R. Isaac opened with the verse: AND THEY CAME TO THE THRESHING FLOOR OF ATAD. He said: What does it concern us that they came to the threshing floor of Atad, and why should there have been a great mourning there to the Egyptians?
It has, however, been stated that as long as Jacob was in Egypt the land was blessed for his sake, and the Nile used to rise and water it, and, in fact, the famine ceased at his coming. Hence the Egyptians mourned for him.’
R. Isaac here quoted the verse: “Who can utter the severities (geburoth) of the Lord or show forth all his praise?” (Ps. 111, 2). ‘We have here’, he said, ‘the unusual word yemallel (utter) instead of the more usual yedaber (speak). Such variations in the Scripture are never without significance. So here, the word yemallel is akin to the word meliloth (cuttings), and is applied to the severities of the Lord because they are so numerous. For every sentence of punishment issues from there, and who is there who can annul one decree of those forcible acts which God performs?
Or, again, we may take “utter” as being synonymous with “speak”, and the meaning is that no man can recite the severities of the Lord, because they are innumerable, and there is no end to the officers of judgement.
“Or show forth all his praise”: for many are the grades which join in praise, hosts and camps without number, as it is written: “Can his hosts be counted?”
See now, the Egyptians were all clever, and came from the side of Geburah. They knew countless hosts and camps and grades upon grades till they came to the lowest grades. Through their divinations they were aware that as long as Jacob was alive no people could gain dominion over his sons. They also knew that they would enslave Israel many times.
When Jacob died they rejoiced, but looking farther afield, they foresaw the punishments which would issue from Atad,1An allusion to the “mighty hand,, with which God smote the Egyptians, the word atad having the same numerical value as yad (hand). so when they came to this place “they lamented there with a very great and sore lamentation”. And they rightly called it the “mourning of the Egyptians”, because it was truly a mourning for them and for no others.’
R. Simeon made as though to depart, when he said: ‘I see that on this day a house will fall in the town and bury two informers in its ruins. If I am in the town the house will not fall.’ So they returned to the cave and sat down.
רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד גֹּרֶן הָאָטָד וְגו', וּכְתִיב, וַיַּרְא יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי אֶת הָאֵבֶל בְּגֹרֶן הָאָטָד וְגו'. הַנִּי קְרָאֵי אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּהוּ, מַאי אִיכְפַּת לָן דְּאִינוּן אָתוּ עַד גֹּרֶן הָאָטָד. וּמַאי טַעְמָא אִתְכָּנַת אֲבֵלוּתָא דָא לְמִצְרַיִם, דְּהָא אֵבֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי טַעְמָא לְמִצְרַיִם.
R. Isaac opened with the verse: AND THEY CAME TO THE THRESHING FLOOR OF ATAD. He said: What does it concern us that they came to the threshing floor of Atad, and why should there have been a great mourning there to the Egyptians?
אֶלָּא הָכִי אָמְרוּ, כָּל הַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּהֲוָה יַעֲקֹב בְּמִצְרַיִם, אִתְבָּרַךְ אַרְעָא בְּגִינֵיהּ, וְנִילוּס הֲוָה נָפִיק וְאַשְׁקֵי אַרְעָא, וְעוֹד דְּפָסַק כַּפְנָא בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב. וְעַל דָּא, מִצְרָאֵי עֲבָדוּ אֲבֵלוּתָא, וְאִתְכַּנֵּי עֲלַיְיהוּ.
It has, however, been stated that as long as Jacob was in Egypt the land was blessed for his sake, and the Nile used to rise and water it, and, in fact, the famine ceased at his coming. Hence the Egyptians mourned for him.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים ק״ו:ב׳) מִי יְמַלֵּל גְּבוּרוֹת יְיָ יַשְׁמִיעַ כָּל תְּהִלָּתוֹ, הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ. אֲבָל מַהוּ יְמַלֵּל, יְדַבֵּר מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. וְאִי תֵימָא דְּאָרְחֵיהּ דִּקְרָא הָכִי הוּא, דְּהָא קְרָאֵי אִינוּן הָכִי. לָא. דְּכֻלְּהוּ לְאַחֲזָאָה מִלָּה קָא אַתְיָין. אוּף הָכָא, לְאַחֲזָאָה מִלָה קָא אַתְיָא, מִי יְמַלֵּל (גבורות יי), כְּדִכְתִיב, (דברים כ״ג:כ״ו) וְקָטַפְתָּ מְלִילוֹת. גְּבוּרוֹת ה', בְּגִין דְּסַגִּיאִין אִינוּן, דְּהָא כָּל גְּזֵרָא דְּדִינָא, מִתַּמָּן קָא אַתְיָא, וְעַל דָּא, מַאן אִיהוּ דִּיסַלֵּק וְיַעֲבֵר גְּזֵרָה חָדָא, מֵאִינוּן גְּבוּרָאן דְּעָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
R. Isaac here quoted the verse: “Who can utter the severities (geburoth) of the Lord or show forth all his praise?” (Ps. 111, 2). ‘We have here’, he said, ‘the unusual word yemallel (utter) instead of the more usual yedaber (speak). Such variations in the Scripture are never without significance. So here, the word yemallel is akin to the word meliloth (cuttings), and is applied to the severities of the Lord because they are so numerous. For every sentence of punishment issues from there, and who is there who can annul one decree of those forcible acts which God performs?
תוּ, מִי יְמַלֵּל, וִידַבֵּר, כֹּלָּא חַד. יְדַבֵּר, דְּהָא כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה גְּבוּרָאן אִינוּן, דְּלֵית לוֹן חוּשְׁבָּנָא, כַּמָּה מָארֵי דְּדִינִין, כַּמָּה מָארֵי תְּרֵיסִין, כַּמָּה גַרְדִּינֵי נִמּוּסִין, וּמִלּוּלָא לָא יָכִיל לְמַלָּלָא לוֹן.
Or, again, we may take “utter” as being synonymous with “speak”, and the meaning is that no man can recite the severities of the Lord, because they are innumerable, and there is no end to the officers of judgement.
וּבְמָּה יְדִיעָן, כֻּלְּהוּ בְּהַגָּדָה, דְּאִית בֵּיהּ רָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא, דְּהָא בְּמִלּוּלָא וּבַאֲמִירָה לָא יָכִיל לְמַלָּלָא לוֹן. לְמִנְדַע לוֹן, אֲבָל בְּהַגָּדָה יְדִיעָן, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (תהילים קמ״ה:ד׳) דּוֹר לְדוֹר יְשַׁבַּח מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וּגְבוּרוֹתֶיךָ יַגִּידוּ, בְּרָזָא דָא יָדְעִין, אֲבָל גְּבוּרָתֶךָ דְּהִיא גְּבוּרָה תַּתָּאָה, יְדַבֵּרוּ, דִּכְתִיב וּגְבוּרָתְךָ יְדַבֵּרוּ.
They can only be known by a recital which contains allusions of Wisdom, but not by straightforward speech.
יַשְׁמִיעַ כָּל תְּהִלָּתוֹ, דְּסַגִּיאִין אִינוּן (נ"א דרגין) דִּינִין, דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן וּמִתְחַבְּרָן בִּתְהִלָּה, וְכַמָּה חֵילִין, וְכַמָּה מַשִּׁירְיָין דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן בָּהּ, כְּדִכְתִיב, (איוב כ״ה:ג׳) הֲיֵשׁ מִסְפָּר לִגְדוּדָיו, וְעַל דָּא, מַאן יָכִיל לְאִשְׁתְּמַע כָּל תְּהִלָּתוֹ.
“Or show forth all his praise”: for many are the grades which join in praise, hosts and camps without number, as it is written: “Can his hosts be counted?”
תָּא חֲזֵי, מִצְרָאֵי כֻּלְּהוּ חַכִּימִין הֲווּ, וּמִסִּטְרָא דִגְבוּרָה קָא נָפְקֵי, כַּמָּה חֵילִין וְכַמָּה מַשִּׁירְיָין, וְכַמָּה דַרְגִּין עַל דַּרְגִּין, עַד דְּמָטוּ לְגַבֵּי דַרְגִּין תַּתָּאִין, וּמִצְרָאֵי הֲווּ חֳרָשִׁין וְחַכִּימִין בְּהוּ, וְיָדְעִין סְתִימִין דְּעַלְמָא, וְאִסְתַּכָּלוּ הָא, דְּבְּזִמְנָא דְיַעֲקֹב קַיַּים בְּעַלְמָא, לָא אִית עַמָּא דְּשָׁלְטָא עַל בְּנוֹי, וְיָדְעוּ דְּהָא יִשְׁתַּעְבְּדוּ בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל זִמְנִין סַגִּיאִין.
See now, the Egyptians were all clever, and came from the side of Geburah. They knew countless hosts and camps and grades upon grades till they came to the lowest grades. Through their divinations they were aware that as long as Jacob was alive no people could gain dominion over his sons. They also knew that they would enslave Israel many times.
כֵּיוָן דְמִית יַעֲקֹב חָדוּ, אִסְתַּכָּלוּ מַה יְּהֵא בְּסוֹפָא, עַד דְּמָטוּ לְגוֹרֶן הָאָטָד, דְּאִיהוּ גְּזֵרָא דְּדִינָא שַׁלִּיטָא, אָטָ"ד בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא יַד, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמות י״ד:ל״א) וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַיָּד הַגְּדוֹלָה וְגו', כֵּיוָן דְּמָטוּ לְאֲתַר דָּא, חָמוּ גְּבוּרָאן דְּנָפְקֵי מֵהַאי אָטָד. אַמַּאי אִקְרֵי אָטָד. אֶלָּא, מַה אָטָד נָפְקֵי כּוּבִין לְהַאי סִטְרָא וּלְהַאי סִטְרָא, הָכִי נָמֵי יַ"ד, נָפְקֵי מִינָהּ אֶצְבָּעָאן, לְהַאי סִטְרָא וּלְהַאי סִטְרָא, וְכָל אֶצְבָּעָא וְאֶצְבָּעָא סָלִיק בְּכַמָּה גְּבוּרָאן, בְּכַמָּה דִינִין, וּבְכַמָּה נִמּוּסִין, כְּדֵין וַיִּסְפְּדוּ שָׁם מִסְפֵּד גָּדוֹל וְכָבֵד מְאֹד עַל כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמָהּ אָבֵל מִצְרָיִם, וַדַּאי אֵבֶל כָּבֵד זֶה לְמִצְרַיִם, וְלָא לְאָחֳרָא.
When Jacob died they rejoiced, but looking farther afield, they foresaw the punishments which would issue from Atad,1An allusion to the “mighty hand,, with which God smote the Egyptians, the word atad having the same numerical value as yad (hand). so when they came to this place “they lamented there with a very great and sore lamentation”. And they rightly called it the “mourning of the Egyptians”, because it was truly a mourning for them and for no others.’
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּרִישׁ פָּרְשָׁתָא. נָפְקֵי יָתְבוּ לְגּוֹ מְעַרְתָּא. אָמַר חָמֵינָא דְּיוֹמָא דֵין יִנְפּוֹל בֵּיתָא בְּמָתָא, וִיעָדְרוּן תְּרֵי רוֹמָאֵי מְקַטְרְגִין. אִי אֲנָא בְּמָתָא לָא יִנְפּוֹל בֵּיתָא. אַהֲדָרוּ לְגוֹ מְעַרְתָּא יָתְבוּ.
R. Simeon made as though to depart, when he said: ‘I see that on this day a house will fall in the town and bury two informers in its ruins. If I am in the town the house will not fall.’ So they returned to the cave and sat down.