Daf 38b (דַּף ל״ח ע״ב)

Rather, these are the rams of Yitzchak, for offering in relation to the cow (אֶלָּא אֵילוֹ דְּיִצְחָק, לְקָרְבָא לְגַבֵּי פָּרָה), for he is mentioned twice in the verse (דְּאִדְכַּר תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי בִּקְרָא): one, as it is written: And Avraham lifted his eyes and saw, and behold—a ram (חַד דִּכְתִּיב: וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה אַיִל) (Bereshit 22)—that is one (הָא חַד); and the second: And Avraham went and took the ram (וְחַד: וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח אֶת הָאַיִל)—that is two (הָא תְּרֵי), and he offered it up for an elevation offering (וַיַּעֲלֵהוּ לְעוֹלָה). And because of this: a ram for an elevation offering, unblemished (וְעַל דָּא: אַיִל לְעוֹלָה תְּמִימִים)—two rams, for it is two (תְּרֵי אַיִל, דְּאִיהוּ תְּרֵי).

Gevurot—mighty powers—we have learned (גְּבוּרוֹת תָּנֵינָן), and from them branch out many others (וּמִנַּיְיהוּ מִתְפָּרְשִׁין לְכַמָּה אָחֳרָנִין). And to the children of Yisrael you shall speak, saying: take a male goat for a sin offering (וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּדַבֵּר לֵאמֹר קְחוּ שְׂעִיר עִזִּים לְחַטָּאת) (Leviticus 9). It should have said: a calf for a sin offering (עֵגֶל לְחַטָּאת מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ), just like the Kohen (כְּגַוְונָא דְּכַהֲנָא). Rather, Yisrael already received punishment (אֶלָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל הָא קַבִּילוּ עוֹנְשָׁא), and for this reason it is not written by them a calf for a sin offering (וְעַל דָּא לָא כְּתִיב בְּהוּ עֵגֶל לְחַטָּאת), but rather a calf for an elevation offering (אֶלָּא עֵגֶל לְעוֹלָה).

Why is that? (מַאי טַעְמָא). Because all those who sinned through it already received punishment (דְּכָל אִינּוּן דְּחָבוּ בֵּיהּ, קַבִּילוּ עוֹנְשָׁא), whether through speech, or through deed, or through service (בֵּין בְּמִלּוּלָא, בֵּין בְּעוֹבָדָא, בֵּין בְּפוּלְחָנָא), and even those who did not do anything (וַאֲפִילּוּ אִינּוּן דְּלָא עַבְדוּ מִדִי), but merely had the desire in their hearts to serve it (אֶלָּא דִּסְלִיקוּ לֵיהּ בִּרְעוּתָא דְּלִבַּיְיהוּ לְמִפְלַח לֵיהּ)—they were punished (אִתְעֲנָשׁוּ), as it is written: And he made the children of Yisrael drink (כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב: וַיַּשְׁק אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) (Exodus 32). But all those whose desire was not to serve it (אֲבָל כָּל אִינּוּן דִּסְלִיקוּ לֵיהּ בִּרְעוּתָא דְּלָא לְמִפְלַח לֵיהּ), rather, they removed the form of desire from themselves (אֶלָּא דִּסְלִיקוּ גַּוְונָא דִּרְעוּתָא מִנֵיהּ)—here they were purified (הָכָא אִתְדַּכָּן), and are brought near as an elevation offering and not as a sin offering (וּמְקָרְבִין לֵיהּ לְעוֹלָה וְלֹא לְחַטָּאת). But: Take a male goat for a sin offering—why? (אֲבָל קְחוּ שְׂעִיר עִזִּים לְחַטָּאת, אֲמַאי). Rather, because they had formerly offered to the goats (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דַּהֲווֹ מְקָרְבִין בְּקַדְמִיתָא לַשְּׂעִירִים), which rule over the lofty mountains (דְּשַׁלְטִין עַל טוּרֵי רָמָאֵי). And this is for a sin offering (וְדָא הוּא לְחַטָּאת), and they need to be purified from that sin (וּבַעְיָין לְאִתְדַכְּאָה מֵהַהוּא חוֹבָא), and furthermore, it is necessary for the renewal of the moon (וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא לְחַדְתּוּתֵי דְּסִיהֲרָא אִצְטְרִיךְ).

An ox and a ram for peace offerings (וְשׁוֹר וְאַיִל לִשְׁלָמִים) (Leviticus 9)—an ox, and not a bull, because the ox is complete (שׁוֹר וְלָא פַּר, בְּגִין דְּשׁוֹר שְׁלִים אִיהוּ), to show wholeness (לְאַחֲזָאָה שְׁלָמָא). This is what is written: for peace offerings (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: לִשְׁלָמִים). Rabbi Yosei said (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר): An ox and a ram come from the side of the left (שׁוֹר וְאַיִל מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא קָא אַתְיָין). An ox—from the side of the left, as it is written: and the face of an ox was on the left (שׁוֹר מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא, דִּכְתִּיב: וּפְנֵי שׁוֹר מֵהַשְּׂמֹאל) (Ezekiel 1). A ram—because of the rams of Yitzchak (אַיִל, בְּגִין אֵילוֹ דְּיִצְחָק). And they ascend as peace offerings (וְסַלְּקִין לִשְׁלָמִים), to bring completion to Knesset Yisrael (לְאַשְׁלְמָא לוֹן לִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל). And because of this: an ox and a ram for peace offerings (וְעַל דָּא שׁוֹר וָאַיִל לִשְׁלָמִים).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): All of it is so that Knesset Yisrael be crowned and blessed through the hand of the Kohen in completeness (כֹּלָּא בְּגִין דְּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְעַטְּרָא וּמִתְבָּרְכָא עַל יְדָא דְּכַהֲנָא, בְּאַשְׁלְמוּתָא). And this day was the joy of all (וְהַאי יוֹמָא חֶדְוָותָא דְּכֹלָּא הֲוָה)—the joy of Knesset Yisrael with Kudsha Berikh Hu (חֶדְוָותָא דְּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), the joy of the upper and lower realms (חֶדְוָותָא דְּעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין). And just as the Kohen was completed below (וּכְמָּה דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים כַּהֲנָא לְתַתָּא), so, as it were, was the Kohen completed above (כִּבְיָכוֹל אִשְׁתְּלִים כַּהֲנָא לְעֵילָּא)—except that Nadav and Avihu caused confusion between the Matronita and the King (בַּר נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא דְּאִתְעֲרוּ עִרְבּוּבְיָא בֵּין מַטְרוֹנִיתָא וּמַלְכָּא). And because of this: And fire went out from before Hashem and consumed them, etc. (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי יְיָ' וַתֹּאכַל אוֹתָם וְגוֹ') (Leviticus 10). And Moshe said to El'azar and to Itamar: do not let your heads grow wild, etc., for the anointing oil of Hashem is upon you (וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל אֶלְעָזָר וְאֶל אִיתָמָר רָאשֵׁיכֶם אַל תִּפְרָעוּ וְגוֹ', כִּי שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת יְיָ' עֲלֵיכֶם) (Leviticus 10).

Rabbi Abba said (רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר): We have learned that through actions below, actions above are aroused (הָא תָּנֵינָן: בְּעוֹבָדִין דִּלְתַתָּא, אִתְּעָרוּן עוֹבָדִין לְעֵילָּא). And the action below must appear in the likeness of the action above (וְעוֹבָדָא דִּלְתַתָּא בָּעֵי לְאִתְחֲזָאָה כְּגַוְונָא דְּעוֹבָדָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). What is the difference between this one and that one? (מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי). Rather, all is one (אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא חַד). But there, it is for judgment; here, it is for compassion (אֲבָל הָתָם לְדִינָא, הָכָא לְרַחֲמֵי). When she was joined to David, it was for judgment (כַּד אִתְחַבְּרָא בְּדָוִד, לְדִינָא), to wage wars (לְאַגָּחָא קְרָבִין), to shed blood (לְאוֹשָׁדָא דָּמִין). Here, with Aharon—it was for peace (הָכָא בְּאַהֲרֹן, לִשְׁלָמָא), for joy (לְחֶדְוָה), for brightness of countenance (לִנְהִירוּ דְּאַנְפִּין), for blessing (לְאִתְבָּרְכָא). And because of this, she is called there Bat Sheva, and here Elisheva (וְעַל דָּא אִתְקְרֵי הָתָם בַּת שֶׁבַע, הָכָא אֱלִישֶׁבַע). Elisheva—because she was joined in Chesed (אֱלִישֶׁבַע: דְּאִתְחַבְּרָא בְּחֶסֶד).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Bat Sheva—for judgment, to inherit kingship and to be strengthened (בַּת שֶׁבַע לְדִינָא, לְיָרְתָא מַלְכוּתָא וּלְאִתָּקְפָא). Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): This that we have learned—that it is written (הָא דְּתָנֵינָן דִּכְתִּיב): The voice of the shofar—this is fitting (קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר, שַׁפִּיר הוּא) (Exodus 19). And this is Yaakov, who is elevated in the thought of the Patriarchs (וְדָא הוּא יַעֲקֹב, דְּאִסְתַּלָּק בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה דַּאֲבָהָן), and they emerge as one from within the shofar (וְנַפְקוּ כַּחֲדָא מִגּוֹ שׁוֹפָר), for the shofar brings forth water, and fire, and wind as one (דְּהָא שׁוֹפָר אַפִּיק מַיָּא וְאֶשָּׁא וְרוּחָא כַּחֲדָא), and from them a sound is made (וְאִתְעָבִיד מִנַּיְיהוּ קָלָא). So too, Imma Ila‘ah brought forth the Patriarchs in one voice (כַּךְ אִמָּא עִלָּאָה, אַפִּיק לַאֲבָהָן, בְּקָל חַד), and from within the thought they were elevated together in one voice (וּמִגּוֹ מַחֲשָׁבָה אִסְתְּלָקוּ כַּחֲדָא בְּחַד קוֹל), and that voice is called the voice of the shofar (וְהַהוּא קוֹל אִקְרֵי קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר), and this is Yaakov, who includes the Patriarchs together and is called voice (וְדָא יַעֲקֹב, דְּכָלִיל לַאֲבָהָן כַּחֲדָא, וְאִקְּרֵי קוֹל).