AND THE SON OF AN ISRAELITISH WOMAN WHOSE FATHER WAS AN EGYPTIAN WENT OUT. R. Judah said: ‘He went out from the sphere of the portion of Israel, from the sphere of the whole, from the sphere of faith. AND THEY STROVE TOGETHER: From this we learn that he who comes from a polluted seed is ultimately exposed before all. What is the cause? The defilement of the evil portion in him, since he has no portion in the whole body of Israel.’
(AND THE SON OF THE ISRAELITISH WOMAN BLASPHEMED THE NAME.) R. Hiya quoted here the verse: “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing” (Prov. 25, 2). ‘This means’, he said, ‘that it is not permitted to a man to disclose mysteries which are not meant to be disclosed, and which the Ancient of Days has hidden, as it is written, “To eat sufficiently, but to conceal the Ancient One” (Isa. 23, 18). “To eat sufficiently”-until that place which is permitted, but no further.
Or we may also take the words to refer to R. Simeon and his generation, the Companions who know how to walk in the path of faith, like the generation of R. Simeon and his colleagues, but such things are to be concealed from other generations which are not fitted to “eat a sufficiency”.
In the days of R. Simeon a man would say to his companion, Open thy mouth and let thy words give light, but after his death they said, “Let not thy mouth cause thy flesh to sin” (Eccl. 5, 6).
Said R. Abba: ‘Were it not that the Sacred Lamp is still alive, I would not reveal this, since it is not meant to be revealed save to those who are among the reapers of the field: a curse light on those who want to reveal to those who should not know!
The Israelitish man mentioned here was the son of another woman, and his father was the husband of Shelomith. When an Egyptian came to her in the middle of the night and he returned home and became aware of it, he separated from her and took another wife. Hence one is called “the Israelitish man” and the other “the son of the Israelitish woman”. Now if they quarrelled, how came the Holy Name to be involved?
The reason was that the Israelitish man reviled the other’s mother, and the latter took the He from the Holy Name and cursed with it to defend his mother; hence the word nakab (lit. hollowed) is used, to show that he separated the letters of the Holy Name. But all this is only for “the reapers of the field”.’
(ויקרא כ״ד:י׳) וַיֵּצֵא בֶּן אִשָּׁה יִשְׂרְאֵלִית וְהוּא בֶּן אִישׁ מִצְרִי וְגוֹ'. וַיֵּצֵא, רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, נָפַק מִכְּלָלָא דְּחוּלָקָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּנָפַק מִכְּלָלָא דְּכֹלָּא, נָפַק מִכְּלָלָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא. וַיִּנָּצוּ בַּמַּחֲנֶה, מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא, כָּל מַאן דְּאָתֵי מִזּוּהֲמָא דְּזַרְעָא, לְסוֹף גַּלְיָיה לֵיהּ קַמֵּי כֹּלָּא. מַאן גָּרִים לֵיהּ, זוּהֲמָא דְּחוּלָקָא בִּישָׁא דְּאִית בֵּיהּ. דְּלֵית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בִּכְלָלָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
AND THE SON OF AN ISRAELITISH WOMAN WHOSE FATHER WAS AN EGYPTIAN WENT OUT. R. Judah said: ‘He went out from the sphere of the portion of Israel, from the sphere of the whole, from the sphere of faith. AND THEY STROVE TOGETHER: From this we learn that he who comes from a polluted seed is ultimately exposed before all. What is the cause? The defilement of the evil portion in him, since he has no portion in the whole body of Israel.’
רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח, (משלי כ״ה:ב׳) כְּבוֹד אֱלֹהִים הַסְתֵּר דָּבָר וּכְבוֹד מְלָכִים חֲקוֹר דָּבָר. כְּבוֹד אֱלֹהִים הַסְתֵּר דָּבָר, דְּלֵית רְשׁוּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְגַלָּאָה מִלִּין סְתִימִין, דְּלָא אִתְמְסָרוּ לְאִתְגַּלְיָיא. מִלִּין דְּחָפָא לוֹן עַתִּיק יוֹמִין, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיהו כ״ג:י״ח) לֶאֱכוֹל לְשָׂבְעָה וְלִמְכַסֶּה עָתִיק. לֶאֱכוֹל לְשָׂבְעָה, עַד הַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ וְלָא יַתִיר. וְעִם כָּל דָּא, וְלִמְכַסֶּה עָתִיק, לִמְכַסֶּה עָתִיק וַדַּאי.
(AND THE SON OF THE ISRAELITISH WOMAN BLASPHEMED THE NAME.) R. Hiya quoted here the verse: “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing” (Prov. 25, 2). ‘This means’, he said, ‘that it is not permitted to a man to disclose mysteries which are not meant to be disclosed, and which the Ancient of Days has hidden, as it is written, “To eat sufficiently, but to conceal the Ancient One” (Isa. 23, 18). “To eat sufficiently”-until that place which is permitted, but no further.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, לֶאֱכוֹל לְשָׂבְעָה, אִינּוּן חַבְרַיָּיא דְּיַדְעִין אָרְחִין וּשְׁבִילִין לְמֵיהַךְ בְּאֹרַח מְהֵימְנוּתָא כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת. כְּגוֹן דָּרָא דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן שָׁארֵי בְּגַוִיהּ. וְלִמְכַסֶּה עָתִיק, מִדָּרִין אָחֳרָנִין דְּהָא כֻּלְּהוֹן לָא אִתְחָזוּן לֶאֱכוֹל וּלְשָׂבְעָה וּלְאִתְגַּלְיָיא מִלִּין בְּגַוַויְיהוּ, אֶלָּא לִמְכַסֶּה עָתִיק, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, (קהלת ה׳:ה׳) אַל תִּתֵּן אֶת פִּיךָ לַחֲטִיא אֶת בְּשָׂרֶךָ.
Or we may also take the words to refer to R. Simeon and his generation, the Companions who know how to walk in the path of faith, like the generation of R. Simeon and his colleagues, but such things are to be concealed from other generations which are not fitted to “eat a sufficiency”.
בְּיוֹמוֹי דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ אָמַר לְחַבְרֵיהּ, פְּתַח פִּיךָ וְיָאִירוּ דְּבָרֶיךָ. בָּתַר דְּשָׁכִיב, הֲווֹ אַמְרֵי, אַל תִּתֵּן אֶת פִּיךָ וְגוֹ'. בְּיוֹמוֹי, לֶאֱכוֹל לְשָׂבְעָה. בָּתַר דְּשָׁכִיב, וְלִמְכַסֶּה עָתִיק. דְּחַבְרַיָּיא מְגַמְגְמֵי, וְלָא קַיְימֵי בְּמִלִּין. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לֶאֱכוֹל לְשָׂבְעָה: בְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָין. וְלִמְכַסֶּה עָתִיק: בְּאִינּוּן מִילִּין דְּאִתְחַפְּיָין.
In the days of R. Simeon a man would say to his companion, Open thy mouth and let thy words give light, but after his death they said, “Let not thy mouth cause thy flesh to sin” (Eccl. 5, 6).
וַיִקּוֹב בֶּן הָאִשָּׁה הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית אֶת הַשֵּׁם, מַהוּ וַיִקּוֹב. רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר, וַיִקּוֹב וַדַּאי, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, (מלכים ב י״ב:י׳) וַיִּקּוֹב חוֹר בְּדַלְתּוֹ, נָקִיב מַה דְּהֲוָה סָתִים. וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ שְלוֹמִית בַּת דִּבְרִי, עַד כָּאן סָתִים שְׁמָא דְּאִמֵּיהּ, כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִּיב וַיִקּוֹב, נָקִיב שְׁמָא דְּאִמֵיהּ.
AND HIS MOTHER’S NAME, ETC. Up to this point his mother’s name was concealed, but now that he had uttered blasphemy his mother’s name is mentioned.’
אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, אִי לָאו דְּבוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא קַיְּימָא בְּעָלְמָא, לָא אַרְשֵׁינָא לְגַלָּאָה, (מכאן והלאה) דְּהָא לָא אִתְיְיהִיב מִלָּה דָּא לְגַלָּאָה אֶלָּא לְחַבְרַיָּיא, דְּאִינּוּן בֵּין מְחַצְּדֵי חַקְלָא (דאי לאו). תִּיפַּח רוּחֵיהוֹן דְּאִינּוּן דְּאַתְיָין לְגַלָּאָה, לְאִינּוּן דְּלָא יַדְעֵי.
Said R. Abba: ‘Were it not that the Sacred Lamp is still alive, I would not reveal this, since it is not meant to be revealed save to those who are among the reapers of the field: a curse light on those who want to reveal to those who should not know!
תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב וַיִּנָּצוּ בַּמַּחֲנֶה בֶּן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית וְאִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי, הַאי קְרָא הָא אוֹקִימְנָא, אֲבָל דָּא בַּר אִינְתּוּ אָחֳרָא דַּאֲבוֹי, בַּעְלָהּ דִּשְׁלוֹמִית הֲוָה. וְכֵיוָן דְּאָתָא הַהוּא מִצְרָאָה עָלָהּ, בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא, תָּב לְבֵיתָא וְיָדַע מִלָּה, אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנָּהּ וְלָא אָתָא עָלָהּ. וְנָטַל אִינְתּוּ אָחֳרָא, וְאוֹלִיד לְהַאי, וְאִקְרֵי אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי, וְאָחֳרָא בֶּן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית. אִי אִינּוּן אִינְצוּ הָכָא כַּחֲדָא, מַאי קָא בָּעֵי הָכָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. וַאֲמַאי קִלֵּל שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא.
The Israelitish man mentioned here was the son of another woman, and his father was the husband of Shelomith. When an Egyptian came to her in the middle of the night and he returned home and became aware of it, he separated from her and took another wife. Hence one is called “the Israelitish man” and the other “the son of the Israelitish woman”. Now if they quarrelled, how came the Holy Name to be involved?
אֶלָּא, אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי אָמַר מִלָּה מֵאִמֵּיהּ, מִגּוֹ קְטָטָה. מִיַּד וַיִּקּוֹב בֶּן הָאִשָּׁה הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית. כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, וַיִּקּוֹב חוֹר בְּדַלְתּוֹ. רָזָא דְּמִלָּה, נָטַל ה' דִּשְׁמָא קַדִישָׁא, וְלָיִיט, לְאַגָּנָא עַל אִמֵּיהּ. וְדָא הוּא נְקִיבָא, דְּאִיהוּ נָקִיב וּפָרִישׁ שְׁמָא קַדִישָׁא. וְלִמְחַצְדֵּי חַקְלָא אִתְּמַר. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה, (משלי ל׳:כ׳) כֵּן דֶּרֶךְ אִשָּׁה מְנָאָפֶת וְגוֹ', זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא, דְּיַדְעִין מִלָּה, וּמְכַסְּיָין לָהּ. וְעַל דָּא אִתְּמַר, (משלי כ״ה:ט׳) רִיבְךָ רִיב אֶת רֵעֶךָ וְסוֹד אַחֵר אַל תְּגָל.
The reason was that the Israelitish man reviled the other’s mother, and the latter took the He from the Holy Name and cursed with it to defend his mother; hence the word nakab (lit. hollowed) is used, to show that he separated the letters of the Holy Name. But all this is only for “the reapers of the field”.’
ה' בַּתְרָאָה, הֲוַת נוּקְבָּא דְּיָנְקָא בִּתְרֵין סִטְרִין, בְּגִין כַּךְ נַטְלָא זַיְינִין דְּמַלְכָּא, וְנַקְמַת נִקְמָהָא, דִּכְתִיב הוֹצֵא אֶת הַמְקַלֵּל. עַל דָּא כְּתִיב, אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ, דְּחִילוּ דְּאִימָּא אַקְדִים לְאַבָּא. וְזַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.