Daf 234a (דַּף רל״ד ע״א)

And because of this, she possesses all measures (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִית לָהּ בְּכֻלְּהוּ שִׁיּוּר), and from all she is filled (וּמִכֻּלְּהוּ אִתְּמַלְיָיא), and from all is within her (וּמִכֻּלְּהוּ אִית בָּהּ), and she is blessed by all those supernal blessings (וְאִתְּבָּרְכָא מִכָּל אִינוּן בִּרְכָּאן עִלָּאִין), and to her are delivered blessings to bless (וְאִתְּמְסָרוּ לָהּ בִּרְכָּאן לְבָרְכָּא). From where do we learn this? (מְנָלָן) Rabbi Yitzḥak said (דְּאָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק): Ya'akov blessed the sons of Yosef from this place, for all blessings were delivered into his hand to bless (יַעֲקֹב בָּרִיךְ לִבְנוֹי דְּיוֹסֵף, מֵאֲתַר דָּא דְּכָל בִּרְכָּאן אִתְּמְסָרוּ בִּידֵיהּ לְבָרְכָּא), as it is said: “And you shall be a blessing” (Bereshit 12) (כְּמָא דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה). From that point forward, blessing was entrusted into your hand (מִכָּאן וּלְהַלְאָה בִּרְכָּאן אִתְּמְסָרוּ בְּיָדֶךָ).

Come and see: in this manner we bless and praise this Name (תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּגַוְונָא דָּא אֲנַן מְבָרְכִין וּמְשַׁבְּחִין לִשְׁמָא דָּא), and concerning this is the Hallel (וְעַל דָּא הַלֵּילָא), for these are the days that declare praise (דְּאִינוּן יוֹמִין דְּקָאַמְרֵי הַלֵּילָא). Rabbi Ḥiyya said: In the Hallel are required three levels-Ḥasidim, Tzaddikim, and Yisrael (דְּאָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא: בְּהַלֵּילָא צְרִיכִין ג׳ דַּרְגִּין, חֲסִידִים, צַדִּיקִים, וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִים), Some say: because the glory of Kudsha Berikh Hu ascends through all these levels (נ״א: בְּגִין דְּאִסְתַּלַּק יְקָרָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל כֹּלָא בְּאֵלִין דַּרְגִּין).

Ḥasidim from the right side (חֲסִידִים מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא), Tzaddikim from the left side (צַדִּיקִים מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא), and Yisrael from all sides (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִכָּל אִינוּן סִטְרִין), because Yesharim-Yisrael-includes all of them (בְּגִין דְּיִשָׁרִים דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּלִילָן מִכֻּלְּהוּ). And because of this, the praise of Kudsha Berikh Hu ascends from all (וְעַל דָּא אִסְתַּלַּק תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִכֹּלָא), and so in every place where Yisrael praises Kudsha Berikh Hu from below (וְכֵן בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מְשַׁבְּחָן לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִתַּתָּא), His glory ascends in all (אִסְתַּלַּק יְקָרֵיהּ בְּכֹּלָּא). And Ya'akov called to his sons and said: Gather… (Bereshit 49) (וַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב אֶל בָּנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר: הֵאָסְפוּ וְגו׳).

Rabbi Abba opened and said: (רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “He turned to the prayer of the destitute and did not despise their prayer” (Psalms 102) (פָּנָה אֶל תְּפִלַּת הָעַרְעָר וְלֹא בָּזָה אֶת תְּפִלָּתָם). This verse has been explained (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ), and the Friends raised a question on it (וְאַקְּשׁוּ בֵּיהּ חַבְרַיָּיא), Some say: it contains a secret level of inner arousal (נ״א: אֲבָל תּוּ אִית בֵּיהּ סִטְרָא קוּרְדִּיטָא). “He turned”-it should have said “He listened” or “He heard”-why “He turned”? (פָּנָה, הִקְשִׁיב מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, אוֹ שָׁמַע, מַאי פָּנָה) Rather, all the prayers of the world are [merely] prayers (אֶלָּא כָּל צְלוֹתִין דְּעָלְמָא צְלוֹתִין), and the prayer of the individual does not enter before the Holy King (וּצְלוֹתָא דְּיָחִיד לָא עָאל קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), except with great force (אֶלָּא בְּחֵילָא תַּקִּיפָא). For before that prayer ascends to be crowned in its place (דְּעַד לָא עָאֳלַת הַהִיא צְלוֹתָא לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּדוּכְתָּהּ), Kudsha Berikh Hu looks upon it (אַשְׁגַּח בָּהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and gazes into it, and examines the sins and merits of that person (וְאִסְתְּכֵי בָּהּ, וְאִסְתְּכֵי בְּחוֹבוֹי וּבִזְכוּתֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ), which is not so with the prayer of the many (מַה דְּלָא עָבִיד כֵּן בִּצְלוֹתָא דְּסַגִּיאִין).

For the prayer of the many-how many among them are not meritorious? (דִּצְלוֹתָא דְּסַגִּיאִין, כַּמָּה אִינוּן צְלוֹתִין דְּלָא מִן זַכָּאִין אִינוּן), yet all of them enter before Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְעָאלִין כֻּלְּהוּ קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and He does not look upon their sins (וְלָא אַשְׁגַּח בְּחוֹבַיְיהוּ). Because of this: He turned to the prayer of the destitute (Psalms 102) (בְּגִין כָּךְ: פָּנָה אֶל תְּפִלַּת הָעַרְעָר) He overturned [His attribute] in his merit, and gazed into it (מְהַפֵּךְ בִּזְכוּתֵיהּ וְאִסְתְּכֵי בָּהּ), and looked at the Desire with which it was formed (וְאִסְתְּכֵי בָּהּ בְּמָה רְעוּתָא אִתְעֲבִיד), and who is this person who prays this prayer (וּמַאן הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּצַלֵּי צְלוֹתָא דָא), and what are his deeds (וּמַאן אִינוּן עוֹבָדוֹי).

Therefore, a person should pray in a community (בְּגִין כָּךְ לִיבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ דְּלִצְלוֹתָא בְּצִבּוּרָא). Why is that? Because He did not despise their prayer (מַאי טַעְמָא: בְּגִין דְּלָא בָּזָה אֶת תְּפִלָּתָם), even though not all of them are with full kavanah and the Desire of the heart (אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא כֻּלְּהוּ בְּכַוָּנָה וּרְעוּתָא דְּלִבָּא). Another matter: He turned to the prayer of the destitute-this is the individual who is included in the many (דָּבָר אַחֵר: פָּנָה אֶל תְּפִלַּת הָעַרְעָר, דָּא יְחִידָאָי דְּאִתְכְּלִיל בְּסַגִּיאִין). And who is the individual who is included in the many? This is Ya'akov (וּמַאן הוּא יְחִידָאָי דְּאִתְכְּלִיל בְּסַגִּיאִין הֱוֵי אֵימָא: דָּא יַעֲקֹב), who is crowned with both sides (דְּאִיהוּ כָּלִיל בִּתְרֵין סִטְרִין), and called his sons and prayed his prayer upon them (וּקְרָא לִבְנוֹי וְצַלֵּי צְלוֹתֵיהּ עֲלַיְיהוּ). Which prayer is accepted completely above? The prayer that is not scattered in exile (מַאן צְלוֹתָא דְּיִתְקַבְּלוּן בִּשְׁלִימוּ לְעֵילָא צְלוֹתָא דְּלָא יִשְׁתֵּצוּן בְּגָלוּתָא).