Daf 122a (דַּף קכ״ב ע״א)

Kudsha Berikh Hu Himself said this (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר דָּא), and therefore Yisrael merited to be called "brothers" to Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְעַל דָּא זָכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאִתְקְרֵי אַחִים לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): "(Psalms 122) For the sake of my brothers and Friends…" (לְמַעַן אַחַי וְרֵעָי וְגוֹ'). Afterward, they are called literally Kodesh (לְבָתַר אִקְרוּן קֹדֶשׁ מַמָּשׁ), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): "(Jeremiah 2) Kodesh is Yisrael to Hashem, the first of His produce" (קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַיְיָ' רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתֹה)—"Kodesh," and not "men of Kodesh" (קֹדֶשׁ וְלָא אַנְשֵׁי קֹדֶשׁ). Therefore, "All who consume him shall be guilty" (בְּגִינִי כַּךְ כָּל אֹכְלָיו יֶאְשָׁמוּ). And it is written (וּכְתִיב): "(Leviticus 22) And no stranger shall eat Kodesh" (וְכָל זָר לֹא יֹאכַל קֹדֶשׁ), and also (וּכְתִיב): "(Leviticus 22) And if a man eats Kodesh inadvertently" (וְאִישׁ כִּי יֹאכַל קֹדֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָה).

It was taught (תָּאנָא): Yisrael are called "Kodesh" ('Holiness') (יִשְׂרָאֵל אִקְרוּן קֹדֶשׁ), and because they are Kodesh (וּבְגִין דְּאִינּוּן קֹדֶשׁ), it is forbidden for a person to call his fellow by a derogatory name (אָסִיר לֵיהּ לֶאֱינָשׁ, לְמִקְרֵי לְחַבְרֵיהּ בִּשְׁמָא דִּגְנָאי), or nickname him contemptuously (וְלָא לְכַנָּאָה שְׁמָא לְחַבְרֵיהּ), and his punishment is severe (וְעֹנְשֵׁיהּ סַגִּי). All the more so in other matters (וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בְּמִלִּין אַחֲרָנִין). It was taught (תָּאנָא): "(Psalms 34) Guard your tongue from evil…" (נְצוֹר לְשׁוֹנְךָ מֵרָע וְגוֹ'). What does "from evil" mean (מַהוּ מֵרָע)? Because due to evil speech (דִּבְגִין לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא), evils descend into the world (מַרְעִין נַחְתִּין לְעָלְמָא).

Rabbi Yosi said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסִי): Anyone who calls his fellow by a name that does not befit him (כָּל מַאן דְּקָרֵי לְחַבְרֵיהּ בִּשְׁמָא דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ), and disgraces him thereby (וְגָנֵּי לֵיהּ), is seized for a sin he does not even have (אִתְּפַּס בְּמָה דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ). For Rabbi Chiya said in the name of Rabbi Chizkiya (דְּאָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה): Anyone who calls his fellow "wicked" (כָּל מַאן דְּקָרֵי לְחַבְרֵיהּ רָשָׁע), is cast down into Gehinnom (נַחְתִּין לֵיהּ לַגֵּיהִנָּם), and he is lowered into its depths (וְנַחְתִּין לֵיהּ לְעִלְעוֹי). Except for those who brazenly violate the Orayta (בַּר אִינּוּן חֲצִיפִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), regarding whom it is permitted to call them "wicked" (דִּשְׁרֵי לֵיהּ לְאִינִישׁ לְמִקְרֵי לְהוּ רָשָׁע).

A certain man (הַהוּא גַּבְרָא), who cursed his fellow (דְּלָיִיט לְחַבְרֵיהּ), was rebuked by Rabbi Yeisa (אַעְבָּר רִבִּי יֵיסָא), who said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): "You acted like a wicked man" (כְּרָשָׁע עַבָדְתְּ). They brought him before Rabbi Yehudah (אַתְיֵיהּ לְקָמֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי יְהוּדָה), and he said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ): "I did not call him wicked (רָשָׁע לָא קָאמֵינָא לֵיהּ), but rather 'like a wicked man' (אֶלָּא כְּרָשָׁע), for his deeds appeared like those of a wicked man (דְּאַחְזֵי מִלּוֹי כְּרָשָׁע), but I did not say that he himself was wicked" (וְלָא אֲמֵינָא דְּאִיהוּ רָשָׁע). Rabbi Yehudah went (אָתָא רִבִּי יְהוּדָה) and presented the matter to Rabbi El'azar (וְשָׁאִיל לְעוֹבָדָא קָמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), who said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): "Certainly, he is not liable" (וַדַּאי לָא אִתְחַיָּיב). From where do we know this? (מְנָלָן) For it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): "(Lamentations 2) Hashem was like an enemy" (הָיָה יְיָ' כְּאוֹיֵב), but He was not actually an enemy (וְלָא אוֹיֵב). If not so (דְּאִי לָאו הָכִי), no remnant of Yisrael would have remained in the world (לָא אִשְׁתְּאַר מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל גִּזְעִין בְּעָלְמָא). Similarly (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא): "(Lamentations 1) She has become like a widow" (הָיְתָה כְּאַלְמָנָה), but not truly a widow (וְלָא אַלְמָנָה); rather, like a woman whose husband has gone overseas (כְּאַלְמָנָה דְּאָזִיל בַּעְלָהּ לְעִבְרָא דְּיַמָּא) and she awaits him (וּמְחַכָּאת לֵיהּ).

Rabbi Chiya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא): From here we learn (וּמֵהָכָא מַשְׁמַע), and from there we learn (מֵהָתָם מַשְׁמַע), that the essence of everything (דְּהוּא עִקָרָא דְּכֹלָּא) is as written (דִּכְתִּיב): "(Ezekiel 1) Upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness like the appearance of a man" (וְעַל דְּמוּת הַכִּסֵּא דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם). Like the appearance of a man (כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם), but not actually the appearance of a man (וְלָא מַרְאֶה אָדָם). Rabbi Yitzchak said (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק): It is written (כְּתִיב): "(Song of Songs 2) Like an apple among the trees of the forest" (כְּתַפּוּחַ בַּעֲצֵי הַיַּעַר וְגוֹ'), like an apple (כְּתַפּוּחַ) but not an actual apple (וְלָא תַּפּוּחַ). "Like an apple" (כְּתַפּוּחַ) because it reveals itself in various colors (דְּמִתְפָּרְשָׁא בִּגְוָונוֹי), and through these colors, the matter becomes unified (וּבִגְוָונִין אִתְאַחֲדָא מִלָּה). Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה): "If I had come here only to hear these words (אִלּוּ לָא אֲתֵינָא הָכָא אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמַע מִלִּין אִלֵּין), it would have sufficed for me" (דַּיָי).

It was taught (תָּאנָא), it is written (כְּתִיב): "(Zechariah 12) On that day, he who is feeble among them shall be like David" (וְהָיָה הַנִּכְשָׁל בָּהֶם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כְּדָוִד), "like David," but not actually David (כְּדָוִד, וְלָא דָּוִד). Like David (כְּדָוִד), who said (דְּאָמַר): "(I Chronicles 22) And behold, in my poverty I have prepared for the house of Hashem" (וְהִנֵּה בְעָנְיִי הֲכִינוֹתִי לְבֵית יְיָ'). And it is written (וּכְתִיב): "(Psalms 86) For I am poor and needy" (כִּי עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אָנִי), yet he was king over kings (וְהוּא מַלְכָּא עַל מַלְכִּין הֲוָה), yet he called himself thus (וַהֲוָה קָרֵי לְגַרְמֵיהּ הָכִי). Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא): Fortunate are Yisrael (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל), whom Kudsha Berikh Hu did not merely call "like "Kodesh" ('Holiness')" (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא קְרָא לוֹן כְּקֹדֶשׁ), but truly "Kodesh" ('Holiness') itself (אֶלָּא קֹדֶשׁ מַמָּשׁ), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): ""Kodesh" ('Holiness') is Yisrael to Hashem" (קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַיְיָ'), and therefore (וּבְּגִין כָּךְ), "All who consume him shall be guilty" (כָּל אֹכְלָיו יֶאְשָׁמוּ וְגוֹ').

It was taught (תָּאנָא): Rabbi Yosi said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסִי), What did Kudsha Berikh Hu see (מַאי קָא חָמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא) to give laws to Yisrael (לְמֵיהַב דִּינִין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל) only after the Ten Utterances? (בָּתַר עֶשֶׂר אֲמִירָן). Rather, thus have we learned (אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּנֵינָן): From the side (מִסִּטְרָא) of Gevurah (דִּגְבוּרָה), Orayta was given to Yisrael (אִתְיְיהִיבַת אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). Therefore (בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ), He desired to place peace among them (בָּעָא לְמֵיתַן שְׁלָמָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ), so that the Orayta would be guarded from all sides (בְּגִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא תְּהֵא נְטִירָא מִכָּל סִטְרוֹי). For Rabbi Abba said (דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא) in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak (אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק): The world endures only through justice (לֵית עָלְמָא מִתְקַיְּימָא, אֶלָּא עַל דִּינָא), for without justice (דְּאִלְמָלֵא דִּינָא), it could not endure (לָא מִתְקַיְּימָא). Thus, the world was created and sustained through justice (וּבְּגִין כָּךְ עָלְמָא בְּדִינָא אִתְבְּרֵי, וְאִתְקַיַּים).

It was taught (תָּאנָא): Rabbi Abba taught (רִבִּי אַבָּא): It is written (כְּתִיב), "Execute judgment in the morning" (Jeremiah 21) (דִּינוּ לַבֹּקֶר מִשְׁפָּט). Only in the morning? (וְכִי לַבֹּקֶר) And not throughout the day? (וְלָאו בְּכָל יוֹמָא). Rather, "in the morning" means (אֶלָּא לַבֹּקֶר), before the judges eat or drink (עַד לָא יֵיכְלוּן דַּיָּינִין, וְלָא יִשְׁתּוּן). For anyone who judges after eating and drinking (דְּכָל מַאן דְּדָאִין דִּינָא בָּתַר דְּאָכַל וְשָׁתָה), that judgment is not true justice (לָאו דִּינָא דִּקְשׁוֹט הוּא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): "You shall not eat upon the blood" (Leviticus 19) (לא תֹאכְלוּ עַל הַדָּם). What does "upon the blood" mean? (מַאי עַל הַדָּם). This is a warning to judges (אַזְהָרָה לְדַיָּינֵי), not to eat until after they have judged the case (דְּלָא יֵיכְלוּן עַד דְּדַיְינֵי דִּינָא). For anyone who judges after eating and drinking (דְּכָל מַאן דְּדָאִין דִּינָא בָּתַר דְּאָכִיל וְשָתֵי), it is as if he gave his fellow's blood to another (כְּאִלּוּ חִיֵּיב דָּמָא דְּחַבְרֵיהּ לְאַחֲרָא), for he literally hands his blood to another (דְּהָא דָּמֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ יָהִיב לְאַחֲרָא). This applies to monetary matters (הַאי בְּמָמוֹנָא), how much more so in matters of life and death (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּדִינִי נְפָשׁוֹת). Therefore judges must guard themselves (דְּבָעוּ דַּיָּינֵי לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא), to judge only before they have eaten or drunk (דְּלָא לְמֵידָן דִּינָא אֶלָּא קֹדֶם דְּאַכְלוּ וְשָׁתוּ). For this reason it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): "Execute judgment in the morning" (Jeremiah 21) (דִּינוּ לַבֹּקֶר מִשְׁפָּט), and it is also written (וּכְתִיב): "I am Hashem who performs kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, says Hashem" (Jeremiah 9) (אֲנִי יְיָ' עוֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד וּמִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בָּאָרֶץ כִּי בְאֵלֶּה חָפַצְתִּי נְאֻם יְיָ').