R. Judah said: ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, delights more in the prayer of the righteous than in any other thing soever; yet, though it please Him better than all else, He does not always grant their requests, nor do all that they ask. He sometimes refuses to fulfil their wish.’
It is recounted by the disciples that on one occasion when there was a shortage of rain, R. Eleazar decreed that the congregation should fast forty days. But no rain fell. Then R. Akiba prayed, and as he spake the words “Thou causest the wind to blow” so the wind blew, and when he said “and the rain to fall”, lo, the rain fell. R. Eleazar was much chagrined at this. R. Akiba read his feelings in his looks.
so he stood up and said to the congregation: ‘I will tell you a parable. R. Eleazar is like unto one who is the king’s own friend and dear companion: when he goes to the palace to entreat some favour, it is not granted at once, since the king so delights in his friend’s presence that he keeps him by him as long as possible. I, on the other hand, am like the king’s servant, whose requests are quickly granted, the king only desiring to get rid of him at once and be no more troubled; therefore he says: “Give the man what he wants at once, so that he should not have to enter my chamber!”.’ On hearing this, R. Eleazar was comforted.
He said to him: ‘Akiba, let me tell you what was shown to me in a dream in regard to the words, “Pray not for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me” (Jer. 95, 16). Twelve rows of pure balsam entered with him who wears breastplate and Ephod (i.e. the heavenly High Priest, the Intercessor, probably Metatron) when he prayed to the Holy One to have mercy upon the world, and yet he still is unanswered.’ If so, why was R. Eleazar vexed? Because people did not know this.
Said R. Eleazar: ‘Eighteen gardens of balsam are entered daily by the souls of the righteous, from which emanate forty-nine aromas, reaching to the place called Eden-in correspondence with the forty-nine ways of interpreting the Torah,1Cf. Midrash Rabbah, Cant. 13a. the forty-nine letters in the names of the twelve tribes, the forty-nine days’ interval between the Exodus and the giving of the Law. Forty-nine holy days stand there, and each day waits for the instructions of the flashing stone set in the breastplate, and he who is adorned with the breastplate sits on a holy glorious throne.
תְּנָן, אָמַר ר' יְהוּדָה, אֵין לָךְ דָּבָר בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּמוֹ תְּפִלָּתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּנִיחָא לֵיהּ, זִמְנִין דְּעָבִיד בָּעוּתְהוֹן, זִמְנִין דְּלָא עָבִיד.
R. Judah said: ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, delights more in the prayer of the righteous than in any other thing soever; yet, though it please Him better than all else, He does not always grant their requests, nor do all that they ask. He sometimes refuses to fulfil their wish.’
תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן, זִמְנָא חֲדָא הֲוָה עָלְמָא צְרִיכָא לְמִטְרָא, אָתָא רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, וְגָזַר אַרְבְּעִין תַּעֲנִיתָא, וְלָא אָתָא מִטְרָא, צַלֵּי צְלוֹתָא, וְלָא אָתָא מִטְרָא. אָתָא רִבִּי עֲקִיבָא, וְקָם וְצַלֵּי, אָמַר מַשִּׁיב הָרוּחַ, וְנָשַׁב זִיקָא, אָמַר וּמוֹרִיד הַגֶּשֶׁם, וְאָתָא מִטְרָא. חָלַשׁ דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזְרִ, אִסְתָּכָּל רִבִּי עֲקִיבָא בְּאַנְפּוֹי.
It is recounted by the disciples that on one occasion when there was a shortage of rain, R. Eleazar decreed that the congregation should fast forty days. But no rain fell. Then R. Akiba prayed, and as he spake the words “Thou causest the wind to blow” so the wind blew, and when he said “and the rain to fall”, lo, the rain fell. R. Eleazar was much chagrined at this. R. Akiba read his feelings in his looks.
קָם רִבִּי עֲקִיבָא קָמֵי עַמָּא וְאָמַר, אֶמְשׁוֹל לָכֶם מָשָׁל, לְמַה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזְרִ דָּמֵי לִרְחִימָא דְּמַלְכָּא, דְּרָחִים לֵיהּ יַתִּיר, וְכַד עָאל קָמֵי מַלְכָּא, נִיחָא לֵיהּ, וְלָא בָּעֵי לְמַיתָן לֵיהּ בָּעוּתֵיהּ בִּבְהִילוּ, כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלָא לִיתְפְּרַשׁ מִנֵּיהּ, דְּנִיחָא לֵיהּ דְּלִישְׁתְּעֵי בַּהֲדֵיהּ. וַאֲנָא דָּמֵי לְעַבְדָּא דְּמַלְכָּא, דְּבָעָא בָּעוּתֵיהּ קָמֵיהּ, וְלָא בָּעֵי מַלְכָּא דְּלֵיעוּל לְתַרְעֵי פַּלְטֵרִין, וְכָּל שֶׁכֵּן דְּלִישְׁתְּעֵי בַּהֲדֵיהּ, אָמַר מַלְכָּא, הָבוּ לֵיהּ בָּעוּתֵיהּ בִּבְהִילוּ, וְלָא לֵיעוּל הָכָא. כַּךְ רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזְרִ אִיהוּ רְחִימָא דְּמַלְכָּא, וַאֲנָא עַבְדָּא, וּבָעֵי מַלְכָּא לְאִשְׁתְּעֵי בַּהֲדֵיהּ כָּל יוֹמָא, וְלָא יִתְפְּרִישׁ מִנֵּיהּ. וַאֲנָא, לָא בָּעֵי מַלְכָּא דְּאִיעוּל תַּרְעֵי דְּפַלְטֵרִין. נָח דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזְרִ.
so he stood up and said to the congregation: ‘I will tell you a parable. R. Eleazar is like unto one who is the king’s own friend and dear companion: when he goes to the palace to entreat some favour, it is not granted at once, since the king so delights in his friend’s presence that he keeps him by him as long as possible. I, on the other hand, am like the king’s servant, whose requests are quickly granted, the king only desiring to get rid of him at once and be no more troubled; therefore he says: “Give the man what he wants at once, so that he should not have to enter my chamber!”.’ On hearing this, R. Eleazar was comforted.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ, עֲקִיבָא, תָּא וְאֵימָא לָךְ מִלְּתָא, דְּאִתְחַזְיָא לִי בְּחֶלְמָא הַאי פְּסוּקָא, דִּכְתִּיב, (ירמיהו ז׳:ט״ז) וְאַתָּה אַל תִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַד הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאַל תִשָּׂא בַעֲדָם רִנָּה וּתְפִלָּה וְאַל תִּפְגַּע בִּי. תָּא חֲזֵי, תְּרֵיסַר טוּרֵי אֲפַרְסְמוֹנָא (דכיא) עָאל הַהוּא דְּלָבִישׁ חוֹשְׁנָא וְאֱפוֹדָא, וּבָעָא מִן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְמֵיחָס עַל עָלְמָא וְעַד הָאִידָנָא תָּלֵי אִיהוּ. אִי הָכִי אֲמַאי חָלַשׁ דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזְרִ. מִשּׁוּם בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, דְּלָא יַדְעִין בְּהַאי.
He said to him: ‘Akiba, let me tell you what was shown to me in a dream in regard to the words, “Pray not for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me” (Jer. 95, 16). Twelve rows of pure balsam entered with him who wears breastplate and Ephod (i.e. the heavenly High Priest, the Intercessor, probably Metatron) when he prayed to the Holy One to have mercy upon the world, and yet he still is unanswered.’ If so, why was R. Eleazar vexed? Because people did not know this.
אָמַר רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר תַּמְנֵי סָרֵי טוּרֵי אֲפַרְסְמוֹנָא (דכיא) עִלָּאִין, עָאלִין נִשְׁמָתֵהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא, וְאַרְבְּעִין וְתִשְׁעָה רֵיחִין, סַלְּקִין בְּכָל יוֹמָא, עַד הַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִתְקְרֵי עֵדֶן, דִּי לְקָבֵל דָּא, אִתְיְהִיבַת אוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּמ"ט פָּנִים טָמֵא, וּבְמ"ט פָּנִים טָהוֹר. מ"ט אַתְוָון בִּשְׁמָהן דִּשְׁבָטִי. מ"ט יוֹמִין לְקַבְּלָא אוֹרַיְיתָא. מ"ט יוֹמִין קַדִּישִׁין עִלָּאִין קַיְימִין, לְמִיטַל רְשׁוּתָא בְּכָל יוֹמָא מֵאֲבָנִין זְהִירִין, דִּגְלֵיפָאן בְּהַהוּא חוֹשְׁנָא.
Said R. Eleazar: ‘Eighteen gardens of balsam are entered daily by the souls of the righteous, from which emanate forty-nine aromas, reaching to the place called Eden-in correspondence with the forty-nine ways of interpreting the Torah,1Cf. Midrash Rabbah, Cant. 13a. the forty-nine letters in the names of the twelve tribes, the forty-nine days’ interval between the Exodus and the giving of the Law. Forty-nine holy days stand there, and each day waits for the instructions of the flashing stone set in the breastplate, and he who is adorned with the breastplate sits on a holy glorious throne.