English translation — ט"ו באב ב

A.

The Mishnah says at the end of tractate Ta'anit¹

: "There were no better days for Israel than the fifteenth of Av²

and Yom Kippur, on which etc. And the daughters of Jerusalem

(And some versions read³

: and the daughters of Israel)

would go out and dance in the vineyards. And what would they say? Young man, lift your eyes and see what you choose for yourself. Do not set your eyes on beauty; set your eyes on family. Charm is false and beauty is vain; a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.⁴

Charm is false and beauty is vain; a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.⁵

And it says⁶

Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. And so it says⁷

Go forth and see, O daughters of Zion, King Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding and on the day of the joy of his heart. On the day of his wedding—this is the giving of the Torah.

(Yom Kippur, on which the latter tablets were given,

Rashi⁸)

And on the day of the joy of his heart—this is the building of the Holy Temple

(which was inaugurated on Yom Kippur,

Rashi on the Rif there⁹.

Ra'avad¹⁰)

may it be built speedily in our days."

In the Gemara<sup>11</sup>

(on the Mishnah)

they bring a baraita,

that among the "daughters of Jerusalem

(Israel)

" there were several types

("families")

: "The beautiful ones among them, what would they say? 'Set your eyes on beauty, for a woman is only for beauty,'

the well-born among them, what would they say? 'Set your eyes on family, for a woman is only for children'; the ugly ones among them, what would they say? 'Take your purchase for the sake of Heaven, etc.'"

According to the version in Ein Yaakov<sup>12</sup>

a fourth type is added<sup>13</sup>

(before the case of "the ugly ones")

"The rich ones among them say, 'Set your eyes on men of wealth.'"

Also in the Yerushalmi¹⁴

he specifies categories in "Daughters of Jerusalem,"

but with a change: instead of counting three

(or four)

categories,

he counts only <b>two</b>

categories — "the plain ones

(like plain¹⁵,

Korban HaEdah)

would say, 'Do not set your eyes on beauty,' and the attractive ones would say, 'Set your eyes on family.'"

one must understand: it is known the principle¹⁶

that there cannot be a dispute about a reality.

so from this it is understood,

that according to everyone there were among the daughters of Jerusalem

(who go out and say etc.)

were

(not only beautiful ones

(comely ones)

and ugly ones,

but)

also well-born ones

(and wealthy ones)

— why are they not counted in the Yerushalmi?

also one must understand the change of language: in the Bavli he uses the language <b>beautiful ones </b>

(beauty)¹⁷,

and in the Yerushalmi — <b>comely ones</b>?

2.

In the Yerushalmi itself,

are not understandable several details and among them:

a)

That which the brides said — "Do not cast your eyes on beauty,"

is indeed only a statement of &lt;b&gt;negation&lt;/b&gt;,

that one should &lt;b&gt;not &lt;/b&gt;choose.

But in order that the "young man" should want to choose the "bride" has

She indeed seemingly should have spoken a positive statement that he should gather

(as per the way the pleasant ones say "set your eyes on family")

; and as one indeed sees that in Bavli it says that they said "take your purchase for the sake of heaven"

(because of her good deeds¹⁸)

and here she says only "do not give etc." — a negation?

The difficulty is even greater: what place does it have that the "charos" should proclaim "do not set your eyes on beauty",

this indeed emphasizes that by them there is no beauty¹⁹

b)

What is the connection between "na'ot" and "set your eyes &lt;b&gt;on family&lt;/b&gt;": the matter of "family" is indeed a virtue of &lt;b&gt;lineage&lt;/b&gt;

(as it actually states in the Bavli,

that &lt;b&gt;this&lt;/b&gt; used to be said by the "me'yuchasot")

— what connection does it have, however, with the "na'ot"&lt;sup&gt;19&lt;/sup&gt;?

Commentators&lt;sup&gt;20&lt;/sup&gt;

explain this,

that since "the daughters of Israel

(in themselves)

are beautiful, but poverty makes them ugly&lt;sup&gt;21&lt;/sup&gt;,

therefore the beautiful ones are presumably daughters of the rich."

But the explanation is difficult: why does a beautiful woman need to say "set your eyes on family" in order to bring a proof that she is among the beautiful ones?

— She should immediately say "set your eyes &lt;b&gt;on beauty&lt;/b&gt;".

3)

In the Yerushalmi he precedes the topic of "beautiful ones" before the "pleasant ones",

At first glance it should have been in order of their importance and superiority

(in the manner as in the Bavli,

where the statement of the "ugly ones" is counted at the end)?

3.

After calculating the two types mentioned above,

the Yerushalmi continues

(and thereby concludes the tractate)

: as it says, Go forth and see, O daughters of Zion, the king Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, this is the giving of the Torah, and on the day of the joy of his heart, this is the building of the Holy Temple, may it be built speedily in our days, Amen.

What in this is not understood:

a)

The proof from the verse "Go out and see, etc." is already brought in the Mishnah — what does the Gemara <b>innovate</b> on what is explained in the Mishnah?

Further: In the <b>Mishnah</b>,

the verse "<b>Go out</b> and see, daughters of Zion" comes as a proof that on Yom Kippur

(the day of his wedding and the day of the joy of his heart)

it used to be that "the daughters of Jerusalem <b>would go out</b> and dance"²²

; but what connection does the verse have to the conclusion in the <b>Gemara</b> — where it discusses

(not about the "going out" or the <b>time</b> of the going out,

but)

only about their <b>saying</b>

("what would they say")?

b)

According to the version of the Yerushalmi,

in the Mishnah the verse is <b>not</b> brought in its entirety — the words "with the crown with which his mother crowned him" are not quoted

(they are only alluded to with "etc.")²³

; but not so

In the <b>Gemara</b>

(Yerushalmi)

the words are also quoted.

3)

After the words "May it be rebuilt speedily in our days," the Gemara adds "Amen,"

which in the Mishnah

(in the version of the Yerushalmi²⁴)

this does not appear.

And what is the reason?

4.

And one can say the explanation of all this — and with an introduction:

One could seek a reason for every change

(and question)

<b>in and of itself</b>,

but it is more logical to say that there is one <b>general</b> reason

(or two)

which explains <b>all</b> the changes

(and questions).

And in our subject, it can be said,

that this is connected with a general difference between the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud,

which is

(as has been spoken many times²⁵)

— that in the Jerusalem Talmud the matters are discussed concisely and generally,

but not so in the Babylonian [Talmud], where they are explained in more detail and at length.

And the simple explanation for this is,

because the study of the Gemara in Babylonia extended for a longer period after the sealing of the Talmud Yerushalmi

D.

E.

That the Talmud Bavli is "later" relative to the Talmud Yerushalmi²⁷,

and "later ones" occupy themselves

(also)

with the words of the earlier ones and consequently —

more detailed and explanatory than the previous ones²⁸.

And along these lines, like the difference between the language of the Mishnah

(which is a "brief statement encompassing many subjects"²⁹),

relative to the language of the Gemara — in a later time³⁰.

And this is also the point of difference — between the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud — in our matter:

In the Mishnah

(which is a "brief statement",

as above)

stands only the <b>general rule</b> that "the daughters of Jerusalem ..

would say ..

Do not set your eyes on beauty, set your eyes on family" — without details; the <b>details</b> of this — come only in the Gemara,

where the <b>types</b> of "daughters of Jerusalem" are <b>detailed</b>.

And in this is also the difference between Bavli and Yerushalmi: in Yerushalmi,

the matters are discussed more in generalities,

they divide the daughters into <b>two</b> types

(general)

; but in Bavli they specify the two types more in detail,

it turns out

(three)

<b>four</b> types.

With this is also explained the change of language between Bavli and Yerushalmi: In Bavli stands the language "y'fiyut..

l'yofi",

but in Yerushalmi the language is "na'ot" — what the difference between them is: When one says the adjective "yofi",

it means simply³¹

— beauty of the body or the face; but "noi" — is a general adjective that can apply to all kinds of virtues,

and both physical and spiritual.

And this is the difference between Yerushalmi and Bavli: The Yerushalmi divides the daughters of Jerusalem into two <b>general</b> types — those who are possessors of <b>virtue</b> — "na'ot",

and "khe'urot"; but in Bavli,

he divides the type of "na'ot" itself into three details: "na'ot" from the aspect of beauty of the body and the face — "y'fiyot"; "na'ot" from the aspect of lineage — "m'yukhasot"; and

(according to the version of the Haga'ah)

— "na'ot" from the aspect of that they are "ashirot",

and it can be said that in this the virtue is not so much the "ashirut" in itself,

but that by them there is not the "aniyut m'navlet",

and on the contrary — there is by them the "dira na'ah v'kelim na'im" which "<b>mar'khivin</b> da'ato shel adam"³².

5.

Based on the above,

the question becomes even stronger

(above sec. 2)

on the Yerushalmi: Is it not so that "meadows" includes also lineage — but it includes

(and primarily)

"beauty" and also "wealth",

so how does it fit to say by them "set your eyes &lt;b&gt;on the family&lt;/b&gt;"?

And the explanation of this: all these types of virtue mentioned above,

are not matters that the daughters of Jerusalem have &lt;b&gt;themselves&lt;/b&gt; "toiled for" and achieved,

but rather what they receive from their parents and family:

"Yichus" is indeed simply a matter inherited; "wealth" — a daughter and a proper wife

(daughters of Israel and all the more so daughters of <b>Jerusalem</b> — complete awe³³),

conducts itself indeed in a manner of "all the glory of the king's daughter is within"³⁴

(and not that she goes out herself to earn money — and especially before the wedding³⁵),

and her wealth is what she has from her family; and so too beauty — is indeed not dependent on her,

but on her parents³⁶

that in order to negate the "their poverty makes them repulsive"

(as above section 4)

this is through the wealth of the parents].

Based on this it follows,

that there is a fundamental difference in the <b>content</b> of the statement of the "pleasing ones" — between the Babylonian and the Jerusalem [Talmud]:

According to the Babylonian [Talmud] it comes out,

that each type brought out <b>its</b> virtue — "Direct your eyes to beauty ..

Direct your eyes to family ..

(and according to the version of the Jerusalem [Talmud])

Direct your eyes to those of means": one should look at the virtues that <b>she</b> possesses

is she not [coming] from the virtue of the family in <b>general</b>,

but that which <b>she</b>,

as a part of the family — possesses the virtue of lineage]

Not so in the Yerushalmi,

the content of the statement of the "meadows" is,

that one should look at the <b>cause</b> of the virtues — that they are not matters that she performed

(by her own power),

but they all stem from her <b>family</b>.

And also <b>the</b> difference between the Bavli and the Yerushalmi,

is connected with the aforementioned difference

(ibid.)

between the manner of study of the Bavli and the manner of study of the Yerushalmi³⁷,

as follows.

6.

The difference in our sugya between the Bavli and the Yerushalmi,

is not only that the Bavli is more detailed than the Yerushalmi,

but it is a fundamental difference in the manner of detailing the words of the Mishnah:

According to the Yerushalmi,

in the Gemara there is no <b>new </b>statement regarding the statement that stands in the Mishnah.

The Yerushalmi only <b>details</b>,

that that which stands in the Mishnah,

that the daughters of Jerusalem would say, "Do not cast your eyes on beauty, cast your eyes on family,"

these are two separate statements of two types of families — "the beautiful ones would say, 'Do not cast your eyes on beauty,' and the noble ones would say, 'Cast your eyes on family'";

the "charos" to the "naos" — because this is in accordance with their order in the Mishnah: first the statement "do not set your eyes on beauty" and afterwards "set your eyes on family"].

However, the Bavli,

adds <b>new </b>

(details)

statements that are not mentioned

(explicitly³⁸)

in the Mishnah.

In other words: the Mishnah relates about the <b>general</b> statement,

which <b>all </b>the daughters of Jerusalem used to say³⁸

— "Young man, lift your eyes and see what you choose for yourself etc.";

Afterwards, the Gemara in the Yerushalmi comes and specifies,

that although the words "Young man, lift your eyes and see what you choose for yourself" were said by all the daughters of Jerusalem,

but the subsequent words

(that are in the Mishnah)

— "Do not set your eyes on beauty, set your eyes on family,"

are two separate statements: the "plain ones would say, 'Do not set your eyes on beauty,'"

and the "beautiful ones — all types of those with virtue — would say, 'Set your eyes on family.'"

And on this, the Gemara in the Bavli adds,

that besides the general statement

(which is stated in the Mishnah)

— did

Each specific type of the daughters of Jerusalem then added <b>another </b>statement

(specific),

according to the specific quality in that type⁴¹.

7.

According to the above — that in the Yerushalmi the statement of the "beautiful ones"

("Set your eyes on the family")

is the same statement that appears in the Mishnah — it is explained what the Yerushalmi says,

that the beautiful ones would say

(not "Set your eyes" on <b>their </b>

(specific)

qualities,

but)

"Set your eyes on the family".

And the explanation of this:

The intention of the saying — as it stands in the <b>Mishnah</b> — is to emphasize,

that the daughters of Jerusalem hear that all the virtues that they possess,

are not their virtues — not that "my power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth"⁴²

— rather this was <b>given</b> to them.

— And according to mussar and chassidus: "Daughters of Jerusalem" know,

that in order for a match to be successful,

the young man must think not

(so)

about the "virtues — spiritual or physical — that <b>he</b> sees and that please <b>him</b>,

rather <b>Hashem</b> a woman of understanding⁴³,

pray and intend upon selecting the correct match — which has been proclaimed <b>on high</b>,

"the daughter of so-and-so to so-and-so"⁴⁴.

Therefore all the daughters of Jerusalem anticipate "Young man, lift up your eyes and see what you choose for yourself,"

the precise point in this is⁴⁵

: one must look at

the virtues of the woman

(both spiritual and physical)

— not as one sees them with the eyes as they are down here,

rather first must be "Lift⁴⁶

your eyes

(and then)

and see etc.'"

(as explained elsewhere⁴⁷

"Lift up your eyes on high — it will be — and see who created these")

— look at the source⁴⁸

from where the virtues originate and come down;

And consequently it will be — "Do not cast your eyes upon beauty, cast your eyes &lt;b&gt;upon the family&lt;/b&gt;",

because the virtues come indeed from "family"

(as above section e).

And then he will merit to be directed to the match which was proclaimed in heaven,

that they proclaim "&lt;b&gt;the daughter of so-and-so &lt;/b&gt;to so-and-so"

(and not "&lt;b&gt;so-and-so's daughter &lt;/b&gt;to so-and-so"),

the main emphasis is

(not upon the bride,

but)

upon &lt;b&gt;the family of &lt;/b&gt;— the father&lt;sup&gt;49&lt;/sup&gt;

of the bride.

8.

According to the above, it is also understandable the statement of the Yerushalmi,

that the "dark ones" would say "Do not set your eyes on beauty" — which is a matter <b>negative</b>

(as above section 2)

— because <b>all</b> the daughters of Jerusalem,

including the "dark ones",

had previously said "Lift now your eyes and see what you choose for yourself",

Also the "<b>dark ones</b>" say this,

because even though they have no revealed virtues,

No — but one must look from where they originate,

that each one of them is a daughter of Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, and Leah.

And more than this one can say — that on the contrary: in <b>this</b> matter,

that the daughters of Jerusalem emphasize that it must be "<b>lift up your eyes</b>",

to see higher,

there is an <b>advantage</b> in the "dark ones" relative to the "pleasant ones"⁵⁰.

The explanation of this:

Commentators⁵¹

explain,

that what the "ugly ones" say

(as it states in the Bavli)

"Take your purchase for the sake of Heaven" is because they have fear of God

(as the verse that is brought in the Mishnah according to the version of the Bavli — "A woman who fears God, she shall be praised").

But nevertheless, the Gemara calls them "ugly ones" — what is the opposite of virtue?

And one must say the explanation of this:

By "ugly ones",

who have no virtues

(beauty,

lineage,

or wealth,

which come)

from their family as above — their fear of Heaven is from themselves,

being a Jewish child is "he desires to perform all the commandments and to distance himself from transgressions"⁵²

— they hear that their fear of Heaven

(it <b>shall be praised</b>)

is from their portion of G-d from above literally⁵³,

<b>He </b>who gives you strength to make wealth,

but were it not for this they are "ugly ones"⁵⁴

— like the moon

(which

Jews are counted to the moon and are similar to the moon⁵⁵)

is "she has nothing of her own"⁵⁶

— the light that she shines is not <b>her</b> light,

but

(that which she has)

from the light of the sun

(and through this she becomes a <b>luminary</b> — the small

(relative to the sun)

and also the great

(relative to the stars)).

And this is the difference between the two types "illuminations" and "delights":

The "naot" are those who feel their virtues,

but since they are daughters of Jerusalem and modest — they acknowledge that the virtues they received from their families — "cast your eyes upon the family."

But nevertheless,

is that which "cast your eyes upon the family" does not negate in her the feeling that she is a virtuous one — she is after all a part of the family.

In contrast, the "kharot" feel like "it has nothing of its own &lt;b&gt;at all&lt;/b&gt;" — everything comes from above&lt;sup&gt;57&lt;/sup&gt;.

And therefore,

even when they &lt;b&gt;have &lt;/b&gt;virtues

(and even when they have virtues of beauty,

lineage and wealth)

these are not &lt;b&gt;their &lt;/b&gt;virtues.

And therefore they do not attribute their virtues to "family"

(which gives a place for the feeling that &lt;b&gt;she &lt;/b&gt;is a virtuous one,

as above)

— they only say "lift now your eyes" that one should see the root and source of everything

(— the Above One),

and "do not cast your eyes upon beauty" — that according to the above the explanation of this is&lt;sup&gt;58&lt;/sup&gt;

— even if there is

"Noy"⁵⁹

is "Do not give your eyes" to the trivial and lowly, but <b>lift </b>your eyes and see.

9.

According to the above, one will also understand why the Yerushalmi then continues and concludes by bringing <b>again </b>the verse "Go out and see, etc." — because the intention in the <b>Gemara</b>

(in the Yerushalmi⁶⁰)

is to bring a proof regarding the two types

(in the Gemara)

— "lights" and "pastures"⁶¹.

And therefore the Yerushalmi here adds to the Mishnah and repeats the words "with a crown that his mother crowned him"

(which do not stand in the Mishnah)

The explanation of this:

The verse "Go out and see, etc." speaks of two virtues in connection with Shlomo:

(a)

"with the crown with which his mother crowned him,"

(b)

"on the day of his wedding and on the day of the joy of his heart" "this is the building of the Beis HaMikdash,"

which <b>Shlomo</b> built.

The difference between the two virtues is:

"Atarah" — crown of royalty — is a quality in the king⁶².

And as the Sages said⁶³

That a testimony for one fit for the kingship of the House of David is when the crown of David "suits him"; however, the verse emphasizes that this is "a crown that his <b>mother</b> crowned him" — it comes from "his mother"⁶⁴.

— like the "virtuous women" who say "cast your eyes upon the family": they are possessors of virtues,

but the reason for the virtues is <b>family</b>

(<b>her mother</b>)

— "cast your eyes upon the family".

but not so the <b>building</b> of the Holy Temple,

it was <b>Solomon</b>⁶⁵

built*⁶⁵,

but on the other hand — this is "everything in writing from the hand of the Lord"⁶⁶,

this is "the house of <b>the Lord</b>"⁶⁷,

and like Solomon's prayer*⁶⁷

: <b>Your name is called</b> upon this house which I have built.

— in the manner of the "illuminations",

they are "a woman who fears G-d, she &lt;b&gt;shall be praised&lt;/b&gt;",

but this itself she feels that "she has nothing of her own",

everything is the Most High's&lt;sup&gt;68&lt;/sup&gt;.

Yud.

And this is also the reason that the Yerushalmi adds at the conclusion of the matter the word "Amen" — "that He will build

"Speedily in our days, Amen" — because the connection of "this is the building of the Holy Temple" to the "lights" is expressed with more emphasis in the matter of "Amen":

"Amen" is from the language of truth⁶⁹,

therefore when one answers Amen to a prayer and request one must intend "that it be confirmed before our eyes"⁷⁰.

That truth precludes change,

indicates eternity⁷¹.

The addition "

(may it be built speedily in our days)

<b>amen</b>" adds and says that the "may it be built speedily in our days",

the Third Holy Temple,

will be an <b>eternal</b> building.

The reason that the Third Holy Temple will be an eternal house,

is it because "the Sanctuary of the Lord, Your hands established"⁷²

— this is "the building of <b>the Holy One, blessed be He</b>"⁷³.

And this the Yerushalmi says,

that the quality of "building the Holy Temple" which is <b>the House of G‑d</b>

(similar to the quality of the "lights" which cause one to hear that everything comes from that which "G‑d created")

— will be revealed in the third Holy Temple,

which will be an eternal building — "may it be built speedily in our days <b>amen</b>".

Yes.

And one may say,

that also the conclusion of the Gemara in <b>the Bavli</b> — which is the statement "In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make a dance for the righteous, etc." — is connected

"The daughters of Jerusalem go out &lt;b&gt;and dance&lt;/b&gt;",

so too "In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make a &lt;b&gt;dance &lt;/b&gt;for the righteous",

but also]

With the concept of "May it be built speedily in our days"

(which stands at the conclusion of the Mishnah).

That in the time of the future

("May it be built speedily in our days")

there will be not only the concept of joy in general,

"The day of joy of His heart, this is the building of the Holy Temple",

but also the manner of joy will be,

that "In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make a &lt;b&gt;dance &lt;/b&gt;for the righteous etc.'"

What also in this one sees the difference between the manner of study of the Bavli and the Yerushalmi⁷⁴

The Gemara in Yerushalmi is only explaining the Mishnah⁷⁵,

that the "He will build it speedily in our days" will be in a manner of "Amen";

However, the Gemara in the Bavli adds <b>new</b>⁷⁵

details about the future time — "In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make a <b>dance</b> for the righteous

and He sits among them <b>in the Garden of Eden</b>⁷⁶

and each and every one <b>points</b> with his finger, as it is said⁷⁷

and says on that day: "Behold, this is our God; we hoped for Him and He will save us; this is the Lord; we hoped for Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation."

(From the sicha of the fifteenth of Av 5743)