וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּוֹ, מַאי וַיֵּאָבֵק. (גליון דאמר רבי יהושע בן לוי, מלמד דסליקו אבק ברגליהון עד כורסי יקרא. כתיב הכא בהאבקו עמו, וכתיב (נחום א׳:ג׳) אבק רגליו, וההוא מלאך שרו של עשו היה, ואיהו סמאל. בגין כך, דינו הוא שיעלה אבק דרגליו עד כסא הכבוד, שהוא מקום המשפט). רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר מִן אָבָק. אָבָק טָפֵל לֶעָפָר, מַה בֵּין עָפָר לְאָבָק. דָּא אָבָק דְּאִשְׁתָּאַר מִן נוּרָא וְלָא עֲבַד אִיבִּין (בעלמא) לְעָלְמִין. עָפָר דְכָל אִיבִּין נָפְקֵי מִנֵּיהּ וְאִיהוּ כְּלָלָא בְּעֵילָא וְתַתָּא.
AND THERE WRESTLED (vaye’oveq) A MAN WITH HIM. R. Joshua the son of Levi said: ‘From the word behe’ovqo (in his wrestling) we learn that they raised a dust with their feet which reached the Throne of Glory, as this word finds a parallel in the phrase “the dust (‘abaq) of his feet” (Nahum 1, 3). The angel here mentioned was Samael, the chieftain of Esau, and it was right that his dust should rise to the Throne of Glory which is the seat of judgement.’ R. Simeon said: ‘This dust (‘abaq) was not ordinary dust, but ashes, the residue of fire. It differs from dust proper in that it is sterile and unproductive, whereas dust (‘afar) is that from which all fruit and vegetation spring and is common to the lower and higher existences.’
R. Judah remarked: ‘If so, how can we explain the passage: “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust” (I Sam. 2, 8)?’ R. Simeon replied: ‘The dust possesses nothing of its own, hence it is from the dust that the poor man has to be raised who possesses nothing of his own either. At the same time the dust is the source of all fruitfulness and of all the produce of the world, and from it have been formed all things in the world, as it is written: “all are of the dust and all return to dust” (Eccl. 3, 20), including, according to tradition, even the solar sphere. But the dust called abaq is forever barren, and hence, as the term vaye’obeq (“and he wrestled”, or “raised the dust”) implies, the man came up, riding, as it were, upon that dust, in order to contest Jacob’s right.’
UNTIL THE BREAKING OF THE DAY; this being the moment when his dominion passed away and vanished. The same will happen in the time to come. For the present exile is like the night, and in that night the barren dust rules over Israel, who are prostrate fo the dust; and so it will be until the light will appear and the day will break; then Israel will obtain power, and to them will be given the kingdom, as they are the saints of the Most High. So Scripture says: “And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them” (Dan. 7, 27).
וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּוֹ, מַאי וַיֵּאָבֵק. (גליון דאמר רבי יהושע בן לוי, מלמד דסליקו אבק ברגליהון עד כורסי יקרא. כתיב הכא בהאבקו עמו, וכתיב (נחום א׳:ג׳) אבק רגליו, וההוא מלאך שרו של עשו היה, ואיהו סמאל. בגין כך, דינו הוא שיעלה אבק דרגליו עד כסא הכבוד, שהוא מקום המשפט). רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר מִן אָבָק. אָבָק טָפֵל לֶעָפָר, מַה בֵּין עָפָר לְאָבָק. דָּא אָבָק דְּאִשְׁתָּאַר מִן נוּרָא וְלָא עֲבַד אִיבִּין (בעלמא) לְעָלְמִין. עָפָר דְכָל אִיבִּין נָפְקֵי מִנֵּיהּ וְאִיהוּ כְּלָלָא בְּעֵילָא וְתַתָּא.
AND THERE WRESTLED (vaye’oveq) A MAN WITH HIM. R. Joshua the son of Levi said: ‘From the word behe’ovqo (in his wrestling) we learn that they raised a dust with their feet which reached the Throne of Glory, as this word finds a parallel in the phrase “the dust (‘abaq) of his feet” (Nahum 1, 3). The angel here mentioned was Samael, the chieftain of Esau, and it was right that his dust should rise to the Throne of Glory which is the seat of judgement.’ R. Simeon said: ‘This dust (‘abaq) was not ordinary dust, but ashes, the residue of fire. It differs from dust proper in that it is sterile and unproductive, whereas dust (‘afar) is that from which all fruit and vegetation spring and is common to the lower and higher existences.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אִי הָכִי מַאי (שמואל א ב׳:ח׳) מֵקִים מֵעָפָר דָּל. אָמַר לֵיהּ כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, אֲבָל בְּהַאי גַוְונָא מֵקִים מֵעָפָר דָּל, בְּגִין דְּלֵית לֵיהּ מִגַּרְמֵיהּ כְּלוּם, וּמֵהַהוּא עַפְרָא נָפַק דַּל דְּלֵית לֵיהּ כְּלוּם, וּמֵהַהוּא עָפָר כָּל אִיבִּין וְכָל טִיבוּ דְעַלְמָא נָפְקֵי מִנֵּיהּ. וּבֵיהּ אִתְעֲבִידוּ כָּל עוֹבָדִין דְּעַלְמָא כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (קהלת ג׳:כ׳) הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן הֶעָפָר וְהַכֹּל שָׁב אֶל הֶעָפָר. וְתָנִינָן הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן הֶעָפָר וְאֲפִילּוּ גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה. אֲבָל אָבָק לָא עָבִיד פֵּירִין וְאִיבִּין (לעלמא) לְעָלְמִין, וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ, דְּאַתְיָא בְּהַהוּא אָבָק וּרְכִיב עֲלֵיהּ, בְּגִין לְקַטְרְגָא לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב.
R. Judah remarked: ‘If so, how can we explain the passage: “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust” (I Sam. 2, 8)?’ R. Simeon replied: ‘The dust possesses nothing of its own, hence it is from the dust that the poor man has to be raised who possesses nothing of his own either. At the same time the dust is the source of all fruitfulness and of all the produce of the world, and from it have been formed all things in the world, as it is written: “all are of the dust and all return to dust” (Eccl. 3, 20), including, according to tradition, even the solar sphere. But the dust called abaq is forever barren, and hence, as the term vaye’obeq (“and he wrestled”, or “raised the dust”) implies, the man came up, riding, as it were, upon that dust, in order to contest Jacob’s right.’
עַד עֲלוֹת הַשָּׁחַר, דְּאִתְעֲבַר שׁוּלְטָנוּתֵיהּ וְאִתְחַלַּף. וְכָךְ הוּא לְזִמְנָא דְאָתֵי, בְּגִין דְּגָלוּתָא הַשְׁתָּא כְּלֵילְיָא דַמְיָא, וְאִיהוּ לֵילְיָא. וְשָׁלְטָא הַהוּא אָבָק עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִינוּן שְׁכִיבֵי לְעַפְרָא (אוחרא), עַד דְּיִסְתַּלַּק נְהוֹרָא וְיִתְנְהַר יְמָמָא. וּכְדֵין יִשְׁלְטוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְהוֹן יִתְיָהִיב מַלְכוּתָא דְּאִינוּן קַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דניאל ז׳:כ״ז) וּמַלְכוּתָא וְשָׁלְטָנָא וּרְבוּתָא דִי מַלְכְוָת תְּחוֹת כָּל שְׁמַיָא יְהִיבַת לְעַם קַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין מַלְכוּתֵהּ מַלְכוּת עָלַם וְכֹל שָׁלְטָנַיָא לֵהּ יִפְלְחוּן וְיִשְׁתַּמְּעוּן:
UNTIL THE BREAKING OF THE DAY; this being the moment when his dominion passed away and vanished. The same will happen in the time to come. For the present exile is like the night, and in that night the barren dust rules over Israel, who are prostrate fo the dust; and so it will be until the light will appear and the day will break; then Israel will obtain power, and to them will be given the kingdom, as they are the saints of the Most High. So Scripture says: “And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them” (Dan. 7, 27).