Daf 188a (דַּף קפ״ח ע״א)

Ra’aya Meheimna opened and said: The command after this, to sanctify the month (פָּתַח רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא, פִּקּוּדָא בָּתַר דָּא, לְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת הַחֹדֶשׁ). Because the holy moon is the Bride, who is sanctified by the mouth of the court, which is Gevurah (בְּגִין דְּסִיהֲרָא קַדִּישָׁא אִיהִי כַּלָּה, דְּמִתְקַדֶּשֶׁת עַל פִּי בֵּית דִּין, דְּאִיהוּ גְּבוּרָה). Because there is Levi there, about whom it is said, ‘And you shall sanctify the Levites’” (בְּגִין דְּתַמָּן לֵיוָאֵי, דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוּ וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֶת הַלְוִיִּם). And after the moon is seen, that it is fitting to shine, one blesses upon it: ‘Blessed are You Hashem, our God, King of the universe, who by His word created the heavens, and by the breath of His mouth all their host (וּלְבָתַר דְּאִתְחֲזֵי סִיהֲרָא דְּיֵאוֹתוּ לְאוֹרָה, מְבָרֵךְ עָלֶיהָ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בְּמַאֲמָרוֹ בָּרָא שְׁחָקִים, וּבְרוּחַ פִּיו כָּל צְבָאָם). And in what is she sanctified and blessed? In Tiferet, because he is the crown of Tiferet to those borne in the belly (וּבְמִי מִתְקַדֶּשֶׁת וּמִתְבָּרֶכֶת, בְּתִפְאֶרֶת בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת לַעֲמוּסֵי בָטֶן). (So ends Ra’aya Meheimna) (ע״כ רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא). (Tetzé 280b “When brothers dwell together…” etc) (תֵּצֵא דף ר״פ ע״ב כִּי יֵשְׁבוּ אַחִים יַחְדָּו וכו׳).

Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Ḥiyya were walking on the road (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרִבִּי חִיָּיא הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא), as they were walking, night fell (עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלִין רָמַשׁ לֵילְיָא), and they sat (יָתְבוּ). As they were sitting (אַדְהֲווֹ יַתְבִין), dawn began to shine (שְׁרִיאַת צַפְרָא לְאַנְהֲרָא), some say: they said, “Rise and let us go” (ס"א: אָמְרוּ קוּם וּנְהֵךְ). They arose and went (קָמוּ וְאָזְלוּ). Rabbi Ḥiyya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא), “Look at the faces of the East, how they shine (חָמֵי אַנְפּוֹי דְּמִזְרָח דְּקָא מְנַהֲרִין).

Now all those dwellers of the land of the mountains of light (הַשְׁתָּא כָּל אִינּוּן בְּנֵי מְדִינְחָא דְּטוּרֵי נְהוֹרָא), bow toward this light (סַגְדִּין לְגַבֵּי הַאי נְהוֹרָא), which shines in the place of the sun (דְּנָהִיר בַּאֲתַר דְּשִׁמְשָׁא), before it emerges (עַד לָא יִפּוּק), and they worship it (וּפָלְחִין לֵיהּ), for once the sun comes out (דְּהָא כֵּיוָן דְּנָפִיק שִׁמְשָׁא), how many there are (כַּמָּה אִינּוּן) who worship the sun (דְּפָלְחִין לְשִׁמְשָׁא). And these—who worship this light (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן דְּקָא פַלְחִין לִנְהוֹרָא דָא), they call this light: ‘The God of the radiant pearl’ (וּקְרָאן לְהַאי נְהוֹרָא אֱלָהָא דְּמַרְגְּלָא דְּנָהִיר), and their declaration is ‘In the God of the radiant pearl!’” (וְאוֹמָאָה דִּלְהוֹן בֵּאֱלֹהַּ דְּמַרְגְּלָא דְּנָהִיר). And if you should say, “This worship is in vain” (וְאִי תֵּימָא פּוּלְחָנָא דָּא לְמַגָּנָא הוּא), from ancient primordial days, wisdom knew it (מִיּוֹמִין עַתִּיקִין קַדְמָאֵי חָכְמְתָא יָדְעוּ בֵּיהּ).

At the time when the sun is shining, before it emerges (בְּזִמְנָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא נָהִיר עַד לָא יִפּוֹק), that appointed officer who is set over the sun goes forth (הַהוּא מְמָנָא דְּפָקִיד עַל שִׁמְשָׁא נָפִיק), and the holy letters of the supernal holy Name are inscribed upon his head (וְאַתְוָון קַדִּישִׁין דִּשְׁמָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא רְשִׁימָן עַל רִישֵׁיהּ). And with the power of those letters (וּבְחֵילָא דְּאִינּוּן אַתְוָון), he opens all the firmaments of heaven and strikes them (פָּתַח לְכָל כַּוֵּי שְׁמַיָּא וּבָטַשׁ בְּהוּ), and passes through (וְעָבַר). And that officer enters into that radiance which surrounds the sun (וְהַהוּא מְמָנָא עָאל גּוֹ הַהוּא זֹהֲרָא דְּנָהִיר סָחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּשִׁמְשָׁא), and there he remains until the sun goes forth (וְתַמָּן שְׁכִיחַ עַד דְּנָפַק שִׁמְשָׁא), and spreads throughout the world (וְאִתְפָּשַּׁט בְּעָלְמָא).

And that officer is appointed over gold and over red pearls (וְהַהוּא מְמָנָא אִיהוּ פְּקִידָא עַל דַּהֲבָא וְעַל מַרְגְּלָן סוּמָקָן). And they worship that image that is there (וְאִינּוּן פַלְחִין לְהַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא דְּתַמָּן), and through the markings and signs which they inherited from the ancients, from ancient days (וּבְנִקוּדִין וְסִימָנִין דְּיַרְתּוּ מִקַּדְמָאֵי מִיּוֹמִין עַתִּיקִין), they go and know the markings of the sun (אַזְלֵי וְיַדְעֵי נְקוּדִין דְּשִׁמְשָׁא), to discover places of gold and pearls (לְמִשְׁכַּח אַתְרִין דְּדַהֲבָא וּמַרְגְּלָן). Rabbi Yosei said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי), “How many kinds of worship there are in this world! (עַד כַּמָּה יְהוֹן פּוּלְחָנִין סַגִּיאִין אִלֵּין בְּעָלְמָא), for falsehood has no enduring existence” (דְּהָא שִׁקְרָא לֵית לֵיהּ קַיְּימִין לְקַיְּימָא).

The other opened (some say: Rabbi Ḥiyya) and said (פָּתַח אִידָךְ (ס"א: רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְאָמַר), “The lip of truth shall be established forever, but a lying tongue only for a moment” (Proverbs 12) (שְׂפַת אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד וְעַד אַרְגִּיעָה לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר) (Proverbs 12). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): if all the people of the world worshipped falsehood (אִלּוּ כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא הֲווֹ פַלְחִין לְשִׁקְרָא), it would be so (הֲוָה הָכִי). But this light and radiance that shines (אֲבָל הַאי נְהוֹרָא וְזִהֲרָא דְּנָהִיר)—it is surely truth (וַדַּאי קְשׁוֹט אִיהוּ). The stars of the firmament above are truth (כּוֹכְבֵי רוּמָא דִּרְקִיעָא קְשׁוֹט אִינּוּן). If through foolishness and lack of understanding (אִי בְּטִפְּשׁוּ וְחֶסְרוֹנָא דְּדַעְתָּא דִּלְהוֹן), they say and call them ‘God’ (אִינּוּן אַמְרֵי וְקָרָאן לְהוּ אֱלָהָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu does not wish to remove His works from the world (לָא בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְשֵׁיצָאָה עוֹבָדוֹי מֵעָלְמָא). But at the time to come, the stars and lights of the world will not rule (אֲבָל לְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי לָא יִשְׁתֵּצוּן כּוֹכָבַיָּא וּנְהוֹרִין דְּעָלְמָא). But who will rule? (אֲבָל מַאן יִשְׁתְּצֵי) Those who worshiped them (אִינּוּן דְּפַלְחוּ לוֹן).

And this verse is thus (וּקְרָא דָּא הָכִי הוּא): “The lip of truth shall be established forever” (שְׂפַת אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד)—these are Yisrael (אִלֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל), who are the lip of truth (דְּאִינּוּן שְׂפַת אֱמֶת). “Hashem is our God, Hashem is One” (Deuteronomy 6) (יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְיָ אֶחָד), and all is truth (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ אֱמֶת), and the secret of truth (וְרָזָא דֶּאֱמֶת), and they conclude: “Hashem your God is truth” (וּמְסַיְימֵי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֱמֶת). And this is “the lip of truth shall be established forever” (וְדָא אִיהוּ שְׂפַת אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד). And until the calming (וְעַד אַרְגִּיעָה), it should have said: “and until a moment” (וְעַד רֶגַע מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ), what is this calming? (מַאי אַרְגִּיעָה) Rather, how long will their existence be in the world (אֶלָּא, עַד כַּמָה יְהֵא קִיוּמָא דִּלְהוֹן בְּעָלְמָא), until the time shall come (עַד זִמְנָא דְּיֵיתֵי), and I will have rest from the harsh service placed upon Me (וִיּהֵא לִי נַיְיחָא מִפּוּלְחָנָא קַשְׁיָא דְּעָלוֹי). And at the time of calming (וּבְזִמְנָא דְּאַרְגִּיעָה), the lying tongue shall be silenced (יִשְׁתְּצֵי לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר)—those who call “god” to that which is not “God” (אִינּוּן דְּקָרָאן אֱלָהָא, לְמַאן דְּלָאו הוּא אֱלָהָא). But Yisrael, who are the lip of truth (אֲבָל יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִינּוּן שְׂפַת אֱמֶת), it is written of them: “This people I formed for Myself, they shall recount My praise” (Isaiah 43) (כְּתִיב בְּהוּ, עַם זוּ יָצַרְתִּי לִי תְּהִלָּתִי יְסַפֵּרוּ).

I recall one time when I was walking with Rabbi El'azar (אַדְכַּרְנָא חֲדָא זִמְנָא דַּהֲוֵינָא אָזִיל בַּהֲדֵי רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), an officer encountered him (פָּגַע בֵּיהּ הֶגְמוֹנָא), and said to Rabbi El'azar (אֲמַר לֵיהּ לְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), “Do you know the Orayta of the Jews?” (אַנְתְּ יַדְעַת מֵאוֹרַיְיתָא דִּיְהוּדָאֵי) He said to him: “I know” (אֲמַר לֵיהּ יָדַעְנָא). He said to him: “Don’t you say that your faith is truth, and your Orayta is truth (לֵית אַתּוּן אַמְרִין דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא דִּלְכוֹן קְשׁוֹט, וְאוֹרַיְיתְכוֹן קְשׁוֹט), and that our faith is falsehood, and our Orayta is falsehood?” (וַאֲנָן דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא דִּילָן שֶׁקֶר, וְאוֹרַיְיתָא דִּילָן שֶּׁקֶר) But behold, it is written: “The lip of truth shall be established forever, and the lying tongue until the calming” (וְהָא כְּתִיב שְׂפַת אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד וְעַד אַרְגִּיעָה לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר). We, from the days of the world, have stood in kingship (אֲנָן מִיּוֹמִין דְּעָלְמָא, קַיְימִין בְּמַלְכוּתָא), and it has never departed from us forever, generation after generation (וְלָא אַעְדִּי מִינָן לְעָלְמִין, דָּרָא בָּתַר דָּרָא), “It shall be established forever”—indeed (תִּכּוֹן לָעַד וַדַּאי). But you—your kingship was small (וְאַתּוּן, זְעֵיר הֲוָה לְכוּ מַלְכוּתָא), and it was immediately removed from you (וּמִיַּד אַעְדֵּי מִנְּכוֹן), and the verse was fulfilled in you as it is written: “And the lying tongue until the calming” (וּקְרָא אִתְקָיָּים בְּכוּ דִּכְתִּיב וְעַד אַרְגִּיעָה לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר).