xiv

(Also we find these two equations in that saying) Exod. xiv. 15: “And the Lord said unto Moses (who is referred to the mother), Why criest thou unto Me?” (But also a cry is referred to the mother, just as a groan is to the beautiful path, and an exclamation to the kingdom. But) ALI, Eli, unto me (note this is the same as, “and unto I, Yod;” or the father). “Speak unto the children of Israel (the speech is the queen; Israel is the beautiful path) that they set forward.” Wherein note well the word VISOV, Vayesaau, “that they set forward,” wherein are VI masculine letters; SO feminine letters).

This is that which is written, Isa. lii. 8: “For they shall see eye to eye;” When? “When the Lord shall bring again Zion.” Also, it is writtten, Num. xiv. 14: “That Thou, Tetragrammaton, art seen eye to eye.”

This is that which is written, Num. xiv. 14: “That Thou, O Tetragrammaton! art seen eye to eye.” Also it is written, Ps. xxxiii. 18: “Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him.” And it is written, Zech. iv. 10: “The eyes of the Lord running to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

“Which is intimated in those words, Zech. xiv. 7: ‘One day which is known to the Lord.’

Also it is written, Num. xiv. 14: “By whom Thou, O Tetragrammaton! art seen eye to eye:” and then the opening of the eyes is towards good.

“And therefore Moses saith in another place, Num. xiv. 18: “Tetragrammaton is ARK APIM, Arikh Aphim, long-suffering (literally long of nose), and of great mercy.”

For if so, what is this, Zach. xiv. 4: “And His feet shall stand in that day?” Truly the feet of the body, the Lords of Judgments to exercise vengeance.

Like as it is written, Hosea xiv. 9: “For the paths of Tetragrammaton are right, and the just shall walk in them, but transgressors shall fall therein.”

For thus it is written, Hos. xiv. 9: “The paths of Tetragrammaton are true, and the just shall walk in them,” &c.

But if any man entereth not therein and departeth therefrom, better were it for that (man) that he had never been born. For thus it is written, Hos. xiv. 10: “True are Thy ways, O Tetragrammaton!”

That is, when (Microprosopus) is considered as having (in Himself the symbolism of) right side and left side. As it is written, Hosea xiv. 7: “And his smell like Lebanon.”

Moses commemorated these nine conformations a second time, Num. xiv. 17, when there was need to convert them all into mercy.

But unto the Influence directed he his meditation, and made mention thereof. As it is written, Num. xiv. 17: “And now, I beseech thee, let KCh, Kach, the Power of Tetragrammaton, be great!”

And Nahshon begot Shila, that is to say, Salm6én, and Shilaé begot Boaz. Observe now M that the kingdom went forth from Boaz and Ruth, the Moabitess, for the old man Boaz took Ruth to. wife so that Lot, the son of Abraham’s brother, might have participation in the transmission of the kingdom. And God did not deprive the righteous man Lot of the reward of his labour, because he had suffered in exile with Abraham, and he received the angels of God in peace. And that the righteous man Lot might not be reviled because he slept with his daughters, God granted that the royal succession might be maintained by the seed of both, and that Christ should be born of the seed of Lot and Abraham. And from the seed of Ruth, the Moabitess, Obed was born, and from Obed, Jesse, and from Jesse, David, and from David, Solomon; these are the descendants of Ruth, the Moabitess, the daughter of Lot. And of Na‘ma (Naamah, I Kings xiv. 21), the Ammonitess, another daughter of Lot, whom Solomon took to wife, was born Rehoboam, who reigned after Solomon.

There are some who declare that R. Isaac stated that R. Johanan said in the name of R. Eliezer b. Jacob : Whoever eats and drinks and afterwards offers his prayers, concerning him the Scriptures say, "Thou hast cast Me behind thy back" (I Kings xiv. 9). Read not geweka "thy back," but geeka "thy pride." The Holy One, blessed be He, says, "After this person has exalted himself, he receives upon himself the kingdom of Heaven."

There is a teaching : "After your heart" (ibid. v. 39) means heresy; for thus the Scriptures state, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Ps. xiv, 1). "After your own eyes" (Num. I.c.) means lustful imagination ; as it is said, "And Samson said unto his father. Get her for me, for she is pleasing in my eyes" (Judg. xiv. 3). "After which ye use to go astray" (Num. I.c.) means idolatrous longing; for thus the Scriptures state, "The children of Israel again went astray after the Baalim " (Judg. viii. 33).

There is a teaching : "After your heart" (ibid. v. 39) means heresy; for thus the Scriptures state, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Ps. xiv, 1). "After your own eyes" (Num. I.c.) means lustful imagination ; as it is said, "And Samson said unto his father. Get her for me, for she is pleasing in my eyes" (Judg. xiv. 3). "After which ye use to go astray" (Num. I.c.) means idolatrous longing; for thus the Scriptures state, "The children of Israel again went astray after the Baalim " (Judg. viii. 33).

Rahbah said in the name of R. Judah : Whoever sees a body [being conveyed to burial] and does not accompany it commits a transgression because of [the injunction] "Whoso mocketh the poor blasphemeth his Maker" (Prov. xvii. 5). If he accompany it, what is his reward ? Rab Assi said : Of him the Scriptures state, "He that is gracious to the poor lendeth unto the Lord" (ibid. xix. 17) and "he that is gracious unto the needy honoureth Him" (ibid. xiv. 31).

The sons of R. Hiyya went out on to the land; their studies had been difficult for them, and they had had considerable trouble to remember them. One said to the other, "Does our father know of this trouble?" The other replied, "How should he know ? Lo, it is written, 'His sons come to honour him, and he knoweth it not' (Job xiv. 21)!"

R. Jeremiah was sitting in the presence of R. Zera, and noticed that he was very merry. He said to him, "It is written, 'In all pain there is profit'!" (Prov. xiv. 23).

"Because the Lord was not able [yekolet]" (Num. xiv. 16). It should have been yakol!

Rab Zotra b. Tobiah also said in the name of Rab : The young men of Israel will in the future give forth a sweet fragrance like Lebanon ; as it is said, "His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his fragrance as Lebanon" (Hosea xiv. 7).

The second tithe or food belonging to the Sanctuary which had not been redeemed. This is evident ! No ; it is necessary [to mention it] for the case where it has been redeemed but not according to the Halakah. With "the second tithe," for instance, where he redeemed it with uncoined silver, whereas the All-merciful declared, "Thou shalt bind up the money in thy hand" (Deut. xiv. 25) — i.e. money which has a stamp upon it. With "food belonging to the Sanctuary" for which [for instance] he had given a piece of land in exchange but he had not redeemed with money ; whereas the All-merciful declared, "He shall add the fifth part of the money of thy valuation unto it, and it shall be assured to him" (Lev. xxvii. 19).

Our Rabbis have taught : If they were sitting in the House of Study [at the conclusion of the Sabbath] and light is brought to them, Bet Shammai declare that each one says the benediction for himself ; but Bet Hillel declare that one says the benediction for all, because it is said, "In the multitude of people is the King's glory" (Prov. xiv. 28).

"And the children of Israel went into the midst of the Sea upon the dry ground" (Exod. xiv. 22).

Three verses in which the word "redeem" occurs — "He hath redeemed my soul in peace so that none came nigh me" (Ps. Iv. 19) ; "And the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion...and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Is. 35:10) ; "And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel?... So the people rescued [padah] Jonathan, that he died not" (I Sam. xiv, 45).

When Raba saw asses carrying this dust, he struck them upon the back with his hand and exclaimed, "Run, ye righteous, to perform the will of your Master." When Mar b. Rabina came to Babylon, he took up some earth in his mantle and cast it out, to fulfil that which was said, "I will sweep it with the besom of destruction" (Is. xiv. 23). Rab Ashe said : I had not heard that of Rab Hamnuna, but from my own mind I said all those benedictions.

He then said, "Since a miracle was wrought for me with this verse, I will expound it." [He went to the House of Study and expounded]: "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness" — that refers to the work of Creation ; for so it is stated, "Who doeth great things past finding out" (Job ix. 10). "And the power" — that refers to the Exodus from Egypt ; as it is said, "And Israel saw the great work" etc. (Exod. xiv. 31). "And the glory" — that refers to the sun and moon which stood still for Joshua; as it is said, "And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed" (Josh. x. 13). "And the victory" [nesah] — that refers to the overthrow of Rome; for so it is stated, "And their life-blood [nesah] is dashed against My garments" (Is. Ixiii. 3). "And the majesty" — that refers to the battle at the valleys of Arnon ; as it is said, "Wherefore it is said in the book of the Wars of the Lord : Vaheb in Suphah, and the valleys of Arnon" (Num. xxi. 14). "For all that is in heaven and earth" — that refers to the war of Sisera ; as it is said, "They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera" (Judges 5:20). "Thine is the kingdom, O Lord" — that refers to the war of Amalek ; for so it is stated, "The hand upon the throne of the Lord, the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation" (Exod. xvii. 16). "And Thou art exalted" — that refers to the war of Gog and Magog ; for so it is stated, "Behold I am against thee, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal" (Ezek. xxxviii. 3). "As head above all" — Rab Hanan b. Raba said in the name of Rab : Even the waterman is appointed by Heaven.

R. Jochanan went into the College and expounded thus, "Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways" (Is. lviii. 2). And while they seek Him by day, do they not seek Him by night also? Yes, but it is to inform thee that every one who studieth in the Law even one day in the year, the Scripture reckoneth it to him, as if he studied all the year; and so in the case of punishments, as it is written, "After the number of the days that ye spied out the land" (Numb. xiv. 34). And was it that they sinned forty years? Was it not forty days that they sinned? but it was to inform thee, that every one who committeth a transgression even one day in the year, the Scripture reckoneth it to him, as if he had transgressed all the year.

There is a Baraitha, viz., Rabban Jochanan ben Zakkai said, What answer did the Bath-Kol make to that wicked man at the time when he said, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High" (Is. xiv. 14)? The Bath-Kol went forth and said to him, Thou wicked man, son of a wicked man, grandson of Nimrod the wicked, who led all the world to rebel against Him in his kingdom, how many are the years of a man? Seventy years, as it is said, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten, or even by reason of strength fourscore years" (Ps. xc. 10). And is it not from the earth to the firmament a journey of five hundred years? And the thickness of the firmament is itself equal to a journey of five hundred years, and so too the interspaces of the firmaments. Above there are the holy living creatures. The feet of the living creatures are of corresponding measure to all the things mentioned above, the ankles of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the legs of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the knees of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the thighs of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the bodies of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the necks of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the heads of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the horns of the living creatures are of corresponding measure. Above them is the throne of glory. The feet of the throne of glory are of corresponding measure. The throne of glory is of corresponding measure. The King, the Living and Eternal God, high, and lifted up, sitteth upon them. And thou didst say, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High." "Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the uttermost parts of the pit" (Is. xiv. 15).

There is a Baraitha, viz., Rabban Jochanan ben Zakkai said, What answer did the Bath-Kol make to that wicked man at the time when he said, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High" (Is. xiv. 14)? The Bath-Kol went forth and said to him, Thou wicked man, son of a wicked man, grandson of Nimrod the wicked, who led all the world to rebel against Him in his kingdom, how many are the years of a man? Seventy years, as it is said, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten, or even by reason of strength fourscore years" (Ps. xc. 10). And is it not from the earth to the firmament a journey of five hundred years? And the thickness of the firmament is itself equal to a journey of five hundred years, and so too the interspaces of the firmaments. Above there are the holy living creatures. The feet of the living creatures are of corresponding measure to all the things mentioned above, the ankles of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the legs of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the knees of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the thighs of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the bodies of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the necks of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the heads of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the horns of the living creatures are of corresponding measure. Above them is the throne of glory. The feet of the throne of glory are of corresponding measure. The throne of glory is of corresponding measure. The King, the Living and Eternal God, high, and lifted up, sitteth upon them. And thou didst say, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High." "Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the uttermost parts of the pit" (Is. xiv. 15).