Daf 60a (דַּף ס׳ ע״א)

It was taught: Rabbi Abba said (תַּנְיָא אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא), blessed is the portion (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן) of those who merited to recite this Song in this world (דְּאִינּוּן דְּזַכָּאן לְמֵימָר שִׁירָתָא דָּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), for they will merit to recite it in the World to Come (דְּזַכָּאן לְמֵימָר לָהּ בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). And this Song was constructed with twenty-two engraved holy letters (וְשִׁירָתָא דָּא אִתְבְּנֵי בְּעֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין אַתְוָון קַדִּישִׁין גְּלִיפָן), and with ten utterances (וּבְעֶשֶׂר אֲמִירָן), and all of it is inscribed in the Holy Name (וְכֹלָּא אִתְרְשִׁים בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), and all is the perfection of the Holy Name (וְכֹלָּא שְׁלֵימוּתָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), and this has been awakened by us in these words (וְהָא אִתְּעַרְנָא מִלֵּי).

Rabbi Shimon said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): At that time when Yisrael were standing by the sea (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא דַּהֲווֹ קַיְימִין יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל יַמָּא), and they were reciting Song (וַהֲווּ אַמְרֵי שִׁירָתָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu was revealed upon them (אִתְגְּלֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלַיְיהוּ), and all His legions and forces (וְכָל רְתִיכוֹי וְחֵילוֹי), so they would recognize their King (בְּגִין דְּיִנְדְּעוּן לְמַלְכֵּיהוֹן), who performed for them all those miracles and mighty acts (דְּעָבַד לוֹן כָּל אִינּוּן נִסִּין וּגְבוּרָאן), and each and every one knew and beheld (וְכָל חַד וְחַד יָדַע וְאִסְתַּכַּל) what no other prophets of the world had known or beheld (מַה דְּלָא יָדְעוּ וְאִסְתַּכָּלוּ שְׁאָר נְבִיאֵי עָלְמָא). For if you say they did not know or connect to the supernal Chokhmah (דְּאִי תֵּימָא דְּלָא יָדְעִין וְלָא אִדְבָּקוּ חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה), from this Song you will see (מִן שִׁירָתָא דָּא תֶּחמֵי), that all of them beheld with Chokhmah (דְּכֻלְּהוּ בְּחָכְמְתָא אִסְתַּכָּלוּ), and knew the words and spoke them (וְיָדְעוּ מִלִּין וְאָמְרוּ). For if it were not so (דְּאִי לָאו הָכִי), how could they all say unified words (אֵיךְ אָמְרוּ כֻּלְּהוּ מִלִּין אֲחְדִין), such that these did not deviate from those (דְּלָא סָטוּ אִלֵּין מֵאִלֵּין), and what this one said, that one said (וּמַה דְּאָמַר דָּא אָמַר דָּא), and no word preceded another (וְלָא אַקְדִּים מִלָּה דָּא לְמִלָּה דָּא), but all were in one balance (אֶלָּא כֻּלְּהוּ בְּשִׁקּוּלָא חֲדָא), and the spirit of holiness was in the mouth of each and every one (וְרוּחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּפוּמָא דְּכָל חַד וְחַד), and the words were all spoken as if emerging from one mouth (וּמִלִּין אִתְּמָרוּ כֻּלְּהוּ כְּאִלּוּ נָפְקִין מִפּוּמָא חַד).

Rather, surely they all beheld with supernal Chokhmah (אֶלָּא וַדַּאי כּוּלְּהוּ בְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה אִסְתַּכָּלוּ), and knew supernal words (וְיָדְעוּ מִילִין עִלָּאִין), and the spirit of holiness was in the mouth of each and every one (וְרוּחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּפוּם כָּל חַד וְחַד). And even those who were in their mothers’ wombs (וַאֲפִילּוּ אִינּוּן דְּבִמְעֵי אִמְּהוֹן), were saying Song all as one (הֲווֹ אַמְרֵי שִׁירָתָא כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא), and they were all seeing (וַהֲווּ חָמָאן כֻּלְּהוּ) what Yechezkel the prophet did not see (מַה דְּלָא חָמָא יְחֶזְקֵאל נְבִיאָה).

And for this reason, they were all gazing (וְעַל כַּךְ הֲווֹ כֻּלְּהוּ מִסְתַּכְּלֵי) as though eye to eye (כְּאִלּוּ חָמָאן עֵינָא בְּעֵינָא). And when they concluded their words (וְכַד סִיְּימוּ מִלִּין), they were all sweetened in their souls (כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְבַּסְּמָאן בְּנַפְשַׁיְיהוּ), and they longed to see and to behold (וְתָּאָבוֹן לְמֵחֱמֵי וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא), and they did not wish to depart from there (וְלָא הֲווֹ בָּעָאן לְנַטְלָא מִתַּמָּן), from the intensity of their desire (מִסְּגִיאוּת תִּיאוּבְתָּא). At that moment (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא), Moshe said to Kudsha Berikh Hu (אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), “Your children, from the abundance of their desire to behold You (בָּנַיִךְ מִסְּגִיאוּת תִּיאוּבְתָּא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בָּךְ), do not wish to leave the sea” (לָא בָּעָאן לְנַטְלָא מִן יַמָּא).” What did Kudsha Berikh Hu do? (מַה עָבֵד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא) He concealed His glory outside into the wilderness (אַסְתִּים יְקָרֵיהּ לְבַר לְמַדְבְּרָא), and there He was revealed, yet not revealed (וְתַמָּן אִתְגְּלֵי וְלָא אִתְגְּלֵי).

Moshe said to Yisrael (אָמַר לוֹן מֹשֶׁה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל): “How many” (Some say: “many times I said to leave from there, and you did not desire” (כַּמָּה [ס״א: זִמְנִין לְנַטְלָא מִתַּמָּן, וְלָא בָּעִיתוּן]) until I showed them the radiant glory of Kudsha Berikh Hu in the wilderness (עַד דִּי אַחְזֵי לוֹן זִיוָא יְקָרָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּמַדְבְּרָא), and immediately they longed for it (וּמִיָּד הֲווֹ תָּאָבִין), and did not depart until Moshe took them and showed them the radiant glory of Kudsha Berikh Hu in the wilderness (וְלָא נַטְלוּ, עַד דְּאָחִיד בְּהוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַחְמֵי לוֹן זִיוָא יְקָרָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּמַדְבְּרָא). Then, from the abundance of desire and will to behold (כְּדֵין מִסְּגִיאוּת תִּיאוּבְתָּא וּרְעוּתָא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא), Moshe led them (אַנְטִיל לוֹן מֹשֶׁה) this is what is written: (Shemot 15) “And Moshe led Yisrael from the Sea of Suf, and they went out to the wilderness of Shur” (וַיַּסַּע מֹשֶׁה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיָּם סוּף וַיֵּצְאוּ אֶל מִדְבַּר שׁוּר). What is the wilderness of Shur? (מַאי מִדְבַּר שׁוּר) A wilderness in which they desired to behold the radiant glory of the Holy King (מַדְבְּרָא דַּהֲווֹ בָּעָאן לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ זִיוָא יְקָרָא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), and for that it is called Shur, “beholding” (וְעַל דָּא אִקְרֵי מִדְבַּר שׁוּר: אִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא שָׁם). (Shemot 15) “And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water” (וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר וְלֹא מָצְאוּ מָיִם). And there is no water but Orayta (וְאֵין מַיִם אֶלָּא אוֹרַיְּיתָא), as it is said: (Yeshayahu 55) “Ho, all who are thirsty, come to the waters” (הוֹי כָּל צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם).

Rabbi Yisa said (אָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא): “And who gave them Orayta here?” (וְכִי מַאן יָהַב לְהוּ אוֹרַיְּיתָא הָכָא), for until now the Orayta had not yet been given to them (וְהָא עַד כְּעַן לָא אִתְיְהִיבַת לוֹן אוֹרַיְּיתָא).

Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): “They went into the wilderness to behold (אִינּוּן נָפְקוּ לְמַדְבְּרָא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu removed His radiant glory from there (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטַל זִיוָא יְקָרָא דִּילֵיהּ מִתַּמָּן), and they went to behold Him (וְאִינּוּן אָזְלוּ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ), and did not find Him (וְלָא אַשְׁכְּחוּהוּ).” And we have learned: Kudsha Berikh Hu is called Torah (וְאוֹלִיפְנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא תּוֹרָה אִקְרֵי), and there is no water but Orayta (וְאֵין מַיִם אֶלָּא אוֹרַיְּיתָא), and there is no Orayta but Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְאֵין אוֹרַיְּיתָא אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

Rabbi Shimon said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): While they were going in the wilderness (עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּמַדְבְּרָא), another dominion was revealed over them (אִתְגְּלֵי עֲלַיְיהוּ רְשׁוּתָא אַחֲרָא), that of the other nations (דִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין), that which rules in the wilderness (הַהוּא דְּשָׁלִיט בְּמַדְבְּרָא), and they were struck there (וְאִעֲרָעוּ בְּהוּ תַּמָּן). Yisrael saw that the radiant glory of their King was not there (חָמוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּלָא הֲוָה הַהוּא זִיוָא יְקָרָא דְּמַלְכֵּיהוֹן) this is what is written: “And they came to Marah, and could not drink the water of Marah” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב: וַיָּבֹאוּ מָרָתָה וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִמָּרָה). Why? Because they were bitter (מַאי טַעְמָא כִּי מָרִים הֵם) their souls were not sweetened as before (לָא אִתְּבְּסַם נַפְשַׁיְיהוּ כְּקַדְמִיתָא). And not only that, but an accuser came against them (וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּאָתֵי לְקַטְרְגָא עֲלַיְיהוּ).