R. Aha then discoursed on the verse: “Curse ye Meroz, saith the angel of the Lord”, etc. (Judges 5, 23). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘contains a profound mystery. When the Holy King handed over his house to the Matrona, he placed in her hands all kinds of weapons and engines of war, and put Her in command of all his warriors who are called “the mighty men of Israel, expert in war” (S.S. 3, 7-8); for when the Holy One, blessed be He, makes war, it is with these that He does so.
We have learnt that when the Israelites vowed to uncover the holy impress on their flesh,1At the time of circumcision. then that “sword that executeth the vengeance of the covenant” collected all its forces and armament to make war with Sisera, and the stars poured down fire from heaven, as it says, “The stars from their courses fought with Sisera” (Jud. 5, 20).
For God said to them: Be ready to execute the vengeance of my sons. I am going to exact a twofold vengeance from the enemy, once for the six hundred chariots which he lent the Egyptians to make war against Israel, and again for their oppression of my sons till now. Therefore they were judged with two punishments, one of fire and one of water.
Among the stars was one which did not come to assist in the work of vengeance, and it was cursed for ever, so that when it commences to shine the other stars come and swallow it up with all its attendant stars, and they all vanish. Hence it says, “Curse ye Meroz, saith the angel of the Lord”. It may be asked, Has an angel the right to say this? This, however, is the one of whom it is written, “And the angel of the Lord that went before the camp of Israel removed”, etc. (Ex. 14, 19), for to him belong all wars, and this is also the one whom Jacob called “The angel that delivered me” (Gen. 48, 16).
This one, too, will be supreme and glorious in the time to come, and through him the Holy Name will be magnified, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will take vengeance of the peoples.’ They went on until they came to R. Simeon, who on seeing them said: ‘Behold, the Shekinah is here; of a truth we must show gratitude to the Shekinah.’
פָּתַח רִבִּי אֲחָא וְאָמַר (שופטים ה׳:כ״ג) אוֹרוּ מֵרוֹז אָמַר מַלְאַךְ יְיָ' וְגוֹ'. תָּא חֲזֵי, הַאי קְרָא רָזָא הוּא בְּרָזִין עִלָּאִין. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא מָסַר בֵּיתֵיהּ בִּידָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא כָּל זַיְינִין וְרוּמְחִין וּבַלֵיסְטְרָאוֹת דִּילֵיהּ אַפְקִיד בִּידָהָא, וְכָל אִינּוּן מַגִיחֵי קְרָבָא דִּילֵיהּ אַפְקִיד עִמָּהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שיר השירים ג׳:ז׳) הִנֵּה מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹה שִׁשִּׁים גִּבּוֹרִים סָבִיב לָהּ מִגִּבּוֹרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, וְכַד אֲגַח קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קְרָבָא, בְּאִינּוּן גִּבּוֹרִין מַגִיחֵי קְרָבָא דְּקָאָמַרָן אַגָח, וְאִינּוּן אִקְרוּן מְלוּמְּדֵי מִלְחָמָה.
R. Aha then discoursed on the verse: “Curse ye Meroz, saith the angel of the Lord”, etc. (Judges 5, 23). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘contains a profound mystery. When the Holy King handed over his house to the Matrona, he placed in her hands all kinds of weapons and engines of war, and put Her in command of all his warriors who are called “the mighty men of Israel, expert in war” (S.S. 3, 7-8); for when the Holy One, blessed be He, makes war, it is with these that He does so.
כְּתִיב (שופטים ה׳:כ׳) מִן שָׁמַיִם נִלְחָמוּ הַכּוֹכָבִים מִמְּסִלּוֹתָם נִלְחֲמוּ עִם סִיסְרָא וְגוֹ'. וּתְנָן, בְּהַאי שַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְנְדִיבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְגַלָּאָה רְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא בִּבְשָׂרֵהוֹן, כְּדֵין הַאי חֶרֶב נוֹקֶמֶת נְקַם בְּרִית, כָּנַשׁ כָּל חֵילָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְכָל זַיְינִין, וְכָל אִינּוּן מַגִיחֵי קְרָבָא, לְאַגָּחָא קְרָבָא עִמֵּיהּ (נ"א דסיהרא) דְּסִיסְרָא. וְכוֹכָבַיָּיא הֲווֹ אוֹשְׁדִין נוּרָא מִלְעֵילָּא. וְאָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כָּל כּוֹכָב וְכוֹכָב אִית לֵיהּ שְׁמָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וְכֻלְּהוּ בִּשְׁמָהָן אִקְרוּן.
We have learnt that when the Israelites vowed to uncover the holy impress on their flesh,1At the time of circumcision. then that “sword that executeth the vengeance of the covenant” collected all its forces and armament to make war with Sisera, and the stars poured down fire from heaven, as it says, “The stars from their courses fought with Sisera” (Jud. 5, 20).
אָמַר לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אִתְעַתְּדוּ לְנַקְמָא נוּקְמָא דְּבָנַי. תְּרֵי נוּקְמֵי אֲנָא זַמִּין לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִנַּיְיהוּ. חַד נוּקְמָא דְּשִׁית מְאָה רְתִיכִין דְּאוֹזִיף לֵיהּ לְרַבְרְבָא דְּמִצְרָאֵי, בְּגִין לְאַגָחָא קְרָבָא בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות י״ד:ז׳) וַיִּקַּח שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב בָּחוּר וְכֹל רֶכֶב מִצְרָיִם. וְחַד נוּקְמָא דְּבָנַי, דְּעָאקוּ לְהוּ עַד הַשְׁתָּא. וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִתְדָּנוּ בִּתְרֵין דִּינִין, חַד בְּמַיָּיא, וְחַד בְּאֶשָּׁא. בְּמַיָּיא, דִּכְתִּיב, (שופטים ה׳:כ״א) נַחַל קִישׁוֹן גְּרָפָם. בְּאֶשָּׁא, דִּכְתִּיב הַכּוֹכָבִים מִמְּסִלּוֹתָם.
For God said to them: Be ready to execute the vengeance of my sons. I am going to exact a twofold vengeance from the enemy, once for the six hundred chariots which he lent the Egyptians to make war against Israel, and again for their oppression of my sons till now. Therefore they were judged with two punishments, one of fire and one of water.
וּבְאִינּוּן כֹּכָבַיָיא, אִית כֹּכָבָא חַד דְּלָא אָתָא לְהַהוּא נוּקְמָא, וְאִתְלַטְּיָּא לְעָלְמִין, דְּכַד שָׁארֵי לְאַנְהָרָא, אָתָאן שְׁאַר כֹּכָבַיָיא וּבַלְעִין לֵיהּ, וּלְכָל סִיעָתָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְאִתְאֲבִידוּ כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, אוֹרוּ מֵרוֹז אָמַר מַלְאַךְ יְיָ'. וְכִי רְשׁוּת אִית לְמַלְאָכָא בְּהַאי. אֶלָּא דָּא הוּא מַלְאָךְ, דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ (שמות י״ד:י״ט) וַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים הַהוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵי מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְדָא הוּא דְּכָל קְרָבִין דִּילֵיהּ אִינּוּן.
Among the stars was one which did not come to assist in the work of vengeance, and it was cursed for ever, so that when it commences to shine the other stars come and swallow it up with all its attendant stars, and they all vanish. Hence it says, “Curse ye Meroz, saith the angel of the Lord”. It may be asked, Has an angel the right to say this? This, however, is the one of whom it is written, “And the angel of the Lord that went before the camp of Israel removed”, etc. (Ex. 14, 19), for to him belong all wars, and this is also the one whom Jacob called “The angel that delivered me” (Gen. 48, 16).
כִּי לֹא בָאוּ לְעֶזְרַת יְיָ', כַּד נַפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם. לְעֶזְרַת יְיָ' בַּגִּבּוֹרִים, בְּאִינּוּן שִׁשִּׁים גִּבּוֹרִים כַּד אִזְדְּמָנוּ קְרָבָא עִם סִיסְרָא. וְדָא מַלְאָךְ, רָזָא דְּכָל דִּינִין וְכָל קְרָבִין דְּמַלְכָּא בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא אָמַר, מַלְאַךְ יְיָ'. וְדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית מ״ח:ט״ז) הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי וְגוֹ', וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּא. וְדָא זְמִינָא לְמֶהֱוֵי עִלָּאָה וְיַקִּירָא לְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי. וּבְדָא יִתְרַבֵּי שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. וּבְדָא זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מֵעַמִּין עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (יחזקאל ל״ח:כ״ג) וְהִתְגַּדִּלְתִּי וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתִּי וְגוֹ'. אַזְלוּ, עַד דְּמָטוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לוֹן, אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הָא שְׁכִינְתָּא הָכָא. וַדַּאי צְרִיכִין אֲנָן לְמֶחְזָק טִיבוּ לְאַנְפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא.
This one, too, will be supreme and glorious in the time to come, and through him the Holy Name will be magnified, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will take vengeance of the peoples.’ They went on until they came to R. Simeon, who on seeing them said: ‘Behold, the Shekinah is here; of a truth we must show gratitude to the Shekinah.’