Daf 171b (דַּף קע״א ע״ב)

Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא): “How many great works are those of Kudsha Berikh Hu, in heaven above and on the earth below (כַּמָה רַבְרְבָן עוֹבָדֵי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בִּשְׁמַיָּא מִלְּעֵילָּא, וּבְאַרְעָא מִלְּרַע). Who is able to know of those two stars (מַאן יָכִיל לְמִנְדַּע בְּאִלֵּין תְּרִין כֹּכָבַיָא), which went forth, one from here and one from there (דְּנַפְקוּ חַד מֵהָכָא, וְחַד מֵהָכָא), encountered one another (וְאִעֲרָעוּ דָּא בְּדָא), and were concealed?” (וְאִטְמָרוּ).

Rabbi El‘azar said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): “Do we not see them? (וְכִי לָא חֲמֵינָא לוֹן). Behold, we have observed them (הָא אַשְׁגַּחְנָא בְּהוּ), and we have observed many other deeds that Kudsha Berikh Hu performs continually” (וְאַשְׁגַּחְנָא בְּכַמָּה עוֹבָדִין אַחֲרָנִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד תָּדִיר).

He opened and said: “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power…” (Psalms 147) (פָּתַח וְאָמַר גָּדוֹל אֲדוֹנֵינוּ וְרַב כֹּחַ וְגוֹ’). Great and mighty and exalted is Kudsha Berikh Hu (גָּדוֹל וְרַב וְעִלָּאָה אִיהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And do we not know that Kudsha Berikh Hu is great and abundant in power—what then is the praise of David here (וְכִי לָא יָדַעְנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּדוֹל אִיהוּ וְרַב כֹּחַ, מַאי שְׁבָחָא דְּדָוִד הָכָא).

Rather, in every place he says: “Great is Hashem” (Psalms 145), but here he says: “Great is our Lord” (Psalms 147) (אֶלָּא בְּכָל אֲתָר אִיהוּ אָמַר גָּדוֹל יְיָ’, וְהָכָא אָמַר גָּדוֹל אֲדוֹנֵינוּ). What is the reason? There, when he said: “Great is Hashem and greatly to be praised” (Psalms 145), he spoke of the supernal level (מַאי טַעְמָא. אֶלָּא הָתָם דְּאִיהוּ אָמַר גָּדוֹל יְיָ’ וּמְהֻלָל מְאֹד. בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה קָאָמַר). But here, when it is written: “Great is our Lord” (Psalms 147), he spoke of the lower level, that He is Master of all the earth (וְהָכָא דִּכְתִיב גָּדוֹל אֲדוֹנֵינוּ בְּדַרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה קָאָמַר, דְּאִיהוּ אֲדוֹן כָּל הָאָרֶץ).

What is written just above this verse? “He counts the number of the stars, He calls them all by names” (Psalms 147) (מָה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָּא מֵהַאי קְרָא, מוֹנֶה מִסְפָּר לַכֹּכָבִים לְכֻלָּם שֵׁמוֹת יִקְרָא). If all the people of the world, from the day that Adam was created, were to gather together to count the stars, they would not be able to count them, as it is said: “Count the stars, if you are able to count them” (Bereshit 15) (אִי כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְבְּרֵי אָדָם, יִתְכַּנְּשׁוּן לְמִמְנֵי כֹּכָבַיָּא, לָא יַכְלִין לְמִמְנֵי, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וּסְפוֹר הַכֹּכָבִים אִם תּוּכַל לִסְפּוֹר אוֹתָם). But what is written of Kudsha Berikh Hu? “He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by names” (Psalms 147) (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, מוֹנֶה מִסְפָּר לַכֹּכָבִים לְכֻלָּם שֵׁמוֹת יִקְרָא). What is the reason? Because it is written: “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power” (Psalms 147) (מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב גָּדוֹל אֲדוֹנֵינוּ וְרַב כֹּחַ וְגוֹ’). Just as there is no number to the stars of heaven, except by Him, so also it is written of Him: “And to His understanding there is no number” (Psalms 147) (כְּמָה דְּלֵית מִסְפָּר לְכֹּכְבֵי שְׁמַיָא, בַּר מִנֵּיהּ. אוּף הָכִי אִיהוּ כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, וְלִתְבוּנָתוֹ אֵין מִסְפָּר).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזִי): it is written, “He brings out their host by number,” etc. (כְּתִיב הַמּוֹצִיא בְמִסְפָּר צְבָאָם וְגוֹ׳) (Yeshayahu 40:26). All the hosts, camps, and stars, Kudsha Berikh Hu brings forth by name, each and every one, and not even one is lacking (כֻּלְּהוּ חַיָּילִין וּמַשִּׁרְיָין וְכֹכָבַיָּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַפִּיק לוֹן בִּשְׁמָא, כָּל חַד וְחַד, וְלָא גָּרַע אֲפִילּוּ חַד). Among all the stars and constellations of the firmaments, rulers and appointed officers are established to minister to the world, each and every one as is fitting for it (בְּכָל כֹּכָבַיָּא וּמַזָּלֵי דִּרְקִיעִין כֻּלָּהוּ, אִתְמְנוּן נְגִּידִין וּפְקִידִּין לְשַׁמְּשָׁא עָלְמָא, כָּל חַד וְחַד כַּדְקָא חֲזִי לֵיהּ). And there is no small blade of grass in all the world over which a star and constellation in the firmament does not rule (וְלֵית לָךְ עִשְׂבָּא זְעִירָא בְּכָל עָלְמָא, דְּלָא שַׁלְטָא עָלֵיהּ כֹּכָבָא וּמַזָּלָא בִּרְקִיעָא), and over that star is one appointed minister, who ministers before Kudsha Berikh Hu, each and every one as is fitting for it (וְעַל הַהוּא כֹּכָבָא מְמָנָא חַד, דְּקָא מְשַׁמֵּשׁ קָמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כָּל חַד וְחַד כַּדְקָא חֲזִי לֵיהּ).

All the stars of the firmaments serve this world (כָּל כֹּכָבַיָּא דְּבִרְקִיעִין כֻּלְּהוּ מְשַׁמְּשֵׁי עַל הַאי עָלְמָא), and all of them are appointed to serve each and every matter (וְכֻלְּהוּ פְּקִידָן לְשַׁמְּשָׁא כָּל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה), for those who are in this world (לְאִינּוּן דִּבְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And no grasses, nor trees, nor herbage grow and increase (וְלָא צַמְחִין וְלָא מְגַדְּלִין עֲשָׂבִין וְאִילָנִין וּדְשָׁאִין), nor wild grasses of the field (וְעִשְׂבֵי בָּרָא), except through the vision of the stars that stand over them (בַּר בְּחֵיזוּ דְּכֹּכָבַיָּא דְּקָא קַיְימֵי עָלַיְיהוּ), and they appear upon them face to face (וְאִתְחָזוּן עָלַיְיהוּ אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין), each and every one as it is fitting to appear to it (כָּל חַד וְחַד כְּמָה דְּאִתְחָזֵי לֵיהּ).

Most of the camps of stars and constellations emerge at the beginning of the night (רוֹב מַשִּׁרְיָין דְּכֹּכָבַיָּא וּמַזָּלֵי, כֻּלְּהוּ נָפְקִין בְּרֵאשִׁיתָא דְּלֵילְיָא), until three hours lacking a quarter (עַד תְּלַת שַׁעְתֵּי חָסֵר רְבִיעָא). From there onward they do not go out, except for a few (מִתַּמָּן וּלְהָלְאָה לָא נָפְקִין בַּר זְעִירִין). And these stars do not serve in vain (וְאִינּוּן כֹּכָבַיָּא כֻּלְּהוּ לָא מְשַׁמְשֵׁי לְבַטָּלָה), nor are they seen in vain (וְלָא אִתְחָזוּן לְבַטָּלָה). And there are stars that serve the whole night (וְאִית כֹּכָבַיָא דְּקָא מְשַׁמְשֵׁי כָּל לֵילְיָא), in order to cause to sprout and to grow all those matters appointed upon them (בְּגִין לְאַצְמְחָא וּלְגַדְּלָא כָּל אִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּאִתְפְּקָדוּ עָלַיְיהוּ). And there are stars that serve until half of the night (וְאִית כֹּכָבַיָא דְּקָא מְשַׁמְשֵׁי עַד פַּלְגוּת לֵילְיָא), and they sprout and grow from the beginning of the night until that hour (וְצָמְחִין וּמְגַדְּלִין מֵרֵאשִׁיתָא דְּלֵילְיָא, עַד הַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא), all those matters appointed upon them (כָּל אִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּאִתְפְּקָדוּ עָלַיְיהוּ). And there are stars that serve a short time of the night (וְאִית כֹּכָבַיָא דְּקָא מְשַׁמְשֵׁי זְעֵיר מִלֵילְיָא), for once they appear beside that herb or that grass (דְּכֵיוָן דְּאִתְחָזֵי בַּהֲדֵי הַהוּא עִשְׂבָּא, אוֹ הַהוּא דְּשָׁאָה), immediately they complete their service (מִיָּד אַשְׁלִים שִׁמוּשֵׁיהּ), and they are no longer needed that night (וְלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ יַתִּיר בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא). And behold, they do not exist in vain (וְהָא אִינּוּן לָא קַיְימִין לְבַטָּלָה); once they complete their service (כֵיוָן דְּאַשְׁלִימוּ שִׁמּוּשַׁיְיהוּ), they are not seen any more in this world (לָא אִתְחָזוּן יַתִּיר בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and they ascend to their place (וְעַיְילִין לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ).

In the Book of Supernal Wisdom of the Ancients (בְּסִפְרָא דְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה דִּבְנֵי קֶדֶם), they said regarding all those stars p1-48(אַמְרֵי עַל כָּל אִינּוּן כֹּכָבַיָּא), of the scepter (דְּשַׁרְבִיטָא), that the scepter is sent forth in the firmament (דְּקָא מְשַׁדְּרֵי שַׁרְבִיטָא בִּרְקִיעָא). They said that the grasses in the earth (אַמְרִי דַּעֲשָׂבִין אִינּוּן בְּאַרְעָא) come from those which are called herbs of life (מֵאִינּוּן דְּאִקְרוּן סַמֵּי דְחַיֵּי), and precious stones exist in the earth (וְאַבְנִין יַקִּירָן אִית בְּאַרְעָא), and golden thread that grows within high mountains (וְזָהָב שָׁחוּט דִּמְגַּדְלָא גּוֹ טוּרֵי רָמָאֵי), with a bit of water flowing over it (בִּזְעֵיר מַיִּין דְּחַפְיָא עָלֵיהּ), and it is not covered except that it draws over it (וְלָא חַפְיָא אֶלָּא דְּנָגִיד עָלֵיהּ). And the dominion over all of these belongs to those stars of the scepter (וְשָׁלְטָאן עַל כָּל אִלֵּין אִינּוּן כֹּכָבַיָּא דְּשַׁרְבִיטָא), and they cause these to grow for their sake (וּמְגַּדְלֵי אִלֵּין בְּגִינַיְיהוּ). And all their arrangement and greatness (וְכָל תִּקּוּנָא וּגְדוּלָא דִּלְהוֹן) is only through the radiance and glow of that scepter (לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא בְּחֵיזוּ וְנֹגְהָא דְּהַהוּא שַׁרְבִיטָא), which that star sends within the firmament (דְּקָא מְשַׁדֵּר הַהוּא כֹּכָבָא גּוֹ רְקִיעָא), and then all those things are arranged and grow (וּכְדֵין אִתְתַּקְנָן וּמִתְגַּדְלָן כָּל אִינּוּן מִלִּין).