Daf 23b (דַּף כ״ג ע״ב)

Rabbi El'azar arose and said (קָם רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר), and behold, before Yisrael and the Shekhinta were exiled (וְהָא קֳדָם דְּגָלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּשְׁכִינְתָּא), with what did they fulfill the sending away of the nest (בְּמַאי הֲווֹ מְקַיְימִין שִׁלּוּחַ הַקֵּן)? Rabbi Shimon said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): “My son” (בְּרִי), in order to arouse mercy upon those Nefashin [souls], Ruḥin [spirits], and Neshamatin [souls] (בְּגִין לְאַתְעָרָא רַחֲמִין עַל אִינוּן נַפְשִׁין וְרוּחִין וְנִשְׁמָתִין), which were going in exile through Gilgul [Reincarnation], driven away from their bodies that had been destroyed (דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלִין בְּגָלוּתָא בְּגִלְגּוּלָא מִתְתַּרְכִין מִגּוּפֵיהוֹן דְּאִתְחַרְבוּ)—concerning whom it was said that Kudsha Berikh Hu was building worlds and destroying them (דַּעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה בּוֹנֶה עָלְמִין וּמַחֲרִיבָן), so that their bodies remained ruined, apart from them (דְּאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ חֲרֵבִין גּוּפֵיהוֹן מִנַּיְיהוּ). And the withholding of blessings above brings about: “A river is ruined and dries up” (וּמְנִיעוּ דְבִרְכָאָן לְעִילָא, גָרִים וְנָהָר יֶחרַב וְיָבֵשׁ) (Job 14:11). And thus they established it: the First House was destroyed, and “the earth was tohu va-vohu [chaos and void]” (וְהָכִי אוּקְמוּהוּ אִתְחַרַב בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ) (Genesis 1:2). The Second House was destroyed, and “darkness was upon the face of the deep” (אִתְחַרַב בַּיִת שֵׁנִי וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל פְּנֵי תְהוֹם) (Genesis 1:2). And because of these Neshamatin [souls], which were created before the world was created and have no bodies (וּבְגִין אִלֵּין נִשְׁמָתִין דְּאִתְבְּרִיאוּ קֳדָם דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא וְלֵית לוֹן גּוּפִין), in order to arouse mercy upon them (בְּגִין לְאַתְעָרָא רַחֲמֵי עֲלַיְיהוּ), they would fulfill this commandment (הֲווֹ מְקַיְּימֵי הַאי פִּקּוּדָא). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ), father (אַבָּא), if so, a Torah scholar, who is from the side of thought, of whom it is said “Yisrael arose in thought to be created” (אִם כֵּן תַּלְמִיד חָכָם דְּאִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְמַחֲשָׁבָה, דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עָלָה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה לִיבָּרְאוֹת), this Orayta is a son to the Torah scholar (הַאי אוֹרַיְיתָא אִיהִי בֵּן לְתַלְמִיד חָכָם); if so, his wife-why does she require Yibbum (אִם כֵּן אִתְּתָא דִילֵהּ אַמַּאי צְרִיכָא יִבּוּם), for behold the masters of Mishnah did not equate the separation of Torah scholars to other human beings (דְּהָא לָא שַׁוּוּ אַפְרָשׁוּתָא מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין לְתַלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים מִשְּׁאָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא)? He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ), my son, indeed she requires Yibbum (בְּרִי, וַדַּאי צְרִיכָה יִבּוּם), for those souls that go naked from the six days of Bereshit (לְאִלֵּין נִשְׁמָתִין דְּאָזְלִין עַרְטִילָאִין מִשִּׁית יוֹמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית). He said to him: but behold it is written, “He shall not exchange it and he shall not substitute it, etc.” (Leviticus 27:10) (אָמַר לֵיהּ, וְהָא כְּתִיב לֹא יַחֲלִיפֶנּוּ וְלֹא יָמִיר אֹתוֹ וְגוֹמֵר), and shall this woman, who is Holy of Holies, be a nest for one who is not of her kind (וְכִי הַאי אִתְּתָא דְאִיהִי קֹדֶשׁ קֻדְשִׁין, תְּהֵא קִינָא לְמָאן דְּלַאו אִיהוּ מִמִּינָהּ), for behold it is written, “Let the earth bring forth a living soul after its kind” (Bereshit 1:24) (דְּהָא כְּתִיב תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ), and she has no grafting except from her own kind (וְלֵית לָהּ הַרְכָּבָה אֶלָּא מִמִּינָהּ). He said to him, my son, reincarnations are the secret of grafting (אָמַר לֵיהּ, בְּנִי, גִלְגּוּלִין אִינוּן רָזָא דְהַרְכָּבָה), like one who grafts a tree that is not of its kind onto another tree (כְּגוֹן מָאן דְּמַרְכִּיב אִילָנָא דְלַאו אִיהוּ מִינֵיהּ בְּאִילָנָא אָחֳרָא), like those who graft trees this with that (כְּגוֹן מָאן דְּמַרְכִּיבִין אִלָּנִין דָּא בְדָא).

But the principle of “if he does indeed substitute it” is that it must be holy with holy (וְאֲבָל עִקָּרָא דְאִם הָמֵר יְמִירֶנּוּ, צָרִיךְ דִּיְהֵא קֹדֶשׁ בַּקֹּדֶשׁ), for there is a tree from the side of defilement that is evil (דְּאִילָנָא אִית מִסִּטְרָא דִמְסָאֲבוּ דְאִיהוּ רַע), and concerning it is said, “He shall not substitute it, good for bad or bad for good” (Leviticus 27:10) (וּבְגִינֵיהּ אִתְּמַר לֹא יָמִיר אֹתוֹ טוֹב בְּרָע אוֹ רַע בְּטוֹב), for this is the secret of “a Tzaddik to whom it is bad” and “a wicked one to whom it is good” (דְּהַאי אִיהוּ רָזָא דְצַדִּיק וְרַע לוֹ רָשָׁע וְטוֹב לוֹ). But “if he does indeed substitute it, then he and its substitute shall be holy” (Leviticus 27:33) (אֲבָל אִם הָמֵר יְמִירֶנּוּ, וְהָיָה הוּא וּתְמוּרָתוֹ יִהְיֶה קֹּדֶשׁ), and with this they graft holy with holy, and each receives from the other (וּבְדָא מַרְכִּיבִין קֹדֶשׁ בַּקֹּדֶשׁ, וּמְקַבְּלִין דֵּין מִן דֵּין), and the secret of the matter is “the loops shall correspond” (Exodus 26:5) (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה מַקְבִּילוֹת הַלֻּלָאֹת), and kind with its kind-this is “a Tzaddik to whom it is good” (וּמִין בְּמִינוֹ הַאי אִיהוּ צַדִּיק וְטוֹב לוֹ). And when that Neshama which is holy does not find its own kind, it is said of her, “And the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot” (Bereshit 8:9) (וְכַד הַהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא דְאִיהִי קֹדֶשׁ לָא אַשְׁכַּחַת מִינָהּ, אִתְּמַר בָּהּ וְלֹא מָצְאָה הַיּוֹנָה מָנוֹחַ לְכַף רַגְלָהּ). And thus is the secret of the bird’s nest (וְהָכִי רָזָא דְקַן צִפּוֹר), of which it is said: “Send, you shall surely send away the mother” (Deuteronomy 22:7) (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם), and she goes and is driven away from her nest (וְאָזְלָא מְנַדְדָא מִן קִנָּהּ). “Behold, all these things God does, twice, three times, with a man” (Job 33:29) (וְהֶן כָּל אֵלֶּה יִפְעַל אֵ״ל פַּעֲמַיִם שָׁלֹשׁ עִם גָּבֶר), corresponding to the three sendings away of the dove (לָקֳבֵל תְּלַת שִׁלּוּחִים דְּיוֹנָה). And when she found a place to rest there, it is said of her: “And she did not return again to him any more” (Bereshit 8:12) (וְכַד אַשְׁכַּחַת אֲתַר לְשַׁרְיָא תַמָּן, אִתְּמַר בָּהּ וְלֹא יָסְפָה שׁוּב אֵלָיו עוֹד), to indicate that there comes another time through grafting (לְמֵיתֵי זִמְנָא אָחֳרָא בְּהַרְכָּבָה).

And for this reason, the sending away of the nest is in all the holy birds (וּבְגִין דָּא שִׁלּוּחַ הַקֵּן בְּכָל עוֹפִין קַדִּישִׁין אִיהוּ), and not in the defiled ones (וְלָא בִּמְסָאֲבִין), which are the Neshamot that go and are sent away (דְּאִנּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּאָזְלִין מִתְתַּרְכִין), in order to arouse mercy upon them (לְאַתְעָרָא רַחֲמֵי עֲלַיְיהוּ). And what is written of them: “Even the bird has found a house” (Psalms 84:4) (וּמַה כְּתִיב בְּהוּ גַּם צִפּוֹר מָצְאָה בַּיִת)-this is the first Gilgul, which is Nefesh (דָּא גִלְגּוּלָא קַדְמָאָה דְאִיהִי נֶפֶשׁ). “And the swallow a nest for herself” (Psalms 84:4) (וּדְרוֹר קֵן לָהּ)-this is the second Gilgul, which is Ruach (דָּא גִלְגּוּלָא תִּנְיָינָא דְרוּחָא). “Where she lays her young” (Psalms 84:4) (אֲשֶׁר שָׁתָה אֶפְרוֹחֶיהָ)-this is the third Gilgul, which is Neshamah (דָּא גִלְגּוּלָא תְּלִיתָאָה דְנִשְׁמָתָא).

And for this reason: “Send, you shall surely send away” corresponds to Nefesh and Ruach (וּבְגִין דָּא שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח לָקֳבֵל נֶפֶשׁ וְרוּחַ), “the mother”-to include Neshamah (אֶת הָאֵם לְרַבּוֹת נִשְׁמָתָא), as it is said: “Because of your transgressions your mother was sent away” (Isaiah 50:1) (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ וּבְפִשְׁעִיכֶם שֻׁלְּחָה אִמְּכֶם). “The mother”-“Et” comes to include the third Gilgul (אֶת הָאֵם, אֶת אָתָא לְרַבּוֹת גִּלְגּוּלָא תְּלִיתָאָה). And for this reason, whoever receives Ushpizin, which are the additional Neshamot (וּבְגִין דָּא מָאן דִּמְקַבְּלִין אוּשְׁפִּיזִין, דְּאִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין יְתֵרִין), which are grafted upon them on the eve of Shabbat (דְּאִינוּן מַרְכִּיבִין עֲלַיְיהוּ בְּעִרֶב שַׁבָּת), with radiant faces, with joy and delight in this world (בְּאַנְפִּין צְהוּבִין בְּחֶדְוָה בְּעִנּוּגָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), then when the Neshamah and the Ruach and the Nefesh go forth from his body in this world (כַּד נִשְׁמָתָא וְרוּחָא וְנַפְשָׁא נָפִיק מִן גּוּפֵיהּ מֵהַאי עָלְמָא), so they receive them in the World to Come (הָכִי מְקַבְּלִין לוֹן בְּעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי). And it is said of them: “Even the bird has found a house” etc. (Psalms 84:4) (וְאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן גַּם צִפּוֹר מָצְאָה בַיִת וְכוּ׳). Blessed is he who receives guests in complete fellowship (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מָאן דִּמְקַבֵּל אוֹרָחִין בִּרְעוּ שְׁלִים), for it is as if he receives the face of the Shekhinta (כְּאִלּוּ מְקַבֵּל אַנְפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא). For with the measure that a man measures, with it he is measured (דִבְמִדָּה דְמָדַד בַּר נַשׁ בָּהּ מוֹדְדִין לֵיהּ). Rabbi El'azar, his son, came and kissed his hands (אָתָא רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ וְנָשִׁיק יְדוֹי), and all the companions prostrated themselves before him (וְאִשְׁתַּטְחוּ לֵיהּ כָּל חַבְרַיָּא), and they said to him (וְאָמְרוּ לֵיהּ): If we had not come into the world except to hear these words, it would have been enough (אִילוּ לָא אֲתֵינָא לְעָלְמָא אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמַע מִלִּין אִלֵּין דַּי).