The Companions then proceeded on their journey the whole day. When night fell they ascended to a spot where they found a cave. R. Jose, on hearing this, rejoiced, and reported it to R. Eleazar, who said to him: ‘Let us enter therein, for the Holy One, blessed be He, seems to have appointed for us this day as one on which a miracle should happen to us.’ When they entered their eyes met there two men engaged in the study of the Torah. R. Eleazar proclaimed: ‘ “How precious is thy lovingkindness, O God! and the children of men take refuge in the shadow of thy wings” (Ps. 36, 8).’ The two men stood up, then they all sat down in joyful mood. Said R. Eleazar: ‘Let one of us enter inside the cave if haply he find there a more convenient spot.’ R. Jose entered and noticed therein an inner cave lit by a lamp, and he heard a voice speaking thus: “When thou lightest the lamps the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick”. Here (said the voice) the Community of Israel receives the light whilst the supernal Mother is crowned, and all the lamps are illumined from Her. In Her are two small flames, companions of the King, as it were, which kindle all the lights on high and below.’
R. Jose listened and rejoiced. Said R. Eleazar: ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, has shown us lovingkindness in letting us find you in this spot. Now, light the lamps!’
R. Jose then began the following discourse: When thou lightest the lamps. ‘The term beha’alothekha (when thou lightest) has here its literal meaning [to wit, when thou makest ascend], inasmuch as the verse speaks here of the services performed by the priest, the two which form a unity, to wit, those of the oil and the incense, so that “Oil and perfume rejoice the heart” (Prov. 27, 9). So Scripture says: “And Aaron shall burn thereon incense… when he dresseth the lamps…. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at dusk he shall burn it” (Ex. 30, 7-8). Why the term b’hetivo (when he dresseth, lit.=when he maketh good)?’
R. Judah said that this points to the idea contained in “but he that is of a merry (lit. good) heart hath a continual feast” (Prov. 15, 15), whilst the expression “when he maketh ascend” (b’ha’aloth) points to the exaltation of the supernal beings after having drunk their fill of the waters of the River, so that blessings and joy are diffused throughout.’
Said R. Aha: ‘When the Most Profound illumes the River, and the River so illumined flows on in a straight path-of such a moment it is written, “when he makes ascend”, in that from the Most Profound there issue the causes that come from the supernal side of the Most Profound which is called Thought. The two terms [“make ascend” and “make good”] thus signify one and the same thing. At that moment the Community of Israel is blessed and blessings are diffused throughout the worlds.1The last 27 lines of the Hebrew text do not appear in our translation.
אָזְלוּ כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא, כַּד רָמַשׁ לֵילְיָא, סְלִיקוּ לְחַד אֲתָר, וְאַשְׁכָּחוּ חַד מְעַרְתָּא. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, לִיעוּל חַד גּוֹ מְעַרְתָּא, אִי אִשְׁתְּכַח אֲתָר דְּאִיהוּ יַתִּיר מְתַּתְקָּן. עָאל רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, וְחָמָא מְעַרְתָּא אַחֲרָא בְּגַוִּיהּ, נְהוֹרָא דִּשְׁרָגָא בֵּיהּ, שָׁמַע חַד קָלָא דְּהֲוָה אָמַר, בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת אֶל מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת. הָכָא נָטְלָא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל נְהוֹרָא, וְאִמָא עִלָּאָה מִתְעַטְּרָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ בּוּצִינִין מִינָהּ נַהֲרִין. בָּהּ תְּרֵין טוּפְסִירִין דְּקִיקִין פַּרְחִין, שׁוּשְׁבִינִין (ס"א שבשבין) כֻּלְּהוּ קֹטְרִין לְגַבֵּי עִלָּאָה, וּמִתַּמָּן לְתַתָּא.
The Companions then proceeded on their journey the whole day. When night fell they ascended to a spot where they found a cave. R. Jose, on hearing this, rejoiced, and reported it to R. Eleazar, who said to him: ‘Let us enter therein, for the Holy One, blessed be He, seems to have appointed for us this day as one on which a miracle should happen to us.’ When they entered their eyes met there two men engaged in the study of the Torah. R. Eleazar proclaimed: ‘ “How precious is thy lovingkindness, O God! and the children of men take refuge in the shadow of thy wings” (Ps. 36, 8).’ The two men stood up, then they all sat down in joyful mood. Said R. Eleazar: ‘Let one of us enter inside the cave if haply he find there a more convenient spot.’ R. Jose entered and noticed therein an inner cave lit by a lamp, and he heard a voice speaking thus: “When thou lightest the lamps the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick”. Here (said the voice) the Community of Israel receives the light whilst the supernal Mother is crowned, and all the lamps are illumined from Her. In Her are two small flames, companions of the King, as it were, which kindle all the lights on high and below.’
שָׁמַע רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְחַדֵּי, אָתָא לְגַבֵּי רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, נֵיעוּל, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַקְדִּים לָן הַאי יוֹמָא, לְאִתְרַחֲשָׁא לָן בְּנִסִּין. עָאלוּ, כֵּיוָן דְּעָאלוּ, חָמוּ תְּרֵין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, דַּהֲווֹ לָעָאן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, (תהילים ל״ו:ח׳) מַה יָקָר חַסְדֶּךָ אֱלֹהִים וּבְנֵי אָדָם בְּצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ יֶחֱסָיוּן. קָמוּ אִלֵּין, וְיַתְבֵי כֻּלְּהוּ, וְחַדּוּ כֻּלְּהוּ, אָמַר רִבִי אֶלְעָזָר, מָה יָקָר חַסְדְּךָ אֱלֹהִים, דְּאַשְׁכַּחְנָא לְכוּ. חֶסֶד עָבַד לָן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בַּאֲתָר דָּא, הַשְׁתָּא אַדְלִיקוּ בּוּצִינִין.
R. Jose listened and rejoiced. Said R. Eleazar: ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, has shown us lovingkindness in letting us find you in this spot. Now, light the lamps!’
פָּתַח רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר. (במדבר ח׳:ב׳) בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת, בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ מַמָּשׁ, בְּאַדְלָקוּתָךְ. דְּהָא כַּחֲדָא אִתְעָבִיד עַל יְדָא דְּכַהֲנָא תְּרֵין פּוּלְחָנִין. דְּאִינּוּן קִשּׁוּרָא חֲדָא. וּמַאן אִינּוּן. שֶׁמֶן וּקְטֹרֶת. כְּדִכְתִּיב, (משלי כ״ז:ט׳) שֶׁמֶן וּקְטֹרֶת יְשַׂמַּח לֵב. דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות ל׳:ח׳) וְהִקְטִיר עָלָיו אַהֲרֹן וְגוֹ'. וּכְתִיב וּבְהַעֲלוֹת אַהֲרֹן אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם יַקְטִירֶנָּה. מַאי שְׁנָא הָכָא בְּהֵטִיבוֹ, וּמַאי שְׁנָא הָתָם וּבְהַעֲלוֹת. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, כֹּלָּא חַד מִלָּה.
R. Jose then began the following discourse: When thou lightest the lamps. ‘The term beha’alothekha (when thou lightest) has here its literal meaning [to wit, when thou makest ascend], inasmuch as the verse speaks here of the services performed by the priest, the two which form a unity, to wit, those of the oil and the incense, so that “Oil and perfume rejoice the heart” (Prov. 27, 9). So Scripture says: “And Aaron shall burn thereon incense… when he dresseth the lamps…. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at dusk he shall burn it” (Ex. 30, 7-8). Why the term b’hetivo (when he dresseth, lit.=when he maketh good)?’
רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר, בְּהֵטִיבוֹ: כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שיר השירים א׳:ב׳) כִּי טוֹבִים דּוֹדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן. טוֹבִים: רָוִוי חַמְרָא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ירמיהו מ״ד:י״ז) וַנִּשְׂבַּע לֶחֶם וַנִּהְיֶה טוֹבִים. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, הֲטָבָה מַמָּשׁ. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (משלי ט״ו:ט״ו) וְטוֹב לֵב מִשְׁתֶּה תָמִיד. וּבְהַעֲלוֹת, דְּהָא בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִתְּשַׁקְיָין וְאִתְרַוְיָין מִשַּׁקְיוּ דְּנַחֲלָא, כְּדֵין עִלָּאִין עִלּוּיָא, וּבִרְכָאן (ס"א עלאין מתתאין) אִשְׁתַּכְּחוּ בְּכֻלְּהוּ, וְחַדּוּ בְּכֹלָּא. וְעַל דָּא וּבְהַעֲלוֹת.
R. Judah said that this points to the idea contained in “but he that is of a merry (lit. good) heart hath a continual feast” (Prov. 15, 15), whilst the expression “when he maketh ascend” (b’ha’aloth) points to the exaltation of the supernal beings after having drunk their fill of the waters of the River, so that blessings and joy are diffused throughout.’
רִבִּי אֲחָא אָמַר, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דַּעֲמִיקָא דְּכֹלָּא נָהִיר, (ס"א דסתימא דכלא נהיר) נָהִיר בְּנַחֲלָא. וְנַחֲלָא, נָגִיד (ס"א נהיר) בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר לְאַשְׁקָאָה כֹּלָּא. כְּדֵין כְּתִיב, בְּהַעֲלוֹת (נ"א בהטיבו) בְּגִין דְּהָא מֵעוּמְקָא דְּכֹלָּא נָפְקֵי, בְּהַעֲלוֹת דְּאָתֵי מִסִּטְרָא עִלָּאָה, (בראשית כ"א א') דְּעֲמִיקָא (ס"א דסתימא) דְּכֹלָּא, דְּאִקְרֵי מַחֲשָׁבָה. וְכֹלָּא חַד מִלָּה, וּכְדֵין כְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְבָּרְכָא, וּבִרְכָּאן אִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין.
Said R. Aha: ‘When the Most Profound illumes the River, and the River so illumined flows on in a straight path-of such a moment it is written, “when he makes ascend”, in that from the Most Profound there issue the causes that come from the supernal side of the Most Profound which is called Thought. The two terms [“make ascend” and “make good”] thus signify one and the same thing. At that moment the Community of Israel is blessed and blessings are diffused throughout the worlds.1The last 27 lines of the Hebrew text do not appear in our translation.