Daf 220b (דַּף ר״כ ע״ב)

Rabbi Yose opened (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח): “How great is Your goodness, which You have hidden for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the children of men” (מָה רַב טוּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ לִּירֵאֶיךָ פָּעַלְתָּ לַחוֹסִים בָּךְ נֶגֶד בְּנֵי אָדָם) (Psalms 31). “How great is Your goodness” (מָה רַב טוּבְךָ) — how much is given to mankind, to look and to know in the ways of Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּמָה אִית לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא, לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא וּלְמִנְדַּע בְּאוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

For every day a voice goes forth, proclaiming and saying (דְּהָא בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא קָלָא נָפִיק, וְאַכְרִיז וְאָמַר): Guard yourselves, children of the world (אִסְתַּמְרוּ בְּנֵי עָלְמָא); remove the coverings of sin (טְרוּקוּ גַּלֵּי חוֹבִין); withdraw from the net that seizes (אִסְתָּלָּקוּ מֵרְשָׁתָא דְּתָפִיס), before your feet be caught in that net (עַד לָא יִתָּפְסוּן רַגְלַיְיכוּ בְּהַאי רְשָׁתָא). The wheel revolves continually, rising and descending (גַּלְגָּלָּא סָחֲרָא תָּדִיר, סָלִיק וְנָחִית). Woe to those who push their feet away from the wheel (וַוי לְאִינּוּן דְּדַחְיָין רַגְלַיְיהוּ מִגּוֹ גַּלְגָּלָּא), for they fall into the deep abyss, hidden for the guilty of the world (דְּהָא נַפְלֵי לְגוֹ עוּמְקָא, דְּטָמִיר לְאִינּוּן חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא).

Woe to those who fall and do not rise (וַוי לְאִינּוּן דְּנַפְלִין וְלָא יְקוּמוּן), and do not shine in the light stored for the Tzaddikim in the world to come (וְלָא יִנְהֲרוּ בִּנְהוֹרָא דְּגָנִיז לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). Blessed are the Tzaddikim in the world to come (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), for how many lights are hidden for them (דְּכַמָּה נְהוֹרִין גְּנִיזִין לוֹן), how many delights in that hidden world are theirs (כַּמָה עִדּוּנִין בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא טְמִירִין לוֹן), as it is written: “How great is Your goodness, which You have hidden for those who fear You” (דִּכְתִּיב מָה רַב טוּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ לִּירֵאֶיךָ). “How great is Your goodness” (מָה רַב טוּבְךָ) — behold, this has been established: it is the light hidden for the Tzaddikim in the world to come (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דָּא הוּא אוֹר דְּגָנִיז לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

As it is written: “And God saw the light, that it was good” (דִּכְתִּיב, וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב) (Bereshit 1). And it is written: “Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart” (וּכְתִיב אוֹר זָרוּעַ לַצַּדִּיק וּלְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב שִׂמְחָה) (Psalms 97). And for this reason: “How great is Your goodness” (וְעַל דָּא מָה רַב טוּבְךָ). It is written here: “How great is Your goodness” (כְּתִיב הָכָא מָה רַב טוּבְךָ), and it is written there: “And God saw the light, that it was good” (וּכְתִיב הָתָּם וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב). “Which You have hidden” (אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ) — because Kudsha Berikh Hu gazed at that light (בְּגִין דְּאִסְתָּכַּל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא), and He looked at the guilty who were destined to sin in the world (וְאִסְתָּכַּל בְּאִינּוּן חַיָּיבַיָּא דִּזְמִינִין לְמֶחטֵי בְּעָלְמָא), and He hid that light away (וְגָנִיז לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא), so that the Tzaddikim should merit it in the world to come (לְמִזְכֵּי בֵּיהּ צַדִּיקַיָּיא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), as it has been said (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). “You have wrought” (פָּעַלְתָּ) — at first, “You have hidden” (בְּקַדְמִיתָא צָפַנְתָּ), and afterwards, “You have wrought” (וּלְבָתַר פָּעַלְתָּ).

Rather, “You have hidden” as has been said (אֶלָּא צָפַנְתָּ כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). “You have wrought” — because with that hidden light Kudsha Berikh Hu made the craftsmanship of the world (פָּעַלְתָּ בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא דְּגָנִיז, בֵּיהּ עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוּמָנוּתָא דְּעָלְמָא). From where do we learn this (מְנָלָן)? As it is written: “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created” (דִּכְתִּיב אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם) (Bereshit 2) — it is written “in Abraham” (בְּאַבְרָהָם כְּתִיב).

And that light of Abraham Kudsha Berikh Hu hid (וְהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא דְּאַבְרָהָם, גָּנִיז לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and with it He made the craftsmanship of the world (וּבֵיהּ עָבִיד אוּמָנוּתָא דְּעָלְמָא), as it is written: “Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You” (דִּכְתִּיב פָּעַלְתָּ לַחוֹסִים בָּךְ), for those who dwell under the shadow of Kudsha Berikh Hu (לְאִינּוּן דְּיַתְבֵי תְּחוֹת צִלָּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). “Before the children of men” (נֶגֶד בְּנֵי אָדָם) — for in this craftsmanship that was made with this light, mankind exists in the world and their sustenance is from it (דְּהָא בְּהַאי אוּמָנוּתָא דְּאִתְעָבִיד בְּהַאי נְהוֹרָא, קַיְימִין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא בְּעָלְמָא, וְקִיּוּמָא דִּילְהוֹן הֲוִי). Even though it is hidden, still by it mankind exists in this world (אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ גָּנִיז, בֵּיהּ קַיְימִין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין). “You have wrought” (פָּעַלְתָּ) — the craftsmanship of this world, for in it all was made with calculation (אוּמָנוּתָא דְּעָלְמָא דָּא, דְּבֵיהּ אִתְעָבִיד כֹּלָּא בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא).

The craftsmanship of the world is as this craftsmanship of the Mishkan (אוּמָנוּתָא דְּעָלְמָא, כְּגַוְונָא דָּא אוּמָנוּתָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא), which is craftsmanship like the world (דְּאִיהוּ אוּמָנוּתָא כְּגַוְונָא דְּעָלְמָא). And this we have established (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא). It is written here: “These are the accounts of the Mishkan” (כְּתִיב הָכָא אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן), and it is written there: “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth” (וּכְתִיב הָתָם אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ) (Bereshit 2). Because all those offspring that the heavens and earth produced, all were made and came forth by the power of that hidden light (בְּגִין דְּכָל אִינּוּן תּוֹלָדִין דְּעַבְדוּ וְאַפִּיקוּ שְׁמַיָא וְאַרְעָא, כֻּלְּהוּ בְּחֵילָא דְּהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא דְּגָנִיז אִתְעָבִידוּ וְנַפְקוּ).

The accounts of the Mishkan came forth by that power (פְּקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן בְּהַהוּא חֵילָא נַפְקוּ). From where do we know this (מְנָלָן)? As it is written: “And Betzalel the son of Uri the son of Hur of the tribe of Yehudah” (דִּכְתִּיב וּבְצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי בֶן חוּר לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה), this is from the right side (דָּא אִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא). And with him was Aholiav (וְאִתּוֹ אָהֳלִיאָב), this one is from the left side (דָּא אִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא). And the Mishkan was established from the side of right and left together (וּמַשְׁכְּנָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא אִתְּקַם וְאִתְעָבִיד). And Moshe, who was among them, set it up (וּמֹשֶׁה דְּהֲוָה בֵּינַיְיהוּ, אוֹקִים לֵיהּ).

Rabbi El'azar opened and said (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “And in mercy shall the throne be established, and He shall sit upon it in truth …” (וְהוּכַן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסֵּא וְיָּשַׁב עָלָיו בֶּאֱמֶת וְגוֹ׳) (Isaiah 16). “And in mercy shall the throne be established” (וְהוּכַן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסֵּא) — this we have established (הָא אוֹקִימְנָא): when thought ascends in joy from the hidden of all hidden, unknown and undetected (כַּד מַחֲשָׁבָה סָלִיק, בִּרְעוּ דְּחֶדְוָה מִטְּמִירָא דְּכָל טְמִירִין דְּלָא אִתְיְידַע וְלָא אִתְדְּבַק), that joy comes and strikes within thought (מָטֵי הַהוּא חֶדְוָה, וּבָטַשׁ גּוֹ מַחֲשָׁבָה), and then it enters the place where it should enter (וּכְדֵין עָאל בַּאֲתָר דְּעָאל).

Until it is concealed in a supernal palace that is hidden above (עַד דְּאִתְגְּנִיז בְּחַד הֵיכָלָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ טָמִיר לְעֵיל). And from there all lights issue forth and are drawn (וּמִתַּמָּן נַגְדִּין וְאִתְמַשְּׁכָן כָּל נְהוֹרִין), the right takes first, and afterwards all the rest (דִּימִינָא דְּנָטִיל בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּלְבָתַר נָטִיל כֻּלְּהוּ). And from that right side the throne was established below (וּמֵהַהוּא סְטָר יְמִינָא, אִתְקַן כּוּרְסְיָּיא לְתַתָּא). For Kudsha Berikh Hu established that throne in chesed (דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אַתְקִין לְהַהוּא כּוּרְסְיָּיא בְּחֶסֶד), and sat upon it in truth (וְיָשַׁב עָלָיו בֶּאֱמֶת) — this is the seal of all (דְּאִיהוּ תִּקּוּנָא דְּחוֹתָמָא דְּכֹלָּא). And He does not sit upon that throne except with this seal, which is truth (וְלָא יָתִיב עַל הַהוּא כּוּרְסְיָּיא, אֶלָּא בְּחוֹתָמָא דָּא דְּאִיהוּ אֱמֶת). “In the tent of David” (בְּאֹהֶל דָּוִד) — this is the place of the throne below (דְּאִיהוּ בֵּי כּוּרְסְיָּיא לְתַתָּא).