אִתְרָעֵי בֵּיהּ. אָמַר מַלְכָּא הַשְׁתָּא אֲנָא בָּעֵי לְמֶחֱדֵי עִם רְחִימָאי. וְדָחִילְנָא דְּכַד אֲנָא בִּסְעוּדָתָא עִם רְחִימָאי יַעֲלוּן כָּל אִנּוּן קַסְטוֹרֵי מְמַנָּן וִיתִיבוּן עִמָּנָא לִפְתוֹרָא לְמִסְעַד סְעוּדָתָא דְחֶדְוָה עִם רְחִימָאי. מָה עֲבַד אַקְדִים הַהוּא רְחִימוֹי קוּסְטוּרִין דִּירוֹקֵי וּבִשְׂרָא דְתוֹרֵי וְאַקְרִיב קַמַּיְיהוּ דְּאִנּוּן קַסְטוּרֵי מְמַנָּן לְמֵיכַל. לְבָתַר יָתִיב מַלְכָּא עִם רְחִימוֹי לְהַהִיא סְעוּדָתָא עִלָּאָה מִכָּל עִדּוּנִין דְּעָלְמָא. וּבְעוֹד דְּאִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי עִם מַלְכָּא שָׁאִיל לֵיהּ כָּל צָרְכּוֹי וְיָהִיב לֵיהּ. וְאַחֲדֵי מַלְכָּא עִם רְחִימוֹי בִּלְחוֹדוֹהִי וְלָא אִתְעָרְבִין אָחֳרָנִין בֵּינַיְיהוּ. כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל עִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. בְּגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם. thinks to himself: Now I wish to feast and be merry with my beloved alone, but I fear that during my feast all the other ministers will come and join us at our table to be together and take part in the festive meal that I have prepared for my beloved and myself. So what does the king do? He first regales his governors and ministers with dishes of vegetables and beef. Only after they are satisfied can he sit in peace with his friend and enjoy the supernal banquet with the world's finest delicacies spread before them. And while alone with the king, his friend puts before him all his petitions and requests, which the king grants. So just as the king enjoys the company of his beloved alone, with no stranger disturbing them, the Holy One, blessed be He, enjoys Yisrael. Hence it is written: "On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly."
אָמְרוּ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרַבִּי חִיָּיא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַתְקִין אוֹרְחָא קַמָּן. זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. אָתֵי נְשָׁקוּהוּ. קָרָא עֲלֵיהּ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי (ישעיהו נ״ד:י״ג) וְכָל בָּנַיִךְ לִמּוּדֵי יְיָ וְרַב שְׁלוֹם בָּנָיִךְ. כַּד מָטוּ בֵּי חֲקַל יָתִיבוּ. אָמַר הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ מַאי שְׁנָא דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית י״ט:כ״ד) וַיְיָ הִמְטִיר עַל סְדוֹם וְעַל עֲמוֹרָה וְגו'. (נדפס בפקודי רכז ב) וּמַאי שְׁנָא בְּטוֹפָנָא דִּכְתִיב אֱלהִים אֱלהִים בְּכָל אֲתַר. (אמאי) וְלָא כְּתִיב וַיְיָ (בכלא). Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Chiya said: The Holy One, blessed be He, established the right way for us; happy are those who delve into the Torah. They approached him and kissed him. Rabbi Yosi applied to him the verse: "And all your children shall be taught of Hashem, and great shall be the peace of your children" (Isaiah 54:13). When they reached a field, they all sat down. That man asked what changed when the verse says, "And Hashem rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah" (Gen. 19:24), (i.e. why was the term Elohim not used)? And what changed during the Great Flood, when the term 'Elohim' is used, while the term Hashem (is not used at all)?
אֶלָּא תָּנִינָן בְּכָל אֲתַר דִּכְתִיב וַיְיָ הוּא וּבֵית דִּינוֹ. אֱלֹהִים סְתָם דִּינָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי. אֶלָּא בִּסְדוֹם אִתְעֲבִיד דִּינָא וְלָא לְשֵׁיצָאָה עָלְמָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִתְעָרֵב אִיהוּ בַּהֲדֵי דִינָא. אֲבָל בְּטוֹפָנָא כָּל עָלְמָא שָׁצֵי וְכָל אִנּוּן דְּאִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ (נ''א בלחודוי) בְּעָלְמָא. We have learned that everywhere the term "and Hashem" is mentioned, (it indicates) Him and His courthouse. But when the term Elohim is mentioned alone, this indicates only the courthouse. In the case of Sodom, Judgment was passed not to destroy the world, and thus, (Zeir Anpin) was involved in carrying out Judgment. But in the case of the Great Flood, the whole world and all of its inhabitants were destroyed.
וְאִי תֵימָא (ד''א דהא) נֹחַ וּדְעִמֵּיהּ (ד''א אשתזיבו). (נ''א הא) סָתִים מַעֲיָנָא הֲוָה דְּלָא אִתְחֲזֵי. וְעַל דָּא כָּל מַה דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בְּעָלְמָא שָׁצֵי לֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא וַיְיָ בְּאִתְגַלְיָא וְלָא שָׁצֵי כֹלָּא. אֱלהִים בָּעֵי סְתִימוּ וּבָעֵי לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא דְּהָא כֹּלָּא שָׁצֵי. וְעַל דָּא אֱלהִים בִּלְחוֹדוֹי הֲוֵי. And although you may say that Noah and all who were with him (were saved and not destroyed, it is only because they) were hidden from sight and unseen (by the Angel of Destruction). Thus, everything that existed in the world was destroyed. That is why the term "And Hashem," indicates that He does not destroy all that is revealed to the eye. However, the term Elohim indicates that all should be carefully concealed, because He destroys everything. That is why the term Elohim alone.
וְרָזָא דָּא (תהילים כ״ט:י׳) יְיָ לַמַּבּוּל יָשָׁב. מַהוּ יָשָׁב. אִלְמָלֵא קְרָא כְּתִיב לָא יָכְלִינָן לְמֵימַר. יָשָׁב בִּלְחוֹדוֹי דְּלָא אַתְיָא עִם דִּינָא. כְּתִיב הָכָא יָשָׁב, וּכְתִיב הָתָם (ויקרא י״ג:מ״ו) בָּדָד יֵשֵׁב בִּלְחוֹדוֹי. And this is the secret of the verse, "Hashem sat at the Flood" (Ps. 29:10). What is "sat?" If it had not been written in the scriptures, we could not have said it, (because sat infers) that He sat alone, by Himself and was distinct from the Judgment; here it is written: "Hashem sat," while in another place it is written: "He shall sit alone".
וּבְגִין דְּנֹחַ הֲוָה סָתִים מַעֲיָנָא. לְבָתַר כַּד אִתְעֲבִיד דִּינָא וְשָׁצֵי עָלְמָא וְנָח רוּגְזֵיהּ מַה כְּתִיב וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת נֹחַ וְגו'. דְּהָא כַּד שָׁצֵי עָלְמָא לָא אִדְכַּר דְּסָתִים מַעֲיָנָא הֲוָה. וְרָזָא (ודא) אוֹלִיפְנָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא סָתִים וְגַלְיָא. גַּלְיָא הוּא בֵּי דִינָא דִלְתַתָּא. סָתִים הוּא אֲתַר דְּכָל בִּרְכָאן נָפְקֵי מִתַּמָּן. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כָּל מִלּוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ דְּאִנּוּן בִּסְתִימוּ בִּרְכָאן שַׁרְיָין עֲלוֹי. וְכָל דְּאִנּוּן בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא הַהוּא אֲתַר דְּבֵי דִינָא שָׁרְיָאן עֲלוֹי בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אֲתַר בְּאִתְגְּלֵי וְהַהוּא דְאִקְרֵי רַע עַיִן שַׁלִּיט עֲלֵיהּ, וְכֹלָּא הוּא בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא. Now because Noah was out of sight after the sentence was passed, the world was destroyed, and His temper was quiet. It is written: "And Elohim remembered Noah" (Gen. 8:1). For when He was destroying the world, Noah was not remembered, because he was out of sight. I have learned a secret that the Holy One, blessed be He, is revealed and concealed. He is revealed when presiding over the lower courthouse, and He is concealed when He is (at) the place from where come out all the blessings. This is why all the affairs of man that are hidden from sight are blessed from above, while all those exposed to view are under the influence of the court of justice, because this is the place that is revealed, The one who is called the 'Evil Eye' rules over it. Thus, all is according to the supernal secrets of above.
בָּכָה רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר זַכָּאָה דָרָא דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן שַׁרְיָא בְּגַוֵּיהּ דְּהָא זְכוּתָא דִילֵיהּ אַזְמִין לָן בְּטוּרֵי מִלִּין עִלָּאִין כְּאִלֵּין (עד כאן). אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַאי בַּר נָשׁ לְאוֹדָעָא לָן מִלִּין אִלֵּין קָא אָתֵי וְשַׁדְרֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְגַבָּן. כַּד אָתוּ וְסִדְּרוּ מִלִּין קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר וַדַּאי שַׁפִּיר קָא אָמַר. (נדפס בפקודי רסח ב). Rabbi Yosi wept and said: Happy is the generation who has Rabbi Shimon among it. His merit has brought us to these mountains, so that we could hear such supreme matters. He continued: This man has come for the purpose of revealing these matters to us. The Holy One, blessed be He, sent him to us. And when they came to Rabbi Shimon and repeated (everything they heard), he said: Definitely, all that he said is true.
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הֲוָה יָתִיב יוֹמָא חַד קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוּי. אָמַר לֵיהּ הַאי קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר אִתְהַנֵּי מֵאִנּוּן קָרְבָּנִין דְּהֲווּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְקָרְבִין עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבְּחָא אוֹ לָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ כֹּלָּא הֲווּ מִסְתַּפְּקֵי כְּחֲדָא לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא. Un jour, rabbi Eléazar qui était assis devant rabbi Siméon, son père, lui demanda: "La fin de toute chair" [c'est-à-dire l'Ange de la mort] se nourrissait-elle des sacrifices que les enfants d'Israël offraient sur l'autel, ou bien non? Rabbi Siméon lui répondit: Tous en recevaient à suffisance et à l'unisson, l'En-haut comme l'En-bas.
וְתָא חֲזֵי כַּהֲנִי וְלֵיוָאֵי וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִנּוּן אִקְרוּן אָדָם בְּחִבּוּרָא דְּאִנּוּן רְעוּתִין קַדִּישִׁין דְּסָלְקִין מִגַּוַויְיהוּ. הַהוּא כִּשְׂבָּא אוֹ אִמְרָא אוֹ הַהִיא בְּהֵמָה דְּקָרְבִין אִצְטְרִיךְ עַד לָא יִתְקְרִיב עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבְּחָא לְפָרָשָׁא עֲלָהּ כָּל חַטָּאִין וְכָל רְעוּתִין בִּישִׁין לְאִתְוַדָּאָה עֲלָהּ. וּכְדֵין הַהִיא אִתְקְרֵי בְּהֵמָה בְּכֹלָּא בְּגוֹ אִנּוּן חַטָּאִין וּבִישִׁין וְהִרְהוּרִין. Come and behold: the priests, the Levites and Yisrael are (the secret of the three columns and) called 'man', through the union of the holy desires that rise from them. And when a sheep, or a deer or any other animal is brought to be sacrificed, all sins and evil desires and intentions must be confessed over them. Then the sacrifice is called 'a beast,' as it is now burdened with all the sins and evil intentions.
כְּגַוְונָא דְּקָרְבָּנָא דַּעֲזָאזֵל דִּכְתִיב (ויקרא ט״ז:כ״א) וְהִתְוַדָּה עָלָיו אֶת כָּל עֲוֹנוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגו'. הָכִי נָמֵי הָכָא. וְכַד סָלְקָא עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבְּחָא מְטוּלָא עַל חַד תְּרֵין. וּבְגִין כָּךְ דָא סַלְקָא לְאַתְרֵיהּ. וְדָא סַלְקָא לְאַתְרֵיהּ. דָּא בְּרָזָא דְאָדָם וְדָא בְּרָזָא דִבְהֵמָה כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים ל״ו:ז׳) אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה תּוֹשִׁיעַ יְיָ. This is similar to the sacrifice of the scapegoat, of which it is written: "and he shall confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Yisrael" (Lev. 16:21). So here as well, (one should confess sins over every sacrifice). Because when the sacrifice is raised upon the altar it bears a twofold burden, each of which is raised to its own place. The first is the secret of man; the latter is in the secret of the beast, as it is written: "Hashem, You preserve man and beast" (Ps. 36:7).
חֲבִיתִין וְכָל שְׁאָר מְנָחוֹת לְאַתְעָרָא רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא בִּרְעוּתָא דְּכַהֲנֵי וְשִׁירָתָא דְּלֵיוָאֵי וּבִצְלוֹתָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. וּבְהַהוּא תְּנָנָא וְשַׁמְנָא וְקִמְחָא דְּסָלִיק מִתְרַוָּון וּמִסְתַּפְּקִין (ס''א ומתפנקין) (ס''א ומתפשטין) Fried meal offerings and all other meal offerings arouse the Holy Spirit through the desire of the priests, the singing of the Levites and the prayer of Yisrael, (who make up the three columns). And from the smoke, the oil and the flour that rise (upon the altar), all the prosecutors