Said R. Eleazar: ‘Let us occupy ourselves with the Torah, for it is time.’ Before he could commence, the man came up to them. Said R. Eleazar: ‘We must not interrupt our study, for he who studies the Torah becomes worthy of obtaining the heavenly inheritance in the glory of the supernal Holy King, and also of an inheritance in this world, which is called “the glory of the Lord”.’
For when a man walks in the path of rectitude before the Holy One, and occupies himself with the Torah, he inherits that “glory of the Lord” for himself, and he has many protectors and advocates above who point out his merits before the Holy King, but if a man does not study the Torah nor walk in the way of his Master, then God appoints for him an accuser, who flies about in the air but does not at first go aloft, in case that man will repent of his sins. When he sees that he does not repent, and does not seek to study the Torah, he goes aloft and points out his guilt.
He then discoursed on the verse: “And if the family of Egypt go not up and come not, neither upon them shall be the plague”, etc. (Zech. 14, 18). Why does it not say here, “not upon them shall be the rain”, as in the case of all the other peoples? It is because, as the Companions have pointed out, the land of Egypt does not require rain, and therefore another punishment was decreed against them.
But the Holy Land was ever watered from the heavens, and therefore when Israel studied the Torah it was watered properly, and he who withheld Torah from it was like one withholding good from heaven.’ They went into a cave which was by the road, and the man went in with them. They sat down,
and the man opened a discourse on the verse, “And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face”, etc. (Ex. 33, 11). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘does not seem to hang together properly; first it says, “God spake to Moses face to face”, then, “Moses returned to the camp”, then, “And his minister Joshua the son of Nun, a young man”, etc. What does it mean?’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘Verily God desired to honour us, for now we are associated with the Shekinah, which has not departed from us. Let him who has opened the discourse continue it.’
פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, (משלי ג׳:ל״ה) כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ וּכְסִילִים מֵרִים קָלוֹן. כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ, זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן דְּמִתְעַסְּקֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. עַד לָא פָּתַח מִלָּה, קָרִיב הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ גַּבַּיְיהוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, לֵית לָן לְמִפְסַק מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, זָכֵי לְמֵירַת יְרוּתָא דְּאַחֲסָנָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, בִּיקָרָא דְּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא, וְזָכֵי לְמֵירַת יְרוּתָא דְּאַחֲסָנָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּמַאי אִיהוּ. הַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי כְּבוֹד יְיָ', דְּלָא פָּסַק מִנַּיְיהוּ לְעָלְמָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ, הַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי כְּבוֹד יְיָ'.
Said R. Eleazar: ‘Let us occupy ourselves with the Torah, for it is time.’ Before he could commence, the man came up to them. Said R. Eleazar: ‘We must not interrupt our study, for he who studies the Torah becomes worthy of obtaining the heavenly inheritance in the glory of the supernal Holy King, and also of an inheritance in this world, which is called “the glory of the Lord”.’
וּכְסִילִים מֵרִים קָלוֹן, מַאי הוּא. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד בַּר נָשׁ אָזַל בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, הָא הַהוּא כְּבוֹד יְיָ' יָרִית לְגַרְמֵיהּ, וְכַמָּה אַפֹּטְרוֹפְּסִין סַנֵּיגוֹרִין אִשְׁתַּכְּחוּ לְעֵילָּא עָלֵיהּ דְּבַּר נָשׁ, וְכֻלְּהוּ אוֹלְפִין עָלֵיהּ זְכוּ, קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִי בַּר נָשׁ לָא אִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא אָזַל בְּאָרְחָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, הוּא עָבִיד קַטֵיגוֹרָא עָלֵיהּ. וְהַהוּא קַטֵיגוֹרָא שָׁאט בַּאֲוִירָא (ואזיל ליה), וְלָא סָלִיק לְעֵילָּא, דִּלְמָא יְתוּב אָדָם מֵחוֹבוֹי. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמֵי דְּבַר נָשׁ לָא תָּב, וְלָא בָּעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כְּדֵין הוּא סָלִיק לְעֵילָּא, וְאוֹלִיף עָלֵיהּ חוֹבָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וּכְסִילִים מֵרִים קָלוֹן, וְסָלִיק לְעֵילָּא וְעָבִיד קִטְרוּגָא.
For when a man walks in the path of rectitude before the Holy One, and occupies himself with the Torah, he inherits that “glory of the Lord” for himself, and he has many protectors and advocates above who point out his merits before the Holy King, but if a man does not study the Torah nor walk in the way of his Master, then God appoints for him an accuser, who flies about in the air but does not at first go aloft, in case that man will repent of his sins. When he sees that he does not repent, and does not seek to study the Torah, he goes aloft and points out his guilt.
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (זכריה י״ד:י״ח) וְאִם מִשְׁפַּחַת מִצְרַיִם לֹא תַעֲלֶה וְלֹא בָאָה וְלֹא עֲלֵיהֶם תִּהְיֶה הַמַּגֵּפָה וְגוֹ'. מַאי שְׁנָא מִצְרַיִם הָכָא, מִכָּל שְׁאַר עַמִּין, דְּהָא לְכֻלְּהוּ כְּתִיב (שם) וְלֹא עֲלֵיהֶם יְהִי הַגָּשֶׁם, וְהָכָא לָא. אֶלָּא הָא אוֹקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא, דְּהָא אַרְעָא דְּמִצְרַיִם לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִטְרָא, וְעַל דָּא לָאו הִיא בִּכְלָלָא דְּאִינּוּן דְּבָעָן מִטְרָא, אֲבָל אִינּוּן, דִּינָא אַחֲרָא אִסְתַּלָּק עָלַיְיהוּ, וְשַׁפִּיר קָאַמְרוּ.
He then discoursed on the verse: “And if the family of Egypt go not up and come not, neither upon them shall be the plague”, etc. (Zech. 14, 18). Why does it not say here, “not upon them shall be the rain”, as in the case of all the other peoples? It is because, as the Companions have pointed out, the land of Egypt does not require rain, and therefore another punishment was decreed against them.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב (דברים י״א:י׳) כִּי הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָא שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּה לֹא כְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם הִיא אֲשֶׁר יְצָאתֶם מִשָּׁם וְגוֹ'. דְּהָא נַהֲרָא סָלִיק, (ומניה) מִנֵּיהּ מִשְׁתַּקְיָּיא אַרְעָא, אֲבָל הָכָא לִמְטַר הַשָּׁמַיִם תִּשְׁתֶּה מָּיִם, דְּהָא אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא מִן שְׁמַיָיא אִתְשַׁקְיָיא תָּדִיר. וְכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲווֹ עַסְקִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, הֲוָה אִתְשַׁקְיָיא כְּדְקָא יָאוּת. וּמַאן דְּמָנַע אוֹרַיְיתָא מִנָהּ, כְּאִילּוּ מָנַע טַב מִן כָּל עָלְמָא. עָאלוּ לְגוֹ מְעַרְתָּא חֲדָא דְּהֲוָה בְּאָרְחָא, עָאל הַהוּא גְּבַר עִמְּהוֹן, יָתְבוּ.
But the Holy Land was ever watered from the heavens, and therefore when Israel studied the Torah it was watered properly, and he who withheld Torah from it was like one withholding good from heaven.’ They went into a cave which was by the road, and the man went in with them. They sat down,
פָּתַח הַהוּא גַּבְרָא וְאָמַר, (שמות ל״ג:י״א) וְדִבֶּר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר וְגוֹ', הַאי קְרָא לָאו רֵישֵׁיהּ סֵיפֵיהּ וְלָאו סֵיפֵיהּ רֵישֵׁיהּ. וְלָא מִלָּה דָּא כְּמִלָה דָּא, בְּקַדְמִיתָא וְדִבֶּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים שַׁפִּיר, לְבָתַר וְשָׁב אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה, לְבָתַר וּמְשָׁרַתוֹ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן נַעַר, מַהוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וַדַּאי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בִּיקָרָא דִּילָן, דְּהַשְׁתָּא זִוּוּגָא דִּילָן בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִתְעָדֵי מִנָן. מַאן דְּפָתַח פִּתְחָא, לֵימָּא מִלָּה.
and the man opened a discourse on the verse, “And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face”, etc. (Ex. 33, 11). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘does not seem to hang together properly; first it says, “God spake to Moses face to face”, then, “Moses returned to the camp”, then, “And his minister Joshua the son of Nun, a young man”, etc. What does it mean?’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘Verily God desired to honour us, for now we are associated with the Shekinah, which has not departed from us. Let him who has opened the discourse continue it.’