Daf 28b (דַּף כ״ח ע״ב)

Rabbi El'azar said: Let their spirit be cursed (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, תִּפַּח רוּחֵיהוֹן), those who say that Kudsha Berikh Hu is not destined to resurrect the dead (דְּאִינּוּן דְּאַמְרִין, דְּלָא זַמִין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַחֲיָיא מֵתַיָּיא), and how could a new being be made from them? (וְהֵיךְ יִתְעֲבִיד מִנַּיְיהוּ בִּרְיָה חַדְתָּא).

Let them come and see, those foolish guilty ones (יֵיתוּן וְיֶחמוּן אִינּוּן טִפְּשָׁאִין חַיָּיבַיָּא), distant from Orayta, distant from Him (רְחִיקִין מֵאוֹרַיְיתָא, רְחִיקִין מִנֵּיהּ): in the hand of Aharon was a rod (בִּידֵיהּ דְּאַהֲרֹן הֲוָה חוּטְרָא), a dry staff (אָעָא יְבֵישָׁא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu, at that moment, turned it into a being (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא אַהְדָּר לֵיהּ בִּרְיָה), transformed in spirit and in body (מְשַׁנְיָא בְּרוּחָא וְגוּפָא). Those bodies, which had within them Holy Spirits and Neshamin (אִינּוּן גּוּפִין, דַּהֲווֹ בְּהוּ רוּחִין וְנִשְׁמָתִין קַדִּישִׁין), and guarded the commandments of the Orayta (וְנָטְרוּ פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא), and labored in Orayta day and night (וְאִשְׁתַּדָּלוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יְמָמָא וְלֵילֵי), and Kudsha Berikh Hu hid them in the dust (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא טָמִיר לוֹן בְּעַפְרָא). Afterwards, at the time when the world rejoices (לְבָתַר, בְּזִמְנָא דִּיחֲדֵי עָלְמָא), how much more so will He make of them a new being! (עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה דְּיַעֲבִד לְהוּ בִּרְיָה חַדְתָּא).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said: And not only that, but that very body that was shall rise (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְּהַהוּא גּוּפָא דְּהֲוָה, יָקוּם). As it is implied by that which is written: “Your dead shall live” (Isaiah 26) (מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִּיב, יִחְיוּ מֵתֶיךָ), and it is not written “shall be created” (וְלָא כְּתִיב יִבְרָא), implying that they are beings, only they shall live (מַשְׁמַע דְּבִרְיָין אִינּוּן אֲבָל יִחְיוּ). For one bone remains from the body beneath the earth (דְּהָא גַּרְמָא חַד, יִשְׁתְּאַר מִן גּוּפָא תְּחוֹת אַרְעָא), and that one does not rot and is not consumed in the dust ever (וְהַהוּא לָא אִתְרְקַב וְלָא אִתְבְּלֵי בְּעַפְרָא לְעָלְמִין). And at that time, Kudsha Berikh Hu will soften it (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יֵרַכֵּךְ לֵיהּ), and make of it like yeast in dough (וְיַעְבִיד לֵיהּ כַּחֲמִירָא בְּעִיסָה), and it will rise and spread to the four corners (וְיִסְתְּלַק וְיִתְפְּשַׁט לְאַרְבַּע זָוְיָין), and from it the body and all its limbs will be completed (וּמִנֵּיהּ יִשְׁתַּכְלַל גּוּפָא וְכָל שַׁיְיפוֹי). And Kudsha Berikh Hu will place a spirit within it afterwards (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב בֵּיהּ רוּחָא לְבָתַר).

Rabbi El'azar said to him: So it is (אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הָכִי הוּא). And come and see: by what is that bone softened? By dew (וְתָא חֲזֵי, הַהוּא גַּרְמָא בְּמָה אִתְרְכַךְ. בַּטָּל). As it is written: “For your dew is the dew of lights…” (Isaiah 26) (דִּכְתִּיב, כִּי טַל אוֹרוֹת טַלֶּךָ וְגוֹ'). And Hashem said to Moshe (וַיֹּאמֶר יי אֶל מֹשֶׁה), “Say to Aharon (אֱמוֹר אֶל אַהֲרֹן), take your staff (קַח מַטְּךָ), and stretch your hand over the waters of Egypt (וּנְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל מֵימֵי מִצְרַיִם), over their rivers (עַל נַהֲרוֹתָם), over their canals (עַל יְאוֹרֵיהֶם), and over their pools (וְעַל אֲגְמֵיהֶם), and over all their gatherings of water (וְעַל כָּל מִקְוֵה מֵימֵיהֶם), and they shall become blood…” (וְהָיוּ דָּם וְגו׳).

Rabbi Yehuda said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה), this verse must be contemplated (הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ), for how could he reach all those places? (וְהֵיךְ יָכִיל לְמֵהַךְ לְכָל הָנֵי אַתְרֵי). And furthermore (וְתוּ), is it not written (דְּהָא כְּתִיב), “and seven days were fulfilled after Hashem smote the river” (וַיִּמָּלֵא שִׁבְעַת יָמִים אַחֲרֵי הַכּוֹת יי אֶת הַיְאוֹר), “the river” is written (אֶת הַיְאוֹר כְּתִיב), yet you said (וְאַתְּ אָמַרְתְּ), over the waters of Egypt…? (עַל מֵימֵי מִצְרַיִם עַל נַהֲרוֹתָם עַל יְאוֹרֵיהֶם וְעַל אֲגְמֵיהֶם). Rather (אֶלָּא), “waters of Egypt” means the Nile (מֵימֵי מִצְרַיִם נִילוּס הֲוָה), and from there (וּמִתַּמָּן) all their other pools, rivers, springs, and waters are filled (אִתְמַלְיָין כָּל אִינּוּן שְׁאַר אֲגַמִּין וִיאוֹרִין וּמַבּוּעִין וְכָל מֵימִין דִּילְהוֹן). And so (וְעַל דָּא), Aharon struck only the Nile (אַהֲרֹן לֹא נָטָה לְמַחֲאָה אֶלָּא לְנִילוּס בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). Come and see (וְתָא חֲזֵי) that so it is, for it is written (דְּהָכִי הוּא, דִּכְתִיב), “and Egypt could not drink water from the river” (וְלֹא יָכְלוּ מִצְרַיִם לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִן הַיְאוֹר).

Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא), come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), lower waters branch to many directions (מַיִין תַּתָּאִין מִתְפָּרְשָׁאן לְכַמָּה סִטְרִין). Some say: and upper waters too (נ״א: וּמַיִין עִלָּאִין ע״כ וְגו׳), for upper waters gather in the house of water assembly (וּמַיִין עִלָּאִין מִתְכַּנְשֵׁי בְּבֵי כְּנִישׁוּ מַיָּא), as it is written (דִּכְתִיב), “Let the waters beneath the heavens be gathered to one place” (Bereshit 1) (וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם אֶל מָקוֹם אֶחָד), and it is written (וּכְתִיב), “To the gathering of waters He called seas” (וּלְמִקְוֵה הַמַּיִם קָרָא יַמִּים). This verse was established (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

Come and see (וְתָא חֲזֵי), that firmament wherein are sun, moon, stars, and constellations (הַהוּא רְקִיעָא דְּאִית בֵּיהּ שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא כּוֹכָבַיָיא וּמַזָּלֵי), this is the house of the great water gathering (דָּא אִיהוּ בֵּי כְּנִישׁוּת מַיָּא רַבָּא), that receives all waters and irrigates the earth (דְּהוּא נָטִיל כָּל מַיִין, וְאַשְׁקֵי לְאַרְעָא), which is the lower world (דְּהִיא עָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה). When it receives water, it distributes and divides it to every direction (כֵּיוָן, דְּנָטַל מַיָּא, בָּדַר לוֹן, וּפָלִיג לוֹן לְכָל עִיבָר), and from there all are watered (וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְשַׁקְיָין כֹּלָּא). And at the time that judgment descends (וּבְזִמְנָא דְּדִינָא שַׁרְיָא), the lower world does not draw from that firmament (עָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה לָא יַנְקָא מִן הַהוּא רְקִיעָא), but draws from the side of the left (וְיַנְקָא מִסְּטַר שְׂמָאלָא), and then it is called: “A sword of Hashem is filled with blood” (Isaiah 34) (וּכְדֵין אִקְרֵי חֶרֶב לַה׳ מָלְאָה דָּם).

Woe to those who draw from it then (וַוֵי לְאִינוּן דְּיַנְקִין כְּדֵין מִינָהּ), and are watered from it (וְאִתְשַׁקְיָין מִינָהּ), for at that time the sea draws from two sides (דִּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא יַמָּא יַנְקָא מִתְּרֵין סִטְרִין), and becomes divided into two portions-white and red (הֲוָה אִתְפְּלַג לִתְרֵין חוּלָקִין, חִוָּור וְסוּמָק). Then the red portion is cast into the Nile of Egypt (וּכְדֵין שָׁדֵי לִיאוֹרָא חוּלָקָא דְּמִצְרַיִם), and it rises above and descends below (וְאַלְקֵי לְעֵילָּא וְאַלְקֵי לְתַתָּא), and for this reason Yisrael drank water (וְעַל דָּא שָׁתָאן יִשְׂרָאֵל מַיָּא), and Egypt drank blood (וּמִצְרָאֵי דָּמָא). And if you would say: it was only because of boiling and not more (אִי תֵּימָא בְּגִין גִּיעוּלָא הֲוָה וְלָא יַתִּיר), come and see: they drank blood, and it entered their innards (תָּא חֲזֵי, שָׁתָאן דָּמָא וְעָאל לְמֵעַיְיהוּ), and it was absorbed and burst forth (וְאִסְתַּלָּק וּבָקַע), until Yisrael were selling them water for money (עַד דַּהֲווֹ מְזַבְּנִין לוֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל מַיָּא בְּמָמוֹנָא), and then water was poured for them (וּכְדֵין שָׁתָאן מַיָּא), for such was the dominion of smiting upon them (בְּגִינִי כַּךְ שֵׁירוּתָא לְאַלְקָאָה לוֹן הֲוָה דָּמָא).

Rabbi Yitzḥak opened this verse (רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח הַאי קְרָא), “I will exalt You, my God the King, and I will bless Your Name forever and ever” (Psalms 145) (אֲרוֹמִמְךָ אֱלֹהַי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַאֲבָרְכָה שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד). Come and see: David spoke corresponding to his own level (תָּא חֲזֵי, דָּוִד לָקֳבֵיל דַּרְגָּא דֵילֵיהּ קָאָמַר), as it is written: “my God” (דִּכְתִּיב אֱלֹהַי דִּידִי). For he sought to elevate praise (בְּגִין דְּבָעָא לְסַלְּקָא שְׁבָחֵיהּ), and to raise it to the supernal light (וּלְאַעֲלָא לֵיהּ לִנְהוֹרָא עִלָּאָה), to mingle this with that (לְאִתְעָרְבָא דָּא בְּדָא), to become all one (לְמֶהֱוֵי כֹּלָּא חַד). For this reason: “I will exalt You, my God the King…” (בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ, אֲרוֹמִמְךָ אֱלֹהַי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְגו׳).