ALL THY MALES. Says R. Eleazar: Emphatically all thy males”, as they then receive blessings from the eternal spring. Hence the dictum that every circumcised Israelite is bound to appear before the Holy King so as to receive a blessing from the eternal spring. So Scripture says: “according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee” (Deut. 16, 17), and here it is written: “before the Lord God”, that is, from whence blessings pour and blessings are received. Happy is the portion of Israel above that of all other nations.
On one occasion, when the Israelites were going up to celebrate the festival, a number of idolaters mingled with them. That year there was no blessing in the world. So they came to Rab Ham’nuna the Elder to consult him about the matter. He asked them: ‘Did you see any portent of this beforehand?’ They replied: ‘We noticed on our return journey that everywhere the waters were dried up, and there was continuous cloud and darkness, so that the pilgrims could not proceed on their way..Furthermore, when we went in to show ourselves, the face of heaven was darkened.’ R. Ham’nuna trembled and said: ‘There is no doubt but either there are among you some who are uncircumcised or that idolaters mingled themselves in your company. For at that time blessings come into the world only through circumcised Israelites. The Holy One, blessed be He, looks at the sacred symbol and sends down the blessing.’
The following year again a number of idolaters intruded themselves among the pilgrims who went up to Jerusalem. Then when the festive offerings were being joyfully eaten, the Israelites noticed those people covering their faces with their cloaks, and on further watching them they discovered that they did not pronounce a blessing over the meal, like all the others. This was communicated to the Court of Judges, who examined the strangers and asked them what kind of offering was that of which they had eaten a portion? As they could not give a satisfactory answer, further inquiries were made, and it was discovered that they were idolaters, and so they were put to death. The people said: “Blessed is the Merciful One who delivered His people, for assuredly blessing only rests on Israel, the holy seed, the children of Faith, the children of Truth.” That year was one of rich blessing in the world, and the people exclaimed: “Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name, etc.” (Ps. 140, 16).
R. Hiya said: ‘Through the merit of Israel circumcised their enemies have been subdued before them and their possessions inherited by them. Hence the verse: “Three times in the year shall all thy males appear, etc.” (Ex. 34, 23) is immediately followed by the verse: “For I will cast out nations before thee and enlarge thy borders” (Ibid. 24); for the Holy One, blessed be He, uproots one group of inhabitants and restores another, and therefore “shall all thy males appear before the Lord God”.’
יֵרָאֶה כָּל זְכוּרְךָ, אֲמַאי כָּל זְכוּרְךָ. (ויקרא קס"ה ע"ב) אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר כָּל זְכוּרְךָ מַמָּשׁ. בְּגִין דְּנַטְלִין בִּרְכָּתָא, מִמַּבּוּעָא דְּנַחֲלָא. מִכָּאן תָּנֵינָן, כָּל בַּר יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִתְגְּזַר, בָּעֵי לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קָמֵי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּגִין דְּנָטִיל בִּרְכָּתָא, מִמַּבּוּעָא דְּנַחֲלָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (דברים ט״ז:י״ז) כְּבִרְכַּת יְיָ' אֱלהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָךְ. וּכְתִיב אֶל פְּנֵי (בראשית ב' ע"א) הָאָדוֹן יְיָ', כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא, דְּמִתַּמָּן מְרִיקָן בִּרְכָּאן, וְנַטְלִין בִּרְכָּתָא. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, מִכָּל שְׁאַר עַמִּין.
ALL THY MALES. Says R. Eleazar: Emphatically all thy males”, as they then receive blessings from the eternal spring. Hence the dictum that every circumcised Israelite is bound to appear before the Holy King so as to receive a blessing from the eternal spring. So Scripture says: “according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee” (Deut. 16, 17), and here it is written: “before the Lord God”, that is, from whence blessings pour and blessings are received. Happy is the portion of Israel above that of all other nations.
זִמְנָא חֲדָא, סְלִיקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמֵחַג חַגָּא, וְאִתְעָרְבוּ עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, וְהַהוּא שַׁתָּא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בִּרְכָּתָא בְּעָלְמָא. אָתוּ שָׁאִילּוּ לְרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, אָמַר לְהוּ, חֲמֵיתוּן סִימָנָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא בְּהַאי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ, סִימָנָא חֲמֵינָן, דְּכַד תַּבְנָא מֵהָתָם, כָּל אָרְחִין אַסְתִּימוּ מִמַּיָּא, וַעֲנָנָא, וַחֲשׁוֹכָא אִשְׁתְּכַח, דְּלָא יַכְלִין לְמֵהַךְ כָּל אִינּוּן דְּסָלִיקוּ לְתַמָּן. וְעוֹד, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעָאלָנָא לְאִתְחֲזָאָה אַפֵּי שְׁמַיָא אִתְחַשָּׁכוּ וְאִתְרְגִיזוּ. (אתרגיש בחמא) אָמַר לְהוּ, וַדַּאי אוֹ אִית בֵּינַיְיכוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּלָא אִתְגְּזָרוּ, אוֹ עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת סְלִיקוּ בַּהֲדַיְיכוּ. דְּהָא לָא אִתְבָּרְכָאן בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא, בַּר מֵאִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִתְגְּזָרוּ. וּבְהַאי אָת קַדִּישָׁא מִסְתַּכֵּל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּבָרִיךְ לוֹן.
On one occasion, when the Israelites were going up to celebrate the festival, a number of idolaters mingled with them. That year there was no blessing in the world. So they came to Rab Ham’nuna the Elder to consult him about the matter. He asked them: ‘Did you see any portent of this beforehand?’ They replied: ‘We noticed on our return journey that everywhere the waters were dried up, and there was continuous cloud and darkness, so that the pilgrims could not proceed on their way..Furthermore, when we went in to show ourselves, the face of heaven was darkened.’ R. Ham’nuna trembled and said: ‘There is no doubt but either there are among you some who are uncircumcised or that idolaters mingled themselves in your company. For at that time blessings come into the world only through circumcised Israelites. The Holy One, blessed be He, looks at the sacred symbol and sends down the blessing.’
לְשַׁתָּא אַחֲרָא סְלִיקוּ, וּסְלִיקוּ אִינּוּן עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, דְּאִתְעָרְבוּ בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, כַּד הֲווֹ אַכְלִין קָרְבְּנַיָּיא, וַהֲווּ חַדָּאן. וְחָמוּ לְאִינוּן עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, דְּטַפְסָאן בְּקוּטְרַיְיהוּ לְקוּטְרָא דְּכוֹתָלָא. אַשְׁגָּחוּ בְּהוּ דְּכֹלָּא מְבָרְכִין, וְאִינּוּן לָא בְּרִיכוּ. אָתוּ וְאָמְרוּ מִלָּה לְבֵי דִּינָא, אָתוּ וְשָׁאִילּוּ לוֹן, אָמְרוּ, הַאי דַּאֲכַלְתּוּן, חוּלָקָא דִּלְכוֹן, מַאן קוּרְבָּנָא הֲוָה. לָא הֲוָה בִּידַיְיהוּ. בָּדְקוּ וְאַשְׁכָּחוּ דְּאִינּוּן עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, וְקָטְלוּ לוֹן. אָמְרוּ, בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּשֵׁזִיב לְעַמֵּיהּ, דְּוַדַּאי לֵית בִּרְכְתָא שַׁרְיָא, אֶלָּא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, זַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּנִי מְהֵימְנוּתָא, בְּנֵי קְשׁוֹט. וְהַהִיא שַׁתָּא אִשְׁתְּכַח בִּרְכְתָא בְּעָלְמָא, בִּשְׁלִימוּ. פָּתְחוּ וְאָמְרוּ, (תהילים ק״מ:י״ד) אַךְ צַדִּיקִים יוֹדוּ לִשְׁמֶךָ וְגוֹ'.
The following year again a number of idolaters intruded themselves among the pilgrims who went up to Jerusalem. Then when the festive offerings were being joyfully eaten, the Israelites noticed those people covering their faces with their cloaks, and on further watching them they discovered that they did not pronounce a blessing over the meal, like all the others. This was communicated to the Court of Judges, who examined the strangers and asked them what kind of offering was that of which they had eaten a portion? As they could not give a satisfactory answer, further inquiries were made, and it was discovered that they were idolaters, and so they were put to death. The people said: “Blessed is the Merciful One who delivered His people, for assuredly blessing only rests on Israel, the holy seed, the children of Faith, the children of Truth.” That year was one of rich blessing in the world, and the people exclaimed: “Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name, etc.” (Ps. 140, 16).
רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, בִּזְכוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל גְּזִירִין, אִתְכְּנָעוּ שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן תְּחוֹתֵיהוֹן, וְיַרְתֵּי אַחֲסַנְתֵּהוֹן. תָּא חֲזֵי מַה כְּתִיב, (שמות לה) יֵרָאֶה כָּל זְכוּרְךָ. וּכְתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ, כִּי אוֹרִישׁ גּוֹיִם מִפָּנְיךָ וְהִרְחַבְתִּי אֶת גְּבֻלֶךָ. דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָקַר דִּיּוּרִין מֵאַתְרַיְיהוּ, וְאָתִיב דִּיּוּרִין, לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ. וּבְגִינִי כַּךְ יֵרָאֶה כָּל זְכוּרְךָ אֶת פְּנֵי הָאָדוֹן יְיָ'. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, הָאָדוֹן. כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו י׳:ל״ג) הִנֵּה הָאָדוֹן יְיָ' צְבָאוֹת מְסָעֵף פֻּארָה וְגוֹ', וְיָצָא חוֹטֶר וְגוֹ', וְכֹלָּא חַד, מְעַקֵּר דִּיּוּרִין וְאָתִיב דִּיּוּרִין. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, אִית אָדוֹן, וְאִית אָדוֹן, וְכֹלָּא בְּחַד תַּלְיָא.
R. Hiya said: ‘Through the merit of Israel circumcised their enemies have been subdued before them and their possessions inherited by them. Hence the verse: “Three times in the year shall all thy males appear, etc.” (Ex. 34, 23) is immediately followed by the verse: “For I will cast out nations before thee and enlarge thy borders” (Ibid. 24); for the Holy One, blessed be He, uproots one group of inhabitants and restores another, and therefore “shall all thy males appear before the Lord God”.’