Daf 82b (דַּף פ״ב ע״ב)

“And I saw Hashem”-et specifically (וָאֵרֶא אֶת יְיָ', אֶת דַּיְיקָא). “And I saw visions of Elohim”-mar’ot specifically (וָאֶרְאֶה מַרְאֹת אֱלֹהִים, מַרְאֹת דַּיְיקָא). And they were on one rung (וּבְדַרְגָּא חַד הָווֹ). If so (אִי הָכִי), why did Yeshayahu not elaborate at such length? (אֲמַאי לָא פָּרִישׁ יְשַׁעְיָה כּוּלֵי הַאי) Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי): this one encompassed, this one detailed (דָּא כָּלִיל, דָּא פָּרִישׁ). Why then did Yechezkel elaborate so greatly? (מַאי טַעֲמָא פָּרִישׁ כּוּלֵי הַאי יְחֶזְקֵאל) Rather, it was all necessary on account of Yisrael (אֶלָּא, כֹּלָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ בְּגִינֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), so that they would know how beloved they are to Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּיִנְדְּעוּן חֲבִיבוּתָא דְּחָבִיב לְהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), that His Shekhinta and His wrath came to dwell among them in exile (דְּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ וּרְתִיכוֹי אַתְיָין לְדַיָּירָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ בְּגָלוּתָא).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא): in the land of Kasdim (בְּאֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים) but it is written (Yeshayahu 23) (וְהָא כְּתִיב) “Behold, the land of the Kasdim-this people never was” (הֵן אֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים זֶה הָעָם לֹא הָיָה). Why then was the Shekhinta revealed there? (אֲמַאי אִתְגְּלֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּמָּן) If you say: for the sake of Yisrael (אִי תֵּימָא בְּגִינֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), it would have been better that the Shekhinta dwell among them without being revealed (הֲוָה טָב דְּתִשְׁרֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּגַוַּויְיהוּ, וְלָא יִתְגַּלְיָיא). Rather, so it was taught (אֶלָּא, הָכִי תָּאנָא): if it had not been revealed, they would not have known (אִי לָאו דְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא, לָא הֲווֹ יַדְעִין).

And as for the revelation-what is written? “By the River Kevar” (וְהָא דְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא, מַה כְּתִיב: עַל נְהַר כְּבָר) over the waters (עַל מַיָּא), in a place that was not polluted (בְּאֲתַר דְּלָא יִסְתְּאַב), and not subject to impurity (וְלָא שַׁרְיָא מְסָאֳבוּתָא). And that river was one of the four rivers that go out from the Garden of Eden (וְהַהוּא נַהֲרָא, הֲוָה חַד מֵאַרְבַּע נָהֲרִין דְּנָפְקִין מִגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן), as it is written: “By the River Kevar” (דִּכְתִיב: עַל נְהַר כְּבָר). What is Kevar? That it already was (מַהִי כְּבָר דִּכְבָר הֲוָה), from a place where the Shekhinta rests upon it (מֵאֲתָר דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹהִי). And it is written: “And the hand of Hashem was upon him there” (וּכְתִיב: וַתְּהִי עָלָיו שָׁם יַד יְיָ'), there-and not in another place (שָׁם, וְלֹא בְּאֲתַר אַחֲרָא).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא): it is written, “And from within it, the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance: the likeness of a human was upon them” (Yechezkel 1) (כְּתִיב: וּמִתּוֹכָהּ דְּמוּת אַרְבַּע חַיּוֹת, וְזֶה מַרְאֵיהֶן: דְּמוּת אָדָם לָהֵנָּה). It was taught in the supernal secret (תָּאנָא בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה): There are four living beings (אַרְבַּע חִיוָון אִית), which are within the innermost sanctuary (דְּאִינְהוּ לְגוֹ בְּגוֹ הֵיכָלָא קַדִּישָׁא). And they are primordial, ancient ones of the Ancient of Ancients (וְאִינּוּן קַדְמָאֵי, עַתִּיקִין דְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא), the totality of the supernal name (כְּלָלָא דִּשְׁמָא עִלָּאָה). And Yechezkel saw a likeness of the supernal chariots (וִיחֶזְקֵאל חָמָא, דְּמוּת דִּרְתִּיכִין עִלָּאִין), for what he saw came from a place that was not fully radiant (דְּהָא הוּא חָמָא, מֵאֲתָר דְּלָא הֲוָה נָהִיר כָּל כָּךְ). It was taught: just as there is above, so too below among them (תָּאנָא: כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, אִית לְתַתָּא מִינַיְיהוּ), and so in all the worlds (וְכֵן בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין), all are bound one to the other (כּוּלְּהוּ אֲחִידָן דָּא בְּדָא, וְדָא בְּדָא). And if you say that he saw more above (וְאִי תֵּימָא לְעֵילָּא יַתִּיר דְּחָמָא), we have learned (תָּנִינָן): Moshe saw through a shining Mirror (מֹשֶׁה חָמָא בְּאַסְפָּקְלַרְיָא דְּנָהֲרָא), but all the other prophets saw only through a non-shining Mirror (וְכֻלְּהוּ נְבִיאֵי לָא חָמוּ אֶלָּא מִגּוֹ אַסְפָּקְלַרְיָא דְּלָא נָהֲרָא), as it is written (Yechezkel 1) (דִּכְתִּיב) “And I saw visions of Elohim” (וָאֶרְאֶה מַרְאֹת אֱלֹהִים). And it is written (Bamidbar 12) (וּכְתִיב) “If there be a prophet among you, I Hashem make Myself known to him in a vision…” (אִם יִהְיֶה נְבִיאֲכֶם יְיָ' בַּמַּרְאָה אֵלָיו אֶתְוַדָּע וְגוֹ'), “Not so My servant Moshe…” (לֹא כֵן עַבְדִּי מֹשֶׁה וְגוֹ'), and it is written: “Mouth to mouth I speak with him” (וּכְתִיב: פֶּה אֶל פֶּה אֲדַבֶּר בּוֹ).

Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי): Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), that all the prophets compared to him are as a female to a male (דִּנְבִיאִין כֻּלְּהוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ כְּנוּקְבָא לְגַבֵּי דְּכוּרָא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “Mouth to mouth I speak with him, and appearance…” (פֶּה אֶל פֶּה אֲדַבֶּר בּוֹ וּמַרְאֶה). But for the other prophets it is written (וְלִשְׁאַר נְבִיאִים כְּתִיב): “In a vision I make Myself known to him” (בַּמַּרְאָה אֵלָיו אֶתְוַדָּע). Ba-mar’ah-but not mar’ot (In a vision, and not visions. (בַּמַּרְאָה וְלֹא מַרְאֹת). All the more so Yechezkel (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן יְחֶזְקֵאל), for even mar’eh is not written by him (דְּאֲפִילּוּ מַרְאֶה לָא כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ), but rather mar’ot, written defectively (אֶלָּא מַרְאֹת חָסֵר). And all the more so what is written by Moshe (וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן דִּכְתִּיב בְּמֹשֶׁה): “And not in riddles” (וְלֹא בְחִידוֹת), but every word with full clarity (אֶלָּא כָּל מִלָּה עַל בּוּרְיֵיהּ). Fortunate is that generation (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ דָּרָא), that such prophecy rested within them (דִּנְבִיאָה דָּא שָׁרֵי בְּגַוַּויְיהוּ).

Rabbi Yose son of Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה): Face to face, Yisrael beheld the radiant splendor of their King (אַפִּין בְּאַפִּין חָמוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל זִיו יְקָרָא דְּמַלְכֵיהוֹן), some say: of their Master (נ״א: דְּמָארֵיהוֹן), and there was not among them one who was blind, or lame, or mutilated, or deaf (וְלָא הֲוָה בְּהוֹן סוּמִין, וְחִגְּרִין, וּקְטִיעִין, וְחֵרְשִׁין). Blind-as it is implied in what is written: “And all the people saw” (סוּמִין, מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִּיב: וְכָל הָעָם רֹאִים). Lame-as it is written: “And they stood at the foot of the mountain” (חִגְרִין, דִּכְתִּיב: וַיִּתְיַצְּבוּ בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר). Mutilated and deaf-“We will do and we will hear” (קְטִיעִין וְחֵרְשִׁין, נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע). And in the time to come it is written (Yeshayahu 35) (וּלְזִמְנָא דְאָתֵי כְּתִיב) “Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute shall sing” (אָז יְדַלֵּג כְּאַיָּל פִּסֵּחַ, וְתָרוֹן לְשׁוֹן אִלֵּם).

“And Elohim spoke all these words, saying” (Shemot 20) (וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֵת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר). Rabbi Yehudah opened (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח): “Who can express the mighty acts of Hashem, who can declare all His praise?” (Tehillim 106) (מִי יְמַלֵּל גְּבוּרוֹת יְיָ', יַשְׁמִיעַ כָּל תְּהִלָּתוֹ). In how many ways does the Orayta testify regarding the human being (בְּכַמָּה אָרְחִין, אוֹרַיְיתָא אַסְהִידַת בְּבַר נָשׁ), so that he not be guilty before his Master (דְּלָא יְחוּב קַמֵי מָארֵיהּ). In how many ways it gives him advice (בְּכַמָּה אָרְחִין יָהִיב לֵיהּ עֵיטָא), that he not turn from his path to the right or to the left (דְּלָא יִסְטֵי מֵאָרְחוֹי לִימִינָא וְלִשְׂמָאלָא). In how many ways it gives him advice (בְּכַמָּה אָרְחִין יָהִיב לֵיהּ עֵיטָא), how he should return before his Master and be forgiven (הֵיךְ יֵתוּב קַמֵי מָארֵיהּ, וְיִמְחוֹל לֵיהּ).

For we have learned (דִּתְנַן): six hundred and thirteen kinds of counsel the Orayta gives to the human being (שִׁית מְאָה וּתְלַת עָשַׂר זִינֵי עֵיטָא, יָהִיב אוֹרַיְיתָא לְבַר נָשׁ), to be whole with his Master (לְמֶהוֵי שְׁלִים בְּמָארֵיהּ), because his Master desires to benefit him in this world and in the world to come (בְּגִין דְּמָארֵיהּ בָּעָא לְאוֹטָבָא לֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי). And even more so in the world to come (וְיַתִּיר בְּעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי), for we have learned (דְּהָא תָּנֵינָן): all that Kudsha Berikh Hu completes in a person, from the good things he merited in this world (כָּל מַה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַשְׁלִים לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, מֵאִינּוּן טָבָאן דְּזָכֵי בְּהוּ לְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי), is fulfilled in him (אִשְׁתְּלִים בְּהוּ). Why is this? (מַאי טַעֲמָא) Because the world to come belongs to Kudsha Berikh Hu (מִשּׁוּם דְּעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוֵי). (And if you might say that this world is not His, but... (וְאִי תֵימָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא לָאו דִּילֵיהּ הוּא אֶלָּא)