Yalkut Shimoni on Nach ילקוט שמעוני על נ"ך merged https://www.sefaria.org/Yalkut_Shimoni_on_Nach This file contains merged sections from the following text versions: -Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology -https://www.sefaria.org -Sefaria Community Translation -https://www.sefaria.org Yalkut Shimoni on Nach Remez 1 Remez 2 Remez 3 Remez 4 Remez 5 Remez 6 Remez 7 Remez 8 Remez 9 Remez 10 Remez 11 Remez 12 Remez 13 Remez 14 Remez 15 Remez 16 Remez 17 Remez 18 Remez 19 Remez 20 Remez 21 Remez 22 Remez 23 Remez 24 Remez 25 Remez 26 Remez 27 Remez 28 Remez 29 Remez 30 Remez 31 Remez 32 Remez 33 Remez 34 Remez 35 Remez 36 Remez 37 "A husband inherits from his wife." From where do we learn this? Learn it from “And he shall inherit it,” (Numbers 27:11) with the word “it” written in the feminine “otah,” which can also be translated as: Her. This teaches that a husband inherits from his wife; this is the statement of Rabbi Akiva. But Rabbi Yishmael says: This derivation is not necessary, as the verse states, “And Elazar, the son of Aharon, died [and they buried him in the Hill of Pinehas his son, which was given him in Mount Ephraim]” (Joshua 24:33). And from where did Pinehas have land that his father, Elazar, did not have? Rather, this teaches that Pinehas married a woman [who possesed land, perhaps from her own father], and she died and he inherited from her [so Pinehas had his own land]. And a [similar] verse says: “And Seguv begot Yair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead” (I Chronicles 2:22). And from where did Yair have land that his father, Seguv, did not have? Rather, this teaches that Yair married a woman, and she died and he inherited from her. Why "And a verse says"? And if you would say it was Elazar, his father, who married a woman who died, and her son Pinehas inherited from her - come and hear a proof from the verse: “And Seguv begot Yair” (I Chronicles 2:22). And if you would say: That is the case there as well [that it was Yair who inherited it from his deceased mother], if so, why do I need two verses? Rav Pappa said to Abaye: I could actually say to you: A husband does not inherit [from his wife], and the verses are concerned about the son, as we explained. And Yair? He purchased it [from a third party, with no inheritance]. And Pinehas? He purchased it from a third party. You cannot say [that Pinehas purchased the land where he buried his father], as if so, the field would return to its original owner in the Jubilee Year, and it would be found that this righteous man, i.e., Elazar, is buried in a grave in land that is not his. Rather, say that [in his capacity as a priest] Pinehas came into possession of this land as a dedicated field. Remez 38 Remez 39 Remez 40 Remez 41 Remez 42 And Devorah, was a prophetess. What was she like, that she prophesied about Israel and judged them? Wasn't Pinchas ben Eleazar alive then? I bring Heaven and Earth to bear witness that the Divine Spirit may rest upon a gentile and a Jew, a man and a woman, a slave and a maid—all depends on the deeds of that particular person. The House of Elyahu teaching was that they said that Devorah's husband was not a scholar. She said to him , let's make wicks and go to the Mikdash in Shilo, and so you will have a place among the greats and you will have a place in the world to come. So she would make wicks and he would bring them to the Mikdash. He had three names: Barak, Michael and Lapidot. Barak: because his face looked like lightning. Michael: because he diminished himself. Another opinion: he was named after the angel. Lapidot - his wife would make wicks, and his wife thought for long, and decided to make very thick wicks so that their light would be plentiful. And God said, "Devorah you intended to sustain My light, and so I will make your light great in Judah and Jerusalem in front of the 12 tribes. And to what merit did Lapidot arrive to the World to Come? They say because of his wife Devorah, about whom it is written "The wisest of women built her house" (Prov. 14:1). And regarding Jezebel bat Itba'al "and the fool one destroys it with her hands. Lapidot - Rabbi Itzchak from the House of Rabi Ami: because she made the wicks for the Tabernacle. And she sat under the date palm - Rabbi Shimon be Avshalom: because of yichud. Another explanation: just as the shade of the palm tree is small, so the number of Torah scholars of her time was small. Another opinion: just as a plam tree has only one heart, so in her time Israel was of one heart with their Father in Heaven. And she sat under a palm tree - as it is not the way of women to seclude themselves at home [with men] and so she sat in the shade of the date palm and taught Torah to the public. Remez 43 Remez 44 Remez 45 Remez 46 Remez 47 Remez 48 Remez 49 Remez 50 Remez 51 ..[With regard to] this did [Jeremiah] say to have it written, 'Surely the shepherd boys will drag away [the evil ones, Edom or Babylonia in defeat].' (Jeremiah 49:20, 50:45) Rabbi Samuel son of Nachmani said, 'We have a tradition in our hands that Esau [i.e., evildoers, identified with Esau, Edom, and Babylonia] will not fall except into the hands of [the tribal descendants of] Rachel's children [i.e., Joseph or Benjamin]. Why? Because if the [other] tribes were to bring suit against Esau, saying, 'Why did you pursue your brother [our ancestor Israel to harm him (see e.g., Genesis 27:41)]? [We, Israel, have a claim against you for this!]' Then he [Esau can] say to them, 'Why did you pursue your brother Joseph [to harm him]? You are no better than I!' But if Joseph should come to him and say, 'Why did you pursue your brother?', he [Esau] will have no answer. For if Esau were to say '[I pursued him] because he did me evil!' [Joseph could reply,] 'My brothers also requited me with evil, and I requited them with good!' Immediately he [Esau would have to] be silent. And about this is it written, 'See, they are become like straw, Fire consumes them; They cannot save themselves From the power of the flame . . .' (Isaiah 47:14). 'Behold, they are become like straw' -- this refers to Esau . . . [Translation incomplete] Remez 52 Remez 53 Remez 54 Remez 55 Remez 56 Remez 57 Remez 58 Remez 59 Remez 60 Remez 61 Remez 62 Remez 63 Remez 64 Remez 65 Remez 66 Remez 67 Remez 68 Remez 69 Remez 70 Remez 71 Remez 72 Remez 73 Remez 74 Remez 75 Remez 76 Remez 77 Remez 78 Remez 79 Remez 80 Remez 81 Remez 82 Remez 83 Remez 84 Remez 85 Remez 86 Remez 87 Remez 88 Remez 89 Remez 90 Remez 91 Remez 92 Remez 93 Remez 94 Remez 95 Remez 96 Remez 97 Remez 98 Remez 99 Remez 100 Remez 101 Remez 102 Remez 103 Remez 104 Remez 105 Remez 106 Remez 107 Remez 108 Remez 109 Remez 110 Remez 111 Remez 112 Remez 113 Remez 114 Remez 115 Remez 116 Remez 117 Remez 118 Remez 119 Remez 120 Remez 121 Remez 122 Remez 123 Remez 124 Remez 125 Remez 126 Remez 127 Remez 128 Remez 129 Remez 130 Remez 131 Remez 132 Remez 133 Remez 134 Remez 135 Remez 136 Remez 137 Remez 138 Remez 139 Remez 140 Remez 141 Remez 142 Remez 143 Remez 144 Remez 145 Remez 146 Remez 147 Remez 148 Remez 149 Remez 150 Remez 151 Remez 152 Remez 153 Remez 154 Remez 155 Remez 156 Remez 157 Remez 158 Remez 159 Remez 160 Remez 161 Remez 162 Remez 163 Remez 164 Remez 165 Remez 166 Remez 167 Remez 168 Remez 169 Remez 170 Remez 171 Remez 172 “And Solomon became allied by marriage to Pharaoh king of Egypt…” (Melachim I 3:1) R’ Yehudah said in the name of Rav: one should always live in the same place as his teacher because so long as Shimi ben Geira was alive, Shlomo did not marry Pharaoh’s daughter. But we have a teaching that says one should not live in the same place? This is not a difficulty. The first applies when one is subservient to him, the second when one is not. At the moment when Shlomo married Pharaoh’s daughter the angel Gavriel came down and stuck a reed in the sea, which gathered a sandbank around it. At the moment when Yerovam ben Navat built his two golden calves, the great city of Rome was built upon this bank. ‘And Shlomo became allied by marriage’ he surely converted her… “And Solomon loved the Lord…” (Melachim I 3:3) for four years until he began to build the House, but once he began to build the house “…and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David…” (Melachim I 3:1) This is what we find it said “For this city has aroused My anger and My wrath since the day they built it…” (Yirmiyahu 32:31) But in Shlomo’s old age, right before he died, the Holy Spirit rested on him and he spoke out three books – Proverbs, Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes. Remez 173 Remez 174 Remez 175 Remez 176 Remez 177 Remez 178 Remez 179 Remez 180 Remez 181 Remez 182 Remez 183 Remez 184 ... ….R’ Chanina said - on the twenty-fifth of Kislev the work of the tabernacle was completed, but it was left folded up until Nisan, as it is written "On the day of the first month, on the first of the month, you shall set up the Mishkan of the Tent of Meeting.” (Shemot 40:2) Israel were murmuring against Moshe saying ‘why wasn’t it erected immediately, maybe some flaw happened to it?’ The Holy One intended to mingle the joy of the tabernacle with the month in which Yitzchak was born, as it says “…knead and make cakes,” (Bereshit 18:6) and they said to him “…At the appointed time, I will return to you, at this time next year…” (Bereshit 18:14) Now because of this the month of Kislev, in which the work of the tabernacle was completed, lost out. The Holy One said ‘it is incumbent upon Me to make restitution.’ What restitution did the Holy One make? The rededication of the Temple by the Hasmoneans, and so too the Holy One will compensate Marcheshvan in the future. Remez 185 Remez 186 Remez 187 Remez 188 Remez 189 Remez 190 Remez 191 Remez 192 Remez 193 Remez 194 Remez 195 Remez 196 Remez 197 Remez 198 Remez 199 Remez 200 Remez 201 Remez 202 Remez 203 Remez 204 Remez 205 Remez 206 Remez 207 Remez 208 Remez 209 Remez 210 Remez 211 Remez 212 Remez 213 Remez 214 Remez 215 Remez 216 Remez 217 Remez 218 Remez 219 Remez 220 Remez 221 Remez 222 Remez 223 Remez 224 Remez 225 Remez 226 Remez 227 Remez 228 Remez 229 Remez 230 Remez 231 Remez 232 Remez 233 Remez 234 Remez 235 Remez 236 Remez 237 Remez 238 Remez 239 Remez 240 Remez 241 Remez 242 Remez 243 Remez 244 Remez 245 Remez 246 Remez 247 Remez 248 Remez 249 Remez 250 Remez 251 Remez 252 Remez 253 Remez 254 Remez 255 Remez 256 Remez 257 Remez 258 Remez 259 Remez 260 Remez 261 Remez 262 Remez 263 "There are four corners in the earth. From the eastern corner, light comes into the world. From the southern corner, the dew of blessing comes into the world. From the western corner, all types of weather comes into the world. And from the northern corner destruction comes into the world. The northern corner Hashem created, but didn't finish. He said, 'Anyone who claims to be a god, come and finish this northern corner. When you come to try and finish it, you will see that I am G-d.' From the northern corner comes all demons and evil spirits, and all destructive forces into the world. This is what it means 'From the north evil shall break forth.'" Remez 264 Remez 265 Remez 266 Remez 267 Remez 268 Remez 269 Remez 270 Remez 271 Remez 272 Remez 273 Remez 274 Remez 275 Remez 276 Remez 277 Remez 278 Remez 279 Remez 280 Remez 281 Remez 282 Remez 283 Remez 284 Remez 285 Remez 286 Remez 287 Remez 288 Remez 289 Remez 290 Remez 291 Remez 292 Remez 293 Remez 294 Remez 295 Remez 296 Remez 297 Remez 298 Remez 299 Remez 300 Remez 301 Remez 302 Remez 303 Remez 304 Remez 305 Remez 306 Remez 307 Remez 308 Remez 309 Remez 310 Remez 311 Remez 312 Remez 313 Remez 314 Remez 315 Remez 316 Remez 317 Remez 318 Remez 319 Remez 320 Remez 321 “For this city has aroused My anger and My wrath since the day they built it until this day, to remove it from before My face.” (Yirmiyahu 32:31) Perhaps until this day He is in anger? The scripture says “His Tabernacle was in Shalem, and His dwelling place in Zion,” (Tehillim 76:3) He returned her original name. So too it says “…the mountain that God desired for His dwelling…” (Tehillim 68:17) meaning that it is still cherished and desired. This teaches that her destruction brought atonement for her sins. From where do we learn that the Presence will not return to her until she becomes a mountain, as it says “And Avraham named that place, The Lord will see, as it is said to this day: On the mountain, the Lord will be seen.” (Bereshit 22:14) And it says “Remember, O Lord, for the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem…” (Tehillim 137:7) When? Once her foundations have been uprooted, as it says "Raze it, raze it, down to its foundation!" (ibid.) Remez 322 Remez 323 Remez 324 Remez 325 Remez 326 Remez 327 Remez 328 Remez 329 Remez 330 Remez 331 Remez 332 Remez 333 Remez 334 Remez 335 Remez 336 Remez 337 Remez 338 Remez 339 Remez 340 Remez 341 Remez 342 Remez 343 Remez 344 Remez 345 Remez 346 Remez 347 Remez 348 Remez 349 Remez 350 Remez 351 Remez 352 Remez 353 Remez 354 Remez 355 Remez 356 Remez 357 Remez 358 Remez 359 Remez 360 Remez 361 Remez 362 Remez 363 Remez 364 Remez 365 Remez 366 Remez 367 Remez 368 Remez 369 Remez 370 Remez 371 Remez 372 Remez 373 Remez 374 Remez 375 Remez 376 Remez 377 Remez 378 Remez 379 Remez 380 Remez 381 Remez 382 Remez 383 Remez 384 Remez 385 Remez 386 Remez 387 Remez 388 Remez 389 Remez 390 Remez 391 Remez 392 Remez 393 Remez 394 Remez 395 Remez 396 Remez 397 Remez 398 Remez 399 Remez 400 Remez 401 Remez 402 Remez 403 Remez 404 Remez 405 Remez 406 Remez 407 Remez 408 Remez 409 Remez 410 Remez 411 Remez 412 Remez 413 Remez 414 Remez 415 “…and the Lebanon shall fall through a mighty one.” (Yeshayahu 10:34) R’ Yochanan ben Zakkai said to Vespasian ‘peace unto, oh king! Peace unto you, oh king!’ He replied ‘you have made yourself twice-liable for death. First, because you called me king and I am not a king. Second, because if I am a king, then why have you not come to me before now?’ R’ Yochanan said back to him ‘that which you said, that you are not a king – if you are not a king then Jerusalem would not have been handed over to you, as it says “…and the Lebanon shall fall through a mighty one.” A mighty one only refers to a king, as it says “And their prince shall be from them…” (Yirmiyahu 30:21) And Lebanon only refers to the Holy Temple, as it says “…You are as Gilead to me, O head of the Lebanon…” (Yirmiyahu 22:6) and it is written “this good mountain and the Lebanon.” (Devarim 3:25) And why is it called Lebanon? Because it bleaches away (malbin) the sins of Israel. Remez 416 Remez 417 Remez 418 Remez 419 Remez 420 Remez 421 Remez 422 Remez 423 Remez 424 Remez 425 Remez 426 Remez 427 Remez 428 Remez 429 Remez 430 Remez 431 Remez 432 Remez 433 Remez 434 Remez 435 Remez 436 Remez 437 Remez 438 Remez 439 Remez 440 Remez 441 Remez 442 Remez 443 ... Another reading: “Comfort, oh comfort My people” (Isaiah 40:1) Said the Holy Blessed One: Who needs to be comforted? For one whose wife died, not the husband? Thus was Zion analogized - “He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those long dead” (Lamentations 3:6). Is it not Me who you need to comfort ‘Comfort Me Comfort Me My people’? Similarly, to what may this matter be compared? To one whose two children were taken captive during their father’s life. To whom do we offer comfort, not to the father? So too, “My children have gone forth from me And are no more” (Jeremiah 10:20). Similarly, to what may this matter be compared? To one whose house burned down. To whom do we offer comfort, not to the owner of the house? So this must be the Holy Blessed One, whose house was burned down, as it says: “He burned the House of the LORD” (Kings II 25:9). Similarly, to what may this matter be compared? To one whose vineyards were cut down. Do we not offer comfort to the owner of the vineyard? So too, “For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts Is the House of Israel” (Isaiah 5:7). And similarly, to what may this matter be compared? To a shepherd whose flocks were ravaged by a lion. To whom do we offer comfort, not to the shepherd? So too, “My people were lost sheep” (Jeremiah 50:6). Nevertheless, go and appease the House of Israel — immediately, all of the prophets enter and approach her. And she says to them: “Why then do you offer me empty consolation? Of your replies only the perfidy remains.” (Job 21:34) Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Do your words need polishing? Until this moment my ears have been filled with the chastisements that you have rebuked me with, and now you come to comfort me?? Hosea walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “I will be to Israel like dew” (Hosea 14:6). She said: yesterday you told me “Ephraim is stricken, Their stock is withered; They can produce no fruit” (9:16) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Joel walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “And in that day, The mountains shall drip with wine” (Joel 4:18). She said: yesterday you told me “Wake up, you drunkards, and weep, Wail, all you swillers of wine— For the new wine that is denied you!” (1:5) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Amos walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “In that day, I will set up again the fallen booth of David” (Amos 9:11). She said: yesterday you told me “Fallen, not to rise again, Is Maiden Israel” (5:2) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Micah walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “Who is a God like You, Forgiving iniquity And remitting transgression” (Micah 7:18). She said: yesterday you told me “All this is for the transgression of Jacob, And for the sins of the House of Israel” (1:5) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Nahum walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “Never again shall scoundrels invade you” (Nahum 2:1). She said: yesterday you told me “The base plotter Who designed evil against the LORD Has left you” (1:11) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Habakuk walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “You have come forth to deliver Your people, To deliver Your anointed” (Habakuk 3:13). She said: yesterday you told me “How long, O LORD, shall I cry out And You not listen, Shall I shout to You, “Violence!” And You not save?” (1:2) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Zephaniah walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “At that time, I will search Jerusalem with lamps [And I will punish the men Who rest untroubled on their lees]” (Zephaniah 1:12). She said: yesterday you told me “A day of darkness and deep gloom” (1:15) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Hagai walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “while the seed is still in the granary, and the vine, fig tree, pomegranate, and olive tree have not yet borne fruit. For from this day on I will send blessings” (Hagai 2:19). She said: yesterday you told me “You have sowed much and brought in little” (1:6) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Zecharia walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “and I am very angry with those nations” (Zecharia 1:15). She said: yesterday you told me “The LORD was very angry with your fathers.” (1:2) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Malachi walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “And all the nations shall account you happy, for you shall be the most desired of lands—said the LORD of Hosts.” (Malachi 3:12). She said: yesterday you told me “I take no pleasure in you” (1:10) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? The Holy Blessed One said to Avraham: Walk, comfort Jerusalem — maybe she will receive comfort from you. Avraham walked and said to her: receive comfort from me. She said to him: How can I receive comfort from you when you made me [Jerusalem] like a mountain, as it says: “On the mount of God there is vision” (Genesis 22:14)? Yitzchak walked and said to her: receive comfort from me. She said to him: How can I accept comfort from you, from whom Eisav the Wicked emerged who made me a field and whose sons burned me with fire? Yaakov walked and said to her: receive comfort from me. She said to him: How can I accept comfort from you, who made me as if I didn’t exist “This is none other than the abode of God’ (Genesis 28:17)? Moshe walked and said to her: receive comfort from me. She said to him: How can I accept comfort from you, who wrote curses and harsh decrees about me, as it is written: “Wasting famine, ravaging plague” (Deuteronomy 32:24)? Immediately, they all walked before the Holy Blessed One and said: Master of the Universe — she does not accept our comfortings, as it is written: “Unhappy, storm-tossed one, uncomforted!” (Isaiah 54:11). The Holy Blessed One said: I and you shall walk to comfort her, i.e. “Comfort O comfort my people” — ‘Comfort Her, O comfort her, my people.’ It is not fitting that anyone but me should walk, because I have transgressed what it written in the Torah: “you must not work your firstling ox” (Deuteronomy 15:19) and Israel I called “My first-born son” (Exodus 4:22) and I told them “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon” (Jeremiah 27:12). I wrote in my Torah: “You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart” (Leviticus 19:17) and I hated her — therefore it is upon me to appease her. I wrote in my Torah: “You shall not turn over to his master a slave” (Deuteronomy 23:16) and I passed them over to idol-worshippers, as it says: “Unless their Rock had sold them, The LORD had given them up” (Deuteronomy 32:30). I wrote in my Torah: “you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field” (Leviticus 19:9) and I vented [play of the word for “reap”] my anger upon them, as it says: “The LORD vented all His fury” (Lamentations 4:11). I wrote in my Torah: “he who started the fire must make restitution (Exodus 22:5), and I ignited her on fire, as it says: “From above He sent a fire” (Lamentations 1:13), and I will build a fire in the future, as it says: “And I Myself—declares the LORD—will be a wall of fire all around it” (Zechariah 2:9). Immediately, the Holy Blessed One walked to her and said: My Daughter, why all of this anger? She said before God: Master of the Universe, is it not justified that I be angry — you dispersed me among the nations, and cursed me with evil curses, and whipped me until my face looked like the rim of the caldron, and despite all of this I sanctified Your great name! The Holy Blessed One said to her: corresponding to the meritorious deeds you did there are accounts that must be repaid, as you transgressed what is written in the Torah: “Honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12), and regarding you it is written: “Fathers and mothers have been humiliated within you” (Ezekiel 22:7); it is written: “Whoever sheds the blood of man [By man shall his blood be shed]” (Genesis 9:6), and regarding you it is written: “Base men in your midst were intent on shedding blood” (Ezekiel 22:9); it is written: “You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:13), and regarding you it is written: “[False] swearing, dishonesty, and murder, And theft and adultery are rife” (Hosea 4:2). She said before God: Master of the Universe, since you dispersed me among the nations, is it not justified that I not keep Shabbat and fulfill your mitzvot? God said to her: My Daughter, the time has come to be redeemed. Immediately, she said before God: Master of the Universe, I shall nor be comforted until you show me those same wicked people who caused me to suffer and disgraced Your name. Immediately God said to her: My Daughter, I will surely bring them and exact revenge from them in front of you until they are eating their own flesh, as it says: “I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, They shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. And all mankind shall know That I the LORD am your Savior, The Mighty One of Jacob, your Redeemer” (Isaiah 49:26). Immediately she said: Who shall give You to me like a brother? Like which brother — like Cain to Hevel, he killed him; like Yishmael to Yitzchak, he hated him; like Eisav to Yaakov, he also hated him; like Yosef’s brothers to Yosef, they also hated him; rather like Yosef to his brothers, [you find] after all of the troubles they put him through, it is written: “And so, fear not. I will sustain you and your children.” Thus he reassured them, speaking kindly to them” (Genesis 50:21), and we know this from a kal va’chomer: If Yosef could speak to his brothers kind and comforting words, then when the Holy Blessed One came to comfort Jerusalem, all the more so. You find that everything that Jeremiah smote, Isaiah cam and healed. Jeremiah said: “There is none to comfort her” (Lamentations 1:2), Isaiah came and healed: “Comfort, oh comfort My people” (Isaiah 40:1). Remez 444 Remez 445 Remez 446 Remez 447 Remez 448 Remez 449 Remez 450 ... R’ Yochanan said: every acacia tree which the nations of the world uprooted from Jerusalem the Holy One will return in the future, as it says “I will give in the desert cedars, acacia trees…” (Isaiah 41:19) And desert always refers to Jerusalem, as it says “…Zion has become a desert, Jerusalem a desolation.” Remez 451 Remez 452 Remez 453 Remez 454 Remez 455 Remez 456 Remez 457 Remez 458 Remez 459 Remez 460 Remez 461 Remez 462 Remez 463 Remez 464 Remez 465 Remez 466 Remez 467 Remez 468 Remez 469 Remez 470 Jeremiah asked the Holy One four things at the hour when he separated from Him, on two he received an answer and on two he did not. They are: despising, rejection, abandonment and forgetting. Since Jeremiah saw the outlandish judgments which He brought upon Jerusalem he stood astonished, saying: is it possible that the Holy One will return to them after this? Then he asked the Holy One about these four things. So it says at the end of the scroll of lamentations “Why do You forget us forever, forsake us so long?” (Lamentations 5:20) “For if You have utterly rejected us, You have been exceedingly wroth against us.” (Lamentations 5:22) This is like a king who had a matron who was very beloved to him. Because the matron knew that the king loved her too much she violated the king’s honor and transgressed his decrees. One time decreed upon her that his servants come and drag her by her hair. Her dear friend who was present stood astonished, and seeing this immediately ran to come before the king. He said to him: my master the king, tell me what you intend. If you intend to return to her, then a man should rule over his wife. If you do not intend to return to her, you should divorce her that she can go and marry another. So Jeremiah said before the Holy One: Master of the World! “Have You indeed rejected Judah? Has Your soul despised Zion?” (Jeremiah 14:19) If Your intention is to return to her “Why have You smitten us and we have no cure?” (ibid.) He replied: go to your teacher, and to the teacher of your teacher – Moshe, the teacher of all the prophets. This is what I said to him at the end of all the curses: “But despite all this, while they are in the land of their enemies, I will not despise them nor will I reject them…” (Leviticus 26:44) Here we see that on two he received an answer and on two he did not. Since Zion saw that Jeremiah asked four things of the Holy One - despising, rejection, abandonment and forgetting – and that the Holy One answered him about despising and rejection but not about abandonment and forgetting, she began to make claims regarding the other two. “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’” (Isaiah 49:14) Another explanation. And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and has forgotten me.’ The verse doesn’t say this, but rather ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’ Why does it say ‘the Lord and the Lord’? She said to Him: even the two attributes of mercy which are written about You “Lord, Lord, benevolent God, Who is compassionate and gracious…” (Exodus 34:6) have abandoned me and forgotten me. Another explanation. He forfeited me to all the nations, gleanings, forgotten sheaves and the corners of the fields as it says “When you reap the harvest of your Land…you shall leave these for the poor person and for the stranger.” (Leviticus 23:22) Another explanation. ‘The Lord has forsaken me (azavtani).’ He loaded me up with many punishments as it is written “You shall surely help along with him (azov ta’azov).” (Exodus 23:5) Another explanation. ‘The Lord has forsaken me.’ That is, made me worth abandoning, as it is written “…and the Lord shall pour out their vessels.” (Isaiah 3:17) This comes to teach that He hinted to their springs and they poured forth and they were sunk in blood and abandoned and they cast them away. The Holy One said to them: complainers the sons of complainers! I was engaged with the first man, in order to make him a helpmate, as it says “…I shall make him a helpmate opposite him,” (Genesis 2:18) and he complained about Me, “The woman whom You gave to be with me she gave me…” (Genesis 3:12) I was engaged with Yaakov’s son to make him king over Egypt, “Now Joseph was the ruler over the land…” (Genesis 42:6) and He complained before Me, saying “My way has been hidden from the Lord…” (Isaiah 40:27) Even his sons did the same in the wilderness! I was engaged in choosing for them an easy food like that which kings eat, so that not one of them should be seized by indigestion or diarrhea, and they complained before Me, saying “…and we are disgusted with this rotten bread.” (Numbers 21:5) So too Zion did to Me. I was engaged in removing the kingdoms from the world, haven’t I already removed Babylon, Maday and Greece? I was about to cause the fourth kingdom to pass away and she complained before Me, saying ‘You have abandoned me, You have forgotten me.’ Another explanation. Knesset Yisrael said before the Holy One: You have forgotten that might which my children mentioned before you at the sea “The Eternal's strength…” (Exodus 15:2) Another explanation. “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’” (Isaiah 49:14) Forsaken is the same as forgotten! R’ Elazar said: Knesset Yisrael said before the Holy One – Master of the World! A man who marries another wife in addition to his first still remembers the actions of the first, but You have forsaken me. The Holy One replied to her – my daughter, I created twelve constellations in the firmament opposite the twelve tribes and for each constellation I created thirty troops, and for each troop I created thirty routes, and on each route I created thirty legions, and for each legion I created thirty camps, and for each camp I created thirty squares, and for each square I created three hundred and sixty-five stars like the number of the days of the solar calendar. All of these I created only for you, and you say ‘He has forgotten me, He has abandoned me?!’ “Shall a woman forget her sucking child (ulah)…” (Isaiah 49:15) I will never forget the burnt offerings (olot) and firstborns which you offered before Me. She said before Him - Master of the World! Since there is no forgetting before Your Holy Throne, maybe then You will not forget what I did with the Golden Calf? He replied to her – I will also forget this. She said before Him – Master of the World! Since there is forgetting before Your Holy Throne, maybe you will forget what I did at Mount Sinai? He said to her “I will not forget you.” (ibid.) Remez 471 Remez 472 Remez 473 Remez 474 Remez 475 Remez 476 Remez 477 Remez 478 Remez 479 Remez 480 Remez 481 Remez 482 Remez 483 Remez 484 Remez 485 Remez 486 Remez 487 Remez 488 Remez 489 Remez 490 Remez 491 Remez 492 Remez 493 Remez 494 Remez 495 Remez 496 Remez 497 Remez 498 Remez 499 Remez 500 Remez 501 Remez 502 Remez 503 Remez 504 Remez 505 Remez 506 Remez 507 Remez 508 Remez 509 Remez 510 Remez 511 Remez 512 Remez 513 Remez 514 Remez 515 Remez 516 Remez 517 Remez 518 Remez 519 Remez 520 Remez 521 Remez 522 Remez 523 Remez 524 Remez 525 Remez 526 Remez 527 Remez 528 Remez 529 Remez 530 Remez 531 Remez 532 ... [When] a man goes to honor the rulers, he goes full and returns empty. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like this. Rather we go to him empty and we return full, as it is stated, "Forgive all iniquity, and accept that which is good"... Rabbi Yudan the Prince in the name of Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon: The custom of the world is that when a man shoots an arrow, how far does it travel? A beit kor or two. How great is the power of repentance, as it reaches to the (God's) throne of glory! As it is stated (Hosea 14:2), "Return o Israel, to the Lord, your God." Rabbi Eliezer said, "It is customary that [if] a man disparages his fellow in public - and after a time, he seeks to appease him - [the other] will say to him, 'You disparage me in public and appease me between you and me (privately)?! Go and bring those people in front of which you disparaged me, and I will be appeased towards you.' But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like this. Rather a man stands and curses and blasphemes in the marketplace, and the Holy One, blessed be He, says to him, 'Repent between you and Me, and I will accept you'" - (Hosea 14:2), "Return o Israel, to the Lord, your God. Remez 533 Rabbi Natan and Rabbi Acha said in the name of Rabbi Simon, "The gematria (numerical value) of 'accept what is good,' is accept the soul. Israel said, 'Behold our fat, our blood and our souls. May it be Your will that it be atonement for us.'"   Remez 534 Remez 535 Remez 536 Remez 537 Remez 538 Remez 539 Remez 540 Remez 541 Remez 542 Remez 543 Remez 544 Remez 545 ...As if a man flees from the lion and the bear meets him, and he comes to the house and leans his hand on the wall, and a serpent bites him. (Amos 5:19) ‘As if a man flees from the lion…’ refers to Babylon, which comes first like the lion. ‘…and the bear meets him…’ refers to Maday which came second like the bear. ‘…and he comes to the house…’ The Jews came to rebuild the Temple in their time and Haman the wicked opposed them, he and his son Shimshai the scribe. Mordechai went down (to Babylon) as an emissary in order that the Temple be rebuilt. The people of Israel said: Mordecai is from the tribe of Benjamin, of whom it is written “…and He dwells between his shoulders.” (Devarim 33:12) Therefore, let Mordecai go down as an emissary against them to ensure that the Temple be rebuilt. Haman went down to prevent its building as it is written “And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the dwellers of Judea and Jerusalem.” (Ezra 4:6) Therefore they all began to cry out. “Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus…” (Esther 1:1) Remez 546 Remez 547 Remez 548 Remez 549 Remez 550 It was taught that R’ Eliezer says: the waters of Egypt were turned to blood on the fifth day of the week. On that very day our ancestors left Egypt, on that very day the waters of the Jordan stood still before the ark of the Lord, on that very day Hezekiah blocked up all of the springs. Yonah fled before God on the fifth day of the week. And why did he flee? Because the first time God sent him to bring the cities of Israel to repentance and his words succeeded, as it says ‘he restored the cities of Israel.’ (see Kings II 14:25) The second time Gd sent him against Jerusalem to destroy it. Since they repented, the Holy One acted out of the abundance of His mercy, regretted the evil, and did not destroy it. Then they called him a false prophet. The third time God sent him against Nineveh to destroy it. Yonah took counsel with himself and said: I know that the nations are easily moved to repentance and my anger will be disposed of on Israel. It is not enough that Israel calls me a false prophet, should even the nations call me so?! I will flee to a place where His glory is not found. This is like a king of flesh and blood whose wife died while she was nursing and he sought a wet nurse to nurse his son. What did he do? He called to his wet nurse to nurse his son that he not die of hunger. What did the king’s wet nurse do? She left his son and fled. When the king saw that this was so he sent out a message to seize her and detain her in prison and to lower her down into a place with snakes and scorpions. After a few days the king stood at the lip of the pit and she was weeping and crying out to him. The mercy of the king was awakened for her and he gave order that she be lifted out and returned before him. So too Yonah. Since he fled from the Holy One, He locked him up in the belly of the fish until he cried out before the Holy One and He brought him forth. He went down to Yaffo and found no ship on which to flee, because the ship was already two days out from Yaffo. What did the Holy One do? He brought a storm wind upon it and returned it to Yaffo. Yonah saw this and rejoiced greatly, saying: now I know that my path is smooth before me. He said to them: I will go with you. They said to him: we are going to the far islands of Tarshish. He replied: nonetheless! Out of Yonah’s great joy he paid them in advance, as it says “…paid its hire, and went down into it…” (Jonah 1:3) They set out to sea and a storm wind came against them from their left and their right. All the other boats were passing to and fro in peace and quiet while their ship was in great distress and looked as if it would founder. R’ Chanina says: there were representatives of all seventy languages on that boat, each one had his god in his hand and was prostrating himself. They said: everyone call out to their god and the one who answers and saves is the true god. They called out and it did no good. In his distress and exhaustion, Yonah fell asleep. The captain of the ship came to him and said: we are hanging between life and death and you are sleeping! From what people are you? He replied: I am a Hebrew. He said to him: we have heard that your god is great. Get up and call to your god, maybe he will do for us like all the wonders that he did at the sea. He said to them: this distress is because of me. Lift me up and toss me into the sea. R’ Shimon said: they did not resolve to throw him into the sea until they drew lots and the lot fell out on Yonah. What did they do? They took all of the baggage from the ship and threw it into the sea in order to lighten their load, but it did not help. They wanted to return to land, but they were not able. They took Yonah and stood him on the edge of the ship, saying: Master of the World! Do not place upon us innocent blood, because we do not know what this man has done. They lowered his legs into the water and the sea calmed, they lifted him up and it raged again. They lowered him in to his belly and the sea calmed, they drew him back up to them and it raged again. They lowered him in to his neck and so on until they lowered him all the way, as it says “And they picked Jonah up and cast him into the sea…” (Jonah 1:15) R’ Meir says: the fish was appointed to swallow Yonah from the six days of creation, as it says “And the Lord appointed a huge fish…” (Jonah 2:1) He entered its mouth like a man who entered a great synagogue and his two eyes were like windows. He said – lanterns are giving light for Yonah. R’ Meir says: there was a pearl hanging in the belly of the fish which gave light for Yonah like the sun at its strength in the midday and Yonah saw all that was in the seas and in the depths. The fish said to Yonah: don’t you know that my day to be eaten by leviathan has arrived? He said to him: bring me to him and I will save both you and me from his mouth. The fish brought him to leviathan and he said: for you I descended, to see your dwelling place in the sea. Furthermore, in the future I will come down and put a rope around your head in order to make a feast out of you for the righteous. Yonah showed him the seal of our father Avraham (circumcision). Leviathan saw it and fled before him a distance of two days. Then Yonah said to the fish: I saved you from leviathan, now show me everything which is in the seas and the depth. It showed him the great river of the waters of the ocean as it says, “…and a river surrounded me…” (Jonah 2:4) It showed him the paths of the Red Sea through which Israel passed as it says, “…the weeds were wrapped about my head.” (Jonah 2:6) It showed him the place from which the waves of the sea come forth as it says, “…all Your breakers and waves passed over me.” (Jonah 2:4) It showed him the pillars of the earth on its base as it says, “…the earth with her bars closed on me forever…” (Jonah 2:7) It showed him the lowest part of the netherworld as it says, “…out of the belly of She’ol I cried…” (Jonah 2:3) It showed him Gehinnom as it says, “…yet you have brought up my life from the pit…” (Jonah 2:7) It showed him the palace of the Lord as it says, “I went down to the bottom of the mountains…” (Jonah 2:7) From here we learn that Jerusalem stands on seven mountains. And he saw there the foundation stone fixed in the deeps, and he saw there also the sons of Korach standing and praying for it. Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish without praying. The Holy One said: I made a broad space for him in the belly of a male fish in order that he not be distressed and he isn’t praying! I will prepare a fish that is pregnant with three hundred and sixty five thousands and tens of thousands of little fish in order that he be distressed and pray before me. This is because the Holy One desires the prayers of the righteous. In that hour the Holy One brought a pregnant fish and she said to the other fish: the Holy One sent me to swallow up the prophet who is in your belly. If you will spit him out, good. If not I will swallow you with him. He said to her: who knows if what you say is true? She replied: leviathan. They went to leviathan and she said to him: leviathan, king over all the fish of the sea! Do you not know that the Holy One sent me to this fish to swallow the prophet who is in his belly? He said to her: yes. The fish said to leviathan: when? He replied: in the last three hours, when the Holy One descends to play with me. Thus I heard. He immediately spit out Yonah. The female fish right away swallowed him and he was in great distress because of the confinement and the filth. He immediately focused his heart in prayer, as it says “And Jonah prayed to the Lord his God, from the belly of the fish.” (Jonah 2:2) He said: Master of the World! Where can I go to escape Your spirit and to where can I flee from before You? “If I ascend to the heavens, there You are…” (Psalms 139:8) You are King over all kingdoms and Master over all rulers of the world. The high heavens are Your throne and the earth is Your footstool. Your kingdom is on high and Your dominion in the deeps, the actions of all humanity are revealed before You and the secrets of all men spread out before You. You search out the ways of all people and examine the footsteps of all living things. You know the hidden things of the kidneys and the secrets of the heart You understand. All which is hidden is revealed before You, there are no secrets before the throne of your glory and nothing shielded from Your eyes. You collect every secret and tell every single thing. You are there in every place, Your eyes see evil and good. I beseech You, answer me from the belly of Sheol and save me from the depths. Let my cry come into Your ears and fulfill my request because You sit far away and hear as if near. You are called the One who lifts up and casts down, please lift me up! You are called the One who kills and gives life, I have reached the point of death – revive me! He was not answered until he said this: that which I vowed to bring up leviathan and prepare him before them, I will fulfill on the day of Israel’s salvation. “But I-with a voice of thanks will I sacrifice to You…” (Jonah 2:10) Immediately the Holy One gestured to the fish and she vomited Yonah nine hundred and sixty eight parsa to dry land. The sailors saw all the signs and wonders which the Holy One did with Yonah and everyone threw away his god, as it says “Those who keep worthless futilities…” (Jonah 2:9) They returned to Yaffo, went up to Jerusalem and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins, as it says “And the men feared the Lord exceedingly…” (Jonah 1:16) And did they make sacrifices?! Rather they performed circumcision which is like the blood of sacrifice. Each man vowed his wife, children and all he had to the Gd of Yonah, and fulfilled his vow. Of them it says ‘and on the righteous converts.’ Remez 551 Remez 552 Remez 553 Remez 554 Remez 555 Remez 556 Remez 557 Remez 558 Remez 559 Remez 560 Remez 561 Remez 562 Remez 563 Remez 564 Remez 565 Remez 566 Remez 567 Remez 568 Remez 569 Remez 570 Remez 571 Remez 572 Remez 573 Remez 574 Remez 575 Remez 576 Remez 577 Remez 578 Remez 579 Remez 580 Remez 581 Remez 582 Remez 583 Remez 584 Remez 585 Remez 586 Remez 587 Remez 588 Remez 589 Remez 590 Remez 591 Remez 592 Remez 593 Remez 594 Remez 595 Remez 596 Remez 597 Remez 598 Remez 599 Why does the text announce him (by name), and his wife, and his sons? Because they didn't prevent each other [from abandoning the poor in Beit Lechem and leaving for Moav], [and this was caused by] the stinginess that was in all of them. When a man wants something but his wife and children don't, or the reverse, the decree is banished. But 0n the occasion when not even one individual prevents his friend, the decree falls on her. Remez 600 Remez 601 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back" (Ruth 1:8): Why did she send them back? In order not to be embarrassed by them. For so did we find that in Jerusalem there were several marketplaces and they did not mix with one another: The marketplace of the kings; the marketplace of the prophets; of the priests; of the Levites; of the Israelites. The foreigners were [dressed] in their clothes and were in their [own] marketplaces. What these wore, the others did not wear. "Turn back, my daughters" (Ruth 1:11) - why [is this repeated] three times? From this [we learn] that we do not refuse a convert after the third time. Rabbi Chiya said, "Do not have faith in a convert for twenty-four generations, as he retains his 'fermentation.' But when a convert accepts the yoke of the Holy One, blessed be He, in love and in awe and converts for the sake of Heaven, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not turn him away. As it is stated (Deuteronomy 10:18), 'and loves the convert to give him bread and a garment.' The Holy One, blessed be He, warned forty-eight warnings (prohibitions) about the convert, and he warned correspondingly (that number) about idolatry." Two women gave themselves over for the sake of the tribe of Yehudah, Tamar and Ruth. Tamar yelled out, "I will not leave this house empty!" [With] Ruth, each time that her mother-in-law said to her, "Go away, my daughter," she cried, as it is stated (Ruth 1:9), "and they raised their voices and cried." "Yaas (May) the Lord deal kindly with you" (Ruth 1:8) - Rabbi Chanina the son of Rav Acha said, "It is written, Yaaseh (He shall). "As you have dealt with the dead" (Ruth 1:8) - since you occupied yourselves with the burial shrouds; "and with me" - since you forewent you marriage contracts in my favor. Rabbi Zeira said, "This scroll does not have impurity or purity in it, nor permission or prohibition. So why was it written? To teach you the reward of those who do acts of lovingkindness. Remez 602 Remez 603 Remez 604 Remez 605 Remez 606 Remez 607 Remez 608 Remez 609 Remez 610 Remez 611 Remez 612 Remez 613 Remez 614 Remez 615 Remez 616 Remez 617 And he will be like a planted tree: Rabbi Yose expounded, "To what is the matter similar? To a man that was walking in an arid land and his soul was dismayed with thirst. He [then] found a pleasant tree with a stream below it and sweet fruit and pleasant shade. He ate from its fruit and drank from its waters and slept it its shade and he returned to himself. At the time that he left to go, he said to it, 'Tree, O, tree, with what can I bless you? That there should be streams below you? Behold, there are streams below you. That your fruit should be sweet? Behold, your fruit are sweet. That your shade should be pleasant? Behold, your shade is pleasant. But rather, May it be the Will that all of the saplings that will be planted from you be like you.' So did the Holy One, blessed be He say to Avraham, 'Avraham, with what can I bless you? If I say, "Go and make Me known," behold, you have made Me known. If I say, "Crown Me," behold, you have crowned Me But rather, May it be the Will that all of the offspring of your innards be like you.' Therefore it is stated, 'And he will be like a planted tree, etc. that gives off its fruit in its time' - these are the Torah scholars that will be many from your seed; 'and its leaf does not wither' - that masters of faith not cease from your seed; 'and everything that he does be successful' - this is Avraham, who shook up all of the kings of the East and the West, as it is stated (Isaiah 41:2), 'Who is the one that aroused from the East, justice calls to him in his footstep.'" Remez 618 Remez 619 Remez 620 Remez 621 Remez 622 Remez 623 Remez 624 Remez 625 Remez 626 Remez 627 Remez 628 Remez 629 Remez 630 Remez 631 Remez 632 Remez 633 Remez 634 Remez 635 Remez 636 Remez 637 Remez 638 Remez 639 Remez 640 Remez 641 Remez 642 Remez 643 Remez 644 Remez 645 Remez 646 Remez 647 Remez 648 Remez 649 Remez 650 Remez 651 Remez 652 Remez 653 “For when the foundations were destroyed…” Rav Yehudah and Rav Eina, one said ‘if Hezekiah and his supporters had been destroyed then what would the Righteous have accomplished?’ and one said ‘if the Temple were destroyed, then what would the Righteous have accomplished?’ Ulah said ‘if the thoughts of that wicked man were not thwarted, then what would the righteous have accomplished? The verse makes sense according to the one who says it refers to the thoughts of the wicked one, that is why it says “for the foundations were destroyed.” So too according to the one who says it refers to the Holy Temple, as it is taught, there was a stone there from the time of the first prophets, and it was called shetiyah. But according to the one who says it refers to Hezekiah and his supporters, where do we find that righteous people are called foundation? It is written “For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and He placed the world upon them.” (Shmuel I 2:8) Or one can demonstrate it from here “He gave marvelous counsel, made great wisdom.” (Isaiah 28:29) Rebbe Yochanan said, why is it (the Torah) called wisdom (toshia)? Because it wears out (mateshet) one’s strength. Another explanation: because it was given in secret due to the accuser. Another explanation: formless words of on which the world rests. Another explanation: David said before the Holy One, if you have left and abandoned Ya’akov, who is the foundation of the world, as it says “the righteous is the foundation of the world,” (Mishle 10:25) what acts have You done for the ones who keep the commandments? If wicked ones arise and destroy the foundations which face the deeps, the righteous of the world…R’ Yannai said: When a king of flesh and blood enters into the storeroom, he doesn’t know what is in the bed chamber. Not so the Holy One! “The Lord is in His Holy Temple. The Lord-His throne is in Heaven…” (Tehillim 11:4) Looking out and gazing upon all the dwellers of the earth – but no eye sees Him. This is one of the instances when the throne below is aligned with the throne above, as it says “You shall bring them and plant them on the mount of Your heritage, directed toward Your habitation…” (Shemot 15:17) And so to it says “I have surely built You a house to dwell in…” (Melachim I 8:13) Remez 654 Remez 655 Remez 656 Remez 657 Remez 658 Remez 659 Remez 660 Remez 661 Remez 662 Remez 663 Remez 664 Remez 665 Remez 666 Remez 667 Remez 668 Remez 669 Remez 670 Remez 671 Remez 672 Remez 673 Remez 674 Remez 675 Remez 676 Remez 677 Remez 678 Remez 679 Remez 680 Remez 681 Remez 682 Remez 683 Remez 684 Remez 685 Another [explanation]: "For the Conductor..." For He who [it is as if He] leaps like a deer, as He gives light to the world in [its] dark hour. And when does He give light at night? Even though it is night, it [already] has its light - [that of] the moon, stars, and constellations? When is it [fully] dark? At daybreak [when] the moon sets and the stars go in and the constellations go on their way, there is no darkness greater than at that hour, and in that hour, the holy One, blessed be He, raises the dawn from the darkness and brings light to the world. And so He says (Genesis 15:12) "And behold a great dark dread was falling upon him" - "dark" refers to Medea in the days of Esther. 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He, so to speak, would pray in it and say ‘may be willed that My children will do My will, in order that I not destroy My house and sanctuary. Since it was destroyed He prays and says ‘may it be willed that my children repent that I bring nearer the building of My house. You should know that this is indeed the case as it says, “I will bring them to My holy mount, and I will cause them to rejoice in My house of prayer…” (Isaiah 56:7) It says My house of prayer, not their house of prayer. This teaches us that Gd prays. Remez 814 Remez 815 Remez 816 Remez 817 Remez 818 Remez 819 Remez 820 Remez 821 Remez 822 Remez 823 Remez 824 Remez 825 Remez 826 Remez 827 Remez 828 Remez 829 Remez 830 Remez 831 Remez 832 Remez 833 Remez 834 Remez 835 Remez 836 “Of the sons of Korah, a song with musical accompaniment, whose foundation is on the mountains of the Sanctuary. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” (Psalms 87:1-2) Raba said to Rafrem bar Pappa: let the master tell us some of the precious words you said to us in the synagogue in the name of R’ Chisdah. He replied: This is what R’ Chisdah said ‘what does the verse “The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob” mean? It means that God loves the gates distinguished by the way of Jewish law (halacha) more than the synagogues and the study halls. This is what R’ Chiya bar Aba said in the name of Ulah: from the day on which the Holy Temple was destroyed the Holy One has nothing in the world except for the four cubits of the law... Another explanation of “whose foundation is on the mountains of the Sanctuary.” (Tehillim 87:1) The foundation of Jerusalem is in the merit of two sacred mountains – Mount Sinai and Mount Moriah. Remez 837 Remez 838 Remez 839 Remez 840 Remez 841 Remez 842 Remez 843 Remez 844 Remez 845 Remez 846 Remez 847 Remez 848 Remez 849 Remez 850 Remez 851 Remez 852 Remez 853 Remez 854 Remez 855 Remez 856 Remez 857 Remez 858 Remez 859 Remez 860 Remez 861 Remez 862 Remez 863 Remez 864 Remez 865 Remez 866 Remez 867 Remez 868 Remez 869 3 The Staff of Your Strength G-d shall send forth from Zion. Which staff is this? This is the staff of Jacob about which it is said: "Because with my staff I crossed this Jordan." And this is the staff that was with Judah [as it is said:] "And your staff that was in your hands." And this was the staff that was in the hands of Moses [as it is said:] "And the staff of G-d in his hands." And this was the staff that was in the hands of Aaron [as it is said:] "And Aaron cast down his staff." And this was the staff that was in the hands of David as it is said: "And he took his staff in his hands." And this is the staff that was in the hands of every king until the Beit Hamikdash was destroyed and it was hidden. And it is promised to be given over into the hands of the King Messiah and with it, [the King Messiah] is prophesied to strike down the idolaters. Therefore, it is said: "The staff of Your Strength G-d shall send forth from Zion." Rabbi Levi says that all acts of good and comfort, which G-d shall do, he shall give from Zion. Remez 870 Remez 871 Remez 872 Remez 873 Remez 874 Remez 875 Remez 876 Remez 877 Remez 878 Remez 879 Remez 880 Remez 881 Remez 882 Remez 883 Remez 884 Remez 885 Remez 886 Remez 887 Remez 888 Remez 889 Remez 890 Remez 891 Remez 892 Remez 893 Remez 894 Remez 895 Remez 896 Remez 897 Remez 898 Remez 899 Remez 900 Remez 901 Remez 902 Remez 903 Remez 904 Remez 905 Remez 906 Remez 907 Remez 908 Remez 909 Remez 910 Remez 911 Remez 912 Remez 913 Remez 914 Remez 915 Remez 916 Remez 917 Remez 918 Remez 919 Remez 920 "From the kingship of the hypocritical man from the snares of the people" (Job 34:30) Abba Gurion, from Sidon, said five things in the name of Rabban Gamliel: (1) When lying judges multiply, lying witnesses multiply. (2) When informants multiply, the people's money is taken. (3) When brazenness multiplies, glory, majesty, and honor are taken from the people. (4) When a younger says to an elder, "I am better than you," the years of people are shortened. (5) When the beloved children act in a way that angers their Father in Heaven, He raises above them a hypocritical king who exacts retribution from them. This is King Aḥashverosh, of whom it is said, "From the kingship of the hypocritical man ." And why did the Holy Blessed One make a hypocritical man king? For the sake of the snares of the people. And why was Aḥashverosh called hypocritical? Because he killed his wife Vashti because of his friend Memukhan, and he killed his friend Haman because of his wife Esther. There is great hypocrisy there. And thus when everyone saw this, they began to cry out, "Woe!" ( vay) – "and so it was" (vay'hi) in the days of Aḥasheverosh (Esther 1:1) Remez 921 Remez 922 Remez 923 Remez 924 Remez 925 Remez 926 Remez 927 Remez 928 Remez 929 Remez 930 Remez 931 Remez 932 Remez 933 Remez 934 Remez 935 Remez 936 Remez 937 Remez 938 Remez 939 Remez 940 Remez 941 Remez 942 Remez 943 Remez 944 Remez 945 Remez 946 Remez 947 Remez 948 Remez 949 Remez 950 Remez 951 Remez 952 Remez 953 Remez 954 Remez 955 Remez 956 Remez 957 Remez 958 Remez 959 Remez 960 Remez 961 Remez 962 Remez 963 Remez 964 Remez 965 Remez 966 Remez 967 Remez 968 Remez 969 Remez 970 Remez 971 Remez 972 Remez 973 Remez 974 Remez 975 Remez 976 Remez 977 Remez 978 Remez 979 Remez 980 Remez 981 Remez 982 Remez 983 Remez 984 Remez 985 Remez 986 “On my bed at night…” (Song of Songs 3:1) at the moment when Avraham bound Yitzchak his son on top of the altar. “I held him and would not let him go…” (Song of Songs 3:4) This refers to David. When he took the threshing floor from Aravnah the Jebusite he found the skull of Aravnah placed under the altar but Gd (HaMakom) did not disqualify the offerings of Israel. Another explanation. “I held him and would not let him go…” R’ Yitzchak said: until the Tabernacle was erected prophecy was found among the idol worshipers. Once the Tabernacle was erected it was removed from them, as it says “I held him and would not let him go…” and it is written “Then I and Your people will be distinguished…” (Exodus 33:16) They said to him: but Balaam had prophecy? He replied: Not for his benefit! “Who counted the dust of Jacob…” (Bamidbar 23:10) “He does not look at evil in Jacob…” (Bamidbar 23:21) “How goodly are your tents, O Jacob…” (Bamidbar 25:4) “A star has gone forth from Jacob…” (Bamidbar 24:17) “A ruler shall come out of Jacob…” (Bamidbar 24:19) Another explanation. “On my bed at night…” (Song of Songs 3:1) Because I rested from Torah and commandments, night was joined to night for me. In the past it illuminated for me between night and night, between the night of Egypt and the night of Bavel, but now night is joined to night. Remez 987 Remez 988 Remez 989 Remez 990 Remez 991 Remez 992 Remez 993 Remez 994 Remez 995 Remez 996 Remez 997 Remez 998 Remez 999 Remez 1000 Remez 1001 Remez 1002 Remez 1003 Remez 1004 Remez 1005 Remez 1006 Remez 1007 Remez 1008 Remez 1009 Remez 1010 Remez 1011 Remez 1012 Remez 1013 Remez 1014 Remez 1015 Remez 1016 Remez 1017 Remez 1018 Remez 1019 Remez 1020 Remez 1021 Remez 1022 Remez 1023 Remez 1024 Remez 1025 Remez 1026 ...... . When Israel went out of Egypt, Moses said: ‘and God delivered Israel that day’ (Exodus 14:30); and when Israel went out of Jerusalem Jeremiah said: ‘God has put me into the hands of those I cannot withstand.’ (Lamentations 1:14) When Israel went out of Egypt, Moses said ‘Judah became His -holy one, Israel, His dominion’ (Psalms 114:2); and when Israel went out of Jerusalem, Jeremiah said ‘“Away! Unclean!” people shouted at them, “Away! Away!”’ (Lamentations 4:15) When Israel went out of Egypt, Moses said ‘the sea saw them and fled, the Jordan turned backward’ (Psalms 114:2); and when Israel went out of Jerusalem, Jeremiah said ‘by the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept’ (Psalms 137:1) When Israel went out of Egypt, Moses said ‘the mountains skipped like rams’(Psalms 114:4); And when Israel went out of Jerusalem, Jeremiah said 'I look at the mountains, they are quaking' (Jeremiah 4:24) When Israel went out of Egypt, Moses said ‘God your God has been with you these past forty years: you have lacked nothing’ (Deuteronomy 2:7); and when Israel went out of Jerusalem, Jeremiah said ‘the young children ask bread, and noone gives it to them.’ (Lamentations 4:4) When Israel went out of Egypt, Moses said ‘and in the wilderness, where you saw how God your God carried you, as a man carries his son’(Deuteronomy 1:31); and when they went out of Jerusalem, Jeremiah said ‘He has cast down from heaven to earth the majesty of Israel.’ (Lamentations 2:1) When they went out of Egypt, Moses said ‘while you, who held fast to God your God, are all alive today’ (Deuteronomy 4:4); and when they went out of Jerusalem, Jeremiah said ‘the tongue of the suckling cleaves to its palate for thirst’ (Lamentations 4:4) When they went out of Egypt, Moses said ‘and the cloud of God was on them by day’ (Numbers 10:34); and when they went out of Jerusalem, Jeremiah said ‘[You have screened Yourself off] with a cloud, that no prayer may pass through.’ (Lamentations 3:44) When they went out of Egypt, they broke out in song, as it is written: ‘then Moses and the children of Israel sang the song’ (Exodus 15:1); and when Israel went out of Jerusalem they broke out in tears, as it is written: ‘bitterly she weeps in the night, her cheek wet with tears.’ (Lamentations 1:2) Remez 1027 Remez 1028 Remez 1029 Remez 1030 Remez 1031 Remez 1032 Remez 1033 Remez 1034 Remez 1035 Remez 1036 Remez 1037 Remez 1038 Remez 1039 Remez 1040 Remez 1041 Remez 1042 Remez 1043 Remez 1044 Remez 1045 פרוזבוטי=שליח המלך - ambassador Remez 1046 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast. There are those that say that territories rebelled and when he conquered them he made a feast. Some say that it was his birthday and he sent missives to all his subjects to come and celebrate with him. Remez 1047 Remez 1048 Remez 1049 Remez 1050 Remez 1051 Remez 1052 Remez 1053 Remez 1054 He cast the pur - that is, the lot: Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said, "It was taught [that] when it fell out in the month of Adar, [Haman] rejoiced with great joy: He said, 'The lot fell out in the month that Moshe, their teacher died.' But he did not know that Moshe died on the seventh of Adar and that Moshe was [also] born on the seventh of Adar. He cast the pur - that is, the lot: Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said, "You are the lot of the children. He cast lots for the days and it did not work for him; he cast the lots for the constellation and it did work for him, the constellation of Pisces. He said, 'They are caught in my hands just like that fish.' He said to him, 'Evil one, they are not in your hands, you are in their hands. Just like this fish sometimes swallows and sometimes is swallowed; so too are you swallowed in their hands - "the opposite happened, and the Jews got their enemies in their power." He cast the lot on the first day and it did not work for him. For it is written (Jeremiah 33:35), "If not for my covenant of day and night, the ordinances of heaven and earth I have not appointed." The second day, "And the enlightened will be radiant" (Daniel 12:3). The third day, the Garden of Eden was created. The fourth day, the sun stopped in Giveaon. The fifth day, the creatures of the field were created. The sixth day, the behemoth of the thousand mountains. The Shabbat, the Jewish people observe the Shabbat.