Daf 194a (דַּף קצ״ד ע״א)

When they sinned with the calf (כֵּיוָן דְּחָטוּ בַּעֶגְלָא), all those supernal degrees departed from them (אִתְעֲבָרוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ כָּל אִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין), and the higher radiances (וּנְהוֹרִין עִלָּאִין), and the girdles of adornment departed from them (וְאִתְעֲבָר מִנַּיְיהוּ חֲגִירוּ מְזַיְּינִין), with which they had been crowned from the supernal Holy Name (דְּאִתְעַטָּרוּ מִשְּׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה). And they drew upon themselves the evil serpent as before (וְאַמְשִׁיכוּ עָלַיְיהוּ חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין), and they caused death to all the world (וְגָרִימוּ מוֹתָא לְכָל עָלְמָא). And afterwards what is written: “And Aharon and all the children of Yisrael saw Moshe, and behold the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him” (וּלְבָתַר מָה כְּתִיב. וַיַּרְא אַהֲרֹן וְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְהִנֵּה קָרַן עוֹר פָּנָיו וַיִּירְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָיו) (Exodus 34).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): What is written at first? “And Yisrael saw the great hand” (מָה כְּתִיב בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַיָּד הַגְּדוֹלָה) (Exodus 14). And they all saw the supernal radiances (וְכֻלְּהוּ חֲמָאן זָהֲרִין עִלָּאִין), illumined in the shining mirror (אִתְנָהֲרִין בְּאַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא דְּנַהֲרָא), as it is written: “And all the people saw the voices” (דִּכְתִיב, וְכָל הָעָם רוֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלוֹת) (Exodus 20). And at the sea, they saw and were not afraid (וְעַל יַמָּא, הֲווֹ חֲמָאן וְלָא דַּחֲלִין), as it is written: “This is my God, and I will glorify Him” (דִּכְתִּיב זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ) (Exodus 15). Afterwards, when they sinned, even the face of the mediator they could not gaze upon (לְבָתַר דְּחָטוּ, פְּנֵי הַסִּרְסוּר לָא הֲווֹ יַכְלֵי לְמֵחֲמֵי). What is written: “And they were afraid to come near him” (מָה כְּתִיב, וַיִּירְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָיו).

And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי): What is written of them? “And the children of Yisrael stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Ḥorev” (מָה כְּתִיב בְּהוּ, וַיִּתְנַצְּלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֶדְיָם מֵהַר חֹרֵב) (Exodus 33). For those adornments departed from them (דְּאִתְעֲבֵרוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ), those adornments with which they had been adorned at Mount Sinai (אִינּוּן מְזַיְּינִין דְּאִתְחַבָּרוּ בְּהוּ בְּטוּרָא דְּסִינַי), so that the evil serpent should not rule over them (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט בְּהוּ הַהוּא חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא). When they departed from them, what is written: “And Moshe took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp” (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעַבָּר מִנַּיְיהוּ, מָה כְּתִיב, וּמֹשֶׁה יִקַּח אֶת הָאֹהֶל וְנָטָה לוֹ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה הַרְחֵק מִן הַמַּחֲנֶה) (Exodus 33).

Rabbi El'azar said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר): What is this verse doing here (מַאי הַאי קְרָא לְגַבֵּי הַאי)? Rather, since Moshe knew that from Yisrael those supernal adornments had departed (אֶלָּא, כֵּיוָן דְּיָדַע מֹשֶׁה, דְּאִתְעֲבָרוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִינּוּן זַיְינִין עִלָּאִין), he said: Behold, surely from now and onward, the evil serpent will dwell among them (אָמַר, הָא וַדַּאי מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה, חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא יֵיתֵי לְדַיָּירָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ). And if the sanctuary is built here among them, it will be defiled (וְאִי יְקוּם מַקְדְּשָׁא הָכָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ יִסְתְּאָב). Immediately: “And Moshe took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp” (מִיַּד וּמֹשֶׁה יִקַּח אֶת הָאֹהֶל וְנָטָה לוֹ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה הַרְחֵק מִן הַמַּחֲנֶה). Because Moshe saw that now the evil serpent would rule, which had not been before (בְּגִין דְּחָמָא מֹשֶׁה, דְּהָא כְּדֵין יִשְׁלוֹט חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא, מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה מִקַּדְמָת דְּנָא). “And he called it the Tent of Meeting” (וְקָרָא לוֹ אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד). Was it not at first called the Tent of Meeting (וְכִי לָא הֲוָה בְּקַדְמִיתָא אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד)? Rather, at first it was a simple tent (אֶלָּא, בְּקַדְמִיתָא אֹהֶל סְתָם), now it was the Tent of Meeting (הַשְׁתָּא אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד). What is Mo‘ed (מַאי מוֹעֵד)? Rabbi El'azar said: for good (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר לְטָב).

Rabbi Abba said: for evil (רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר לְבִישׁ). Rabbi El'azar said: for good (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר לְטָב): As mo‘ed is a day of joy of the moon, in which holiness is added, and blemish has no dominion (מָה מוֹעֵד דְּאִיהוּ יוֹם חֶדְוָה דְּסִיהֲרָא, דְּאִיתּוֹסְפָא בֵּיהּ קְדוּשָּׁה, לָא שַׁלְטָא בָּהּ פְּגִימוּתָא). So too here, he called it by this name, to show that it was removed from among them and not defiled (אוּף הָכָא קָרֵי לֵיהּ בִּשְׁמָא דָּא, לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּהָא אִתְרְחִיק מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ, וְלָא אִתְפְּגִים). And because of this it is written: “And he called it the Tent of Meeting” (וְעַל דָּא וְקָרָא לוֹ אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד כְּתִיב).

And Rabbi Abba said: for evil (וְרִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר לְבִישׁ), for at first it was a simple tent (דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא הֲוָה אֹהֶל סְתָם), as you say: “A tent that shall not be taken down, its stakes shall never be removed” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר אֹהֶל בַּל יִצְעָן בַּל יִסַּע יְתֵדוֹתָיו לָנֶצַח) (Isaiah 33). But now it was the Tent of Meeting (וְהַשְׁתָּא אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד). At first, it was to give life eternal to the world, that death should not rule over them (בְּקַדְמִיתָא, לְמֵיהַב חַיִּין אֲרוּכִין לְעָלְמִין, דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט בְּהוּ מוֹתָא). From then on, Tent of Meeting — as you say: “The house appointed for all the living” (מִכָּאן לְהַלְאָה אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וּבֵית מוֹעֵד לְכָל חָי) (Job 30). Now, time and limited life were given to the world (הַשְׁתָּא, אִתְיְיהִיב בֵּיהּ זִמְנָא וְחַיִּין קְצוּבִין לְעָלְמָא). At first it was not blemished (בְּקַדְמִיתָא לָא אִתְפְּגִים), but now it was blemished (וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְפְּגִים). At first, there was Friendship and union of the moon with the sun, that they not be separated (בְּקַדְמִיתָא חַבְרוּתָא וְזִוּוּגָא לְסִהֲרָא בְּשִׁמְשָׁא, דְּלָא יַעְדוּן). Now Tent of Meeting — their union is from time to time (הַשְׁתָּא אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, זִוּוּגָא דִלְהוֹן מִזְּמַן לִזְמַן). And for this reason: “And he called it the Tent of Meeting” — what it had not been before (וּבְגִין כָּךְ וְקָרָא לוֹ אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, מָה דְּלָא הֲוָה קוֹדֶם).

Rabbi Shimon was sitting one night and studying the Orayta (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הֲוָה יָתִיב לֵילְיָא חֲדָא, וְלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). And there were sitting before him Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yitzḥak, and Rabbi Yose (וַהֲווּ יַתְבֵי קָמֵיהּ רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרִבִּי יִצְחָק וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי). Rabbi Yehuda said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): Behold it is written: “And the children of Yisrael stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Ḥorev” (הָא כְּתִיב וַיִּתְנַצְּלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֶדְיָם מֵהַר חֹרֵב) (Exodus 33). And we have said, they brought death upon themselves from that time and onward (וְקָאַמְרֵינָן דְּגַרְמוּ מוֹתָא עָלַיְיהוּ, מֵהַהוּא זִמְנָא וּלְעֵילָּא), and that evil serpent ruled over them, which previously had been removed from them (וְשָׁלִיט בְּהוּ הַהוּא חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא, דְּאַעְדֵּי לֵיהּ מִנַּיְיהוּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא). Yisrael — fine, but Yehoshua, who did not sin — was that supernal adornment that he received with them at Mount Sinai removed from him, or not (יִשְׂרָאֵל תִּינַח. יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּלָא חָטָא, אִתְעָדֵי מִנֵּיהּ הַהוּא זַיְינָא עִלָּאָה דְּקַבִּיל עִמְּהוֹן בְּטוּרָא דְּסִינַי, אוֹ לָא)? If you say it was not removed from him (אִי תֵּימָא דְּלָא אִתְעָדֵי מִנֵּיהּ), then why did he die like other men (אִי הָכִי, אֲמַאי מִית כִּשְׁאַר כָּל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא)? And if you say it was removed from him (וְאִי תֵּימָא דְּאִתְעָדֵי מִנֵּיהּ), why — for he did not sin, for he was with Moshe at the time that Yisrael sinned (אֲמַאי. וְהָא לָא חָטָא, דְּהָא אִיהוּ עִם מֹשֶׁה הֲוָה בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּחָבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל). And if you say that he did not receive that crown at Mount Sinai as Yisrael received (וְאִי תֵּימָא דְּלָא קַבִּיל הַהוּא עִטְרָא בְּטוּרָא דְּסִינַי, כְּמָה דְּקַבִּילוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל), why (אֲמַאי)?

Rabbi Shimon opened and said (פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר): “For Hashem is righteous; He loves righteousness, the upright shall behold His face” (כִּי צַדִּיק יְיָ צְדָקוֹת אָהֵב יָשָׁר יֶחֱזוּ פָנִימוֹ) (Psalms 11). This verse the Friends have expounded according to their words (הַאי קְרָא אָמְרוּ בֵּיהּ חַבְרַיָּיא מָה דְּאָמְרוּ), but “For Hashem is righteous” — He is righteous, and His Name is Righteous (אֲבָל כִּי צַדִּיק יְיָ, צַדִּיק הוּא, וּשְׁמֵיהּ צַדִּיק). And because of this He loves righteousness (וּבְּגִין כָּךְ צְדָקוֹת אָהֵב). “Upright” — and He is upright, as it is said: “Righteous and upright is He” (יָשָׁר. וְאִיהוּ יָשָׁר, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר) (Deuteronomy 30). And because of this: “They shall behold His face” (וְעַל דָּא יְחֱזוּ פָנֵימוֹ) — all the people of the world, and they shall set right their ways, to go in the straight path as is fitting (כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, וִיתַקְנוּן אָרְחַיְיהוּ, לְמֵהַךְ בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת).