Daf 13a (דַּף י״ג ע״א)

When two ascend and go out to greet one (כַּד סְלִיקוּ תְּרֵין וְנַפְקוּ לְקַדְמוּת חַד), they receive him between two arms (מְקַבְּלִין לֵיהּ בֵּין תְּרֵין דְּרוֹעִין). Two descend to a third (תְּרֵין נַחְתֵּי לִתְלַתָא), Some say: to below (נ״א לְתַתָּא). Two are they (תְּרֵין אִינּוּן), one of them is the Field of the Holy Apples (חַד מִינָיְיהוּ חַקְלָא דְּתַפּוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין), from this well they sit (מֵהַאי בֵּירָא יַתְבֵי), Some say: two sit (תְּרֵין יַתְבֵי), the dwelling of the prophets (מוֹתְבָא דִּנְבִיאֵי), Some say: of its children (ס״א בְּנוֹי), who suckle from them (יַנְקִין בְּהוּ). One between them is the unifying bond of all (חַד בֵּינַיְיהוּ חִבּוּרָא אִיהוּ דְּכֹלָּא), he receives from all (אִיהוּ נָטִיל מִכֹּלָּא). That holy well (הַהוּא בֵּירָא קַדִּישָׁא) stands beneath them (קָאִים תְּחוֹתַיְיהוּ). The Field of Holy Apples is watered from this well (חַקְלָא דְּתַפּוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין אִיהוּ מֵהַאי בֵּירָא אִתְשַׁקְיָין), the flocks that Moshe tended in the wilderness (עֲדָרַיָּיא דְרַעֵי מֹשֶׁה בְּמָדְבְּרָא), from this well the flocks of Ya'akov drank (מֵהָאִי בֵּירָא אִתְשַׁקְיָין עֲדָרִיָיא דְּבָרִיר יַעֲקֹב), when he selected them into his portion (כָּד בָּרִיר לוֹן לְגּוֹ חוּלָקֵיה), all those chariots (כָּל אִינּוּן רְתִיכִין), all those masters of wings (כָּל אִינּוּן מָארֵי דְּגַדְפִּין). Three stand, the fourth upon this well (תְּלַת קַיְימִין רְבִיעִין עַל הַאי בֵּירָא). This well is filled from them (הַאי בֵּירָא מִנַּיְיהוּ אִתְמְלֵי).

Adonai is His Name (אֲדֹנָ״י אִתְקְרֵי), as it is written (עַל דָּא כְּתִיב), (Devarim 3) “Adonai Hashem, You have begun…” (אֲדֹנָי י״י אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹתָ וְגוֹ׳), and it is written (וּכְתִיב), (Daniel 9) “Shine Your face upon Your desolate Sanctuary, for the sake of Adonai” (וְהָאֵר פָּנֶיךָ עַל מִקְדָּשְׁךָ הַשָּׁמֵם לְמַעַן אֲדֹנָי). Adon, Master of all the earth (אֲדוֹן כָּל הָאָרֶץ), this is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), (Yehoshua 3) “Behold the Ark of the Covenant, Adon of all the earth” (הִנֵּה אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית אֲדוֹן כָּל הָאָרֶץ).

In it is hidden one holy source (בֵּיהּ גָּנִיז חַד מְקוֹרָא קַדִּישָׁא), from which constantly flows (דִּנְבִיעַ בֵּיהּ תָּדִיר), and fills it (וְאַמְלֵי לֵיהּ). He is called Hashem Tzevaot (יְיָ׳ צְבָאוֹת אִקְרֵי). Blessed is He forever and ever (בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמִין). And the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water… (וּלְכֹהֵן מִדְיָן שֶׁבַע בָּנוֹת וַתָּבֹאנָה וַתִּדְלֶנָה וְגוֹ׳). Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): if this well is the same as the well of Ya'akov (אִי בֵּירָא דָּא אִיהוּ בֵּירָא דְּיַעֲקֹב), behold it is written concerning it (הָא כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ), (Bereishit 29) “And there all the flocks would be gathered, and they would roll away…” (וְנֶאֱסְפוּ שָׁמָּה כָל הָעֲדָרִים וְגָלֲלוּ וְגוֹ׳). But here, the daughters of Yitro did not require this (וְהָכָא בְּנוֹת יִתְרוֹ לָא אִצְטְרִיכוּ לְהַאי). Rather, “and they came and drew” without further effort (אֶלָּא וַתָּבֹאנָה וַתִּדְלֶנָה בְּלָא טוֹרַח אַחֲרָא).

Rabbi Chiyya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא): Ya'akov arranged it from the well (יַעֲקֹב אַעְדֵי לָהּ מִן בֵּירָא), as it is written (דְּהָא כְּתִיב): when all the flocks gathered there, they returned the stone (כַּד מִתְכַּנְשֵׁי תַּמָּן כָּל עֲדָרַיָיא וְהֵשִׁיבוּ אֶת הָאֶבֶן). But regarding Ya'akov it is not written that he returned the stone (וּבְיַעֲקֹב לָא כְּתִיב וַיָּשֶׁב אֶת הָאֶבֶן), because there was no need afterward (דְּהָא לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְבָתַר כֵּן), for in the beginning the water would not rise (דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא מַיָּא לָא הֲווֹ סַלְּקִין). Once Ya'akov arrived (כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא יַעֲקֹב), the water rose up to him (סְלִיקוּ מַיָּא לְגַבֵּיהּ), and so it was with Moshe, that the water rose to him (וּמֹשֶׁה אוּף הָכִי סַלִּיקוּ מַיָּא לְגַבֵּיהּ). And that stone was not over the mouth of the well (וְהַהוּא אַבְנָא לָא הֲוָה עַל פּוּם בֵּירָא), and therefore “they came and drew” (וּבְגִין כַּךְ וַתָּבֹאנָה וַתִּדְלֶנָה).

Rabbi El'azar and Rabbi Abba were walking from Tiberias to Tzippori (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי מִטְּבֶרְיָא לְצִפֹּרִי). As they were walking (עַד דַּהֲווּ אַזְלֵי), a certain Jew encountered them (פָּגַע בְּהוּ חַד יוּדָאי), and he joined them (אִתְחַבָּר בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ). Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): let each one say a word of Orayta (כָּל חַד לֵימָא מִלָּה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא).

He opened and said (פָּתַח אִיהוּ וְאָמַר), (Yechezkel 37) “And He said to me: Prophesy, son of man, prophesy to the spirit, and say to the spirit…” (וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי הִנָּבֵא בֶּן אָדָם הִנָּבֵא אֶל הָרוּחַ וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל הָרוּחַ וְגוֹ׳). From this verse we know (מֵהַאי קְרָא יְדַעְנָא): the place from which the Ruach emerges (אֲתַר דְּהָרוּחַ נַפְקָא מִנֵּיהּ). And could Yechezkel really prophesy over the Ruach (וְכִי יָכִיל הֲוָה יְחֶזְקֵאל לְנַבְּאָה עַל הָרוּחַ)? Is it not written (וְהָא כְּתִיב), (Kohelet 8 “There is no man who has authority over the spirit to retain the spirit” (אֵין אָדָם שַׁלִּיט בָּרוּחַ לִכְלוֹא אֶת הָרוּחַ)?

Rather, a person cannot rule over the Ruach (אֶלָּא בַּר נָשׁ לָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בָּרוּחַ), but Kudsha Berikh Hu rules over all (אֲבָל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִיהוּ שַׁלִּיט בְּכֹלָּא), and at His word Yechezkel prophesied (וְעַל מֵימְרֵיהּ הֲוָה מִתְנַבֵּי יְחֶזְקֵאל). And furthermore (וְתוּ): the Ruach existed in a body in this world (דְּהָא רוּחַ הֲוָה בְּגוּפָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and therefore he prophesied concerning it (וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִתְנַבֵּי עָלֵיהּ), “From the four winds come, O spirit” p5-29(מֵאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת בּוֹאִי הָרוּחַ), from that place that is supported on four sides of the world (מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִתְּחָם בְּסַמְכוֹי בְּאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא).

That Jew leapt before him (דָּלִיג הַהוּא יוּדָאִי קָמֵיהּ). Rabbi El'azar said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): what have you seen (מַאי חָמִית)? He said (אָמַר): I have seen a word (מִלָּה חֲמֵינָא). He said to him: what is it (אָמַר לֵיהּ מַאי הִיא)? He said to him: the Ruach of human beings-if it was clothed in Gan Eden in the likeness of a form, in the body of this world (רוּחַ בְּנֵי אָדָם אִי אִתְלָבַשׁ בְּגַּן עֵדֶן בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּדִיּוּקְנָא בְּגוּפָא דְהַאי עָלְמָא) then it would have been written: Thus says Hashem: from Gan Eden come, O spirit (הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמִכְתַּב כֹּה אָמַר ה׳ מִגַּן עֵדֶן בּוֹאִי הָרוּחַ). What then is from the four winds (מַהוּ מֵאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת)?

He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): the Ruach does not descend into this world (רוּחָא לָא נַחְתָּא לְהַאי עָלְמָא), until it has ascended from the garden of the earth to the Throne (עַד דְּסַלְּקָא מִגִּנְתָּא דְּאַרְעָא לְגוֹ כּוּרְסְיָיא), which stands p5-30(דְּקַיְּימָא), upon four supports (עַל אַרְבַּע סַמְכִין). Once it has ascended there (כֵּיוָן דְּסַלְּקָא תַּמָּן), it becomes adorned within that Throne of the King (אִסְתַּאֲבָא מִגּוֹ הַהוּא כּוּרְסְיָיא דְּמַלְכָּא), and descends into this world (וְנַחְתָּא לְהַאי עָלְמָא). The body is assembled from four directions of the world (גּוּפָא אִתְנְטִיל מֵאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא), and the Ruach likewise is assembled from the four directions of the Throne (רוּחַ אוּף הָכִי אִתְנְטִיל מֵאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי דְּכוּרְסְיָּיא), which is set upon them (דְּמִתַּתְקְנָא עָלַיְיהוּ).

That man said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ): that leap which I leapt before you (דְּלִיגָא דְּקָא דָּלִיגְנָא קָמַיְיכוּ), I saw a word from that side (מִלָּה חֲמֵינָא מֵהַאי סִטְרָא). Because once I was walking in the wilderness (בְּגִין דְּיוֹמָא חֲדָא הֲוֵינָא אָזִיל בְּמַדְבְּרָא), and I saw one tree that aroused desire to look at it (וַחֲמֵינָא אִילָנָא חַד דְּמִרְגַּג לְמֵחזֵי), and one cave beneath it (וְחַד מְעַרְתָּא תְּחוֹתֵיהּ). I came close to it (קָרִיבְנָא גַּבֵּיהּ), and I saw that cave (וַחֲמֵינָא הַהִיא מְעַרְתָּא), from which rose fragrances of all kinds of scents of the world (דְּסַלְּקָא רֵיחִין מִכָּל זִינֵי רֵיחִין דְּעָלְמָא). I was overcome within myself (אִתְתָּקַפְנָא בְּגַרְמָאי), and I entered that cave (וְאָעִילְנָא בְּהַהִיא מְעַרְתָּא), and I descended by known steps into one place (וְנָחִיתְנָא בְּדַרְגִּין יְדִיעָן בְּגוֹ דּוּכְתָּא חֲדָא), where there were many trees and fragrances and spices (דְּהֲווּ בֵיהּ אִילָּנִין סַגִּיאִין וְרֵיחִין וּבוּסְמִין), which I was unable to bear (דְּלָא יָכִילְנָא לְמִסְבַּל).

And there I saw one man (וְתַמָּן חֲמֵינָא חַד בַּר נָשׁ), and a rod in his hand (וְשַׁרְבִיטָא חַד בִּידֵיהּ). And he was standing at one entrance (וַהֲוָה קָאִים בְּחַד פִּתְחָא). When he saw me (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לִי), he turned and stood before me (תָּוַה וְקָם לְגַבָּאי). He said to me (אָמַר לִי): what are you doing here, and from where are you (מָה אַתְּ הָכָא, וּמֵאָן אַתְּ)? I was exceedingly afraid (אֲנָא דָּחִילְנָא סַגְיָא), I said to him (אֲמֵינָא לֵיהּ): my master, I am from the friends (מָארִי, מִן חַבְרַיָּיא אֲנָא), such and such I saw in the wilderness (כַּךְ וְכַךְ חֲמֵינָא בְּמַדְבְּרָא), and I entered this cave (וְעָאלָנָא בְּהַאי מְעַרְתָּא), and descended here (וְנָחִיתְנָא הָכָא).