Daf 214a (דַּף רי״ד ע״א)

Afterwards she brought them out (לְבָתַר אַפִּיקַת לוֹן לְבַר), and bore them as at first (וְאוֹלִידַת לוֹן כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין), and the soul is now renewed as at first (וְנִשְׁמְתָא אִיהִי חַדְתָּא הַשְׁתָּא כְּמִלְּקַדְמִין), and this is the mystery (וְרָזָא דָּא) of “They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3) (חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים). New, indeed (חֲדָשִׁים וַדַּאי), as it is said (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). Why are they new? (מַה טַעַם אִינּוּן חֲדָשִׁים). Because of the secret written: “Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3) (בְּגִין רָזָא דִּכְתִּיב, רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ). Great, indeed (רַבָּה וַדַּאי), for it is able to include them (דְּיַכְלָא לְאַכְלְלָא לוֹן), and to elevate them within itself (וּלְאַעֲלָא לוֹן לְגַוָּוהּ), and brings them forth and they are renewed (וְאַפִּיקַת לוֹן וְאִינּוּן חַדְתִּין). And for this reason, others are taken above by day (וְעַל דָּא נַקְטָא אַחֲרָנִין מִלְּעֵילָּא בִּימָמָא).

Blessed are the Righteous in this world (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין), and in the world to come (וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). Meanwhile, the day shone (אַדְּהָכִי נָהָר יְמָמָא), Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא), “Let us rise and go (נְקוּם וּנְהַךְ), and give thanks to the Master of the World” (וְנוֹדֶה לְרִבּוֹן עָלְמָא). They rose and went (קָמוּ וְאָזְלוּ), and prayed (וְצַלוּ), and afterwards the companions returned to him (וּלְבָתַר אָהַדְרוּ חַבְרַיָּיא לְגַבֵּיהּ), and said to him (אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ), “He who begins should complete the praise” (מַאן דְּשָׁרֵי, לְסַיֵּים שְׁבָחָא). Fortunate is our portion in this path (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָנָא בְּאוֹרְחָא דָּא), that all this merit is ours, to crown Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּכָל הַאי זָכִינָא לְאַעְטְרָא לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), with the secrets of wisdom (בְּרָזִין דְּחָכְמְתָא).

Rabbi Abba opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי אַבָּא וְאָמַר), “And Bezalel made the Ark of shittim wood…” (Exodus 37) (וַיַּעַשׂ בְּצַלְאֵל אֶת הָאָרוֹן עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים וְגוֹ'). Here, even though all the mysteries of the Mishkan were established by the companions in the Idra Rabbah (הָכָא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּכָל רָזִין דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא בְּאִדָּרָא קַדִּישָׁא), here there is to contemplate (הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא), for this mystery is crowned with many secrets (דְּהָא רָזָא דָּא מִתְעַטְּרָא בְּכַמָּה רָזִין), for learning wisdom (לְמֵילַף חָכְמְתָא). This Ark is the mystery of entering the Written Torah (אָרוֹן דָּא אִיהוּ רָזָא לְמֵיעַל תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב), and within it were hidden six tablets (וְאִתְגְּנִיז בֵּיהּ בְּשִׁית לוּחִין), Some say: and they were hidden in it — six tablets and they are six traders (נ״א: וְאתגניזן ביה שית לוחין ואינון שית מסחרין) — and these are called “Ark” (מְסַחֲרִין, וְדָא אִקְרֵי אָרוֹן). When these six circulate as one (כַּד סָחֲרָן אִינּוּן שִׁית לְמֶהוֵי כַּחֲדָא), then it is itself one body (כְּדֵין אִיהוּ גּוּפָא חַד), to elevate within it the mystery of the Orayta (לְאַעֲלָא בֵּיהּ רָזָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), in six directions and the Ark (בְּשִׁית סִטְרִין וַאָרוֹן).

The tablets are five (לוּחִין אִינּוּן חָמֵשׁ), and in them are five books (וְעָאלִין בֵּיהּ חָמֵשׁ סְפָרִים), and these five are six (וְאִינּוּן חָמֵשׁ אִינּוּן שִׁית), in one level into which it enters in concealment (בְּחַד דַּרְגָּא דְּאָעִיל בָּהּ בִּגְנִיזוּ), which is called the mystery of all (דְּאִקְרֵי רָזָא דְּכֹלָּא), and this is the mystery of the covenant (וְהַאי אִיהוּ רָזָא דִּבְרִית). When this enters into those five tablets (כַּד עָאל דָּא, גּוֹ אִינּוּן חָמֵשׁ לוּחִין), then the Ark and the Orayta are established (כְּדֵין קַיְּימָא אֲרוֹנָא וְאוֹרַיְיתָא), in the mystery of nine levels (בְּרָזָא דִּתְשַׁע דַּרְגִּין), which are the two names (דְּאִינּוּן תְּרֵין שְׁמָהָן): YHVH Elohim (יְהוָֹ''ה אֱלהִי''ם). And afterwards one tablet is established (וּלְבָתַר קַיְּימָא לוּחָא חֲדָא), a supernal mystery hidden above all (רָזָא עִילָאָה דְחַפְיָא עַל כֹלָּא), and that is the mystery of that firmament (וְהַהוּא הֲוֵי רָזָא דְּהַהוּא רְקִיעָא), that circles and covers over all (דְסַחָרָא וְחַפֵי עַל כֹּלָּא), and all of them remain in concealment (וְכֻלְּהוּ קַיְימֵי בִּגְנִיזוּ).

Here we must contemplate (הָכָא אִית לָן לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא), and to know the mysteries of the Ark (וּלְמִנְדַּע רָזִין דַּאֲרוֹנָא). There is one Ark, and another Ark (אִית אָרוֹן וְאִית אָרוֹן), this corresponding to that (דָּא לָקֳבֵל דָּא). He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר), “All these things did Aravnah the king give unto the king…” (2 Samuel 24) (הַכֹּל נָתַן אֲרַוְנָה הַמֶּלֶךְ לַמֶּלֶךְ וְגוֹ'). But was Aravnah a king? (וְכִי אֲרַוְנָה מֶלֶךְ הֲוָה) And even though the Friends have already explained it (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּחַבְרַיָּיא אוּקְמוּהָ), it refers to David (אֶלָּא דָּוִד), of whom it is written: “Whoever smites the Jebusites and reaches the water shaft…” (דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ כָּל מַכֵּה יְבוּסִי וְיִּגַּע בַּצִּנּוֹר וְגוֹ'), and he took and seized Jerusalem (וְאִיהוּ נָטַל וְתָּפִיס לִיְרוּשָׁלַם), and it was his (וּמִדִּידֵיהּ הֲוָה). So why did he acquire it with money? (אֲמַאי קָנָה בְּכַסְפָּא).

And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא): Even though Jerusalem belonged to David (אַף עַל גַּב דַּהֲוַות יְרוּשָׁלַם דִּידֵיהּ דְּדָוִד), that particular place was the inheritance of Aravnah (הַהוּא אֲתָר אַחֲסַנְתֵּיהּ דַּאֲרַוְנָה הֲוָה), just like it was with Navot the Yizre‘eli (כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה בְּנָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִי), that even though Achav ruled (דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּשַׁלִּיט אַחְאָב), and he was the king (וַהֲוָה מַלְכָּא), he still needed to request that vineyard from Navot (אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִתְבַּע לְנָבוֹת הַהוּא כֶּרֶם) — so too David (אוּף הָכִי דָּוִד). Rather, surely Aravnah was a king (אֶלָּא וַדַּאי אֲרַוְנָה מַלְכָּא הֲוָה), and that place was in his domain (וְהַהוּא אֲתָר בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ הֲוָה), and he ruled over it (וַהֲוָה שַׁלִּיט עֲלוֹי). And when the time came for it to be removed from under his hand (וְכַד מָטָא זִמְנָא לְנָפְקָא מִתְּחוֹת יְדֵיהּ), it would not go out except through great bloodshed and killing in Yisrael (לָא נָפִיק אֶלָּא בִּסְגִיאוּת דָּמָא וְקָטוֹלָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). Afterwards, the destructive angel stood over that place (לְבָתַר קָאִים הַהוּא מַלְאָכָא מְחַבְּלָא עַל הַהוּא אֲתָר), and there, when he was killing (וְתַמָּן כַּד הֲוָה קָטִיל), and stood on that place (וְקָאִים בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר), he was not able (לָא הֲוָה יָכִיל), and his power weakened (וְתָשַׁשׁ חֵילֵיהּ). That place was the place where Yitzchak was bound (וְהַהוּא אֲתָר, אֲתָר דְּאִתְעֲקַד בֵּיהּ יִצְחָק הֲוָה), for there Avraham built the altar (דְּתַמָּן בָּנָה אַבְרָהָם מַדְבְּחָא), and bound Yitzchak his son (וְעָקַד לֵיהּ לְיִצְחָק בְּרֵיהּ). Once Kudsha Berikh Hu saw that place (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הַהוּא אֲתָר), He was filled with mercy (אִתְמְלֵי רַחֲמִין), this is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), “Hashem saw and relented…” (1 Chronicles 21) (רָאָה יְיָ' וַיִּנָּחֵם וְגוֹ'). What is “Hashem saw”? (מַהוּ רָאָה יְיָ').

He saw the Akeidah of Yitzchak in that place (חָמָא עֲקֵידַת יִצְחָק בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר), and turned and had mercy upon them immediately (וְתָב וְרִיחַם עֲלַיְיהוּ מִיַּד). And He said to the destroying angel (וַיֹּאמֶר לַמַּלְאָךְ הַמַּשְׁחִית), “It is enough now…” (רַב עַתָּה וְגוֹ'). What is ‘rav’? (מַהוּ רַב). This has already been established (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ), “Take the rav” (טוֹל הָרַב). Rather, this is the meaning (אֶלָּא הָכִי הוּא), it is written here ‘rav’ (כְּתִיב הָכָא רַב), and it is written there (וּכְתִיב הָתָם), “Rav lachem shevet bahar hazeh”(It is too much for you to dwell at this mountain) (Deuteronomy 1) (רַב לָכֶם שֶׁבֶת בָּהָר הַזֶּה). So too here, rav (אוּף הָכִי נָמֵי רַב), it is too much for this place to be under your control (רַב לָךְ לְמֶהֱוֵי הַאי אֲתָר תְּחוֹת יְדָךְ), many years it was under your hand (שְׁנִין סַגִּיאִין הֲוָה תְּחוֹת יְדָךְ), from now on, rav (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה רַב), return the place to its Master (אָהֲדַר אַתְרָא לְמָארֵיהּ). And even with all that (וְעִם כָּל דָּא), with blood and money it left his possession (בִּדְמָא וּמָמוֹנָא נָפַק מִתְּחוֹת יְדֵיהּ). Why is he called Aravnah? (אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי אֲרַוְנָה).

Rather, it is written Aravnah and it is written Ornan (אֶלָּא כְּתִיב אֲרַוְנָה וּכְתִיב אָרְנָן). While that place was under his authority (בְּעוֹד דְּהַהוּא אֲתָר הֲוָה תְּחוֹת יְדֵיהּ), he was called Aravnah (אִקְרֵי אֲרַוְנָה), an ark from the Sitra achra (אֲרוֹן דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא). And because additional letters were added to him (וְעַל דְּאִתּוֹסָפוּ בֵּיהּ אַתְוָון יַתִּיר), so too it was necessary (הָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ), to add to that evil eye (לְאִתּוֹסְפָא לְהַהוּא רַע עַיִן), a mystery of the Sitra achra (רָזָא דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), and that addition is itself a degradation to him (וְהַהוּא תּוֹסֶפֶת אִיהוּ גְּרִיעוּתָא לְגַבֵּיהּ).