Then R. Simeon went on to expound in connection with this theme the words of the prophet Isaiah (II, 3): “And many people shall go, and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.” ‘A time will come’, he said, ‘when the heathen nations will wear their feet out to go and be brought under the wings of the Shekinah. “Let us go up”, they will say- since all paganism is a descent, but cleaving to the Holy One is an ascent-
“to the mountain of the Lord”, i.e. the God of Abraham, who said: “In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen” (Gen. 22, 14); for as the mountain is free to all to ascend, so is this holy place open to receive all comers. The verse continues: “to the house of the God of Jacob”, because Jacob called the same place “a house of God” (Ibid. 28, 17).
Or, rather, it is called “mount” and is also called “house”, although it is the same sphere of the Divine, since it is a “mount” for the nations of the world, who have to ascend it if they desire to enter under the wings of the Shekinah, but a “house” to Israel, to whom the Shekinah stands in the relationship of a wife to a husband, united in love and joy, hovering over Israel like a mother over her children.
Of Jethro we read: “And Jethro… came with his sons… to Moses into the desert.” When it says “to Moses”, why add “to the desert”? Because herein lay the whole significance of his coming; the “desert” symbolized the “mountain of the Lord”, the place for the reception of proselytes; in other words, Jethro came to Moses with the intention of becoming a proselyte and entering under the wings of the Shekinah. Everyone who comes to this region called “Mountain” becomes a participant in this mystery,
and is called “a proselyte of righteousness”. However, although he is joined to this holy supernal sphere, yet is he called “Ger” (proselyte, lit. sojourner), a person living out of his own country, because he has left his own people and kin and taken up his abode in a new place.
וַיָּבֹא יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו ב׳:ג׳) וְהָלְכוּ עַמִּים רָבִּים וְאָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַעֲלֶה אֶל הַר יְיָ' וְגוֹ'. הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּכַמָּה אֲתָר. אֲבָל זְמִינִין שְׁאַר עַמִּין לְמֵהַךְ וּלְכַתְּתָא רַגְלַיְיהוּ, לְמֵיעַל תְּחוֹת גַּדְפֵּי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא. לְכוּ וְנַעֲלֶה, כָּל טַעֲוָון דְּעָלְמָא אִית לוֹן יְרִידָה, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מַאן דְּאִתְדַּבָּק בֵּיהּ, אִית בֵּיהּ עֲלִיָּה.
Then R. Simeon went on to expound in connection with this theme the words of the prophet Isaiah (II, 3): “And many people shall go, and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.” ‘A time will come’, he said, ‘when the heathen nations will wear their feet out to go and be brought under the wings of the Shekinah. “Let us go up”, they will say- since all paganism is a descent, but cleaving to the Holy One is an ascent-
אֶל הַר יְיָ', דָּא אַבְרָהָם, דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית כ״ב:י״ד) אֲשֶׁר יֵאָמֵר הַיּוֹם בְּהַר יְיָ' יֵרָאֶה, דְּהָא אַבְרָהָם קָרֵי לֵיהּ הַר. מַה הַר הֶפְקֵירָא לְכָל מַאן דְּבָעֵי בְּעָלְמָא, אוּף אֲתָר דָּא קַדִּישָׁא, הֶפְקֵירָא לְקַבְּלָא לְכָל מַאן דְּבָעֵי בְּעָלְמָא. אֶל בֵּית, דָּא יַעֲקֹב, דְּקָרָא לְהַאי אֲתָר בַּיִת, דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית כח) אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם בֵּית אֱלהִים.
“to the mountain of the Lord”, i.e. the God of Abraham, who said: “In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen” (Gen. 22, 14); for as the mountain is free to all to ascend, so is this holy place open to receive all comers. The verse continues: “to the house of the God of Jacob”, because Jacob called the same place “a house of God” (Ibid. 28, 17).
דָּבָר אַחֵר, הַר וּבַיִת, אַף עַל גַּב דְּכֹלָּא חַד דַּרְגָּא, סְלִיקוּ לְדָא מִן דָּא, הַר, לִשְׁאַר עַמִּין, כַּד אָתָאן לְאָעָלָא תְּחוֹת גַּדְפּוֹי. בַּיִת, לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, לְמֶהֱוֵי עִמְּהוֹן כְּאִתְּתָא בְּבַעְלָהּ. בְּדִיּוּרָא חַד בְּחֶדְוָוה, וּרְבִיעָא עָלַיְיהוּ כְּאִימָּא עַל בְּנִין.
Or, rather, it is called “mount” and is also called “house”, although it is the same sphere of the Divine, since it is a “mount” for the nations of the world, who have to ascend it if they desire to enter under the wings of the Shekinah, but a “house” to Israel, to whom the Shekinah stands in the relationship of a wife to a husband, united in love and joy, hovering over Israel like a mother over her children.
תָּא חֲזֵי מָה כְּתִיב הָכָא בְּיִתְרוֹ וַיָּבֹא יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה וּבַנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְגו' כֵּיוָן דִכְתִיב אֶל מֹשֶׁה אַמָּאי כְּתִיב אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר. אֶלָּא עִיקָרָא דְכֹלָא לְמָה דַהֲוָה אָתֵי אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר. וּמָאן אִיהוּ הַר הָאֱלהִים דְדָּא אִיהוּ אֲתַר לְגַיוּרֵי לְאִתְגַיְירָא וְעַל דָא כְּתִיב אֶל מֹשֶׁה אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר לְמֹשֶׁה לְגַיְירָא לוֹן וּלְאַעָלָא לוֹן תֵחוֹת גַּדְפֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר הֲווּ אַתְיָין דְּאִיהוּ הַר הָאֱלֹהִים לְמֶעְבָּד נַפְשָׁיְיהוּ
Of Jethro we read: “And Jethro… came with his sons… to Moses into the desert.” When it says “to Moses”, why add “to the desert”? Because herein lay the whole significance of his coming; the “desert” symbolized the “mountain of the Lord”, the place for the reception of proselytes; in other words, Jethro came to Moses with the intention of becoming a proselyte and entering under the wings of the Shekinah. Everyone who comes to this region called “Mountain” becomes a participant in this mystery,
וּבְגִין כַּךְ קַיְּימָא הַהוּא אֲתָר, בְּרָזָא דְּהַר דְּכָל מַאן דְּאָתֵי זָכֵי בֵּיהּ. וְאִקְרֵי (ויקרא קס"ח ע"א) גֵּר צֶדֶק. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, גֵּר, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְדַּבָּק בַּאֲתָר דָּא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא, כֵּיוָן דְּשָׁבַק עִמֵּיהּ וַאֲבַהְתוֹי (ואתדבק בבריתו), גֵּר (צדק) אִקְרֵי, כְּמַאן דְּשַׁוֵּי מָדוֹרֵיהּ בַּאֲתָר דְּלָא יָדַע מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא.
and is called “a proselyte of righteousness”. However, although he is joined to this holy supernal sphere, yet is he called “Ger” (proselyte, lit. sojourner), a person living out of his own country, because he has left his own people and kin and taken up his abode in a new place.