R. Judah discoursed here on the text: The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave forth his voice; hailstones and coals of fire (Ps. 18, 14). ‘When God’, he said, ‘created the world, He constructed for it seven pillars by which it was to be upheld. So Scripture says: “Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars” (Prov. 9, 1). These in turn are upheld by one grade from among them called “the Righteous One, the everlasting foundation” (Ibid. 10, 25).
Further, when the world was created, it was started from that spot which is the culmination and perfection of the world, the central point of the universe, which is identical with Zion, as it is written: “A psalm of Asaph. God, God the Lord hath spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined forth” (Ps. 50, 2). That is to say, God started the earth from Zion, from the spot where faith culminates in its full perfection. Zion is thus the citadel and central point of the universe, from which it began to be fashioned and from which the whole world is nourished.
This lesson is esoterically indicated in our text. For Zion and Jerusalem, while one, represent two degrees, the one being the channel of judgement, the other of mercy; first there issues from one the sound of mercy, and afterwards there comes forth from the other the voice of judgement, the two forming the source from which the paths of judgement and mercy issue and diverge.
Hence the expression “And the Lord also thundered in the heavens” indicates judgement, while “the Most High gave forth his voice” refers to mercy, and “hailstones and coals of fire” signify water and fire, that is, mercy and judgement commingled.’
Observe that when Judah was born, it is written: “and she left off bearing” (Gen. 29, 35), the reason being that Judah constituted the fourth of the four supports of the Heavenly Throne. But here it is written: AND JUDAH WENT DOWN FROM HIS BRETHREN , that is, from his position as their king, because Joseph had been taken down into Egypt, as explained.
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאֲמַר, (תהילים י״ח:י״ד) וַיַּרְעֵם בַּשָּׁמַיִם יְיָ וְעֶלְיוֹן יִתֵּן קוֹלוֹ בָּרָד וְגַחֲלֵי אֵשׁ. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַלְמָא, אַתְקִין לֵיהּ שִׁבְעָה סְמָכִין עַל מַה דְּקָיְימָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ סְמָכִין קָיְימֵי בְּחַד סָמְכָא יְחִידָאי, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ. דִּכְתִיב, (משלי ט׳:א׳) חַכְמוֹת נָשִׁים בָּנְתָה בֵיתָהּ חָצְבָה עַמּוּדֶיהָ שִׁבְעָה. וְאִלֵּין כֻּלְּהוּ אִינוּן קָיְימֵי בְּחַד דַּרְגָּא מִנַּיְיהוּ דְּאִקְרֵי (משלי י׳:כ״ה) צַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם.
R. Judah discoursed here on the text: The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave forth his voice; hailstones and coals of fire (Ps. 18, 14). ‘When God’, he said, ‘created the world, He constructed for it seven pillars by which it was to be upheld. So Scripture says: “Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars” (Prov. 9, 1). These in turn are upheld by one grade from among them called “the Righteous One, the everlasting foundation” (Ibid. 10, 25).
וְעַלְמָא כַּד אִתְבְּרֵי, מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר אִתְבְּרֵי. דְּאִיהוּ שִׁכְלוּלָא דְּעַלְמָא, וְתִקּוּנוֹי. דְּאִיהוּ חַד נְקוּדָה דְעַלְמָא, וְאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְכֹלָּא. וּמַאן אִיהוּ, צִיּוֹן. דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים נ׳:א׳) מִזְמוֹר לְאָסָף אֵל אֱלֹהִים יְיָ דִּבֶּר וַיִּקְרָא אֶרֶץ מִמִּזְרַח שֶׁמֶשׁ עַד מְבוֹאוֹ. וּמֵאָן אֲתַר, מִצִּיּוֹן, דִּכְתִיב מִצִּיּוֹן מִכְלַל יוֹפִי אֱלֹהִים הוֹפִיעַ. מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִיהוּ סִטְרָא דְּשִׁכְלוּלָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת (והשתא (עי' קמא א כי שם מקומו) ישראל אתתקפו ביה ברזי דפקודי דאורייתא בגין דכל יומא ויומא אתתקף בר נש בציצית דאתעטף ביה). וְצִיּוֹן תַּקִּיפוּ וּנְקוּדָה דְּכָל עַלְמָא, וּמֵהַהוּא אֲתַר אִשְׁתַּכְלַל כָּל עַלְמָא וְאִתְעֲבִיד, וּמִגַּוֵּיהּ כָּל עַלְמָא אִתְּזָן.
Further, when the world was created, it was started from that spot which is the culmination and perfection of the world, the central point of the universe, which is identical with Zion, as it is written: “A psalm of Asaph. God, God the Lord hath spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined forth” (Ps. 50, 2). That is to say, God started the earth from Zion, from the spot where faith culminates in its full perfection. Zion is thus the citadel and central point of the universe, from which it began to be fashioned and from which the whole world is nourished.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, וַיַּרְעֵם בַּשָּׁמַיִם יְיָ וְעֶלְיוֹן יִתֵּן קוֹלוֹ וְגו', כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר וַיַּרְעֵם בַּשָּׁמַיִם יְיָ, אַמַּאי כְּתִיב וְעֶלְיוֹן יִתֵּן קוֹלוֹ. הָא (ס"א אלא) הָכָא רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, (ועל מה ס"א עלמא) דְּאֲמִינָא דְּצִיּוֹן אִיהוּ שִׁכְלוּלָא וְשַׁפִּירוּ דְּעַלְמָא, וְעַלְמָא מִנֵּיהּ אִתְּזָן. בְּגִין דִּתְרֵין דַּרְגִּין אִינוּן וְאִינוּן חַד, אִינוּן צִיּוֹן וִיְרוּשָׁלַם. דָּא דִינָא וְדָא רַחֲמֵי, וְתַרְוַיְיהוּ חַד, מֵהָכָא דִּינָא וּמֵהָכָא רַחֲמֵי.
This lesson is esoterically indicated in our text. For Zion and Jerusalem, while one, represent two degrees, the one being the channel of judgement, the other of mercy; first there issues from one the sound of mercy, and afterwards there comes forth from the other the voice of judgement, the two forming the source from which the paths of judgement and mercy issue and diverge.
מֵעֵילָא לְעֵילָא נָפְקָא קוֹל דְּאִשְׁתְּמַע, לְבָתַר דְּהַהוּא קוֹל נָפְקָא וְאִשְׁתְּמַע נָפְקֵי דִינִין וְאָרְחֵי דְּדִינָא, וְרַחֲמֵי נָפְקִין וּמִתְפָּרְשָׁן מִתַּמָּן. וַיַּרְעֵם בַּשָּׁמַיִם יְיָ, דָּא בֵּי דִינָא בְּרַחֲמֵי. וְעֶלְיוֹן, אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח וְלָא אִתְיְידַע, כֵּיוָן דְּהַהוּא קוֹל נָפִיק כְּדֵין אִשְׁתַּכַּח כֹּלָּא, דִּינָא וְרַחֲמֵי. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְעֶלְיוֹן יִתֵּן קוֹלוֹ, כֵּיוָן דְּיִתֵּן קוֹלוֹ, כְּדֵין בָּרָד וְגַחֲלֵי אֵשׁ, מַיָא וְאֶשָׁא.
Hence the expression “And the Lord also thundered in the heavens” indicates judgement, while “the Most High gave forth his voice” refers to mercy, and “hailstones and coals of fire” signify water and fire, that is, mercy and judgement commingled.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּאִתְיְלִיד יְהוּדָה מַה כְּתִיב, (בראשית כט) וַתַּעֲמֹד מִלֶּדֶת, בְּגִין דְּדָא הוּא יְסוֹדָא רְבִיעָאָה מֵאִינוּן אַרְבַּע דְּאִינוּן רְתִיכָא עִלָּאָה, סַמְכָא חַד מֵאִינוּן אַרְבַּע סַמְכִין. מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, וַיְהִי בָּעֵת הַהִיא וַיֵּרֶד יְהוּדָה מֵאֵת אֶחָיו, דְּהֲוָה מַלְכָּא עֲלַיְיהוּ. מַאי טַעְמָא, בְּגִין דְּיוֹסֵף נָחֲתוּ לֵיהּ לְמִצְרַיִם כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן:
Observe that when Judah was born, it is written: “and she left off bearing” (Gen. 29, 35), the reason being that Judah constituted the fourth of the four supports of the Heavenly Throne. But here it is written: AND JUDAH WENT DOWN FROM HIS BRETHREN , that is, from his position as their king, because Joseph had been taken down into Egypt, as explained.