R. Jose began: ‘It is written, “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee” (Deut. 8, 10). It is evident from this verse that grace after meals is a duty in the Land of Israel; but whence do we know that it is a duty in other lands also? Now, when the Holy One created the world, He divided it into two parts: one part that should be habitable and the other a desert, the former on one side and the latter at the other. Then He redivided the habitable part in such a manner that it formed a circle, the centre of which is the Holy Land. The centre of the Holy Land is Jerusalem, and, again, the centre of Jerusalem is the Holy of Holies, to which all the abundance of nourishment and all good things for the whole inhabited world flow in from above, and there is no place in this inhabited world that is not nourished and sustained from that source.
The desert land He also divided, and there is no desert in the world so terrible and sinister as that where for forty long years Israel wandered, before its power was destroyed, of which it is written: “Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness” (Deut. 13, 15). There the “other side” reigned, and the children of Israel in despite of it traversed the desert forty years long, to break its power. Had they throughout that long period been worthy in heart and served the Holy One with faithfulness, the “other side” would have been wiped off the face of the earth; but they, time after time, provoked the Holy One to anger, and in like measure did the “other side” prevail, so that they became subject to its power.
It might be remarked, “How came it, then, that Moses, who was the most worthy and faithful of all men, died there?” The answer would be: “Not so; the faithful Moses was not in the power of the “other side”, for he died in Abarim (lit. quarrels. Deut. 32, 49). It was so called because the celestial principalities competed in wrath for it, but it was not given over to any of them, but was left as it was till Moses came and took possession of it, and there he was buried, and the Holy One alone attended to his burial and no one else, since it is written: “And (he) buried him in a valley” (Ibid. 34, 6), without mention of a subject.
Therefore Moses ruled alone over that place, and there was he buried, and in order to let all future generations know that those who died in the wilderness will rise again, He let their faithful shepherd abide among them, so that at the awakening of the resurrection in the world to come they may find themselves all together.
It may be asked, If that wilderness consisted of what was left over from the power of the “other side”, why did the Holy One command that the goat of the Day of Atonement should be sent to a mountain called Azazel (Lev. 16, 8, 10, 26), and not to a mountain in that wilderness in which Israel had sojourned? The answer is that the sojourn of the Israelites in that wilderness for forty years had broken its power, while, again, its power increased in a region where human feet had not ever trodden.
And the mountain to which the goat was sent is a great and mighty rock, and below it are depths unplumbable, where man has never trodden. There the “other side” has power enough to consume his prey undisturbed, so that he leaves Israel alone and there is no one to bring accusations against them.
The domain of the mystery of the Faith is in that very central point of the Holy Land which is in the Holy of Holies, the place where the Shekinah dwelt, and even though She dwells there no longer, and the Holy of Holies exists no more, yet for Her sake the whole world is still supplied with food, and nourishment and satisfaction ever stream forth, emanating from thence to all the inhabited regions of the world. Therefore, although Israel lives at present outside the Holy Land, yet it is owing to the power and worth of that Land that the world is supplied with food and subsistence. It is concerning this that it is written: “Thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee” (Deut. 8, 10). Truly “the good land”, since for its sake there is a sufficiency of nourishment for the whole world.
When a man sits at his table and partakes of its plenty with joyous thanksgiving, he should at the same time let his mind dwell with sadness upon the holiness of that Land and of the Temple of the King which has been destroyed, and because of his sadness there, at the table, in the midst of his feasting, God regards him as a restorer of the House of the Holy One, and all the ruins of the Holy Temple. Happy is his lot!
פָּתַח רִבִּי יוֹסִי וְאָמַר, (דברים ח׳:י׳) וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָךְ. אִי בְּאַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מְבָרְכֵינָן, לְבַר מֵאַרְעָא מְנָלָן. דְּהָא בְּגַוְונָא דָּא לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ. אֶלָּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד בָּרָא עָלְמָא, פָּלִיג אַרְעָא, יִשׁוּבָא אִיהוּ לִסְטַר חַד, וְחַרְבָּא אִיהוּ לִסְטַר אָחֳרָא. פָּלִיג יִשׁוּבָא, וְאַסְחַר עָלְמָא סַחֲרָנֵיהּ דִּנְקוּדָה חֲדָא. וּמַאן אִיהוּ, דָּא אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא אֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּעָלְמָא. וּבְאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, אִיהוּ יְרוּשָׁלַ ם. אֶמְצָעִיתָא דִּיְרוּשָׁלַ ם אִיהוּ בֵּית קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים, וְכָל טִיבוּ וְכָל מְזוֹנָא דְּכָל יִשׁוּבָא, תַּמָּן נָחִית מִלְּעֵילָּא. וְלֵית לְּךָ אֲתָר בְּכָל יִשׁוּבָא דְּלָא אִתְּזַן מִתַּמָּן.
R. Jose began: ‘It is written, “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee” (Deut. 8, 10). It is evident from this verse that grace after meals is a duty in the Land of Israel; but whence do we know that it is a duty in other lands also? Now, when the Holy One created the world, He divided it into two parts: one part that should be habitable and the other a desert, the former on one side and the latter at the other. Then He redivided the habitable part in such a manner that it formed a circle, the centre of which is the Holy Land. The centre of the Holy Land is Jerusalem, and, again, the centre of Jerusalem is the Holy of Holies, to which all the abundance of nourishment and all good things for the whole inhabited world flow in from above, and there is no place in this inhabited world that is not nourished and sustained from that source.
פָּלִיג חַרְבָּא. וְלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח חַרְבָּא תַּקִּיפָא בְּכָל עָלְמָא, בַּר הַהוּא מִדְבָּר, דְּתַבְרוּ (קפ"ד) חֵילֵיהּ וְתֻקְפֵּיהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר (דברים ח׳:ט״ו) הַמּוֹלִיכֲךָ בַּמִּדְבָּר הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא. בְּהַהוּא מַדְבְּרָא, שַׁלְטָא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, וּבָעַל כָּרְחֵיהּ אַזְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עָלֵיהּ, וְתָבְרוּ חֵילֵיהּ, אַרְבְּעִין שְׁנִין. וְאִי יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁתַּכְחוּ זַכָּאִין בְּאִינּוּן אַרְבְּעִין שְׁנִין, הֲוָה מִתְעַבְּרָא הַהוּא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא מֵעָלְמָא, וּמִדְקָא אַרְגִּיזוּ לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כָּל אִינּוּן זִמְנִין, אִתְתָּקַּף הַהוּא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, וְנָפְלוּ כֻּלְּהוּ תַּמָּן תְּחוֹת רְשׁוּתֵיהּ.
The desert land He also divided, and there is no desert in the world so terrible and sinister as that where for forty long years Israel wandered, before its power was destroyed, of which it is written: “Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness” (Deut. 13, 15). There the “other side” reigned, and the children of Israel in despite of it traversed the desert forty years long, to break its power. Had they throughout that long period been worthy in heart and served the Holy One with faithfulness, the “other side” would have been wiped off the face of the earth; but they, time after time, provoked the Holy One to anger, and in like measure did the “other side” prevail, so that they became subject to its power.
וְאִי תֵּימָא, וְהָא מֹשֶׁה דְּסָלִיק עַל כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, הֵיךְ מִית תַּמָּן. לָאו הָכִי, דְּהָא מֹשֶׁה מְהֵימָנָא לָא הֲוָה בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ, אֶלָּא בְּהַר הָעֲבָרִים. מַאי הָעֲבָרִים. פְּלוּגְתָּא. דְּאִתְפְּלָגוּ עָלֵיהּ שַׁלִיטִין עִלָּאִין דִּלְעֵילָּא, וְלָא אִתְמְסָר בִּידָא דִּמְמָנָא וְשַׁלִיטָא אָחֳרָא, וְאִשְׁתְּאָר הָכִי, עַד דְּאָתָא מֹשֶׁה עַבְדָּא מְהֵימָנָא, וְשָׁלִיט עָלֵיהּ, וְאִתְקְבָר תַּמָּן, וְלָא אִתְעַסָּק בֵּיהּ בִּקְבוּרָתֵיהּ, בַּר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים לה) וַיִקְבֹּר אוֹתוֹ בַגַּי.
It might be remarked, “How came it, then, that Moses, who was the most worthy and faithful of all men, died there?” The answer would be: “Not so; the faithful Moses was not in the power of the “other side”, for he died in Abarim (lit. quarrels. Deut. 32, 49). It was so called because the celestial principalities competed in wrath for it, but it was not given over to any of them, but was left as it was till Moses came and took possession of it, and there he was buried, and the Holy One alone attended to his burial and no one else, since it is written: “And (he) buried him in a valley” (Ibid. 34, 6), without mention of a subject.
וַיִקְבֹּר אוֹתוֹ, מַאן. הַהוּא דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ בְּאֹרַח סָתִים, (שמות כ״ד:ט״ז) וְאֶל (וירא ק"ג ע"ב) מֹשֶׁה אָמַר, וְלָא כְּתִיב מַאן אִיהוּ. וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה, וְלָא כְּתִיב מַאן אִיהוּ. אוּף הָכָא וַיִקְבּוֹר אוֹתוֹ, וְלָא כְּתִיב מַאן אִיהוּ, אֶלָּא וַדַּאי הַאי אֲתָר יְדִיעָא אִיהוּ לְגַבֵּי חַבְרַיָּיא. וְעַל דָּא, בְּהַהוּא טוּרָא לָא שַׁלִּיט עָלֵיהּ, בַּר מֹשֶׁה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וְאִיהוּ אִתְקְבַר תַּמָּן. וּבְגִין לְמִנְדַּע לְכָל דָּרִין אַחֲרָנִין דְּעָלְמָא, דְּאִינּוּן מְתֵי מִדְבָּר יְקוּמוּן, הַהוּא רַעְיָא דִּלְהוֹן אַשְׁרֵי לֵיהּ בְּגַּוַּויְיהוּ, לְמֶהֱוִי כֻּלְּהוּ בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא דְּקִיּוּמָא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
Therefore Moses ruled alone over that place, and there was he buried, and in order to let all future generations know that those who died in the wilderness will rise again, He let their faithful shepherd abide among them, so that at the awakening of the resurrection in the world to come they may find themselves all together.
וְאִי תֵּימָא, אִי הָכִי דְּהַהוּא מַדְבְּרָא אִיהוּ תֻּקְפָּא דְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, הֵיךְ פָּקִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עַל הַהוּא שָׂעִיר, לְשַׁדְּרָא לֵיהּ לְטוּרָא אָחֳרָא, דְּאִקְרֵי עֲזָאזֵל, הֲוָה לוֹן לְשַׁדְּרָא לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא טוּרָא דְּאַזְלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַדְבְּרָא בֵּיהּ. אֶלָּא, כֵּיוָן דְּהָא אָזְלוּ בֵּיהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבְּעִין שְׁנִין, הָא אִתְּבַּר תֻּקְפֵּיהּ. וְתֻקְפֵּיהּ אִתְתָּקַּף בַּאֲתָר דְּלָא עָבַר בֵּיהּ גְּבָר תַּמָּן לְעָלְמִין, וּבְהַהוּא טוּרָא, הָא הֲוָה דִּיּוּרֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל תַּמָּן אַרְבְּעִין שְׁנִין.
It may be asked, If that wilderness consisted of what was left over from the power of the “other side”, why did the Holy One command that the goat of the Day of Atonement should be sent to a mountain called Azazel (Lev. 16, 8, 10, 26), and not to a mountain in that wilderness in which Israel had sojourned? The answer is that the sojourn of the Israelites in that wilderness for forty years had broken its power, while, again, its power increased in a region where human feet had not ever trodden.
אֲבָל בְּהַאי שָׂעִיר, הַהוּא אֲתָר אִיהוּ טִנָרָא תַּקִּיפָא עִלָּאָה, וּתְחוֹת עָמְקָא דְּהַהוּא טִנָרָא, דְּבַר נָשׁ לָא (ס"א לא יכיל למיעל תמן) עָיִיל תַּמָּן אִיהוּ שַׁלִּיט יַתִּיר לְמֵיכַל טַרְפֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּיִתְעַבָּר מֵעַלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח בְּהוּ מְקַטְרְגָא עָלַיְיהוּ בְּיִשּׁוּבָא.
And the mountain to which the goat was sent is a great and mighty rock, and below it are depths unplumbable, where man has never trodden. There the “other side” has power enough to consume his prey undisturbed, so that he leaves Israel alone and there is no one to bring accusations against them.
שׁוּלְטָנוּתֵיהּ דְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, גּוֹ אֶמְצָעִיתָא דִּנְקוּדָה דְּכָל (עלמא) אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּבֵי קֹדֶשׁ הַקָּדָשִׁים. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּהַשְׁתָּא לָאו אִיהוּ בְּקִיּוּמָא, בִּזְכוּתֵיהּ כָּל עָלְמָא אִתְּזַן, וּמְזוֹנָא וְסִפּוּקָא מִתַּמָּן נָפְקָא לְכֹלָּא, בְּכָל אֲתָר סִטְרָא דִּישׁוּבָא. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, אַף עַל גַּב דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הַשְׁתָּא לְבַר מֵאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, עִם כָּל דָּא מֵחֵילָא וּזְכוּתָא דְּאַרְעָא, אִשְׁתְּכַח מְזוֹנָא וְסִפּוּקָא לְכָל עָלְמָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב (דברים ח׳:י׳) וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָךְ. עַל הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה וַדַּאי, דְּהָא בְּגִינָהּ מְזוֹנָא וְסִפּוּקָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּעָלְמָא.
The domain of the mystery of the Faith is in that very central point of the Holy Land which is in the Holy of Holies, the place where the Shekinah dwelt, and even though She dwells there no longer, and the Holy of Holies exists no more, yet for Her sake the whole world is still supplied with food, and nourishment and satisfaction ever stream forth, emanating from thence to all the inhabited regions of the world. Therefore, although Israel lives at present outside the Holy Land, yet it is owing to the power and worth of that Land that the world is supplied with food and subsistence. It is concerning this that it is written: “Thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee” (Deut. 8, 10). Truly “the good land”, since for its sake there is a sufficiency of nourishment for the whole world.
מַאן דְּאִתְעֲדָּן עַל פָּתוֹרֵיהּ וּמִתְעַנַּג בְּאִינּוּן מֵיכְלִין, אִית לֵיהּ לְאַדְכְּרָא וּלְדָאֲגָא עַל קְדוּשָּׁה דְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְעַל הֵיכָלָא דְּמַלְכָּא דְּקָא אִתְחֲרִיב. וּבְגִין הַהוּא עֲצִיבוּ דְּאִיהוּ קָא מִתְעֲצַב עַל פָּתוֹרֵיהּ, בְּהַהוּא חֶדְוָה וּמִשְׁתְּיָּא דְּתַמָּן, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָשִׁיב עָלֵיהּ כְּאִלּוּ בְּנָה בֵּיתֵיהּ, וּבָנָה כָּל אִינּוּן חַרְבֵּי דְּבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ.
When a man sits at his table and partakes of its plenty with joyous thanksgiving, he should at the same time let his mind dwell with sadness upon the holiness of that Land and of the Temple of the King which has been destroyed, and because of his sadness there, at the table, in the midst of his feasting, God regards him as a restorer of the House of the Holy One, and all the ruins of the Holy Temple. Happy is his lot!