1The first 24 lines of the Hebgrew text do not appear in the translation as explained in the Translator’s note on Page 2a.AND HE CALLED UNTO MOSES, AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO HIM OUT OF THE TENT OF MEETING, SAYING. R. Hiya connected this with the verse, “I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride, I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk, eat, O friends, etc.” ‘The first part of this verse’, he said, ‘does not seem to accord with the second. If a man invites another to eat, it is while the food is spread before him, not after he has eaten himself.
The explanation, however, is this. On the day when the Tabernacle was set up on earth, another Tabernacle was set up aloft, and that day was one of joy to the Holy One, blessed be He.
Moses, however, at that time, “was not able to enter the tent of meeting” (Ex. 40, 35), whereupon God said, “The Tabernacle has been raised by the hand of Moses, and shall he remain outside?” Straight-way, therefore, He called to Moses, saying, Moses, how does one dedicate a house? With a banquet, is it not? Therefore, “when any man of you offereth an oblation unto the Lord”, etc. The verse can also be explained in the same connection as follows.
The “garden” is the higher Garden of Eden, “My sister, my bride” is the Community of Israel, whose espousals were on that day consummated, all being blessed from the water of the supernal stream. Hence it says “I have gathered my myrrh with my spice, etc.”,
while the words “eat, O friends, etc.” indicate that all those beneath and all the branches were blessed and nourished when the others were blessed above. And wherewith are they all blessed and regaled? With the odour of the sacrifice.
It was when the Community of Israel came down to make her abode on earth that God proclaimed this verse, because there was then blessing and joy in all worlds, and She was firmly established as a source of blessing to all. For when those Six [grades] are blessed, then all worlds are blessed, both below and above, and Israel draw blessing from all of them.’ R. Isaac said that the Holy One, blessed be He, was espoused to the Community of Israel only at the time when those Six drank their fill of the “stream that never fails”.
(ויקרא א׳:א׳) וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר. רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (שיר השירים ה׳:א׳) בָּאתִי לְגַנִּי אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה אָרִיתִי מוֹרִי עִם בְּשָׂמִי אָכַלְתִּי יַעְרִי עִם דִּבְשִׁי שָׁתִיתִי יֵינִי עִם חֲלָבִי וְגוֹ', הַאי קְרָא לָאו רֵישֵׁיהּ סֵיפֵיהּ, וְלָאו סֵיפֵיהּ רֵישֵׁיהּ. כְּתִיב אָכַלְתִּי יַעְרִי עִם דִּבְשִׁי שָׁתִיתִי יֵינִי עִם חֲלָבִי, לְבָתַר אִכְלוּ רֵעִים. מַאן דִּמְזַמֵּן לְאָחֳרָא, כַּד מְזוֹנָא מִתְתַּקָּן קָמֵיהּ. בָּתַר דְּאִיהוּ אָכַל, הֵיאַךְ יַזְמִין לְאָחֳרָא.
1The first 24 lines of the Hebgrew text do not appear in the translation as explained in the Translator’s note on Page 2a.AND HE CALLED UNTO MOSES, AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO HIM OUT OF THE TENT OF MEETING, SAYING. R. Hiya connected this with the verse, “I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride, I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk, eat, O friends, etc.” ‘The first part of this verse’, he said, ‘does not seem to accord with the second. If a man invites another to eat, it is while the food is spread before him, not after he has eaten himself.
אֶלָּא זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעָא לְדַכְּאָה לְהוֹן, וְאִתְרְעֵי בְּהוֹן מִכָּל שְׁאָר עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וּמִדְּאִתְרְעֵי בְּהוֹן בָּעָא לְסַלְּקָא לְהוֹן מִכָּל מְקַטְרְגֵי עָלְמָא. תָּא חֲזִי, (ס"א בתר דאתעבד משכנא) בְּיוֹמָא דְּאִתְּקַם מַשְׁכְּנָא לְתַתָּא, בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא אִתְתְּקָם מַשְׁכְּנָא אָחֳרָא לְעֵילָּא עִמֵּיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות מ׳:י״ז) הוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן סְתָם, וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא חֶדְוָותָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה.
The explanation, however, is this. On the day when the Tabernacle was set up on earth, another Tabernacle was set up aloft, and that day was one of joy to the Holy One, blessed be He.
כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְּקַם מַשְׁכְּנָא מַה כְּתִיב, (שמות מ׳:ל״ה) וְלא יָכוֹל מֹשֶׁה לָבֹא אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. כַּד חָמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּךְ אָמַר, וּמַה עַל יְדֵי דְּמֹשֶׁה אִתְּקַם, וְאִיהוּ לְבַר, מִיַּד וַיִקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה. אָמַר לֵיהּ: מֹשֶׁה, חִנוּכָא דְּבֵיתָא בְּמַאי הֲוָה, בִּסְעוּדָתָא, אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַיְיָ'. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב בָּאתִי לְגַנִּי אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה וְגוֹ'. (ס"א והא אוקמוה האי קרא, אבל באתי)
Moses, however, at that time, “was not able to enter the tent of meeting” (Ex. 40, 35), whereupon God said, “The Tabernacle has been raised by the hand of Moses, and shall he remain outside?” Straight-way, therefore, He called to Moses, saying, Moses, how does one dedicate a house? With a banquet, is it not? Therefore, “when any man of you offereth an oblation unto the Lord”, etc. The verse can also be explained in the same connection as follows.
דָּבָר אַחֵר בָּאתִי לְגַנִּי, דָּא גַּן עֵדֶן דִּלְעֵילָּא. אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּבְהַהוּא יוֹמָא אִזְדַּוְּוגוּ זִוּוּגִין בְּכֹלָּא, אִזְדַּוְּוגוּ זִוּוּגִין בְּהַהוּא גַּן עֵדֶן, בְּגִין דְּאִתְבָּרְכוּ כֻּלְּהוּ מִשַּׁקְיוּ דְּנַחֲלָא, וְאִתְקַשָּׁרוּ כָּל חַד בְּחַבְרֵיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב אָרִיתִי מוֹרִי עִם בְּשָׂמִי אָכַלְתִּי יַעְרִי (שיר השירים ה׳:א׳) עִם דִּבְשִׁי שָׁתִיתִי יִינִי עִם חֲלָבִי כֻּלְּהוֹן אִתְשַׁקְיָין ואִתְרַוּוּ מִמַּבּוּעָא דְּנַחֲלָא.
The “garden” is the higher Garden of Eden, “My sister, my bride” is the Community of Israel, whose espousals were on that day consummated, all being blessed from the water of the supernal stream. Hence it says “I have gathered my myrrh with my spice, etc.”,
אִכְלוּ רֵעִים שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ דּוֹדִים, כָּל אִינּוּן דִּלְתַתָּא. וְכֻלְּהוּ עַנְפִין (נ"א עלמין) כֻּלְּהוּ, אִתְבְּרָכוּ ואִתְּזָנוּ, כַּד אִלֵּין אִתְבְּרָכוּ לְעֵילָּא. וּבְמָּה מִתְבָּרְכָאן וּמִתְבַּסְּמָאן, כֻּלְּהוּ בְּרֵיחָא דְּקָרְבְּנָא.
while the words “eat, O friends, etc.” indicate that all those beneath and all the branches were blessed and nourished when the others were blessed above. And wherewith are they all blessed and regaled? With the odour of the sacrifice.
תָּא חֲזִי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַחְתַּת כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאַשְׁרָהָא דִּיּוּרָהָא בְּאַרְעָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר לָה, לְהַאי קְרָא, בְּגִין דְּאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בִּרְכָאן וְחֶדְוה בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין, ואִתְבַּסְּמַת הִיא, לְנָפְקָא מִנָּהּ בִּרְכָאן לְכֹלָּא. דְּכַד אִלֵּין שִׁית אִתְבָּרְכָאן, כְּדֵין כֻּלְּהוּ עָלְמִין אִתְבָּרְכָאן כַּחֲדָא לְתַתָּא, וּמִתְבָּרְכָאן לְעֵילָּא. (ס"א וכנסת ישראל וישראל) אִתְבְּרָכוּ מְכֻּלְּהוּ. דָּבָר אַחֵר בָּאתִי לְגַנִּי אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, לָא אִזְדַּווגָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא (ס"א ישראל) בִּכְּנְסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶלָּא בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִלֵּין שִׁית אַתְרְוָון, מִשַּׁקְיוּ דְּנַחֲלָא דְּלָא פָּסַק.
It was when the Community of Israel came down to make her abode on earth that God proclaimed this verse, because there was then blessing and joy in all worlds, and She was firmly established as a source of blessing to all. For when those Six [grades] are blessed, then all worlds are blessed, both below and above, and Israel draw blessing from all of them.’ R. Isaac said that the Holy One, blessed be He, was espoused to the Community of Israel only at the time when those Six drank their fill of the “stream that never fails”.