Daf 34b (דַּף ל״ד ע״ב)

And because of this in Your light we see light (וְעַל דָּא בְּאוֹרְךָ נִרְאֶה אוֹר). In Your light: this is the light hidden for the Righteous for the time to come (בְּאוֹרְךָ: דָּא אוֹר דְּגָנִיז לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא לְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי), as it is written (Bereshit 1): and Elohim saw the light that it was good (דִּכְתִיב וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב). And from that radiance Yisrael are destined to illuminate the world to come (וּמֵהַהוּא נְהִירוּ זְמִינִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאַנְהָרָא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי).

Another matter: for with You is the fountain of life and so forth (דָּבָר אַחֵר כִּי עִמְּךָ מְקוֹר חַיִּים וְגוֹ'). This is Kudsha Berikh Hu (דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), who is the supernal tree in the midst of the garden, which grasps all sides (דְּאִיהוּ אִילָנָא עִלָּאָה בִּמְצִיעוּת גִּנְתָּא, דְּאָחִיד לְכָל סִטְרִין). What is the reason? Because that fountain of life is held in Him (מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּאָחִיד בֵּיהּ הַהוּא מְקוֹר חַיִּים), and He crowns Himself with supernal crowns, the surrounding ones of the garden (וְאַעְטַּר לֵיהּ בְּעִטְרִין עִלָּאִין סַחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּגִּנְתָּא). Like a mother who crowns her son above all (כְּאִימָּא דִּמְעַטְּרָא לִבְרָהּ עַל כֹּלָּא), as it is written (Song of Songs 3): go forth and see daughters of Tziyon and so forth (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב צְאֶינָה וּרְאֶינָה בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן וְגוֹ'). And because of this: for with You is the fountain of life, and in Your light we see light (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כִּי עִמְּךָ מְקוֹר חַיִּים, וְעַל דָּא בְּאוֹרְךָ נִרְאֶה אוֹר).

Rabbi Yitzchak said: for with You is the fountain of life, this is the High Priest above, corresponding to the High Priest below (רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, כִּי עִמְּךָ מְקוֹר חַיִּים, דָּא כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל לְעֵילָּא, לָקֳבְלֵיהּ כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל לְתַתָּא). Because of this, the priest draws the supernal holy anointing below and lights the lamps above (בְּגִין כַּךְ, אַנְגִּיד כַּהֲנָא מְשַׁח רְבוּת עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא לְתַתָּא, וְאַדְלִיק בּוּצִינִין לְעֵילָּא).

For the High Priest is complete in the perfection of the seven supernal days, and to be crowned above all (דְּכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל שְׁלִים בִּשְׁלִימוּ דְּז' יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין, וּלְאִתְעַטְּרָא עַל כֹּלָּא). Corresponding to this are the seven days of filling for the priest below, so that all may be found as above (לָקֳבֵל דָּא ז' יְמֵי מִלּוּאִים, לְכַהֲנָא דִּלְתַתָּא, לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא כֹּלָּא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). And because of this the days of filling are called the days of completeness (וְעַל דָּא יְמֵי מִלּוּאִים אִקְרוּן: יוֹמֵי אַשְׁלְמוּתָא).

Because the priest is completed in other days, to perfect the seven together (בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתְּלִים כַּהֲנָא בִּשְׁאָר יוֹמִין אָחֳרָנִין, לְאַשְׁלְמָא ז' כַּחֲדָא). And these days of filling are called thus because the other days are joined in them (וְאִלֵּין יְמֵי מִלּוּאִים אִקְרוּן, בְּגִין דְּאִתְאַחֲדָן שְׁאָר אָחֳרָנִין בֵּיהּ). What does this mean? That when the priest is awakened, all the others are awakened with him (מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי. דְּכַד כַּהֲנָא אִתְּעַר, כָּל שְׁאָר אָחֳרָנִין מִתְעָרִין עִמֵּיהּ). And because of this it is written: “And from the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and so forth, until the day of completion and so forth” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב וּמִפֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְגוֹ', עַד יוֹם מְלֹאת וְגוֹ'). Seven days indeed (ז' יוֹמִין וַדַּאי), then the priest below was crowned with all, corresponding to that which is above (כְּדֵין אִתְעֲטָּר כַּהֲנָא לְתַתָּא בְּכֹלָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). Because at the time that the priest below is aroused, all are aroused by his hand above, and blessings are found above and below (בְּגִין דִּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּכַהֲנָא דִּלְתַתָּא אִתְּעַר, כֹּלָּא יִתְּעֲרוּן עַל יְדֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא, וְיִשְׁתַּכְחוּן בִּרְכָאן לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא).

Rabbi Abba said: What is different, that Moshe anointed Aharon? (רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר, מַאי שְׁנָא דְּמַשַׁח מֹשֶׁה לְאַהֲרֹן). Rather, because he is the son of that place, the fountain of life (אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ בְּרָא דְּהַהוּא אֲתַר מְקוֹרָא דְּחַיֵּי). And it is written (Isaiah 63): “Who led at the right hand of Moshe the arm of His glory” (וּכְתִיב מוֹלִיךְ לִימִין מֹשֶׁה זְרוֹעַ תִּפְאַרְתּוֹ). And Moshe served all those seven days of filling, to cause all to rest with Aharon (וּמֹשֶׁה שִׁמֵּשׁ כָּל אִינּוּן ז' יְמֵי מִלּוּאִין, לְאַשְׁרָאָה כֹּלָּא עִמֵּיהּ דְּאַהֲרֹן).

Rabbi Ḥizkiyah was sitting before Rabbi El'azar (רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה הֲוָה יָתִיב קָמֵי דְּרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), he said to him: How many lights were created before the world was created? (אָמַר לֵיהּ, כַּמָה נְהוֹרִין אִתְבְּרִיאוּ עַד לָא אִבְרֵי עָלְמָא). He said to him: Seven (אָמַר לֵיהּ ז'). And these are: the light of Torah, the light of Gehinom, the light of Gan Eden, the light of the Throne of Glory, the light of the Beit haMikdash, the light of Teshuvah, and the light of Mashiach (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן: אוֹר תּוֹרָה. אוֹר גֵּיהִנָּם. אוֹר גַּן עֵדֶן. אוֹר כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד. אוֹר בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. אוֹר תְּשׁוּבָה. אוֹרוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ). And these were created before the world was created (וְאִלֵּין אִתְבְּרִיאוּ עַד לָא אִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא). Seven radiant lamps were united in Aharon, and he lit lamps from above to below (ז' נְהוֹרִין בּוּצִינִין אִתְאֲחָדוּ בֵּיהּ בְּאַהֲרֹן, וְהוּא אַדְלִיק בּוּצִינִין מֵעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא).

Rabbi El'azar opened (Ecclesiastes 3): “All are from the dust, and all return to the dust” (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן הֶעָפָר וְהַכֹּל שָׁב אֶל הֶעָפָר). Behold we have learned: “All are from the dust”—even the orb of the sun (הָא תָּנֵינָן, הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן הֶעָפָר, אֲפִילּוּ גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה). Who is “dust”? That which rests beneath the holy Throne of Glory (מַאן הֶעָפָר. הַהוּא דְּשַׁרְיָא תְּחוֹת כּוּרְסֵי יְקָרָא קַדִּישָׁא).

In the book of the school of Rav Yissa Sava it is written: “All are from the dust”—the place that gathers all (בְּסִפְרָא דְּבֵי רַב יֵיסָא סָבָא, הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן הֶעָפָר, אֲתַר דְּכָנִישׁ לְכֹלָּא), teaching that paths go out to this side and to that side, and are gathered to the river, like this dust that is scattered to every direction (מְלַמֵּד, דְּנַפְקוּ שְׁבִילִין לְהַאי סִטְרָא וּלְהַאי סִטְרָא, וְאִתְכְּנָשׁוּ לְאַנְהָרָא, כְּעַפְרָא דָּא דְּזַרְקִין לָהּ לְכָל עִבָר). And because of this: “All are from the dust, and all return to the dust” indeed (וְעַל דָּא הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן הֶעָפָר, וְהַכֹּל שָׁב אֶל הֶעָפָר וַדַּאי). But from the dust of the holy Temple (אֶלָּא מִן הֶעָפָר, דְּבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא קַדִּישָׁא). And this dust is from the supernal dust, as you say (Job 28): “And the clods of it are gold” (וְהַאי עָפָר מֵעַפְרָא עִלָּאָה, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וְעַפְרוֹת זָהָב לוֹ). As is found below, so too it is above in this likeness (כְּמָה דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח עוֹבָדָא לְתַתָּא, הָכִי נָמֵי הוּא לְעֵילָּא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא). And we have established: dust is the dust of the Temple (וְאוֹקִימְנָא עָפָר, עָפָר דְּבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא). For this world was created with Heh (דְּעָלְמָא דָּא בְּה' אִתְבְּרֵי). And because of this, even the orb of the sun (וְעַל דָּא, אֲפִילּוּ גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה).

As you say (Bereshit 2): “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, with Hei He created them” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, אֵלֶה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם, בְּה' בְּרָאָם). And because of this: all was from dust (וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ, הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן הֶעָפָר). What is dust? That which rests beneath the holy Throne of Glory (מַאן עָפָר. הַהוּא דְּשָׁרִי תְּחוֹת כּוּרְסֵי יְקָרָא קַדִּישָׁא). It is written (Song of Songs 4): “You are entirely fair, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you” (כְּתִיב כֻּלָּךְ יָפָה רַעְיָתִי וּמוּם אֵין בָּךְ). “You are entirely fair, my beloved”—this is Knesset Yisrael (כֻּלָּךְ יָפָה רַעְיָתִי, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל). “And there is no blemish in you”—these are the Sanhedrin, who correspond to the seventy-two names (וּמוּם אֵין בָּךְ, אֵלּוּ סַנְהֶדְרִין דְּאִינּוּן לָקֳבֵיל שִׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין שְׁמָהָן). Seventy souls that descended with Yaakov, and Kudsha Berikh Hu above all (ע' נֶפֶשׁ דְּנַחְתּוּ עִם יַעֲקֹב, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל כֹּלָּא). And because of this, one does not examine from the Sanhedrin and above (וְעַל דָּא אֵין בּוֹדְקִין מִן הַסַנְהֶדְרִין וּלְמַעְלָה).

We have learned, it is written (Exodus 19): “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (תְּנָן, כְּתִיב וְאַתֶם תִּהְיוּ לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ). Who is “a kingdom of priests”? (מַאן מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים). As you say: “This is the anointing of Aharon and the anointing of his sons” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, זֹאת מִשְׁחַת אַהֲרֹן וּמִשְׁחַת בָּנָיו). For when Knesset Yisrael is blessed by the hand of the priests, then it is called by their name, as it is written: “A kingdom of priests” (דְּכַד אִתְבָּרְכָא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל יְדָא דְּכַהֲנֵי, כְּדֵין אִתְקְרֵי עַל שְׁמֵיהוֹן, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים).