R. Abba was once going from Kfar Kania to the cave of Lydda, along with R. Jose and R. Hiya. Said R. Jose: ‘It is written: “A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband,’ (Prov. 12, 4). The virtuous woman’, he said ‘is the Community of Israel, and “she that maketh ashamed” refers to the idolatrous nations whom God cannot abide, as it says “I abhorred them” (Lev. 20, 23).’ Said R. Abba: ‘Assuredly it is so; the Community of Israel is called a “woman of valour” (hayil) because she is the mistress of so many legions of valiant ones (hayalin).’ R. Abba then said: ‘Let each of us give some exposition of the Torah’,
and he himself commenced with the verse: “A virtuous woman who can find?” (Prov. 31, 10). ‘The “virtuous woman”, he said, ‘is the Community of Israel, as we have just explained. “Who shall find”: who shall succeed in being wholly in her and always with her?
“Far above rubies is her price” (michrah, lit. selling): those who do not truly and wholeheartedly cleave to her she sells into the hands of other peoples, and they are removed far from those precious holy pearls and have no share in them.’
R. Hiya then expounded the next verse: “The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and she shall have no lack of spoil”. ‘The “husband”,’ he said, ‘is the Holy One, blessed be He, who hath appointed her to govern the whole world and placed in her hands all his armoury and warriors; wherefore she “lacketh not spoil”.’
R. Jose took the next verse: “She doeth him good and not evil all the days of her life”. ‘She provides good for the world, for the temple of the King and those who frequent it. When is this? When those “days of the heaven” shine upon her and unite with her fitly, these being then the “days of her life”, because the Tree of Life has sent to her life and shines upon her.’ Said R. Abba: ‘All this is well said, and all these verses can be applied to the Community of Israel.’
רִבִּי אַבָּא הֲוָה אָזִיל לִכְפָר קַנְיָּא, (ס"א בפרקמטיא) לִמְעַרְתָּא דְלוּד. וַהֲווּ עִמֵּיהּ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרִבִּי חִיָּיא. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, כְּתִיב, (משלי י״ב:ד׳) אֵשֶׁת חַיִל עֲטֶרֶת בַּעְלָהּ וְגוֹ'. אֵשֶׁת חַיִל, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּכְרָקָב בְּעַצְמוֹתָיו מְבִישָׁה. אִלֵּין (נ"א דא מהימנותא דשאר) עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא יָכִיל לְמִסְבַּל לוֹן בְּעָלְמָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ויקרא כ׳:כ״ג) וָאָקוּץ בָּם. כְּהָנֵי קוֹצִין וְגוּבִין דְּדַחֲקִין לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ וְלָא יָכִיל לְמִסְבַּל לוֹן. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, אֵשֶׁת חַיִל, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּהִיא גְּבִירְתָּא מִכַּמָּה חַיָּילִין וְכַמָּה מַשִּׁרְיָין דְּמִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בְּעָלְמָא, עֲטֶרֶת בַּעְלָהּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת, וְכֹלָּא חַד. (ל"ג וכו' אשת חיל דא כנסת ישראל דהא בזווגא דמלכא אפיקת כמה חיילין כמה משיריין כמה צדיקים בעלמא וכלהו אקרון בנים לקודשא בריך הוא ולכנסת ישראל כמה דכתיב (דברים י״ד:א׳) בנים אתם ליי' אלהיכם.) עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא כָּל חַד לֵימָא מִלָּה, בִּכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל.
R. Abba was once going from Kfar Kania to the cave of Lydda, along with R. Jose and R. Hiya. Said R. Jose: ‘It is written: “A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband,’ (Prov. 12, 4). The virtuous woman’, he said ‘is the Community of Israel, and “she that maketh ashamed” refers to the idolatrous nations whom God cannot abide, as it says “I abhorred them” (Lev. 20, 23).’ Said R. Abba: ‘Assuredly it is so; the Community of Israel is called a “woman of valour” (hayil) because she is the mistress of so many legions of valiant ones (hayalin).’ R. Abba then said: ‘Let each of us give some exposition of the Torah’,
רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר. (משלי ל״א:י׳) אֵשֶׁת חַיִל מִי יִמְצָא, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִיהִי אֵשֶׁת חַיִל, כְּמָה דְּאַמָרָן. מִי יִמְצָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, אֲשֶׁר יִמְצָא אֶתְכֶם בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים. (ל"ג מי ימצא לאגחא ביה קרבא) מִי יִמְצָא, מַאן יִזְכֶּה לְמֶהֱוִי בֵּהּ בִּשְׁלִימוּ, וּלְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא עִמָּהּ תָּדִיר.
and he himself commenced with the verse: “A virtuous woman who can find?” (Prov. 31, 10). ‘The “virtuous woman”, he said, ‘is the Community of Israel, as we have just explained. “Who shall find”: who shall succeed in being wholly in her and always with her?
וְרָחוֹק מִפְּנִינִים מִכְרָהּ, מִכְרָהּ, מִקְחָהּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא, לְכָל אִינּוּן דְּלָא אִתְדַּבְּקָן בָּהּ בִּשְׁלִימוּ, וְלָא שְׁלֵמִין בַּהֲדָהּ, הִיא מָכְרָה לוֹן וְאַסְגְּרָא לוֹן בִּידָא דְּעַמָמִין אָחֳרָנִין. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמואל א י״ב:ט׳) וַיַּעַזְבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת יְיָ' וַיִמְכּוֹר אוֹתָם בְּיַד סִיסְרָא. וּכְדֵין כֻּלְּהוּ רְחִיקִין מֵאִלֵּין פְּנִינִים עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין, דְּלָא יְהֵא חוּלָקָא בְּהוּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְרָחוֹק מִפְּנִינִים מִכְרָהּ.
“Far above rubies is her price” (michrah, lit. selling): those who do not truly and wholeheartedly cleave to her she sells into the hands of other peoples, and they are removed far from those precious holy pearls and have no share in them.’
רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח קְרָא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וְאָמַר, בָּטַח בָּהּ לֵב בַּעְלָהּ וְשָׁלָל לֹא יֶחְסָר. בָּטַח בָּהּ לֵב בַּעְלָהּ, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ מָנֵי לֵהּ עַל עָלְמָא, לְאִתְדַבְּרָא עָלָהּ, כָּל זִיּוּנִין דִּלֵיהּ אַפְקִיד בִּידָהָא, וְכָל אִינּוּן מַגִּיחֵי קְרָבָא, וְעַל דָּא, וְשָׁלָל לֹא יֶחְסָר.
R. Hiya then expounded the next verse: “The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and she shall have no lack of spoil”. ‘The “husband”,’ he said, ‘is the Holy One, blessed be He, who hath appointed her to govern the whole world and placed in her hands all his armoury and warriors; wherefore she “lacketh not spoil”.’
רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח קְרָא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ, וְאָמַר, גְּמָלַתְהוּ טוֹב וְלֹא רָע כָּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיהָ. גְּמָלַתְהוּ טוֹב, הִיא זְמִינַת טָב לְעָלְמָא, זְמִינַת טָב לְהֵיכָלָא דְּמַלְכָּא וְלִבְנֵי הֵיכָלֵיהּ. וְלֹא רָע. בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית ב׳:ט׳) וְעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע, טּוֹב אֵימָתַי, בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִינּוּן יְמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, נָהֲרִין עָלָה, וּמִזְדַּוְּוגַן עִמָּהּ כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, דְּאִינּוּן יְמֵי חַיֶּיהָ. בְּגִין דְּעֵץ הַחַיִּים, שָׁדַר לָהּ חַיִּים, וְנָהִיר לָהּ. וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא גְּמָלַתְהוּ טוֹב וְלָא רָע. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא שַׁפִּיר הוּא, וְכֻלְּהוּ קְרָאֵי בִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְּמָרוּ.
R. Jose took the next verse: “She doeth him good and not evil all the days of her life”. ‘She provides good for the world, for the temple of the King and those who frequent it. When is this? When those “days of the heaven” shine upon her and unite with her fitly, these being then the “days of her life”, because the Tree of Life has sent to her life and shines upon her.’ Said R. Abba: ‘All this is well said, and all these verses can be applied to the Community of Israel.’