צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: שַׁדַּי לֹא מְצָאנֻהוּ שַׂגִּיא כֹּחַ וְגוֹ' (איוב לז, כג). וּכְתִיב: הֵן אֵל יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ (שם לו, כב). כֵּיצַד יִתְקַיְּמוּ שְׁנֵי כְּתוּבִים אֵלּוּ. אֶלָּא, כְּשֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, נוֹתֵן לָהֶם לְפִי כֹּחוֹ. וּכְשֶׁהוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ מֵהֶן, אֵין מְבַקֵּשׁ אֶלָּא כְּפִי כֹּחָן. רְאֵה מַה כְּתִיב: אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן תַּעֲשֶׂה עֶשֶׂר יְרִיעוֹת (שמות כו, א). לְכָךְ כְּתִיב: שַׁדַּי לֹא מְצָאנוּהוּ שַׂגִּיא כֹּחַ. וּכְשֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן לָהֶם, לְפִי כֹּחוֹ עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת לְכָל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק חֻפָּה מֵעַנְנֵי כָּבוֹד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּבָרָא ה' עַל כָּל מְכוֹן הַר צִיּוֹן וְגוֹ' (ישעיה ד, ה). וְאוֹמֵר: כִּי עַל כָּל כָּבוֹד חֻפָּה (שם). עָשָׁן בַּחֻפָּה לָמָּה. שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁנּוֹתֵן עֵינָיו עֲשׁוּנוֹת וְצָרוֹת בַּתַּלְמִידִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, מִתְמַלֵּא חֻפָּתוֹ עָשָׁן לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אֵשׁ בַּחֻפָּה לָמָּה. מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁכָּל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק מִתְנֹגַהּ מֵחֻפָּתוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ מְעֻלֶּה מִמֶּנּוּ, נֹגַהּ שֶׁזִּיווֹ מַבְהִיק מִסּוֹף הָעוֹלָם וְעַד סוֹפוֹ. לְכָךְ כְּתִיב: הֵן אֵל יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ. כְּשֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ מֵהֶם, לֹא בִּקֵּשׁ אֶלָּא לְפִי כֹּחָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ' (שמות כז, כ). וּכְשֶׁהֵאִיר לָהֶם, לְפִי כֹּחוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַה' הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם (שם יג, כא). לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, קוּמִי אוֹרִי וְגוֹ' (ישעיה ס, א). וּכְתִיב: וְהָיָה אוֹר הַלְּבָנָה כְּאוֹר הַחַמָּה (שם ל, כו). הֱוֵי, הֵן אֵל יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ. כְּשֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ מֵהֶם, לֹא בִּקֵּשׁ אֶלָּא לְפִי כֹּחָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ (שמות כג, יט). וּכְשֶׁנּוֹתֵן לָהֶם, לְפִי כֹּחוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְעַל הַנַּחַל יַעֲלֶה עַל שְׂפָתוֹ מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה כָּל עֵץ מַאֲכָל לֹא יִבֹּל עָלֵהוּ וְלֹא יִתֹּם פִּרְיוֹ לָחֳדָשָׁיו יְבַכֵּר וְגוֹ' (יחזקאל מז, יב). מַהוּ לָחֳדָשָׁיו יְבַכֵּר. שֶׁכָּל אִילָן וְאִילָן מְחַדֵּשׁ בִּכּוּרִים כָּל חֹדֶשׁ וְחֹדֶשׁ, לֹא כְּבִכּוּרֵי חֹדֶשׁ זֶה בִּכּוּרֵי חֹדֶשׁ אַחֵר. כְּשֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ מֵהֶן, לֹא בִּקֵּשׁ אֶלָּא כְּפִי כֹּחָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּלְקַחְתֶּם לָכֶם בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן פְּרִי עֵץ הָדָר וְגוֹ' (ויקרא כג, מ). וּכְשֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן, לְפִי כֹּחוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֶתֵּן בַּמִּדְבָּר אֶרֶז שִׁטָּה (ישעיה מא, יט). וּכְתִיב: תַּחַת הַנַּעֲצוּץ יַעֲלֶה בְּרוֹשׁ (שם נה, יג). "Command the Children of Israel" (Numbers 28:2). This is [the meaning of] that which was stated by the verse (Job 27:23), "The Omnipresent we have not found to be of great power"; and [yet] it is written (in Job 36:22), "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." How are these two verses [resolved]? Rather [it is that] when He gives to Israel, He gives to them according to His power. But when He requests something from them, He only requests according to their power. See what is written, "As for the Tabernacle, make it of ten curtains." Hence it is written, "The Omnipresent we have not found to be of great power." But when He gives to them, He gives according to His power: In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make a canopy from clouds of glory for each and every righteous person, as it is stated (in Is. 4:5), "The Lord will create over the whole shrine and meeting place of Mount Zion [cloud by day and smoke with a glow of flaming fire by night; indeed] over all the glory shall hang a canopy." And why is smoke in the canopy? Since anyone whose eyes were smoky and stingy with his students in this world will have his canopy filled with smoke in the world to come. Why is there fire in the canopy? [It is coming to] teach that each and every righteous person is lit up from the canopy of his fellow, that is more elevated than he, with light the radiance of which shines from [one] end of the world to the [other] end. Hence it is written, "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Exodus 27:20), "And you shall command...." But when He lit up for them, it was according to His power, as it is stated (Exodus 13:21), "And the Lord went in front of them by day." [Moreover, about] the future to come, it is stated (Isaiah 60:1), "Arise, My light...." And it is [also] written (Isaiah 30:26), "And the light of the moon shall become like the light of the sun." Hence, "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Exodus 23:19), "The choice first fruits of your land." But when He gives to them, it is according to His power, as it is stated (Ezekiel 47:12), "All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream; their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail; they will yield new fruit every month...." What is [the meaning of] "they will yield new fruit every month?" That each and every tree yields new fruit each and every month, [such that] the new fruit of this month is not like the new fruit of another month. When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Leviticus 23:40), "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a beautiful true." But when He gives, it according to His power, as it is stated (Isaiah 41:19), "I will give in the wilderness cedar, acacia." And it is [also] written (Isaiah 55:13), "Instead of the brier, a cypress shall rise."