R. Hiya said: ‘Israel from the eighth day cleave to God and are impressed with His name and become His, but the other peoples do not cleave to Him nor conform to His rules, and they remove from themselves the holy impress until they cleave to the other side which is not holy.
When God came to give the Law to Israel, before doing so He summoned the children of Esau and said to them: Do you desire to accept the Law?1v. T. B. Abodah Zara, 2b. At that moment the earth quaked and was fain to enter into the cavern of the great deep. She said: Sovereign of the Universe, is that which was a plaything of delight for two thousand years before the universe was created to be presented to the uncircumcised who are not stamped with thy covenant?
Whereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, answered: Throne, throne, let a thousand such peoples perish before the covenant of the Law is presented to them. Hence it is written, “Lord, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled” (Jud. 5, 4), because the Law is not to be given save to one who bears on himself the holy covenant. And he who teaches the Torah to one who is not circumcised is false to two covenants,1v. T. B. Hagigah, 13a. to the covenant of the Zaddik and the covenant of the Community of Israel, since the Torah was given to this place and to no other.
R. Abba said that he is false to three supernal places, the Law, the Prophets, and the Holy Writings.’ R. Hiya said: ‘When God revealed himself on Mount Sinai to give the Law to Israel, the earth reclined and rested at ease, as it says, “the earth feared and was still” (Ps. 76, 9).
רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח (שופטים ה׳:ד׳) יְיָ' בְּצֵאתְךָ מִשֵּׂעִיר בְּצַעְדְּךָ מִשְּׂדֵה אֱדוֹם אֶרֶץ רָעָשָׁה גַּם שָׁמַיִם נָטָפוּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בְּהוּ, וְאִינּוּן מִתְדַּבְּקִין בֵּיהּ, וְאִקְרוּן קַדִּישִׁין, עַם קָדוֹשׁ. וְכֵן עַד דְּסָלִיק לוֹן לְדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה דְּאִקְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ, דִּכְתִּיב, (ירמיהו ב׳:ג׳) קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַיְיָ' רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתֹה. כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא, דְּהָא יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְּמַנְיָא יוֹמִין מִתְדַּבְּקִין בֵּיהּ בִּשְׁמֵיהּ, וּרְשִׁימִין בִּשְׁמֵיהּ, וְאִינּוּן דִּילֵיהּ. כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמואל ב ז׳:כ״ג) וּמִי כְעַמְּךָ כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל גּוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ. וְעַמְמִין לָא מִתְדַּבְּקִין בֵּיהּ, וְלָא אָזְלִין בְּנִימּוּסֵיהּ, וּרְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא אַעְדִּיאוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ, עַד דְּאִינּוּן מִתְדַּבְּקָן בְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא דְּלָאו קַדִּישָׁא.
R. Hiya said: ‘Israel from the eighth day cleave to God and are impressed with His name and become His, but the other peoples do not cleave to Him nor conform to His rules, and they remove from themselves the holy impress until they cleave to the other side which is not holy.
וְתָא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֵיהַב אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, זַמִּין בָּהּ לִבְנֵי עֵשָׂו, אָמַר לוֹן, בָּעָאן אַתּוּן לְקַבְּלָא אוֹרַיְיתָא. בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא אִתְרְגִיזַת אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּבָעַאת לְאַעֲלָא לְנוּקְבָּא דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּה. אָמְרָה קַמֵּיהּ, מָארֵי דְּעָלְמָא, פַּסְטִירָא דְּחֶדְוָה (ס"א דעלמא) תְּרֵי אַלְפֵי שְׁנִין עַד לָא אִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא, קַלְטִינָא קַמֵּיהּ (נ"א קליטנא גו) (נ"א אזדמן קמי) עָרֵלִין דְּלָא רְשִׁימָן בְּקִיּוּמָךְ.
When God came to give the Law to Israel, before doing so He summoned the children of Esau and said to them: Do you desire to accept the Law?1v. T. B. Abodah Zara, 2b. At that moment the earth quaked and was fain to enter into the cavern of the great deep. She said: Sovereign of the Universe, is that which was a plaything of delight for two thousand years before the universe was created to be presented to the uncircumcised who are not stamped with thy covenant?
אָמַר לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כּוּרְסְיָיא כּוּרְסְיָיא, יֵיבְדוּן אֶלֶף אוּמִין כְּוָותַיְיהוּ, וְקַיָּימָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לָא יִזְדְּמַן קַמַּיְיהוּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב יְיָ' בְּצֵאתְךָ מִשֵּׂעִיר בְּצַעְדְּךָ מִשְּׂדֵה אֱדוֹם אֶרֶץ רָעָשָׁה. וַדַּאי בְּגִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לָא אִתְיְיהִיבַת (בגין דאיהו קיימא קדישא) אֶלָּא לְמַאן דְּאִית בֵּיהּ קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא. וּמַאן דְּיָלִיף אוֹרַיְיתָא לְמַאן דְּלָא אִתְגְּזַר, מְשַׁקֵּר בִּתְרֵי קַיְימֵי, מְשַׁקֵּר בְּקַיָימָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּמְשַׁקֵּר בְּקַיָימָא דְּצַדִּיק וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לְהַאי אֲתַר אִתְיְיהִיבַת, וְלָא לְאָחֳרָא.
Whereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, answered: Throne, throne, let a thousand such peoples perish before the covenant of the Law is presented to them. Hence it is written, “Lord, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled” (Jud. 5, 4), because the Law is not to be given save to one who bears on himself the holy covenant. And he who teaches the Torah to one who is not circumcised is false to two covenants,1v. T. B. Hagigah, 13a. to the covenant of the Zaddik and the covenant of the Community of Israel, since the Torah was given to this place and to no other.
רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר, מְשַׁקֵּר בִּתְלַת דּוּכְתֵּי עִלָּאֵי, מְשַׁקֵּר בַּתּוֹרָה, מְשַׁקֵּר בַּנְּבִיאִים, מְשַׁקֵּר בַּכְּתוּבִים. מְשַׁקֵּר בַּתּוֹרָה, דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים ד) וְזֹאת הַתּוֹרָה וְגוֹ'. מְשַׁקֵּר בַּנְבִיאִים דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו נ״ד:י״ג) וְכָל בָּנַיִךְ לִמּוּדֵי יְיָ'. אִינּוּן לִמּוּדֵי יְיָ', וְלָא אָחֳרָא, וּכְתִיב (ישעיהו ח׳:ט״ז) חֲתוֹם תּוֹרָה בְּלִמּוּדָי, אִינּוּן, וְלָא אָחֳרָא. מְשַׁקֵּר בַּכְּתוּבִים, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים ע״ח:ה׳) וַיָּקֶם עֵדוּת בְּיַעֲקֹב וְתוֹרָה שָׂם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּכְתִיב (תהילים ק״מ:י״ד) אַךְ צַדִּיקִים יוֹדוּ לִשְׁמֶךָ. מַאן צַדִּיקִים. דָּא צַדִּיק וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. דְּמַאן דְּלָא אִתְגְּזַר, וְלָא עָאל בְּקִיּוּמָא דִּלְהוֹן, לָא יוֹדוּן לִשְׁמֵיהּ קַדִּישָׁא, דְּהִיא אוֹרַיְיתָא. אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגְּלֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל טוּרָא דְּסִינַי, לְמֵיהַב אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, שְׁכִיבַת אַרְעָא, וְתָבַת בְּנַיְיחָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שם עו) אֶרֶץ יָרְאָה וְשָׁקָטָה.
R. Abba said that he is false to three supernal places, the Law, the Prophets, and the Holy Writings.’ R. Hiya said: ‘When God revealed himself on Mount Sinai to give the Law to Israel, the earth reclined and rested at ease, as it says, “the earth feared and was still” (Ps. 76, 9).