Daf 34a (דַּף ל״ד ע״א)

And further, that they forced the time in the lifetime of their father (וְעוֹד דְּדָחֲקוּ שַׁעֲתָא בְּחַיֵּי דַּאֲבוּהוֹן). And further, that they had not married, and were blemished (וְעוֹד דְּלָא אַנְסִיבוּ, וַהֲווּ פְּגִימִין). For he who has not married, he is blemished (דְּמַאן דְּלָא אַנְסִיב, פָּגִים הוּא), and he is not worthy that blessing should be found in the world by his hand (וְלָאו הוּא כְּדַאי לְאִשְׁתַּכְחָא בִּרְכָאן בְּעָלְמָא עַל יְדוֹי). Upon him it does not rest, how much less through him upon others (עֲלוֹי לָא שַׁרְיָין, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן עַל יְדוֹי לַאֲחֵרִים). And further, for we have learned that they were drunk with wine (וְעוֹד, דְּהָא תְּנָן רְוָּוי חַמְרָא הֲווֹ). And because of this: “And fire went out from before Hashem and consumed them” and so forth (וּבְגִין כַּךְ, וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי יְיָ׳ וַתֹּאכַל אוֹתָם וְגוֹ').

For behold incense is more beloved than all (דְּהָא קְטֹרֶת חָבִיב הוּא מִכֹּלָּא), and it is the joy of the supernal and the lower beings (וְחֶדְוָותָא דְּעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין). And it is written (Proverbs 27): “Oil and incense gladden the heart” (וּכְתִיב שֶׁמֶן וּקְטֹרֶת יְשַׂמַּח לֵב). And it is written (Leviticus 7): “This is the anointing of Aharon and the anointing of his sons” (זֹאת מִשְׁחַת אַהֲרֹן וּמִשְׁחַת בָּנָיו).

Rabbi Yosi said: This indeed is the anointing of Aharon (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר, זֹאת וַדַּאי מְשִׁיחוּתָא דְּאַהֲרֹן). For behold Aharon was anointed, and he drew the anointing of the supernal Master from above and brought it down below (דְּהָא אַהֲרֹן אִתְמְשַׁח, וְאַיְיתֵי מִמְשַׁח רְבוּת עִלָּאָה מֵעֵילָּא, וְנָגִיד לֵיהּ לְתַתָּא). And by the hand of Aharon was anointed the holy anointing, to be blessed (וְעַל יְדָא דְּאַהֲרֹן אִתְמְשַׁח, מִמְשִׁיחָתָא קַדִישָׁא לְאִתְבָּרְכָא). And therefore: “This is the anointing of Aharon and the anointing of his sons” indeed (וְעַל דָּא זֹאת מִשְׁחַת אַהֲרֹן וּמִשְׁחַת בָּנָיו וַדַּאי).

Rabbi Yehudah opened (2 Kings 4): “And Elisha said to her: What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וַיֹאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ אֱלִישָׁע מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה לָךְ הַגִידִי לִי מַה יֶּשׁ לָךְ בַּבָּיִת). From here we learn that blessing does not rest upon an empty table, nor upon an empty matter (מֵהָכָא אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּלֵית בִּרְכָתָא שַׁרְיָא בְּפָתוֹרָא רֵיקַנְיָא, וְעַל מִלָּה רֵיקָנִית). And she said: “Your maidservant has nothing in the house, except a flask of oil” (וַתֹּאמֶר אֵין לְשִׁפְחָתְךָ כֹּל בַּבַּיִת כִּי אִם אָסוּךְ שָׁמֶן). He said to her: Surely this is assistance of a miracle, for indeed it is certainly in its place, and from there blessings go out and rest (אָמַר לָהּ, וַדַּאי סִיּוּעָא דְּנִיסָּא הוּא, דְּהָא וַדַּאי בְּאַתְרֵיהּ הוּא, וּמִתַּמָּן בִּרְכָאן נָפְקִין וְשַׁרְיָין). What is written? “They were bringing to her, and she was pouring” (מַה כְּתִיב הֵם מַגִּישִׁים אֵלֶיהָ וְהִיא מוֹצָקֶת). “And she was pouring” without specification (וְהִיא מוֹצָקֶת סְתָם).

Rabbi Yosi said: “And the oil stood” (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר, וַיַּעֲמוֹד הַשָּׁמֶן), as they have already established, as it is written (Isaiah 5): “In the horn of a son of oil” (כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ, דִּכְתִּיב בְּקֶרֶן בֶּן שָׁמֶן). And it is written (Song of Songs 1): “Oil poured forth is Your name” (וּכְתִיב שֶׁמֶן תּוּרַק שְׁמֶךָ). To show that from this oil blessings flow by the hand of the priest, and the priest draws them below (לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּהָא מֵהַאי שֶׁמֶן, נְגִּידִין בִּרְכָאן עַל יְדָא דְּכַהֲנָא, וְכַהֲנָא נָגִיד לְהוּ לְתַתָּא). And he anointed (some say: and was anointed) this “Zot” (וְאַמְשַׁח [ס״א וְאתמשך] לְהַאי זֹאת), as it is written: “This is the anointing of Aharon and the anointing of his sons” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב זֹאת מִשְׁחַת אַהֲרֹן וּמִשְׁחַת בָּנָיו). And it is written (Psalms 133): “Like the good oil upon the head” (וּכְתִיב כַּשֶּׁמֶן הַטּוֹב עַל הָרֹאשׁ). And this has been said, as it is written (Leviticus 8): “Take Aharon and his sons with him and the garments” (וְהָא אִתְּמַר קַח אֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו אִתּוֹ וְאֶת הַבְּגָדִים).

Rabbi Ḥiyya opened (Psalms 36): “For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light” (רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח כִּי עִמְּךָ מְקוֹר חַיִּים בְּאוֹרְךָ נִרְאֶה אוֹר). “For with You is the fountain of life”—this is supernal oil, which flows and never ceases forever (כִּי עִמְּךָ מְקוֹר חַיִּים, דָּא שֶׁמֶן עִלָּאָה, דְּנָגִיד וְלָא פָּסִיק לְעָלְמִין), which rests in the supernal Chokhmah of all (דְּשַׁרְיָא בְּגוֹ חָכְמָה עִלָּאָה דְּכֹלָּא). This is as it is written: “For with You”—with You it rests, and it is never separated from You forever, in the belovedness of all (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי עִמְּךָ, עִמְּךָ שַׁרְיָא, וְלָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנָךְ לְעָלְמִין, בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא). “The fountain of life”—because it is the source and the spring of life, to bring forth life to the supernal tree, and to ignite the lamps (מְקוֹר חַיִים, בְּגִין דְּהִיא מְקוֹרָא וּמַבּוּעָא דְּחַיִּים, לְאַפָּקָא חַיִּים לְאִילָנָא עִלָּאָה, וּלַאֲדְלָקָא בּוּצִינִין). And because of this, that tree is called “Tree of Life,” the tree that is planted and rooted for the sake of that fountain of life (וְעַל דָּא הַהוּא אִילָנָא אִקְרֵי עֵץ חַיִּים, אִילָנָא דְּנָטִיעַ וְאִשְׁתָּרְשָׁא בְּגִין הַהוּא מְקוֹרָא דְּחַיִּים).