When R. Eleazar was once studying with his father he said: ‘If an Advocate comes down to the world, he is to be found in the Matrona, and if there is an Accuser who assails the world, it is the Matrona that he assails. Why is this?’ He replied with a parable. ‘A king once had a son from a queen. As long as the son was obedient to the king the latter consorted with the queen. But when the son was not obedient to the king he separated from the queen.
So it is’, he said, ‘with the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Community of Israel. As long as Israel perform the will of God the Holy One makes His abode with the Community of Israel. But when Israel do not perform the will of God He does not make His abode with the Community of Israel, because Israel is the firstborn of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Community of Israel is their mother.
All the time that Israel is kept away from the temple of the king, the Matrona, if one may say so, is kept away with them. Why is this? Because the Matrona did not in time apply the lash to this son to keep him in the right path. For the King never punishes his son, but leaves it in the hand of the Matrona to punish him and to lead him in the straight way before the King.
It is written, “A wise son maketh a glad father, but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother” (Prov. 10, 1). As long as this son goes in the right way and is wise he rejoices his father, the Holy King, but if he perverts his way he is the heaviness of his mother, to wit, the Community of Israel.
Never was there such joy before the Holy One, blessed be He, as on the day when Solomon attained to wisdom and composed the Song of Songs. Then was the face of the Matrona brightened, and the King came to make his abode with her, so that she became more beautiful and exalted than ever. Why was this? Because she had produced this wise son for the world.1Al. “King”.
When she produced Solomon she produced all Israel, and all were in high degrees, virtuous like Solomon, and God rejoiced in them and they in Him. On the day when Solomon completed the temple below the Matrona prepared the house above, and they made their abode together and her face was bright with perfect joy, and then there was gladness for all above and below.
But when this son does not conform to the will of the King, then there is uncovering of nakedness on all sides, because the King parts from the Matrona and the Matrona is kept away from the palace; for is not their separation a kind of nakedness? Hence it is written, “the nakedness of thy father and thy mother shalt thou not uncover”.
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הֲוָה יָתִיב קָמֵי אֲבוֹי, אָמַר לֵיהּ, אִי פְּרַקְלִיטָא בְּעָלְמָא בְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח, וְאִי קַטֵיגוֹרְיָא בְּעָלְמָא, בְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח, אֲמַאי. אָמַר לֵיהּ, לְמַלְכָּא דְּהֲוָה לֵיהּ בַּר מִמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּהַהוּא בְּרָא עָבִיד רְעוּתָא דְּמַלְכָּא, מַלְכָּא עָבִיד מָדוֹרֵיהּ בְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא. וְכָל זִמְנָא דְּלָא הֲוָה הַהוּא בַּר עָבִיד רְעוּתָא דְּמַלְכָּא, מַלְכָּא פָּרִישׁ מָדוֹרֵיהּ מִמַּטְרוֹנִיתָא.
When R. Eleazar was once studying with his father he said: ‘If an Advocate comes down to the world, he is to be found in the Matrona, and if there is an Accuser who assails the world, it is the Matrona that he assails. Why is this?’ He replied with a parable. ‘A king once had a son from a queen. As long as the son was obedient to the king the latter consorted with the queen. But when the son was not obedient to the king he separated from the queen.
כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדִּין רְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁוִּי מָדוֹרֵיהּ בִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכָל זִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לָא עַבְדִין רְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא שַׁוִּי מָדוֹרֵיהּ בִּכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא בְּרָא בּוּכְרָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות ד) בְּנִי בְכוֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל. אִמָּא, דָּא הִיא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל דִּכְתִּיב, (משלי יא) וְאַל תִּטּוֹשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּךָ.
So it is’, he said, ‘with the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Community of Israel. As long as Israel perform the will of God the Holy One makes His abode with the Community of Israel. But when Israel do not perform the will of God He does not make His abode with the Community of Israel, because Israel is the firstborn of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Community of Israel is their mother.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל רָחֲקִין מֵהֵיכָלָא דְּמַלְכָּא, כִּבְיָכוֹל מַטְרוֹנִיתָא אִתְרַחֲקַת עִמְּהוֹן. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא לָא אַקְדִּימַת קִיסְטָא לְהַאי בַּר, לְאַלְקָאָה לֵיהּ, לְמֵיהַךְ בְּאוֹרַח מֵישָׁר. בְּגִין דְּמַלְכָּא לָא אַלְקֵי לִבְרֵיהּ לְעָלְמִין. אֶלָּא שָׁבִיק כֹּלָּא בִּידָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, לְאַנְהָגָא הֵיכָלָא, וּלְאַלְקָאָה בְּרָהּ, וּלְדַבְּרָא לֵיהּ בְּאוֹרַח קְשׁוֹט, לָקֳבְלֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא.
All the time that Israel is kept away from the temple of the king, the Matrona, if one may say so, is kept away with them. Why is this? Because the Matrona did not in time apply the lash to this son to keep him in the right path. For the King never punishes his son, but leaves it in the hand of the Matrona to punish him and to lead him in the straight way before the King.
וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה דִּכְתִּיב, (משלי ל״א:א׳) דִּבְרֵי לְמוֹאֵל מֶלֶךְ מַשָּׂא אֲשֶׁר יִסְּרַתּוּ אִמּוֹ (אמו ודאי), דָּא בַּת שֶׁבַע, וְהָא אִתְּמַר כְּתִיב, (משלי י׳:א׳) מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה בֵּן חָכָם יְשַׂמַּח אָב וּבֵן כְּסִיל תּוּגַת אִמּוֹ. תּוּגַת אִמּוֹ וַדַּאי. חָמֵי מַה כְּתִיב, בֵּן חָכָם יְשַׂמַּח אָב, בְּעוֹד דְּהַאי בַּר אָזִיל בְּאוֹרַח מֵישָׁר, וְהוּא חַכִּימָא, יְשַׂמַּח אָב (כלל), דָּא מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא לְעֵילָּא. יְשַׂמַּח אָב סְתָם. אִשְׁתְּכַח הַאי בַּר בְּאוֹרְחָא תְּקָלָא, מַה כְּתִיב וּבֵן כְּסִיל תּוּגַת אִמּוֹ. תּוּגַת אִמּוֹ וַדַּאי, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו נ׳:א׳) וּבְפִשְׁעֲכֶם שֻׁלְּחָה אִמְּכֶם.
It is written, “A wise son maketh a glad father, but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother” (Prov. 10, 1). As long as this son goes in the right way and is wise he rejoices his father, the Holy King, but if he perverts his way he is the heaviness of his mother, to wit, the Community of Israel.
תָּא חֲזֵי, לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח חֶדְוָותָא קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּיוֹמָא דְּסָלִיק שְׁלֹמֹה לְחָכְמְתָא, וְאָמַר שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים. כְּדֵין נְהִירוּ אַנְפּוֹי דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְאָתֵי מַלְכָּא לְמִשְׁרֵי מָדוֹרֵיהּ עִמָּהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (מלכים א ה׳:י׳) וַתֵּרֶב חָכְמַת שְׁלֹמֹה וְגוֹ'. מַאי וַתֵּרֶב. דְּסַלְּקָא שְׁפִּירוּ דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְאִתְרַבִּיאַת בְּדַרְגָּהָא עַל כָּל שְׁאָר דַּרְגִּין, בְּגִין דְּמַלְכָּא שַׁוִּי מָדוֹרֵיהּ בָּהּ. וְכָל כַּךְ לָמָּה. בְּגִין דְּאַפִּיקַת בְּרָא חַכִּימָא דָּא לְעָלְמָא. (נ"א למלכא)
Never was there such joy before the Holy One, blessed be He, as on the day when Solomon attained to wisdom and composed the Song of Songs. Then was the face of the Matrona brightened, and the King came to make his abode with her, so that she became more beautiful and exalted than ever. Why was this? Because she had produced this wise son for the world.1Al. “King”.
וְכַד אַפִּיקַת לֵיהּ לִשְׁלֹמֹה, לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל אַפִּיקַת, וְכֻלְּהוּ הֲווֹ בְּדַרְגִּין עִלָּאִין זַכָּאִין כִּשְׁלֹמֹה (ס"א בשלמא). דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חַדֵּי בְּהוּ, וְאִינּוּן בֵּיהּ. וּבְיוֹמָא דְּשַׁכְלַל שְׁלֹמֹה בֵּיתָא לְתַתָּא, אַתְקִינַת מַטְרוֹנִיתָא בֵּיתָא לְמַלְכָּא. וְשַׁוּוּ מָדוֹרֵיהוֹן כַּחֲדָא, וּנְהִירוּ אַנְפָּהָא בְּחֶדְוָה שְׁלִימוּ. כְּדֵין אִשְׁתְּכַח חֶדְוָותָא לְכֹלָּא, לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא. וְכָל כַּךְ לָמָּה. בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב, מַשָּׂא אֲשֶׁר יִסְּרַתּוּ אִמּוֹ, דְּדַּבְּרַת לֵיהּ לִרְעוּתָא דְּמַלְכָּא.
When she produced Solomon she produced all Israel, and all were in high degrees, virtuous like Solomon, and God rejoiced in them and they in Him. On the day when Solomon completed the temple below the Matrona prepared the house above, and they made their abode together and her face was bright with perfect joy, and then there was gladness for all above and below.
וְכַד הַאי בַּר כְּמָה דַּאֲמֵינָא, (ס"א דאצטריך) לָא אִתְדְּבַר לִרְעוּתֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא. כְּדֵין הִיא עֶרְיָיתָא דְּכֹלָּא, עֶרְיָיתָא דְּכָל סִטְרִין דְּהָא מַלְכָּא פָּרִישׁ מִמַּטְרוֹנִיתָא, וּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אִתְרַחֲקַת מְהֵיכָלֵיהּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ עֶרְיָיתָא הִיא דְּכֹלָּא. וְכִי לָא עֶרְיָיתָא הוּא, מַלְכָּא בְּלָא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא בְּלָא מַלְכָּא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, עֶרְוַת אָבִיךָ וְעֶרְוַת אִמְּךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה אִמְּךָ הִיא. אִמְּךָ הִיא וַדַּאי, וְשַׁרְיָא עִמָּךְ, בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ לֹא תְגַלֵּה עֶרְוָתָהּ.
But when this son does not conform to the will of the King, then there is uncovering of nakedness on all sides, because the King parts from the Matrona and the Matrona is kept away from the palace; for is not their separation a kind of nakedness? Hence it is written, “the nakedness of thy father and thy mother shalt thou not uncover”.