וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת זֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים. כְּשֶׁהָיוּ מַקְרִיבִין זֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים, הָיָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נוֹשֵׂא לָהֶם פָּנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יִשָּׂא ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם (במדבר ו, כו). וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נוֹשֵׂא פָּנִים לִבְרִיָּה. שְׁנֵי כְּתוּבִין מַכְחִישִׁין זֶה אֶת זֶה. כָּתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר, אִם אֶחְפֹּץ בְּמוֹת הָרָשָׁע (יחזקאל לג, יא). וְכָתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר, כִּי חָפֵץ ה' לַהֲמִיתָם (ש״א ב, כה). וְאִם חָפֵץ לַהֲמִיתָם, הֵיאַךְ לֹא אֶחְפֹּץ בְּמוֹת הָרָשָׁע. אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁלֹּא נֶחְתַּם גְּזַר דִּין, לֹא אֶחְפֹּץ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁנֶּחְתַּם גְּזַר דִּין, כִּי חָפֵץ ה' לַהֲמִיתָם. וְכֵן דָּנִיֵּאל אָמַר, אֲבָל אַגִּיד לְךָ אֶת הָרָשׁוּם בִּכְתָב אֱמֶת (דניאל י, כא). אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: מַעֲשֶׂה הָיָה בְּרַבֵּנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ שֶׁהָיָה עוֹבֵר בְּסִימוֹנְיָא, יָצְאוּ כָּל בְּנֵי הָעִיר לִקְרָאתוֹ, בִּקְּשׁוּ מִמֶּנּוּ זָקֵן אֶחָד חָכָם מִי שֶׁיְּלַמְּדֵם תּוֹרָה. נָתַן לָהֶם אֶת רַבִּי לֵוִי בַּר סִיסֵי, שֶׁהָיָה חָכָם בַּתּוֹרָה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: רַבִּי מַה הוּא שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּדָנִיֵּאל, אֲבָל אַגִּיד לְךָ אֶת הָרָשׁוּם בִּכְתַב אֱמֶת. וְכִי יֵשׁ דְּבַר שֶׁקֶר בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר אֱמֶת. וְלֹא מָצָא לָהֶם תְּשׁוּבָה מַה לַּהֲשִׁיבָן. מִיָּד יָצָא מִשָּׁם וּבָא לוֹ לִפְנֵי רַבִּי. אָמַר לוֹ: לֹא יָכֹלְתִּי לַעֲמֹד בָּהֶם. דָּבָר אֶחָד שָׁאֲלוּ מִמֶּנִּי וְלֹא מָצָאתִי מַה לַּהֲשִׁיבָן. אָמַר לֵיהּ: וּמַהוּ הַדָּבָר. אָמַר לֵיהּ: אֲבָל אַגִּיד לְךָ אֶת הָרָשׁוּם בִּכְתַב אֱמֶת. וְכִי יֵשׁ דְּבַר שֶׁקֶר בַּתּוֹרָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ: תְּשׁוּבָה גְּדוֹלָה הָיָה לְךָ לַהֲשִׁיבָן. אָמַר לֵיהּ: הָיָה לְךָ לוֹמַר לָהֶם, הָאָדָם חוֹטֵא, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רוֹשֵׁם עָלָיו מִיתָה. עָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה, הַכְּתָב מִתְבַּטֵּל. לֹא עָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה, הָרָשׁוּם בִּכְתַב אֱמֶת. וְאַף כָּאן כָּתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר, יִשָּׂא ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ (במדבר ו, כו). וְכָתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר, אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשָּׂא פָּנִים (דברים י, יז). אִם יִשָּׂא, לָמָּה לֹא יִשָּׂא. אֶלָּא לְעוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, לֹא יִשָּׂא פָנִים. אֲבָל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, יִשָּׂא ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל נוֹשְׂאִים לִי פָּנִים, כָּךְ אֲנִי נוֹשֵׂא לָהֶם פָּנִים. וְהֵיאַךְ נוֹשְׂאִים לוֹ פָּנִים. אָדָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל עָנִי, יֵשׁ לוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה בָּנִים אוֹ שִׁשָּׁה, וְהוּא נוֹטֵל כִּכָּר אֶחָד, וְהֵן יוֹשְׁבִין כֻּלָּן וְאוֹכְלִין אוֹתוֹ הַכִּכָּר וְאֵין שְׂבֵעִים מִמַּה שֶּׁהֵם אוֹכְלִין, וּמְבָרְכִין, הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר, וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבַעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ (שם ח, י). אַף אֲנִי נוֹשֵׂא לָהֶם פָּנִים, יִשָּׂא ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם (במדבר ו, כו). לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת זֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים. (Lev. 7:11:) “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings." When they offered the sacrifice of the peace offerings, the Holy One, blessed be He, would lift up His face to (favor) them, as stated (in Numb. 6:26), “The Lord lift up His face unto you and grant you peace.” Is it possible for the Holy One, blessed be He, to [favor] mortals? Two verses contradict each other. One text says (in Ezek. 33:11), “Do I desire the death of the wicked?” The other text says (in I Sam. 2:25), “for the Lord took pleasure in slaying them.” How has He not taken pleasure in the death of the wicked? It is simply that before their verdict was sealed, He did not take pleasure; after a verdict was sealed, the Lord took pleasure in slaying them. And so Daniel said (in Dan. 10:21), “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the record of truth.” Our masters have said, “There was a story about our Holy Rabbi (i.e., about R. Judah the Prince) that when he was passing through Simonia (where he lived), all the people of the city came out to meet him.19yYev. 12:6 (13a); Gen. R. 81:2; cf. Yev. 105:1. They wanted an elder from him to teach Torah. He gave them R. Levi ben Sisi. They said to him, ‘Our teacher, what is the meaning of what is written in Daniel (10:21), “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the record of truth?” Is there something false in the Torah that it [must specifically] say truth [here]?’ [When] he did not find an answer to give them, he immediately went away [from there and came] to Rabbi. He said to him, ‘I could not stand up before them. They asked me one thing, and I could not find out what to answer them.’ He said to him, ‘What was the [one] thing?’ He said to him, ‘”However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the record of truth.” Is there something false in the Torah?’ He said to him, ‘There was a great answer for you to give them.’ He said to him, ‘You had something to tell them: When someone sins, the Holy One, blessed be He, inscribes death for him. [And if] he repents, the record is canceled. [But if] he does not repent, it is inscribed in the record of truth.’” Here also one text says (in Numb. 6:26), “The Lord lift up His face unto you”; while another text says (in Deut. 10:17), “who does not lift up His face.” If He lifts it up, why does He not lift it up? It is simply that for the idolaters, [He is one] “who does not lift up His face,” but for Israel, “The Lord lift up His face unto you.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Just as Israel [favors] me, so do I [favor] them. And how do they [favor] Me? [When] someone poor from Israel has four children, he takes one loaf. They sit down and eat all that loaf, but they are not satisfied from what there is in it, [yet] they recite a blessing. Yet the verse [only] says (Deut. 8:10), ‘When you shall eat and be full, you shall bless.’ I shall also favor them, [as stated] (in Numb. 6:26), ‘The Lord lift up His face unto you.’” It is therefore stated (in Lev. 7:11), “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings.”