Daf 101b (דַּף ק״א ע״ב)

Fortunate is he who arouses in the hour that was created from the six days of Bereshit (זַכָּאָה מָאן דְּאִיעֲרַע בְּשַׁעִתָּא דְאִתְבְּרִי מִשִּׁית יְמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית), for every Neshama has a time and a season in Gilgul (דְּכָל נִשְׁמָתָא אִית לָהּ עִת וּזְמַן בְּגִלְגּוּלָא), as Kohelet said: “For everything there is a season and a time for every desire under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) (כְּמָה דְאָמַר קֹהֶלֶת לַכֹּל זְמַן וְעִת לְכָל חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם). And this is the lower Shekhinta, who is time and season for each Sefirah (וְדָא שְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה דְאִיהִי זְמַן וְעִדָּן לְכָל סְפִירָה וּסְפִירָה), and for each Gilgul (וּלְכָל גִּלְגּוּלָא וְגִלְגּוּלָא), and she is “a time and times and half a time” (וְאִיהִי עִדָּן וְעִדָּנִין וּפְלַג עִידָּן). The time of all times is good (עִידָן דְּכָל עִדָּנִין שַׁפִּיר). What is “and half a time” (מַאי וּפְלַג עִידָּן)? Rather, like the half of Minchah (אֶלָּא כְּגוֹן פְּלַג הַמִּנְחָה), on the left it is divided to judgment (בִּשְׂמָאלָא אִתְפַּלְגַּת לְדִינָא), and on the right to mercy (וּבִימִינָא לְרַחֲמֵי), in the Middle Column it is completed (בְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא אִשְׁתַּלִּימַת). And when it is divided to right and to left it is said of her: “What is your request, up to half the kingdom, and it shall be done” (Esther 5:3) (וְכַד אִתְפְּלִיגַת בִּימִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא אִתְּמַר בָּהּ לְאֶסְתֵּר מַה בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ עַד חֲצִי הַמַּלְכוּת וְתֵעָשׂ). And it is the twenty eight of Hashem (וְאִיהוּ כ״ח יהו״ה), her half is the right hand (פַּלְגּוּ דִילָהּ יַד יָמִין), and her half is the left hand (וּפַלְגּוּ דִילָהּ יַד שְׂמֹאל).

And corresponding to both Kohelet mentioned in her twenty eight times “a time” (וְלָקֳבֵל תַּרְוַיְיהוּ אִדְכַּר קֹהֶלֶת בָּהּ כ״ח זִמְנִין עִת). This is what is written: “A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant etc.” (Ecclesiastes 3:2) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב עִת לָלֶדֶת וְעִת לָמוּת עִת לָטַעַת וְגוֹ׳). And these are fourteen and fourteen, the right hand is mercy (וְאִינוּן י״ד י״ד, יַד יְמִינָא רַחֲמֵי): to be born, to plant, to heal, to build, to laugh, to dance, to gather stones, to embrace, to seek, to keep, to sew, to speak, to love, peace (לָלֶדֶת לָטַעַת לִרְפּוֹא לִבְנוֹת לִשְׂחוֹק לִרְקוֹד כְּנוֹס אֲבָנִים לַחֲבוֹק לְבַקֵּשׁ לִשְׁמוֹר לִתְפּוֹר לְדַבֵּר לֶאֱהוֹב שָׁלוֹם). The left hand is judgment to judge (יַד שְׂמָאלָא דִינָא לְמִדַּן): to die, to uproot, to kill, to break, to weep, to mourn, to cast away stones, to refrain, to lose, to cast away, to tear, to be silent, to hate, war (לָמוּת לַעֲקוֹר לַהֲרוֹג לִפְרוֹץ לִבְכּוֹת סְפוֹד לְהַשְׁלִיךְ אֲבָנִים לִרְחוֹק לְאַבֵּד לְהַשְׁלִיךְ לִקְרוֹעַ לַחֲשׁוֹת לִשְׂנוֹא מִלְחָמָה). The right hand is stretched out to receive those who return, as it is written: “And the children of Yisrael were going out with a high hand” and “Your right hand Hashem is majestic in power” (Exodus 14:8, 15:6) (יַד יְמִינָא אִיהִי פְּשׁוּטָה לְקַבֵּל שָׁבִים, דִּכְתִיב וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹצְאִים בְּיָד רָמָה, יְמִינְךָ יהו״ה נֶאְדָּרִי בַּכֹּחַ). The right hand is mercy (יַד יְמִינָא רַחֲמֵי). The left hand is judgment, as it is written: “Behold the hand of Hashem is” and “The hand of Hashem was upon them to discomfit them” (Exodus 9:3, Deuteronomy 2:15) (יַד שְׂמָאלָא דִינָא, דִכְתִיב הִנֵּה יַד יהו״ה הוֹיָה, יַד יהו״ה הָיְתָה בָּם לְהֻמָּם).

And because of this there is a time of favor, and it is said about her: “With this shall Aharon come into the Holy” (Leviticus 16:3) (וּבְגִין דָּא אִית עִת רָצוֹן וְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ בְּזֹאת יָבֹא אַהֲרֹן אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ). And there is a time of judgment, and it is said about her: “And he shall not come at all times into the Holy” (Leviticus 16:2) (וְאִית עִת דְּדִינָא דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ וְאַל יָבֹא בְכָל עִת אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ). And because of this they are the twenty eight days of the moon, fourteen days she is full, and fourteen lacking (וּבְגִין דָּא אִינוּן כ״ח יוֹמֵי דְסִיהֲרָא, י״ד יוֹמִין אִיהִי שְׁלֵימָתָא, וְי״ד חֲסֵרָה). And one who is born in the days of fullness is complete in building, in life, in wealth, in sustenance, in joy, in tranquility, in construction, in all the fourteen good times (וּמָאן דְּאִתְיַילִּיד בְּיוֹמֵי שְׁלֵימוּתָא אִיהוּ שְׁלִים בַּבְּנִין בְּחַיֵּי וּבְעוּתְרָא בִּמְזוֹנֵי בְּחֶדְוָה בְּשַׁלְוָה בְּבִנְיָנָא, בְכָל י״ד עִתּוֹת טָב). And one who is born in the time that she is lacking, in all these fourteen days he is lacking in all of them, he is poor and destitute, without sustenance and without life (וּמָאן דְּאִתְיַילִּיד בְּזִמְנָא דְאִיהִי חֲסֵרָה, בְּכָל י״ד יוֹמִין אִלֵּין אִיהוּ חָסֵר בְּכֻלְּהוּ, אִיהוּ עַנְיָא מִסְכֵּנָא בְּלָא מְזוֹנֵי וּבְלָא חַיֵּי). And one who is born in the middle shall be intermediate (וּמָאן דְּאִתְיַילִּיד בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא יְהֵא בֵינוּנִי). And all this, who causes one to be born at the beginning or at the end or in the middle (וְכָל דָּא מָאן גָּרִים דְּאִתְיַילִּיד בְּרֵישָׁא אוֹ בְסוֹפָא אוֹ בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא), this is his Gilgul that obligates him (דָּא גִלְגּוּל דִּילֵיהּ דִּמְחַיֵּב לֵיהּ). And who caused this, that he was born there? Because his Mazal caused, for he was obligated from above (ומאן גרם דא דאתייליד תמן בגין דמזליה גרים דאתחייב מלעילא), before he came to the world (קֳדָם דְּאַתְיָיא לְעָלְמָא).

And because of this He said to Rabbi Pedat: If you desire, I will destroy the world, etc. (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר לְרַבִּי פְּדָת דְּאִי בָעִי דְאַחֲרִיב לְעָלְמָא וְכוּ׳). And one who is born in the lacking of the moon, in all those fourteen days, he is lacking in all of them (ומאן דאתייליד בחסרונא דסיהרא בכל י״ד יומין איהו חסר בְּכֻלְּהוּ). His Mazal causes it, and for this man his sustenance is as difficult as the splitting of the Sea (דמזליה גרים ולהאי בר נש קשין לו מזונותיו כקריעת ים סוף). (Some say: Perhaps you fell in the hour of sustenance (נ״א אפשר דנפלת בשעתא דמזונא). For this man, who was born in the fourteen of the left, his sustenance is as difficult as the splitting of the Sea (דלהאי בר נש דאתייליד בי״ד שמאלא קשין מזונותיו כקריעת ים סוף). For the sustenance of the Neshama is Orayta (דמזונא דנשמתא אורייתא), the sustenance of the body is bread (מזונא דגופא נהמא). In both of these his sustenance is difficult (בין בהאי ובין בהאי קשין מזונותיו). Because they are from the side of Din, which was created in Din, which is Adonai (בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא דְאִתְבְּרֵי בְדִינָא דְאִיהוּ אדנ״י). And one who is created in mercy, which is Hashem, his sustenance is not difficult (וּמָאן דְּאִתְבְּרִי בְּרַחֲמֵי דְּאִיהוּ יהו״ה, לַאו אִינוּן קָשִׁין מְזוֹנוֹתָיו). And the sustenance of the Neshama is Orayta (וּמְזוֹנָא דְנִשְׁמָתָא אוֹרַיְיתָא), the sustenance of the body is bread from the five species (מְזוֹנָא דְגוּפָא נַהֲמָא מֵחֲמֵשֶׁת הַמִּינִין). And one who is from the side of Adam, who is Yod Hei Vav Hei (וּמָאן דְּאִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְאָדָם דְּאִיהוּ יו״ד ה״א וא״ו ה״א), about him it is said (Bereshit 1): “And let them rule over the fish of the sea…” (אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וְכוּ׳). Over everything he rules, as he was created in heaven and on earth and in the sea (בְּכֹלָּא שַׁלִּיט כְּמָה דְאִתְבְּרִי בִּשְׁמַיָּא וּבְאַרְעָא וּבְיַמָּא). And about him it is said (Ecclesiastes 3): “That which has been already is” (וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר מַה שֶּׁהָיָה כְּבָר הוּא). That which was, before he came to this world (מַה שֶּׁהָיָה קֳדָם דְּיֵיתֵי לְהַאי עָלְמָא). As you say (Ecclesiastes 1): “There is nothing new under the sun” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר אֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ). Already he is obligated to be in this world (כְּבָר הוּא מְחוּיָיב לְמֶהֱוִי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). As you say (Jeremiah 1): “Before I formed you in the belly I knew you” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר בְּטֶרֶם אֶצָּרְךָ בַבֶּטֶן יְדַעְתִּיךָ). “And that which is to be has already been” (Ecclesiastes 3) (וַאֲשֶׁר לִהְיוֹת כְּבָר הָיָה). And that which is to be in this world has already been obligated before he came into the world here in Gilgul (וַאֲשֶׁר אִיהוּ לְמֶיהֱוִי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא כְּבָר הוּא מְחוּיָיב לְמֶיהֱוִי קֳדָם דְּיֵיתֵי לְעָלְמָא הָכָא בְגִלְגּוּלָא).

“And God seeks out the pursued” (Ecclesiastes 3) (וְהָאלהי״ם יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת נִרְדָּף). This is Hevel, who was pursued by Kayin (זֶה הֶבֶל דְּאִיהוּ נִרְדָף מִקַּיִן). And Kayin rose up and killed him (וְקָם קַיִן וְקָטַל לֵיהּ). This is what is written (Bereshit 4): “And Kayin rose up against Hevel his brother and killed him” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיָּקָם קַיִן אֶל הֶבֶל אָחִיו וַיַּהַרְגֵהוּ). “He rose up” surely, for Hevel was over him (וַיָּקָם וַדַּאי דַּהֲוָה הֶבֶל עֲלֵיהּ). And Kayin rose up and killed him (וְקָם קַיִן וַיַּהַרְגֵהוּ). Kayin was called by this name because he acquired over his brother (קַיִן אִתְקְרֵי עַל שֵׁם דְּקַנִּי עַל אֲחוּהָ). Because he saw his glory and his strength above, for his offering ascended to the place of Atik Yomin (בְּגִין דְּחָזָא יְקָרֵיהּ וְתוּקְפֵיהּ לְעִילָא דְּקָרְבָּנֵיהּ אִסְתַּלַּק לַאֲתַר דְּעַתִּיק יוֹמִין). About whom it is said (Daniel 7): “And Atik Yomin sat…” (דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין יְתִיב וְכוּ׳). And his offering was from the firstborn of his flock, and it was accepted with favor (וְקָרְבָּנֵיהּ הֲוָה מִבְּכוֹרוֹת צֹאנוֹ וְאִתְקַבַּל לֵיהּ בְּרַעֲוָא).