Said R. Isaac: ‘Had we come on this journey only to hear these words, it would have been worth our while.’ R. Judah said: ‘This lad has no right to know so much, and I am afraid he will not live long.’ ‘Why?’ said R. Isaac. ‘Because’, he answered, ‘he is able to see into a place which man has no right to look upon, and I am afraid that before he reaches maturity he will actually look and be punished for it.’
The lad heard them and said: ‘I have no fear of punishment, because when my father died he blessed me and prayed for me, and I know that the merit of my father will protect me.’ They said to him: ‘Who, then, is your father?’ ‘R. Judah, the son of Rab Hamnuna the Elder,’ he replied. They then took him up and carried him on their shoulders three miles,
applying to him the verse: “Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness” (Judg. 15, 14). The boy said to them: ‘Since you have quoted the verse, expound it.’ Said they to him: ‘Since God has led us into the path of life, do you tell us.’
He then began: ‘We find a certain mystical allusion in this verse. The eater is the Zaddik, as it is written: “The Zaddik eats his fill” (Prov. 12, 25). By “his fill” is meant that he gives sufficiency to the place which is called the Soul of David. “From the eater comes forth food”, for but for that Zaddik food would never come forth and the world could not exist. “Out of the strong came forth sweetness”: this is Isaac, who blessed Jacob with the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth.
We may also explain that were it not for the rigour of justice there would come forth no honey, to wit, the Oral Law, which comes forth from the Written Law, which is called “strong”, as it is written: “The Lord shall give strength to his people” (Ps. 29, 11).’
They went on together for three days till they reached the court where his mother lived. When she saw them she made preparations for them and they stayed with her two days. They then said farewell to him, and departed, and came and related everything to R. Simeon. He said: ‘Truly, he has inherited the Torah, and if not for the merit of his fathers he would be punished from above. But for those who follow the Torah God has made it an inheritance to them and their descendants forever, as it is written: “But as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord, my spirit which is upon thee, etc.” (Is. 59, 21).
אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אִלְמָלֵא לָא אִזְדַּמָּן לָן אוֹרְחָא דָא אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמַע מִלִּין אִלֵּין, דַּי לָן. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, יָאוֹת הוּא לְהַאי יְנוּקָא דְּלָא יִנְדַע כָּל הַאי, וְאֲנָא מִסְתָּפִינָא עֲלֵיהּ. אִי יִתְקַיַּים בְּעַלְמָא בְּגִין הַאי. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק וְלָמָּה. אָמַר לֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּהַאי רַבְיָא יָכִיל לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּאַתְרָא דְּלֵית רְשׁוּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ. וּמִסְתָּפִינָא עֲלוֹי, דְּעַד לָא יִמְטֵי לְפִרְקוֹי, יַשְׁגַּח וְיִסְתַּכַּל וְיַעַנְשׁוּן לֵיהּ.
Said R. Isaac: ‘Had we come on this journey only to hear these words, it would have been worth our while.’ R. Judah said: ‘This lad has no right to know so much, and I am afraid he will not live long.’ ‘Why?’ said R. Isaac. ‘Because’, he answered, ‘he is able to see into a place which man has no right to look upon, and I am afraid that before he reaches maturity he will actually look and be punished for it.’
שָׁמַע הַהוּא יְנוּקָא. אָמַר, לָא מִסְתָּפִינָא מֵעוֹנָשָׁא לְעָלְמִין, דְּהָא בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּאִסְתַּלִּיק אַבָּא מֵעַלְמָא, בָּרִיךְ לִי וְצַלֵּי עָלַי. וִידַעְנָא דִזְכוּתָא דְּאַבָּא יָגִין עָלַי. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ, וּמַאן הוּא אֲבוּךְ. אָמַר, (נ"א ליתא רב יהודה) בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, נָטְלוּ לֵיהּ, וְאַרְכְּבוּהָ עַל כִּתְפַיְיהוּ תְּלַת מִילִין.
The lad heard them and said: ‘I have no fear of punishment, because when my father died he blessed me and prayed for me, and I know that the merit of my father will protect me.’ They said to him: ‘Who, then, is your father?’ ‘R. Judah, the son of Rab Hamnuna the Elder,’ he replied. They then took him up and carried him on their shoulders three miles,
קָרוּ עֲלֵיהּ, (שופטים י״ד:י״ד) מֵהָאוֹכֶל יָצָא מַאֲכָל וּמֵעַז יָצָא מָתוֹק וְגו'. אָמַר לוֹן הַהוּא יְנוּקָא, מִלָּה אֲתָא לִידַיְיכוּ, פָּרִישׁוּ לָהּ. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא זַמִּין לָן אָרְחָא דְחַיֵּי, אֵימָא אַנְתְּ.
applying to him the verse: “Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness” (Judg. 15, 14). The boy said to them: ‘Since you have quoted the verse, expound it.’ Said they to him: ‘Since God has led us into the path of life, do you tell us.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, מֵהָאוֹכֶל יָצָא מַאֲכָל וּמֵעַז יָצָא מָתוֹק. הַאי קְרָא, אַסְמַכְתָּא אִית לָן בֵּיהּ, מֵהָאוֹכֶל, דָּא צַדִּיק, דִּכְתִיב, (משלי י״ג:כ״ה) צַדִּיק אוֹכֵל לְשׂוֹבַע נַפְשׁוֹ. צַדִּיק אוֹכֵל וַדַּאי, וְנָטִיל כֹּלָּא, אַמַּאי, לְשׂוֹבַע נַפְשׁוֹ. לְמֵיהַב שָׂבְעָא, לְהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי נַפְשׁוֹ דְּדָוִד. יָצָא מַאֲכָל, דְּאִלְמָלֵא הַהוּא צַדִּיק, לָא יִפּוּק מְזוֹנָא לְעָלְמִין, וְלָא יָכִיל עַלְמָא לְקָיְימָא (ביה). וּמֵעַז יָצָא מָתוֹק, דָּא יִצְחָק, דְּבָרִיךְ לְיַעֲקֹב בְּטַל הַשָּׁמַיִם וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ.
He then began: ‘We find a certain mystical allusion in this verse. The eater is the Zaddik, as it is written: “The Zaddik eats his fill” (Prov. 12, 25). By “his fill” is meant that he gives sufficiency to the place which is called the Soul of David. “From the eater comes forth food”, for but for that Zaddik food would never come forth and the world could not exist. “Out of the strong came forth sweetness”: this is Isaac, who blessed Jacob with the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth.
תוּ, אַף עַל גַּב דְּכֹלָּא חַד, אִלְמָלֵא תּוּקְפָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא, לָא נָפְקָא דְבַשׁ. מַאן דְּבַשׁ. דָּא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה, דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים י״ט:י״א) וּמְתוּקִים מִדְּבַשׁ וְנֹפֶת צוּפִים. מֵעַז, דָּא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב, דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים כ״ט:י״א) ה' עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן. יָצָא מָתוֹק, דָּא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה.
We may also explain that were it not for the rigour of justice there would come forth no honey, to wit, the Oral Law, which comes forth from the Written Law, which is called “strong”, as it is written: “The Lord shall give strength to his people” (Ps. 29, 11).’
אֲזְלוּ כְּחֲדָא תְּלַת יוֹמִין, עַד דְּמָטוּ לְטוּרְסָא דְקִירָא דְּאִמֵּיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמַאת לוֹן אַתְקָנִית בֵּיתָא, וְיַתְבוּ תַּמָּן תְּלַת יוֹמִין אָחֳרָנִין. בֵּרְכוּהוּ, וְאֲזְלוּ, וְסִדְּרוּ מִלִּין קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. אָמַר, וַדַּאי יְרוּתַת אוֹרַיְיתָא אַחְסִין, וְאִלְמָלֵא זְכוּתָא דַאֲבָהָן יִתְעַנַּשׁ מִלְּעֵילָא, אֲבָל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִינוּן דְּאָזְלִין בָּתַר אוֹרַיְיתָא, אַחְסִינוּ לָהּ אִינוּן וּבְנַיְיהוּ לְעָלְמִין. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו נ״ט:כ״א) וַאֲנִי זֹאת בְּרִיתִי אוֹתָם אָמַר ה' רוּחִי אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיךָ וגו'.
They went on together for three days till they reached the court where his mother lived. When she saw them she made preparations for them and they stayed with her two days. They then said farewell to him, and departed, and came and related everything to R. Simeon. He said: ‘Truly, he has inherited the Torah, and if not for the merit of his fathers he would be punished from above. But for those who follow the Torah God has made it an inheritance to them and their descendants forever, as it is written: “But as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord, my spirit which is upon thee, etc.” (Is. 59, 21).