R. Eleazar said: ‘After Jacob had mentally carried the blessings from the lower to the upper sphere, he then drew them from the upper to the lower. Thus he first said: “The God which hath fed me”, and then, having set the blessings in that place, he said “the angel who redeemed me”.’
R. Eleazar further said: ‘It is written: “For the Cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark” (I Kings 8, 7). The Cherubim were kept in their place miraculously, and three times a day they used to spread out their wings and cover the ark.
They were a representation of the upper Cherubim and had the form of children, and they stood beneath that place on the right and the left. They were the first recipients of the blessings which flowed from above, and transmitted them further,
and this is the meaning of the words, “the angel who blessed me”, that is, the angel first received blessings from the beings above, and with them “blessed the lads”, to wit, the Cherubim, and from them blessings were transmitted from the upper to the lower creatures.
R. Hiya discoursed on the verse: House and wealth are an inheritance from parents, but from the Lord is a prudent wife. (Prov. 19, 14). ‘When God gives a house and money to a man,’ he said, ‘sometimes he bequeaths the whole to his son, and therefore these things, although they are ultimately from God, may be called “inheritance of parents”. But the possession of a good wife comes to man only from God. For God mates couples before they are born,
Sometimes it happens that after the lot has been cast, that man perverts his ways, and then his mate is transferred to another until he rectifies his ways, or else until his time comes, and then the other is removed to make way for him and he comes into his own; and this is grievous in the sight of God, to remove one man to make way for another. Nor is it only a prudent wife who is from God.
For if God has purposed to bestow benefits on a man, but he goes astray to the “other side”, then from that other side to which he cleaves there shall come to him one who shall bring upon him all accusations and all ills.
Hence of the wife who is not prudent Solomon said: “And I find that woman more bitter than death” (Eccl. 7, 26), because it is the man’s sins which have drawn her on him. Hence, when God is pleased with a man, he provides for him a wife who is prudent, and redeems him from the other side.
Hence Jacob said, “the angel who hath redeemed me from all wrong”, meaning that a wife had not been assigned to him from the “other side”, and that there was no defect in his seed, all of them being righteous and perfect.’
SHALL BLESS THE CHILDREN. They were deserving of blessing because Joseph had kept the sign of the holy covenant. When Joseph said, “they are my sons whom God has given me here”, he showed his father the sign of the covenant which he had kept, and therefore they were meet for blessing, and he also was deserving of blessing in abundance. Hence Jacob gave to the others only one blessing, but to Joseph many blessings, as it says, “the blessings of thy father… shall be upon the head of Joseph” (Gen. 49, 26).
R. Judah discoursed on the verse: Unto thee do I lift up mine eyes, O thou that sittest in the heavens (Ps. 123, 1). He said: ‘Prayer offered with true devotion is directed on high to the supernal recess, from whence issue all blessings and all freedom, to support the universe.
It is attached above to the mystery of the supreme Wisdom, and it is attached below to him who sits on the throne of the patriarchs which is called heaven. Hence it is written here: “Who sits in the heavens.”
When the blessings issue from the supernal recess, they are all received by this place called heaven, and from thence they flow down till they come to the place called the “Righteous One the foundation of the world”, from whence are blessed all the (heavenly) hosts and camps after their kind.
All these heavenly legions are crowned by seventy-two lights, of which seventy1The seventy Chieftains. form a circle about the world, while in the1The Shekinah.1The Shekinah. from which the whole of the circumference is fed. The house of the holy of holies is the place for that spirit of all spirits, where lies hid the mystery of all mysteries, and when this removes, all move after it.’
הַמַּלְאָךָ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי מִכָּל רָע. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, כֵּיוָן דְּבָרִיךְ יַעֲקֹב וְאִתְכַּוֵּון מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא, כְּדֵין אַמְשִׁיךְ מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא, דִּכְתִיב הָאֱלֹהִים הָרוֹעֶה אוֹתִי, כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהוּ נָטִיל, יָהִיב בִּרְכָאן לְהַאי אֲתַר, כֵּיוָן דְּאַמְטֵי בִּרְכָאן לְהַאי אֲתַר, כְּדֵין פָּתַח וְאָמַר הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל וְגו'.
R. Eleazar said: ‘After Jacob had mentally carried the blessings from the lower to the upper sphere, he then drew them from the upper to the lower. Thus he first said: “The God which hath fed me”, and then, having set the blessings in that place, he said “the angel who redeemed me”.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (מלכים א ח׳:ז׳) כִּי הַכְּרוּבִים פּוֹרְשֵׂי כְּנָפַיִם אֶל מְקוֹם הָאָרוֹן וְגו'. תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּרוּבִים בְּאָת וּבְנִיסָא הֲווּ קָיְימֵי, תְּלַת זִמְנִין בְּיוֹמָא הֲווּ פָּרְשֵׂי גַדְפֵיהוֹן, וְסָכְכֵי עַל אֲרוֹנָא לְתַתָּא, דִּכְתִיב פּוֹרְשֵׂי כְנָפַיִם, פְּרוּשֵׂי לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא פּוֹרְשֵׂי.
R. Eleazar further said: ‘It is written: “For the Cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark” (I Kings 8, 7). The Cherubim were kept in their place miraculously, and three times a day they used to spread out their wings and cover the ark.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד לְתַתָּא כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא, כְּרוּבִים, דִּיוּקְנָא דִלְהוֹן כְּחֵיזוּ רַבְיָין, וְקָיְימִין תְּחוֹת הַאי אֲתַר, מִימִינָא וּמִשְׂמָאלָא, וְאִלֵּין אִתְבָּרְכָן בְּקַדְמִיתָא מֵהַנְהוּ בִּרְכָאן דְּנָגְדָן מֵעֵילָא, וּמֵהָכָא נַגְדֵי בִּרְכָאן לְתַתָּא.
They were a representation of the upper Cherubim and had the form of children, and they stood beneath that place on the right and the left. They were the first recipients of the blessings which flowed from above, and transmitted them further,
וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי מִכָּל רָע. אוֹתִי, דְּנָטִיל בִּרְכָאן מִגְּוָונִין דִּלְעֵילָא, וְכֵיוָן דְּאִיהוּ נָטִיל, יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַנְּעָרִים, דָּא רָזָא דִכְרוּבִים, דְּמִנַּיְיהוּ נָגְדֵי בִּרְכָאן מֵעִילָאֵי לְתַתָּאֵי (ותתאי):
and this is the meaning of the words, “the angel who blessed me”, that is, the angel first received blessings from the beings above, and with them “blessed the lads”, to wit, the Cherubim, and from them blessings were transmitted from the upper to the lower creatures.
הַמַּלְאָךָ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי מִכָּל רָע יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַנְּעָרִים וְגו'. רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (משלי י״ט:י״ד) בַּיִת וָהוֹן נַחֲלַת אָבוֹת, וְכִי נַחֲלַת אָבוֹת אִינְהוּ, וְהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב כֹּלָּא לְבַּר נָשׁ. אֶלָּא, דְּכֵיוָן דְּאַחְסִין בֵּיתָא לְבַר נָשׁ וּמָמוֹנָא, לְזִמְנִין דְּיַחֲסִין כֹּלָּא לִבְרֵיהּ, וִיהֵא אַחְסָנָא דְאָבוֹת. אֲבָל וּמֵיְיָ אִשָּׁה מַשְׂכָּלֶת, בְּגִין דְּאִתְּתָא, כַּד אַחְסִין לָהּ בַּר נָשׁ, מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחְסִין לָהּ, דְּהָא לָא יַחְסִין לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְבַּר נָשׁ, אֶלָּא כַּד מַכְרִיזִין עֲלֵיהּ בִּרְקִיעָא.
R. Hiya discoursed on the verse: House and wealth are an inheritance from parents, but from the Lord is a prudent wife. (Prov. 19, 14). ‘When God gives a house and money to a man,’ he said, ‘sometimes he bequeaths the whole to his son, and therefore these things, although they are ultimately from God, may be called “inheritance of parents”. But the possession of a good wife comes to man only from God. For God mates couples before they are born,
דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְזַוֵּוג זִווּגִין, עַד לָא יֵיתוּן לְעַלְמָא. וְכַד זָכוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לְפוּם עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן, הָכִי יַהֲבֵי לוֹן אִתְּתָא, וְכֹלָּא אִתְגַּלְּיָין קַמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּלְפוּם עוֹבָדִין דְּזַכָּאִין, הָכִי מְזַוִּוג זִוּוּגִין.
and when a man is worthy he obtains a wife according to his deserts.
וּלְזִמְנִין דְּקָא סְלִיקוּ בִּקְלִיטִין, וְאַסְטֵי הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ אָרְחֵיהּ, סָלִיק זִוּוּגֵיהּ לְאָחֳרָא, עַד דְּיִכְשַׁר עוֹבָדוֹי, וְכַד יִכְשַׁר עוֹבָדוֹי, אוֹ דְּמָטֵי זִמְנֵיהּ, אִתְדָּחֵי גְּבַר מִקַּמֵּי גְבַר, וְאָתֵי הַאי וְנָטִיל דִּילֵיהּ. וְדָא קָשֵׁי קַמִּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִכֹּלָּא לְדַחְיָא בַּר נָשׁ מִקַּמֵּי גַבְרָא אָחֳרָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִיהוּ יָהִיב אִתְּתָא לְבַּר נָשׁ, וּמִנֵּיהּ אַתְיָין זִוּוּגִין. וְעַל דָּא וּמֵיְיָ אִשָּׁה מַשְׂכָּלֶת.
Sometimes it happens that after the lot has been cast, that man perverts his ways, and then his mate is transferred to another until he rectifies his ways, or else until his time comes, and then the other is removed to make way for him and he comes into his own; and this is grievous in the sight of God, to remove one man to make way for another. Nor is it only a prudent wife who is from God.
בְּגִין כָּךְ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב כֹּלָּא לְבַר נָשׁ. וְאִי תֵימָא אִשָּׁה מַשְׂכָּלֶת וְלָא אָחֳרָא. תָּא חֲזֵי, אַף עַל גַּב דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַזְמִין טָבָאן לְבַּר נָשׁ לְמֵיהַב לֵיהּ, וְהוּא אַסְטֵי אָרְחוֹי מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְגַבֵּי סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא דְּאִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ, יֵיתֵי לֵיהּ מַאן דְּיֵיתֵי, בְּכָל (נ"א כל) קִטְרוּגִין, וְכָל בִּישִׁין, וְלָא אַתְיָין לֵיהּ מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אֶלָּא מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא בִּישָׁא דְּאִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ, בְּאִינוּן עוֹבָדִין דְּעָבַד.
For if God has purposed to bestow benefits on a man, but he goes astray to the “other side”, then from that other side to which he cleaves there shall come to him one who shall bring upon him all accusations and all ills.
וְעַל דָּא, אִתְּתָא דְּלָאו אִיהִי מַשְׂכֶּלֶת, קָרָא עַל דָּא שְׁלמֹה, (קהלת ז׳:כ״ו) וּמוֹצֵא אֲנִי מַר מִמָּוֶת אֶת הָאִשָּׁה. בְּגִין דְּחוֹבוֹי דְּבַּר נָשׁ, הוּא מָשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ, בְּאִינוּן עוֹבָדִין דְּעָבַד. וְעַל דָּא כַּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרָעֵי בֵּיהּ בְּבַר נָשׁ, בְּגִין עוֹבָדוֹי דְּכָשְׁרָן, אִיהוּ אַזְמִין לֵיהּ אִנְתּוּ דְּאִיהִי מַשְׂכֶּלֶת, וּפָרִיק לֵיהּ בְּפוּרְקָן, מִגּוֹ סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא.
Hence of the wife who is not prudent Solomon said: “And I find that woman more bitter than death” (Eccl. 7, 26), because it is the man’s sins which have drawn her on him. Hence, when God is pleased with a man, he provides for him a wife who is prudent, and redeems him from the other side.
וְעַל דָּא אָמַר יַעֲקֹב, הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי מִכָּל רָע. מַאי מִכָּל רָע, דְּלָא אִזְדַּמְּנַת לִי אִתְּתָא, דְּאִיהִי מִגּוֹ סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, וְלָא אִעָרַע פְּסוּל בְּזַרְעִי (ס"א בערסי), דְּכֻלְּהוּ צַדִּיקֵי וּשְׁלֵימֵי בִּשְׁלִימוּ, בְּגִין דְּאִתְפְּרַק מִכָּל רָע, וְיַעֲקֹב לָא אִתְדָּבַּק בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא כְּלָל.
Hence Jacob said, “the angel who hath redeemed me from all wrong”, meaning that a wife had not been assigned to him from the “other side”, and that there was no defect in his seed, all of them being righteous and perfect.’
וְעַל דָּא, הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי מִכָּל רָע יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַנְּעָרִים. מַאי טַעְמָא אִתְחֲזוּ לְאִתְבָּרְכָא, בְּגִין דְּנָטִיר יוֹסֵף אָת קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְעַל דָּא אָמַר יוֹסֵף בָּנַי הֵם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לִי אֱלֹהִים בָּזֶה, אַחְמֵי לֵיהּ רָזָא דִבְרִית דְּנָטַר לֵיהּ. וּבְגִין דְּנָטַר לֵיהּ, אִתְחֲזוּ לְאִתְבָּרְכָא וְאִתְחֲזֵי אִיהוּ לְבִרְכָאן סַגִּיאִין. בְּגִין דָּא לְכֻלְּהוּ יָהַב בִּרְכָא חַד, וּלְיוֹסֵף בִּרְכָאן סַגִּיאִין, מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב בִּרְכוֹת אָבִיךָ גָּבְרוּ עַל בִּרְכוֹת הוֹרַי וְגו', בִּרְכוֹת שָׁדַיִם וָרָחַם תִּהְיֶיןָ לְרֹאשׁ יוֹסֵף.
SHALL BLESS THE CHILDREN. They were deserving of blessing because Joseph had kept the sign of the holy covenant. When Joseph said, “they are my sons whom God has given me here”, he showed his father the sign of the covenant which he had kept, and therefore they were meet for blessing, and he also was deserving of blessing in abundance. Hence Jacob gave to the others only one blessing, but to Joseph many blessings, as it says, “the blessings of thy father… shall be upon the head of Joseph” (Gen. 49, 26).
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ר"ח ע"ב) (תהילים קכ״ג:א׳) אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי הַיּוֹשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם, הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ, אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, צְלוֹתָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ דְּאִתְכַּוֵּון בָּהּ, אִיהוּ לְעֵילָא לְעוּמְקָא עִלָּאָה, דְּמִתַּמָּן נָגְדֵי כָּל בִּרְכָאן וְכָל חֵירוּ, וּמִתַּמָּן נָפְקֵי לְקָיְימָא כֹּלָּא.
R. Judah discoursed on the verse: Unto thee do I lift up mine eyes, O thou that sittest in the heavens (Ps. 123, 1). He said: ‘Prayer offered with true devotion is directed on high to the supernal recess, from whence issue all blessings and all freedom, to support the universe.
וְעַל דָּא יַתִּיר יו"ד, בְּגִין דְּלָא פָּסִיק יוּ"ד, מֵאֲתַר דָּא לְעָלְמִין. וּבְגִין דָּא כְּתִיב, הַיּוֹשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם, אָחִיד לְעֵילָא, בְּרָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה, וְאָחִיד לְתַתָּא, דְּיָתִיב עַל כָּרְסְיָא דְּאֲבָהָן, יָתִיב עַל כָּרְסְיָא דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמָיִם, וּבְגִין כָּךְ הַיּוֹשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם כְּתִיב.
It is attached above to the mystery of the supreme Wisdom, and it is attached below to him who sits on the throne of the patriarchs which is called heaven. Hence it is written here: “Who sits in the heavens.”
וּמֵהָכָא, כַּד בִּרְכָאן נָגְדֵי מֵעֵילָא מֵעוּמְקָא דָא, כֻּלְּהוּ נָטִיל לוֹן הַאי אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם, וּמֵהַאי נָגְדֵי לְתַתָּא, עַד דְּמָטוּ לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא קְיָימָא דְעַלְמָא, וּמֵהָכָא מִתְבָּרְכִין כָּל אִינוּן חַיָּילִין, וְכָל אִינוּן מַשִּׁרְיָין לִזְנַיְיהוּ, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ.
When the blessings issue from the supernal recess, they are all received by this place called heaven, and from thence they flow down till they come to the place called the “Righteous One the foundation of the world”, from whence are blessed all the (heavenly) hosts and camps after their kind.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשִׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין נְהוֹרִין, אִסְתַּלַּק עֲטָרָא דְּכָל מַשִּׁרְיָין, עִגּוּלָא דְעַלְמָא, בְּשִׁבְעִין דּוּכְתֵּי, חַד עִגּוּלָא לְכֻלְּהוּ (לעיל נ"ג ע"ב) בְּגוֹ הַהוּא עִגּוּלָא נְקוּדָה חָדָא דְּקָיְימָא בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, מֵהַאי נְקוּדָה, אִתְּזָנַת כָּל הַהוּא עִגּוּלָא, בֵּית קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים, אִיהוּ אֲתַר לְהַהוּא רוּחָא דְּכָל רוּחִין (ס"א הכא רזא דכל רזין) אִתְטַמַּר בְּגַוֵּיהּ. הַאי טְמִירוּ אִיהוּ בְּגוֹ חֵילָהָא, טְמִירָא אִיהוּ בְּגוֹ לְגוֹ, כַּד סָלְקָא דָא, כֹּלָּא סָלְקִין אֲבַתְרָהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שיר השירים א׳:ד׳) מָשְׁכֵנִי אַחֲרֶיךָ נָרוּצָה.
All these heavenly legions are crowned by seventy-two lights, of which seventy1The seventy Chieftains. form a circle about the world, while in the1The Shekinah.1The Shekinah. from which the whole of the circumference is fed. The house of the holy of holies is the place for that spirit of all spirits, where lies hid the mystery of all mysteries, and when this removes, all move after it.’