Daf 93a (דַּף צ״ג ע״א)

And if you say, “remember” does not require sanctification (וְאִי תֵּימָא, זָכוֹר, לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִתְקַדְּשָׁא), for behold, from it emerge all the sanctities of the world (דְּהָא מִנֵּיהּ נָפְקִין כָּל קְדוּשִׁין דְּעָלְמָא). - not so (לָאו הָכִי).

For this one must be sanctified by day (דְּהָא דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִתְקַדְּשָׁא בִּימָמָא), and this one must be sanctified by night (וְדָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִתְקַדְּשָׁא בְּלֵילְיָא). And all sanctifications are taken by Yisrael afterward (וְכָל קְדוּשִׁין נַטְלִין לוֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבָתַר), and they are sanctified in the sanctifications of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְאִתְקַדְּשָׁן בְּקִדּוּשֵׁי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

“Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20) (כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ), with every kind of reverence (בְּכָל זִינֵי יְקָר), to bring them joy with upright deeds (לְמֶחְדֵּי לוֹן בְּעוֹבְדֵי דְּכַשְׁרָאָן), as you have said: “The father of a righteous one will greatly rejoice” (Proverbs 23) (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: גִּיל יָגִיל אֲבִי צַדִּיק), and this is the honor of his father and his mother (וְדָא אִיהוּ יְקָרָא דַּאֲבוֹי וּדְאִמֵּיהּ).

Ra‘aya Meheimna

The Faithful Shepherd: “Honor your father and your mother” (רַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא: כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ). Honor him with clean garments-that is, with the wings of mitzvah (כַּבְּדֵהוּ בִּכְסוּת נְקִיָּיָה, דְּהַיְינוּ כַּנְפֵי מִצְוָה). “Honor Hashem from your substance”-this is Torah and mitzvot (כַּבֵּד אֶת יי מֵהוֹנֶךָ, דָּא תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת) (Proverbs 3). This is what is written: “Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left...” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: אוֹרֶךְ יָמִים בִּימִינָהּ בִּשְׂמֹאלָהּ וגו׳) (Proverbs 3). For a pauper is not a human being except by Torah and by mitzvot (דְּעָנִי לָאו אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ אֶלָּא מִן הַתּוֹרָה וּמִן הַמִּצְוֹת), as is made known after the Masters of the Mishnah established: “There is no pauper except from Torah and mitzvot” (אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע, דְּבָתַר דְּאוּקְמוּהָ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין: אֵין עָנִי אֶלָּא מִן הַתּוֹרָה וּמִן הַמִּצְוֹת).

For the wealth of a person is Torah and mitzvot (דְּעוּתְרָא דְּבַר נָשׁ אוֹרַיְּיתָא וּמִצְוֹת). And for this reason: “Honor Hashem from your substance” (וּבְגִין דָּא: כַּבֵּד אֶת יי מֵהוֹנֶךָ), and do not labor in Orayta in order to magnify yourself through it (וְלָא תִּשְׁתַּדֵּל בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא, כְּדֵי לְהִתְגַּדֵּל בָּהּ).

As the Friends have established: “Do not make them a crown to magnify yourself by them” (כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא: וְאַל תַּעֲשֵׂם עֲטָרָה לְהִתְגַּדֵּל בָּהֶם), and do not say, “I will study so that they call me ‘Rabbi’” p6-25(וְלֹא תֹאמַר: אֶקְרָא בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיִּקְרְאוּנִי רַבִּי), but rather, “Magnify Hashem with me” (אֶלָּא: גַּדְּלוּ לַיי אִתִּי) (Psalms 35). “Honor Hashem from your substance”-as a son who is obligated in the honor of his father and mother (כַּבֵּד אֶת יי מֵהוֹנֶךָ, כְּבֵן דְּאִיהוּ חַיָּיב בִּיקָרָא דַּאֲבוֹי וְאִמֵּיהּ). Because he is a partner from two drops, from which the human being is formed (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ מְשׁוּתָּף מִתְּרֵין טִפִּין, דְּמִנְּהוֹן נוֹצַּר בַּר נָשׁ): from the drop of the father come the white of the eyes, the bones, and the limbs (מִטִּפָּה דְּאַבוּהּ: חִוָּרוּ דְּעַיְנִין, וְגַרְמִין וְאֵבָרִין); and from the drop of the mother, the black of the eyes, the hair, the blood, and the flesh (וּמִטִּפָּה דְּאִמֵּיהּ: שָׁחוֹר דִּי בְּעַיְנִין, וְשַׂעֲרָא וּמַשְׁכָּא וּבִשְׂרָא).

And they raise him in Orayta and good deeds (וְרַבִּיאוּ לֵיהּ בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא וְעוֹבָדִין טָבִין). A man is obligated to teach his son Torah, as it is written: “You shall teach them to your children” (דְּבַר נָשׁ חַיָּיב לְלַמֵּד בְּנוֹ תּוֹרָה, דִּכְתִּיב: וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ) (Deuteronomy 6). And if he does not teach him Orayta and commandments, it is as if he made for him a graven image (וְאִי לָא אוֹלִיף לֵיהּ אוֹרַיְּיתָא וּפִקּוּדִין, כְּאִילּוּ עָבִיד לֵיהּ פֶּסֶל), and for this it is written, “You shall not make for yourself a graven image” (וּבְגִין דָּא: לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ פֶסֶל).

And in the future he will become a rebellious and wayward son, who dishonors his father and his mother, and robs them of many blessings (וְעָתִיד לִהְיוֹת בֵּן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה, וּמְבַזֶּה אָבוּהּ וְאִמֵּיהּ, וְגוֹזֵל מִנֵּיהּ כַּמָּה בִּרְכָּאן). For since he is an ignoramus (Am haAretz), he is suspected of everything (דְּהוֹאִיל וְאִיהוּ עַם הָאָרֶץ, חָשִׁיד אִיהוּ עַל כֹּלָּא), even of bloodshed, forbidden unions, and idolatry (וַאֲפִילּוּ עַל שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, וְגִילּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה). For one who is an ignoramus (דְּמַאן דְּאִיהוּ עַם הָאָרֶץ), and goes to a place where no one knows him, and he does not know how to bless (וְאָזִיל לַאֲתָר דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעוּן לֵיהּ, וְלָא יָדַע לְבָרְכָּא), we suspect him of idolatry (חַשְׁדִּינָן לֵיהּ דְּאִיהוּ עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה). (Thus concludes Ra‘aya Meheimna) (ע״כ רַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא).

“Honor your father” as it is said: “Honor Hashem from your substance” (כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ – כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר כַּבֵּד אֶת יְיָ מֵהוֹנֶךָ). From your wealth, that is, from your money (מֵהוֹנֶךָ: מִמָּמוֹנֶךָ). From your wealth, that is, from your grace (מֵהוֹנֶךָ: מֵחִנְּךָ). With the joy of melody, to gladden the heart (בְּחֶדְוָה דְּנִגוּנָא, לְמֶחְדֵּי לִבָּא), for this joy of heart is like the melody of the whole world (דְּהָא דָּא חֶדְוָה דְּלִבָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דָּא נִגוּנָא דְּכָל עָלְמָא).

Righteous deeds of that son gladden the heart of his father and his mother (עוֹבָדִין דְּכַשְׁרָאָן דְּהַהוּא בְּרָא, חַדֵּי לִבָּא דְּאָבוּהּ וּדְאִמֵּיהּ). From your wealth, from your money, for everything that is needed (מֵהוֹנֶךָ, מִמָּמוֹנֶךָ לְכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיכוּ). Just as a man must honor Kudsha Berikh Hu, so must he honor his father and mother (כְּגַוְונָא דְּבַר נָשׁ אוֹקִיר לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאַבָּא וּלְאִמָּא), because they have one partnership with Kudsha Berikh Hu over him (בְּגִין דְּשׁוּתָּפוּתָא חֲדָא אִית לְהוֹן בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלֵיהּ). And just as he must fear Kudsha Berikh Hu, so must he fear his father and his mother (וּכְמָה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִדְחַל לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִדְחַל לְאָבוּהּ וּלְאִמֵּיהּ), and to honor them together with all types of reverence (וּלְאוֹקִיר לוֹן כַּחֲדָא, בְּכָל זִינֵי יְקָר).

“In order that your days may be lengthened” - because there are supernal days upon which the life of man in this world depends (לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכוּן יָמֶיךָ, בְּגִין דְּאִית יוֹמִין לְעֵילָּא, דְּתַלְיָין בְּהוֹן חַיֵּי בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא).

And we have established concerning those days of a man in that supernal world (וְאוֹקִימְנָא עַל אִינּוּן יוֹמִין דְּבַר נָשׁ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא לְעֵילָּא), and all of them stand before Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְכֻלְּהוּ קַיְּימִין קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and in them is known the life of a man (וּבְהוֹן אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן חַיֵּי דְּבַר נָשׁ). “Upon the land that Hashem your God gives you” - this is the promise to receive from the shining mirror (עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ – אַבְטָחוּתָא לְאִתְהַנְיָא בְּאַסְפָּקְלַרְיָא דְּנַהֲרָא), and this secret of “the land” is the shining Mirror (וְרָזָא דָּא “עַל הָאֲדָמָה”, דָּא אַסְפָּקְלַרְיָא דְּנַהֲרָא), in those supernal days that shine from the fountain of all (בְּאִינּוּן יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין, דְּנַהֲרִין מִגּוֹ מַבּוּעָא דְּכֹלָּא).

Why is it that these two commandments of the Orayta are written with “in order that your days be lengthened”-this one, and sending the mother bird? (מַאי שְׁנָא, בְּאִלֵּין תְּרֵין פִּקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא, דִּכְתִיב בְּהוֹן לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכוּן יָמֶיךָ, בְּדָא, וּבְשִׁלּוּחַ הַקֵּן).

Rather, these two commandments are entirely suspended above (אֶלָּא תְּרֵין פִּקּוּדִין אִלֵּין, כֻּלְּהוּ תַּלְיָין לְעֵילָּא): Abba and Imma, the secret of “remember” and “guard” as one (אַבָּא וְאִמָּא, רָזָא דְּזָכוֹר וְשָׁמוֹר כַּחֲדָא). And for this reason it is written: “In order that your days be lengthened” (וּבְגִינֵי כַךְ כְּתִיב לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכוּן יָמֶיךָ). And in the sending of the nest, it is written: “Send, you shall surely send the mother, and the children you shall take for yourself, in order that it be good for you…” (וּבְשִׁלּוּחַ הַקֵּן, דִּכְתִיב: שַׁלַּח תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם וְאֶת הַבָּנִים תִּקַּח לָךְ לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ וְגוֹ׳) (Deuteronomy 22). This is the secret of the supernal world, which is not given permission to be looked upon (רָזָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, דְּלָא אִתְיְהִיב בֵּיהּ רְשׁוּ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא), and it must be sent away from inquiry and observation (וְאִצְטְרִיךְ לְשַׁלֵּחַ מִגּוֹ שְׁאֵלְתָּא וְאִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא בֵּיהּ). “And the children you shall take for yourself,” as it is written: “For ask now of the former days… from one end of heaven to the other” (וְאֶת הַבָּנִים תִּקַּח לָךְ, דִּכְתִיב: כִּי שְׁאַל נָא לְיָמִים רִאשׁוֹנִים וגו׳ מִקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם וְעַד קְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם) (Deuteronomy 4). But above the edge of the heavens-“Send, you shall surely send” from your thoughts, from seeking to ask (אֲבָל לְעֵילָּא מִקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם – שַׁלַּח תְּשַׁלַּח מֵרַעְיוֹנֶיךָ לְמִשְׁאָל).