Daf 175a (דַּף קע״ה ע״א)

And it was taught (וְתָאנָא), Merodakh Bal’adanp1-52 would eat every day at the fourth hour (מְרוֹדָךְ בַּלְאֲדָן הֲוָה אָכִיל כָּל יוֹמָא בְּד׳ שַׁעְתֵּי), and he would sleep until the ninth hour (וְנָאִים עַד תֵּשַׁע שַׁעְתֵּי). On that day he slept until the ninth hour (וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא נָאִים עַד ט׳ שַׁעְתֵּי). When the sun rose again in the fourth hour (כַּד אִתְּעַר חָמָא שִׁמְשָׁא דְּקָאִים בְּד׳ שַׁעְתֵּי), he said: what is this (אָמַר מַאי הַאי)? Have you bound Konteron the scribe in chains (בְּקִטּוּלָא דְּקוּנְטִירָא קוֹנְטְרוֹי אַנְקָטַּרְתּוּן)? They said to him: why (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ לָמָה)? He said (אָמַר): because the day has been doubled, and it is as if three days (דְּנָאִימְנָא יוֹמָא חַד, וּתְלָתוּת יוֹמָא). They said to him (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ): not so (לָאו הָכִי), but the God of Hezekiah made this day two miracles (אֶלָּא אֱלָהָא דְּחִזְקִיָּה עֲבַד יוֹמָא דֵּין תְּרֵין נִיסִּין): He healed Hezekiah from his sickness (אָסֵי לְחִזְקִיָּה מִבֵּי מַרְעֵיהּ), and returned the sun to this time (וְאַחְזָר שִׁמְשָׁא לְעִדָּנָא דָּא). He said (אָמַר): And is there in the world a great God apart from the gods (וְכִי אִית בְּעָלְמָא אֱלָהָא רַבָּא בַּר מֵאֱלָהַי)? They said (אָמְרוּ): the God of Hezekiah (אֱלָהָא דְּחִזְּקִיָּהוּ).

He arose and wrote a letter (קָם וְכָתַב כְּתָבוֹי): Peace to Hezekiah king of Judah (שְׁלָם לְחִזְקִיָּהוּ מַלְכָּא דִּיהוּדָה), and peace to his God (וּשְׁלָם לְאֱלָהֵיהּ), and peace to Jerusalem the holy city (וּשְׁלָם לִירוּשָׁלַיִם קַרְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא). Afterward he reconsidered (לְבָתַר אַמְלִיךְ), and arose from his throne (וְקָם מִכֻּרְסְיָה), and took three steps (וּפָסַע תְּלַת פְּסִיעָן), and wrote another letter (וְכָתַב אַחֲרָנִין): Peace to the great God who is in Jerusalem (שְׁלָם לֶאֱלָהָא רַבָּא דְּבִיְרוּשָׁלַיִם), and peace to Hezekiah king of Judah (וּשְׁלָם לְחִזְקִיָּהוּ מַלְכָּא דִּיהוּדָה), and peace to Jerusalem the holy city (וּשְׁלָם לִירוּשָׁלַיִם קַרְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him (אֲמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): you took three steps for My honor (אַנְתְּ פָּסַעְתְּ בְּגִין יְקָרִי תְּלַת פְּסִיעָן), by your life (חַיֶּיךָ), from you shall go forth three kings mighty rulers (מִינָךְ יִפְקוּן תְּלַת מַלְכִּין שַׁלִּיטִין), emperors and commanders who will rule over the whole world (קַסְטִירִין רוּפִינִין דְּשָׁלִיטִין בְּכָל עָלְמָא), and the first among them was Nebuchadnezzar (וְקַדְמָאָה מִנַּיְיהוּ נְבוּכַדְנֶצַר הֲוָה).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), what Daniel said to him (מַאי אֲמַר לֵיהּ דָּנִיאֵל) (Daniel 2): You are the head of gold, and after you shall arise another Molcho inferior to you, and another third Molcho, etc. (אַנְּתּ הוּא רֵאשָׁה דִּי דַּהֲבָא, וּבַתְרָךְ תְּקוּם מַלְכוּ אָחֳרִי אֲרַע מִינָךְ וּמַלְכוּ תְּלִיתָאָה אָחֳרִי וְגוֹ׳). What is written (מַה כְּתִיב) (Daniel 3): Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, its height sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits (נְבוּכַדְנְצַר מַלְכָּא עֲבַד צְלֵם דִּי דְהַב רוּמֵיהּ אַמִּין שִׁתִּין פְּתָיֵהּ אַמִּין שִׁית). Nebuchadnezzar said (אֲמַר נְבוּכַדְנֶצַר): the image I saw was a head of gold (צֻלְמָא דַּחֲמֵינָא, הֲוָה רֵישָׁא דִּי דַּהֲבָא), its belly of silver (מֵעוֹי דְּכֶסֶף). I will make all of it of gold (אֲנָא אַעֲבִיד כֹּלָּא דְּדַהֲבָא), that it may be an image entirely of gold, and the head also of gold (דְּלִהוֵי קַּזְפִּירָא דְּדַהֲבָא בְּרֵישָׁא). And it was taught (וְתָאנָא): that day he gathered all nations, peoples, and tongues to worship that image (הַהוּא יוֹמָא כָּנַשׁ כָּל אוּמַיָּא וַעֲמַמְיָא וְלִישָׁנַיָיא לְמִפְלַח לְהַהוּא צַלְמָא). And he took a vessel from the vessels of the Sanctuary (וְנָטַל מָאנָא מִמָּאנִי מַקְדְּשָׁא), in which was engraved the Holy Name (דְּהֲוָה גָּלִיף בֵּיהּ שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), and he placed it in the mouth of that image (וְעָיִיל לֵיהּ בְּפוּמֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא צַלְמָא). And in that hour it would speak great words (וּבְהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא הֲוָה מְמַלֵּל רַבְרְבָן), until Daniel came (עַד דְּאָתָא דָּנִיאֵל), and drew near to that image (וְקָרִיב גַּבֵּי דְּהַהוּא צַלְמָא). And he said (וְאָמַר): I am the messenger of the supernal Master (אֲנָא שְׁלִיחָא דְּמָארָא עִלָּאָה), I decree upon you to go forth from here (גוֹזְרָנִי עָלָךְ לְמֵפַק מֵהָכָא). He invoked the Holy Name (אִדְכַּר שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא), and that vessel went forth (וְנָפַק הַהוּא מָאנָא), and the image fell and was broken (וְנָפַל צַלְמָא וְאִתְבַּר). This is what is written (הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב): And I will bring forth what he has swallowed out of his mouth, and nations shall no more stream unto him (וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶת בִּלְעוֹ מִפִּיו וְלֹא יִנְהֲרוּ אֵלָיו עוֹד גּוֹיִם).

Rabbi Yehudah arose and kissed him upon his head (קָם רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וּנַשְׁקֵיהּ עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ). He said (אָמַר): if I had not come here among the band of the Friends (אִי לָא דְּקָרִיבְנָא בְּקּוּטְפַיָיא הָכָא), I would not have recognized you (לָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַעְנָא בָּךְ). And they feared before him from that day onward (וַהֲווּ דַּחֲלִין קַמֵּיהּ מֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא).

It was taught (תָּאנָא) (Ecclesiastes 10): Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes eat in due time (אַשְׁרֵיךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ בֶּן חוֹרִים וְשָׂרַיִךְ בָּעֵת יֹאכֵלוּ). Rabbi Yosi established this verse (רִבִּי יוֹסִי אוֹקִים לְהַאי קְרָא), concerning Moshe (בְּמֹשֶׁה), at the time that he brought Yisrael out of Egypt (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַפִּיק לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם), and made them sons of nobles (וַעֲבַד לוֹן בְּנֵי חוֹרִין). And your princes eat in due time (וְשָׂרַיִךְ בָּעֵת יאכֵלוּ), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב) (Exodus 12): And you shall eat it in haste, it is a Pesach to Hashem (וַאֲכַלְתֶּם אוֹתוֹ בְּחִפָּזוֹן פֶּסַח הוּא לַיְיָ).

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחָאי): and did I not say that the words of King Shlomo, all of them are within, within the supernal palace (וְכִי לָא אֲמֵינָא דְּמִלוֹי דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ בְּגוֹ, לְגוֹ הֵיכְלָא קַדִּישָׁא הֲווֹ)? And this which you have said is all good (וְהַאי דְּאַמְרִיתּוּ כֹּלָּא שַׁפִּיר הֲוָה), and for derashah it came (וְלִדְרָשָׁא הוּא דְּאָתָא). But this verse is above, in the supernal palace (אֲבָל הַאי קְרָא, לְעֵילָּא בְּהֵיכָלָא קַדִּישָׁא הוּא).

It was taught (תָּאנָא): Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles (אַשְׁרֵיךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ בֶּן חוֹרִים). What is land (מַאי אֶרֶץ)? A general land (אֶרֶץ סְתָם). As it was taught (דְּתַנְיָא): what is that which is written (מַהוּ דִּכְתִּיב) (Lamentations 2): He has cast down from heaven unto earth the splendor of Yisrael (הִשְׁלִיךְ מִשָּׁמַיִם אֶרֶץ תִּפְאֶרֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל)? Rather, this land is the mystery (אֶלָּא הַאי אֶרֶץ, הִיא רָזָא), within the crowns of the supernal King (בְּגוֹ כִּתְרֵי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא). For it is written of it (דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ) (Bereshit 2): In the day that Hashem Elohim made earth and heaven (בְּיוֹם עֲשׂוֹת יְיָ אֱלֹהִים אֶרֶץ וְשָׁמָיִם). And this land, and everything that is nourished and sustained (וְהַאי אֶרֶץ, וְכָל מַה דְּיָנִיק וְאִתְּזָן), is from that place which is called heaven (מֵהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם הוּא). And the land is sustained only from the holy perfection that is called heaven (וְלָא אִתְּזָנַת אַרְעָא דָּא, אֶלָּא מִשְּׁלֵימוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם).

And at the time that Kudsha Berikh Hu desired to destroy His house below (וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַחֲרָבָא בֵּיתֵיהּ דִּלְתַתָּא), and the holy land below (וְאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּלְתַתָּא), He first removed this holy land above (אַעְבַּר לְהַאי אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּלְעֵילָּא בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and brought it down from that level from which it was nourished from the supernal heaven (וְנָחִית לֵיהּ מֵהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּהֲוָה יַנְקָא מִשָּׁמַיִם קַדִּישָׁא). And afterward He destroyed this one below (וּלְבָתַר חָרִיב לְהַאי דִּלְתַתָּא). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב): He has cast down from heaven unto earth, first (הִשְׁלִיךְ מִשָּׁמַיִם אֶרֶץ בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and afterward: and did not remember His footstool (וּלְבָתַר וְלֹא זָכָר הֲדוֹם רַגְלָיו). As it was taught (דְּתַנְיָא): so is the way of Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּךְ אָרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), when He desires to judge the world (כַּד בָּעֵי לְמֵידַן עָלְמָא): first He makes judgment above (בְּקַדְמִיתָא עָבִיד דִּינָא לְעֵילָּא), and afterward it is established below (וּלְבָתַר אִתְקַיָּים לְתַתָּא). As it is written (דִּכְתִּיב) (Isaiah 24): Hashem shall punish the host of the high ones on high, first (יִפְקוֹד יְיָ עַל צְבָא הַמָּרוֹם בַּמָּרוֹם, בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and afterward, the kings of the earth upon the earth (וּלְבָתַר וְעַל מַלְכֵי הָאֲדָמָה עַל הָאֲדָמָה).