1The first 4 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation. Said R. Judah to him: ‘All this is quite correct, and this is the second time I hear it, but I had forgotten. Now I should like to know another thing. Why is it that Passover and Tabernacles consist of seven days, but not the Feast of Weeks, which really ought to more than the others?’
He replied: ‘It is written: “Who is like thy people Israel one nation in the earth?” (2 Sam. 7, 23). Now why are Israel called “one” here rather than in any other place? It is because the text is here speaking in praise of Israel, because it is the pride of Israel to be one.
The reason is that the junction of upper and lower takes place at the spot called “Israel”, which is linked with what is above and what is below, and with the Community of Israel: wherefore the whole is called one, and in this spot faith becomes manifest and complete union and supernal holy unity.
The Tree of Life is also called one, and its day therefore is one, and therefore we have Passover and Tabernacles and this in the middle, and this is the honour of the Torah that it should have this one day and no more.’
R. Isaac said: ‘Israel will in the future chant joyful hymns of praise to the Holy One, blessed be He, like those which they chanted on the night of the Passover when the Community of Israel was hallowed with the sanctity of the King, as it is written: “Ye shall have a song as in the night when the holy feast was kept” (Isa. 30, 29).
אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, שַׁפִּיר הוּא, וְהָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי. וְהַאי זִמְנָא אָחֳרָא שְׁמַעְנָא לֵיהּ בְּהַאי גַּוְונָא, וְאַנְשֵׁינָא מִלֵּי. הַשְׁתָּא מִלָּה אָחֳרָא בָּעֵינָא לְמִנְדַּע, הָא חֲזֵינָא בַּפֶּסַח ז', וּבְסֻכּוֹת ז', וּשְׁלִימוּ דְּחֶדְוָותָא בְּיוֹמָא אָחֳרָא. בְּשָׁבוּעוֹת, אֲמַאי לָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בֵּיהּ ז' יָמִים, וְהָא הָכָא אִתְחָזוּן יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָּא.
1The first 4 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation. Said R. Judah to him: ‘All this is quite correct, and this is the second time I hear it, but I had forgotten. Now I should like to know another thing. Why is it that Passover and Tabernacles consist of seven days, but not the Feast of Weeks, which really ought to more than the others?’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (שמואל ב ז׳:כ״ג) וּמִי כְעַמְּךָ כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל גּוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ. וְכִי מַאי שְׁנָא הָכָא דְּאִקְרוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶחָד, יַתִּיר מֵאֲתַר אָחֳרָא. אֶלָּא, כֵּיוָן דִּשְׁבָחָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, אַתְיָיא לְפָרְשָׁא, קָרָא לוֹן אֶחָד, דְּהָא בְּכָל אֲתַר שְׁבָחָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אֶחָד הוּא. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּכָל קְשִׁירוּ דְּעִלָאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, בְּהַאי אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִשְׁתְּכַח. (ועוד) דְּאִתְקְשַׁר בְּמָה דִּלְעֵילָּא, וְאִתְקְשַׁר בְּמָה דִּלְתַתָּא, וְאִתְקְשַׁר בִּכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְעַל דָּא אִקְרֵי כֹּלָּא אֶחָד. וּבַאֲתַר דָּא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא מְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְקִשּׁוּרָא שְׁלֵימָא, וְיִחוּדָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא.
He replied: ‘It is written: “Who is like thy people Israel one nation in the earth?” (2 Sam. 7, 23). Now why are Israel called “one” here rather than in any other place? It is because the text is here speaking in praise of Israel, because it is the pride of Israel to be one.
וְעַל דָּא, יוֹמָא דָּא, קִשּׁוּרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא הוּא, קִשּׁוּרָא דְּכֹלָּא. וּכְתִיב (משלי ג׳:י״ח) עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ אִילָנָא הוּא דְּאִקְרֵי אֶחָד. וְעַל דָּא בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן מִתְקַשְּׁרֵי בַּאֲתַר דָּא, אִקְרֵי הָכִי. וְעֵץ חַיִּים אֶחָד הוּא וַדַּאי אִקְרֵי, בְּגִין דְּכֹלָּא בֵּיהּ אִתְקְשַׁר, וְיוֹמָא (ס"א ושמא) דִּילֵיהּ, אֶחָד וַדַּאי, קִשּׁוּרָא דְּכֹלָּא, וְאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּכֹלָּא.
The reason is that the junction of upper and lower takes place at the spot called “Israel”, which is linked with what is above and what is below, and with the Community of Israel: wherefore the whole is called one, and in this spot faith becomes manifest and complete union and supernal holy unity.
הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית ב׳:ט׳) וְעֵץ הַחַיִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן, בְּתוֹךְ מַמָּשׁ, בִּמְצִיעוּת, וְאָחִיד בְּכָל סִטְרִין, וְאִתְקְשַׁר בֵּיהּ. וְעַל דָּא פֶּסַח וְסֻכּוֹת, וְהוּא בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא. בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּכֹלָּא, וְדָא הוּא שְׁבָחָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּהַאי יוֹמָא, וְלָא יַתִּיר, שְׁבָחָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְקִשּׁוּרָא דְּכֹלָּא. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּשָׁאִילְנָא, וְזָכֵינָא לְהָנֵי מִילֵּי.
The Tree of Life is also called one, and its day therefore is one, and therefore we have Passover and Tabernacles and this in the middle, and this is the honour of the Torah that it should have this one day and no more.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, חֶדְוָותָא וְשִׁירָתָא, זְמִינִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְשַׁבְּחָא לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּהַאי שְׁבָחָא דִּמְשַׁבְּחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּלֵילְיָא דְּפִסְחָא, דְּכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְקַדְּשָׁת בִּקְדוּשָּׁה דְּמַלְכָּא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו ל׳:כ״ט) הַשִּׁיר יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כְּלֵיל הִתְקַדֶּשׁ חָג. כְּלֵיל הִתְקַדֶּשׁ חָג דַּיְיקָא. בָּרוּךְ יְיָ' לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן.
R. Isaac said: ‘Israel will in the future chant joyful hymns of praise to the Holy One, blessed be He, like those which they chanted on the night of the Passover when the Community of Israel was hallowed with the sanctity of the King, as it is written: “Ye shall have a song as in the night when the holy feast was kept” (Isa. 30, 29).