725. Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Aba were dwelling in their lodging. They rose at midnight to occupy themselves with Torah. The daughter of the innkeeper arose, lit a candle for them, and stood behind them in order to hear words of Torah.
726. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion saying, "For the commandment is a candle; and Torah is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life" (Mishlei 6:23). "For the commandment is a candle" MEANS THAT whoever endeavors in this world in the precepts of the Torah, one candle is prepared to shine for him in that world by every precept. "And Torah is light" MEANS he who is occupied with Torah merits that supernal light from which the candle is lit, because a candle without light is nothing. Light without a candle can also not illuminate, so we find that they both depend upon each other. It is necessary to perform a deed to prepare the candle and it is necessary to be occupied with Torah to light the candle. Blessed is he who is occupied with the light and the candle.
727. "And reproofs of instruction are the way of life," MEANING "the way of life" with which to enter into the World to Come. These are the reproofs that a person receives in order to remove himself from the path of evil and to go in the path of good. It CAN BE EXPLAINED that "the way of life" is the reproofs of instruction that the Holy One, blessed be He, brings upon the person to purify him of his sins with these reproofs. Blessed is he who accepts them with a willing heart.
728. Another explanation, "For the commandment is a candle:" This is the candle, the luminary of David, which is a candle lit to perform a precept, the Oral Torah, NAMELY MALCHUT, that must be constantly attended to. She does not illuminate except through the Written Torah, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, because the Oral Torah possesses light only through the Written Torah, which is a light for illumination.
729. He looked behind and saw the daughter of the innkeeper standing behind them. He said, "For the commandment is a candle." What is a candle? It is a candle that is a precept that women merit, and it is the candle of Shabbat. Although women do not merit through Torah, but men do, the latter illuminate that candle that women perfect with this precept. Women, through the perfection of this candle, and the men, through Torah, kindle and light this candle, which is the perfection of the precept that women are obligated to do.
730. That woman heard it and wept. In the meantime, the father of the woman who was there rose and came among them. He saw his daughter standing behind them weeping. Her father asked her, and she told him the story. Then the father of the woman also started to weep. Rabbi Yosi said to him, Perhaps your son-in-law, the husband of your daughter did not merit Torah. He said to him, It is indeed so. And that is why my daughter and I weep constantly.
731. Because the day I saw him jump from this attic to hear Kaddish with the congregation, I got the desire to give him my daughter in marriage, and immediately after the congregation left the synagogue I gave him my daughter. For I said, by that jump with which he came to hear the Kaddish IT IS KNOWN that he will be a learned man in Torah. Even though he was a youth and I did not know him previously, I GAVE HIM MY DAUGHTER. But now he doesn't even know how TO BLESS the blessing after the meal and I cannot even learn with him among the scholars, so he should learn Sh'ma or the blessing after the meal.
732. Rabbi Yosi said to him, Exchange him for another, or perhaps he will bear a son who will be great in Torah. In the meantime, THE SON-IN-LAW OF THE INNKEEPER arose and jumped to them. Rabbi Yosi looked at him intently and said, Certainly, I see in this youth that the light of Torah will emerge from him into the world or else a son will emerge from him. That youth laughed and said, My masters, I will speak before you of one subject.
733. He opened the discussion saying, "I am young, and you are very old; therefore I was afraid, and dared not declare my opinion to you" (Iyov 32:6). The pillars of the world have remarked upon this verse. About Elihu, it is written, "of the family Ram" (Ibid. 2). It was then remarked that he was said to have come from the seed of Abraham, and it is good. But Elihu was a priest and was from the seed of Ezekiel the prophet, because it is written, "Son of Barachel the Buzite" (Ibid.) and also, "Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi" (Yechezkel 1:3).
734. If you say, Because it is written Buzi, he was "the contempt (Heb. buz) of families" (Iyov 31:34), it is not so, because it says afterwards "of the family of Ram," meaning higher (Heb. ram) above all. Why is he called 'Buzi?' It is because he shames himself before one who is greater than him. Therefore, he is called by the lofty name of Buzi, with which was named he who was perfect in everything, such as no one was called, MEANING EZEKIEL. It is written, "And you, son of man" (Yechezkel 2:6). Because ELIHU was called by that name, Buzi, he was also called 'Ram,' meaning higher above all.