Daf 109a (דַּף ק״ט ע״א)

Come and see (תָּא חֲזִי), from the korban (מִן קָרְבְּנָא), that they did not bring before Him a castrated animal (דְּלָא הֲווֹ מְקָרְבִין קָמֵיהּ סִרוּסָא), and they excluded it (וְאַפִּיקוּ לֵיהּ), so it would not be offered before Him (דְּלָא יִתְקָרִב לְקָמֵיהּ), and He commanded and said (וּפָקִיד וְאָמַר), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), (Vayikra 22), "And in your land you shall not do this" (וּבְאַרְצְכֶם לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ). Thus, for all generations it is forbidden to castrate creatures (וְכֵן לְדָרֵי דָּרִין אָסִיר לְסָרוּסֵי בִּרְיָין) which Kudsha Berikh Hu created in the world (דְּבָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעָלְמָא).

For all castration is from the Sitra achra (דְּהָא כָּל סִרוּסָא, דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא אִיהוּ). And if one made the effort (וְאִי אִיהוּ אִשְׁתָּדַּל), and took a wife (וְנָסִיב אִיתְּתָא), but did not produce offspring (וְלָא עָבִיד תּוֹלָדִין), and did not desire to (וְלָא בָּעָא), even though he had a wife (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִית לֵיהּ אִיתְּתָא), or if she did not desire (אוֹ אִי הִיא לָא בָּעָאת), and he entered that world without offspring (וְעָאל לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא בְּלָא תּוֹלָדִין), what is written? (מַה כְּתִיב). "If he is a married man" (אִם בַּעַל אִשָּׁה הוּא), but they did not regard the work of the hands of their Master (וְלָא אַשְׁגָּחוּ לְפֹעַל יְדוֹי דְּמָארֵיהוֹן), "then his wife shall go out with him" (וְיָצְאָה אִשְׁתּוֹ עִמּוֹ).

He will enter alone as a male (אִיהוּ יֵעוּל בְּגַפּוֹ דִּדְכוּרָא), and she as a female (וְאִיהִי בְּנוּקְבָא). "If he enters alone, he shall leave alone" (בְּגַפּוֹ יָבֹא בְּגַפּוֹ יֵצֵא), as has been stated (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר), everything according to its Tikkun (כֹּלָּא עַל תִּקּוּנֵיהּ). "If his master gives him a wife" (אִם אֲדֹנָיו יִתֶּן לוֹ אִשָּׁה), as has been stated (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). "His master" (אִם אֲדֹנָיו), this is the Master of all the earth (דָּא אִיהוּ אֲדוֹן כָּל הָאָרֶץ). "Gives him a wife" (יִתֶּן לוֹ אִשָּׁה). From here we see (מֵהָכָא), that it is not in the power of man to take a wife (דְּלָאו בִּרְשׁוּתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ קַיְּימָא לְמֵיסָב אִתְּתָא), but rather, as it is written (אֶלָּא כְּלָּא, דִּכְתִּיב), (Mishlei 16), "The scales and balances of judgment are Hashem’s" (פֶּלֶס וּמֹאזְנֵי מִשְׁפָּט לַייָ), all is weighed in the scales (כֹּלָּא בְּמֹאזְנַיִם לַעֲלוֹת). "He gives him a wife" (יִתֶּן לוֹ אִשָּׁה), for it is not in his own authority (דְּהָא לָאו בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ אִיהוּ).

And who is she? (וּמַאן אִיהִי). She who was not originally intended for him (הַהִיא דְּלָאו דִּילֵיהּ), nor initially designated for him (וְלָא אִזְדַּמְּנַת לְגַבֵּיהּ). And who is she? (וּמַאן אִיהִי). She who was prepared for another (הַהִיא דַּהֲוַת זְמִינָא לְאַחֲרָא), but this one anticipated through prayer (וְאַקְדִּים הַאי בְּרַחֲמֵי), and took her (וְנָטִיל לָהּ). Thus she was given to him (דָּא אִתְיְיהִיבַת לֵיהּ), though she was not fitting for him (דְּלָא אִתְחֲזִיאַת לֵיהּ).

But Kudsha Berikh Hu sees from afar (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָמֵי מֵרָחִיק), and sees that this woman (וְחָמֵי לְהַהִיא אִתְּתָא) was destined to bring offspring into the world (דִּזְמִינַת לְאַפָּקָא תּוֹלָדִין בְּעָלְמָא). This one preceded by prayer (אַקְדִּים הַאי בְּרַחֲמֵי), she was given to him (וְאִתְיְיהִיבַת לֵיהּ), and he produced fruit and sowed seed (וְעָבִיד אִיבִין, וְזָרַע זַרְעָא), with a woman (Some say: in a garden) not his own (בְּאִתְּתָא (ס"א בְּגִנְּתָא) דְּלָאו דִּילֵיהּ). Thus, "The woman and her children shall be her master's" (בְּגִין כָּךְ, הָאִשָּׁה וִילָדֶיהָ תִּהְיֶה לַאדֹנֶיהָ), "and he shall go out alone" (וְהוּא יֵצֵא בְגַפּוֹ).

Woe to the poor, unfortunate one (אִי עַנְיָיא מִסְכְּנָא), how much effort he spent in vain (כַּמָּה אִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּרֵיקַנְיָּא), wearied himself to produce fruit in a garden not his own (לָאָה וְאִשְׁתָּדַּל לְמֶעְבַּד פֵּירִין, בְּגִנְתָּא דְּלָאו אִיהִי דִּילֵיהּ), and went out empty-handed (וְנָפַק בְּרֵיקַנְיָּא).

Sava, Sava (סָבָא סָבָא), in these times (some say: in these matters) (בְּעִדָנִין (נ״א בְּעִנְיָנִין) אִלֵּין), you were not pushing the gate with your feet (לָא הֲוֵית בְּרַגְלָיךְ דָּחֵי לְתַרְעָא), like one who lies upon the ground without strength (כְּמַאן דְּשָׁכִיב בְּאַרְעָא בְּלָא תּוּקְפָּא), for he is weak, exceedingly weak (דְּהָא אִתְחֲלָשׁ וּמֵחָלְשָׁא סַגִּי), and cannot push with his feet (דְּלָא יָכִיל דָּחֵי בְּרַגְלוֹי). Be strengthened, Sava (אִתְּתְקַף סָבָא), and fear not (וְלָא תִּדְחַל).

Concerning that poor, unfortunate one (הָא עַנְיָיא מִסְכְּנָא), who labored in vain (דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּרֵיקַנְיָּא), I ask why? (אֵימָא אֲמַאי). If it is because he sowed in another garden not his own (אִי בְּגִין דְּזָרַע בְּגִנְתָּא אַחֲרָא דְּלָאו דִּילֵיהּ), it is fitting (יֵאוֹת). But if so (some say: rather, here) (אִי הָכִי (ס״א אֲבָל הָכָא)), Kudsha Berikh Hu gave him that garden to sow in (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב לֵיהּ הַהוּא גִּנְתָּא לְמִזְרַע בָּהּ), for he did not take it himself (דְּהָא אִיהוּ לָא נָטִיל לָהּ). Rather, come and see (אֶלָּא תָּא חֲזֵי): all the acts of Kudsha Berikh Hu (כָּל מִלִּין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עֲבִיד), they are all done in justice (כֻּלְּהוּ בְּדִינָא אִינּוּן), and nothing is done in vain (וְלָא הֲוֵי מִלָּה בְּרֵיקַנְיָּא).

That Kudsha Berikh Hu gave him a wife (הָאי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהַב לֵיהּ אִתְּתָא), and he made fruits and offspring with her (וְעָבַד בָּהּ פֵּירִין וְאִיבִּין), is not like other 'children of reincarnation' (לָאו הָאי כִּשְׁאָר בְּנֵי גִלְגוּלָא), and it is incomparable: the one who labors in this world (וְלָא דָמֵי מָאן דְאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּהָאי עָלְמָא), seeking to cultivate a tree (some say: but could not) (לְאַסְגָּאָה אִילָנָא (ס״א וְלָא יָכִיל)), is not like one who did not seek to cultivate it at all (לְמָאן דְּלָא בָּעָא לְאַסְגָּאָה וּלְאִשְׁתָּדְלָא), but uprooted it, caused its leaves to fall (וְאַעֲקָר וְאַפִּיל טַרְפִּין דְּאִילָנָא), and diminished its fruit (וְאַזְעָר אִיבָּא דִּילֵיהּ).

This one whose master gave him a wife (הַאי דַּאֲדֹנָיו יָהִיב לֵיהּ אִתְּתָא), to bring forth fruits (בְּגִין לְמֶעְבַּד אִיבִין), indeed he first made an effort to cultivate the tree (הָא אִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּקַדְמִיתָא בְּגִין לְאַסְגָּאָה אִילָנָא), but was unable (וְלָא יָכִיל). He does not have sufficient merits (זַכְיָין כָּל כַּךְ לֵית לֵיהּ), (some say: he also lacks children) (ס״א דְּבָּנִין גַּם כֵּן לֵית לֵיהּ), for if he had been worthy, as would be proper (דְּאִי הֲוָה זַכָּאָה כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת), he would not have returned in reincarnation (לָא הֲוָה תָּב בְּגִלְגּוּלָא), like a stone in a sling (כְּאַבְנָא בְּקוֹסְפִּיתָא), for it is written (דְּהָא כְּתִיב), (Isaiah 56), "And I will give them in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than sons and daughters" (וְנָתַתִּי לָהֶם בְּבֵיתִי וּבְחוֹמֹתַי יָד וָשֵׁם טוֹב מִבָּנִים וּמִבָּנוֹת).

But now that he was not sufficiently worthy (וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּלָא זָכָה), Kudsha Berikh Hu sees (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָמֵי), that indeed he made an effort and could not (דְּהָא אִשְׁתָּדַּל וְלָא יָכִיל); this is why "his master shall give him a wife" (הַאי אֲדוֹנָיו יִתֶּן לוֹ אִשָּׁה), as stated (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). And since Kudsha Berikh Hu had compassion upon him (וְכֵיוָן דְּחָס עָלֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and gave him mercifully (וְיָהַב לֵיהּ בְּרַחֲמֵי), Kudsha Berikh Hu first collected from him (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גַּבֵי מִדִּידֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and took away whatever diminished the fountain (וְנָטִיל מַה דְּגָרַע הַהוּא מַבּוּעָא). For this reason (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), "The woman and her children shall belong to her master" (הָאִשָּׁה וִילָדֶיהָ תִּהְיֶה לַאדֹנֶיהָ), and afterward he must return (וּלְבָתַר יֵיתוּב), and exert himself on his own (וְיִשְׁתָּדֵּל עַל גַּרְמֵיהּ), to rectify his deficiency (לְאַשְׁלוּמֵי גִּרְעוֹנֵיהּ). Until here is the secret of the verse (עַד הָכָא רָזָא דִּקְרָא).

Sava, Sava (סָבָא סָבָא), you said concerning this (אַתְּ אֲמַרְתְּ עַל דָּא), that he labored in vain (דִּבְרֵיקַנְיָא אִשְׁתָּדַּל), but you did not pay attention to yourself (וְלָא אַשְׁגַּחְתְּ עֲלָךְ), for you go empty-handed in what you said (דִּבְרֵיקַנְיָא אַתְּ אָזִיל בְּמָה דַּאֲמַרְתְּ), because the verse pursues after you (דְּהָא קְרָא רָדִיף אֲבַתְרָךְ), undermining the entire structure you have built until now (דְּסָתִיר כָּל בִּנְיָינָא דְּבָנִית עַד הַשְׁתָּא). Yet you imagine (וְאַת חָשִׁיב), that you sail the sea according to your own desire (דְּאַנְתְּ מְשַׁטְּטָא יַמָּא לִרְעוּתָךְ). And what is it? (וּמַאי אִיהוּ). As it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), "But if the servant shall say, I love my master, my wife, etc." (וְאִם אָמֹר יֹאמַר הָעֶבֶד אָהַבְתִּי אֶת אֲדוֹנִי אֶת אִשְׁתִּי וְגוֹ׳).