It is written, “Lord, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled”, etc. (Jud. 5, 4). This refers to the fact that before God gave the Law to Israel He offered it to the children of Esau and the children of Ishmael, and they would not accept it.
The question may be asked-and there is no sin in scrutinising the language of the Law minutely-when God went to Seir, to what prophet of the children of Esau did He reveal himself? And similarly when He went to Paran, to what prophet of them did He reveal himself? We cannot say that He was revealed to all of them, for we find no such thing save in the case of Israel, and that by the hand of Moses. Further, in the verse, “The Lord came from Sinai and shone forth from Mount Seir”, etc. (Deut. 33, 2), it should be “came to Sinai”, “shone to Seir”, etc.’
When R. Simeon came, he asked him. He said: ‘This question has been answered as follows. “God came from Sinai” to reveal Himself to the Israelites. “He shone forth from Seir”, that is, from the refusal of the children of Esau to receive the Law; from this Israel derived additional light and love. So, too, with Mount Paran, from the refusal of the children of Ishmael.
As for your question, through whom was He revealed to Esau and Ishmael, this is a profound mystery which is to be revealed through you. The Torah issued from the mystic Head of the King. When it came to the Left Arm the Holy One, blessed be He, saw some vicious blood that had collected there. He said: I must cleanse and purify this arm, since if this vicious blood is not lessened it will damage all.
He therefore summoned Samael and said to him: Dost thou desire my Law? What is written in it, he asked? He replied, taking a test passage: “Thou shalt not kill”. Whereupon Samael said: Heaven save us. This Torah is thine, and let it remain thine. I do not want it. He then besought Him, saying: Master of the Universe, if Thou givest it to me, all dominion will vanish, for it is based upon slaughter, on the star of Mars, and if there are no wars it will pass away from the world.
Master of the Universe, take Thy Law, and let me have no portion in it. But, if it please Thee, there is the people of the sons of Jacob, for them it is fitting. He thought to do them a mischief: If they receive this, he said, assuredly they will vanish from the world and will never have dominion. God said to him: Thou art the firstborn and for thee it is fitting. He replied: He has my birthright, as it was sold to him and I consented. Then God said: Since thou desirest no portion in it, leave it entirely. He replied: Good.
He then said: This being so, give me an advice how I shall induce the children of Jacob to accept it. He said: Master of the Universe, it is necessary to offer some inducement to them. Take some light from the light of the powers of the heavens and put it upon them, and for this they will receive it, and give them some of mine first. He then took off some of the light with which he was covered and gave it to Him to give to Israel. Hence it says, “He shone forth to them from Seir”, Seir being a name of Samael.
Having thus cleared away the bad blood from the Left Arm, God turned to the Right Arm and saw it in the same state. So He called Rahab and said: Dost thou desire my Law? He asked what was written in it. God again selected a crucial passage and said: “Thou shalt not commit adultery”. He exclaimed: Alas for me, if God shall give me this inheritance, since it will destroy all my dominion, for I have received the blessing of the waters, of the fishes of the sea, to whom it was said: Be fruitful and multiply, etc.
He began to beseech the Almighty, saying: Master of the Universe, two sons came forth from Abraham, there are the sons of Isaac, give to them, for them it beseems. He said: I cannot, for thou art the firstborn, and to thee it belongs. He commenced to implore Him, saying: Master of the Universe, let my birthright be his, and this extra light which I inherit on this account take and give to them. And God did so; wherefore it is written, “He shined forth from Mount Paran”.
When He had taken these gifts for Israel from those great Chiefs, He summoned all the myriads of holiness who are appointed to rule the other nations and they gave Him the same reply, and from all of them He received gifts to give to Israel. He was like a physician who had a phial full of some elixir of life which he desired to keep for his son. He was a clever man, and he said to himself: I have bad servants in my house; if they know that I intend to give to my son this present, they will be jealous of him and seek to kill him.
So God, being a wise physician, knew that if He gave the Torah to Israel without telling them they would every day pursue them and kIII them for it, but in this way He made them give presents and gifts so that Israel should accept it, and Moses received all of them to give to Israel, as it is written: “Thou has ascended on high, thou hast taken captives” (Ps. 68, 19), and in this way Israel inherited the Torah without any opposition or challenge. These gifts and presents which they received are their ornament, and therefore death and the other side had no dominion over them till they sinned, when, as it says, “they took off their ornaments from Mount Sinai” (Ex. 33, 6).
What did he do therefore? He took a little poison and smeared it round the edge of the phial. He then called his servants and said to them: You are faithful servants, do you want to try that drug? They said: Let us see what it is. They just took a taste, and they had scarcely smelt it when they came near dying. They said to themselves: If he gives this poison to his son, he will certainly die, and we shall inherit our master. They said to him: Master, this medicine is fitted only for your son. We remit to you the reward of our labour, which you can give to him as a present so that he may take the medicine.
So God, being a wise physician, knew that if He gave the Torah to Israel without telling them they would every day pursue them and kIII them for it, but in this way He made them give presents and gifts so that Israel should accept it, and Moses received all of them to give to Israel, as it is written: “Thou has ascended on high, thou hast taken captives” (Ps. 68, 19), and in this way Israel inherited the Torah without any opposition or challenge.
These gifts and presents which they received are their ornament, and therefore death and the other side had no dominion over them till they sinned, when, as it says, “they took off their ornaments from Mount Sinai” (Ex. 33, 6).
Whenever Israel return to their father in heaven those ornaments are restored to them and they are invested with them, and in the time to come all will be returned.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב (שופטים ה׳:ד׳) יְיָ בְּצֵאתְךָ מִשֵּׂעִיר בְּצַעְדְּךָ מִשְּׂדֵה אֱדוֹם אֶרֶץ רָעָשָׁה וְגוֹ'. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֵיהַב אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אָזַל וְזַמִּין לְהוּ לִבְנֵי עֵשָׂו, וְלָא קִבְּלוּהָ. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (דברים ל״ג:ב׳) יְיָ מִסִּינַי בָּא וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ, וְלָא בָּעוּ לְקַבְּלָהּ. אָזַל לִבְנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, וְלָא בָּעוּ לְקַבְּלָהּ, דִּכְתִיב הוֹפִיעַ מֵהַר פָּארָן. כֵּיוָן דְּלָא בָּעוּ, אַהְדָּר לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הָכִי תָּנֵינָן.
It is written, “Lord, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled”, etc. (Jud. 5, 4). This refers to the fact that before God gave the Law to Israel He offered it to the children of Esau and the children of Ishmael, and they would not accept it.
הַשְׁתָּא אִית לְשָׁאֲלָא, וְהָא תָּנֵינָן דְּלֵית חַטָּאָה כַּד בַּר נָשׁ מְדַקְדֵּק דִּיּוּקִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וַיִשְׁאַל שְׁאֶלְתּוֹי לְאַנְהָרָא מִלּוֹי. הַאי קְרָא לָא אִתְיַישְּׁבָא, וְאִית לְשָׁאֲלָא. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד אָזַל לְשֵׂעִיר, לְמַאן נְבִיאָה דִּלְהוֹן אִתְגְּלֵי. וְכַד אָזַל לְפָארָן, לְמַאן נְבִיאָה דִּלְהוֹן אִתְגְּלֵי. אִי תֵּימָא דְּאִתְגְּלֵי לְכֻלְּהוּ, לָא אַשְׁכְּחָן דָּא לְעָלְמִין. בַּר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ, וְעַל יְדֵי דְּמֹשֶׁה. וְהָא אִתְּמַר דְּהָכִי מִבָּעֵי קְרָא לְמֵימַר, יְיָ לְסִינַי בָּא, וְזָרַח לְשֵׂעִיר לָמוֹ, הוֹפִיעַ לְהַר פָּארָן, מַהוּ מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ, וּמַהוּ מֵהַר פָּארָן. כֹּלָּא אִית לְמִנְדַּע וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, וְהָא שָׁאִילְנָא, וְלָא שְׁמַעְנָא, וְלָא יְדַעְנָא.
The question may be asked-and there is no sin in scrutinising the language of the Law minutely-when God went to Seir, to what prophet of the children of Esau did He reveal himself? And similarly when He went to Paran, to what prophet of them did He reveal himself? We cannot say that He was revealed to all of them, for we find no such thing save in the case of Israel, and that by the hand of Moses. Further, in the verse, “The Lord came from Sinai and shone forth from Mount Seir”, etc. (Deut. 33, 2), it should be “came to Sinai”, “shone to Seir”, etc.’
כַּד אָתָא רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אָתָא וְשָׁאִיל מִלָּה כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין, אָמַר לֵיהּ הָא שְׁאֶלְתָּא דָּא אִתְאַמְּרַת. יְיָ מִסִּינַי בָּא: כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שמות י״ט:ט׳) הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי בָּא אֵלֶיךָ בְּעַב הֶעָנָן, וּמִסִּינַי בָּא וְאִתְגְּלֵי עָלַיְיהוּ. וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ, מִמַּה דְּאָמְרוּ בְּנֵי שָׂעִיר, דְּלָא בָּעָאן לְקַבְּלָא, מֵהַאי, אַנְהַר לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאוֹסִיף עָלַיְיהוּ נְהוֹרָא וְחָבִיבוּ סַגִּיא. אוּף הָכִי, הוֹפִיעַ וְאַנְהַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵהַר פָּארָן, מִמַּה דְּאָמְרוּ בְּנֵי פָּארָן, דְּלָא בָּעוּ לְקַבְּלָא, מֵהַאי. אוֹסִיפוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲבִיבוּ וּנְהִירוּ יַתִיר כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת.
When R. Simeon came, he asked him. He said: ‘This question has been answered as follows. “God came from Sinai” to reveal Himself to the Israelites. “He shone forth from Seir”, that is, from the refusal of the children of Esau to receive the Law; from this Israel derived additional light and love. So, too, with Mount Paran, from the refusal of the children of Ishmael.
וּמַה דְּשָׁאַלְתָּ עַל יְדָא דְּמַאן אִתְגְּלֵי עָלַיְיהוּ. (תא חזי) (רי"ח ע"ב, ר"ע, רי"ט ע"א) רָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ, וְאִתְגְּלֵי מִלָּה עַל יְדָךְ. אוֹרַיְיתָא נַפְקַת מֵרָזָא עִלָּאָה, דְּרֵישָׁא (ס"א קדישא) דְּמַלְכָּא סְתִימָא, כַּד מָטָא לְגַבֵּי דְּרוֹעָא שְׂמָאלָא, (ס"א ימינא) חָמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַהוּא דְּרוֹעָא, דָּמָא בִּישָׁא דַּהֲווּ מִתְרַבֵּי מִתַּמָּן. אָמַר, אִצְטְרִיךְ לִי לְבָרְרָא וּלְלַבְּנָא דְּרוֹעָא דָּא. וְאִי לָא יַמְאִיךְ הַהוּא דָּמָא בִּישָׁא, יַפְגִּים כֹּלָּא. אֲבָל אִצְטְרִיךְ לְבָרְרָא מֵהָכָא כָּל פְּגִימוּ.
As for your question, through whom was He revealed to Esau and Ishmael, this is a profound mystery which is to be revealed through you. The Torah issued from the mystic Head of the King. When it came to the Left Arm the Holy One, blessed be He, saw some vicious blood that had collected there. He said: I must cleanse and purify this arm, since if this vicious blood is not lessened it will damage all.
מָה עֲבַד. קָרָא לְסָמָאֵל, וְאָתָא קַמֵּיהּ, וְאָמַר לֵיהּ תִּבְעֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּילִי. אָמַר, מַה כְּתִיב בָּהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ, לֹא תִרְצַח. דָּלִיג קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לַאֲתָר דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ. אָמַר חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אוֹרַיְיתָא דָּא דִּילָךְ הִיא, וְדִילָךְ יְהֵא, לָא בָּעֵינָא אוֹרַיְיתָא דָּא. אָתִיב וְאִתְחַנָּן קַמֵּיהּ, אָמַר מָארֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא, אִי אַתְּ יָהֲבָהּ לִי, כָּל שָׁלְטָנוּ דִּילִי אִתְעֲבָר, דְּהָא שָׁלְטָנוּ דִּילִי עַל קְטּוּלָא אִיהוּ, וּקְרָבִין לָא יֵהוֹן וְשֻלְטָנוּ דִּילִי עַל כֹּכָבָא דְּמַאֲדִים, אִי הָכִי כֹּלָּא אִתְבְּטַל מֵעָלְמָא.
He therefore summoned Samael and said to him: Dost thou desire my Law? What is written in it, he asked? He replied, taking a test passage: “Thou shalt not kill”. Whereupon Samael said: Heaven save us. This Torah is thine, and let it remain thine. I do not want it. He then besought Him, saying: Master of the Universe, if Thou givest it to me, all dominion will vanish, for it is based upon slaughter, on the star of Mars, and if there are no wars it will pass away from the world.
מָארֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא, טוֹל אוֹרַיְיתָךְ, וְלָא יְהֵא חוּלָקָא וְאַחֲסָנָא לִי בָּהּ. אֲבָל אִי נִיחָא קַמָּךְ, הָא עַמָּא בְּנוֹי דְּיַעֲקֹב, לוֹן אִתְחֲזֵי. וְאִיהוּ חָשִׁיב דְּהָא דַּלְטּוֹרָא אָמַר עָלַיְיהוּ. וְדָא הוּא וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ, מִשֵּׂעִיר מַמָּשׁ נָפַק נְהוֹרָא לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמַר סָמָאֵ"ל וַדַּאי, אִי בְּנוֹי דְּיַעֲקֹב יְקַבְּלוּן דָּא, יִתְעָבְרוּן מֵעָלְמָא, וְלָא יִשְׁלְטוּן לְעָלְמִין. אָתִיב לֵיהּ כַּמָה זִמְנִין, וְאָמַר דָּא, וְאָמַר לֵיהּ אַנְתְּ בּוּכְרָא, וְלָךְ אִתְחֲזֵי. אָמַר לֵיהּ, הָא לֵיהּ בְּכִירוּתָא דִּילִי, וְהָא אֶזְדְּבַן לֵיהּ, וַאֲנָא אוֹדֵיתִי. אָמַר לֵיהּ הוֹאִיל וְלָא בָּעִית לְמֶהֱוִי לָךְ בָּהּ חוּלָקָא, אִתְעֲבָר מִנָּהּ בְּכֹלָּא. אָמַר יָאוּת.
Master of the Universe, take Thy Law, and let me have no portion in it. But, if it please Thee, there is the people of the sons of Jacob, for them it is fitting. He thought to do them a mischief: If they receive this, he said, assuredly they will vanish from the world and will never have dominion. God said to him: Thou art the firstborn and for thee it is fitting. He replied: He has my birthright, as it was sold to him and I consented. Then God said: Since thou desirest no portion in it, leave it entirely. He replied: Good.
אָמַר לֵיהּ, הוֹאִיל וְכַךְ, הַב לִי עֵיטָא, אֵיךְ אַעְבִּיד דִּיקַבְּלוֹן לָהּ בְּנוֹי דְּיַעֲקֹב דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר. אָמַר לֵיהּ מָארֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא, אִצְטְרִיךְ לְשַׁחֲדָא לוֹן, טוֹל נְהוֹרָא מִנְּהִירוּ דְּחֵילֵי שְׁמַיָּא, וְהָב עָלַיְיהוּ, וּבְדָא יְקַבְּלוּן לָהּ, וְהָא דִּילִי יְהֵא בְּקַדְמִיתָא. אַפְשִׁיט מִנֵּיהּ נְהִירוּ דְּחַפְּיָא עָלֵיהּ, וְיָהַב לֵיהּ, לְמֵיהַב לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ. מִשֵּׂעִיר מַמָּשׁ, דָּא סָמָאֵ"ל. דִּכְתִיב (ויקרא ט״ז:כ״ב) וְנָשָׂא הַשָׂעִיר עָלָיו. לָמוֹ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל.
He then said: This being so, give me an advice how I shall induce the children of Jacob to accept it. He said: Master of the Universe, it is necessary to offer some inducement to them. Take some light from the light of the powers of the heavens and put it upon them, and for this they will receive it, and give them some of mine first. He then took off some of the light with which he was covered and gave it to Him to give to Israel. Hence it says, “He shone forth to them from Seir”, Seir being a name of Samael.
כֵּיוָן דְּבִיעֵר דָּא, וְאַעְבַּר דָּמָא בִּישָׁא מִדְּרוֹעָא שְׂמָאלָא, אַהְדָּר לִדְרוֹעָא יְמִינָא (ס"א שמאלא) חָמָא בֵּיהּ אוּף הָכִי, אָמַר הָכִי נָמֵי אִצְטְרִיךְ לְנַקְיָיא, מִדָּמָא בִּישָׁא, דְּרוֹעָא דָּא. קָרָא לְרַהַ"ב אָמַר לֵיהּ, תִּבְעֵי אַתְּ אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּילִי. אָמַר לֵיהּ, מַה כְּתִיב בָּהּ. דָּלִיג לֵיהּ, וְאָמַר לֹא תִּנְאַף. אָמַר וַוי אִי יְרוּתָא דָּא יַחֲסִין לִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, יְרוּתָא בִּישָׁא, דְּיִתְעַבָר בָּהּ כָּל שָלְטָנֵי, דְּהָא בִּרְכָתָא דְּמַיָּא נָטִילְנָא, בִּרְכָתָא דְּנוּנֵי יַמָּא, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית א׳:כ״ב) פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וְגוֹ'. וּכְתִיב (בראשית י״ז:כ׳) וְהִפְרֵיתִי אוֹתוֹ וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אוֹתוֹ וְגוֹ' וּכְתִיב (בראשית ט״ז:י״ב) וְהוּא יִהְיֶה פֶּרֶא אָדָם.
Having thus cleared away the bad blood from the Left Arm, God turned to the Right Arm and saw it in the same state. So He called Rahab and said: Dost thou desire my Law? He asked what was written in it. God again selected a crucial passage and said: “Thou shalt not commit adultery”. He exclaimed: Alas for me, if God shall give me this inheritance, since it will destroy all my dominion, for I have received the blessing of the waters, of the fishes of the sea, to whom it was said: Be fruitful and multiply, etc.
שָׁארֵי לְאִתְחַנְּנָא קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ, אָמַר לֵיהּ, מָארֵי דְּעָלְמָא, תְּרֵין בְּנִין נָפַקְנָא מֵאַבְרָהָם, הָא בְּנוֹי דְּיִצְחָק, הַב לוֹן, וְלוֹן אִתְחֲזֵי. אָמַר לֵיהּ, לָא יָכִילְנָא, דְּאַנְתְּ בּוּכְרָא, וְלָךְ אִתְחֲזֵי, שָׁארֵי לְאִתְחַנְּנָא קַמֵּיהּ, וְאָמַר מָארֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא, בְּכֵירוּתָא דִּילִי יְהֵא דִּילֵיהּ, וְהַאי נְהוֹרָא דַּאֲנָא יָרִיתְנָא עַל דָּא, טוֹל וְהַב לוֹן, וְכַךְ עָבֵד, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב, (דברים ל״ג:ב׳) הוֹפִיעַ מֵהַר פָּארָן.
He began to beseech the Almighty, saying: Master of the Universe, two sons came forth from Abraham, there are the sons of Isaac, give to them, for them it beseems. He said: I cannot, for thou art the firstborn, and to thee it belongs. He commenced to implore Him, saying: Master of the Universe, let my birthright be his, and this extra light which I inherit on this account take and give to them. And God did so; wherefore it is written, “He shined forth from Mount Paran”.
מַאי שְׁנָא בְּסָמָאֵ"ל כְּתִיב וְזָרַח, וּבְרַהַ"ב כְּתִיב הוֹפִיעַ. אֶלָּא נָטַל בְּהַהוּא נְהִירוּ דְּאַפְשִׁיט מִנֵּיהּ סָמָאֵ"ל, חֶרֶב וְקָטוֹלָא, לְקָטְלָא בְּדִינָא, וּלְקָטְלָא כְּדְקָא יָאוּת. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב, (דברים ל״ג:כ״ט) וַאֲשֶׁר חֶרֶב גַּאֲוָתֶךָ. אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא הֲוָה דִּילָךְ. וְנָטַל בְּהַהוּא בִּרְכָתָא דְּאַפְשִׁיט מִנֵּיהּ רַהַ"ב, זְעֵיר, כְּמָאן דְּאוֹפַע זְעֵיר מִבִּרְכָתָא דִּלְהוֹן, לְמֶעְבַּד פִּרְיָה וּרְבִיָּה. בְּגִין כַּךְ הוֹפִיעַ מֵהַר פָּארָן, וְלָא כְּתִיב וְזָרַח.
When He had taken these gifts for Israel from those great Chiefs, He summoned all the myriads of holiness who are appointed to rule the other nations and they gave Him the same reply, and from all of them He received gifts to give to Israel. He was like a physician who had a phial full of some elixir of life which he desired to keep for his son. He was a clever man, and he said to himself: I have bad servants in my house; if they know that I intend to give to my son this present, they will be jealous of him and seek to kill him.
כֵּיוָן דְּנָטַל מַתְנָן אִלֵּין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מֵאִינּוּן רַבְרְבָנִין שָׁלְטָנִין, אָתָא וְקָרָא לְהוּ לְכָל רִבְבוֹת קֹדֶשׁ, דִּמְמָנָן עַל שְׁאַר עַמִּין, וְאָתִיבוּ לֵיהּ אוּף הָכִי. וּמִכֻּלְּהוּ קַבִיל וְנָטִיל מַתְנָן, לְמֵיהַב לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. לְאַסְיָא, דְּהֲוָה לֵיהּ חַד מָאנָא מַלְיָא מִסַּמָּא דְּחַיֵּי, וְנָטִיר לֵיהּ לִבְרֵיהּ. בָּעָא לְמֵיהַב לֵיהּ לִבְרֵיהּ, הַהוּא פְּלַיִיטוֹן דְּסָמָא דְּחַיֵּי. אַסְיָא הֲוָה חַכִּים, אָמַר עַבְדִין בִּישִׁין אִית בְּבֵיתִי, אִי יִנְדְּעוּן דַּאֲנָא יָהִיב לִבְרִי נְבַזְבְּזָא דָּא, יַבְאִישׁ בְּעֵינַיְיהוּ, וְיִבְעוּן לְקָטְלָא לֵיהּ.
So God, being a wise physician, knew that if He gave the Torah to Israel without telling them they would every day pursue them and kIII them for it, but in this way He made them give presents and gifts so that Israel should accept it, and Moses received all of them to give to Israel, as it is written: “Thou has ascended on high, thou hast taken captives” (Ps. 68, 19), and in this way Israel inherited the Torah without any opposition or challenge. These gifts and presents which they received are their ornament, and therefore death and the other side had no dominion over them till they sinned, when, as it says, “they took off their ornaments from Mount Sinai” (Ex. 33, 6).
מָה עֲבַד. נָטַל זְעֵיר מִסַמָּא דְּמוֹתָא, וְשַׁוִּי אֲפִּתְחָא דְּמָאנָא, קְרָא לְעַבְדוֹי, אָמַר לוֹן, אַתּוּן מְהֵימְנָן קֳדָמַי, תִּבְעוּן לְהַהוּא סַמָא. אָמְרוּ נֶחמֵי מַאי הוּא. נַטְלוּ לְמִטְעַם, עַד לָא אַרְחוּ, בָּעוּ לְמֵימַת, אָמְרוּ בְּלִבַּיְיהוּ, אִי הַאי סַמָּא יָהִיב לִבְרֵיהּ, וַדַּאי יָמוּת וַאֲנָן נִירַת לְרִבּוֹנָנָא. אָמְרוּ קַמֵּיהּ, מָרָנָא, סַמָּא דָּא לָא אִתְחֲזֵי אֶלָּא לִבְרָךְ, וְהָא אַגְרָא דְּפוּלְחָנָנָא שְׁבַקְנָא גַּבָּךְ, זִיל וְהַב לֵיהּ לְשׁוֹחֲדָא, דִּיּקֲבֵּל סַמָּא דָּא.
What did he do therefore? He took a little poison and smeared it round the edge of the phial. He then called his servants and said to them: You are faithful servants, do you want to try that drug? They said: Let us see what it is. They just took a taste, and they had scarcely smelt it when they came near dying. They said to themselves: If he gives this poison to his son, he will certainly die, and we shall inherit our master. They said to him: Master, this medicine is fitted only for your son. We remit to you the reward of our labour, which you can give to him as a present so that he may take the medicine.
כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הוּא אַסְיָא חַכִּים, יָדַע דְּאִי יָהִיב אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, עַד לָא אוֹדַע לוֹן, בְּכָל יוֹמָא הֲווֹ רַדְפִין לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עָלָהּ, וְקַטְלִין לוֹן. אֲבָל עֲבַד דָּא, וְאִינּוּן יָהֲבוּ לֵיהּ מַתְנָן וּנְבִזְבְּזָן, בְּגִין דִּיְקַבְּלוּן לָהּ. וְכֻלְּהוּ קַבִּיל לוֹן מֹשֶׁה, לְמֵיהַב לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים ס״ח:י״ט) עָלִיתָ לַמָּרוֹם שָׁבִיתָ שֶּׁבִי וְגוֹ'. וּבְגִין כַּךְ יַרְתּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּלָא עִרְעוּרָא, וּבְלָא קִטְרוּגָא כְּלָל. בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּרִיךְ שְׁמֵיהּ, לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא.
So God, being a wise physician, knew that if He gave the Torah to Israel without telling them they would every day pursue them and kIII them for it, but in this way He made them give presents and gifts so that Israel should accept it, and Moses received all of them to give to Israel, as it is written: “Thou has ascended on high, thou hast taken captives” (Ps. 68, 19), and in this way Israel inherited the Torah without any opposition or challenge.
תָּא חֲזֵי, עֶדְיָם דִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אִלֵּין מַתְנָן וּנְבִזְבְּזָן דְּקַבִּילוּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, לָא הֲוָה שַׁלִּיט עָלַיְיהוּ מוֹתָא, וְלָא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְלָא דַּי לוֹן דַּי נַטְלוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא בְּלָא עִרְעוּרָא כְּלָל, אֶלָּא דְּקַבִּילוּ נְבִזְבְּזָן וּמַתְנָן מִכֻּלְּהוּ. כֵּיוָן דְּחָטוּ מַה כְּתִיב, (שמות ל״ג:ו׳) וַיִּתְנַצְּלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֶדְיָם. אִינּוּן (תהילים ס״ח:י״ט) מַתָּנוֹת בָּאָדָם. מַה אִשְׁתְּאַר מִנְּהוֹן. הַהוּא שְׁבִי, דִּכְתִיב עָלִיתָ לַמָּרוֹם שָׁבִיתָ שֶּׁבִי וְגוֹ'.
These gifts and presents which they received are their ornament, and therefore death and the other side had no dominion over them till they sinned, when, as it says, “they took off their ornaments from Mount Sinai” (Ex. 33, 6).
אוֹסִפוּ וְחָטוּ, מַה כְּתִיב (במדבר כ״א:א׳) וְיִּשְׁמַע הַכְּנַעֲנִי מֶלֶךְ עֲרָד. וּכְתִיב, וַיִּלָּחֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִשְׁבְּ מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁבִי (ועם כל דא) וְכָל זִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל תָּבִין לַאֲבוּהוֹן דְּבִשְׁמַיָּא, אִינּוּן נְבִזְבְּזָן (וכלא) יִתְהָדַּר לְגַבַּיְיהוּ, וְאִתְחַפְּיָין בֵּיהּ. וּלְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי, כֹּלָּא יִתְהָדַּר דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים ל׳:ג׳) וְשָׁב ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְגוֹ'. מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה אֵימָא מִילָּךְ.
Whenever Israel return to their father in heaven those ornaments are restored to them and they are invested with them, and in the time to come all will be returned.’