Daf 198a (דַּף קצ״ח ע״א)

And all those chariots are called “generous of heart” (וְכָל אִינּוּן רְתִיכִין אִקְרוּן נְדִיב לֵב). “All” (כֹּל) — to include all the other chariots (לְאַכְלְלָא כָּל שְׁאַר רְתִיכִין). “Heart” — what is heart? (לֵב מַאי לֵב) — this is the mystery of that which is written: “And a good heart is a continual feast” (הַיְינוּ רָזָא דִּכְתִּיב וְטוֹב לֵב מִשְׁתֶּה תָּמִיד) (Proverbs 15). And this is the heart of all (וְדָא אִיהוּ לִבָּא דְּכֹלָּא), and this is the Holy Throne (וְדָא כֻּרְסְיָיא קַדִּישָׁא).

And for this reason they are called “heart” (וְעַל דָּא אִקְרוּן לֵב). “Everyone generous of heart” (כֹּל נְדִיב לֵב) — as we have established (כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא), these four supernal camps (דְּאַרְבַּע מַשִׁרְיָין אִלֵּין), the generality of them all are called in one mystery “generous of heart” (כְּלָלָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ אִקְרוּן בְּרָזָא חֲדָא נְדִיב לֵב). “The offering of Hashem” — this is the Holy Throne (תְּרוּמַת יְיָ' דָּא כֻּרְסְיָיא קַדִּישָׁא). And because it is raised above (וּבְגִין דְּאָרִימוּ לָהּ לְעֵילָּא), and they elevate it on high (וְסַלְּקִין לָהּ לְעֵילָּא), it is called “the offering of Hashem” (אִקְרֵי תְּרוּמַת יְיָ'). And for this reason, when Yechezkel saw the mystery of the Chayot (וְעַל דָּא כַּד חָמָא יְחֶזְקֵאל רָזָא דְּחַיּוֹת), who were ascending (דַּהֲווֹ סַלְּקִין), he did not see what it was that they were ascending (לָא חָמָא מַהוּ דְּסַלְּקִין), because She was ascending to the Supernal King (בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי סַלְּקָא לְגַבֵּי מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה), in concealment, in secrecy, in supernal glory (בִּגְנִיזוּ בִּטְמִירָא בִּיקָרָא עִלָּאָה). “And every wise-hearted among you…” (וְכָל חָכָם לֵב בָכֶם) (Exodus 35) — these are the sixty sources that water the world (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן שִׁתִּין מְקוֹרִין דְּאַשְׁקְיָיא עָלְמָא), and from them it is watered (וּמִנְּהוֹן אִתְשָׁקֵי). “They shall come” — why “they shall come”? (יָבֹאוּ אֲמַאי יָבֹאוּ) — only that they may draw from the treasury of life (אֶלָּא דְּיֵיתוּן לְמִנְקַט מֵעִם גְּנָזָא דְּחַיִּין). “They shall come,” and afterward they shall do what Kudsha Berikh Hu commanded them, to benefit the world (יָבֹאוּ וּלְבָתַר וַיַּעֲשׂוּ מָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא פָּקִיד לוֹן לְאַהֲנָאָה עָלְמָא). “Take from yourselves an offering to Hashem” (קְחוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם תְּרוּמָה לַיְיָ') (Exodus 35). Rabbi Yehudah opened (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח): “Is it not to break your bread for the hungry…” (הֲלֹא פָרוֹס לָרָעֵב לַחְמֶךָ וְגוֹ') (Isaiah 58).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): fortunate is the portion of a man, when a poor one happens upon him (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ כַּד מִסְכְּנָא אִעְרַע לְגַבֵּיהּ), for that poor person is a gift from Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּהַהוּא מִסְכְּנָא דּוֹרוֹנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הוֵי), which He sends to him (דְּשָׁדַר לֵיהּ). One who receives that gift with a radiant face — fortunate is his portion (מַאן דִּמְקַבֵּל לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא דּוֹרוֹנָא בְּסֵבֶר אַנְפִּין זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): one who has compassion upon the poor and sustains him (מַאן דְּחָיִיס לְמִסְכְּנָא וְאָתִיב לֵיהּ נַפְשֵׁיהּ), Kudsha Berikh Hu rises over him (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא סָלִיק עָלֵיהּ), as if he created him (כְּאִילּוּ הוּא בָּרָא לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ).

And for this reason, Avraham, who had compassion on all people of the world (וְעַל דָּא אַבְרָהָם דְּהֲוָה חָיִיס לְכָל בְּנִי עָלְמָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu elevated him, as if he had created them (סָלִיק עָלֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּאִילּוּ הוּא בָּרָא לוֹן), as it is written: “And the souls that they made in Charan” (דִּכְתִּיב וְאֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן) (Bereshit 12). And even though we have already established [the verse] “Is it not to break” (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּהָא אוֹקִימְנָא הֲלֹא פָרוֹס), what is “paros”? To spread before him a cloth with bread and food to eat (מַאי פָרוֹס, לְמִפְרַס לֵיהּ מַפָּה בְּנָהֲמָא וּמְזוֹנָא לְמֵיכַל).

Another matter: “Is it not to break…” — as you say: “peres perisata (He spread a spreading)” etc. (דָּבָר אַחֵר הֲלֹא פָרוֹס, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר פְּרֵיס פְּרִיסַת וְגוֹ'). That one should spread portions of bread before him (דְּבָעֵי לְמִפְרַס פְּרִיסִין דְּנַהֲמָא קָמֵיהּ), so that he not be ashamed (בְּגִין דְּלָא לִכְסִיף). And let him spread before him with a good eye (וְיַפְרוֹס קָמֵיהּ בְּעֵינָא טָבָא). “Your bread” — it does not say “bread,” but “your bread” (לַחְמֶךָ, לֶחֶם לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא לַחְמֶךָ), meaning that which is yours from your own money (הַהוּא דִּילָךְ מִמָּמוֹנֶךָ), and not from robbery (וְלָא דִּגְזִילוּ), and not from oppression (וְלָא דַּעֲשָׁק), and not from theft (וְלָא דִּגְנֵבָה). For if it is so, it is not a merit, but woe to him (דְּאִי הָכִי, לָאו זְכוּתָא הוּא, אֶלָּא וַוי לֵיהּ), for it brings to remembrance his sins (דְּאָתֵי לְאַדְכְּרָא חוֹבוֹי). In like manner: “Take from yourselves a contribution” (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא קְחוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם תְּרוּמָה), from that which is yours (לְאָרָמָא מִמָּה דִּלְכוֹן), and not from oppression, and not from robbery, and not from theft (וְלָא מֵעֹשֶׁק, וְלָא מִגֶּזֶל, וְלָא מִגְּנֵבָה), and this has already been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ).

Rabbi Ḥiyya, Rabbi Yitzḥak, and Rabbi Yosei were walking along the way (רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יִצְחָק וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא), and as they walked (עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי), they encountered Rabbi Abba (פָּגַע בְּהוּ רִבִּי אַבָּא). Rabbi Ḥiyya said: Surely the Shekhinta is with us (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, וַדַּאי שְׁכִינְתָּא בַּהֲדָן).

When he approached them (כַּד מָטָא לְגַבַּיְיהוּ), Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא): It is written, “From the day I brought My people Yisrael out of Egypt, I did not choose a city from all the tribes of Yisrael, but I chose David, etc., to build a house for My Name to be there” (כְּתִיב מִן הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם לֹא בָחַרְתִּי בְעִיר מִכֹּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וָאֶבְחַר בְּדָוִד וְגוֹ' לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת לִהְיוֹת שְׁמִי שָׁם). This verse (הַאי קְרָא), its beginning is not its end, and its end is not its beginning (לָאו רֵישֵׁיהּ סֵיפֵיהּ, וְלָאו סֵיפֵיהּ רֵישֵׁיהּ): for it is written “I did not choose a city” and “I chose David” (דִּכְתִּיב לֹא בָחַרְתִּי בְּעִיר, וָאֶבְחַר בְּדָוִד). What is this — one with the other? (מַאי הַאי עִם הַאי).

It should have said, “And I chose Yerushalayim” (וָאֶבְחַר בִּירוּשָׁלַם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). Rather, when Kudsha Berikh Hu had a will before Him to build a city (אֶלָּא כַּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִית רְעוּתָא קָמֵּיהּ לְמִבְנִי קַרְתָּא), He first looked at the head of the one who would lead the people of the city (אִסְתָּכָּל בְּקַדְמִיתָא בְּהַהוּא רֵישָׁא דְּנָהִיג עַמָּא דְּקַרְתָּא), and afterward built the city, and brought the people into it (וּלְבָתַר בְּנִי קַרְתָּא, וְאַיְיתֵי לְעַמָּא בֵּיהּ). This is what is written: “I did not choose a city” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב לֹא בָחַרְתִּי בְּעִיר), until I looked upon David to be a shepherd over Yisrael (עַד דְּאִסְתַּכַּלְנָא בְּדָוִד, לְמֶהוֵי רַעְיָא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל). For the city and all its inhabitants (בְּגִין דְּמָתָא וְכָל בְּנִי מָתָא), they all stand in accordance with the shepherd who leads the people (כֻּלְּהוּ קַיְימִין בְּרַעֲיָּא דְּנָהִיג לְעַמָּא).

If the shepherd is good, it is good for him, good for the city, and good for the people (אִי רַעְיָא אִיהוּ טָבָא, טָב לֵיהּ, טָב לְמָתָא, טָב לְעַמָּא). But if the shepherd is evil, woe to him, woe to the city, and woe to the people (וְאִי רַעְיָא אִיהוּ בִּישָׁא, וַוי לֵיהּ, וַוי לְמָתָא, וַוי לְעַמָּא). And now Kudsha Berikh Hu looked upon the world (וְהַשְׁתָּא אִסְתָּכָּל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעָלְמָא), and His will rose to build it (וְסָלִיק בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ לְמִבְנֵי לֵיהּ), and He appointed first David (וְאוֹקִים בְּרֵישָׁא לְדָוִד) — this is what is written: “And I chose David My servant” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וָאֶבְחַר בְּדָוִד עַבְדִי). (Some say: And He appointed at the head of the generation Rabbi Shim‘on and his Friends to stand before Him (ס״א ואוקים ברישא דדרא לרבי שמעון וחבריה למיקם קמיה)). A new matter I have heard (מִלְּתָא חַדְתָּא שְׁמַעְנָא).

He opened and said: “Happy is he who has the God of Ya'akov for his help, whose hope is in Hashem his God” (פָּתַח וְאָמַר אַשְׁרֵי שֶׁאֵל יַעֲקֹב בְּעֶזְּרוֹ שִׂבְרוֹ עַל יְיָ' אֱלהָיו). And is it the God of Ya'akov, and not the God of Avraham and not the God of Yitzḥak? (וְכִי אֵל יַעֲקֹב, וְלָא אֵל אַבְרָהָם, וְלָא אֵל יִצְחָק) Rather, the God of Ya'akov (אֶלָּא אֵל יַעֲקֹב). Because Ya'akov did not rely upon his father or his mother (בְּגִין דְּיַעֲקֹב לָא אִתְרְחִיץ בַּאֲבוֹהִי, וְלָא בְּאִמֵיהּ), when he fled before his brother and went alone, without money (כַּד עָרַק קַמֵּי אֲחוּי, וְאָזַל יְחִידָאי, בְּלָא מָמוֹנָא), as it is said: “For with my staff I crossed this Jordan” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר כִּי בְמַקְלִי עָבַרְתִּי אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה). And he relied on Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְאִיהוּ אִתְרְחִיץ בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written: “If God will be with me and guard me…” (דִּכְתִּיב אִם יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי וּשְׁמָרַנִי וְגוֹ'). And he asked everything from before Kudsha Berikh Hu, and He gave it to him (וְכֹלָּא שָׁאִיל מִקַּמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְיָהַב לֵיהּ).