R. Judah opened a discourse on the text: For, lo, the kings assembled themselves, etc. (Ps. 48, 5). ‘This is an allusion’, he said, ‘to Judah and Joseph, who were both kings and joined together in an altercation. For Judah had gone surety for Benjamin and pledged himself to his father in respect of this world and the world to come, saying to his father: “I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame all the days” (Gen. 43, 9), to wit, in this world and in the world to come.
Hence he approached Joseph to reason with him regarding Benjamin, for fear lest he should be banned in this world and in the world to come. When Judah and Joseph hotly disputed, then all those that were present “saw, straightway they were amazed, they were affrighted, they hasted away. Trembling took hold of them there” (Ps. 48, 6-7),
3
חִיל כַּיּוֹלֵדָה, בְּגִין דְּהֲווּ דַּחֲלִין, לְקָטְלָא וּלְאִתְקְטָלָא, וְכֹלָּא בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּבִנְיָמִן. (ד"א ציין זה מה כתיב כן תמהו נבהלו נחפזו וכלא בגיניה) דְּהָא יוֹסֵף אִזְדַּבַּן בְּגִינֵיהּ דִּיהוּדָה, וְאִתְאֲבִיד מֵאֲבוֹי. וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְעָרַב בֵּיהּ בְּבִנְיָמִין, וְדָחִיל דְּלָא יִתְאֲבִיד. וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה.
as they feared lest they might kill or be killed, and all on account of Benjamin.’1The first three lines of the Hebrew text do not appear in the translation.
R. Judah said: ‘There is in this verse a recondite doctrine of faith, to wit, that when God is pleased with Israel and their union is crowned, then two worlds meet together in union, the one opening its store-house, and the other gathering in the contents. Thus, “lo, the kings assembled themselves”, to wit, the two holy worlds, the upper world and the lower world.’
R. Hiya said: ‘The same effect is produced by the sacrifices, for when a sacrifice is offered up and each section receives its due, then there is a bond of union effected between all, and all faces are illumined.
As for the words “they saw, straightway they were amazed”, these cannot refer to the kings: they must refer to the accusers, whose whole joy lies in executing the sentence which has been committed to them. Hence, when the kings met together in amity and union, they, the accusers, “were amazed, they were affrighted, they hasted away”; they were subdued and passed out of the world; they had no dominion, and were left without any source of sustenance.’
R. Eleazar said: ‘The reason why Judah and no other came near to Joseph was because he went surety, as it says: “for thy servant became surety for the lad.” Esoterically speaking, it was in the order of things that Judah and Joseph should thus meet, as Joseph was a Zaddik and Judah was a king, and so their union produced many benefits for the world: it was the cause of peace to all the tribes and between all the tribes, it was the cause of Jacob’s spirit being fortified, as it says: “the spirit of Jacob their father revived” (Gen. 45, 27). Hence, all both above and below conspired to bring them together.’
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים מ״ח:ה׳) כִּי הִנֵּה הַמְלָכִים נוֹעֲדוּ, דָּא יְהוּדָה וְיוֹסֵף. בְּגִין דְּתַרְוַויְיהוּ מְלָכִים, וְאִתְקְרִיבוּ דָּא בְּדָא לְאִתְוַוכְּחָא תַּרְוַויְיהוּ כָּחֲדָא. בְּגִין דִּיְהוּדָה אִתְעָרֵב בֵּיהּ בְּבִנְיָמִן, וְהֲוָה עָרֵב לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּאֲבוֹי בֵּיהּ, בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי. וְעַל דָּא אִתְקְרִיב קַמֵּיהּ דְּיוֹסֵף, לְאִתְוַוכְּחָא עִמֵּיהּ עַל עִסְקָא דְבִנְיָמִן, דְּלָא לְמֶהוֵי בְּנִדּוּי. בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (בראשית מ״ג:ט׳) אָנֹכִי אֶעֶרְבֶנּוּ מִיָּדִי תְּבַקְּשֶׁנּוּ אִם לא הֲבִיאוֹתִיו אֵלֶיךָ וְהִצַּגְתִּיו לְפָנְיךָ וְחָטָאתִי לְאָבִי כָּל הַיָּמִים. בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי.
R. Judah opened a discourse on the text: For, lo, the kings assembled themselves, etc. (Ps. 48, 5). ‘This is an allusion’, he said, ‘to Judah and Joseph, who were both kings and joined together in an altercation. For Judah had gone surety for Benjamin and pledged himself to his father in respect of this world and the world to come, saying to his father: “I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame all the days” (Gen. 43, 9), to wit, in this world and in the world to come.
וְעַל דָּא, כִּי הִנֵּה הַמְּלָכִים נוֹעֲדוּ עָבְרוּ יַחְדָּיו, אִתְרְגִיזוּ כְּחֲדָא, וְאִתְרְגִּיזוּ דָּא בְּדָא בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּבִנְיָמִן. מַה כְּתִיב, הֵמָּה רָאוּ כֵּן תָּמָהוּ נִבְהֲלוּ נֶחְפָּזוּ רְעָדָה אֲחָזָתַם שָׁם, לְכָל אִינוּן דְּהֲווּ תַּמָּן. (לכלהו שאר שבטין דהוו תמן).
Hence he approached Joseph to reason with him regarding Benjamin, for fear lest he should be banned in this world and in the world to come. When Judah and Joseph hotly disputed, then all those that were present “saw, straightway they were amazed, they were affrighted, they hasted away. Trembling took hold of them there” (Ps. 48, 6-7),
חִיל כַּיּוֹלֵדָה, בְּגִין דְּהֲווּ דַּחֲלִין, לְקָטְלָא וּלְאִתְקְטָלָא, וְכֹלָּא בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּבִנְיָמִן. (ד"א ציין זה מה כתיב כן תמהו נבהלו נחפזו וכלא בגיניה) דְּהָא יוֹסֵף אִזְדַּבַּן בְּגִינֵיהּ דִּיהוּדָה, וְאִתְאֲבִיד מֵאֲבוֹי. וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְעָרַב בֵּיהּ בְּבִנְיָמִין, וְדָחִיל דְּלָא יִתְאֲבִיד. וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה.
as they feared lest they might kill or be killed, and all on account of Benjamin.’1The first three lines of the Hebrew text do not appear in the translation.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי הִנֵּה הַמְּלָכִים נוֹעֲדוּ, דָּא יְהוּדָה וְיוֹסֵף, דְּאִזְדַּמְּנוּ לְאִתְוַכְּחָא דָּא עִם דָּא, לְאִתְוַכְּחָא תַּרְוַויְיהוּ כְּחֲדָא. בְּגִין דִּיהוּדָה הֲוָה מֶלֶךְ, וְיוֹסֵף הֲוָה מֶלֶךְ, וְתַרְוַויְיהוּ אָתוּ כְּחֲדָא לְאִתְוַכְּחָא דָּא עִם דָּא. דָּא עַל בִּנְיָמִן, וְדָא עַל בִּנְיָמִן.
כִּי הִנֵּה הַמְּלָכִים, אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, רָזָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא הָכָא, דְּהָא כַּד רְעוּתָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח, וְקִשּׁוּרָא אִתְעַטַּר כְּחֲדָא, כְּדֵין תְּרֵין עָלְמִין מִתְקַשְּׁרָן כְּחֲדָא וְאִזְדַּמְּנָן כְּחֲדָא. דָּא לְאַפְתָּחָא אוֹצָרָא, וְדָא לְלַקְּטָא וּלְמִכְנַשׁ בְּגַוֵּיהּ. וּכְדֵין כִּי הִנֵּה הַמְּלָכִים נוֹעֲדוּ, תְּרֵין עָלְמִין קַדִּישִׁין, עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה וְעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה.
R. Judah said: ‘There is in this verse a recondite doctrine of faith, to wit, that when God is pleased with Israel and their union is crowned, then two worlds meet together in union, the one opening its store-house, and the other gathering in the contents. Thus, “lo, the kings assembled themselves”, to wit, the two holy worlds, the upper world and the lower world.’
עָבְרוּ יַחְדָּיו, רָזָא דְמִלָּה, דְּכַד מִתְחַבְּרָן כְּחֲדָא, כְּדֵין עָבְרוּ יַחְדָּיו. בְּגִין דְּכָל חִיּוּבִין דְּעַלְמָא לָא אִתְעַבְרָן לְאִתְכַּפְיָא, עַד דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן כְּחֲדָא. כְּדִכְתִיב, (מיכה ז׳:י״ח) וְעוֹבֵר עַל פֶּשַׁע. וְעַל דָּא עָבְרוּ יַחְדָּיו. עָבְרוּ, אִינוּן חוֹבִין אִתְכַּפָּרוּ. בְּגִין דְּהָא כְדֵין כָּל אַנְפִּין נְהִירִין, וְכָל חוֹבִין אִתְעֲבָרוּ.
רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, רָזָא דָא בְתִקּוּנָא דְּקָרְבָּנָא אִיהוּ. דְּהָא כַּד קָרְבָּנָא אִתְקְרִיב וְכֹלָּא מִסְתַּפְּקִין, וְכָל חַד וְחַד כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ, כְּדֵין אִתְקַשַּׁר כֹּלָּא כְּחֲדָא. וְכָל אַנְפִּין נְהִירִין, וְקִשּׁוּרָא חַד אִשְׁתַּכַּח. וּכְדֵין הַמְּלָכִים נוֹעֲדוּ וְאִזְדַּמְּנוּ כְּחֲדָא, לְכַפָּרָא עַל חוֹבִין, לְאַעֲבָרָא עֲלַיְיהוּ. וּכְדֵין הַמְּלָכִים נוֹעֲדוּ, וְאִתְקַשְּׁרָן כְּחֲדָא. עָבְרוּ יַחְדָּיו, לְאַנְהָרָא כָּל אַנְפִּין, וּלְמֶהֱוֵי כֹּלָּא רְעוּתָא חָדָא.
R. Hiya said: ‘The same effect is produced by the sacrifices, for when a sacrifice is offered up and each section receives its due, then there is a bond of union effected between all, and all faces are illumined.
הֵמָּה רָאוּ כֵּן תָּמָהוּ, סַלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ דְּאִינוּן מְלָכִים. אֶלָּא אִלֵּין מָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינִין, דְּחֶדְוָה דִלְהוֹן לְמֶעְבַּד הַהוּא דִינָא דְּאִתְפַּקְּדוּ עֲלֵיהּ. וּכְדֵין, כַּד מְלָכִים אִזְדַּמְּנוּ תַּרְוַויְיהוּ בִּרְעוּתָא חָדָא, כְּדֵין הֵמָה רָאוּ הַהוּא רְעוּתָא דִתְרֵין עָלְמִין. כֵּן תָּמָהוּ נִבְהֲלוּ נֶחְפָּזוּ, בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ מָארֵי דְדִינָא אִתְכַּפְיָין וּמִתְעַבְרָן מֵעַלְמָא, וְלָא יָכְלֵי לְשַׁלְּטָאָה. וּכְדֵין מִתְעַבְרִין קִיּוּמֵיהוֹן, מְעַבְרִין שָׁלְטָנְהוֹן.
As for the words “they saw, straightway they were amazed”, these cannot refer to the kings: they must refer to the accusers, whose whole joy lies in executing the sentence which has been committed to them. Hence, when the kings met together in amity and union, they, the accusers, “were amazed, they were affrighted, they hasted away”; they were subdued and passed out of the world; they had no dominion, and were left without any source of sustenance.’
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, וַיִּגַשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה. מַאי טַעְמָא יְהוּדָה, בְּגִין דְּהָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ, דְּאִיהוּ עָרַב. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, כִּי עַבְדְּךָ עָרַב אֶת הַנַּעַר. וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה, יְהוּדָה וְיוֹסֵף הָכִי אִצְטְרִיכוּ לְאִתְקָרְבָא כְּחֲדָא. בְּגִין דְּיוֹסֵף אִיהוּ צַדִּיק, יְהוּדָה אִיהוּ מֶלֶךְ. וְעַל דָּא וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה. בְּגִין דְּקוּרְבָא דִלְהוֹן דְאִתְקְרִיבוּ כְּחֲדָא, גָּרַם כַּמָּה טָבִין לְעַלְמָא. גָּרַם שְׁלָמָא לְכֻלְּהוּ שִׁבְטִין. גָּרַם שְׁלָמָא בֵּינַייהוּ. גָּרַם לְיַעֲקֹב דְּאִתְקְיַּים רוּחָא דִילֵיהּ. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (בראשית מ״ה:כ״ז) וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם. וְעַל דָּא קְרִיבוּ דְּדָא עִם דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ, בְּכֻלְּהוּ סִטְרִין לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא.
R. Eleazar said: ‘The reason why Judah and no other came near to Joseph was because he went surety, as it says: “for thy servant became surety for the lad.” Esoterically speaking, it was in the order of things that Judah and Joseph should thus meet, as Joseph was a Zaddik and Judah was a king, and so their union produced many benefits for the world: it was the cause of peace to all the tribes and between all the tribes, it was the cause of Jacob’s spirit being fortified, as it says: “the spirit of Jacob their father revived” (Gen. 45, 27). Hence, all both above and below conspired to bring them together.’