AND MELCHIZEDEK KING OF SALEM BROUGHT FORTH BREAD AND WINE. R. Simeon adduced here the text “In Salem also is his tabernacle” (Ps. 76, 3). He said: ‘When God decided to create the world, He first produced a flame of a scintillating lamp. He blew spark against spark, causing darkness and fire, and produced from the recesses of the abyss a certain drop which He joined with the flame, and from the two He created the world.
The flame ascended and encircled itself with the Left, and the drop ascended and encircled itself with the Right. They then crossed and changed places, going up and down alternately until they were closely interlocked,
and there issued from between them a full wind. Then those two sides were made one, and the wind was set between them and they were entwined with one another, and so there was harmony above and harmony below; the grade was firmly established,
4
אִתְעַטְּרַת ה"א בְּוא"ו וָא"ו בְּה"א, כְּדֵין סַלְקָא ה"א וְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּקִשּׁוּרָא שְׁלִים. כְּדֵין וּמַלְכִּי צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם. מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם וַדַּאי מֶלֶךְ אִיהוּ דְּשַׁלִּיט בִּשְׁלִימוּ, אֵימָתַי אִיהוּ מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם בְּיוֹמָא דְכִפּוּרֵי דְּכָל אַנְפִּין נְהִירִין. (דבר אחר מלכי צדק מלך שלם, אמר רבי שמעון בעא קודשא בריך הוא למיפק כהונתא משם כמא דאת אמר ברוך אברם לאל עליון, כיון דאקדים ברכתא דאברהם לברכתא דמריה, אמרז ליה אברהם וכי מקדימין ברכתא דעבדא לברכתא דמריה, מיד אתיהיבת כהונתא לאברהם דכתיב, (תהילים ק״י:א׳) נאם יי לאדני שב לימיני. וכתיב בתריה נשבע יי ולא ינחם אתה כהן לעולם על דברתי מלכי צדק, דכתיב והוא כהן לאל עליון, ואין זרעו כהן)
the letter he was crowned with Vau and Vau with he, and so he ascended and was joined in a perfect bond. This is alluded to in the words “Melchizedek (lit. king of righteousness) king of Salem” (lit. completeness), i.e. the king who rules with complete sovereignty. When is he completely king? On the Day of Atonement, when all faces are illumined.
According to another explanation, “Melchizedek” alludes to the lower world, and “king of Salem” to the upper world; and the verse indicates that both are intertwined inseparably, two worlds like one, so that the lower world also is the whole, and the whole is one. “Brought forth bread and wine”: signifying that both of these are in it. AND HE WAS PRIEST OF GOD MOST HIGH: i.e. one world ministers to the other. “Priest” refers to the Right, and “Most High God,’ to the upper world; and hence a priest is required to bless the world.
For this lower world receives blessings when it is associated with a High Priest; hence there is a special force in the words “and he blessed him and said, Blessed is Abram to the Most High God”. After this model it behoves the priest on earth to intertwine his fingers when blessing in the synagogue in order that he may be linked with the Right and that the two worlds may be linked together.
BLESSED IS ABRAM. The words of the text are a prototype of the formula of blessing (used by the Israclites). “Blessed is Abram” (in the sense we have given to it) corresponds to “blessed art Thou “. “To the Most High God” corresponds to “O Lord our God”. “Possessor of heaven and earth” corresponds to “king of the universe. Further, AND HE BLESSED HIM indicates the course of blessing from below to above; BLESSED IS THE MOST HIGH GOD indicates from above to below. AND HE GAVE HIM A TENTH OF ALL: so that he should cleave to the place where the link was formed with the lower world.’
As they were going along they came across R. Yesa and a certain Judean with him who was explaining the text “To David: Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul” (Ps. 25, 1). He said: ‘Why is the inscription of this psalm simply “to David” and not “A Psalm of David”?
It is because the real meaning is “for the sake of David”, i.e. of his grade. “Unto thee, O Lord”, i.e. upward-striving; “my soul”, i.e. David himself, his original grade; “I lift up”: to wit, I cause to ascend, since David was ever striving to rise to a higher grade and to link himself to it firmly.
Similarly it was for the sake of his grade that David uttered the words “To David: Bless the Lord, O my soul” (where the word eth indicates his desire to be linked above) “and all that is within me bless his holy name” (Ps. 103, 1), referring to the “beasts of the field” which are called “inwards”.’
Said R. Eleazar to R. Yesa, ‘I see that you have come in company with the Shekinah.’ He said, “Assuredly it is so. I have been walking with him three parasangs, and he has told me ever so many excellent things. I hired him as a porter, not knowing that he was the shining light which I have discovered him to be.’
R. Eleazar then said to the man, ‘What is your name?’ He said: ‘Joezer’. Whereupon he said: ‘Let Joezer and Eleazar sit together.’ So they sat down on a rock in that field. The Judean then commenced to discourse on the text I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, for mine own sake, and thy sins I will not remember (Is. 43, 25). He said: ‘The word “I” occurs here twice:
He said: ‘The word “I” occurs here twice: once in reference to Sinai (cf. “I am the Lord thy God”, Ex. 20, 2), and the other in reference to the creation of the world (cf. “I have made the earth and created man upon it”, Is. 45, 12), to show that there is no division between the upper and lower worlds.
“That blotteth out thy transgressions”: not merely removing them, so that they shall never be seen more. “For mine own sake”: i.e. for the sake of the mercy which I dispense, as it is written, “For the Lord thy God is a merciful God” (Deut. 4, 31).
Another explanation of the words”that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake” is as follows. Sinners in this world impair the influence of the upper world, for when they sin, mercy and the supernal light depart, and the stream of blessing does not descend to this world, and this grade (of mercy) does not take up the blessings from above in order to convey them to the lower world. Hence God acts “for His own sake”, in order that the stream of blessing should not be withheld.
See now, in this way, when there are righteous men in the world, blessings are sent to all worlds. When Abram came, blessings were sent to the world, as it is written, “And I shall bless thee, and be thou a blessing, i.e. that blessing should be found both above and below for his sake.
When Isaac came he taught the world that there is a judge executing judgement above to punish the wicked, and he invoked justice upon the world in order that its inhabitants might fear God. When Jacob came he obtained mercy for the world and perfected men’s faith in God.
Hence in the days of Abram MELCHIZEDEK KING OF SALEM (salem=completeness), i.e. God whose throne was then established in its place and whose sovereignty therefore became complete, BROUGHT OUT BREAD AND WINE, i.e. produced the appropriate food for the whole world, and did not withhold blessing from all the worlds; from the upper grades He brought forth food and blessings for all the worlds.
AND HE WAS A PRIEST TO THE MOST HIGH GOD, the whole thus being in the most perfect order; to show that as the wicked upset the world and cause blessing to be withheld, so the righteous bring blessing to the world and for their sakes all its inhabitants are blessed.
AND HE GAVE HIM A TENTH OF ALL, to wit, of those blessings which issue from “all”, the source of all the blessings which descend upon the world. According to another explanation, God gave Abram a tenth, namely, the grade1Malkuth. in which all the sources of faith and blessing are established, and which is the tenth, one out of ten and ten out of a hundred; and from this point onwards Abram was fully confirmed from above.’
Said R. Eleazar to him: ‘What you say is right.’ R. Eleazar further asked him what his business was. He said: ‘I was a teacher of children in my town till R. Jose came, when they left me and went to him. Nevertheless the townsfolk used to pay me my salary as before. Not wishing, however, to take money for nothing, I entered into the service of this Sage.’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘This is a case where my father’s blessings are required.’
They went to R. Simeon, and the Judean used to study all day before him. One day he was studying the subject of washing the hands, and said: ‘Whoever does not wash his hands as required, although he is punished in the next world is also punished in this world, because he endangers his health. And similarly, he who washes his hands as required procures for himself blessings above which rest upon his hands, and is also blessed with wealth.’1The first 5 lines of the English translation do not appear in our Hebrew text.
Afterwards R. Simeon caught sight of him washing his hands and using a great quantity of water, and he exclaimed: ‘Fill his hands with thy blessings.’ And so it came to pass, since he found a treasure and grew rich, and he used to study the Torah and give sustenance to the poor every day and smile upon them benignantly, so that R. Simeon applied to him the verse “And thou shalt rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel.” ‘
וּמַלְכִּי צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר (תהילים ע״ו:ג׳) וַיְהִי בְּשָׁלֵם סֻכּוֹ וְגו'. תָּא חֲזֵי כַּד סָלִיק בִּרְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִבְרֵי עָלְמָא חַד שַׁלְהוֹבָא דְּבוּצִינָא דְּקַרְדִינוּתָא. וּנְשַׁף זִיקָא בְּזִיקָא חָשְׁכַאת וְאוֹקִידַת. וְאַפִּיק מִגּוֹ סִטְרֵי תְּהוֹמָא חַד טִיף וְחִבֵּר לוֹן כְּחַד וּבָרָא בְּהוּ עָלְמָא.
AND MELCHIZEDEK KING OF SALEM BROUGHT FORTH BREAD AND WINE. R. Simeon adduced here the text “In Salem also is his tabernacle” (Ps. 76, 3). He said: ‘When God decided to create the world, He first produced a flame of a scintillating lamp. He blew spark against spark, causing darkness and fire, and produced from the recesses of the abyss a certain drop which He joined with the flame, and from the two He created the world.
הַהוּא שַׁלְהוֹבָא סָלִיק וְאִתְעַטְּרָא בִּשְּׂמָאלָא, וְהַהוּא טִיף סָלִיק וְאִתְעַטַּר בְּיָמִינָא, סָלְקוּ חַד בְּחַד אִחְלָפוּ דּוּכְתֵּי דָּא לְסִטְרָא דָא וְדָא לְסִטְרָא דָא, דְּנָחִית סָלִיק וּדְסָלִיק נָחִית.
The flame ascended and encircled itself with the Left, and the drop ascended and encircled itself with the Right. They then crossed and changed places, going up and down alternately until they were closely interlocked,
אִתְקַטְּרוּ דָּא בְּדָא, נָפִיק מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ רוּחַ שְׁלִים. כְּדֵין אִנּוּן תְּרֵין סִטְרִין אִתְעֲבִידוּ חַד וְאִתְיְיהִיב בֵּינַיְיהוּ וְאִתְעַטְּרוּ חַד בְּחַד. כְּדֵין אִשְׁתְּכַח שְׁלָם לְעֵילָא וּשְׁלָם לְתַתָּא, וְדַרְגָּא אִתְקַיָּים.
and there issued from between them a full wind. Then those two sides were made one, and the wind was set between them and they were entwined with one another, and so there was harmony above and harmony below; the grade was firmly established,
אִתְעַטְּרַת ה"א בְּוא"ו וָא"ו בְּה"א, כְּדֵין סַלְקָא ה"א וְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּקִשּׁוּרָא שְׁלִים. כְּדֵין וּמַלְכִּי צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם. מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם וַדַּאי מֶלֶךְ אִיהוּ דְּשַׁלִּיט בִּשְׁלִימוּ, אֵימָתַי אִיהוּ מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם בְּיוֹמָא דְכִפּוּרֵי דְּכָל אַנְפִּין נְהִירִין. (דבר אחר מלכי צדק מלך שלם, אמר רבי שמעון בעא קודשא בריך הוא למיפק כהונתא משם כמא דאת אמר ברוך אברם לאל עליון, כיון דאקדים ברכתא דאברהם לברכתא דמריה, אמרז ליה אברהם וכי מקדימין ברכתא דעבדא לברכתא דמריה, מיד אתיהיבת כהונתא לאברהם דכתיב, (תהילים ק״י:א׳) נאם יי לאדני שב לימיני. וכתיב בתריה נשבע יי ולא ינחם אתה כהן לעולם על דברתי מלכי צדק, דכתיב והוא כהן לאל עליון, ואין זרעו כהן)
the letter he was crowned with Vau and Vau with he, and so he ascended and was joined in a perfect bond. This is alluded to in the words “Melchizedek (lit. king of righteousness) king of Salem” (lit. completeness), i.e. the king who rules with complete sovereignty. When is he completely king? On the Day of Atonement, when all faces are illumined.
דָּבָר אַחֵר וּמַלְכִּי צֶדֶק. דָּא עָלְמָא בַּתְרָאָה. מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם, דָּא עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה. דְּאִתְעַטַּר חַד בְּחַד בְּלָא פִּירוּדָא תְּרֵין עָלְמִין כְּחֲדָא, וְאֲפִילּוּ עָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה כֹּלָּא הוּא. וְחַד מִלָּה אִיהוּ. הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן דִּתְרֵי אִלֵּין בֵּיהּ. וְהוּא כֹהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן מְשַׁמֵּשׁ עָלְמָא לָקֳבֵל עָלְמָא. וְהוּא כֹהֵן דָּא יָמִינָא. לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה. וּבְגִין כָּךְ בָּעֵי כַּהֲנָא לְבָרְכָא עָלְמָא.
According to another explanation, “Melchizedek” alludes to the lower world, and “king of Salem” to the upper world; and the verse indicates that both are intertwined inseparably, two worlds like one, so that the lower world also is the whole, and the whole is one. “Brought forth bread and wine”: signifying that both of these are in it. AND HE WAS PRIEST OF GOD MOST HIGH: i.e. one world ministers to the other. “Priest” refers to the Right, and “Most High God,’ to the upper world; and hence a priest is required to bless the world.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בִּרְכָאן (ד"א ל"ג כד) נָטִיל הַאי עָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה כַּד אִתְחַבַּר בְּכַהֲנָא רַבָּא כְּדֵין וַיְבָרַכֵהוּ וַיֹּאמַר בָּרוּךְ אַבְרָם (וגו) לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי. כְּגַוְונָא דָא בָּעֵי כַּהֲנָא לְתַתָּא לְקָשְׁרָא קִשְׁרִין וּלְבָרְכָא הַאי דוּכְתָּא בְּגִין דְּיִתְקַשַּׁר בְּיָמִינָא לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא תְּרֵין עָלְמִין כְּחַד. בָּרוּךְ אַבְרָם רָזָא דְמִלָּה תִּקּוּנָא דְּבִרְכָאן אִיהוּ.
For this lower world receives blessings when it is associated with a High Priest; hence there is a special force in the words “and he blessed him and said, Blessed is Abram to the Most High God”. After this model it behoves the priest on earth to intertwine his fingers when blessing in the synagogue in order that he may be linked with the Right and that the two worlds may be linked together.
בָּרוּךָ אַבְרָם כְּמָה דְּאַמְרִינָן בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה. לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן. יְיָ אֱלהֵינוּ. קוֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ. מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם. וְהַאי קְרָא רָזָא דְּבִרְכָאן אִיהוּ. (ובגין כך) וַיְבָרַכֵהוּ מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא. וּבָרוּךְ אֵל עֶלְיוֹן (אשר מגן צריך בידך). מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא. וַיִּתֶּן לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּאֲתַר דְּקִשּׁוּרָא אִתְקַּשַּׁר לְתַתָּא.
BLESSED IS ABRAM. The words of the text are a prototype of the formula of blessing (used by the Israclites). “Blessed is Abram” (in the sense we have given to it) corresponds to “blessed art Thou “. “To the Most High God” corresponds to “O Lord our God”. “Possessor of heaven and earth” corresponds to “king of the universe. Further, AND HE BLESSED HIM indicates the course of blessing from below to above; BLESSED IS THE MOST HIGH GOD indicates from above to below. AND HE GAVE HIM A TENTH OF ALL: so that he should cleave to the place where the link was formed with the lower world.’
עַד דְּהֲווּ אָזְלֵי, אִעֲרַע בְּהוּ רַבִּי יֵיסָא וְחַד יוּדָאי בַּהֲדֵיהּ. וְהֲוָה אָמַר הַהוּא יוּדָאי (תהילים כ״ה:א׳) לְדָוִד אֵלֶיךָ יְיָ נַפְשִׁי אֶשָּׂא. לְדָוִד. וְכִי אַמַּאי לָא כְּתִיב מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד אוֹ לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר.
As they were going along they came across R. Yesa and a certain Judean with him who was explaining the text “To David: Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul” (Ps. 25, 1). He said: ‘Why is the inscription of this psalm simply “to David” and not “A Psalm of David”?
אֶלָא בְּגִין דַרְגֵּיהּ קָאֲמַר לְדָוִד תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דְּאָמַר בְּגִינֵיהּ אֵלֶיךָ יְיָ נַפְשִׁי אֶשָּׂא. אֵלֶיךָ יְיָ לְעֵילָא. נַפְשִׁי, מַאן נַפְשִׁי, (אשא) דָּא דָּוִד (הוא) דַּרְגָּא קַדְמָאָה דְּקָאֲמָרָן. אֶשָּׂא, אֲסַלֵּק. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (תהילים קכ״א:א׳) אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי אֶל הֶהָרִים. בְּגִין דְּכָל יוֹמוֹי דְדָוִד הֲוָה מִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְסַלְקָא דַרְגֵּיהּ לְאִתְעַטְּרָא לְעֵילָא וּלְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא תַּמָּן בְּקִשּׁוּרָא שְׁלִים כְּדְקָא יְאוּת.
It is because the real meaning is “for the sake of David”, i.e. of his grade. “Unto thee, O Lord”, i.e. upward-striving; “my soul”, i.e. David himself, his original grade; “I lift up”: to wit, I cause to ascend, since David was ever striving to rise to a higher grade and to link himself to it firmly.
כְּגַוְונָא דָא (תהילים ק״ג:א׳) לְדָוִד בָּרְכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת יְיָ בְּגִין דַּרְגֵּיהּ קָּאֲמַר, וּמַאי אָמַר בָּרְכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת יְיָ. אֶת לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּקִשּׁוּרָא לְעֵילָא. וְכָל קְרָבַי, מַאן קְרָבַי. אִלֵּין שְׁאָר חֵיוָן בְּרָא. דְּאִקְרוּן קְרָבַיִם כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שיר השירים ה׳:ד׳) וּמֵעַי הָמוּ עָלָיו. דָּבָר אַחֵר בָּרְכִי נַפְשִׁי, בְּגִינֵיהּ קָאֲמַר. אֶת יְיָ דָּא שְׁלִימוּ דְכֹלָּא, אֶת יְיָ כְּלָלָא דְּכֹלָּא.
Similarly it was for the sake of his grade that David uttered the words “To David: Bless the Lord, O my soul” (where the word eth indicates his desire to be linked above) “and all that is within me bless his holy name” (Ps. 103, 1), referring to the “beasts of the field” which are called “inwards”.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְרַבִּי יֵיסָא חָמִינָא לָךְ דְּהָא עִם שְׁכִינְתָּא קָאֲתִית וְאִתְחַבָּרַת. אָמַר לֵיהּ הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, וּתְלַת פַּרְסֵי הוּא דְּאָזִילְנָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ וְאָמַר לִי כַּמָּה מִלֵי מַעַלְיָיתָא וְאֲנָא אֲגִירְנָא לֵיהּ לְיוֹמָא דָא וְלָא יְדַעְנָא דְּאִיהוּ בּוֹצִינָא דְּנָהִיר כִּדְחָמִינָא הַשְׁתָּא.
Said R. Eleazar to R. Yesa, ‘I see that you have come in company with the Shekinah.’ He said, “Assuredly it is so. I have been walking with him three parasangs, and he has told me ever so many excellent things. I hired him as a porter, not knowing that he was the shining light which I have discovered him to be.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְהַהוּא יוּדָאי מַה שְּׁמָךְ, אָמַר לֵיהּ יוֹעֶזְרִ. אָמַר לֵיהּ יוֹעֶזֶר וְאֶלְעָזָר (מלה חדא) יְתִיבָן כְּחֲדָא, יָתְבוּ גַּבֵּי חַד טִנָּרָא בְּהַהוּא חֲקַל. פָּתַח הַהוּא יוּדַאי וְאָמַר (ישעיהו מ״ג:כ״ה) אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי הוּא מוֹחֶה פְשָׁעֶיךָ לְמַעֲנִי וְחַטֹּאתֶיךָ לֹא אֶזְכּוֹר. מַאי טַעְמָא תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי.
R. Eleazar then said to the man, ‘What is your name?’ He said: ‘Joezer’. Whereupon he said: ‘Let Joezer and Eleazar sit together.’ So they sat down on a rock in that field. The Judean then commenced to discourse on the text I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, for mine own sake, and thy sins I will not remember (Is. 43, 25). He said: ‘The word “I” occurs here twice:
אֶלָּא חַד בְּסִינַי וְחַד בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָרָא עָלְמָא, דִּכְתִיב (שמות כ׳:ב׳) אָנֹכִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ דָּא הוּא בְּסִינַי. וְחַד כַּד בְּרָא עָלְמָא דִּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו מ״ה:י״ב) אָנֹכִי עָשִׂיתִי אֶרֶץ וְאָדָם עָלֶיהָ בָּרָאתִי. הוּא, בְּגִין לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּלָא הֲוֵי פִּירוּדָא בֵּין עֵילָא וְתַתָּא.
He said: ‘The word “I” occurs here twice: once in reference to Sinai (cf. “I am the Lord thy God”, Ex. 20, 2), and the other in reference to the creation of the world (cf. “I have made the earth and created man upon it”, Is. 45, 12), to show that there is no division between the upper and lower worlds.
מוֹחֶה פְשָׁעֶיךָ. מַעֲבִיר פְּשָׁעֶיךָ לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא מוֹחֶה. בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְחַזּוּן לְעָלְמִין. לְמַעֲנִי. מַאי לְמַעֲנִי, בְּגִין אִנּוּן רַחֲמִין דְּתַלְיָין בִּי דִּכְתִיב, (דברים ד׳:ל״א) כִּי אֵל רַחוּם יְיָ אֱלהֶיךָ וְגו'.
“That blotteth out thy transgressions”: not merely removing them, so that they shall never be seen more. “For mine own sake”: i.e. for the sake of the mercy which I dispense, as it is written, “For the Lord thy God is a merciful God” (Deut. 4, 31).
דָּבָר אַחֵר מוֹחֶה פְשָׁעֶיךָ לְמַעֲנִי. תָּא חֲזֵי (לעיל פד ב) חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא עָבְדִין פְּגִימוּתָא לְעֵילָא, דְכַד אִנּוּן חוֹבִין סָלְקִין רַחֲמִין וּנְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה וְיַנִּיקוּ דְּבִרְכָאן לָא נָחִית לְתַתָּא, וְהַאי דַרְגָּא לָא נָטִיל בִּרְכָאן דִּלְעֵילָא לְיַנָּקָא לְתַתָּא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ לְמַעֲנִי בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְמָנְעוּן בִּרְכָאן לְיַנָּקָא (ליה) לְכֹלָּא.
Another explanation of the words”that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake” is as follows. Sinners in this world impair the influence of the upper world, for when they sin, mercy and the supernal light depart, and the stream of blessing does not descend to this world, and this grade (of mercy) does not take up the blessings from above in order to convey them to the lower world. Hence God acts “for His own sake”, in order that the stream of blessing should not be withheld.
כְּגַוְונָא דָא (דברים לכ) רְאוּ עַתָּה כִּי אֲנִי אֲנִי הוּא. לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּלָא הֲוֵי פִּירוּדָא בֵּין עֵילָא וְתַתָּא כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר.
Similarly it is written, “See now that I, I am he” (Deut. 32, 39), to show that there is no division between the upper and the lower.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּגַוְונָא דָא כַּד אִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ זַכָּאִין בְּעָלְמָא אִתְעָרוּ בִּרְכָאן לְעָלְמִין כֻּלְהוּ. כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא אַבְרָהָם אִתְעַר בִּרְכָאן לְעָלְמָא דִּכְתִיב וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וְהְיֵה בְּרָכָה. מַאי וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה. רֶמֶז דְיִשְׁתַּכְּחוּן בְּגִינֵיהּ בִּרְכָאן לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא דִּכְתִיב וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ וְגו' וּכְתִיב וַאֲבָרְכָה מְבָרַכֶיךָ.
See now, in this way, when there are righteous men in the world, blessings are sent to all worlds. When Abram came, blessings were sent to the world, as it is written, “And I shall bless thee, and be thou a blessing, i.e. that blessing should be found both above and below for his sake.
אֲתָא יִצְחָק אוֹדַע לְכֹלָּא דְּאִית דִּין וְאִית דַּיָּין לְעֵילָא לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מֵרַשִּׁיעַיָא, וְאִיהוּ אִתְעַר דִּינָא בְּעָלְמָא בְּגִין דְּיִדְחֲלוּן לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא. אֲתָא יַעֲקֹב וְאִתְעַר רַחֲמֵי בְּעָלְמָא וְאַשְׁלִים מְהֵימְנוּתָא בְּעָלְמָא כְּדְקָא חָזֵי.
When Isaac came he taught the world that there is a judge executing judgement above to punish the wicked, and he invoked justice upon the world in order that its inhabitants might fear God. When Jacob came he obtained mercy for the world and perfected men’s faith in God.
בְּיוֹמֵי דְאַבְרָהָם מַה כְּתִיב וּמַלְכִּי צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם, דְּאִתְעַטְּרַת כֻּרְסְיָיא בְּדוּכְתֵּיהּ, וּכְדֵין אִשְׁתְּכַח מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם בְּלָא פְּגִימוּ כְּלַל. הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן דְּאַפִּיק מְזוֹנִין לְעָלְמִין כֻּלְהוּ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי. הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן דְּלָא אִתְמְנָעוּ בִּרְכָאן מִכֻּלְהוּ עָלְמִין. הוֹצִיא כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (בראשית א׳:כ״ד) תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ מִדַרְגִּין דִּלְעֵילָא אַפִּיק מְזוֹנִין וּבִרְכָאן לְעָלְמִין כֻּלְהוּ.
Hence in the days of Abram MELCHIZEDEK KING OF SALEM (salem=completeness), i.e. God whose throne was then established in its place and whose sovereignty therefore became complete, BROUGHT OUT BREAD AND WINE, i.e. produced the appropriate food for the whole world, and did not withhold blessing from all the worlds; from the upper grades He brought forth food and blessings for all the worlds.
וְהוּא כֹהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח כֹּלָּא בִּשְׁלִימוּ עִלָּאָה כְּדְקָא חָזֵי. לְאִתְחֲזָאָה כְּמָה דְחַיָּיבַיָא עָבְדֵי פְּגִימוּ בְּעָלְמָא וּמָנְעֵי בִּרְכָאן. הָכִי נָמֵי בְּגִין זַכָּאִין אַתְיָין (אתחזיאן) בִּרְכָאן לְעָלְמָא, וּבְגִינַיְיהוּ אִתְבָּרְכָאן כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא:
AND HE WAS A PRIEST TO THE MOST HIGH GOD, the whole thus being in the most perfect order; to show that as the wicked upset the world and cause blessing to be withheld, so the righteous bring blessing to the world and for their sakes all its inhabitants are blessed.
וַיִּתֶּן לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל. מַאי מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל מֵאִנּוּן בִּרְכָאן דְּנָפְקֵי מִכֹּל. בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אֲתַר דְּכָל בִּרְכָאן דְּנָחֲתֵי לְעָלְמָא מִתַּמָּן נָפְקֵי. דָּבָר אַחֵר וַיִּתֵּן לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יַהַב לֵיהּ מַעַשְׂרָא. וּמַאן אִיהוּ, דָּא דַרְגָּא דְּכָל פִּתְחִין דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא וּבִרְכָאן דְּעָלְמָא בֵּיהּ קָיְימֵי וְאִיהוּ מַעֲשֵׂר וְאִיהוּ חַד מֵעֲשָׂרָה וְאִיהוּ עֲשָׂרָה מִמֵּאָה. מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה עָאל אַבְרָהָם בְּקִיּוּמָא דִלְעֵילָא כְּדְקָא חָזֵי.
AND HE GAVE HIM A TENTH OF ALL, to wit, of those blessings which issue from “all”, the source of all the blessings which descend upon the world. According to another explanation, God gave Abram a tenth, namely, the grade1Malkuth. in which all the sources of faith and blessing are established, and which is the tenth, one out of ten and ten out of a hundred; and from this point onwards Abram was fully confirmed from above.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר שַׁפִּיר קָא אֲמַרְתְּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר מַאי עֲבִידְתָּךְ, אָמַר לֵיהּ קַרְיָנָא דַרְדְּקֵי בְּאַתְרִי, הַשְׁתָּא אֲתָא רַבִּי יוֹסֵי דִּכְפַר חָנִין לְמָתָא וּסְלִיקוּ לוֹן מִגַבָּאי וְאוֹתְבוּ לוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ. וְהֲווּ יָהֲבִין לִי כָּל בְּנִי מָתָא אַגְרָא כְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְדַרְדְּקֵי הֲווּ גַּבָּאי. וְאִסְתַּכַּלְנָא בְּנַפְשָׁאי דְּלָא אִתְחֲזֵי לִי לְאִתְהַנֵּי מִנַּיְיהוּ לְמַגָּנָא, וַאֲגִירְנָא גַרְמָאי בַּהֲדֵי דְּהַאי חַכִּים. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בִּרְכָאן דְּאַבָּא אִצְטְרִיכוּ הָכָא.
Said R. Eleazar to him: ‘What you say is right.’ R. Eleazar further asked him what his business was. He said: ‘I was a teacher of children in my town till R. Jose came, when they left me and went to him. Nevertheless the townsfolk used to pay me my salary as before. Not wishing, however, to take money for nothing, I entered into the service of this Sage.’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘This is a case where my father’s blessings are required.’
קָמוּ. אָתוּ קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן (לבתר), וְהֲוָה יָתִיב וְלָעֵי כָּל יוֹמָא קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. וְיוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה עָסִיק בִּנְטִילַת יָדַיִם קַמֵּיהּ. אָמַר כָּל מַאן דְּלָא נָטִיל יְדוֹי כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְעַנַּשׁ לְעֵילָא אִתְעַנַּשׁ לְתַתָּא, וּמַאי עוֹנְשֵׁיהּ לְתַתָּא, דְּגָרִים לֵיהּ לְגַרְמֵיהּ מִסְכְּנוּתָא. כְּמָה דְּעוֹנְשֵׁיהּ כָּךְ, הָכִי הוּא זָכֵי מַאן דְּנָטִיל יְדוֹי כְּדְקָא יְאוּת דְּגָרִים לְגַרְמֵיהּ בִּרְכָאן דִּלְעֵילָא דְּשָׁרָאן בִּרְכָאן עַל יְדוֹי כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, וְאִתְבָּרַךְ בְּעוּתְרָא.
They went to R. Simeon, and the Judean used to study all day before him. One day he was studying the subject of washing the hands, and said: ‘Whoever does not wash his hands as required, although he is punished in the next world is also punished in this world, because he endangers his health. And similarly, he who washes his hands as required procures for himself blessings above which rest upon his hands, and is also blessed with wealth.’1The first 5 lines of the English translation do not appear in our Hebrew text.
לְבָתַר אַקְדִּים רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן חָמָא לֵיהּ דְּאַנְטַל יְדוֹי בְּמַיָא וְנָטִיל לוֹן בְּשִׁיעוּרָא סַגְיָיא דְמַיִין. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מַלֵּא יָדָיו מִבִּרְכוֹתֶיךָ. וְכָךְ הֲוָה, מֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא וּלְהָלְאָה אִתְעַתַּר וְאַשְׁכַּח סִימָא וְהֲוָה לָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְיָהִיב מְזוֹנָא לְמִסְכְּנֵי כָּל יוֹמָא, וְהֲוָה חָדֵי עִמְּהוֹן וּמַסְבַּר לוֹן אַנְפִּין נְהִירִין. קָרָא עֲלֵיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן (ישעיהו מ״א:ט״ז) וְאַתָּה תָּגִיל בַּיְיָ בִּקְדוֹשׁ וְגו', (חסר)
Afterwards R. Simeon caught sight of him washing his hands and using a great quantity of water, and he exclaimed: ‘Fill his hands with thy blessings.’ And so it came to pass, since he found a treasure and grew rich, and he used to study the Torah and give sustenance to the poor every day and smile upon them benignantly, so that R. Simeon applied to him the verse “And thou shalt rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel.” ‘