NASO
Numbers IV, 21-VII, 89
AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING: TAKE THE SUM OF THE SONS OF GERSHON, ETC. R. Abba began a discourse on the verse: "Happy is the man unto whom the Lord counteth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile" (Ps. XXXII, 2). 'The two halves of this verse', he said, 'do not seem to hang together, [1] but it has been explained thus. At the time of the Afternoon Prayer (Minha) Rigour prevails over the world. For it was Isaac who instituted Afternoon Prayer, and so supreme Force prevails then and the Left aspect is diffused. This continues until night bestirs itself. Then all the keepers of the outer gates of the universe bestir themselves and spread about, and all mankind have a foretaste of death. At the precise moment of midnight the Left aspect bestirs itself again as before, the Divine Rose [2] diffuses a sweet odour, and breaks forth into loud praise-giving, then ascends and rests Her head on the Left Arm, [121b] which is extended to receive Her. Then proclamation goes forth into the world, announcing that it is the time for awakening and chanting praises to the King. A chorus of praises then breaks forth, accompanied by a sweet odour permeating the whole. Happy is the portion of whoever awakens then to effect this espousal. When morning comes round and the Right aspect awakens and embraces Her, then the wedlock is complete. Observe that when mankind lie asleep and experience a foretaste of death, the soul of each ascends on high and to an assigned region. There she is examined concerning all the actions she performed during the day. These are recorded on a tablet. Indeed, the soul then gives evidence concerning man's works, and concerning each word that issued from his mouth. Should that word be an appropriate word, a holy word of Torah study or of prayer, it will cleave its way through the heavens until it reaches an assigned place. There it halts until night falls, when the soul ascends, seizes that word and presents it to the King. An improper word, however, a word uttered by an evil tongue, goes up to its assigned spot, where it' is put on record, charging the man with the commission of a sin. Of this Scripture says: "Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom" [3] (Micah VII, 5). Hence the Psalm says: "Happy is the man unto whom the Lord counteth not iniquity", to wit, the man "in whose spirit there is no guile".' [122a]
R. Isaac and R. Judah were walking together on the road leading from Usha to Lud. Said R. Judah: 'Let us discourse on the Torah whilst walking.' R. Judah then cited the verse: "And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit ... the owner of the pit shall make it good", etc. (Ex. XXI, 33-34). 'If that man', he said, 'has to make good, how much more so he who brings the whole world into disfavour by his sins. And I do, indeed, find it strange, that having brought the world into disfavour a man can make restitution by penitence, as Scripture says: WHEN A MAN OR WOMAN SHALL COMMIT ANY SIN ... THEN THEY SHALL CONFESS THEIR ... AND HE SHALL MAKE RESTITUTION, ETC. The truth, however, is that through man's penitence the Almighty Himself, as it were, rectifies on high the wrong committed, and thus the world is put right again.' R. Isaac then cited the verse: "In thy distress, when all these things are come upon thee, in the end of days, thou wilt return .... For the Lord thy God is a merciful God", etc. (Deut. IV, 30-31). 'We learn from here', he said, 'that penitence is of most effect before Rigour lights upon the world. For once it does so it strongly entrenches itself, and who can remove it? Indeed, [122b] it will not depart until restitution is made, followed by penitence; and then only is the world again put right. Now the phrase "in the end of days" points to the Community of Israel who is in exile and shares Israel's distress. For this reason, the Holy One, blessed be He, although he has sent Rigour into the world, desires that Israel should repent so that He may do good to them in this world and in the world to come. For nothing can withstand the power of repentance. Proper repentance is only effected by a surrender of one's soul, so that she is taken away in a state of repentance. One sinner in the world brings about the destruction of many. Woe to the sinner, woe to his neighbour! We see this in the case of Jonah. Through his refusing to carry the message of his Master, how many people would have been destroyed on his account in the sea! So they all turned on him and carried out on him the sentence of sea-drowning, whereby they were all saved. The Holy One, blessed be He, however, had mercy on him and so brought about the deliverance of multitudes of people. This happened after Jonah returned to his Master out of the midst of his affliction, as we read: "I called out of my affliction unto the Lord, and he answered me" (Jonah II, 3).' [124a]
IF ANY MAN'S WIFE (lit. man, man, if his wife) GO ASIDE, AND COMMIT A TRESPASS (lit. trespass a trespass) AGAINST HIM, ETC. R. Eleazar said: 'Why twice "man, man"? It speaks of a man who has behaved as a man should, following the admonition: "Drink waters out of thy own cistern", etc. (Prov. V, 15). Why, again, the double expression "trespass a trespass"? It points, on the one hand, to the Community of Israel, and, on the other, to her Spouse. We thus read further: THEN SHALL THE MAN BRING HIS WIFE UNTO THE PRIEST, for the reason that the priest is the "best man", so to speak, of the Matrona. Again, she has to be brought to the priest, although in regard to any sacrifice we read: "And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord" (Lev. I, 5), signifying that a layman ought to kill it and not a priest, he being forbidden [4] to execute judgement so as not to impair the region to which he belongs. Here, however, the priest alone is the fit person for the performance, he being the "best man" of the Matrona, and all the women of Israel are blessed by the medium of the Community of Israel. Therefore it is that the woman here on earth at her marriage has conferred upon her seven benedictions, in that she is bound up with the Community of Israel. It is the priest alone, and no outsider, who arranges all the service of the Matrona and attends closely to all that is needed. Hence the priest functions here, and no other. And, in fact, it is not judgement that the priest executes in this matter, but, on the contrary, he promotes peace in the world and increases lovingkindness. For should the woman be found innocent, the priest will have promoted peace between them, and, moreover, she will conceive a male child, [5] which is also a means of bringing peace. Should she, however, not be found innocent, it is not the priest that will have doomed her, but it will be the Divine Name which she invoked falsely that will have probed and doomed her. Observe that the priest does not obtrude himself into the affair, but when she presents herself before him to clear herself [124b] he questions her once and twice, and then performs a ceremony in order to restore peace. The priest writes the Divine Name once in a straightforward way and then upside down, [6] symbolic of Mercy and Rigour intertwined. If she be proved innocent the letters signifying Mercy remain, and those pointing to Rigour disappear. But if she be not as she should be, Mercy departs and Rigour is left, and judgement is executed.' R. Eleazar adduced here the verse: "And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter .... There he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them" (Ex. XV, 23-25). 'I wonder', he said, 'how it is that people take so little trouble to understand the words of the Torah. Here, for example, one should really inquire what is the point of the words "There he made for them ... and there he proved them". But the inward significance of the water mentioned here is this. The Egyptians claimed to be the parents of the children of Israel, and many among the Israelites suspected their wives in the matter. So the Holy One, blessed be He, brought them to that place, where He desired to put them to the test. Thus when Moses cried to the Lord he was told: Write down the Divine Name, cast it into the water, and let all of them, women and men, be tested, so that no evil report should remain in regard to My children; and until they all be probed I will not cause My Name to rest upon them. Straightway "the Lord shewed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters", the tree being thus identical with the Divine Name the priest has to write for the testing of the wife of an Israelite. Thus "There he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them". Now it may be asked: This was properly done for the women, but why include the men? But, indeed, the men also had to be probed to show that they had not contaminated themselves with Egyptian women, in the same way as the women had to be probed to show that they had kept themselves uncontaminated by Egyptian men, all the time they were among them. And all, male and female, were proved to be pure, were found to be the seed of Israel, holy and pure. Then [125a] the Holy One, blessed be He, caused His Name to dwell among them. Hence assuredly it was by the waters "there that he ... proved them". Similarly here it is through water that the priest proves the woman, and through the Divine Name.'
'AND OF THE DUST THAT IS ON THE FLOOR OF THE TABERNACLE. We find it written: "all are of the dust, and all return to dust" (Eccl. III, 20). There is a teaching concerning this, saying that even the orb of the sun is of the dust, all the more so then the sons of men.' Said R. Jose: 'If it were written here "and of the dust" and no more, this remark would be relevant; but since it says, "and of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle" I it seems to point to something else. Indeed, it points to the verse, saying: "He makes his sword in the form of dust" (Isa. XLI, 2). This verse speaks of the archers and catapult throwers, symbolic of rigorous judgement. Similarly here "the floor of the tabernacle", which is connected with elements underneath. The priest then puts it into the water, "the water of bitterness that causes the curse". This refers to the Divine Name when it is in Rigour, and for this reason the waters of the sea are bitter. For the Sacred Sea has many sweet rivers flowing into it, yet since it presents the world's judgement its waters are bitter, since universal death is attached to it. Yet when these waters flow outwards they are sweet. The sea, besides, exhibits a variety of colours. Now it is when the Serpent injects into it its venom that its waters become bitter and accursed; and therefore the priest has to go through his performance below, and recite an adjuration, so that judgement may be executed. If the woman is proved pure, these waters enter her body, [125b] turn into sweet waters, act as a cleansing force, and remain there until she becomes pregnant. Their effect is that a male child is born, one comely and pure and without any blemish. But if not, these waters enter her, causing her to smell the odour of the venom, and are transmuted into a serpent. Her punishment is thus of the same nature as her sin, and her shame is openly revealed. Happy is the portion of Israel in whom the Holy One, blessed be He, delights and whom He desires to purify.'
R. Hizkiah discoursed on the verse: "Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of thy house" (Ps. CXXVIII, 3). 'As a vine cannot receive any graft but of its own kind, so a woman in Israel, after the example of the turtle dove, only accepts her own spouse. She is thus fruitful, spreading her branches on all sides. And where? "In the innermost parts of thy house", and not abroad, in the market place, so as not to be false to the supreme covenant. Of the false wife Solomon says: "She forsaketh the lord of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God" (Prov. II, 17), indicating the place called "covenant" to which she is attached. This is the meaning of "the innermost parts of thy house".' R. Hizkiah further said: 'Cursed be the man who allows his wife to let the hair of her head be seen. This is one of the rules of modesty in the house. A woman who exposes her hair for self-adornment brings poverty on her household, renders her children of no account in their generation, and causes an evil spirit to abide on her house. If this is so when the woman does this in the house, how much more is it when in the open road; and ever so much more so does all this result from another kind of shamelessness.' Said R. Judah: 'The hair of the head [126a] of a woman being exposed leads to Hair of another kind being exposed and impaired. Hence a woman should not let her hair be seen, even by the beams of her house, much less in the open. Observe that as the rule is most strict in the case of a man's hair, [7] so is it with a woman's. Consider the harm a woman's hair brings about. It brings a curse on her husband, it causes poverty, it causes something besides to happen to her household, it causes the inferiority of her children. May the Merciful One deliver us from their impudence I A woman thus should cover her hair in the four comers of her house. When she does this, then "thy children like olive plants" (Ps. ibid.). As the olive does not shed its leaves either in winter or summer, but ever retains its superiority over other trees, so her children will excel all other children; her husband, moreover, will receive blessings from above and from below, will be blessed with riches, with children and children's children. So the Psalm continues: "Behold, surely, thus shall the man be blessed.... And see thy children's children. Peace be upon Israel" (Ibid. 4-6).'
WHEN EITHER MAN OR WOMAN SHALL CLEARLY UTTER A VOW, ETC. R. Eleazar began a discourse on the verse: "Wherefore, when I came, was there no man?" etc. (Isa. L, 2). 'How beloved', he said, 'are Israel before the Holy One, blessed be He, in that wherever they dwell He is found among them, for He never withdraws His love from them. We find it written: "And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them" (Ex. XXV, 8). That is, any sanctuary whatever, inasmuch as any Synagogue, wherever situated, is called sanctuary, and the Shekinah hastens to the Synagogue (before the worshippers). Happy is the man who is of the first ten to enter Synagogue, since they form something complete, and are the first to be sanctified by the Shekinah. But it is necessary that the ten should come together at the same time and not in sections, so as not to delay the completion of the body in its members. So did the Holy One, blessed be He, make man all at one time, and establish all his members in one act. So we read: "Hath he not made thee and established thee?" (Deut. XXXII, 6). So when the Shekinah goes early to the Synagogue she desires ten to be there at the same time so that a completed body should be formed with every member in its place. Those that come later are the mere "adornments of the body". But when the people do not arrive together the Holy One, blessed be He, exclaims: "Wherefore, when I came, was there no man ?" [8] For inasmuch as the single members are not together there is no complete body, and so that is "no man". Observe that the moment the body is made complete here below a supernal holiness comes and enters that body, and so the lower world is in truth transformed after the pattern of the upper world. Thus it is incumbent on all not to open their mouths to talk of worldly matters, seeing that Israel then are at their completest and holiest. Happy is their portion!
'WHEN A MAN SHALL CLEARLY UTTER (yaflee = shall separate) A vow; that is, when a man shall place himself apart from the rest of the world, to sanctify himself on the pattern on high and thus to be found perfect. For whoever sets out to purify himself is assisted from above. [9] When one wishes to sanctify himself, they spread on him a sanctity derived from that of the Holy One, blessed be He... .' [10]
R. Abba discoursed on the verse: "[A Psalm] of David bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name" (Ps. CIII, 1). 'How much', he said, 'it behoves a man to study and reflect on the service of his Master! For every day a proclamation goes forth, saying: "How long, 'ye thoughtless, will ye love thoughtlessness?' etc. (Prov. I, 22); "Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings" (Jer. III, 22), but there is no one who inclines his ear; the Torah makes proclamation before the people and none pay regard. Observe this. A man walks about in the world thinking that it is his perpetual possession and that he will abide therein from generation to generation. But even while he walks he is being put in chains; while he sits he is being tried in the conclave among the other prisoners. If there be an advocate on his side he is delivered from punishment. So Scripture says: "If there be for him an angel, an intercessor, one among a thousand, to vouch for man's uprightness; then he is gracious unto him, and saith", etc. (Job XXXIII, 23). Who [126b] is his advocate? It is man's good works that stand by him at the moment of need. Should no advocate be found for him, he is declared guilty and is sentenced to be removed from the world. At that moment, whilst lying bound in the chains of the King, lifting his eyes he sees two beings near him who write down all that he did in this world and every word that ever went forth from his mouth. Of all this he has to give an account, as it is written: "For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought (siho = speech)". [11] He admits all this, since the works which he did are there present to testify against him and to be inscribed in his presence; they do not leave him until the time that he is adjudged guilty on their account in the other world. Observe that all a man's works in this world are ready to testify against him: they do not vanish. And when he is led to his grave they all go before him; and three heralds, one in front, one to his right, and one to his left, proclaim: "Behold So-and-so who rebelled against his Master, who rebelled on high and here below, who rebelled against the Torah and against its commandments. Behold his actions, behold his utterances. It were better he had not been created!" When he arrives at his burial place, all the dead quake in their places on account of him, saying: "Woe, woe, that this man is buried among us!" His deeds and words precede him, enter the grave and stand over the body, whilst his spirit hovers to and fro mourning over the body. So soon as the man is hidden away in the tomb, [the angel] Dumah advances accompanied by three judges who are appointed to sit in judgement over the newly-buried; these hold in their hands fiery rods and submit to examination the spirit and the body together. Woe to [the victim of] that judgement! Woe for his deeds at the time when he is caught in the fetters of the King, if no advocate is found on his behalf! The King's officer advances towards his feet holding in his hand a sharp sword. The man lifts up his eyes, and sees the walls of his house in a blaze of fire, kindled by himself. Presently he sees before him one full of eyes all over, [12] and clothed in fiery garments. (This may indeed be so, inasmuch as many a man meets an angel in the road, whilst other passers-by do not see him.) You may ask, since it is written, "Who maketh spirits (winds) [13] his angels" (Ps. CIV), how can an angel be visible? It has, however, been explained that when an angel descends to earth he assumes the guise of man, and in this guise he makes himself visible to this man or the other. Otherwise mankind could not endure any sight of him. All the more does this apply to this one, to whom all the world must come. He instils three drops with his sword, and so on, as the Companions have expounded elsewhere. At the sight of him the man's body falls a-trembling, and his heart throbs, this being the king of the whole body, and the spirit passes along through the members of the body, taking leave of each one in turn, like a man taking leave of his neighbour when departing for another place. Woe, it exclaims, for the man's deeds! There is no remedy for such a man unless he repents in time. Until the last moment the man is in fear, attempts to hide himself, but is not able. Seeing his helplessness he opens his eyes and gazes at the Angel of Death with open eyes, and surrenders himself, body and soul. It is the moment of the Great Judgement to which man is subjected to in this world. As the spirit makes its journey through the body and takes leave of each separate member and parts from it, that member immediately dies. When the spirit is about to depart, having thus taken leave of the whole body, the Shekinah stands over the body and the spirit straightway flies off. Happy is the portion of whoever cleaves to Her! Woe to the sinners who keep afar from Her! Indeed, what a number of ordeals man has to undergo in passing out of this world! First comes the ordeal from on high, at the moment when the spirit leaves the body, just mentioned. Then comes his ordeal when his actions and utterances precede him and make proclamation concerning him. Another ordeal is when he enters the tomb. [127a] One more is in the tomb itself. He afterwards undergoes an ordeal at the hands of the worms. There is then the ordeal of Gehinnom. And finally there is the ordeal undergone by the spirit when it roams to and fro through the world, finding no resting-place until its tasks are accomplished. Man has thus to pass through seven ordeals. Hence it behoves man while in this world to fear his Master and minutely to examine daily his works and to repent of any misdeeds before his Maker. So King David, in reflecting on the ordeals man has to undergo on departing this world, made haste to exclaim, "Bless the Lord, O my soul" (Ps. CIII, 1); to wit: Do it before thou leavest this world, and whilst thou art in the body; "and all that is within me, bless his holy name" (Ibid.), in other words: Ye bodily members who are associated with the spirit, whilst that spirit is with you, make haste to bless the Divine Name in advance of the time when ye will be unable to bless Him and offer up thanks. Observe then the words: When a man shall separate himself by uttering a vow, the vow of a Nazirite, etc., referring to him who makes haste whilst in this world, to consecrate himself to his Master. He shall abstuin from wine and strong drink ... nor eat fresh grapes, etc. The question here arises, why should the Nazirite, in addition to wine, be forbidden also grapes, seeing that the priest, who is also enjoined to "drink no wine nor strong drink" (Lev. X, 9), is yet permitted to eat grapes. There is, however, a recondite idea involved in this. It is a known thing that the tree of Adam's transgression was a vine, the fruits of which, wine, strong drink and grapes, belong together to the side of the left. Hence the Nazirite has to keep altogether away from them. The Book of Rab Hamnuna the Elder supports this exposition. There we read in reference to the injunction, he shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long, that the letting of the hair of his head and beard grow long and the abstention from wine and strong drink and grapes is for the reason that all these belong to the left side and they are, moreover, unhairy: the wine is the Superior Mother, the strong drink is a product of the wine and is unhairy. It belongs to the region of the Levites, and hence the Levites were enjoined to "cause a razor to pass over all their flesh" (Num. VIII, 7). The grapes are the Lower Mother, which gathers in herself both the wine and the strong drink. The Nazirite therefore has to abstain from the whole of the left side, so that none of their works should be seen in him. And the grapes grow no hair nor beard, symbolic, as it were, of the female, who has to remove her hair before having relations with the male, and who is by nature beardless. Hence the Nazirite has to let grow his hair, including his beard. Now Samson, although a Nazirite of God, was punished because he married the daughter of a strange god, so that instead of associating himself with his own he debased his holiness by mingling with the daughter of a strange god. It is held by some that he will have no portion in the world to come, for the reason that he said: "Let me die with the Philistines" (Jud. XVI, 30), and thus placed his portion among those of the Philistines. [127b] Now in regard to the Levites it says: "And thus shalt thou do unto them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh" (Num. VIII, 7). Mter the hair has been removed and all the details performed, the Levite is designated "pure", but not "holy". But the Nazirite, having abstained from the side of rigour, is designated "holy" and not simply "pure". So Scripture says: All the days of his vow of Naziriteship ... in which he consecrateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long. This is explained by the passage, "and the hair of his head [was] like pure wool" [14] (Dan. VII, 9), inasmuch as the Nazirite in this regard resembles the celestial pattern.' R. Judah said: 'It is indeed by his hair that the Nazirite is distinguished as holy. This is in allusion to "his locks are curled" (S.S. V, 11).' A teaching of R. Simeon says: 'Did men but understand the inner significance of the Scriptural passages regarding the hair, they would acquire a knowledge of their Master by means of the Superior Wisdom.' [15] [145a]
SPEAK UNTO AARON AND UNTO HIS SONS, SAYING: ON THIS WISE YE SHALL BLESS, ETC. R. Isaac quoted here the verse: "But the grace (hesed) of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children" (Ps. CII, 17). 'How great', he said, 'is the virtue of fear in the esteem of the Almighty, inasmuch as fear embraces humility, and humility embraces a state of grace (h'siduth)! Hence, whoever is possessed of fear of sin is possessed of all those virtues; but whoever does not fear Heaven possesses neither humility nor the state of grace. There is a teaching: Whoever emerges from the stage of fear and robes himself in humility, attains thereby a higher degree, as it says, "The fear of the Lord is the heel of humility" [16] (Prov. XXII, 4). Whoever is possessed of the fear of Heaven is rewarded with humility, and he who is possessed of humility is rewarded with the state of grace; so that fear of the Heaven leads to both of these. We have been taught: Whoever has attained the degree of grace is designated "angel" [145b] of the Lord of hosts, as we read: "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the angel of the Lord of hosts" (Malachi II, 7). Wherewith did the priest merit to be called "angel of the Lord of hosts"?' Said R. Judah: 'As the angel of the Lord of hosts is a priest on high, so is the priest below an angel of the Lord of hosts. The angel of the Lord of hosts on high is Michael the great prince who issues from the celestial Grace (hesed) and is the celestial High-priest. So the High-priest on earth is called "angel of the Lord of hosts" by reason that he belongs to the side of Grace. He has attained that degree through fear of God. Scripture thus says: "And the grace of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting (lit. world to world) upon them that fear him". What means "from world to world"? Said R. Isaac: 'As it has been established in the exposition 'of the Holy Assembly; [17] it alludes to the two worlds.' R. Hiya objected: 'If so, it should have been written "from the world to the world".' Said R. Eleazar: 'It is an allusion to the celestial Adam and the earthly Adam. "Upon those who fear Him", inasmuch as whoever fears sin is called "Adam" (Man).' Said R. Judah: 'But there is a teaching that the term "Adam" signifies the conjunction of male and female?' R. Eleazar in reply said: 'Assuredly so. He who achieves for himself the union of male and female is called Adam, and in this way has the fear of sin. He attains, moreover, to the virtue of humility, and even the degree of grace. Contrariwise, he who remains without that union possesses neither fear nor humility nor the state of grace. So Scripture says: "For I have said: The world is built by Grace" (Ibid. LXXXIX, 3), to wit, by Adam, who denotes the union of male and female. Again: "And the grace of the Lord is from world to world" is an allusion to the priests who proceed from the side of Grace and have obtained this inheritance that descends from the upper world to the lower. "Upon those who fear him", to wit, the priests here below, regarding whom it is written, "and [he shall] make atonement for himself, and for his house" (Lev. XVI, 6), by means of which house (i.e. wife) he falls within the category of Adam. The Psalmist continues: "and his righteousness unto children's children", in allusion to the priest who was rewarded with children's children. Hence the teaching: A priest who has no wife is forbidden to perform the service, as it is written, "and he shall make atonement for himself and for his house".' R. Isaac said that the reason is because the Shekinah does not abide with one who is not married, and the priest in especial must be one with whom the Shekinah abides. Along with the Shekinah there rests on the priests Hesed (Grace) and they are called hasidim (grace-endowed), and as such it behoves them to bless the people. So Scripture says: "And thy saints (hesidim) shall bless thee" (Ps. CXLV, 10); also, "Thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy saintly one (hasid)".
'"On this wise ye shall bless", to wit, in the holy tongue; "on this wise", to wit, in fear and in humility.' R. Abba said: 'We have learned that KoH (on this wise) is the name of the Power whence all judgements come into action. [146a] But when Hesed (Grace) is joined to Koh the latter is sweetened. Hence the priest, who is derived from Hesed, is entrusted with Koh to have it blessed and sweetened. Thus the command was "On this wise (KoH) ye shall bless", that is, by the influence of Hesed ye shall fill with blessing and make sweet the power of Koh in its relation to Israel, so that Rigour should not prevail.
'It says: "On this wise ye shalt bless the children of Israel, saying (amor) unto them". It is not written "ye shall say unto them", parallel to "ye shall bless".' R. Judah taught that we have therefore to construe it thus: If they will be worthy, then [the blessing is] to them, but if not, then there is merely saying.
R. Isaac discoursed on the verse: "And I Daniel alone saw the vision; for the men that were with me saw not the vision", etc. (Dan. X, 7). 'There is a tradition', he said, 'that those men were prophets, to wit, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, whereas Daniel himself was not a prophet. There was thus a reversal of the relation of holy and common. For they, the holy men, were seized with fear and were not able to see the vision, whereas he, a common man, did see without fear. This is explained, however, by the verse: "Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise up against me, in this (zoth) I will be confident" (Ps. XXVI, 3). The word "this" (zoth) is an allusion to the Providence presiding over David's inheritance that will ensure it for him and will execute vengeance on his behalf. There is a teaching that the Holy One, blessed be He, prepared for David a Holy Chariot, adorned with the holy superior crowns of the Patriarchs. That remained an inheritance for David, and his kingdom was reserved in perpetuity for his descendants. This kingdom had its counterpart on high, and fortified by that heavenly kingdom the rulership of the House of David will never depart from it throughout all generations. So that whenever the crown of Kingship in any way bestirs itself for a descendant of David there is no one who can stand up against him. The reason thus why "Daniel alone saw the vision" was because he was a descendant of David, as we read: "Now among these were, of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah", etc. (Ibid. I, 6); he saw the vision and rejoiced in that it was of the side of the inherited possession which was the lot and portion of his fathers; it was his own, and thus he could endure it, whereas others could not.'
R. Simeon said: 'When KoH bestirs itself in its rigour, mankind cannot stand against it. But when the priests spread out their hands, which are derived from Hesed (Grace), celestial Grace bestirs itself in response and allies itself to KoH, whereby the latter is sweetened, as it were, and in this way the priests, with shining faces, pronounce the blessing on Israel, so that judgement of Rigour is removed from them.
'To THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, and not the other nations. Only the priest is empowered to pronounce the blessing, and no other, since he is under Hesed (Grace) and is called Hasid (grace-endowed), and it is said, "and Thy hasidim shall bless thee (yevareku-Koh)" (Ps. CXLIX, 10), to wit, they will cause KoH to join in the blessing. ON THIS WISE YE SHALL BLESS: to wit, by the ineffable Name and in the holy tongue.' R. Judah said: 'When the priest below stands up and spreads out his hands, all the celestial sacred Crowns bestir themselves and make ready to receive blessings, and draw sustenance unto themselves from the depth of the Well, the never-ceasing Well whence blessings ever flow forth for all worlds; these Crowns drink in, as it were, all the blessings. At that moment there is a whisper followed by silence throughout the universe. So when a king is about to join his queen, all his attendants are agog and a whisper runs through them: Behold, the King is about to meet his Matrona. Here the Matrona is the Community of Israel.' R. Isaac said: 'The priest [in pronouncing the benediction] has to raise his right hand higher than his left hand, for the reason that the right is higher in estimation than the left.
'There is a teaching: The priest who is about to spread forth his hands [for the benediction] needs an inflow of holiness [146b] in addition to his own; he must therefore have his hands washed by one who is himself holy, to wit, a Levite, of whose order it is written: "And thou shalt sanctify the Levites". [18] Thus the priest may not receive the sanctification of the washing of hands from any commoner who is not himself sanctified. It may be asked, why only a Levite? Why should not the priest be sanctified by the hands of another priest? The answer is, because the other priest would not be complete, but the Levite is complete, being qualified for his own service, and he is also designated "cleansed", as it says, "and cleanse them" (Num. VIII, 6). Tradition, again, teaches us that the priest, in the spreading forth of his hands, should not have his fingers joined close together, for it is requisite that the sacred Crowns should receive the blessing each one apart in a manner proper to each, because the letters of the Divine Name require also to be kept distinct and not to run into each other.' R. Isaac said: 'The Holy One, blessed be He, desired that the upper beings should be blessed, in order that the lower beings should draw down the blessing from above, and, on the other hand, that the most holy beings above should reciprocally draw to themselves the blessings through the lower beings who are the most holy here below, as we read, "and thy godly ones shall bless thee" (Ps. CXLV, 10).' R. Judah said: 'If a priest is ignorant of this inward significance of the blessing and does not know whom he blesses or what his blessing connotes, his blessing is naught. So Scripture says: "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts" (Mal. II, 17). That is, the upper beings should seek at his mouth the Torah, to wit, the Written Law and the Oral Law, which are bound up with the two celestial Crowns called by the same names; they do so because he is "the messenger of the Lord of hosts". So the priest, as tradition tells us, needs to think with devotion on the inward and elevated significance of the words uttered whereby the unification of the Divine Name is achieved.'
R. Simeon cited the following from the Book of Mystery. 'The Divine Name has both a revealed and an undisclosed form. In its revealed form it is written YHVH, but in its undisclosed form it is written in other letters, this undisclosed form representing the most Recondite of all.' R. Judah said: 'Even the revealed form of the Name is hidden under other letters, [19] in order to screen more effectively the most Recondite of all. For it behoves the priest to concentrate on the various permutations of the Divine Name, and to call down the mercies of all the Attributes through the two Crowns of mercy. [20] In these letters of this Name are concealed twenty-two attributes of Mercy, viz. thirteen of the Ancient One, Most Recondite of all, and nine of the Mikroprosopus (Lesser Figure); but they all combine in one composite Name, on which the priest concentrated his mind when he spread forth his hands, a name containing twenty-two engraven letters. We have learnt that when reverence was prevalent among mankind, the ineffable Name was openly enunciated in the hearing of all, but after irreverence became widespread it was concealed under other letters. Therefore at the time when the Name was disclosed, the priest would concentrate his mind on its deep and inner meaning, and he would utter the Name in such a way as to accord with that meaning. But when irreverence became common in the world he would conceal all within the written letters. Observe that the twenty-two letters [147a] were uttered by Moses in two sections. The first time [21] he uttered thirteen attributes of the Ancient of Ancients, the Most Undisclosed, so as to bring them down to the region where Rigour rules and subdue it. The second time [22] he uttered nine attributes of Mercy which are inherent in the Mikroprosopus (Lesser Figure) and which are radiated from the light of the Ancient and Undisclosed One. All this the priest combined together when he spread forth his hands to bless the people, so that all the worlds received the blessings from the side of the mercies which are drawn from the Ancient and Most Undisclosed One. It is for this reason that in the command it says simply "saying" (amor), instead of the definite form "say" (imru), this being a reference to the hidden letters within the words of blessing. Again, the word AMoR has in its letters the numerical value of two hundred and forty-eight less one, equal to the number of the bodily members of man, excepting the one member on which all the rest depend. All these members thus receive the priestly blessing as expressed in the three verses.'
R. Jose said: 'One day I was sitting in the presence of R. Eleazar, the son of R. Simeon, when I asked him the import of David's words, saying: "Man and beast thou preservest, O Lord" (Ps. XXXVI, 7). "Man" is plain enough, I said, but why associate with him "beast"? He replied: It is as much as to say: If they are worthy they are of the category of man, if not they are of that of beast. I said to him: Rabbi, I would like a deeper exposition. He then said: Observe that the Holy One, blessed be He, called Israel "Adam" (Man), in virtue of their being of the celestial pattern, and He also called them "beast". So we read in one and the same verse, "And ye my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men (Adam)" (Ezek. XXXIV, 31): thus Israel is called both sheep, which is beast, and man (Adam). Hence "man and beast the Lord preserveth". Furthermore, when they are virtuous they are "Adam", of the celestial pattern, otherwise they are called "beast", but both receive the blessing at one and the same time, the celestial Adam and the earthly beast. Observe that no blessing is found here below until it comes into existence on high. But so soon as it comes into existence on high it is found below. The same correspondence exists whether for good or for ill. In regard to good, Scripture says: "I will respond to the heavens, and they shall respond to the earth" (Hos. II, 23); in regard to ill, we read: "the Lord will punish the host of the high heaven on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth" (Isa. XXIV, 21).' R. Judah remarked: 'It is for this reason that it is written "say to them", without specification, implying that the blessing embraces the upper world and the lower together; and similarly it first says "thus" (Koh), and then "the children of Israel". THE LORD BLESS THEE, to wit, on high, AND KEEP THEE, here below; THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE TO SHINE UPON THEE, to wit, on high, AND BE GRACIOUS UNTO THEE, here below; THE LORD SHOW FAVOUR UNTO THEE, on high, AND GIVE THEE PEACE, below.' R. Abba said: 'They all are blessed together by the twenty-two engraven letters of the Divine Name that are embraced within the priestly blessing. They symbolize, moreover, Mercy within Mercy, with the entire absence of Rigour. As for the words "yisa ... panav" (the Lord lift up His countenance), it may also be translated, "the Lord remove and put away His anger", so that Rigour will be entirely absent. There is a teaching in the name of R. Jose, saying: When the priest spreads forth his hands it is forbidden to look at them, [23] for the reason that the Shekinah is hovering over his hands. R. Isaac remarked: 'Inasmuch as one is unable to see the Shekinah, as it says, "for man shall not see me and live" (Ex. XXXIII, 2), to wit, not whilst alive but only in death, what matters it then if one looks at the priest's hands?' Said R. Jose: 'It matters because the Divine Name is reflected in the fingers of the priest's hands, so that although people cannot see the Shekinah they ought not to look towards the hands of the priests, as that would indicate irreverence towards the Shekinah. We have learnt that when the priests hold their hands outspread [in blessing], the congregation should be in fear and awe, and realize that it is a time of favour in all the worlds when the upper and lower worlds are being blessed, and there is everywhere an absence of Rigour. It is a moment when the undisclosed aspect of the Ancient of Ancients is being revealed as Microprosopus (Lesser-Figure), and thus peace prevails then everywhere. [147b] A teacher taught in the presence of R. Simeon: Whoever is in distress on account of a dream should recite during the time the priests spread forth their hands the following: [24] "O Master of the world, I am Thine and my dreams are Thine ... ." For that is a propitious moment, and if one then offers up prayer in his distress, Rigour is turned for him into Mercy.'
SO THEY SHALL PUT MY NAME UPON THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. R. Judah said that the term samu (put) conveys the idea of orderly arrangement, as the priests are therein bidden to arrange by their blessing the Crowns of the right to the right, and the Crowns of the left to the left, without confusing them, so that the upper world and the lower will receive the blessing. If they follow this, then I WILL BLESS THEM, a blessing extended to the priests themselves, as we read: "And blessed be every one that blesseth thee" (Gen. XXVII, 29), also, "And I will bless them that bless thee" (Ibid. XII, 3). We are told that a priest not beloved by the people ought not to take part in blessing the people. On one occasion, when a priest went up and spread forth his hands, before he completed the blessing he turned into a heap of bones. This happened to him because there was no love between him and the people. Then another priest went up and pronounced the blessing, and so the day passed without harm. A priest who loves not the people, or whom they love not, may not pronounce the blessing. So Scripture says: "He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed" (Prov. XXII, 9), where the word YeBoRaKH (shall be blessed) can also be read YeBaReKH (shall bless).' R. Isaac said: 'Note that the wicked Balaam, when he was entrusted with the task of blessing Israel, fixed on them an evil eye so as to prevent the blessing from being fulfilled. So Scripture says: "The saying of Balaam the son of Beor" (Num. XXIV, 3), that is, the son of the most hateful enemy of Israel; "and the saying of the man whose eye is closed" [25] (Ibid.): that means that he closed his benevolent eye so that the blessing should be of no effect.' R. Judah remarked: 'This is assuredly so, as indeed we find that a real blessing is associated with the opening of the eye. Thus it is written, "Open thine eyes" (Dan. IX, 18), that is, in order to bless. So R. Hamnuna the Elder's blessing for anyone took the form of "May the Holy One, blessed be He, keep His eyes open on thee".' R. Isaac continued: 'Thus the blessing pronounced by the priest with a benevolent eye is effective, but if it is not given with a benevolent eye, of such it is written: "Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties" (Prov. XXIII, 6), to wit, in no wise seek any blessing from such a man.' Said R. Jose: 'Observe the verse: "Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam" (Deut. XXIII, 6). Now we should have expected rather "to hearken unto Balak" instead of "unto Balaam", seeing that Balak was the instigator of the whole attempt. But the reason why Balaam is mentioned is because he closed his eye in order to make his blessing of no effect.' R. Jose said: 'The Holy One, blessed be He, said in effect to Balaam: "Wretch! Thou hast closed thine eye in order that My children should not receive any blessing. I, however, will open thine eyes and so I will turn all thy utterances into blessings." So we read: "But the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee" (Ibid.). It has been taught: How beloved are Israel before the Holy One, blessed be He, in that the upper beings are only blessed for the sake of Israel. Thus R. Judah said in the name of R. Hiya, who had it from R. Jose: 'The Holy One, blessed be He, swore that he would not enter the heavenly Jerusalem save after Israel had entered the earthly Jerusalem, as it is said: "[I am] the holy one in the midst of thee, and I will not come into the city" (Hos. XI, 9). That means that so long as the Shekinah is here in exile the Name on high is not complete, the arrangements [of the Divine Powers] are not properly effected, [26] and, if it were possible to say so, [148a] the Holy Name is left impaired.' R. Abba was once going toward Lud when he met R. Zeira, the son of Rab. Said R. Zeira: 'Now do I behold the presence of the Shekinah, and whoever beholds the presence of the Shekinah ought to quicken his pace and follow Her. So we read: "And let us know and pursue to know the Lord" (Ibid. VI, 3); also, "And many peoples shall go and say: Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord ... for out of Zion shall go forth the law" (Isa. II, 3). I thus desire to follow thee and taste of some of the good things that ye learn daily in the Holy Assembly. [27] Now,' he asked, 'it is written: "And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness" (Gen. XV, 6). Does it mean that the Holy One counted it to Abraham, or that Abraham counted it to the Holy One? I myself', he said, 'heard that it means that the Holy One counted it to Abraham, but this does not satisfy me.' Said R. Abba: 'It is indeed not so. Observe that it is written, "and he counted it" (vayahsh'veha), but not "and he counted to him" (vayahshov lo). This assuredly means that Abraham counted it to the Holy One, blessed be He. It has been taught on this point as follows. It is written: "And he brought him forth abroad" (Ibid. 5), to wit, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham in effect: [28] Give up thy astrological speculations; this is not the way to acquire a knowledge of My Name. Thou seest, but I see also. Abram, it is true, is not to beget children, but Abraham will beget children. Henceforth follow another direction. "So (KoH) shall thy seed be" (Ibid.). The word KoH is expressive of the tenth sacred Crown of the King by which His Name may be known; it is the Crown through which rigorous judgements are set in motion. At that moment Abraham became filled with joy, inasmuch as the good tidings came to him through the medium of KoH, for although rigorous judgements are stirred up thence, yet "Abraham counted it", -- to wit, the Crown, source of Rigour -- "for righteousness": that is, he realized that the very Rigour was turned for him into Mercy. Now, in the command "On this wise (KoH) shall ye bless", it is signified that for the sake of Israel the very KoH is to be blessed by the priest, so that Israel will be blessed below, and thus blessing will be diffused through the universe. As for the time to come, it is written, "The Lord bless thee out of Zion .. ." (Ps. CXXXIV, 3); as well as, "Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, who dwelleth at Jerusalem" (Ibid. CXXXV, 21).'
AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD MADE AN END (Khalloth), ETC. R. Jose taught: 'This was the day when the bride [29] entered under the canopy, and it was by the hands of Moses that she entered there.' R. Judah remarked: 'And did She then delay until that time to enter into Her place ? Is it not written: "And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting", etc. (Ex. XL, 35)?' Said R. Isaac: 'The Torah is not written in chronological order. [30] Again, "Khalloth" (making an end) is the same as "Khallath" (the bride of) Moses. Assuredly she was the "khallah", bride of Moses. So we learn that R. Simeon explained the verse: "Thou hast ascended on high; thou hast led captivity captive", etc. (Ps. LXVIII, 19), as follows. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet" (Ex. III, 5), the mountain shook. Said Michael to the Holy One, blessed be He: Lord of the Universe! Art Thou about to annihilate man? Is it not written, "Male and female created he them, and blessed them" (Gen. V, 2), so that blessing is only found in the association of male and female? But now Thou biddest him to separate from his wife. The Holy One replied: Indeed, Moses has already fulfilled the command of bearing children. Now I desire him to espouse, as it were, the Shekinah, and thus for his sake the Shekinah will descend to dwell with him. This is what is meant by "Thou hast ascended on high; Thou hast led captivity captive", to wit, the Shekinah, who was, as it were, espoused to thee. In regard to Joshua, whose face shone as the face of the moon, [31] it is written: "Put off thy shoe (singular) from off thy foot" (Jos. V, 15), for the reason that he separated himself from his wife only at certain times, inasmuch as the Shekinah was not espoused to him in the same degree, he not being so much deserving of her. So it is written: "And Joshua fell on his face to the earth" (Ibid. v, 14). But here we read of her being the bride of (KHLLTH) Moses in all truth. Happy was the portion of Moses, whose Master delighted in his glory above all the rest of mankind.'
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: EACH PRINCE ON HIS DAY. 'The word layom (= to the day)', said R. Judah, 'is an allusion to the celestial Days which were dedicated [148b] to be blessed by the twelve delimited areas; [32] and each one was put right and dedicated by means of a blessing through the days here below. We have learnt that all are blessed through the celestial altar. All are blessed, even the lower world, even the other nations of the world.' R. 8imeon said: 'If not for the sacrifices offered by these twelve princes, the world could not stand against the twelve princes of Ishmael, of whom it is written, "twelve princes according to their nations" (Gen. XXV, 16). Hence "each prince on the day"; and whatever he offered was after the celestial pattern, so that all should receive the blessing. THE RAMS SIXTY, THE HE-GOATS SIXTY, representing the "threescore mighty men about it" (S.S.. III, 7), which belong to the side of Strength. ONE GOLDEN SPOON OF TEN GOLDEN SHEKELS, etc. Based on this, it was declared: Happy is the portion of the righteous on whom the Holy One, blessed be He, pours blessings, and unto whose prayer He hearkens. Regarding them it is written: "When he hath regarded the prayer of the destitute, and hath not despised their prayer" (Ps. CII, 18).'
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Notes:
1. The first half implies that there is iniquity in him, the second that there is not.
2. i.e. the Shekinah.
3. i.e. the soul.
4. This is contrary to the Mishnah, which does not forbid, but makes it optional for the priest.
5. Cf. T.B. Stah, 26a.
6.
7. The reference apparently is to the Nazirite.
8. v. T.B. Berachoth, 6b.
9. v. T.B. Yoma, 38b.
10. There is here a lacuna in the text.
11. v. T.B. Hagigah, 5b.
12. i.e. the Angel of Death, v. T.B. Abodah Zaroh, 20b.
13. Ruhoth = winds or spirits.
14. i.e. white, the symbol of mercy.
15. Here follows in the text the Idra Rabba.
16. E.V. "The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord is ... "
17. The Idra Rabba.
18. These words are not to be found in our texts.
19. i.e. ADNY(ADoNaY).
20. Viz. Mah, Adonay.
21. Ex.XXXIV, 6.
22. Num. XIV. 18.
23. v. T.B. Hagigah, 16a.
24. T.B. Berachoth, 55a.
25. By a change from right to left of the diacritical point, the word shethum (opened) is read sethum (closed).
26. i.e. there is friction between the Grades.
27. i.e. the full assembly of R. Simeon and the Companions.
28. v. T.B. Shabbath, 156a.
29. Khalloth (= ending) suggests Khallah (= bride = Shekinah).
30. v. T.B. Pesahim, 6b, et passim.
31. Cf. T.B. Baba Bathra, 75a.
32. The twelve permutations of the Tetragrammaton.