xxxii

Like as it is written, Jer. xxxii. 17: AHH ADNI IHVH, Ahah, Adonaï, Yod He Vau He: “Ah, Lord Jehovah,” &c., where there is a cohesion of the connecting links (that is, in the word AHH, Ahah, those two HH, He's, are combined which elsewhere are the media of the connecting path). For by the spirit is made the connection of the balanced equilibria (that is, of the combinations as well of the father and mother as of the Microprosopus and his bride).

It is written, Isa. xlii. 8: “I am the Tetragrammaton, that is my name, and my glory I give not to another.” (Now the author of the“Siphra Dtzenioutha” beginneth to explain the ulterior difference between Microprosopus and Macroprosopus, even as to their appellations; where the word ANI, Ani “I,” in the above passage referreth to the Microprosopus, since it involveth the idea of the bride.) Also it is written, Deut. xxxii. 39: “I slay, and I make alive.” Also it is written, Isa. xlvi. 4: “I will bear, and I will deliver you.”

Also it is written, Jer. xxxii. v. 19: “Whose eyes are open.”

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.

And they handed out to Finn vinegar and gall in a sponge. By the vinegar which they gave unto Him it was made known concerning them that their will was changed from what it had been formerly, and that they had turned themselves from integrity to wickedness, and by the gall was made known the bitterness of the accursed serpent which was in them. And they showed that they also had belonged to that good vineyard from which prophets, and kings, and priests, and they themselves had drunk; but because they had become wicked heirs, who would not labour in the vineyard of my beloved, they produced husks instead of grapes, and the wine which they pressed out therefrom was sour. And having trucified the Heir on the Wood, they mixed some of the impurity of their wickedness with their sour wine, and gave Him to drink of the wine from the vineyard of the Gentiles; but He would not drink [saying], ““ Give me of that vine which My Father brought out of Egypt.” For Christ knew that the prophecy of Moses which had been prophesied concerning them had been fulfilled in them; for Moses said, “‘ Your grapes are grapes of gall, your clusters are bitter. Your poison is the poison of the serpent, and their head is that of a malignant viper. These are the things which ye render unto the Lord”’ (Deut. xxxii. 32, 33).

This is like the teaching of R. Jacob b. Iddi who asked: It is written, "Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee whithersoever thou goest" (Gen. xxviii. 15), and then it is written, "Jacob was greatly afraid" (ibid, xxxii. 8)! But Jacob said, "Perhaps sin will cause [His protection to be withheld]." This is like the teaching:

R. Isaac also said : Whoever reads the Shema' upon his bed, the evil spirits flee from him ; as it is said, "And the sons of Reshef fly upwards ['uf] " (Job v. 7). 'Uf means nothing else than Torah ; as it is said, "Wilt thou set [hata'if] thine eyes upon it? It is gone" (Prov. xxiii. 5). And Reshef means nothing else than "evil spirits"; as it is said, "The wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the fiery bolt [Reshef] and bitter destruction" (Deut. xxxii. 24).

A certain Elder taught in the name of R. Simeon b. Johai : It is to be derived from the occurrence of the same word 'awon "iniquity" in the following passages : "By mercy and truth iniquity is expiated" (ibid. xvi. 6) and "Who recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children" (Jer. xxxii. 18).

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.]]

"For this let every one that is godly pray unto Thee in the time of finding" (Ps. xxxii. 6). R. Hannina said: "In the time of finding" refers to [the choice of] a wife ; as it is said, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a great good" (Prov. xviii. 22).

Even "Ataroth and Dibon" (Num. xxxii. 3) — for whoever finishes his Parashah with the congregation, his days and years are prolonged.

Moses referred to the merit of others; as it is said, "Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, Thy servants" (ibid, xxxii. 13), and his own merit was referred to ; as it is said, "Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen stood before Him in the breach, to turn back His wrath, lest He should destroy them" (Ps. cvi. 23).

Our Rabbis have taught : Greater is the promise given by the Holy One, blessed be He, to women than to men ; as it is said, "Rise up, ye women that, are at ease, and hear My voice ; ye confident daughters, give ear unto My speech" (Is. xxxii. 9).

Whence is it that the benediction to be uttered before reading the Torah is ordained by the Torah? As it is said, "For I will proclaim the name of the Lord : ascribe ye greatness unto our God" (ibid. xxxii. 3).

But if he does stop, what is his reward? R. Abbahu said : Of him the Scriptures state, "Through this thing ye shall prolong your days" (Deut. xxxii. 47).

He who says : Until his mind can offer supplication [tithonen], it is because it is said, "And I supplicated [waethannan] the Lord" (Deut. iii. 23) ; and he who says : Until his mind can offer beseeching prayer [titholel], it is because it is written, "And Moses besought [wayyehal] the Lord" (Exod. xxxii. 11).

or if thou wilt, from the following : "But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked " (ibid, xxxii. 15). R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in the name of R. Jonathan : Whence is it that the Holy One, blessed be He, afterwards admitted [the plea of] Moses ? As it is said, "I multiplied unto her silver and gold, which they used for Baal" (Hosea ii. 10).

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, Go, get thee down" (Exod. xxxii. 7). What means "Go, get thee down" ? R, Eleazar said : The Holy One, blessed be He, spake to Moses, "Moses, get thee down from thy greatness. Have I given thee greatness but for the sake of Israel? And now that Israel has sinned, what art thou to Me?" Immediately the strength of Moses was weakened, and he had not the power to speak. But when He said, "Let Me alone, that I may destroy them" (Deut. ix. 14), Moses said [to himself], "This matter depends upon me." He at once stood up and strengthened himself with prayer and besought mercy [for Israel].

"Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them ; and I will make of thee a great nation" etc. (Exod. xxxii. 10). R. Abbahu said : Were it not explicitly written, it would be impossible to say it ; for this teaches that Moses caught hold of the Holy One, blessed be He, like a man who takes hold of his neighbour by his garment, and said before Him, "Lord of the universe ! I will not let Thee alone until Thou forgivest and pardonest them."

Samuel said: It teaches that Moses jeopardised himself unto death on their behalf ; as it is said, "And if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written" (Exod. xxxii. 32).

Rab Kahana also said : I consider him impertinent who recounts his sins ; as it is said, "Happy is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is pardoned" (Ps. xxxii. 1).

R. Hannina b. Pappa said : Whoever enjoys anything of this world without a benediction is as though he robbed the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Community of Israel ; as it is said, "Whoso robbeth his father or his mother and saith, It is no transgression, the same is the companion of a destroyer" (Prov. xxviii, 24) — "father" is none other than the Holy One, blessed be He ; as it is said, "Is not He thy father that hath gotten thee?" (Deut. xxxii. 6) ; and "mother" is none other than the Community of Israel ; as it is said, "Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother" (Prov. i. 8).

GEMARA Whence is this derived? Rab Assi said : Because the Scriptures state, "O magnify ye the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together" (Ps. xxxiv. 4). R. Abbahu said : From the following, "For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe ye greatness unto our God" (Deut. xxxii. 3).

Who dreams of grapes should on rising say, "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness" (Hos. ix. 10) before another verse occurs to him, viz.: "Their grapes are grapes of gall" (Deut. xxxii. 32). Who dreams of a mountain should on rising say, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good things" (Is. lii. 7), before another verse occurs to him, viz.: "For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing" (Jer. ix. 9).

Rab said : He beheld our father Jacob ; for it is written, "And Jacob said when he beheld them" (Gen. xxxii. 3). Samuel said : He beheld the ashes of [the sacrifice substituted for] Isaac ; as it is said, "God will provide Himself the lamb" (ibid. xxii. 8).

There is a Baraitha of R. Jose, which says, Woe to the creatures which see and know not what they see, which stand and know not upon what they stand. Upon what does the earth stand? Upon the pillars, as it is said, "Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble" (Job ix. 6). The pillars stand upon the waters, as it is said, "To him that spread forth the earth upon the waters;" (Ps. cxxxvi. 6) the waters upon the mountains, as it is said, "the waters stood above the mountains" (Ps. civ. 6); the mountains upon the wind, as it is said, "For lo he that formeth the mountains and createth wind;" (Amos iv. 13) the wind upon the storm, as it is said, "Storm making the substance of the wind;" (Ps. cxlviii. 8) the storm is suspended upon the arm of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut. xxxiii. 27). And wise men say, It stands upon twelve pillars, as it is said, "He set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel" (Deut. xxxii. 8). And there are some who say, Seven pillars, as it is said, "she hath hewn out her seven pillars" (Prov. ix. 1). R. El'azar ben Shammua' says, Upon one pillar, and its name is The Righteous, as it is said, "but the righteous is the foundation of the world" (Prov. x. 25).