R. Eleazar, R. Jose and R. Isaac once on their travels came to the mountains of Kurdistan. As they approached them R. Eleazar raised his eyes and saw some tall and forbidding cliffs, and they were all filled with fear. Said R. Eleazar to his Companions: ‘Had my father been here I should not have feared, but all the same, as we are three and are discussing words of the Torah, there is no place here for the divine Rigour.’
R. Eleazar then quoted the verse: “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat” etc. (Gen. 8, 4). ‘How precious’, he said, ‘are the words of the Torah, seeing that each particular word contains sublime mystical teachings, the Torah itself being designated the sublime general rule. Now, one of the thirteen exegetical principles by which the Law is expounded reads: “If anything is included in a general proposition and is then made the subject of a special statement, that which is predicated of it is not to be understood as limited to itself alone, but is to be applied to the whole of the general proposition.” So it is with the Torah itself. It is itself the supernal all-comprehensive Rule, yet in addition does each particular narrative, seemingly a mere story or fact, standing outside the all-comprehensive Rule of the Torah, teach us not only its own limited lesson, but supernal ideas and recondite doctrines applicable to the whole of the all-comprehensive Rule of the Torah.’
Thus when we read that “the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat”, we assuredly find here a particular statement, apparently a superfluous detail; for what matters it to us whether the ark rested in this or in the other place so long as it rested somewhere? Yet does it contain teaching applicable to the whole principle of the Torah. And happy are Israel to whom was given the sublime Torah, the Torah of truth. Perdition take anyone who maintains that any narrative in the Torah comes merely to tell us a piece of history and nothing more! If that were so, the Torah would not be what it assuredly is, to wit, the supernal Law, the Law of truth.
Now if it is not dignified for a king of flesh and blood to engage in common talk, much less to write it down, is it conceivable that the most high King, the Holy One, blessed be He, was short of sacred subjects with which to fill the Torah, so that He had to collect such commonplace topics as the anecdotes of Esau, and Hagar, Laban’s talks to Jacob, the words of Balaam and his ass, those of Balak, and of Zimri, and suchlike, and make of them a Torah?
If so, why is it called the “Law of truth”? Why do we read “The law of the Lord is perfect…. The testimony of the Lord is sure…. The ordinances of the Lord are true…. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold” (Ps. 19, 8-11)? But assuredly each word of the Torah signifies sublime things, so that this or that narrative, besides its meaning in and for itself, throws light on the all-comprehensive Rule of the Torah.
See now what the resting of the ark comes to teach us. At the time when Rigour impends over the world and the Holy One, blessed be He, sits on His throne of Judgement to judge the world, within that Throne, in the King’s chest, there are deposited ever so many records, notes and books, so that nothing is forgotten by the King. That Throne attains its full significance only in the seventh month, on the Day of Judgement, when all the people of the world pass before it for scrutiny. “The Ark” thus “rested in the seventh month”, on the world’s Day of Judgement,
“on the mountains of Ararat”, that is, attended by the lords of Rigour, the lords of the hostile shout. Many are the executioners who bestir themselves on that day and place themselves underneath the Throne to take part in the world’s judgement.
Israel on that day offer up prayer and supplication before Him, they blow the trumpet, and the Holy One, blessed be He, takes compassion on them and changes Rigour into Mercy. Then all the upper and the lower beings proclaim: “Happy is the people that know the joyful shout” (Ps. 89, 16). Hence, on that day, whoever blows the trumpet should know the root of the matter, so as to concentrate his mind on the meaning of the blowing and to perform it with understanding. Thus, “happy is the people that know the joyful shout”, and not merely “that sound, the joyful shout”.’
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרִבִּי יִצְחָק, הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְּאוֹרְחָא, פָּגְעוּ בְּאִינּוּן טוּרֵי קַרְדוֹ, עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, זָקַף עֵינוֹי רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וְחָמֵי אִינּוּן טוּרֵי רָמָאֵי, וַהֲווּ חֲשוֹכָן, וְדַחֲלָן בִּדְחִילוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְאִינּוּן חַבְרַיָּיא, אִלּוּ אַבָּא הָכָא, לָא הֲוָה דָּחִילְנָא, אֲבָל כֵּיוָן דַּאֲנָן תְּלָתָא, וּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בֵּינָנָא, דִּינָא הָכָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח.
R. Eleazar, R. Jose and R. Isaac once on their travels came to the mountains of Kurdistan. As they approached them R. Eleazar raised his eyes and saw some tall and forbidding cliffs, and they were all filled with fear. Said R. Eleazar to his Companions: ‘Had my father been here I should not have feared, but all the same, as we are three and are discussing words of the Torah, there is no place here for the divine Rigour.’
פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, כְּתִיב וַתָּנַח הַתֵּיבָה בַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי וְגוֹ', עַל הֲרֵי אֲרָרָט וְגוֹ', כְּמָה חֲבִיבִין מִלֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דִּבְכָל מִלָה וּמִלָּה, אִית רָזִין עִלָאִין, וְאוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא, עִלָּאָה אִיקְרֵי. וְתָנֵינָן בִּתְלֵיסָר מְכִילָן דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כָל דָּבָר שֶׁהָיָה בִּכְלָל, וְיָצָא מִן הַכְּלָל, לְלַמֵּד, לֹא לְלַמֵּד עַל עַצְמוֹ יָצָא, אֶלָּא לְלַמֵּד עַל הַכְּלָל כֻּלּוֹ יָצָא. דְּהָא אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאִיהִי כְּלָלָא עִלָּאָה, אַף עַל גַּב דְּנָפִק מִנָּהּ, חַד סִפּוּר בְּעָלְמָא. ודַּאי לָא אָתֵי לְאַחֲזָאָה עַל הַהוּא סִפּוּר, אֶלָּא לְאַחֲזָאָה מִלִּין עִלָּאִין, וְרָזִין עִלָּאִין. וְלֹא לְלַמֵּד עַל עַצְמוֹ יָצָא, אֶלָּא לְלַמֵּד עַל הַכְּלָל כֻּלּוֹ יָצָא. בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא סִפּוּר דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אוֹ הַהוּא עוֹבָדָא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּהוּא נָפְקָא מִכְלָלָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לָאו לְאַחֲזָאָה עַל גַּרְמֵיהּ נָפַק בִּלְבַד, אֶלָּא לְאַחֲזָאָה עַל הַהוּא כְּלָלָא עִלָּאָה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא נָפַק.
R. Eleazar then quoted the verse: “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat” etc. (Gen. 8, 4). ‘How precious’, he said, ‘are the words of the Torah, seeing that each particular word contains sublime mystical teachings, the Torah itself being designated the sublime general rule. Now, one of the thirteen exegetical principles by which the Law is expounded reads: “If anything is included in a general proposition and is then made the subject of a special statement, that which is predicated of it is not to be understood as limited to itself alone, but is to be applied to the whole of the general proposition.” So it is with the Torah itself. It is itself the supernal all-comprehensive Rule, yet in addition does each particular narrative, seemingly a mere story or fact, standing outside the all-comprehensive Rule of the Torah, teach us not only its own limited lesson, but supernal ideas and recondite doctrines applicable to the whole of the all-comprehensive Rule of the Torah.’
כְּגוֹן הַאי דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית ח׳:ד׳) וַתָּנַח הַתֵּיבָה בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ עַל הָרֵי אֲרָרָט. וַדַּאי הַאי קְרָא מִכְּלָלָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא נָפַק, וְאָתֵי בְּסִפּוּר דְּעָלְמָא. מַאי אִכְפַּת לָן, אִי שָׁרֵי בְּהַאי, אוֹ בְּהַאי, דְּהָא בַּאֲתָר חַד לִישְׁרֵי. אֶלָּא לְלַמֵּד עַל הַכְּלָל כֻּלּוֹ יָצָא. וְזַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִתְיְהִיב לְהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא עִלָּאָה אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּקְשׁוֹט. וּמַאן דְּאָמַר, דְּהַהוּא סִפּוּרָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְאַחֲזָאָה עַל הַהוּא סִפּוּר בִּלְבַד קָאֲתֵי, תִּיפַּח רוּחֵיהּ. דְּאִי הָכִי, לָאו אִיהִי אוֹרַיְיתָא עִלָּאָה, אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּקְשׁוֹט, אֶלָּא וַדַּאי אוֹרַיְיתָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה, אִיהִי אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּקְשׁוֹט.
Thus when we read that “the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat”, we assuredly find here a particular statement, apparently a superfluous detail; for what matters it to us whether the ark rested in this or in the other place so long as it rested somewhere? Yet does it contain teaching applicable to the whole principle of the Torah. And happy are Israel to whom was given the sublime Torah, the Torah of truth. Perdition take anyone who maintains that any narrative in the Torah comes merely to tell us a piece of history and nothing more! If that were so, the Torah would not be what it assuredly is, to wit, the supernal Law, the Law of truth.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם, לָאו יְקָרָא דִּילֵיהּ הוּא, לְאִשְׁתָּעֵי מִלָּה דְּהֶדְיוֹטָא, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן לְמִכְתַּב לֵיהּ, וְאִי סָלִיק בְּדַעְתָּךְ, דְּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לָא הֲווֹ לֵיהּ מִלִּין קַדִּישִׁין, לְמִכְתַּב וּלְמֶעְבַּד מִנַּיְיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא, אֶלָּא דְּאִיהוּ כָּנִישׁ כָּל מִלִּין דְּהֶדְיוֹטִין, כְּגוֹן מִלִּין דְּעֵשָׂו. מִלִּין דְּהָגָר. מִלִּין דְּלָבָן בְּיַעֲקֹב. מִלִּין דְּאָתוֹן. מִלִּין דְּבִלְעָם. מִלִּין דְּבָלָק. מִלִּין דְּזִמְרִי. וְכָנִישׁ לְהוּ, וְכָל שְׁאָר סִפּוּרִין דִּכְתִּיבִין, וְעָבִיד מִנַּיְיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא.
Now if it is not dignified for a king of flesh and blood to engage in common talk, much less to write it down, is it conceivable that the most high King, the Holy One, blessed be He, was short of sacred subjects with which to fill the Torah, so that He had to collect such commonplace topics as the anecdotes of Esau, and Hagar, Laban’s talks to Jacob, the words of Balaam and his ass, those of Balak, and of Zimri, and suchlike, and make of them a Torah?
אִי הָכִי, אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי (מלאכי ב׳:ו׳) תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת, (תהילים י״ט:ח׳-ט׳) תּוֹרַת יְיָ תְּמִימָה, עֵדוּת יְיָ נֶאֱמָנָה, פִּקּוּדֵי יְיָ יְשָׁרִים, מִצְוַת יְיָ בָּרָה, יִרְאַת יְיָ טְהוֹרָה, מִשְׁפְּטֵי יְיָ אֱמֶת, וּכְתִיב הַנֶּחֱמָדִים מִזָּהָב וּמִפָּז רָב. אִלֵּין אִינּוּן מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. אֶלָּא ודַּאי אוֹרַיְיתָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה, אִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּקְשׁוֹט, תּוֹרַת יְיָ תְּמִימָה. וְכָל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה, אַתְיָיא לְאַחֲזָאָה מִלִּין (אחרנין) עִלָּאִין, דְּהַהוּא מִלָּה דְּהַהוּא סִפּוּר, לָאו לְאַחֲזָאָה עַל גַּרְמֵיהּ בִּלְבַד קָא אָתְיא, אֶלָּא לְאַחֲזָאָה עַל הַהוּא כְּלָלָא קָאֲתֵי, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא.
If so, why is it called the “Law of truth”? Why do we read “The law of the Lord is perfect…. The testimony of the Lord is sure…. The ordinances of the Lord are true…. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold” (Ps. 19, 8-11)? But assuredly each word of the Torah signifies sublime things, so that this or that narrative, besides its meaning in and for itself, throws light on the all-comprehensive Rule of the Torah.
תָּא חֲזֵי וַתָּנַח הַתֵּיבָה וְגוֹ'. הַאי קְרָא כַּךְ, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן אַחֲרָנִין, (ס"א האי קרא כך איהו והא אתמר) בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּדִינָא תָּלֵי עַל עָלְמָא, וְדִינִין שַׁרְיָין, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָתִיב עַל כּוּרְסְיָיא דְּדִינָא לְמֵידָן עָלְמָא בְּהַהוּא כּוּרְסְיָיא, כַּמָה רְשִׁימִין אִתְרְשִׁימוּ בֵּיהּ, כַּמָה פִּיתְקִין גְּנִיזִין בְּגַוִיהּ, בְּגוֹ אַחְמְתָא דְּמַלְכָּא, כֻּלְּהוּ סְפָרִים דִּפְתִּיחוּ תַּמָּן אִתְגְּנִיזוּ, וּבְגִין כַּךְ לָא אִתְנְשֵׁי מִלָּה מִן מַלְכָּא, וְהַאי כּוּרְסְיָיא לָא אַתְקָן, וְלָא שַׁרְיָא. אֶלָּא בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי, דְּאִיהוּ יוֹמָא דְּדִינָא, יוֹמָא דְּכָל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא אִתְפַּקְּדוּן בֵּיהּ, כֻּלְּהוּ עַבְרִין קַמֵּי הַהוּא כֻּרְסְיָיא. וְעַל דָּא, וַתָּנַח הַתֵּבָה בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי, בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי ודַּאי, דְּאִיהוּ דִּינָא דְּעָלְמָא.
See now what the resting of the ark comes to teach us. At the time when Rigour impends over the world and the Holy One, blessed be He, sits on His throne of Judgement to judge the world, within that Throne, in the King’s chest, there are deposited ever so many records, notes and books, so that nothing is forgotten by the King. That Throne attains its full significance only in the seventh month, on the Day of Judgement, when all the people of the world pass before it for scrutiny. “The Ark” thus “rested in the seventh month”, on the world’s Day of Judgement,
עַל הָרֵי אֲרָרָט, אִלֵּין (סמכי כורסייא) מָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינִין, מָארֵיהוֹן דִּיבָבָא וִילָלָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ שְׁלִיחִין (ס"א דכלהו שכיכין) בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְכַמָּה מָארֵי תְּרִיסִין אִתְּעֲרוּ בְּהַאי יוֹמָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ קַיְימֵי תְּחוֹת הַהוּא כֻּרְסְיָיא, בְּדִינָא דְּעָלְמָא.
“on the mountains of Ararat”, that is, attended by the lords of Rigour, the lords of the hostile shout. Many are the executioners who bestir themselves on that day and place themselves underneath the Throne to take part in the world’s judgement.
וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְצַלָאן צְלוֹתָא בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא, וּבָעָאן וּמִתְחַנְּנָן קַמֵּיהּ, וְתַקְעִין בַּשּׁוֹפָר, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָיִיס עָלַיְיהוּ, וּמְהַפֵּךְ דִּינָא לְרַחֲמֵי. וְכָל עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, פָּתְחֵי וְאָמְרֵי, (תהילים פ״ט:ט״ז) אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם יוֹדְעֵי תְרוּעָה. וְעַל דָּא בָּעֵינָא בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא, דְּהַהוּא דְּתָקַע, דְּיָדַע עִקָּרָא דְּמִלָּה, וִיכַוִּון בֵּיהּ בִּתְרוּעָה, וְיַעְבִּיד מִלָּה בְּחָכְמְתָא, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם יוֹדְעֵי תְרוּעָה, וְלָא כְּתִיב תּוֹקְעֵי תְּרוּעָה, וְהָא אִתְּמַר.
Israel on that day offer up prayer and supplication before Him, they blow the trumpet, and the Holy One, blessed be He, takes compassion on them and changes Rigour into Mercy. Then all the upper and the lower beings proclaim: “Happy is the people that know the joyful shout” (Ps. 89, 16). Hence, on that day, whoever blows the trumpet should know the root of the matter, so as to concentrate his mind on the meaning of the blowing and to perform it with understanding. Thus, “happy is the people that know the joyful shout”, and not merely “that sound, the joyful shout”.’