Daf 143a (דַּף קמ״ג ע״א)

Blessed are the Righteous (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא), who fear their Master in this world (דְּדַחֲלִין לְמָארֵיהוֹן בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין), to merit in the three rests in the World to Come (לְמִזְכֵּי בִּתְלַת נְיָיחֵי לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתִי). Rabbi Shim‘on came and blessed Rabbi Abba (אָתָא רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וּבַרְכֵיהּ לְרַבִּי אַבָּא).

Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), blessed are you my sons (זַכָּאִין אַתּוּן בָּנַי), and blessed am I that my eyes have beheld thus (וְזַכָּאָה אֲנָא דְּעֵינַי חָמוּ בְּכַךְ). How many supernal places are prepared for us (כַמָה דּוּכְתִּין עִלָּאִין מְתַּתְקְנָן לָן), and shine for us (וּנְהִירִין לָן), for the World to Come (לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): A Song of Ascents - those who trust in Hashem are as Mount Zion, which shall not be moved, forever it abides (שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת הַבּוֹטְחִים בַּיְיָ' כְּהַר צִיּוֹן לֹא יִמּוֹט לְעוֹלָם יֵשֵׁב) (Psalms 125). This verse we have established (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

But, “A Song of Ascents” - this is the praise that those supernal holy degrees recite (אֲבָל שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דְּקַאמְרֵי אִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין קַדִּישִׁין עִלָּאִין), from the side of the supernal Gevurot (מִסִּטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָן עִלָּאִין). And they are as the Levites below (וְאִינּוּן כְּגַוְונָא דְּלֵוָאֵי לְתַתָּא). And they are “ascents,” degrees upon degrees (וְאִינּוּן מַעֲלוֹת, דַּרְגִּין עַל דַּרְגִּין), and they serve in the Secret of fifty years (וּפָלְחִין בְּרָזָא דְּחַמְשִׁין שְׁנִין). And this is “A Song of Ascents: those who trust in Hashem are as Mount Zion” - these are the Righteous (וְהַאי אִיהוּ שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת הַבֹּטְחִים בַּיְיָ' כְּהַר צִיּוֹן דָּא אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא), who immerse themselves in it through their deeds (דְּאִינּוּן מִתְרַחֲצָן בֵּיהּ בְּעוֹבָדִין דִּלְהוֹן). As it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), “And the righteous are bold as a lion’s whelp” (וְצַדִּיקִים כִּכְפִיר יִבְטָח) (Proverbs 28). And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא), behold the Righteous do not immerse themselves in their deeds at all (הָא צַדִּיקַיָּיא לָא מִתְרַחֲצָן בְּעוֹבָדֵיהוֹן כְּלַל), but constantly are in fear (וְתָדִיר דַּחֲלִין), like Avraham, of whom it is written (כְּאַבְרָהָם, דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ), “And it came to pass when he came near to enter into Egypt…” (וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִקְרִיב לָבֹא מִצְרָיְמָה וְגוֹ') (Bereshit 12).

Like Yitzchak, of whom it is written (כְּיִצְחָק, דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ), “For he feared to say: my wife” (כִּי יָרֵא לֵאמֹר אִשְׁתִּי) (Bereshit 26). Like Ya‘akov, of whom it is written (כְּיַעֲקֹב, דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ), “And Ya‘akov was greatly afraid and was distressed” (וַיִּירָא יַעֲקֹב מְאֹד וְיֵצֶר לוֹ) (Bereshit 32). And if these did not rely on their deeds (וְאִי הָנֵי לָא אִתְרְחִיצוּ בְּעוֹבָדֵיהוֹן), all the more so the other righteous of the world (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן שְׁאַר צַדִּיקֵי עָלְמָא), and yet you said, “And the righteous are bold as a lion’s whelp” (וְאַת אָמַרְתָּ וְצַדִּיקִים כִּכְפִיר יִבְטָח). But indeed (אֶלָּא וַדַּאי), “as a lion’s whelp” is written (כִּכְפִיר כְּתִיב). For from all those names, only “lion’s whelp” is written (דְּהָא מִכָּל אִינּוּן שְׁמָהָן, לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא כְּפִיר). And it is not written “lion” (וְלָא כְּתִיב, לָא אַרְיֵה), nor “shachal” (the Fierce Lion) (וְלָא שָׁחַל), nor “shachatz” (the Bold Lion) (וְלָא שָׁחַץ), but only “lion’s whelp” (אֶלָּא כְּפִיר). For it is the weakest and smallest of them all (דְּאִיהוּ חַלְשָׁא וּזְעִירָא מִכֻּלְּהוּ). And it does not rely on its own strength (וְלָא אִתְרְחִיץ בְּחֵילֵיהּ), even though it is strong (אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ תַּקִּיף).

So too the Righteous do not rely on their deeds now (כַּךְ צַדִּיקַיָּיא לָא אִתְרְחִיצוּ בְּעוֹבָדֵיהוֹן הַשְׁתָּא), but only “as a lion’s whelp” (אֶלָּא כִּכְפִיר). Even though they know the strength of their deeds is mighty (אַף עַל גַּב דְּיַדְעִין דְּתַקִיף חֵילָא דְּעוֹבָדֵיהוֹן), they do not rely on them, except as a lion’s whelp (לָא אִתְרַחֲצָן אֶלָּא כִּכְפִיר), and not more (וְלָא יַתִּיר). And therefore, “those who trust in Hashem are as Mount Zion…” (וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ הַבֹּטְחִים בַּיְיָ' כְּהַר צִיּוֹן וְגוֹ'), not as a lion’s whelp and not as a lion (לָא כִּכְפִיר וְלָא כְּאַרְיֵה), and not as any of the other names (וְלָאו כְּכֻלְּהוּ שְׁמָהָן).

But as Mount Zion (אֶלָּא כְּהַר צִיּוֹן), and it is established: what is Mount Zion? It is strong (וְאוּקְמוּהָ מַה הַר צִיּוֹן אִיהוּ תַּקִּיף), and it shall not be moved forever (וְלָא יִמּוֹט תָּדִיר). So too, at that time, they shall be as Mount Zion (אוּף הָכִי בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, לֶהֱווֹ כְּהַר צִיּוֹן). And not as now, that they did not rely except as a lion’s whelp (וְלָא כְּהַשְׁתָּא, דְּלָא אִתְרְחִיצוּ אֶלָּא כִּכְפִיר), who fears and does not rely on its own strength (דְּדָחִיל וְלָא אִתְרְחִיץ בְּחֵילֵיהּ). And you, sons of the supernal holy ones (וְאָתּוּן בְּנֵי קַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין), your reliance is as Mount Zion (רָחְצָנוּתָא דִּלְכוֹן כְּהַר צִיּוֹן), surely blessed are you in this world and in the World to Come (וַדַּאי זַכָּאִין אָתוּן בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). They went, and when they came to the town, night darkened (אָזְלוּ, כַּד מָטוּ לְמָתָא, אִתְחֲשָׁךְ לֵילְיָא).

Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), just as this day gave us light on this path to merit in it for the World to Come (כְּמָה דְּיוֹמָא דָּא, אַנְהִיר לָן בְּהַאי אָרְחָא, לְמִזְכֵּי בֵּיהּ בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתִי), so too this night will shine for us to merit the World to Come (אוּף הָכִי הַאי לֵילְיָא, יַנְהִיר לָן, לְמִזְכֵּי לָן לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתִי), and to crown the words of the day in this night before Atik Yomin (וּלְאַעֲטְּרָא מִלִּין דִּימָמָא בְּלֵילְיָא דָּא קָמֵי עַתִּיק יוֹמִין), for as this day is complete, such will not be found in all other generations (דְּהָא כְּיוֹמָא דָּא שְׁלִים, לָא יִשְׁתְּכַח בְּכָל דָּרִין אַחֲרָנִין). Blessed is our portion in this world and in the World to Come (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָנָא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

They entered the house of Rabbi Shim‘on (עָאלוּ לְבֵיתֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), and Rabbi El‘azar and Rabbi Abba and Rabbi Yosi were with him (וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרַבִּי אַבָּא וְרַבִּי יוֹסִי עִמְּהוֹן). They stayed until half the night (בָּתּוֹ עַד דְּאִתְפְּלַג לֵילְיָא). When half the night had passed (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְפְּלַג לֵילְיָא), Rabbi Shim‘on said to his Friends (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְחַבְרַיָּא): It is the time to crown the supernal chariot through our striving (עִידָּן אִיהוּ לְאַעְטְּרָא רְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא לְעֵילָּא, בְּאִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָא דִּילָן). He said to Rabbi Yosi (אָמַר לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי יוֹסִי), you, whose words were not heard today among us (אַנְתְּ דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמָעוּ מִילָךְ בְּהַאי יוֹמָא בֵּינָנָא), you will be the one to serve (אַנְתְּ הֲוֵי שֵׁירוּתָא), to illuminate the night (לְאַנְהָרָא לֵילְיָא), for now is the time of Desire (דְּהָא הַשְׁתָּא עִידָּן רְעוּתָא אִיהוּ), to shine above and below (לְאַנְהָרָא עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא).

Rabbi Yosi opened and said (פָּתַח רַבִּי יוֹסִי וְאָמַר), “The Song of Songs, which is for Shlomo” (שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים אֲשֶׁר לִשְׁלֹמֹה) (Song of Songs 1). This song was awakened for Shlomo the King (שִׁירָתָא דָּא אִתְּעַר לָהּ שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא), when the Temple was built (כַּד אִתְבְּנִי בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא), and all the worlds were completed, above and below, in one wholeness (וְעָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ אִשְׁתְּלִימוּ, עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא בִּשְׁלְמוּתָא חֲדָא). And even though the Friends argue on this (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּחַבְרַיָּיא פְּלִיגָּן בְּהַאי), Some say: when was it said? (נ״א מתי אתמר). But this song was not said except in completeness (אֲבָל שִׁירָתָא דָּא לָא אִתְּמַר, אֶלָּא בִּשְׁלִימוּ), when the Moon was filled in completeness (כַּד סִיהֲרָא אִתְמַלְיָא בִּשְׁלִימוּ), and the Temple was built as the likeness above (וּבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא אִתְבְּנִי כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), at the time that the Temple was built below (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְבְּנֵי בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא לְתַתָּא). There was no joy before Kudsha Berikh Hu from the day the world was created like that day (לָא הֲוָה חֶדְוָה קָמֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא, כְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא).