He then discoursed on the verse: “Lo, it is yet high day”, etc. (Gen. 29, 7). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘has been expounded to signify that when Israel shall turn in repentance before the Holy One, blessed be He, through the merit of the Torah they shall return to the Holy Land and be gathered from exile. For the captivity of Israel is only one day and no more.
If, therefore, they do not repent, God says: Behold it is still high day, it is not time that the cattle should be gathered together- without merits or good deeds to their credit. You have, however, a remedy: “Water the sheep”: study the Torah and drink of its waters, “and go and feed” in a restful spot, the desirable place of your inheritance. Or, again, we may take the “day” mentioned here to refer to the “day of discomfiture, of treading down, and of perplexity” (Isa. 22, 5), when the Temple was destroyed and Israel went into captivity, and on account of their evil deeds that day is prolonged and drawn out. Therefore “water the sheep”, as we have explained, with words of the Torah, for through the merit of the Torah Israel will escape from captivity.
What do Israel reply? “We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together”, that is, until the other supernal Days be gathered together, “so that they may roll the stone”, roll away the stern judgement of that Day which commands the mouth of the “Well” that is in captivity with us. When that Well is released and the stone will no longer dominate it, then “we shall water the sheep”.
At the end of days God will restore Israel to the Holy Land and gather them from exile. This “end of days” is the “latter end of days” frequently mentioned in Scripture, which is also a name for the Community of Israel in exile. With this the Holy One, blessed be He, will execute vengeance, and He will also restore it to its place, as it is written, “And it shall come to pass in the latter end of days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established”, etc. (Isa. 2, 2).
Just as when the Temple was destroyed the shadows commenced to fall, as it is written, “Woe unto us for the day declineth, for the shadows of evening are stretched out” (Jer. 6, 4), so at the end of the captivity the shadows will commence to pass. The extent of that shadow will be six fists and a half, measured by the hand of a man who is a man among men. The mnemonic for this mystery among the Companions is the verse, “For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, because our days upon earth are but a shadow” (Job 8, 9): that is to say: We are but from yesterday in captivity, and we did not know that the shadow is for God to settle us upon the land.
Happy he that sees it and happy he that does not see it. Woe to him who will be at hand when the mighty lion seeks to join his mate, still more when they actually do join. Of that time it is written, “The lion roareth, who will not fear”, etc. (Amos. 3, 8). Of that time it is also written, “And the Lord God will turn thy captivity”, etc. (Deut. 30, 3): the Community of Israel will return from exile and the Zaddik will return to occupy his place.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר (בראשית כ״ט:ז׳) הֵן עוֹד הַיּוֹם גָּדוֹל וְגוֹ'. הַאי קְרָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, דְּכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל יִתְּעֲרוּן תְּשׁוּבָה לְקָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בִּזְכוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא יְתוּבוּן לְאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְיִתְכַּנְּשׁוּן מִן גָּלוּתָא. דְּהָא וַדַּאי יוֹמָא חַד יְהֵא גָּלוּתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלָא יַתִּיר. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (איכה א׳:י״ג) נְתָנַנִי שׁוֹמֵמָה כָּל הַיּוֹם דָּוָה. וְאִי לָא יְתוּבוּן, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר, הֵן עוֹד הַיּוֹם גָּדוֹל לֹא עֵת הֵאָסֵף הַמִּקְנֶה, בְּלָא זְכוּ וּבְלָא עוֹבָדִין דְּכַשְׁרָן. אֲבָל אַסְוָתָא חַד לְכוּ, הַשְׁקוּ הַצֹאן, אִשְׁתְּדָּלוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִתְשַׁקְייוּ מֵימֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא. וּלְכוּ רְעוּ, לַאֲתָר דְּנַיְיחָא לַאֲתָר טָבָא וְכִסּוּפָא דְּאַחֲסַנְתֵּיכוֹן.
He then discoursed on the verse: “Lo, it is yet high day”, etc. (Gen. 29, 7). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘has been expounded to signify that when Israel shall turn in repentance before the Holy One, blessed be He, through the merit of the Torah they shall return to the Holy Land and be gathered from exile. For the captivity of Israel is only one day and no more.
דָּבָר אַחֵר הֵן עוֹד הַיּוֹם גָּדוֹל, דָּא הוּא יוֹם דְּאִקְרֵי (ישעיהו כ״ב:ה׳) יוֹם מְהוּמָה וּמְבוּסָה וּמְבוּכָה, דִּי בְּהַהוּא יוֹם אִתְחֲרִיב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, וְנָפְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא. וּבְגִין עוֹבָדִין בִּישִׁין, הַהוּא יוֹמָא אִתְמְשַׁךְ וְאִתְרְבֵּי, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב הֵן עוֹד הַיּוֹם גָּדוֹל לֹא עֵת הֵאָסֵף הַמִּקְנֶה, בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן מַשְׁכִין לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא יוֹמָא. הַשְׁקוּ הַצֹּאן, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר בְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּהָא בִּזְכוּתָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יִפְּקוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן גָּלוּתָא.
If, therefore, they do not repent, God says: Behold it is still high day, it is not time that the cattle should be gathered together- without merits or good deeds to their credit. You have, however, a remedy: “Water the sheep”: study the Torah and drink of its waters, “and go and feed” in a restful spot, the desirable place of your inheritance. Or, again, we may take the “day” mentioned here to refer to the “day of discomfiture, of treading down, and of perplexity” (Isa. 22, 5), when the Temple was destroyed and Israel went into captivity, and on account of their evil deeds that day is prolonged and drawn out. Therefore “water the sheep”, as we have explained, with words of the Torah, for through the merit of the Torah Israel will escape from captivity.
יִשְׂרָאֵל מַאי קָא אַמְרֵי. וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא נוּכַל עַד אֲשֶׁר יֵאָסְפוּ כָּל הָעֲדָרִים, עַד דְּיִתְכַּנְּשׁוּ כָּל שְׁאַר יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין. וְגָלְלוּ אֶת הָאֶבֶן, וְיִגַּנְדְּרוּן לְהַהוּא דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא דְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּשַׁלְטָא עַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר, וְאִשְׁתְּכָחַת הַהִיא בְּאֵ"ר בְּגָלוּתָא עִמָּנָא. וְכַד אִתְגַּלְיָיא הַאי בְּאֵ"ר, וְהַהוּא אֶבֶן לָא שַׁלְטָא עָלָהּ, מִיַּד וְהִשְׁקִינוּ הַצֹּאן.
What do Israel reply? “We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together”, that is, until the other supernal Days be gathered together, “so that they may roll the stone”, roll away the stern judgement of that Day which commands the mouth of the “Well” that is in captivity with us. When that Well is released and the stone will no longer dominate it, then “we shall water the sheep”.
וְזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּסוֹף יוֹמַיָּיא, לְאָהַדְרָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּלְאַכְנְשָׁא לוֹן מִגָּלוּתָא. וּמַאן אִינּוּן סוֹף יוֹמַיָּיא, הַהוּא דְּהִיא אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים. בְּהַאי אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, יִשְׂרָאֵל סַבְלוּ גָּלוּתָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (דברים ד׳:ל׳) בַּצַּר לְךָ וּמְצָאוּךָ כֹּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, וּכְתִיב (דברים ל״א:כ״ט) וְקָרָאת אֶתְכֶם הָרָעָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים. בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים דַּיְיקָא, וְדָא הִיא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא. וְעִם אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים דָּא, קַבִּילוּ עוֹנְשָׁא בְּגָלוּתָא. וּבְדָא יַעְבִּיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נוּקְמִין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל תְּדִירָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (במדבר כ״ד:י״ד) אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָעָם הַזֶּה לְעַמְּךָ בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים. וּבְכָל אֲתָר דָּא הִיא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא זַמִּין לְאָתָבָא לָהּ לְאַתְרָהָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו ב׳:ב׳) וְהָיָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים נָכוֹן יִהְיֶה הַר בֵּית יְיָ' וְגוֹ' וְדָא הוּא יוֹם.
At the end of days God will restore Israel to the Holy Land and gather them from exile. This “end of days” is the “latter end of days” frequently mentioned in Scripture, which is also a name for the Community of Israel in exile. With this the Holy One, blessed be He, will execute vengeance, and He will also restore it to its place, as it is written, “And it shall come to pass in the latter end of days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established”, etc. (Isa. 2, 2).
וּמִדְּשָׁארֵי צֵל לְמֶעְבַּד בְּשֵׁירוּתָא דְּיוֹמָא אָחֳרָא, כְּמָה בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִתְחֲרִיב מַקְדְּשָׁא הֲוָה, וְנָטָה צֵל לְמֵיעַל. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ירמיהו ו׳:ד׳) אוֹי לָנוּ כִּי פָּנָה הַיּוֹם כִּי יִנָּטוּ צִלְלֵי עָרֶב. יוֹם וְצֵל, הוּא סוֹף גָּלוּתָא. וְשִׁיעוּרָא דְּהַאי צֵל, שִׁית קְמָצִין וּפַלְגָּא. וּבְגוּדָל דְּמִשְׁחָא דְּבַר נָשׁ, גְּבַר בֵּין גּוּבְרִין. וְדוּכְרָנָא דְּהַאי רָזָא דְּבֵין חַבְרַיָּיא, דִּכְתִּיב, (איוב ח׳:ט׳) כִּי תְמוֹל אֲנַחְנוּ וְלֹא נֵדָע כִּי צֵל יָמֵינוּ עֲלֵי אָרֶץ. כִּי תְמוֹל אֲנַחְנוּ בְּגָלוּתָא, וְלָא הֲוֵינָא יַדְעֵי כִּי צֵל יָמֵינוּ עֲלֵי אָרֶץ, לְאַשְׁרָאָה לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עֲלֵי אָרֶץ.
Just as when the Temple was destroyed the shadows commenced to fall, as it is written, “Woe unto us for the day declineth, for the shadows of evening are stretched out” (Jer. 6, 4), so at the end of the captivity the shadows will commence to pass. The extent of that shadow will be six fists and a half, measured by the hand of a man who is a man among men. The mnemonic for this mystery among the Companions is the verse, “For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, because our days upon earth are but a shadow” (Job 8, 9): that is to say: We are but from yesterday in captivity, and we did not know that the shadow is for God to settle us upon the land.
זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ מַאן דְּחָמֵי לֵיהּ, וְזַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ מַאן דְּלָא חָמֵי לֵיהּ. וַוי לְמַאן דְּיִזְדָּמַן כַּד יִתְבַּע אַרְיָא רַבְרְבָא, לְאִתְחַבְּרָא לְנוּקְבֵיהּ. כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּיִזְדַּוְּוגֻן כַּחֲדָא, עַל הַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא כְּתִיב, (עמוס ג׳:ח׳) אַרְיֵה שָׁאָג מִי לֹא יִירָא וְגוֹ'.
Happy he that sees it and happy he that does not see it. Woe to him who will be at hand when the mighty lion seeks to join his mate, still more when they actually do join. Of that time it is written, “The lion roareth, who will not fear”, etc. (Amos. 3, 8). Of that time it is also written, “And the Lord God will turn thy captivity”, etc. (Deut. 30, 3): the Community of Israel will return from exile and the Zaddik will return to occupy his place.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּקַדְמִיתָא כְּתִיב, (ירמיהו כ״ה:ל׳) שָׁאֹג יִשְׁאַג עַל נָוֵהוּ. וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא כַּד יִפּוּק לְקַבְּלָא לְבַת זוּגוֹ, כְּדֵין אַרְיֵה שָׁאָג מִי לֹא יִירָא יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים דִּבֶּר מִי לֹא יִנָּבֵא. בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא כְּתִיב, (דברים ל׳:ג׳) וְשָׁב יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְגוֹ'. וְשָׁב מַאי הוּא, אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁב כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִגָּלוּתָא, וְשָׁב צַדִּיק לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ. כְּדֵין כְּתִיב, (תהילים ק״מ:י״ד) אַךְ צַדִּיקִים יוֹדוּ לִשְׁמֶךָ יֵשְׁבוּ יְשָׁרִים אֶת פָּנֶיךָ.