Daf 238b (דַּף רל״ח ע״ב)

Another matter: “Her blossom came forth”-above, to that level which stands above her and nourishes her (דָּבָר אַחֵר: עָלְתָה נִצָּהּ, לְעֵילָא, הַהוּא דַרְגָּא דְּקָיְימָא עֲלָהּ וְיַנִּיק לָהּ), as it is said (Bereshit 1): “Which has its seed in it, upon the earth” (כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ בּוֹ עַל הָאָרֶץ). “Her clusters ripened into grapes”-to guard the wine preserved within them (הִבְשִׁילוּ אַשְׁכְּלוֹתֶיהָ עֲנָבִים, לְנַטְרָא בְּהוּ יַיִן דְּמִנְטְרָא). See how much that wicked one saw (חָמֵי כַּמָּה חָמָא הַהוּא רָשָׁע)! What is written? (Bereshit 40): “And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them…” (מַה כְּתִיב: וְכוֹס פַּרְעֹה בְּיָדִי, וָאֶקַּח אֶת הָעֲנָבִים וָאֶשְׁחַט אוֹתָם).

Here, he saw that cup of wrath, the drawing of the house of judgment (הָכָא חָמָא הַהוּא כּוֹס תַּרְעֵלָה, יַנִּיקָא דְּבֵי דִּינָא), which issues from those grapes, given to Pharaoh, and he drank it-just as it was because of Yisrael (דְּנָפִיק מֵאִינוּן עֲנָבִים דְּאִתְיְהִיב לְפַרְעֹה וְשָׁתֵי לֵיהּ, כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה בְּגִינֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). When Yosef heard this, he rejoiced and knew it was a true matter in this dream (כֵּיוָן דְּשָׁמַע יוֹסֵף דָּא, חָדֵי, וְיָדַע מִלָּה דִּקְשׁוֹט בְּהַאי חֶלְמָא), and therefore he interpreted the dream favorably, for this was destined for Yosef (בְּגִינֵי כָךְ פָּשַׁר לֵיהּ חֶלְמָא לְטַב, עַל דְּבַשָּׂר לְיוֹסֵף בְּהַאי).

Come and see: “Binding his foal to the vine”-all those mighty forces of the idolatrous nations are subdued beneath this vine (תָּא חֲזֵי: אֹסְרִי לַגֶּפֶן עִירֹהּ, דְּאִתְכַּפְיָין תַּחוֹת הַאי גֶּפֶן כָּל אִינוּן חֵילִין תַּקִּיפִין דְּעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה), as we have said (כִּדְאֲמָרָן). Because of this vine, their power is bound and subdued (בְּגִין הַאי גֶּפֶן, אִתְקַשַּׁר וְאִתְכַּפְיָיא הַהוּא חֵילָא דִּלְהוֹן). And it has been said (וְאִתְּמַר):

Rabbi Shim‘on said: there is a vine, and there is a vine (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר: אִית גֶּפֶן, וְאִית גֶּפֶן). There is a supernal holy vine (אִית גֶּפֶן קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה), and there is a vine called (Deuteronomy 32): “the vine of Sodom” (וְאִית גֶּפֶן דְּאִקְרֵי: גֶּפֶן סְדוֹם), and there is one called (Jeremiah 2): “a foreign vine, a degenerate branch” (וְאִית: גֶּפֶן נָכְרִיָּה בַּת אֵל נֵכָר). Therefore it is written: “this vine”-that which is called entirely the seed of truth (בְּגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב: גֶּפֶן זֹאת-הַהִיא דְּאִקְרֵי: כֻּלָּהּ זֶרַע אֱמֶת). Sorek-these are Yisrael, who emerge from this vine (שׂוֹרֵק-אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּנָפְקֵי מֵהַאי גֶּפֶן). When Yisrael sinned and abandoned this vine, what is written? “For their vine is from the vine of Sodom…” (Deuteronomy 32) (כַּד חָבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְשָׁבְקוּ לְהַאי גֶּפֶן, מַה כְּתִיב: כִּי מִגֶּפֶן סְדוֹם גַּפְנָם וְגו׳). And therefore, there is a vine-and there is a vine (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: אִית גֶּפֶן וְאִית גֶּפֶן).

Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Yitzḥak were walking along the road (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרִבִּי יִצְחָק הֲווּ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא). Rabbi Yehudah said to Rabbi Yitzḥak: Let us go through this field, for it is a straighter path (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה לְרִבִּי יִצְחָק: נֵיזִיל בְּהַאי חַקְלָא, דְּהוּא אוֹרַח מֵישָׁר יַתִּיר). They went. As they were walking, Rabbi Yehudah said: It is written (Proverbs 31): “She does not fear for her household from snow, for all her household is clothed in scarlet” (כְּתִיב: לֹא תִירָא לְבֵיתָהּ מִשָּׁלֶג כִּי כָל בֵּיתָהּ לָבוּשׁ שָׁנִים).

This verse, our companion Rabbi Ḥizkiyah explained (הַאי קְרָא, רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה חַבְרָנָא אוֹקִים בֵּיהּ). He said: the punishment of the guilty in Gehinnom is twelve months-half in fire and half in snow (דְּאָמַר: דִּינָא דְּחַיָּיבֵי דְּגֵיהִנֹּם תְּרֵיסַר יַרְחִין-פַלְגָא מִנַּיְיהוּ בְּחַמָּה וּפַלְגָא מִנַּיְיהוּ בְּתַלְגָא). When they enter the fire, they say: “This is truly Gehinnom.” When they enter the snow, they say: “This is the bitter cold of Kudsha Berikh Hu” (בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּעָאלִין לְנוּרָא: אִינוּן אָמְרֵי-דָּא הוּא וַדַּאי גֵּיהִנֹּם; עָאלִין לְתַלְגָא: אָמְרֵי-דָּא חֲרִיפָא דְּסִיטְוָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). They cry out “Wah!” and afterward they cry “Woe!” (שָׁרָאן וְאָמְרִין: וַה, וּלְבָתַר אָמְרִין: וַוַי). As David said (Psalms 40): “He brought me up out of the tumultuous pit, from the miry clay…” (וְדָוִד אָמַר: וַיַּעֲלֵנִי מִבּוֹר שָׁאוֹן מִטִּיט הַיָּוֵן), from the place where they cry “Wah,” and afterward “Woe” (מֵאֲתַר דְּאָמְרֵי: וַה, וּלְבָתַר: וַוַי).

Where is their soul cleansed? In snow (וְהֵיכָן מִשְׁתַּלְּמֵי נַפְשַׁיְיהוּ בַּשֶּׁלֶג), as it is written (Psalms 68) “When Shaddai scatters kings in her, it snowed on Tzalmon” (כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: בְּפָרֵשׂ שַׁדַּי מְלָכִים בָּהּ-תַּשְׁלֵג בְּצַלְמוֹן). One might think Yisrael are like this as well-but it says: “She does not fear for her household from snow” (יָכוֹל אַף יִשְׂרָאֵל כֵּן תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: לֹא תִירָא לְבֵיתָהּ מִשָּׁלֶג). Why? Because all her household is clothed in “Shanim” (מַאי טַעְמָא בְּגִין דְּכָל בֵּיתָהּ לָבוּשׁ שָׁנִים). Do not read Shanim [Years], but Shenayim [Two] (אַל תִּקְרֵי שָׁנִים אֶלָּא שְׁנַיִם): For example: circumcision and uncovering, fringes and phylacteries, mezuzah and the Hanukkah lamp, etc. (כְּגוֹן: מִילָה וּפְרִיעָה, צִיצִית וּתְפִילִּין, מְזוּזָה וְנֵר חֲנוּכָּה כו׳).

Come and see: “She does not fear for her household from snow”-this is Kenesset Yisrael, for all her household is clothed in Shanim, as we said (תָּא חֲזֵי: לֹא תִירָא לְבֵיתָהּ מִשָּׁלֶג-דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִיהִי כָּל בֵּיתָהּ לָבוּשׁ שָׁנִים, כְּמָה דְּאֲמָרָן). As it is written: “With garments dyed red…”-the garment of strict judgment to be avenged upon the idolatrous nations (דִּכְתִיב: חֲמוּץ בְּגָדִים וְגו׳-לְבוּשָׁא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מֵעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה). And Kudsha Berikh Hu is destined to clothe Himself in a red garment and a red sword to execute vengeance against the red one (וְזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִלְבַּשׁ לְבוּשָׁא סוּמְקָא וְחַרְבָּא סוּמְקָא, וּלְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִן סוּמְקָא).

A red garment-as it is written (Isaiah 63) “With garments dyed red…” (לְבוּשָׁא סוּמְקָא, דִּכְתִיב: חֲמוּץ בְּגָדִים), and it is written: “Why is your garment red?” (וּכְתִיב: מַדּוּעַ אָדוֹם לִלְבוּשֶׁךָ). A red sword-as it is written (Isaiah 34) “For the sword of Hashem is full of blood…” (סְיָיפָא סוּמְקָא, דִּכְתִיב: חֶרֶב לַה׳ מָלְאָה דָּם). And to avenge against the red one-as it is written (Isaiah 34) “For Hashem has a sacrifice in Bozrah…” (וּלְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִן סוּמְקָא, דִּכְתִיב: כִּי זֶבַח לַה׳ בְּבָצְרָה וְגו׳). Furthermore: “for all her household is clothed in Shanim”-for this comes from the side of severe judgment (תוּ: כִּי כָל בֵּיתָהּ לָבוּשׁ שָׁנִים-דְּהָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא קָא אַתְיָיא).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Indeed, it is certainly so (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק: וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא), but “all her household is clothed in Shanim”-what is Shanim? These are the primordial years (אֶלָּא: כָּל בֵּיתָהּ לָבוּשׁ שָׁנִים-מַאי שָׁנִים אִלֵּין שָׁנִים קַדְמוֹנִיּוֹת), because she is comprised of them all and draws from all sides (בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי אִתְכְּלִילַת מִכֻּלְּהוֹ, וְיָנְקָא מִכָּל סִטְרִין), as it is written (Ecclesiastes 1) “All the rivers go to the sea” (כְּדִכְתִיב: כָּל הַנְּחָלִים הוֹלְכִים אֶל הַיָּם).

As they were walking, they encountered a certain child (Yenuka) who was heading to Kappotkiya with a donkey-load of wine, and an old man was riding (עַד דְּהֲווּ אָזְלֵי, פָּגְעוּ בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא יְנוּקָא, דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל לְקַפּוֹטְקִיָּא בְּקַסְטִירָא דְּחַמְרָא, וְחַד סָבָא רָכִיב). The old man said to the child: My son, recite your verse to me (אָמַר הַהוּא סָבָא לְהַהוּא יְנוּקָא: בְּרִי, אֵימָא לִי קְרָאִיךְ). The child said to him: My verse is not one alone, but descend here below, or let me mount before you and I will say it to you (אָמַר לֵיהּ: קְרָאִי לָאו חַד הוּא, אֶלָּא חוּת לְתַתָּא אוֹ אֶרְכַּב לְקַמָּךְ וְאֵימָא לָךְ). He said to him: I do not want that; I am old and you are young-let me not stumble because of you (אָמַר לֵיהּ: לָא בָּעִינָא. אֲנָא סָבָא וְאַנְתְּ רַבְיָא, דְּאַתְקַל גַּרְמִי בַּהֲדָךְ). The Yenuka said to him: If so, why did you ask my verse? (אָמַר לֵיהּ: אִי הָכִי, אַמַּאי שְׁאַלְתָּ קְרָאִי) He answered: So that we might go along the way (אָמַר לֵיהּ: בְּגִין דְּנֵיזִיל בְּאוֹרְחָא). The child replied: May the spirit of that old man perish-he rides and knows nothing, and he said he wouldn’t stumble because of me! (אָמַר: תִּיפַּח רוּחֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא סָבָא, דְּהוּא רָכִיב וְלָא יָדַע מִלָּה, וְאָמַר דְּלָא יִתְקַל בַּהֲדִי). He left the old man and continued on his way (אִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵהַהוּא סָבָא, וַאֲזִיל לֵיהּ בְּאוֹרְחָא).