Daf 26a (דַּף כ״ו ע״א)

And if you would say that in this place, which is called “heavens,” the matter depends (וְאִי תֵּימָא דִּבְאֲתַר דָּא דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא), behold, we have learned that the matter does not depend on merit (הָא תָּנִינָן, דְּלָאו בִּזְכוּתָא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא). And merit, this we have established as charity (וּזְכוּתָא, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ צְדָקָה). And the translation of charity is merit (וְתַרְגּוּם צְדָקָה, זְכוּתָא). And merit and heavens are one matter (וּזְכוּתָא וְשָׁמַיִם חַד מִלָּה הוּא), and here it is written “Rain down, O heavens” (והָכָא הַרְעִיפוּ שָׁמַיִם). And if you would say that on this it depends (ואי תימא ביה תליא), it is written “from above” (כְּתִיב מִמַּעַל), from above indeed (מִמַּעַל וַדַּאי), from the Atika Kadisha it comes forth (מֵעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא קָא אַתְיָא), and not from that place which is called “heavens” and is called “merit” (וְלָא מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם, וְאִקְרֵי זְכוּתָא), but precisely from above (אֶלָּא מִמַּעַל דַּיְיקָא). “And the skies shall pour down righteousness” (וּשְׁחָקִים יִזְּלוּ צֶדֶק), for when the heavens receive it from above, from that supernal place that rests upon it (דְּכַד שָׁמַיִם נָטִיל לֵיהּ מִמַּעַל, מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר עִלָּאָה דְּשָׁארִי עָלוֹי), then the skies pour down righteousness (כְּדֵין שְׁחָקִים יִזְּלוּ צֶדֶק). What are the skies? (מַאן שְׁחָקִים).

It is the place that grinds manna for the Righteous (אֲתַר דְּטָחֲנִין מָנָא לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא). And what are they? (וּמַאי נִינְהוּ). Netzach and Hod (נֵצַח וְהוֹד), for surely they grind manna for the Righteous (דְּאִינּוּן וַדַּאי טַחֲנִין מָנָא לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא). For whom? (לְמַאן).

For that place which is called Tzaddik (לְהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי צַדִּיק), for behold, they grind for him the manna that comes from above (דְּהָא אִינּוּן טַחֲנִין לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא מָנָא דְּאַתְיָא מִלְּעֵילָּא). And all that goodness is gathered within them (וְכָל הַהוּא טִיבוּ מִתְכְּנִישׁ בְּגַוַיְיהוּ), to give it to the level of Tzaddik (לְמֵיהַב לֵיהּ לְדַרְגָּא דְּצַדִּיק), so that righteousness may be blessed from their outflow (בְּגִין דְּיִתְבָּרְכוּן צֶדֶק מֵהַהוּא נְזִילוּ דִּלְהוֹן), and for this reason they grind manna for the Righteous (וְעַל דָּא טַחֲנִין מָנָא לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא).

Who are the Righteous? (מַאן צַדִּיקַיָּיא). They are Tzaddik and Tzedek, Yosef and Raḥel (דָּא צַדִּיק וְצֶדֶק, יוֹסֵף וְרָחֵל), for when they are joined together they are called Tzaddikim (דְּכַד מִזְדַּוְּוגָן כַּחֲדָא צַדִּיקִים אִקְרוּ). And these surely grind manna for the Righteous (וְאִלֵּין טַחֲנִין מָנָא לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא וַדַּאי), and for this it is written “And the skies shall pour down righteousness” (וְעַל דָּא וּשְׁחָקִים יִזְּלוּ צֶדֶק).

Then the earth below shall open (כְּדֵין תִּפְתַּח אֶרֶץ לְתַתָּא), and salvation shall sprout, the sons of the world (וְיִפְרוּ יֶשַׁע, בְּנֵי עָלְמָא). And righteousness shall spring up together (וּצְדָקָה תַצְמִיחַ יַחַד), all mercies and all goodness of the world will multiply (כָּל רַחֲמֵי, וְכָל טִיבוּ דְּעָלְמָא סַגִיאוּ), and the provisions of mankind will be found in the world (וּמְזוֹנַיְיהוּ דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בְּעָלְמָא). Then joy upon joy will be added (כְּדֵין חֶדְוָה עַל חֶדְוָה אִתּוֹסַף), and all the worlds will be blessed (וְכָל עָלְמִין מִתְבָּרְכָאן). Rabbi Aḥa said (אָמַר רִבִּי אֲחָא), if I had not come but only to hear this, it would have been enough (אִלְמָלֵא לָא אֲתֵינָא אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמַע דָּא דַּיָּי).

Rabbi Yose opened and said (פָּתַח רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר): (Judges 5) My heart is for the lawgivers of Yisrael, those who willingly offered themselves among the people—bless Hashem (לִבִּי לְחוֹקְקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַמִּתְנַדְּבִים בָּעָם בָּרַכוּ יְיָ). Come and see (תָּא חֲזִי), every desire and every heart by which a person desires to draw down blessings from above to below (כָּל רְעוּתָא, וְכָל לִבָּא, דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאַרְקָא בִּרְכָאן מֵעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא), is to unite the Holy Name (לְיַחֲדָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). He must pray to Kudsha Berikh Hu with desire and with the intention of the heart (לִבְעֵי בִּצְלוֹתָא לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּרְעוּתָא וּבְכַוָנָה דְּלִבָּא), to draw forth from that deep river (לְנַגְדָּא מֵהַהוּא נַחֲלָא עֲמִיקָא), as it is written (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב): (Psalms 130) Out of the depths I have called to You, Hashem (מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ יְיָ). For there is the depth of all, in the supernal depths (דְּתַמָּן עוּמְקָא דְּכֹלָּא, בַּעֲמִיקֵי עִלָּאֵי), which are the supernal services, where Abba and Imma are united (דְּאִינּוּן שֵׁירוּתָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאַבָּא וְאִמָּא מִזְדַוְּוגִין). So here, “My heart is for the lawgivers of Yisrael” (אוּף הָכָא לִבִּי לְחוֹקְקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל).

Who are the lawgivers of Yisrael? (מַאן חוֹקְקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). It is not written “the engraved ones of Yisrael” (לָא כְּתִיב חָקוּקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), but “for the lawgivers” (אֶלָּא לְחוֹקְקֵי). These are Abba and Imma (אִלֵּין אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), for they are the ones who inscribe for Yisrael the Holy (דְּאִינּוּן מְחֹקְקֵי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל קַדִּישָׁא), for it flows forth from between them (דְּאִיהוּ נָגִיד מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ). “Those who willingly offered themselves among the people” (הַמִּתְנַדְּבִים בָּעָם)—these are the Patriarchs (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן אֲבָהָן), who are called the noble ones (דְּאִקְרוּן נְדִיבִים), as you say (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): (Psalms 47) The nobles of the peoples are gathered, the people of the Elohim of Avraham (נְדִיבֵי עַמִּים נֶאֱסָפוּ עַם אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם). Then “bless Hashem” (כְּדֵין בָּרַכוּ יְיָ), to draw down blessings from Him to below (לְנַגְדָּא מִנֵּיהּ בִּרְכָאן לְתַתָּא), and blessings are found in the whole world (וְיִשְׁתַּכְחוּן בִּרְכָאן בְּעָלְמָא כֻּלְּהוּ).

For when blessings are found from above (דְּכַד הָכָא מִשְׁתַּכְחִין בִּרְכָאן מִלְעֵילָּא), all is with joy (כֹּלָּא הוּא בְּחֶדְוָותָא), all is with completeness (כֹּלָּא הוּא בִּשְׁלִימוּ). Fortunate is the portion of Yisrael (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), that Kudsha Berikh Hu pours blessings upon them (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מֵרִיק עֲלֵיהוֹן בִּרְכָאן), and listens to their prayers (וְצַיִית צְלוֹתְהוֹן). And concerning them it is written (וְעָלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב): (Psalms 102) He turned to the prayer of the destitute and did not despise their prayer (פָּנָה אֶל תְּפִלַּת הָעַרְעָר וְלֹא בָזָה אֶת תְּפִלָּתָם וְגוֹ').

Parashat Tzav

his is the Torah of the burnt-offering, etc. (Leviticus 6) ( זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעוֹלָה וְגוֹ'). Rabbi Shim‘on opened and said (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר): (Psalms 36) Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, Your judgments are a great deep, etc. p1-4( צִדְקָתְךָ כְּהַרְרֵי אֵל מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ תְּהוֹם רַבָּה וְגוֹ').

This verse we have already established and it has been said (הַאי קְרָא אוֹקִימְנָא לֵיהּ וְאִתְּמַר). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), this burnt-offering elevates and binds Knesset Yisrael above (הַאי עוֹלָה, סְלִיקוּ וּקְשִׁירוּ דִכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעֵילָּא), and her connection is in the World to Come (וְדִבּוּקָא דִּילָהּ בְּגוֹ עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), to be all one (לְמֶהֱוִי כֹּלָּא חַד), in one binding (בְּקִשּׁוּרָא חֲדָא), in union (בְּחִידוּ).

And because she ascends ever higher (וּבְגִין דְּסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא), it is written “This is the Torah” (כְּתִיב זֹאת תּוֹרַת), a secret of male and female together (רָזָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא כַּחֲדָא), Written Torah and Oral Torah (תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב, וְתוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה), to ascend in belovedness (לְסַלְּקָא בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא). When the side of the north is aroused (כַּד אִתְּעַר סִטְרָא דְּצָפוֹן), as we have established that it is written (כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא דִּכְתִּיב): (Song of Songs 2) His left hand is under my head (שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי), then she ascends in belovedness (כְּדֵין אִיהִי סַלְּקָא בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא), and is crowned with the right (וְאִתְעַטְּרָא בִּימִינָא), and is joined in the middle (וְאִתְחַבְּרָא בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא), and all is illuminated from the secret of the Holy of Holies (וְאִתְנְהִיר כֹּלָּא מֵרָזָא דְּקֹדֶשׁ הַקֳדָשִׁים). And this is from the secret of Adam (וְדָא מִגּוֹ דְּרָזָא דְּאָדָם), in the will of the Kohen (בִּרְעוּ דְּכַהֲנָא), and in prayer (וּבִצְלוֹתָא), and in song (וּבְשִׁירָתָא).

And behold, we have established that the burnt-offering is most holy (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא דְּעוֹלָה קֹדֶשׁ קֳדָשִׁים), in the secret of the supernal spirit (בְּרָזָא דְּרוּחַ עִלָּאָה), for three spirits are bound as one (בְּגִין דִּתְלַת רוּחִין קְשִׁירָן כַּחֲדָא): the lower spirit which is called the Holy Spirit (רוּחַ תַּתָּאָה דְּאִקְרֵי רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ), the spirit in the middle which is called the spirit of Chokhmah and Binah (רוּחַ דִּלְגוֹ בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, דְּאִקְרֵי רוּחַ חָכְמָה וּבִינָה). And so it is called the lower spirit (וְכֵן אִקְרֵי רוּחַ תַּתָּאָה).

But this spirit, which emerges from the Shofar (אֲבָל הַאי רוּחַ, דְּנָפִיק מִגּוֹ שׁוֹפָר), is comprised of fire and water (כְּלִילָן בְּאֶשָּׁא וּמַיָא). The supernal spirit is concealed in secrecy (רוּחַ עִלָּאָה דְּאִיהוּ סָתִים בַּחֲשָׁאי), within which abide all holy spirits (דְּבֵיהּ קַיְימִין כָּל רוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין), and all faces shine (וְכָל אַנְפִּין נְהִירִין). And because of this, the burnt-offering returns as spirit in truth (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אַהֲדְרַת עוֹלָה רוּחַ מַמָּשׁ).