R. Eleazar cited the verse: “In thy hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth” (Ps. 31, 6). ‘This statement’, he said, ‘is somewhat surprising; for have you ever seen a man committing anything into the hand of the King? But, assuredly, happy is the man who walks in the paths of the Most Holy King and does not sin before Him. For as soon as night falls the Tree of Death dominates the world and the Tree of Life ascends to the height of heights. And since the Tree of Death has sole rule of the world, all the people in it have a foretaste of death.
It is therefore incumbent upon man to make haste and meet the Tree of Death and deposit his soul with it, as a man deposits a pledge with his creditor. For, although the debt exceeds the value of the pledge, yet the creditor does not distrain on him because he has the pledge, but otherwise he will exact his debt.
So all the souls of man are taken by the Tree of Death in deposit, and all have a taste of death. Now although their sins are excessive, and they do not deserve to receive back their souls, and the Tree has really no right to give them back,1Being the attribute of Judgement. yet they are returned to men
at the moment the Tree of Life awakens in the world, to wit, the moment when dawn breaks. The Tree of Death then departs, and people come to life again by reason of the Tree of Life.
It is true that many men wake during the night, but this, too, is the work of the Tree of Life. This happens in accordance with what is written, “to see if there were any man of understanding that did seek after God” (Ibid. 14, 2); for thereby is removed any excuse that man might plead, saying: “Had I been in control of my soul in the night, I would have laboured in the study of the Law”.’ Said R. Judah: ‘This is rightly explained in regard to Israel; but what about the other nations to whom we see the same thing happens?’ R. Eleazar replied: ‘That is a good remark.’
He then discoursed (concerning the other nations), citing the verse: “How shall I curse, whom EL (God) hath not cursed, and how shall I execrate, whom the Lord hath not execrated?” (Num. 23, 8). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that the lower world is modelled on the upper world. On high there is a Right and a Left; so below there are Israel and the idolatrous nations, the former on the right, attached to the holiness of the Holy King, the latter on the left, on the side of the unclean spirit. The grades are linked one with another, all depending finally on the one at the head, and the tail has to move in accordance with the head.
Balaam could avail himself of all the lower grades, but he saw that even the lowest was still guided by the head. Hence his declaration: “How shall I curse, whom EL hath not cursed?”, because the superior Head did not exercise rigour in those days.
As for the compound “El-Shaddai”, this signifies the God who put a limit to the universe.1SHaDaY (Shaddai)=He who… enough; i.e. He who, at the proper moment, put a limit to the expanding universe at the Creation by the word of command: “Enough!”, v. T. B. Hagigah, 12a. Hence “How shall I curse, whom El hath not cursed?”. For, as the Head moves, so does the Tail.’1This is in reply to the question of R. Judah as to how men of other nations awake during the night.
R. Eleazar wept. He discoursed on the verse: “The sound thereof shall go like the serpents”, etc. (Jer. 46, 22). ‘At the present time,’ he said, ‘when Israel is in exile, he is assuredly as the serpent. For when the serpent presses its head into the sand its tail flies upwards, being master, as it were, and lashing out at anyone near him; so Israel in exile has his head bowed down into the dust whilst the tail obtains the mastery. But although the head is bowed down into the sand, it is the same head, and that directs and rules the movements of the tail;
and so at the present time it is indeed the other nations, who are attached to the tail, that rise on high, have the mastery and are lashing out, whilst the head is bowed down into the dust, as it says, “The virgin of Israel is fallen, she shall no more rise” (Amos 5, 2); yet it is the head that directs the tail in its motions, as it says: “They made me keeper of the vineyards” (S.S. 1, 6), to wit, of the idolatrous nations, which are the tail.’ R. Judah then came and kissed the hands of R. Eleazar, saying: ‘Had I never asked you any other question but only this, my gain would already be great in that now I know how the sway of the idolatrous nations is being directed. Happy is the portion of Israel, in regard to whom it is written: “For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his own treasure” (Ps. 135, 4).’
R. Eleazar asked him what was meant by “for his own treasure”. R. Judah replied: ‘The three patriarchs are called “treasure”, both on high and here below; so are the priests, the Levites, and the Israelites; it is all one, and this is indicated in the words, “Then ye shall be mine own treasure from among all peoples” (Ex. 19, 5).’
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, כְּתִיב (תהילים ל״א:ו׳) בְּיָדְךָ אַפְקִיד רוּחִי פָּדִיתָה אוֹתִי יְיָ אֵל אֱמֶת. הַאי קְרָא אִית לֵיהּ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, חֲמִיתּוּן מַאן דְּאַפְקִיד בִּידָא דְּמַלְכָּא מִידִי. אֶלָּא, וַדַּאי זַכָּאָה הוּא בַּר נָשׁ, דְּאָזִיל בְּאוֹרְחוֹי דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְלָא חָטֵי קַמֵּיהּ תָּא חֲזֵי, כֵּיוָן דְּעָאל לֵילְיָא, אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא שַׁלִּיט בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי אִסְתַּלָּק לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא. וְכֵיוָן דְּאִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא שַׁלִּיט בְּעָלְמָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא טַעֲמִין טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא אִילָנָא גָּרִים.
R. Eleazar cited the verse: “In thy hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth” (Ps. 31, 6). ‘This statement’, he said, ‘is somewhat surprising; for have you ever seen a man committing anything into the hand of the King? But, assuredly, happy is the man who walks in the paths of the Most Holy King and does not sin before Him. For as soon as night falls the Tree of Death dominates the world and the Tree of Life ascends to the height of heights. And since the Tree of Death has sole rule of the world, all the people in it have a foretaste of death.
וּבַר נָשׁ בָּעֵי לְאַקְדְּמָא וּלְמִפְקַד בִּידֵיהּ נַפְשֵׁיהּ בְּפִקְדוֹנָא. כְּפִקְדוֹנָא דְּבַר נָשׁ, דְּיָהִיב פִּקְדוֹנָא לְאַחֲרָא, דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ אִתְחַיָּיב לְגַבֵּיהּ יַתִּיר מֵהַהוּא פִּקְדוֹנָא, לָאו כְּדַאי לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בֵּיהּ, הוֹאִיל וּפִקְדוֹנָא אִתְמְסַר לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְאִי יְסָרֵב בֵּיהּ, וַדַּאי נִבְדוּק אֲבַתְרֵיהּ, דְּלָאו מִזַּרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא הוּא, וְלָאו מִבְּנֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא.
It is therefore incumbent upon man to make haste and meet the Tree of Death and deposit his soul with it, as a man deposits a pledge with his creditor. For, although the debt exceeds the value of the pledge, yet the creditor does not distrain on him because he has the pledge, but otherwise he will exact his debt.
כַּךְ הַהוּא אִילָנָא, בְּנֵי נָשָׁא אַקְדִּימוּ וְיָהֲבִין לֵיהּ פִּקְדוֹנָא דְּנַפְשַׁיְיהוּ, וְכָל נִשְׁמָתִין דִּבְנֵי עָלְמָא נָטִיל. וְכֻלְּהוּ טַעֲמִין טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא, בְּגִין דְּהַאי אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא הוּא. וּבְגִין דְּכָל אִינּוּן נַפְשָׁתָא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּכֻלְּהוּ אִתְחָיְיבוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְלָאו כְּדַאי הוּא לְאָתָבָא פִּקְדוֹנָא לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ, אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן דְּכֻלְּהוּ אִתְמְסָרִי לֵיהּ בְּפִקְדוֹנָא, אָתִיב כָּל פִּקְדוֹנִין לְמָארֵיהוֹן.
So all the souls of man are taken by the Tree of Death in deposit, and all have a taste of death. Now although their sins are excessive, and they do not deserve to receive back their souls, and the Tree has really no right to give them back,1Being the attribute of Judgement. yet they are returned to men
תָּא חֲזֵי, לָאו כְּדַאי הוּא הַאי אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא לְאָתָבָא פִּקְדוֹנָא לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ. אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי אִתְּעַר בְּעָלְמָא. וְאֵימָתַי אִתְּעַר הַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּסָלִיק צַפְרָא. וּכְדֵין, כֵּיוָן דְּהַאי אִתְּעַר בְּעָלְמָא, כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא חַיִּין, וְשָׁבִיק וְאַהְדָּר הַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא כָּל פִּקְדוֹנִין דְּאִתְפְּקָדוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְאָזִיל לֵיהּ. מַאי טַעְמָא חַיִּין. בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי גָּרִים.
at the moment the Tree of Life awakens in the world, to wit, the moment when dawn breaks. The Tree of Death then departs, and people come to life again by reason of the Tree of Life.
וְאִי תֵּימָא, הָא בְּנֵי נָשָׁא סַגִּיאִין אִינּוּן דְּמִתְעֲרִין בְּלֵילְיָא, בְּעוֹד דְּאִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא שַׁלִּיט. אֶלָּא, וַדַּאי הַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי קָא עָבִיד. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים י״ד:ב׳) לִרְאוֹת הֲיֵשׁ מַשְׂכִּיל דּוֹרֵשׁ אֶת אֱלֹהִים. וְלָא יְהֵא לֵיהּ פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה לְבַר נָשׁ, דְּיֵימָּא, אִלְמָלֵי שְׁלִיטְנָא בְּנַפְשָׁאי בְּלֵילְיָא אִשְׁתָּדַּלְנָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, הַאי בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַדַּאי וְהָכִי הוּא. אֲבָל בְּאוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם דַּחֲמֵינָא כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא, מַאי טַעְמָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ וַדַּאי שַׁפִּיר הוּא דְּקָא אַמָרְת.
It is true that many men wake during the night, but this, too, is the work of the Tree of Life. This happens in accordance with what is written, “to see if there were any man of understanding that did seek after God” (Ibid. 14, 2); for thereby is removed any excuse that man might plead, saying: “Had I been in control of my soul in the night, I would have laboured in the study of the Law”.’ Said R. Judah: ‘This is rightly explained in regard to Israel; but what about the other nations to whom we see the same thing happens?’ R. Eleazar replied: ‘That is a good remark.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (במדבר כ״ג:ח׳) מָה אֶקּוֹב לֹא קַבֹּה אֵל וּמָה אֶזְעוֹם לֹא זָעַם יְיָ. תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִית לְעֵילָּא, אִית לְתַתָּא. לְעֵילָּא אִית יְמִינָא וְאִית שְׂמָאלָא. לְתַתָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַמִּין. יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְאַחֲדָן לִימִינָא, בִּקְדוּשָּׁא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא. עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת לִשְׂמָאלָא, לְסִטְרָא דְּרוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא. וְכֻלְּהוּ לְתַתָּא מִכֻּלְּהוּ דַּרְגִּין דִּשְׂמָאלָא. וְכֻלְּהוּ דַּרְגִּין אֲחִידָן דָּא בְּדָא, עַד דְּתַּלְיָין מִן רֵישָׁא. וּכְגַוְונָא דְּרֵישָׁא נָטִיל, בְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא נָטִיל זַנְבָא, דְּאִיהִי תַּתָּאָה. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּאָחִיד בֵּיהּ. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, בְּהַהוּא סְטָר מִסְאֲבָא דִּלְהוֹן, הָכִי אִתְדְּבָּרוּ.
He then discoursed (concerning the other nations), citing the verse: “How shall I curse, whom EL (God) hath not cursed, and how shall I execrate, whom the Lord hath not execrated?” (Num. 23, 8). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that the lower world is modelled on the upper world. On high there is a Right and a Left; so below there are Israel and the idolatrous nations, the former on the right, attached to the holiness of the Holy King, the latter on the left, on the side of the unclean spirit. The grades are linked one with another, all depending finally on the one at the head, and the tail has to move in accordance with the head.
בִּלְעָם הוּא אִשְׁתָּמַּשׁ בְּכֻלְּהוּ כִּתְרִין (נ"א דרגין) תַּתָּאִין. וְהוּא הֲוָה חָמֵי בְּהַאי תַּתָּאָה דְּאִיהוּ זַנְבָא, דְּלָא יָכִיל לְאִתְדַּבְּרָא אֶלָּא בְּרֵישָׁא. בְּגִין כַּךְ אָמַר, מָה אֶקּוֹב לֹא קַבֹּה אֵל, (דאיהו רישא בגין) דְּהַהוּא רֵישָׁא עִלָּאָה, לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּדִינָא בְּאִינּוּן יוֹמִין.
Balaam could avail himself of all the lower grades, but he saw that even the lowest was still guided by the head. Hence his declaration: “How shall I curse, whom EL hath not cursed?”, because the superior Head did not exercise rigour in those days.
וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּהַאי אֵל אוֹקִימְנָא, הַאי מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא נָטִיל שְׁמָא כְּגַוְונָא דְּכֹלָּא, וְהַאי טַב וְחֶסֶד דְּהַאי עָלְמָא (ס"א אוקימנא באתר אחרא עלאה והוא טב וחסד עלמא האי מלכותא קדישא נטיל שמא כגוונא דעילא) וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִקְרֵי אֵל, אֶלָּא דְּאִיהוּ (לעיל ל"ב) זוֹעֵם בְּכָל יוֹם, דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ דִּינָא.
It is true that El denotes Goodness and Mercy, but it also expresses Rigour, as it says, “and El (God) hath indignation every day” (Ps. 7, 12).
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, אֵל שַׁדַּי (שמות רנ"ג ע"א) הָא אוֹקִימְנָא דְּבֵיהּ סִפּוּקָא דְּעָלְמָא וְאִיהוּ אָמַר לַעוֹלָם דַּי, דְּהָא הַאי אֵל הוּא דְּאִזְדְּוַּוג בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִקְרֵי אֵל שַׁדַּי, אֵל דְּשַׁדַּי. וְעַל דָּא מַה אֶקּוֹב לֹא קַבֹּה אֵל. בְּגִין כַּךְ, כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִתְּעַר רֵישָׁא, הָכִי נָמֵי אִתְּעַר תַּתָּאָה.
As for the compound “El-Shaddai”, this signifies the God who put a limit to the universe.1SHaDaY (Shaddai)=He who… enough; i.e. He who, at the proper moment, put a limit to the expanding universe at the Creation by the word of command: “Enough!”, v. T. B. Hagigah, 12a. Hence “How shall I curse, whom El hath not cursed?”. For, as the Head moves, so does the Tail.’1This is in reply to the question of R. Judah as to how men of other nations awake during the night.
בָּכָה רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, פָּתַח וְאָמַר (ירמיהו מ״ו:כ״ב) קוֹלָהּ כַּנָּחָשׁ יֵלֵךְ וְגוֹ'. הַשְׁתָּא (כהאי גוונא) דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא, אִיהִי וַדַּאי אַזְלָא כְּנָחָשׁ. חִוְיָא כַּד אִיהוּ (ד"א בדינא) כָּפִיף רֵישָׁא לְעַפְרָא, סָלִיק זַנְבָא, שַׁלִּיט וּמָחֵי לְכָל אִינּוּן דְּאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ קַמֵּיהּ. אוּף הָכִי הַשְׁתָּא בְּגָלוּתָא, כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא, רֵישָׁא כָּפִיף לְעַפְרָא, וְזַנְבָא שַׁלִּיט. מַאן עָבִיד לְזַנְבָא דְּיִסְתְּלִיק לְעֵילָּא וְשָׁלִיט וּמָחֵי, רֵישָׁא דְּאִתְכַּפְיָא לְתַתָּא. וְעִם כָּל דָּא, מַאן מַדְבָּר לֵיהּ לְזַנְבָא, וּמַאן נָטִיל לֵיהּ לְמַטַלְנוֹי. הַאי רֵישָׁא. אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ כָּפִיף לְעַפְרָא, הוּא מַדְבָּר לְמַטַלְנוֹי, בְּגִין דָּא קוֹלָהּ כַּנָּחָשׁ יֵלֵךְ.
R. Eleazar wept. He discoursed on the verse: “The sound thereof shall go like the serpents”, etc. (Jer. 46, 22). ‘At the present time,’ he said, ‘when Israel is in exile, he is assuredly as the serpent. For when the serpent presses its head into the sand its tail flies upwards, being master, as it were, and lashing out at anyone near him; so Israel in exile has his head bowed down into the dust whilst the tail obtains the mastery. But although the head is bowed down into the sand, it is the same head, and that directs and rules the movements of the tail;
וְהַשְׁתָּא שְׁאַר עַמִּין דְּאִינּוּן אֲחִידָן בִּזְנָבָא, סַלְּקִין לְעֵילָּא, וְשַׁלְטִין וּמַחְיָין, וְרֵישָׁא כָּפִיף לְעַפְרָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (עמוס ה׳:ב׳) נָפְלָה לֹא תוֹסִיף קוּם וְגוֹ'. וְעִם כָּל דָּא, הַאי רֵישָׁא מַדְבַּר לְזַנְבָא וְנָטִיר (ס"א ונטיל) לֵיהּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שיר השירים א׳:ו׳) שָׂמוּנִי נוֹטֵרָה אֶת הַכְּרָמִים, אִלֵּין עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, דְּאִינּוּן זַנְבָא. אָתָא רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְנָשִׁיק יְדוֹי, אָמַר אִלְמָלֵי לָא שָׁאִילְנָא מִלָּה בְּעָלְמָא, אֶלָּא דְּשָׁאִילְנָא דָּא וְרַוַוחְנָא לֵיהּ, דַּי לִי. דְּהַשְׁתָּא יְדַעְנָא עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, וְשׁוּלְטָנוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן הֵיךְ מִתְדַּבָּר. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּעָלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, (תהילים קל״ה:ד׳) כִּי יַעֲקֹב בָּחַר לוֹ יָהּ וְגוֹ'.
and so at the present time it is indeed the other nations, who are attached to the tail, that rise on high, have the mastery and are lashing out, whilst the head is bowed down into the dust, as it says, “The virgin of Israel is fallen, she shall no more rise” (Amos 5, 2); yet it is the head that directs the tail in its motions, as it says: “They made me keeper of the vineyards” (S.S. 1, 6), to wit, of the idolatrous nations, which are the tail.’ R. Judah then came and kissed the hands of R. Eleazar, saying: ‘Had I never asked you any other question but only this, my gain would already be great in that now I know how the sway of the idolatrous nations is being directed. Happy is the portion of Israel, in regard to whom it is written: “For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his own treasure” (Ps. 135, 4).’
אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, מַהוּ לִסְגוּלָּתוֹ. אָמַר לֵיהּ, תְּלַת אֲבָהָן אִלֵּין אִקְרוּן סְגוּלָה, בֵּין לְעֵילָּא בֵּין לְתַתָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דָּא כֹּהֲנִים לְוִיִּים וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִים, וְכֹלָּא חַד. וְאִלֵּין סְגּוּלָּתוֹ שֶׁל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעֵילָּא, וּסְגּוּלָּתוֹ לְתַתָּא, וְדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב (שמות י״ט:ה׳) וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגוּלָּה מִכָּל הָעַמִּים.
R. Eleazar asked him what was meant by “for his own treasure”. R. Judah replied: ‘The three patriarchs are called “treasure”, both on high and here below; so are the priests, the Levites, and the Israelites; it is all one, and this is indicated in the words, “Then ye shall be mine own treasure from among all peoples” (Ex. 19, 5).’