AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING: SPEAK UNTO AARON, AND SAY UNTO HIM: WHEN THOU LIGHTEST THE LAMPS…. R. Judah discoursed here on the verse: “Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber”, etc. (Ps. 19, 6). ‘Happy is the portion of Israel’, he said, ‘in whom the Holy One, blessed be He, delights and to whom He gave the Torah of truth, the Tree of Life, whoever takes hold of which achieves life in this world and in the world to come.
Now the Tree of Life extends from above downward, and it is the Sun which illumines all. Its radiance commences at the top and extends through the whole trunk in a straight line. It is composed of two sides, one to the north, one to the south, one to the right, and one to the left. When the trunk shines, first the right arm of the tree is illumined, and from its intensity the left side catches the light.
The “chamber” from which he goes forth is the starting-point of light, referred to also in the words of the next verse, “from the end of the heaven”, which is, indeed, the starting-point of all. From that point he goes forth veritably as a bridegroom to meet his bride, the beloved of his soul, whom he receives with outstretched arm.
The sun proceeds and makes his way toward the west; when the west is approached the north side bestirs itself to come forward to meet it, and joins it. Then “he rejoices as a strong man to run his course” (Ps. Ibid.), so as to shed his light on the moon. Now the words WHEN THOU LIGHTEST THE LAMPS contain an allusion to the celestial all of which are lit up together from the radiance of the sun.’1There seems to be a lacuna here in the text.
(במדבר ח׳:א׳-ב׳) וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר. דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת וְגוֹ', רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, (תהילים י״ט:ו׳) וְהוּא כְּחָתָן יוֹצֵא מֵחוּפָּתוֹ וְגוֹ'. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בְּהוֹן, וְיָהַב לְהוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּקְשׁוֹט, אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי, דְּבֵיהּ אָחִיד בַּר נָשׁ (ס"א ירית) חַיִּין לְהַאי עָלְמָא, וְחַיִּין לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְאָחִיד בָּהּ, אִית לֵיהּ חַיִּין (ס"א אחיד בחיין). וְכָל מַאן דְּשָׁבִיק מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאוֹרַיְיתָא, כְּאִלּוּ מִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵחַיִּין, בְּגִין דְּהִיא חַיִּין, וְכָל מִלּוֹי חַיִּין, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (משלי ד) כִּי חַיִּים הֵם וְגוֹ'. וּכְתִיב (משלי ג׳:ח׳) רִפְאוּת תְּהִי לְשָׁרֶךָ וְגוֹ'.
AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING: SPEAK UNTO AARON, AND SAY UNTO HIM: WHEN THOU LIGHTEST THE LAMPS…. R. Judah discoursed here on the verse: “Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber”, etc. (Ps. 19, 6). ‘Happy is the portion of Israel’, he said, ‘in whom the Holy One, blessed be He, delights and to whom He gave the Torah of truth, the Tree of Life, whoever takes hold of which achieves life in this world and in the world to come.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי, אָחִיד מֵעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא. וְהַאי שִׁמְשָׁא דְּנָהִיר לְכֹלָּא, נְהוֹרָא דִּילֵיהּ שָׁארֵי מֵרֵישָׁא, וְאִתְפָשַּׁט בְּגוּפָא דְּאִילָנָא בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר, ב' סִטְרִין אֲחִידָן בֵּיהּ, חַד לַצָּפוֹן, וְחַד לַדָּרוֹם. חַד יְמִינָא, וְחַד שְׂמָאלָא. (ואינון) בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא נָהִיר כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר, מֵהַהוּא גּוּפָא (ס"א נופא) דְּאִילָנָא, אַתְקִיף לִדְרוֹעָא דִּימִינָא, וְאַנְהִיר בְּתוּקְפֵּיהּ. וּמִתּוּקְפֵּיהּ נָהִיר שְׂמָאלָא, וְאִתְכְּלִיל בִּנְהוֹרֵיהּ.
Now the Tree of Life extends from above downward, and it is the Sun which illumines all. Its radiance commences at the top and extends through the whole trunk in a straight line. It is composed of two sides, one to the north, one to the south, one to the right, and one to the left. When the trunk shines, first the right arm of the tree is illumined, and from its intensity the left side catches the light.
וְהוּא כְּחָתָן יוֹצֵא מֵחֻפָּתוֹ, מַאן אִיהוּ חֻפָּתוֹ. דָּא אִיהוּ (שיר השירים ג׳:י״א) עֲטָרָה שֶׁעִטְּרָה לּוֹ אִמּוֹ בְּיוֹם חֲתֻנָּתּוֹ. יוֹצֵא מֵחֻפָּתוֹ, דָּא אִיהוּ רֵישָׁא דְּכָל נְהוֹרָא כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר בַּקְרָא דַּאֲבַּתְרֵיהּ, מִקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם מוֹצָאוֹ, דָּא שֵׁירוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא, דְּאִקְרֵי מִקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם. וּכְדֵין, נָפִיק כְּחָתָן מַמָּשׁ, כַּד נָפִיק לְאַעְרְעָא לְכַלָּתֵיהּ, רְחִימָתָא דְּנַפְשׁוֹי, וּפָרִישׂ דְּרוֹעוֹי, וּמְקַבֵּל לָהּ.
The “chamber” from which he goes forth is the starting-point of light, referred to also in the words of the next verse, “from the end of the heaven”, which is, indeed, the starting-point of all. From that point he goes forth veritably as a bridegroom to meet his bride, the beloved of his soul, whom he receives with outstretched arm.
כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא וְהוּא כְּחָתָן יוֹצֵא מֵחֻפָּתוֹ, אַזְלָא שִׁמְשָׁא וְאִתְפָשַּׁט לְגַבֵּי מַעֲרָב, כֵּיוָן דְּמַעֲרָב אִתְקְרִיב, סְטָר צָפוֹן אִתְּעַר לְקֳבְלֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְקָרִיב לְמַעֲרָב, וְזָוִיג לֵיהּ בְּאַתְרֵיהּ, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר דִּכְתִּיב, (שיר השירים ב׳:ו׳) שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי. וּלְבָתַר סְטָר דָּרוֹם דְּאִיהוּ יְמִינָא, דִּכְתִּיב וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי. כְּדֵין יָשִׂישׂ כְּגִבּוֹר לָרוּץ אֹרַח, לְאַנְהָרָא סִיהֲרָא וְאוֹקְמוּהָ. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת, אִלֵּין בּוֹצִינִין עִלָּאִין, דְּכֻלְּהוּ נְהִירִין כַּחֲדָא מִן שִׁמְשָׁא. (חסר כאן)
The sun proceeds and makes his way toward the west; when the west is approached the north side bestirs itself to come forward to meet it, and joins it. Then “he rejoices as a strong man to run his course” (Ps. Ibid.), so as to shed his light on the moon. Now the words WHEN THOU LIGHTEST THE LAMPS contain an allusion to the celestial all of which are lit up together from the radiance of the sun.’1There seems to be a lacuna here in the text.