Daf 155b (דַּף קנ״ה ע״ב)

As to the supernal Glory (מַה לִכְבוֹד עִלָּאָה), that anointing of supernal holiness is never withheld from it, from the secret of the World to Come (הַהוּא מִשְׁחָא רְבוּת קֻדְשָׁא לָא אִתְמָנַּע מִנֵּיהּ, מֵרָזָא דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). So too for a person, whose deeds are whitened always (אוּף הָכִי לְבַר נָשׁ, דְּעוֹבָדוֹי מִתְלַבְּנָן תָּדִיר), that anointing of supernal holiness will never be withheld from him (הַהוּא מְשַׁךְ רְבוּת קֻדְשָׁא, לָא יִתְמְנַע מִנֵּיהּ תָּדִיר). By what does a person merit to be delighted in that supernal delight? (בְּמָאי זָכֵי בַּר נָשׁ, לְאִתְעַדְנָא בְּהַהוּא עִדּוּנָא עִלָּאָה). By his table (בְּשֻׁלְחָן דִּילֵיהּ). Just as he delights the souls of the poor at his table (כְּמָה דְּאִיהוּ מְעַדֵן עַל פָּתוֹרֵיהּ נַפְשָׁאן דְּמִסְכְּנֵי), as it is written: “And you shall satisfy the afflicted soul” (דִּכְתִיב, וְנֶפֶשׁ נַעֲנָה תַּשְׂבִּיעַ) (Isaiah 58). What is written afterwards? “Then you shall delight yourself in Hashem” (מָה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ, אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל יְיָ). So too Kudsha Berikh Hu will satiate him with all those delights of the anointing of supernal holiness that flow and are ever drawn into that supernal Glory (דְּאוֹף הָכִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רַוֵי לֵיהּ, בְּכָל אִינּוּן עִדּוּנִין דִּמְשַׁח רְבוּת קֻדְשָׁא עִלָּאָה, דְּנָגִיד וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ תָּדִיר לְהַהוּא כָּבוֹד עִלָּאָה). It is written: “And you shall satisfy the afflicted soul.” What is written afterwards? “Then you shall delight yourself in Hashem” (כְּתִיב וְנֶפֶשׁ נַעֲנָה תַּשְׂבִּיעַ, מַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ, אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל יְיָ).

Rabbi Yossi and Rabbi Ḥiyya were traveling on the road (רִבִּי יוֹסִי וְרִבִּי חִיָּיא הֲוָה אַזְלֵי בְּאוֹרְחָא), and a certain traveler was following behind them (וַהֲוָה חַד טַיְּיעָא טָעִין אֲבַתְרַיְיהוּ). Rabbi Yossi said to Rabbi Ḥiyya (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסִי לְרַבִּי חִיָּיא): “We should engage and labor in words of Orayta, for Kudsha Berikh Hu goes before us” (אִית לָן לְאִתְעַסְּקָא וּלְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָזִיל לְקַמָּן). Some say: for the Shekhinta goes before us, as it is written: “Righteousness shall go before Him” (נ״א דְּהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא אָזְלָא קַמָּן, דִּכְתִיב צֶדֶק לְפָנָיו יְהַלֵּךְ) (Psalms 85). “And therefore, now is the time to make a rectification before Him on this road” (וְעַל דָּא עִידָּן הוּא, לְמֶעְבַּד לֵיהּ תִּקּוּנָא בַּהֲדָן בְּהַאי אָרְחָא).

Rabbi Ḥiyya opened and said (פָּתַח רַבִּי חִיָּיא וְאָמַר): “It is a time to act for Hashem-they have nullified Your Torah” (עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיְיָ, הֵפֵרוּ תּוֹרָתֶךָ) (Psalms 119). This verse has been explained and established by my Friends (הַאי קְרָא אִתְּמַר, וְאוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא). But “It is a time to act for Hashem”-at any time that the Orayta is fulfilled in the world (אֲבָל עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיְיָ, בְּכָל זִמְנָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא מִתְקַיְּימָא בְּעָלְמָא), and people labor in it (וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא מִשְׁתַּדְלָן בָּהּ), then-so to speak-Kudsha Berikh Hu rejoices in the work of His hands (כִּבְיָכוֹל, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חַדֵּי בְּעוֹבְדֵי יְדוֹי), and rejoices in all the worlds (וְחַדֵּי בְּעָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ), and heaven and earth endure in their existence (וּשְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא קַיְימֵי בְּקִיוּמַיְיהוּ).

He opened and said: “It is a time to act for Hashem, they have nullified Your Torah” (פָּתַח וְאָמַר, עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיְיָ הֵפֵרוּ תּוֹרָתֶךָ). “A time to act for Hashem”-there is a time, and there is a time (עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיְיָ, אִית עֵת. וְאִית עֵת). As it is written: “A time to love, and a time to hate” (עֵת לֶאֱהֹב וְעֵת לִשְׂנֹא) (Ecclesiastes 3). One time is above (עֵת אִיהוּ לְעֵילָּא). That time is the secret of faith (דְּהַהוּא עֵת, רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא אִיהוּ). And this is called the time of favor (וְדָא אִקְרֵי עֵת רָצוֹן). And this is when a person is obligated to love Hashem always (וְהַאי אִיהוּ דְּאִתְחַיֵּיב בַּר נָשׁ לְמִרְחַם לַיְיָ תָּדִיר), as it is said: “And you shall love Hashem your Elohim” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְאָהַבְתָּ אֶת יְיָ אֱלהֶיךָ) (Deuteronomy 6).

And for this reason: “A time to love”-this is the time that a person is obligated to love (וְעַל דָּא, עֵת לֶאֱהֹב, דָּא אִיהוּ עֵת דְּאִתְחַיֵּיב בַּר נָשׁ לֶאֱהֹב). And there is another time, which is the secret of other gods (וְאִית עֵת אָחֳרָא, דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דֶּאֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים), and a person is obligated to hate it (וְאִתְחַיָיב בַּר נָשׁ לְמִשְׂנָא לֵיהּ), and not draw his heart after it (וְלָא יִתְמְשַׁךְ לִבֵּיהּ אֲבַתְרִיהּ). And for this reason: “A time to hate” (וְעַל דָּא עֵת לִשְׂנֹא).

And for this reason it is written: “Speak to Aharon your brother, that he not come at all times into the holy place” (וּבְגִין כַּךְ כְּתִיב, דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וְאַל יָבֹא בְכָל עֵת אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ) (Leviticus 16). At the time when Yisrael engage in Orayta and the commandments of Orayta (בְּזִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּפִקוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא), that time, the holy secret of faith, is rectified in its rectification and adorned in completeness, as is fitting (הַהוּא עֵת רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא, מִתַּתְקְנָא בְּתִקּוּנָהָא, וּמִתְקַשְּׁטָא בִּשְׁלֵימוּתָא, כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת). And at the time when Yisrael are idle from Orayta (וּבְזִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְבַּטְלֵי מֵאוֹרַיְיתָא), so to speak, that time is not in its rectification (כִּבְיָכוֹל הַהוּא עֵת, לָאו אִיהוּ בְּתִקּוּנָהָא), nor found in completeness, nor in brightness (וְלָא אִשְׁתְּכַחַת בִּשְׁלִימוּ, וְלָא בִּנְהוֹרָא). And then: “It is a time to act for Hashem” (וּכְדֵין עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיְיָ').

What is “to act”? (מַאי לַעֲשׂוֹת). As it is said: “Which Elohim created to do” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת) (Bereshit 2). What is “to do”? (מַאי לַעֲשׂוֹת). That there remained bodies of demons which were sanctified by the day but not completed, and were left to be made-spirits without bodies (דְּאִשְׁתָּאָרוּ גּוּפֵי דְּשֵׁידֵי, דְּאִתְקַדָּשׁ יוֹמָא, וְלָא אִתְעָבִידוּ, וְאִשְׁתָּאָרוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת, רוּחִין בְּלָא גּוּפֵי). So too here: “A time to act”-left without rectification and without completeness (אוּף הָכָא עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת, אִשְׁתְּאַר בְּלָא תִּקּוּנָא, וּבְלָא שְׁלִימוּ). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא). Because “they have nullified Your Torah,” since Yisrael below have been idle from the words of Orayta (מִשּׁוּם דְּהֵפֵרוּ תּוֹרָתֶךָ, בְּגִין דְּאִתְבָּטְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא מִפִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא). Because that time stands or ascends or descends according to Yisrael (בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא עֵת, הָכִי קַיְּימָא, אוֹ סַלְּקָא, אוֹ נַחְתָּא, בְּגִינֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל).