Daf 27a (דַּף כ״ז ע״א)

And for this reason this other side was given into the hand of the Kohen (וְעַל דָּא אִתְיְהִיבַת הַאי סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא בִּידָא דְּכַהֲנָא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): Command Aharon and his sons, saying (צַו אֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר). The secret here, as we have established (רָזָא הָכָא, דְּהָא אוֹקִימְנָא), there is no “command” except idolatry (לֵית צַו אֶלָּא עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה). And here it is given to be consumed, that evil thought (וְהָכָא אִתְיְיהִיבַת לֵיהּ לְאִתּוֹקְדָא הַהוּא מַחֲשָׁבָה רָעָה), and to remove it from holiness (וּלְאַעְבְּרָא לָהּ מִגּוֹ קוּדְשָׁא), through this desire that ascends above (בְּהַאי רְעוּתָא דְּסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא), and through this smoke and fat that are consumed (וּבְהַאי תְּנָנָא וְתַרְבִּין דְּאִתּוֹקְדָן), in order to remove it from holiness (בְּגִין לְאִתְעַבְּרָא מִן קוּדְשָׁא). And this “command” remains in their authority (וְהַאי צַו בִּרְשׁוּתַיְיהוּ קַיְּימָא), to separate it from holiness through this offering (לְאַפְרְשָׁא לָהּ מִן קוּדְשָׁא מִגּוֹ הַאי קָרְבְּנָא). And if you say: “Command the children of Yisrael” (וְאִי תֵּימָא צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), so too here (הָכִי נָמֵי), for behold it remains in their authority (דְּהָא בִּרְשׁוּתַיְיהוּ קַיְּימָא). Some say: to separate it from holiness (ס״א לְאַפְרְשָׁא לָהּ מִן קוּדְשָׁא), whenever they perform the desire of their Master (כָּל זִמְנָא דְּעַבְדֵי רְעוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן), so that it cannot rule over them (דְּלָא יַכְלָא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה עָלַיְיהוּ).

And this verse all comes to show the secret of the matter (וְהַאי קְרָא כֹּלָּא אַתְיָא לְאַחֲזָאָה רָזָא דְּמִלָּה), to crown this the Holy Spirit above above (לְאַעְטְּרָא לְהַאי רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא), and to separate this spirit of impurity, to descend it below below (וּלְאַפְרְשָׁא לָהּ לְדָא רוּחַ טוּמְאָה, לְנַחְתָּא לָהּ לְתַתָּא לְתַתָּא). This is in desire and in prayer as we said (דָּא בִּרְעוּתָא וּבִצְלוֹתָא כִּדְקָאָמַרָן), and this is in the service, all as is fitting (וְדָא בְּעוֹבָדָא כֹּלָּא כִּדְקָחֲזֵי לֵיהּ). And this verse proves concerning them (וְהַאי קְרָא מוֹכָחָא עָלַיְיהוּ), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): Command Aharon and his sons, saying (צַו אֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר). “Command”—this is idolatry, an impure spirit p1-6(צַו: דָּא עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, רוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא). “Saying”—this is the woman, who is called Yirat Hashem (לֵאמֹר: דָּא אִתְּתָא, דְּאִקְרֵי יִרְאַת יְיָ). It is written here “saying” (כְּתִיב הָכָא לֵאמֹר), and it is written there (Jeremiah 3) “saying: If a man sends away his wife” (וּכְתִיב הָתָם לֵאמֹר הֵן יְשַׁלַּח אִישׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ). And behold, this has been established (וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ). Therefore all this has been said (בְּגִין כָּךְ כֹּלָּא אִתְּמַר), and the Kohen stands to rectify all in the secret of Adam and Behemah (וְכַהֲנָא קַיְּימָא לְאִתְתַּקְנָא כֹּלָּא בְּרָזָא דְּאָדָם וּבְהֵמָה).

Fortunate is the portion of the Righteous in this world and in the World to Come (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), for they know the paths of Orayta (דְּאִינּוּן יַדְעֵי אוֹרְחֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), and walk in it in the path of truth (וְאַזְלֵי בָּהּ בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט). Concerning them it is written (עָלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב): (Isaiah 38) Hashem—upon them they shall live (יְיָ עֲלֵיהֶם יִחְיוּ). Who are “upon them”? (מַאן עֲלֵיהֶם). These are the paths of Orayta (אִלֵּין אָרְחֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). “They shall live”—they shall be established (יִחְיוּ: יִתְקַיְּימוּן), in this world and in the World to Come (בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), it is written: “This is the Torah of the burnt-offering” (כְּתִיב זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעוֹלָה). Rabbi Ḥiyya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא), this verse we have established in this manner (הַאי קְרָא אוֹקִימְנָא לֵיהּ בְּהַאי גַּוְונָא): “This is the Torah”—this is Knesset Yisrael; “the burnt-offering” that she ascends and is crowned above above, to be bound as is fitting, until the place which is called Holy of Holies. ((זֹאת תּוֹרַת, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. הָעוֹלָה: דְּהִיא סַלְּקָא, וּמִתְעַטְּרָא לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא, לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא כְּדָקָא יֵאוֹת, עַד אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ קֳדָשִׁים)).

Another matter (דָּבָר אַחֵר): “This is the Torah”—this is Knesset Yisrael (זֹאת תּוֹרַת, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל). “The burnt-offering”—this is the evil thought (הָעוֹלָה: דָּא מַחֲשָׁבָה רָעָה), which ascends upon the desire of man to divert him from the path of truth (דְּאִיהִי סַלְּקָא עַל רְעוּתָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ לְאַסְטָאָה לֵיהּ מֵאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט). She is the “burnt-offering,” she is that which ascends and misleads the man (הִיא הָעוֹלָה, הִיא דְּסַלְּקָא וְאַסְטִיאַת לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ), and it is necessary to burn her in fire (וּבָעֵי לְאוֹקְדָא לָהּ בְּנוּרָא), so that she not be given place to mislead (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְיְהִיב לָהּ דּוּכְתָּא לְאַסְטָאָה).

And for this reason it is written: “On the firewood upon the altar all night” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל הַלַּיְלָה). Who is “night”? (מַאן לַיְלָה). This is Knesset Yisrael (דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), who is “Zot” (this) (דְּאִיהִי זֹאת), for she comes to purify man from that desire (בְּגִין דְּאָתֵי לְדַכְּאָה לְבַר נָשׁ מֵהַהוּא רְעוּתָא). “On the firewood”—because the river of Dinur is the place to burn all those who do not stand in their existence (עַל מוֹקְדָה, בְּגִין דְּנָהַר דִּינוּר אִיהוּ אֲתַר לְאוֹקְדָא לְכָל אִינּוּן דְּלָא קַיְימֵי בְּקִיּוּמַיְיהוּ), for behold they are brought into that burning fire (דְּהָא עָאלִין לוֹן בְּהַהוּא נוּרָא דְּדָלִיק), and their dominion is removed from the world (וּמְעַבְּרֵי שׁוּלְטָנֵיהוֹן מֵעָלְמָא). And so that it should not rule (וּבְגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט), it is required: “On the firewood upon the altar all night” (אִצְטְרִיךְ עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל הַלַּיְלָה), and it is subdued and does not rule (וְאִתְכַּפְיָא וְלָא שַׁלְטָא).

And because of this, when this one is subdued (וְעַל דָּא, כַּד אִתְכַּפְיָא הַאי), Knesset Yisrael ascends (סַלְּקָא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), who is the Holy spirit (דְּאִיהִי רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא), who ascends and is crowned above (דְּסַלְּקָא וְאִתְעַטְּרָא לְעֵילָּא), for her ascension is when this other power is subdued and separated from her (דְּהָא סְלִיקוּ דִּילָהּ, כַּד אִתְכַּפְיָא הַאי חֵילָא אָחֳרָא, וְאִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנָּהּ). And because of this we need, in the secret of the offering (וּבְגִין כַּךְ בָּעֵינָן בְּרָזָא דְּקָרְבְּנָא), to separate this side from the Holy spirit (לְאַפְרְשָׁא לְהַאי סִטְרָא, מֵרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא), and to give her portion (וּלְמֵיהַב לָהּ חוּלָקָא), so that the Holy spirit will ascend above (בְּגִין דְּרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא תִּסְתָּלַּק לְעֵילָּא).

Rabbi Aḥa opened and said (רִבִּי אֲחָא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “And the fire on the altar shall burn in it…” (וְהָאֵשׁ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד בּוֹ וְגוֹ')—“And the fire on the altar shall burn in it,” why? (וְהָאֵשׁ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד בּוֹ, אֲמַאי). “And the Kohen shall burn wood on it every morning” (וּבִעֵר עָלֶיהָ הַכֹּהֵן עֵצִים בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר), why? (אֲמַאי). And the Kohen—why? (וְכַהֲנָא אֲמַאי). For behold, we have learned that fire everywhere is judgment (וְהָא תָּנֵינָן אֶשָּׁא בְּכָל אֲתַר דִּינָא הוּא), and the Kohen comes from the side of the right (וְכַהֲנָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא קָא אָתֵי), and he is far from judgment (וּרְחִיקָא הוּא מִן דִּינָא).

For behold, the Kohen is never designated in judgment (דְּהָא כַּהֲנָא לָא אִזְדְּמַן בְּדִינָא לְעָלְמִין). And here he must kindle judgment in the world (וְהָכָא הוּא בָּעֵי לְאוֹקְדָא דִּינָא בְּעָלְמָא), as it is written: “And the Kohen shall burn wood on it” (דִּכְתִּיב וּבִעֵר עָלֶיהָ הַכֹּהֵן).