Daf 156a (דַּף קנ״ו ע״א)

Rabbi Yossi and Rabbi Ḥiyya came and kissed him on his head (אָתוּ רִבִּי יוֹסִי וְרַבִּי חִיָּיא וּנְשָׁקוּהוּ בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ). Rabbi Yossi said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסִי): “Surely you are not worthy to be a traveler behind us (וַדַּאי לֵית אַנְתְּ כְּדַאי, לְטַיְיעָא אֲבַתְרָן). Fortunate is this road, that we merited to hear this (זַכָּאָה אָרְחָא דָּא, דְּזָכֵינָן לְמִשְׁמַע דָּא). Fortunate is the generation in which Rabbi Shim‘on abides (זַכָּאָה דָּרָא דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן שָׁארֵי בְּגַוֵּיהּ), for even among the mountains, wisdom is found there” (דְּאֲפִילּוּ בֵּינֵי טוּרַיָא, חָכְמְתָא אִשְׁתְּכַחַת תַּמָּן). Rabbi Yossi and Rabbi Ḥiyya descended, and the three of them went on the road (נָחְתוּ רַבִּי יוֹסִי וְרַבִּי חִיָּיא, וְאָזְלוּ תְּלָתְהוֹן בְּאָרְחָא).

That traveler opened and said (פָּתַח הַהוּא טַיְיעָא וְאָמַר): “But as for me, my prayer is to You, Hashem, a time of favor; O Elohim, in the abundance of Your kindness answer me with the truth of Your salvation” (וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּתִי לְךָ יְיָ עֵת רָצוֹן אֱלהִים בְּרָב חַסְדֶּךָ עֲנֵנִי בֶּאֱמֶת יִשְׁעֶךָ) (Psalms 69). We have learned: when is it called a time of favor? (תָּנֵינָן, אֵימָתַי אִקְרֵי עֵת רָצוֹן). When the congregation prays (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּצִבּוּר קָא מְצַלָאן). This is good, and so it is indeed (שַׁפִּיר אִיהוּ, וְהָכִי אִיהוּ וַדַּאי).

For then the congregation arranges and prepares the rectification of this time (דְּהָא כְּדֵין צִבּוּרָא מְסַדְּרֵי וּמְתַקְּנִי תִּקּוּנָא דְּהַאי עֵת), and then it is a time of favor (וּכְדֵין אִיהוּ עֵת רָצוֹן). And then one must ask his request, as it is written: “O Elohim, in the abundance of Your kindness answer me with the truth of Your salvation” (וְאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִשְׁאַל שְׁאֶלְתָּא, דִּכְתִיב אֱלהִים בְּרָב חַסְדֶּךָ עֲנֵנִי בֶּאֱמֶת יִשְׁעֶךָ). For then it is fitting to ask a request (דְּהָא כְּדֵין אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִשְׁאַל שְׁאֶלְתָּא). “But as for me, my prayer is to You, Hashem”-behold, here is the Secret of Union (וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּתִי לְךָ יְיָ, הָא הָכָא רָזָא דְּיִחוּדָא).

“And I”-this is King David (וַאֲנִי: דָּא דָּוִד מַלְכָּא), the place called Redemption (אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי גְּאוּלָה). “My prayer”-this is prayer (תְּפִלָּתִי: דָּא תְּפִלָּה). And here it is the joining of redemption to prayer, for it is one (וְהָכָא אִיהוּ סְמִיכָא לִגְּאוּלָה, דְּאִיהוּ חַד). When redemption is joined to prayer, then it is a time of favor (כַּד אִיהוּ סָמִיךְ גְּאוּלָה לִתְפִלָּה, כְּדֵין אִיהוּ עֵת רָצוֹן). “A time of favor”-so too, it is all one: time is one, favor is one, they are included one in the other, and they are one (עֵת רָצוֹן: אוּף הָכִי, כְּלָלָא אִיהוּ כַּחֲדָא, עֵת חַד, רָצוֹן חַד, אִתְכְּלִילוּ דָּא בְּדָא, וַהֲווּ חַד). And King David sought to unify in this verse one Union (וְדָוִד מַלְכָּא בָּעָא לְיַחֲדָא בְּהַאי קְרָא, יִחוּדָא חֲדָא). And if you say: why was this verse appointed in the prayer of Minḥah of Shabbat? (וְאִי תֵּימָא, אֲמַאי אִתְמָנֵי הַאי קְרָא, בִּצְלוֹתָא דְּמִנְחָה דְּשַׁבָּת).

It is fitting to be on Shabbat, in the prayer of Minḥah, and not in weekday prayer (יֵאוֹת אִיהוּ לְמֶהֱוֵי בְּשַׁבָּת בְּהַהוּא צְלוֹתָא דְּמִנְחָה, וְלָא בִּצְלוֹתָא דְּחוֹל). For surely the Minḥah prayer of Shabbat is not like weekday Minḥah (דְּוַדַּאי לָאו צְלוֹתָא דְּמִנְחָה דְּשַׁבָּת כְּחוֹל). For on weekday, at the time of Minḥah, judgment hangs in the world (בְּגִין דְּהָא בְּחוֹל בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמִנְחָה, תַּלְיָא דִּינָא בְּעָלְמָא), and it is not a time of favor (וְלָאו אִיהוּ עֵת רָצוֹן). But on Shabbat, when all anger departs and all is joined as one (אֲבָל בְּשַׁבָּת, דְּכָל רוּגְזָא אִתְעָדֵי, וְכֹלָּא אִתְכְּלִיל כַּחֲדָא), even though judgment is aroused, it is sweetened (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּדִינָא אִתְּעַר, אִתְבַּסְמוּתָא אִיהוּ). And for this reason a verse of Union is needed, to unify all levels (וְעַל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ קְרָא דְּיִחוּדָא, לְיַחֲדָא כָּל דַּרְגִּין). For when there is Union, judgment is joined and included in mercy, and all is sweetened (דְּכַד הֲוֵי יִחוּדָא, דִּינָא אִתְחֲבָּר וְאִתְכְּלִיל בְּרַחֲמֵי, וְאִתְבַּסַּם כֹּלָּא). And then it is written: “A time of favor” (וּכְדֵין עֵת רָצוֹן כְּתִיב). “A time of favor”-all is included as one (עֵת רָצוֹן, כָּלִיל כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא). And judgment is sweetened at that time, and joy is upon all (וְדִינָא אִתְבְּסָם בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, וַהֲוֵי חֶדְוָה בְּכֹלָּא).

Moshe departed from the world (מֹשֶׁה אִסְתַּלַּק מֵעָלְמָא), at that time of the prayer of Minḥah on Shabbat (בְּהַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא דִּצְלוֹתָא דְּמִנְחָה דְּשַׁבָּת), at the time when a time of favor was found (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעֵת רָצוֹן אִשְׁתְּכַח). And at that time there was will above and sorrow below (וּבְהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא רַעֲוָא הֲוָה לְעֵילָּא, וְצַעֲרָא לְתַתָּא). And because of this, the gates are closed on Shabbat, from the time of Minḥah and onward (וְעַל דָּא נִנְעָלוּ תַּרְעִין בְּשַׁבָּת, מִשַׁעֲתָא דְּמִנְחָה וּלְעֵילָּא). Which gates are closed? (מַאן תַּרְעִין נִנְעָלוּ). The gates of the Beit Midrash (תַּרְעִין דְּבֵי מִדְרָשָׁא), in order to recall Moshe, Ra’aya Meheimna (בְּגִין לְאַדְכְּרָא לְמֹשֶׁה רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא), for the Orayta was nullified on his account (דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְבַּטְלָא בְּגִינֵיהּ). At that time, the Beit Midrash of Moshe was annulled-how much more all the others (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, בֵּי מִדְרָשָׁא דְּמֹשֶׁה אִתְבְּטִיל, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן אַחֲרָנִין). Who saw the gates of the Beit Midrash of Moshe that were locked, for none of the others were all locked (מַאן חָמֵי תַּרְעִין דְּבֵי מִדְרָשָׁא דְּמֹשֶׁה דְּנִנְעָלוּ, דְּלָא נִנְעָלוּ אַחֲרָנִין כֻּלְּהוּ). The Orayta of Moshe was mournful then (אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּמֹשֶׁה עֲצִיבָא עָלֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא), who would not be mournful? (מַאן לָא עָצִיב). Therefore, all the gates of the study houses were closed, and all were required to justify before Kudsha Berikh Hu with words of praise (בְּגִין כָּךְ כָּל תַּרְעֵי דְּבֵי מִדְרָשֵׁי נִנְעָלוּ, וְאִצְטְרִיכוּ כֹּלָּא לְצַדְקָא לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאֹרַח שְׁבָחָא). And this is what is written: “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains” (וְהַיְינוּ צִדְקָתְךָ כְּהַרְרֵי אֵל) (Psalms 36).

Three there were who departed from the world at this time, and all were included in Moshe (תְּלָתָא אִינּוּן דְּאִסְתָּלָקוּ מֵעָלְמָא בְּהַאי זִמְנָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ כְּלִילָן בְּמֹשֶׁה). One: Moshe, the faithful prophet above (חַד, מֹשֶׁה נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא עִלָּאָה). One: Yosef the righteous (וְחַד, יוֹסֵף צַדִּיקָא). One: King David (וְחַד, דָּוִד מַלְכָּא). Because of this, three justifications of judgment are here (בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ, תְּלַת צִדּוּקֵי דִּינִי הָכָא). One is that Yosef the righteous preceded all of these (חַד אִיהוּ דְּיוֹסֵף זַכָּאָה, קָדִים לְכָל הָנִי). And this is what is written: “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, Your judgments are a great deep…” (וְדָא אִיהוּ צִדְקָתְךָ כְּהַרְרֵי אֵל מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ תְּהוֹם רַבָּה וְגוֹ') (Psalms 36). This is Yosef, who alone is like the mighty mountains, as all the supernal mountains (דָּא יוֹסֵף, דְּאִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי כְּהַרְרֵי אֵל, כְּכֻלְּהוּ טוּרִין עִלָּאִין). One is Moshe, the faithful prophet, and this is what is written: “And Your righteousness, O Elohim, is unto the heights, for You have done great things” (וְחַד מֹשֶׁה נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא, וְדָא אִיהוּ דִּכְתִיב, וְצִדְקָתְךָ אֱלֹהִים עַד מָרוֹם אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ גְּדוֹלוֹת) (Psalms 71), because he takes from all sides, right and left (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ נָטִיל לְכָל סִטְרִין, יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא). One is King David, and this is what is written: “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your Torah is truth” (וְחַד אִיהוּ דָּוִד מַלְכָּא, וְדָא אִיהוּ דִּכְתִיב, צִדְקָתְךָ צֶדֶק לְעוֹלָם וְתוֹרָתְךָ אֱמֶת) (Psalms 119). “Forever”-this is King David (לְעוֹלָם: דָּא דָּוִד מַלְכָּא). Then all was gathered in this time-Torah that is written, and Torah that is oral (כְּדֵין אִתְכְּנִישׁ כֹּלָּא בְּהַאי זִמְנָא, תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב, וְתוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה).

And for this reason, in this time the gates of Orayta were closed, and the gates of all the world were closed in this time (וְעַל דָּא בְּהַאי זִמְנָא נִנְעָלוּ תַּרְעֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְנִנְעָלוּ תַּרְעֵי דְּכָל עָלְמָא, בְּהַאי זִמְנָא). At the time when Yosef the righteous died (בְּשַׁעֲתָּא דְּמִית יוֹסֵף צַדִּיקָא), the fountains and springs dried up, and all the tribes fell into exile (יָבְשׁוּ מְקוֹרִין וּמַבּוּעִין, וְכֻלְּהוּ שְׁבָטִין נָפְלוּ בְּגָלוּתָא). The supernals opened and said: “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, Your judgments are a great deep…” (פָּתְחוּ עִלָּאֵי וְאָמְרוּ, צִדְקָתְךָ כְּהַרְרֵי אֵל מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ תְּהוֹם רַבָּה וְגוֹ') (Psalms 36). At the time when Moshe died (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמִית מֹשֶׁה), the sun darkened at noon (אִתְחֲשָׁךְ שִׁמְשָׁא בְּטִיהֲרָא), and the Written Torah was locked (וְאֲנְעָלַת תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב), the light of the shining mirror (נְהוֹרָהָא דְּאַסְפָּקָלַרְיָאה דְּנָהֲרָא).