R. Jose then began by quoting the following verse: “Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded” (Isa. 41, 11). Said he: ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, will in the time to come bring to pass all those good things which He promised Israel through the true prophets, and in the hope of which Israel was able to suffer so much in exile. For were it not for those glorious promises which they see written in the Scripture, and which they await so eagerly, they would have had no strength wherewith to withstand the rigours of exile;
but as it is, they repair to the houses of study, open the holy books, and read therein of all those good things which the Holy One has promised them, and are comforted in their exile. The other nations, however, mock and insult them, saying: “Where is your God? Where are all those good things which ye declare are promised to you and because of which all the nations of the world will be ashamed or confounded before you?”
So it is written: “Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; your brethren that hate you, that cast you out as impure for my Name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified-that we may behold your joy!-they shall be ashamed” (Isa. 66, 5). “Ye that tremble at his word” are those who have endured much evil and many reproaches, one after another, as it is written, “We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear and not of peace” (Jer. 30, 5).
“Your brethren that hate you” are the sons of Esau-“those that cast you out as impure”, as it says, “They cried unto them, Depart ye, it is unclean” (Lam. 4, 15), for no people in the world despises Israel so utterly, spitting in their faces with the utmost contempt, as do the sons of Edom, who say unto them: “Ye are all impure like a menstruant”. “For my name’s sake, let the Lord be glorified”: they say, “We are children of the living God and His Name is glorified in us, we reign over the world because of him who is designated ‘great’-as it says, ‘Esau, her great (eldest) son’ (Gen. 27, 15), and God is also called ‘ great’ (Ps. 140, 3),
whereas ye are the smallest of all-‘Jacob, her smallest son’ (Gen. 27, 15); where, then, is your God? Where are all those good things which are to make you the envy of all other nations? We would greatly like to see that joy of yours of which you boast, saying, ‘they will be ashamed’. (The Holy Spirit, however, echoes: ‘They will be ashamed!’)”.’
פָּתַח רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו מ״א:י״א) הֵן יֵבוֹשׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ כֹּל הַנֶּחרִים בָּךְ וְגוֹ'. זַמִין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, כָּל אִינּוּן טָבָאן, דְּקָאָמַר עַל יְדֵי נְבִיאֵי קְשׁוֹט, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל סָבְלוּ עֲלֵיהוֹן, כְּמָה בִּישִׁין בְּגָלְוּתְהוֹן. וְאִלְמָלֵא כָּל אִינּוּן טָבָאן דְּקָא מְחַכָּאן וְחָמָאן כְּתִיבִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לָא הֲווֹ יַכְלִין לְמֵיקָם וּלְמִסְבַּל גָּלוּתָא.
R. Jose then began by quoting the following verse: “Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded” (Isa. 41, 11). Said he: ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, will in the time to come bring to pass all those good things which He promised Israel through the true prophets, and in the hope of which Israel was able to suffer so much in exile. For were it not for those glorious promises which they see written in the Scripture, and which they await so eagerly, they would have had no strength wherewith to withstand the rigours of exile;
אֲבָל אַזְלִין לְבֵי מִדְרָשׁוֹת, פַּתְחִין סִפְרִין, וְחָמָאן כָּל אִינּוּן טָבָאן, דְּקָא מְחַכָּן, וְחָמָאן כְּתִיבִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאַבְטַח לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלַיְיהוּ, וּמִתְנַחֲמִין בְּגָלְוּתְהוֹן, וּשְׁאַר עַמִין מְחָרְפִין וּמְגַּדְפִין לוֹן, וְאַמְרֵי אָן הוּא אלָהֲכוֹן, אָן אִינּוּן טָבָאן דְּאַתּוּן אַמְרִין דִּזְמִינִין לְכוֹן, וְכִי כָּל עַמִּין דְּעָלְמָא יִכְסְפוּן מִנַּיְיכוּ.
but as it is, they repair to the houses of study, open the holy books, and read therein of all those good things which the Holy One has promised them, and are comforted in their exile. The other nations, however, mock and insult them, saying: “Where is your God? Where are all those good things which ye declare are promised to you and because of which all the nations of the world will be ashamed or confounded before you?”
הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו ס״ו:ה׳) שִׁמְעוּ דְּבַר יְיָ' הַחֲרֵדִים אֶל דְּבָרוֹ אָמְרוּ אֲחֵיכֶם שׂוֹנְאֵיכֶם וְגוֹ'. מַאי הַחֲרֵדִים אֶל דְּבָרוֹ, אִינּוּן דְּסַבְלוּ כַּמָה בִּישִׁין, כַּמָה שְׁמוּעוֹת שַׁמְעֵי, אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין, וְאִלֵּין בָּתַר אִלֵּין, וְחַרִידָן עֲלֵיהוֹן, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (ירמיהו ל׳:ה׳) כִּי וְגוֹ' קוֹל חֲרָדָה שָׁמָעְנוּ פַּחַד וְאֵין שָׁלוֹם וְגוֹ'. אִינּוּן חַרֵדִים תָּדִיר אֶל דְּבָרוֹ כַּד אִתְעָבִיד דִּינָא.
So it is written: “Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; your brethren that hate you, that cast you out as impure for my Name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified-that we may behold your joy!-they shall be ashamed” (Isa. 66, 5). “Ye that tremble at his word” are those who have endured much evil and many reproaches, one after another, as it is written, “We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear and not of peace” (Jer. 30, 5).
אָמְרוּ אֲחֵיכֶם שׂוֹנְאֵיכֶם, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן אֲחוּכוֹן בְּנֵי עֵשָׂו. מְנַדֵּיכֶם, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (איכה ד׳:ט״ו) סוּרוּ טָמֵא קָרְאוּ לָמוֹ. דְּלֵית עַמָּא דְּקָא מְבַזִּין לוֹן בְּאַנְפֵּי, וּמְרַקְּקִין בְּאַנְפַּיְיהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כִּבְנֵי אֱדוֹם. וְאַמְרֵי כֻּלְּהוּ מִסְאֲבִין כַּנִּדָּה, וְדָא אִיהוּ מְנַדֵּיכֶם. לְמַעַן שְׁמִי יִכְבַּד יְיָ', אֲנָן (דאמרין) בְּנוֹי דְּאֵל חַי. דִּי בָּן יִתְיָיקָר שְׁמֵיהּ. אֲנָן שַׁלְטָנִין עַל עָלְמָא בְּגִין הַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי גָּדוֹל. (בראשית כ״ז:ה׳) עֵשָׂו בְּנוֹ הַגָּדוֹל. וּבִשְׁמָא דָּא אִקְרֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּדוֹל, (תהילים קמ״ה:ג׳) גָּדוֹל יְיָ' וּמְהוּלָּל מְאֹד. אֲנָן בְּנֵי הַגָּדוֹל, וְאִיהוּ גָּדוֹל. וַדַּאי לְמַעַן שְׁמִי יִכְבַּד יְיָ'.
“Your brethren that hate you” are the sons of Esau-“those that cast you out as impure”, as it says, “They cried unto them, Depart ye, it is unclean” (Lam. 4, 15), for no people in the world despises Israel so utterly, spitting in their faces with the utmost contempt, as do the sons of Edom, who say unto them: “Ye are all impure like a menstruant”. “For my name’s sake, let the Lord be glorified”: they say, “We are children of the living God and His Name is glorified in us, we reign over the world because of him who is designated ‘great’-as it says, ‘Esau, her great (eldest) son’ (Gen. 27, 15), and God is also called ‘ great’ (Ps. 140, 3),
אֲבָל אַתּוּן זְעִירִין מִכֹּלָּא, (בראשית כ״ז:ט״ו) יַעֲקֹב בְּנָהּ הַקָּטָן כְּתִיב, אָן הוּא אֱלָהֲכוֹן. אָן הוּא אִינּוּן טָבָאן, דְּיִכְסְפוּן כָּל עֲמַמְיָא מֵחֶדְוָה דִּלְכוֹן. מַאן יִתֵּן וְנִרְאֶה בְשִׂמְחַתְכֶם כְּמָה דְּאַתּוּן אַמְרִין. וְהֵם יֵבוֹשׁוּ (רוח הקדש אומר והם יבושו) (ס"א תו כמאן) כְּמַאן דְּתָלֵי קִלְלָתָא בְּאַחֲרָא, בְּגִין דְּאַתּוּן אַמְרִין דִּכְדֵין יֵבוֹשׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ, וּבְגִין דָּא רוּחַ קֻדְשָׁא הֲוָה אָמַר מִלָּה הָכִי, וְעַל דָּא, הֵן יֵבוֹשׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ כֹּל הַנֶּחרִים בָּךְ. מַאי כֹּל הַנֶּחֱרִים בָּךְ. דְּאִתְקָפוּ נְחִירֵיהוֹן בְּרוּגְזָא עֲלָךְ בְּגָלוּתָא דָּא. בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, יֵבוֹשׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ מִכָּל טָבִין דִּיֶחמוּן לְהוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל.
whereas ye are the smallest of all-‘Jacob, her smallest son’ (Gen. 27, 15); where, then, is your God? Where are all those good things which are to make you the envy of all other nations? We would greatly like to see that joy of yours of which you boast, saying, ‘they will be ashamed’. (The Holy Spirit, however, echoes: ‘They will be ashamed!’)”.’