Daf 126a (דַּף קכ״ו ע״א)

And to Moshe He said, "Ascend to Hashem." (וְאֶל מֹשֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל יְיָ׳). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא). The Shekhinta said to him, (אָמְרָה לֵיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא) "Ascend above, (אִסְתְּלִיק לְעֵילָּא) for I and Yisrael (דְּהָא אֲנָא וְיִשְׂרָאֵל) have become united together in complete perfection through you, (נִשְׁתַּתֵּף כַּחֲדָא בִּשְׁלֵימוּתָא עַל יְדָךְ) something that had not occurred until now." (מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה עַד הָכָא). What is written? (מַה כְּתִיב) "And Moshe took half of the blood, etc." (וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה חֲצִי הַדָּם וְגוֹ׳) He divided it into two. (פָּלַג לֵיהּ לִתְרֵין). Half of the blood he sprinkled upon the people, (חֲצִי הַדָּם זָרַק עַל הָעָם) and half of the blood he sprinkled upon the altar, (וַחֲצִי הַדָּם זָרַק עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ) as we have established. (כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא). And it is written, (וּכְתִיב) "Behold, the blood of the covenant that Hashem has sealed with you." (הִנֵּה דַּם הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת יְיָ׳ עִמָּכֶם). "And he placed it in basins," (וַיָּשֶׂם בָּאַגָּנֹת) but "in the basin" is written, (בָּאַגָּנַת כְּתִיב) missing a Vav, (חָסֵר וָא״ו) as it is written, (כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב) "Your navel is like a round basin; let not blended wine be lacking" (Shir HaShirim 7) (שָׁרְרֵךְ אַגַן הַסַּהַר אַל יֶחְסַר הַמָּזֶג). "And Moshe alone approached Hashem" (Shemot 24) (וְנִגַּשׁ מֹשֶׁה לְבַדּוֹ אֶל יְיָ׳) fortunate is Moshe’s portion, (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה) for he alone merited (דְּהוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, זָכָה) what no other human being merited. (לְמָה דְּלָא זָכָה בַּר נָשׁ אַחֲרָא). Yisrael now merited (יִשְׂרָאֵל זָכוּ הַשְׁתָּא) what they had not merited until that time. (מַה דְּלָא זָכוּ עַד הַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא).

At that time they were established (וְהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא, אִתְקְיָּימוּ) in a supernal holy establishment. (בְּקִיּוּמָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא). At that moment they received the tidings that a Mikdash would exist among them, (וּבְהַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא אִתְבַּשָּׂרוּ לְמֶהֱוֵי בֵּינַיְיהוּ מַקְדְּשָׁא) as it is said, (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר) "And they shall make Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them" (Shemot 25) (וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם). "And they beheld Elohei Yisrael, and beneath His feet was like sapphire brickwork, etc." (Shemot 24) (וַיִּרְאוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְתַחַת רַגְלָיו כְּמַעֲשֵׂה לִבְנַת הַסַּפִּיר וְגוֹ׳). Rabbi Yehudah opened, (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח) "This is your stature likened to a palm tree, etc." (Shir HaShirim 7) (זֹאת קוֹמָתֵךְ דָּמְתָה לְתָמָר וְגוֹ׳) How beloved is Kenesset Yisrael before Kudsha Berikh Hu, (כַּמָּה חֲבִיבָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא) that she is never separated from Him, (דְּלָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנִּיהּ) just like this palm tree (כְּהַאי תָּמָר) whose male never separates from the female forever, (דְּלָא פָּרִישׁ דְּכַר מִן נוּקְבָּא לְעָלְמִין) nor does one ascend without the other. (וְלָא סָלִיק, דָּא בְּלָא דָּא). Thus is Kenesset Yisrael, (כַּךְ כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל) never separating from Kudsha Berikh Hu. (לָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁא מְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

Come and see, (תָּא חֲזִי) when Nadav and Avihu saw, (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא חָמוּ) along with the seventy elders. (וְשִׁבְעִין סָבִין). What is written about them? (מַה כְּתִיב בְּהוּ). "And they beheld Elohei Yisrael," (וַיִּרְאוּ אֶת אֱלהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). for the Shekhinta was revealed upon them. (דְּאִתְגְּלֵי עָלַיְיהוּ שְׁכִינְתָּא). Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Yosi said, (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי יוֹסִי אַמְרֵי) "Et" precisely, (אֶת דַּיְיקָא). and this "Et" is from afar, (וְדָא אֶת, הוּא מֵרָחוֹק). "Et" includes that which is contained within it. (אֶת לְאַכְלְלָא מַה דִּי בְּגַוֵּיהּ).

Rabbi Yitzchak said (רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר), but it is written (וְהָא כְּתִיב): "This is the Chayah that I saw under Elohei Yisrael by the river Kevar" (הִיא הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּנְהַר כְּבָר) (Yechezkel 10). What is this Chayah? (מַאן חַיָּה דָּא). Rabbi Yosi said in the name of Rabbi Chiya (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסִי אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא): It is the lesser Chayah (חַיָּה זוּטְרַתִּי). And is there indeed a lesser Chayah? (וְכִי אִית חַיָּה זוּטְרַתִּי) Yes (אִין), there is a lesser Chayah (חַיָּה זוּטְרַתִּי) and a higher Chayah (וְחַיָּה עִלָּאָה). And this lesser Chayah (וְחַיָּה זוּטְרָא), (Bereshit 11b), is indeed small (דְּזוּטַרְתִּי).

"And they beheld Elohei Yisrael" (וַיִּרְאוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), precisely (דַּיְיקָא), as we have said (כְּמָה דַּאֲמֵינָא). "And beneath His feet was like sapphire brickwork" (וְתַחַת רַגְלָיו כְּמַעֲשֵׂה לִבְנַת הַסַּפִּיר)—like the appearance of a precious stone (כְּחֵזוּ אֶבֶן טָבָא), with which Kudsha Berikh Hu will build the Mikdash in the future (דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִבְנֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): "And I will lay your foundations with sapphires" (וְיִסַּדְתִּיךְ בַּסַּפִּירִים) (Yeshayahu 54). "And upon the nobles of Bnei Yisrael" (וְאֶל אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל)—these are Nadav and Avihu (דָּא נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא). "He did not send forth His hand" (לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ), meaning He delayed their punishment until a later time (דְּסָלִיק לוֹן לְבָתַר זִמְנָא), and they were not punished here (וְלָא אִתְעֲנָשׁוּ הָכָא). Rabbi Yosi said (רַבִּי יוֹסִי אָמַר): This statement is in praise of them (מִלָּה דָּא, לִשְׁבָחָא דִּלְהוֹן), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): "And they ate and drank" (וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ), meaning they nourished their eyes (דְּזָנוּ עֵינֵיהוֹן) from that radiance (מִנְּהִירוּ דָּא). Rabbi Yehudah said (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר): They truly ate an actual meal (אֲכִילָה וַדָּאִית אָכְלוּ), and physically sustained themselves (וְזָנוּ גַּרְמַיְיהוּ), and here they became attached to the supernal (וְהָכָא אִתְקְשָׁרוּ לְעֵילָּא), if only they had not deviated from the path later (אִי לָא דְּסָטוּ אוֹרְחַיְיהוּ לְבָתַר), as we have established (כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא).

Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): Even all Yisrael (וַאֲפִילּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל), at that moment became worthy (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא אִתְכְּשָׁרוּ), and the Shekhinta attached itself to them (וְאִתְקַשָּׁרַת בְּהוּ שְׁכִינְתָּא). And this condition endured (וְדָא קַיָּימָא), and the entire Orayta was given in one moment (וְאוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא, בְּחַד זִמְנָא הֲוָה). And Yisrael, at that moment, beheld what had never been seen before or since (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא לָא חָמוּ לְעָלְמִין). But in the time to come, Kudsha Berikh Hu is destined to reveal Himself openly to His children (וּלְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי, זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְגַּלָּאָה עַל בְּנוֹי), so they will behold His glory eye to eye (וּלְמֵחמֵי כֹּלָּא יְקָרָא דִּילֵיהּ עֵינָא בְּעֵינָא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): "For they shall see eye to eye when Hashem returns to Zion" (כִּי עַיִן בְּעַיִן יִרְאוּ בְּשׁוּב יְיָ׳ צִיּוֹן) (Yeshayahu 52). And it is also written (וּכְתִיב): "And the glory of Hashem shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, etc." (וְנִגְלָה כְּבוֹד יְיָ׳ וְרָאוּ כָל בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּו וְגוֹ׳) (Yeshayahu 40).