R. Phineas was once going to see his daughter, the wife of R. Simeon, who was ill. He was accompanied by the Companions, and was riding on his ass. On his way he met two Arabs, and said to them: ‘Has a voice ever been heard in this field?’ They replied: ‘About former times we cannot say, but we know that in our own time there used to be robbers who waylaid men in this field and they once fell on some Jews with intent to cut them down, when there was heard from a distance in this field the voice of an ass braying twice, and a flame of fire came into the field and burnt them, so that the Jews escaped.’ He said to them: ‘Arabs, Arabs, for the sake of this information that you have given me you shall be delivered this day from other robbers who are lying in wait for you on the way.’
R. Phineas wept, and said: ‘Sovereign of the Universe, thou hast caused this miracle to befall on my behalf, and those Jews were delivered and I knew it not. It is written, “To him who alone doeth great wonders, for his mercy endureth for ever” (Ps. 136, 4). How much kindness does God do for men, and how many miracles does He cause to befall for them, and no one knows save He! A man will rise in the morning and a snake comes to kill him and he treads on the snake and kills it without knowing, but God alone knows. A man goes on the road and robbers are in wait for him, and another comes and takes his place and he is delivered, and does not know the kindness that God has wrought with him or the miracle He has done on his behalf. God alone does it and knows it.’
He then said to the Companions: ‘Companions, what I really wanted to leam from the Arabs who frequent this field was whether they have heard the voice of the Companions who study the Torah, for R. Simeon and R. Eleazar and the rest of the Companions are in front of us without knowing of us, and I was asking those Arabs about them, because I know that the voice of R. Simeon shakes the field and the rocks; they, however, have told me something I did not know.’
As they were going along the Arabs returned to him and said: ‘Old man, old man, you asked us concerning bygone days but not concerning this day in which we have seen wonder on wonder. We have seen five men sitting together and one old man among them, and we saw the birds collecting and spreading their wings over his head, some going and others coming, so that there was always a shade over their heads, and as the old man raised his voice they were listening.
He said: ‘That was what I wanted to know; Arabs, Arabs, may you have all the good fortune on this journey that you desire. You have told me two things which have given me joy.’ They then proceeded on their way. Said the Companions to him: ‘How are we to find the place where R. Simeon is?’ He replied: ‘Leave it to the Master of the steps of my beast, who will guide its steps thither.’ He then gave the rein to his ass, which thereupon turned aside from the road two miles,
after which it commenced to bray three times. R. Phineas dismounted and said: ‘Let us prepare ourselves to meet the presence of the day, for now great faces and small faces will come out to us.’ R. Simeon heard the braying of the ass and said to the Companions: ‘Let us rise, for the voice of the ass of the pious elder has reached us.’ R. Simeon thereupon rose and the Companions also.
R. Simeon cited the verse: “A psalm. O sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvellous things” (Ps. 97, 1). ‘The tonal accent on the word mizmor (psalm) here’, he said, ‘shows that this psalm has some special distinction. Who was it that uttered this song? It was the kine (that bore the ark from the house of Obed Edom) in their lowing. Whom did they call upon to “sing”? All the Chariots, all the Chieftains, all the grades (of angels) who had come thither to meet the Ark.
רִבִּי פִּנְחָס הֲוָה אָזִיל לְמֵחֱמֵי בְּרָתֵּיהּ, אִנְתּוּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, דַּהֲוַת בְּמַרְעָא. וַהֲווּ אָזְלֵי עִמֵּיהּ חַבְרַיָּיא, וְהוּא הֲוָה רָכִיב בְּחַמְרֵיהּ. עַד דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא, פָּגַע בִּתְרֵין עַרְבָאֵי, אָמַר לוֹן, בַּחֲקָל דָּא אִתְּעַר קָלָא מִיּוֹמִין דְּעָלְמָא. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ, מִיּוֹמִין דְּעָלְמָא לֵית אֲנָן יַדְעִין. מִיּוֹמִין דִּילָן, אֲנָן יַדְעִין. דְּהָא יוֹמָא חַד, הֲווֹ אִינּוּן לִסְטִין מְקַפְּחֵי אָרְחִין דְּגוּבְרִין בְּהַהוּא חַקְלָא, וּפַגְעוּ בְּאִינּוּן יוּדָאֵי, וְאָתוּ לְקַפְּחָא לוֹן. וְאִשְׁתְּמַע מֵרָחִיק בְּהַאי חֲקַל, קַל דַּחֲמָרָא דָּא, דְּנָהַק תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי, וְאָתָא שַׁלְהוֹבָא דְּאֶשָּׁא בְּהַהוּא קָלָא (נ"א בההוא חקלא) וְאוֹקִיד לוֹן. וְאִשְׁתְּזִיבוּ אִינּוּן יוּדָאֵי. אָמַר לֵיהּ. עַרְבָאֵי, עַרְבָאֵי, בְּמִלָּה דָּא דְּקָא אֲמַרְתּוּן לִי, תִּשְׁתֵּזְבוּן יוֹמָא דָּא מִלִּסְטִין אַחֲרָנִין, דְּקָא מְחַכָּן לְכוּ בְּאָרְחָא.
R. Phineas was once going to see his daughter, the wife of R. Simeon, who was ill. He was accompanied by the Companions, and was riding on his ass. On his way he met two Arabs, and said to them: ‘Has a voice ever been heard in this field?’ They replied: ‘About former times we cannot say, but we know that in our own time there used to be robbers who waylaid men in this field and they once fell on some Jews with intent to cut them down, when there was heard from a distance in this field the voice of an ass braying twice, and a flame of fire came into the field and burnt them, so that the Jews escaped.’ He said to them: ‘Arabs, Arabs, for the sake of this information that you have given me you shall be delivered this day from other robbers who are lying in wait for you on the way.’
בָּכָה רִבִּי פִּנְחָס, אָמַר, מָארֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא רַחֲשָׁא דְּנִיסָא דָּא עַבְדַת בְּגִינֵי, וְאִשְׁתֵּזְבוּן אִינּוּן יוּדָאֵי, וְלָא יְדַעְנָא. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים קל״ו:ד׳) לְעוֹשֵׂה נִפְלָאוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת לְבַדּוֹ כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ. כַּמָה טִיבוּ עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עִם בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, וְכַמָּה נִסִּין אַרְחִישׁ לוֹן בְּכָל יוֹמָא, וְלָא יָדַע אֶלָּא אִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי. בַּר נָשׁ קָם בְּצַפְרָא, וְחִוְיָא אָתֵי לְקָטְלָא לֵיהּ, וּבַּר נָשׁ שַׁוִּי רַגְלֵיהּ עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ, וְקָטִיל לֵיהּ, וְלָא יָדַע בֵּיהּ בַּר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, הֲוִי, לְעוֹשֵׂה נִפְלָאוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת לְבַדּוֹ. בַּר נָשׁ אָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא, וְלִסְטִין מְחַכָּאן לְמִקְטְלֵיהּ, אָתָא אַחֲרָא וְאִתְיְיהִב כּוּפְרָא תְּחוֹתֵיהּ, וְהוּא אִשְׁתְּזִיב. לָא יָדַע טִיבוּ דְּעָבַד לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְנִסָא דְּאַרְחִישׁ לֵיהּ, בַּר אִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, הֲוִי, לְעוֹשֶׂה נִפְלָאוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת לְבַדּוֹ. לְבַדּוֹ עָבִיד וְיָדַע. וְאַחֲרָא לָא יָדַע.
R. Phineas wept, and said: ‘Sovereign of the Universe, thou hast caused this miracle to befall on my behalf, and those Jews were delivered and I knew it not. It is written, “To him who alone doeth great wonders, for his mercy endureth for ever” (Ps. 136, 4). How much kindness does God do for men, and how many miracles does He cause to befall for them, and no one knows save He! A man will rise in the morning and a snake comes to kill him and he treads on the snake and kills it without knowing, but God alone knows. A man goes on the road and robbers are in wait for him, and another comes and takes his place and he is delivered, and does not know the kindness that God has wrought with him or the miracle He has done on his behalf. God alone does it and knows it.’
אָמַר לְחַבְרַיָּיא, חַבְרַיָּיא מַה דְּשָׁאִילְנָא לְהָנֵי עַרְבָאֵי, דְּמִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי תָּדִיר בְּחַקְלֵי, אִי קָלָא דְּחַבְרַיָיא, דְּאִינּוּן מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא שָׁמְעוּ. דְּהָא רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ, וּשְׁאַר חַבְרַיָּיא, אַזְלִין לְקַמָּן, וְלָא יַדְעִין מִנָן, וְשָׁאִילְנָא לְהָנֵי עַרְבָאֵי עָלַיְיהוּ. דְּיָדַעְנָא דְּקַלֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן יַרְגִּיז חַקְלִין וְטוּרִין, וְאִינּוּן גָּלוּ לִי מַה דְּלָא יְדַעְנָא.
He then said to the Companions: ‘Companions, what I really wanted to leam from the Arabs who frequent this field was whether they have heard the voice of the Companions who study the Torah, for R. Simeon and R. Eleazar and the rest of the Companions are in front of us without knowing of us, and I was asking those Arabs about them, because I know that the voice of R. Simeon shakes the field and the rocks; they, however, have told me something I did not know.’
עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלִין, אִינּוּן עַרְבָאֵי אָהַדְרוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ, סָבָא סָבָא אַנְתְּ שָׁאִילְתָּא לָן מִן יוֹמִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְלָא שָׁאִילְתָּא עַל יוֹמָא דָּא, דַּחֲמֵינָא תַּוְּוהָא עַל תַּוְּוהָא, חֲמֵינָא חַמְשָׁא בְּנֵי נָשָׁא יַתְבִין, וְחַד סָבָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, וַחֲמֵינָא עוֹפֵי מִתְכַּנְּפֵי וְקָא פַּרְשִׂין גַּדְפִּין עַל רֵישַׁיְיהוּ, אִלֵּין אַזְלִין, וְאִלֵּין תָּבִין, וְטוּלָא לָא אִתְעֲבָר מֵעַל רֵישַׁיְיהוּ. וְהַהוּא סָבָא אָרִים קַלֵיהּ עָלַיְיהוּ, וְאִינּוּן שַׁמְעִין.
As they were going along the Arabs returned to him and said: ‘Old man, old man, you asked us concerning bygone days but not concerning this day in which we have seen wonder on wonder. We have seen five men sitting together and one old man among them, and we saw the birds collecting and spreading their wings over his head, some going and others coming, so that there was always a shade over their heads, and as the old man raised his voice they were listening.
אָמַר עַל דָּא שָׁאִילְנָא. עַרְבָאֵי עַרְבָאֵי תֶּהכוּן, וְאָרְחָא דָּא תְּהֵא מְתֻקָּנָא קַמַּיְיכוּ, בְּכָל מַה דְּתִבְעוּן. תְּרֵין מִלִּין אֲמַרְתּוּן לִי, דַּחֲדֵינָא בְּהוּ. אַזְלוּ. אָמְרוּ לו חַבְרַיָּיא, הַהוּא אֲתָר דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן שָׁארֵי בֵּיהּ, הֵיךְ אֲנָן יַדְעִין. אָמַר לוֹן שְׁבוֹקוּ לְמָארֵי פְּסִיעָן דִּבְעִירֵי, דְּהוּא יַדְרִיךְ פְּסִיעוֹי לְתַמָן. לָא הֲוִי טָעִין חֲמָרֵיהּ, וַחֲמָרֵיהּ סָאטֵי מֵאָרְחָא תְּרֵין מִלִּין, וְאָזַל לְתַמָן.
He said: ‘That was what I wanted to know; Arabs, Arabs, may you have all the good fortune on this journey that you desire. You have told me two things which have given me joy.’ They then proceeded on their way. Said the Companions to him: ‘How are we to find the place where R. Simeon is?’ He replied: ‘Leave it to the Master of the steps of my beast, who will guide its steps thither.’ He then gave the rein to his ass, which thereupon turned aside from the road two miles,
שָׁארֵי נָהִיק תְּלַת זִמְנִין, נָחַת רִבִּי פִּנְחָס, אָמַר לְחַבְרַיָּיא, נִתְתָּקַן לְקַבְּלָא סְבַר אַפֵּי יוֹמִין, דְּהַשְׁתָּא יִפְּקוּן לְגַבָּן אַנְפֵּי רַבְרְבֵי וְאַנְפֵּי זוּטְרֵי. שָׁמַע רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן נָהִיקוּ דַּחֲמָרָא, אָמַר לְחַבְרַיָּיא, נֵיקוּם דְּהָא קָלָא (דחדוה) דְּחַמְרָא דְּסָבָא חֲסִידָא אִתְּעַר לְגַבָּן. קָם רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְקָמוּ חַבְרַיָּיא.
after which it commenced to bray three times. R. Phineas dismounted and said: ‘Let us prepare ourselves to meet the presence of the day, for now great faces and small faces will come out to us.’ R. Simeon heard the braying of the ass and said to the Companions: ‘Let us rise, for the voice of the ass of the pious elder has reached us.’ R. Simeon thereupon rose and the Companions also.
פָּתַח רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר, (תהילים צ״ח:א׳) מִזְמוֹר שִׁירוּ לַיְיָ שִׁיר חָדָשׁ כִּי נִפְלָאוֹת עָשָׂה וְגוֹ'. מִזְמוֹר זָקִיף טַעֲמָא לְעֵילָּא. (שירה יתמא קרינן להאי) אֲמַאי. אֶלָּא רָשִׁים טַעֲמָא רַבָּא, דְּהָא אָתֵי הַהוּא מִזְמוֹר, מִתְעַטְּרָא בְּעִטְרָא עִלָּאָה לְעֵילָּא עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ וְאָתֵי זָקִיף. מַאן הֲוָה אָמַר שִׁירָה דָּא. אִינּוּן פָּרוֹת, בְּאִינּוּן גּוֹעִין דַּהֲווֹ גָּעָאן. (תהילים צ״ח:א׳) שִׁירוּ לַיְיָ שִׁיר חָדָשׁ. לְמַאן הֲווֹ אַמְרִין שִׁירוּ. לְכַמָּה רְתִיכִין, לְכַמָּה מְמָנָן, לְכַמָּה דַּרְגִּין, דַּהֲווֹ אָתָאן תַּמָּן וְנַפְקוּ לְקַבְּלָא לֵיהּ לַאֲרוֹנָא (סתם), וּלְהוֹן הֲווֹ אַמְרֵי.
R. Simeon cited the verse: “A psalm. O sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvellous things” (Ps. 97, 1). ‘The tonal accent on the word mizmor (psalm) here’, he said, ‘shows that this psalm has some special distinction. Who was it that uttered this song? It was the kine (that bore the ark from the house of Obed Edom) in their lowing. Whom did they call upon to “sing”? All the Chariots, all the Chieftains, all the grades (of angels) who had come thither to meet the Ark.