R. Simeon further discoursed on the text: Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high (Is. 52, 13). ‘Happy is the portion of the righteous’, he said, ‘to whom the Holy One reveals the ways of the Torah that they may walk in them. This verse contains an esoteric meaning. When God created the world, He made the moon, and made her small, for she possesses no light of her own, but because she accepted her diminution she receives reflected light from the sun and from the other superior luminaries.
Now, as long as the Temple existed, Israel were assiduous in bringing offerings, which together with all the other services performed by the priests, Levites, and Israelites had for their object to weave bonds of union and to cause luminaries to radiate.
But after the Temple was destroyed there was a darkening of the lights, the moon ceased to receive light from the sun, the latter” “having withdrawn himself from her, so that not a day passes but is full of grievous distress and afflictions.
The time, however, will come for the moon to resume her primordial light, and in allusion to this it is written: “Behold, my servant will prosper.” That is to say, there will be a stirring in the upper realms as of one who catches a sweet odour and stands alert. “He shall be exalted”, from the side of the most exalted luminaries;
At that time, then, the Holy One will cause a stirring on high with the object of enabling the moon to shine with her full splendour, as we read: “Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of the seven days” (Ibid. 30, 26). There will thus be added to the moon an exalted spirit whereby all the dead that are in the dust will be awakened.
This is the esoteric meaning of “my servant”, viz. the one that has in his hand the key of his Master. So, too, in the verse: “And Abraham said unto his servant, etc.” (Gen. 24, 2), the servant is an allusion to the moon as already explained. Also, the servant is identical with Metatron, who is the servant and messenger of his Master,
and who was, as we read further, the elder of his house, the same who is alluded to in the text: “I have been young, and now am old” (Ps. 37, 25). “That ruled over all that he had”; this applies to the same Metatron by reason of his displaying the three colours, green, white, and red.
“Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh”; this is symbolic of the foundation of the world, for this servant was destined to bring to life again the dwellers in the dust, and to be made the messenger by the spirit from on high to restore the spirits and souls to their places, to the bodies that were decomposed underneath the dust.
We read further: “and I will make thee swear (veashbe’akha) by the Lord, the God of heaven”, the term veashbe’akha implying that the servant will be invested with the mystery of the seven (sheba’) celestial lights which constitute the mystery of sublime perfection. Further: “that thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites.” The “wife” is an allusion to the body Iying underground,
and “to my son” is an allusion to the soul, inasmuch as all the souls that issue from the celestial everflowing river are the children of the Holy One, blessed be He. The servant is thus bidden “not to take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites”, or, in other words, not to take for a soul any of the bodies of the idolatrous nations whom the Holy One will in the future shake out of the Holy Land, as we read: “and the wicked be shaken out of it” (Job 38, 13), as one shakes dust from his garment.
The servant is further bidden: “But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred.” “To my country” has already been explained; “to my kindred” is an allusion to Israel.
Observe now what is written further: “And the servant took ten camels.” The “servant” we have already identified; “ten camels” represent the ten grades over which the servant exercises dominion, and which are after the supernal pattern; “of the camels of his master”, to wit, an exact pattern of the superior degrees, as already said;
“and he arose and went to Aram-Naharaim”, to wit, the spot in the Holy Land where Rachel wept at the time the Temple was destroyed. “And he made the camels to kneel down without the city by the well of water”, that is, he fortified the energy of the souls before their entering into the bodies for their revival;
“at the time of evening”, to wit, the eve of Sabbath, which is the sixth millennium, the same period as that alluded to in the text: “and to his laboul until the evening” (Ps. 104, 23), also in the words: “for the shadows of the evening are stretched out” (Jer. 6, 4).
We read further: “at the time that women go out to draw water”, to wit, the time when those who drew the waters of the Torah will rise from the dead before the rest of mankind, in virtue of their having taken hold of the tree of life.
Further: “and the daughters of the men of the city came out to draw water”, to wit, the bodies will come forth, as we read: “and the earth will throw up the shades” (Is. 26, 19), implying that the earth will in future give up all the bodies lying therein, “to draw water”, that is, to receive the soul in a perfected state.
Further: “So let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, that I may drink.” It is one of our affirmations that every soul that occupied itself in this world in the study of the deep mysteries of Divine Wisdom, when it goes to heaven is raised to a high grade, high above those who remained in ignorance; and it is they who will rise from the dead first. The words, then, “Let down thy pitcher, etc.” signify the inquiry which the servant will make of each soul regarding her occupation in this world.
We read, then, “and she will say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also”, that is, do thou drink first, and afterwards I will give drink to the othet grades, for although those grades drink from the same source, they ultimately derive their sustenance from the religious activity of the righteous who knew how to serve their Master properly, for it is the righteous who know how to supply proper sustenance to each grade. “The same be the woman”, it says further, “that thou hast appointed for the son of my master”; that assuredly is the body destined for that superior soul.
Observe that it has been said before that the desire of the male towards the female forms a soul, and the desire of the female towards the male rises upwards to unite with the soul and form one being. The woman is thus the body which is destined for the association of the soul that is derived from the male.
These bodies, then, are destined to rise first, as we said already, and then all the others in the other lands will be raised in a complete state and will be renewed with the renewal of the moon, and the world will be restored to its primeval state, in allusion to which it is written: “Let the Lord rejoice in his works” (Ps. 104, 31).
Hence we read: “Behold, my servant will understand”, that is, he will know how to restore the souls, each one to its place. “He shall be exalted and lifted up and shall be very high”, from the side of all the superior grades as said above.
The next verse says: “According as many were appalled at thee-so marred was his visage unlike that of a man” (Is. 52, 14). According to our exposition, when the Temple was destroyed and the Shekinah went into exile into strange lands, then “behold, their Erelim1A kind of angel. cry without, the angels of peace weep bitterly” (Ibid. 33, 7), for all wept and mourned for the Shekinah that was exiled from her place, and in the degree that she became altered from what she was, to the same degree her Master withdrew his light and became altered from what he was, as it is written: “The sun was darkened in his going forth” (Ibid. 13, 10). Hence: “so marred was his visage.”
According to another interpretation, the words, “so marred was his visage unlike that of a man” are illustrated by the verse: “I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering” (Ibid. 50, 3). For after the Temple was destroyed the heavens did not retain their former illumination.
and since at that time “Behold, my brother Joseph constituted the the male was not with her, all the souls that issued then were not the same as they had been when the sun was in union with the moon, as already said. This union is symbolized by the relation of Joseph to Jacob, as expressed in the verse, “These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph.” This form of expression implies that Jacob’s image was completely reproduced in Joseph, and that whatever happened to the one happened to the other also, the two being parallel and having the same esoteric symbolism.’
AND JOSEPH BROUGHT EVIL REPORT OF THEM UNTO THEIR FATHER. This has been interpreted to mean that he accused them to his father of eating flesh cut from a living animal; he also accused the sons of Leah of having treated with contempt the sons of the handmaids. How, it may be asked, could they have done this, seeing that the sons of the handmaids were reckoned in the twelve tribes? Or how could they have eaten flesh from a living animal, seeing that this was distinctly forbidden to the sons of Noah in the words: “Only flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat” (Gen. 9, 4)? The truth is, however, that it was only Joseph’s talk, and he was punished for it.
R. Judah said: ‘The evil report of them that Joseph brought was that they cast their eyes on the daughters of the land, which was equivalent to providing sustenance to the unholy degrees that proceed from the unclean side.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו נ״ב:י״ג) הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי יָרוּם וְנִשָּׂא וְגָבַהּ מְאֹד. זַכָּאָה חוּלַקְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָיא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּלֵי לוֹן אָרְחֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא לְמֵהַךְ בְּהוּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, הַאי קְרָא רָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ, הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי וְאוּקְמוּהָ. אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַלְמָא, עֲבַד לָהּ לְסִיהֲרָא וְאַזְעַר לָהּ נְהוֹרָהָא דְּהָא לֵית לָהּ מִגַרְמָהּ כְּלוּם. וּבְגִין דְּאַזְעִירַת גַּרְמָהּ, אִתְנַהֲרָא בְּגִין שִׁמְשָׁא, וּבְתוּקְפָא דִּנְהוֹרִין עִלָּאִין.
R. Simeon further discoursed on the text: Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high (Is. 52, 13). ‘Happy is the portion of the righteous’, he said, ‘to whom the Holy One reveals the ways of the Torah that they may walk in them. This verse contains an esoteric meaning. When God created the world, He made the moon, and made her small, for she possesses no light of her own, but because she accepted her diminution she receives reflected light from the sun and from the other superior luminaries.
וּבְזִמְנָא דְּהֲוָה בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא קַיָּים, יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲווּ מִשְׁתַּדְּלִין בְּקוּרְבָּנִין וְעִלָּוָון וּפוּלְחָנִין, דְּהֲווּ עָבְדִין כַּהֲנִי וְלֵיוָאֵי וְיִשְׂרְאֵלֵי בְּגִין לְקָשְׁרָא קִשְׁרִין וּלְאַנְהָרָא נְהוֹרִין.
Now, as long as the Temple existed, Israel were assiduous in bringing offerings, which together with all the other services performed by the priests, Levites, and Israelites had for their object to weave bonds of union and to cause luminaries to radiate.
וּלְבָתַר דְּאִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא אִתְחַשַּׁךְ נְהוֹרָא, וְסִיהֲרָא לָא אִתְנְהִירַת מִן שִׁמְשָׁא, וְשִׁמְשָׁא אִסְתַּלַּק מִנָּהּ וְלָא אִתְנְהָרָא, וְלֵית לָךְ יוֹמָא דְּלָא שָׁלְטָא בֵּיהּ לְוָוטִין וְצַעֲרִין וּכְאֵבִין כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר.
But after the Temple was destroyed there was a darkening of the lights, the moon ceased to receive light from the sun, the latter” “having withdrawn himself from her, so that not a day passes but is full of grievous distress and afflictions.
וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּמְטֵי זִמְנָא דְּסִיהֲרָא לְאִתְנַהֲרָא, מַה כְּתִיב הִנִּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי, עֲלֵיהּ דְּסִיהֲרָא אִתְּמָר הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי דָּא הוּא רָזָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא. הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל, דְּאִתְעַר אִתְעֲרוּתָא לְעֵילָא כְּמַאן דְאָרַח רֵיחָא וְאָתֵי לְאִתְעָרָא וּלְאִסְתַּכָּלָא. יָרוּם, מִסִּטְרָא דִנְהוֹרָא עִלָּאָה דְּכָל נְהוֹרִין.
The time, however, will come for the moon to resume her primordial light, and in allusion to this it is written: “Behold, my servant will prosper.” That is to say, there will be a stirring in the upper realms as of one who catches a sweet odour and stands alert. “He shall be exalted”, from the side of the most exalted luminaries;
יָרוּם, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיהו ל׳:י״ח) וְלָכֵן יָרוּם לְרַחֶמְכֶם. וְנִשָּׂא, מִסִּטְרָא דְאַבְרָהָם. וְגָבַהּ, מִסִּטְרָא דְיִצְחָק. מְאֹד, מִסִּטְרָא דְיַעֲקֹב. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאוּקְמוּהָ, וְכֹלָּא חַד בְּרָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא.
“and lifted up”, from the side of Abraham; “and shall be high”, from the side of Isaac; “very”, from the side of Jacob.
וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא יִתְעַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְעֲרוּתָא עִלָּאָה לְאַנְהָרָא לָהּ לְסִיהֲרָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיהו ל׳:כ״ו) וְהָיָה אוֹר הַלְּבָנָה כְּאוֹר הַחַמָּה וְאוֹר הַחַמָּה יִהְיֶה שִׁבְעָתַיִם כְּאוֹר שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים. וּבְגִין כָּךְ יִתּוֹסַף בָּהּ רוּחַ עִלָּאָה, וּבְגִין כָּךְ יִתְעָרוּן כְּדֵין כָּל אִינוּן מֵיתַיָא דְּאִינוּן גּוֹ עַפְרָא.
At that time, then, the Holy One will cause a stirring on high with the object of enabling the moon to shine with her full splendour, as we read: “Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of the seven days” (Ibid. 30, 26). There will thus be added to the moon an exalted spirit whereby all the dead that are in the dust will be awakened.
וְדָא הוּא עַבְדִּי, רָזָא דְמַפְתְּחָן דְּמָארֵיהּ בִּידֵיהּ. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (אל עבדו זקן ביתו וכמה דאת אמר), (בראשית כ״ד:ב׳) וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל עַבְדוֹ, דָּא סִיהֲרָא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר, מטטרו"ן דְּאִיהוּ עֶבֶד שְׁלִיחָא דְּמָארֵיהּ.
This is the esoteric meaning of “my servant”, viz. the one that has in his hand the key of his Master. So, too, in the verse: “And Abraham said unto his servant, etc.” (Gen. 24, 2), the servant is an allusion to the moon as already explained. Also, the servant is identical with Metatron, who is the servant and messenger of his Master,
זְקַן בֵּיתוֹ כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (תהילים ל״ז:כ״ה) נַעַר הָיִיתִי גַּם זָקַנְתִּי. הַמּוֹשֵׁל בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ, בְּגִין דְּכָל גְּוָונִין אִתְחֲזוּן בֵּיהּ יָרוֹ"ק וְחִוָּו"ר וְסוּמָ"ק.
and who was, as we read further, the elder of his house, the same who is alluded to in the text: “I have been young, and now am old” (Ps. 37, 25). “That ruled over all that he had”; this applies to the same Metatron by reason of his displaying the three colours, green, white, and red.
שִׂים נָא יָדְךָ תַּחַת יְרֵכִי, דָּא הוּא צַדִּיק רָזָא דְמִלָּה, קִיּוּמָא דְעַלְמָא. דְּהָא כְּדֵין הַאי עֶבֶד מְמַנָּא בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה לַאֲחָיָיא לוֹן לְדַיְירֵי עַפְרָא וְיִתְעֲבִיד שְׁלִיחָא בְּרוּחָא דִלְעֵילָא וְלְאֲתָבָא רוּחִין וְנִשְׁמָתִין לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ לְאִינוּן גּוּפֵי (ס"א דאתאכלו) דְּאִתְבָּלוּ וְאִתְרְקָבוּ תְּחוֹת עַפְרָא.
“Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh”; this is symbolic of the foundation of the world, for this servant was destined to bring to life again the dwellers in the dust, and to be made the messenger by the spirit from on high to restore the spirits and souls to their places, to the bodies that were decomposed underneath the dust.
וְאַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ בַּיְיָ אֱלהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם. וְאַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ, מַאי וְאַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ. לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בְּרָזָא דִּשְׁבַע נְהוֹרִין עִלָּאִין דְּאִינוּן רָזָא דִשְׁלִימוּ עִלָּאָה. אֲשֶׁר לֹא תִקַּח אִשָּׁה, דָּא הוּא גוּפָא דִּתְחוֹת עַפְרָא דְּאִית לֵיהּ קִיּוּמָא לַאֲקָמָא מֵעַפְרָא. דְּכָל אִינוּן דְּאִתְקְבָרוּ בָהּ וְזָכוּ לְאִתְקְבָרָא בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִינוּן יִתְעָרוּן בְּקַדְמִיתָא, כְּמָה דְאוֹקִימְנָא. דִּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו כ״ו:י״ט) יִחְיוּ מֵתֶיךָ, בְּקַדְמִיתָא אִלֵּין מֵתִין דְאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. נְבֵלָתִי יְקוּמוּן, אִינוּן מֵתִין דִּשְׁאָר אַרְעָאן. וְעַל דָּא לְאִינוּן גּוּפֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִתְקְבָרוּ תַּמָּן, וְלָא לְגוּפֵי דִּשְׁאָר עַמִין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָּרָה דְּאִסְתָּאֲבָא אַרְעָא מִינַיְיהוּ.
We read further: “and I will make thee swear (veashbe’akha) by the Lord, the God of heaven”, the term veashbe’akha implying that the servant will be invested with the mystery of the seven (sheba’) celestial lights which constitute the mystery of sublime perfection. Further: “that thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites.” The “wife” is an allusion to the body Iying underground,
וְעַל דָּא אֲשֶׁר לא תִקַּח אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי. מַאי לִבְנִי. דְּכָל נִשְׁמָתִין דְּעַלְמָא דְּנָפְקֵי מֵהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק, אִינוּן בְּנִין לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְעַל דָּא אֲשֶׁר לֹא תִקַּח אִשָּׁה, דָּא גוּפָא. לִבְנִי, דָּא נִשְׁמָתָא. מִבְּנוֹת הַכְּנַעֲנִי, אִלֵּין גּוּפִין דְּעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָּרָה, דְּזָמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְנַעֲרָא לוֹן מֵאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (איוב ל״ח:י״ג) וְיִנָּעֲרוּ רְשָׁעִים מִמֶּנָּהּ. כְּמַאן דִּמְנַעֵר טַלִּיתָא מִזּוּהֲמָא דִילָהּ.
and “to my son” is an allusion to the soul, inasmuch as all the souls that issue from the celestial everflowing river are the children of the Holy One, blessed be He. The servant is thus bidden “not to take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites”, or, in other words, not to take for a soul any of the bodies of the idolatrous nations whom the Holy One will in the future shake out of the Holy Land, as we read: “and the wicked be shaken out of it” (Job 38, 13), as one shakes dust from his garment.
כִּי אֶל אַרְצִי וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי תֵּלֵךְ. אַרְצִי, דָּא הִיא אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִיהוּ קַדְמָאָה לְכָל שְׁאָר אַרְעִין כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. (ועל דא כי אל ארצי דא ארעא קדישא דאיהו דיליה בין כל שאר ארעין דפליג לון לממנן אחרנין) וְעַל דָּא כִּי אֶל אַרְצִי, וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי. כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר אֶל אַרְצִי מַהוּ וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי. אֶלָּא אֶל אַרְצִי כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר, (מהו) וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי אִלֵּין אִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל.
The servant is further bidden: “But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred.” “To my country” has already been explained; “to my kindred” is an allusion to Israel.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב, וַיִּקַּח הָעֶבֶד כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. עֲשָׂרָה גְמַלִּים, אִלֵּין אִינוּן עֲשָׂרָה דַרְגִּין דְּהַאי עֶבֶד שָׁלְטָא עֲלַיְיהוּ, כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא. מִגְּמַלֵּי אֲדֹנָיו, דְּאִינוּן כְּהַהוּא גַוְונָא מַמָּשׁ כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר, וְהַאי עֶבֶד שָׁלְטָא וְאִתְתַּקַּן בְּהוּ.
Observe now what is written further: “And the servant took ten camels.” The “servant” we have already identified; “ten camels” represent the ten grades over which the servant exercises dominion, and which are after the supernal pattern; “of the camels of his master”, to wit, an exact pattern of the superior degrees, as already said;
וְכָל טוּב אֲדֹנָיו בְּיָדוֹ, כָּל הַהוּא טִיבוּ רֵיחִין עִלָּאִין דְּנָפְקֵי מִגּוֹ אִינוּן נְהוֹרִין וּבוֹצִינִין עִלָּאִין. וְכָל טוּב אֲדוֹנָיו, הַהוּא שִׁמּוּשָׁא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא דְּאִתְמַשְּׁכָא בָּהּ בְּסִיהֲרָא.
“having all goodly things of his master’s in his hand”, to wit, all the supernal spirits that emerge from the supernal luminaries;
וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם, דָּא אֲתַר דְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּבָכַת תַּמָּן רָחֵל כַּד חָרִיב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא. וַיַּבְרֵךְ הַגְּמַלִּים מִחוּץ לָעִיר אֶל בְּאֵר הַמָּיִם, לְאִתְתַּקְפָא חֵילָהָא בְּתוּקְפָהָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת עַד לָא תִיעוּל לַאֲקָמָא לוֹן לְאִינוּן גּופִין.
“and he arose and went to Aram-Naharaim”, to wit, the spot in the Holy Land where Rachel wept at the time the Temple was destroyed. “And he made the camels to kneel down without the city by the well of water”, that is, he fortified the energy of the souls before their entering into the bodies for their revival;
לְעֵת עֶרֶב, מַאי לְעֵת עֶרֶב. דָּא עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת דְּאִיהוּ זִמְנָא דְאֶלֶף שְׁתִיתָאָה. לְעֵת עֶרֶב כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים ק״ד:כ״ג) וְלַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ עֲדֵי עָרֶב וּכְתִיב, (ירמיהו ו׳:ד׳) כִּי יִנָּטוּ צִלְּלֵי עָרֶב.
“at the time of evening”, to wit, the eve of Sabbath, which is the sixth millennium, the same period as that alluded to in the text: “and to his laboul until the evening” (Ps. 104, 23), also in the words: “for the shadows of the evening are stretched out” (Jer. 6, 4).
לְעֵת צֵאת הַשּׁוֹאֲבוֹת, דְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא זְמִינִין לְמֵיקַם וְלַאֲחָיָיא בְּקַדְמִיתָא מִכָּל שְׁאָר בְּנֵי עַלְמָא, אִינוּן דְּשָׁאֲבֵי מֵימוֹי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא (ושאבין), בְּגִין דְּאִתְעַסְּקוּ לְשָׁאֲבָא מִמֵּימֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאִתְתַּקָּפוּ בְּאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי, וְאִינוּן יִפְקוּן בְּקַדְמִיתָא, דְּאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי גָּרְמָא לוֹן דִּיקוּמוּן בְּקַדְמִיתָא כְּמָא דְאִתְּמָר.
We read further: “at the time that women go out to draw water”, to wit, the time when those who drew the waters of the Torah will rise from the dead before the rest of mankind, in virtue of their having taken hold of the tree of life.
וּבְנוֹת אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר יוֹצְאוֹת. מַאי יוֹצְאוֹת, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (ישעיהו כ״ו:י״ט) וְאֶרֶץ רְפָאִים תַּפִּיל, דְּזַמִּינָא אַרְעָא לְמִפְלַט מִנָּהּ כָּל רוּחִין דְּאִינוּן בְּגַוָּוהּ, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב יוֹצְאוֹת. לִשְׁאוֹב מַיִם, לְנַטְלָא נִשְׁמָתָא וּלְקַבְּלָא לָהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת מְתַקְנָא מֵאַתְרָהּ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי.
Further: “and the daughters of the men of the city came out to draw water”, to wit, the bodies will come forth, as we read: “and the earth will throw up the shades” (Is. 26, 19), implying that the earth will in future give up all the bodies lying therein, “to draw water”, that is, to receive the soul in a perfected state.
וְהָיָה הַנַּעֲרָה אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיהָ הַטִּי נָא כַדֵּךְ וְאֶשְׁתֶּה, בְּגִין דְּהָא אִתְּמָר, דְּכָל אִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּעַלְמָא דְּאִתְקָיְימוּ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וְאִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ לְמִנְדַע לְמָארֵיהוֹן בְּרָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה. אִיהִי סָלְקַת וְאִתְקָיְימַת בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה עַל כָּל אִינוּן דְּלָא אִתְדַּבְּקוּ וְלָא יָדְעוּ, וְאִינוּן אִתְקָיְימוּן בְּקַדְמִיתָא. וְדָא הוּא שְׁאֵלְתָּא דְּקָאִים הַהוּא עֶבֶד לְמִנְדַע וּלְמִשְׁאַל, בְּמָּה אִתְעַסְּקַת הַהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא.
Further: “So let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, that I may drink.” It is one of our affirmations that every soul that occupied itself in this world in the study of the deep mysteries of Divine Wisdom, when it goes to heaven is raised to a high grade, high above those who remained in ignorance; and it is they who will rise from the dead first. The words, then, “Let down thy pitcher, etc.” signify the inquiry which the servant will make of each soul regarding her occupation in this world.
וְאָמְרָה אֵלַי גַּם אַתָּה שְׁתֵה, אַנְתְּ בָּעֵי לְמִשְׁתֵּי וּלְאִתְשַׁקְיָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּבַתְרָךְ וְגַם לִגְמַלֶּיךָ אַשְׁקֶה. בְּגִין דְּכָל אִינוּן שְׁאָר רְתִיכִין אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְשַׁקְיָין מֵהַאי דַרְגָּא, כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְשַׁקְיָין מִפּוּלְחָנָא דְצַדִּיקַיָיא דְּיָדְעֵי פּוּלְחָנָא דְמָארֵיהוֹן כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. דְּצַדִּיקַיָיא יָדְעֵי לְסַפְּקָא לְכָל דַּרְגָּא וְדַרְגָּא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. וְעַל דָּא וְגַם לִגְמַלֶּיךָ אַשְׁקֶה. וַדַּאי הִיא הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר הֹכִיחַ יְיָ לְבֶן אֲדֹנִי. וַדַּאי הַהִיא (ס"א באתערותא דצלותא דילי) אִיהוּ גוּפָא דְּאִזְדַּמַּן לְהַהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא עִלָּאָה.
We read, then, “and she will say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also”, that is, do thou drink first, and afterwards I will give drink to the othet grades, for although those grades drink from the same source, they ultimately derive their sustenance from the religious activity of the righteous who knew how to serve their Master properly, for it is the righteous who know how to supply proper sustenance to each grade. “The same be the woman”, it says further, “that thou hast appointed for the son of my master”; that assuredly is the body destined for that superior soul.
תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּהָא אִתְּמָר דְּתִיאוּבְתָּא דִדְכוּרָא לְגַבֵּי נוּקְבָא עָבִיד נִשְׁמָתָא. וְתִיאוּבְתָּא דְנוּקְבָא לְגַבֵּי דְכוּרָא סָלְקָא וְאִתְעָרַב בַּהֲדָהּ דִּלְעֵילָא וְאִתְכְּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא וְעָבִיד נִשְׁמָתָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ הִיא הָאִשָּׁה. דָּא הוּא גוּפָא וַדַּאי דְּאִיהוּ זְמִינָא לְהַהוּא רְעוּתָא דְנִשְׁמָתָא דְּנָפְקָא מִן דְּכוּרָא.
Observe that it has been said before that the desire of the male towards the female forms a soul, and the desire of the female towards the male rises upwards to unite with the soul and form one being. The woman is thus the body which is destined for the association of the soul that is derived from the male.
וְאִינוּן גּוּפִין זְמִינִין לְאַתְעָרָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא כִּדְאֲמָרָן. וּלְבָתַר דְּאִלֵּין יְקוּמוּן, יְקוּמוּן כָּל אָחֳרָנִין דְּבִשְׁאָר אַרְעָאן, וְיִתְקַיְימוּן בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים, וְיִתְחַדְתּוּן בְּחַדְתוּתָא דְּסִיהֲרָא, וְיִתְחַדֵּשׁ עַלְמָא כְּמִלְקַדְּמִין. וּכְדֵין כְּתִיב בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא (תהילים ק״ד:ל״א) יִשְׂמַח יְיָ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו.
These bodies, then, are destined to rise first, as we said already, and then all the others in the other lands will be raised in a complete state and will be renewed with the renewal of the moon, and the world will be restored to its primeval state, in allusion to which it is written: “Let the Lord rejoice in his works” (Ps. 104, 31).
וּבְגִין כָּךְ (ישעיהו נ״ב:י״ג) הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי, לְאַהֲדָרָא נִשְׁמָתִין כָּל חַד וְחַד לְאַתְרֵיהּ. יָרוּם וְנִשָּׂא וְגָבַהּ מְאֹד, מִסִּטְרָא דְּכָל אִינוּן דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן.
Hence we read: “Behold, my servant will understand”, that is, he will know how to restore the souls, each one to its place. “He shall be exalted and lifted up and shall be very high”, from the side of all the superior grades as said above.
(ישעיהו נ״ב:י״ד) כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמְמוּ עָלֶיךָ רַבִּים כֵּן מִשְׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ וְתֹאֲרוֹ מִבְּנֵי אָדָם. תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּהָא אִתְּמָר דְּכַד אִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא (אתגלי) בְּגוֹ אַרְעָן נוּכְרָאִין בֵּינַיְיהוּ. מַה כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו ל״ג:ז׳) הֵן אֶרְאֱלָם צָעֲקוּ חֻצָה מַלְאֲכֵי שָׁלוֹם מַר יִבְכָּיוּן. כֻּלְּהוּ בָּכוּ עַל דָּא, וּקְשִׁירוּ בְּכִיָה וְאֶבְלָא. וְכָל דָּא עֲלָה דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָיא מֵאַתְרָהּ, וְכַמָּה דְאִיהִי מִשְׁתַּנֵּית מִכְּמָה דְּהֲוַת. אוּף הָכִי בַּעֲלָהּ לָא נָהִיר נְהוֹרֵיהּ וְאִשְׁתַּנֵּי מִכְּמָה דְּהֲוָה, דִּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו י״ג:י׳) חָשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בְּצֵאתוֹ. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב כֵּן מִשְׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ.
The next verse says: “According as many were appalled at thee-so marred was his visage unlike that of a man” (Is. 52, 14). According to our exposition, when the Temple was destroyed and the Shekinah went into exile into strange lands, then “behold, their Erelim1A kind of angel. cry without, the angels of peace weep bitterly” (Ibid. 33, 7), for all wept and mourned for the Shekinah that was exiled from her place, and in the degree that she became altered from what she was, to the same degree her Master withdrew his light and became altered from what he was, as it is written: “The sun was darkened in his going forth” (Ibid. 13, 10). Hence: “so marred was his visage.”
דָּבָר אַחֵר כֵּן מִשְׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ, מֵהַאי עֶבֶד דְּאִשְׁתַּנִּי דִיוּקְנֵיהּ וּגְוָונֵיהּ מִכְּמָה דְּהֲוָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר כֵּן מִשְׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיהו נ׳:ג׳) אַלְבִּישׁ שָׁמַיִם קַדְרוּת וְשַׂק אָשִׂים כְּסוּתָם. דְּהָא מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא לָא קָיְימוּ שָׁמַיִם בִּנְהוֹרָא דִלְהוֹן, וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה בִּרְכָאן לָא שָׁרְיָין אֶלָּא בְּאֲתַר דְּאִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא, וְאוּקְמוּהָ. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (בראשית ב) זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בְּרָאָם וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם. וּבְגִין כָּךְ מִשְׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ.
According to another interpretation, the words, “so marred was his visage unlike that of a man” are illustrated by the verse: “I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering” (Ibid. 50, 3). For after the Temple was destroyed the heavens did not retain their former illumination.
וְדָא הוּא כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו נ״ז:א׳) הַצַּדִּיק אָבַד, אָבוּד אוֹ נֶאֱבַד לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא אָבַד, דְּלָא שַׁרְיָין בִּרְכָאן אֶלָּא בְּאֲתַר דְּאִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא כְּחֲדָא כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר.
Esoterically speaking, benediction does not abide save where male and female are together,
בְּגִין דָּא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח דְּכוּרָא בַּהֲדָהּ, וּכְדֵין כָּל אִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּנָפְקֵי כֻּלְּהוּ הֲוֵי לְהוּ שִׁנּוּיָא מִכְּמָה דְּהֲווּ בְּזִמְנָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא אִתְחַבַּר בְּסִיהֲרָא כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר. וְעַל דָּא אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף וְגו' וְאִתְּמָר.
and since at that time “Behold, my brother Joseph constituted the the male was not with her, all the souls that issued then were not the same as they had been when the sun was in union with the moon, as already said. This union is symbolized by the relation of Joseph to Jacob, as expressed in the verse, “These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph.” This form of expression implies that Jacob’s image was completely reproduced in Joseph, and that whatever happened to the one happened to the other also, the two being parallel and having the same esoteric symbolism.’
וְהוּא נַעַר, בְּגִין דְּלָא מִתְפָּרְשִׁין לְעָלְמִין, צַדִּי"ק וְצֶדֶ"ק כְּחֲדָא אִינוּן, כְּמָה דְּאִיהִי אִתְקְרִיאַת בִּשְׁמָא דִדְכוּרָא, הָכִי נָמֵי אִתְקְרֵי אִיהוּ בִּשְׁמָא דִילָהּ דִּכְתִיב וְהוּא נַעַר.
אֶת בְּנֵי בִּלְהָה וְאֶת בְּנִי זִלְפָּה, בְּכֻלְּהוּ קָיְימָא לְחַדְתָּא לוֹן כְּדְקָא יְאוּת וּלְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא לוֹן בְּחֶדְוָה דִילֵיהּ. דְּכֻלְּהוּ עַנְפִין וְכֻלְּהוּ עָלִין, כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְבָּרְכִין בְּחֶדְוָה דִילֵיהּ.
אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף, כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר דְּכָל דִּיוּקְנָא דְיַעֲקֹב הֲוָה בֵּיהּ בְּיוֹסֵף, וְכָל מַה דְּאֵירַע לְהַאי אֵירַע לְהַאי, וְתַרְוַויְיהוּ כְּחֲדָא אָזְלֵי. וְדָא הוּא רָזָא דְּאָת ו"ו דְּאָזְלֵי תַּרְוַויְיהוּ כְּחֲדָא, בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן רָזָא חָדָא וְדִיוּקְנָא חָדָא:
וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת דִּבָּתָם רָעָה, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ דְּהֲוָה אָמַר לְאֲבוֹי עֲלַיְיהוּ דְּהֲווּ אָכְלֵי שַׁיְיפָא מִבַּעֲלֵי חַיִּין כַּד אִינוּן חַיִּין. וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת דִּבָּתָם רָעָה, וְכִי הָא בְּמִנְיָינָא הֲווּ אִינוּן בְּנֵי שְׁפָחוֹת, הֵיךְ הֲווּ מְזַלְזְלִין בְּהוֹן בְּנֵי לֵאָה, וְהֵיךְ הֲווּ אָכְלִין אֵבָר מִן הַחַי וְהֲווּ עָבְרִין עַל פִּקּוּדָא דְמָארֵיהוֹן. דְּהָא פַּקִּיד עַל בְּנֵי נֹחַ פִּקּוּדָא דָא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (בראשית ט׳:ד׳) אַךְ בָּשָׂר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ דָּמוֹ לא תֹאכֵלוּ, וְאִינוּן הֲווּ אָכְלֵי לֵיהּ וְעָבְרִין עַל פִּקּוּדָא דְמָארֵיהוֹן. אֶלָּא יוֹסֵף הֲוָה קָאֲמַר, וְעַל דָּא אִתְעַנַּשׁ.
AND JOSEPH BROUGHT EVIL REPORT OF THEM UNTO THEIR FATHER. This has been interpreted to mean that he accused them to his father of eating flesh cut from a living animal; he also accused the sons of Leah of having treated with contempt the sons of the handmaids. How, it may be asked, could they have done this, seeing that the sons of the handmaids were reckoned in the twelve tribes? Or how could they have eaten flesh from a living animal, seeing that this was distinctly forbidden to the sons of Noah in the words: “Only flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat” (Gen. 9, 4)? The truth is, however, that it was only Joseph’s talk, and he was punished for it.
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, אֶת דִּבָּתָם רָעָה, כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהָ דְּיַהֲבֵי עֵינַיְיהוּ בִּבְנוֹת אַרְעָא, וְדָא הוּא דִּבָּתָם רָעָה. לְיַנְקָא לְכָל אִינוּן דַּרְגִּין דְּלָא קַדִּישִׁין (ד"א ל"ג אף על גב) דְּאַתְיָין מִסִּטְרָא מְסָאֲבָא:
R. Judah said: ‘The evil report of them that Joseph brought was that they cast their eyes on the daughters of the land, which was equivalent to providing sustenance to the unholy degrees that proceed from the unclean side.’