Observe that it was for the sake of Jacob that the world became firmly established. (For though we have said elsewhere that it was for the sake of Abraham, the truth is that it was for the sake of Jacob that Abraham was firmly established, as it is written: “Thus saith the Lord, concerning the house of Jacob who redeemed Abraham” (Is. 29, 22).) For at first God built up worlds and destroyed them, and only when Jacob came did the worlds take their final form, and were not again demolished as heretofore. So Scripture says: “But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel” (Is. 43, 1).
Israel is also called “son” to God, as it is written: “Israel is my son, my firstborn”, also, “Let my son go that he may serve me” (Ex. 4, 22-23). There is also the same allusion in the verse: “What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou knowest” (Prov. 30, 4).’
AND SHE CALLED HIS NAME REUBEN (lit. see, a son). She did not give him a more specific name, because he was to form a group with the other two, Simeon and Levi. The name Levi, being akin to the term loyoth (joining) (I Kings 7, 30), signifies the perfect combination of them into one scheme.
R. Judah said that the same idea is implied in the phrase: “The excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power” (Gen. 49, 3), which is rendered in the Chaldaic paraphrase: “Birthright, priesthood, and kingdom”, kingdom belonging to the side of power (Geburah). Hence the name Reuben, implying “son” (ben), simply.
R. Abba said that the birth of that triad, as implied in the name Reuben, was the goal towards which Leah strove, as indicated in her utterance: “Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons” (Gen. 29, 34), that is, three joined together as one.
Observe now that the Heavenly Throne consists of our three patriarchs, to whom King David was subsequently joined, making together a tetrad, symbolic of the Divine Tetragrammaton. Correspondingly we have Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, to whom later on there w as joined Judah, who inherited the kingship.
Hence the significance of the passage: “This time will I praise the Lord. Therefore she called his name Judah. And she left off bearing”, the reason being that now all the four supports of the Heavenly Throne were completed. (Why did she say: “this time will I praise the Lord” in regard to this son and not in regard to any of the others? The truth is that we learn from here that as long as the Community of Israel is in exile the Divine Name remains incomplete.) Observe that with the birth of three sons the Heavenly Throne was not yet made complete until Judah was born; hence only then Leah said, “This time will I praise the Lord”, and not in regard to any of the other sons; and hence again the term vatha’amod (and she left off, lit. stood), implying that the Heavenly Throne stood then firm on its supports.
(This term also indicates that up to that point there is unity, but below that is the world of separation.) As for the two other sons born subsequently with the same characteristics, these were united with the others, constituting together a unity symbolic of the six directions of the world.
Observe further that all the twelve tribes are the integral parts of the Community of Israel in this world, to give full strength to the supernal light, enveloped in blackness, and restore the root principle of the Whole to its place. All the worlds are built on the same pattern; and through this relation the lower world was completed on the pattern of the upper world.
By the birth of Issachar and Zebulun there was made complete the number six, symbolic of the six directions of the world. Then again the four sons of the handmaids were associated with them, they being, as it were, the four joints that were linked with them, as already explained. So Scripture says of them: “and their hinder parts were inward” (I Kings 7, 25), to wit, although they were the sons of the handmaids, yet they belonged inward.
R. Hizkiah said: ‘We have affirmed that what the lower world produces belongs to the category of separation, as it is written “and from thence it was parted” (Gen. 2, 11). If so, what about Joseph and Benjamin? How can you say that they belonged to the same world as the others, since they did not issue from the upper world, and what the lower world brings forth is for the lower world and not for the upper world; and, if so, they are separated from the others, since it has been laid down that whatever the lower world produces belongs to the category of separation.’
R. Abba came up and kissed him and said: ‘This is a real difficulty, since it is true that the upper world becomes perfected by the twelve which properly belong to it. But it can be solved esoterically as follows. At every moment the Righteous One both leaves and enters the lower world. Hence he is built up in this place, while his root is above. Thus he is always present in the lower world. It is written: “And it came to pass as her soul (nafshah) was in departing, for she died” (Gen. 35, 18).
Now the Righteous One is both in and out of this lower world. When he enters it he does so as symbolised by Joseph the righteous; and when he leaves it he does so as symbolised by Benjamin. Hence it says in connection with the birth of Benjamin: “And it came to pass as her soul (nafshah) was in departing-for she died”, where “her soul” alludes to the Righteous One that was departing, to wit, Benjamin.
She called him Ben-oni (son of my sorrow), thinking that what she bore belonged to the lower world, the world of separation, thus leaving only eleven as belonging to the upper world. His father, however, called him Benjamin (son of the right hand) (Ibid.), implying that he ascended on high to the upper world; for when Joseph disappeared Benjamin took his place. Thus did the Righteous One both enter the lower world and leave it. Hence Joseph and Benjamin and all the others completed the number of twelve, who formed a unity after the supernal pattern.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב אִתְקְיַּים עַלְמָא, וְאִי תֵימָא הָא בְגִינֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (בראשית ב) בְּהִבָּרְאָם, אַל תִּקְרֵי בְּהִבָּרְאָם אֶלָּא בְּאַבְרָהָם. אֶלָּא בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב אִתְקְיַּים אַבְרָהָם, דִּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו כ״ט:כ״ב) כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֶל בֵּית יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר פָּדָה אֶת אַבְרָהָם. וּמִקַּדְּמַת דְּנָא הֲוָה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּנֵי עָלְמִין וְחָרִיב לוֹן, כֵּיוָן דְּאֲתָא יַעֲקֹב מִנֵּיהּ אִשְׁתַּכְלָלוּ עָלְמִין, וְלָא אִתְחָרָבוּ כְּקַדְמִיתָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו מ״ג:א׳) כֹּה אָמַר ה' בֹּרַאֲךָ יַעֲקֹב וְיֹצֶרְךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגו'.
Observe that it was for the sake of Jacob that the world became firmly established. (For though we have said elsewhere that it was for the sake of Abraham, the truth is that it was for the sake of Jacob that Abraham was firmly established, as it is written: “Thus saith the Lord, concerning the house of Jacob who redeemed Abraham” (Is. 29, 22).) For at first God built up worlds and destroyed them, and only when Jacob came did the worlds take their final form, and were not again demolished as heretofore. So Scripture says: “But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel” (Is. 43, 1).
תָּא חֲזֵי מַה כְּתִיב, (שמות ד׳:כ״ג) בְּנִי בְּכוֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּכְתִיב (שם) שַׁלַּח אֶת בְּנִי וְיַעַבְדֵנִי, יִשְׂרָאֵל אִקְרֵי בֵּן לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּגִין דְּאִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (משלי ל׳:ד׳) מַה שְּׁמוֹ וּמַה שֵּׁם בְּנוֹ כִּי תֵדָע.
Israel is also called “son” to God, as it is written: “Israel is my son, my firstborn”, also, “Let my son go that he may serve me” (Ex. 4, 22-23). There is also the same allusion in the verse: “What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou knowest” (Prov. 30, 4).’
לֵאָה, כַּד אוֹלִידַת לִרְאוּבֵן מַה כְּתִיב, (בראשית כ״ט:ל״ב) וַתִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ רְאוּבֵן. רְאוּבֵן סְתָם, בְּגִין דְּאִתְכְּלִיל בִּתְלַת סִטְרִין מִתְחַבְּרָן כְּחֲדָא, שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי. מַאי טַעְמָא לֵוִי, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (מלכים א ז) לֹיוֹת, חִבּוּרָא דְכָל סִטְרִין.
AND SHE CALLED HIS NAME REUBEN (lit. see, a son). She did not give him a more specific name, because he was to form a group with the other two, Simeon and Levi. The name Levi, being akin to the term loyoth (joining) (I Kings 7, 30), signifies the perfect combination of them into one scheme.
אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, מֵהָכָא, דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית מ״ט:ג׳) יֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עָז, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ בְּכֵירוּתָא, כְּהוּנְתָּא, וּמַלְכוּתָא. וּמַלְכוּ בְּסִטְרָא דִגְבוּרָה אִיהוּ, וְעַל דָּא רְאוּבֵן סְתָם.
R. Judah said that the same idea is implied in the phrase: “The excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power” (Gen. 49, 3), which is rendered in the Chaldaic paraphrase: “Birthright, priesthood, and kingdom”, kingdom belonging to the side of power (Geburah). Hence the name Reuben, implying “son” (ben), simply.
אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא רְאוּ בֵן סְתָם, דְּאִתְכְּלִיל בְּשִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי. לֵאָה הָכִי הֲוָה דַעְתָּהּ. (ס"א רעותא) דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית כ״ט:ל״ד) הַפַּעַם יִלָּוֶה אִישִׁי אֵלַי כִּי יָלַדְתִּי לוֹ שְׁלשָׁה בָנִים. בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה תְּלָתָא דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן כְּחֲדָא.
R. Abba said that the birth of that triad, as implied in the name Reuben, was the goal towards which Leah strove, as indicated in her utterance: “Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons” (Gen. 29, 34), that is, three joined together as one.
וְתָא חֲזֵי, דְּהָכָא הוּא. דְּהָא רְתִיכָא עִלָּאָה, אֲבָהָן וְדָוִד מַלְכָּא דְּאִתְחַבַּר בְּהוּ, וְכֻלְּהוּ אַרְבַּע אִינוּן רְתִיכִין עִלָּאִין, רָזָא דִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְעַל דָּא, רְאוּבֵן שִׁמְעוֹן לֵוִי, לְבָתַר יְהוּדָה דְּיָרִית מַלְכוּ, וְעַל דָּא, כֻּלְּהוּ בְּאֲתַר דָּא.
Observe now that the Heavenly Throne consists of our three patriarchs, to whom King David was subsequently joined, making together a tetrad, symbolic of the Divine Tetragrammaton. Correspondingly we have Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, to whom later on there w as joined Judah, who inherited the kingship.
וּכְתִיב (ס"א דא בתר דא דכתיב) (בראשית כ״ט:ל״ה) הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת ה' וְגו' (בראשית כ״ט:ל״ה) וַתַּעֲמֹד מִלֶּדֶת, בְּגִין דְּהָכָא אִשְׁתַּכְלָלוּ אַרְבַּע סָמְכִין. הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת ה', מַאי טַעֲמָא אָמְרָה אוֹדֶה אֶת ה' בְּהַאי, וְלָאו בְּכֻלְּהוּ. אֶלָּא מֵהָכָא, כָּל זִמְנָא דִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא, שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא לָאו שְׁלִים הוּא. תָּא חֲזֵי, אַף עַל גַּב דִּתְלַת בְּנִין הֲווּ עַד דְּאוֹלִידַת לִיהוּדָה, לָא שְׁלִים כֻּרְסְיָיא. וּבְגִינֵי כָּךְ הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת ה', וְלָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ, וְעַל דָּא וַתַּעֲמֹד מִלֶּדֶת. מַאי (קפ"ו ע"א) וַתַּעֲמֹד, דְּקָיְימָא כֻּרְסְיָיא עַל סַמְכוֹהִי.
Hence the significance of the passage: “This time will I praise the Lord. Therefore she called his name Judah. And she left off bearing”, the reason being that now all the four supports of the Heavenly Throne were completed. (Why did she say: “this time will I praise the Lord” in regard to this son and not in regard to any of the others? The truth is that we learn from here that as long as the Community of Israel is in exile the Divine Name remains incomplete.) Observe that with the birth of three sons the Heavenly Throne was not yet made complete until Judah was born; hence only then Leah said, “This time will I praise the Lord”, and not in regard to any of the other sons; and hence again the term vatha’amod (and she left off, lit. stood), implying that the Heavenly Throne stood then firm on its supports.
(ותעמד עד הכא) וַתַּעֲמֹד, דְּהָא עַד הָכָא, וַתַּעֲמֹד בְּיִחוּדָא חַד, מִכָּאן וּלְתַתָּא עַלְמָא דְפִירוּדָא אִיהוּ. וְאִי תֵימָא אִינוּן תְּרֵין בְּנִין דְּאוֹלִידַת לְבָתַר, כְּגַוְונָא דָּא. לָא, דְּהָא אִינוּן תְּרִין בְּאִלֵּין אִתְחַבְּרוּ, בְּגִין דְּשִׁית סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא כְּחֲדָא אִינוּן.
(This term also indicates that up to that point there is unity, but below that is the world of separation.) As for the two other sons born subsequently with the same characteristics, these were united with the others, constituting together a unity symbolic of the six directions of the world.
וְתָא חֲזֵי, כֻּלְּהוּ תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין, תִּקּוּנֵי דִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַאי עַלְמָא נִינְהוּ, לְאִתְתַּקְּנָא נְהוֹרָא עִלָּאָה (ע"ז ע"א) אוּכְמָא כְּמָה דְאִתְחֲזֵי, וְלְאֲתָבָא עִקְּרָא דְכֹלָּא לְאַתְרֵיהּ. כֻּלְּהוּ עָלְמִין כְּגַוְונָא חַד קָיְימֵי, וּבְהַאי אִשְׁתַּכְלַל עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה כְּגַוְונָא דְּעַלְמָא דִלְעֵילָא.
Observe further that all the twelve tribes are the integral parts of the Community of Israel in this world, to give full strength to the supernal light, enveloped in blackness, and restore the root principle of the Whole to its place. All the worlds are built on the same pattern; and through this relation the lower world was completed on the pattern of the upper world.
יִשָּׂשׂכָר זְבוּלוּן, הָכָא אִשְׁתַּכְלָלוּ שִׁית בְּנִין, שִׁית סִטְרִין דְּעַלְמָא. כְּגַוְונָא דָא, בְּנֵי הַשְּׁפָחוֹת אִינוּן אַרְבַּע, וְאִתְחַבְּרוּ בְּאִלֵּין. וְאִלֵּין אַרְבַּע קִשְׁרִין דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן בְּהוּ, וְאוּקְמוּהָ, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (מלכים א ז׳:כ״ה) וְכָל אֲחֹרִיהֶם בָּיְתָה, אַף עַל גַּב דִּבְנֵי שְׁפָחוֹת נִינְהוּ, בָּיְתָה.
By the birth of Issachar and Zebulun there was made complete the number six, symbolic of the six directions of the world. Then again the four sons of the handmaids were associated with them, they being, as it were, the four joints that were linked with them, as already explained. So Scripture says of them: “and their hinder parts were inward” (I Kings 7, 25), to wit, although they were the sons of the handmaids, yet they belonged inward.
רִבִּי חִזְקִיָה אָמַר, אִי הָכִי, הָא אִתְּמָר כָּל מַה דְּאוֹלִיד עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, פִּירוּדָא אִיהוּ, דְּהָא כְּתִיב, (בראשית ב׳:י׳) וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֶד, מַה תֵּימָא בְּיוֹסֵף וּבִנְיָמִין, אִי תֵימָא דְּעַלְמָא חַד בְּהַנֵּי, לָאו אִיהוּ. דְּהָא לָא נָפְקוּ מֵעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה, וְעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה מַה דְּאוֹלִידַת אוֹלִידַת לְתַתָּא וְלָא לְעֵילָא, וְאִי הָכִי פִּירוּדָא אִיהוּ.
R. Hizkiah said: ‘We have affirmed that what the lower world produces belongs to the category of separation, as it is written “and from thence it was parted” (Gen. 2, 11). If so, what about Joseph and Benjamin? How can you say that they belonged to the same world as the others, since they did not issue from the upper world, and what the lower world brings forth is for the lower world and not for the upper world; and, if so, they are separated from the others, since it has been laid down that whatever the lower world produces belongs to the category of separation.’
אֲתָא רִבִּי אַבָּא וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ מִלָּה דָא סָתִים אִיהוּ, דְּהָא עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה אִתְתַּקַּן בִּתְרֵיסַר דְּאִינוּן מִדִּילֵיהּ. אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, רָזָא דְמִלָּה, בְּכָל זִמְנָא צַדִּיק מֵעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה נָפִיק וְעָיִיל, בֵּיהּ עָיִיל וּמִנֵּיהּ נָפִיק. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, אִתְבְּנֵי בְּאֲתַר דָּא, וְעִקָּרָא הוּא לְעֵילָא וְעִקָּרָא הוּא לְתַתָּא, (ס"א צדיק ביה עייל ביה נפיק) וּבְעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה אִיהוּ תָּדִיר לְעוֹלָם, כְּתִיב, (בראשית ל״ה:י״ח) וַיְהִי בְּצֵאת נַפְשָׁהּ כִּי מֵתָה.
R. Abba came up and kissed him and said: ‘This is a real difficulty, since it is true that the upper world becomes perfected by the twelve which properly belong to it. But it can be solved esoterically as follows. At every moment the Righteous One both leaves and enters the lower world. Hence he is built up in this place, while his root is above. Thus he is always present in the lower world. It is written: “And it came to pass as her soul (nafshah) was in departing, for she died” (Gen. 35, 18).
תָּא חֲזֵי בְּהַאי עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, צַדִּיק (שמות רנ"ט ע"א) בֵּיהּ עָיִיל וּמִנֵּיהּ נָפִיק, כַּד עֲיִּיל, אִיהוּ בְּרָזָא דְיוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק, כַּד נָפִיק בְּרָזָא דְּבִנְיָמִין הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית ל״ה:י״ח) וַיְהִי בְּצֵאת נַפְשָׁהּ כִּי מֵתָה, מַאן נַפְשָׁהּ, דָּא צַדִּיק דְּנָפִיק מִנָּהּ.
Now the Righteous One is both in and out of this lower world. When he enters it he does so as symbolised by Joseph the righteous; and when he leaves it he does so as symbolised by Benjamin. Hence it says in connection with the birth of Benjamin: “And it came to pass as her soul (nafshah) was in departing-for she died”, where “her soul” alludes to the Righteous One that was departing, to wit, Benjamin.
וְדָא בִּנְיָמִין, נִקְרָא בֶּן אוֹנִי, דְּחֲשִׁיבַת דְּאוֹלִידַת לְתַתָּא בְּעַלְמָא דְּפִירוּדָא, וְאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ חַד סָרֵי בְּאִינוּן לְעֵילָא. מַה כְּתִיב וְאָבִיו קָרָא לוֹ בִּנְיָמִין בֶּן יָמִין, דְּהָא אִסְתַּלַּק לְעֵילָא בְּעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה. דְּכַד אִתְאֲבִיד יוֹסֵף, בִּנְיָמִין (קנ"ג ע"ב) אַשְׁלִים אַתְרִיהּ. וְעַל דָּא צַדִּיק בְּעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה עָיִיל וְנָפַק, בְּגִין כָּךְ יוֹסֵף וּבִנְיָמִין וְכֻלְּהוּ תְּרִיסַר, כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא בְּיִחוּדָא חַד.
She called him Ben-oni (son of my sorrow), thinking that what she bore belonged to the lower world, the world of separation, thus leaving only eleven as belonging to the upper world. His father, however, called him Benjamin (son of the right hand) (Ibid.), implying that he ascended on high to the upper world; for when Joseph disappeared Benjamin took his place. Thus did the Righteous One both enter the lower world and leave it. Hence Joseph and Benjamin and all the others completed the number of twelve, who formed a unity after the supernal pattern.’