Daf 108a (דַּף ק״ח ע״א)

Rather, two matters are here (אֶלָּא תְּרֵין מִלִּין הָכָא). One was said by Yenuka (חַד אָמַר יַנּוֹקָא), the son of the great fish (בְּרֵיהּ דְּנוּנָא רַבָּא), whose scales rise up to the height of the clouds (הַהוּא דְּקַשְׂקָשׂוֹי סָלְקִין לְרוּם עֲנָנִין). The oath of King David (אוֹמָאָה דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא), when he wished to swear (כַּד הֲוָה בָּעֵי לְאוּמָאָה), he drew out his sword (אַפִּיק חֲרְבָּא דִּילֵיהּ), upon which was engraved a carved sacred Name (דְּתַמָּן הֲוָה חָקִיק שְׁמָא גְּלִיפָן), and there he swore (וְתַמָּן אוֹמֵי). Thus he did with Shimi (וְכָךְ עָבִיד לְשִׁמְעִי), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): "And I swore to him by Hashem, saying: 'I shall not kill you with the sword'" (וָאֶשָּׁבַע לוֹ בַּיְיָ' לֵאמֹר אִם אֲמִיתְךָ בֶּחָרֶב).

With what was this oath? (בְּמָאי הֲוָה אוֹמָאָה דָּא). With the sword (בֶּחָרֶב). Some say: with this sword, upon which the Holy Name was engraved, he swore (ס''א בְּהַאי חֶרֶב דְּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא חֲקִיק בֵּיהּ אוֹמֵי). With the sword he swore (בֶּחָרֶב אוֹמֵי). Another matter (וּמִלָּה אַחֲרָא): Shlomo judged and said (דָּן שְׁלֹמֹה אָמַר), "With a curse he came against my father (בִּקְלָלָה אָתָא לְגַבֵּי אַבָּא), with words (בְּמִלִּין), thus with words concerning him (הָא מִלִּין לְגַבֵּיהּ), and he killed him with the Explicit Name (וּבְשֵׁם הַמְּפוֹרָשׁ קַטְלֵיהּ), and not with the sword (וְלָא בֶּחָרֶב)." Therefore Shlomo acted thus (וּבְגִין דָּא עָבַד שְׁלֹמֹה הָכִי).

Now one must consider (הַשְׁתָּא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא): since David swore to him (דְּכֵיוָן דְּאוֹמֵי לֵיהּ דָּוִד), why was he killed? (אֲמַאי קַטְלֵיהּ). For it seems that this oath was with deception (דְּאִתְחָזֵי דְּהָא אוֹמָאָה דָּא בַּעֲלִילָה הֲוָה), for heart and mouth were not unified as one (דְּהָא לִבָּא וּפוּמָא לָא הֲווֹ כַּחֲדָא). Rather, surely David did not kill him (אֶלָּא וַדַּאי דָּוִד לָא קַטְלֵיהּ). And this is known (וְהָא יְדִיעָא): all members of the body accept everything (כָּל שַׁיְיפִין דְּגוּפָא מְקַבְּלִין כֹּלָּא), but the heart does not accept even as much as a hair’s breadth (וְלִבָּא לָא מְקַבְּלָא אֲפִילּוּ כְּחוּטָא דְּנֵימָא דְּשַׂעֲרָא). King David was the heart (דָּוִד מַלְכָּא לִבָּא הֲוָה), and he accepted what was not fitting for him to accept (וְקָבִּיל מַה דְּלָא אִתְחָזֵי לֵיהּ לְקַבְּלָא). Therefore it is written (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב), (Melakhim I 2) "And you shall know what you must do to him" (וְיָדַעְתָּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה לוֹ). Furthermore (וְתוּ), for the tree caused him to be guarded and avenged like a serpent (דְּהָא אִילָנָא גָּרִים לְמֶהֱוֵי נָטִיר וְנוֹקֵם כְּחִוְיָא). It is written (כְּתִיב) (Tehillim 51) "For You desire not sacrifice, else I would give it; You delight not in burnt offering" (כִּי לֹא תַחְפּוֹץ זֶבַח וְאֶתֵּנָה עוֹלָה לֹא תִרְצֶה). "The sacrifices of Elohim are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O Elohim, You will not despise" (זִבְחֵי אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה לֵב נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה אֱלֹהִים לֹא תִבְזֶה). "For You desire not sacrifice" (כִּי לֹא תַחְפּוֹץ זֶבַח)—Does not Kudsha Berikh Hu wish offerings to be brought before Him? (וְכִי לָא בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּיִקְרְבוּן קָמֵיהּ קָרְבְּנָא). Yet He ordained sacrifices for sinners (וְהָא אִיהוּ אַתְקִין לְגַבֵּי חַיָּיבַיָּא קָרְבְּנָא), so their sins would be atoned (דְּיִקְרְבוּן וְיִתְכַּפֵּר לְהוּ חוֹבַיְיהוּ).

Rather, David spoke before the Name "Elohim" (אֶלָּא דָּוִד לְקָמֵי שְׁמָא דֶּאֱלֹהִים אָמַר), and offerings are not brought before the Name "Elohim" (וְקָרְבָּנָא לָא קְרָבִין לִשְׁמָא דֶּאֱלֹהִים), but only before the Name Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh (אֶלָּא לִשְׁמָא דיו"ד ה"א וָא"ו ה"א). For sacrifices are not offered to strict judgment, Middat haDin (דְּהָא לְגַבֵּי דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא מִדַּת הַדִּין, לָא מְקָרְבִין קָרְבְּנָא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), (Vayikra 1) "A man who offers from you a sacrifice to Hashem" (אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַיְיָ'), to Hashem (לַיְיָ'), and not to the Name "Elohim" (וְלֹא לִשְׁמָא דֶּאֱלֹהִים). "When you offer a Minchah offering to Hashem," "Thanksgiving sacrifice to Hashem," "Peace-offering to Hashem" (וְכִי תַקְרִיב...לַיְיָ').

Therefore, since King David spoke concerning Elohim (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, כֵּיוָן דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא, לְגַבֵּי אֱלֹהִים אָמַר), he needed to write (אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִכְתַּב), "For You desire not sacrifice, else I would give it; You delight not in burnt offering" (כִּי לֹא תַחְפּוֹץ זֶבַח וְאֶתֵּנָה עוֹלָה לא תִרְצֶה). For to this Name [Elohim] sacrifices are not offered (דְּהָא לִשְׁמָא דָּא לָא מְקָרְבִין), but only a broken spirit (אֶלָּא רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), "The sacrifices of Elohim are a broken spirit" (זִבְחֵי אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה). The offering to Elohim (קָרְבְּנָא דֶּאֱלהִים) is sadness (עֲצִיבוּ) and brokenness of heart (וּתְבִירוּ דְּלִבָּא).

Therefore, one who dreams an evil dream (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, מַאן דְּחָלַם חֶלְמָא בִּישָׁא), must show sadness (עֲצִיבוּ אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאַחֲזָאָה), for it stands under the measure of Elohim (דְּהָא בְּמִדַּת אֱלהִים קַיְּימָא). And the sacrifice for the attribute of Judgment (וְזֶבַח דְּמִדַּת דִּינָא) must be sadness and a broken spirit (עֲצִיבוּ אִצְטְרִיךְ וְרוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה), and that sadness annuls the evil dream (וְהַהוּא עֲצִיבוּ מִסְּתְיֵיהּ לְחֶלְמָא בִּישָׁא), so judgment will have no power over him (וְלָא שַׁלְטָא דִּינָא עֲלוֹי). For this is the sacrifice fitting for the attribute of Judgment (דְּהָא זֶבַח דְּאִתְחָזֵי לְמִדַּת דִּינָא), and he brings it before it (אַקְרִיב קָמֵיהּ). "A broken and contrite heart, O Elohim, You will not despise" (לֵב נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה אֱלֹהִים לא תִבְזֶה).

What is "You will not despise"? (מַאי לֹא תִבְזֶה). It implies that there is a heart that He does despise (מִכְּלָל דְּאִיכָּא לֵב דְּאִיהוּ בּוֹזֶה). Yes, indeed (אִין). This is a heart that is proud (הַיְינוּ לֵב דְּאִיהוּ גֵּאֶה), a heart of arrogance (לֵב בְּגַסּוּת רוּחָא). Such a heart He despises (הַיְינוּ לֵב דְּאִיהוּ בּוֹזֶה). But a broken and contrite heart, O Elohim, You will not despise (אֲבָל לֵב נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה אֱלהִים לא תִבְזֶה). "Do good, in Your favor, unto Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem" (הֵיטִיבָה בִרְצוֹנְךָ אֶת צִיּוֹן תִּבְנֶה חוֹמוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ ם). What is "Do good"? (מַאי הֵטִיבָה). It appears that there is already goodness there (אִתְחָזֵי דְּהָא טִיבוּ אִית בָּהּ), and now he asks for goodness upon that goodness (וְהַשְׁתָּא הֵטִיבָה עַל הַהוּא טִיבוּ).

Certainly, so it is (וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא). For from the day Kudsha Berikh Hu began preparing the building of the Temple above (דְּהָא מִן יוֹמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּבִנְיַן בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא לְעֵילָּא), until now (עַד כְּעַן), that goodness of favor (הַהוּא הֲטָבָה דְּרָצוֹן) has not rested upon that building (לָא שַׁרְיָיא עַל הַהוּא בִּנְיָן). Thus, it has not been completed (וְעַל דָּא לָא אִשְׁתָּכְלַל). For at the time when favor above awakens (דְּהָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּרָצוֹן דִּלְעֵילָּא יִתְּעַר), it will do good and illuminate the lights of that building (יֵיטִיב וְיַדְלִיק נְהוֹרִין דְּהַהוּא בִּנְיָן). And in that act, even the angels above (וְהַהוּא עֲבִידְתָּא, דְּאֲפִילּוּ מַלְאָכִין דִּלְעֵילָּא), will not be able to gaze upon that Temple (לָא יֵיכְלוּן לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהַהוּא בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא), nor upon that building (וְלָאו בְּהַהוּא בִּנְיָן). Then the Temple and all its work will be perfected (וּכְדֵין בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא וְכָל עוֹבָדָא אִשְׁתָּכְלַל).