Now if those kine for which miracles were an unusual thing, being vouchsafed to them only on that occasion, uttered this song in their lowing, how much more must we say that the braying of the ass of the pious elder signifies a song of praise! Nor think, Companions, that this has not been the manner of this ass from the time the world was created. For if this was the case with the ass of the wicked Balaam, how much more must it be so with the ass of R. Phineas ben Jair!
Now it is time, Companions, to reveal something. When you are told that the mouth of the ass was created on the eve of Sabbath at twilight,1v. T. B. Aboth v. do you think that its mouth was open from that time, or that God made stipulation with it from that time? Not so; there is here a mystery which has been transmitted to the wise who pay not heed to folly. The mouth of the ass is the grade of the asses, that supernal one from the side of the females who rested on that ass and spoke over it. When God created that grade called “the mouth of the ass” He enclosed it in the hollow of the great deep and kept it there till that day, and when the time came He opened the hollow and it came forth and rested on the ass and spoke.
So when it says that “the earth opened its mouth” (Num. 16, 32), this refers to Dumah. The mouth of the ass was called Kadriel and the mouth of the well was called Yahadriel. These three “mouths” were created on the eve of the Sabbath. But at the hour when God sanctified the day there came up a Mouth which is superior to all other mouths, namely, that day which was exalted and sanctified in all, and was called “the mouth of the Lord”.’
They now caught sight of R. Phineas coming towards them. When he came up he kissed R. Simeon, saying: ‘I kiss the mouth of the Lord, I catch the perfume of His Garden.’ They all rejoiced and sat down. Thereupon all the birds that were making a shadow over them flew away in all directions. R. Simeon turned his head and called after them, saying: ‘Birds of heaven, have ye no respect for your master who is here?’ They thereupon remained still, not moving from their place, but not drawing nearer. Said R. Phineas: ‘Tell them to go their ways, since they are not permitted to return to us.’
Said R. Simeon: ‘I know that God desires to perform a miracle for us. Birds, birds, go your ways, and tell him who is in control of you that at first he was his own master, but now he is not his own master, but we are leaving him for the day of the rock when enmity will arise between two mighty ones and they will not unite.’ The birds then scattered and went.
דְּאִי אִינּוּן פָּרוֹת דְּלָא אִתְרְגִילוּ בְּנִסִּין, אֶלָּא הַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא בְּגוֹעָא דִּלְהוֹן אָמְרוּ שִׁירָתָא. דָּא נְהִיקוּ דַּחֲמָרָא דְּסָבָא חֲסִידָא דְּרָגִיל בְּנִסִּין, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה דְּאָמַר שִׁירָה. חַבְרַיָּיא, אִי תֵּימְרוּן דַּחֲמָרָא לָא הֲוָה אָרְחֵיהּ בְּכַךְ מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִבְרֵי עָלְמָא, פּוּקוּ וְחָמוּ אָתּוֹן דְּבִּלְעָם חַיָּיבָא, דְּנַצְחַת לְרִבּוֹנָהּ בְּכֹלָּא. חֲמָרֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי פִּנְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. וְתוּ אָתּוֹן דְּבִלְעָם כַּד מְלִּילַת, מַלְאָכָא עִלָּאָה הֲוָה עָלָהּ מִלְּעֵילָּא.
Now if those kine for which miracles were an unusual thing, being vouchsafed to them only on that occasion, uttered this song in their lowing, how much more must we say that the braying of the ass of the pious elder signifies a song of praise! Nor think, Companions, that this has not been the manner of this ass from the time the world was created. For if this was the case with the ass of the wicked Balaam, how much more must it be so with the ass of R. Phineas ben Jair!
הַשְׁתָּא אִית לְגַלָּאָה, חַבְרַיָּיא שִׁמְעוּ. פִּי הָאָתוֹן דְּאִבְרֵי עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת, סַלְּקָא בְּדַעְתַּיְיכוּ דְּפוּמָא הֲוָה פְּתִיחָא מֵהַהוּא זִמְנָא. אוֹ תְּנַאי דְּאַתְנֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מֵהַהוּא זִמְנָא. לָאו הָכִי. וְרָזָא הָכָא דְּאִתְּמְסַר לְחַכִּימֵי, דְּלָא מַשְׁגְּחָן לְטִפְּשׁוּ דְּלִבָּא. פִּי הָאָתוֹן, דַּרְגָּא דְּאַתְנֵי, הַהוּא עִלָּאָה דִּסְטָר נוּקְבֵי. הַהוּא הֲוָה דְּשַׁרְיָא עַל הַהוּא אָתּוֹן, וּמַלִּיל עָלָהּ. וְכַד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְהַאי דַּרְגָּא, דְּאִקְרֵי פִּי הָאָתוֹן, סָתָם לֵיהּ בְּגוֹ (האתון) נוּקְבָּא דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא, וְאַסְתִּים עָלֵיהּ עַד הַהוּא זִמְנָא. כַּד מָטָא הַהוּא זִמְנָא, פָּתַח הַהוּא נוּקְבָּא, וְנָפַק וְשָׁרָא עָלָהּ, וּמַלִילַת.
Now it is time, Companions, to reveal something. When you are told that the mouth of the ass was created on the eve of Sabbath at twilight,1v. T. B. Aboth v. do you think that its mouth was open from that time, or that God made stipulation with it from that time? Not so; there is here a mystery which has been transmitted to the wise who pay not heed to folly. The mouth of the ass is the grade of the asses, that supernal one from the side of the females who rested on that ass and spoke over it. When God created that grade called “the mouth of the ass” He enclosed it in the hollow of the great deep and kept it there till that day, and when the time came He opened the hollow and it came forth and rested on the ass and spoke.
כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, (במדבר ט״ז:ל״ב) וַתִּפְתַּח הָאָרֶץ אֶת פִּיהָ. אֶת, לְאַסְגָּאָה דּוּמָ"ה דְּאִיהוּ פִּי הָאָרֶץ. אֶת פִּי הָאָתוֹן (במדבר כ״ב:כ״ח), לְאַסְגָּאָה קַמְרִיאֵ"ל, דְּאִקְרֵי פִּי הָאָתוֹן. פִּי הַבְּאֵר כְּגַוְונָא דָּא. מַאן פִּי הַבְּאֵר. הַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּהֲוָה מְמָנָא עָלֵיהּ לְתַתָּא, וְאִיהוּ תְּחוֹת פִּי יְיָ, וּמַאן אִיהוּ. יְהַדְרִיאֵ"ל שְׁמֵיהּ. תְּלַת פּוּמִין אִלֵּין, אִתְבְּרִיאוּ עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקֹדֶשׁ יוֹמָא סַלְּקָא פֶּה דִּמְמָנָא עַל כָּל שְׁאַר פּוּמִין, וּמַאן אִיהוּ. הַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּאִסְתַּלָּק וְאִתְקַדָּשׁ בְּכֹלָּא, הַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי פִּי יְיָ. עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת, אִבְרוּן שְׁאַר פּוּמִין. אִתְקַדָּשׁ יוֹמָא סָלִיק פּוּמָא דְּשַׁלִּיט עַל כֹּלָּא פִּי יְיָ.
So when it says that “the earth opened its mouth” (Num. 16, 32), this refers to Dumah. The mouth of the ass was called Kadriel and the mouth of the well was called Yahadriel. These three “mouths” were created on the eve of the Sabbath. But at the hour when God sanctified the day there came up a Mouth which is superior to all other mouths, namely, that day which was exalted and sanctified in all, and was called “the mouth of the Lord”.’
אַדְּהָכִי, חָמוּ לְרִבִּי פִּנְחָס דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי, מָטוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, אָתָא רִבִּי פִּנְחָס וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. אָמַר, נְשַׁקְנָא פִּי יְיָ, אִתְבָּסָּם בְּבוּסְמִין דְּגִּנְתָּא דִּילֵיהּ. חֲדוּ כַּחֲדָא, וְיָתְבוּ. כֵּיוָן דְּיָתְבוּ פַּרְחוּ כָּל אִינּוּן עוֹפִין דַּהֲווֹ עַבְדֵי טוּלָא, וְאִתְבָּדָּרוּ. אַהְדָּר רֵישֵׁיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וְרָמָא לוֹן קָלִין וְאָמַר, עוֹפֵי שְׁמַיָא לֵית אַתּוּן מַשְׁגִּיחִין בִּיקָרָא דְּמָרֵיכוֹן דְּקָאִים הָכָא. קַיְימוּ, וְלָא נַטְלוּ מִדּוּכְתַּיְיהוּ, וְלָא קְרִיבוּ לְגַבַּיְיהוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי פִּנְחָס אֵימָא לוֹן דְּיָהֲכוּן לְאָרְחַיְיהוּ, דְּהָא לָא יָהֲבִין לוֹן רְשׁוּ לְאָהַדְּרָא.
They now caught sight of R. Phineas coming towards them. When he came up he kissed R. Simeon, saying: ‘I kiss the mouth of the Lord, I catch the perfume of His Garden.’ They all rejoiced and sat down. Thereupon all the birds that were making a shadow over them flew away in all directions. R. Simeon turned his head and called after them, saying: ‘Birds of heaven, have ye no respect for your master who is here?’ They thereupon remained still, not moving from their place, but not drawing nearer. Said R. Phineas: ‘Tell them to go their ways, since they are not permitted to return to us.’
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, יְדַעְנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לְמֶרְחָשׁ לָן נִיסָא. עוֹפִין עוֹפִין זִילוּ לְאָרְחַיְיכוּ, וְאָמְרוּ לְהַהוּא דִּמְמָנָא עָלַיְיכוּ, דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא הֲוָה בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ, וְהַשְׁתָּא לָאו בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ קַיְּימָא. אֲבָל סְלִיקְנָא לֵיהּ לְיוֹמָא דְּטִנָרָא, כַּד סָלִיק עִיבָא בֵּין שְׁינֵי תַּקִּיפִין, וְלָא מִתְחַבְּרָאן. אִתְבָּדָּרוּ אִינּוּן עוֹפֵי וְאָזְלוּ.
Said R. Simeon: ‘I know that God desires to perform a miracle for us. Birds, birds, go your ways, and tell him who is in control of you that at first he was his own master, but now he is not his own master, but we are leaving him for the day of the rock when enmity will arise between two mighty ones and they will not unite.’ The birds then scattered and went.