R. Hiya discoursed on the text: And thy people are all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever, etc. (Is. 60, 21). ‘Israel’, he said, ‘have been favoured above all the Gentiles in being entitled by God righteous, that they may obtain an everlasting inheritance in the world to come, as it is written: “Then thou shalt delight in the Lord” (Is. 58, 14). Wherefore so? Because they attach themselves to the Body of the King, as it says: “Ye that cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day” (Deut. 4, 4).’
R. Isaac said: ‘This text of R. Hiya contains a deep allusion for “the reapers in the field”.1i.e. students of the esoteric doctrine. For R. Simeon has laid down in the esoteric Agadah that the exalted inheritance of that other land is acquired by none save him who is called “righteous.” For the Matron cleaves to the Righteous One and finds delight in him, and the Righteous One assuredly inherits the Matron.
So God in His love for Israel called them righteous and they are therefore meet to inherit the Matron. The reason is that they are circumcised, according to the dictum: “Whoever is circumcised and enters into the covenant and observes it becomes attached to the Body of the King, and enters into the Righteous One”, and they are therefore called righteous, and so “they shall for ever inherit the land”, to wit, the “land of the living”.
They are further called in the text “the branch of my planting”, to wit, one of those shoots which God planted when He created the world, referred to in the verse,, “And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden” (Gen. 2, 8).
According to another explanation, the words “And thy people are all righteous” refer to Jacob and his sons, who went down to Egypt among a stiff-necked people and all remained righteous, wherefore “they shall for ever inherit the land”, since from there they went up to inherit the holy land.
AND JACOB LIVED IN THE LAND OF EGYPT. It is to be noted that this section is “closed”, i.e. no space is left in the scroll of the Law between the beginning of this section (vayehi) and the end of the previous section (vayigash). Why is this? R. Jacob said: ‘It is to indicate that when Jacob died the eyes of Israel became, as it were, closed, because then they really entered on the galuth and the Egyptians enslaved them.’
R. Simeon said: ‘It is to show that the words “and Jacob lived” are to be taken in close conjunction with the preceding sentence: “And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen and they gat them possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.” That is to say, just as they lived in luxury and were short of nothing, so Jacob similarly had every comfort and was short of nothing.
Hence it is said of him now that “he lived”. For up to this time he had known nothing but trouble, but now he saw one of his sons in royal estate and the others virtuous and righteous, all living in the lap of luxury while he himself abode among them like good wine resting on its lees; so that now in reality he lived.
SEVENTEEN YEARS. Why seventeen? R. Simeon said: ‘Jacob’s life was always one of hardship, but whenever he looked at Joseph he thought he saw his mother again, because Joseph closely resembled Rachel, and at such a time he forgot all his sorrows.
When, however, Joseph was parted from him, this was a worse blow than all the previous ones, and he wept every day for the seventeen years that Joseph had been with him.
Hence Providence compensated him with another seventeen years of Joseph’s company, during which he lived in ease and luxury. Tradition tells us that all those seventeen years the Divine Presence rested upon him, and therefore they were called “life”.
So it says that when his sons told him that Joseph was alive, “the spirit of Jacob their father revived” (Gen. 45, 27), for up to then the spirit had been dead within him and he had not been in a state to receive another in its place, since the spirit from above does not rest on an empty spot.’ R. Jose said: ‘The Shekinah does not rest on a place which is defective or disturbed, but only in a place properly prepared, a place of joyfulness. Hence all the years that Joseph was away and Jacob was in sadness, the Shekinah did not rest on him.’
So we have learnt that R. Eleazar said in the name of R. Abba: ‘It is written, “Serve the Lord with gladness, come before his presence with singing”, to show that the service of God should be performed with joy.’ This accords with what R. Eleazar has elsewhere said, that when Elisha desired the spirit to rest upon him, he said “and now bring me a minstrel” (II Kings 3, 15).
R. Abba said: ‘It has been laid down in a certain passage that the whole is derived from four sides, and that all the roots of the higher and lower beings are attached to them; and it has been further said that as one goes in another goes out, and as one is revealed another is concealed, and each one is linked to the next, and they are the origins of all.’
וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב וְגו', רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו ס׳:כ״א) וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ וְגו', זַכָּאִין אִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, יַתִּיר מִכָּל עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָרָא לוֹן צַדִּיקִים. לְאַחְסִין לוֹן יְרוּתַת עַלְמִין בְּעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, לְאִתְעֲנָגָא בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו נ״ח:י״ד) אָז תִּתְעַנֵּג עַל ה'. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּמִתְדַּבְּקִין בְּגוּפָא דְמַלְכָּא, דִּכְתִיב, (דברים ד׳:ד׳) וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּה' אֱלהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם.
R. Hiya discoursed on the text: And thy people are all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever, etc. (Is. 60, 21). ‘Israel’, he said, ‘have been favoured above all the Gentiles in being entitled by God righteous, that they may obtain an everlasting inheritance in the world to come, as it is written: “Then thou shalt delight in the Lord” (Is. 58, 14). Wherefore so? Because they attach themselves to the Body of the King, as it says: “Ye that cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day” (Deut. 4, 4).’
רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ, הַאי קְרָא רָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ בֵּין מְחַצְדֵי חַקְלָא, דְּהָא בְּרָזָא דְּאַגַּדְתָּא תָּנֵי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. דְּאַחְסָנַת יְרוּתָא עִלָּאָה דְּהַהִיא אֶרֶץ, לֵית מַאן דְּיָרִית לָהּ, בַּר הַהוּא דְאִקְרֵי צַדִּיק. (ס"א דהאי ארץ, ולית מאן דירית לה, בר ההוא דאקרי צדיק, דהא צדיק ירית למטרוניתא ודאי) דְּהָא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא בֵּיהּ אִתְדַּבְּקַת לְאִתְבַּסְּמָא, וְצַדִּיק יָרִית לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא וַדַּאי.
R. Isaac said: ‘This text of R. Hiya contains a deep allusion for “the reapers in the field”.1i.e. students of the esoteric doctrine. For R. Simeon has laid down in the esoteric Agadah that the exalted inheritance of that other land is acquired by none save him who is called “righteous.” For the Matron cleaves to the Righteous One and finds delight in him, and the Righteous One assuredly inherits the Matron.
אוּף הָכָא, בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמַר, וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים, וּבְגִין כָּךְ לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אֶרֶץ, אִתְחֲזוּן לְיָרִית לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא. מַאי טַעְמָא אִקְרוּן צַדִּיקִים, וּמַאי טַעְמָא יָרְתִין לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא. בְּגִין דְּאִתְגַּזָּרוּ. כְּמָה דְתָנִינָן, כָּל מַאן דְּאִתְגְּזַר, וְעֲיִּיל בְּהַאי (ס"א ברית קדישא ועייל בהאי) אַחְסָנָא, וְנָטִיר לְהַאי בְּרִית, עָאל וְאִתְדָּבַּק בְּגוּפָא דְמַלְכָּא, וְעָאל בְּהַאי צַדִּיק. וּבְגִינֵי כָּךְ אִקְרוּן צַדִּיקִים, וְעַל דָּא לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ. מַאי אָרֶץ, דָּא אֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים.
So God in His love for Israel called them righteous and they are therefore meet to inherit the Matron. The reason is that they are circumcised, according to the dictum: “Whoever is circumcised and enters into the covenant and observes it becomes attached to the Body of the King, and enters into the Righteous One”, and they are therefore called righteous, and so “they shall for ever inherit the land”, to wit, the “land of the living”.
אַהֲדַר וְאָמַר, נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר. נִצֶר מַטָּעַי, עֲנָפָא מֵאִינוּן עֲנָפִין, דְּנָטַע קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד בָּרָא עַלְמָא. דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית ב׳:ח׳) וַיִּטַּע ה' אֱלהִים גַּן בְּעֵדֶן מִקֶּדֶם, וְהַאי אֶרֶץ חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ. בְּגִינִי כָּךְ, נִצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר.
They are further called in the text “the branch of my planting”, to wit, one of those shoots which God planted when He created the world, referred to in the verse,, “And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden” (Gen. 2, 8).
דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים, דָּא יַעֲקֹב וּבְנוֹי דְּנָחֲתוּ לְמִצְרַיִם בֵּין עַם קְשֵׁי קְדַל, וְאִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ כֻּלְּהוּ זַכָּאִין. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אֶרֶץ דְּמִּתַּמָּן סְלִיקוּ לִירַית אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא.
According to another explanation, the words “And thy people are all righteous” refer to Jacob and his sons, who went down to Egypt among a stiff-necked people and all remained righteous, wherefore “they shall for ever inherit the land”, since from there they went up to inherit the holy land.
וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, אַמַּאי פַּרְשָׁתָא דָא סְתִימָא. רִבִּי יַעֲקֹב אָמַר, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּמִית יַעֲקֹב, אִסְתִּימוּ עֵינֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, דִּכְדֵין נָחֲתוּ לְגָלוּתָא, וְאִשְׁתַּעְבִּידוּ בְּהוֹן.
AND JACOB LIVED IN THE LAND OF EGYPT. It is to be noted that this section is “closed”, i.e. no space is left in the scroll of the Law between the beginning of this section (vayehi) and the end of the previous section (vayigash). Why is this? R. Jacob said: ‘It is to indicate that when Jacob died the eyes of Israel became, as it were, closed, because then they really entered on the galuth and the Egyptians enslaved them.’
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָא, וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּאֶרֶץ גּשֶׁן וַיֵּאָחֲזוּ בָהּ וַיִּפְרוּ וַיִּרְבּוּ מְאֹד. וּכְתִיב וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב, דְּלָא אִתְחֲזֵי לְאַפְרָשָׁא בֵּין דָּא לְדָא. מָה אִינוּן קָיְימֵי בְּתַפְנוּקִין דְּמַלְכִין, וְקַבִּילוּ עִנּוּגָא וְכִסּוּפִין לְגַרְמַיְיהוּ. אוּף יַעֲקֹב נָמֵי, קַיַּים בְּתַפְנוּקֵי מַלְכִין, בְּעִנּוּגָא וְכִסּוּפָא לְגַרְמֵיהּ, לָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ דָּא מִן דָּא.
R. Simeon said: ‘It is to show that the words “and Jacob lived” are to be taken in close conjunction with the preceding sentence: “And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen and they gat them possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.” That is to say, just as they lived in luxury and were short of nothing, so Jacob similarly had every comfort and was short of nothing.
וְהָכָא אִקְרֵי וַיְחִי. דְּהָא כָּל יוֹמוֹי לָא אִקְרֵי וַיְחִי, בְּגִין דְּכָל יוֹמוֹי בְּצַעֲרָא הֲווּ, בְּצַעֲרָא אִשְׁתַּכְּחָן, עֲלֵיהּ כְּתִיב, (איוב ג׳:כ״ו) לֹא שָׁלַוְתִּי וְלֹא שָׁקַטְתִּי וְלא נָחְתִּי וַיָּבֹא רֹגֶז. בָּתַר דְּנָחַת לְמִצְרַיִם, אִקְרֵי וַיְחִי. חָמָא לִבְרֵיהּ מַלְכָּא, חָמָא לְכָל בְּנוֹי זַכָּאִין צַדִּיקִין, וְכֻלְּהוּ בְּתַעֲנוּגֵי וְתַפְנוּקֵי עַלְמָא, וְהוּא יָתִיב בֵּינִיהוֹן כַּחֲמַר טַב דְּיָתִיב עַל דּוּרְדַּיֵּיהּ, כְּדֵין אִקְרֵי וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב. וְלָא פָּרִישׁ בֵּין וַיִּפְרוּ וַיִּרְבּוּ מְאֹד לְוַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב, וְהָכִי אִתְחֲזֵי.
Hence it is said of him now that “he lived”. For up to this time he had known nothing but trouble, but now he saw one of his sons in royal estate and the others virtuous and righteous, all living in the lap of luxury while he himself abode among them like good wine resting on its lees; so that now in reality he lived.
שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה, מַאי טַעְמָא שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה. אֶלָּא אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כָּל יוֹמוֹי דְּיַעֲקֹב בְּצַעֲרָא הֲווּ, בְּצַעֲרָא אַעֲבַר לוֹן בְּקַדְמִיתָא, כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לְיוֹסֵף, וְהֲוָה קָאִים קַמֵּיהּ, כַּד יַעֲקֹב מִסְתַּכֵּל בְּיוֹסֵף, הֲוָה אִשְׁתְּלִים בְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ, כְּאִילּוּ חָמָא לְאִמֵּיהּ דְּיוֹסֵף. דְּשַׁפִּירוּ דְּיוֹסֵף דָּמֵי לְשַׁפִּירוּ דְּרָחֵל. וְהֲוָה דָּמֵי בְּגַרְמֵיהּ כְּמָה דְּלָא אַעֲבַר עֲלֵיהּ צַעֲרָא בְּיוֹמוֹי.
SEVENTEEN YEARS. Why seventeen? R. Simeon said: ‘Jacob’s life was always one of hardship, but whenever he looked at Joseph he thought he saw his mother again, because Joseph closely resembled Rachel, and at such a time he forgot all his sorrows.
וְכַד יוֹסֵף אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנֵּיהּ, כְּדֵין אִתְקְיַּים, לֹא שָׁלַוְתִּי וְלֹא שָׁקַטְתִּי וְלא נָחְתִּי וַיָּבֹא רֹגֶז. דְּדָא קַשְׁיָא לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב מִכָּל מַה דְּעֲבַר, וּבְזִמְנָא דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ יוֹסֵף מִנֵּיהּ, מַה כְּתִיב, (בראשית ל״ז:ב׳) יוֹסֵף בֶּן שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה הָיָה רוֹעֶה וְגו'. וְכָל יוֹמִין דְּיַעֲקֹב, לָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ צַעֲרָא כְּהַאי, וְהֲוָה בָּכֵי כָּל יוֹמָא לְאִינוּן שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה דְיוֹסֵף.
When, however, Joseph was parted from him, this was a worse blow than all the previous ones, and he wept every day for the seventeen years that Joseph had been with him.
מַאי קָאֲתִיבוּ לֵיהּ, (בראשית מ״ו:ד׳) וְיוֹסֵף יָשִׁית יָדוֹ עַל עֵינֶיךָ, הָא לְךָ שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה אָחֳרָנִין, בְּעִנּוּגִין וְתַפְנוּקִין וַהֲנָאוֹת וְכִסּוּפִין. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וְגו'. תָּנָא, כָּל אִינוּן שְׁנִין, שְׁכִינְתָּא יְקָרָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עִמֵּיהּ אִשְׁתַּכְּחָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ חַיִּים אִקְרוּן.
Hence Providence compensated him with another seventeen years of Joseph’s company, during which he lived in ease and luxury. Tradition tells us that all those seventeen years the Divine Presence rested upon him, and therefore they were called “life”.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם, אִתְחֲזֵי דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא מִית הֲוָה הַהוּא רוּחָא דִילֵיהּ, וְלָא הֲוָה מִתְכַּוֵּין לְקַבְּלָא רוּחָא אָחֳרָא. דְּהָא רוּחָא דִלְעֵילָא, לָא שַׁרְיָא בְּרֵיקַנְיָא. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא שַׁרְיָא, אֶלָּא בְּאֲתַר שְׁלִים, וְלָא בְּאֲתַר חָסֵר, וְלָא בְּאֲתַר פָּגִים, וְלָא בְּאֲתַר עָצִיב, אֶלָּא בְּאֲתַר דְּאִתְכַּוֵּון, בְּאֲתַר חֲדוּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, כָּל אִינוּן שְׁנִין דְּיוֹסֵף אִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאֲבוֹי, וְיַעֲקֹב הֲוָה עָצִיב, לָא שַׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא.
So it says that when his sons told him that Joseph was alive, “the spirit of Jacob their father revived” (Gen. 45, 27), for up to then the spirit had been dead within him and he had not been in a state to receive another in its place, since the spirit from above does not rest on an empty spot.’ R. Jose said: ‘The Shekinah does not rest on a place which is defective or disturbed, but only in a place properly prepared, a place of joyfulness. Hence all the years that Joseph was away and Jacob was in sadness, the Shekinah did not rest on him.’
תָּנָא, אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, כְּתִיב, (תהילים ק׳:ב׳) עִבְדוּ אֶת ה' בְּשִׂמְחָה בֹּאוּ לְפָנָיו בִּרְנָנָה. לְאֲפָקָא, דְּלֵית פּוּלְחָנָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אֶלָּא מִגּוֹ חֶדְוָה. דְּאָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, לֵית שְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא מִגּוֹ עַצְבוּת, דִּכְתִיב (מלכים ב ג׳:ט״ו) וְעַתָּה קְחוּ לִי מְנַגֵּן וְהָיָה כְּנַגֵּן הַמְנַגֵּן. מְנַגֵּן מְנַגֵּן תְּלַת זִימְנֵי אַמַּאי. בְּגִין לְאַתְעָרָא רוּחָא מִשְׁלֵימוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא, דְּהוּא רוּחַ שְׁלֵימָא.
So we have learnt that R. Eleazar said in the name of R. Abba: ‘It is written, “Serve the Lord with gladness, come before his presence with singing”, to show that the service of God should be performed with joy.’ This accords with what R. Eleazar has elsewhere said, that when Elisha desired the spirit to rest upon him, he said “and now bring me a minstrel” (II Kings 3, 15).
אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, תַּמָּן תָּנִינָן, מֵאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין כֹּלָּא אִשְׁתַּכַּח, וְכָל שָׁרָשִׁין דְּעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין בְּהוּ אֲחִידָן. וְתָנָא דָּא עָיִיל וְדָא נָפִיק דָּא סָתִים וְדָא פָּרִישׁ, אִתְאֲחַד חַד בַּחֲבֶרְתָּהּ, וְאִינוּן אֲבָהָן דְּכֹלָּא.
R. Abba said: ‘It has been laid down in a certain passage that the whole is derived from four sides, and that all the roots of the higher and lower beings are attached to them; and it has been further said that as one goes in another goes out, and as one is revealed another is concealed, and each one is linked to the next, and they are the origins of all.’
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, (דברים י׳:ט״ו) רַק בַּאֲבוֹתֶיךָ חָשַׁק ה', כְּתִיב בַּאֲבוֹתֶיךָ, מַמָּשׁ תְּלָתָא, וּמַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב רַק, רַק מַמָּשׁ, וּמֵאִלֵּין מִתְפָּרְשָׁן וּמִתְאַחֲדָן כָּל שְׁאָר אָחֳרָנִין, וְסָלְקִין שְׁמָא לְאִתְעַטְּרָא.
R. Simeon said: ‘There are three origins like the three patriarchs, and from them all the rest spread and extol the name to be crowned.’