Daf 241b (דַּף רמ״א ע״ב)

Another matter (דָּבָר אַחֵר), Moshe withdrew from this (מֹשֶׁה אִסְתַּלָּק מִן דָּא), and gave his place to another (וְיָהִיב דּוּכְתֵּיהּ לְאַחֲרָא), until Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him (עַד דְּאָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): “See, I have called by name Betzalel” (שמות לא: רְאֵה קָרָאתִי בְשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל), and with him Oholiav (וְאִתּוֹ אָהֳלִיאָב). And it is written (וּכְתִיב): “And Betzalel and Oholiav and every wise-hearted man made” (וְעָשָׂה בְּצַלְאֵל וְאָהֳלִיאָב וְכֹל אִישׁ חֲכַם לֵב).

If this honor was that of Moshe (אִי יְקָרָא דָּא, הֲוָה דְּמֹשֶׁה), that he should have done it (דְּאִיהוּ יַעְבִּיד לֵיהּ), it would have endured in him continually (יִתְקְיָּים בֵּיהּ תָּדִיר) [Some say: even more continually (נ״א: יתיר תדיר)]. And with all this (וְעִם כָּל דָּא), since he was commanded (כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהוּ פָּקִיד), and through his command it was performed (וּבְפִקוּדֵיהּ יִתְעֲבִיד), he did it all (אִיהוּ עָבִיד כֹּלָּא).

Further (תוּ), no work stands (כָּל עֲבִידְתָּא לָא קַיְּימָא), except in the completion of the deed (אֶלָּא בְּסִיוּמָא דְּעוֹבָדָא). And for this reason (וְעַל דָּא), “And Moshe erected the Mishkan” (וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן). All those wise of heart sought to raise it (בָּעוּ לְאַקָּמָא לֵיהּ כָּל אִינּוּן חַכִּימֵי לִבָּא), but it would not stand (וְלָא הֲוָה מִתְקַיֵּים), because of the honor of Moshe (בְּגִין יְקָרֵיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה), until Moshe came and raised it (עַד דְּאָתָא מֹשֶׁה, וְאוֹקִים לֵיהּ). And behold, this has been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ): “And Moshe erected the Mishkan” (וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן).

Rabbi Yehudah opened (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח): “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy, for though I have fallen, I rise again” (מיכה ז: אַל תִּשְׂמְחִי אוֹיַבְתִּי לִי כִּי נָפַלְתִּי קָמְתִּי וְגוֹ'). Who is “my enemy” (מַאן אוֹיַבְתִּי לִי)? The enemy of the guilty Molcho against the holy kingship (דְּבָבוּ דְּמַלְכוּ חַיָּיבָא בְּמַלְכוּת קַדִּישָׁא). And this verse (וְהַאי קְרָא) is the Assembly of Yisrael speaking to it (כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אָמַר לֵיהּ): “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy, for though I have fallen, I rise again” (אַל תִּשְׂמְחִי אוֹיַבְתִּי לִי כִּי נָפַלְתִּי קָמְתִּי). What you do not have (מַה דְּלֵית לָךְ) — [Some say: what you have not (נ״א: לה הכי)] — in another Molcho (לְמַלְכוּ אַחֲרָא), for when it falls it shall never rise again (דְּכֵיוָן דְּתִפּוֹל לָא תָּקוּם לְעָלְמִין). But the Assembly of Yisrael (אֲבָל כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), though she falls, she will rise again and rise in other times (אַף עַל גַּב דְּנַפְלַת, תָּקוּם וְקָמַת שְׁאַר זִמְנִין), as it is written (דִּכְתִיב): “For though I have fallen, I rise again” (כִּי נָפַלְתִּי קָמְתִּי).

For behold (דְּהָא), many times the Assembly of Yisrael has fallen in exile (כַמָה זִמְנִין נַפְלַת כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא), and she sat among those lords of hostility (וְיָתְבָא בֵּין אִינּוּן מָארֵי דְּבָבוּ), and the other nations rose against Yisrael to destroy them from the world (וּשְׁאַר עַמִּין קָמוּ עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְשֵׁיצָאָה לוֹן מֵעָלְמָא). And they could not (וְלֹא יכילו), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “They take crafty counsel against Your people” (תהלים פג: עַל עַמְּךָ יַעֲרִימוּ סוֹד), and it is written: “They have taken counsel together with one heart, they have said: Come, let us cut them off from being a nation” (וּכְתִיב כִּי נוֹעֲצוּ לֵב יַחְדָּיו וְגוֹ', אָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַכְחִידֵם מִגּוֹי). And with all this (וְעִם כָּל דָּא), though the other nations have risen against her (אַף עַל גַּב דִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין קָמוּ עָלַיְיהוּ), Kudsha Berikh Hu has not given them into their hand (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אֲנָח לוֹן בִּידַיְיהוּ). And if she has fallen, she has risen again (וְאִי נָפְלוּ קָמוּ), as it is written: “For though I have fallen, I rise again” (דִּכְתִּיב כִּי נָפַלְתִּי קָמְתִּי). For Kudsha Berikh Hu raises her always (דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָקִים לָהּ תָּדִיר). And the Assembly of Yisrael is destined (וּזְמִינָא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), to say in that time when Kudsha Berikh Hu will raise her from the dust of exile (לוֹמַר בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יוֹקִים לָהּ מֵעַפְרָא דְּגָלוּתָא), and she will be lifted from it (וְתִסְתָּלַק מִנֵּיהּ): “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy, for though I have fallen, I rise again” (אַל תִּשְׂמְחִי אוֹיַבְתִּי לִי כִּי נָפַלְתִּי קָמְתִּי). For I have fallen in exile (כִּי נָפַלְתִּי בְּגָלוּתָא), and my children were enslaved (וְאִשְׁתַּעְבְּדוּ בָּנַי), I rise now in this time (קָמְתִּי בְּהַאי זִמְנָא). And for this reason (וּבְגִין כַּךְ), at that time when Moshe brought out Yisrael (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאַפִּיק מֹשֶׁה לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), when Kudsha Berikh Hu performed for them those miracles and mighty deeds that He performed for them (כַּד עָבֵד לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִינּוּן נִסִּין וּגְבוּרָאן דְּעָבַד לוֹן), then it is written: “And Moshe erected the Mishkan” (כְּדֵין וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן), for by the hand of Moshe it was established in every time (דְּהָא עַל יְדָא דְּמֹשֶׁה אִתְּקַם בְּכָל זִמְנָא).

Rabbi Shimon opened and said (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “When they went, they went” (Ezekiel 1) (יחזקאל א: בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ וְגוֹ'). “When they went, they went, and when they stood, they stood” (בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ וּבְעָמְדָם יַעֲמֹדוּ). This verse is to be contemplated (הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ). “When they went, they went”—do I not know already that when they went, they went, and when they stood, they stood? (בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ, וְכִי לָא יְדַעְנָא דְּהָא בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ, וּבְעָמְדָם יַעֲמֹדוּ). Rather, “when they went”—of whom? (אֶלָּא בְּלֶכְתָּם דְּמַאן). Of the Chayot (בְּלֶכְתָּם דְּחַיּוֹת). For when they go, the Ofanim go (דְּכַד אִינּוּן אַזְלִין, אִינּוּן אוֹפַנִּים יֵלֵכוּ). As it is said: “And when the Chayot went, the Ofanim went beside them” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וּבְלֶכֶת הַחַיּוֹת יֵלְכוּ הָאוֹפַנִּים אֶצְלָם). And for this reason (וְעַל דָּא) “When they went, they went, and when they stood, they stood” (בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ וּבְעָמְדָם יַעֲמֹדוּ), because all their movement, that is, of the Ofanim (בְּגִין דְּכָל מַטַלְנֵיהוֹן דְּאִינּוּן אוֹפַנִּים), is only through the movement of the Chayot (לָאו אִינּוּן אֶלָּא בְּמַטְלָנִין דְּחַיּוֹת), and their existence is not by themselves (וְקִיּוּמָא דִּילְהוֹן לָא קַיְימֵי בְּאַתְרַיְיהוּ), but all depends upon the Chayot (אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא תַּלְיָא בַּחַיוֹת). And so it is written: “And when the Chayot were lifted up from the earth, the Ofanim were lifted up beside them” (וְכֵן כְּתִיב וּבְהִנָּשֵׂא הַחַיּוֹת מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ יִנָּשְׂאוּ הָאוֹפַנִּים לְעֻמָּתָם), because the Chayot and the Ofanim go together as one (בְּגִין דְּחַיּוֹת וְאוֹפַנִּים כַּחֲדָא אַזְלִין). And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי), twenty-four lintels of supernal governors stand within one lintel on the eastern side (עֶשְׂרִין וְאַרְבַּע מַשְׁקּוֹפִין, דְּמַטְרָנִין עִלָּאִין קַיְימִין גּוֹ מַשְׁקוֹפָא חֲדָא דְּבִסְטַר מִזְרָח). For this gate, twenty-four watches guard, hidden within the force of flaming fire, encircling and surrounding that lintel from the eastern side (לְהַאי פִּתְחָא, נַטְרִין אַרְבַּע וְעֶשְׂרִין מִשְׁמָרוֹת, טְמִירִין גּוֹ תּוּקְפָּא דְּשַׁלְהוֹבָא, דְּעַטָרָא וְסָחֲרָא לְגוֹ הַהוּא מַשְׁקוֹפָא מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא דְּמִזְרָח). And twenty-four supports are beneath them (וְאַרְבַּע וְעֶשְׂרִין סַמְכִין תְּחוֹתַיְיהוּ), and upon these supports stand twenty-four pillars (וְעַל אִלֵּין סַמְכִין קַיְימִין עֶשְׂרִין וְאַרְבַּע עַמּוּדִין). And these are those who stand constantly, and do not fly in the air like the others (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן דְּקַיְימִין תָּדִיר, וְלָא פַּרְחִין גּוֹ אֲוֵירָא כְּאִינּוּן אַחֲרָנִין). And these are those called “the standing ones” (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן דְּאִקְרוּן עוֹמְדִים), as it is said: “And I will give you places to walk among these who stand” (Zechariah 3) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְנָתַתִּי לָךְ מַהְלְכִים בֵּין הָעוֹמְדִים הָאֵלֶּה). And these pillars stand upon those supports (וְאִלֵּין עַמּוּדִים, קַיְימִין עַל אִינּוּן סַמְכִין), by them they revolve, to be established in their place (בְּהוּ סָחֲרָן לְאִתְקַיְּימָא בְּדוּכְתַּיְיהוּ). When these pillars stand firm upon their foundations (כַּד אִלֵּין עַמּוּדִים קַיְימִין עַל קִיוּמַיְיהוּ), all the rulers who stand over them soar and fly through all the worlds (כֻלְּהוּ שַׁלִּיטִין דְּקַיְימִין עָלַיְיהוּ, מְעַפְפֵי וְטָסִין כָּל עָלְמָא), and eyes watch over them (וְאַשְׁגְּחָן עַיְינִין). And those who obey their voices lift up words above (וְאִינּוּן דְּצַיְיתִי קַלִין, סַלְּקִין מִלִּין לְעֵילָּא), as it is said: “For a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice” (Ecclesiastes 10) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל). And for this reason, those supports stand in perpetual establishment (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, אִינּוּן סַמְכִין קַיְימִין בְּקִיּוּמָא תָּדִיר).