Daf 239b (דַּף רל״ט ע״ב)

And because Moshe was the Master of the House, what is written? (Exodus 33): “And Moshe would take the tent and pitch it outside the camp” (וּבְגִין דְּמֹשֶׁה מָארֵי דְבֵיתָא אִיהוּ, מַה כְּתִיב: וּמֹשֶׁה יִקַּח אֶת הָאֹהֶל וְנָטָה לוֹ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה). Moshe, who is Master of the House, did this-something no other person had permission to do (מֹשֶׁה דְּאִיהוּ מָארֵי דְבֵיתָא, עָבִיד הָכִי, מַה דְּלֵית רְשׁוּ לְבַר נָשׁ אָחֳרִינָא לְמֶעֱבַד הָכִי). “And Hashem spoke to him” (וַיְדַבֵּר יי אֵלָיו) this is a supernal level (דַּרְגָּא אָחֳרָא עִלָּאָה).

And when Moshe was prepared to ascend, then it is written (Leviticus 1): “Adam, when one of you brings an offering…” (וּכְדֵין בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּאִזְדַּמַּן מֹשֶׁה לְמֵעַל, כְּדֵין פָּתַח וְאָמַר: אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם).

Why Adam here? Because when Sun and Moon were joined as one, it is said Adam (מַאי אָדָם הָכָא אֶלָּא כַּד אִתְחַבְּרוּ שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא כְּחַדָּא, פָּתַח וְאָמַר: אָדָם), as it is written (Habakkuk 3): “Sun and Moon stood still in their habitation…” (כְּדִכְתִיב: שֶׁמֶשׁ יָרֵחַ עָמַד זְבֻלָהּ-עָמַד, וְלָא עָמְדוּ). “When one of you brings”-here is hinted: one who performs the service of a complete Korban, there must be male and female (כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם-הָכָא אִתְרְמִיז: מַאן דְּיַעֲבֵיד פּוּלְחָנָא דְּקָרְבָּנָא שְׁלִים, דְּיִשְׁתַּכַּח דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא). It implies “from you”, meaning it must appear in your vision (מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב: מִכֶּם, דְּיִשְׁתַּכַּח בְּחֵיזוּ דִּלְכוֹן).

A Korban to Hashem-the offering must unite above and below (קָרְבָּן לַה׳-דְּאַקְרִיב כּוֹלָּא, לְאִתְאַחֲדָא כְּחַדָּא לְעֵילָא וּלְתַתָּא). “From the animal”-to show that Adam and animal are one (מִן הַבְּהֵמָה-לְאַחֲזָאָה: אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה, כּוֹלָּא כְּחַדָּא). “From the cattle and from the flock”-these are the select, who are pure (מִן הַבָּקָר וּמִן הַצֹּאן-אִלֵּין רְתִיכִין, דְּאִינוּן דַּכְיָין). For since it says “from the animal”, one might think it includes all, pure and impure. Thus it returns and says: “from the cattle and from the flock” (דְּכֵיוָן דְּאָמַר מִן הַבְּהֵמָה, יָכוֹל מִכּוֹלָּא-בֵּין דַּכְיָין בֵּין מְסָאֲבָן. הֲדַר וְאָמַר: מִן הַבָּקָר וּמִן הַצֹּאן). “You shall bring your offering” (תַּקְרִיבוּ אֶת קָרְבַּנְכֶם) it should have said “My offering” (קָרְבָּנִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ), what is your offering (מַאי קָרְבַּנְכֶם)?

Rather, at first it is written: “a korban to Hashem”, and now “your korban” (אֶלָּא: בְּקַדְמִיתָא קָרְבָּן לַה׳, וְהַשְׁתָּא קָרְבַּנְכֶם). A korban to Hashem is the Adam (קָרְבָּן לַה׳: אָדָם). Your offering shall be from the animal—from the cattle and from the flock”—to grasp the unification from below to above, and from above to below (קָרְבַּנְכֶם מִן הַבְּהֵמָה מִן הַבָּקָר וּמִן הַצֹּאן-לְאַחֲזָאָה יִחוּדָא מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא, וּמֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא). From below to above-this is korban to Hashem (מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא: הַיְינוּ קָרְבָּן לַה׳). From above to below-this is your korban (וּמֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא: הַיְינוּ קָרְבַּנְכֶם). To the King who sits on the supernal Throne, above above, and the throne is established upon that supernal foundation-and the King above all (לְמַלְכָּא דְּאִיהוּ יָתִיב בְּטוּרְסְקָא עִלָּאָה, לְעֵילָא לְעֵילָא, וְכָרְסְיָא אִתְתַּקַּן עַל הַהוּא טוּרְסְקָא, וּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה עַל כֹּלָּא).

A person who brings a gift to the King must ascend level by level, until he rises from below to above to the place where the King sits-above all (בַּר נָשׁ דְּקָרֵיב דּוֹרוֹנָא לְמַלְכָּא, בָּעֵי לְסַלְקָא מִדַּרְגָּא לְדַרְגָּא, עַד דְּסָלִיק מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא לְאֲתַר דְּמַלְכָּא יָתִיב, עִלָּאָה עַל כֹּלָּא). Then it is known that the gift has ascended to the King, and that gift is the King’s (וּכְדֵין יָדְעִין דְּהָא סָלְקִין דּוֹרוֹנָא לְמַלְכָּא, וְהַהוּא דּוֹרוֹנָא דְּמַלְכָּא אִיהוּ). When the gift descends from above to below, then it is known that the gift from the King has descended, to the Beloved of the King below (נָחֵית דּוֹרוֹנָא מֵעֵילָא לְתַּתָּא-הָא יָדְעִין דְּהַהוּא דּוֹרוֹנָא דְּמַלְכָּא נָחֵית מֵעֵילָא לִרְחִימָא דְּמַלְכָּא דְּאִיהוּ לְתַּתָּא). So at first, the Adam ascends in his level from below to above-and this is korban to Hashem (כָּךְ: בְּקַדְמִיתָא, אָדָם סָלִיק בְּדַרְגּוֹי מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא, וּכְדֵין: קָרְבָּן לַה׳). Then from the behemah, from the bakar, he descends in his level from above to below-and this is your korban (מִן הַבְּהֵמָה מִן הַבָּקָר-נָחֵית בְּדַרְגּוֹי מֵעֵילָא לְתַּתָּא, וּכְדֵין: קָרְבַּנְכֶם).

For this reason it is written (Song of Songs 5): “I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk” (בְּגִינֵי כָךְ כְּתִיב: אָכַלְתִּי יַעֲרִי עִם דִּבְשִׁי שָׁתִיתִי יֵינִי עִם חֲלָבִי) this is the Adam and korban to Hashem (הַיְינוּ: אָדָם וְקָרְבָּן לַה׳). “Eat, O friends”—that is to say: from the animal, from the cattle, and from the flock; and then: “you shall bring your offering”(אִכְלוּ רֵעִים-הַיְינוּ: מִן הַבְּהֵמָה מִן הַבָּקָר וּמִן הַצֹּאן, וּכְדֵין: תַּקְרִיבוּ אֶת קָרְבַּנְכֶם). Then came Rabbi Yitzḥak and Rabbi Yehudah and kissed him upon his head (אָתוּ רִבִּי יִצְחָק וְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה וּנְשָּׁקוּהוּ עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ). They said, Blessed is the Merciful One who gave us merit to hear this (אָמְרוּ, בָּרוּךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּזַכֵּינָא לְמִשְׁמַע דָּא), and blessed is the Merciful One that these words were not lost from that elder (וּבָרוּךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּלָא אִתְאֲבִידוּ מִלִּין אִלֵּין בְּהַהוּא סָבָא). They rose and went (קָמוּ וְאֲזְלוּ). As they were going (עַד דְּהֲווּ אָזְלֵי), they saw a vine planted at the edge of a garden (חָמוּ חַד גֶּפֶן נְטִיעַ בְּחַג גִּנָּא).

The Yenuka opened and said, “Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine” (Bereshit 49:11) (פָּתַח הַהוּא יְנוּקָא וְאָמַר: אֹסְרִי לַגֶּפֶן עִירֹהּ וְלַשּׂוֹרֵקָה בְּנִי אֲתוֹנוֹ) this verse is a supernal mystery (הַאי קְרָא רָזָא עִלָּאָה הוּא). “Binding”-it should have said “he bound” (אֹסְרִי, אָסַר מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ); “his foal”-it should have said “a foal” (עִירֹהּ, עַיִר מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). Rather, it is a mystery (אֶלָּא רָזָא הוּא), for the children who are in the house of study (לְדַרְדַּקֵּי דְּאִינוּן בְּבֵי רַב), to be safeguarded from that arrow of the foal (לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מֵהַהוּא גִּירָא דְּעַיִר), and the Holy Name is integrated there-Yod–Heh (וּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְכְּלִיל תַּמָּן י״ה). And just as here the Holy Name is hinted (וּכְמָה דְּהָכָא אִתְרְמִיז שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), so too “to the choice vine”-it should have said “to the noble vine” (הָכִי נָמֵי: וְלַשּׂוֹרֵקָה, שׂוֹרֵק מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ); but there is integrated there Vav–Heh (אִתְכְּלִיל תַּמָּן ו״ה). “Beni”-it should have said “ben” (בְּנִי, בֶּן מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ).

“Choice vine”-as it is written (Jeremiah 2:21) “And I planted you as a noble vine” (שׂוֹרֵק, כְּדִכְתִיב: וְאָנֹכִי נְטַעְתִּיךְ שׂוֹרֵק); “Foal” as you say (Zechariah 9:9) “a foal of she-donkeys” (בֵּן, כְּמָא דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: בֶּן אֲתוֹנוֹת). Why noble vine, and why foal? (אַמַּאי שׂוֹרֵקָה, וְאַמַּאי בְּנִי). Rather, just as there is a Holy Name to subdue the foal (אֶלָּא: כְּמָה דְּאִית שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא לְאִכַּפְיָא לְעַיִר), so too, there is a Holy Name to subdue another force, which is the donkey (הָכִי נָמֵי: אִית שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא לְאִכַּפְיָא חֵילָא אָחֳרָא, דְּאִיהִי חַמְרָא). For if the Holy Name had not been hinted here, they would have destroyed the world (דְּאִלְמָלֵא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְרְמִיז הָכָא, הֲווּ מְטַרְטְשֵׁי עַלְמָא). Yod–Heh with this force (some say: Vav–Heh with this force (י״ה בְּחֵילָא דָּא [נ״א: ו״ה בְּחֵילָא דָּא]) to protect the world from them (לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא עַלְמָא מִנַּיְיהוּ), and to protect a person so that they do not rule over him in this world (וּלְאִסְתַּמְּרָא בַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא יִשְׁלְטוּן בֵּיהּ בְּעַלְמָא).

“Binding to the vine”-what is the vine? (אֹסְרִי לַגֶּפֶן-מַאי גֶּפֶן) This is Kenesset Yisrael (דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל). Why is she called vine? (אַמַּאי אִתְקְרִיאַת גֶּפֶן) Just as a vine does not accept any other graft upon it (אֶלָּא מַה גֶּפֶן לָא מְקַבְּלָא עֲלָהּ נְטִיעָא אָחֳרָא), so too Kenesset Yisrael accepts upon herself only Kudsha Berikh Hu (הָכִי נָמֵי כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לָא מְקַבְּלָא עֲלָהּ אֶלָּא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And for the sake of Kenesset Yisrael, all other forces are subdued before her (וּבְגִין כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְכַּפְּיָין קַמָּהּ כָּל חֵילִין אָחֳרָנִין), and they cannot harm or rule in the world (וְלָא יָכְלִין לְאַבְּאָשָׁא וּלְשַׁלְטָאָה בְּעַלְמָא). Therefore the verse implanted the Holy Name among them-on this side and on that (וְעַל דָּא אַטִּיל קְרָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בֵּינַיְיהוּ, בְּהַאי גִּיסָא וּבְהַאי גִּיסָא). “Donkeys colt”-he is uprooted because of that noble vine (בְּנִי אֲתוֹנוֹ-דְּאִתְעַקַּר בְּגִין הַהוּא שׂוֹרֵק), as it is written (Jeremiah 2:21) “And I planted you as a noble vine…” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: וְאָנֹכִי נְטַעְתִּיךְ שׂוֹרֵק וְגו׳).