The man then proceeded: ‘Moses was separated by many degrees from all the other prophets, who bore the same relation to him as an ape to a human being. Other prophets beheld visions in a glass that did not illumine, and even so they did not venture to lift up their eyes and gaze above, but were like Daniel, who said, “I was fallen into a deep sleep on my face, and my face was upon the ground” (Dan. 10, 9); nor was their message given to them in clear terms.
Not so was Moses, the faithful prophet: he saw his vision in a luminous glass1T. B. Yebamoth, 49b. and still stood upright, and he dared to raise his head and gaze upwards, like one to whom his neighbour says: Lift up your head and look me in the face in order that you may know what I say. So Moses raised his head without fear and gazed at the brightness of the supernal glory without losing his senses like the other prophets, who when they prophesied were bereft of their faculties and became transformed and knew nothing at all of this world.
Not so Moses, for even while he was in that exalted grade he did not lose his faculties, and straightway after gazing on the brightness of the heavenly glory he “returned to the camp” to speak to them concerning all their requirements, and his mind was as clear as before, and more so. “His minister Joshua the son of Nun, a young man”, derived instruction from “the tent”,1The Shekinah. where he learnt to contemplate in the holy spirit.
So long as he was with Moses he used to learn and derive instruction from “the tent” without fear, but after Moses departed from him and he was left alone, then we read of him that “he fell on his face on the ground and did worship” (Joshua 5, 14), not being able to gaze even on the messenger of God; how much less so then on another place.
There was a man with whom a king entrusted vessels of gold and precious stones. As long as they were with him the man’s servant was able to handle them and examine them. When, however, the man died, the king would not leave anything with the servant and took back his deposit. Alas, exclaimed the servant, for what I have lost! When my master was alive I had the handling of all these.
So while Moses was alive Joshua used to suck every day from the “tent” without fear, but when Moses died, then Joshua “fell on his face”. So I, being in your company, will examine the words of the Torah and not be afraid. When, however, I leave you, I shall not be able to examine them by myself.
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וְדִבֶּר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים, בְּכַמָּה דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין וְיַקִּירִין, אִתְפְּרַשׁ מֹשֶׁה נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא, עַל כָּל שְׁאַר נְבִיאֵי דְּעָלְמָא. דְּהָא כֻּלְּהוּ לָקֳבְלֵיהּ, כְּקוֹף בִּפְנֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא. שְׁאַר נְבִיאֵי הֲווֹ מִסְתַּכְּלֵי בְּאַסְפָּקָלַרְיָא דְּלָא נָהִיר, וְעִם כָּל דָּא לָא הֲווֹ זַקְפָן אַנְפִּין לְעֵילָּא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, אֶלָּא כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (דניאל י׳:ט׳) וַאֲנִי הָיִיתִי נִרְדָּם עַל פָּנַי וּפָנַי אָרְצָה. וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּמִלִּין לָא הֲווֹ גַּבַּיְיהוּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא.
The man then proceeded: ‘Moses was separated by many degrees from all the other prophets, who bore the same relation to him as an ape to a human being. Other prophets beheld visions in a glass that did not illumine, and even so they did not venture to lift up their eyes and gaze above, but were like Daniel, who said, “I was fallen into a deep sleep on my face, and my face was upon the ground” (Dan. 10, 9); nor was their message given to them in clear terms.
וּמֹשֶׁה נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא לָאו הָכִי, דְּהוּא הֲוָה מִסְתָּכַּל בְּאַסְפָּקָלַרְיָא דְּנַהֲרָא, וְקָאִים בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְּהֲוָה זָקִיף רֵישָׁא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר לְחַבְרֵיהּ, זָקוֹף רֵישָׁךְ, וְיִסְתַּכְּלוּן אַנְפָּךְ בְּאַנְפִּי (באנפאי), בְּגִין דְּתִנְדַּע מִלֵּי. כַּךְ מֹשֶׁה, פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים זָקִיף רֵישָׁא, בְּלָא דְּחִילוּ, אַנְפּוֹי זַקְפָאן וּמִסְתְּכַּל בְּזִיו יְקָרָא עִלָּאָה, וְלָא אִשְׁתַּנֵי דַּעְתּוֹי וְאַנְפּוֹי, כִּשְׁאַר נְבִיאִין, דְּכַד הֲווֹ (מתנבאן) נַבְאָן (ס"א בעאן) לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, נַפְקָא מֵרְשׁוּתַיְיהוּ וּמִדַּעֲתַּיְיהוּ, וְאִשְׁתָּנֵי זִיו אַנְפַּיְיהוּ, וְלָא הֲווֹ יַדְעֵי מֵהַאי עָלְמָא כְּלוּם.
Not so was Moses, the faithful prophet: he saw his vision in a luminous glass1T. B. Yebamoth, 49b. and still stood upright, and he dared to raise his head and gaze upwards, like one to whom his neighbour says: Lift up your head and look me in the face in order that you may know what I say. So Moses raised his head without fear and gazed at the brightness of the supernal glory without losing his senses like the other prophets, who when they prophesied were bereft of their faculties and became transformed and knew nothing at all of this world.
וּמֹשֶׁה לָאו הָכִי, דְּמֹשֶׁה בְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה מַמָּשׁ הֲוָה מִסְתָּכַּל, וְלָא נָפַק מֵרְשׁוּתֵיהּ וּמִן דַּעְתֵּיהּ, דְּהָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּהֲוָה מִסְתָּכַּל בְּזִיו יְקָרָא עִלָּאָה, מִיַּד וְשָׁב אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה, לְמַלְּלָא עִמְּהוֹן בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיכָאן, וְדַעְתּוֹי מִתְיַשְּׁבָא בֵּיהּ כְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְיַתִּיר. וְדָא הוּא וְשָׁב אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה. וּמְשָׁרַתוֹ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן נַעַר, וַדַּאי דְּהֲוָה יָנִיק מִתּוֹךְ הָאֹהֶל, אוֹלִיף לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שמואל א ג׳:א׳) וְהַנַּעַר שְׁמוּאֵל מְשָׁרֵת אֶת יְיָ'.
Not so Moses, for even while he was in that exalted grade he did not lose his faculties, and straightway after gazing on the brightness of the heavenly glory he “returned to the camp” to speak to them concerning all their requirements, and his mind was as clear as before, and more so. “His minister Joshua the son of Nun, a young man”, derived instruction from “the tent”,1The Shekinah. where he learnt to contemplate in the holy spirit.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּהֲוָה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לְגַבֵּי דְּמֹשֶׁה, הֲוָה אוֹלִיף (ויניק) וְאָנִיק מִתּוֹךְ הָאוֹהֶל, וְלָא דָּחִיל. בָּתַר דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ מִמֹּשֶׁה, וַהֲוָה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, מַה כְּתִיב, (יהושע ה׳:י״ד) וַיִּפּוֹל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עַל פָּנָיו אַרְצָה וְיִשְׁתָּחוּ, דְּלָא הֲוָה יָכִיל לְאִסְתַּכָּל, וְהַאי מֵחַד שְׁלִיחָא, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן מֵאֲתָר אַחֲרָא.
So long as he was with Moses he used to learn and derive instruction from “the tent” without fear, but after Moses departed from him and he was left alone, then we read of him that “he fell on his face on the ground and did worship” (Joshua 5, 14), not being able to gaze even on the messenger of God; how much less so then on another place.
לְבַר נָשׁ, דְּאַפְקִיד מַלְכָּא גַּבֵּיהּ מָאנֵי דְּהָב וְאַבְנֵי יְקָר, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּמִשְׁתַּכַּח גַּבֵּיהּ, שַׁמָּשָׁא דְּבֵיתֵיהּ, אָחִיד בְּהוּ וְאִסְתְּכַּל בְּהוּ. כֵּיוָן דְּסָלִיק הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ מֵעָלְמָא, לָא שָׁבִיק מַלְכָּא לְגַבֵּי שַׁמָּשָׁא כְּלוּם, וְאָחִיד פִּקְדּוֹנָא דִּילֵיהּ. אָמַר הַהוּא שַׁמָּשָׁא, וַוי דְּאָבָדִית. בְּיוֹמוֹי דְּמָארִי, כָּל אִלֵּין הֲווֹ בִּידִי.
There was a man with whom a king entrusted vessels of gold and precious stones. As long as they were with him the man’s servant was able to handle them and examine them. When, however, the man died, the king would not leave anything with the servant and took back his deposit. Alas, exclaimed the servant, for what I have lost! When my master was alive I had the handling of all these.
כַּךְ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, בְּיוֹמוֹי דְּמֹשֶׁה הֲוָה יָנִיק בְּכָל יוֹמָא מִתּוֹךְ הָאֹהֶל, וְלָא דָּחִיל. בָּתַר דְּשָׁכִיב, וַיִּפּוֹל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עַל פָּנָיו. וַאֲנָא בְּגִין דַּאֲנָא שְׁכִיחַ בְּגַּוַויְיכוּ, אֶסְתָּכַּל בְּמִלֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא אֱהֵא דָּחִיל. בָּתַר דְּאֶתְפְּרַשׁ מִנַּיְיכוּ, וְלָא אִיכוּל לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בִּלְחוֹדָאי.
So while Moses was alive Joshua used to suck every day from the “tent” without fear, but when Moses died, then Joshua “fell on his face”. So I, being in your company, will examine the words of the Torah and not be afraid. When, however, I leave you, I shall not be able to examine them by myself.