תְּרֵין נַהֲמֵי אָכְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, חַד, כַּד נָפְקוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, אָכְלוּ מַצָּה, לֶחֶם עוֹנִי. וְחַד בְּמַדְבְּרָא, לֶחֶם מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם. (חד בפסח וחד בשבועות) דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות ט״ז:ד׳) הִנְנִי מַמְטִיר לָכֶם לֶחֶם מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם וְעַל דָּא קָרְבָּנָא דְּיוֹמָא דָּא נָהֲמָא אִיהוּ. וְעַל נָהֲמָא, אִתְקְרִיבוּ כָּל שְׁאַר קָרְבָּנִין. דְּנָהֲמָא אִיהוּ עִקָר, דִּכְתִּיב, (ויקרא כ״ג:י״ח) וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם עַל הַלֶּחֶם שִׁבְעַת כְּבָשִׂים וְגוֹ', וּכְתִיב (ויקרא כ״ג:י״ז) מִמּוֹשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם תָּבִיאוּ לֶחֶם תְּנוּפָה וְגוֹ', דְּדָא אִיהוּ נָהֲמָא דְּאֲחְכִּימוּ בֵּיהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְעָאלוּ בְּאָרְחָהָא. The children of Israel ate, when they left Egypt, two kinds of bread: one on their leaving, unleavened bread, the “bread of affliction”; and the other in the wilderness, “bread from heaven” (Ex. 16, 4). Therefore the essential sacrifice of the day (Pentecost, when the Torah was given) was bread (Lev. 23, 17), and the others were additional to this, as it is written: “And ye shall offer with the bread some lambs”, etc. (Ibid. 18), for this was the bread by means of which the Israelites were endowed with the superior wisdom of the Torah, and entered into her ways.

אֶלָּא, לְמַלְכָּא דְּהֲוָה לֵיהּ בַּר יְחִידָאי, וְחָלַשׁ. יוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה תָּאִיב לְמֵיכַל, אָמְרוּ יֵיכוּל בְּרֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא (ס"א מיכלא דאסוותא דא) אַסְוָותָא דָּא, וְעַד דְּיֵיכוּל לֵיהּ, לָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח מֵיכְלָא וּמְזוֹנָא אַחֲרָא בְּבֵיתָא. עָבְדוּ הָכִי. כֵּיוָן דְּאָכַל הַהוּא אַסְוָותָא, אָמַר מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה יֵיכוּל כָּל מָה דְּאִיהוּ תָּאִיב, וְלָא יָכִיל לְנַזְקָא לֵיהּ. We may, however, explain by the following parable. A king had an only son who fell seriously ill. After a time the prince expressed a desire to eat, but he was forbidden to eat any food other than that prescribed by the physicians, and orders were given that for the set term of that diet no other viands should be found in the palace. All was carried out accordingly. But when the prince was come to the end of the period of his special diet the ban was lifted, and it was intimated that now he was free to eat whatsoever he fancied, since it would not harm him.

כַּךָ כַּד נָפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם, לָא הֲוֵי יַדְעֵי עִקָרָא וְרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, יִטְעֲמוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל אַסְוָותָא, וְעַד דְּיֵיכְלוּן אַסְוָותָא דָּא, לָא אִתְחָזֵי לְהוֹן מֵיכְלָא אַחֲרָא. כֵּיוָן דְּאָכְלוּ מַצָּה, דְּאִיהִי אַסְוָותָא לְמֵיעַל וּלְמִנְדַּע בְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא. אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה אִתְחָזֵי לוֹן חָמֵץ, וְיֵיכְלוּן לֵיהּ, דְּהָא לָא יָכִיל לְנַזְקָא לוֹן. וְכָּל שֶׁכֵּן דִּבְיוֹמָא דְּשָׁבוּעוֹת, אִזְדָּמַן נַהֲמָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ אַסְוָותָא בְּכֹלָּא. Similarly, when the Israelites came out from Egypt they knew not the essence and mystery of the Faith. Said the Holy One: “Let them taste only the medicinal food, and before they have finished it be shown no other food soever.” But when the mazzoth were finished, which was the medicine by means of which they were to enter and to comprehend the mystery of the Faith, then the Holy One proclaimed: “From now on they may see and eat leavened bread, because it cannot harm them”-especially on the Day of Pentecost, when the supernal bread, which is a cure of all ills, was prepared for them.

וְעַל דָּא מְקָרְבִין חָמֵץ, לְאִתּוֹקְדָא עַל מַדְבְּחָא. וּמְקָרְבִין תְּרֵין נַהֲמִין אַחֲרָנִין כַּחֲדָא. וְחָמֵץ, אִתּוֹקְדָא בְּנוּרָא דְּמַדְבְּחָא וְלָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְּטָאָה, וּלְנַזְקָּא לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ, יִשְׂרָאֵל קַדִּישִׁין אִתְדָּבָקוּ בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּאַסְוָותָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּיוֹמָא דָּא. וְאִלְמָלֵי הֲווֹ נַטְרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּרֵין סִטְרִין דְּנַהֲמֵי אִלֵּין, לָא הֲווֹ עַיְילִין בְּדִינָא לְעָלְמִין. Therefore leaven was offered to be burnt on the altar,¹According to the Talmud, the two loaves of leaven were to be eaten by the priests. and two other loaves were offered with it, and the leaven was burnt by the fire of the altar, and it could not reign over and do harm to Israel. Therefore holy Israel cleaves to the Holy One, blessed be He, on this day (Pentecost), and if the Israelites had but preserved the two sides (symbols) of the two loaves they would never have been subjected to chastisement.

בְּיוֹמָא דְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, דְּאִיהוּ יוֹמָא דְּדִינָא, (בכל יומא) דְּלָאו אִיהוּ, אֶלָּא לְאִינּוּן דְּלָא נַטְלוּ מֵיכְלָא דְּאַסְוָותָא, וְשָׁבְקוּ לְאַסְוָותָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּגִין מֵיכְלָא אַחֲרָא דְּאִיהוּ חָמֵץ. דְּהָא בְּיוֹמָא דָּא דְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, הַהוּא חָמֵץ סַלְּקָא, וּמְקַטְרְגָא עָלֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ, וְאַלְשִׁין עָלֵיהּ, וְאִיהוּ קַיְּימָא בְּיוֹמָא דָּא מְקַטְרְגָא עַל עָלְמָא. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָתִיב בְּדִינָא עַל כֹּלָּא וְדָאִין עָלְמָא. New Year’s Day is a day of judgement for those who have not accepted the healing food, and have neglected the “medicine” of the Torah for the sake of another food, which is leaven. For on this day that “leaven” ascends and accuses mankind and speaks evil against all whom it can malign in any wise. And at that time the Holy One, blessed be He, sits in judgement over all and pronounces His decrees in regard to all the spheres.

וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ כַּד יָהַב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲטְעִים לְהוּ מֵהַהוּא נַהֲמָא עִלָּאָה, דְּהַהוּא אֲתָר, וּמִגּוֹ הַהוּא נַהֲמָא, הֲווֹ יַדְעִין וּמִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּרָזֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְמֵהַךְ בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ מִלָּה אִינּוּן חַבְרַיָּיא בְּרָזִין (ס"א אלין דקאמרן) אִלֵּין כִּדְקָאמְרָן. Therefore, when He gave the Torah to Israel He gave them to taste of that supernal bread of the celestial realm, namely, the manna, by means of which they were enabled to perceive and penetrate into the mysteries of the Torah and to walk in the straight path. However, this subject has been elucidated by the Companions, in connection with the mysteries to which we have already referred.’

רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ, הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא, וַהֲווּ אַזְלִין עִמְּהוֹן, רִבִּי אַבָּא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי אִעֲרָעוּ בְּחַד סָבָא, וַהֲוָה אָחִיד בִּידֵיהּ חַד יַנּוּקָא, זָקַף עֵינוֹי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְחָמָא לֵיהּ, אָמַר לֵיהּ לְרִבִּי אַבָּא וַדַּאי מִלִּין חַדְתִּין אִית גַּבָּן בְּהַאי סָבָא. R. Simeon and his son, R. Eleazar, were out walking one day, accompanied by R. Abba and R. Jose. As they went along, they beheld ahead of them an old man, who led by the hand a young child. R. Simeon, on perceiving them, exclaimed, turning to R. Abba: ‘Assuredly, we shall hear new and instructive expositions from that old man.’ So they walked on more quickly, and presently overtook the couple.

כַּד מָטוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, בְּמָטוּל דְּקּוּפְטְרָךְ בְּגַבָּךְ קָא אָתִית, מַאן אַנְתְּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ, יוּדָאי אֲנָא. אָמַר, מִלִּין חַדְתִּין וַדַּאי יוֹמָא דָּא לְגַבָּךְ, אָמַר לֵיהּ לְאָן הוּא אַרְעָךְ. אָמַר לֵיהּ, דִּיוּרִי הֲוָה בְּאִינּוּן פְּרִישֵׁי מַדְבְּרָא, דַּהֲוֵינָא, מִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְהַשְׁתָּא אֲתֵינָא לְיִשׁוּבָא, לְמֵיתַב בְּצִלָּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּאִלֵּין יוֹמֵי דְּיַרְחָא שְׁבִיעָאָה דָּא. When they approached the old man, R. Simeon said to him: ‘Thou travellest in heavy garments. Who art thou?’ The stranger replied: ‘I am a Jew.’ Said R. Simeon: ‘Verily we shall hear new interpretations to-day from thee. Whence art thou?’ The old man answered: ‘I was wont until but lately to live retired from the world, a recluse in the desert, where I studied the Torah and meditated on sacred matters, but now I am come into the midst of the habitation of men, to sit in the shadow of the Holy One in these days of the seventh month.’

חַדֵּי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אָמַר, נֵתִיב, דְּוַדַּאי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁדְרָךְ לְגַבָּן. אָמַר לֵיהּ, חַיֶּיךָ דְּנִשְׁמַע מִלָּה מִפּוּמָךְ, מֵאִינּוּן מִלִּין חַדְתִּין עַתִּיקִין, דִּנְטַעְתּוּן תַּמָּן בְּמַדְבְּרָא, מֵהַאי יַרְחָא שְׁבִיעָאָה. וַאֲמַאי אִתְפְּרַשְׁתּוּן הַשְׁתָּא מִמַּדְבְּרָא, לְמֵיתֵי לְיִשׁוּבָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ הַהוּא סָבָא, בִּשְׁאֶלְתָּא דָּא, יְדַעְנָא דְּחָכְמְתָא גַּבָּךְ, וּמִילָּךְ מָטוּ לִרְקִיעֵי דְּחָכְמְתָא. (ס"א נטו לתקיעו דחכמתא) R. Simeon rejoiced and said: ‘Let us sit down, for verily the Holy One has sent thee to us. By thy life, we shall hear words from thy mouth of those which have been planted in the desert concerning this seventh month. But why art thou now so far from thy place of retirement, and why bent upon fixing thy dwelling elsewhere? The old man replied: ‘From this question I can see that thou lackest not wisdom, and that indeed thy words reach the firmament of wisdom itself.’