(ג) פָּתַח רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר מַאי דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו ל״ח:ב׳) וַיַּסֵּב חִזְקִיָּהוּ פָּנָיו אֶל הַקִּיר וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֶל ה'. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה הוּא חֵילָא תַּקִּיפָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְכַמָּה הוּא עִלָּאָה עַל כֹּלָא. דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לָא דָּחִיל מֵעִילָּאֵי וּמִתַּתָּאֵי. וְלֹא דָּחִיל מִמַּרְעִין בִּישִׁין דְּעַלְמָא. בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אָחִיד בְּאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי וְיַלִּיף מִינֵּיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא.
(ד) דְּהָא אוֹרַיְיתָא תּוֹלִיף לְבַר נָשׁ לְמֵיזַל בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט. תּוֹלִיף לֵיהּ עֵיטָא הֵיךְ יָתוּב קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ לְבַטְלָא הַהִיא גְּזֵרָה. דְּאָפִילּוּ אִתְגְּזַר עֲלֵיהּ דְּלָא יִתְבַּטֵּל הַאי גְּזֵרָה, מִיָּד אִתְבַּטֵּל וְאִסְתָּלַּק מִנֵּיהּ וְלָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ בָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְתָא יְמָמָא וְלֵילֵי וְלָא יִתְעַדֵי מִינָהּ הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (יהושע א׳:ח׳) וְהָגִיתָ בוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה. וְאִי אִתְעַדֵּי מִינָּהּ דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אוֹ אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִינָהּ כְּאִלּוּ אִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי.
(ה) תָּא חֲזֵי, עֵיטָא לְבַר נָשׁ, כַּד אִיהוּ סָלִיק בְּלֵילְיָא עַל עַרְסֵיהּ בָּעֵי לְקַבְּלָא עֲלֵיהּ מַלְכוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָא בְּלִבָּא שְׁלִים וּלְאַקְדְּמָא לְמִמְסַר קַמֵּיהּ פִּקְדוֹנָא דְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ (בראשית י''ט ע''ב) וּמִיָּד אִשְׁתְּזִיב מִכָּל מַרְעִין בִּישִׁין וּמִכָּל רוּחִין בִּישִׁין וְלָא שָׁלְטִין עֲלֵיהּ. וּבְצַפְרָא קָם מֵעַרְסֵיהּ בָּעֵי לְבָרְכָא לְמָארֵיהּ וּלְמֵיעַל לְבֵיתֵיהּ וּלְמִסְגַּד קַמֵּי הֵיכָלֵיהּ בִּדְחִילוּ סַגְּיָא, וּבָתַר כֵּן יִצְלֵי צְלוֹתֵיהּ וְיִסַּב עֵיטָא מֵאִנּוּן אֲבָהָן קַדִּישִׁין דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים ה׳:ח׳) וַאֲנִי בְּרֹב חַסְדְּךָ אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל הֵיכַל קָדְשְׁךָ בְּיִרְאָתֶךָ.
(ו) הָכִי אוּקְמוּהָ לָא לִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְעָאֳלָא לְבֵי כְּנִישְׁתָּא אֶלָּא אִי אַמְלִיךְ בְּקַדְמִיתָא בְּאַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, בְּגִין דְּאִנּוּן תְּקִינוּ צְלוֹתָא לְקָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַאֲנִי בְּרוֹב חַסְדֶּךָ אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ, דָּא אַבְרָהָם. אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ, דָּא יִצְחָק. בְּיִרְאָתֶךָ, דָּא יַעֲקֹב. וּבָעֵי לְאַכְלָלָא לוֹן בְּרֵישָׁא, וּבָתַר כֵּן יֵיעוּל לְבֵי כְּנִשְׁתָּא וִיצַלֵּי צְלוֹתֵיהּ. כְּדֵין כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו מ״ט:ג׳) וַיֹּאמֶר לִי עַבְדִּי אָתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר.
(3) 3. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion by speaking about the verse: "Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Hashem" (Isaiah 38:2). Come and see how powerful is the might of the Torah, and how high it rises above all! Because whoever conducts his life according to the Torah has no fear of those above or below, and mishaps or illnesses of this world do not concern him. Through the Torah, he is attached to the Tree of Life and learns from it every day.
(4) 4. The Torah teaches every person how to walk a straight path. It gives advice how to repent and return to one's Master to cancel the decree against him. Because even though a decree has been given not to cancel the decree against him, it shall nevertheless be canceled and not be applied to him anymore in this world. So for this purpose, man should occupy himself in the study of the Torah day and night, not deviate from it. As it is written, "you shall meditate therein day and night" (Joshua 1:8). So if he deviates from the Torah - or he abandons it - it is as though he abandons the Tree of Life.
(5) 5. Come and see: Good advice for people. When a person lies on his bed at night and goes to sleep, he should wholeheartedly accept upon himself the heavenly Kingdom, and he should quickly prepare to return his entrusted soul to Him. Then he shall be immediately spared from all bad diseases and evil spirits, and they shall have no power over him. And in the morning, as he rises from his bed, he should then praise his Master, enter into His house, and bow in front of His sanctuary in great awe. And afterward, he should recite his prayers. For he should take advice from the holy patriarchs, as it is written, "But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your love; and in the fear of You, I will bow down toward Your holy temple" (Ps. 5:8).
(6) 6. This verse has been explained as follows. A person should not enter the synagogue unless he first consulted Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Because they have prepared and instituted the prayer to the Holy One, blessed be He. As it is written, "I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your love" refers to Abraham, (Chesed); "I will bow down towards Your holy temple" refers to Issac; "in the fear of You" refers to Jacob (Tiferet). Therefore, he should include himself with them and then enter the synagogue and recite his prayers. Then the scripture reads, "And He said to me, you are My servant, Yisrael, in whom I will be glorified" (Isaiah 49:3).
(ז) רִבִּי פִּינְחָס הֲוָה שְׁכִיחַ קַמֵּי דְּרִבִּי רְחוּמָאִי בְּכֵיף יַמָּא דְּגִנוֹסָר. וּבַר נַשׁ רַב וּקְשִׁישָׁא דְיוֹמִין הֲוָה וְעֵינוֹי אִסְתַּלָּקוּ מִלְּמֶחמֵי. אָמַר לְרִבִּי פִּינְחָס וַדַּאי שְׁמַעְנָא דְּיוֹחָאִי חַבְרָנָא אִית לֵיהּ מַרְגָּלִית אֶבֶן טָבָא, וְאִסְתַּכְּלִית בִּנְהוֹרָא דְּהַהִיא מַרְגָּלִית נָפְקָא כִּנְהִירוּ דְּשִׁמְשָׁא מִנַּרְתְּקָהּ וְנָהֲרָא כָּל עָלְמָא. וְהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא קָאִים מִשְׁמַיָּא לְאַרְעָא וְנָהִיר כָּל עָלְמָא עַד דְּיָתִיב עַתִּיק יוֹמִין וְיָתִיב עַל כֻּרְסְיָיא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. וְהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא כָּלִיל כֹּלָּא בְּבֵיתָךְ. וּמִנְּהוֹרָא דְּאִתְכְּלִיל בְּבֵיתָךְ. נָפַק נְהִירוּ דַּקִּיק וּזְעֵיר וְנָפִיק לְבַר וְנָהִיר כָּל עָלְמָא, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָךְ. פּוֹק בְּרִי, פּוֹק, זִיל אַבַּתְרֵיהּ דְּהַהִיא מַרְגָּלִית דְּנָהִיר עָלְמָא, דְּהָא שַׁעֲתָא קָיְימָא לָךְ.
(ח) נָפַק מִקַּמֵּיהּ וְקָאִים לְמֵיעַל בְּהַהִיא אַרְבָּא וּתְרֵין גּוּבְרִין בַּהֲדֵיהּ. חָמָא תְּרֵין צִפֳּרִין דְּהֲווּ אַתְיָין וְטָסִין עַל יַמָּא, רָמָּא לוֹן קָלָא וְאָמַר צִפֳּרִין צִפֳּרִין דְּאַתּוּן טָאסִין עַל יַמָּא, חֲמֵיתוּן דּוּךְ דְּבַר יוֹחָאִי תַּמָּן, אִשְׁתָּהֵי פּוּרְתָא אָמַר, צִפֳּרִין צִפֳּרִין זִילוּ וְאֲתִיבוּ לִי. פָּרְחוּ וְאֲזִילוּ, עָאלוּ בְּיַמָּא וְאָזְלֵי לְהוֹן. עַד דְּנָפַק, הָא אִנּוּן צִפֳּרִין אַתְיָין וּבְפוּמָא דְּחָדָא מִנַיְיהוּ פִּתְקָא חָדָא וּכְתִיב בְּגַוָּוהּ דְּהָא בַּר יוֹחָאִי נָפַק מִן מְעַרְתָּא (הוא) וְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ. אֲזַל לְגַבֵּיהּ וְאַשְׁכַּח לֵיהּ מְשַׁנְיָא וְגוּפֵיהּ מַלְיָא חֲלוּדִין. בָּכָה
(7) 7. Rabbi Pinchas frequently visited Rabbi Rechumai, who lived at the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He was a great man who was full of years and had lost his eyesight. He said to Rabbi Pinchas, 'I have heard that our friend Yochai has a jewel, a precious stone (his son). And I have observed the light that shines from that jewel; and it shines like the radiance of the sun as it emerges out from its sheath and illuminates the whole world. And that light extends from the heavens down to the earth, where it brightens the whole world until the Atik Yomin (Keter) appears and is properly seated upon the throne. And this radiance is contained entirely in your household (Rabbi Pinchas' daughter was married to Rashb"i). And from this effulgence that is contained in your household, a tiny ray of light comes forth and brightens up the whole world. How happy is your lot. Go my son, go! Go after that jewel that shines and lights up all the world, as the hour is propitious for you.
(8) 8. He took his leave from him and was about to enter a boat, accompanied by two people. He saw two birds flying toward him over the lake. He raised up his voice and said, Birds, O birds - you who fly over the waters - have you seen the place, where the son of Yochai is? He waited awhile and then said, Birds, O birds - Go and bring me back an answer! They flew away; they flew into the middle of the sea and disappeared. Before he went and departed, the two birds appeared again. In the mouth of one of them was a letter informing him that the son of Yochai, had left the cave together with his son, Rabbi Elazar. He went to meet him. He saw that he had completely changed, and his body was full of scars and sores. He wept
(א) בַּהֲדֵיהּ וְאָמַר וַוי דַּחֲמִיתִיךְ בְּכָךְ. אָמַר זַכָּאָה חוּלָקִי דַּחֲמֵית לִי בְּכָךְ דְּאִלְמָלֵא לָא חֲמִיתָא לִי בְּכָךְ לָא הֲוֵינָא בְּכָךְ
(ב) השלמה מההשמטות (סימן כג)
(1) 1. together with him and said, Woe, that I have seen you so! Rashb"i replied: O how happy is my lot, that you have seen me so. Because had you not seen me thus I would not have been so.