NOW WHEN ABRAM WAS NINETY-NINE YEARS OLD, ETC. In connection with this verse R. Abba discoursed on the text: For who is God save the Lord, and who is a rock save our God? (II Sam. 22, 32). He said: ‘These words of King David may be paraphrased: What (heavenly) ruler or chieftain is there who can do anything without the Lord, anything save what he has been commanded by the Holy One, blessed be He, since all are subject to Him and cannot do anything of themselves?
And what mighty power is there that has any force in himself save what he derives from our God? Another explanation is that a vision shown by the stars is not like a vision shown by God, for they show a thing and God changes it. And again, “Who is a rock (tsur) save our God?” i.e. there is no fashioner (tsayar) who fashions form within form and finishes it in all its details and inserts in it the heavenly soul which bears likeness to the Deity.
See now when desire brings man and woman together, there issues from their union a son in whom both their forms are combined, because God has fashioned him in a mould partaking of both. Therefore a man should sanctify himself at such time, in order that the form may be as perfect as possible.’
Said R. Hiya, ‘How great are the works of the Holy One, blessed be He, for man is fashioned as a microcosm of the world, and every day God creates a world by bringing the proper couples together, and He fashions the forms of the offspring before they are born.
See now what R. Simeon has told us, in explanation of the verse “This is the book of the generations of Adam”, that God showed Adam every generation and its students, etc. This does not simply mean that he saw through the spirit of prophecy that they were destined to come into the world, like one who in wisdom foresees the future, but it means that he literally saw with his eyes the form in which they were destined to exist in the world. He was able to do this because from the day on which the world was created all the souls which were destined to come to life among mankind were existing before God in that very form which they were destined to assume on earth
(in the same way that the righteous after death are clothed in a form similar to that which they wore in this world), and so Adam saw them with his eyes.
Nor can it be thought that after he saw them they disappeared, for all God’s creations exist before Him permanently until they descend below. Similarly when Moses said “with him that standeth here this day with us, etc.” (Deut. 29, 14), we understand him to have indicated that all who were yet to be born were there.
(This point demands a little more consideration. The words of the text are, “him that standeth here… and him that is not here with us this day”. The word “standeth” is omitted from the second half of the clause to show that the future generations were in fact standing there, but they were not visible.
It may be asked, why were they not visible here in the same way that they were visible to Adam, seeing that here there was more reason. The reason is that when the Torah was given to Israel, they beheld and gazed upon other sights and other grades, and they yearned to contemplate the glory of their Master, and therefore they had no eyes but for that.)
The same idea is expressed in the words of the Psalmist, “Thine eyes did see mine unperfect substance” (Ps. 139, 16), viz. the other celestial form resembling the one on earth. Thus we understand the words “Who is a tsur like our God”, i.e. who is so excellent a fashioner (tsayar) as God who fashioned all.
It is also possible to explain the words “For who is God besides the Lord, etc.” in a more esoteric way. The word for “God” here is El, which signifies the union of all grades. Now there is a text “El hath indignation every day” (Ps. 7, 12), which might lead us to suppose that it designates a separate grade. Hence it says here “Who is El without Tetragrammaton”, indicating that El is never alone disjoined from Tetragrammaton; and similarly there is no “Rock” (signifying the attribute of justice) “without our God”.’
וַיְהִי אַבְרָם בֶּן תִּשְׁעִים שָׁנָה וְתֵשַׁע שָׁנִים וְגו'. רַבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח (שמואל ב כ״ב:ל״ב) כִּי מִי אֵל מִבַּלְעֲדֵי יְיָ וּמִי צוּר וְגו'. דָּוִד מַלְכָּא אָמַר הַאי קְרָא (תהילים י״ח:ל״ב) כִּי מִי אֵל מִבַּלְעֲדֵי יְיָ. מָאן הוּא שַׁלִּיטָא אוֹ מְמַנָּא דְּיְכוּל לְמֶעְבַּד מִדִּי מִבַּלְעֲדֵי יְיָ, אֶלָּא מַה דְּאִתְפַּקַּד מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּגִין דְּכֻלְהוּ לָא בִּרְשׁוּתַיְיהוּ קָיְימֵי וְלָא יָכְלֵי לְמֶעְבַּד מִדִּי. וּמִי צוּר, וּמַאן אִיהוּ תַּקִּיף דְּיָכוֹל לְמֶעְבַּד תּוּקְפָא וּגְבוּרָה מִגַּרְמֵיהּ מִבַּלְעֲדֵי אֱלהֵינוּ. אֶלָּא כֻּלְהוּ בִּידָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְלָא יָכִיל לְמֶעְבַּד מִדִּי בַּר בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ.
NOW WHEN ABRAM WAS NINETY-NINE YEARS OLD, ETC. In connection with this verse R. Abba discoursed on the text: For who is God save the Lord, and who is a rock save our God? (II Sam. 22, 32). He said: ‘These words of King David may be paraphrased: What (heavenly) ruler or chieftain is there who can do anything without the Lord, anything save what he has been commanded by the Holy One, blessed be He, since all are subject to Him and cannot do anything of themselves?
דָּבָר אַחֵר כִּי מִי אֵל מִבַּלְעֲדֵי יְיָ. דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כֹּלָּא בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ וְלָא כְּמַאן דְּאִתְחֲזֵי בְּחֵיזוּ דְּכֹכְבַיָא וּמַזָּלֵי, דְּכֻלְהוּ אַחְזְיָין מִלָּה, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחְלַף לֵיהּ לְגַוְונָא אָחֳרָא. וּמִי צוּר זוּלָתִי אֱלהֵינוּ. הָא אוּקְמוּהָ דְּלֵית צַיָּיר כְּמָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאִיהוּ צַיָּיר שְׁלִים עָבִיד וְצִיֵּיר דִּיוּקְנָא גּוֹ דִיוּקְנָא וְאַשְׁלִים לְהַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא בְּכָל תִּקּוּנֵיהּ, וְאָעִיל בָּהּ נֶפֶשׁ עִלָּאָה דְּדָמֵי לְתִקּוּנָא עִלָּאָה, בְגִין כָּךְ לֵית צַיָּיר כְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
And what mighty power is there that has any force in himself save what he derives from our God? Another explanation is that a vision shown by the stars is not like a vision shown by God, for they show a thing and God changes it. And again, “Who is a rock (tsur) save our God?” i.e. there is no fashioner (tsayar) who fashions form within form and finishes it in all its details and inserts in it the heavenly soul which bears likeness to the Deity.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מֵהַהוּא זַרְעָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ כַּד אִתְעַר תִּיאוּבְתֵּיהּ לְגַבֵּי נוּקְבֵיהּ וְנוּקְבֵיהּ אִתְעָרַת לְגַבֵּיהּ כְּדֵין מִתְחַבְּרָן תַּרְוַויְיהוּ כְּחֲדָא וְנָפַק מִנַּיְיהוּ בַּר חַד דְּכָלִיל מִתְּרֵין דִּיוּקְנִין כְּחַד. בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא צִיֵיר לֵיהּ בְּצִיּוּרָא דְּאִתְכְּלִיל מִתַּרְוַויְיהוּ. וְעַל דָּא בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְקַדְשָׁא גַרְמֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתְּכַח הַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא בְּצִיּוּרָא שְׁלִים כְּדְקָא חָזֵי.
See now when desire brings man and woman together, there issues from their union a son in whom both their forms are combined, because God has fashioned him in a mould partaking of both. Therefore a man should sanctify himself at such time, in order that the form may be as perfect as possible.’
אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה אִנּוּן רַבְרְבִין עוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּהָא אוּמְנוּתָא וְצִיּוּרָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ אִיהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דְעָלְמָא, וּבְכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּרֵי עָלְמָא מְזַוִּוג זִוּוּגִין כָּל חַד וְחַד כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ, וְהוּא צִיֵּיר דִּיוּקְנֵיהוֹן עַד לָא יֵיתוּן לְעָלְמָא.
Said R. Hiya, ‘How great are the works of the Holy One, blessed be He, for man is fashioned as a microcosm of the world, and every day God creates a world by bringing the proper couples together, and He fashions the forms of the offspring before they are born.
תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כְּתִיב זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם. וְכִי סֵפֶר הֲוָה לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא אוּקְמוּהָ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחְמֵי לֵיהּ לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן דּוֹר דּוֹר וְדוֹרְשָׁיו וְכוּ'. הֵיאַךְ אַחְמֵי לֵיהּ, אִי תֵימָא דְּחָמָא בְּרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא דְּאִנּוּן זְמִינִין לְמֵיתֵי לְעָלְמָא. כְּמַאן דְּחָמָא בְּחָכְמְתָא מַה דְּיֵיתֵי לְעָלְמָא. לָאו הָכִי, אֶלָּא חָמָא בְּעֵינָא כֻּלְהוּ. וְהַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא דְּזַמִּינִין לְמֵיקַם בֵּיהּ בְּעָלְמָא כֻּלְהוּ חָמָא בְּעֵינָא, מַאי טַעְמָא בְּגִין דְּמִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא כֻּלְהוּ נַפְשָׁאן דְּזַמִּינִין לְמֵיקַם בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא כֻּלְהוּ קָיְימִין קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא מַמָּשׁ דְּזַמִּינִין לְמֵיקַם בֵּיהּ בְּעָלְמָא.
See now what R. Simeon has told us, in explanation of the verse “This is the book of the generations of Adam”, that God showed Adam every generation and its students, etc. This does not simply mean that he saw through the spirit of prophecy that they were destined to come into the world, like one who in wisdom foresees the future, but it means that he literally saw with his eyes the form in which they were destined to exist in the world. He was able to do this because from the day on which the world was created all the souls which were destined to come to life among mankind were existing before God in that very form which they were destined to assume on earth
כְּגַוְונָא דָא כָּל אִנּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא בָּתַר דְּנָפְקִין מֵהַאי עָלְמָא כֻּלְהוּ נַפְשָׁאן סָלְקָן, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַזְמִין לוֹן דִּיוּקְנָא אָחֳרָא לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בְּהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דְּהֲווּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, בְגִין כָּךְ כֻּלְהוּ קָיְימִין קַמֵּיהּ וְחָמָא לוֹן אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּעֵינָא.
(in the same way that the righteous after death are clothed in a form similar to that which they wore in this world), and so Adam saw them with his eyes.
וְאִי תֵימָא בָּתַר דְּחָמָא לוֹן לָא קָיְימֵי בְּקִיּוּמַיְיהוּ. תָּא חֲזֵי כָּל מִלּוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּקִיּוּמָא אִנּוּן וְקָיְימוּ קַמֵּיהּ עַד דְּנָחֲתוּ לְעָלְמָא. כְּגַוְונָא דָא כְּתִיב, (דברים כ״ט:י״ד) כִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר יֶשְׁנוֹ פֹה וְגו' הָא אוּקְמוּהָ דְּכֻלְהוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּזַמִּינִין לְמֶהֱוֵי בְּעָלְמָא כֻּלְהוּ אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ תַּמָּן.
Nor can it be thought that after he saw them they disappeared, for all God’s creations exist before Him permanently until they descend below. Similarly when Moses said “with him that standeth here this day with us, etc.” (Deut. 29, 14), we understand him to have indicated that all who were yet to be born were there.
הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא דְּהָא כְּתִיב אֵת אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ פֹה וְגו' וּמַשְׁמַע הַנְהוּ (כלהו) דְּיִפְקוּן מֵאִנּוּן דְּקָיְימוּ תַּמָּן, בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב עִמָּנוּ הַיּוֹם וְלָא כְּתִיב עִמָּנוּ עוֹמֵד הַיּוֹם. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי (הכא) כֻּלְהוּ קָיְימוּ תַּמָּן אֶלָּא דְּלָא אִתְחֲזוּ לְעֵינָא, בְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב עִמָּנוּ הַיּוֹם אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא אִתְחֲזוּן.
(This point demands a little more consideration. The words of the text are, “him that standeth here… and him that is not here with us this day”. The word “standeth” is omitted from the second half of the clause to show that the future generations were in fact standing there, but they were not visible.
וְאִי תֵימָא מַאי טַעְמָא לָא אִתְחֲזוּן הָכָא כְּמָה דְּאִתְחֲזוּן לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן דְּחָמָא לוֹן עֵינָא בְּעֵינָא, וְהָא הָכָא אִתְחֲזֵי יַתִּיר. אֶלָּא הָכָא כַּד אִתְיְיהִיבַת אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל חֵיזוּ אָחֳרָא וְדַרְגִּין עִלָּאִין הֲווּ חָמָאן וּמִסְתַּכְּלָאן עֵינָא בְּעֵינָא וְהֲווּ תְּאִיבִין לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא וּלְמֶחמֵי בִּיקָרָא דְּמָרֵיהוֹן, וּבְגִין כָּךְ חָמוּ יְקָרָא עִלָּאָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי וְלָא מֵאָחֳרָא.
It may be asked, why were they not visible here in the same way that they were visible to Adam, seeing that here there was more reason. The reason is that when the Torah was given to Israel, they beheld and gazed upon other sights and other grades, and they yearned to contemplate the glory of their Master, and therefore they had no eyes but for that.)
וְעַל דָּא כֻּלְהוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּזַמִּינִין לְקָיְימָא בְּעָלְמָא כֻּלְהוּ קָיְימֵי קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאִנּוּן דִּיוּקְנִין מַמָּשׁ דְּזַמִּינִין לְקָיְימָא בֵּיהּ הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים קל״ט:ט״ז) גָּלְמִי רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ וְעַל סִפְרְךָ וְגו'. גָּלְמִי רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ. מַאי טַעְמָא בְּגִין דְּדִיוּקְנָא אָחֳרָא עִלָּאָה הֲוִי כְּהַאי וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, (תהילים י״ח:ל״ב) וּמִי צוּר זוּלָתִי אֱלֹהֵינוּ. מַאן צַיָּיר טַב דְּצַיָּיר (דכליל) כֹּלָּא (דא בדא) כְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
The same idea is expressed in the words of the Psalmist, “Thine eyes did see mine unperfect substance” (Ps. 139, 16), viz. the other celestial form resembling the one on earth. Thus we understand the words “Who is a tsur like our God”, i.e. who is so excellent a fashioner (tsayar) as God who fashioned all.
דָּבָר אַחֵר כִּי מִי אֱלוֹהַּ, דָּא רָזָא דְמִלָּה דְּהָא אֵל כְּלָלָא הוּא דְּאִתְכְּלִיל מִכֻּלְהוּ דַּרְגִּין, וְאִי תֵימָא דְּהָא אֵל אִיהוּ דַּרְגָּא אָחֳרָא בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב (תהלים ז) אֵל זוֹעֵם בְּכָל יוֹם. תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּהָא לֵית אֵל מִבַּלְעֲדֵי יְיָ דְּלָאו אִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי וְלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ לְעָלְמִין. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (שמואל ב כ״ב:ל״ב) כִּי מִי אֵל מִבַּלְעֲדֵי יְיָ וְגו', וּמִי צוּר וְגו' דְּהָא צוּר לָאו אִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא חַד כְּדִכְתִיב, (דברים ד׳:ל״ט) וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ כִּי יְיָ הוּא הָאֱלהִים וְגו'.
It is also possible to explain the words “For who is God besides the Lord, etc.” in a more esoteric way. The word for “God” here is El, which signifies the union of all grades. Now there is a text “El hath indignation every day” (Ps. 7, 12), which might lead us to suppose that it designates a separate grade. Hence it says here “Who is El without Tetragrammaton”, indicating that El is never alone disjoined from Tetragrammaton; and similarly there is no “Rock” (signifying the attribute of justice) “without our God”.’