Daf 224a (דַּף רכ״ד ע״א)

Furthermore, another secret exists in this (תּוּ רָזָא אַחֲרָא אִית בְּהַאי), regarding why Kudsha Berikh Hu lengthens His anger against the guilty in this world (עַל דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָרִיךְ רוּגְזֵיהּ בְּחַיָּיבַיָּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). It is because this world belongs to the portion of the Sitra Achra (בְּגִין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא אִיהוּ חוּלָקָא דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), and the World to Come belongs to the side of holiness (וְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי אִיהוּ סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה).

And it is the portion of the Righteous (וְאִיהוּ חוּלָקָא דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא), so that the Righteous may be crowned with the crown of the glory of their Master therein (לְמֶהֱוֵי צַדִּיקַיָּיא אִינּוּן בַּעֲטָרָא דִּיְקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן בֵּיהּ). And these two sides (וּתְרֵין סִטְרִין אִלֵּין), one stands opposite the other (קַיְּימִין דָּא לָקֳבֵל דָּא): this is the side of holiness (דָּא סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה), and this is the Sitra achra of defilement (וְדָא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא). This side stands for the Righteous (דָּא קַיְּימָא לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא), and this side stands for the wicked (וְדָא קַיְּימָא לְרַשִׁיעַיָּיא), and all is one opposite the other (וְכֹלָּא דָּא לָקֳבֵל דָּא). Happy are the Righteous (זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא), who have no portion in this world (דְּלֵית לוֹן חוּלָקָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), only in the World to Come (אֶלָּא בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): all is established and revealed before Kudsha Berikh Hu (כֹּלָּא אִתְתַּקַּן וְאִתְגְּלֵי קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And even though Balaq and Bil‘am did not intend toward Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּבָלָק וּבִלְעָם לָא אִתְכַּוְּנוּ לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), still all is rectified before Him (כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ מִתְתַּקַּן קַמֵּיהּ), and He does not detract from their reward in this world (וְלָא גָּרַע מֵאֲגַר דִּלְהוֹן כְּלוּם בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). At that time they ruled over Yisrael (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא שְׁלִיטוּ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל), and that offering caused twenty-four thousand of Yisrael to be removed (דְּגָרַם הַהוּא קוּרְבָּנָא לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא מִיִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִין אַלְפִּין), besides all those who were slain (בַּר כָּל אִינּוּן דְּאִתְקְטָלוּ), as it is written: “Slay each of his men who attached themselves to Ba‘al Pe‘or” (דִּכְתִּיב: הָרְגוּ אִישׁ אֲנָשָׁיו הַנִּצְמָדִים לְבַעַל פְּעוֹר) (Numbers 25), and it is written: “Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before Hashem” (וּכְתִיב: קַח אֶת כָּל רָאשֵׁי הָעָם וְהוֹקַע אוֹתָם לַיְיָ׳). And until that point (וְעַד כְּעַן), that offering stood pending to exact punishment from Yisrael (הַהוּא קָרְבָּנָא הֲוָה תָּלֵי לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִנְּהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל): seven altars corresponding to forty-two (שִׁבְעָה מַדְבְּחָן כְּחוּשְׁבָּן אַרְבְּעִין וּתְרֵין).

Rabbi Shim‘on said (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר): Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): those forty-two offerings which Bil‘am and Balaq brought (אִינּוּן אַרְבְּעִין וּתְרֵין קָרְבָּנִין עָבְדוּ בִּלְעָם וּבָלָק), they took from the Sitra achra and directed them toward Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְנַטְלוּ לוֹן מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And for this reason that offering stood pending (וְעַל דָּא הֲוָה תָּלֵי הַהוּא קָרְבָּנָא), to remove from Yisrael that Sitra achra which is called curse (לְנַטְלָא לֵיהּ הַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא דְּאִקְרֵי קְלָלָה מִיִשְׂרָאֵל), and until now it had not been collected from them (וְעַד הַשְׁתָּא לָא גָּבָה מִנַּיְיהוּ). And this is the secret (וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא): “And he turned behind him and saw them…” (וַיִּפֶן אַחֲרָיו וַיִּרְאֵם) (II Kings 2). “He turned behind him”—behind the Shekhinta (וַיִּפֶן אַחֲרָיו: אֲחוֹרֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא), for the Sitra Achra stands behind (דְּקַיֵּימָא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לַאֲחוֹרָא). “And he saw them”—he looked upon them, the Sitra achra (וַיִּרְאֵם: אִסְתַּכַּל בְּהוּ הַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), and saw that they were fit to be punished (וְחָמָא לוֹן דְּאִתְחָזוּן לְאִתְעַנְּשָׁא). And for that reason (וְעַל דָּא), “he cursed them in the Name of Hashem” (וַיְקַלְּלֵם בְּשֵׁם יְיָ׳)—“in the Name of Hashem” to remove that Name from their obligation (בְּשֵׁם יְיָ׳: לְאַפָּקָא הַהוּא שֵׁם יְיָ׳ מֵחִיּוּבָא דָּא), from the obligation of that offering which that side had brought toward Him (מֵהַהוּא חִיוּבָא דְּהַהוּא קָרְבָּן דְּאַקְרִיב הַהוּא סִטְרָא לְגַבֵּיהּ). And all is established before Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ מִתְתַּקַּן קַמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and no word is lost (וְלָא אִתְאֲבִיד מִלָּה). In this manner (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא), all is rectified before Kudsha Berikh Hu—whether for good or for evil (כֹּלָּא אִתְתַּקַּן קָמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הֵן לְטָב הֵן לְבִישׁ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), David was the one who fled before Shaul (דָּוִד אִיהוּ הֲוָה דְּעָרַק קָמֵיהּ דְּשָׁאוּל). And because of this, it was caused that all the Kohanim of Nov were destroyed (וְעַל דָּא גָּרִים, דְּאִתְאֲבִידוּ כָּל אִינּוּן כַּהֲנֵי דְּנוֹב), and none remained of them except Evyatar alone, who fled (וְלָא אִשְׁתְּאַר מְכֻּלְּהוּ בַּר אֶבְיָתָר בִּלְחוֹדוֹי דְּעָרַק). And this caused many evils in Yisrael (וְדָא גָּרִים כַּמָּה בִּישִׁין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל): Shaul died, and his sons (וּמִית שָׁאוּל וּבְנוֹי), and many thousands and myriads fell from Yisrael (וְנָפְלוּ מִיִשְׂרָאֵל כַּמָּה אַלְפִּין וְרִבְּבָן). And even so, that liability remained suspended over David to be exacted from him (וְעִם כָּל דָּא, הַהוּא חוֹבָה הֲוָה תָּלֵי עַל דָּוִד לִגְבוֹת מִנֵּיהּ), until all the sons of David were destroyed in one day (עַד דְּכָל בְּנוֹי דְּדָוִד אִתְאֲבִידוּ בְּיוֹמָא חַד), and none remained of them except Yoash alone, who was hidden (וְלָא אִשְׁתְּאַר מִנַּיְיהוּ אֶלָּא יוֹאָשׁ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, דְּאִתְגְּנִיב). Just as none remained from Achimelekh except Evyatar alone (כְּגַוְונָא דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּאַר מֵאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בַּר אֶבְיָתָר בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). And until this point, that liability remained pending (וְעַד כְּעַן הַהוּא חוֹבָה הֲוָה תָּלֵי), for judgment to be executed upon Nov (לְמֶעְבַּד דִּינָא עַל נוֹב), for the sin of Nov (עַל הַהוּא חוֹבָה דְּנוֹב), as it is written: “This very day he shall stand at Nov” (דִּכְתִּיב: עוֹד הַיּוֹם בְּנוֹב לַעֲמוֹד) (Isaiah 10), and this has been established (וְאוּקְמוּהָ).

In this manner (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא): “All the gold that was made for the work…” (כָּל הַזָּהָב הֶעָשׂוּי לַמְּלָאכָה). What is meant by “was made”? (מַאי הֶעָשׂוּי). Here Kudsha Berikh Hu looked (הָכָא אִסְתָּכַּל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), when Yisrael gave gold to the calf (כַּד יָהֲבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל דַּהֲבָא לְעֶגְלָא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu preempted them (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַקְדִּים), with this gold for healing (לוֹן דַּהֲבָא דָּא לְאַסְוָותָא). The gold of the Mishkan He gave them beforehand (דְּהַאי דַּהֲבָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא אַקְדִּים לוֹן), before the gold that they gave to the calf (לְהַהוּא דַּהֲבָא דְּיָהֲבוּ לְעֶגְלָא). For all the gold that was with them, and was found with them (דְּכָל דַּהֲבָא דְּהֲוָה עִמְּהוֹן, וְאִשְׁתְּכַח עִמְּהוֹן), they gave for the construction of the Mishkan (יָהֲבוּ לְאָרָמַת מַשְׁכְּנָא). Would it enter your mind (סַלְּקָא דַּעְתָּךְ), that when they made the calf, they still had gold with them (דְּכַד עָבְדוּ יַת עֶגְלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח עִמְּהוֹן דַּהֲבָא)? And they removed their earrings in order to take that gold (וְאִינּוּן פְּרִיקוּ אוּדְנַיְיהוּ לְנַטְלָא הַהוּא דַּהֲבָא), as it is written: “And all the people took off the golden rings that were in their ears” (דִּכְתִּיב: וַיִּתְפָּרַקוּ כָּל הָעָם אֶת נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם) (Exodus 32). And for this reason, the gold of the Mishkan came first (וְעַל דָּא אַקְדִּים דַּהֲבָא דְּאָרָמוּתָא), to atone for this deed (לְכַפְּרָא עַל עוֹבָדָא דָּא). (Text missing) And therefore… (חֲסֵר) (וּבְגִין כָּךְ).