Yitro: Chapter 26

"You shall not take the Name"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon tells us that the supernal blessing requires something to bless, that it cannot dwell on an empty place. One cannot say a blessing over an empty table. The discussion turns to "A good name is better than precious ointment," which Rabbi Elazar says represents the supernal mountains of pure balsam. It is vital never to take the Name of the Holy One in vain, and that Name must be uttered only after a preceding word. Rabbi Yosi tells us that the blessing is the Holy Name itself, the source of blessing for the whole universe.

Blessing Elisha Meals Table

437. "You shall not take the Name..." (Shemot 20:7). Rabbi Shimon cited the verse, "And Elisha said to her, 'What shall I do for you? Tell me, what have you in the house?'" (II Melachim 4:2). He explained, What Elisha meant was, Have you aught upon which the blessing of the Holy One, blessed be He, could rest? For one should not say the blessing after the meal over an empty table. Why? Because the supernal blessing cannot rest on an empty place.

437. לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת שֵׁם וְגוֹ.' ר' שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח, וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ אֱלִישָׁע מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה לָךְ הַגִּידִי לִי מַה יֵשׁ לָךְ בַּבָּיִת. אָמַר לָהּ אֱלִישָׁע, כְּלוּם אִית לָךְ עַל מַה דְּתִשְׁרֵי בִּרְכָתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּתָנֵינָן אָסוּר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, לְבָרְכָא עַל פָּתוֹרָא רֵיקָנַיָּא. מ"ט. מִשּׁוּם דְּבִרְכָּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, לָא שַׁרְיָא בַּאֲתָר רֵיקָנַיָּא.

Blessing Meals Table

438. Therefore, it is necessary to put a loaf or more on the table before one says his grace, and in case one has not MUCH TO PUT ON the table, he must put at least the remnants of his meal, IN ORDER THAT THERE WILL BE SOMETHING to bless, so that he will not say a blessing over an empty TABLE.

438. וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ, בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְסַדְּרָא עַל פָּתוֹרֵיהּ, חַד נַהֲמָא, אוֹ יַתִּיר, לְבָרְכָא עֲלוֹי. וְאִי לָא יָכִיל, בָּעֵי לְשַׁיְּירָא מֵהַהוּא מְזוֹנָא דְּאָכַל, עַל מַה דִּיבָרֵךְ. וְלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח דִּיבָרֵךְ בְּרֵיקַנְיָּא.

Balsam Blessing Head Holy Name Light Mountains Oil

439. When she said, "Your handmaid has nothing in the house, except a pot of oil" (Ibid.), he said, "This is fit to receive a perfect blessing," as it is written, "A good name is better than (lit. 'from') precious ointment" (Kohelet 7:1), for the Holy Name comes forth from oil, to bless and to kindle the Holy Lights. HE ASKED, What is this oil? and Rabbi Yitzchak said, It represents the same oil as described in the scripture, "It is like the precious ointment upon the head" (Tehilim 133:2), MEANING THE SUPERNAL PLENTY. Rabbi Elazar said, It represents the supernal mountains of pure balsam, MEANING THE PLENTY OF THE SUPERNAL BINAH.

439. כֵּיוָן דְּאָמְרָה, אֵין לְשִׁפְחָתְךָ כֹל בַּבַּיִת כִּי אִם אָסוּךְ שָׁמֶן. אָמַר וַדַּאי הָא בִּרְכָתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא בְּהַאי, דִּכְתִּיב טוֹב שֵׁם מִשֶּׁמֶן טוֹב. דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא מִשֶּׁמֶן נָפְקָא, לְאִתְבָּרְכָא, לְאַדְלְקָא בּוּצִינִין קַדִּישִׁין. מַאי שֶׁמֶן דָּא. ר' יִצְחָק אָמַר, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, כַּשֶּׁמֶן הַטּוֹב עַל הָרֹאשׁ וְגוֹ.' ר' אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר, אִלֵּין טוּרֵי דְּאֲפַרְסְמוֹנָא דַּכְיָא.

Light

440. Rabbi Shimon interpreted the verse, "A good name is better." How good is the Supernal Name of the Supernal Holy Lights, for they radiate "precious ointment," and a man must not mention the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, in vain, for he who does so would have been better not to have been born.

440. אָמַר ר' שִׁמְעוֹן, טוֹב שֵׁם, כַּמָּה טָבָא שְׁמָא עִלָּאָה, דְּבוּצִינִין עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין, כַּד כֻּלְּהוּ נַהֲרִין מִשֶּׁמֶן טוֹב, כְּמָה דַּאֲמֵינָא. וְאָסִיר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, לְאַדְכְּרָא שְׁמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּרֵיקַנְיָּא. דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִדְכַּר שְׁמָא דְּקב"ה בְּרֵיקַנְיָּא, טָב לֵיהּ דְּלָא אִתְבְּרֵי.

Creation Holy Name Torah

441. Rabbi Elazar said, One should utter the Holy Name only after a preceding word, as in the Torah it is mentioned for the first time after two words, "In the beginning Elohim created (Heb. Beresheet-bara-Elohim)."

441. ר' אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִדְכַּר שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אֶלָּא בָּתַר מִלָּה. דְּהָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, לָא אִדְכַּר בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אֶלָּא בָּתַר תְּרֵין מִלִּין, דִּכְתִּיב בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹֹהִים.

Earth Heavens Holy Name Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

442. Rabbi Shimon said, The Holy Name is mentioned only in connection with a completed world, NAMELY, YUD HEI VAV HEI, as it is written, "In the day that Hashem Elohim made the earth and the heavens" (Beresheet 2:4). From this it follows that one should not mention the Holy Name in vain, as it is written, "You shall not take the Name of Hashem your Elohim in vain" (Shemot 20:7).

442. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, לָא אִדְכַּר שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, אֶלָּא עַל עוֹלָם שָׁלֵם. דִּכְתִּיב בְּיוֹם עֲשׂוֹת יְיָ' אֱלֹֹהִים אֶרֶץ וְשָׁמָיִם. מִכָּאן, דְּלָא לְאַדְכְּרָא שְׁמֵיהּ קַדִּישָׁא בְּרֵיקַנְיָּא. וּכְתִיב לֹא תִשָּׁא אֶת שֵׁם יְיָ' אֱלֹֹהֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא.

Blessing Holy Name Universe

443. Rabbi Yosi said, What is the blessing? It is the Holy Name, being the source of blessing for the whole universe. A blessing does not dwell in an empty place, nor rests upon it, and therefore it is written, "You shall not take the Name of Hashem your Elohim in vain."

443. וְתָנֵינָן, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסִי, מַהוּ בְּרָכָה. שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. בְּגִין דְּמִינֵיהּ מִשְׁתְּכַח בִּרְכְתָא, לְכָל עָלְמָא. וּבִרְכְתָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח עַל אֲתָר רֵיקָנַיָּא, וְלָא שַׁרְיָיא עֲלוֹי, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת שֵׁם יְיָ' אֱלֹֹהֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא.

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