Daf 26a (דַּף כ״ו ע״א)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), all the days that Moshe was in Egypt (כָּל יוֹמִין דְּהֲוָה מֹשֶׁה בְּמִצְרַיִם), when he sought to bring forth the word from exile (דְּבָעָא לְאַפָּקָא מִלָּה מִן גָּלוּתָא), he did not utter the word, which is speech (לָא מַלִּיל מִלָּה, דְּאִיהוּ דִּבּוּר).

Once it went out from exile (כֵּיוָן דְּנָפַק מִן גָּלוּתָא), and voice was joined with speech (וְאִתְחֲבָּר קוֹל בְּדִבּוּר), that word which is speech conducted and spoke to Yisrael (הַהוּא מִלָּה דְּאִיהוּ דִּבּוּר, אַנְהִיג וְדָבַּר לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), but did not speak fully (אֲבָל לָא מַלִּיל), until they approached Mount Sinai (עַד דְּקָרִיבוּ לְטוּרָא דְּסִינַי), and opened in Orayta (וּפָתַח בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), for thus it appeared (דְּהָכִי אִתְחָזֵי). And if you say (Exodus 13) For Elohim said, lest the people repent… (כִּי אָמַר אֱלֹקִים פֶּן יִנָּחֵם הָעָם), it does not say for He spoke (לָא כְּתִיב כִּי דִּבֵּר), but for He said (אֶלָּא כִּי אָמַר), which is desire of the heart in concealment (דְּאִיהוּ רְעוּתָא דְּלִבָּא בַּחֲשָׁאי), and behold we have already established this And Elohim spoke to Moshe, and said to him: I am Hashem p5-47(וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי יְיָ').

Rabbi Yehudah opened: (Shir haShirim 5) I arose to open for my Beloved, and my Beloved had turned and gone… (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, קַמְתִּי אֲנִי לִפְתּוֹחַ לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי חָמַק עָבָר וְגוֹ'). I arose to open for my Beloved-this is voice (קַמְתִּי אֲנִי לִפְתּוֹחַ לְדוֹדִי, דָּא קָלָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), when Knesset Yisrael is in exile (כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּד אִיהִי בְּגָלוּתָא), the voice departs from her (קָלָּא אִסְתְּלַק מִינָהּ), and the word is absent from her (וּמִלָּה אִשְׁתְּכַךְ מִינָהּ), as it is said (Psalms 39) I was mute in silence (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר נְאֱלַמְתִּי דּוּמִיָּה). And if the word is awakened, what is written? And my Beloved had turned and gone (וְאִי אִתְּעַר מִלְּתָא, מַה כְּתִיב, וְדוֹדִי חָמַק עָבָר), for the voice departed from her, and the word ceased (דְּהָא קָלָא אִסְתְּלַק מִינָהּ, וּפָסְקָא מִלָּה). As it is said (כַּמָּה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), And Elohim spoke to Moshe (וְעַל דָּא וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל מֹשֶׁה), allowed to speak and then ceased and was silent (שָׁרִיאַת לְמַלְּלָא וּפָסַק וְשָׁתִיק). Afterwards the voice was completed and said: And He said to him, I am Hashem (לְבָתַר אַשְׁלִים קָלָא וְאָמַר וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי יְיָ').

And I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya‘akov (וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב) in Ya‘akov there is an added vav (בְּיַעֲקֹב תּוֹסֶפֶת וָא״ו), for he is the completion of the Patriarchs (דְּאִיהוּ שְׁלִימוּ דַּאֲבָהָן), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), the God of Avraham, the God of Yitzchak, and the God of Ya‘akov (אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב) in Ya‘akov there is an added vav (בְּיַעֲקֹב תּוֹסֶפֶת וָא״ו). Rabbi Yosei said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): If so, behold it is written (Bereshit 28) I am Hashem, the God of Avraham your father, and the God of Yitzchak (אֲנִי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ וֵאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק) behold, in Yitzchak there is an added vav (הָא בְּיִצְחָק תּוֹסֶפֶת וָא״ו).

He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ), it was fitting (שַׁפִּיר הֲוָה), because Ya‘akov was alive (בְּגִין דְּיַעֲקֹב הֲוָה קַיָּים), and he was included into Yitzchak (וְאַכְלִיל לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב בְּיִצְחָק), who was as dead (דְּהֲוָה מֵית), for his eyes had dimmed (דְּאִתְחַשְּׁכוּ עֵינוֹי), and he was like one dead (וַהֲוָה כַּמֵּת), for as long as a person lives in this world (דְּהָא בְּעוֹד דְּבַר נָשׁ אִיהוּ קַיָּים בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), the holy Name is not mentioned upon him (לָא אִדְכַּר עֲלוֹי שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), and for that reason he was included in Yitzchak (וְעַל דָּא אַכְלִיל לֵיהּ בְּיִצְחָק).

Now that Ya‘akov died (הַשְׁתָּא דְּמִית יַעֲקֹב), the word came in his place (אָתָא מִלָּה בְּאַתְרֵיהּ), and this is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב): And I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya‘akov, with the added Vav (וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב, בְּתוֹסֶפֶת ו׳). In El Shaddai (בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי) (Bereshit 17:1) I was seen to them (אִתְחֲזֵינָא לְהוּ), from a mirror that does not shine (מִגּוֹ אַסְפָּקְלַרְיָא דְּלָא נָהֲרָא), and I was not seen from within the shining mirror (וְלָא אִתְחֲזֵינָא מִגּוֹ אַסְפָּקְלַרְיָא דְּנָהֲרָא). And if you say that they used only the Nukvah and no more (וְאִי תֵּימָא דְּהָא אִשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּ בְּנוּקְבָּא בִּלְחוֹד וְלָא יַתִּיר), come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), that they were never separated (דְּלָא אִתְפָּרְשָׁן לְעָלְמִין), and this is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב): And also I established My covenant with them (וְגַם הֲקִימוֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם), for the Berit was joined with her (דְּהָא בְּרִית אִתְחַבַּר עִמָּהּ).

From Kudsha Berikh Hu one must learn (מִקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְמֵילָף), for He said He did not separate them (דְּהָא אִיהוּ קָאָמַר דְּלָא פָּרִישׁ לוֹן), as it is written: In El Shaddai (דִּכְתִיב בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי), and it is written (וּכְתִיב): And also I established My covenant with them (וְגַם הֲקִימוֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם), in order to establish permanence in one Union (בְּגִין לְקַיְּימָא קִיּוּמָא בְּיִחוּדָא חַד), And also I established My covenant with them… (וְגַם הֲקִימוֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם וְגוֹ׳). It has been said (הָא אִתְּמַר): whoever merits the Berit, inherits the Land (מַאן דְּזַכֵּי לִבְרִית, יָרִית לְאַרְעָא).

Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi Yosei were once present before Rabbi Shim‘on (רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יוֹסִי, הֲווֹ שְׁכִיחֵי יוֹמָא חַד קָמֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן). Rabbi Shim‘on opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר): (Job 19) Tremble for yourselves before the sword… (Vayikra 52b) for wrath brings the iniquities of the sword, that you may know judgment (גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חֶרֶב לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּן שַׁדּוּן). It is written Shaddin (שַׁדִּין כְּתִיב).

Tremble for yourselves before the sword-what is the sword? (גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב, מַאן חֶרֶב). This is (Vayikra 26) a sword avenging the vengeance of the covenant (דָּא חֶרֶב נוֹקֶמֶת נְקַם בְּרִית), for this sword stands to examine one who falsifies the covenant (דְּהָא הַאי חֶרֶב קָאִים לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא מַאן דִּמְשַׁקֵּר בִּבְּרִית), for whoever falsifies the covenant-vengeance is taken from him, this sword it is p5-48(דְּכָל מַאן דִּמְשַׁקֵּר בִּבְּרִית, נוּקְמָא דְּנַקְמִין מִנֵּיהּ, הַאי חֶרֶב הוּא). This is that which is written, (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב) “For fury slays the iniquities” (Job 19) (כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חָרֶב). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעֲמָא). Because one who defiles the covenant (בְּגִין דְּמַאן דִּמְשַׁקֵּר בִּבְרִית) withdraws abomination (פָּרִישׁ תִּיאוּבְתָּא) and does not take from the one who takes (וְלָא נָטִיל מַאן דְּנָטִיל) and does not give to his place (וְלָא יָהִיב לְאַתְרֵיהּ) for his place is not aroused toward him (דְּהָא לָא אִתְּעַר לְגַבֵּיהּ אַתְרֵיהּ). But whoever guards this covenant (וְכָל מַאן דְּנָטִיר לֵיהּ לְהַאי בְּרִית) he causes this covenant to be aroused toward its place (אִיהוּ גָּרִים לְאִתְּעֲרָא לְהַאי בְּרִית לְאַתְרֵיהּ). And blessings above and below are bestowed (וְאִתְבָּרְכָאן עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין).

Who arouses this covenant to its place? (מַאן אִתְּעַר הַאי בְּרִית לְאַתְרֵיהּ). When there are found meritorious ones in the world (כַּד אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ זַכָּאִין בְּעָלְמָא). From where do we learn this? From here: (מְנָא לָן, מֵהָכָא) as it is written, (Exodus 6) “And also I have established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings.” (דִּכְתִּיב וְגַם הֲקִימוֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם לָתֵת לָהֶם אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן אֶת אֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵיהֶם). What is “their sojournings”? (מַאי מְגוּרֵיהֶם). As you say, “Flee for yourselves from the sword.” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב). For it is the place that casts trembling in the world (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אֲתָר, דְּאַשְׁדֵי מָגוֹר בְּעָלְמָא) and therefore, “Flee for yourselves from the sword.” (וְעַל דָּא גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב). Wherein they sojourned (אֲשֶׁר גָּרוּ בָהּ) from the day they drew near to Kudsha Berikh Hu (מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְקְרִיבוּ לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא) there is fear within it, fear (דְּחִילוּ בָּהּ דְּחִילוּ) And fear (וּדְחִילוּ) (Some say: and fear of fear (נ״א: וְדְחִילוּ דְחִילוּ). supreme is within it to guard His commandments (עִלָּאָה בָּהּ לְמִיטַר פִּקוּדוֹי). For if this dread is not cast (Some say: For behold, dread is not cast-(דְּאִי בְּהַאי לָא יִשְׁדֵי (נ״א: דְהָא לָא אַשְׁדִי)) upon the head of a man (דְּחִילוּ עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ) he will not fear Kudsha Berikh Hu ever, in the rest of His commandments (לָא דָּחִיל לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעָלְמִין בִּשְׁאַר פִּקוּדוֹי).