HE GATHERED UP HIS FEET INTO THE BED. Since he was abiding in the place of the living, when he was about to depart from the world he gathered his feet into the bed. This is illustrated by the verse: “My soul yearns and longs for the courts of the Lord” (Ps. 84, 2). The Companions have explained this as follows.
There are lower abodes and higher abodes. In the higher there are no dwellers, they being the inner room, but the outer rooms are called “courts of the Lord”, because they are filled with love and desire for the female. When the soul departs, it turns wholly to the female, being united with it in whole-hearted desire.
It is not said that Jacob died, but only that he “yielded up the ghost and was gathered unto his people”. The words “he gathered up his feet into the bed” indicate that the sun was gathered in unto the moon. The sun does not die, but is gathered in from the world and goes to join the moon.
When Jacob was gathered in, the moon was illumined, and the desire of the supernal sun was awakened for her, because when the sun departs, another sun arises and attaches itself to the first, and the moon is illumined.’
Said R. Simeon: ‘You are quite right. It has, however, been affirmed that above, the world of the male is joined with a lower one, which is the world of the female, and that the lower world is joined with the upper, and so one is the counterpart of the other.
It is written: “The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him” (Prov. 31, 1). The secret meaning of this verse is not known. We may, however, render “the words which were spoken for the sake of El (God) who is king”.
Observe that Jacob was gathered into the moon and through it produced fruit1i.e. souls. in the world, and there is no generation without the fruit of Jacob, because he gave an impulse above.
Happy is the portion of Jacob, since he was made perfect above and below, as it is written: “Fear not thou, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord, for I am with thee” (Jer. 46, 28); it does not say “for thou art with me”, but “for I am with thee”, as has been pointed out.’
וַיֶּאֱסוֹף רַגְלָיו אֶל הַמִּטָּה, בְּגִין דְּהָא אִיהוּ בְּאֲתַר דְּחַיִּין יָתִיב. כַּד בָּעָא לְאִסְתַּלָּקָא מֵעַלְמָא, נָחִית רַגְלוֹי לְגַבֵּי מִטָּה, וְאִתְכְּנִישׁ וְאִסְתְּלַק מֵעַלְמָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיִּגְוַע וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל עַמָּיו.
HE GATHERED UP HIS FEET INTO THE BED. Since he was abiding in the place of the living, when he was about to depart from the world he gathered his feet into the bed. This is illustrated by the verse: “My soul yearns and longs for the courts of the Lord” (Ps. 84, 2). The Companions have explained this as follows.
פְּתָח וְאָמַר, (תהילים פ״ד:ג׳) נִכְסְפָה וְגַם כָּלְתָה נַפְשִׁי לְחַצְרוֹת ה', מִלָּה דָא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָיא. אֲבָלתָּא חֲזֵי, אִית מָדוֹרִין תַּתָּאִין, וְאִית מָדוֹרִין עִלָּאִין. בְּעִלָּאִין לָאו (מדורין) שָׁרְיָין תַּמָּן, וּמַאן אִינוּן, אִינוּן בָּתֵּי גַוָאֵי, וּבָתֵּי בְּרָאֵי. אִינוּן אִקְרוּן חַצְרוֹת ה', בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן קָיְימֵי בִּרְחִימוּ וְתִיאוּבְתָּא לְגַבֵּי נוּקְבָא. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד נִשְׁמָתָא סַ לְקָא אִתְעַר כֹּלָּא לְגַבֵּי נוּקְבָא, דְּהָא אִיהִי אִתְאַחֲדַת בְּתִיאוּבְתָּא שְׁלֵימָתָא וְאִתְקַשְּׁרַת בֵּיהּ.
There are lower abodes and higher abodes. In the higher there are no dwellers, they being the inner room, but the outer rooms are called “courts of the Lord”, because they are filled with love and desire for the female. When the soul departs, it turns wholly to the female, being united with it in whole-hearted desire.
יַעֲקֹב לָא מִית, בְגִין כָּךְ לָא אִתְּמָר בֵּיהּ מוֹתָא, אֶלָּא וַיִּגְוַע וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל עַמָּיו. חָמֵי מַה כְּתִיב, וַיֶּאֱסוֹף רַגְלָיו אֶל הַמִּטָּה, דְּאִתְכְּנִישׁ שִׁמְשָׁא לְגַבֵּי סִיהֲרָא, שִׁמְשָׁא לָא מִית, אֶלָּא אִתְכְּנִישׁ מֵעַלְמָא, וְאָזִיל לְגַבֵּי סִיהֲרָא.
It is not said that Jacob died, but only that he “yielded up the ghost and was gathered unto his people”. The words “he gathered up his feet into the bed” indicate that the sun was gathered in unto the moon. The sun does not die, but is gathered in from the world and goes to join the moon.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּאִתְכְּנִישׁ יַעֲקֹב, אִתְנְהִיר סִיהֲרָא, וְתִיאוּבְתָּא דְשִׁמְשָׁא עִלָּאָה אִתְעַר לְגַבָּהּ, בְּגִין דְּשִׁמְשָׁא כַּד סָלִיק, אִתְעַר שִׁמְשָׁא אָחֳרָא, וְאִתְדָּבַּק דָּא בְּדָא, וְאִתְנְהִיר סִיהֲרָא.
When Jacob was gathered in, the moon was illumined, and the desire of the supernal sun was awakened for her, because when the sun departs, another sun arises and attaches itself to the first, and the moon is illumined.’
אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, שַׁפִּיר קָא אֲמַרְתְּ, אֲבָל הָא אִתְּמָר, דְּעִלָּאָה עַלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא, אִתְקַשַּׁר בְּתַתָּאָה דְּאִיהוּ עַלְמָא דְנוּקְבָא, וְתַתָּאָה אִתְקַשַּׁר בְּעִלָּאָה, וְכֹלָּא דָּא כְּגַוְונָא דָא.
Said R. Simeon: ‘You are quite right. It has, however, been affirmed that above, the world of the male is joined with a lower one, which is the world of the female, and that the lower world is joined with the upper, and so one is the counterpart of the other.
וְהָא אִתְּמָר תְּרֵין עָלְמִין נִינְהוּ, כְּדִכְתִיב, (דברי הימים א ט״ז:ל״ו) מִן הָעוֹלָם (קנ"ג ע"ב) וְעַד הָעוֹלָם. וְאַף עַל גַּב דִּתְרֵין נוּקְבֵי נִינְהוּ, חַד מִתְתַּקַּן בִּדְכוּרָא, וְחַד בְּנוּקְבָא. דָּא שֶׁבַע (שבת), וְדָא בַּת שֶׁבַע. דָּא אֵם, וְדָא אֵם, דָּא אִקְרֵי אֵם הַבָּנִים, וְדָא אִקְרֵי אֵם שְׁלמֹה. כְּדִכְתִיב, (שיר השירים ג׳:י״א) צְאֶנָה וּרְאֶנָה בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן בַּמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה וְגו'. בַּמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה, בַּמֶּלֶךְ דְּכָל שְׁלָמָא דִילֵיהּ. דָּא אֵם שְׁלמֹה. כְּדִכְתִיב, (מלכים א א׳:י״א) בַּת שֶׁבַע אֵם שְׁלמֹה.
It has also been affirmed that there are two worlds, and although there are two females, one is supported by the male and one by the female.
וּכְתִיב, (מלכים א ה׳:י׳) וַתֵּרֶב חָכְמַת שְׁלֹמֹה. חָכְמַת שְׁלמֹה, דָּא אֵם שְׁלמֹה. דִּכְתִיב, (משלי ל״א:א׳) דִּבְרֵי לְמוּאֵל מֶלֶךְ מַשָּׂא אֲשֶׁר יִסְרַתּוּ אִמּוֹ. דִּבְרֵי לְמוּאֵל מֶלֶךְ, הַאי קְרָא לָאו אִתְיְידַע מַהוּ סְתִימָא דִילֵיהּ. אֶלָּא, דִּבְרֵי לְמוּאֵל מֶלֶךְ, דְּבָרִים דְּאִתְּמָר בְּגִין אֵל דְּאִיהוּ מֶלֶךְ, וּמַאן אִיהוּ. דָּא (תהלים ז) אֵל זוֹעֵם בְּכָל יוֹם. וְאֵל שַׁדַּי. כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר.
It is written: “The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him” (Prov. 31, 1). The secret meaning of this verse is not known. We may, however, render “the words which were spoken for the sake of El (God) who is king”.
לְמוּאֵל כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (איוב מ׳:ד׳) לְמוֹ פִי. לְמוּאֵל מֶלֶךְ, דְאִיהוּ בַּת שֶׁבַע. מַשָּׂא אֲשֶׁר יִסְרַתּוּ אִמּוֹ, כַּד אִתְגְּלִי עֲלוֹי בְּגִבְעוֹן, בְּחֶלְמָא דְלֵילְיָא.
תָּא חֲזֵי, יַעֲקֹב אִתְכְּנִישׁ לְגַבֵי סִיהֲרָא, וְעָבִיד בָּהּ פֵּירִין לְעַלְמָא. וְלֵית לָךְ דָּרָא בְּעַלְמָא, דְלָא אִית בֵּיהּ אִיבָּא דְיַעֲקֹב, בְּגִין דְּהָא אִיהוּ אִתְעַר אִתְעֲרוּתָא לְעֵילָא, בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב, וַיֶּאסוֹף רַגְלָיו אֶל הַמִּטָּה, דְּאִיהוּ מִטָּתֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב וַדַּאי.
Observe that Jacob was gathered into the moon and through it produced fruit1i.e. souls. in the world, and there is no generation without the fruit of Jacob, because he gave an impulse above.
זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, דְּהָא אִשְׁתְּלִים לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, דִּכְתִיב, (ירמיהו ל׳:י׳) וְאַתָּה אַל תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב נְאֻם ה' וְגו' כִּי אִתְּךָ אָנִי. כִּי אִתִּי אַתָּה לָא אִתְּמָר, אֶלָּא כִּי אִתְּךָ אָנִי, וְהָא אִתְּמָר.
Happy is the portion of Jacob, since he was made perfect above and below, as it is written: “Fear not thou, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord, for I am with thee” (Jer. 46, 28); it does not say “for thou art with me”, but “for I am with thee”, as has been pointed out.’