Daf 149a (דַּף קמ״ט ע״א)

Rabbi Yehuda said (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר), if it had not been hidden away entirely, the world would not endure even a single moment (אִלְמָלֵי אִתְגְּנִיז מִכֹּל וָכֹל, לָא קָאִים עָלְמָא אֲפִילּוּ רִגְעָא חֲדָא). But it was hidden away and sown like a seed that produces offspring, and seeds, and branches, and from it the world is sustained (אֶלָּא אִתְגְּנִיז וְאִזְדְּרַע כְּהַאי זַרְעָא דְּעָבִיד תּוֹלָדִין וּזְרָעִין וְאֵיבִין, וּמִנֵּיהּ אִתְקָיָּים עָלְמָא). And there is no day from which it does not go out into the world, sustaining all (וְלֵית לָךְ יוֹמָא, דְּלָא נָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ בְּעָלְמָא, וּמְקַיֵים כֹּלָּא).

By it Kudsha Berikh Hu nourishes the world (דְּבֵיהּ זָן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא). And in every place where people toil in Orayta by night (וּבְכָל אֲתָר דְּלָעָאן בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא בְּלֵילְיָא), one thread goes forth from that hidden light (חַד חוּטָא נָפִיק מֵהַהוּא אוֹר גָנִיז), and it extends upon those who toil in it (וְאִתְמְשִׁיךְ עַל אִינּוּן דְּלָעָאן בָּהּ). This is what is written: “By day Hashem commands His lovingkindness, and at night His song is with me” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, יוֹמָם יְצַוֶּה יְיָ' חַסְדּוֹ וּבַלַּיְלָה שִׁירֹה עִמִּי) (Psalms 42). And this we have already established (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא). On the day the Mishkan was erected below (יוֹמָא דְּאִתְקָם מַשְׁכְּנָא לְתַתָּא), what is written? “And Moshe was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting, for the cloud rested upon it” (מָה כְּתִיב: וְלָא יָכוֹל מֹשֶׁה לָבֹא אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד כִּי שָׁכַן עָלָיו הֶעָנָן) (Exodus 40). What is “the cloud”? (מַאי הֶעָנָן).

It was one thread (חַד חוּטָא הֲוָה), some say: a pillar of cloud (נ״א: עַמּוּדָא דְּעֲנָנָא), from that side of the first light (מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא דְּאוֹר קַדְמָאָה), that went forth in joy throughout all (דְּנָפַק בְּחֶדְוָה בְּכֹלָּא), and it entered the Mishkan below (עָאַלַת לְמַשְׁכְּנָא דִּלְתַתָּא). And from that first day (וּמֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה), it was not revealed (לָא אִתְגְּלֵי), but its service continues in the world (אֲבָל שִׁמּוּשָׁא קָא מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בְּעָלְמָא). And it renews each day the work of Bereshit (וְאִיהוּ מְחַדֵּשׁ בְּכָל יוֹמָא עוֹבָדָא דִּבְרֵאשִׁית).

Rabbi Yossi was toiling in Orayta (רַבִּי יוֹסִי הֲוָה לָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), and with him were Rabbi Yitzchak and Rabbi Chizkiyah (וַהֲווּ עִמֵּיהּ רַבִּי יִצְחָק וְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה). Rabbi Yitzchak said (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק), behold we see that the work of the Mishkan is like the work of heaven and earth (הָא חֲמֵינָן דְּעוֹבָדָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּעוֹבָדָא דְּשָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ). And our Friends have already been aroused in their small secrets (וְהָא אִתְּעָרוּ חַבְרַיָּיא בְּרָזִין דִּלְהוֹן זְעִירוּ), which a man cannot take into his mouth nor stretch forth his hand into his mouth to swallow (דְּלָא יָכִיל בַּר נָשׁ לְמֵיכַל בְּפוּמֵיהּ, וּלְמֵישַׁט יְדֵיהּ לְגוֹ פּוּמֵיהּ וּלְמִבְלַע).

Rabbi Yosi said, These words ascend inside (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסִי מִלִּין אִלֵּין נְסַלֵּק לוֹן לְגוֹ), some say: to him (נ״א לְגַבֵּיהּ), to the Holy Luminary (בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא), who prepares sweet foods (דְּאִיהוּ מְתַקֵּן תַּבְשִׁילִין מְתִיקִין), as the Ancient Holy One prepared for them (כְּמַה דְּאַתְקִין לוֹן עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא), the Concealed of all concealed (סְתִימָא דְּכָל סְתִימִין). And He prepared foods in which there is no place for another to place salt (וְאִיהוּ אַתְקִין תַּבְשִׁילִין דְּלֵית בְּהוּ אֲתָר לְמֵיתֵי אַחֲרָא לְמִשְׁדֵּי בְּהוּ מִלְחָא). And furthermore, that a person is able to eat and to drink and to fill his belly from all the delights of the world and to be satisfied, and through it he is sustained (וְתוּ דְּיָכִיל בַּר נָשׁ לְמֵיכַל וּלְמִשְׁתֵּי וּלְאַשְׁלְמָא כְּרִסוֹהִי מִכָּל עִדוּנִין דְּעָלְמָא וּלְאִשְׁתַּאֲרָא וּבֵיהּ יִתְקָיָּים), as it is written: And he gave before them, and they ate and left over, according to the word of Hashem (וְיִתֵּן לִפְנֵיהֶם וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיוֹתִירוּ כִּדְבַר יְיָ') (II Kings 4). He opened and said: And Hashem gave wisdom to Shlomo, as He had spoken to him, and there was peace between Ḥiram and between Shlomo, and the two of them made a covenant (פָּתַח וְאָמַר וַיְיָ נָתַן חָכְמָה לִשְׁלֹמֹה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לוֹ וַיְהִי שָׁלוֹם בֵּין חִירָם וּבֵין שְׁלֹמֹה וַיִּכְרְתוּ בְרִית שְׁנֵיהֶם) (I Kings 5). This verse has already been explained in many places (הַאי קְרָא הָא אִתְּמַר בְּכַמָּה דּוּכְתֵּי). But “And Hashem” indicates the harmony of above and below as one (אֲבָל וַיְיָ אִסְתַּכְּמוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא כַּחֲדָא). “And Hashem” is He and His court (וַיְיָ אִיהוּ וּבֵי דִּינֵיהּ).

He gave wisdom—He gave, like one who bestows a gift and a present to his beloved (נָתַן חָכְמָה נָתַן כְּמַאן דְּיָהִיב נְבִזְבְּזָא וּמַתָּנָה לִרְחִימֵיהּ). As He had spoken to him—that is, the completion of wisdom, in wealth, and in peace, and in sovereignty (כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לוֹ שְׁלִימוּ דְּחָכְמְתָא בְּעוּתְרָא וּבִשְׁלָם וּבְשֻׁלְטָנוּ). This is what is written: As He had spoken to him (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לוֹ). “And there was peace between Ḥiram and between Shlomo”-what is the reason? (וַיְהִי שָׁלוֹם בֵּין חִירָם וּבֵין שְׁלֹמֹה, מַאי טַעְמָא). Because they knew one another, the hiddenness of the words that they spoke (בְּגִין דַּהֲווֹ יַדְעֵי דָּא לְדָא, סְתִימוּ דְּמִלִּין דַּהֲווֹ אַמְרֵי). And other men did not know to contemplate and to understand them at all (וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא אַחֲרָנִין לָא הֲווֹ יַדְעֵי לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא וּלְמִנְדַּע בְּהוּ כְּלַל). And because of them, Ḥiram came to acknowledge Shlomo in all matters (וּבְגִינַיְיהוּ, אִתְהַדָּר חִירָם לְאוֹדָאָה לִשְׁלֹמֹה בְּכָל מִלּוֹי).

King Shlomo observed and saw (שְׁלמֹה מַלְכָּא, אִסְתָּכַּל וַהֲוָה חָמֵי) that even in that generation, which was more complete than all other generations, the will of the supernal King was not that wisdom be revealed so much through him (דְּהָא אֲפִילּוּ בְּהַהוּא דָּרָא, דְּהֲוָה שְׁלִים מִכָּל דָּרִין אַחֲרָנִין, לָא הֲוָה רְעוּתָא דְּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, דְּיִתְגְּלֵי חָכְמָה כָּל כַּךְ עַל יְדֵיהּ). Some say: and it was not revealed (נ״א: וְלֹא אִתְגַּלְיָא). For the Orayta that had been concealed at first was revealed, and he opened its gates (דְּאִתְגְּלֵי אוֹרַיְּיתָא דְּהֲוָה סְתִימָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּפָתַח לָהּ פִּתְחִין). And even though he opened, concealed they remain-except to those sages who merited, and they stammer in them and do not know to open them with the mouth (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּפָתַח, סְתִימִין אִינּוּן, בַּר לְאִינּוּן חַכִּימִין דְּזָכוּ, וּמִתְגַמְגְמֵי בְּהוּ, וְלָא יַדְעֵי לְמִפְתַּח בְּהוּ פּוּמָא). And this generation in which Rabbi Shimon abides, the will of Kudsha Berikh Hu is because of Rabbi Shimon, that hidden words be revealed through him (וְדָרָא דָּא דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן שַׁרְיָא בְּגַוֵּיהּ, רְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, דְּיִתְגַּלְיָין מִלִּין סְתִימִין עַל יְדוֹי). But I wonder about the Sages of the generation-how can they leave even for a single moment from standing before Rabbi Shimon to labor in Orayta, while Rabbi Shimon is still in the world? (אֲבָל תַּוַהְנָא עַל חַכִּימֵי דָּרָא, הֵיךְ שַׁבְקִין אֲפִילּוּ רִגְעָא חֲדָא, לְמֵיקָם קָמֵי דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא, בְּעוֹד דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן קָאִים בְּעָלְמָא). But in this generation wisdom will not be forgotten from the world (אֲבָל בְּדָרָא דָּא לָא יִתְנְשֵׁי חָכְמְתָא מֵעָלְמָא). Woe to the generation when he departs, and the Sages will be diminished, and wisdom will be forgotten from the world (וַוי לְדָרָא כַּד יִסְתָּלַק אִיהוּ, וְחַכִּימִין יִתְמַעֲטוּן, וְחָכְמְתָא יִתְנְשֵׁי מֵעָלְמָא).

Rabbi Yitzchak said (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק), truly it is so (וַדַּאי הָכִי אִיהוּ). For one day I was walking with him on the way (דְּהָא יוֹמָא חַד הֲוֵינָא אָזִיל עִמֵּיהּ בְּאָרְחָא), and he opened his mouth in Orayta (וּפָתַח פּוּמֵיהּ בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא). And I saw a pillar of cloud rooted from above to below, and within the pillar a radiance shining (וַחֲמֵינָא עַמּוּדָא דַּעֲנָנָא נָעִיץ מֵעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא, וְחַד זִיהֲרָא זָהִיר גּוֹ עַמּוּדָא). I was seized with great awe (דָּחִילְנָא דְּחִילוּ סַגִּי). I said: Happy is the man to whom such a thing is granted in this world (אַמִינָא זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ, דְּהָכִי אִזְדָּמַן לֵיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא).