Daf 156b (דַּף קנ״ו ע״ב)

At the time that King David died (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמִית דָּוִד מַלְכָּא), the moon was gathered in its light (כְּנִישַׁת סִיהֲרָא נְהוֹרָהָא), and the Oral Orayta was gathered in its light (וְאוֹרַיְיתָא דִּבְעַל פֶּה כְּנִישַׁת נְהוֹרָהָא). And from that time, the lights of the Orayta were hidden (וּמֵהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִתְגְּנִיזוּ נְהוֹרִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and disputes increased upon the Mishnah (וְאַסְגִּיאוּ מַחֲלוֹקֶת עַל מִשְׁנָה), and the sages in dispute (וְחַכִּימַיָּא בְּמַחְלוֹקֶת), and all were strong-hearted in contention (וְכֻלְּהוּ תַּקִיפֵי לִבָּא בְּעִרְבּוּבְיָא).

And because of this, the joy of the Orayta was not in that time, in all the generations of the world (וְעַל דָּא, חֶדְוָה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לָאו אִיהוּ בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, בְּכָל דָּרִין דְּעָלְמָא). And what are those severe fasts which the Sages decreed? (וּמָה אִינּוּן חוֹמְרֵי דְּתַעֲנִיוֹת דְּגָזְרוּ רַבָּנָן). When so-and-so died, they decreed a fast (כַּד מִית פְּלוֹנִי, גָּזְרוּ תַּעֲנִית). When this happened, they decreed thus (כַּד הֲוָה כַּךְ, גָּזְרוּ כַּךְ). Some say: this was so (ס״א דָּא דְּהֲוָה). And when there was gathered greater joy of the Written Torah and Oral Torah in that time, how much more so was it necessary to close the gates of the Orayta in that time (וְכַד הֲוָה כְּנִישׁוּ יַתִּיר דְּחֶדְוָה דְּתוֹרָה דִּבְכְתָּב וְתוֹרָה דִּבְעַל פֶּה, בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִנְעַל תַּרְעֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא). And because of this we say these justifications of judgment, as has been said (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אַמְרֵינָן הָנֵי צִדּוּקֵי דִּינָא, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר).

Rabbi Yossi and Rabbi Ḥiyya rejoiced, and kissed him on his head as before (חֲדוּ רַבִּי יוֹסִי וְרַבִּי חִיָּיא, וּנְשָׁקוּהוּ בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ כְּמִלְקַדְּמִין). They said: “Fortunate is our portion on this road” (אָמְרוּ זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָנָא בְּהַאי אָרְחָא). Then he opened and said (תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “Wisdom is stronger to the wise than ten rulers who are in the city” (הַחָכְמָה תָּעוֹז לֶחָכָם מֵעֲשָׂרָה שַׁלִּיטִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ בָּעִיר) (Ecclesiastes 7). “Wisdom is stronger to the wise”-this is Moshe, when he ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Orayta (הַחָכְמָה תָּעוֹז לֶחָכָם, דָּא מֹשֶׁה, כַּד סָלִיק לְטוּרָא דְּסִינַי לְקַבְּלָא אוֹרַיְיתָא).

All the firmaments trembled, and all the supernal hosts (אִזְדַּעֲזָעוּ כָּל אִינּוּן רְקִיעִין, וְכָל אִינּוּן מַשִּׁרְיָין עִלָּאִין), and they said before Him (וְאָמְרוּ קָמֵיהּ): “Master of the world, what is all our goodness and all our joy-is it not only in the Orayta? And You seek to bring it down to earth?” (מָארִיהּ דְּעָלְמָא, וּמַה כָּל טוּבָא, וְכָל חֶדְוָה דִּילָן, לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאַתְּ בָּעֵי לְנַחְתָּא לָהּ בְּאַרְעָא). They gathered upon Moshe to burn him with fire (אִתְכְּנִישׁוּ עַל מֹשֶׁה לְאוֹקְדֵיהּ בְּנוּרָא). Moshe strengthened himself, etc., as my Friends have explained (אִתְתָּקַּף מֹשֶׁה וְכוּ', כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא), that Kudsha Berikh Hu said to Moshe, etc. (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר לֵיהּ לְמֹשֶׁה וְכוּלֵי).

But “Wisdom is stronger to the wise”-anyone who engages in the Orayta and toils in it for its own sake (אֲבָל הַחָכְמָה תָּעוֹז לֶחָכָם, כָּל מַאן דְּאִתְעַסָּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאִשְׁתַּדַּל בָּהּ לִשְׁמָהּ), is strengthened by the Orayta. At the time when he needs strength and might to protect him, he is strengthened by it (אִתְתָּקַּף בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֶהֱוֵי לֵיהּ תֻּקְפָּא וְחֵילָא, לְאַגָּנָא עָלֵיהּ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ). And from where does that strength and might come? (וְהַהוּא תֻּקְפָּא וְחֵילָא מֵאָן אֲתָר אִתְתָּקַּף). He returned and said: from the ten rulers (הָדָר וְאָמַר, מֵעֲשָׂרָה שַׁלִּיטִים). These are the ten utterances written in the Orayta (אִינּוּן עֶשֶׂר אֲמִירָן דִּכְתִּיבִין בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). They are the supernal rulers, through which a person is strengthened in this world and in the World to Come (דְּאִינּוּן שַׁלִּיטִין עִלָּאִין, דְּבַּר נָשׁ אִתְתָּקַּף בְּהוּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). All the secrets of the world, and all commandments, and all wisdom, above and below, depend on them (כָּל רָזִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְכָל פִּקּוּדִין, וְכָל חָכְמְתָא דְּעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, בְּהוּ תַּלְיָא). In them all is included, and all is in the Orayta (וּבְהוּ אִתְכְּלִיל כֹּלָּא, וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). Fortunate is the portion of one who toils in the Orayta, to be strengthened with strength for the World to Come (זַכָּאָה חוּלְקֵיהּ מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְמֶהֱוֵי מִתְתָּקַף בְּתֻּקְפָּא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

The ten rulers are ten aspects of wisdom in the Orayta (עֲשָׂרָה שַׁלִּיטִין, עֶשֶׂר זִינֵי חָכְמְתָא אִינּוּן בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), engraved in ten Names (בְּעֶשֶׂר שְׁמָהָן גְּלִיפָן), and they are included in one Name (וְאִתְכְּלִילוּ בִּשְׁמָא חַד), of twenty-two engraved letters (דְּעֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין אַתְוָון גְּלִיפִין), secrets of the World to Come (רָזִין דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), in those radiances which no eye rules to see (בְּאִינּוּן זִיהֲרִין, דְּלָא שַׁלְטָא עֵינָא לְמֵחֲמֵי), nor even in folly to know and contemplate in that delight and yearning (וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּסָכְלְתָנוּ לְמִנְדַּע, וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהַהוּא עִדּוּנָא וְכִסּוּפָא), which Kudsha Berikh Hu has prepared for the Righteous in the World to Come (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחֲסִין לוֹן לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), as it is said: “No eye has seen, O Elohim, besides You, what He has prepared for him who waits for Him” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ) (Isaiah 64).

The table of a person merits him to eat at another table, in the delight of that world (פָּתוֹרָא דְּבַר נָשׁ, מְזַכֵּי לֵיהּ לְמֵיכַל עַל פָּתוֹרָא אָחֳרָא, בְּעִדּוּנָא דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא), as it is said: “For at the table of the king he shall always eat” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, כִּי עַל שֻׁלְחָן הַמֶּלֶךְ תָּמִיד הוּא אוֹכֵל) (II Samuel 9). And King David would say (וְדָוִד מַלְכָּא הֲוָה אָמַר): “You prepare before me a table in the presence of my enemies” (תַּעֲרֹךְ לְפָנַי שֻׁלְחָן נֶגֶד צוֹרְרָי) (Psalms 23). And this is the ordering of the table in that world (וְדָא אִיהוּ אִתְסַדְּרוּתָא דְּפָתוֹרָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא), for then it is the delight and yearning by which the soul is pleased in the World to Come (דְּהָא כְּדֵין אִיהוּ עִדּוּנָא וְכִסּוּפָא, דְּנִשְׁמְתָא אִתְהֲנֵי בְּהוּ, בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). And do the souls have a table in that world? Yes (וְכִי פָּתוֹרָא אִית לוֹן לְנִשְׁמָתִין בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא. אִין). For the nourishment and sustenance of delight, they eat in that world (דְּהָא מְזוֹנָא וְסִפּוּקָא דְּעִדּוּנָא, אַכְלֵי בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא), in the manner that the supernal angels eat (כְּגַוְונָא דְּמַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי אַכְלֵי). And do the supernal angels eat? Yes (וְכִי מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי אַכְלֵי. אִין), in the manner that Yisrael ate in the wilderness (כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְהוֹן אָכְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַדְבְּרָא). And that nourishment is the secret of the dew that flows and is drawn from above (וְהַהוּא מְזוֹנָא, רָזָא אִיהוּ לְטַלָא, דְּנָגִיד וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ מֵעֵילָּא), from the secret of the World to Come (מֵרָזָא דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). And it is nourishment of Nehiru, anointing of supernal holiness (וְאִיהוּ מְזוֹנָא דִּנְהִירוּ מְשַׁח רְבוּת קֻדְשָׁא). And the souls of the Righteous are nourished from there in the Garden of Eden and are delighted there (וְנִשְׁמָתֵהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא אִתְּזָנוּ מִתַּמָּן בְּגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, וְאִתְהֲנוּן תַּמָּן).

For there the souls of the Righteous are clothed in the lower Garden of Eden, in the likeness of this world (דְּהָא תַּמָּן נִשְׁמָתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא, מִתְלַבְּשָׁן בְּגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן דִּלְתַתָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And on Sabbaths and festivals, they spread forth and ascend to behold the glory of their Master (וּבְשַׁבָּתֵי וּבִזְמַנֵּי, מִתְפַּשְּׁטָאן, וְסַלְּקִין לְמֵחֲמֵי בִּיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן), and to be delighted in the supernal delight as is fitting (וּלְאִתְעַדְּנָא בְּעִדּוּנָא עִלָּאָה כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת), as it is written: “And it shall be from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to bow before Me, says Hashem” (דִּכְתִיב, וְהָיָה מִדֵּי חֹדֶשׁ בְּחָדְשׁוֹ וּמִדֵּי שַׁבָּת בְּשַׁבַּתּוֹ יָבֹא כָּל בָּשָׂר לְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת לְפָנַי אָמַר יְיָ) (Isaiah 66). And will all flesh come? Was it not fitting to have written “all spirit” or “all soul”? What then is “all flesh”? (וְכִי כָּל בָּשָׂר יֵיתֵי, לָאו הָכִי הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמִכְתַּב, אֶלָּא כָּל רוּחַ אוֹ כָּל נְשָׁמָה, מַהוּ כָּל בָּשָׂר).