REMEMBER THE DAYS OF OLD, CONSIDER THE YEARS OF MANY GENERATIONS. R. Abba said: ‘The days of old” are the six Days in which God made the world; and these Days know and are acquainted with all the years of the world, and all generations up to this generation to which we ourselves belong.
ASK THY FATHER AND HE WILL SHOW THEE: this is the Holy One, blessed be He, who will reveal to thee the hidden depths of Wisdom, to wit, that when those six Days constructed the universe they did so only for thy sake that thou mightest come and perform the Law, as we have learnt, that God made a condition with creation that if when Israel came they would accept the Torah it should stand, and if not that it should revert to chaos.
Therefore God assigned other peoples to Chieftains and Overseers, but of you it is written, FOR THE LORD’S PORTION IS HIS PEOPLE, JACOB IS THE LOT OF HIS INHERITANCE, since He assigned them to no Potentate or Angel or Chieftain, but took them for his own portion.
Where did He find them? IN A DESERT LAND AND IN A WASTE HOWLING WILDERNESS, as it is written, “Terah the father of Abraham… and I took your father Abraham”, etc. (Joshua 24, 2, 3); and from there He guided Israel in every generation, never separating from them.’ AS AN EAGLE THAT STIRRETH UP HER NEST.
(דברים ל״ב:ז׳) זְכוֹר יְמוֹת עוֹלָם בִּינוּ שְׁנוֹת דּוֹר וָדוֹר וְגוֹ'. זְכוֹר יְמוֹת עוֹלָם, רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר, מַאן יְמוֹת עוֹלָם. אִינּוּן שִׁיתָּא יוֹמִין, דְּעָבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא בְּהוּ. דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות ל״א:י״ז) כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה יְיָ' וְגוֹ'. שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים, וְלָא בְּשֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא. בִּינוּ שְׁנוֹת דּוֹר וָדוֹר. כְּלוֹמַר, אִינּוּן יְמוֹת עוֹלָם, יָדְעוּ וְיִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעוּ כָּל אִינּוּן שְׁנִין וְיוֹמִין, וְכָל דָּרָא וְדָרָא, עַד דָּרָא דָּא דְּאַתּוּן קַיְימִין.
REMEMBER THE DAYS OF OLD, CONSIDER THE YEARS OF MANY GENERATIONS. R. Abba said: ‘The days of old” are the six Days in which God made the world; and these Days know and are acquainted with all the years of the world, and all generations up to this generation to which we ourselves belong.
שְׁאַל אָבִיךָ וְיַגֵּדְךָ, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, הֲלֹא הוּא אָבִיךָ קָּנֶךָ. וְיַגֵּדְךָ, וְהוּא יְגַלֶּה עוּמְקָא דְּחָכְמְתָא. וּמַאי הִיא. אֶלָּא כַּד אִינּוּן שִׁיתָּא יוֹמִין שַׁכְלִילוּ עָלְמָא, לָא שַׁכְלִילוּ לֵיהּ, אֶלָּא בְּגִינָךְ, דְּתֵיתֵי אַנְתְּ וּתְקַיֵּים אוֹרַיְיתָא. דְּתָנֵינָן, כָּל מַה דְּעֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עַל תְּנַאי עֲבַד, דְּכַד יֵיתוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, אִי יְקַבְּלוּן אוֹרַיְיתָא יָאוּת, וְאִי לָא דְּיְהָדַר לֵיהּ לְתֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, אִינּוּן יְמוֹת עוֹלָם יָדְעוּ וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן כֹּלָּא.
ASK THY FATHER AND HE WILL SHOW THEE: this is the Holy One, blessed be He, who will reveal to thee the hidden depths of Wisdom, to wit, that when those six Days constructed the universe they did so only for thy sake that thou mightest come and perform the Law, as we have learnt, that God made a condition with creation that if when Israel came they would accept the Torah it should stand, and if not that it should revert to chaos.
וְהָא תָּנֵינָן, הַנְהוּ עַנְפֵּי דְּאִילָנָא, הֵיךְ מִתְאַחֲדָן בְּגוֹ אִילָנָא, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, כְּדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּרֵר לוֹן, לִמְמָנָן תְּרִיסִין, עַל שְׁאַר עַמִּין, וְאַתּוּן מַה כְּתִיב. כִּי חֵלֶק יְיָ' עַמּוֹ יַעֲקֹב חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ, דְּלָא יָהַב לְהוּ לְרַבְרְבָא, וְלָא לְמַלְאָכָא, וְלָא לִמְמָנָא אַחֲרָא, וְהַאי עַמָּא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָסַב לְחוּלָקֵיהּ.
Therefore God assigned other peoples to Chieftains and Overseers, but of you it is written, FOR THE LORD’S PORTION IS HIS PEOPLE, JACOB IS THE LOT OF HIS INHERITANCE, since He assigned them to no Potentate or Angel or Chieftain, but took them for his own portion.
בְּאָן אֲתָר אַשְׁכַּח לֵיהּ. יִמְצָאֵהוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר וּבְתֹהוּ יְלֵיל יְשִׁימוֹן וְגוֹ'. דִּכְתִּיב, (יהושע כ״ד:ג׳) תֶּרַח אֲבִי אַבְרָהָם וְגוֹ'. וָאֶקַּח אֶת אֲבִיכֶם אֶת אַבְרָהָם וְגוֹ'. וּמֵהָכָא דָּבַּר לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל דָּרָא וְדָרָא, וְלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנַּיְיהוּ, וְדָבַּר לְהוּ בְּרַחֲמֵי, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כְּנֶשֶׁר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ וְגוֹ'.
Where did He find them? IN A DESERT LAND AND IN A WASTE HOWLING WILDERNESS, as it is written, “Terah the father of Abraham… and I took your father Abraham”, etc. (Joshua 24, 2, 3); and from there He guided Israel in every generation, never separating from them.’ AS AN EAGLE THAT STIRRETH UP HER NEST.