Daf 55b (דַּף נ״ה ע״ב)

Rabbi Yitzḥak said (רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר): “He became for me a salvation”-this is the supernal King (וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה דָּא מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), and so it is (וְהָכִי הוּא). And from where do we know this (וּמְנָלָן)? We found it in another verse, as it is written (Isaiah 12) “For Hashem Yah is my strength and my song, and He became my salvation” (מִקְרָא אַחֲרִינָא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא לֵיהּ דִּכְתִּיב כִּי עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ ייָ וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה). From the implication that it says “Hashem… became my salvation,” this refers to the supernal King (מִמַּשְׁמַע דְּקָאָמַר ייָ וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה דָּא מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא).

“Hashem is my strength and my song” (Exodus 15) (עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וְגוֹ'). Rabbi Ḥizkiyah opened and said: On this verse it is written (Proverbs 17) “At all times a friend loves, and a brother is born for adversity” (רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה פָּתַח וְאָמַר בְּהַאי קְרָא דִּכְתִּיב בְּכָל עֵת אוֹהֵב הָרֵעַ וְאָח לְצָרָה יִוָּלֵד). “At all times a friend loves”-this is Kudsha Berikh Hu (בְּכָל עֵת אוֹהֵב הָרֵעַ דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written (Proverbs 27) “Your friend and your father’s friend do not forsake” (דִּכְתִּיב בֵּהּ רֵעֲךָ וְרֵעַ אָבִיךָ אַל תַּעֲזוֹב). “And a brother is born for adversity”-at the time when your enemies press upon you (וְאָח לְצָרָה יִוָּלֵד בְּשַׁעֲתָא דִּיעִיקוּן לָךְ שַׂנְאָךְ),

Kudsha Berikh Hu says (Psalms 122) “For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will now say, Peace be upon you” (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מַה אָמַר לְמַעַן אַחַי וְרֵעָי אֲדַבְּרָה נָא שָׁלוֹם בָּךְ). Yisrael are called brothers and friends to Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִקְרוּן אַחִים וְרֵעִים לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). “Is born”-what does it mean, is he born now (יִוָּלֵד מַהוּ וְכִי הַשְׁתָּא יִוָּלֵד)? Rather, at the time of trouble, he is born into the world (אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעַקְתָּא יִוָּלֵד בְּעָלְמָא), a brother who shall be for you, to save you from all who oppress you (אָח יְהֵא לָקֳבְלָךְ לְשֵׁיזָבָא לָךְ מִכָּל אִינּוּן דְּעָקִין לָךְ).

Rabbi Yehudah said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר): “Is born”-that the supernal King will arouse in this strength, to avenge you from the nations, to draw for you from Imma on that side (יִוָּלֵד דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא יִתְּעַר בְּהַאי עֹז לְנַקְמָא לָךְ מֵאוּמִין לְיַנְקָא לָךְ מֵאִמָּא בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא), as it is said: “Hashem is my strength and my song, and He became my salvation” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה), to arouse might to confront the nations who worship stars and constellations (לְאִתְּעָרָא גְּבוּרָאן לְקֳבֵל אוּמִין עוֹבְדֵי כוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת).

Rabbi Yisa opened and said (רִבִּי יֵיסָא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): how much should a person love Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּמָּה אִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְרַחֲמָא לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), for He has no service other than love (דְּהָא לֵית לֵיהּ פּוּלְחָנָא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֶלָּא רְחִימוּתָא). And whoever loves Him and serves Him with love (וְכָל מַאן דְּרָחִים לֵיהּ וְעָבִיד פּוּלְחָנָא בִּרְחִימוּתָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu calls him beloved (קָארֵי לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רְחִימָא). If so, how do we establish these verses: “Your friend and your father’s friend do not abandon” (Proverbs 27) (אִי הָכִי בְּמָאי אוֹקִימְנָא הָנִי קְרָאֵי רֵעֲךָ וְרֵעַ אָבִיךָ אַל תַּעֲזוֹב), and it is written (Proverbs 25) “Make your foot rare from your friend’s house” (וּכְתִיב הוֹקַר רַגְלְךָ מִבֵּית רֵעֶךָ). Rather, the friends have already established this (אֶלָּא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא). Some say: one refers to burnt and peace offerings, and the other to sin and guilt offerings, and it is written etc. (ס״א בְּעוֹלוֹת וּשְׁלָמִים וְהַאי בַּחַטָּאוֹת וְאָשָׁמוֹת וְכְתִיב וְגוֹ').

Now, “Your friend and your father’s friend do not abandon” means to serve Him (הַשְׁתָּא רֵעֲךָ וְרֵעַ אָבִיךָ אַל תַּעֲזוֹב לְמִפְלַח לֵיהּ), to cleave to Him (וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בֵּיהּ), and to fulfill His commandments (וּלְמֶעְבַּד פִּקּוּדוֹי). “Do not abandon” indeed (אַל תַּעֲזוֹב וַדַּאי).

And what was said, “Make your foot rare from your friend’s house” (וְהָא דְּאִתְּמַר הוֹקַר רַגְלְךָ מִבֵּית רֵעֶךָ), means: elevate your inclination (כְּלוֹמַר הוֹקַר יִצְרְךָ), so that He not become angry with you (דְּלָא יִרְתַּח לָקֳבְלָךְ), and not rule over you (וְלָא יִשְׁלוֹט בָּךְ), and you shall not cause improper thoughts (וְלָא תַּעֲבֵיד הִרְהוּרָא אַחֲרָא). “From your friend’s house”-what is the friend’s house (מִבֵּית רֵעֶךָ מַאן בֵּית רֵעֶךָ)? This is the holy soul (דָּא נִשְׁמְתָא קַדִּישָׁא), into which your Friend entered and placed within you (דְּאָעִיל בָּהּ רֵעֲךָ וְיָהֲבָהּ בְּגַוָּךְ). And for this, the service of Kudsha Berikh Hu is to love Him in all ways (וְעַל דָּא פּוּלְחָנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְרַחֲמָא לֵיהּ בְּכֹלָּא), as it is written (Deuteronomy 6) “And you shall love Hashem your God” (כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב וְאָהַבְתָּ אֶת ייָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ). “This is my God and I will adorn Him” (Exodus 15) (זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ): all Yisrael saw at the sea what Ezekiel the prophet did not see (דְּכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל חָמוּ עַל יַמָּא מַה דְּלָא חָמָא יְחֶזְקֵאל נְבִיאָה), and even those embryos in their mothers’ wombs (וַאֲפִילּוּ אִינּוּן עוּבָּרֵי דְּבִמְעֵי אִמְּהוֹן) saw and praised Kudsha Berikh Hu (הֲווֹ חָמָאן וּמְשַׁבְּחָן לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And they all said (וְכֻלְּהוּ הֲווֹ אָמְרִין): “This is my God and I will adorn Him, the God of my father and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15) (זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי וַאֲרוֹמְמֶנְהוּ), as you say: “the God of Avraham” (Bereshit 26) (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם).

Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): if so, why does it say “and I will exalt Him,” for the God of Avraham is above (אִי הָכִי אֲמַאי וַאֲרוֹמְמֶנְהוּ דְּהָא אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם לְעֵילָּא הוּא). He said to him: even so it is necessary (אָמַר לֵיהּ אֲפִילּוּ הָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ), and all is one matter (וְכֹלָּא חַד מִלָּה). “And I will exalt Him” in all, to include all (וַאֲרוֹמְמֶנְהוּ בְּכֹלָּא לְאַכְלְלָא), for one who knows how to unify the great holy Name (מַאן דְּיָדַע לְיַחֲדָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא רַבָּא), for this is the supernal service of Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּהָא הוּא פּוּלְחָנָא עִלָּאָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

Rabbi Yehudah was sitting before Rabbi Shim‘on (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה הֲוָה יָתִיב קָמֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), and he was reading (וְהוּא קָארֵי): it is written (Isaiah 52) “The voice of your watchmen, they lift up the voice, together they sing” (כְּתִיב קוֹל צוֹפַיִךְ נָשְׂאוּ קוֹל יַחְדָּיו יְרַנֵּנוּ). “The voice of your watchmen”-who are your watchmen (קוֹל צוֹפַיִךְ מַאן אִינּוּן צוֹפַיִךְ)? Rather, these are those who watch and await when Kudsha Berikh Hu will have compassion to rebuild His house (אֶלָּא אִלֵּין אִינּוּן דְּמְצָפָן אֵימָתַי יְרַחֵם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִבְנֵי בֵּיתֵיהּ). “They lift up the voice”-it should have said “they will lift up the voice” (נָשְׂאוּ קוֹל יִשְׂאוּ קוֹל מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). What is “they lift up the voice” (מַאי נָשְׂאוּ קוֹל)? Rather, every person who weeps and raises his voice over the destruction of the house of Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֶלָּא כָּל בַּר נָשׁ דְּבָכֵי וְאָרִים קַלֵּיהּ עַל חָרְבָּן בֵּיתֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), merits that which is written afterward: “together they sing” (זָכֵי לְמָה דִּכְתִּיב לְבָתַר יַחְדָּיו יְרַנֵּנוּ), and merits to see it restored in joy (וְזָכֵי לְמֵחֱמֵי לֵיהּ בְּיִשּׁוּבָא בְּחֶדְוָותָא).