The sages discussed the time when the great Rabbi Eliezer became ill. The day was Shabbat Eve, and Rabbi Eliezer made his son, Horkenoos, sit to his right. He then revealed great and deep secrets to him. But his mind was not ready to hear him, because he thought that his father's mind was not sufficiently clear. Only after he saw that his father's mind was completely clear did he receive 189 sublime secrets from him.
When he reached the marble stones that are mixed with the supernal Waters, Rabbi Eliezer wept and stopped talking. He said, Get up and go over there, my son! He asks him why. He replies, I see that I am soon to pass from the world. Go along and tell your mother that my Tefilin shall disappear and reach a higher place. And after I have departed from this world, I shall come to see them (my family) but they should not cry. Because those above are near, not those below, though the human mind cannot grasp this.
As they were still sitting, the wise men of the generation came by to visit him. However, he cursed them for not coming to serve him. As we have learned, it is greater to serve the Torah than study it. In the meantime, Rabbi Akiva arrived. He asks, Akiva, Akiva, why have you not come to attend to me? He responded, Rabbi, I had no spare time. He was angry and said, Indeed, I wonder whether you shall die naturally. On that account, he placed a curse on him so that his death would be the worst of them all; they also would not die naturally. And he said that the death of Rabbi Akiva shall be the cruelest of them all.
Rabbi Akiva wept and said to him, Rabbi, teach Torah to me! Rabbi Eliezer opened his mouth about the works of the divine Chariot, a fire surrounded them both. The wise men said, From this we learn that we are not worthy; nor do we have the privilege. So they sat outside the gate. After everything was over, the fire disappeared.
And he taught of impure white spots (macula) as bright as the snow, 300 halachic rules, and 216 explanations of the verses of Shir Hashirim. Rabbi Akiva's eyes poured with tears like water. Then the fire reappeared again. When he reached the verse "stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples, for I am sick with love" (Shir Hashirim 2:5), Rabbi Akiva could not bear any more. He raised his voice and burst out bellowing (like a bull). And he could not speak out of fear of the Shechinah that was there.
And he taught him all of the deep and sublime secrets that exist in Shir Hashirim, and made him solemnly swear that he would never use any of these verses. If he did, then Holy One, blessed be He, would destroy the world because of him, as it is not His desire that people use it... because of its supreme holiness. Afterward, Rabbi Akiva left and burst out crying, his eyes pouring with tears, and said, Woe my teacher, woe my teacher, for the world is to remain an orphan without you. All the other wise men entered and stood by him. They asked him questions about Torah and he answered
Rabbi Eliezer felt confined. He raised both his arms and laid them on his heart. He said, Woe to the world. The upper world has again concealed and hidden all light and illumination from the lower. Woe to my two arms. Woe to the two parts of the Torah, as you shall be forgotten by the world on this day. Rabbi Yitzchak said, During the entire lifetime of Rabbi Eliezer, the Halachah would 'shine from his mouth' as on the day it was given on mount Sinai.
He said, I have learned so much Torah (Talmud), gaining wisdom and serving, that even if all the people of the world were to be writers, there would not be enough to write of it. And my pupils have no lack of my wisdom; only as a kohl-pencil (mascara) in the eye. And I lack very little of the wisdom of my teachers, perhaps only as much as a person can drink from the sea. He said this only to show gratitude to his teachers and to hold them in more favor than himself.
And they were asking him the law of footwear of Yibum (the levirate rite) (if it becomes defiled). As his soul left him, he announced, It is pure. Rabbi Akiva was not there when he died. As the day of Shabbat ended, Rabbi Akiva found him dead. As he ripped his clothes and tore his flesh, the blood started to roll over his beard. He wept and shouted as he stepped outside, and said, Heavens, O heavens, tell the sun and the moon that the light that shone more than they is darkened.
Rabbi Yehuda said, when the soul of a righteous person wishes to leave, it feels happy, because the righteous is confident that he shall receive his reward as he dies. Therefore, it is written, "when he saw them, he ran to meet them,"- with happiness, as he welcomed (the Angels). Where? As we have learned, at "the tent door," where he "bowed himself toward the ground," toward the Shechinah.
Rabbi Yochanan then opened the discussion by quoting, "...until the day breaks, and the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be you like a roe or a young hart" (Shir Hashirim 2:17). "Until the day break" is a warning for a person who is still in this world; it is like the "blink of the eye." Come and behold, what does it say? "Even if he lived a thousand years twice" (Kohelet 6:6), on the day of his death, it all seems as one day to him.
Rabbi Shimon said, The soul of a person warns him and says, "Until the day break". And it shall seem to you as the blink of the eye while you are still in this world. The words, "and the shadows flee away" are equivalent to the verse that reads, "Because our days upon earth are a shadow" (Iyov 8:9); so I beg of you, "Turn, my beloved, and be you like a roe or a young hart."
There is another explanation for, "Until the day break..." According to Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi, this is a warning for humankind, while still in this world, which is like the blink of the eye. Just as the roe is swift of leg, so you should be as swift as a "roe or a young hart" in performing your Master's wishes, so that you may inherit the World to Come which is mountains of spices, called "the mountain of Hashem," the mountain of Pleasure, the mountain of Delight. (End of Midrash Hane'elam)
תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן כְּשֶׁחָלָה רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר הַגָּדוֹל, הַהוּא יוֹמָא עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת הֲוָה, וְאוֹתִיב לִימִינֵיהּ הוֹרְקְנוּס בְּרֵיהּ, והֲוָה מְגַלֵּי לֵיהּ עֲמִיקְתָּא וּמַסְתַּרְתָּא, וְהוּא לָא הֲוָה מְקַבֵּל בְּדַעְתֵּיהּ מִלַּיָּיא, דְּחֲשִׁיב כִּמְטוֹרָף בְּדַעְתֵּיהּ הֲוָה. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא דְּדַעְתָּא דְּאֲבוֹי מִתְיַשְּׁבָא עֲלוֹי, קַבִּיל מִנֵּיהּ מְאָה וּתְמַנִּין וְתִשְׁעָה רָזִין עִלָּאִין.
The sages discussed the time when the great Rabbi Eliezer became ill. The day was Shabbat Eve, and Rabbi Eliezer made his son, Horkenoos, sit to his right. He then revealed great and deep secrets to him. But his mind was not ready to hear him, because he thought that his father's mind was not sufficiently clear. Only after he saw that his father's mind was completely clear did he receive 189 sublime secrets from him.
כַּד מָטָא לְאַבְנֵי שַׁיִשׁ דְּמִתְעָרְבֵי בְּמַיָא עִלָּאָה, בָּכָה רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וּפָסַק לְמֵימַר, אָמַר קוּם הָתָם בְּרִי. אָמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּא לָמָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ חָזִינָא דְּאוֹחִית חֲלָף מִן עָלְמָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ זִיל וְאֵימָא לְאִמָּךְ דְּתִסְתַּלַּק תְּפִלָּאִי בְּאֲתַר עִלָּאָה, וּבָתַר דְּאֶסְתַּלֵּק מִן עָלְמָא וְאַיְתֵי הָכָא לְמֶחֱמֵי לְהוֹן לָא תִבְכֵּי דְּאִנּוּן קְרִיבִין עִלָּאִין וְלָא תַתָּאִין וְדַעְתָּא דְבַר נָשׁ לָא יָדַע בְּהוּ.
When he reached the marble stones that are mixed with the supernal Waters, Rabbi Eliezer wept and stopped talking. He said, Get up and go over there, my son! He asks him why. He replies, I see that I am soon to pass from the world. Go along and tell your mother that my Tefilin shall disappear and reach a higher place. And after I have departed from this world, I shall come to see them (my family) but they should not cry. Because those above are near, not those below, though the human mind cannot grasp this.
עַד דְּהֲווּ יָתְבֵי, עָאלוּ חַכִּימֵי דָרָא לְמִבְקַּר לֵיהּ, אוֹלִיט לְהוּ עַל דְּלָא אָתוּ לְשַׁמָּשָׁא לֵיהּ דְּתָנִינָן גְּדוֹלָה שִׁמּוּשָׁהּ יוֹתֵר מִלִּמּוּדָהּ. עַד דְּאָתָא רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, אָמַר לֵיהּ עֲקִיבָא עֲקִיבָא לָמָה לָא אָתֵית לְשַׁמָּשָׁא לִי (דהא אתא עתא לאצרפא). אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי לָא הֲוָה לִי פְּנַאי. אַרְתַּח אָמַר אֶתְמְהָה עֲלָךְ אִי תָּמוּת מִיתַת עַצְּמְךָ. לַטְיֵיה דִּיהֵא קָשֶׁה מִכֻּלְהוֹן מִיתָתֵיהּ.
As they were still sitting, the wise men of the generation came by to visit him. However, he cursed them for not coming to serve him. As we have learned, it is greater to serve the Torah than study it. In the meantime, Rabbi Akiva arrived. He asks, Akiva, Akiva, why have you not come to attend to me? He responded, Rabbi, I had no spare time. He was angry and said, Indeed, I wonder whether you shall die naturally. On that account, he placed a curse on him so that his death would be the worst of them all; they also would not die naturally. And he said that the death of Rabbi Akiva shall be the cruelest of them all.
בָּכֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְאָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אוֹלִיף לִי אוֹרַיְיתָא. אַפְתַּח פּוּמֵיהּ רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בְּמַעֲשֵׂה מֶרְכָּבָה. אֲתָא אֶשָׁא ואַסְחַר לְתַרְוִויהוֹן. אָמְרוּ חַכִּימַיָא שְׁמַע מִינָהּ דְּלֵית אֲנַן חַזְיָין וּכְדָאִין לְכָךְ, נָפְקוּ לְפִתְחָא דְבָרָא וְיָתִיבוּ תַּמָּן, הֲוָה מַה דְּהֲוָה וְאֲזַל אֶשָׁא.
Rabbi Akiva wept and said to him, Rabbi, teach Torah to me! Rabbi Eliezer opened his mouth about the works of the divine Chariot, a fire surrounded them both. The wise men said, From this we learn that we are not worthy; nor do we have the privilege. So they sat outside the gate. After everything was over, the fire disappeared.
וְאוֹלִיף בְּבַהֶרֶת עַזָּה תְּלַת מְאָה הֲלָכוֹת פְּסוּקוֹת, וְאוֹלִיף לֵיהּ רי"ו טְעָמִים דִּפְסוּקֵי דְּשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים. והֲווּ עֵינוֹי דְּרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא נַחֲתִין מַיָא. וְאִתְחַזַּר אֶשָׁא כְּקַדְמִיתָא. כַּד מָטָא לְהַאי פְּסוּקָא (שיר השירים ב׳:ה׳) סַמְכוּנִי בָּאֲשִׁישׁוֹת רַפְּדוּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִים כִּי חוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי, לָא יָכִיל לְמִסְבַּל רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְאָרִים קָלֵיהּ בִּבְכִיָּיתָא וְגָעֵי וְלָא הֲוָה מְמַלֵּל מִדְחִילוּ דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא דְּהֲוַת תַּמָּן.
And he taught of impure white spots (macula) as bright as the snow, 300 halachic rules, and 216 explanations of the verses of Shir Hashirim. Rabbi Akiva's eyes poured with tears like water. Then the fire reappeared again. When he reached the verse "stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples, for I am sick with love" (Shir Hashirim 2:5), Rabbi Akiva could not bear any more. He raised his voice and burst out bellowing (like a bull). And he could not speak out of fear of the Shechinah that was there.
אוֹרֵי לֵיהּ כָּל עָמִיקְתָּא וְרָזִין עִלָּאִין דְּהֲוָה בֵּיהּ בְּשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים. וְאוֹמֵי לֵיהּ אוֹמָאָה דְּלָא לִישְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּשׁוּם חַד פָּסוּק מִנֵּיהּ כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלָא לִיחָרֵיב עָלְמָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגִינֵיהּ. ולָא בָּעֵי קַמֵּיהּ דְּיִשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּן בֵּיהּ בְּרִיָיתֵי מִסְגִיאוּת קְדוּשָׁתָא דְּאִית בֵּיהּ. לְבָתַר נָפִיק רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְגָעֵי וְנָבְעִין עֵינוֹי מַיָא, וְהֲוָה אָמַר, וַוי רַבִּי, וַוי רַבִּי, דְּאִשְׁתָּאַר עָלְמָא יָתוֹם מִנָּךְ. עָאלוּ כָּל שְׁאָר חַכִּימַיָא גַּבֵּיהּ וְשָׁאֲלוּ לֵיהּ וְאָתִיב לְהוֹן.
And he taught him all of the deep and sublime secrets that exist in Shir Hashirim, and made him solemnly swear that he would never use any of these verses. If he did, then Holy One, blessed be He, would destroy the world because of him, as it is not His desire that people use it... because of its supreme holiness. Afterward, Rabbi Akiva left and burst out crying, his eyes pouring with tears, and said, Woe my teacher, woe my teacher, for the world is to remain an orphan without you. All the other wise men entered and stood by him. They asked him questions about Torah and he answered
הֲוָה דָּחִיק לֵיהּ (שעתא) לְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזְר, אַפִּיק תְּרֵי דְרוֹעוֹי ושַׁוִּינוּן עַל לִבֵּיהּ. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, אִי עָלְמָא עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, חָזְרַת לְאָעֳלָא וּלְאִגְנָזָא מִן תַּתָּאָה כָּל נְהִירוּ וּבוּצִּינָא. וַוי לְכוֹן תְּרֵי דְּרָעֵי וַוי לְכוֹן תְּרֵי תּוֹרוֹת דְּיִשְׁתַּכְּחוּן יוֹמָא דֵין מִן עָלְמָא. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְּחָק כָּל יוֹמוֹי דְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר הֲוָה נְהִירָא שְׁמַעְתָּא מִפּוּמֵיהּ כְּיוֹמָא דְּאִתְיְהִיבַת בְּטוּרָא דְסִינַי.
Rabbi Eliezer felt confined. He raised both his arms and laid them on his heart. He said, Woe to the world. The upper world has again concealed and hidden all light and illumination from the lower. Woe to my two arms. Woe to the two parts of the Torah, as you shall be forgotten by the world on this day. Rabbi Yitzchak said, During the entire lifetime of Rabbi Eliezer, the Halachah would 'shine from his mouth' as on the day it was given on mount Sinai.
אָמַר אוֹרַיְיתָא (סברית גמרא) גְּמָרִית וְחָכְמְתָא סְבָרִית וְשִׁמּוּשָׁא עֲבָדִית. דְּאִלּוּ יְהוֹן כָּל בְּנֵי אֵינָשָׁא דְּעָלְמָא סוֹפְרִים לָא יָכְלִין לְמִכְתַּב וְלָא חַסְרֵי תַּלְמִידַי מֵחָכְמָתִי אֶלָּא כְּכוֹחְלָא בְּעֵינָא ואֲנָא מֵרַבּוֹתַי אֶלָּא כְּמַאן דְּשָׁתֵי בְּיַמָּא. וְלָא הֲוָה, אֶלָּא לְמִיתַּן טִיבוּתָא לְרַבּוֹהִי יַתִּיר מִנֵּיהּ.
He said, I have learned so much Torah (Talmud), gaining wisdom and serving, that even if all the people of the world were to be writers, there would not be enough to write of it. And my pupils have no lack of my wisdom; only as a kohl-pencil (mascara) in the eye. And I lack very little of the wisdom of my teachers, perhaps only as much as a person can drink from the sea. He said this only to show gratitude to his teachers and to hold them in more favor than himself.
והֲווּ שָׁאֲלִין מִנֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא סַנְדְּלָא דְּיִבּוּם עַד דְּנָפַק נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ וְאָמַר טָהוֹר. וְלָא הֲוָה תַּמָּן רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא. כַּד נָפַק שַׁבַּתָּא אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא דְּמִית, בָּזַע מָאנֵיהּ וגָרִיר כָּל בִּשְׂרֵיהּ וְדָמָא נָחִית וְנָגִיד עַל דִּיוּקְנֵיהּ. הֲוָה צָּוח וּבְכֵי, נָפַק לְבָרָא וְאָמַר, שְׁמַיָא שְׁמַיָא, אָמְרוּ וּלְסִיהֲרָא לְשִׁמְשָׁא דִּנְהִירוּתָא דְּהֲוַת נְהִיר יַתִּיר מִנְהוֹן הָא אִתְחַשַּׁךְ.
And they were asking him the law of footwear of Yibum (the levirate rite) (if it becomes defiled). As his soul left him, he announced, It is pure. Rabbi Akiva was not there when he died. As the day of Shabbat ended, Rabbi Akiva found him dead. As he ripped his clothes and tore his flesh, the blood started to roll over his beard. He wept and shouted as he stepped outside, and said, Heavens, O heavens, tell the sun and the moon that the light that shone more than they is darkened.
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנִּשְׁמַת הַצַּדִּיק רוֹצָּה לָצֵּאת שְׂמֵחָה וְהַצַּדִּיק בָּטוּחַ בְּמִיתָתוֹ כְּדֵי לְקַבֵּל שְׂכָרוֹ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם. בְּשִׂמְחָה, לְקַבֵּל פְּנֵיהֶם. מֵאֵי זֶה מָקוֹם, מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל כְּדְקָא אֲמָרָן. וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָּה לְגַבֵּי שְׁכִינָה.
Rabbi Yehuda said, when the soul of a righteous person wishes to leave, it feels happy, because the righteous is confident that he shall receive his reward as he dies. Therefore, it is written, "when he saw them, he ran to meet them,"- with happiness, as he welcomed (the Angels). Where? As we have learned, at "the tent door," where he "bowed himself toward the ground," toward the Shechinah.
רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (שיר השירים ב׳:י״ז) עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים סוֹב דְּמֵה לְךָ דּוֹדִי לִצְּבִי אוֹ לְעוֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים. עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם וְגו'. זוֹ אַזְהָרָה לָאָדָם בְּעוֹדוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הַזְּה שֶׁהוּא כְּהֶרֶף עַיִן. תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב, (קהלת ו׳:ו׳) וְאִלּוּ חָיָה אֶלֶף שָׁנִים פַּעֲמַיִם וגו'. בְּיוֹם הַמִּיתָה כָּל מַה שֶּׁהָיָה נְחְשַׁב כְּיוֹם אֶחָד אֶצְּלוֹ.
Rabbi Yochanan then opened the discussion by quoting, "...until the day breaks, and the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be you like a roe or a young hart" (Shir Hashirim 2:17). "Until the day break" is a warning for a person who is still in this world; it is like the "blink of the eye." Come and behold, what does it say? "Even if he lived a thousand years twice" (Kohelet 6:6), on the day of his death, it all seems as one day to him.
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן נִשְׁמָתוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מַתְרָה בּוֹ וְאוֹמֶרֶת עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם (ונסו הצללים) וְיִדְמֶה בְּעֵינֶיךָ כְּהֶרֶף עַיִן בְּעוֹדְךָ בָּעוֹלָם הַזְּה. וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (איוב ח׳:ט׳) כִּי צֵּל יָמֵינוּ עֲלֵי אָרֶץ. בְּבַקָּשָׁה מִמְּךָ סוֹב דְּמֵה לְךָ דּוֹדִי לִצְּבִי וְגו'.
Rabbi Shimon said, The soul of a person warns him and says, "Until the day break". And it shall seem to you as the blink of the eye while you are still in this world. The words, "and the shadows flee away" are equivalent to the verse that reads, "Because our days upon earth are a shadow" (Iyov 8:9); so I beg of you, "Turn, my beloved, and be you like a roe or a young hart."
דָּבָר אַחֵר עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם וְגו'. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן פַּזִי, זוֹ אַזְהָרָה לָאָדָּם בְּעוֹדוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה שֶׁהוּא כְּהֶרֶף עַיִן. מַה הַצְּבִי קַל בְּרַגְלָיו אַף אַתָּה הֱיִה קַל כַּצְּבִי אוֹ כְּעוֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצּוֹן בּוֹרְאֲךָ כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּנְחַל הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא שֶׁהוּא הָרֵי בְּשָׂמִים הַנִּקְרָא הַר יְיָ, הַר הַתַּעֲנוּג הָהָר הַטוֹב (עד כאן המדרש הנעלם).
There is another explanation for, "Until the day break..." According to Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi, this is a warning for humankind, while still in this world, which is like the blink of the eye. Just as the roe is swift of leg, so you should be as swift as a "roe or a young hart" in performing your Master's wishes, so that you may inherit the World to Come which is mountains of spices, called "the mountain of Hashem," the mountain of Pleasure, the mountain of Delight. (End of Midrash Hane'elam)