1The first 27 lines of the Hebrew text do not appear in our translation.AND MOSES SAID UNTO AARON, TAKE THY CENSER, ETC. R. Hiya adduced here the verse: “The wrath of the king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it” (Prov. 16, 14). ‘How careful men should be’, he said, ‘to abstain from sin and to watch their actions, for at many periods the world is judged and every day deeds are placed in the balance and examined on high and recorded before the Almighty; and when the deeds of men are not approved before the King, wrath arises and judgement is awakened.
But if when the executioners of judgement are ready to strike and wrath impends, there is found in the generation a righteous man who is inscribed above, then God looks upon him and His wrath is mollified. He is like a king who is angry with his servants and sends for the executioner to punish them, but meanwhile the king’s friend enters and stands before him, and when the king sees him his face lights up, and when he begins to speak he is glad. So when the executioner comes and sees the king all smiling, he goes away and does not execute judgement, and then the king’s friend intercedes for his servants and procures forgiveness for them.
So here, when Moses saw wrath impending he at once told Aaron, who was the “friend” of the Matrona, to take the incense, which increases peace in the world and binds the knot of faith, which is the joy of higher and lower and effects the removal of wrath.
(במדבר י״ז:י״א) וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל אַהֲרֹן קַח אֶת הַמַּחְתָּה וְגוֹ'. רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח (משלי ט״ז:י״ד) חֲמַת מֶלֶךְ מַלְאֲכֵי מָוְת וְאִישׁ חָכָם יְכַפְּרֶנָּה. כַּמָה אִית לְהוּ לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא. לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מֵחוֹבַיְיהוּ, וּלְנַטְרָא עוֹבָדַיְיהוּ, דְּהָא בְּכַמָּה זִמְנִין עָלְמָא אִתְּדָּן, וּבְכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא עוֹבָדִין בְּמַתְקְלָא סַלְּקִין, וּמַשְׁגִּיחִין עָלַיְיהוּ לְעֵילָּא, וְאַכְתִּיבוּ קַמֵּיהּ. וְכַד עוֹבָדַיְיהוּ דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, לָא מִתְכַּשְּׁרָן קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא, סָלִיק רוּגְזָא, וְדִינָא אִתְּעַר, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב חֲמַת מֶלֶךְ מַלְאֲכֵי מָוְת, וְעַל דָּא בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִזְדַּהֲרָא מֵחוֹבוֹי.
1The first 27 lines of the Hebrew text do not appear in our translation.AND MOSES SAID UNTO AARON, TAKE THY CENSER, ETC. R. Hiya adduced here the verse: “The wrath of the king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it” (Prov. 16, 14). ‘How careful men should be’, he said, ‘to abstain from sin and to watch their actions, for at many periods the world is judged and every day deeds are placed in the balance and examined on high and recorded before the Almighty; and when the deeds of men are not approved before the King, wrath arises and judgement is awakened.
וְאִישׁ חָכָם יְכַפְּרֶנָּה, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינִין קַיְימִין עַל עָלְמָא, וְרוּגְזָא תָּלֵי, אִי אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּדָרָא זַכָּאָה דְּרָשִׁים לְעֵילָּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַשְׁגַּח בֵּיהּ, וְאִשְׁתְּכַךְ רוּגְזָא. לְמַלְכָּא דְּאִתְרְגַז עַל עַבְדּוֹי, וַהֲוָה תָּבַע עַל סַנְטִירָא לְמֶעְבַּד דִּינָא, אַדְּהָכִי עָאל רְחִימָא דְּמַלְכָּא, וְקָם קַמֵּיהּ, כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לֵיהּ מַלְכָּא, אִתְנְהִירוּ אַנְפּוֹי. שָׁארֵי הַהוּא רְחִימָא דְּמַלְכָּא לְאִשְׁתָּעֵי בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וּמַלְכָּא חַדֵּי. לְבָתַר כַּד אָתָא סַנְטִירָא, חָזָא אַנְפּוֹי דְּמַלְכָּא חַדָּאן, אִסְתַּלָּק וְאָזִיל לֵיהּ, וְלָא עָבִיד דִּינָא. וּכְדֵין, הַהוּא רְחִימָא בָּעֵי לְמַלְכָּא עַל עֲבָדוֹי, וּמְכַפֵּר לְהוּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, וְאִישׁ חָכָם יְכַפְּרֶנָּה.
But if when the executioners of judgement are ready to strike and wrath impends, there is found in the generation a righteous man who is inscribed above, then God looks upon him and His wrath is mollified. He is like a king who is angry with his servants and sends for the executioner to punish them, but meanwhile the king’s friend enters and stands before him, and when the king sees him his face lights up, and when he begins to speak he is glad. So when the executioner comes and sees the king all smiling, he goes away and does not execute judgement, and then the king’s friend intercedes for his servants and procures forgiveness for them.
אוּף הָכָא, כַּד חָמָא מֹשֶׁה דְּרוּגְזָא הֲוָה תָּלֵי, מִיַּד וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל אַהֲרֹן, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ שׁוּשְׁבִינָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וּקְטֹרֶת לָא סַלְּקָא אֶלָּא בִּידוֹי, דְּאִיהוּ אַסְגֵּי שְׁלָמָא בְּעָלְמָא, וְקָשִׁיר קִשְׁרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא. קְטֹרֶת, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, חֶדְוָותָא דְּעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, קִשּׁוּרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, סְלִיקוּ דְּרוּגְזָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (משלי כ״ז:ט׳) שֶׁמֶן וּקְטֹרֶת יְשַׂמַּח לֵב, וּכְדֵין וְאִישׁ חָכָם יְכַפְּרֶנָּה, יְנָקֵי וִידָכֵּי לְהַהוּא רוּגְזָא, וְרַחֲמִין מִתְעָרִין.
So here, when Moses saw wrath impending he at once told Aaron, who was the “friend” of the Matrona, to take the incense, which increases peace in the world and binds the knot of faith, which is the joy of higher and lower and effects the removal of wrath.