R. Judah said: ‘That which God has made on earth corresponds to that which He made in heaven, and all things below are symbols of that which is above.’ When R. Abba once saw a bird flying away from its nest in a tree, he wept, saying: ‘If men only knew what this means, they would rend their garments for the knowledge which has perished from them.
For as R. Jose says, “The trees which give mystic indications, like the carob and date tree, can all be grafted on one another. All that bear fruit have one secret nature, save the apple; all that do not bear fruit,
Every kind of herb has its counterpart above. Therefore it is prohibited to “sow a field with mingled seed” (Lev. 19, 16).1The Hebrew text from line 5 to line 38 does not appear in the translation. Now if it is true that all things have their counterparts in heaven, and God gives each one its name, how much more so is it true of the sons of Jacob, the holy Tribes, the pillars of the world! And this is the significance of the words “and these are the names”, etc.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, מַאי דִּכְתִּיב, (קהלת ז׳:י״ד) גַּם אֶת זֶה לְעֻמַּת זֶה עָשָׂה הָאֱלהִים. כְּגַוְונָא דִּרְקִיעָא, עָבֵד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאַרְעָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ רְמִיזָא לְמַה דִּלְעֵילָּא. דְּכַד הֲוָה חָמֵי ר' אַבָּא, חַד אִילָנָא, דְּאִבֵיהּ אִתְעָבִיד עוֹפָא דְּפָרַח מִנֵּיהּ, הֲוָה בָּכֵי וְאָמַר, אִי הֲווֹ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא יַדְעֵי לְמַאי רְמִיזָאן, הֲווֹ מְבַזְעֲן מַלְבּוּשֵׁיהוֹן עַד טַבּוּרֵיהֹן, לְמַאי דְּאִתְנְשֵׁי חָכְמָה מִנְּהוֹן. כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בִּשְׁאַר מַה דְּעָבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאַרְעָא.
R. Judah said: ‘That which God has made on earth corresponds to that which He made in heaven, and all things below are symbols of that which is above.’ When R. Abba once saw a bird flying away from its nest in a tree, he wept, saying: ‘If men only knew what this means, they would rend their garments for the knowledge which has perished from them.
כִּדְאָמַר ר' יוֹסֵי, אִלָּנִין, אִינּוּן דְּאִתְחָזֵי מִנְּהוֹן חָכְמְתָא, כְּגוֹן חֲרוּבָא, דְּקַל, פִּסְתּוּקָא, וְכַדּוֹמֶה לוֹן, כֻּלְּהוּ בְּחַד רְכִיבָא (רתיבא) אִתְרְכָבוּ. כָּל אִינּוּן דְּעַבְדִין פֵּירִין, בַּר מִתַּפּוּחִין, רָזָא חֲדָא אִינּוּן, בַּר שְׁבִילִין דְּאִתְפָּרְשָׁן.
For as R. Jose says, “The trees which give mystic indications, like the carob and date tree, can all be grafted on one another. All that bear fruit have one secret nature, save the apple; all that do not bear fruit,
כָּל אִינּוּן דְּלָא עַבְדִין פֵּירִין, וְאִינּוּן רַבְרְבִין, בַּר מֵעַרְבִין דְּנַחֲלָא, דְּאִית לְהוּ רָזָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, מֵחַד יְנִיקָא יְנִיקוּ, וְכָל חַד מֵאִינוּן דְּאִינְהוּ זוּטְרֵי, בַּר מֵאֵזוֹבָא, מֵאִימָא חֲדָא אִתְיְלִידוּ.
save the willows of the brook, suck from one source; and all lowly shrubs, save the hyssop, are from one mother.
כָּל עֲשָׂבִין דְּאַרְעָא, דְּאִתְמְנֵי עֲלֵיהוֹן רַבְרְבִין תַּקִּיפִין בִּשְׁמַיָּא. כָּל חַד וְחַד רָזָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וּבְגִין כַּךְ כְּתִיב, (ויקרא י״ט:י״ט) שָׂדְךָ לא תִזְרַע כִּלְאָיִם. דְּכָל חַד וְחַד עָאל בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וְנָפִיק בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (איוב ל״ח:ל״ג) הֲיָדַעְתָּ חֻקּוֹת שָׁמָיִם אִם תָּשִׂים מִשְׁטָרוֹ בָּאָרֶץ. וּכְתִיב (ישעיהו מ׳:כ״ו) לְכֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם יִקְרָא. וּמַה בְּכָל מַה דִּבְעָלְמָא רָזָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי וְלָא בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְגַלָּאָה לוֹן, וּלְעַרְבְבָא לוֹן, וּקְרָאן בִּשְׁמָהָן. בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב דְּאִינּוּן שְׁבָטִין קַדִּישִׁין, דְּאִינּוּן קִיּוּמָא דְּעָלְמָא, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
Every kind of herb has its counterpart above. Therefore it is prohibited to “sow a field with mingled seed” (Lev. 19, 16).1The Hebrew text from line 5 to line 38 does not appear in the translation. Now if it is true that all things have their counterparts in heaven, and God gives each one its name, how much more so is it true of the sons of Jacob, the holy Tribes, the pillars of the world! And this is the significance of the words “and these are the names”, etc.’