R. Simeon here quoted the verse: “For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp to deliver thee”, etc. (Deut. 23, 14). ‘This’, he said, ‘refers to the Shekinah, which is in the midst of Israel, and especially in the captivity, to protect them continually and on all sides from all other peoples, that they should not destroy them.
For so it has been taught, that the enemies of Israel have no power over them until Israel weaken the might of the Shekinah in face of the Chieftains who are appointed over the other nations. Then only the latter have power over them and enact cruel decrees against them. But when they return in repentance to her she breaks the power of all those Chieftains and of the enemies of Israel and avenges them on all.
Hence “thy camp shall be holy”: a man must not defile himself by sin and transgress the commands of the Law. We have learnt that there are two hundred and forty-eight members in the human body, and all are defiled when he is defiled, that is, when he is minded to be defiled.
We have learnt that for three things Israel are kept in captivity: because they pay scant respect to the Shekinah in their exile, because they turn their faces away from the Shekinah, and because they defile themselves in the presence of the Shekinah.’
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח, (דברים כ״ג:ט״ו) כִּי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶךָ לְהַצִּילְךָ וְגוֹ'. כִּי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ: דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּאִשְׁתְּכָחַת בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּגָלוּתָא, לְאַגָּנָא עָלַיְהוּ תְּדִירָא מִכָּל סִטְרִין, וּמִכָּל שְׁאָר עַמִּין, דְּלָא יְשֵׁיצוּן לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל.
R. Simeon here quoted the verse: “For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp to deliver thee”, etc. (Deut. 23, 14). ‘This’, he said, ‘refers to the Shekinah, which is in the midst of Israel, and especially in the captivity, to protect them continually and on all sides from all other peoples, that they should not destroy them.
דְּתַנְיָא, לָא יַכְלִין שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְאַבְאָשָׁא לְהוּ, עַד דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מַחֲלִישִׁין חֵילָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא מִקַּמֵּי רַבְרְבֵי מְמָנָן דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין. כְּדֵין יַכְלִין לְהוֹן שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְשַׁלְטִין עָלַיְיהוּ, וְגַזְרִין עָלַיְיהוּ כַּמָה גְּזֵירִין בִּישִׁין. וְכַד אִינּוּן תַּיְיבִין לָקֳבְלָה, הִיא מְתָבָּרַת חֵילָא וְתּוּקְפָּא דְּכָל אִינּוּן מְמָנָן רַבְרְבִין, וְתַבְרַת חֵילָא וְתּוּקְפָּא דְּשַׂנְאֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִתְפָּרְעָא לְהוּ מִכֹּלָּא.
For so it has been taught, that the enemies of Israel have no power over them until Israel weaken the might of the Shekinah in face of the Chieftains who are appointed over the other nations. Then only the latter have power over them and enact cruel decrees against them. But when they return in repentance to her she breaks the power of all those Chieftains and of the enemies of Israel and avenges them on all.
וְעַל דָּא וְהָיָה מַחֲנֶיךָ קָדוֹשׁ, דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא יִסְתְּאָב בְּחוֹבוֹי, וַיַּעֲבָר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא. דְּאִי עָבִיד הָכֵי, מְסָאֲבִין לֵיהּ, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב וְנִטְמֵתֶם בָּם, בְּלֹא א'. וְתָאנָא, מָאתָן וּתְמַנְיָא וְאַרְבְּעִין שַׁיְיפִין בְּגוּפָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ אִסְתַּאֲבָן, כַּד אִיהוּ אִסְתְּאַב. כְּלוֹמַר, כַּד בָּעֵי לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא. וְעַל דָּא, וְהָיָה מַחֲנֶיךָ קָדוֹשׁ. מַאי מַחֲנֶיךָ, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן שַׁיְיפֵי גּוּפָא. וְלֹא יִרְאֶה בְךָ עֶרְוַת דָּבָר, מַאי עֶרְוַת דָּבָר. עֶרְיָיתָא נוּכְרָאָה לְהַאי (ס"א דהוי) דָּבָר רָמָז, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא. דְּאִי הָכִי, וְשָׁב מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ וַדַּאי. וְעַל דָּא עֶרְוַת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב עֶרְוַת אָבִיךָ הוּא, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא.
Hence “thy camp shall be holy”: a man must not defile himself by sin and transgress the commands of the Law. We have learnt that there are two hundred and forty-eight members in the human body, and all are defiled when he is defiled, that is, when he is minded to be defiled.
תָּאנָא, עַל ג' מִלִּין מִתְעַכְּבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא. עַל דְּעַבְדִין קְלָנָא בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא בְּגָלוּתָא. וּמְהַדְּרֵי אַנְפַּיְיהוּ מִן שְׁכִינְתָּא, וְעַל דִּמְסָאֲבֵי גַּרְמַיְיהוּ קָמֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא. וְכֻלְּהוּ אוֹקִימְנָא בְּמַתְנִיתָא דִּילָן.
We have learnt that for three things Israel are kept in captivity: because they pay scant respect to the Shekinah in their exile, because they turn their faces away from the Shekinah, and because they defile themselves in the presence of the Shekinah.’