Daf 89b (דַּף פ״ט ע״ב)

Come and see: it is written, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, and the seventh day is a Shabbat to Hashem your Elohim…” (תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב, שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל מְלַאכְתֶּךָ, וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת לַיְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ..). (Exodus 20). “All your work”-these are the six days of the labor of mankind (כָּל מְלַאכְתֶּךָ, בְּאִינּוּן שִׁיתָא יוֹמֵי עֲבִידְתַּיְיהוּ דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא).

And because of this, the Friends do not engage in zivug except at a time when no trace of mundane labor remains (וּבְגִין הַאי מִלָּה, לָא מִזְדַּוְּוגֵי הַחֲבֵרַיָּא, בַּר בְּזִמְנָא דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח מֵעֲבִידְתַּיְיהוּ דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא), but only in the labor of Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֶלָּא עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And what is His labor? The zivug of the Matronita, to bring forth holy souls into the world (וּמַאי עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ זִוּוּגָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, לְאַפָּקָא נִשְׁמָתִין קַדִּישִׁין לְעָלְמָא).

And for this reason, on this night the Friends sanctify themselves with the holiness of their Master (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, בְּהַאי לֵילְיָא הַחֲבֵרַיָּא מִתְקַדְּשֵׁי בִּקְדוּשָּׁה דְּמָארֵיהוֹן), and they direct their hearts, and exalted children emerge-holy children, with no adversary to their right or left (וּמְכַוְּונֵי לִבַּיְיהוּ, וְנַפְקֵי בְּנֵי מַעֲלֵי, בְּנִין קַדִּישִׁין, דְּלָא סָטָאן לִימִינָא וְלִשְׂמָאלָא), children of the King and the Matronita (בְּנִין דְּמַלְכָּא וּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא). And about them it is written, “You are children to Hashem your Elohim” (וְעַל אִלֵּין כְּתִיב, בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם) (Deuteronomy 14) to Hashem your Elohim indeed (לַיְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וַדַּאי). For these are called His children, children of the King and of the Matronita (בְּגִין דְּאִלֵּין אִקְרוּן בְּנִין דִּילֵיהּ, בְּנִין לְמַלְכָּא וּלְמָטְרוֹנִיתָא).

And this is the intent of the Friends who know this secret (וְהָא דַּעְתַּיְיהוּ דְּהַחֲבֵרַיָּא דְּיַדְעִין רָזָא דָּא), for in this they cleave (בְּדָא מִתְדַּבְּקָן). And because of this they are called children of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, אִקְרוּן בְּנִין לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And these are they by whom the world is sustained (וְהָנִי אִינּוּן דְּעָלְמָא מִתְקַיְּימָא בְּגִינַיְיהוּ). And when the world rises to judgment, Kudsha Berikh Hu gazes upon these sons and has compassion upon the world (וְכַד סָלִיק עָלְמָא בְּדִינָא, אִסְתָּכַּל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאִינּוּן בְּנוֹי, וּמְרַחֵם עַל עָלְמָא).

And about this it is written, “All of it is the seed of truth” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, כֻּלּוֹ זֶרַע אֱמֶת) (Jeremiah 2). Seed of truth-indeed (זֶרַע אֱמֶת וַדַּאי). What is truth? A complete holy inheritance (מַהוּ אֱמֶת עִזְקָא קַדִּישָׁא שְׁלֵימָתָא). As it is said, “You will give truth to Ya'akov” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב) (Micah 7). Truth-this is Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֱמֶת-דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and all is one (וְכֹלָּא חַד). And because of this: Seed of truth-truly (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, זֶרַע אֱמֶת וַדַּאי).

Rabbi Yudai said to him: Blessed is the Merciful One who brought me here! Blessed is the Merciful One, for this word I heard from your mouth (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יוּדָאַי, בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּשָׁדַרְנִי הָכָא, בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא, דְּהָא מִלָּה דָּא שְׁמַעְנָא מִפּוּמָךְ).

Rabbi Yudai wept (בָּכָה רַבִּי יוּדָאַי). Rabbi Shimon said to him: why are you weeping? (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אֲמַאי קָא בָּכִית) He said to him: I weep because I say: woe to those people in the world whose ways are like animals, and they neither know nor reflect-it would have been better for them had they never been created (אָמַר לֵיהּ, בָּכֵינָא, דַּאֲמֵינָא דְּוַוי לְאִינוּן בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, דְּאָרְחֵיהוֹן כִּבְעִירֵי, וְלָא יָדְעִין וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין, דְּטָב לוֹן דְּלָא אִתְבְּרִיאוּ). Woe to the world when the Master departs from it-for who will then reveal secrets, and who will understand them, and who will contemplate the ways of the Orayta? (וַוֵי לְעָלְמָא כַּד יִפּוּק מָארֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ, דְּמַאן יָכִיל לְגַלָּאָה רָזִין, וּמַאן יִנְדַּע לוֹן, וּמַאן יִסְתָּכַּל בְּאָרְחֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא).

He said to him: by your life, the world exists only for those Friends (אָמַר לֵיהּ, חַיֶּיךָ, לֵית עָלְמָא אֶלָּא לְאִינוּן חַבְרַיָּיא), who engage in the Orayta and know the sealed mysteries of the Orayta (דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְיַדְעִין סְתִימֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא). Indeed, the Friends have justly decreed concerning the people of the earth (וַדַּאי בִּקְשׁוֹט גָּזְרוּ חַבְרַיָּיא עַל עַמָּא דְּאַרְעָא), that they destroy their paths and do not know right from left (דִּמְחַבְּלִין אָרְחַיְיהוּ, וְלָא יַדְעִין בֵּין יְמִינָא לִשְׂמָאלָא), for they are like beasts, deserving judgment even on Yom Kippur (דְּהָא אִינּוּן כִּבְעִירֵי, דְּיֵאוֹת לְמֶעְבַּד בְּהוּ דִּינָא, אֲפִילּוּ בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים). And about their children it is written, “For they are children of harlotry” (וְעַל בְּנַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, כִּי בְנֵי זְנוּנִים הֵמָּה) (Hosea 2), children of harlotry-literally (בְנֵי זְנוּנִים מַמָּשׁ).

He said to him: Rabbi, this verse must be reconciled in its context (אָמַר לֵיהּ, רַבִּי, הַאי קְרָא בָּעֵי לְאִתְיַישְּׁבָא בְּאָרְחוֹי). It is written, “And I will give them in My house and within My walls a hand and a name better than sons and daughters; an everlasting name I will give him” (כְּתִיב, וְנָתַתִּי לָהֶם בְּבֵיתִי וּבְחוֹמוֹתַי יָד וָשֵׁם טוֹב מִבָּנִים וּמִבָּנוֹת, שֵׁם עוֹלָם אֶתֵּן לוֹ) (Isaiah 56). It should have said I will give them-why does it say I will give him? (אֶתֵּן לָהֶם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ-מַהוּ אֶתֵּן לוֹ)

He said to him: come and see. “And I will give them in My house”-what is “My house”? As it is said, “In all My house he is faithful” (אָמַר לֵיהּ, תָּא חֲזֵי, וְנָתַתִּי לָהֶם בְּבֵיתִי-מַהוּ בֵּיתִי כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר, בְּכָל בֵּיתִי נֶאֱמָן הוּא) (Numbers 12). (Some say: the Name of Kudsha Berikh Hu is called "House") (שְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִקְרֵי בֵּית). “And within My walls”-as it is said, “Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed guardians” (וּבְחוֹמוֹתַי, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, עַל חוֹמוֹתַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הִפְקַדְתִּי שׁוֹמְרִים) (Isaiah 62). “A hand and a name”-meaning: that they will draw forth holy souls from this place (יָד וָשֵׁם-כְּלוֹמַר דְּיִשְׁלְפוּן נִשְׁמָתִין קַדִּישִׁין מִדּוּכְתָּא דָּא). And that “hand” is a portion in completeness (וְהַהוּא יָד, חוּלָק בְּאַשְׁלָמוּתָא). Good-fuller than sons and daughters (טַב, מַלְיָא מִבְּנִין וּמִבָּנוֹת). “An everlasting name I will give him”-to that complete portion (שֵׁם עוֹלָם אֶתֵּן לוֹ-לְהַהוּא חוּלָק שְׁלִים), which will never be cut off through all generations (אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִכָּרֵת לְדָרֵי דָּרִין).

Another matter: I will give him-to one who knows the secret of the word and directs his heart properly (דָּבָר אַחֵר: אֶתֵּן לוֹ-לְהַהוּא דְּיָדַע רָזָא דְּמִלָּה, וְיִתְכַּוֵּן בְּמָה דְּבָעֵי לְכַוְּונָא).

Furthermore, Rabbi Shimon said: it is written, “You shall not kindle fire in all your dwelling places on the day of Shabbat” (תּוּ אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כְּתִיב, לֹא תְבַעֲרוּ אֵשׁ בְּכָל מוֹשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת) (Exodus 35). What is the reason? Because judgment is not appropriate on this day (מַאי טַעֲמָא בְּגִין דְּלָא אִתְחָזֵי דִּינָא בְּהַאי יוֹמָא). And if you say: behold, it ascends above-“in all your dwelling places” it says, not above (וְאִי תֵּימָא: הָא לַגָּבוֹהַּ סַלְּקָא-בְּכָל מוֹשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם קָאָמַר, וְלָא לַגָּבוֹהַּ). And that which ascends above does so in order to suppress another judgment (וְהַהוּא דְּסַלְּקָא לַגָּבוֹהַּ, לְאַכְפְיָא לְדִינָא אַחֲרָא סַלְּקָא). For we have learned: fire consumes fire, and the fire of the altar consumes other fire (דְּתָנֵינָן: אִית אֶשָּׁא אָכְלָא אֶשָּׁא, וְאֶשָׁא דְּמַדְבְּחָא אָכְלָא אֶשָּׁא אַחֲרָא).

And because of this, Atika Kadisha is revealed on this day more than any other day (וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ, אִתְגַּלְיָא עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּהַאי יוֹמָא, מִכָּל שְׁאַר יוֹמִין). And at the time when Atika is revealed, no judgment appears at all (וּבְזִמְנָא דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא עַתִּיקָא, לָא אִתְחָזֵי דִּינָא כְּלָל). And all those above and below are found in perfect joy, and judgment has no dominion (וְכָל עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין בְּחֶדְוָותָא שְׁלֵימָתָא, וְדִינָא לָא שַׁלְטָא).