R. Hiya and R. Hizkiah were once sitting underneath a tree in the field of Ono. R. Hiya fell into a slumber and beheld Elijah. He said to him: ‘The whole field is illumined with your presence.’ Elijah answered: ‘I am come to tell you that Jerusalem is about to be laid waste together with all the towns of the sages, for the reason that Jerusalem is the embodiment of judgement, and is preserved by judgement, and now judgement demands its destruction; and Samael has already been given power over it and over its mighty ones. I have therefore come to advise the sages thereof so that they may try to obtain for Jerusalem some years of grace. For so long as knowledge of the Torah is found therein it will be spared, the Torah being the tree of life by which all live. But when the study of the Torah ceases below, the tree of life disappears from the world.
Hence so long as the sages cling to the Torah, Samael has no power over them, as Scripture says: “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau” (Gen. 27, 22). The voice is the Torah, which is termed the voice of Jacob, and so long as that voice pours forth, the utterance also dominates and prevails (over the hands of Esau). Hence the study of the Torah should never cease.’ R. Hiya then awoke, and they went and told the sages.
Said R. Jesse: ‘We all know this, and so it is written: “Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh in vain” (Ps. 127, 1), as much as to say: “It is those who labour in the Torah who preserve the Holy City, and not the warriors and men of might”.’
רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה, הֲווּ יַתְבֵי תְּחוֹת אִילָנֵי דַּחֲקַל אוֹנוֹ, אִדְמוּךְ רִבִּי חִיָּיא, חָמָא לֵיהּ לְאֵלִיָּהוּ, אָמַר מַקְסְטִיטוּרָא דְמַר, חַקְלָא נָהִיר. אָמַר, הַשְׁתָּא אָתֵינָא לְאוֹדָעָא, דִּיְרוּשָׁלַ ם קָרִיב אִיהוּ לְאִתְחָרְבָא, וְכָל אִינוּן קַרְתִּין דַּחֲכִימַיָא. בְּגִין דִּיְרוּשָׁלַ ם דִּינָא אִיהוּ, וְעַל דִּינָא קָיְימָא, וְעַל דִּינָא אִתְחָרַב, וְהָא אִתְיְהִיב רְשׁוּ לְסמא"ל עֲלָהּ, וְעַל תַּקִּיפֵי עַלְמָא, וְאָתֵינָא לְאוֹדָעָא לַחֲכִימַיָא דִּילְמָא יוֹרְכוּן שְׁנִי דִּיְרוּשָׁלַ ם, דְּהָא כָּל זִמְנָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח בָּהּ, הִיא קָיְימָא. בְּגִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי דְּקָיְימֵי עֲלָהּ, (תרי נוסחי אינון) כָּל זִמְנָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְעַר לְתַתָּא אִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי לָא אַעֲדֵי לְעֵילָא, פָּסַק אוֹרַיְיתָא לְתַתָּא אִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי אִסְתַּלַּק (מינה) מֵעָלְמָא.
R. Hiya and R. Hizkiah were once sitting underneath a tree in the field of Ono. R. Hiya fell into a slumber and beheld Elijah. He said to him: ‘The whole field is illumined with your presence.’ Elijah answered: ‘I am come to tell you that Jerusalem is about to be laid waste together with all the towns of the sages, for the reason that Jerusalem is the embodiment of judgement, and is preserved by judgement, and now judgement demands its destruction; and Samael has already been given power over it and over its mighty ones. I have therefore come to advise the sages thereof so that they may try to obtain for Jerusalem some years of grace. For so long as knowledge of the Torah is found therein it will be spared, the Torah being the tree of life by which all live. But when the study of the Torah ceases below, the tree of life disappears from the world.
וְעַל דָּא, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּחֲכִימַיָא יֶחדוּן בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לָא יָכִיל סמא"ל בְּהוּ, דְּהָא כְּתִיב, (בראשית כ״ז:כ״ב) הַקּוֹל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו, דָּא הוּא אוֹרַיְיתָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִקְרֵי קוֹל יַעֲקֹב, בְּעוֹד דְּהַהוּא קוֹל לָא פָּסַק, דִּבּוּר שָׁלְטָא וְיָכְלָא, וְעַל דָּא לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ אוֹרַיְיתָא לְמִפְסַק. (ל"ג ע"א) וְאִתְעַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, וְאֲזְלוּ וְאָמְרוּ מִלָּה דָא לַחֲכִימַיָא.
Hence so long as the sages cling to the Torah, Samael has no power over them, as Scripture says: “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau” (Gen. 27, 22). The voice is the Torah, which is termed the voice of Jacob, and so long as that voice pours forth, the utterance also dominates and prevails (over the hands of Esau). Hence the study of the Torah should never cease.’ R. Hiya then awoke, and they went and told the sages.
אָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא, כֹּלָּא יָדְעִין דָּא, וְהָכִי הוּא, דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים קכ״ז:א׳) אִם ה' לֹא יִשְׁמָר עִיר שָׁוְא שָׁקַד שׁוֹמֵר, אִלֵּין אִנּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, קַרְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא קָיְימָא עֲלַיְיהוּ, וְלָא עַל גַּבְרִין תַּקִּיפִין דְּעָלְמָא, הַיְינוּ דִכְתִיב אִם ה' לא יִשְׁמָר עִיר וְגו'.
Said R. Jesse: ‘We all know this, and so it is written: “Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh in vain” (Ps. 127, 1), as much as to say: “It is those who labour in the Torah who preserve the Holy City, and not the warriors and men of might”.’