Daf 5b (דַּף ה׳ ע״ב)

Another matter: Rabbi Abba opened and said (דָּבָר אַחֵר: רַבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “With Me from Levanon, My bride, with Me from Levanon you shall come” (Song of Songs 4) (אִתִּי מִלְּבָנוֹן כַלָּה אִתִּי מִלְּבָנוֹן תָּבוֹאִי). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), woe to those sons of man who do not know (וַוֵי לוֹן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּלָא יַדְּעִין), and do not pay attention to the service of their Master (וְלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן). For it is taught (דְּתַנְיָא): Rabbi Yitzḥak said (אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק): Every single day, a heavenly voice goes forth from Mount Ḥorev (בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא בַּת קוֹל נַפְקַת מִטּוּרָא דְּחוֹרֵב), and says (וְאָמַר): “Woe to the sons of man for the service of their Master” (וַוֵי לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא מִפּוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן), “Woe to the sons of man for the disgrace (וַוֵי לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא מֵעֶלְבּוֹנָהּ) of the Orayta” (דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא).

For Rabbi Yehudah said (דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה): Whoever occupies himself with Orayta in this world (כָּל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and does good deeds (וּמְסַגֵּל עוֹבָדִין טָבִין), shall inherit a complete world (יָרִית עָלְמָא שְׁלֵימָא). And whoever does not occupy himself with Orayta in this world (וְכָל מַאן דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and does not perform good deeds (וְלָא עָבִיד עוֹבָדִין טָבִין), inherits neither this world nor that world (לָא יָרִית לָא הַאי וְלָא הַאי). And it is taught (וְהָא תְּנַן): There are some who inherit their world according to their place (אִית מַאן דְּיָרִית עַלְמֵיהּ כְּפוּם אַתְרֵיהּ), and according to what is fitting for him (וּכְפוּם מַה דְּחָזֵי לֵיהּ).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said (אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק): We only taught this regarding one who has no good deeds at all (לָא תְּנַן, אֶלָּא מַאן דְּלֵית לֵיהּ עוֹבָדִין טָבִין כְּלָל).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): If human beings knew (אִלְמָלֵי הֲווֹ יַדְעִין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא) the love with which Kudsha Berikh Hu loves Yisrael (רְחִימוּתָא דְּרָחִים קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), they would roar like young lions to run after Him (הֲווֹ שָׁאֲגִין כִּכְפִירַיָּא לְמִרְדַּף אֲבַתְרֵיהּ). For it is taught (דְּתַנְיָא): At the time when Ya'akov descended to Egypt (בְּשָׁעֲתָא דְּנָחַת יַעֲקֹב לְמִצְרָיִם), Kudsha Berikh Hu summoned His court (קָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְפָמַלְיָא דִּילֵיהּ), and said to them (אָמַר לְהוֹן): All of you descend to Egypt (כֻּלְּכוֹן חוּתוּ לְמִצְרָיִם), and I shall descend with you (וַאֲנָא אֵיחוּת עִמְּכוֹן).

The Shekhinta said (אָמְרָה שְׁכִינְתָּא): Master of the world (רִבּוֹנָא דְעָלְמָא), is there a host without a King? (אִית צְבָאוֹת בְּלֹא מַלְכָּא). He said to her (אָמַר לָהּ): “Come with Me from Lebanon, My bride” (Song of Songs 4) (אִתִּי מִלְּבָנוֹן כַּלָּה), “from Lebanon” — from the place of Eden (מִלְּבָנוֹן: מֵאַתְרָא דְּעֵדֶן), which is whitened in all its works (דִּמְלוּבָּן בְּכָל עוֹבָדוֹי). “My bride” — this is the Shekhinta (כַּלָּה: דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא), for she is a bride under the wedding canopy (דְּהִיא כַלָּה בְּחוּפָּה). And she went (וְאַזְלָא), as it is taught (הָא כְּהָא דְּתַנְיָא): Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): What is that which is written (מַאי דִּכְתִּיב) (Numbers 7): “And it was on the day when Moshe finished” (וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם כַּלֹּת מֹשֶׁה) — it is written “bride” (כַלַּת כְּתִיב), on the day that the bride entered the canopy (בְּיוֹמָא דְּעָאלַת כַלָּה לַחוּפָּה), and the Shekhinta — she is the bride (וּשְׁכִינְתָּא דָּא הִיא כַלָּה). “Come with Me from Lebanon, you shall come” (אִתִּי מִלְּבָנוֹן תָּבוֹאִי): from the place of the supernal Mikdash (מֵאֲתָר בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא דִּלְעֵילָּא). “You shall look from the head of Amanah” (תָּשׁוּרִי מֵרֹאשׁ אֲמָנָה): from the beginning of who? (מֵרֵישָׁא דְּמַאן).

From the heads of the children of faith (מֵרָאשֵׁיהוֹן דִּבְנֵי מְהֵימָנוּתָא). And who are they? Ya'akov and his sons (וּמַאן נִינְהוּ: יַעֲקֹב וּבְנוֹי). “From the head of Senir and Hermon” (מֵרֹאשׁ שְׂנִיר וְחֶרְמוֹן): for they are destined to receive My Orayta (דְּאִינּוּן עֲתִידִין לְקַבְּלָא אוֹרַיְּיתָא דִּילִי) from the mountain of Hermon (מִטּוּרָא דְּחֶרְמוֹן), and to be subjugated upon it in their exile (וּלְאַגָּנָא עֲלַיְיהוּ בְּגָלוּתְהוֹן). “From the dens of lions” (מִמְּעוֹנוֹת אֲרָיוֹת): these are the nations (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן עַמִּין), worshippers of stars and constellations (עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת), some say: the children of faith (נ״א: בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּמְהֵימְנוּתָא), who are like lions and leopards (דְּדַמְיָין לְאַרְיָוָותָא וּנְמֵרִין), who prevent them [Yisrael] in every service of hardship (דִּמְעַנִּין לְהוֹן בְּכָל פּוּלְחָנָא דְּקַשְׁיוּ).

Rabbi Abba said (ר׳ אַבָּא אָמַר): “Come with Me from Lebanon, My bride…” (אִתִּי מִלְּבָנוֹן כַּלָּה וְגוֹ׳). And does she come from Lebanon? (וְכִי מִלְּבָנוֹן אָתַת), is it not to Lebanon that one ascends? (וַהֲלֹא לַלְּבָנוֹן עוֹלָה).

Rather, Rabbi Abba said (אֶלָּא אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא): At the moment the Shekhinta descended to Egypt (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַחְתַת שְׁכִינְתָּא לְמִצְרַיִם), six hundred thousand of ministering angels descended with her (נַחְתּוּ בַּהֲדָהּ שִׁתִּין רִבּוֹא שֶׁל מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָׁרֵת), and Kudsha Berikh Hu went before them (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּקַדְמִיתָא). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִּיב): “And their king passed before them, and Hashem at their head” (וַיַּעֲבוֹר מַלְכָּם לִפְנֵיהֶם וַה׳ בְּרֹאשָׁם) (Micah 2).

Rabbi Yitzchak said (ר׳ יִצְחָק אָמַר): “Come with Me from Lebanon, My bride” — this is the Shekhinta (אִתִּי מִלְּבָנוֹן כַּלָּה, דָּא אִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא). “Come with Me from Lebanon, you shall come” — from the place of the supernal Mikdash (אִתִּי מִלְּבָנוֹן תָּבֹאִי, מֵאֲתָר בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא דִּלְעֵילָּא). “You shall gaze from the head of Amanah” — from the place of the supernal Mikdash (תָּשוּרִי מֵרֹאשׁ אֲמָנָה, מֵאֲתָר בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא דִּלְעֵילָּא), and from the lower Mikdash (וּמֵאֲתָר בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא דִּלְתַתָּא), of which Rabbi Yehudah said (דְּאָמַר ר׳ יְהוּדָה): The Shekhinta has never departed from the western wall of the Mikdash (מֵעוֹלָם לֹא זָזָה שְׁכִינְתָּא מִכּוֹתְלֵי דְּמָעַרְבָא דְּבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “Behold, this one stands behind our wall” (הִנֵּה זֶה עוֹמֵד אַחַר כָּתְלֵנוּ) (Song of Songs 2). And that [wall] is the head of faith for all the worlds (וְהוּא רֹאשׁ אֲמָנָה לְכָל עָלְמָא). “From the head of Senir and Hermon” — from the place from which the Orayta goes out to the world (מֵרֹאשׁ שְׂנִיר וְחֶרְמוֹן מֵאַתְרָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא נַפְקַת לְעָלְמָא). And why? (וְלָמָּה) — to subdue upon Yisrael (לְאַגָּנָא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל). “From the dens of lions” — these are the nations (מִמְּעוֹנוֹת אֲרָיוֹת: אִלֵּין עַמִּין) who worship stars and constellations (עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת).

Rabbi Yudan said (ר׳ יוּדָן אוֹמֵר): “From the dens of lions” — these are the Torah scholars (מִמְּעוֹנוֹת אֲרָיוֹת: אִלֵּין אִינּוּן תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים), who engage in Orayta in the study halls and synagogues (דְּעַסְקֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בִּמְעוֹנוֹת הַמִּדְרָשׁוֹת וּבְבָתֵּי כְּנֵסִיּוֹת), and they are lions and leopards in Orayta (דְּאִינּוּן אַרְיָוָן וּנְמֵרִים בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא).