AND YET FOR ALL THAT, WHEN THEY BE IN THE LAND OF THEIR ENEMIES I WILL NOT REJECT THEM, NEITHER WILL I ABHOR THEM TO DESTROY THEM UTTERLY AND TO BREAK MY COVENANT WITH THEM. R. Jose said: ‘ “When they be” means when they are all together. “I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them”, so as not to be associated with them. “To break my covenant with them”: for if I shall not redeem them, my covenant will be divided.’
Said R. Hiya: ‘I have heard the following from R. Eleazar. The expression “I will not reject them or abhor them to destroy them” is somewhat strange: we should expect, “I will not smite them or slay them”. What it means, however, is this. One who is hated of another is abhorred and rejected of him, but God will not reject Israel, because the beloved of His soul is among them, and for her sake all of them are beloved of Him.’
If a man loves a woman who lives in a street of tanners, if she were not there he would never go into it, but because she is there it seems to him like a street of spice makers where all the sweet scents of the world are to be found.
So “even when they are in the land of their enemies”, which is the street of tanners, “I will not abhor or reject them”, because of that bride in their midst, the beloved of my soul who abides there.’ Said R. Jose: ‘If I had only come to hear this, it would have been worth my while.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי כְּתִיב. (ויקרא כ״ו:מ״ד) וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם וְגוֹ'. וְאַף גַּם זֹאת, וְאַף, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, אַף אָנִי. גַּם, לְרַבּוֹת כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִקְרֵי זֹאת, דְּלָא שַׁבְקַת לוֹן לְעָלְמִין. בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם, בִּהְיוֹתָם כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא. לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְעַלְתִּים בְּגִין דְּלָא אִתְחֲבָּר בְּהוּ. לְהָפֵר בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם, דְּאִי לָא אֶפְרוֹק לְהוּ, הָא בְּרִיתִי פָּלִיג, וּבְגִין כָּךְ לְהָפֵר בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם.
AND YET FOR ALL THAT, WHEN THEY BE IN THE LAND OF THEIR ENEMIES I WILL NOT REJECT THEM, NEITHER WILL I ABHOR THEM TO DESTROY THEM UTTERLY AND TO BREAK MY COVENANT WITH THEM. R. Jose said: ‘ “When they be” means when they are all together. “I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them”, so as not to be associated with them. “To break my covenant with them”: for if I shall not redeem them, my covenant will be divided.’
אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, אֲנָא שְׁמַעְנָא מִלָּה חַדְתָּא, דְּאָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְעַלְתִּים לְכַלֹּתָם, לָא הִכִּיתִים וְלָא הֲרַגְתִּים לְכַלּוֹתָם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא לָא מְאַסְתִּים וְלָא גְעַלְתִּים, מַאן דְּסָאנֵי לְאָחֳרָא מָאִיס הוּא לָקֳבְלֵיהּ, וְגַעֲלָא הוּא בְּגִיעוּלָא קַמֵּיהּ. אֲבָל הָכָא, לָא מְאַסְתִּים וְלָא גְעַלְתִּים. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דַּחֲבִיבוּתָא דְּנַפְשָׁאי בֵּינַיְיהוּ. וּבְגִינָהּ כֻּלְּהוּ חֲבִיבִין גַּבָּאי, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב לְכַלֹּתָם. לְכַלֹּתָם כְּתִיב, חָסֵר וָי"ו, בְּגִינָהּ לָא מְאַסְתִּים וְלָא גְעַלְתִּים, בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי רְחִימָתָא דְּנַפְשָׁאי, רְחִימוּתָא דִּילִי גַּבָּהָא.
Said R. Hiya: ‘I have heard the following from R. Eleazar. The expression “I will not reject them or abhor them to destroy them” is somewhat strange: we should expect, “I will not smite them or slay them”. What it means, however, is this. One who is hated of another is abhorred and rejected of him, but God will not reject Israel, because the beloved of His soul is among them, and for her sake all of them are beloved of Him.’
לְבַּר נָשׁ דְּרָחִים אִתְּתָא, וַהֲוַות דַּיְירָא בְּשׁוּקָא דְּבוּרְסָקֵי, אִי לָא הֲוַות הִיא תַּמָּן, לָא עָיֵיל בָּהּ לְעָלְמִין. כֵּיוָן דְּהִיא תַּמָּן, דָּמֵי בְּעֵינוֹי כְּשׁוּקָא דְּרוֹכְלֵי, דְּכָל רֵיחִין דְּעָלְמִין טָבִין אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ תַּמָּן.
If a man loves a woman who lives in a street of tanners, if she were not there he would never go into it, but because she is there it seems to him like a street of spice makers where all the sweet scents of the world are to be found.
אוּף הָכָא, וְאַף גַּם זֹּאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם, דְּאִיהוּ שׁוּקָא דְּבוּרְסָקֵי, לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְעַלְתִּים. וַאֲמַאי. לְכַלֹּתָם. בְּגִין כַּלָּתָם, דַּאֲנָא רְחִימְנָא לָהּ, דְּאִיהִי רְחִימָתָא דְּנַפְשָׁאי, דְּשַׁרְיָא תַּמָּן, וְדָמִי עָלַי כְּכָל רֵיחִין טָבָאן דְּעָלְמָא, בְּגִין הַהִיא כָּלָּה דִּבְגַוַויְיהוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, אִלּוּ לָא אָתֵינָא הָכָא, אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמַע מִלָּה דָּא דַּיי.
So “even when they are in the land of their enemies”, which is the street of tanners, “I will not abhor or reject them”, because of that bride in their midst, the beloved of my soul who abides there.’ Said R. Jose: ‘If I had only come to hear this, it would have been worth my while.’