Daf 222a (דַּף רכ״ב ע״א)

What is written? (מַה כְּתִיב), “And she said: As Hashem your God lives, I have no cake—only a handful of flour in a jar, and a little oil in a jug…” (וַתֹּאמֶר חַי יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אִם יֵשׁ לִי מָעוֹג כִּי אִם מְלֹא כַף קֶמַח בַּכַּד וּמְעַט שֶׁמֶן בַּצַּפַּחַת וְגוֹ') (I Kings 17). And behold, here there was a measure in that flour (וְהָא הָכָא מְדִידוּ הֲוָה בְּהַהוּא קִמְחָא), for there was in it a handful of flour in the jar (דְּהָא הֲוָה בֵיהּ מְלֹא כַף קֶמַח בַּכַּד)—a “handful” is its measure (כַּף הוּא מְדִידוּ דִּילֵיהּ), and it was seen that no blessing rests upon that which stands in a measured state (וְאִתְחַזֵּי דְּלָא שַׁרְיָין בֵיהּ בִּרְכָּן, הוֹאִיל וְקָאֵים בְּמִדָּה).

What is written? (מַה כְּתִיב), “For thus said Hashem God of Yisrael: the jar of flour shall not be depleted, and the jug of oil shall not diminish until the day Hashem gives rain” (כִּי כֹה אָמַר יְיָ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: כַּד הַקֶּמַח לֹא תִכְלָה וְצַפַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶן לֹא תֶחְסָר עַד יוֹם תֵּת יְיָ גֶּשֶׁם) (I Kings 17). “gives”—'You shall give' [titten] (תֵּת, תִּתֵּן כְּתִיב). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעֲמָא). Because in every generation there was none found who merited such merit as this woman (בְּגִין דְּבְכָל דָּרָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח מַאן דְּיִזְכֵּי לִזְכוּ כְּהַאי אִתְּתָא), and for that reason it is written titten—“You shall give” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב תִּתֵּן), You shall give rain upon the world (אַנְתְּ תִּתֵּן מִטְרָא עַל עָלְמָא), because your merit is great (בְּגִין דִּזְכוּתָךְ סַגִּי).

And it is written (וּכְתִיב), “The jar of flour did not finish, and the jug of oil did not diminish, according to the word of Hashem that He spoke through Eliyahu” (כַּד הַקֶּמַח לֹא כָלָתָה וְצַפַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶן לֹא חָסֵר כִּדְבַר יְיָ אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיַד אֵלִיָּהוּ) (I Kings 17). And even though that flour existed in a measured state (וְכִי אִם הַהוּא קִמְחָא דְּקַיְּימָא בִּמְדִידוּ), which was a handful of flour (דְּהֲוָה מְלֹא כַף קֶמַח), blessing did not cease from it due to the word of Eliyahu (לָא פַסְקוּ מִנֵּיהּ בִּרְכָּאן בְּגִין מִלָּה דְּאֵלִיָּהוּ), for it is written: “The jar of flour shall not be depleted” (דִּכְתִּיב כַּד הַקֶּמַח לֹא תִכְלָה), and it is written: “The jar of flour did not finish” (וּכְתִיב כַּד הַקֶּמַח לֹא כָלָתָה). So too with the Mishkan haEdut—though it stood in calculation (מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדוּת אַף עַל גַּב דְּקַיְּימָא בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא), since it was accounted through the hand of Moshe (הוֹאִיל וְאִתְפְּקַד עַל יְדָא דְּמֹשֶׁה), all the more so, surely, that blessing rested upon it (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן דְּשַׁרְיָין בֵּיהּ בִּרְכָּאן). And on this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב): “These are the accountings of the Mishkan, Mishkan haEdut, which was accounted by the mouth of Moshe” (אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדוּת אֲשֶׁר פֻּקַּד עַל פִּי מֹשֶׁה) (Exodus 38). “These are the accountings of the Mishkan” (אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן).

Rabbi Ḥizkiyah opened and said (רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “Do not draw near here; remove your shoes from your feet…” (אַל תִּקְרַב הֲלֹם, שַׁל נְעָלֶיךָ מֵעַל רַגְלֶיךָ וְגוֹ') (Exodus 3). This verse has been established (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ), that Kudsha Berikh Hu separated him from his wife (דְּפָרִישׁ לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מֵאִתְּתֵיהּ), in order to cleave to the Shekhinta (בְּגִין לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בִּשְׁכִינְתָא), as it is written: “For the place upon which you stand is holy ground” (דִּכְתִּיב: כִּי הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹמֵד עָלָיו אַדְמַת קֹדֶשׁ הוּא) (Exodus 3). “Holy ground”—this is the Shekhinta (אַדְמַת קֹדֶשׁ, דָּא שְׁכִינְתָא); a holy cleaving, for Moshe cleaved at that time to the supernal (אִתְדַּבְּקוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְדַּבַּק מֹשֶׁה בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא לְעֵילָּא).

Then Kudsha Berikh Hu bound him in supernal affection (דִּכְדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָשֵׁיר לֵיהּ בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא), and a great appointee was appointed over the house (וְאִתְפְּקַד רַב מְמָנָא עַל בֵּיתָא), and he decreed, and Kudsha Berikh Hu performed (וְאִיהוּ גָּזִיר, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד), as it is written: “And the earth opened its mouth…” (דִּכְתִּיב: וּפָצְתָה הָאֲדָמָה אֶת פִּיהָ וְגוֹ') (Numbers 16), and it is written: “And it was when he finished speaking… and the earth split” (וּכְתִיב: וַיְהִי כְּכַלּוֹתוֹ לְדַבֵּר וְגוֹ', וַתִּבָּקַע הָאֲדָמָה) (Numbers 16). And it is written (וּכְתִיב): “Arise, Hashem… Return, Hashem” (קוּמָה יְיָ', שׁוּבָה יְיָ') (Numbers 10). This is what is written: “Which was accounted by the mouth of Moshe” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב: אֲשֶׁר פֻּקַּד עַל פִּי מֹשֶׁה). Through the mouth of Moshe it was established, and accounted in all things (עַל פִּי מֹשֶׁה אִתְתַּקַּן, וְאִתְפְּקַד בְּכֹלָּא). The appointment of the Mishkan was through the hand of Moshe p1-2(פְּקִידָה דְּמִשְׁכָּן הֲוָה עַל יְדָא דְּמֹשֶׁה), as it is written: “I have surely remembered you” (דִּכְתִּיב: פָּקֹד פָּקַדְתִּי אֶתְכֶם) (Exodus 3)—for he was the voice that emitted that utterance (דְּאִיהוּ הֲוָה קוֹל דְּאַפִּיק לְהַהוּא דִּבּוּר), and made a commanment—a remembrance—for the exodus from exile (וְעָבִיד לֵיהּ פְּקִידָה לְנָפְקָא מִן גָּלוּתָא). And now, it is appointed to draw down holiness from above to below (וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְפָּקְדָא לְאַמְשָׁכָא קְדוּשָּׁה מֵעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא), as it is said: “And they shall make Me a Sanctuary and I shall dwell among them” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם) (Exodus 25). “And Betzalel son of Uri son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah…” (וּבְצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי בֶּן חוּר לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה וְגוֹ') (Exodus 38).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה), Behold, it has been stated (הָא אִתְּמַר): that Betzalel was from the side of the right (דְּהָא בְּצַלְאֵל מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא הֲוָה), and he established the Tikkun of all (וְאִיהוּ אַתְקִין תִּקּוּנָא דְּכֹלָּא). And furthermore (וְתוּ), for Yehudah is ruler and king over all the other tribes (דְּהָא יְהוּדָה אִיהוּ שַׁלִּיטָא וּמַלְכָּא עַל כָּל שְׁאָר שְׁבָטִין), and from him came the one who established the entire Mishkan (וּמִנֵּיהּ נָפַק מַאן דְּאַתְקִין כָּל מַשְׁכְּנָא).

Betzalel—this has been established (בְּצַלְאֵל, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ): “In the shadow of El” (בְּצֵל אֵל), and who is B’tzel El? (וּמַאן אִיהוּ בְּצֵל אֵל). This is the right side (דָּא יְמִינָא). And further (וְתוּ), from this side he established all (מִסִּטְרָא דָּא אַתְקִין כֹּלָּא), and inherited Chokhmah to perform every work (וְיָרִית חָכְמְתָא לְמֶעְבַּד כָּל עֲבִידָא). And with him was Oholiav son of Achisamach, of the tribe of Dan (וְאִתּוֹ אָהֳלִיאָב בֶּן אֲחִיסָמָךְ לְמַטֵּה דָּן), this one is from the left side (דָּא אִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא), this one is from the side of harsh judgment (דָּא אִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא), some say: holy (נ״א קַדִּישָׁא). And behold, it has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ), that from these two sides (דְּהָא מִתְּרֵין סִטְרִין אִלֵּין), the Mishkan was made (אִתְעָבִיד מַשְׁכְּנָא), and was rectified through them (וְאִתְתַּקַּן בְּהוּ), to be bound through them (לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּהוּ), to be between right and left (לְמֶהֱוֵי בֵּין יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא), and behold, it has been said and established (וְהָא אִתְּמַר וְאוּקְמוּהָ).