Daf 14a (דַּף י״ד ע״א)

Rabbi El'azar said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): you have been with us, and I do not know your name (אַנְתְּ לְגַבָּן וְלָא יְדַעְנָא שְׁמֶךָ). He said (אָמַר): I am Yo’ezer son of Ya'akov (אֲנָא יוֹעֶזְרִ בֶּן יַעֲקֹב). The friends came and kissed him (אָתוּ חַבְרַיָּיא וּנְשָׁקוּהוּ), they said: and you have been with us and we did not know you (אָמְרוּ וּמָה אַנְתְּ לְגַבָּן וְלָא הֲוִינָן יַדְעִין בָּךְ). They all went together that whole day (אָזְלוּ כַּחֲדָא כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא), and on the next day they accompanied him three milin (לְיוֹמָא אַחֲרָא אֹזְפוּהוּ תְּלַת מִילִין), and he went on his way (וְאָזִיל לְאוֹרְחֵיהּ).

“And they said: an Egyptian man saved us…” (וַתֹּאמַרְנָה אִישׁ מִצְרִי הִצִּילָנוּ) (Shemot 2). Rabbi Chiyya said (רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר): the friends already explained this (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא), that a glimmer of the Holy Spirit was within them (דְּנִצְנְצָא בְּהוּ רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא), and they said, not knowing what they said (וְאָמְרוּ וְלֹא יָדְעוּ מָה אָמְרוּ). About a man who was sitting in the wilderness (לְבַר נָשׁ דְּהֲוָה יָתִיב בְּמַדְבְּרָא), and for days did not eat meat (וַהֲווּ יוֹמִין דְּלָא אָכַל בִּשְׂרָא).

One day a bear came to take a lamb (יוֹמָא חַד אָתָא דּוֹבָא לְנַטְלָא חַד אִימְרָא), the lamb ran off (עָרַק אִימְרָא), and the bear after it (וְדוֹבָא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ), until they reached the man in the wilderness (עַד דְּמָטוּ לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ לְמַדְבְּרָא), he saw the lamb, overpowered it and slaughtered it and ate the meat (חָמָא אִימְרָא וְאַתְקִיף בֵּיהּ וּשְׁחָטֵיהּ וְאָכַל בִּשְׂרָא). Another matter (דָּבָר אַחֵר), (Shemot 1) “And these are the names of the children of Yisrael” (וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). Rabbi Yehudah opened and said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר), (Shir haShirim 1) “I am black but beautiful…” (שְׁחוֹרָה אֲנִי וְנָאוָה וְגוֹ׳).

Black but beautiful (שְׁחוֹרָה אֲנִי וְנָאוָה): this is Knesset Yisrael (דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), which is blackened from exile (דְּהִיא שְׁחוֹרָה מִן גָּלוּתָא), and beautiful-for she is beautiful in Orayta (וְנָאוָה, דְּהִיא נָאוָה בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), And with commandments and with proper deeds (וּבְפִקּוּדִין וּבְעוֹבָדִין דְּכַשְׁרָן). Daughters of Yerushalayim (בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם): for this reason, they merit the Yerushalayim above (דְּעַל דָּא, זַכָּאִין לְיָרְתָאָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם דִּלְעֵילָּא). Like the tents of Kedar (כְּאָהֳלֵי קֵדָר): even though she is darkened in exile (אַף עַל גַּב דְּהִיא קוֹדֶרֶת בְּגָלוּתָא), in deeds she is like the curtains of Shlomo (בְּעוֹבָדִין הִיא כִּירִיעוֹת שְׁלֹמֹה), like the curtains of the King whose peace is all His (כִּירִיעוֹת דְּמַלְכָּא דִּשְׁלָמָא כֹּלָּא דִּילֵיהּ).

Rabbi Chiyya Rabbah was going to the masters of the Mishnah (רִבִּי חִיָּיא רַבָּא הֲוָה אָזִיל לְגַבֵּי מָארֵיהוֹן דְּמַתְנִיתָא), to learn from them (לְמֵילַף מִנַיְיהוּ). He went to Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai (אָזַל לְגַבֵּי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי), and he saw a certain curtain that separated within the house (וְחָמָא פַּרְגּוֹד חַד דְּהֲוָה פָּסִיק בְּבֵיתָא). Rabbi Chiyya turned and said (תָּוָה רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר): let me hear a word from his mouth from here (אֶשְׁמַע מִלָּה מִפּוּמֵיהּ מֵהָכָא). He heard that he was saying (שָׁמַע דְּהֲוָה אָמַר), (Shir haShirim 8) “Flee, my beloved, and be like a Deer or a young hart upon the mountains of spices” (בְּרַח דּוֹדִי וּדְמֵה לְךָ לִצְבִי אוֹ לְעוֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים).

Every longing that Yisrael longed for Kudsha Berikh Hu (כָּל כִּסּוּפָא דִּכְסִיפוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא) Rabbi Shimon said (דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): the desire of Yisrael is that the Holy One, blessed be He, not walk away nor become distant (תַּאֲוָתָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא הוֹלֵךְ וְלֹא מִתְרַחֵק), but flee like a Deer or young hart (אֶלָּא בּוֹרֵחַ כַּצְּבִי אוֹ כְּעוֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים).

What is the reason (מַאי טַעְמָא)? Rabbi Shimon said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): there is no animal in the world that does as the Deer or the young hart (אֵין חַיָּה בָּעוֹלָם עוֹשָׂה כְּמוֹ הַצְּבִי אוֹ כְּעוֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים): when it flees, it moves little by little (בִּזְמָן שֶׁהוּא בּוֹרֵחַ הוֹלֵךְ מְעַט מְעַט), and turns its head back to the place it came from (וּמַחֲזִיר אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ לְמָקוֹם שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ), and always keeps turning its head behind it (וּלְעוֹלָם תָּמִיד הוּא מַחֲזִיר אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ לַאֲחוֹרָיו).

So Yisrael said (כַּךְ אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל): Master of the world, if we cause You to depart from among us (רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אִם אָנוּ גּוֹרְמִים שֶׁתִּסְתַּלֵּק מִבֵּינֵינוּ), may it be Your will that You flee like the Deer or young hart (יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁתִּבְרַח כְּמוֹ הַצְּבִי אוֹ כְּמוֹ עוֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים), who flees and turns his head back to the place he left (שֶׁהוּא בּוֹרֵחַ וּמַחֲזִיר אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ לְמָקוֹם שֶׁהִנִּיחַ). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), (Vayikra 26) “Yet even this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I have not rejected them nor abhorred them to destroy them” (וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְעַלְתִּים לְכַלּוֹתָם). Another matter (דָּבָר אַחֵר): the Deer, when it sleeps, sleeps with one eye closed and one eye open (הַצְּבִי כְּשֶׁהוּא יָשֵׁן, הוּא יָשֵׁן בְּעַיִן אַחַת וְהָאַחֶרֶת הוּא נֵעוֹר). So said Yisrael to Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּךְ אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): act like the Deer (עֲשֵׂה כְּמוֹ הַצְּבִי), For behold (שֶׁהִנֵּה), He does not slumber (לֹא יָנוּם), and He does not sleep (וְלֹא יִישָׁן), the Guardian of Israel (שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל) (Tehillim 121).

Rabbi Chiyya heard and said (שָׁמַע רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְאָמַר): if the supernal ones are involved in this house (אִי עִלָּאִין עַסְקִין בְּבֵיתָא), and I am sitting outside (וַאֲנָא יָתִיב אַבְרָאי), he wept (בָּכָה). Rabbi Shimon heard and said (שָׁמַע רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר): surely the Shekhinta is outside-who shall go out (וַדַּאי שְׁכִינְתָּא לְבָרָא, מַאן יִפּוּק)?

Rabbi El'azar his son said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ): if I am unworthy (אִי אֲנָא קָלֵינָא), I am not unworthy such that the Shekhinta be outside because of me (לֹא קָלֵינָא דְּהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא בָּרָא מִנָּנָא). Let the Shekhinta enter, and there be complete peace (לֵיעוּל שְׁכִינְתָּא, וְתֶהֱוֵי אֶשָּׁתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא). A voice was heard saying (שָׁמַע קָלָא דְּאָמַר): until the supports are secured (עַד לָא סַמְכִין אִסְתְּמָכוּ), and the gates are not rectified (וְתַרְעִין לָא אִתְתָּקָנוּ), and the lesser ones, Some say: and the hovering ones (וּמִזוּטְרֵי נ״א וּמִטּוּטְרֵי) of the spices of Eden of those here (דְּבוּסְמַיָּא דְּעֵדֶן דִּכְעָן הוּא), Rabbi El'azar shall not enter (לֹא נָפַק רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר).

Rabbi Chiyya sat (יָתִיב רִבִּי חִיָּיא), wept and sighed (בָּכָה וְאִתְגַּנַּח), opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר), (Shir haShirim 2) “Turn, be like, my beloved, like a Deer or a young hart” (סוֹב דְּמֵה לְךָ דּוֹדִי לִצְבִי אוֹ לְעֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים). The curtain-door opened (אִתְפְּתַח תַּרְעָא דְּפַרְגּוֹדָא), Rabbi Chiyya did not enter (לָא עָיִיִל רִבִּי חִיָּיא). Rabbi Shimon lifted his eyes and said (זָקִיף רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן עֵינוֹי וְאָמַר): from this it is heard that permission was granted to one who is outside, and we are inside (שְׁמַע מִינָּהּ אִתְיְהָיב רְשׁוּתָא לְמַאן דְּאִיהוּ אַבְרָאי וַאֲנָן לְגוֹ).

Rabbi Shimon arose (קָם רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), and the flame departed from its place (אָזַל אֶשָּׂא מִדּוּכְתֵּיהּ), until the place of Rabbi Chiyya (עַד דּוּכְתָּא דְּרִבִּי חִיָּיא). Rabbi Shimon said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): the spark of radiant light of the shining brilliance is outside (קוּזְטִיפָא דִּנְהוֹרָא דְּקַלִיטְרָא), Some say: of the beam of glory (ס״א: דְּקַלְדִּיטָא) is outside, and I am here inside (לְבַר וַאֲנָא הָכָא לְגוֹ). Rabbi Chiyya’s mouth was sealed (אִתְאַלַּם פּוּמֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי חִיָּיא). When he entered within (כֵּיוָן דְּעָאל לְגוֹ), he lowered his eyes (מַאִיךְ עֵינוֹי), and did not lift his head (וְלָא זָקִיף רֵישֵׁיהּ). Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi El'azar his son (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ): arise, pass your hand over his mouth (קוּם אַעְבָר יָדָךְ אֲפוּמֵיהּ), for he does not know this way, he is not accustomed to it (דְּלָא יָדַע בְּהַאי דְּלָא רָגִיל בֵּיהּ).

Rabbi El'azar arose (קָם רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), and passed his hand over Rabbi Chiyya’s mouth (אַעְבָּר יְדֵיהּ אֲפוּמֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי חִיָּיא). Rabbi Chiyya opened his mouth and said (פָּתַח פּוּמֵיהּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְאָמַר): the eye saw what I have never seen (חָמָא עֵינָא מַה דְּלָא חֲמֵינָא), I rose unworthy (אִזְדְּקַף דְּלָא חֲשִׁיבְנָא), better to die in the fire of burning good gold (טָב לְמֵימַת בְּאֶשָּׁא דְּדַהֲבָא טָבָא דָּלִיק).