R. Simeon further said: ‘It is written: “He hath cast down the earth from the heavens” (Lam. 2, 1). For when the Almighty resolved to destroy the Temple and to banish Israel among the nations, He removed from before Him the upper earth, and when that earth was put away from Him, then the lower earth was laid waste and Israel were banished among the nations; whereupon the Community of Israel said: “My mother’s sons were incensed against me” (S. S. 1, 6), and that was the cause of my downfall.’
R. Jose was once walking with R. Hiya the son of Rab, and as they were going along he said to him: ‘Do you see something over there?’ ‘I see a man in the river’, he answered, ‘and a bird on his head with a piece of flesh which it is eating and tearing with its claws. The man is crying out something, but I cannot catch what he says.’
Said the other: ‘Let us go nearer and listen.’ He said: ‘I am afraid.’ ‘Why,’ he said, ‘do you think that this is a man here? This is some hint of Wisdom which God is sending us.’ So they went nearer and they heard him saying: ‘Crown, crown, two sons are kept outside, and there will be no peace or rest until the bird is thrown down in Carsarea.’
the birds of heaven will not depart until the dominion of the idolatrous nations is removed from the earth, which will not be till the day when God will bring the world to judgement.’
תָּנִינָן, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כְּתִיב, (שיר השירים א׳:ו׳) בְּנֵי אִמִּי נִחֲרוּ בִי שָׂמוּנִי נוֹטֵרָה אֶת הַכְּרָמִים, בְּנֵי אִמִּי, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (איכה ב׳:א׳) הִשְׁלִיךְ מִשָּׁמַיִם אֶרֶץ, דְּכַד בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶחְרָבָא בֵּיתֵיהּ דִּלְתַתָּא, וּלְאַגְלָאָה יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּינֵי עַמְמַיָא. אַעֲבַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִקַּמֵּיהּ לְהַאי אֶרֶץ, וְאִתְרַחֲקָא מִנִּיהּ. כְּדִכְתִיב, (שמות ב׳:ד׳) וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחוֹתוֹ מֵרָחוֹק. וְכַד הַאי אֶרֶץ אִתְרַחֲקָא מִשָּׁמַיִם דִּלְעֵילָא, הַאי אֶרֶץ דִּלְתַתָּא אִתְחָרְבָא, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְפַּזְּרוּ בֵּינִי עַמְמַיָא, אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, מַאן גָּרִים לִי הַאי וּמַאן עָבִיד לִי הַאי, בְּנֵי אִמִּי דְּנִחֲרוּ בִי, וְאִתְרַחֲקוּ מִנִּי, בְּנִי אִמִּי וַדַּאי.
R. Simeon further said: ‘It is written: “He hath cast down the earth from the heavens” (Lam. 2, 1). For when the Almighty resolved to destroy the Temple and to banish Israel among the nations, He removed from before Him the upper earth, and when that earth was put away from Him, then the lower earth was laid waste and Israel were banished among the nations; whereupon the Community of Israel said: “My mother’s sons were incensed against me” (S. S. 1, 6), and that was the cause of my downfall.’
רִבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲוָה אָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא, וְהֲוָה עִמֵּיהּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר רַב. עַד דְּהֲווּ אָזְלֵי, אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי לְרִבִּי חִיָּיא, חֲמֵיתָא מַה דְּאֲנָא חָמִית. אָמַר לֵיהּ, חָמֵינָא גַּבְרָא חַד בְּנַהֲרָא, וְצִפֳּרָא חַד עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ, וְעִלְעָא בְּפוּמֵיהּ דְּצִפּוֹרָא, וְאָכְלָא וְרָפְסָא בְּרַגְלוֹי, וְהַהוּא גְּבַר רָמֵי קָלִין וְצָוַוח, וְלָא יְדַעְנָא מַאי קָאֲמַר.
R. Jose was once walking with R. Hiya the son of Rab, and as they were going along he said to him: ‘Do you see something over there?’ ‘I see a man in the river’, he answered, ‘and a bird on his head with a piece of flesh which it is eating and tearing with its claws. The man is crying out something, but I cannot catch what he says.’
אָמַר, נִקְרַב גַּבֵּיהּ וְנִשְׁמַע. אָמַר, מִסְתָּפִינָא לְמִקְרַב. אָמַר לֵיהּ, וְכִי בַּר נָשׁ הוּא בְּאֲתַר דָא, אֶלָּא רְמִיזָא דְחָכְמְתָא דְּרָמִיז לָן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. קְרִיבוּ גַבֵּיהּ, שָׁמְעוּ דְּהֲוָה אָמַר, עוֹטְרָא עוֹטְרָא, תְּרֵין בְּנִין שַׁרְיָין לְבַר, (ס"א שריאו לברא) לָא נָח וְלָא נַיְיחָא, עַד דְּצַפְרָא בְּקִיסְרָא רְמִיו.
Said the other: ‘Let us go nearer and listen.’ He said: ‘I am afraid.’ ‘Why,’ he said, ‘do you think that this is a man here? This is some hint of Wisdom which God is sending us.’ So they went nearer and they heard him saying: ‘Crown, crown, two sons are kept outside, and there will be no peace or rest until the bird is thrown down in Carsarea.’
בָּכָה רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר, הַיְינוּ דְתָנִינָן, בְּנֵי אִמִּי נִחֲרוּ בִי וְגו', מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּכַרְמִי שֶׁלִּי לֹא נָטָרְתִּי.
R. Jose wept and said: ‘Verily the Oaluth is drawn out, and therefore
אָמַר, וַדַּאי גָלוּתָא אִתְמְשַׁךְ, וְעַל דָּא (ס"א די) צִפֳּרֵי שְׁמַיָא לָא אַעֲדִיוּ, עַד דִּי שָׁלְטָנוּתָא דְּעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת אַעֲדִיאוּ מִן עַלְמָא. וְאֵימָתַי, עַד דְּיִמְטֵי יוֹמָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְעַר דִּינוֹי בְּעַלְמָא. דִּכְתִיב, (זכריה י״ד:ז׳) וְהָיָה יוֹם אֶחָד הוּא יִוָּדַע לַה' לא יוֹם וְלֹא לָיְלָה.
the birds of heaven will not depart until the dominion of the idolatrous nations is removed from the earth, which will not be till the day when God will bring the world to judgement.’
עַד דְּהֲווּ אָזְלִין, שָׁמְעוּ חַד קָלָא דְּהֲוָה אָמַר, אוֹקִידָא דְּקוּפְטִירָא מָטָא בְּדִינוֹי, נָפַק חַד שַׁלְהוֹבָא, וְאוֹקִיד לְהַהוּא צִפּוֹרָא. אָמַר, וַדַּאי, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (דניאל ז׳:י״א) וִיהִיבַת לִיקֵדַת אֶשָּׁא.
As they went on they heard a voice say: ‘Let the flame of fire advance to chastise’, whereupon a flame came forth and burnt the bird.