THOU HAST BEGUN TO SHOW THY SERVANT. Why is “beginning” mentioned here? Because Moses indeed made a new beginning in the world by being complete in all. It is true that Jacob was also complete and in him the tree was completed below after the pattern above. Yet there was that in Moses which was not in any other man, since his perfection radiated to many thousands and myriads of Israel in the Tabernacle, the priests, the Levites, the twelve tribes with their chieftains, the seventy members of the Sanhedrin- in fact, with the perfect body, Aaron being at the right, Nahshon at the left, he himself in the centre,
as it says here “thy greatness”, referring to Aaron, and “thy strong hand”, referring to Nahshon. Thus Moses was a new beginning in the world. And if you ask, Who is the termination? the answer is, the King Messiah, for then there shall be such perfection in the world as had not been for all generations before. For then there shall be completeness above and below, and all worlds shall be united in one bond, as it is written, “On that day the Lord shall be one and his name one” (Zech. 14, 9).’
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO ME, LET IT SUFFICE THEE, SPEAK NO MORE, ETC. R. Hiya said: ‘God said to Moses, It is enough for thee that thou hast been united with the Shekinah; thou canst advance no further.’ R. Isaac said: ‘Long enough hast thou enjoyed the light of the sun that was with thee; thou canst not do so any more, for the time of the moon is come, and the moon cannot shine till the sun is gathered in. Therefore “Charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him”; thou who art the sun must give light to the moon.’1v. T. B. Baba Bathra, 75a.
BUT YE THAT DID CLEAVE UNTO THE LORD YOUR GOD, ETC. R. Jose said: ‘Happy is the people whom God chose from all the heathens and took for His portion and blessed with His own blessing, the blessing of His Name.
All other peoples God has placed under the charge of Chieftains who have control of them, but Israel the Holy One, blessed be He, has taken for His own portion to be united to Him, and He has given them His holy Law that they may be joined to His Name.’
(דברים ג׳:כ״ד) אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹתָ לְהַרְאוֹת אֶת עַבְדְּךָ. מַאי שֵׁירוּתָא הָכָא. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי מֹשֶׁה שֵׁירוּתָא הֲוָה בְּעָלְמָא, לְמֶהֱוֵי שְׁלִים בְּכֹלָּא. וְאִי תֵּימָא יַעֲקֹב שְׁלִים הֲוָה, וְאִילָנָא אִשְׁתְּלִים לְתַתָּא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, אֲבָל מַה דְּהֲוָה לְמֹשֶׁה, לָא הֲוָה לְבַּר נָשׁ אַחֲרָא, דְּהָא אִתְעֲטָּר בִּשְׁלִימוּ יַתִּיר, בְּכַמָּה אֶלֶף וְרִבְּבָן מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּמַשְׁכְּנָא, בְּכֹהַנִין, בְּלֵיוָאֵי, בִּתְרֵיסַר שְׁבָטִין, רַבְרְבִין מְמָנָן עָלַיְיהוּ, בְּשִׁבְעִין סַנְהֶדְרִין. הוּא אִשְׁתְּלִים בְּגוּפָא שְׁלִים. אַהֲרֹן לִימִינָא, נַחְשׁוֹן לִשְׂמָאלָא, הוּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ.
THOU HAST BEGUN TO SHOW THY SERVANT. Why is “beginning” mentioned here? Because Moses indeed made a new beginning in the world by being complete in all. It is true that Jacob was also complete and in him the tree was completed below after the pattern above. Yet there was that in Moses which was not in any other man, since his perfection radiated to many thousands and myriads of Israel in the Tabernacle, the priests, the Levites, the twelve tribes with their chieftains, the seventy members of the Sanhedrin- in fact, with the perfect body, Aaron being at the right, Nahshon at the left, he himself in the centre,
בְּגִין כַּךְ אֶת גָּדְלְךָ, מִימִינָא, דָּא אַהֲרֹן. וְאֶת יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה, מִשְּׂמָאלָא, דָּא נַחְשׁוֹן. וְהָא אִתְּמַר. בְּגִין כָּךְ מֹשֶׁה שֵׁירוּתָא בְּעָלְמָא הֲוָה. וְאִי תֵּימָא מַאן הֲוָה סִיּוּמָא (דהא משה שירותא הוה). סִיּוּמָא מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא הוּא, דְּהָא כְּדֵין יִשְׁתְּכַּח שְׁלִימוּ בְּעָלְמָא, מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה כֵּן לְדָרֵי דָּרִין. בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח שְׁלִימוּ לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, וְיֵהוֹן עָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּזִוּוּגָא חַד, כְּדֵין כְּתִיב (זכריה י״ד:ט׳) בַּיוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה יְיָ' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד.
as it says here “thy greatness”, referring to Aaron, and “thy strong hand”, referring to Nahshon. Thus Moses was a new beginning in the world. And if you ask, Who is the termination? the answer is, the King Messiah, for then there shall be such perfection in the world as had not been for all generations before. For then there shall be completeness above and below, and all worlds shall be united in one bond, as it is written, “On that day the Lord shall be one and his name one” (Zech. 14, 9).’
(דברים ד') וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ' אֵלַי רַב לָךְ אַל תּוֹסֶף וְגוֹ'. אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, מֹשֶׁה, רַב לָךְ דְּאִזְדַּוְּוגַת בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה אַל תּוֹסֶף, רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, רַב לָךְ בִּנְהִירוּ דְּשִׁמְשָׁא דְּהֲוָה גַּבָּךְ, אַל תּוֹסֶף, דְּהָא זִמְנָא דְּסִיהֲרָא מָטָא, וְסִיהֲרָא לָא יָכִיל לְאַנְהָרָא, עַד דְּיִתְכְּנִישׁ שִׁמְשָׁא. אֲבָל וְצַו אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְחַזְּקֵהוּ וְאַמְּצֵהוּ. אַנְתְּ דְּהוּא שִׁמְשָׁא, בָּעֵי לְאַנְהָרָא לְסִיהֲרָא, וְהָא אִתְּמַר.
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO ME, LET IT SUFFICE THEE, SPEAK NO MORE, ETC. R. Hiya said: ‘God said to Moses, It is enough for thee that thou hast been united with the Shekinah; thou canst advance no further.’ R. Isaac said: ‘Long enough hast thou enjoyed the light of the sun that was with thee; thou canst not do so any more, for the time of the moon is come, and the moon cannot shine till the sun is gathered in. Therefore “Charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him”; thou who art the sun must give light to the moon.’1v. T. B. Baba Bathra, 75a.
(דברים ד׳:ד׳) וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְגוֹ'. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר (תהילים קמ״ד:ט״ו) אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם שֶׁכָּכָה לוֹ וְגוֹ'. זַכָּאָה עַמָּא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּחַר בְּהוּ מִכָּל עַמִּין עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, וְסָלִיק לוֹן לְעַדְבֵיהּ, וּבָרִיךְ לוֹן בְּבִרְכָתָא דִּילֵיהּ בְּבִרְכָתָא דִּשְׁמֵיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו ס״א:ט׳) כִּי הֵם זֶרַע בֵּרַךְ יְיָ', בֵּרַךְ יְיָ' מַמָּשׁ.
BUT YE THAT DID CLEAVE UNTO THE LORD YOUR GOD, ETC. R. Jose said: ‘Happy is the people whom God chose from all the heathens and took for His portion and blessed with His own blessing, the blessing of His Name.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל שְׁאַר עַמִּין דְּעָלְמָא, יָהַב לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְרַבְרְבֵי מְמָנָן, דְּשַׁלְטִין עָלַיְיהוּ. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אָחִיד לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעַדְבֵיהּ, לְחוּלָקֵיהּ, לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בֵּיהּ מַמָּשׁ. וְיָהִיב לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּגִין לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בִּשְׁמֵיהּ, וְעַל דָּא וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ', וְלָא בִּמְמָנָא אַחֲרָא כִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין, וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ בְּכַמָּה אֲתָר.
All other peoples God has placed under the charge of Chieftains who have control of them, but Israel the Holy One, blessed be He, has taken for His own portion to be united to Him, and He has given them His holy Law that they may be joined to His Name.’