Daf 244b (דַּף רמ״ד ע״ב)

Rabbi Yosi opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר): “Dan shall be a serpent upon the path” (יְהִי דָן נָחָשׁ עֲלֵי דֶרֶךְ) (Bereshit 49). When was Dan a serpent? (אֵימָתַי הֲוָה דָן נָחָשׁ), in the days of Yerovam (בְּיוֹמוֹי דִּירָבְעָם), as it is written, (I Kings 12) “And he placed one [calf] in Dan” (וְאֶת הָאֶחָד נָתַן בְּדָן). Why was it placed there upon the path? (אַמַּאי אִתְיְהִיב תַּמָּן עֲלֵי דֶרֶךְ)? On that path which he designated-Some say: blocked-so they would not ascend to Yerushalayim (עַל הַהוּא אֹרַח, דְּיִתְמְנַע ס"א: דֶּרֶךְ דְּסַלְקִין דְּלָא יִסְלְקוּן לִירוּשָׁלֵם). And Dan thus became a serpent to Yisrael upon the path (וְדָא דָן, הֲוָה לוֹן נָחָשׁ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עֲלֵי דֶרֶךְ), certainly “upon the path” (עֲלֵי דֶרֶךְ וַדַּאי), as it says, (I Kings 12) “And the king took counsel,” etc. (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, וַיִּוָּעַץ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְגו׳). “A viper upon the highway” (שְׁפִיפוֹן עֲלֵי אֹרַח), that bit Yisrael (דְּעָקִיץ לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). And it was all upon the path and the highway (וְכֹּלָּא לָא הֲוָה אֶלָּא עֲלֵי דֶרֶךְ וַעֲלֵי אוֹרְחָא), to prevent Yisrael from going up to Yerushalayim (לְאִתְמְנָעָא מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל דְּלָא יִסְלְקוּן לִירוּשָׁלֵם), to observe their festivals, to offer korbanot and burnt offerings, and to worship there (לְמֵיחַג חֲגַיְיהוּ, וּלְקָרְבָּא קָרְבָּנִין וְעִלָּוָון, לְמִפְלַח תַּמָּן).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): at the time when blessing reached the hand of Moshe to bless all the tribes (בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּמָטוּ בִּרְכָּאן לִידָא דְּמֹשֶׁה לְבָרְכָא לְכֻלְּהוּ שְׁבָטִים), he saw that Dan was associated with the serpent (חָמָא לְדָן דְּהֲוָה קָטִיר בְּחִוְיָא), he reversed and tied him to the lion (אַהֲדַר קָטַר לֵיהּ בְּאַרְיָא). This is what is written, (Deuteronomy 33) “And of Dan he said: Dan is a lion’s whelp; he shall leap from Bashan” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: וּלְדָן אָמַר דָּן גּוּר אַרְיֵה יְזַנֵּק מִן הַבָּשָׁן). Why? Because he is the associate and rear of the four standards, tied to Yehuda, who is the king (מַאי טַעְמָא בְּגִין דְּאִיהֵא שֵׁירוּתָא וְסוֹפָא דְּד׳ דִּגְלִין, קָטִיר בִּיהוּדָה דְּאִיהוּ מַלְכָּא), as it says, “Yehudah is a lion’s whelp” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: גּוּר אַרְיֵה יְהוּדָה), and he is the beginning of the standards (וְהוּא שֵׁירוּתָא דְּדִגְלִין). And the end of the standards is Dan, as it is written, “Dan is a lion’s whelp,” etc. (וְסוֹפָא דְּדִגְלִין דָּן, דִּכְתִיב דָּן גּוּר אַרְיֵה וְגו׳), to be associate and end tied in one place (לְמֶהֱוֵי שֵׁירוּתָא וְסוֹפָא קָטִיר בְּחַד אֲתַר). “For Your salvation I have hoped, Hashem” (לִישׁוּעָתְךָ קִוִּיתִי יְיָ). Rabbi Chiyya said (רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר), as it is written (כדכתיב), as you say, (Judges 13) “And he began to deliver Yisrael from the hand of the Pelishtim” (כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְהוּא יָחֵל לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּד פְּלִשְׁתִּים). He said (Some say: Rabbi Acha (אָמַר (ס״א רַבִּי אַחָא), “Why ‘I have hoped,’ and was it not that Ya'akov had already departed from the world at that time, many years earlier?” (וְכִי אַמַּאי קִוִּיתִי וְהָא סָלִיק הֲוָה יַעֲקֹב מֵעַלְמָא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא מִכַּמָּה שְׁנִין). Why did he say that he was awaiting that salvation? (אַמַּאי אָמַר דְּאִיהוּ מְחַכֶּה לְהַהוּא יְשׁוּעָה). Some say: Rather, certainly (ס״א: אֶלָּא וַדַּאי), he said to him: Surely this is a secret of the matter (אָמַר לֵיהּ: וַדַּאי רָזָא דְמִלָּה), as it is written, (Exodus 17) “And it came to pass when Moshe raised his hand, Yisrael prevailed” (כְּדִכְתִיב, וְהָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר יָרִים מֹשֶׁה יָדוֹ וְגָבַר יִשְׂרָאֵל) Yisrael, unspecified (יִשְׂרָאֵל סְתָם). So too here, “And he began to deliver Yisrael”-Yisrael, unspecified (אוּף הָכָא: וְהוּא יָחֵל לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל-יִשְׂרָאֵל סְתָם). Therefore he said, “For Your salvation I have hoped, Hashem” (בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ אָמַר, לִישׁוּעָתְךָ קִוִּיתִי יְיָ).

Rabbi Chiyya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא): Certainly so, and beautiful is it (וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא, וְשַׁפִּיר). Happy is the portion of the Righteous (זַכָּאָה חוּלְקֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא), who know how to engage in Orayta (דְּיָדְעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), to merit through it life of the supernal realm (לְמִזְכֵּי בָּהּ לְחַיִּין דִּלְעֵילָא), as it is said, (Deuteronomy 30) “For it is your life and the length of your days, to dwell upon the land…” (כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, כִּי הוּא חַיֶּיךָ וְאֹרֶךְ יָמֶיךָ לָשֶׁבֶת עַל הָאֲדָמָה וְגו׳). “Gad-a troop shall troop upon him, and he shall troop upon the heel” (גָּד גְּדוּד יְגוּדֶנּוּ וְהוּא יָגוּד עָקֵב). Rabbi Yisa said (רִבִּי יֵיסָא אָמַר): from the word “Gad” we learn (מִגָּד אִשְׁתְּמַע), for legions go out to wage battle (דְּהָא חֵילִין יִפְקוּן לַאֲגָחָא קְרָבָא). For it implies that wherever it is written “Gad,” the letters gimel and dalet (מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב גָּד, בְּכָל אֲתַר גִּימֶ״ל דָּלֶ״ת) from them emerge legions and patrols (חֵילִין וּמַשִּׁרְיָין נָפְקֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ), for the gimel gives and the dalet receives (דְּהָא גִּימֶ״ל יָהִיב, וְדָּלֶ״ת לָקִיט). And from here (Some say: it draws (וּמֵהָכָא (נ״א מַשְׁכָּא) many legions and patrols are dependent on it (כַּמָּה חֵילִין וְכַמָּה מַשִּׁירְיָין תַּלְיָין בְּהוּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): that river that goes out from Eden (הַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק מֵעֵדֶן), its waters never cease (לָא פָּסְקִין מֵימוֹי לְעָלְמִין), and it completes the poor (וְהוּא אַשְׁלִים לְמִסְכְּנֵי). And for this reason, many legions and patrols stand upon it (וְעַל דָּא קָיְימֵי כַּמָּה חֵילִין וְכַמָּה מַשִּׁירְיָין), and are sustained from it (וְאִתְּזָנוּ מֵהָכָא). And for this reason, Gad-this one gives and bestows (וְעַל דָּא גָּד, דָּא אַפִּיק וְיָהִיב), and this one receives and takes (וְדָא לָקִיט וְנָקִיט), and the house is sustained, and all the members of the household (וְאִתְּזָן בֵּיתָא וְכָל אַנְשֵׁי בֵּיתָא).

Rabbi Yitzchak said (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק), if not that Gad came from the maidservants (אִלְּמָלֵא דְּהֲוֵי גָד מִבְּנֵי שְׁפָחוֹת), the moment stood ready for him to be more complete than all (שַׁעְתָּא קַיְימָא לֵיהּ לְאַשְׁלָמָא יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָא). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), (Bereshit 30) “Ba Gad,” read (בָּא גָד קְרִי), and it is written “Bagad” missing an alef (וּכְתִיב בָּגָד חָסֵר אָלֶ״ף), for the moment stood in perfection (דְּהָא שַׁעְתָּא קָיְימָא בִּשְׁלִימוּ), and was removed from him (וְאִסְתַּלַּק מִנֵּיהּ). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), (Job 6) “My brothers have betrayed like a stream” (אַחַי בָּגְדוּ כְמוֹ נָחַל), because that river that flows was withdrawn at that time (בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד, אִסְתַּלַּק בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא), and it is written “Bagad” missing an alef (וּכְתִיב בָּגָד חָסֵר אָלֶ״ף), and because of this he did not merit the Holy Land (וְעַל דָּא, לָא זָכָה בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא), and was removed from it (וְאִסְתַּלַּק מִינָהּ). Rabbi Yehudah said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר), from where [do we learn] that Reuven was the same (מִנַּיִן לִרְאוּבֵן דְּהֲוָה כְּהַאי גַוְונָא), as it is written (כְּדִכְתִיב), “Unstable as water, you shall not excel” (פַּחַז כַּמַּיִם אַל תּוֹתַר), for the waters were withdrawn and not drawn (דְּאִסְתַּלְּקוּ מַיִין וְלָא נְגִידוּ), and it was said already wherein he was blemished (וְהָא אִתְּמָר בְּמָּה אַפְגִים). And both of them did not merit the Holy Land (וְתַרְוַויְיהוּ לָא זָכוּ בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא), and legions and patrols brought the land as inheritance for Yisrael (וְחֵילִין וּמַשִּׁירְיָין אֲפִיקוּ לְאַחְסָנָא לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְעָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), what was blemished in Gad was completed in Asher (מַה דְאִתְּפַגִים בְּגָד, אִשְׁתְּלִים בְּאָשֵׁר), this is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), “From Asher his bread is rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies” (מֵאָשֵׁר שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ, וְהוּא יִתֵּן מַעֲדַנֵּי מֶלֶךְ). Now the gimel is completed by the dalet (הַשְׁתָּא אַשְׁלִים גִימֶ״ל לְדָלֶ״ת).

Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba escaped to the cave of Lod (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא אִשְׁתְּמִיטוּ בִּמְעַרְתָּא דְלוּד), because they had entered before the intensity of the sun (דְּעָאלוּ קַמֵּי תּוּקְפָא דְשִׁמְשָׁא), as they were walking on the road (דְּהֲווּ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא). Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא), let this cave be stirred with words of Orayta (נַסְחַר הַאי מְעַרְתָּא בְּמִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא). Rabbi Elazar opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר), (Song of Songs 8) “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm…” (שִׂימֵנִי כַּחוֹתָם עַל לִבֶּךָ, כַּחוֹתָם עַל זְרוֹעֶךָ וְגו׳), “Its flames are flames of fire, a flame of Hashem” (רְשָׁפֶיהָ רִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ שַׁלְּהֶבֶת יָהּ), this verse was aroused in him (הַאי קְרָא אִתְעָרְנָא בֵּיהּ). But one night it was, when I stood before Abba (אֲבָל לֵילְיָא חַד הֲוָה כַּד הֲוֵינָא קָאִים קַמֵּי אַבָּא), and I heard from him a word (וְשָׁמַעְנָא מִנֵּיהּ מִלָּה), that there is no perfection and desire and yearning of Knesset Yisrael with Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּלֵית שְׁלִימוּ וּרְעוּתָא וְכִסּוּפָא דִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), except (אֶלָּא), in the Neshamot of the Righteous (בְּנִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא), who arouse the outflow of lower waters to receive the upper (דְּאִינוּן מִתְעָרֵי נְבִיעוּ דְמַיָא תַּתָּאֵי לְקִבְלֵי עִלָּאֵי). And at that moment there is perfection of desire and yearning in cleaving as one to produce fruit (וּבְהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא שְׁלִימוּ דִּרְעוּתָא וְכִסּוּפָא בִּדְבִיקוּ חָדָא לְמֶעְבַּד פֵּירִין).