Daf 31a (דַּף ל״א ע״א)

Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Ḥiyya were walking on the road (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרִבִּי חִיָּיא, הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאוֹרְחָא). Rabbi Ḥiyya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא): the friends, when they are on the road (חַבְרַיָּיא כַּד אִינּוּן בְּאוֹרְחָא), must go with one heart (בַּעְיָין לְמֵהַךְ בְּלִבָּא חַד). And if there should be among them those unworthy-either sinners of the world or people not from the palace of the King (וְאִי אִיעֲרָעוּ, אוֹ אַזְלֵי בְּגַוַויְיהוּ חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא, אוֹ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּלָאו אִינּוּן מֵהֵיכָלָא דְּמַלְכָּא) they must separate from them (בָּעוּ לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנַּיְיהוּ). From where do we know this? From Kalev (מְנָא לָן. מִכָּלֵב), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב) (Numbers 14) “But My servant Kalev, because he had a different spirit with him, and he followed Me fully” (דִּכְתִּיב וְעַבְדִּי כָלֵב עֵקֶב הָיְתָה רוּחַ אַחֶרֶת עִמּוֹ וַיְמַלֵּא אַחֲרָי). What is “a different spirit”? (מַאי רוּחַ אַחֶרֶת).

That he separated from those who spoke evil (דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאִינוּן מְאַלְּלִין), as it is written (Numbers 13) “And they went up into the Negev, and he came to Ḥevron” (דִּכְתִּיב וַיַּעֲלוּ בַנֶּגֶב וַיָּבֹא עַד חֶבְרוֹן). He separated from those who slandered and went alone to Ḥevron (דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאִינוּן מְאַלְּלִין וְאָתָא אִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי לְחֶבְרוֹן), to prostrate on the graves of the Patriarchs (לְאִשְׁתַּטְּחָא עַל קִבְרֵי אֲבָהָן). And Ḥevron was given to him as a portion and inheritance in order to be strengthened in it (וְחֶבְרוֹן, אִתְיְהִיב לֵיהּ חוּלָק אַחֲסָנָא לְאִתַּתְקְפָא בֵּיהּ), as it is said (Deuteronomy 1) “and to him I shall give the land upon which he trod” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר וְלוֹ אֶתֵּן אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר דָּרַךְ בָּהּ). Why did they give him Ḥevron? (אֲמַאי יָהִיבוּ לֵיהּ חֶבְרוֹן). Was it because he prostrated on the graves of the Patriarchs and was saved from that evil counsel, that he was delivered? (אִי בְּגִין דְּאִשְׁתָּטַּח בְּקִבְרֵי אֲבָהָן לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא מֵהַהוּא עֵיטָא דִּילְהוֹן דְּאִשְׁתְּזִיב). No (לָא). Rather, I heard a secret of the matter (אֶלָּא, רָזָא דְּמִלָּה שְׁמַעְנָא).

In this manner it is written (2 Samuel 2) “And David asked of Hashem, saying: Shall I go up to one of the cities of Yehudah? And Hashem said to him: Go up. And David said: To where shall I go up? And He said: To Ḥevron” (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא כְּתִיב וַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִד בַּיי לֵאמֹר הַאֶעֱלֶה בְּאַחַת עָרֵי יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר יי אֵלָיו עֲלֵה וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אָנָּה אֶעֱלֶה וַיֹּאמֶר חֶבְרוֹנָה). Here we must consider (הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא): since Shaul was already dead (כֵּיוָן דְּהָא מִית שָׁאוּל), and David had already been anointed in Shaul’s days to receive Molcho (וְדָוִד בְּיוֹמֵי דְּשָׁאוּל אִתְמְשַׁח לְקַבְּלָא מַלְכוּ), why was he not crowned king immediately, and did not accept Molcho over all Yisrael? (כֵּיוָן דְּמִית שָׁאוּל אֲמַאי לָא אַמְלִיכוּ לֵיהּ לְדָוִד, וְלָא קַבִּיל מַלְכוּ עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל). Rather, he came to Ḥevron and accepted Molcho only over Yehudah for seven years (וְאָתָא לְחֶבְרוֹן, וּמַלְכוּ קַבִּיל עַל יְהוּדָה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים), and remained there those seven years (וְאִתְעַכָּב תַּמָּן כָּל הָנֵי שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים), and after Ish Boshet died he accepted Molcho over all Yisrael in Yerushalayim (וּלְבָתַר דְּמִית אִישׁ בּוֹשֶת קַבִּיל מָלְכוּ עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם). Rather, all this is a secret before Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֶלָּא, כֹּלָּא הוּא רָזָא קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): the Holy Kingship did not accept Molcho completely until it was joined with the Patriarchs (מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא קַבִּיל מַלְכוּ שְׁלֵימָתָא, עַד דְּאִתְחֲבָּר בַּאֲבָהָן). And when it joined with them, it was built in perfect structure from the supernal world (וְכַד אִתְחֲבָּר בְּהוּ, אִתְבְּנִי בְּבִנְיָינָא שְׁלִימוּ, מֵעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה), and the supernal world is called “seven years” (וְעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה אִקְרֵי שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים), because all is within it (בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ בֵּיהּ). And your sign for this is (וְסִימָנִיךָ) (Kings 6) “And he built it seven years” (וַיִּבְנֵהוּ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים). This is the supernal world (דָּא עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה). And it is not written: “he built it in seven years” (וְלָא כְּתִיב וַיִּבְנֵהוּ בְּשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים), as it is said (Exodus 31) “For in six days Hashem made the heavens and the earth” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה יי אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ). Who is “six days”? This is Avraham (מַאן שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים, דָּא אַבְרָהָם), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב) (Bereshit 2) “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created” (אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם), and behibaram is in Avraham (בְּאַבְרָהָם). And Avraham is called “six days” (וְאַבְרָהָם שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים אִקְרֵי). And because he is six days (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים), the world was built (אִתְבְּנֵי עָלְמָא). In that same manner, “and he built it seven years” (בְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא וַיִּבְנֵהוּ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים). And come and see (וְתָא חֲזֵי): David sought to be built completely with Molcho below (דָּוִד בָּעָא לְאִתְבְּנָאָה בְּמַלְכוּ שְׁלֵימָתָא לְתַתָּא), in the likeness of above (כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), but it was not built (וְלָא אִתְבְּנֵי), until he came and was joined with the Patriarchs (עַד דְּאָתָא וְאִתְחֲבָּר בַּאֲבָהָן). He remained seven years to be built within them (וְקָאִים שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים לְאִתְבְּנָאָה בְּגַוַויְיהוּ), and after those seven years (לְבָתַר שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים), he was built in completeness (אִתְבְּנֵי בְּכֹלָּא), and his kingship was established to endure forever (אִתְמַשְּׁכָא מַלְכוּתֵיהּ דִּי לָא תַּעְדֵּי לְעָלְמִין). And were it not that it was accomplished in Ḥevron to be joined in its place (וְאִי לָאו דְּאִתְעָבַד בְּחֶבְרוֹן לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בְּדוּכְתֵּיהּ), his kingship would not have been built to endure as was fitting (לָא אִתְבְּנִי מַלְכוּתֵיהּ לְאִתְמַשְׁכָא כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת).

In this manner also with Kalev (כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא כָּלֵב): the spirit of Chokhmah was enlightened within him (אִתְנְהִיר בֵּיהּ רוּחָא דְּחָכְמְתָא), and he came to Chevron (וְאָתָא לְחֶבְרוֹן), to be joined with the Patriarchs (לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בַּאֲבָהָן), and he went to his place (וּלְדוּכְתֵּיהּ אָזִל), and afterwards it became his place and he inherited it (וּלְבָתַר, דּוּכְתֵּיהּ הֲוָה, וְיָרִית לֵיהּ).

Rabbi Yisa and Rabbi Ḥizkiyah were walking (רִבִּי יֵיסָא וְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה, הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי) from Cappadocia to Lud (מִקַּפּוּטְקִיָּא לְלוּד), and with them was a certain Jew, by reason of a donkey driver (וַהֲוָה עִמְּהוֹן חַד יוּדָאי בְּמָטוּל דְּקַטְפִירָא דַּחֲמָרָא). As they were walking (עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי), Rabbi Yisa said to Rabbi Ḥizkiyah (אָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא לְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה): open your mouth and say one word (אַפְתַּח פּוּמָךְ, וְאֵימָא חַד מִלָּה), from those excellent matters of Orayta (מֵאִינוּן מִלֵּי מְעַלְּיָיתָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), which you say each day (דְּאַתְּ אֲמַרְתְּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא), before the Holy Luminary (קָמֵי בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא). He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר), “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace” (Proverbs 3) (דְּרָכֶיהָ דַּרְכֵי נֹעַם וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם). “Her ways are ways of pleasantness” these are the paths of Orayta (דְּרָכֶיהָ דַּרְכֵי נֹעַם, אִלֵּין אוֹרְחִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), for whoever walks in the ways of Orayta (דְּמַאן דְּאָזִיל בְּאוֹרְחֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu bestows upon him the pleasantness of the Shekhinta (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַשְׁרֵי עָלֵיהּ נְעִימוּתָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא), which never departs from him (דְּלָא תַּעְדֵּי מִנֵיהּ לְעָלְמִין). “And all her paths are peace”-all the pathways of Orayta, all of them are peace (וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם, דְּכָל שְׁבִילִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כּוּלְהוֹן שְׁלָם). Peace above (שְׁלָם לֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא), peace below (שְׁלָם לֵיהּ לְתַתָּא), peace in this world (שְׁלָם לֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין), peace in the world to come (שְׁלָם לֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). That Jew said (אָמַר הַהוּא יוּדָאָי): a coin in the purse, this verse is found therein (אִיסוּרָא בְּקִיסְטְרָא, בְּהַאי קְרָא אִשְׁתְּכַח). He said to him: from where do you know this? (אֲמַר לֵיהּ מְנַּיִין לָךְ). He said to him: from my father I heard, and I learned here from this verse a good word (אָמַר לֵיהּ, מֵאַבָּא שְׁמַעְנָא, וְאוֹלִיפְנָא הָכָא בְּהַאי קְרָא מִלָּה טָבָא). He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): this verse is in two forms and on two sides (הַאי קְרָא בִּתְרֵין גַּוְונִין אִיהִי, וּבִתְרֵין סִטְרִין). It calls it “ways” (קָרֵי בֵּיהּ דְּרָכִים), and it calls it “paths” (וְקָרֵי בֵּיהּ נְתִיבוֹת). It calls it “pleasantness” (קָרֵי בֵּיהּ נוֹעַם), and it calls it “peace” (וְקָרֵי בֵּיהּ שָׁלוֹם). Who are “ways,” and who are “paths”? (מַאן דְּרָכִים. וּמַאן נְתִיבוֹת). Who is “pleasantness,” and who is “peace”? (מַאן נוֹעַם. וּמַאן שָׁלוֹם).