Daf 187b (דַּף קפ״ז ע״ב)

Rabbi Shim‘on opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר), “It is He who reveals deep things and hidden things, He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him” (Daniel 2) (הוּא גָּלֵא עֲמִיקָתָא וּמְסַּתְּרָתָא יָדַע מָה בַחֲשׁוֹכָא וּנְהוֹרָא עִמֵּהּ שְׁרֵא. It is He who reveals deep things and hidden things (הוּא גָּלֵא עֲמִיקָתָא וּמְסַּתְּרָתָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu reveals deep things and hidden things (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גַּלֵּי עֲמִיקָתָא וּמְסַּתְּרָתָא), for all upper hidden depths, He reveals them (דְּכָל עֲמִיקִין סְתִימִין עִלָּאִין אִיהוּ גַּלֵּי לוֹן). And why does He reveal them? (וּמַאי טַעֲמָא גַּלֵּי לוֹן). Because He knows what is in the darkness (בְּגִין דְּיָדַע מָה בַחֲשׁוֹכָא).

For if not for darkness, light would not be known (דְּאִלְמָלֵא חֲשׁוֹכָא לָא אִתְיְדַע נְהוֹרָא). And He knows what is in the darkness (וְאִיהוּ יָדַע מָה בַחֲשׁוֹכָא). And therefore He reveals deep things and hidden things (וּבְגִין כַּךְ גַּלֵּי עֲמִיקָתָא וּמְסַּתְּרָתָא), for if not for darkness, depths and hidden things would not be revealed (דְּאִי לָאו חֲשׁוֹכָא לָא יִתְגַּלְיָין עֲמִיקִין וּמְסַתְּרָאָן). And light dwells with Him (וּנְהוֹרָא עִמֵּהּ שְׁרֵא). What is this light? (מַאן נְהוֹרָא דָּא). It is light that is revealed from within the darkness (נְהוֹרָא דְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא מִגּוֹ חֲשׁוֹכָא). And we, from within the darkness that was in the wilderness, this light was revealed to us (וַאֲנָן מִגּוֹ חֲשׁוֹכָא דְּהַוָה בְּמַדְבְּרָא, אִתְגְּלֵי לָן נְהוֹרָא דָּא). May the Merciful cause light to dwell with you, in this world and in the world to come (רַחֲמָנָא יַשְׁרֵי עִמָּךְ נְהוֹרָא, בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

Rabbi Shim‘on and his Friends went, these three miles after him (אָזְלֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְחַבְרַיָּיא, אִלֵּין תְּלַת מִילִין אֲבַתְרֵיהּ). He said to him: Why did these not go with you as before? (אָמַר לֵיהּ, אֲמַאי לָא אָזְלֵי אִלֵּין עִמָּךְ כְּקַדְמִיתָא). He said to him: I did not wish to trouble any man with me; now that you have come, let us go together (אֲמַר לֵיהּ, לָא בְּעֵינָא לְאַטְרְחָא לְבַר נָשׁ עִמִּי, הַשְׁתָּא דְּאָתוּ נֵזִיל כַּחֲדָא). They went, and Rabbi Shim‘on went on his way (אָזְלוּ, וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָזַל לְאָרְחֵיהּ). Rabbi Abba said: Behold, we know his name, but he does not know the name of his master (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, הָא אֲנָן יְדַעְנָא שְׁמֵיהּ, וְאִיהוּ לָא יָדַע שְׁמֵיהּ דְּמֹר). He said to him: From this I know, that he is not to be seen (אָמַר לֵיהּ, מִנֵּיהּ יָדַעְנָא דְּלָא לְאִתְחֲזָאָה).

Blessed is Hashem forever, amen and amen בָּרוּךָ יְיָ לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן

Parashat Ki Tisa

nd Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying (Exodus 30) (וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר). “When you lift up the head of the Children of Yisrael according to their number, etc.” (כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְקוּדֵיהֶם וְגוֹ'). Rabbi Abba and Rabbi Acha and Rabbi Yosei were walking from Tiberias to Tzippori (רִבִּי אַבָּא וְרִבִּי אָחָא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי מִטְּבֶרְיָה לְצִפּוֹרִי). As they were going, they saw Rabbi El'azar who was coming, and Rabbi Ḥiyya was with him (עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי, חָמוּ לֵיהּ לְרַ' אֶלְעָזָר דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי, וְרִבִּי חִיָּיא עִמֵּיהּ).

Rabbi Abba said: Surely the Shekhinta has joined with us (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, וַדַּאי נִשְׁתַּתֵּף בַּהֲדֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא). They hastened to him until they reached them (אוֹרִיכוּ לְהוּ, עַד דְּמָטוּ לְגַבַּיְיהוּ). When they reached them, Rabbi El'azar said: Surely it is written, “The eyes of Hashem are toward the righteous, and His ears toward their cry” (Psalms 35) (כֵּיוָן דְּמָטוּ גַּבַּיְיהוּ, אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וַדַּאי כְּתִיב, עֵינֵי יְיָ אֶל צַדִּיקִים וְאָזְנָיו אֶל שַׁוְעָתָם). This verse is difficult, etc. p1-63(הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא וְכוּ').

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), it has been established: blessing from above does not rest upon something that is counted (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, לֵית בִּרְכָתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא שַׁרְיָיא עַל מִלָּה דְּאִתְמְנֵי). And if you say, how then were Yisrael counted? (וְאִי תֵּימָא, יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵיךְ אִתְמְנוּן). Rather, a ransom was taken from them (אֶלָּא כּוּפְרָא נָטִיל מִנַּיְיהוּ). And this has already been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). And the counting was not until all that ransom was gathered, and it ascended to the count (וְחוּשְׁבָּנָא לָא הֲוִי עַד דְּאִתְכְּנִישׁ כָּל הַהוּא כּוּפְרָא, וְסָלִיק לְחוּשְׁבָּנָא). And first they bless Yisrael (וּבְקַדְמֵיתָא מְבָרְכִין לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), and afterwards they count that ransom (וּלְבָתַר מָנִין הַהוּא כּוּפְרָא), and afterwards we return and bless Yisrael again (וּלְבָתַר אָהַדְרָן וּמְבָרְכִין לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). Thus Yisrael were found to be blessed at the beginning and at the end (אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְבָּרְכָאן בְּקַדְמִיתָא וּבְסוֹפָא), and plague did not come upon them (וְלָא סָלִיק בְּהוֹן מוֹתָנָא).

Why then does plague arise through counting? (מוֹתָנָא אֲמַאי סָלִיק בְּמִנְיָינָא). Because blessing does not rest upon counting (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּבִרְכָתָא לָא שַׁרְיָא בְּמִנְיָינָא). Once blessing departs, the Sitra achra rests upon it and can cause harm (כֵּיוָן דְּאִסְתָּלַּק בִּרְכָתָא, סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא שַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ, וְיָכִיל לְאַנְזְקָא). Therefore they take ransom and redemption, to remove from upon them the danger of counting (בְּגִין כַּךְ נַטְלִין כּוּפְרָא וּפִדְיוֹנָא לְסַלְּקָא עָלֵיהּ מִנְיָינָא). And this has been established and said (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, וְאִתְּמַר).

Ra’aya Meheimna

“The command is to give half a shekel, in the shekel of holiness” (פִּקוּדָא לִיתֵּן מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ). What is the half-shekel? It is like half a Heh (מַאן מַחֲצִית הַשֶׁקֶל אִיהוּ כְּגוֹן חֲצִי הַהִין). And this is six, the middle between the two Heh (וְדָא ו', מְמוּצָע בֵּין שֵׁנִי הֵהִי״ן). A stone for weighing with it, that is ten (אַבְנָא לְמִשְׁקָל בָּהּ, דָּא י'). ‘Twenty gerah is the shekel,’ that is Yod (עֶשְׂרִים גֵּרָה הַשֶׁקֶל: דָּא יוֹ״ד). The rich shall not give more,’ this is the middle column, he shall not add above ten (הֶעָשִׁיר לָא יַרְבֶּה, דָּא עַמּוּדָא דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, לָא יַרְבֶּה עַל י').

And so it is said in Sefer Yetzirah: ‘Ten Sefirot of nothingness, ten and not eleven (וְהָכִי אִתְּמַר בְּסֵפֶר יְצִירָה, עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת בְּלִימָּה, עֶשֶׂר וְלָא אֶחָד עָשָׂר). And the poor shall not give less,’ this is Tzaddik, he shall not diminish from ten, as it is said: ‘Ten and not nine’” (וְהַדַּל לָא יַמְעִיט, דָּא צַדִּיק, לָא יַמְעִיט מֵעֶשֶׂר, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר עֶשֶׂר וְלָא תֵּשַׁע). “From the half-shekel, which is ten” (מִמַּחֲצִית הַשֶׁקֶל, דְּאִיהוּ י'). Some say: “The half-shekel is ten” (נ״א: מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל עֶשֶׂר הוּא).

Ra’aya Meheimna said to him: Angel, you are in the heavens, you are beloved more than your Master” (אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא, (מַלְאָךְ) אַנְתְּ בַּשָׁמַיִם, רָחִים אַנְתְּ מִמָּארֵיךְ). There is no desire in all these precious words that come from your mouth” (לֵית תַּוָוהָא בְכָל אִינּוּן מִלִּין יַקִּירִין דְּיִפְקוּן מִפּוּמָךְ). “For one who is a king, or the son of a king, has no desire that pearls should leave his table, filled with treasures, filled with lights (דְּהָא מַאן דְּאִיהוּ מַלְכָּא, אוֹ בְּרָא דְּמַלְכָּא, לֵית תַּוָוהָא, דְּיִפְקוּן מַרְגְלָאִין בְּפָתוֹרֵיהּ, מַלְיָין סְגוּלוֹת, מַלְיָין נְהוֹרִין). “But for another man, that is desire” (לְבַר נָשׁ אַחֲרָא, אִיהוּ תַּוָוהָא).

He said to him: “Blessed are you, Ra’aya Meheimna” (אֲמַר לֵיהּ, בְּרִיךְ אַנְתְּ רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא). From here and onward, you speak, for the supernal and lower beings descend to hear from you (מִתַּמָּן וְאֵילָךְ אֵימָא אַנְתְּ, דְּעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין נַחְתּוּ לְמִשְׁמַע מִינָךְ). He said to him: “Complete your words” (אָמַר לֵיהּ, אַשְׁלִים מִלּוּלָךְ). He said to him: “Now is not the time to say more, you speak until another time” (אָמַר לֵיהּ, לָא אִית כְּעַן לְמֵימַר יַתִּיר, אֵימָא אַנְתְּ עַד זִמְנָא אַחֲרָא).