Said R. Abba: ‘Note the verse that immediately precedes, viz., “The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord Thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.” The connection is as follows. This verse indicates that one may not mingle lower grades (the k’lifoth) with higher ones (sefiroth), lest the outer side should imbibe nourishment from the inner one, the one being from the side of impurity and the other from that of holiness. The.”mother” here mentioned is the Community of Israel (the Shekinah), who is called Mother, and the “kid”.symbolizes the principle of impurity.
Therefore God said, “[Since you may indeed cause such separation] behold, I send My angel before thee”. But Moses said: “I take this command [not to seethe a kid in its mother’s milk] as a promise that Thou wilt not separate from us; therefore, ‘if thy presence go not, carry us not up hence’.” ‘
Said R. Eleazar: ‘This the Holy One said in order to soothe the fears of Israel, because He loved them. He was like unto a king who always desired to walk with his son and never entrusted him to anybody else. The son once came to his father, but felt chary of asking him to go out with him. The latter noticing it, said: “Captain So-and-so will accompany thee upon this way and will take care of thee”; then adding: “Beware of him” (v. 21), for he is somewhat quick-tempered. Then said the son: “If so, either I shall remain here or else thou must come with me; for I shall not separate myself from thee.” In a similar fashion the Holy One first said: “Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee in the way. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not.” Then Moses said: “If Thy presence go not, carry us not up hence.” ‘
When R. Simeon came, he found the Companions discussing this subject. Said he: ‘Eleazar my son, thou hast spoken well, yet mark this. On this occasion (when God said that He would send an angel) Moses said nothing and did not object, because no separation was implied in the promise.1i.e. because the Angel here denominates Malkuth. I have already explained this to the companions. It is true, some understand it just in the opposite way,2That the Angel here denominates Metatron. but that is not according to the interpretation of the ancients (although at bottom there is no contradiction between the two).
Here, as I have said, Moses did not object, but he did later, when the Holy One again said: “I will send an angel before thee” (Ex. 33, 2), without saying anything more about him. But here we have the additional explanation concerning the character of the angel, for it says: “But if thou shalt indeed obey his (the angel’s) voice and do all that I speak-“, indicating that God would speak through the angel; and similarly it continues,”Then will I be an enemy to thine enemies, and will afflict them that afflict thee”, showing that everything depends upon him.’
Said R. Judah: ‘Should one say that on both occasions it is merely an angel that is referred to, then we have to say that Moses made no objection on the first occasion because he did not see an opportunity, but on the second occasion he did object, saying, “If Thy presence go not, carry us not up hence.” ‘ To which R. Simeon remarked: ‘The long and the short of it is that Moses did not desire that an angel should accompany them, therefore he said: “If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us” (Ex. XXYIV, 9).’
רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר, מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָּא מִן דָּא, (שמות לה) רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ תָּבִיא בֵּית יְיָ' אֱלהֶיךָ לא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ. מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי. אֶלָּא דְּלָא לְעָרְבָא מִלָּה תַּתָּאָה בְּעִלָּאָה, דְּלָא יָנְקָא סִטְרָא דִּלְבַר, מִסִּטְרָא פְּנִימָאָה. מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי. דָּא דִּלְבַר, מִסִּטְרָא דִּמְסַאֲבָא. וְדָא דִּלְגוֹ, בְּסִטְרָא קַדִּישָׁא. מַאן אִמּוֹ. דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִתְקְרֵי אֵם. בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ, דְּלָא יָנִיק מֵהַאי סִטְרָא, מַאן דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ.
Said R. Abba: ‘Note the verse that immediately precedes, viz., “The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord Thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.” The connection is as follows. This verse indicates that one may not mingle lower grades (the k’lifoth) with higher ones (sefiroth), lest the outer side should imbibe nourishment from the inner one, the one being from the side of impurity and the other from that of holiness. The.”mother” here mentioned is the Community of Israel (the Shekinah), who is called Mother, and the “kid”.symbolizes the principle of impurity.
וְהָכָא כְּתִיב, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, הָא קַבִּילְנָא בִּטְחוֹנָא מִינָךְ, דְּלָא תִּתְפְּרַשׁ מִינָן, וַדַּאי אִם אֵין פָּנְיךָ הוֹלְכִים אַל תַּעֲלֵנוּ מִזֶּה. וּבַמֶּה יִוָּדַע אֵיפוֹא וְגוֹ'.
Therefore God said, “[Since you may indeed cause such separation] behold, I send My angel before thee”. But Moses said: “I take this command [not to seethe a kid in its mother’s milk] as a promise that Thou wilt not separate from us; therefore, ‘if thy presence go not, carry us not up hence’.” ‘
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, מִלָּה דָּא לָא קָאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֶלָּא בִּרְחִימוּתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּלְאִתְפַּיְּיסָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ. לְמַלְכָּא דְּהֲוָה בָּעֵי לְמֵיזַל עִם בְּרֵיהּ. וְלָא בָּעֵי לְשָׁבְקָא לֵיהּ. אָתָא בְּרֵיהּ, וּמִסְתָּפֵי לְמִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְמַלְכָּא דְּיֵיזִיל בַּהֲדֵיהּ. אַקְדִּים מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר, הָא לִגְיוֹן פְּלָן יֵזִיל בַּהֲדָךְ, לְמִנְטַר לָךְ בְּאָרְחָא. לְבָתַר אָמַר אִסְתָּמַּר לָךְ מִנֵּיהּ, (בארחא) דְּהָא לָא גְּבָר שְׁלִים הוּא. אָמַר בְּרֵיהּ, אִי הָכִי, אוֹ אֲנָא אוֹתִיב הָכָא, אוֹ אַתְּ תֵּזִּיל עִמִּי, וְלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִינָךְ. כָּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּקַדְמִיתָא אָמַר, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׂלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ לִשְׁמָרְךָ בַּדָּרֶךְ. וּלְבָתַר אָמַר הִשָּׁמֶר מִפָּנָיו וְגוֹ', בֵּיהּ שַׁעֲתָא אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, אִם אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הוֹלְכִים וְגוֹ'.
Said R. Eleazar: ‘This the Holy One said in order to soothe the fears of Israel, because He loved them. He was like unto a king who always desired to walk with his son and never entrusted him to anybody else. The son once came to his father, but felt chary of asking him to go out with him. The latter noticing it, said: “Captain So-and-so will accompany thee upon this way and will take care of thee”; then adding: “Beware of him” (v. 21), for he is somewhat quick-tempered. Then said the son: “If so, either I shall remain here or else thou must come with me; for I shall not separate myself from thee.” In a similar fashion the Holy One first said: “Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee in the way. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not.” Then Moses said: “If Thy presence go not, carry us not up hence.” ‘
אָתָא רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אַשְׁכַּח לְהוּ בְּהַאי. אָמַר, אֶלְעָזָר בְּרִי שַׁפִּיר קָאָמַרְתְּ. אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, בַּאֲתַר דָּא לָא אָמַר מֹשֶׁה מִדִי, וְלָא אָתִיב מִלָּה לָקֳבְלֵיה. מַאי טַעֲמָא. מִשּׁוּם דְּהָכָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח פְּרִישׁוּתָא מִנֵּיהּ. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה דָּא, לְגַבֵּי חַבְרַיָּיא. וְאִית דְּמַתְנֵי אִיפְּכָא וְלָא הָכִי פֵּירְשׁוּהָ קַדְמָאֵי. וְכַד יִסְתַּכְּלוּן מִלֵּי כֹּלָּא שַׁפִּיר, וְכֹלָּא בְּחַד מִלָּה אַמְרֵי טַעֲמַיְיהוּ.
When R. Simeon came, he found the Companions discussing this subject. Said he: ‘Eleazar my son, thou hast spoken well, yet mark this. On this occasion (when God said that He would send an angel) Moses said nothing and did not object, because no separation was implied in the promise.1i.e. because the Angel here denominates Malkuth. I have already explained this to the companions. It is true, some understand it just in the opposite way,2That the Angel here denominates Metatron. but that is not according to the interpretation of the ancients (although at bottom there is no contradiction between the two).
אֵימָתַי אָתִיב מֹשֶׁה. בְּזִמְנָא דְּאָמַר, (שמות ל״ג:ב׳) וְשָׁלַחְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ מַלְאָךְ. וּכְתִיב כִּי יֵלֵךְ מַלְאָכִי לְפָנֶיךָ, סָתַם וְלָא פָּרִישׁ מִלָּה. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, הָכָא, כִּי אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע בְּקוֹלוֹ וְעָשִׂיתָ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר. אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר דַּוְקָא וּכְתִיב וְאָיַבְתִּי אֶת אוֹיְבֶיךָ וְצַרְתִּי אֶת צוֹרֲרֶיךָ, וְכֹלָּא בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָא.
Here, as I have said, Moses did not object, but he did later, when the Holy One again said: “I will send an angel before thee” (Ex. 33, 2), without saying anything more about him. But here we have the additional explanation concerning the character of the angel, for it says: “But if thou shalt indeed obey his (the angel’s) voice and do all that I speak-“, indicating that God would speak through the angel; and similarly it continues,”Then will I be an enemy to thine enemies, and will afflict them that afflict thee”, showing that everything depends upon him.’
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, אִי תֵּימָא דְּתַרְוַויְיהוּ מַלְאָךְ מַמָּשׁ, מֹשֶׁה לָא אָתִיב עָלַיְיהוּ, דְּלָא חָמָא דּוּכְתָּא. אֵימָתַי אָתִיב. בְּזִמְנָא דִּכְתִּיב אִם אֵין פָּנְיךָ הוֹלְכִים וְגוֹ'. אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כְּלָל דְּכֹלָּא, מֹשֶׁה לָא בָּעָא מַלְאָכָא. דְּהָא כְּתִיב (שמות לה) וַיֹּאמֶר אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲדֹנָי יֵלֵךְ נָא אֲדֹנָי בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ.
Said R. Judah: ‘Should one say that on both occasions it is merely an angel that is referred to, then we have to say that Moses made no objection on the first occasion because he did not see an opportunity, but on the second occasion he did object, saying, “If Thy presence go not, carry us not up hence.” ‘ To which R. Simeon remarked: ‘The long and the short of it is that Moses did not desire that an angel should accompany them, therefore he said: “If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us” (Ex. XXYIV, 9).’