Daf 30b (דַּף ל ע״ב)

The Holy Luminary said (אָמַר בּוֹצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא), surely now the word is in its place (בְּוַדַּאי כְּעַן אִיהוּ מִלָּה בְּדוּכְתָּהָא), and this is the clear word (וְדָא אִיהוּ בְרִירָא דְמִלָּה). And this is: “The fullness of your offering and your tears you shall not delay” (מְלֵאָתְךָ וְדִמְעֲךָ לֹא תְאַחֵר) (Exodus 22:28). As it is said: lest another precede him with mercy (כְּמָה דְאִתְּמַר שֶׁמָּא יְקַדְּמֶנּוּ אַחֵר בְּרַחֲמֵי). This is the sin: that a man mingles the first drop in a Zivug with a Niddah, maidservant, gentile, or harlot (חוֹבָא דָא דְעָרַב בַּר נַשׁ טִפָּה בּוּכְרָא בְּזִוּוּגָא נִדָּה שִׁפְחָה גוֹיָה זוֹנָה). This causes that another take his mate (דָּא גָרִים דְּנָטִיל אַחֵר בַּת זוּגֵיהּ). And this is measure for measure (וְאִיהוּ מִדָּה לָקֳבֵל מִדָּה). And because of this: “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of Hashem your Elohim; you shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk” (וּבְגִין דָּא רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ תָּבִיא בֵּית יְיָ׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ) (Exodus 23:19).

For that child is a mixture, coming forth as forbidden mixture, from a woman not of his kind, who is against him (דְּהַהוּא בַּר אִיהוּ עִרְבוּבְיָא דְנָפִיק כִּלְאַיִם, מֵאִתְּתָא דְלַאו מִינֵיהּ, דְּאִיהִי כְּנֶגְדּוֹ). And because of this: “A help”-his mate, who is a help for him in the Orayta, in mitzvah, in awe and in love (וּבְגִין דָּא זָכָה עִזֶר, בַּת זוּגֵיהּ דְּאִיהִי עִזֶר לֵיהּ בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא בְּפִקּוּדָא בִּדְחִילוּ וּבִרְחִימוּ). A help to him in this world, and in the World to Come (עִזֶר לוֹ בְּעָלְמָא דֵין, וּבְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי). And if not, another not of his kind-she is against him (וְאִם לַאו, אָחֳרָא דְלַאו אִיהוּ מִינֵיהּ, אִיהִי כְּנֶגְדּוֹ), to destroy him from both worlds (לְאוֹבָדָא לֵיהּ מִתְּרֵין עָלְמִין). And all of this happens to him because he did not guard the first drop for his mate (וְכָל דָּא גְרִים לֵיהּ בְּגִין דְּלָא נָטִיר טִפָּה קַדְמָאָה לְבַת זוּגֵיהּ). And with all this, if he returns in repentance, about him it is said: “And he shall return and be healed” (וְעִם כָּל דָּא אִם חָזַר בִּתְיוּבְתָּא, עֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר וָשָׁב וְרָפָא לוֹ) (Isaiah 6:10). And they give him his mate (וְיָהִיב לֵיהּ בַּת זוּגֵיהּ). Of her it is said: “It shall be health to your navel” (דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ רִפְאוּת תְּהִי לְשָׁרֶךָ) (Proverbs 3:8). And she is the likeness of the Orayta (וְאִיהִי דִיּוֹקְנָא דְאוֹרַיְּיתָא), which is healing and which is life (דְאִיהִי אַסְוָותָא וְאִיהִי חַיִּים). This is what is written: “It is a Tree of Life to those who hold fast to it” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ) (Proverbs 3:18). And his wife is in her likeness (וְאִתְּתֵיהּ אִיהִי בְּדִיּוֹקְנָהָא). This is what is written: “See life with the woman whom you love” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב רְאֵה חַיִּים עִם אִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ) (Ecclesiastes 9:9). The Orayta is good (אוֹרַיְּיתָא אִיהִי טוֹב). This is what is written: “For I give you good teaching” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי לֶקַח טוֹב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם) (Proverbs 4:22). And his wife is in her likeness (וְאִתְּתֵיהּ אִיהִי בְּדִיּוֹקְנָהָא). This is what is written: “He who finds a wife finds good” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב מָצָא אִשָּׁה מָצָא טוֹב) (Proverbs 18:2). In the end, ten words are said about this, and ten about that (סוֹף סוֹף עֲשֶׂר מִלִּין אִתְּמַר בְּהַאי, וַעֲשֶׂר בְּהַאי). And behold, the companions have established it (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּא).

The Fifteenth Tikkun

תִּקּוּנָא חֲמֵיסַר

Bereshit—this is Yisrael [Li Rosh, “for Me, a head”] (בְּרֵאשִׁית דָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל). This is what is written: “Yisrael is holy to Hashem, the firstfruits of His produce” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַיְיָ׳ רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתֹה) (Jeremiah 2:3). Reshit-without mixture of another (רֵאשִׁית בְּלָא עִרְבוּבְיָא אָחֳרָא). And because he is holy (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ קֹדֶשׁ), he had no union from another kind (לָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ הַרְכָּבָה מִמִּינָא אָחֳרָא). And because he is holy (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ קֹדֶשׁ), he has no union that requires guarding toward his mate, who is Heh (לֵית לֵיהּ הַרְכָּבָה דְצָרִיךְ בֵּיהּ נְטִירוּ לְגַבֵּי בַּת זוּגֵיהּ דְּאִיהִי ה׳). And because of this: “The firstfruits of the Heh’s produce” (וּבְגִין דָּא רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאַת ה׳), there is no blemish in him (לֵית בֵּיהּ פְּגִימוּ). This is what is written: “And Ya'akov was a pure man” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם) (Bereshit 25:27)-there was no defect in him (לֵית בֵּיהּ פְּסוֹלֶת). (It must be that he was guarded) (צָרִיךְ לְמַהֲוֵי נָטִיר).

This heart was seen fit for the King (אִיבָּא דָא לְמַלְכָּא אִתְחָזֵי). And because of this: “All that devour him shall be held guilty, evil shall come upon them, says Hashem” (וּבְגִין דָּא כָּל אוֹכְלָיו יֶאְשָׁמוּ רָעָה תָּבֹא אֲלֵיהֶם נְאֻם יְיָ׳) (Jeremiah 2:3). For this is the Tree of Life (דְּדָא אִיהוּ עִץ הַחַיִּים). His heart-its potion of life is his mate (דְּאִיבָּא דִילֵיהּ סַם חַיִּים בַּת זוּגֵיהּ), guarding him in this world and in the World to Come (נְטִירָא לֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא דֵין וּבְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי). About her it is said: “And take also from the Tree of Life and eat, and live forever” (עֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר וְלָקַח גַּם מֵעִץ הַחַיִּים וְאָכַל וָחַי לְעוֹלָם) (Bereshit 3:22)-“also” to include his mate (גַּם לְרַבּוֹת בַּת זוּגֵיהּ). His potion of life (סַם חַיִּים דִּילֵיהּ), she guards him in this world and in the World to Come (וְאִיהוּ נָטִיר לֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא דֵין וּבְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי). And whoever seeks to take his mate-like Uriah, who preceded David (וּמָאן דְּבָעִי לְנַטְלָא בַת זוּגֵיהּ, כְּגוֹן אוּרִיָּה דְאַקְדִּים לְדָוִד)-about him it is said: “All that devour him shall be held guilty, evil shall come upon them, says Hashem” (אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ כָּל אוֹכְלָיו יֶאְשָׁמוּ רָעָה תָּבֹא אֲלֵיהֶם נְאֻם יְיָ׳) (Jeremiah 2:3).

The consort of the Tzaddik [Righteous One] is Matzah Shemurah [Guarded Matzah] (דְּבַת זוּגֵיהּ דְּצַדִּיק אִיהוּ מַצָּה שְׁמוּרָה), in relation to the whole Matzah Ashirah [rich matzah] (לְגַבֵּי מַצָּה שְׁלֵימָה עֲשִׁירָה). And who causes this-that his mate is 'Guarded Matzah' [Matzah Shemurah] for him? Because he guards his drop (וּמָאן גָּרִים דָּא לְמֶהֱוִי בַת זוּגֵיהּ מַצָּה שְׁמוּרָה לְגַבֵּהּ, בְּגִין דְּנָטַר טִפָּה דִילֵיהּ). But he who blemishes his drop is called: his mate is broken matzah, the bread of affliction (וּמָאן דְּפָגִים טִפָּה דִילֵיהּ, אִתְקְרֵי בַת זוּגוֹ מַצָּה פְּרוּסָה לֶחֶם עֹנִי). And the secret of the matter: whoever treats bread with contempt, or the crumbs of bread, which are drops in the measure of an olive (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה כָּל מָאן דִּמְזַלְזֵל בְּנַהֲמָא, אוֹ בְּפִירוּרִין דְּנַהֲמָא, דְאִינוּן טִפִּין בְּכַזַּיִת), poverty pursues him (עֲנִיּוּת קָא רָדִיף אַבַּתְרֵיהּ). Rather, one must guard his drops, not to cast them where they are not needed (אֶלָּא צָרִיךְ לְנַטְרָא טִפִּין דִּילֵיהּ, דְּלָא יְזָרֵיק לוֹן בַּאֲתַר דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ). And because of this the masters of the Mishnah have established: honor your wives, so that you may become rich (וּבְגִין דָּא אוּקְמוּהוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, אוֹקִירוּ לִנְשַׁיְיכוּ כִּי הֵיכֵי דְתִתְעַתְרוּ), and honor theirs, to guard the first drop, that it not be corrupted (וְאוֹקִירוּ דִלְהוֹן לְנַטְרָא טִפָּה קַדְמָאָה, דְּלָא יַעֲבִיד בָּהּ פְּסוֹלֶת). For the blemish of Avraham and Yitzchak caused the nations of Esav and Yishma‘el (דִּפְסוֹלֶת דְּאַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק, גָּרִים לְאוּמָה דְעִשָׂו וְיִשְׁמָעִאל), who enslaved their children in exile (דְּאִשְׁתַּעִבְּדוּן בִּבְנֵיהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא). And their trial was in fire and in the knife (וְנִסְיוֹנָא דִלְהוֹן בְּאֶשָּׁא וְסַכִּינָא). They were delivered from their burning and their slaying (שֵׁזִיב לוֹן מִשְּׂרֵיפָה וְהֶרֶג דִּלְהוֹן).