We have learnt that when God said to Moses, “Behold my angel shall go before thee” (Ex. 23, 23), Moses said, “Shall the radiance of the sun be gathered in and the moon lead us? I desire not the orb of the moon, but that of the sun”. Then the orb of the sun shone forth and Moses became like the orb of the sun to Israel; and when Moses was gathered in the orb of the sun was gathered in and the moon shone and Joshua used the light of the moon. Alas for this degradation!
‘AND HE SAID TO THEM, I AM AN HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS OLD THIS DAY. This bears out what R. Eleazar said, that the sun illumined Israel for forty years and was then gathered in, and the moon commenced to shine.’ R. Simeon said: ‘This accords with the verse: “There is that is destroyed without justice” (Prov. 13, 23), which has caused some difficulty to the Companions.
The explanation is this. It has already been stated that all spirits issue from heaven in pairs, male and female, and then separate. Sometimes the spirit of the female goes forth before the male which is her mate, and as long as the time of the male has not come to be united with her another can come and marry her, but when the time of the first one arrives to marry her, when Zedek (Righteousness) arises to visit the sins of the world, this other that married her is gathered in and the first comes and marries her.
And even though his works were not particularly evil, he is gathered in before his time and not in accordance with judgement, and the doom of Zedek lights on him for his sins because the time of the other to whom she belongs has come.’
R. Eleazar asked: ‘Why should he die? Cannot God separate them and let the other come and give her to him?’ He replied: ‘This is the kindness that God does with a man, that he should not see his wife in the hand of another. is not deserving, even though the woman is his by rights, the other is not removed to make way for him.
In the same way Saul obtained the kingdom, because the time of David, to whom it rightfully belonged, had not yet come. But when David’s time arrived to come into his own, Zedek arose and gathered in Saul on account of his sins, and he had to make way for David.
If it is asked, Could not Saul have lost the kingdom without also dying, the answer is that God did him a kindness in gathering him in while he was yet king so that he should not see his servant ruling over him and taking what was formerly his.
So here too. Therefore a man should pray to God that he be not thrust out to make way for another. So, too, God said to Moses: Do you want to overturn the world? Have you ever seen the sun serving the moon? Have you ever seen the moon shining when the sun is still high?
BEHOLD THY DAYS APPROACH THAT THOU MUST DIE, CALL JOSHUA; let the sun be gathered in and the moon rule. Nay more, if thou enterest the land the moon will be gathered in before thee and have no sway. The time has come for the dominion of the moon, but it cannot rule while thou art in the world.
THAT I MAY GIVE HIM A CHARGE. We find, in fact, that God gave no charge to Joshua, but only to Moses. Why, then, does it say, “that I may give him a charge”? What it means is this. God said to Moses: Although thou liest with thy fathers, thou wilt still be existing to give light to the moon, just as the sun even after it has set continues to give light to the moon. Therefore I will charge Joshua to be illumined, and therefore it says also, “command Joshua and encourage him” (Deut. 3, 28): charge him, that is, to give light.
FOR THOU SHALT BRING THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. And previously (v. 7) it says, “thou shalt come with this people”. Why this variation? One was to announce to him that he would enter the land and remain on it, the other that he would have sway over Israel.’
כְּתִיב (שמות ל״ג:ט״ו-ט״ז) אִם אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הוֹלְכִים אַל תַּעֲלֵנוּ מִזֶּה וּבַמֶּה יִוָּדַע אֵפוֹא וְגוֹ', הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה (שמות ל״ב:ל״ד) הִנֵּה מַלְאָכִי יֵלֵךְ לְפָנֶיךָ, אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, וּמַה קַסְטִיפָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא דְּיִתְכְּנִישׁ, וְיַדְבַּר סִיהֲרָא, גּוּפָא דְּסִיהֲרָא לָא בָּעֵינָא. אִם אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הוֹלְכִים, גּוּפָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא בָּעֵינָא, וְלָאו דְּסִיהֲרָא. כְּדֵין גּוּפָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא אִתְנְהִיר, וְאִתְעָבִיד מֹשֶׁה, כְּגַוְונָא דְּגוּפָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא קַמַּיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְכְּנִישׁ מֹשֶׁה, אִתְכְּנִישׁ שִׁמְשָׁא, וְאִתְנְהִיר סִיהֲרָא, וַהֲוָה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ מִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ לִנְהוֹרָא דְּסִיהֲרָא. וַוי לְהַהוּא כִּסּוּפָא.
We have learnt that when God said to Moses, “Behold my angel shall go before thee” (Ex. 23, 23), Moses said, “Shall the radiance of the sun be gathered in and the moon lead us? I desire not the orb of the moon, but that of the sun”. Then the orb of the sun shone forth and Moses became like the orb of the sun to Israel; and when Moses was gathered in the orb of the sun was gathered in and the moon shone and Joshua used the light of the moon. Alas for this degradation!
(דברים ל״א:ב׳) וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם בֶּן מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְגוֹ'. הַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אַרְבְּעִין שְׁנִין נָהִיר שִׁמְשָׁא לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִתְכְּנִישׁ לְסוֹף אַרְבְּעִין שְׁנִין, וְנָהִיר סִיהֲרָא. אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא, הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב, (משלי י״ג:כ״ג) וְיֵשׁ נִסְפֶּה בְּלֹא מִשְׁפָּט וְהָא אַתְעֲרוּ חַבְרַיָּיא. וַאֲנָן נוֹקִים לֵיהּ לַקְּרָא. אֲבָל עַל מַה דְּאַתְעֲרוּ חַבְרַיָּיא כֹּלָּא הוּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְעָלְמָא, לְגַלָאָה (ס"א לתועלתא דבר נש), דְּבַּר נָשׁ דְּיִתְכְּנַשׁ עַד לָא מָטוּן יוֹמוֹי.
‘AND HE SAID TO THEM, I AM AN HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS OLD THIS DAY. This bears out what R. Eleazar said, that the sun illumined Israel for forty years and was then gathered in, and the moon commenced to shine.’ R. Simeon said: ‘This accords with the verse: “There is that is destroyed without justice” (Prov. 13, 23), which has caused some difficulty to the Companions.
תָּא חֲזֵי, וְהָא אִתְּמַר, דְּכָל רוּחִין דְּנָפְקִין מִלְּעֵילָּא, דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא נַפְקֵי, וּמִתְפָּרְשָׁן. וּלְזִמְנִין תִּפּוּק נִשְׁמְתָא דְּנוּקְבָּא, עַד לָא נַפְקַת דְּכַר, דְּהוּא בַּר זוּגָהּ. וְכָל זִמְנִין דִּדְכוּרָא לָא מָטָא זִמְנֵיהּ לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בַּהֲדֵי נוּקְבֵיהּ, וְאָתֵי אַחֲרָא וְאִתְנְסִיב בַּהֲדָהּ, כֵּיוָן דְּמָטָא זִמְנָא דְּהַאי לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא, כַּד אִתְּעַר צֶדֶק בְּעָלְמָא, לְמִפְקַד עַל חוֹבֵי עָלְמָא. כָּנִישׁ לֵיהּ לְהַאי אַחֲרָא, דְּהֲוָה נָסִיב בַּהֲדָהּ, וְאָתֵי אַחֲרָא וְנָטִיל לָהּ. וְעַל דָּא קָשִׁין זִוּוּגִין קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
The explanation is this. It has already been stated that all spirits issue from heaven in pairs, male and female, and then separate. Sometimes the spirit of the female goes forth before the male which is her mate, and as long as the time of the male has not come to be united with her another can come and marry her, but when the time of the first one arrives to marry her, when Zedek (Righteousness) arises to visit the sins of the world, this other that married her is gathered in and the first comes and marries her.
וְכָל דָּא בְּגִין דְּסָרַח דְּכוּרָא עוֹבָדוֹי, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא סָרַח כָּל כַּךְ עוֹבָדוֹי בַּחֲטָאֵיהּ, אִתְכְּנִישׁ בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, עַד לָא מָטוּן יוֹמוֹי. דְּלָא עָבִיד הָכִי בַּמִּשְׁפָּט. וְעָלֵיהּ כְּתִיב, (משלי י״ג:כ״ג) וְיֵשׁ נִסְפֶּה בְּלֹא מִשְׁפָּט. וְאָעְרַע בֵּיהּ דִּינָא דְּצֶדֶק בְּחוֹבוֹי, בְּגִין דְּמָטָא זִמְנֵיהּ דְּאַחֲרָא, וְנָסִיב לָהּ, דְּהָא דִּידֵיהּ הִיא.
And even though his works were not particularly evil, he is gathered in before his time and not in accordance with judgement, and the doom of Zedek lights on him for his sins because the time of the other to whom she belongs has come.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וַאֲמָאי, יַפְרִישׁ לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְיֵיתֵי אַחֲרָא וְיָהִיב לֵיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ דָּא הוּא תּוֹעַלְתָּא דְּבַר נָשׁ, וְטִיבוּ דְּעָבִיד עִמֵּיהּ, דְּלָא יִמְטֵי (ס"א יחמי) אִתְּתֵיהּ בִּידָא אַחֲרָא. וְתָּא חֲזֵי, אִי הַאי לָא כַּשְׁרָן עוֹבָדוֹי, אַף עַל גַּב דְּדִילֵיהּ הִיא הַהִיא אִתְּתָא, לָא אִתְדְּחֵי הַאי אַחֲרָא מִקַּמֵּיהּ.
R. Eleazar asked: ‘Why should he die? Cannot God separate them and let the other come and give her to him?’ He replied: ‘This is the kindness that God does with a man, that he should not see his wife in the hand of another. is not deserving, even though the woman is his by rights, the other is not removed to make way for him.
תָּא חֲזֵי, שָׁאוּל מַלְכָּא נָטַל מָלְכוּ. (אמאי) בְּגִין דְּעַד לָא מָטָא זִמְנֵיהּ דְּדָוִד לְהַאי. דְּהָא מָלְכוּ הֲוָה וַדַּאי דְּדָוִד, וְאָתָא שָׁאוּל וְנָטִיל לֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּמָטָא זִמְנֵיהּ דְּדָוִד לְמֵירַת דִּילֵיהּ, כְּדֵין אִתְּעַר צֶדֶק (מלכותא דלעילא) וְכָנִישׁ לֵיהּ לְשָׁאוּל בְּחוֹבוֹי, וְאִתְדְחֵי מִקַּמֵּי דָּוִד, וְאָתָא דָּוִד וְנָטַל דִּילֵיהּ.
In the same way Saul obtained the kingdom, because the time of David, to whom it rightfully belonged, had not yet come. But when David’s time arrived to come into his own, Zedek arose and gathered in Saul on account of his sins, and he had to make way for David.
וַאֲמַאי לָא אַעְדֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְשָׁאוּל מִמַלְכוּ, וְלָא יְמוּת. אֶלָּא טִיבוּ עָבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עִמֵּיהּ, דְּכָנִישׁ לֵיהּ בְּמַלְכוּתָא, וְלָא יֶחֱמֵי עַבְדֵּיהּ שַׁלִּיט עָלֵיהּ, וְנָטִיל מַה דְּהֲוָה דִּילֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא. כַּךְ הַאי. בְּגִין כָּךְ, בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְמִבָּעֵי רַחֲמֵי קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כַּד אִזְדְּוַּוג, דְּלָא יִתְדְּחֵי מִקַּמֵּי אַחֲרָא.
If it is asked, Could not Saul have lost the kingdom without also dying, the answer is that God did him a kindness in gathering him in while he was yet king so that he should not see his servant ruling over him and taking what was formerly his.
כְּתִיב, (דברים ג׳:כ״ו) וַיֹאמֶר יְיָ' אֵלַי רַב לָךְ אַל תּוֹסֶף דַּבֵּר אֵלַי וְגוֹ' וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, מֹשֶׁה, תִּבְעֵי לְאַחְדְּשָׁא (ס"א לאכחשא) עָלְמָא, חָמִית מִן יוֹמָךְ שִׁמְשָׁא פָּלַח לְסִיהֲרָא. חָמִית מִן יוֹמָךְ דְּיִשְׁלוֹט סִיהֲרָא בְּעוֹד דְּשִׁמְשָׁא קַיְּימָא. אֶלָּא, הֵן קָרְבוּ יָמֶיךָ לָמוּת קְרָא אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. יִתְכְּנִישׁ שִׁמְשָׁא, וְיִשְׁלוֹט סִיהֲרָא. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא אִי אַנְתְּ תֵּיעוּל לְאַרְעָא, יִתְכְּנִישׁ סִיהֲרָא מִקַּמָּךְ, וְלָא יִשְׁלוֹט. וַדַּאי שׁוּלְטָנוּתָא דְּסִיהֲרָא מָטָא, וְלָא תִּשְׁלוֹט בְּעוֹד דְּאַנְתְּ קַיְּימָא בְּעָלְמָא.
So here too. Therefore a man should pray to God that he be not thrust out to make way for another. So, too, God said to Moses: Do you want to overturn the world? Have you ever seen the sun serving the moon? Have you ever seen the moon shining when the sun is still high?
(דברים ל״א:ט״ז) קְרָא אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְגוֹ'. וּמַאי קָאָמַר הִנְּךָ שׁוֹכֵב עִם אֲבוֹתֶיךָ וְקָם הָעָם הַזֶּה וְגוֹ'. וְלָא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא, דְּפָקִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, אֶלָּא לְמֹשֶׁה. דְאָמַר לֵיהּ לְמֹשֶׁה כָּל הַאי. דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים ל״א:י״ז) וַעֲזָבַנִי וְהֵפֵר אֶת בְּרִיתִי, וְחָרָה אַפִּי בוֹ בַיוֹם הַהוּא. וְעַתָּה כִּתְבוּ לָכֶם אֶת הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת וְלַמְּדָהּ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׂימָהּ בְּפִיהֶם, אִי הָכִי מַהוּ וַאֲצַוֶּנּוּ.
BEHOLD THY DAYS APPROACH THAT THOU MUST DIE, CALL JOSHUA; let the sun be gathered in and the moon rule. Nay more, if thou enterest the land the moon will be gathered in before thee and have no sway. The time has come for the dominion of the moon, but it cannot rule while thou art in the world.
אֶלָּא קְרָא אָמַר, הִנְּךָ שׁוֹכֵב עִם אֲבוֹתֶיךָ, אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאַנְתְּ תִּשְׁכּוֹב עִם אֲבָהֲתָךְ, הָא אַנְתְּ קַיְּימָא תָּדִיר לְאַנְהֲרָא לְסִיהֲרָא. כְּמָה דְּשִׁמְשָׁא, דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְכְּנִישׁ, לָא אִתְכְּנִישׁ אֶלָּא לְאַנְהֲרָא לְסִיהֲרָא. וּכְדֵין אַנְהִיר לְסִיהֲרָא, כַּד אִתְכְּנִישׁ. וְעַל דָּא, הִנְּךָ שׁוֹכֵב לְאַנְהֲרָא, וְדָא הוּא וַאֲצַוֶּנּוּ. וּכְדֵין (ס"א אתכשר) אִתְבְּשַׂר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לְאִתְנַהֲרָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, הִנְּךָ שׁוֹכֵב עִם אֲבוֹתֶיךָ, לְאַנְהֲרָא לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וְדָא הוּא וְצַו אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְחַזְּקֵהוּ. וְצַו אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כֻּלְּהוּ לְאַנְהֲרָא.
THAT I MAY GIVE HIM A CHARGE. We find, in fact, that God gave no charge to Joshua, but only to Moses. Why, then, does it say, “that I may give him a charge”? What it means is this. God said to Moses: Although thou liest with thy fathers, thou wilt still be existing to give light to the moon, just as the sun even after it has set continues to give light to the moon. Therefore I will charge Joshua to be illumined, and therefore it says also, “command Joshua and encourage him” (Deut. 3, 28): charge him, that is, to give light.
כִּי אַתָּה תָּבֹא, וּלְבָתַר תָּבִיא מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי. אֶלָּא חַד תָּבֹא, לְבַשְּׂרָא לֵיהּ דְּיֵיעוּל לְאַרְעָא, וְיִתְקַיֵּים בָּהּ. וְחַד תָּבִיא, לְבַשְּׂרָא לֵיהּ שֻׁלְטָנוּתָא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִתְבְּשַׂר עַל קִיּוּמָא דְּגַרְמֵיהּ, וְאִתְבְּשַׂר עַל שֻׁלְטָנוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
FOR THOU SHALT BRING THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. And previously (v. 7) it says, “thou shalt come with this people”. Why this variation? One was to announce to him that he would enter the land and remain on it, the other that he would have sway over Israel.’