Daf 125a (דַּף קכ״ה ע״א)

Rabbi El'azar said: (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר) "This statement Kudsha Berikh Hu spoke solely out of love for Yisrael, (מִלָּה דָּא לָא קָאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֶלָּא בִּרְחִימוּתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל) and to reconcile with them. (וּלְאִתְפַּיְּיסָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ). It is like a king who wished to journey with his son, (לְמַלְכָּא דְּהֲוָה בָּעֵי לְמֵיזַל עִם בְּרֵיהּ) not wanting to leave him alone. (וְלָא בָּעֵי לְשָׁבְקָא לֵיהּ). The son, however, was afraid to request the king to accompany him. (אָתָא בְּרֵיהּ, וּמִסְתָּפֵי לְמִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְמַלְכָּא דְּיֵיזִיל בַּהֲדֵיהּ). So the king preemptively said, (אַקְדִּים מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר) 'Here, this captain will go with you (הָא לִגְיוֹן פְּלָן יֵזִיל בַּהֲדָךְ), to protect you on the journey.' (לְמִנְטַר לָךְ בְּאָרְחָא). Afterward, he added, (לְבָתַר אָמַר) 'Beware of him on the way, (אִסְתָּמַּר לָךְ מִנֵּיהּ, בארחא) for he is not entirely trustworthy.' (דְּהָא לָא גְּבָר שְׁלִים הוּא). At this, the son replied, (אָמַר בְּרֵיהּ) 'If so, either I remain here, (אִי הָכִי, אוֹ אֲנָא אוֹתִיב הָכָא) or you must come with me, (אוֹ אַתְּ תֵּזִּיל עִמִּי) for I cannot bear separation from you.' (וְלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִינָךְ). Similarly, Kudsha Berikh Hu at first said, (כָּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּקַדְמִיתָא אָמַר) 'Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way.' (הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׂלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ לִשְׁמָרְךָ בַּדָּרֶךְ). But afterward He said, (וּלְבָתַר אָמַר) 'Beware of him,' etc. (הִשָּׁמֶר מִפָּנָיו וְגוֹ') At that moment, Moses said, (בֵּיהּ שַׁעֲתָא אָמַר מֹשֶׁה) 'If Your Presence does not go with us…' (אִם אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הוֹלְכִים וְגוֹ')."

Rabbi Shimon came (אָתָא רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), found them discussing this (אַשְׁכַּח לְהוּ בְּהַאי), and said, (אָמַר) "El'azar, my son, you have spoken well. (אֶלְעָזָר בְּרִי שַׁפִּיר קָאָמַרְתְּ). But come and see, (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי) in this place Moses said nothing, (בַּאֲתַר דָּא לָא אָמַר מֹשֶׁה מִדִי) nor did he reply at all. (וְלָא אָתִיב מִלָּה לָקֳבְלֵיה). Why? (מַאי טַעֲמָא). Because here no true separation was intended. (מִשּׁוּם דְּהָכָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח פְּרִישׁוּתָא מִנֵּיהּ). This matter I have explained before our Friends. (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה דָּא, לְגַבֵּי חַבְרַיָּיא). There are those who teach the opposite, (וְאִית דְּמַתְנֵי אִיפְּכָא) but the earlier sages did not interpret thus. (וְלָא הָכִי פֵּירְשׁוּהָ קַדְמָאֵי). Yet, when words are examined carefully, (וְכַד יִסְתַּכְּלוּן מִלֵּי) all is correct, (כֹּלָּא שַׁפִּיר) and all express one matter. (וְכֹלָּא בְּחַד מִלָּה אַמְרֵי טַעֲמַיְיהוּ). When did Moses reply? (אֵימָתַי אָתִיב מֹשֶׁה). At the time it was said, (בְּזִמְנָא דְּאָמַר) '(Exodus 33) And I shall send an angel before you,' (וְשָׁלַחְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ מַלְאָךְ). and it is written, 'For My angel will go before you,' (וּכְתִיב כִּי יֵלֵךְ מַלְאָכִי לְפָנֶיךָ) where the matter was vague and unclear. (סָתַם וְלָא פָּרִישׁ מִלָּה). Therefore, it is written here, (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, הָכָא) 'For if you will indeed hearken to his voice and do all that I speak'— (כִּי אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע בְּקוֹלוֹ וְעָשִׂיתָ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר). specifically, 'that I speak' precisely. (אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר דַּוְקָא) And it is written, 'Then I shall be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries,' (וּכְתִיב וְאָיַבְתִּי אֶת אוֹיְבֶיךָ וְצַרְתִּי אֶת צוֹרֲרֶיךָ) and all depends upon Him." (וְכֹלָּא בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָא).

Rabbi Yehudah said, (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר) "If you say both angels are literally angels, (אִי תֵּימָא דְּתַרְוַויְיהוּ מַלְאָךְ מַמָּשׁ) Moses did not respond to them (מֹשֶׁה לָא אָתִיב עָלַיְיהוּ) for he saw no place to object. (דְּלָא חָמָא דּוּכְתָּא). When did he respond? (אֵימָתַי אָתִיב). At the time when it was written, (בְּזִמְנָא דִּכְתִּיב) '(Exodus 33) If Your Presence does not go with us, etc.' (אִם אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הוֹלְכִים וְגוֹ')." Rabbi Shimon said, (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן) "The general principle of all is that Moses did not desire an angel at all, (כְּלָל דְּכֹלָּא, מֹשֶׁה לָא בָּעָא מַלְאָכָא). For it is written, (דְּהָא כְּתִיב) '(Exodus 34) And he said, if now I have found favor in Your eyes, Adonai, let Adonai go among us.' (וַיֹּאמֶר אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲדֹנָי יֵלֵךְ נָא אֲדֹנָי בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ)."

Rabbi Yehudah said, (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה) "This statement of Rabbi Abba regarding (הַאי דְּאָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, דִּכְתִּיב) 'Do not boil a kid in its mother's milk,' (לא תְּבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ) should it not have said, 'in the mother's milk'? (בַּחֲלֵב הָאֵם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ) Why 'its mother'? (מַאי אִמּוֹ). And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא) the Congregation of Yisrael is the mother of the side of impurity, (כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִמּוֹ דְּסִטְרָא דִּמְסָאֳבָא) it is not so! (לָאו הָכִי) For I have heard Rabbi Shimon say, (דְּהָא שְׁמַעְנָא דְּאָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן) 'The Congregation of Yisrael is a holy mother united with Yisrael as their portion,' (כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִימָּא קַדִּישָׁא בְּחוּלָקֵיהּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְאַחֲדָא) as it is written: '(Deuteronomy 32) For Hashem’s portion is His people.' (דִּכְתִּיב, כִּי חֵלֶק יְיָ' עַמּוֹ)."

Rabbi Shimon said, (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן) "You have spoken well. (שַׁפִּיר קָאָמַרְתְּ). The statement of Rabbi Abba is also correct, (וְהָא דְּרַבִּי אַבָּא שַׁפִּיר) for all depends on this. (וְכֹלָּא דָּא בְּדָא תַּלְיָא). Come and see, (תָּא חֲזִי) the supernal mother is joined above (אִמָא אִתְאַחֲדָא לְהוּ לְעֵילָּא) to this side and to that side, (לְסִטְרָא דָּא וּלְסִטְרָא דָּא) and they are two: (וּתְרֵין אִינּוּן) one to the right, and one to the left. (חֲדָא לִימִינָא, וַחֲדָא לִשְׂמָאלָא). Therefore, from them emerges right, and from them emerges left. (וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ, מִנְּהוֹן לִימִינָא, וּמִנְּהוֹן לִשְׂמָאלָא). Yet all depend upon this supernal mother, (וְכֻלְּהוּ תַּלְיָין בְּהַאי אֵ"ם) the Holy Mother, (אִמָּא קַדִּישָׁא) and are unified within Her." (וְאִתְאַחֲדָן בָּהּ).

When do they become unified with Her? (אֵימָתַי אִתְאַחֲדָן בָּהּ). At the time when this mother suckles from another side, (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּהַאי אֵם יָנְקָא מִסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא) and the Sanctuary becomes defiled, (וּמִקְדְּשָׁא אִסְתְּאָב) and the powerful serpent begins to be revealed, (וְחִוְיָא תַּקִּיפָא שַׁארִי לְאִתְגַּלָּאָה) then the kid suckles from the milk of its mother, (כְּדֵין גַּדְיָא יַנְקָא מֵחָלָבָא דְּאִמֵּיהּ) and judgments awaken. (וְדִינִין מִתְעָרִין). Therefore, Yisrael precedes and brings the first fruits, (וְעַל דָּא, יִשְׂרָאֵל קַדְּמִין וְאֵייתָאן בִּכּוּרִים) and when they bring them, (וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּמַיְיתִין לְהוּ) they must declare openly regarding Lavan, (בַּעְיָין לְמֵימַר וּלְמִפְתַּח בֵּיהּ בְּלָבָן) who sought by these sorceries (דְּבָעָא בְּחַרְשׁוֹי אִלֵּין) to dominate Jacob and the Holy Seed, (לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בְּיַעֲקֹב, וּבְזַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא) yet they were not given into his hands, (וְלָא אִתְיְיהִיבוּ בִּידֵיהּ) nor was Yisrael delivered to that side. (וְלָא אִתְמַסְּרָן יִשְׂרָאֵל לְסִטְרָא דָּא). Thus it is written, (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב) "The first fruits of your land…do not cook a kid in its mother's milk," (רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ וְגוֹ', לא תְּבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ). so that this other side will not suckle from its mother's milk, (וְלָא יָנְקָא הַהוּא סִטְרָא, מֵחָלָבָא דְּאִמֵּיהּ) and thus the Sanctuary will not become defiled, (דְּהָא לָא יִסְתְּאָב מַקְדְּשָׁא) and judgments will not awaken. (וְדִינִין לָא מִתְעָרִין). Therefore, no meat with milk may be eaten by all of the Holy Seed, (בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ, לָא יֵיכוּל בִּשְׂרָא בְּחָלָבָא כָּל זַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא) nor anyone who comes from that side, (וְכָל מַאן דְּאָתֵי מִסְּטַר דָּא) so as not to give place (דְּלָא יָהִיב דּוּכְתָּא) to one who is not needed, (לְמַאן דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ) for this matter depends upon action, (דְּהָא בְּעוֹבָדָא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא) upon actions performed below, (בְּעוֹבָדָא דִּלְתַתָּא) to awaken above. (לְאַתְעֲרָא לְעֵילָּא). Fortunate is Yisrael above all idol-worshipping nations, (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכָּל עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת) for their Master has called upon them, (דְמָרֵיהוֹן קָרֵי עָלַיְיהוּ) "(Devarim 14) And Hashem has chosen you to be His treasured people." (וּבְךָ בָּחַר יְיָ' לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה). And it is written, (וּכְתִיב) "(Devarim 14) For you are a holy people to Hashem your God," (כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַיְיָ' אֱלהֶיךָ) (and all is one matter), (וְכלא חַד מִילָּה) and it is also written, (וּכְתִיב) "(Devarim 14) You are children to Hashem your God, etc." (בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיְיָ' אֱלהֵיכֶם וְגוֹ').