him the secret of the Berit that he had guarded (אַחְמֵי לֵיהּ רָזָא דִּבְרִית דְּנָטַר לֵיהּ). And because he had guarded it (וּבְגִין דְּנָטַר לֵיהּ), they were deemed fit for blessing, and he was fit for many blessings (אִתְחֲזוּ לְאִתְבָּרְכָא וְאִתְחֲזֵי אִיהוּ לְבִרְכָאן סַגִּיאִין). For this reason, to all he gave one blessing, but to Yosef many blessings (בְּגִין דָּא לְכֻלְּהוּ יָהַב בִּרְכָא חַד, וּלְיוֹסֵף בִּרְכָאן סַגִּיאִין), as it is said: “The blessings of your father have prevailed over the blessings of my progenitors…” [Bereishit 49] (מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב: בִּרְכוֹת אָבִיךָ גָּבְרוּ עַל בִּרְכוֹת הוֹרַי וְגו׳), “Blessings of the breasts and of the womb shall be upon the head of Yosef” (בִּרְכוֹת שָׁדַיִם וָרָחַם תִּהְיֶיןָ לְרֹאשׁ יוֹסֵף).

Rabbi Yehuda opened and said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר), “To You I lift up my eyes, O You who sit in the heavens” [Tehillim 123] (אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי, הַיּוֹשֵׁב בַּשָּׁמָיִם). This verse has been established (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ), but come and see (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי): the prayer of a person who intends in it (צְלוֹתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ דְּאִתְכַּוֵּן בָּהּ), rises above to the supernal depth (אִיהוּ לְעֵילָא לְעוּמְקָא עִלָּאָה), from where all blessings and all illumination flow (דְּמִתַּמָּן נָגְדֵי כָּל בִּרְכָאן וְכָל חֵירוּ), and from there goes forth to establish all (וּמִתַּמָּן נָפְקֵי לְקָיְימָא כֹּלָּא). And because of this, an added yod (וְעַל דָּא יַתִּיר יו״ד), for the yod never ceases from this place forever (בְּגִין דְּלָא פָּסִיק יו״ד מֵאֲתַר דָּא לְעָלְמִין). And for this reason it is written, “Who sits in the heavens” (וּבְגִין דָּא כְּתִיב: הַיּוֹשֵׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם) He is grasped above in the secret of supernal Chokhmat (אָחִיד לְעֵילָא, בְּרָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה), and He is grasped below, seated upon the throne of the Patriarchs (וְאָחִיד לְתַתָּא, דְּיָתִיב עַל כָּרְסְיָא דְּאֲבָהָן), seated upon the throne called Shamayim (יָתִיב עַל כָּרְסְיָא דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמָיִם).

And because of this, “Who sits in the heavens” is written (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: הַיּוֹשֵׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם כְּתִיב). And from here, when blessings flow from above, from this depth (וּמֵהָכָא, כַּד בִּרְכָאן נָגְדֵי מֵעֵילָא מֵעוּמְקָא דָא), they are all received by this place called Shamayim (כֻּלְּהוּ נָטִיל לוֹן הַאי אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם), and from this place they flow below (וּמֵהַאי נָגְדֵי לְתַתָּא), until they reach the Righteous, the enduring foundation of the world (עַד דְּמָטוּ לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא קְיָימָא דְעַלְמָא). And from here all the forces are blessed (וּמֵהָכָא מִתְבָּרְכִין כָּל אִינוּן חַיָּילִין), and all those who are nourished by their provisions (וְכָל אִינוּן מַשִּׁרְיָין לִזְנַיְיהוּ), and this has already been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ).