Daf 25a (דַּף כ״ה ע״א)

Rabbi Yosei said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי), behold, the praise of all is (וְהָא שְׁבָחָא דְּכֹלָּא), And I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be to you as a God (וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים), and He said it afterward (וְאָמַר לֵיהּ לְבָתַר). He said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ), at that time (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא), they had no praise except for the Exodus (לֵית לְהוּ שְׁבָחָא אֶלָּא יְצִיאָה), for they thought they would never leave their servitude forever (דְּחָשִׁיבִי דְּלָא יִפְקוּן מֵעַבְדוּתְהוֹן לְעָלְמִין), because they saw there that all the prisoners among them (בְּגִין דַּהֲווֹ חָמָאן תַּמָּן דְּכָל אֲסִירֵי דַּהֲווֹ בֵּינַיְיהוּ), were bound with bonds of magic (מְקַשְׁרוּ לוֹן בְּקִשְׁרָא דְּחָרָשֵׁי), and could never depart from among them forever (וְלָא יַכְלִין לְנָפְקָא מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ לְעָלְמִין).

And therefore (וּבְגִין כַּךְ), that which was most beloved to them of all (מַה דְּחָבִיב עָלַיְיהוּ מִכֹּלָּא), was announced to them first (אִתְבַּשָּׂרוּ בֵּיהּ). And if you will say, even though they leave (וְאִי תֵּימָא אַף עַל גַּב דְּנָפְקוּ), perhaps their strength will be weakened (הָא דִּילְמָא יִזְּלוּן חֵילֵיהוּ) after them to bring them back (בַּתְרַיְיהוּ לְאַבְאָשָׁא לוֹן), it is written: And I will deliver you from their bondage (כְּתִיב וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מֵעֲבוֹדָתָם). And if you will say, they will go out and be rescued, but there will be no redemption for them (וְאִי תֵּימָא הָא יִפְקוּן וְיִשְׁתֵּזְבוּן, וְלָא יְהֵא לוֹן פְרִיקָא), Scripture says: And I will redeem you with an outstretched arm (תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וְגָאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בִּזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה). And if you will say, He will not receive them (וְאִי תֵּימָא לֹא יְקַבְּלֵם), behold, it is written: And I will take you (הָא כְּתִיב וְלָקַחְתִּי). And if you will say, that when He receives them He will not bring them into the land (וְאִי תֵּימָא כְּשֶׁיְּקַבְּלֵם לֹא יְבִיאֵם לָאָרֶץ), behold, it is written: And I will bring you… (הָא כְּתִיב וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם וְגוֹ').

Ra‘aya Meheimna

And I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be to you as a God, and you shall know that I am Hashem your God… (וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְגוֹ') this is the first commandment of all commandments (פִּקּוּדָא דָּא קַדְמָאָה דְּכָל פִּקּוּדִין). The first beginning of all commandments (רֵאשִׁיתָא קַדְמָאָה דְּכָל פִּקּוּדִין), is to know Kudsha Berikh Hu in the general sense (לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּכְלָלָא). What is in the general sense? (מַאי בִּכְלָלָא).

To know that there is a supreme ruler (לְמִנְדַּע דְּאִית שַׁלִּיטָא עִלָּאָה), that He is the Master of the world (דְּאִיהוּ רִבּוֹן עָלְמָא), and He created all the worlds (וּבָרָא עָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ), the heavens and the earth and all their hosts (שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא וְכָל חֵילֵיהוֹן). And this is the general sense (וְדָא אִיהוּ בִּכְלָלָא). And the end of everything is in the particular (וְסוֹפָא דְּכֹלָּא בִּפְרָט), to know Him in the particular (לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ בִּפְרָט). And general and particular is the secret of male and female as one (וּכְלָל וּפְרָט אִיהוּ רֵישָׁא וְסוֹפָא רָזָא דְּכָר וְנוּקְבָּא כַּחֲדָא), and man is found in this world (וְאִשְׁתְּכַח בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), who engages in general and particular (דְּאִתְעַסָּק בִּכְלָל וּפְרָט), man in this world is both general and particular (בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא אִיהוּ כְּלָל וּפְרָט).

The rectification of this world is general and particular (תִּקּוּנָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, אִיהוּ כְּלָל וּפְרָט). Therefore (בְּגִין כָּךְ), the beginning of all is to know that there is a ruler and judge over the world (רִאשִׁיתָא דְּכֹלָּא, לְמִנְדַּע דְּאִית שַׁלִּיט וְדַיָּין עַל עָלְמָא), and He is the Master of all worlds (וְאִיהוּ רִבּוֹן כָּל עָלְמִין). And He created man from earth (וּבָרָא לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ מֵעַפְרָא), and He blew into his nostrils a living Neshamah (וְנָפַח בְּאַפּוֹי נִשְׁמְתָא דְּחַיֵּי), and this is in the path of the general (וְדָא אִיהוּ בְּאוֹרַח כְּלָל).

When Yisrael went out of Egypt (כַּד נָפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם), they did not know Kudsha Berikh Hu (לָא הֲווֹ יַדְעֵי לֵיהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Once Moshe came to them (כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא מֹשֶׁה לְגַבַּיְיהוּ), this first commandment he taught them (פִּקּוּדָא קַדְמָאָה דָּא אוֹלִיף לוֹן), as it is written: And you shall know that I am Hashem your God, who brings you out… (דִּכְתִּיב, וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם וְגוֹ'). And were it not for this commandment (וְאִלְמָלֵא פִּקּוּדָא דָּא), Yisrael would not have believed (לָא הֲווֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵהֵימְנִין), in all the miracles and mighty deeds He did for them in Egypt (בְּכָל אִינּוּן נִיסִּין וּגְבוּרָן דְּעָבַד לוֹן בְּמִצְרַיִם).

Once they knew this commandment in the way of the general (כֵּיוָן דְּיָדְעוּ פִּקּוּדָא דָּא בְּאוֹרַח כְּלָל), miracles and mighty deeds were done for them (אִתְעָבִידוּ לְהוֹן נִסִּין וּגְבוּרָן). And at the end of forty years (וּלְסוֹף מ' שְׁנִין), during which they were engaged in all those commandments of the Orayta (דְּקָא אִשְׁתְּדָלוּ בְּכָל אִינּוּן פִּקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), which Moshe taught them (דְּאוֹלִיף לוֹן מֹשֶׁה), both those that are practiced in the Land and those practiced outside the Land (בֵּין אִינּוּן דְּמִתְנָהֲגֵי בְּאַרְעָא בֵּין אִינּוּן דְּמִתְנָהֲגֵי לְבַר מֵאַרְעָא), then he taught them in the manner of the particular (כְּדֵין, אוֹלִיף לוֹן בְּאוֹרַח פְּרָט). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), (Devarim 4) And you shall know today, and return to your heart… (וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וְהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ), “today” precisely (הַיּוֹם דַּיְיקָא), that which was not permissible beforehand (מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה רְשׁוּ מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא). For Hashem is the Elohim (כִּי יְיָ' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים) this is in the manner of the particular (דָּא בְּאוֹרַח פְּרָט), and in this word (בְּמִלָּה דָּא), how many secrets and hidden things are within it (כַמָּה רָזִין וְסִתְרִין אִית בָּהּ). And this and that which came before are one word altogether (וְדָא, וְהַהוּא דְּקַדְמֵיתָא, כֹּלָּא מִלָּה חֲדָא), this in general and that in particular (דָּא בִּכְלָל, וְדָא בִּפְרָט). And if you will say (וְאִי תֵּימָא), behold it is written (הָא כְּתִיב), (Proverbs 1) Yirat Hashem is the beginning of knowledge (יִרְאַת יְיָ' רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת).

The answer is (תִּירוּצָא), that this is in the manner of the particular (דָּא בְּאוֹרַח פְּרָט), to know Who is Yirat Hashem (לְמִנְדַּע מַאן אִיהוּ יִרְאַת יְיָ'). And even though a person has fear of Him before knowing (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְדַחֲלָא מִנֵּיהּ, עַד לָא יִנְדַּע), but here it is written: The beginning of knowledge (אֲבָל הָכָא כְּתִיב רֵאשִׁית דַּעַת), to know Him (לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ), for He is the beginning (דְּהָא אִיהוּ רֵאשִׁיתָא), to know Him in the manner of the particular (לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ בְּאוֹרַח פְּרָט). Therefore (בְּגִין כַּךְ), the first commandment is to know Kudsha Berikh Hu in general and in particular (פִּקּוּדָא קַדְמָאָה לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּכְלָל וּפְרָט), at the beginning and at the end (בְּרֵישָׁא וּבְסוֹפָא).

And the secret of this is-as it is written (Isaiah 44) I am first and I am last (וְרָזָא דָּא אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן וַאֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן). I am first in general (אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן בִּכְלָל), and I am last in particular (וַאֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן בִּפְרָט). And all is one generality (וְכֹלָּא בִּכְלָלָא חֲדָא), and one secret (וְרָזָא חֲדָא). Once this is known in general (כֵּיוָן דְּיִנְדַּע דָּא בִּכְלָל), all the limbs will be completed (יַשְׁלִים כָּל שַׁיְיפוֹי). And who are these? (וּמַאן אִינּוּן) The 248 commandments (רמ״ח פִּקּוּדִין), which are the 248 limbs of man (דְּאִינּוּן רמ״ח שַׁיְיפִין דְּבַר נָשׁ). Once he is completed in them in this general manner (כֵּיוָן דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים בְּהוּ עַל הַאי בִּכְלָל), then he will know in the manner of the particular (כְּדֵין יִנְדַּע בְּאוֹרַח פְּרָט), for this is the healing of all (דְּדָא אִיהוּ אַסְוָותָא לְכֻלְּהוּ), and he will know all the days of the year (וְיִנְדַּע כָּל יוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא), which are joined to bring healing to all the limbs (דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן לְמֵיהַב אַסְוָותָא לְכָל שַׁיְיפִין). And if you will say: all the days of the year-how do they bring healing to all the limbs? (וְאִי תֵּימָא, כָּל יוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא, הֵיךְ יַהֲבִין אַסְוָותָא לְכָל שַׁיְיפִין).

Certainly it is so, above and below (וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא), the year and its days (שַׁתָּא וְיוֹמֵי דִּילֵיהּ), give healing to all the limbs above and below (יַהֲבִין אַסְוָותָא לְכָל שַׁיְיפִין עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא), at the time when the limbs pour their blessing into the days of the year (בְּזִמְנָא דְּשַׁיְיפִין אֲרִיקוּ בִּרְכָּאן לְיוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא), then healing and life depend upon them from above (כְּדֵין אַסְוָותָא וְחַיִּין תַּלְיָין עֲלָן מִלְּעֵילָּא), and they are filled with all (וְאִתְמַלְיָין מִכֹּלָּא). Who causes this? (מַאן גָּרִים לוֹן) The days of the year (יוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא).