Daf 41a (דַּף מ״א ע״א)

It means that the lower world depends on the upper world (מַשְׁמַע דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה תַּלְיָא בְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה), and the upper world according to the ways of the lower world (וְעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה לְפוּם אָרְחֵי דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה). And his throne shall be established in kindness (וְיִכּוֹן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסְאוֹ). Whoever seeks to bless Him, and to establish His throne—it must be with kindness and not with judgment (מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ, וּלְאַתְקְנָא כּוּרְסְיֵיהּ, בְּחֶסֶד וְלָא בְּדִינָא). What does this mean? (מַאי מַשְׁמַע). That when the Kohen enters the Mikdash (דְּכַד עָיֵיל כַּהֲנָא לְבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא), he must enter with kindness, which is water (דְּיֵעוּל בְּחֶסֶד דְּאִיהוּ מַיָּא), and not enter with the wine of drinking, which is Gevurah (וְלָא יֵיעוּל בְּיַיִן דְּשָׁתֵי דְּאִיהוּ גְּבוּרָה). He must enter with water (יֵיעוּל בְּמַיָּא), and not enter with wine (וְלָא יֵיעוּל בְּחַמְרָא).

Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Yitzḥak came, and kissed his head (אָתוּ רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרִבִּי יִצְחָק, וְנַשְּׁקוּ רֵישֵׁיהּ), and from that day he did not separate from the house of Rabbi Yehudah (וּמֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא לָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִבֵּי רִבִּי יְהוּדָה). And when he entered the Beit Midrash, Rabbi Yehudah would rise before him (וְכַד הֲוָה עָיֵיל לְבֵי מִדְרָשָׁא, הֲוָה קָם רִבִּי יְהוּדָה קַמֵּיהּ). He said: A word I have learned from him, and it is fitting to honor him (אָמַר: מִלָּה אוֹלִיפְנָא מִנֵּיהּ, וְיָאוּת לְאַנְהָגָא בֵּיהּ יְקָר). Afterwards he was elevated among the companions (לְבָתַר אִסְתְּלַּק בֵּין חַבְרַיָּיא), and they would call him Rabbi Yissa, the head of the hammer that shatters flints and brings forth flames to every side (וַהֲווּ קָארָן לֵיהּ רִבִּי יֵיסָא, רֵישָׁא דְּפַטִּישָׁא דְּמַתְבָּר טִנָרִין, וְאַפִּיק שַׁלְהוֹבִין לְכָל סְטָר). And Rabbi El'azar would recite about him: Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you (וַהֲוָה קָרֵי עָלֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: בְּטֶרֶם אֶצָּרְךָ בַּבֶּטֶן יְדַעְתִּיךָ) (Jeremiah 1). And Hashem spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying to them: This is the living thing which you shall eat, etc. (וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר אֲלֵיהֶם, זֹאת הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכְלוּ וְגוֹ') (Leviticus 11). Why is Aharon mentioned here? (מַאי שְׁנָא הָכָא אַהֲרֹן). Rather, because he continually stood to separate between impurity and purity (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ קַיְּימָא תָּדִיר לְאַפְרְשָׁא בֵּין מִסְאֲבָא וּבֵין דַּכְיָא), as it is written: To distinguish between the impure and the pure (דִּכְתִּיב: לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַטָּמֵא וּבֵין הַטָּהוֹר).

Rabbi Abba opened and said (רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): Who is the man that desires life, etc. (מִי הָאִישׁ הֶחָפֵץ חַיִּים וְגוֹ') (Psalms 34). Guard your tongue from evil, etc. (נְצוֹר לְשׁוֹנְךָ מֵרָע וְגוֹ'). Turn away from evil, etc. (סוּר מֵרָע וְגוֹ'). And it is written: He who guards his mouth and his tongue, etc. (וּכְתִיב: שׁוֹמֵר פִּיו וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ וְגוֹ') (Proverbs 21). Who is the man that desires life—what is life? (מִי הָאִישׁ הֶחָפֵץ חַיִּים — מַאן חַיִּים). These are the lives that are called the World to Come (אֶלָּא אִלֵּין חַיִּים דְּאִקְרוּן עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), and life dwells there (וְחַיִּים תַּמָּן שַׁרְיָין). And for this reason we have learned: Etz Chayim—this is the Tree from those lives (וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן: עֵץ חַיִּים, הִיא אִילָנָא מֵאִינּוּן חַיִּים), the tree that was planted in those lives (אִילָנָא דְּאִתְנְטַע בְּאִינּוּן חַיִּין). And for this reason it is written: Who is the man that desires life (וְעַל דָּא: מִי הָאִישׁ הֶחָפֵץ חַיִּים כְּתִיב).

Loving days to see good (אוֹהֵב יָמִים לִרְאוֹת טוֹב), what are days? (מַאן יָמִים). Rather, this is the Name of the Holy King (אֶלָּא דָּא הוּא שְׁמָא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), which is grasped in those supernal days (דַּאֲחִידָא בְּאִינּוּן יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין), which are called the days of the heavens upon the earth (דְּאִקְרוּן יְמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם עַל הָאָרֶץ), indeed the days of the heavens (יְמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וַדַּאי), indeed upon the earth (עַל הָאָרֶץ וַדַּאי). Whoever seeks the life above, to have a portion in them (מַאן דְּבָעֵי חַיִּים דִּלְעֵילָּא, לְמֶהֱוִי לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּהוּ). And whoever seeks the supernal days, to cleave to them and to have mercy upon them (וּמַאן דְּבָעֵי יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין, לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּהוּ וּלְרַחֲמָא לְהוּ). Let him guard his mouth from everything (יִנְטַר פּוּמֵיהּ מִכֹּלָּא), let him guard his mouth and his tongue (יִנְטַר פּוּמֵיהּ וְלִישָׁנֵיהּ), let him guard his mouth from food and from drink that defiles the soul (יִנְטַר פּוּמֵיהּ מִמֵּיכְלָא וּמִמִּשְׁתְּיָא דִּמְסָאֵב לְנַפְשָׁא), and distances a man from those lives and from those days (וּמְרַחָקָא לְבַר נָשׁ מֵאִינּוּן חַיִּין וּמֵאִינּוּן יוֹמִין). And let him guard his tongue from evil words (Some say: his mouth and his tongue (וְיִנְטַר לִישָׁנֵיהּ מִמִּלִּין בִּישִׁין (ס״א פּוּמֵיהּ וְלִישָׁנֵיהּ), so that he not be defiled through them (דְּלָא יִסְתְּאַב בְּהוּ), and be distanced from them (וְיִתְרְחַק מִנַּיְיהוּ), and not have a portion in them (וְלָא יְהֵא לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּהוּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): mouth and tongue—another supernal place is called thus (פּוּמָא וְלִישָׁן, אֲתַר אַחֲרָא עִלָּאָה הָכִי אִקְרֵי). And because of this, a man must not blemish his mouth and his tongue (וּבְגִין כָּךְ לָא יַפְגִּים אִינִישׁ פּוּמֵיהּ וְלִישָׁנֵיהּ), and all the more so not to defile his soul and himself (וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא נַפְשֵׁיהּ וְגַרְמֵיהּ), for he will be defiled in the other world (בְּגִין דְּאִסְתְּאַב הוּא בְּעָלְמָא אָחֳרָא), and we have already established this (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא). This is the living creature which you shall eat from among all the beasts, etc. (זֹאת הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכְלוּ מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה וְגוֹ') (Leviticus 11)—this verse, its beginning is not its end, and its end is not its beginning (הַאי קְרָא לָאו רֵישֵׁיהּ סֵיפֵיהּ, וְלָאו סֵיפֵיהּ רֵישֵׁיהּ). This is the living creature—at first (זֹאת הַחַיָּה בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and afterwards from all the beasts (וּלְבָתַר מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה).

Rather, Kudsha Berikh Hu said (אֶלָּא אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא): At every time that Yisrael guard their souls and their bodies not to be defiled by them (בְּכָל זִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מְנַטְרֵי נַפְשַׁיְיהוּ וְגַרְמַיְיהוּ דְּלָא לְסָאֲבָא לוֹן), then indeed This is the living creature which you shall eat (וַדַּאי זֹאת הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכְלוּ), that they be found in supernal holiness (יֵהוֹן שְׁכִיחִין בִּקְדוּשָּׁה עִלָּאָה), to cleave to My Name (לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בִּשְׁמִי), in the clarification of that beast which I have chosen for you to eat (בִּבְרִירוּ דְּהַהִיא בְּהֵמָה דְּבָרִירְנָא לְכוּ לְמֵיכַל). Do not be defiled through them (לָא תִּסְתַּאֲבוּ בְּהוּ), and you shall be cleaving to My Name (וְתֶהווֹן דְּבֵקִין בִּשְׁמִי). And whenever they do not guard their souls and their bodies from food and from drink (וְכָל זִמְנָא דְּלָאו אִינּוּן נַטְרִין נַפְשַׁיְיהוּ וְגַרְמַיְיהוּ מִמֵּיכְלָא וּמִשְׁתְּיָּא), they will cleave to another defiled place, to be defiled in them (יִתְדַבְּקוּן בַּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא מִסְאֲבָא, לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא בְּהוּ).

And because of this it is written: This is the living creature which you shall eat from all (וּבְגִין כַּךְ כְּתִיב, זֹאת הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכְלוּ מִכָּל) (Leviticus 11). From all—indeed, for this is the mystery of the Holy Name, to cleave to it (מִכָּל וַדַּאי, דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בֵּיהּ). From all the beasts that are upon the earth—because the food of this beast is found pure, and it will not defile you (מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר עַל הָאָרֶץ, בְּגִין דְּהַאי מֵיכְלָא דְּהַאי בְּהֵמָה אִשְׁתְּכַח דַּכְיָא, וְלָא יְסָאַב לְכוּ), you shall have a portion in My Name, to cleave to it (יְהֵא לְכוּ חוּלָקָא בִּשְׁמִי, לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בֵּיהּ).

Again: This is the living creature which you shall eat (תּוּ, זֹאת הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכְלוּ). Regarding Pharaoh it is written: By this you shall know that I am Hashem (בְּפַרְעֹה כְּתִיב, בְּזֹאת תֵּדַע כִּי אֲנִי יְיָ') (Exodus 7). Behold this is against you, to exact punishment from you (הָא זֹאת לָקֳבְלָךְ, לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִנָךְ).

So too here: This is the living creature which you shall eat from all the beasts—behold this is against you, to exact punishment from you, if you defile your souls (אוּף הָכָא: זֹאת הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכְלוּ מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה, הָא זֹאת לָקֳבְלֵיכוֹן, לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִנַּיְיכוּ, אִי תְּסָאֲבוּן נַפְשֵׁיכוֹן). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעֲמָא). Because from her is the soul (בְּגִין דְּנַפְשָׁתָא מִנָּהּ הֲווֹ), and if you defile her, behold this is against you—if for good, it shall stand for you; if for evil, it shall stand for you (וְאִי אַתּוּן תְּסָאֲבוּן לְהַהוּא דִּילָהּ, הָא זֹאת לָקֳבְלַיְיכוּ, אִי לְטָב הִיא קַיְּימָא לְגַבַּיְיכוּ, אִי לְבִישׁ הִיא קַיְּימָא לְגַבַּיְיכוּ).