Daf 4a (דַּף ד׳ ע״א)

From niddah (מִנִּדָּה): for Rabbi Chiyya taught (דְּתָנֵי רִבִּי חִיָּיא), what is [meant by] that which is written (מַאי דִּכְתִּיב), “And he made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze from the mirrors of the women who assembled” (Exodus 38) (וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת הַכִּיּוֹר נְחֹשֶׁת וְאֶת כַּנּוֹ נְחֹשֶׁת בְּמַרְאוֹת הַצֹּבְאֹת). Why did the women merit this? (מִפְּנֵי מַה זָּכוּ נָשִׁין לְהַאי), because they guarded their bodies in the exile of Egypt (בְּגִין דְּאִסְתַּמְרוּ גַּרְמַיְיהוּ בְּגָלוּתָא דְמִצְרַיִם), for after they purified themselves (דִּלְבָתַר דְּאִתְדַּכְיָין), they would come adorned (הֲווֹ אַתְיֵין מִתְקַשְּׁטָן), and gaze in the mirror upon their husbands (וּמִסְתַּכְּלָן בַּמַּרְאָה בִּבְעָלֵיהוֹן), and arouse them to be fruitful and multiply (וּמְעוֹרְרָן לוֹן בְּפִרְיָה וּרְבִיָּה).

From a daughter of a foreign god (מִבַּת אֵל נֵכָר), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “All the hosts of Hashem went out…” (Exodus 12) (יָצְאוּ כָל צִבְאוֹת ה׳ וגו׳), and it is written (וּכְתִיב): “The tribes of Yah, a testimony for Yisrael” (Psalms 122) (שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). A testimony for Yisrael indeed (עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וַדַּאי). “And these are the names of the children of Yisrael” (וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). The tribes of the children of Yisrael (שִׁבְטֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). “Speak to the children of Yisrael” (דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). And if you say (וְאִי תֵימָא): But behold, it is written (וְהָא כְּתִיב), “And he was the son of an Egyptian man…” (Leviticus 24) (וְהוּא בֶּן אִישׁ מִצְרִי וגו׳), that was certainly one [case] only (הָא וַדַּאי חַד הֲוָה), and Scripture publicized him (וּפִרְסְמוֹ קְרָא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “And his mother’s name was Shelomit daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan” (וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ שְׁלוֹמִית בַּת דִּבְרִי לְמַטֵּה דָּן).

Fruitfulness and multiplication (פִּרְיָה וְרִבְיָה): as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), “And the children of Yisrael were fruitful and swarmed and increased…” (Exodus 1) (וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל פָּרוּ וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ וַיִּרְבּוּ וגו׳). And from all these things Yisrael guarded themselves (וּמִכָּל הָנֵי אִסְתָּמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל). The children of Yisrael went up (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עָאלוּ), the children of Yisrael went out (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נָפְקוּ). This is that which is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב): “And these are the names of the children of Yisrael…” (וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וגו׳). And these are the names of the children of Yisrael (וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל).

Rabbi El'azar and Rabbi Yosi were walking on the road (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאוֹרְחָא). As they were walking (עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי), Rabbi El'azar said to Rabbi Yosi (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי): Open your mouth, and let your words shine (אַפְתַּח פּוּמָךְ, וְיִנְהֲרוּן מִילָךְ). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): It is pleasing before the Master (נִיחָא קָמֵיהּ דְּמַר), that I ask one matter which is difficult for me (דְּאֶשְׁאַל מִלָּה חֲדָא דְּקַשְׁיָא לִי).

I have heard from the Holy Luminary (הָא שְׁמַעְנָא מִבּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא), who would say (דְּהֲוָה אָמַר): “And these are the names of the children of Yisrael…” (וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), [refers to] Yisrael Saba (יִשְׂרָאֵל סָבָא). All those forces and camps (כָּל אִינּוּן חֵילִין וּמַשְׁרְיָין) that descended into exile with Ya'akov (דְּהֲווֹ נַחְתִּין לְגָלוּתָא בַּהֲדֵי יַעֲקֹב), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “With Ya'akov” (אֵת יַעֲקֹב). What is that which is written (מַהוּ דִּכְתִּיב): “A man and his household came”? (אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Indeed, it is so (וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא). But we have learned (אֶלָּא הָא תָּנֵינָן): Anyone who receives from another (כָּל דִּמְקַבֵּל מֵאָחֲרָא), he is called the house of the one who gives (אִיהוּ בֵּיתָא מֵהַהוּא דְּיָהִיב), and because of this it is written (וְעַל דָּא): “A man and his household came” (אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ).

Rabbi El'azar opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר): “And it came to pass when Shlomo finished building the House of Hashem and the house of the king…” (1 Kings 9) (וַיְהִי כְּכַלּוֹת שְׁלֹמֹה לִבְנוֹת אֶת בֵּית ה׳ וְאֶת בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וגו׳). And since it already said “the House of Hashem” (וְכִי כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר אֶת בֵּית ה׳), what is [meant by] “and the house of the king”? (מַהוּ וְאֶת בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ). If it is said on account of Shlomo, it is not so (אִי בְּגִין שְׁלֹמֹה אִתְּמַר, לָאו הָכִי), rather “the House of Hashem” — this is the Beit HaMikdash (אֶלָּא אֶת בֵּית ה׳ דָּא בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ), and “the house of the king” — this is the Holy of Holies (וְאֶת בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּא קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים). “The House of Hashem,” which is the Beit HaMikdash — this is like the courtyards, the chambers, the Hall, and the Sanctuary (בֵּית ה׳ דְּאִיהוּ בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ כְּגוֹן: עֲזָרוֹת וּלְשָׁכוֹת וּבֵית הָאוּלָם וְהַדְּבִיר); this is the Beit HaMikdash (דָּא בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ), and certainly it is called “the House of Hashem” (וַדַּאי אִקְרֵי בֵית ה׳). “The house of the king” — this is the Holy of Holies (בֵית הַמֶּלֶךְ: דָּא קֹדֶשׁ הַקָּדָשִׁים), which is the innermost of all (דְּאִיהוּ פְּנִימָאָה דְּכֹלָּא). “The king” without qualification (הַמֶּלֶךְ סְתָם). This “king” — even though he is the supernal King (מֶלֶךְ דָּא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ מֶלֶךְ עִלָּאָה), he is female in relation to the Supernal Point, the concealed of all (אִיהוּ נוּקְבָּא לְגַבֵּי נְקוּדָה עִלָּאָה, סְתִימָא דְּכֹלָּא). And even though he is female, he is male in relation to the lower King (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ נוּקְבָּא, אִיהוּ דְּכוּרָא לְגַבֵּי מֶלֶךְ דִּלְתַתָּא), and because of this, all is in this likeness (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כֹּלָּא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא). And concerning this, the lower ones — in this mystery it is written of them: “A man and his house came” (וְעַל דָּא, תַּתָּאֵי, בְּרָזָא דָּא כְּתִיב בְּהוּ: אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ). “And these are the names…” (וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת).

Rabbi Yosi opened and said (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “A locked garden is my sister, bride; a locked spring, a sealed fountain” (Song of Songs 4) (גַּן נָעוּל אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה גַּל נָעוּל מַעְיָן חָתוּם). “A locked garden” — this is Knesset Yisrael, which is a locked garden (גַּן נָעוּל: דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהִיא גַּן נָעוּל). For Rabbi El'azar said (דְּאָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): Just as this garden requires guarding, tilling, watering, and pruning (מַה הַגַּן הַזֶּה צָרִיךְ לִשְׁמוֹר לַעְדּוֹר וּלְהַשְׁקוֹת וְלִזְמוֹר), so too Knesset Yisrael requires tilling, guarding, watering, and pruning (כָּךְ כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל צְרִיכָה לַעְדּוֹר וְלִשְׁמוֹר וּלְהַשְׁקוֹת וְלִזְמוֹר). And it is called a “garden” (וְנִקְרֵאת גַּן), and it is called a “vineyard” (וְנִקְרֵאת כֶּרֶם). Just as this vineyard requires tilling, watering, pruning, and digging (מַה הַכֶּרֶם הַזֶּה צָרִיךְ לַעְדּוֹר וּלְהַשְׁקוֹת וְלִזְמוֹר וְלַחְפּוֹר), so too Yisrael (כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל). This is that which is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב): “For the vineyard of Hashem Tzeva’ot is the House of Yisrael” (Isaiah 5) (כִּי כֶרֶם ה׳ צְבָאוֹת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל), and it is written (וּכְתִיב): “And He fenced it and cleared it…” (Isaiah 5) (וַיְעַזְקֵהוּ וַיְסַקְּלֵהוּ וגו׳).