xix

There existeth a path which goeth out beneath the two galleries of the nostrils, in order that he may seek to pass over transgression; like as it is written, Prov. xix. 11: “And it is glory to pass over a transgression.”

Like as it is written, Num. xix. 17: “And shall pour upon him living waters in a vessel.” (But the life looketh towards the mother; and it) is (understood to be that path which is called) ALHIM ChIIM, Elohim Chiim, “the Elohim of life;” and the king of the universe (that is, the understanding. Whereunto belong also the following sayings:—) Ps. cxvi. v. 9: “I will walk before the Lord in the lands of life.” Also 1 Sam. 29: “And the soul of my Lord shall be bound in the quiver of life.” Also Gen. ii. 9: “And the tree of life in the midst of the garden.” (All these, I say, refer unto the understanding, from which the six members receive the influx. And to it also pertain the following names, namely, the name) IH, Yah (whensoever it is written in full with A in this manner:) IVD HA, Yod Ha (and containeth the number of the numeral powers of the letters of the Tetragrammaton, namely, 26; unto which also is referred that form of the name belonging unto the intelligence), AHII, Eheii (where in the place of the final He, Yod is put, as in a former instance. (See Chap. I. § 32.)

There are three houses of judgment given, which are four (that is, the three letters IHV, referred into the understanding, which yield the four letters of the Tetragrammaton, pointed with the vowel points of the name Elohim. For) there are four superior houses of judgment (the four said Tetragrammatic letters) and four inferior (which are the four letters ADNI, Adonai, belonging unto the kingdom). For it is written, Lev. xix. 35: “Ye shall not do iniquity in judgment, in dimension, in weight, and in measure.” (Where these four are mystically intimated.)

And concerning this matter it is written, Ps. xliv. 23: “Awake, O Lord: why sleepest Thou?” And, 2 Kings xix. 16: “Open Thine eyes, O Lord.”

Like as it is said in 2 Kings xix. 4: “And thou shalt lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.” Where every part that is found truly remaining is called the remnant.

It is written, Gen. xix. 13: “For we will destroy this place.” Also it is written, Gen. xiii. 10: “Before that Tetragrammaton destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha.” And again, Gen. xix. 24: “Tetragrammaton rained upon Sodom and Gomorrha.”

It is written, Gen. xix. 13: “For we will destroy this place.” Also it is written, Gen. xiii. 10: “Before that Tetragrammaton destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha.” And again, Gen. xix. 24: “Tetragrammaton rained upon Sodom and Gomorrha.”

But because this is said, Gen. xix. 24: “From Tetragrammaton out of heaven,” it is said concerning Zauir Anpin, Microprosopus.

THIS have we learned. It is written, 2 Kings xix. 16: “Incline, O God, Thine ear and hear;” namely, that ear which is hidden beneath the hair, and the hair hangeth down over it, and yet the ear is there for the purpose of hearing.

We have learned. It is written, 2 Kings xix. 16: “Incline, O my God, Thine ear;” like as if it should be said, “Let six hundred thousand myriads of those wings which depend from those ears be elongated:” and they are all called the ears of Tetragrammaton.

“And unto Tiphereth, Beauty, appertaineth the title ‘Passing over Transgression,’ since it is said, Prov. xix. 15: ‘And it is His Beauty (Tiphereth) to pass over transgression.’

Therefore is it written, Lev. xix. 27: ‘Thou shalt not lose the angle of thy beard.’

And therefore is it written, 2 Kings xix. 16: “Incline, O Tetragrammaton, Thine ear, and hear!”

As it is written, 2 Kings xix. 18: “Incline, O Tetragrammaton, Thine ear, and hear.”

This is the same which standeth written, 2 Kings xix. 16: “Incline, O Tetragrammaton, Thine ear, and hear; open Thine eyes, and see.” Thus all things depend hencefrom.

And all these things are contained in one saying, where it is written, Lev. xix. 16: “Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people, neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: ANI IHVH, I am Tetragrammaton.”

Also it is written, Isa. xxxii. 17: “And the work of TzDQ, Tzedeq, Righteousness (or Justice), shall be peace.” Also, Ps. xix. 10: “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold,” &c.

Now, there are certain men who will dispute this [statement] and say, “ Where was Christ when the children were massacred, for it is written that He was not found in the land of Judah?” It was because of this massacre that He fled to Egypt, so that there might be fulfilled that which is written. “ From Egypt I called my Son ” (Hos. xi. r). And know this also. When Christ entered Egypt all the idols therein were swept from their places, and fell down, and were broken, so that there might be fulfilled that which is written, “ Behold, the Lord rideth on a swift cloud, and entereth Egypt, and the idols of Egypt shall be broken before Him ”’ (Isa. xix. I)..

Now when the Jews crucified Christ on the Wood, they divided His garments among them beneath the Cross, even as it is written. His tunic was of purple, which is the raiment of royalty; and when they stripped Him of the raiment of royalty Pilate would not permit the Jews to array Him in ordinary apparel, but only in the actual raiment of royalty, either purple or scarlet. By both of these it might be known that He was a king. For it is impossible for any other man to wear purple; only a king can do this. And one of the Evangelists hath said, “ The soldiers put on Him a purple robe ” (Mark xv. 17; John xix. 2, 5), and this is a true word and is highly credible; and another Evangelist uses the word “scarlet ” (Matt. xxvii. 28), and he proclaimed what was true. The scarlet garment indicateth to us blood, and the purple garment water; for the scarlet one was like unto blood, and the purple one was like* unto water. The scarlet garment proclaimeth the joyful and immortal nature of man, and the purple one the sad and mortal nature of man. Understand, therefore, O our brother Nemesius, that scarlet proclaimeth life.

" They answer: Since the Rabbis instituted the prayer "Cause us, etc.," it is to be considered part of the Ge'ullah. If thou dost not admit this, how is it possible to affect the same union in the morning service ; for lo, R. Johanan has said : Before the Tefillah one says, "O Lord, open Thou my lips" (Ps. li. 17), and at its conclusion, "Let the words of my mouth... be acceptable" (ibid. xix. 15) !

Whence do we learn that our father Abraham fixed a place for his prayer ? For it is written, (Gen. xix. 27) "And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood". "Stood" means nothing else than prayer ; as it is said, "Then stood up Phineas and prayed" (Ps. cvL 30).

If he does felicitate him, what is his reward ? R. Joshua b. Levi said : He is worthy of Torah which was given amidst five "voices"; as it is said, "And it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of a horn exceeding loud... and when the voice of the horn waxed louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice" (Exod. xix. 16 ff.).

How was he able to unite them? For lo, R, Johanan has said : At the commencement of the Tefillah one should say "O Lord, open Thou my lips" (Ps. li. 17) and at the conclusion "Let the words of my mouth etc." (ibid. xix. 15) !

R. Jose b. R. Hannina also said in the name of R. Eliezer b. Jacob : What means that which is written, "Ye shall not eat with the blood" (Lev. xix, 26)? [It means], Ye shall not eat before you have prayed for your life.

R. Jonah also said in the name of R. Zera : Whoever sleeps for seven nights without a dream is called evil; as it is said, "He shall abide satisfied [sabea'] he shall not he visited with evil" (Prov. xix. 23). Read not sabea', but sheba' "seven."

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).

There is a teaching in agreement with both of them. There is a teaching in agreement with R. Jose b. R. Hannina: Abraham instituted the morning Tefillah; as it is said, "And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood" (Gen. xix. 27) — "standing" means prayer; as it is said, "Then stood up Phineas and prayed" (Ps. cvi. 30).

GEMARA Whence is this derived ? For our Rabbis have taught: "The fruit thereof shall be holy, for giving praise [hillulim] unto the Lord" (Lev. xix. 24) — this teaches that they require a benediction before and after partaking of them. Hence said R. 'Akiba : A man is forbidden to taste anything without previously saying a benediction. But is the phrase "holy for giving praise" intended to teach that ?

According to him who teaches "the vineyard of the fourth year" it is quite right if he argues by analogy of expression ; for there is a teaching : Rabbi says : It is stated here, "That it may yield unto you more richly the increase thereof" (Lev. xix. 25), and it is stated elsewhere, "the increase of the vineyard" (Deut. xxii. 9) — as in the latter passage "increase" refers to the vineyard, so also in the former passage it refers to the vineyard ; and there thus remains over one hillul to be interpreted as meaning that a benediction is required [when partaking of fruits].

Thou mayest, however, derive [a conclusion] from the fact that [the bud] constitutes a protection of the fruit, and the All-merciful declared, "Ye shall deem it an uncircumcision with its fruit" (Lev. xix. 23) — the word "with" meaning to include what is attached to the fruit ; and what is that ? The protection of the fruit.

It is quoted in objection : R. Meir has declared : From the statement of Scripture, "Ye shall deem it an uncircumcision with its fruit" (Lev. xix. 23), do I not know that a food-bearing tree is intended ? Why, then, is there a teaching to tell us "trees for food" (ibid.)? To include a tree whose wood and fruit taste alike. And which is that? Pepper ; to teach thee that pepper is subject to 'Orlah, and to teach thee that the Land of Israel lacks nothing ; as it is said, "A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it" (Deut. viii. 9)!

R. Simeon b. Pazzi said : Whence is it that the translator is not permitted to raise his voice above that of the reader? As it is said, "Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice" (Exod. xix. 19) — there was no need to say "by a voice" ; what, therefore, does the teaching "by a voice" tell us? By a voice [equal to that] of Moses.

"Lot's wife" ; as it is said, "But his wife looked back from behind him and she became a pillar of salt" (Gen. xix. 26). [not translated] [not translated]

But it mentions above thanksgiving and praise ! It has been taught : For Lot and his wife we say two benedictions — for his wife one says, "Blessed be the true Judge" ; and for Lot one says, "Blessed... Who rememberest the righteous." R. Johanan said : Even at the time of His wrath, the Holy One, blessed be He, remembers the righteous ; as it is said, "And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow" (Gen. xix. 29).

And since he sees no [dream] himself, is that an advantage ? For lo, R. Ze'ira said : Whoever abides seven days without a dream is called evil ; as it is said, "He shall abide satisfied, he shall not be visited by evil" (Prov. xix. 23). Read not sabea' "satisfied" but sheba' "seven."! Nay, this is what he means to say : The good man sees a dream but [the next morning] he does not know what he has seen.

The Min asked him, "Whence hast thou this?" He replied, "Earthly kingship is like the Kingship of Heaven, of which it is written, 'Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord ; but the Lord was not in the wind ; and after the wind an earthquake ; but the Lord was not in the earthquake ; and after the earthquake a fire ; but the Lord was not in the fire ; and after the fire a still small voice' (I Kings xix. 11f.)."

If thou wilt I can quote the following: "The princes of Zoan are become fools" (Is. xix. 13).

Another explanation of "Attend [hasket] and hear, O Israel" (Deut. xxvii. 9) — i.e. submit to blows [kattetu] on behalf of the words of Torah ; according to the statement of R. Simeon b. Lakish who said : Whence is it learnt that the words of Torah endure only with him who would suffer death on its behalf? As it is said, "This is the law : when a man dieth in a tent" (Num. xix. 14).

What did he expound? Rabbah bar bar-Channah said that R. Jochanan said, "And he came from the ten thousands of holy ones" (Deut. xxxiii. 2). He is clearly marked among His ten thousand. And R. Abohu said, "The chiefest among ten thousand" (Cant. v. 10). He is a sign among His ten thousand. And Resh Lakish said, "The LORD of hosts is His name" (Is. xlviii. 2). He is LORD amid His host. And R. Chia bar Abba said that R. Jochanan said, "The LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And behold, the LORD passed by" (1 Kings xix. 11, 12).