We have learnt’, he said, ‘that on the day when the Sanctuary on earth was laid waste and Israel went into captivity with millstones on their necks and their hands bound behind them, and the Community of Israel was banished from the house of her Husband to follow them, when She came down She said: “I will go in front and weep for my home and my children and my Husband.” When she came down and saw her home devastated and the blood of saints spilled in its midst and the holy shrine and temple burnt,
She lifted up her voice, and higher and lower angels fell a-quaking and the voice ascended to the place where the King abode, and the King was minded to turn the world into chaos again. Thereupon many armies and hosts went down to meet Her, but She would not accept consolation. Hence it is written, “A voice is heard in Ramah, Rachel weeping for her children because they are not”; or, as we should rather translate, “He is not” (enennu), referring to the Holy King who had gone aloft and was not in her midst.’
He replied: ‘From the Sanctuary, where Her abode was. Afterwards She went all round the Land of Israel, and when She left it She came into the wilderness and remained there three days. She took Her armies and hosts and the denizens of the King’s palace and exclaimed regarding herself: “How doth she sit solitary” (Lam. 1, 1).’ R. Hiya and R. Jose wept.
Said R. Jose: ‘Israel were not exiled from their land, nor was the Temple destroyed until they were all sinful before the King, the heads of the people being foremost in sin, as it says: “O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths” (Isa. 3, 12): for, when the heads of the people sin, all the rest follow them.’ R. Hiya learnt the same lesson from the verse, “And if the whole congregation of Israel shall err”. ‘Why do they err?’ he said. ‘Because “the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly”, the “eyes” being the leaders whom all the rest follow.’
They then went on their way and came across a certain grassy sward, with a stream running past, so they sat down there. As they were sitting, a bird flew past them with a rustling noise. Said R. Hiya: ‘Let us get up, for assuredly mountain-diggers1Al. “runners”. The reference in either case is to robbers. are here.’ So they got up and went on. Turning their heads they saw robbers running after them. Providentially they saw in front of them a rock with a cave in it, so they went in and sat there the whole of that day and night.
רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח ואָמַר, (ירמיהו ל״א:ט״ו) כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ' קוֹל בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמָע נְהִי בְּכִי וְגוֹ'. כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ', הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, בְּכָל אֲתַר דִּנְבִיאָה שָׁרֵי לְמַלְּלָא, הֲווֹ מִלּוֹי אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן, וְהָכָא הַאי כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ', קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּמַה אָמַר, קוֹל בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמָע.
R. Jose then discoursed on the verse: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and weeping, etc.” (Jer. 31, 15).
הָכִי תָּנֵינָן, דִּבְהַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּאִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְשָׁא לְתַּתָּא, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אַזְלוּ בְּגָלוּתָא, רֵיחַיִין עַל צַאוָרֵיהוֹן, וִידֵיהוֹן מְהַדְּקָן לַאֲחוֹרָא. וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, אִתְתְּרָכַת מִבֵּית מַלְכָּא לְמֵיהַךְ בַּתְרֵיהוֹן. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַחְתַּת, אַמְרַת אֵיהָךְ בְּקַדְמִיתָא וְאֶבְכֶּה עַל מָדוֹרָאי, וְעַל בָּנַי, וְעַל בַּעֲלִי. כַּד נַחְתַּת, חָמַת אַתְרָהָא חָרִיב, וְכַמָּה דָּמָא דְּחָסִידֵי אִתּוֹשַׁד בְּגַוָּוה, והֵיכָלָא קַדִּישָׁא וּבֵיתָא אִתּוֹקַד בְּאֶשָּׁא.
We have learnt’, he said, ‘that on the day when the Sanctuary on earth was laid waste and Israel went into captivity with millstones on their necks and their hands bound behind them, and the Community of Israel was banished from the house of her Husband to follow them, when She came down She said: “I will go in front and weep for my home and my children and my Husband.” When she came down and saw her home devastated and the blood of saints spilled in its midst and the holy shrine and temple burnt,
כְּדֵין אֲרִימַת קָלָא, וְאִתְרְגִישׁוּ עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, וּמָטָא קָלָא לְעֵילָּא, עַד אֲתַר דְּמַלְכָּא שָׁרֵי בֵּיהּ. וּבָעָא מַלְכָּא לְאָהַדְרָא עָלְמָא לְתֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ, עַד דְּנַחְתּוּ כַּמָה אוֹכְלוֹסִין, וְכַמָּה מַשִּׁרְיָין, לָקֳבְלָהּ וְלָא קִבְּלָה תַּנְחוּמִין מִנַּיְיהוּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב קוֹל בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמָע נְהִי בְּכִי תַמְרוּרִים רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל בָּנֶיהָ מֵאֲנָה לְהִנָּחֵם עַל בָּנֶיהָ, דְּלָא קִבְּלָה מִנַּיְיהוּ תַּנְחוּמִים. כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ: בְּגִין דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא הֲוָה סָלִיק לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּגַוָּוהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי אֵינְנּוּ, ולָא כְּתִיב כִּי אֵינָם.
She lifted up her voice, and higher and lower angels fell a-quaking and the voice ascended to the place where the King abode, and the King was minded to turn the world into chaos again. Thereupon many armies and hosts went down to meet Her, but She would not accept consolation. Hence it is written, “A voice is heard in Ramah, Rachel weeping for her children because they are not”; or, as we should rather translate, “He is not” (enennu), referring to the Holy King who had gone aloft and was not in her midst.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא, מַאי רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל בָּנֶיהָ. אָמַר לֵיהּ אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּהִיא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְדָא אִנְתּוּ דְּיַעֲקֹב ודַאי, דִּכְתִּיב (בראשית כ״ט:י״ח) וַיֶּאֱהַב יַעֲקֹב אֶת רָחֵל. וּכְתִיב, (בראשית כ״ט:י״ח) ורָחֵל עֲקָרָה. וּכְתִיב, הָתָם (תהילים קי״ג:ט׳) מוֹשִׁיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה.
R. Hiya asked: ‘From what place did She begin to go into exile?’
דָּבָר אַחֵר כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר, (בראשית ל״ט:ט׳) אֵינֶנּוּ גָּדוֹל בַּבַּיִת וְגוֹ', אֵינֶנּוּ: דְּהָא אִסְתָּלִיק לְעֵילָּא וְאִתְרְחִיק מִכֹלָּא. אֵינֶנּוּ: בְּזִוּוּגָא בָּה. אֵינֶנּוּ: לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא (שמות קס"ה) שְׁמֵיהּ רַבָּא.
אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, מֵאָן אֲתַר שַׁרְיָא לְאִתְגַלָּאָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ, מִבֵּי מַקְדְשָׁא. דְּתַמָּן שַׁרְיָא וּלְבָתַר אַסְחָרַת כָּל אַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. לְבָתַר כַּד נַפְקַת מִן אַרְעָא, קָמַת עַל מַדְבְּרָא וְיָתִיבַת תַּמָּן תְּלַת יוֹמִין. דַּבְּרַת אוּכְלֻסָהָא וּמַשִּׁירְיָיהָא (ס"א ומתיבתהא) וְיַתְבָהָא מִבֵּי מַלְכָּא, וְקָרָאתָ עָלָהּ (איכה א׳:א׳) אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָדָד וגוֹ'. בָּכוּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא ורִבִּי יוֹסֵי.
He replied: ‘From the Sanctuary, where Her abode was. Afterwards She went all round the Land of Israel, and when She left it She came into the wilderness and remained there three days. She took Her armies and hosts and the denizens of the King’s palace and exclaimed regarding herself: “How doth she sit solitary” (Lam. 1, 1).’ R. Hiya and R. Jose wept.
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, לָא גָּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאַרְעָא, וְלָא אִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, עַד דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלְּהוּ אִשְׁתְּכָּחוּ בְּחִיוּבָא קָמֵי מַלְכָּא, וְעַד דְּדַבְּרֵי עָלְמָא אִשְׁתְּכָּחוּ בְּחִיוּבָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו ג׳:י״ב) עַמִּי מְאַשְּׁרֶיךָ מַתְעִים וְדֶרֶךְ אוֹרְחוֹתֶיךָ בִּלֵּעוּ. דְּכֵיוָן דְּרֵישֵׁי עַמָּא אַזְלִין בְּחִיוּבָא, כָּל עַמָּא אִתְמְשָׁכוּ אֲבַתְרַיְיהוּ. רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר מֵהָכָא, וְאִם כָּל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁגּוּ, בְּמַאי הֲוִי. בְּגִין וְנֶעְלַּם דָּבָר מֵעֵינִי הַקָּהָל. דְּעֵינַי עַמָּא אִינּוּן רֵישַׁיְיהוּ, דְּכָל עַמָּא אִתְמַשְּׁכָן אֲבַתְרַיְיהוּ.
Said R. Jose: ‘Israel were not exiled from their land, nor was the Temple destroyed until they were all sinful before the King, the heads of the people being foremost in sin, as it says: “O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths” (Isa. 3, 12): for, when the heads of the people sin, all the rest follow them.’ R. Hiya learnt the same lesson from the verse, “And if the whole congregation of Israel shall err”. ‘Why do they err?’ he said. ‘Because “the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly”, the “eyes” being the leaders whom all the rest follow.’
אַזְלוּ. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי חָמוּ חַד אֲתַר מְדֻשָּׁנָא בַּעֲשָׂבִין, וּנְהָר מַיָּא דְּהֲוָה נָגִיד בֵּיהּ. יָתְבוּ. עַד דַּהֲווֹ יַתְבֵי, פָּרַח חַד עוֹפָא וְרָחִישׁ קָמַיְיהוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, נִיקוּם מֵהָכָא, דְּוַדַּאי נַגְרֵי טוּרַיָּא הָכָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין, קָמוּ וְאַזְלוּ. עַד דְּאָהַדְרוּ רֵישַׁיְיהוּ, חָמוּ אִינּוּן לִסְטִין דְּרָהָטִין אֲבַתְרַיְיהוּ, אִתְרְחִישׁ לוֹן נִיסָא, וְאַשְׁכָּחוּ קָמַיְיהוּ חַד טִינָרָא, וְחַד מְעַרְתָּא בֵּיהּ, עָאלוּ תַּמָּן יָתְבוּ כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא וְכָל לֵילְיָא.
They then went on their way and came across a certain grassy sward, with a stream running past, so they sat down there. As they were sitting, a bird flew past them with a rustling noise. Said R. Hiya: ‘Let us get up, for assuredly mountain-diggers1Al. “runners”. The reference in either case is to robbers. are here.’ So they got up and went on. Turning their heads they saw robbers running after them. Providentially they saw in front of them a rock with a cave in it, so they went in and sat there the whole of that day and night.