R. Isaac adduced the verse: “My beloved is like a doe or a young hart, behold he standeth behind our wall”, etc. (S.S. 2, 9). ‘Happy’, he said, ‘are Israel to whom it has been granted that this pledge should be with them from the supreme King, for though they are in exile, the Holy One, blessed be He, comes at the beginning of every month and on every Sabbath and festival to take note of them and to look at his pledge which is with them, his most precious possession.
He is like a king whose queen has offended him so that he has expelled her from the palace. What does she do? She takes the king’s son, his pride and his darling; and because the king is still fond of her he leaves him with her. When the king yearns for the queen and her son, he climbs up roofs and goes down steps to peep at them through chinks in walls, and when he obtains a glimpse of them he weeps behind the wall and then departs.
So Israel, though they have gone forth from the king’s palace, have not lost that pledge, which the King has left with them because He still loves them, and when He yearns for them He goes up on roofs and steps to gain a sight of them through the chinks of the wall, as it says, “He looketh in at the windows, he glanceth through the lattice”, in the synagogues and houses of learning. Therefore Israel should rejoice on the day on which they know this, and say, “This is the day on which the Lord hath wrought, we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118, 24).’
AND IF YE SHALL REJECT MY STATUTES, ETC. R. Jose adduced here the verse: “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of his reproof (Prov. 3, 11). ‘Israel’, he said, ‘are beloved to God, and therefore God is fain to reprove them and to lead them in the right path as a loving father leads his son, and because of his love he always has the rod in his hand to keep him in the right path and to prevent him from straying to the right or the left.
But from him whom He loves not and hates God withdraws His reproof and His rod; and so we interpret the verse, “I have loved you, saith the Lord… but Esau I hated” (Mal. 1, 2). The word takuz (be weary) in the above-quoted verse may be connected with kozim (thorns), for the reproof is like a thorn in a man’s flesh, and yet he should not flee from it.
פָּתַח רִבִּי יִצְחָק וְאָמַר (שיר השירים ב׳:ט׳) דּוֹמֶה דּוֹדִי לִצְבִי אוֹ לְעוֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים הִנֵּה זֶה וְגוֹ'. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּזָכוּ דְּמַשְׁכּוֹנָא דָּא לְמֶהֱוִי גַּבַּיְיהוּ, מִן מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה. דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִינּוּן בְּגָלוּתָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָתֵי בְּכָל רֵישׁ יַרְחֵי וְשַׁבַּתֵּי וּזְמַנֵי, לְאַשְׁגְּחָא עָלַיְיהוּ, וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהַהוּא מַשְׁכּוֹנָא דְּאִית לֵיהּ גַּבַּיְיהוּ, דְּאִיהוּ כִּסּוּפָא דִּילֵיהּ.
R. Isaac adduced the verse: “My beloved is like a doe or a young hart, behold he standeth behind our wall”, etc. (S.S. 2, 9). ‘Happy’, he said, ‘are Israel to whom it has been granted that this pledge should be with them from the supreme King, for though they are in exile, the Holy One, blessed be He, comes at the beginning of every month and on every Sabbath and festival to take note of them and to look at his pledge which is with them, his most precious possession.
לְמַלְכָּא דְּסַרְחָא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, אַפְקָהּ מֵהֵיכָלֵיהּ. מָה עַבְדַת. נַטְלַת בְּרָהּ דִּילֵיהּ כִּסּוּפָא דְּמַלְכָּא, רְחִימָא דִּילֵיהּ. וּבְגִין דְּדַעְתָּא דְּמַלְכָּא עָלָהּ, שַׁבְקֵיהּ בִּידָהָא. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּסָלִיק רְעוּתָא דְּמַלְכָּא, עַל מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְעַל בְּרֵהּ, הֲוָה סָלִיק אַגְרִין, וְנָחִית דַּרְגִּין, וְסָלִיק כּוֹתָלִין, לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא וּלְאַשְׁגָּחָא בֵּין נוּקְבֵי כּוֹתָלָא עָלַיְיהוּ, כֵּיוָן דְּחָמֵי לוֹן, שָׁארֵי בָּכֵי מֵאֲחוֹרֵי קוּסְטֵי כּוֹתָלָא, וּלְבָתַר אָזִיל לֵיהּ.
He is like a king whose queen has offended him so that he has expelled her from the palace. What does she do? She takes the king’s son, his pride and his darling; and because the king is still fond of her he leaves him with her. When the king yearns for the queen and her son, he climbs up roofs and goes down steps to peep at them through chinks in walls, and when he obtains a glimpse of them he weeps behind the wall and then departs.
כַּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִינּוּן נַפְקוּ מֵהֵיכָלֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא, הַהוּא מַשְׁכּוֹנָא לָא שָׁבְקוּ, וּבְגִין דִּרְעוּתָא דְּמַלְכָּא עָלַיְיהוּ, שַׁבְקֵיהּ עִמְּהוֹן. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּסָלִיק רְעוּתָא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, עַל מַטְרוֹנִיתָא וְעַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. סָלִיק אַגְרִין (מקפץ על הגבעות), נָחִית דַּרְגִּין, וְסָלִיק כּוֹתָלִין, לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא וּלְאַשְׁגָּחָא בֵּין קוּסְטֵי כּוֹתָלָא עָלַיְיהוּ. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמֵי לוֹן, שָׁארֵי וּבָכֵי, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב דּוֹמֶה דּוֹדִי לִצְבִי אוֹ לְעוֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים לְדַלְּגָא מִכּוֹתָלָא לְאִיגְרָא, וּמֵאִיגְרָא לְכוֹתָלָא. הִנֵּה זֶה עוֹמֵד אַחַר כָּתְלֵנוּ, בְּבָתֵּי כְּנֵסִיּוֹת וּבְבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת מַשְׁגִּיחַ מִן הַחַלּוֹנוֹת, (דודאי בי כנישתא בעייא חלונות). מֵצִיץ מִן הַחֲרַכִּים, לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא וּלְאַשְׁגָּחָא עָלַיְיהוּ. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעוּ לְמֶחְדֵּי בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא, דְּאִינְהוּ יַדְעֵי דָּא, וְאַמְרֵי. (תהילים קי״ח:כ״ד) זֶה הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה יְיָ' נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בּוֹ.
So Israel, though they have gone forth from the king’s palace, have not lost that pledge, which the King has left with them because He still loves them, and when He yearns for them He goes up on roofs and steps to gain a sight of them through the chinks of the wall, as it says, “He looketh in at the windows, he glanceth through the lattice”, in the synagogues and houses of learning. Therefore Israel should rejoice on the day on which they know this, and say, “This is the day on which the Lord hath wrought, we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118, 24).’
(ויקרא כ״ו:ט״ו) וְאִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תִּמְאָסוּ וְגּוֹ'. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח, (משלי ג׳:י״א) מוּסַר יְיָ' בְּנִי אַל תִּמְאָס וְאַל תָּקוֹץ בְּתוֹכַחְתּוֹ. כַּמָה חֲבִיבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לְאוֹכָחָא לְהוּ, וּלְדַבְּרָא לְהוּ בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר, כְּאַבָּא דְּרָחִים לִבְרֵיהּ, וּמִגּוֹ רְחִימוּ דִּילֵיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, שַׁרְבִיטָא בִּידֵיהּ תָּדִיר, לְדַבְּרָא לֵיהּ בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר, דְּלָא יִסְטֵי לִימִינָא וְלִשְׂמָאלָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (משלי ג׳:י״ב) כִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר יֶאֱהַב יְיָ' יוֹכִיחַ וּכְאָב אֶת בֵּן יִרְצֶה. וּמַאן דְּלָא רָחִים לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְסָאנֵי לֵיהּ, סָלִיק מִנֵּיהּ תּוֹכָחָה, סָלִיק מִנֵּיהּ שַׁרְבִיטָא.
AND IF YE SHALL REJECT MY STATUTES, ETC. R. Jose adduced here the verse: “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of his reproof (Prov. 3, 11). ‘Israel’, he said, ‘are beloved to God, and therefore God is fain to reprove them and to lead them in the right path as a loving father leads his son, and because of his love he always has the rod in his hand to keep him in the right path and to prevent him from straying to the right or the left.
כְּתִיב. (מלאכי א׳:ב׳) אָהַבְתִּי אֶתְכֶם אָמַר יְיָ' וְגוֹ', מִגּוֹ רְחִימוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ, שַׁרְבִיטָא בִּידֵיהּ תָּדִיר, לְדַבְּרָא לֵיהּ. וְאֶת עֵשָׂו שָׂנֵאתִי, בְּגִין כָּךְ סְלִיקִית מִנֵּיהּ שַׁרְבִיטָא, סְלִיקַת מִנֵּיהּ תּוֹכַחְתָּא, בְּגִין דְּלָא אֶתֵּן לֵיהּ בִּי חוּלָקָא, רְחִיקָא דְּנַפְשָׁאי הוּא. אֲבָל אַתּוּן, אָהַבְתִּי אֶתְכֶם וַדַּאי. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, מוּסַר יְיָ' בְּנִי אַל תִּמְאָס וְאַל תָּקוֹץ בְּתוֹכַחְתּוֹ. מַאי וְאַל תָּקוֹץ. לָא תְּקוּצוּן בֵּיהּ, כְּמַאן דְּעָרַק מִגּוֹ גּוּבִין, דְּאִינּוּן מִילִּין כְּגוֹבִין לְגַבֵּיהּ בְּגַרְמֵיהּ.
But from him whom He loves not and hates God withdraws His reproof and His rod; and so we interpret the verse, “I have loved you, saith the Lord… but Esau I hated” (Mal. 1, 2). The word takuz (be weary) in the above-quoted verse may be connected with kozim (thorns), for the reproof is like a thorn in a man’s flesh, and yet he should not flee from it.