Therefore a man should keep away from them. That is why I have left the old man and taken a different path. Now that I have found you I will expound the Scripture in your presence.’ He then discoursed on the text: And he called unto Moses, etc. (Lev. 1, 1). He said: ‘The aleph of the word vayikra (and he called) is written small in the scroll, to show that this calling was not a perfect one, because it was only in the Tabernacle and in a strange land, perfection being only found in the Holy Land.
When a king sits on his throne wearing the royal crown, he is called Great King, but when he comes down from his throne and visits his servant, he is called Little King. So God, as long as He is on high over all, is called Supreme King, but when He brings His abode below, He is simply King, not Supreme as before.
The word “called”, as we have learnt, means that he summoned him to his sanctuary. The “tent of meeting” (mo’ed=also appointed time) means the tent on which depends the reckoning of seasons, festivals, and sabbaths, this being none other than the moon.
5
לֵאמֹר, מַאי לֵאמֹר. בְּגִין לְגַלָּאָה, (אבל כלא חד ושפיר הוא, בגין דשלימו ושפירו הוא אתר לגלאה) מַה דְּהֲוָה סָתִים לְגוֹ. וּבְכָל אֲתַר לֵאמֹר, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה לֵאמֹר, דְּאִתְיְיהִיב רְשׁוּ לְגַלָּאָה. אֲבָל כֹּלָּא חַד הוּא, וְשַׁפִּיר הוּא, בְּגִין דְּהָא אִתְמַנֵּי לְסִיהֲרָא הַהִיא מִלָּה, מֵאֲתַר דְּמשֶׁה קָיְימָא.
The word “saying” (lemor, lit. to say) indicates the disclosing of what hitherto was concealed; and so in all places where it occurs (e.g. “And God spoke unto Moses, saying”), it means that permission is given to disclose.
It is written just before: “And they brought the tabernacle to Moses” (Ex. 39, 33). The reason why the Israelites brought the Tabernacle to Moses when they had finished it was because God had shown him the whole plan of it on Mount Sinai; so now they brought it to him in order that he might see whether it corresponded to the plan which he had seen.
It was as if a king had given orders for a palace to be built for his queen, and had charged the builders to make one room here and one there, here a bedchamber and there a sitting-room, and so when the builders finished they showed it all to the king. So the Israelites brought the Tabernacle to Moses, who was the “master of the house”, the “man of God”. When the sanctuary was finished, the queen invited the king to it, and invited also her husband, that is to say, Moses the master of the house.
The text continues: “And the Lord spoke to him”, “the Lord” being another still higher grade.’ He further discoursed as follows. ‘The text continues: When any man of you shall offer (Lev. 1, 2). The word “man” (Adam) here indicates the union of the sun and the moon.
“When he shall offer from you”: this is a hint that he who desires to make his service of sacrifice truly acceptable should not be unmarried. “An offering to the Lord”: this means that he should offer the whole for the purpose of uniting upper and lower.
“Ye shall offer your offering”: the “offering to the Lord” mentioned above was man, but “your offering” is from the cattle, from the herds and the flocks, to display the union of upper with lower and of lower with upper.
If a king is sitting on a throne on a very high dais, then one who brings a present to the king has to mount from step to step until he reaches the top, the place where the king is sitting above all, and then it is known that that present is meant for the king. But when the present comes down from the top, then all know that the king is sending it from above to his friend who is below.
So at first a man rises step by step from below upwards; this is “the offering of the Lord”. Then he comes down step by step: and this is “your offering”.’
R. Isaac and R. Judah went up to him and kissed his forehead. They said: ‘Blessed be God who has favoured us with this, blessed is God that these words have not been wasted on that old man.’ They then rose and went on. As they proceeded, they saw a vine in a garden.
The boy then quoted the verse: “Binding his foal to the vine and his ass’s colt to the choice vine.” He said: ‘The word oseri (binding) is written here with a superfluous yod, and the word ‘iro (his colt) with he’ instead of vau. Thus the Holy Name Kah is hinted here.
All this is to show that just as there is a Holy Name to subdue the “foal”, so there is a Holy Name to subdue another power, which is called “ass”; for if the Holy Name were not hintcd here, they would devastate the world.
The “vine”, as we have said, is the Community of Israel. It is called vine because just as the vine will receive no graft from another tree, so the Community of Israel accepts no master but God, and therefore all other powers are subdued before her, and cannot obtain dominion over her.
“He hath washed his garments in wine”, even from the time of the Creation the reference being to the coming of the Messiah on earth. “Wine” indicates the left side, and “the blood of grapes” the left side below. The Messiah is destined to rule above over all the forces of the idolatrous nations and to break their power above and below.
We may also explain that as wine brings joyfulness and yet typifies judgement, so the Messiah will bring gladness to Israel, but judgement to the Gentiles. The “spirit of God which hovered over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1, 2) is the spirit of the Messiah, and from the time of the Creation he “washed his garments in celestial wine”.
“His eyes shall be red with wine”: this is the intoxicating celestial wine from which the masters of the Torah drink. “And his teeth white with milk”, because the Torah is both wine and milk, the Oral and the Written Law.
It is written of wine that it “rejoiceth the heart of man” (Ps. 104, 15). Wine at first brings gladness, being the place from which all gladness issues, but afterwards it brings punishment, because its end is the place where is gathered all punishment. Hence the verse continues: “And oil to make the face shine”, to wit, from the place from which all gladness issues.
It then says: “And bread that strengtheneth man’s heart”, bread being the support of mankind. It is not, however, the only support, because there is no night without day, and they must not be separated.
If so, it may be asked, why did David say that “bread supports the heart of man”? The answer is that this is why he added the word “and” before “bread”, to show that the others are included.
Observe that grace after meals should not be said over an empty table, but there should be bread on it and a cup of wine, and the wine should be taken in the right hand, in order to join the Left hand to the Right, and in order that the bread should be blessed by them and linked with them, so that the whole should be linked together to bless the Holy Name fittingly. For the bread being joined with the wine, and the wine with the right hand, blessings rest on the world and the table is duly perfected.’
בְגִין כָּךְ, בָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנַּיְיהוּ, וּלְמִסְטֵי אוֹרְחֵיהּ מִנַּיְיהוּ, עַל דָּא אִתְפְּרָשְׁנָא וְסָטִינָא אָרְחָאי. מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה דְּאַשְׁכַּחְנָא לְכוּ, אֵימָא הַנֵּי קְרָאֵי קַמֵּיכוֹן. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וַיִּקְרָא אֶל משֶׁה, הָכָא אָלֶ"ף זְעֵירָא. אַמַּאי, בְּגִין דְּהַאי קְרִיאָה לָא הֲוָה בִּשְׁלִימוּ. מַאי טַעְמָא, דְּהָא לָא הֲוָה אֶלָּא בְּמִשְׁכְּנָא, וּבְאַרְעָא אָחֳרָא. בְּגִין דִּשְׁלִימוּ לָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח אֶלָּא בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא.
Therefore a man should keep away from them. That is why I have left the old man and taken a different path. Now that I have found you I will expound the Scripture in your presence.’ He then discoursed on the text: And he called unto Moses, etc. (Lev. 1, 1). He said: ‘The aleph of the word vayikra (and he called) is written small in the scroll, to show that this calling was not a perfect one, because it was only in the Tabernacle and in a strange land, perfection being only found in the Holy Land.
תוּ, הָכָא שְׁכִינְתָּא, (ס"א ל"ג התם וגריס נוקבא) הָתָם שְׁלִימוּ דִּדְכַר וְנוּקְבָא, (דברי הימים א א׳:א׳) אָדָם שֵׁת אֱנוֹשׁ. אָדָם, שְׁלִימוּ דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא, הָכָא נוּקְבָא. תוּ סֵיפָא דִקְרָא, וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר, בְּגִין כָּךְ אָלֶ"ף זְעֵירָא.
Eurther, in the Tabernacle there was only the Shekinah, but in the land there was the complete union of Male and Female.
תוּ אָלֶ"ף זְעֵירָא, מְתַל לְמַלְכָּא, דְּהֲוָה יָתִיב בְּכָרְסְיֵהּ, וְכִתְרָא דְמַלְכוּתָא עֲלֵיהּ, אִקְרֵי מֶלֶךְ עִלָּאָה. כַּד נָחִית וְאֲזַל לְבֵי עַבְדֵיהּ, מֶלֶךְ זוּטָא אִקְרֵי. כָּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּאִיהוּ לְעֵילָא עַל כֹּלָּא, מֶלֶךְ עִלָּאָה אִקְרֵי. כֵּיוָן דְּנָחִית מָדוֹרֵיהּ לְתַתָּא, מֶלֶךְ אִיהוּ, אֲבָל לָאו עִלָּאָה כְּקַדְמִיתָא, בְּגִין כָּךְ אָלֶ"ף זְעֵירָא.
When a king sits on his throne wearing the royal crown, he is called Great King, but when he comes down from his throne and visits his servant, he is called Little King. So God, as long as He is on high over all, is called Supreme King, but when He brings His abode below, He is simply King, not Supreme as before.
וַיִּקְרָא, הָכִי תָּנִינָן, זַמִּין לֵיהּ לְהֵיכָלֵיהּ. מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. מַאן אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. אֹהֶל דְּבֵיהּ תַּלְיָין מוֹעֵד וְחַגָּא וְשַׁבַּתָּא לְמִמְנֵי, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (בראשית א׳:י״ד) וְהָיוּ לְאוֹתוֹת וּלְמוֹעֲדִים, בֵּיהּ שַׁרְיָא חוּשְׁבְּנָא לְמִמְנֵי. וּמַאן אִיהוּ, סִיהֲרָא, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיהו ל״ג:כ׳) אֹהֶל בַּל יִצְעָן בַּל יִסַּע יְתֵדוֹתָיו לָנֶצַח.
The word “called”, as we have learnt, means that he summoned him to his sanctuary. The “tent of meeting” (mo’ed=also appointed time) means the tent on which depends the reckoning of seasons, festivals, and sabbaths, this being none other than the moon.
לֵאמֹר, מַאי לֵאמֹר. בְּגִין לְגַלָּאָה, (אבל כלא חד ושפיר הוא, בגין דשלימו ושפירו הוא אתר לגלאה) מַה דְּהֲוָה סָתִים לְגוֹ. וּבְכָל אֲתַר לֵאמֹר, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה לֵאמֹר, דְּאִתְיְיהִיב רְשׁוּ לְגַלָּאָה. אֲבָל כֹּלָּא חַד הוּא, וְשַׁפִּיר הוּא, בְּגִין דְּהָא אִתְמַנֵּי לְסִיהֲרָא הַהִיא מִלָּה, מֵאֲתַר דְּמשֶׁה קָיְימָא.
The word “saying” (lemor, lit. to say) indicates the disclosing of what hitherto was concealed; and so in all places where it occurs (e.g. “And God spoke unto Moses, saying”), it means that permission is given to disclose.
וַיְדַבֵּר, לְעֵילָא. אֶל משֶׁה, בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא. לֵאמֹר, בַּתְרַיְיתָא. אֲתַר, דְּאִית רְשׁוּ לְגַלָּאָה. תוּ, וַיִּקְרָא אֶל משֶׁה מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָא, (שמות ל״ט:ל״ג) וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֶל משֶׁה וְגו'. אַמַּאי אֶל משֶׁה. הָכִי אָמְרוּ, בְּגִין דְּמשֶׁה חָמָא לֵיהּ בְּטוּרָא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחְמֵי לֵיהּ בְּחֵיזוּ דְעֵינָא, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמות כ״ז:ח׳) כַּאֲשֶׁר הֶרְאָה אוֹתְךָ בָּהָר, וּכְתִיב, (במדבר ח׳:ד׳) כַּמַּרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר הֶרְאָה ה' אֶת משֶׁה וְגו'. וּכְתִיב (שמות כח) וּרְאֵה וַעֲשֵׂה בְּתַבְנִיתָם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה מָרְאֶה בָּהָר, הַשְׁתָּא אַיְיתִיאוּ לֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּיֶחֱמֵי, אי אִיהוּ כְּהַהוּא מִשְׁכְּנָא דְּחָמָא.
It is written just before: “And they brought the tabernacle to Moses” (Ex. 39, 33). The reason why the Israelites brought the Tabernacle to Moses when they had finished it was because God had shown him the whole plan of it on Mount Sinai; so now they brought it to him in order that he might see whether it corresponded to the plan which he had seen.
אֲבָל אַמַּאי וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֶל משֶׁה. אֶלָּא, לְמַלְכָּא דְּבָעָא לְמִבְנִי פַּלְטְרִין לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, פַּקִּיד לְאוּמָנִין הֵיכָלָא דָּא בְּדוּךְ פְּלַן, וְהֵיכָלָא דָּא בְּדוּךְ פְּלַן, הָכָא אֲתַר לְעַרְסָא, וְהָכָא אֲתַר לְנַיְיחָא. כֵּיוָן דַּעֲבִידוּ לוֹן אוּמָנִין, אַחְמִיּוּ לְמַלְכָּא. כָּךְ וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֶל משֶׁה, מָארֵי דְבֵיתָא, אִישׁ הָאֱלהִים, כֵּיוָן דְּאִשְׁתַּכְלַל הֵיכָלָא, מַטְרוֹנִיתָא זְמִינַת לְמַלְכָּא לְהֵיכָלָא, זְמִינַת לְבַעֲלָהּ עִמָּהּ, בְּגִין כָּךְ וַיִּקְרָא אֶל משֶׁה.
It was as if a king had given orders for a palace to be built for his queen, and had charged the builders to make one room here and one there, here a bedchamber and there a sitting-room, and so when the builders finished they showed it all to the king. So the Israelites brought the Tabernacle to Moses, who was the “master of the house”, the “man of God”. When the sanctuary was finished, the queen invited the king to it, and invited also her husband, that is to say, Moses the master of the house.
וּבְגִין דְּמשֶׁה מָארֵי דְבֵיתָא אִיהוּ, מַה כְּתִיב, (שמות ל״ג:ז׳) וּמשֶׁה יִקַּח אֶת הָאֹהֶל וְנָטָה לוֹ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה, משֶׁה דְּאִיהוּ מָארֵי דְבֵיתָא, עָבִיד הָכִי, מַה דְּלֵית רְשׁוּ לְבַר נָשׁ אָחֳרָא לְמֶעְבַּד הָכִי.
Hence Moses was able to “take the tent and pitch it outside” (Ex. 33, 7), a thing which no one else could possibly have done.
וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֵלָיו, דַּרְגָּא אָחֳרָא עִלָּאָה, וּכְדֵין בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּאִזְדַּמַּן משֶׁה לְמֵיעַל, כְּדֵין פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ויקרא א׳:ב׳) אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם. מַאי אָדָם הָכָא. אֶלָּא כַּד אִתְחַבְּרוּ שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא כְּחֲדָא, פָּתַח וְאָמַר אָדָם. כְּדִכְתִיב, (חבקוק ג׳:י״א) שֶׁמֶּשׁ יָרֵחַ עָמַד זְבוּלָהּ, עָמַד, וְלא עָמְדוּ.
The text continues: “And the Lord spoke to him”, “the Lord” being another still higher grade.’ He further discoursed as follows. ‘The text continues: When any man of you shall offer (Lev. 1, 2). The word “man” (Adam) here indicates the union of the sun and the moon.
כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם, הָכָא אִתְרְמִיז, מַאן דְּיַעֲבִיד פּוּלְחָנָא דְקָרְבְּנָא שְׁלִים, דְּיִשְׁתַּכַּח דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא. מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב מִכֶּם, דְיִשְׁתַּכַּח בְּחֵיזוּ דִלְכוֹן. קָרְבָּן לַה' דְּאַקְרִיב כֹּלָּא, לְאִתְאַחֲדָא כְּחֲדָא, לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא.
“When he shall offer from you”: this is a hint that he who desires to make his service of sacrifice truly acceptable should not be unmarried. “An offering to the Lord”: this means that he should offer the whole for the purpose of uniting upper and lower.
מִן הַבְּהֵמָה, לְאַחֲזָאָה אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה, כֹּלָּא כְּחֲדָא. מִן הַבָּקָר וּמִן הַצֹּאן, אִלֵּין רְתִיכִין, דְּאִינוּן דַכְיָין. דְּכֵיוָן דְּאָמַר מִן הַבְּהֵמָה, יָכוֹל מִכֹּלָּא, בֵּין דַּכְיָין בֵּין מְסָאֲבָן. הֲדַר וְאָמַר, מִן הַבָּקָר וּמִן הַצֹּאן.
“From the cattle”: to show man and beast as one. “From the oxen and from the sheep”: these are the chariots which are clean.
תַּקְרִיבוּ אֶת קָרְבַּנְכֶם. קָרְבָּנִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי קָרְבַּנְכֶם. אֶלָּא בְּקַדְמִיתָא קָרְבָּן לַה', וְהַשְׁתָּא קָרְבַּנְכֶם. קָרְבָּן לַה' אָדָם. קָרְבַּנְכֶם מִן הַבְּהֵמָה מִן הַבָּקָר וּמִן הַצֹּאן, לְאַחֲזָאָה יִחוּדָא מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא, וּמֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא. מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא, הַיְינוּ קָרְבָּן לַה'. מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא, הַיְינוּ קָרְבַּנְכֶם.
“Ye shall offer your offering”: the “offering to the Lord” mentioned above was man, but “your offering” is from the cattle, from the herds and the flocks, to display the union of upper with lower and of lower with upper.
לְמַלְכָּא, דְּאִיהוּ יָתִיב בְּטוּרְסְקָא עִלָּאָה, לְעֵילָא לְעֵילָא, וְכָרְסְיָא אִתְתַּקַּן עַל הַהוּא טוּרְסְקָא, וּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה עַל כֹּלָּא. בַּר נָשׁ דְּקָרִיב דּוֹרוֹנָא לְמַלְכָּא, בָּעָא לְסַלְקָא מִדַּרְגָא לְדַרְגָא, עַד דְּסָלִיק מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא לְאֲתַר דְּמַלְכָּא יָתִיב, עִלָּאָה עַל כֹּלָּא. וּכְדֵין יָדְעִין דְּהָא סָלְקִין דּוֹרוֹנָא לְמַלְכָּא, וְהַהוּא דוֹרוֹנָא דְמַלְכָּא אִיהוּ. נָחִית דּוֹרוֹנָא מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא, הָא יָדְעִין דְּהַהוּא דוֹרוֹנָא דְמַלְכָּא נָחִית מֵעֵילָא, לִרְחִימָא דְמַלְכָּא דְּאִיהוּ לְתַתָּא.
If a king is sitting on a throne on a very high dais, then one who brings a present to the king has to mount from step to step until he reaches the top, the place where the king is sitting above all, and then it is known that that present is meant for the king. But when the present comes down from the top, then all know that the king is sending it from above to his friend who is below.
כָּךָ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, אָדָם סָלִיק בְּדַרְגּוֹי מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא, וּכְדֵין קָרְבָּן לַה'. מִן הַבְּהֵמָה מִן הַבָּקָר, נָחִית בְּדַרְגוֹי מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא, וּכְדֵין קָרְבַּנְכֶם. בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ כְּתִיב, (שיר השירים ה׳:א׳) אָכַלְתִּי יַעֲרִי עִם דִּבְשִׁי שָׁתִיתִי יִיִנִי עִם חֲלָבִי. הַיְינוּ אָדָם וְקָרְבָּן לַה'. אִכְלוּ רֵעִים, הַיְינוּ מִן הַבְּהֵמָה מִן הַבָּקָר וּמִן הַצֹּאן, וּכְדֵין תַּקְרִיבוּ אֶת קָרְבַּנְכֶם.
So at first a man rises step by step from below upwards; this is “the offering of the Lord”. Then he comes down step by step: and this is “your offering”.’
אָתוּ רִבִּי יִצְחָק וְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה וּנְשָׁקוּהוּ עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ. אָמְרוּ, בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּזַכֵּינָא לְמִשְׁמַע דָא, וּבְרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא, דְּלָא אִתְאֲבִידוּ מִלִּין אִלֵּין בְּהַהוּא סָבָא. קָמוּ וְאֲזְלוּ. עַד דְּהֲווּ אָזְלֵי, חָמוּ חַד גֶּפֶן נְטִיעַ בְּחַג גִּנָּא.
R. Isaac and R. Judah went up to him and kissed his forehead. They said: ‘Blessed be God who has favoured us with this, blessed is God that these words have not been wasted on that old man.’ They then rose and went on. As they proceeded, they saw a vine in a garden.
פָּתַח הַהוּא יְנוּקָא וְאָמַר, אֹסְרִי לַגֶּפֶן עִירֹה וְלַשּׂוֹרֵקָה בְּנִי אֲתוֹנוֹ הַאי קְרָא רָזָא עִלָּאָה הוּא. אֹסְרִי, אָסַר מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. עִירֹה, עַיִר מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא רָזָא הוּא, לְדַרְדְּקֵי דְּאִינוּן בְּבֵי רַב, לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מֵהַהוּא גִּירָא דְּעַיִר, וּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְכְּלִיל תַּמָּן י"ה.
The boy then quoted the verse: “Binding his foal to the vine and his ass’s colt to the choice vine.” He said: ‘The word oseri (binding) is written here with a superfluous yod, and the word ‘iro (his colt) with he’ instead of vau. Thus the Holy Name Kah is hinted here.
וּכְמָה דְהָכָא אִתְרְמִיז שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, הָכִי נָמֵי וְלַשּׂרֵקָה, שׂוֹרֵק מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אִתְכְּלִיל תַּמָּן ו"ה. בְּנִי בֶּן מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. שׂוֹרֵק, כְּדִכְתִיב, (ירמיהו ב׳:כ״א) וְאָנֹכִי נְטַעְתִּיךְ שׂוֹרֵק. בֵּן, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (זכריה ט) בֶּן אֲתוֹנוֹת. אַמַּאי שׂוֹרֵקָה, וְאַמַּאי בְּנִי.
Similarly with the words bni (colt) and sorekah (choice vine).
אֶלָּא, כְּמָה דְאִית שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא לְאִכַּפְיָא לְעַיִר, הָכִי נָמֵי, אִית שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, לְאִכַּפְיָא חֵילָא אָחֳרָא, דְּאִיהִי חַמְרָא, דְּאִלְמָלֵא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְרְמִיז הָכָא, הֲווּ מְטַרְטְשֵׁי עַלְמָא, י"ה בְּחֵילָא דָא, (ס"א וי"ה) ו"ה בְּחֵילָא דָא, לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא עַלְמָא מִנַּיְיהוּ, וּלְאִסְתַּמְּרָא בַּר נָשׁ, דְּלָא יִשְׁלְטוּן בֵּיהּ בְּעַלְמָא.
All this is to show that just as there is a Holy Name to subdue the “foal”, so there is a Holy Name to subdue another power, which is called “ass”; for if the Holy Name were not hintcd here, they would devastate the world.
אֹסְרִי לַגֶּפֶן, מַאי גֶּפֶן. דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, אַמַּאי אִתְקְרִיאַת גֶּפֶן. אֶלָּא מַה גֶּפֶן, לָא מְקַבְּלָא עֲלָהּ נְטִיעָא אָחֳרָא, הָכִי נָמֵי כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, לָא מְקַבְּלָא עֲלָהּ אֶלָּא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּבְגִין כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, אִתְכַּפְיָין קַמָּהּ כָּל חֵילִין אָחֳרָנִין, וְלָא יָכְלִין לְאַבְאָשָׁא וּלְשַׁלְטָאָה בְּעַלְמָא. וְעַל דָּא אַטִּיל קְרָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בֵּינַיְיהוּ, בְּהַאי גִיסָא וּבְהַאי גִיסָא. בְּנִי אֲתוֹנוֹ, דְּאִתְעַקַּר בְּגִין הַהוּא שׂוֹרֵק, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְאָנֹכִי נְטַעְתִּיךְ שׂוֹרֵק וְגו'.
The “vine”, as we have said, is the Community of Israel. It is called vine because just as the vine will receive no graft from another tree, so the Community of Israel accepts no master but God, and therefore all other powers are subdued before her, and cannot obtain dominion over her.
כִּבֵּס בַּיַּיִן לְבוּשׁוֹ וְגו', כִּבֵּס, כּוֹבֵס מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא כִּבֵּס, מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עַלְמָא, וּמַאן אִיהוּ, דָּא מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא. בַּיַּיִן סְטַר שְׂמָאלָא. וּבְדַם עֲנָבִים סְטַר שְׂמָאלָא. לְתַתָּא. וְזַמִּין מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה לְעֵילָא עַל כָּל חֵילִין אָחֳרָנִין דְּעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, וּלְתַבְרָא תּוֹקְפֵיהוֹן מֵעֵילָא וּמִתַּתָּא.
“He hath washed his garments in wine”, even from the time of the Creation the reference being to the coming of the Messiah on earth. “Wine” indicates the left side, and “the blood of grapes” the left side below. The Messiah is destined to rule above over all the forces of the idolatrous nations and to break their power above and below.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּבֵּס בַּיַּיִן לְבוּשׁוֹ, כְּגַוְונָא דְהַאי חַמְרָא, אַחֲזֵי חֵידוּ, וְכוּלֵיהּ דִּינָא. (לעמין עובדי עבודת כוכבים ומזלות). הָכִי נָמֵי מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא, יֶחזִיִ חֵדוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכוּלֵיהּ דִּינָא לְעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת. כְּתִיב, (בראשית א׳:ב׳) וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם, דָּא רוּחָא דְמַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא, וּמִן יוֹמָא דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עַלְמָא, אַסְחֵי לְבוּשֵׁיהּ בְּחַמְרָא עִלָּאָה.
We may also explain that as wine brings joyfulness and yet typifies judgement, so the Messiah will bring gladness to Israel, but judgement to the Gentiles. The “spirit of God which hovered over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1, 2) is the spirit of the Messiah, and from the time of the Creation he “washed his garments in celestial wine”.
חָמֵי מַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ, חַכְלִילִי עֵינַיִם מִיָּיִן וּלְבֶן שִׁנַּיִם מֵחָלָב, דָּא חַמְרָא עִלָּאָה, (ס"א דמרוי דאורייתא) דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּמַרְוֵי, מִנֵּיהּ שָׁתֵי. וּלְבֶן שִׁנַּיִם מֵחָלָב, דְּהָא אוֹרַיְיתָא יַיִן וְחָלָב, תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב, וְתוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה.
“His eyes shall be red with wine”: this is the intoxicating celestial wine from which the masters of the Torah drink. “And his teeth white with milk”, because the Torah is both wine and milk, the Oral and the Written Law.
כְּתִיב, (תהילים ק״ד:ט״ו) וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ (ס"א אמאי, בגין דמאתר דחדוה קאתי, ומאן הוא סופיה דקרא) לְהַצְהִיל פָּנִים מִשָּׁמֶן, וַדַּאי מֵאֲתַר דְּאִתְקְרֵי שָׁמֶן. תָּא חֲזֵי, שֵׁירָתָא דְחַמְרָא חֶדְוָה, הוּא אֲתַר דְּכָל חֵידוּ מִנֵּיהּ נַפְקָא. וְסוֹפֵיהּ דִּינָא. מַאי טַעְמָא, בְּגִין דְּסוֹפָא דִילֵיהּ, אֲתַר כְּנִישׁוּ דְּכֹלָּא, דִּינָא הוּא, וּבֵיהּ אִתְדָּן עַלְמָא. וְעַל דָּא שֵׁירוּתָא חֶדְוָה, וְסוֹפָא דִינָא. בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ, לְהַצְהִיל פָּנִים מִשָּׁמֶן. מֵאֲתַר דְּכָל חֶדְוָה מִנֵּיהּ נָפְקָא.
It is written of wine that it “rejoiceth the heart of man” (Ps. 104, 15). Wine at first brings gladness, being the place from which all gladness issues, but afterwards it brings punishment, because its end is the place where is gathered all punishment. Hence the verse continues: “And oil to make the face shine”, to wit, from the place from which all gladness issues.
וְלֶחֶם לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ יִסְעָד, מַאן לֶחֶם. אֶלָּא לֶחֶם עַלְמָא סָעִיד (סמיך), וְאִי תֵימָא, דְּבֵיהּ תַלְיָיא סְעִידוּ דְעַלְמָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, לָאו הָכִי, דְּהָא לֵילְיָא בְּלָא יוֹמָא, לָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח, וְלָא בָּעֵי לְאַפְרָשָׁא לוֹן. וּמַאן דְּאַפְרִישׁ לוֹן, יִתְפָּרַשׁ מֵחַיִּין, וְהַיְינוּ דִכְתִיב, (דברים ח׳:ג׳) לְמַעַן הוֹדִיעֲךָ כִּי לא עַל הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם. בְּגִין דְּלָא בָּעֵי לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא.
It then says: “And bread that strengtheneth man’s heart”, bread being the support of mankind. It is not, however, the only support, because there is no night without day, and they must not be separated.
וְאִי תֵימָא, דָּוִד הֵיךְ קָאֲמַר וְלֶחֶם לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ יִסְעָד, הוֹאִיל וְלָא תַלְיָיא בֵּיהּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי סְעִידוּ דְּעַלְמָא. אֶלָּא דַּיְיקָא דְמִלָּה, וְלֶחֶם, וא"ו אִיתּוֹסַף, כְּמוֹ וַיְיָ, וְעַל דָּא, כֹּלָּא אִשְׁתַּכַּח כְּחֲדָא.
If so, it may be asked, why did David say that “bread supports the heart of man”? The answer is that this is why he added the word “and” before “bread”, to show that the others are included.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַאן דִּמְבָרֵךְ עַל מְזוֹנָא, לָא יְבָרֵךְ עַל פְּתוֹרָא רֵיקַנְיָא, וּבָעֵי נַהֲמָא לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא עַל פָּתוֹרָא, וְכַסָּא דְחַמְרָא בִּימִינָא. מַאי טַעְמָא, בְּגִין לְקָשְׁרָא שְׂמָאלָא בִּימִינָא, וְנַהֲמָא דְּיִתְבָּרַךְ מִנַּיְיהוּ, וּלְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּהוּ, וּלְמֶהוֵי כֹּלָּא חַד קִשּׁוּרָא, לְבָרְכָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. דְּהָא לֶחֶם אִתְקַשַּׁר בְּיַיִן, וְיַיִן בִּימִינָא, וּכְדֵין בִּרְכָאן שַׁרְיָין בְּעַלְמָא, וּפָתוֹרָא אִשְׁתְּלִים כְּדְקָא יְאוּת.
Observe that grace after meals should not be said over an empty table, but there should be bread on it and a cup of wine, and the wine should be taken in the right hand, in order to join the Left hand to the Right, and in order that the bread should be blessed by them and linked with them, so that the whole should be linked together to bless the Holy Name fittingly. For the bread being joined with the wine, and the wine with the right hand, blessings rest on the world and the table is duly perfected.’