AND THE REPORT THEREOF WAS HEARD IN PHARAOH’S HOUSE. R. Abba opened a discourse on the verse: My soul yearneth, yea, even pineth for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy unto the living God (Ps. 84, 3). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that before offering his prayer to his Master, a man should first recite some thanksgiving. He should also pray before his Master in the proper time:
in the morning to unite himself to the right side of the Holy One, blessed be He, and in the afternoon to the left side. It is incumbent on man to offer up prayer and supplication each day so as to unite himself with God. It has been laid down that in praying before his Master a man should not make his voice heard, as if he does so his prayer will not be accepted, for the reason that prayer does not consist in audible voice nor is the voice prayer.
Prayer consists in another voice attached to the voice which is heard. It thus behoves man to pray silently, to pray with that voice that is inaudible. It is thus written: “and the voice (veha-qol=and the report, lit. the voice) was heard”, where the term qol is written defectively, without a vau, pointing to the inaudible voice, like that of Hannah’s prayer, of which it is written: “but her voice could not be heard” (I Sam. 1, 13).
4
וּבְגִין כָּךְ, לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְמִשְׁמַע קָלֵיהּ בִּצְלוֹתֵיהּ, אֶלָּא לְצַלָּאָה בְּלַחַשׁ, בְּהַהוּא קָלָא דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע. וְדָא הִיא צְלוֹתָא דְּאִתְקַבָּלַת תָּדִיר. וְסִימָנִיךְ, וְהַקֹּל נִשְׁמַע, קֹל בְּלָא וא"ו, נִשְׁמַע. דָּא הִיא צְלוֹתָא דְּהִיא בַּחֲשַׁאי. דִּכְתִיב בְּחַנָּה, (שמואל א א׳:י״ג) וְקוֹלָהּ לא יִשָּׁמַע. דָּא הִיא צְלוֹתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קַבִּיל, כַּד אִתְעֲבִיד גּוֹ רְעוּתָא וְכַוָּונָה וְתִקּוּנָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, וּלְיַחֲדָא יִחוּדָא דְמָרֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת בְּכָל יוֹמָא. (והקל נשמע בית פרעה. והקל נשמע חסר וא"ו, מאי טעמא, אמר רבי אלעזר, דא היא שכינתא דבכאת על חרוב בי מקדשא ועל גלותהון דישראל. כתיב הכא, והקל נשמע, וכתיב התם, (ירמיהו ל״א:ט״ו) קול ברמה נשמע. מה להלן שכינתא, אף כאן נמי שכינתא).
The prayer which the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts is that which is performed with earnestness and devotion and proper concentration of the mind on the unity of God.’
R. Eleazar said: ‘The silent voice is the supernal voice from which all other voices proceed. The statement “and the voice was heard”, where the term qol (voice) is written without a vau,
is an allusion to the voice which wept on account of the first Temple and the second Temple. The word “was heard’ suggests the verse: “A voice was heard in Ramah” (Jer. 31, 15), where the word b’ramah (in Ramah, lit. on high) alludes to the upper world, to the world to come; for of that event it is indeed written: “And in that day did the Lord, the God of hosts, call to weeping, and to lamentation, etc.” (Is. 22, 12),
so that the voice was heard in the height of heights. Therefore, too, Rachel wept for her children; she “refused to be comforted for her children, because he is not”. It is not written “they are not” (einam), but “he is not” (einennu), which is an allusion to her Spouse; for if her Spouse were present with her, she would let herself be comforted for them, as they would not remain then in exile; but her Spouse not being with her she cannot be comforted.
The “house of Par’oh” (Pharaoh) here is, again, an allusion to the Temple on high, that is, to the house that was stripped (par’oh= uncovering) and bared of all its light and radiance and its hidden treasures.
When the Holy One, blessed be He, will raise that still voice from the dust and join the vau with it, then all that was lost to them in the time of exile will be restored, and they will feast on the supernal radiances that will stream with added brightness from the supernal world, as Scripture says: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great horn shall be blown; and they shall come that were lost in Assyria, and they that were dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they shall worship the Lord in the holy mountain at Jerusalem” (Ibid. 27, 13).’
וְהַקֹּל נִשְׁמַע בֵּית פַּרְעֹה. רִבִּי (אלעזר) אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים פ״ד:ג׳) נִכְסְפָה וְגַם כָּלְתָה נַפְשִׁי לְחַצְרוֹת ה' לִבִּי וּבְשָׂרִי יְרַנְּנוּ אֶל אֵל חָי. תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל בַּר נָּשׁ דְּצַלֵּי צְלוֹתֵיהּ (וקם) קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ, אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְאַקְדָּמָא לֵיהּ בִּרְכָאן בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא, וּלְצַלֵּי צְלוֹתֵיהּ קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ בְּזִמְנָא דְאִצְטְרִיךְ.
AND THE REPORT THEREOF WAS HEARD IN PHARAOH’S HOUSE. R. Abba opened a discourse on the verse: My soul yearneth, yea, even pineth for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy unto the living God (Ps. 84, 3). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that before offering his prayer to his Master, a man should first recite some thanksgiving. He should also pray before his Master in the proper time:
בְּצַפְרָא, לְאַחֲדָא בִּימִינָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. בְּמִנְחָה, לְאַחֲדָא בִּשְׂמָאלָא. וּצְלוֹתָא וּבָעוּתָא, אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא בְּגִין לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בֵּיהּ. וְאוֹקִימְנָא, מַאן דְּצַלֵּי צְלוֹתֵיהּ, (וקם) קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ, אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ דְּלָא לְמִשְׁמַע קָלֵיהּ בִּצְלוֹתֵיהּ. וּמַאן דְּאַשְׁמַע קָלֵיהּ בִּצְלוֹתֵיהּ, צְלוֹתֵיהּ לָא אִשְׁתְּמַע.
in the morning to unite himself to the right side of the Holy One, blessed be He, and in the afternoon to the left side. It is incumbent on man to offer up prayer and supplication each day so as to unite himself with God. It has been laid down that in praying before his Master a man should not make his voice heard, as if he does so his prayer will not be accepted, for the reason that prayer does not consist in audible voice nor is the voice prayer.
מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין (שמות ר"ב ע"ב) דִּצְלוֹתָא, לָאו אִיהִי הַהִיא קָלָא דְּאִשְׁתְמַע. דְּהַהוּא קוֹל דְּאִשְׁתַּמַּע לָאו הִיא צְלוֹתָא. וּמַאן אִיהִי צְלוֹתָא. דָּא קָלָא אָחֳרָא, דְּתַלְיָא בְּקָלָא דְאִשְׁתְּמַע, וּמַאן הוּא קָלָא דְּאִשְׁתְּמַע. דָּא הַהוּא קוֹל דְּהוּא בְּוא"ו, קָלָא דְתַלְיָא בֵּיהּ, דָּא הַהוּא קֹל בְּלָא וא"ו.
Prayer consists in another voice attached to the voice which is heard. It thus behoves man to pray silently, to pray with that voice that is inaudible. It is thus written: “and the voice (veha-qol=and the report, lit. the voice) was heard”, where the term qol is written defectively, without a vau, pointing to the inaudible voice, like that of Hannah’s prayer, of which it is written: “but her voice could not be heard” (I Sam. 1, 13).
וּבְגִין כָּךְ, לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְמִשְׁמַע קָלֵיהּ בִּצְלוֹתֵיהּ, אֶלָּא לְצַלָּאָה בְּלַחַשׁ, בְּהַהוּא קָלָא דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע. וְדָא הִיא צְלוֹתָא דְּאִתְקַבָּלַת תָּדִיר. וְסִימָנִיךְ, וְהַקֹּל נִשְׁמַע, קֹל בְּלָא וא"ו, נִשְׁמַע. דָּא הִיא צְלוֹתָא דְּהִיא בַּחֲשַׁאי. דִּכְתִיב בְּחַנָּה, (שמואל א א׳:י״ג) וְקוֹלָהּ לא יִשָּׁמַע. דָּא הִיא צְלוֹתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קַבִּיל, כַּד אִתְעֲבִיד גּוֹ רְעוּתָא וְכַוָּונָה וְתִקּוּנָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, וּלְיַחֲדָא יִחוּדָא דְמָרֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת בְּכָל יוֹמָא. (והקל נשמע בית פרעה. והקל נשמע חסר וא"ו, מאי טעמא, אמר רבי אלעזר, דא היא שכינתא דבכאת על חרוב בי מקדשא ועל גלותהון דישראל. כתיב הכא, והקל נשמע, וכתיב התם, (ירמיהו ל״א:ט״ו) קול ברמה נשמע. מה להלן שכינתא, אף כאן נמי שכינתא).
The prayer which the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts is that which is performed with earnestness and devotion and proper concentration of the mind on the unity of God.’
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, קָלָא בַּחֲשַׁאי, דָּא הִיא קָלָא עִלָּאָה, דְּכָל קָלִין נָפְקִין מִתַּמָּן. אֲבָל קֹל בְּלָא ו', דָּא הִיא צְלוֹתָא דִלְתַתָּא, דְּאִיהִי אָזְלָא לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא בְּוא"ו וּלְאִתְחַבְּרָא בֵּיהּ.
R. Eleazar said: ‘The silent voice is the supernal voice from which all other voices proceed. The statement “and the voice was heard”, where the term qol (voice) is written without a vau,
תָּא חֲזֵי, וְהַקֹּל נִשְׁמַע, דָּא הוּא קֹל בְּלָא וא"ו. דָּא הִיא קָלָא דְּבָּכַאת עַל מִקְדָּשׁ רִאשׁוֹן וְעַל מִקְדָּשׁ שֵׁנִי. נִשְׁמַע, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, קוֹל בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמָע. בְּרָמָה, מַאי בְּרָמָה. דָּא הוּא עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה, עַלְמָא דְאָתֵי. וְסִימָנִיךְ, מִן הָרָמָה וְעַד בֵּית אֵל, (תהילים ק״ו:מ״ח) מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם. הָכָא בְּרָמָה, דָּא עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה. דְּהָא בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא דִּי בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמַע. כְּדֵין מַה כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו כ״ב:י״ב) וַיִּקְרָא ה' אֱלהִים צְבָאוֹת בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לִבְכִי וּלְמִסְפֵּד וְגו'.
is an allusion to the voice which wept on account of the first Temple and the second Temple. The word “was heard’ suggests the verse: “A voice was heard in Ramah” (Jer. 31, 15), where the word b’ramah (in Ramah, lit. on high) alludes to the upper world, to the world to come; for of that event it is indeed written: “And in that day did the Lord, the God of hosts, call to weeping, and to lamentation, etc.” (Is. 22, 12),
וְהַקֹּל נִשְׁמַע, לְעֵילָא לְעֵילָא. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּוא"ו אִתְרַחַק וְאִסְתַּלַּק מִנֵּיהּ, וּכְדֵין רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל בָּנֶיהָ מֵאֲנָה לְהִנָּחֵם עַל בָּנֶיהָ כִּי אֵינֶנוּ. כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ, כִּי אֵינָם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ, דְּבַעֲלָהּ לָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח עִמָּהּ. דְּאִלְּמָלֵא בַּעֲלָהּ יִשְׁתַּכַּח עִמָּהּ, תִּתְנַחֵם עֲלַיְיהוּ. דְּהָא כְּדֵין בְּנָהָא, לָא יְהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא. וּבְגִין דְּאֵינֶנּוּ, לָאו אִיהִי מִתְנַחֲמָא עַל בְּנָהָא, בְּגִין דִּבְנָהָא אִתְרַחֲקוּ מִנָּהּ, עַל דְּאֵינֶנּוּ עִמָּהּ.
so that the voice was heard in the height of heights. Therefore, too, Rachel wept for her children; she “refused to be comforted for her children, because he is not”. It is not written “they are not” (einam), but “he is not” (einennu), which is an allusion to her Spouse; for if her Spouse were present with her, she would let herself be comforted for them, as they would not remain then in exile; but her Spouse not being with her she cannot be comforted.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בֵּית פַּרְעֹה, דָּא הוּא סִימָנִיךְ לְעֵילָא, בֵּיתָא דְּאִתְפְּרָעוּ וְאִתְגַּלְּיָין מִנֵּיהּ כָּל נְהוֹרִין וְכָל בּוּצִינִין, כָּל מַה דְּהֲוָה סָתִים, מִתַּמָּן אִתְגְּלִי. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַפִּיק כָּל נְהוֹרִין וְכָל בּוּצִינִין, בְּגִין לְאַנְהָרָא לְהַהוּא קוֹל, דְּאִקְרֵי קֹל בְּלָא וא"ו.
The “house of Par’oh” (Pharaoh) here is, again, an allusion to the Temple on high, that is, to the house that was stripped (par’oh= uncovering) and bared of all its light and radiance and its hidden treasures.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד יָקִים קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְהַאי קֹל מֵעַפְרָא, וְיִתְחַבַּר בְּוא"ו, כְּדֵין כָּל מַה דְּאִתְאֲבִיד מִנַּיְיהוּ בְּזִמְנָא דְגָלוּתָא, יִתְהֲדַר וְיִתְעַדְּנוּן בִּנְהוֹרִין עִלָּאִין דְּאִתּוֹסְפָן מִגּוֹ עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיהו כ״ז:י״ג) וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִתָּקַע בְּשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל וּבָאוּ הָאוֹבְדִים בְּאֶרֶץ אַשּׁוּר וְהַנִּדָּחִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַה' בְּהַר הַקֹּדֶשׁ בִּירוּשָׁלָם:
When the Holy One, blessed be He, will raise that still voice from the dust and join the vau with it, then all that was lost to them in the time of exile will be restored, and they will feast on the supernal radiances that will stream with added brightness from the supernal world, as Scripture says: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great horn shall be blown; and they shall come that were lost in Assyria, and they that were dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they shall worship the Lord in the holy mountain at Jerusalem” (Ibid. 27, 13).’