AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD MADE AN END (Khalloth), ETC. R. Jose taught: This was the day when the bride1Khalloth (= ending) suggests Khallah (= bride = Shekinah). entered under the canopy, and it was by the hands of Moses that she entered there.’ R. Judah remarked: ‘And did She then delay until that time to enter into Her place? Is it not written: “And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting”, etc. (Ex. 40, 35)?’ Said R. Isaac: ‘The Torah is not written in chronological order.1v. T. B. Pesahim, 6b, et passim.
Again, “KhaUoth” (making an end) is the same as “Khallath” (the bride of) Moses. Assuredly she was the “khallah“, bride of Moses. So we learn that R. Simeon explained the verse: “Thou hast ascended on high; thou hast led captivity captive”, etc. (Ps. 68, 19), as follows. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet” (Ex. 3, 5), the mountain shook. Said Michael to the Holy One, blessed be He: Lord of the Universe! Art Thou about to annihilate man? Is it not written, “Male and female created he them, and blessed them” (Gen. 5, 2), so that blessing is only found in the association of male and female? But now Thou biddest him to separate from his wife.
The Holy One replied; Indeed, Moses has already fulfilled the command of bearing children. Now I desire him to espouse, as it were, the Shekinah, and thus for his sake the Shekinah will descend to dwell with him. This is what is meant by “Thou hast ascended on high; Thou hast led captivity captive”, to wit, the Shekinah, who was, as it were, espoused to thee.
In regard to Joshua, whose face shone as the face of the moon,1Cf T. B. Baba Bathra, 75a. it is written; “Put off thy shoe (singular) from off thy foot” (Jos. 5, 16), for the reason that he separated himself from his wife only at certain times, inasmuch as the Shekinah was not espoused to him in the same degree, he not being so much deserving of her. So it is written; “And Joshua fell on his face to the earth” (Ibid. 5, 14). But here we read of her being the bride of (KHLLTH) Moses in all truth. Happy was the portion of Moses, whose Master delighted in his glory above all the rest of mankind.’
(במדבר ז׳:א׳) וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם כַּלֹּת מֹשֶׁה וְגוֹ'. תָּנָא רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, בְּיוֹם שֶנִכְנָסָה כַּלָּה לַחוּפָּה. בְּמַאי אוֹקִימְנָא בְּיוֹם כַּלֹּת מֹשֶׁה. אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד, דְּעַל יְדוֹי דְּמֹשֶׁה נִכְנָסָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְכִי עַד הַשְׁתָּא אִתְעַכָּבַת דְּלָא עַיְילַת לְדוּכְתָּהּ, וְהָכְּתִיב (שמות מ׳:ל״ה) וְלָא יָכוֹל מֹשֶׁה לָבֹא אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְגוֹ'. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק אֵין מוּקְדָם וּמְאוּחָר בַּתּוֹרָה.
AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD MADE AN END (Khalloth), ETC. R. Jose taught: This was the day when the bride1Khalloth (= ending) suggests Khallah (= bride = Shekinah). entered under the canopy, and it was by the hands of Moses that she entered there.’ R. Judah remarked: ‘And did She then delay until that time to enter into Her place? Is it not written: “And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting”, etc. (Ex. 40, 35)?’ Said R. Isaac: ‘The Torah is not written in chronological order.1v. T. B. Pesahim, 6b, et passim.
וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם כַּלֹּת מֹשֶׁה, כַּלַּת שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה וַדַּאי. דְּתָנֵינָן אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, מַאי דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים ס״ח:י״ט) עָלִיתָ לַמָּרוֹם שָׁבִיתָ שֶׁבִי וְגוֹ'. אֶלָּא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, (שמות ג׳:ה׳) שַׁל נְעָלֶיךָ מֵעַל רַגְלֶיךָ, אִזְדַּעְזָע הָהָר, אָמַר מִיכָאֵל קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם תִּבְעֵי לִסְתּוֹר אָדָם. וְהָא כְּתִיב (בראשית ה׳:ב׳) זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בְּרָאָם וַיְבָרֶךְ אוֹתָם, וְלֵית בִּרְכָתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח, אֶלָּא בְּמַאן דְּאִיהוּ דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא, ואַתְּ אַמָרְת לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מְאִתְּתֵיהּ.
Again, “KhaUoth” (making an end) is the same as “Khallath” (the bride of) Moses. Assuredly she was the “khallah“, bride of Moses. So we learn that R. Simeon explained the verse: “Thou hast ascended on high; thou hast led captivity captive”, etc. (Ps. 68, 19), as follows. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet” (Ex. 3, 5), the mountain shook. Said Michael to the Holy One, blessed be He: Lord of the Universe! Art Thou about to annihilate man? Is it not written, “Male and female created he them, and blessed them” (Gen. 5, 2), so that blessing is only found in the association of male and female? But now Thou biddest him to separate from his wife.
אָמַר לֵיהּ הָא קִיֵּים מֹשֶׁה פִּרְיָה וּרְבִיָּה, הַשְׁתָּא אֲנָא בָּעֵינָא דְּיִתְנְסַב בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, וּבְגִינֵיהּ יֵחוּת שְׁכִינְתָּא לְדַיְּירָא עִמֵּיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב עָלִיתָ לַמָּרוֹם שָׁבִיתָ שֶׁבִי. וּמַאי שֶׁבִי. שְׁכִינְתָּא דְּאִתְנְסִיבַת עִמָּךְ. לָקַחְתָּ מַתָנוֹת בָּאָדָם. בְּאָדָם לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא בָּאָדָם הַיָּדוּעַ לְמַעְלָה. וּבְיוֹמָא דְּנַחְתַּת שְׁכִינְתָּא, הַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּאִתְנַסְּבָא בְּמֹשֶׁה נַחְתָּא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כַּלֹּת מֹשֶׁה, כַּלַּת מֹשֶׁה מַמָּשׁ.
The Holy One replied; Indeed, Moses has already fulfilled the command of bearing children. Now I desire him to espouse, as it were, the Shekinah, and thus for his sake the Shekinah will descend to dwell with him. This is what is meant by “Thou hast ascended on high; Thou hast led captivity captive”, to wit, the Shekinah, who was, as it were, espoused to thee.
וּבִיהוֹשֻעַ דְּאַנְפּוֹי כְּאַנְפֵּי סִיהֲרָא כְּתִיב, (יהושע ה) שַׁל נַעַלְךָ, דְּלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ אֶלָּא בְּזִמְנִין יְדִיעָן, דְּהָא לָא אִתְנְסִיבַת עִמֵּיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא כָּל כַּךְ, וְלָא אִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב (יהושע ה׳:י״ד) וַיִּפֹּל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עַל פָּנָיו אַרְצָה. אֲבָל הָכָא כַּלַּת מֹשֶׁה וַדַּאי. מַתָנוֹת בָּאָדָם, מַתְּנַת כְּתִיב, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה, דְּמָארֵיהּ בָּעֵי בִּיקָרֵיהּ, עַל כָּל שְׁאָר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא.
In regard to Joshua, whose face shone as the face of the moon,1Cf T. B. Baba Bathra, 75a. it is written; “Put off thy shoe (singular) from off thy foot” (Jos. 5, 16), for the reason that he separated himself from his wife only at certain times, inasmuch as the Shekinah was not espoused to him in the same degree, he not being so much deserving of her. So it is written; “And Joshua fell on his face to the earth” (Ibid. 5, 14). But here we read of her being the bride of (KHLLTH) Moses in all truth. Happy was the portion of Moses, whose Master delighted in his glory above all the rest of mankind.’