Daf 59a (דַּף נ״ט ע״א)

When the time arrives for the dominion of each and every branch (כַּד מָטֵי עִדַן שֻׁלְטָנֵיהּ דְּכָל עֲנָפָא וַעֲנָפָא), they all seek to subjugate the entire body of the tree (כֻּלְּהוּ בָּעָאן לְשֵׁיצָאָה כֹּלָּא גּוּפָא דְּאִילָנָא), which is the root of all branches (דְּאִיהוּ עִקָּרָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ עֲנָפִין), that one which rules over them, and Yisrael are attached to it (הַהוּא דְּשָׁלִיט עֲלַיְיהוּ, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲחִידָן בֵּיהּ). When dominion reaches that body of the tree, it is the portion of Yisrael (כַּד מָטָא עֲלַיְיהוּ שֻׁלְטָנוּתָא דְּהַהוּא גּוּפָא דְּאִילָנָא, חוּלָקָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). It seeks to protect them and give peace to all (בָּעֵי לְנַטְרָא לוֹן, וּלְמֵיהַב שְׁלָמָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ). And on this account, seventy bulls [are offered] during the festival-to bring peace to the seventy branches within the tree (וְעַל דָּא שִׁבְעִים פָּרֵי הֶחָג לְמִיהַב שְׁלָמָא לְשִׁבְעִין עֲנָפִין דִּבְגוֹ אִילָנָא).

And for this reason: “Who is like You among the mighty, Hashem?” (וְעַל דָּא: מִי כָּמוֹכָה בָּאֵלִים יְיָ') what is ba’elim? Ilana-the tree (מַאי בָּאֵלִים אִילָנָא). As it is said (Yeshayahu 1): “For they shall be ashamed of the elim [terebinths] that you have desired” (כִּי יֵבֹשׁוּ מֵאֵילִים אֲשֶׁר חֲמַדְתֶּם), for it is the tree (דְּהוּא אִילָנָא). They worshipped one form engraved within it (דְּהֲווֹ פָּלְחִין לְחַד דְּפוּסָא דְּמְחַקְּקִין בְּגוֹיֵהּ), and it is called elim-trees (וְאִקְרֵי אֵלִים = אִילָנָא). “Who is like You,” who acts as You do and has compassion on all (מִי כָּמוֹכָה דְּיַעֲבֵיד כְּעוֹבָדָךְ וִירַחֵם עַל כֹּלָּא).

Who is like You among all those surrounding the tree (מִי כָּמוֹכָה בְּכָל הַהוּא סַחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּאִילָנָא), who even though He rules over all (דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ שַׁלְטָא), He guards everyone, all others, and does not desire to exact full retribution (נָטִיר לְכֹּלָּא, נָטִיר לְכָל שְׁאַר, וְלָא בָּעְיָא לְמֶעְבַּד עִמְּהוֹן גְּמִירָא). “Who is like You, glorious in holiness” (מִי כָּמוֹכָה נֶאְדָּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ) with that supernal power which is called Kodesh (בְּהַהוּא חֵילָא עִלָּאָה דְּאִקְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ). “Glorious in holiness” truly (נֶאְדָּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ מַמָּשׁ), and He is called the strength of Hashem, the No‘am of Hashem (וְאִקְרֵי כֹּחַ יְיָ', נֹעַם יְיָ'), and this has been explained previously (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִילֵי). (Shemot 15): “Who is like You among the mighty, Hashem?” (מִי כָּמוֹכָה בָּאֵלִים יְיָ').

Rabbi Yose opened and said (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח וְאָמַר): (Kohelet 1) “I saw all the deeds that were done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of wind” (רָאִיתִי אֶת כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ). Shlomo the king, who surpassed all humanity in wisdom (שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא דְּאִסְתַּלַּק בְּחָכְמְתָּא יְתֵירָא עַל כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא) how could he say that all deeds are vanity and pursuit of wind? (הֵיךְ אָמַר דְּכָל עוֹבָדִין הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ) Could even the act of righteousness be included? (יָכוֹל אַף מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה) And it is written (וְהָא כְּתִיב): (Yeshayahu 32) “And the work of righteousness shall be peace” (וְהָיָה מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה שָׁלוֹם). Rather, it has already been explained (אֶלָּא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ): “All the deeds that are done under the sun” it says (כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כְּתִיב) but the act of righteousness is different (שָׁאנִי מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה), for it is above the sun (דְּאִיהוּ לְעֵילָּא מִן שִׁמְשָׁא). “And behold, all is vanity and a pursuit of wind” (וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ) what does this teach? (מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי) If you say that “all is vanity” is as we have established (אִי תֵּימָא הַכֹּל הֶבֶל כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא), that it is in the secret of Chokhmah (דְּאִיהוּ בְּרָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָּא), as it is said: “Vanity of vanities, says Kohelet” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת), and those hevelim are the sustenance of the supernal and lower worlds (וְאִינּוּן הֲבָלִים קִיּוּמָא דְּעָלְמָא דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַּתָּא) why then would it say here (מַאי תֵּימָא בְּהַאי), “all is vanity and a pursuit of wind”? (דִּכְתִּיב הָכָא: הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ)? - And behold, this matter is written "under the sun" (והא מלתא דא: תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כְּתִיב). Rather, this is how it has been explained, and so it is (אֶלָּא הָכִי אוּקְמוּהָ, וְהָכִי הוּא):

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): at the time when deeds are established below (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעוֹבָדִין מִתְכַּשְּׁרָן לְתַתָּא), and a person engages in the service of the Holy King (וּבַר נָשׁ אִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), that act he performs-hevel is formed from it above (הַהוּא מִלָּה דְּעָבִיד, הֶבֶל אִתְעֲבִיד מִינֵּיהּ לְעֵילָּא). And there is no hevel that does not have a voice (וְלֵית לָךְ הֶבֶל דְּלֵית לֵיהּ קָלָא), which ascends and is crowned above (דְּסָלִיק וְאִתְעַטַּר לְעֵילָּא), and becomes an advocate before Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְאִתְעֲבִיד סַנֵּיגוֹרָא קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). But all those deeds in which a person engages that are not service of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְכָל אִינּוּן עוֹבָדִין דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּהוֹ בַּר נָשׁ, דְּלָא אִינּוּן פּוּלְחָנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), that act he performs-hevel comes from it (הַהוּא מִלָּה דְּעָבִיד, הַבָּל יִתְעֲבִיד מִינֵּיהּ), and it goes and wanders through the world (וְאַזְלָא וְשָׁאטַת בְּעָלְמָא). And when the soul of that person departs (וְכַד נַפְקַת נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ), that hevel rolls him around the world (הַהוּא הֶבֶל מְגַלְגְּלָא לֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא), like a stone in a sling (כְּאַבְנָא בְּקוּסְפִּיתָא), as it is written (כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב): (Shemuel I 25) “And the soul of your enemies, He shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling” (וְאֵת נֶפֶשׁ אוֹיְבֶיךָ יְקַלְעֶנָּה בְּתוֹךְ כַּף הַקָּלַע). What is He shall sling it? (מַאי יְקַלְעֶנָּה) That is the hevel which rolls his orbit in the world (הַהוּא הֶבֶל דִּמְגַלְגֵּל לֵיהּ סַחֲרָנֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא), thus all deeds that are done (כְּדֵין כָּל מִלִּין דְּמִתְעַבְּדִין) and these are those under the sun (וְאִינּוּן דְּתַחוֹת שִׁמְשָׁא) which are not service of Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּלָאו אִינּוּן פּוּלְחָנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), hevel is formed from them (הֶבֶל יִתְעֲבִיד מִנַּיְיהוּ), and it is a fragment of wind (אִיהוּ תְּבִירָא דְּרוּחָא), which is broken to wind that ascends and descends and rolls in the world (דְּמִתָּבַּר לְרוּחָא דְּסָלִיק וְנָחִית וּמִתְגַּלְגֵּל בְּעָלְמָא) this is what is written: vanity and pursuit of wind (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ). But that deed which is service of his Master (אֲבָל הַהִיא מִלָּה דְּאִיהִי פּוּלְחָנָא דְּמָרֵיהּ), that ascends (דָּא סָלִיק) - it is called above the sun (אַקְרֵי לְעֵילָּא מִן שִׁמְשָׁא), and from it is formed a holy hevel (וְאִתְעָבִיד מִנֵּיהּ הֶבֶל קַדִּישָׁא), and this is the seed a person sows in that world (וְדָא הוּא זַרְעָא דְּזָרַע בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא), and what is its name? Tzedakah (וּמַה שְּׁמֵיהּ צְדָקָה). As it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): (Hoshea 10) Sow for yourselves righteousness (זִרְעוּ לָכֶם לִצְדָקָה). This one leads a person when his soul departs from him (הַאי מֵדֲבַּר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, כַּד תִּיפּוּק נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ מִינֵּיהּ), and ascends to the place of supernal glory (וְסַלְּקָא לָהּ בְּאַתְרָא דְּכָבוֹד דִּלְעֵילָּא), and is found to be bound in the bundle of life (אִשְׁתְּכַח לְאִתְצַרְרָא בִּצְרוֹרָא דְּחַיֵּי) this is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב): (Yeshayahu 28) And your righteousness shall go before you (וְהָלַךְ לְפָנֶיךָ צִדְקֶךָ), to lead you, to raise you (בְּגִין לְדַבְּרָא לָךְ, לְסַלְּקָא לָךְ), from the place to the place called the Glory of Hashem (מִן אַתְרָא לַאֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי כְּבוֹד יְיָ'), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): (Yeshayahu 28) The Glory of Hashem will gather you in (כְּבוֹד יְיָ' יַאַסְפֶךָ). All those souls that that holy Hevel speaks to them (כָּל אִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּהַהוּא הֶבֶל קַדִּישָׁא מֵדֲבַּר לְהוּ), that one called “the Glory of Hashem” gathers them into Himself (הַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי כְּבוֹד יְיָ' כָּנִישׁ לוֹן בְּגַוֵּיהּ), and binds them within Him (וְאִתְצְרִירָן בֵּיהּ) this is what is written: The Glory of Hashem will gather you in (הַדָּא הוּא דִכְתִיב: כְּבוֹד יְיָ' יַאַסְפֶךָ). And this is called rest of the spirit (וְדָא אִקְרֵי נַיְיחָא דְּרוּחָא). But the other is called pursuit of wind (אֲבָל אַחֲרָא וּרְעוּת רוּחַ אִקְרֵי). Blessed are the Righteous (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא), whose deeds are all above the sun (דְּכָל עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן לְעֵילָּא מִן שִׁמְשָׁא), and who sow the seed of Tzedakah (וְזַרְעִין זַרְעָא דִּצְדָקָה), to merit the World to Come (לְמִזְכֵּי לוֹן לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). And because of this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “But for you who fear My Name, the Shemesh Tzedakah [Sun of Righteousness] shall arise” (וְזָרְחָה לָכֶם יִרְאֵי שְׁמִי שֶׁמֶשׁ צְדָקָה) (Malakhi 3:20).