Daf 81a (דַּף פ״א ע״א)

“And it was on the third day” (וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי), as it is written (כְּתִיב): “Be ready for three days; do not come near a woman” (הָיוּ נְכוֹנִים לִשְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים אַל תִּגְּשׁוּ אֶל אִשָּׁה), and this is “on the third day” (וְהַיְינוּ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי). Rabbi Shimon said (ר' שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר): At the moment when Kudsha Berikh Hu desired to reveal Himself on Mount Sinai (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעָא לְאִתְגַּלָּאָה בְּטוּרָא דְּסִינַי), Kudsha Berikh Hu called to His entire retinue (קָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְכָל פָּמַלְיָיא דִּילֵיהּ), and said to them (אָמַר לוֹן): Now Yisrael are children, who do not yet know My customs (הַשְׁתָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל רַבְיָין דְּלָא יַדְעִין נִימוּסַי), and I wish to reveal Myself to them (וַאֲנָא בָּעֵי לְאִתְגְּלֵי עֲלַיְיהוּ).

If I reveal Myself in the force of might, they will not be able to bear it (אִי אִתְגְּלֵי עֲלַיְיהוּ בְּחֵילָא דִּגְבוּרָה לָא יַכְלִין לְמִסְבַּל), but I will reveal Myself to them in compassion, and they will receive My customs (אֲבָל אִתְגְּלֵי עֲלַיְיהוּ בְּרַחֲמֵי וִיקַבְּלוּן נִימוּסַי). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב): “And it was on the third day” (וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי). On the third day-indeed it is compassion (בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וַדַּאי דְּאִיהוּ רַחֲמֵי). From where do we know this? (מְנָלָן) For it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): (Shmuel Bet 22) “He bent the heavens and descended…” (וַיֵּט שָׁמַיִם וַיֵּרַד). And with this Kudsha Berikh Hu revealed Himself to Yisrael (וּבְהַאי אִתְגַּלֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), first bringing them compassion (אַקְדִּים לְהוּ רַחֲמֵי בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and afterwards giving them the Orayta from the side of Gevurah (וּלְבָתַר אִתְיְיהִיב לְהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה). “On the third day” (בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי), for thus it appeared to them (דְּהָכִי אִתְחָזֵי לְהוּ), and for this reason Yisrael are called so (דִּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אִקְרוּן).

“In the morning” (בִּהְיוֹת הַבֹּקֶר), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): (Shmuel Bet 23) “Morning without clouds” (בֹּקֶר לֹא עָבוֹת). Behold, if it were “clouded,” gloom would be present, and Chesed would not be revealed (הָא אִי הֲוָה עָבוֹת קַדְרוּתָא אִשְׁתְּכַּח, וְלָא אִתְגַּלְיָיא חֶסֶ''ד). And when is Chesed revealed? In the morning (וְאֵימָתַי אִתְגַּלְיָיא חֶסֶ''ד בַּבֹּקֶר). As you say (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר): (Bereishit 45) “The morning is light” (הַבֹּקֶר אוֹר). For when the dawn shines, Chesed is present in the world (דְּכַד נָהִיר צַפְרָא חֶסֶ''ד אִשְׁתְּכַּח בְּעָלְמָא), and the judgments pass away (וְדִּינִין מִתְעַבְּרָן). And at a time when the morning does not shine, the judgments do not yet pass (וּבְזִמְנָא דְּלָא נָהִיר בֹּקֶר דִּינִין עַד כְּעַן לָא מִתְעַבְּרָן), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): (Job 38) “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of Elohim shouted for joy” (בְּרָן יַחַד כּוֹכְבֵי בֹּקֶר וַיָּרִיעוּ כָּל בְּנֵי אֱלֹהִים). Once those stars passed and the sun shines (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעַבְּרָן אִינוּן כּוֹכְבַיָּא וְנָהִיר שִׁמְשָׁא), then it is written (בֵּיהּ שַׁעֲתָא כְּתִיב): “Morning without clouds” (בֹּקֶר לֹא עָבוֹת), and Chesed is aroused in the lower world (וְחֶסֶ''ד אִתְּעַר בְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה). At that hour it is written (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא כְּתִיב): “In the morning” (בִּהְיוֹת הַבֹּקֶר). And once the stars pass, then morning is found (Some say: when morning is aroused, judgment is not found (וְכֵיוָן דְּמִתְעַבְּרָן כּוֹכְבַיָּא בֹּקֶר אִשְׁתְּכַּח. נ״א: דְּאִתְעַר בֹּקֶר, דִּינִין לָא אִשְׁתְּכַּחוּ).

Rabbi Yosi said (אָמַר ר' יוֹסֵי): At the morning time, Kudsha Berikh Hu began to reveal Himself on Mount Sinai (בִּהְיוֹת הַבֹּקֶר שָׁארֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְגַּלָּאָה בְּטוּרָא דְּסִינַי). It was taught (תָּנָא): “At the morning time” (בִּהְיוֹת הַבֹּקֶר), when the merit of Avraham was awakened (כַּד אִתְּעַר זְכוּתֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם), as it is written about him (Bereishit 19) “And Avraham arose early in the morning” (וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר). “And there were voices and lightning” (וַיְהִי קֹלֹת וּבְרָקִים). Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא): “Voices” is written deficiently (קֹלֹת כְּתִיב חָסֵר), lacking the letter Vav, to hint that two voices returned to one (תְּרֵין קָלִין דְּאַהַדְרוּ לְחָד): this one emerging from that one (דָּא נָפְקָא מִן דָּא) wind from water and water from wind (רוּחָא מִמַּיָּא, וּמַיָּא מֵרוּחָא). Two that are one, and one that is two (תְּרֵין דְּאִינּוּן חַד, וְחַד דְּאִיהוּ תְּרֵי).

Rabbi Yosi said (אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי): “Voices”-one (קֹלֹת חַד), and it is a mighty great voice that never ceases (וְאִיהוּ קָלָא רַבְרְבָא תַּקִּיפָא דְּלָא פַּסְקַת לְעָלְמִין). That is what is written about it (Devarim 5) “A great voice that did not cease” (קוֹל גָּדוֹל וְלא יָסָף). For the other voices did cease (דְּהָא שְׁאַר קָלִין אִתְפַּסְּקָן), as it was taught (דְּתַנְיָא): In four seasons of the year, the voice ceases, and then judgments are awakened in the world (בְּאַרְבָּעָה תְּקוּפִין בַּשַּׁתָּא קָלָא אִתְפַּסְּקַת, וּכְדֵין דִּינִין מִתְעָרִין בְּעָלְמָא). But this voice, which includes all other voices, never ceases (וְהַאי קָלָא דְּכָלִיל שְׁאַר קָלִין בֵּיהּ לָא אִתְפְּסָק לְעָלְמִין), nor does it depart from its complete endurance and strength (וְלָא אִתְעֲבָר מִקִּיּוּמָא שְׁלִים וְתוּקְפָּא דִּילֵיהּ). It was taught (תָּאנָא): This voice is the voice of voices (הַאי קָלָא-קָלָא דְּקַלִין), a voice that encompasses all other voices (קָלָא דְּכָלִיל כָּל שְׁאַר קַלִין).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר ר' יְהוּדָה): There is no voice except from the side of wind, water, and fire (לֵית קָלָא, אֶלָּא מִסִּטְרָא דְּרוּחָא וּמַיָּא וְאֵשָּׁא). And everything (וְכֹלָּא דבר אחר: וְכֹלָא) makes a voice, and this is intermingled with that (עָבִיד קָלָא, וְאִתְכְּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא). And concerning this it is written: “Voices” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב קֹלֹת). “And lightning” (וּבְרָקִים)

Rabbi Yosi said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): This is what is written (Tehillim 135) “He makes lightning for the rain” (בְּרָקִים לַמָּטָר עָשָׂה) a flaming blaze among the clouds (שַׁלְהוֹבָא בְּעוּטְרֵי), a knot of mercy in affection (קְטִירָא דְּרַחֲמֵי בְּחִיבָּתָא), which is not commonly found (דְּלָא שְׁכִיחוּ). Some say: “which does not sink” (נ״א: שְׁקִיעַ).