shekinah

More than that, he causes the Shekinah to depart from Israel ; as it is said, "Shall the Rock be removed out of its place?" (ibid.) "Rock" means nothing else than the Holy One, blessed be He; as it is said, "Of the Rock that begat thee thou wast unmindful" (Deut. xxxii. 18). [[fol. 6 a.]]

And whence is it that when ten assemble for prayer, the Shekinah is in their midst ? As it is said, "God standeth in the godly congregation."

And whence is it that when three sit and judge, the Shekinah is in their midst? As it is said, "In the midst of the judges He judgeth" (ibid.).

And whence is it that when two sit and occupy themselves with Torah, the Shekinah is in their midst ? As it is said, "Then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another; and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name" (Mal. iii. 16).

And whence is it that even if an individual sits and occupies himself with Torah, the Shekinah is with him ? As it is said, "In every place where I cause My name to be remembered I will come unto thee and will bless thee" (Exod. xx. 24).

Since [the Shekinah is] even with one, why mention two ? With two, their words are written in the book of remembrance, but the words of an individual are not so recorded.

Since [the Shekinah is] even with two, why mention three? Thou mightest argue that since the act of judging is merely for the sake of peace, the Shekinah does not come [in their midst], therefore he informs us that the administration of justice is equal to being occupied with Torah.

Since [the Shekinah is] even with two, why mention three? Thou mightest argue that since the act of judging is merely for the sake of peace, the Shekinah does not come [in their midst], therefore he informs us that the administration of justice is equal to being occupied with Torah.

Since [the Shekinah is] even with three, why mention ten ? With ten, the Shekinah precedes them ; with three, it waits until they are seated [to try cases].

Since [the Shekinah is] even with three, why mention ten ? With ten, the Shekinah precedes them ; with three, it waits until they are seated [to try cases].

R. Johanan also said in the name of R. Jose : Three things Moses sought of the Holy One, blessed be He, and He granted them. He sought that the Shekinah should rest upon Israel, and He granted it ; as it is said, "Is it not in that Thou goest with us?" (Exod. xxxiii. 16). He sought that the Shekinah should not rest upon the other peoples of the world, and He granted it ; as it is said,

R. Johanan also said in the name of R. Jose : Three things Moses sought of the Holy One, blessed be He, and He granted them. He sought that the Shekinah should rest upon Israel, and He granted it ; as it is said, "Is it not in that Thou goest with us?" (Exod. xxxiii. 16). He sought that the Shekinah should not rest upon the other peoples of the world, and He granted it ; as it is said,

It was a favourite saying of Rab : Not like this world is the world to come. In the world to come there is neither eating nor drinking; no procreation of children or business transactions; no envy or hatred or rivalry ; but the righteous sit enthroned, their crowns on their heads, and enjoy the lustre of the Shekinah; as it is said, "And they beheld God, and did eat and drink" (Exod. xxiv. ll).

And there is a teaching: R. Eliezer says: He who prays behind his master, or greets his master or returns his salutation, or opposes [the opinions taught by] his master's school, or reports a teaching [in his master's name] which he had not heard from his master's lips, causes the Shekinah to depart from Israel !

Some declare that she spoke to him thus : "Thou art not a lord ; neither the Shekinah nor the Holy Spirit is with thee, for thou hast judged me in the scale of guilt and not in the scale of merit. Dost thou not know 'I am a woman of sorrowful spirit'?"

He should not walk with an erect carriage. For the teacher has said: He who walks with an erect carriage, even a distance of four cubits, is as though he pushed against the feet of the Shekinah; for it is written, The whole earth is full of His glory" (Is. vi. 3).

[Who dreams] that he makes the response "May His great name be blessed" is assured that he is a son of the world to come. [Who dreams] that he recites the Shema' is meet that the Shekinah should rest upon him, but his generation is not worthy of it.

A man should not behave with levity towards the East Gate [of the Temple], since it is directed towards the Holy of Holies, etc. Rab Judah said in the name of Rab : This is only meant from Sophim inwards, and only applies to one who can see [the Temple]. It has been similarly reported : R. Abba b. R. Hijya. b. Abba said : Thus declared R. Johanan : This is only meant from Sophim inwards, and only applies to one who can see [the Temple] and when there is no barrier [between him and it], and at the time when the Shekinah rests [upon the Sanctuary].

Our Rabbis have taught : He who wishes to exercise his natural functions, if in Judea he should not face East or West but North or South ; if in Galilee, he should only face East or West. R. Jose, however, permits it [in any direction] because he used to say that the prohibition only applies to one who can see [the Temple], when there is no barrier, and at the time when the Shekinah rests [upon the Sanctuary]. But the Sages prohibit it.

R. Abin the Levite also said : Whoever partakes of a meal at which a disciple of the wise is present is as though he partakes of the lustre of the Shekinah; as it is said, "And Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God" (Exod. xviii. 12). Did they eat before God? Was it not before Moses that they ate?

But it means to tell thee that whoever partakes of a meal at which a disciple of the wise is present is as though he partakes of the lustre of the Shekinah.

R. Levi b. Hiyya said[2]: He who goes out from the Synagogue and enters the House of Study to occupy himself with Torah is worthy to receive the presence of the Shekinah; as it is said, "They go from strength to strength, every one of them appeareth before God in Zion" (Ph. Ixxxiv. 8).

In Droḳeret, a town of five hundred men, there died once three men in one day, wherefore R. Naḥman b. R. Ḥisda intended to decree a public fast. R. Naḥman b. Isaac, however, said to him: In accordance with whose view do you intend to do this? That of R. Meir, who said, if an ox that gores at long intervals (three times in three days) has to pay the full damage, all the more so one that gores at short intervals (three times in one day)? Said R. Naḥman b. R. Ḥisda to R. Naḥman b. Isaac: "Come and take a seat beside me," to which the latter replied: I hold to what is taught in a Baraita: R. Jose said: It is not the place that honors the man, but it is the man that honors the place, for thus we find that as long as the Shekinah was present on Sinai, the law was (Exod., 34. 3): "Neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount," but as soon as the Shekinah departed from there, the Torah prescribed (ib., 19.13): "When the ram's horn soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount." The same, we find, was the case with the tent of meeting, namely, when the tent was pitched, the order of the Torah was (Numbers, 5. 2): "They shall put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue," but as soon as the curtains were folded up (for removing the tent), those that had an issue as well as lepers were permitted to enter. "Then I shall come to your place," said Naḥman b. R. Ḥisda. R. Naḥman b. Isaac, however, replied, "It is proper that an eminent man who is the son of one less eminent, should go to one who is eminent and is the son of an eminent man, but it is not proper that a man of eminence who is the son of an eminent man should go to an eminent man who is the son of one less eminent."

In Droḳeret, a town of five hundred men, there died once three men in one day, wherefore R. Naḥman b. R. Ḥisda intended to decree a public fast. R. Naḥman b. Isaac, however, said to him: In accordance with whose view do you intend to do this? That of R. Meir, who said, if an ox that gores at long intervals (three times in three days) has to pay the full damage, all the more so one that gores at short intervals (three times in one day)? Said R. Naḥman b. R. Ḥisda to R. Naḥman b. Isaac: "Come and take a seat beside me," to which the latter replied: I hold to what is taught in a Baraita: R. Jose said: It is not the place that honors the man, but it is the man that honors the place, for thus we find that as long as the Shekinah was present on Sinai, the law was (Exod., 34. 3): "Neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount," but as soon as the Shekinah departed from there, the Torah prescribed (ib., 19.13): "When the ram's horn soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount." The same, we find, was the case with the tent of meeting, namely, when the tent was pitched, the order of the Torah was (Numbers, 5. 2): "They shall put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue," but as soon as the curtains were folded up (for removing the tent), those that had an issue as well as lepers were permitted to enter. "Then I shall come to your place," said Naḥman b. R. Ḥisda. R. Naḥman b. Isaac, however, replied, "It is proper that an eminent man who is the son of one less eminent, should go to one who is eminent and is the son of an eminent man, but it is not proper that a man of eminence who is the son of an eminent man should go to an eminent man who is the son of one less eminent."

R. Eleazar b. Pedat was greatly distressed by poverty. One day he was bled, and after the operation had nothing to eat. He found some garlic and swallowed it, whereupon he fainted. Some of the Rabbis went to visit him and noticed that he was weeping and laughing, and that a ray of light proceeded from his forehead. When he awoke, they asked him: "Why did you weep and laugh, and why did a ray of light proceed from your forehead?" "I saw the Shekinah," he replied, "and complained before her, saying, 'how long shall I continue to live in this poverty?' and the Shekinah replied to me: 'Would it be acceptable to thee that I should destroy the world and create it anew? Perhaps thou wilt then be born in an hour that will betoken plenty for thee.' I said, 'So much trouble for a mere perhaps?' [I further said: 'Is the time which I have already lived greater than the time I am yet to live, or the reverse?' I was told: 'The time thou hast lived is greater.' 'If so,' said I, 'I do not care to be reborn.'] I then asked: 'What wilt thou give me in the world to come?' 'Thou wilt be given,' the answer was, 'thirteen rivers flowing with balsam oil, in which thou wilt find pleasure.' Said I, 'Is that all?' [The Shekinah replied: 'What am I to give to thy fellowmen if thou takest everything?' But I said: 'Do I ask it of one who is not in a position to give?']. I was then struck on my forehead by the snapping of a thumb and was asked: 'Eleazar my son, do my arrows irritate thee?'"

R. Eleazar b. Pedat was greatly distressed by poverty. One day he was bled, and after the operation had nothing to eat. He found some garlic and swallowed it, whereupon he fainted. Some of the Rabbis went to visit him and noticed that he was weeping and laughing, and that a ray of light proceeded from his forehead. When he awoke, they asked him: "Why did you weep and laugh, and why did a ray of light proceed from your forehead?" "I saw the Shekinah," he replied, "and complained before her, saying, 'how long shall I continue to live in this poverty?' and the Shekinah replied to me: 'Would it be acceptable to thee that I should destroy the world and create it anew? Perhaps thou wilt then be born in an hour that will betoken plenty for thee.' I said, 'So much trouble for a mere perhaps?' [I further said: 'Is the time which I have already lived greater than the time I am yet to live, or the reverse?' I was told: 'The time thou hast lived is greater.' 'If so,' said I, 'I do not care to be reborn.'] I then asked: 'What wilt thou give me in the world to come?' 'Thou wilt be given,' the answer was, 'thirteen rivers flowing with balsam oil, in which thou wilt find pleasure.' Said I, 'Is that all?' [The Shekinah replied: 'What am I to give to thy fellowmen if thou takest everything?' But I said: 'Do I ask it of one who is not in a position to give?']. I was then struck on my forehead by the snapping of a thumb and was asked: 'Eleazar my son, do my arrows irritate thee?'"

R. Eleazar b. Pedat was greatly distressed by poverty. One day he was bled, and after the operation had nothing to eat. He found some garlic and swallowed it, whereupon he fainted. Some of the Rabbis went to visit him and noticed that he was weeping and laughing, and that a ray of light proceeded from his forehead. When he awoke, they asked him: "Why did you weep and laugh, and why did a ray of light proceed from your forehead?" "I saw the Shekinah," he replied, "and complained before her, saying, 'how long shall I continue to live in this poverty?' and the Shekinah replied to me: 'Would it be acceptable to thee that I should destroy the world and create it anew? Perhaps thou wilt then be born in an hour that will betoken plenty for thee.' I said, 'So much trouble for a mere perhaps?' [I further said: 'Is the time which I have already lived greater than the time I am yet to live, or the reverse?' I was told: 'The time thou hast lived is greater.' 'If so,' said I, 'I do not care to be reborn.'] I then asked: 'What wilt thou give me in the world to come?' 'Thou wilt be given,' the answer was, 'thirteen rivers flowing with balsam oil, in which thou wilt find pleasure.' Said I, 'Is that all?' [The Shekinah replied: 'What am I to give to thy fellowmen if thou takest everything?' But I said: 'Do I ask it of one who is not in a position to give?']. I was then struck on my forehead by the snapping of a thumb and was asked: 'Eleazar my son, do my arrows irritate thee?'"