AND HE FELL UPON HIS BROTHER BENJAMIN’S NECK, AND WEPT; AND BENJAMIN WEPT UPON HIS NECK. R. Isaac said: ‘We expound this to indicate that Joseph wept on account of the destruction of the first Temple and of the second Temple.’
R. Isaac proceeded to discourse on the verse: Thy neck is like the tower of David builded with turrets, whereon there hang a thousand shields, all the armour of the mighty men (S. S. 4, 4). ‘The tower of David’, he said, ‘signifies the heavenly Jerusalem, of which it is written: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is set up on high” (Prov. 18, 10), the phrase “on high” pointing to the tower above.
“Thy neck” signifies the Temple below, which for its beauty is compared to the neck in the human body: as the neck gives symmetry and beauty to the body, so does the Temple to the whole world.
“Builded with turrets” (talpiyoth, lit. mound of mouths), that is, a mound toward which all men turn their gaze when they open their mouths to offer prayer and praise.
“Whereon there hang a thousand shields”, alluding to the thousand cosmic reconstructions that are performed there. “AII the armour of the mighty men”, alluding to the angels of punishment that proceed from the side of severity.
As a woman’s ornaments are hung about her neck, so all the ornaments of the world are hung about the Temple. Similarly, in the passage, “To our very neck we are pursued” (Lam. 5, 5), there is an allusion to the Temple. “We labour and have no rest” (Ibid.), that is, we have exerted ourselves to build the Temple twice, but the enemies have not permitted us to retain it, and it has not been rebuilt.
Again, as the whole body perishes when the neck is destroyed, so as soon as the Temple was destroyed and its light extinguished, the whole world was plunged into darkness, and there was no light of sun or stars, either in heaven or on earth.
Hence, Joseph wept on account of this. After he had wept for the Temple, he wept for the tribes that were to go into exile. For as soon as the Temple was destroyed, all the tribes were exiled and scattered among the nations. Scripture thus tells us: “And he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them”, that is to say, for them.
He wept for all of them, for the twofold destruction of the Temple and for his brethren the ten tribes that went into exile and were scattered among the nations. AND AFTER THAT HIS BRETHREN TALKED WITH HIM. They, however, did not weep, because the Holy Spirit did not flash upon them as upon Joseph.
וַיִּפּוֹל עַל צַוְּארֵי בִּנְיָמִן אָחִיו וַיֵּבְךִ וּבִנְיָמִן בָּכָה עַל צַוָּארָיו. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דְּבָכָה עַל מִקְדָּשׁ רִאשׁוֹן וְעַל מִקְדָּשׁ שֵׁנִי.
AND HE FELL UPON HIS BROTHER BENJAMIN’S NECK, AND WEPT; AND BENJAMIN WEPT UPON HIS NECK. R. Isaac said: ‘We expound this to indicate that Joseph wept on account of the destruction of the first Temple and of the second Temple.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (שיר השירים ד׳:ד׳) כְּמִגְדַּל דָּוִד צַוָּארֵךְ בָּנוּי לְתַלְפִּיּוֹת אֶלֶף הַמָּגֵן תָּלוּי עָלָיו כֹּל שִׁלְטֵי הַגִּבּוֹרִים. כְּמִגְדַּל דָּוִד, מַאן מִגְדַּל דָּוִד. דָּא מִגְדַּל דָּוִד וַדַּאי, דְּבָנָה לֵיהּ דָּוִד, וְסָלִיק לֵיהּ גּוֹ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם. אֶלָּא כְּמִגְדַּל דָּוִד, דָּא יְרוּשָׁלֵם דִּלְעֵילָא, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ, (משלי י״ח:י׳) מִגְדַּל עֹז שֵׁם ה' בּוֹ יָרוּץ צַדִּיק וְנִשְׂגָּב. מַאן נִשְׂגָּב, אֶלָּא הַהוּא מִגְדַּל נִשְׂגָּב, בְּגִין דְּבֵיהּ יָרוּץ צַדִּיק.
R. Isaac proceeded to discourse on the verse: Thy neck is like the tower of David builded with turrets, whereon there hang a thousand shields, all the armour of the mighty men (S. S. 4, 4). ‘The tower of David’, he said, ‘signifies the heavenly Jerusalem, of which it is written: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is set up on high” (Prov. 18, 10), the phrase “on high” pointing to the tower above.
צַוָּארֵךָ, דָּא בֵּית מַקְדְּשָׁא דִלְתַתָּא, דְּאִיהוּ קָאִים בְּתִקּוּנָא דְּשַׁפִּירוּ, כְּקַדְלָא לְגוּפָא. מַה צַּוָּאר, אִיהוּ שַׁפִּירוּ דְּכָל גּוּפָא, הָכִי נָמֵי בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, אִיהוּ שַׁפִּירוּ דְּכָל עַלְמָא.
“Thy neck” signifies the Temple below, which for its beauty is compared to the neck in the human body: as the neck gives symmetry and beauty to the body, so does the Temple to the whole world.
בָּנוּי לְתַלְפִּיּוֹת, תִּלָּא דְּכָל בְּנֵי עַלְמָא הֲווּ מִסְתַּכְּלָן בֵּיהּ, וְהָכִי אוּקְמוּהָ, תַּלְפִּיּוֹת, תֵּל דְּכָל פִּיּוֹת דְּעַלְמָא מְשַׁבְּחָן וּמְצַלָּאן לְגַבֵּיהּ.
“Builded with turrets” (talpiyoth, lit. mound of mouths), that is, a mound toward which all men turn their gaze when they open their mouths to offer prayer and praise.
אֶלֶף הַמָּגֵן תָּלוּי עָלָיו, אִלֵּין אֶלֶף תִּקּוּנִין, דִּמְתַקְּנִין בֵּיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. כֹּל שִׁלְטֵי הַגִּבּוֹרִים, דְּכֻלְּהוּ קָא אַתְיָין מִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא.
“Whereon there hang a thousand shields”, alluding to the thousand cosmic reconstructions that are performed there. “AII the armour of the mighty men”, alluding to the angels of punishment that proceed from the side of severity.
מַה צַּוָּאר, כָּל תִּקּוּנִין דְּאִתְּתָא בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָין. כָּךְ בְּמַקְדְּשָׁא, כָּל תִּקּוּנִין דְּעַלְמָא בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָין וְשָׁרְיָין. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דִּכְתִיב, (איכה ה׳:ה׳) עַל צַוָּארֵינוּ נִרְדָּפְנוּ, עַל בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, דְּאִיהוּ צַוָּאר וְשַׁפִּירוּ דְּכָל עַלְמָא. נִרְדָּפְנוּ, יָגַעְנוּ לְמִבְנֵי לֵיהּ תְּרֵין זִמְנִין, וְלֹא הוּנַח לָנוּ. דְּהָא לָא שָׁבְקוּהָ לָן, וְאִתְחָרַב וְלָא אִתְבְּנֵי לְבָתַר.
As a woman’s ornaments are hung about her neck, so all the ornaments of the world are hung about the Temple. Similarly, in the passage, “To our very neck we are pursued” (Lam. 5, 5), there is an allusion to the Temple. “We labour and have no rest” (Ibid.), that is, we have exerted ourselves to build the Temple twice, but the enemies have not permitted us to retain it, and it has not been rebuilt.
מַה צַּוָּאר, כֵּיוָן דְּאִשְׁתֵּצֵי, כָּל גּוּפָא אִשְׁתֵּצֵי עִמֵּיהּ. הָכִי נָמֵי בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהוּ אִשְׁתֵּצֵי וְאִתְחַשַּׁךְ, כָּל עַלְמָא הָכִי נָמֵי אִתְחַשַּׁךְ, וְלָא נָהִיר שִׁמְשָׁא, וְלָא שְׁמַיָא וְאַרְעָא וְכֹכְבַיָא.
Again, as the whole body perishes when the neck is destroyed, so as soon as the Temple was destroyed and its light extinguished, the whole world was plunged into darkness, and there was no light of sun or stars, either in heaven or on earth.
בְּגִין כָּךְ בָּכָה יוֹסֵף עַל דָּא. וּלְבָתַר דְּבָכָה עַל דָּא, בָּכָה עַל שִׁבְטִין דְּאִתְגָּלוּ. כַּד אִתְחָרִיב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, כֻּלְּהוּ שִׁבְטִין אִתְגָּלוּ מִיָּד, וְאִתְבַּדְּרוּ בֵּינֵי עַמְמַיָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיְנַשֵּׁק לְכָל אֶחָיו וַיֵּבְךִ עֲלֵיהֶם, עֲלֵיהֶם וַדַּאי.
Hence, Joseph wept on account of this. After he had wept for the Temple, he wept for the tribes that were to go into exile. For as soon as the Temple was destroyed, all the tribes were exiled and scattered among the nations. Scripture thus tells us: “And he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them”, that is to say, for them.
עַל כֻּלָּם בָּכָה, עַל בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא דְּאִתְחָרִיב תְּרֵין זִמְנִין, וְעַל אֲחוֹי עֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים, דְּאִתְגָּלוּ בְּגָלוּתָא וְאִתְבַּדְּרוּן בֵּינֵי עַמְמַיָא. וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן דִּבְּרוּ אֶחָיו אִתּוֹ, וְלָא כְּתִיב וַיִּבְכּוּ, דְּהָא אִיהוּ בָּכָה, דְּנִצְנְצָה בֵּיהּ רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִינוּן לָא בָּכוּ, דְּלָא שָׁרָא עֲלַיְיהוּ רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא:
He wept for all of them, for the twofold destruction of the Temple and for his brethren the ten tribes that went into exile and were scattered among the nations. AND AFTER THAT HIS BRETHREN TALKED WITH HIM. They, however, did not weep, because the Holy Spirit did not flash upon them as upon Joseph.