Daf 22a (דַּף כ״ב ע״א)

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): in the manner that Moshe was separated from all other prophets (כְּגַוונָא דְּהֲוָה מֹשֶׁה, פָּרִישׁ מִכָּל נְבִיאֵי), with a holy and supernal prophecy (בִּנְּבוּאָה קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה), so too was Bil‘am separated from other prophets and sorcerers (כַּךְ הֲוָה בִּלְעָם, פָּרִישׁ מִשְּׁאָר נְבִיאֵי וָחֳרָשֵׁי), with a prophecy that was not holy, below (בִּנְּבוּאָה דְּלָאו קַדִּישָׁא לְתַתָּא). And in every regard (וְעַל כָּל פָּנִים), Moshe was above (מֹשֶׁה הֲוָה לְעֵילָּא), and Bil‘am was below (וּבִלְעָם לְתַתָּא), and many levels and degrees separated between them (וְכַמָּה דַּרְגִּין וְדַרְגִּין מִתְפָּרְשִׁין בֵּינַיְיהוּ).

Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק): Moshe was contemplating and saying (מֹשֶׁה הֲוָה מְהַרְהֵר וְאוֹמֵר): perhaps, Heaven forbid, Yisrael will be consumed through this harsh servitude (שֶׁמָּא חַס וְשָׁלוֹם יִשְׂרָאֵל יִכְלוּ בְּהַאי עֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה). This is what is written (Exodus 2) “And he saw their burdens” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב: וַיַּרְא בְּסִבְלוֹתָם). Therefore (לְפִיכָךְ), “an angel of Hashem appeared to him in a flame of fire,” etc. (וַיֵּרָא מַלְאַךְ יְיָ אֵלָיו בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ וְגוֹ׳), “and he saw, and behold, the bush was burning with fire,” etc. (Exodus 3) (וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה הַסְּנֶה בּוֹעֵר בָּאֵשׁ וְגוֹ׳). That is to say (כְּלוֹמַר): they are enslaved in hard labor (מְשׁוּעֲבָּדִים הֵם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה), but “the bush was not consumed” (אֲבָל וְהַסְּנֶה אֵינֶנּוּ אוּכָּל). Blessed are Yisrael (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל), for Kudsha Berikh Hu separated them from all the nations (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא פָּרִישׁ לוֹן מִכָּל עַמִּין), and called them His children (וְקָרָא לוֹן בְּנִין), as it is written (Deuteronomy 14) “You are children to Hashem your Elohim” (דִּכְתִּיב: בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם).

Parashat Va'era

nd Elohim spoke to Moshe and said to him, I am Hashem. And I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya'akov as El Shaddai…” (Exodus 6) (וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי יְיָ. וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי וְגוֹ׳). Rabbi Abba opened and said (רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר), (Isaiah 26) “Trust in Hashem forever, for in Yah, Hashem, is the Rock of worlds” (בִּטְחוּ בַיְיָ עֲדֵי עַד, כִּי בְּיָהּ יְיָ צוּר עוֹלָמִים). “Trust in Hashem”-all the people of the world need to strengthen themselves in Kudsha Berikh Hu (בִּטְחוּ בַיְיָ, כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא בַּעְיָין לְאִתַּתְקְפָא בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and to make Him their trust (וּלְמֶהֱוֵי רָחְצַנּוּ דִּלְהוֹן בֵּיהּ).

If so, what is “forever” (אִי הָכִי מַהוּ עֲדֵי עַד)? Rather, in order that the strength of a person be in that place which is the existence and bond of all (אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דִּיהֵא תֻּקְפָּא דְּבַר נָשׁ בַּאֲתַר דְּאִיהוּ קִיּוּמָא וְקִשּׁוּרָא דְּכֹלָּא), and is called “forever” (וְאִקְרֵי עַד). And they have established it, as it is said (Bereshit 49) “In the morning he shall devour prey (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: בַּבֹּקֶר יֹאכַל עַד). And this “forever” is the place that holds to all sides (וְהַאי עַד, אֲתָר דְּאָחִיד לְכָל סִטְרִין), to this side and to that side (לְסִטְרָא דָּא וּלְסִטְרָא דָּא), to be established and to be bound with a bond that will not move (לְאִתְקַיְּימָא וּלְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא קִשְׁרָא דִּי לָא תַּעְדֵי). And this “forever”-the desire of all is in it (וְהַאי עַד, תִּיאוּבְתָּא דְּכֹלָּא בֵּיהּ), as it is said “Ad the desire of the everlasting hills” p5-40(כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: עַד תַּאֲוַת גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָם).

Who are the everlasting hills? (מַאן אִינּוּן גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָם) These are the two feminine mothers-Jubilee (Yovel) and Sabbatical (Shemitah) (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן תְּרֵין אִמָּהָן נוּקְבֵי, יוֹבֵל וּשְׁמִטָּה), that are called “the everlasting hills” (דְּאִקְרוּן גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָם). “Everlasting”-as it is said (Psalms 106) “From the world to the world” (עוֹלָם: כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם). (Yovel and Shemitah-each of them is called “world,” and these are called the everlasting hills) (יוֹבֵל וּשְׁמִטָּה: כָּל חַד מִנְהוֹן אַקְרֵי עוֹלָם, וְאִלֵּין אַקְרוֹן גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָם). And their desire is in this “forever” (וְתִיאוּבְתָּא דִילְהוֹן בְּהַאי עַד), which is the establishment of all directions (דְּאִיהוּ קִיּוּמָא דְּכָל סִטְרִין). Why? The desire of Jubilee is in regard to “forever” (מַאי טַעֲמָא תִּיאוּבְתָּא דְּיוֹבְלָא לְגַבֵּי דְּעַד), to crown it (לְאַעְטְּרָא לֵיהּ), and to bestow upon it blessings (וּלְנַגְדָּא עָלֵיהּ בִּרְכָּאן), and to draw upon it sweet fountains (וּלְאַרְקָא עָלֵיהּ מַבּוּעִין מְתִיקִין). This is what is written (Song of Songs 3) “Go forth and see, O daughters of Zion, the King Shlomo with the crown with which his mother crowned him” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב: צְאֶינָה וּרְאֶינָה בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן בַּמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה בַּעֲטָרָה שֶׁעִטְּרָה לוֹ אִמּוֹ).

The desire of Shemitah-to be blessed from it and to be illumined by it (תִּיאוּבְתָּא דִּשְׁמִטָּה, לְאִתְבָּרְכָא מִנֵּיהּ וּלְאַתְנַהֲרָא מִנֵּיהּ). Certainly, this “forever” is the desire of the everlasting hills (וַדַּאי הַאי עַד תַּאֲוַת גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָם אִיהוּ). Because of this (בְּגִין כַּךְ), “Trust in Hashem forever” (Isaiah 26) (בִּטְחוּ בַיְיָ עֲדֵי עַד), for from there and higher (דְּהָא מִתַּמָּן וּלְעֵילָּא), it is a hidden and concealed place (אֲתָר טָמִיר וְגָנִיז אִיהוּ), which cannot be grasped (דְּלָא יָכִיל לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא). That place, from which the worlds were emanated and formed (אֲתָר הוּא, דְּמִנֵּיהּ נָפְקוּ וְאִצְטַיְּירוּ עָלְמִין), as it is written: “For in Yah, Hashem, is the Rock of worlds” (Isaiah 26) (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב: כִּי בְּיָהּ יְיָ צוּר עוֹלָמִים). And it is a concealed and sealed place (וְהוּא אֲתָר גָּנִיז וְסָתִים), and for this it is said: “Trust in Hashem forever” (וְעַל דָּא בִּטְחוּ בַיְיָ עֲדֵי עַד). Up to this point one is permitted to contemplate it (עַד הָכָא אִית רְשׁוּ לְכָל בַּר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ), from here on-no man has permission to contemplate it (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה לֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְבַּר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ), for it is concealed from all (דְּהָא אִיהוּ גָּנִיז מִכֹּלָּא). And who is this? Yah YHVH (וּמַאן אִיהוּ יָהּ יְדוָד), for from there all the worlds were formed (דִּמִתַּמָּן אִצְטַיְּירוּ עָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ), and no one can attain that place (וְלֵית מַאן דְּקָאֵים עַל הַהוּא אֲתָר).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): the verse proves it, as it is written (Deuteronomy 4) “For ask now regarding the former days…” (קְרָא אוֹכַח עָלֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב: כִּי שְׁאַל נָא לְיָמִים רִאשׁוֹנִים וְגוֹ׳). Until this point, a person has permission to contemplate (עַד הָכָא אִית רְשׁוּ לְבַּר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא), from here on, no one can stand upon it (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה לֵית מַאן דְּיָכִיל לְמֵיקָם עָלֵיהּ).

Another matter: “Trust in Hashem forever” (דָּבָר אַחֵר: בִּטְחוּ בַיְיָ עֲדֵי עַד): all the days of man (כָּל יוֹמוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ), he must strengthen himself in Kudsha Berikh Hu (בָּעֵי לְאִתַּתְקְפָא בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as David said (Psalms 25) “My Elohim, in You I trust, let me not be ashamed, let my enemies not rejoice over me” (דְּהָכִי אָמַר דָּוִד: אֱלֹהַי בְּךָ בָטַחְתִּי אַל אֵבוֹשָׁה, אַל יַעַלְצוּ אוֹיְבַי לִי). And whoever sets his trust and strength properly in Him (וּמַאן דְּשַׁוֵי בֵיהּ בִּטְחוֹנֵיהּ וְתוּקְפֵּיהּ כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת), no one in the world can bring him to shame (לָא יַכְלִין לְאַבְאָשָׁא לֵיהּ כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא), for as David said (Psalms 25) “My God, in You I trust…” (דְּהָכִי אָמַר דָּוִד: אֱלֹהַי בְּךָ בָטַחְתִּי…). For whoever sets his strength in the Holy Name (דְּכָל מַאן דְּשַׁוֵי תּוּקְפֵּיהּ בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), is sustained in the world (אִתְקַיַּים בְּעָלְמָא).