Daf 38a (דַּף ל״ח ע״א)

And regarding this, the praise that Kudsha Berikh Hu praises her—Knesset Yisrael (וְעַל דָּא שְׁבָחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דִּמְשַׁבַּח לָהּ לִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), as a rose that is among the thorns (כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה דְּאִיהִי בֵּין הַחוֹחִים), that she is exalted and ascends above all (דְּאִיהִי מְעַלְּיָא וְסַלְּקָא עַל כֹּלָּא). So too, Knesset Yisrael among the other multitudes (כַּךְ כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּין שְׁאָר אוּכְלוּסִין), because she ascends and is crowned above all (בְּגִין דְּהִיא סַלְּקָא וּמִתְעַטְּרָא עַל כֹּלָּא). And this: a rose among the thorns, and an etrog among the thorns (וְדָא שׁוֹשַׁנָה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים, וְאֶתְרוֹג בֵּין הַחוֹחִים), is to show the praise of Knesset Yisrael above all (לְאַחֲזָאָה שְׁבָחָא דְּכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַל כֹּלָּא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Knesset Yisrael is blessed through the hand of the Kohen (כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְבָּרְכָא עַל יְדֵי דְּכַהֲנָא), and Yisrael is blessed through the hand of the Kohen (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְבָּרְכָאן עַל יְדֵי דְּכַהֲנָא). And the Kohen is blessed through the hand of the Supernal Kohen (וְכַהֲנָא מִתְבָּרְכָא עַל יְדֵי דְּכַהֲנָא עִלָּאָה). This is what is written: And they shall place My Name upon the children of Yisrael, and I shall bless them (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וְשָׂמוּ אֶת שְׁמִי עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַאֲנִי אֲבָרַכֵם) (Numbers 6). It is written: Remember Your mercies, Hashem, and Your kindnesses, for they are from of old (כְּתִיב: זְכֹר רַחֲמֶיךָ יְיָ' וַחֲסָדֶיךָ כִּי מֵעוֹלָם הֵמָּה) (Psalms 25). Remember Your mercies—this is Yaakov (זְכֹר רַחֲמֶיךָ, דָּא יַעֲקֹב). And Your kindnesses—this is Avraham (וַחֲסָדֶיךָ, דָּא אַבְרָהָם).

For they are from of old—and from eternity Kudsha Berikh Hu took them (כִּי מֵעוֹלָם הֵמָּה, וּמֵעוֹלָם נָטַל לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and He raised them above (וְסָלִיק לוֹן לְעֵילָּא), and made from them a holy chariot (וַעֲבַד מִנַּיְיהוּ רְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא), to shield the world (לְאַגָּנָא עַל עָלְמָא). And because they are from eternity, He remembers them to shield and to have compassion upon the world (וּבְגִין דַּהֲווֹ מֵעוֹלָם, הוּא דְּכִיר לְהוֹן לְאַגָּנָא וּלְרַחֲמָא עַל עָלְמָא). In this manner (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא): Kudsha Berikh Hu takes the Righteous from the world (נָטִיל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא מִן עָלְמָא), and raises them above (וְסָלִיק לוֹן לְעֵילָּא), to shield the world (לְאַגָּנָא עַל עָלְמָא). And if you say: Why is Yitzchak not mentioned here? (וְאִי תֵּימָא יִצְחָק אֲמַאי לָא אַדְכַּר הָכָא). Rather, he was left to exact punishment from those who oppressed his children (אֶלָּא אִשְׁתְּאַר לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מֵאִינּוּן דְּעָאקִין לִבְנוֹי). This is what is written: Arouse Your might (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: עוֹרְרָה אֶת גְּבוּרָתֶךָ) (Psalms 89). And it is written: Hashem shall go forth like a warrior; like a man of war He shall arouse zeal, etc. (וּכְתִיב: יְיָ' כַּגִּבּוֹר יֵצֵא כְּאִישׁ מִלְחָמוֹת יָעִיר קִנְאָה וְגוֹ') (Isaiah 42). And this is Yitzchak, who was removed from here (וְדָא הוּא יִצְחָק, דְּאִסְתַּלָּק מֵהָכָא).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר): Remember Your mercies, Hashem, and Your kindnesses—these are Yaakov and Avraham (זְכֹר רַחֲמֶיךָ יְיָ' וַחֲסָדֶיךָ — אִלֵּין אִינּוּן יַעֲקֹב וְאַבְרָהָם), for we need them to shield us (דְּבָעֵינָן לְהוֹן לְאַגָּנָא עֲלָן). But Yitzchak is prepared to wage wars (אֲבָל יִצְחָק, לְמֶעְבַּד קְרָבִין קַיְּימָא), and therefore we do not seek him regarding us (וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ לָא בָּעֵינָן לֵיהּ לְגַבַּיְיהוּ).

Another matter: for they are from of old—that when Kudsha Berikh Hu created the world (דָּבָר אַחֵר: כִּי מֵעוֹלָם הֵמָּה, דְּכַד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא), He took Yitzchak and created the world with him (נָטַל יִצְחָק וּבָרָא בֵּיהּ עָלְמָא). He saw that he could not stand alone (חָמָא דְּלָא יָכִיל לְמֵיקָם בִּלְחוֹדוֹי), so He took Avraham and established the world with him (נָטַל אַבְרָהָם וְקִיֵּים בֵּיהּ עָלְמָא). This is what is written: These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם) (Bereshit 2)—Do not read when they were created (בְּהִבָּרְאָם), but with Avraham (בְּאַבְרָהָם) (אַל תִּקְרֵי בְּהִבָּרְאָם, אֶלָּא בְּאַבְרָהָם).

He saw that the world still needed greater establishment (חָמָא דְּבַעְיָין קִיּוּמָא יַתִּיר), so He took Yaakov (נָטַל לְיַעֲקֹב), and joined him with Yitzchak (וְשָׁתַף לֵיהּ בְּיִצְחָק), and established the world (וְקִיֵּים עָלְמָא). This is what is written: On the day that Hashem Elohim made earth and heavens (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: בְּיוֹם עֲשׂוֹת יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים אֶרֶץ וְשָׁמָיִם) (Bereshit 2). And for this reason: through Avraham and Yaakov, the world is sustained (וְעַל דָּא, בְּאַבְרָהָם וְיַעֲקֹב אִתְקַיָּים עָלְמָא). And therefore: for they are from of old (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: כִּי מֵעוֹלָם הֵמָּה).

Rabbi Yehudah opened: And it was on the eighth day (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי) (Leviticus 9). After Aharon was completed in those seven days (לְבָתַר דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים אַהֲרֹן, בְּאִינּוּן ז' יוֹמִין), and was crowned through them (וְאִתְעַטָּר בְּהוּ), through that supernal sacred anointing of greatness (בְּהַהוּא מְשַׁח רְבוּת קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה), the eighth day needed to be completed from the seven (יוֹמָא תְּמִינָאָה בַּעְיָא לְאִשְׁתַּלְּמָא מִן שִׁבְעָה), for the completion comes through the hand of the Kohen (דְּאַשְׁלָמוּתָא עַל יְדֵי דְּכַהֲנָא). And because of this, the service is on the eighth (וְעַל דָּא פּוּלְחָנָא בִּתְמִינָאָה), to be crowned from the seven (לְאִתְעַטְּרָא מִן שִׁבְעָה), and to rectify the Kohen for that sin (וּלְאִתְתַּקְּנָא כַּהֲנָא עַל הַהוּא חוֹבָה) that he sinned—Some say: that he accepted—in the beginning (דְּחָב — נ״א: דְּקַבִּיל — בְּקַדְמִיתָא).

This is what is written: And he said to Aharon, take for yourself a calf (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל אַהֲרֹן קַח לְךָ עֵגֶל) (Leviticus 9). We have already established: a calf, indeed (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ: עֵגֶל וַדַּאי), to atone for that [other] calf (לְכַפְּרָא עַל הַהוּא עֵגֶל), as it is written: And he made it a molten calf (דִּכְתִּיב: וַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה) (Exodus 32). The son of cattle—why the son of cattle and not the son of a cow? (בֶּן בָּקָר, מַאי טַעְמָא בֶּן בָּקָר, וְלָא בֶּן פָּרָה). Rather, he needed to be rectified concerning the cow (אֶלָּא אִיהוּ בָּעֵי לְאִתְתַּקְנָא לְגַבֵּי פָּרָה), and it is not fitting to offer from her to herself (לָא אִתְחֲזֵי לְקָרְבָא מִינָּהּ לְגַבָּהּ). One who sends a gift to the King—you see that he takes from the King’s house and gives to the King? (מַאן דְּשָׁדַר דּוֹרוֹן לְמַלְכָּא, חֲמִיתוּן דְּנָסִיב מִבֵּי מַלְכָּא, וְיָהִיב לְמַלְכָּא?) Rather, a gift to the King must be sent from another house (אֶלָּא דּוֹרֹנָא לְשַׁדְּרָא לְמַלְכָּא, מִבֵּי אָחֳרָא אִצְטְרִיךְ), not from the King’s own house (וְלָא מִבֵּי מַלְכָּא). Rabbi Yosei said (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר): From his own to his own—it is not fitting (מִדִּידֵיהּ לְדִידֵיהּ לָא אִתְחֲזֵי). Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): Because of this, son of cattle, indeed, and not son of a cow (בְּגִין כָּךְ בֶּן בָּקָר וַדַּאי וְלָא בֶּן פָּרָה).

For a sin-offering—to purify concerning that sin in which he sinned (לְחַטָּאת: לְדַכְּאָה עַל הַהוּא חוֹבָה דְּחָב בֵּיהּ). And a ram for a whole offering (וְאַיִל לְעוֹלָה תְּמִימִים). ‘Whole ones’ [Temimim] — it should have said ‘whole’ [Tamim] [in the singular] (תְּמִימִים — תָּמִים מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). If you say that it speaks about both the ram and the calf (אִי תֵּימָא דְּעַל אַיִל וְעֵגֶל קָאָמַר), not so (לָאו הָכֵי). For both do not ascend for an elevation offering (דְּהָא תַּרְוַויְיהוּ לָא סַלְּקִין לְעוֹלָה), for it is written: for a whole burnt offering, unblemished (דְּהָא כְּתִיב: לְעוֹלָה תְּמִימִים), and the calf is for a sin-offering and goes up as such (וְעֵגֶּל לְחַטָּאת סַלְּקָא). Why is it Temimim [plural]? When it is written: a ram [singular] (מַהוּ תְּמִימִים וּכְתִיב: אַיִל).