Daf 190b (דַּף ק״צ ע״ב)

How many good things Kudsha Berikh Hu has done in every generation for Yisrael (כַּמָה טִיבוּ עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּכָל דָּרָא וְדָרָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). Come and see, what is written (תָּא חֲזֵי, מָה כְּתִיב): “And I sent before you Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam” (וָאֶשְׁלַח לְפָנְיךָ אֶת מֹשֶׁה אַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם) (Micah 6). And behold, how many prophets were after Moshe (וְהָא כַּמָה נְבִיאֵי הֲווֹ לְבָתַר מֹשֶׁה): “And I sent before you Moshe, Aharon, El'azar, and Pinḥas, Yehoshua, Eliyahu, and Elisha” (וָאֶשְׁלַח לְפָנְיךָ אֶת מֹשֶׁה אַהֲרֹן וְאֶלְעָזָר וּפִנְחָס יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְאֵלִיָּהוּ וְאֱלִישָׁע), and how many other Tzaddikim and Ḥasidim would be fitting (וְכַמָּה שְׁאַר צַדִּיקֵי וַחֲסִידֵי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). Why these three (אִלֵּין תְּלָתָא אֲמַאי)? But Kudsha Berikh Hu said (אֶלָּא אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): My people, My children (עַמִּי, בָּנַי), why do you not recall all the good that I have done for you (אֲמַאי לָא תִּדְכְּרוּן לְכָל טָבִין דַּעֲבָדִית לְכוּ), that I sent you Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam (דְּשַׁדָּרִית לְכוּ לְמֹשֶׁה אַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם).

To a king of flesh and blood (לְמֶלֶךָ בָּשָׂר וָדָם), who has a province (דְּאִית לֵיהּ מְדִּינְתָּא), and he sends to it men, great princes, to govern the people (וְשָׁדַר לְגַבָּהּ, גּוּבְרִין, אִפַּרְכִּין רַבְרְבָנִין, דִּיהוֹן מְנַהֲלֵי עַמָּא), and to oversee them and their judgments (וּמְעַיְינִין בְּהוּ, וּבְדִּינַיְיהוּ). Whoever needs sustenance, in whatever they require (מַאן אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֶהֱוֵי זָקוּק בִּמְזוֹנַיְיהוּ, בְּמִלִּין דְּיִצְטְרִכוּן) — is it not the people of the province, against their will, who must care for them and give them honor (לָאו עַמָּא דִּמְדִּינְתָּא, בַּעַל כָּרְחַיְּיהוּ יִצְטְרָכוּ לְעַיְינָא בְּהוּ, וּלְמֵיהַב לְהוּ יְקָרָא)?

I sent Moshe (שַׁדָּרִית לְמֹשֶׁה) — he brought before you manna to eat (אִיהוּ אַיְיתֵי קָמַיְיכוּ מָן לְמֵיכַל), and he guided you, and your children, and your flocks (וְנָהִיל לְכוּ וּלְבָנַיְיכוּ וְלִבְעִירַיְיכוּ), and strove in your judgments (וְאִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּדִינַיְיכוּ). Some say: in your sustenance (ס״א בְּמְזוֹנַיְיכוּ), and in all that you required (וּבְכָל מָה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְכוּ). I sent Aharon (שַׁדָּרִית לְאַהֲרֹן) — he brought for you palaces of clouds of glory to cover over you like kings (אַיְיתֵי הֵיכָלִין דַּעֲנָנִי יְקָר לְחֹפָּאָה עָלַיְיכוּ, כְּמַלְכִין). Some say: clouds for you (ס״א לְכוּ עֲנָנֵי). He bathed you in the dew of glory (אַסְחֵי לְכוּ בְּטַלֵּי יְקָר), that your garments and your shoes did not decay (דְּלָא אִתְרַקְבוּ לְבוּשֵׁיכוֹן וּמִנְעֲלֵיכוֹן), and they were renewed every day (וַהֲווּ מִתְחַדְּשֵׁי בְּכָל יוֹמָא). I sent Miriam (שַׁדָּרִית לְמִרְיָם) — she brought the well to give you drink (אַיְיתִיאָת בֵּירָא לְאַשְׁקָאָה לְכוּ), and you, and your flocks, drank (וְשָׁתִיתוּן אַתּוּן וּבְעִירְכוֹן). They gave to you (אִינּוּן יָהַבוּ לְכוֹן), and from what was theirs you ate and drank (וּמִדִּלֵהוֹן אָכַלְתּוּן וְשָׁתִיתוּן), and you sat under their canopy of glory (וִיְתִיבְתּוּן בְּחוּפָּאָה דִּיקָר דִּלְהוֹן). But from what was yours you did not give to them (וּמִדִּלְכוֹן לָא יָהַבְתּוּן לוֹן). And not only this, but they strove on your behalf (וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְּאִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ עֲלֵיכוֹן), and bore upon their necks for your sake (וְנַטְלוּ עַל צַוָארֵיהוֹן מָטוּלְכוֹן), while you insulted and reviled them (וַהֲוִיתוּן מְחָרְפִין וּמְגַּדְפִין לוֹן).

Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): Was there ever a merciful father over his children like Kudsha Berikh Hu (לָאו הֲוָה אַבָּא רַחֲמָן עַל בְּנוֹי כְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא)? And the verse is written (וּקְרָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב): “There has not fallen one word from all His good word, etc.” (לֹא נָפַל דָּבָר אֶחָד מִכֹּל דְּבָרוֹ הַטּוֹב וְגוֹ׳) (I Kings 8). Come and see His compassion (תָּא חֲזֵי רַחֲמָנוּ דִּילֵיהּ): If He had said “There has not fallen one word from all His word” and no more (אִלּוּ אָמַר לֹא נָפַל דָּבָר אֶחָד מִכֹּל דְּבָרוֹ וְלָא יַתִּיר), it would have been easier for the world never to have been created (נֹחַ לְעָלְמָא דְּלָא אִתְבְּרֵי). But since He said “from all His good word” (אֲבָל מִדְּאָמַר מִכֹּל דְּבָרוֹ הַטּוֹב), and excluded the evil to the other side (וְאַפִּיק בִּישׁ לַאֲחוֹרָא), behold, He did not desire to perform the evil word (דְּהָא מִלָּה דְּבִישׁ לָא בָּעֵי לְמֶעְבַּד). And even though He became angry and raised the strap (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאַגְזִים, וְאָרִים רְצוּעָה), Imma came and strengthened Herself with His right arm (אָתָאת אִמָּא וְאִתָּקָפָת בִּדְרוֹעֵיהּ יְמִינָא), and the strap was upheld in its place (וְקָם רְצוּעָה בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ), and did not descend below, and was not carried out (וְלָא נָחִית לְתַתָּא, וְלָא אִתְעַבִיד), because there was one fear between the two of them (בְּגִין דִּבְעֵיטָא חֲדָא הֲווֹ תַּרְוַויְיהוּ): He who became angry (אִיהוּ דְּאַגְזִים), and She who grasped with His right hand (וְאִיהוּ דַאֲחִידַת בִּיְמִינֵיהּ). And if you say, from where do we learn this (וְאִי תֵּימָא מְנָלָן)? From the revealed word, as it is written (מִמִּלָּה דְּאִיהִי בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, דִּכְתִּיב): “Go, descend, for your people has corrupted” (לֵךְ רֵד כִּי שִׁחֵת עַמְּךָ) (Exodus 32). He began to raise the strap (שָׂרֵי לְאָרָמָא רְצוּעָה), and Moshe, who did not know the way of Imma, was silent (וּמֹשֶׁה דְּלָא הֲוָה יָדַע אָרְחָא דְּאִמָּא, שָׁתִיק). When Kudsha Berikh Hu saw thus (כֵיוָן דְּחָמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּךְ), He pressed him, and struck at him, and said: “And now, leave Me” (אַנְקִיד לֵיהּ, וּבָטַשׁ בֵּיהּ וְאָמַר וְעַתָּה הַנִּיחָה לִּי). Immediately Moshe was aroused (מִיָּד אַרְגִּישׁ מֹשֶׁה), and grasped the arm of Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְאָחִיד בִּדְרוֹעֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written: “Remember Avraham” (דִּכְתִּיב זְכוֹר לְאַבְרָהָם) — this is the right arm (דָּא דְּרוֹעֵיה יְמִינָא). And because of this the strap did not descend (וּבְּגִין כָּךְ לָא נָחִית רְצוּעָה). And if you say: Imma, who is accustomed to grasp the strap of the King (וְאִי תֵּימָא, אִמָּא דְּאִיהִי רְגִילָה לְאַחֲדָא בִּרְצוּעָה דְּמַלְכָּא), where was She, that She left the word to Moshe (אָן הֲוַת, דְּשַׁבְקַת מִלָּה לְמֹשֶׁה)? I asked and said: But I do not know the clear matter (שָׁאִילְנָא וַאֲמֵינָא וְהָא לָא יְדַעְנָא בְּרִירָא דְּמִלָּה), until we came before the Holy Luminary (עַד דְּנְהֱוֵי קָמֵיהּ דְּבוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא). When they came before Rabbi Shimon (כַּד אָתוּ לְקָמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן), he saw in their faces a sign (חָמָא בְּאַנְפַּיְיהוּ סִימָן). He said: Come up, holy children (אָמַר עוּלוּ בְּנֵי קַדִּישִׁין), come up beloved ones of the King (עוּלוּ רְחִימִין דְּמַלְכָּא), come up My beloved ones (עוּלוּ רְחִימִין דִּילִי), come up beloved ones one to another (עוּלוּ רְחִימִין אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין).

Rabbi Abba said (דְּאָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא): All these friends who do not love one another (כָּל אִלֵּין חַבְרַיָּיא, דְּלָא רְחִימִין אִלֵּין לְאִלֵּין), they are removed from the world before their time (אִסְתָּלָקוּ מֵעָלְמָא עַד לָא מָטָא זִמְנַיְיהוּ). All the friends in the days of Rabbi Shimon, there was love of soul and spirit among them (כֹּל חַבְרַיָּיא בְּיוֹמוֹי דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, רְחִימוּ דְּנַפְשָׁא וְרוּחָא הֲוָה בֵּינַיְיהוּ). And because of this, in the generation of Rabbi Shimon it was revealed (וּבְּגִין כָּךְ בְּדָרָא דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָיא הֲוָה), for Rabbi Shimon would say (דְּהֲוָה אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): All friends who do not love one another (כָּל חַבְרַיָּיא דְּלָא רַחֲמִין אִלֵּין לְאִלֵּין), they cause that they do not go in the straight path (גַּרְמִין דְּלָא לִיהַךְ בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר). And furthermore, they make a blemish in it (וְעוֹד דְּעַבְדִין פְּגִימוּ בָּהּ), for behold the Orayta, love and brotherhood and truth are in it (דְּהָא אוֹרַיְיתָא רְחִימוּ וְאַחֲוָה וּקְשׁוֹט אִית בָּהּ). Avraham loved Yitzḥak (אַבְרָהָם רָחִים לְיִצְחָק), Yitzḥak loved Avraham (יִצְחָק לְאַבְרָהָם), they embraced one another (מִתְחַבְּקָן דָּא בְּדָא). Ya'akov held both of them (יַעֲקֹב תַּרְוַויְיהוּ אֲחִידָן בֵּיהּ), with love and with brotherhood (בִּרְחִימוּ, וּבְאַחֲוָה), giving their spirits to one another (יָהֲבִין רוּחַיְיהוּ דָּא בְּדָא). So too the friends must be like this example (חַבְרַיָּיא כְּהַהוּא דּוּגְמָא אִצְטְרִיכוּ), and not make a blemish (וְלָא לְמֶעְבַּד פְּגִימוּ).