R. Jose opened with the text: How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts (Ps. 84, 2). He said: ‘It behoves men to consider well the importance of the service of the Holy One, blessed be He. For the mass of mankind do not know or reflect what it is that keeps the world or themselves in existence. For when God created the world, He made the heavens of fire and water mingled together but not compact, and afterwards they were made compact and firm by a divine spirit. From there God planted forth the world to rest upon supports, which themselves are kept up only by that spirit. When that spirit departs they all quiver and shake and the world trembles, as it is written, “Who shaketh the earth out of her place and the pillars thereof tremble” (Job 9, 6). The whole is based upon the Torah. Thus when Israel devotes itself to the Torah the world is firmly established and they are secure and the supports are firmly fixed in their places.
See now, at the moment when midnight arrives and the Holy One, blessed be He, enters the Garden of Eden to disport Himself with the righteous, all the trees in the Garden sing praises before Him, as it is written, “Then sing the trees of the wood for joy before the Lord” (I Chron. 16, 33).
A herald proclaimeth lustily: “To you we speak, exalted holy ones; who is there among you whose ears are quick to hear and whose eyes are open to see and whose heart is alert to perceive, what time the spirit of all spirits culls the sweet effluence of the inner soul, and a voice goes forth from there saying, Disperse, ye hosts, to the four corners of the world?”
1. One mounts to one side. 2. One descends on that side. 3. One enters between the two. 4. Two crown themselves with a third. 5. Three enter into one. 6. One produces various colours. 7. Six of them descend on one side and six of them on the other. 8. Six enter into twelve. 9. Twelve bestir themselves to form twenty-two. 10. Six are comprised in ten.
11. Woe to those that sleep with eyes fast closed and do not know or consider how they will arise in the Day of Judgement; for reckoning is exacted when the body is defiled, and the soul flits over the face of the transparent ether, now up and now down, and if the gates are not opened it is tossed about like a stone from the sling. Woe to them! Who shall plead for them? For they shall not be admitted to this joyaunce, among the delightful habitations of the righteous their places shall be missing, they shall be delivered into the hands of Duma, they shall descend and not ascend. Of them it is written, “As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more” (Job 7, 9).
At that moment a certain flash springs forth from the side of the North and strikes the four quarters of the world and comes down and alights between the wings of the cock, which is thereby awakened and begins to crow. But none are stirred save those truly pious ones who rise and remain awake and study the Torah, and then the Holy One, blessed be He, and all the righteous in the Garden of Eden listen to their voices, as it is written, “Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken for thy voice, cause me to hear it” (S. S. 8, 13)
רַבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח (תהילים פ״ד:ב׳) מַה יְּדִידוֹת מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶיךָ יְיָ צְבָאוֹת. כַּמָּה אִית לוֹן לִבְנִי נָשָׁא לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. דְּהָא כָּל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לָא יָדְעֵי וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי עַל מַה קָּאִים עָלְמָא. וְאִנּוּן עַל מַה קָּיְימִין. דְּכַד בְּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא עֲבַד שְׁמַיָא מֵאֵשׁ וּמִמַּיִם מִתְעָרְבִין כְּחֲדָא וְלָא הֲווּ גַּלְדֵי. וּלְבָתַר אַגְלִידוּ וְקָיְימוּ בְּרוּחָא עִלָּאָה וּמִתַּמָּן שָׁתִיל עָלְמָא, לְקָיְימָא עַל סָמְכִין, וְאִנּוּן סָמְכִין לָא קָיְימִין אֶלָּא בְּהַהוּא רוּחָא, וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּהַהוּא רוּחָא אִסְתַּלַּק כֻּלְהוּ מְרַפְפִין וְזָעִין וְעָלְמָא אִרְתַּת הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (איוב ט׳:ו׳) הַמַּרְגִּיז אֶרֶץ מִמְקוֹמָהּ וְעַמּוּדֶיהָ יִתְפַּלָּצוּן. וְכֹלָּא קָאִים עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא מִתְקַיֵּים עָלְמָא וְאִנּוּן קָיְימִין וְסָמְכִין קָיְימִין בְּאַתְרַיְיהוּ בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים.
R. Jose opened with the text: How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts (Ps. 84, 2). He said: ‘It behoves men to consider well the importance of the service of the Holy One, blessed be He. For the mass of mankind do not know or reflect what it is that keeps the world or themselves in existence. For when God created the world, He made the heavens of fire and water mingled together but not compact, and afterwards they were made compact and firm by a divine spirit. From there God planted forth the world to rest upon supports, which themselves are kept up only by that spirit. When that spirit departs they all quiver and shake and the world trembles, as it is written, “Who shaketh the earth out of her place and the pillars thereof tremble” (Job 9, 6). The whole is based upon the Torah. Thus when Israel devotes itself to the Torah the world is firmly established and they are secure and the supports are firmly fixed in their places.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְאִתְעַר פַּלְגוּת לֵילְיָא וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָאל לְגִנְתָא דְעֵדֶן לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא עִם צַדִּיקַיָא, כֻּלְהוּ אִילָנִין דִּבְגִנְתָא דְעֵדֶן מְזַמְּרָן וּמְשַׁבְּחָן קַמֵּיהּ. דִּכְתִיב, (דברי הימים א ט״ז:ל״ג) אָז יְרַנְּנוּ עֲצֵי הַיָּעַר מִלִּפְנֵי יְיָ וְגו'.
See now, at the moment when midnight arrives and the Holy One, blessed be He, enters the Garden of Eden to disport Himself with the righteous, all the trees in the Garden sing praises before Him, as it is written, “Then sing the trees of the wood for joy before the Lord” (I Chron. 16, 33).
וְכָרוֹזָא קָרֵי בְחָיִל וְאָמַר לְכוֹן אָמְרִין קַדִּישִׁין עֶלְיוֹנִין, מָאן מִנְכוֹן דְּעָיִיל רוּחָא בְּאוּדְנוֹי לְמִשְׁמָע, וְעֵינוֹי פְּקִחִין לְמֶחֱמֵי. וְלִבֵּיהּ פָּתוּחַ לְמִנְדַע, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּרוּחָא דְכָל רוּחִין אָרִים בְּסִימוּ דְנִשְׁמָתָא, וּמִתַּמָּן נָפִיק קָלָא דְּקָלַיָא, חֵיְלִין אִתְבַּדַּר לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא.
A herald proclaimeth lustily: “To you we speak, exalted holy ones; who is there among you whose ears are quick to hear and whose eyes are open to see and whose heart is alert to perceive, what time the spirit of all spirits culls the sweet effluence of the inner soul, and a voice goes forth from there saying, Disperse, ye hosts, to the four corners of the world?”
א חַד סָלִיק לִסְטַר חָד. ב חַד נָחִית לְהַהוּא סְטַר. ג (תיקונים עג, לעיל לב ב) חַד עָיִיל בֵּין תְּרֵין. ד תְּרֵין מִתְעָרִין מִתְעַטְּרָן בִּתְלַת. ה תְּלַת עָיְילֵי בְּחַד. ו חַד אַפִּיק גְּוָונִין. ז שִׁית מִנְהוֹן לִסְטַר חָד, וְשִׁית מִנְהוֹן נָחֲתֵי לְהַהוּא סְטַר. ח שִׁית עָיְילֵי בִּתְרֵיסַר. ט תְּרֵיסַר מִתְעָרִין בְּעֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין. י שִׁית כְּלִילָן בַּעֲשָׂרָה. יא עֲשָׂרָה קָאִים בְּחַד.
1. One mounts to one side.
2. One descends on that side.
3. One enters between the two.
4. Two crown themselves with a third.
5. Three enter into one.
6. One produces various colours.
7. Six of them descend on one side and six of them on the other.
8. Six enter into twelve.
9. Twelve bestir themselves to form twenty-two.
10. Six are comprised in ten.
וַוי לְאִנּוּן דְּנַיְימֵי שֵׁנְתָא בְּחוֹרֵיהוֹן, לָא יָדְעֵי וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלָאן אֵיךְ יְקוּמוּן בְּדִינָא דְּחוּשְׁבַּן אִתְפַּקַד, כַּד אִסְתָּאַב גּוּפָא, וְנִשְׁמָתָא שַׁטְיָא עַל אַנְפֵּי דְּאֲוִירָא דְּטִיהֲרָא, וְסָלְקָא וְנַחֲתָא, וְתַרְעִין לָא מִתְפַּתְּחָן, מִתְגַּלְגְּלָן כְּאַבְנִין בְּגוֹ קוּסְפִיתָא. וַוי לוֹן מַאן יִתְבַּע לוֹן, דְּלָא יְקוּמוּן בְּעִדּוּנָא דָא בְּגוֹ דוּכְתֵּי דְּעִנּוּגֵי דְצַדִּיקַיָא, אִתְפַּקְדּוּן דּוּכְתַּיְיהוּ. אִתְמַסְּרוּן בִּידָא דְדוּמָה, נַחֲתֵי וְלָא סַלְקֵי. עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, (איוב ז׳:ט׳) כָּלָה עָנָן וַיֵּלַךְ כֵּן יוֹרֵד שְׁאוֹל לא יַעֲלֶה.
11. Woe to those that sleep with eyes fast closed and do not know or consider how they will arise in the Day of Judgement; for reckoning is exacted when the body is defiled, and the soul flits over the face of the transparent ether, now up and now down, and if the gates are not opened it is tossed about like a stone from the sling. Woe to them! Who shall plead for them? For they shall not be admitted to this joyaunce, among the delightful habitations of the righteous their places shall be missing, they shall be delivered into the hands of Duma, they shall descend and not ascend. Of them it is written, “As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more” (Job 7, 9).
בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא אִתְעַר שַׁלְהוֹבָא חַד מִסְּטַר צָפוֹן וּבָטַשׁ בְּאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא וְנָחִית וּמָטֵי בֵּין גַּדְפֵי דְתַרְנְגוֹלָא וְאִתְעַר הַהוּא שַׁלְהוֹבָא בֵּיהּ וְקָרֵי, וְלֵית מַאן דְּאִתְעַר בַּר אִנּוּן זַכָּאֵי קְשׁוֹט דְּקָיְימֵי וְאִתְעָרוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וּכְדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְכָל אִנּוּן צַדִּיקַיָיא דִּבְגוֹ גִנְתָא דְעֵדֶן צַיְיתֵי לְקָלֵיהוֹן. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שיר השירים ח׳:י״ג) הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּגַּנִּים חֲבֵרִים מַקְשִׁיבִים לְקוֹלֵךְ הַשְּׁמִיעִנִי:
At that moment a certain flash springs forth from the side of the North and strikes the four quarters of the world and comes down and alights between the wings of the cock, which is thereby awakened and begins to crow. But none are stirred save those truly pious ones who rise and remain awake and study the Torah, and then the Holy One, blessed be He, and all the righteous in the Garden of Eden listen to their voices, as it is written, “Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken for thy voice, cause me to hear it” (S. S. 8, 13)