Daf 111a (דַּף קי״א ע״א)

The Friends all arose and prostrated themselves before him (קָמוּ כֻּלְּהוּ חַבְרַיָּא וְאִשְׁתַּטְחוּ קַמֵּיהּ), and they said: If we had not come into the world except to hear this, it would be sufficient (וְאָמְרוּ אִלּוּ לָא אֲתֵינָא לְעָלְמָא אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמַע דָּא דַי). He opened and said: “And the sun rises and the sun sets” [Ecclesiastes 1] (פָּתַח וְאָמַר וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ). “And the sun rises” - this is the middle pillar, which is Moshe in his likeness (וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ דָּא עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא, דְאִיהוּ מֹשֶׁה בְּדִיּוֹקְנֵיהּ). And “the sun rises” - this is that which is written: “Hashem came from Sinai and shone forth from Seir for them” [Deuteronomy 33] (וְזָרַח הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב יהו״ה מִסִּינַי בָּא וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ). And “the sun sets” - when Moshe was gathered (וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ כַּד אִתְכַּנִּישׁ מֹשֶׁה). Yet even though he was gathered into his place, he continues to shine there (וְעִם כָּל דָּא דְאִתְכַּנִּישׁ אֶל מְקוֹמוֹ שׁוֹאֵף זוֹרֵחַ הוּא שָׁם). And this is Yehoshua, who was like the moon, which is the Shekhinta (וְדָא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דַּהֲוָה כְּגַוְונָא דְסִיהֲרָא דְאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא).

And furthermore, “And the sun rises” - this is Moshe, when he comes in a gilgul [reincarnation] of a perfect Tzaddik (וְעוֹד וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ דָּא מֹשֶׁה, כַּד יֵיתֵי בְּגִלְגּוּלָא בְּצַדִּיק גָּמוּר). But when he is not in a perfect Tzaddik - “the sun sets,” he is gathered from him (וְכַד לָא אִיהוּ בְּצַדִּיק גָּמוּר וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ, אִתְכַּנִּישׁ מִנֵּיהּ). And he goes and comes in a gilgul [reincarnation] until he finds his place (וְאָזַל וְאָתֵי בְּגִלְגּוּלָא עַד דְּאַשְׁכַּח אַתְרֵיהּ). And because of this: into his place he is gathered, and there he shines (וּבְגִין דָּא אֶל מְקוֹמוֹ שׁוֹאֵף זוֹרֵחַ הוּא שָׁם). And furthermore, “And the sun rises” - this is Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְעוֹד וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Where is this? In the human being with whom the Shekhinta dwells (בְּאָן אֲתַר, בְּבַר נַשׁ דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא עִמֵּיהּ). As it is said: “In every place where I cause My name to be mentioned…” [Exodus 21] (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר בְּכָל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר אֶת שְׁמִי וְגוֹמֵר). And Onkelos translated: In the place where His Shekhinta rests there (וְתִרְגֵּם אֹנְקְלוֹס בַּאֲתַר דְּתִשְׁרֵי שְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ תַּמָּן). And if the Shekhinta is not there - “the sun sets,” Kudsha Berikh Hu is withdrawn from him (וְאִי לֵית שְׁכִינְתָּא תַמָּן וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ, אִתְכַּנַּשׁ מִנֵּיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And he remains in darkness, and many destroyers and many evil afflictions rule over him (וְאִשְׁתָּאַר בַּחֲשׁוֹכָא וְשָׁלְטִין עֲלֵיהּ כַּמָּה מְחַבְּלִין וְכַמָּה יִסּוּרִין בִּישִׁין). And these are not afflictions of love (דְּלַאו אִינוּן יִסּוּרִין שֶׁל אַהֲבָה). This is what is written: “Because My God is not within me, these evils have found me” [Deuteronomy 31] (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב עַל כִּי אֵין אֱלֹהַי בְּקִרְבִּי מְצָאוּנִי הָרָעוֹת הָאֵלֶּה). For these evils are appointed over every time and moment (דְּאִלֵּין רָעוֹת מְמַנָּן עַל כָּל עִתִּין וְרִגְעִין). Of them it is said: “You examine him every morning, every moment You test him” [Job 7] (דַּעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר וַתִּפְקְדֶנּוּ לִבְקָרִים לִרְגָעִים תִּבְחָנֶנּוּ). And this is what David said: “In Your hand are my times…” [Psalms 31] (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד בְּיָדְךָ עִתּוֹתָי וְגוֹמֵר). And who causes that the Shekhinta does not dwell upon him, and the sun does not shine upon him? (וּמָאן גָּרִים דְּלָא שַׁרְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עֲלֵיהּ, וְלָא נָהִיר שִׁמְשָׁא עֲלֵיהּ).

Because of the vapor of falsehood and words of falsehood that come from his mouth (בְּגִין הֲבַל דְּשִׁקְרָא וּמִלִּין דְּשִׁקְרָא דְנָפְקִין מִפּוּמוֹי). And because of this it is written: “There is a vanity that is done upon the earth” [Ecclesiastes 8] (וּבְגִין דָּא יֶשׁ הֶבֶל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ). There is vanity and there is vanity (אִית הֶבֶל וְאִית הֶבֶל). There is vanity from masters of falsehood, of whom it is said: “Vanity they are, the work of errors” [Jeremiah 10] (אִית הֶבֶל מִמָּארֵי דְשִׁקְרָא דְאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן הֶבֶל הֵמָּה מַעֲשֵׂה תַּעִתּוּעִים). For they stray in the work of falsehood (דְּאִינוּן תּוֹעִים בְּעוֹבָדָא דְשִׁקְרָא). And there is a vanity of which it is said: “For upon every utterance of the mouth of Hashem shall man live” [Deuteronomy 8] (וְיֵשׁ הֶבֶל דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ, כִּי עַל כָּל מוֹצָא פִי יהו״ה יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם). And this is the vanity of the Orayta, which is the Five Books of the Torah (וְדָא הֲבַל דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְאִיהוּ חֲמִשָּׁה חוּמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה), from the Bet of Bereishit until the Lamed of “before the eyes of all Yisrael” (מִן ב' דִּבְּרֵאשִׁית עַד ל' לְעִינֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל). And this is the vanity (וְדָא הוּא הֶבֶ''ל). And behold, they are six with this book (וְהָא שִׁית אִינוּן עִם זֶה סֵפֶר).

Rather, this is the Vav, which is the voice that ascends in the vapor, which is Heh (אֶלָּא דָא ו' דְּאִיהוּ קוֹל דְּסָלִיק בְּהֶבֶל דְּאִיהוּ ה'). Happy is he who unites them together (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מָאן דִּמְחַבֵּר לוֹן כַּחֲדָא), and brings them forth from his mouth with love and fear of Hashem (וְאַפִּיק לוֹן מִפּוּמוֹי בִּרְחִימוּ וּדְחִילוּ דְיה). And because of this it is written: “There is a vanity…” [Ecclesiastes 8], “that there are righteous ones to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked” (וּבְגִין דָּא יֶשׁ הֶבֶל וְגוֹ', אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ צַדִּיקִים שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים).

The Friends said to him: Rabbi, Rabbi, if so, that they are the Righteous, why does it happen to them according to the deeds of the wicked? (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ חַבְרַיָּא רַבִּי רַבִּי אִי הָכִי דְאִינוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא אַמַּאי מַגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים). He said to them: Gilgul causes them to come to them like the deeds of the wicked (אָמַר לוֹן גִּלְגּוּלָא גָרִים לוֹן דְּיֵיתֵי לוֹן כְּעוֹבָדָא דְרַשִּׁיעַיָּא). As though they were wicked, thus afflictions and pressures come upon them (כְּאִלּוּ הֲווֹ רַשִּׁיעַיָּא הָכִי יֵיתֵי לוֹן יִסּוּרִין וְדָחֲקִין). And these are those whose Neshama is from the side of Adam and Hevel (וְהַאי אִינוּן דְּנִשְׁמָתִין דִּלְהוֹן מִסִּטְרָא דְאָדָם וְהֶבֶל). For this one sinned in thought and deed (דְּדָא חָאב בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה וְעוֹבָדָא). And because of this the verse says concerning them: “That this also is vanity, to include Adam” [Ecclesiastes 1] (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר עֲלַיְיהוּ קְרָא בְּשַׁגַּם זֶה הֶבֶל, גַּם לְרַבּוֹת אָדָם).

They said to him: We know that thought is Adam Kadma’ah, Mah of above, “Mah” (what) is His name, action is His Ko’ach [Power] (אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ יְדַעִינָא דְמַחֲשָׁבָה אִיהִי אָדָם קַדְמָאָה, מ״ה דִלְעִילָא, מַ״ה שְּׁמוֹ, עוֹבָדָא כּ״ח דִּילֵיהּ). The twenty-eight letters of the act of “Bereishit bara” and so forth (כ״ח אַתְוָון דְּעוֹבָדָא דִבְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא וְגוֹ'). And all is Chokhmah, Ko’ach Mah [Power of M”H] (וְכֹלָּא חָכְמָה כֹּחַ מָה). If so, how could they sin here? (אִם כֵּן בְּמַאי הֲווֹ יָכְלֵי לְמֶחטֵי הָכָא). He said to them: Certainly, anyone who sins in his body - there action is (אָמַר לוֹן בְּוַדַּאי כָּל מָאן דְּחָב בְּגוּפֵיהּ דְּתַמָּן עוֹבָדָא), and in his Neshama - there thought is (וּבְנִשְׁמָתֵיהּ דְּתַמָּן מַחֲשָׁבָה). As if he sinned in the One who was created in His image (כְּאִלּוּ חָאב בְּהַהוּא דְאִתְבְּרֵי אִיהוּ בְּדִיּוֹקְנֵיהּ). This is what is written: “And Elohim created Adam in His image…” [Bereshit 1] (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיִּבְרָא אלהִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ וְגוֹ').