Said R. Simeon, Let us proceed. AND HE WENT ON HIS JOURNEYS, i.e. to revisit his place and his grades, until he reached the first grade where the first revelation had taken place. “On his journeys”: all those grades, grade after grade, as has been said.
EVEN TO BETHEL: to prepare his place and to combine “the South” and “Bethel” in a complete unity, since from the South to Bethel comprised the whole gamut of Wisdom.
UNTO THE PLACE WHERE HIS TENT HAD BEEN AT THE BEGINNING, to wit, Bethel, the “perfect stone”. The spot is further defined as THE PLACE OF THE ALTAR WHICH HE HAD MADE THERE AT THE FIRST, as it was said, “to the Lord who appeared unto him”, and therefore now ABRAM CALLED ON THE NAME OF THE LORD, in proof that he had attained to perfect faith.
Note this. At first Abram proceeded from the lower to the higher, as it is written, “And the Lord appeared to Abram”, and again, “to the Lord who appeared to him”, and then “going on his journeys to the South”-grade after grade until he was endowed with the South which was his rightful portion.
From thence he began to reverse the process and descended from the higher to the lower, so as to fix all in its proper place. On the return journey, too, the mention of his stages contains an allusion to the higher Wisdom. It is written, “And he went on his journeys from the South”, i.e. from the side of the Right, from the very beginning of the upper world, the mysterious and recondite, reaching to the Limitless (En Sof), and then descended stage by stage “from the South to Bethel”,
where “Abram called on the name of the Lord”, i.e. he affixed the unity to its proper place, viz. “the place of the altar which he had made there at the first”: i.e. he had taken it from the lower to the upper grade, and now he brought it down by stages from the upper to the lower in order that it should not depart from those upper grades nor they from it and the whole should constitute an indissoluble unity.
Then was Abram fully endowed, and he became the lot and the portion of God in real truth. Happy are the righteous who are crowned in God as God in them! Happy in this world and happy in the world to come! Of them it is written, “Thy people shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the earth for ever” (Is. 60, 21); and again, “The path of the righteous is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4, 18).
The travellers went on until they came to a field, where they sat down. R. Simeon then discoursed on the text: Turn unto me and have mercy upon me (Ps. 86, 16). He said: ‘This verse deserves careful study, for although we have already explained it more than once, yet it has still an inner meaning. How could David say to God, “Turn to me “?
The truth is that he was referring to the grade with which he was endowed. Similarly he said Give thy strength to thy servant (Ibid.). The word “strength” refers to the supernal Force (Geburah), as in the verse “And he gave strength to his king” (Is. 2, 19). The word “king”, used thus without qualification, refers to the Messiah, as also does the word “servant” in this passage.
And save the son of thy handmaid. Why does he call himself the son of his mother and not of his father Jesse? This bears out what we have laid down, that when a man comes to ask something of heaven, he should only say that of which he is certain; hence he mentioned his mother and not his father. And further, tradition refers this verse to the Messiah, as we have said.’ R. Simeon proceeded:
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב וַיֵּלֶךָ לְמַסָּעָיו, לְמִפְקַד אַתְרֵיהּ וְדַרְגּוֹי. לְמַסָּעָיו לְמַסָּעוֹ כְּתִיב, מַאן מַסָּעוֹ. דָּא דַרְגָּא קַדְמָאָה דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, כְּתִיב הָכָא מַסָּעוֹ וּכְתִיב הָתָם (מלכים א ו׳:ז׳) אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה מַסַּע נִבְנֶה. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה וַדַּאי. מַסַּע כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר.
Said R. Simeon, Let us proceed. AND HE WENT ON HIS JOURNEYS, i.e. to revisit his place and his grades, until he reached the first grade where the first revelation had taken place. “On his journeys”: all those grades, grade after grade, as has been said.
וַיֵּלֶךָ לְמַסָּעָיו. (עיין פי' בס' הגלגולים דף ו' ע"ג סוף פ' ו) כָּל אִנּוּן דַּרְגִּין דַּרְגָּא בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. מִנֶּגֶב וְעַד בֵּית אֵל לְאַתְקָנָא אַתְרֵיהּ וּלְחַבְּרָא לוֹן בְּיִחוּדָא שְׁלִים. דְּהָא מִנֶּגֶב וְעַד בֵּית אֵל אִשְׁתְּכַח רָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת.
EVEN TO BETHEL: to prepare his place and to combine “the South” and “Bethel” in a complete unity, since from the South to Bethel comprised the whole gamut of Wisdom.
אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הָיָה שָׁם אָהֳלֹה בַּתְּחִלָּה, אָהֳלה בְּהֵ"א, מַאן אָהֳלה, דָּא בֵּית אֵל. אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה כִּדְאֲמָרָן. תוּ רְשִׁים וְאָמַר אֶל מְקוֹם הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה שָׁם בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה דִּכְתִיב לַיְיָ הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו. וּכְדֵין וַיִּקְרָא שָׁם אַבְרָם בְּשֵׁם יְיָ. כְּדֵין אִתְדָּבַּק בִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא.
UNTO THE PLACE WHERE HIS TENT HAD BEEN AT THE BEGINNING, to wit, Bethel, the “perfect stone”. The spot is further defined as THE PLACE OF THE ALTAR WHICH HE HAD MADE THERE AT THE FIRST, as it was said, “to the Lord who appeared unto him”, and therefore now ABRAM CALLED ON THE NAME OF THE LORD, in proof that he had attained to perfect faith.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּקַדְמִיתָא סָלִיק מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא דִּכְתִיב וַיֵּרָא יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם. וּכְתִיב לַיְיָ הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו. וְדָא הוּא דַּרְגָּא קַדְמָאָה כִּדְאֲמָרָן אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה (מסע נבנה וכתיב למסעו). וּלְבָתַר הָלוֹךְ וְנָסוֹעַ הַנֶּגְבָּה. דַּרְגָּא בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא עַד דְּאִתְעַטַּר בַּדָּרוֹם חוּלָקֵיהּ וְעַדְבֵיהּ. לְבָתַר סָתִים מִלָּה כַּד סָלִיק וְאָמַר לַיְיָ סְתָם, דָּא עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה. וּמִתַּמָּן נָטִיל בְּדַרְגִּין וְנָחִית מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא וְאִתְדָּבַּק כֹּלָּא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת.
Note this. At first Abram proceeded from the lower to the higher, as it is written, “And the Lord appeared to Abram”, and again, “to the Lord who appeared to him”, and then “going on his journeys to the South”-grade after grade until he was endowed with the South which was his rightful portion.
וְהָכָא כַּד תִּסְתַּכֵּל בְּדַרְגִּין תִּשְׁכַּח רָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה. מַה כְּתִיב וַיֵלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָו מִנֶּגֶב מִסִּטְרָא דְּיָמִינָא שֵׁירוּתָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה סְתִימָא עֲמִיקָא לְעֵילָא עַד אֵין סוֹף, וְנָחִית דַּרְגָּא בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא (עד) מִנֶּגֶב וְעַד בֵּית אֵל מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא.
From thence he began to reverse the process and descended from the higher to the lower, so as to fix all in its proper place. On the return journey, too, the mention of his stages contains an allusion to the higher Wisdom. It is written, “And he went on his journeys from the South”, i.e. from the side of the Right, from the very beginning of the upper world, the mysterious and recondite, reaching to the Limitless (En Sof), and then descended stage by stage “from the South to Bethel”,
וּכְתִיב וַיִּקְרָא שָׁם אַבְרָם בְּשֵׁם יְיָ אַדְבַּק יִחוּדָא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת דִּכְתִיב אֶל מְקוֹם הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה שָׁם בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה. מַאי אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה שָׁם, דְּסָלִיק לָהּ מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא. וְהַשְׁתָּא נָחִית בְּדַרְגִּין מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא, בְּגִין דְּהִיא לָא תַעֲדֵי מֵאִנּוּן דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין, וְאִנּוּן לָא יַעֲדוּן מִנָּהּ, וְיִתְיַחֵד כֹּלָּא בְּיִחוּדָא חָדָא כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת.
where “Abram called on the name of the Lord”, i.e. he affixed the unity to its proper place, viz. “the place of the altar which he had made there at the first”: i.e. he had taken it from the lower to the upper grade, and now he brought it down by stages from the upper to the lower in order that it should not depart from those upper grades nor they from it and the whole should constitute an indissoluble unity.
כְּדֵין אִתְעַטַּר אַבְרָהָם וְהֲוָה חוּלַק עַדְבֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וַדַּאי. זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא דְּמִתְעַטְּרֵי בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְהוּא מִתְעַטֵּר בְּהוֹן. זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן בְּעָלְמָא דֵין וְזַכָּאִין אִנּוּן בְּעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי. עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו ס׳:כ״א) וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ. וּכְתִיב, (משלי ד׳:י״ח) וְאוֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נוֹגַהּ הוֹלֵךְ וְאוֹר עַד נְכוֹן הַיּוֹם.
Then was Abram fully endowed, and he became the lot and the portion of God in real truth. Happy are the righteous who are crowned in God as God in them! Happy in this world and happy in the world to come! Of them it is written, “Thy people shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the earth for ever” (Is. 60, 21); and again, “The path of the righteous is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4, 18).
אֲזְלוּ, כַּד מָטוּ בְּחַד בֵּי חֲקַל יָתְבוּ. פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר (תהילים כ״ה:ט״ז) פְּנֵה אֵלַי וְחָנִנִי וְגו'. הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בֵּיהּ, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא לֵיהּ בְּכַמָּה אֲתַר. אֲבָל בְּהַאי קְרָא מִלִּין סְתִימִין אִית בֵּיהּ. פְּנֵה אֵלַי. וְכִי דָוִד אָמַר פְּנֵה אֵלַי וְחָנִנִי.
The travellers went on until they came to a field, where they sat down. R. Simeon then discoursed on the text: Turn unto me and have mercy upon me (Ps. 86, 16). He said: ‘This verse deserves careful study, for although we have already explained it more than once, yet it has still an inner meaning. How could David say to God, “Turn to me “?
אֶלָּא בְּגִין דַּרְגָּא דִילֵיהּ דְּאִיהוּ אִתְעַטַּר בֵּיהּ קָאֲמַר. תְּנָה עֻזְךָ לְעַבְדֶּךָ, תְּנָה עֻזְךָ דָּא עֹז עִלָּאָה כְּדִכְתִיב, (שמואל א ב׳:י׳) וְיִתֵּן עֹז לְמַלְכּוֹ. מַאן מַלְכּוֹ דָּא מֶלֶךְ סְתָם מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא. אוּף הָכָא לְעַבְדֶּךָ דָּא מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא כִּדְאֲמָרָן מֶלֶךְ סְתָם.
The truth is that he was referring to the grade with which he was endowed. Similarly he said Give thy strength to thy servant (Ibid.). The word “strength” refers to the supernal Force (Geburah), as in the verse “And he gave strength to his king” (Is. 2, 19). The word “king”, used thus without qualification, refers to the Messiah, as also does the word “servant” in this passage.
וְהוֹשִׁיעָה לְבֶן אֲמָתֶךָ, וְכִי לָא הֲוָה בְּרֵיהּ דְּיִשַׁי אִיהוּ עַד דְּאִיהוּ אָמַר בִּשְׁמָא דְאִמֵּיהּ וְלָא בִּשְׁמָא דְּאֲבוֹי. אֶלָא הָא אוֹקִימְנָא דְּכַד יֵיתֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְקַבֵּל מִלָּה עִלָּאָה לְאִדְכָּרָא, בָּעֵי לְמֵהַךְ בְּמִלָּה דְּאִיהוּ וַדַּאי. וְעַל דָּא אַדְכַּר לְאִמֵּיהּ וְלָא לְאֲבוֹי. וְתוּ הָא תָּנִינָן (ד"א ל"ג דהא) דְּדָא מֶלֶךְ כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן.
And save the son of thy handmaid. Why does he call himself the son of his mother and not of his father Jesse? This bears out what we have laid down, that when a man comes to ask something of heaven, he should only say that of which he is certain; hence he mentioned his mother and not his father. And further, tradition refers this verse to the Messiah, as we have said.’ R. Simeon proceeded: