Daf 69a (דַּף ס״ט ע״א)

“And man did not remember that poor man” (וְאָדָם לֹא זָכַר אֶת הָאִישׁ הַמִּסְכֵּן הַהוּא) — “and man did not remember” (וְאָדָם לָא זָכַר), to perform the commandments of the Orayta (לְמֶעְבַּד פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא), to labor in the Orayta (לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), like that poor man who cleaves in all (כְּהַהוּא גְּבַר מִסְכְּנָא דְּאִתְחַבָּר בְּכֹלָּא), in order to merit in her (בְּגִין לְמִזְכֵּי בָּהּ). “‘And I said: wisdom is better than strength’” (וְאָמַרְתִּי אָנִי טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִגְּבוּרָה) (Ecclesiastes 9). For in that world they are not permitted to enter, except those who are truly meritorious (דְּהָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, לָא יָהֲבִין רְשׁוּ לְמֵיעַל, בַּר הָנֵי זַכָּאֵי קְשׁוֹט) — those who labor in her, in Orayta, day and night (הָנֵי דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יוֹמָא וְלֵילֵי), and are crowned with the commandments of the Orayta in this world (וּמִתְעַטְּרֵי בְּפִקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), to enter by them into the World to Come (לְמֵיעַל בְּהוּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). “And the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heard” (וְחָכְמַת הַמִּסְכֵּן בְּזוּיָה וּדְבָרָיו אֵינָם נִשְׁמָעִים) (Ecclesiastes 9).

For mankind does not regard him (דְּהָא בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין בֵּיהּ), nor do they desire to cleave to him or to obey his words (וְלָא בָּעָאן לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בֵּיהּ, וּלְאָצִית לְמִלּוֹי).

For it was taught (דְּתָנָא): whoever obeys the words of Orayta (כָּל מַאן דְּאָצִית לְמִלּוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), happy is he in this world (זַכָּאָה הוּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and it is as though he received the Torah from Sinai (וּכְאִלּוּ קַבִּיל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי). And even from any man one must hear words of Orayta (וַאֲפִילּוּ מִכָּל בַּר נָשׁ נָמֵי בָּעֵי לְמִשְׁמַע מִלּוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא). And whoever inclines his ear to them (וּמַאן דְּאַרְכִין אוּדְנֵיהּ לָקֳבְלֵיהּ), gives honor to the Holy King (יָהִיב יְקָרָא לְמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), and gives honor to the Orayta (וְיָהִיב יְקָרָא לְאוֹרַיְיתָא). Concerning him it is written: “‘This day you have become a people unto Hashem your Elohim’” (עָלֵיהּ כְּתִיב הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה נִהְיֵיתָ לְעָם לַיְיָ׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ) (Deuteronomy 27).

It was taught (תָּאנָא): one day the Friends were going with Rabbi Shim‘on (יוֹמָא חַד הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי חַבְרַיָּיא עִמֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן). Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): I see all these nations above (חֲמֵינָא אִלֵּין עַמִּין כֻּלְּהוּ עִלָּאֵי), and Yisrael lower than all (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל תַּתָּאֵי מִכֻּלְּהוּ). Why is this? (מַאי טַעֲמָא). Because the King cast off the Matronita from Himself (בְּגִין דְּמַלְכָּא אַשְׁדַר מַטְרוֹנִיתָא מִינֵּהּ), and brought in her maidservant into her place (וְאָעִיל אַמָּהוּ בְּאַתְרָהָא, כְּלוֹמַר שִׁפְחָה). As it is said: “‘For three things the earth trembles, etc. Under a servant when he reigns, etc. And a maidservant that supplants her mistress’” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר תַּחַת שָׁלֹשׁ רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ וְגוֹ׳, תַּחַת עֶבֶד כִּי יִמְלוֹךְ וְגוֹ׳, וְשִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ) (Proverbs 30).

Who is the maidservant? (מַאן שִׁפְחָה). She is the foreign Keter (הִיא כִּתְרָא נוּכְרָאָה), for Kudsha Berikh Hu slew their firstborn in Egypt (דְּקָטַל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בּוּכְרָא דִּלְהוֹן בְּמִצְרַיִם). As it is written: “‘Even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill’” (דִּכְתִיב עַד בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה אֲשֶׁר אַחַר הָרֵחָיִם) (Exodus 11). “Behind the mill” — at first she was sitting there (אַחַר הָרֵחָיִם הֲוַת יָתְבָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and now this maidservant supplants her mistress (וְהַשְׁתָּא, הַאי שִׁפְחָה תִּירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ).

Rabbi Shim‘on wept and said (בָּכָה רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר): a King without the Matronita is not called King (מַלְכָּא בְּלָא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, לָא אִקְרֵי מַלְכָּא). A King who cleaves to a maidservant, the maid of the Matronita — where is His glory? (מַלְכָּא דְּאִתְדַּבָק בְּשִׁפְחָה בְּאֲמָּהוּ דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, אָן הוּא יְקָרָא דִּילֵיהּ). But soon there will be a voice to announce to the Matronita (וּזְמִינָא קָלָא לְבַשְּׂרָא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא), and to say: “‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you; He is righteous and saved’” (וְלֵימָא גִּילִי מְאֹד בַּת צִיּוֹן הָרִיעִי בַּת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הִנֵּה מַלְכֵּךְ יָבוֹא לָךְ צַדִּיק וְנוֹשָׁע הוּא) (Zechariah 9). That is to say: He is righteous and saved (כְּלוֹמַר, צַדִּיק הוּא נוֹשָׁע), for until now He was riding in a place that was not His (בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה רָכִיב עַד הַשְׁתָּא בַּאֲתַר דְּלָאו דִּילֵיהּ), in a foreign place (בַּאֲתַר נוּכְרָאָה), and was nourished from her (וְיָנִיק לֵיהּ). “And upon this it is written: ‘Poor and riding upon a donkey’” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב עָנִי וְרוֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר) (Zechariah 9). “Poor” — for he was not so at first (עָנִי דְּלָא הֲוָה בְּקַדְמִיתָא). “And riding upon a donkey” — as we have established (וְרוֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר, כְּמָה דְאוֹקִימְנָא): these are the lower crowns of the nations, idol worshippers (אִינּוּן כִּתְרִין תַּתָּאִין דְּעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה), whose firstborn Kudsha Berikh Hu slew in Egypt (דְּקָטִיל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בּוּכְרָא דִּלְהוֹן בְּמִצְרַיִם). This is what is written: “‘And every firstborn of beasts’” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְכָל בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָה) (Exodus 11). And we have already established this matter (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלֵּי). As if to say, righteous and saved is He (כִּבְיָכוֹל צַדִּיק וְנוֹשָׁע הוּא) — He indeed more than all (הוּא וַדַּאי יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָּא). For until now the Tzaddik remained without Tzedek (בְּגִין דְּעַד הַשְׁתָּא שָׁארֵי צַדִּיק בְּלָא צֶדֶק). But now that they are joined together, “Tzaddik and saved is He” (וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּיִזְדַּוְּוגוּן כַּחֲדָא, צַדִּיק וְנוֹשָׁע הוּא) — for He does not sit in another place (דְּהָא לָא יָתִיב בְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא).

It was taught (תָּאנָא): “‘The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart, etc.’” (הַצַּדִּיק אָבָד וְאֵין אִישׁ שָׂם עַל לֵב וְגוֹ׳) (Isaiah 57). This verse is difficult (הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא): “the Tzaddik perishes” — it should have said “is lost” (הַצַּדִּיק אָבָד, נֶאֱבַד מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). What is “perishes”? (מַהוּ אָבָד). Rather, perishes literally (אֶלָּא אָבָד מַמָּשׁ). And what perished? (וּמַאי אָבָד). He was lost to the Matronita (אָבַד לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא), and cleaved in another place, which is called “the maidservant” (וְאִתְדַּבָק בַּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא, דְּאִקְרֵי שִׁפְחָה).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said to Rabbi Shim‘on (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): if it is pleasing before my Master, this that we have learned — that it is written: “‘But the Tzaddik is the foundation of the world’” (וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם) (Proverbs 10). One says: upon seven the world stands (מַאן דְּאָמַר, דְּעַל שִׁבְעָה קַיְימִין קַיְּימָא עָלְמָא). And one says: upon one the world stands (וּמַאן דְּאָמַר, עַל חַד קַיְּימָא עָלְמָא). How are these words reconciled? (הֵיךְ מִתְיַישְּׁבָן מִלֵּי).

He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): all is one word (כֹּלָּא מִלָּה חַד הוּא). For behold, the seven are included in that one which is called Tzaddik (דְּהָא ז׳ אִינּוּן וּבְהוּ אִית חַד קַיְּימָא, דְּאִקְרֵי צַדִּיק), and they stand upon him (וְקַיְימֵי עָלֵיהּ). And the world is sustained by this one (וְעָלְמָא בְּהַאי אִתְקַיֵּימָא). And when the world is sustained upon him, it is as though it is sustained upon all seven (וְכַד אִתְקַיֵּימָא עָלְמָא עָלֵיהּ, כְּאִלּוּ אִתְקַיָּים עַל כֻּלְּהוּ שִׁבְעָה). And because of this it is written: “‘But the Tzaddik is the foundation of the world’” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם). And we have already established these words in many places (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלֵּי בְּכַמָּה אֲתַר).

And it was taught (וְתָאנָא): this maidservant is destined to rule in the Holy Land below (הַאי שִׁפְחָה זְמִינָא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּלְתַּתָּא), as once the Matronita ruled at first (כְּמָה דַּהֲוַת מַטְרוֹנִיתָא שַׁלְטָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא). As it is written: “‘Righteousness lodged in her’” (דִּכְתִיב צֶדֶק יָלִין בָּהּ) (Isaiah 1). And now the maidservant supplants her mistress in all (וְהַשְׁתָּא שִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ בְּכֹלָּא). And Kudsha Berikh Hu is destined to return the Matronita to her place as before (וְזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְאָתָבָא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא לְאַתְרָהָא כְּקַדְמֵיתָא). And then, from whom is the joy? (וּכְדֵין מִמַּאן הוּא חֶדְוָותָא).

It is surely the joy of the King and the joy of the Matronita (הֲוִי אֵימָא חֶדְוָותָא דְּמַלְכָּא, וְחֶדְוָותָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא). The joy of the King — because He returns to her and separates from the maidservant, as I have said (חֶדְוָותָא דְּמַלְכָּא, בְּגִין דְּיֵתוּב לָהּ וְיִתְפְּרַשׁ מִשִּׁפְחָה, כַּדְקָא אֲמֵינָא). The joy of the Matronita — because she returns to be joined with the King (וְחֶדְוָותָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, בְּגִין דְּתֵיתוּב לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בְּמַלְכָּא). This is what is written: “‘Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion, etc.’” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב גִּילִי מְאֹד בַּת צִיּוֹן וְגוֹ׳) (Zechariah 9).