Daf 240b (דַּף ר״מ ע״ב)

What is the reason (מַאי טַעֲמָא)? Because the first stones, from those foundations (בְּגִין דְּאֲבָנִין קַדְמָאִין מֵאִינּוּן יְסוֹדֵי), other nations were able to rule over them (יָכִילוּ שְׁאַר עַמִּין לְמִשְׁלַט עָלַיְיהוּ). What is the reason (מַאי טַעֲמָא)? Because they did not contain supernal brightness as was fitting (בְּגִין דְּלֵית בְּהוּ נְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת). But these (אֲבָל אִלֵּין), they shall shine with supernal brightness (יְהוֹן נְהִירִין מִגּוֹ נְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה), and sink into the depths (וּמְשַׁקְּעָאן גּוֹ תְּהוֹמֵי), so that none can rule over them (דְּלָא יַכְלִין לְשַׁלְּטָאָה עָלַיְיהוּ). And these are the sapphires (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן סַפִּירִין), that will shine above and below (דְּיִנְהֲרוּן לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא).

And if you say (ואי תימא), it is because at that time additional supernal brightness will be added, above and below (בְּגִין דִּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא יִתּוֹסַף נְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא). And if you say that those former foundations will be nullified (וְאִי תֵּימָא אִינּוּן יְסוֹדֵי קַדְמָאֵי יִתְבַטְּלוּן), behold it is written: “Behold I will lay your stones with fair colors” (הָא כְּתִיב הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מַרְבִּיץ בַּפּוּךְ אֲבָנַיִךְ) (Isaiah 54). “I will lay” means to repair what is broken (מַרְבִּיץ לְאַתְקְנָא תְּבִירָא). What is “with fair colors” (מַאי בַּפּוּךְ)? As it is said: “And she painted her eyes with fair colors” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וַתָּשֶׂם בַּפּוּךְ עֵינֶיהָ) (II Kings 9). There are stones called “fair colors” (אֲבָנִים אִית דְּאִקְרוּן פּוּךְ). What is the reason for this (מַאי טַעֲמָא הַאי)? Rabbi El'azar said: This is a secret (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר רָזָא אִיהוּ), and this secret was given to know, to reap the field (וְרָזָא דָּא לִמְחַצְדֵי חַקְלָא אִתְיְיהִיב לְמִנְדַּע).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), those stones of the foundations of Zion and Jerusalem (אִינּוּן אֲבָנִין דִּיְסוֹדֵי צִיּוֹן וִירוּשָׁלַם), Heaven forbid that the other nations should have ruled over them (חַס וְשָׁלוֹם דִּשְׁלִיטוּ עָלַיְיהוּ שְׁאַר עַמִּין), or burned them (וְלָא אוֹקְדוּ לוֹן), or consumed them (וְלָא אִתּוֹקְדוּן). Rather, all of them were hidden (אֶלָּא כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְגְּנִיזוּ), and Kudsha Berikh Hu hid them away (וְגָנִיז לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And all those foundations of the holy house (וְכָל אִינּוּן יְסוֹדֵי בֵּיתָא קַדִּישָׁא), all were hidden (כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְגְּנִיזוּ), and not even one of them was lost (וְלָא אִתְאֲבִידוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ אֲפִילּוּ חַד). And when Kudsha Berikh Hu shall return and raise Jerusalem upon its place (וְכַד יֶהְדַּר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְיוֹקִים לָהּ לִירוּשָׁלַם עַל אַתְרֵיהּ), those foundations of the first stones shall return to their places (אִינּוּן יְסוֹדֵי אֲבָנִין קַדְמָאֵי יָהַדְרוּן לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ). And no evil eye shall rule over them (וְלָא יַשְׁלִיט בְּהוּ עֵינָא אַחֲרָא נ״א בִּישָׁא).

Except at the time when a man paints his eyes with that color (בַּר בְּזִמְנָא דְּיִכְחוֹל בַּר נָשׁ עֵינוֹי בְּהַהוּא פּוּכָא), and fills his eyes from it (וְיִמְלֵי עֵינֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ). Then he will see all the stones and all the foundations of Jerusalem prepared in their places (וּכְדֵין יֶחֱמֵי כָּל אֲבָנִין וְכָל יְסוֹדֵי יְרוּשָׁלַם מְתֻקְּנָן עַל אַתְרַיְיהוּ), which were never ruled over by other nations (דְּלָא שָׁלִיטוּ בְּהוּ שְׁאַר עַמִּין). And all those precious stones (וְכָל אִינּוּן אֲבָנִין יְקָרִין אַחֲרָנִין), and all those buildings of stones (וְכָל אִינּוּן בִּנְיָינִי אֲבָנִין), all shall stand firmly established (כֻּלְּהוּ קַיְימֵי עַל קִיוּמַיְיהוּ).

And then it is written: “For eye to eye they shall see when Hashem returns to Zion” (וּכְדֵין כִּי עַיִן בְּעַיִן יִרְאוּ בְּשׁוּב יְיָ׳ צִיּוֹן) (Isaiah 52). What is “when Hashem returns” (מַאי בְּשׁוּב יְיָ׳)? Rather, when other nations ruled over her (אֶלָּא כַּד שְׁלִיטוּ עָלָהּ שְׁאַר עַמִּין), Kudsha Berikh Hu raised her up above (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא סָלִיק לָהּ לְעֵילָּא). And in that time He shall return her to her place (וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִיהוּ יֶהְדַּר לָהּ לְאַתְרָהּ), as it is written: “When Hashem returns to Zion” (דִּכְתִּיב בְּשׁוּב יְיָ׳ צִיּוֹן). “When Hashem returns” indeed (בְּשׁוּב יְיָ׳ וַדַּאי).

Come and see (וְתָא חֲזֵי), whoever is hidden from the eye (כָּל מַאן דְּאַסְתִּים מִן עֵינָא), and no permission is given for the eye to rule over him (וְלָא אִתְיְיהִיב רְשׁוּ לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בֵּיהּ עֵינָא), the eye cannot rule over him (לָא יַכְלִין לְמִשְׁלַט בֵּיהּ עֵינָא), except by the kohl of the eye, in known words (בַּר בְּכִחְלָא דְּעֵינָא בְּמִלִּין יְדִיעָאן). And because of this it is written: “Behold I will lay your stones with fair colors” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ הִנִּה אָנֹכִי מַרְבִּיץ בַּפּוּךְ אֲבָנַיִךְ).

And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי), all these stones shall stand in their places (כָּל אִלֵּין אֲבָנִין יִתְקַיְּימוּן בְּאַתְרַיְיהוּ), and they shall be foundations as before (וְלֶהֱווֹ יִסוֹדִין כְּקַדְמֵיתָא), and other sapphire foundations shall stand in another surrounding place, in breadth and in length (וִיסוֹדֵי סַפִּירִין אַחֲרָנִין יִתְקַיְּימוּן בַּאֲתָר אַחֲרָא סָחֲרָנָא לְפוּתְיָא וּלְאַרְכָּא), as it is written: “And I will lay your foundations with sapphires” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וִיסַדְתִּיךְ בַּסַּפִּירִים).

At the time when Kudsha Berikh Hu will raise up His house (בְּזִמְנָא דְּיוֹקִים קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְבֵיתֵיהּ), at that time what is written: “He will swallow up death forever” (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא מַה כְּתִיב בִּלַּע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח) (Isaiah 25). “He will swallow” (בִּלַּע), as it is said: “Hashem has swallowed and not spared” (כִּדְאָמְרִינָן בִּלַּע יְיָ׳ וְלֹא חָמַל) (Lamentations 2). That cup which this one drank, the other will drink (הַהוּא כּוֹס דְּשָׁתָה הַאי יִשְׁתֶּה הַאי). And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא), that “He will swallow” is for a known time and fixed, like Yisrael (הַהוּא בִּלַּע אִיהוּ לִזְמַן יְדִיעָא וְקָצִיב כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), not so (לָאו הָכִי). For it is written “forever” (כְּתִיב לָנֶצַח).

What is “forever” (מַאי לָנֶצַח)? For generations of generations (לְדָרֵי דָּרִין). And not like Yisrael, and not like that time when Moshe raised up the Mishkan (וְלָאו כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְלָאו כְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאוֹקִים מֹשֶׁה יַת מַשְׁכְּנָא). But “forever” means for eternity (אֶלָּא לָנֶצַח לְעָלְמִין). And then Kudsha Berikh Hu will raise up Knesset Yisrael (וּכְדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יוֹקִים לָהּ לִכְּנְסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), and He will establish the supports, and the beams, and all those called the house, in their correction (וְאִיהוּ יוֹקִים סַמְכִין וְסֵיפֵי וְכָל אִינּוּן תִּקְרֵי בֵּיתָא בְּתִקּוּנוֹי), some say: in their strength (נ״א: בְּתַּקִּיפוּ), forever and unto all generations (לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא). And it is written: “Enlarge the place of your tent…” (וּכְתִיב הַרְחִיבִי מְקוֹם אָהֳלֵךְ וְגוֹ׳) (Isaiah 54), because the Sitra achra will be swallowed (בְּגִין דְּיִתְבְלַע סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא), and shall never rise again (וְלָא יְקוּם לְעָלְמִין). And then it is written: “And the reproach of His people He shall remove from off all the earth, for Hashem has spoken” (וּכְדֵין וְחֶרְפַּת עַמּוֹ יָסִיר מֵעַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ כִּי יְיָ׳ דִּבֵּר) (Isaiah 25). “It is written: ‘And Moshe raised up the Mishkan’” (שמות לט וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן).

At that time when these supports were raised and set in their places (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאִלֵּין סַמְכִין אִתְּקָמוּ וְאִתְיְיהִיבוּ בְּאַתְרַיְיהוּ), at that time the supports of the Sitra achra were weakened and removed from their places (הַהוּא זִמְנָא אִתְרְפוּ וְאִתְעֲבָרוּ מֵאַתְרַיְיהוּ סַמְכִין בַּאֲתָר סְטָר אַחֲרָא). And because of this it is written: “And he set its sockets” (וְעַל דָּא וַיִּתֵּן אֶת אֲדָנָיו). What is “And he set” (מַאי וַיִּתֵּן)? Rather, we have learned (אֶלָּא אוֹלִיפְנָא), that Moshe saw before him Samael the Accuser (דְּחָמָא מֹשֶׁה לְקַמֵּיהּ לְסָמָאֵ״ל חַיָּיבָא), who was coming to accuse him (דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל לְגַבֵּיהּ לְקַטְרְגָא לֵיהּ). Then Moshe strengthened himself against him (וּכְדֵין אַתְקִיף בֵּיהּ מֹשֶׁה), bound him before him (וְקָשִׁיר לֵיהּ קַמֵּיהּ), and raised up the Mishkan (וְאוֹקִים לֵיהּ לְמַשְׁכְּנָא), and gave him as a support (וְיָהַב לְסַמְכוֹי), as it is written: “And he set its sockets” (דִּכְתִיב וַיִּתֵּן אֶת אֲדָנָיו). “And he set” means with strength (וַיִּתֵּן בִּתְקִיפוּ), for no other man could rule over it (דְּלָא יָכִיל בַּר נָשׁ אַחֲרָא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה עָלֵיהּ), and to place supports in their place like Moshe (וּלְמֵיהַב סַמְכִין בְּאַתְרַיְיהוּ כְּמֹשֶׁה). For with great strength Moshe established it (דְּהָא בִּתְקִיפוּ רַב אוֹקִים לֵיהּ מֹשֶׁה).