R. Hizkiah one day found R. Jose cooking a dish from which grease was dripping on to the fire, sending up a cloud of smoke. He said then to him: ‘If the pillars of smoke which used once to ascend from the top of the altar had continued to go up like this smoke, wrath would not have descended on the world and Israel would not have been exiled from their land.’
R. Jose then opened a discourse on the verse: Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant (S. S. 3, 6). ‘When Israel’, he said, ‘were journeying in the wilderness, the Shekinah went in front of them, as it is written: “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light” (Ex. 13, 22). They on their side followed its guidance; wherefore it is written: “Thus saith the Lord: I remember thee the affection of thy youth, the love of thine espousals; how thou wentest after me in the wilderness, etc.” (Jer. 2, 2).
The Shekinah was accompanied by all the clouds of glory, and when it journeyed the Israelites took up their march, as it says: “And whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tent, then after that the children of Israel journeyed, etc.” (Num. 9, 17). And when the Shekinah ascended, the cloud also ascended on high, so that all men looked up and asked: “Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke?”
For the cloud of the Shekinah looked like smoke because the fire which Abraham and his son Isaac kindled clung to it and never left it, and by reason of that fire it ascended both as cloud and smoke;
but for all that it was “perfumed”, or, as we may also translate, “bound up with myrrh and frankincense”, that is, with the cloud of Abraham on the right and with the cloud of Isaac on the left. The words “with all powders of the merchant” allude to Jacob,
or, according to another explanation, to Joseph, whose bier accompanied the Israelites in the wilderness, and the designation rokhel (merchant or tale-bearer) is given to him because he brought evil reports of his brethren to their father; or, again, because just as the seller of spices keeps his herbs and spices in bundles, so Joseph through one action kept the whole of the Torah, since all the precepts of the Torah are bound up with the preservation of the holy covenant in its integrity.
The Shekinah was thus leagued with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob together with Joseph, inasmuch as the two latter are one in essence, each one being the image of the other, as indicated in the words: “These are the offspring of Jacob: Joseph” (Gen. 37, 2).
Now, when the Israelites dwelt in their land and brought offerings, they all drew themselves nearer to God in manner due; and when the work of sacrifice was performed and the smoke of the altar ascended in a straight column, they knew that it had kindled the lamp which they desired to kindle, and so all faces shone and all lamps were lit.
But since the destruction of the Temple not a day passes but is visited with wrath and rage, as it says: “and God hath indignation every day” (Ps. 7, 12), and joy has departed from on high and from below, and Israel have gone into exile and are subject to other gods, and the words of Scripture have been fulfilled, saying: “and there thou shalt serve other gods” (Deut. 28, 64).
Why all this? “Because thou didst not serve the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things. Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemy, etc., in want of all things” (Ibid. 28, 47-48).
And so it will be until God will arise and redeem them from among the nations, as we read: “then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the peoples, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine that are dispersed be in the uttermost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, etc.” (Ibid. 30, 3-4).’
רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ יוֹמָא חַד לְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי דְּהֲוָה מִסְטְמִיט סַפְסִינָא גוֹ קִטְרֵי דְנוּרָא וְהֲוָה סָלִיק קִטּוֹרָא דִּתְנָנָא לְעֵילָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, אִלּוּ קִטּוּרָא דִּתְנָנָא דְקָרְבָּנָא דְּהֲוָה סָלִיק עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבְּחָא הֲוָה סָלִיק תָּדִיר כִּי הַאי גַוְונָא, לָא שַׁרְיָא רוּגְזָא בְּעַלְמָא וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לָא אִתְגְּלִי מֵעַל אַרְעָא.
R. Hizkiah one day found R. Jose cooking a dish from which grease was dripping on to the fire, sending up a cloud of smoke. He said then to him: ‘If the pillars of smoke which used once to ascend from the top of the altar had continued to go up like this smoke, wrath would not have descended on the world and Israel would not have been exiled from their land.’
פָּתַח רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר, (שיר השירים ג׳:ו׳) מִי זֹאת עֹלָה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר כְּתִימְרוֹת עָשָׁן מְקֻטֶּרֶת מֹר וּלְבוֹנָה מִכֹּל אַבְקַת רוֹכֵל. מִי זֹאת עוֹלָה. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּזִמְנָא דְהֲווּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אָזְלֵי בְּמַדְבְּרָא, שְׁכִינְתָּא אָזְלָא קַמַּיְיהוּ וְאִינְהוּ הֲווּ אָזְלֵי אֲבַתְרָהּ. דִּכְתִיב, (שמות י״ג:כ״א) וַיְיָ הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן לַנְחוֹתָם הַדֶּרֶךְ וְלַיְלָה בְּעַמּוּד אֵשׁ לְהָאִיר לָהֶם וְגו'. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, (ירמיה ב) כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ זָכַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלוֹתַיִךְ לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר וְגו'.
R. Jose then opened a discourse on the verse: Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant (S. S. 3, 6). ‘When Israel’, he said, ‘were journeying in the wilderness, the Shekinah went in front of them, as it is written: “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light” (Ex. 13, 22). They on their side followed its guidance; wherefore it is written: “Thus saith the Lord: I remember thee the affection of thy youth, the love of thine espousals; how thou wentest after me in the wilderness, etc.” (Jer. 2, 2).
וּשְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוַת אָזְלָא וְכֻלְּהוּ עֲנָנֵי יְקָר בַּהֲדָהּ. וְכַד הֲוָה שְׁכִינְתָּא נָטְלָא, הֲווּ נָטְלִין. כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (שמות מ׳:ל״ו) וּבְהֵעָלוֹת הֶעָנָן מֵעַל הָאֹהֶל וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יִסְּעוּ בְּנִי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגו'. וְכַד אִיהִי סָלְקָא הַהוּא עֲנָנָא סָלְקָא עַד לְעֵילָא, וְכָל בְּנֵי עַלְמָא חָמָאן וְשָׁאֲלֵי וְאָמְרֵי, מִי זֹאת עוֹלָה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר כְּתִימְרוֹת עָשָׁן.
The Shekinah was accompanied by all the clouds of glory, and when it journeyed the Israelites took up their march, as it says: “And whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tent, then after that the children of Israel journeyed, etc.” (Num. 9, 17). And when the Shekinah ascended, the cloud also ascended on high, so that all men looked up and asked: “Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke?”
הַהוּא עֲנָנָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְחַזְיָא עָשָׁן, מַאי טַעֲמָא אִיהִי עָשָׁן. בְּגִין דְּנוּרָא דְּאַדְלִיק אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק בְּרֵיהּ הֲוָה אָחִיד בָּהּ וְלָא אַעֲדֵי מִינָהּ. וְכַד אִתְאַחְדַת הַהוּא נוּרָא בְּגַוָּוהּ הֲוָה סָלִיק עֲנָנָא (נ"א תננא).
For the cloud of the Shekinah looked like smoke because the fire which Abraham and his son Isaac kindled clung to it and never left it, and by reason of that fire it ascended both as cloud and smoke;
וְעִם כָּל דָּא, מְקֻטֶּרֶת מֹר וּלְבוֹנָה. מַאי מְקֻטֶּרֶת, מִתְקַטְרָא בִּתְרֵין סִטְרִין אָחֳרָנִין, עֲנָנָא דְאַבְרָהָם לִימִינָא, עֲנָנָא דְיִצְחָק לִשְׂמָאלָא. מִכֹּל אַבְקַת רוֹכֵל, דָּא יַעֲקֹב.
but for all that it was “perfumed”, or, as we may also translate, “bound up with myrrh and frankincense”, that is, with the cloud of Abraham on the right and with the cloud of Isaac on the left. The words “with all powders of the merchant” allude to Jacob,
דָּבָר אַחֵר דָּא יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק, בְּגִין דַּאֲרוֹנָא דְיוֹסֵף הֲוָה אָזִיל לְגַבֵּיהּ, אַמַּאי רוֹכֵל, בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה רָכִיל לַאֲחוֹי לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּאֲבוֹי. דָּבָר אַחֵר אַמַּאי רוֹכֵל, אֶלָּא מַה חֶנְוָנִי דָא קְטִירֵי דְּקוּסְטְרֵי וְאַבְקֵי דְפוּלְמֵי כֻּלְּהוּ בִּידֵיהּ. הָכִי נָמֵי יוֹסֵף, אִיהוּ קִיּוּמָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ קִיֵּים לָהּ, בְּגִין דְּכָל פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא מִתְקַשְּׁרָן בִּנְטִירוּ דִּבְרִית קַדִּישָׁא.
or, according to another explanation, to Joseph, whose bier accompanied the Israelites in the wilderness, and the designation rokhel (merchant or tale-bearer) is given to him because he brought evil reports of his brethren to their father; or, again, because just as the seller of spices keeps his herbs and spices in bundles, so Joseph through one action kept the whole of the Torah, since all the precepts of the Torah are bound up with the preservation of the holy covenant in its integrity.
וְעַל דָּא שְׁכִינְתָא מִתְקַטְּרָא בְּאַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב וְיוֹסֵף, כְּחֲדָא אִינוּן וְדִיוּקְנָא חָדָא לְהוּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית ל״ז:ב׳) אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף. וּבְגִין כָּךְ מִכֹּל אַבְקַת רוֹכֵל, בְּגִין דְּמֵאֲתַר דְּנַהֲרָא דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק אִשְׁתַּקְיָיא כֹּלָּא וּנְהִירוּ כָּל אַנְפִּין.
The Shekinah was thus leagued with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob together with Joseph, inasmuch as the two latter are one in essence, each one being the image of the other, as indicated in the words: “These are the offspring of Jacob: Joseph” (Gen. 37, 2).
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד הֲווּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאַרְעָא וְהֲווּ מַקְרִיבִין קָרְבָּנִין, כֻּלְּהוּ הֲווּ מִתְקָרְבִין לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת, וְכַד קָרְבָּנָא אִתְעֲבִיד וּתְנָנָא סָלִיק בְּאֹרַח מֵישַׁר, כְּדֵין הֲווּ יָדְעֵי דִּתְנָנָא דְּמַדְבְּחָא אַדְלִיק בּוֹצִינָא דְּאִתְחַזְּיָא לְאַדְלָקָא, וְכָל אַנְפִּין נְהִירִין וּבוֹצִינִין דָּלְקִין.
Now, when the Israelites dwelt in their land and brought offerings, they all drew themselves nearer to God in manner due; and when the work of sacrifice was performed and the smoke of the altar ascended in a straight column, they knew that it had kindled the lamp which they desired to kindle, and so all faces shone and all lamps were lit.
וּמִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְחָרִיב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא לֵית לָךְ יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ זְעִימוּ וְרוּגְזָא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (תהלים ז) וְאֵל זוֹעֵם בְּכָל יוֹם, וְאִתְפָּרַשׁ חֶדְוָה מֵעֵילָא וּמִתַּתָּא. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אָזְלִין בְּגָלוּתָא וְאִינוּן בִּרְשׁוּ דְּטַעֲוָון אָחֳרָנִין. וּכְדֵין אִתְקְיַּים קְרָא דִּכְתִיב, (דברים כ״ח:ל״ו) וְעָבַדְתָּ שָׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים.
But since the destruction of the Temple not a day passes but is visited with wrath and rage, as it says: “and God hath indignation every day” (Ps. 7, 12), and joy has departed from on high and from below, and Israel have gone into exile and are subject to other gods, and the words of Scripture have been fulfilled, saying: “and there thou shalt serve other gods” (Deut. 28, 64).
וְכָל דָּא לָמָּה, בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב, (דברים כ״ח:מ״ז) תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לא עָבַדְתָּ אֶת יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְטוּב לֵבָב מֵרוֹב כֹּל. מַאי מֵרוֹב כֹּל. הָכָא מֵרוֹב כֹּל, וְהָתָם בְּחֹסֶר כֹּל.
Why all this? “Because thou didst not serve the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things. Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemy, etc., in want of all things” (Ibid. 28, 47-48).
עַד דְּיִתְעַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְיִפְרוֹק לוֹן מִבֵּינִי עַמְמַיָא, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דברים ל׳:ג׳) וְשָׁב יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחַמְךָ וְשָׁב וְקִבֶּצְךָ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר הֶפִיצְךָ יְיָ אֱלהֶיךָ שָׁמָּה. וּכְתִיב אִם יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲךָ בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם מִשָּׁם יְקַבֶּצְךָ וְגו':
And so it will be until God will arise and redeem them from among the nations, as we read: “then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the peoples, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine that are dispersed be in the uttermost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, etc.” (Ibid. 30, 3-4).’