As they proceeded they came to a mountain. Said R. Jose: ‘This mountain is very formidable, let us keep clear of it.’ Said R. Judah: ‘If I were alone I should think the same, since we have learnt that he who travels alone makes his life forfeit. But this does not apply to three, all the more seeing that each one of us is worthy to be accompanied by the Shekinah.’
Said R. Jose: ‘But we have learnt that a man should not rely on a miracle, since even Samuel said: “How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me” (I Sam. 16, 2), and he was more worthy than we are.’ He replied: ‘Even so, he was by himself and the danger was obvious, whereas we are three and there is no danger actually in sight. For if it is evil spirits you are afraid of, we have learnt that they do not show themselves to three or harm them, and if it is robbers, there are none here, because this mountain is far from any inhabited spot, and people never pass here. The only thing we have to be afraid of is wild beasts.
Scripture speaks of “the angel who redeemed me from all evil”. This angel is the Shekinah, who continually accompanies a man and leaves him not so long as he keeps the precepts of the Law. Hence a man should be careful not to go on the road alone, that is to say, he should diligently keep the precepts of the Law in order that he may not be deserted by the Shekinah, and so be forced to go alone without the accompaniment of the Shekinah.
Hence, before starting on a journey a man should first address his prayer to God in order that he may draw the Shekinah to himself, to be protected by it on the road and delivered from all harm.
So Jacob, on setting out, said: “If God shall be with me”, i.e. if the Shekinah will accompany me, “and keep me in this way” (Gen. 28, 20), to deliver me from all harm. Now Jacob was alone at that time, but the Shekinah went with him; all the more so then will it accompany the Companions who discourse on the Torah.’
Said R. Jose: ‘What are we to do? If we remain here we shall be overtaken by night; if we commence to ascend, the mountain is very high, and there is danger from wild beasts.’ Said R. Judah: ‘I am surprised at you, R. Jose.’ He replied: ‘We have learnt that a man should not rely on a miracle, for God does not perform miracles at all times.’ He answered: ‘That applies only when a man is by himself. But we are three, and words of Torah pass between us and the Shekinah is with us; therefore we have no need to fear.’
עַד דְּהֲווּ אָזְלֵי, אָעֳלוּ בְּחַד טוּרָא. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, הַאי טוּרָא דַחֲלָא, נִהַךְ וְלָא נִתְעַכֵּב הָכָא, בְּגִין דְּטוּרָא דְּחִילָא הוּא. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, אִי הֲוָה חַד, הֲוָה אֲמִינָא הָכִי. דְּהָא תָּנִינָן, דְּמַאן דְּאָזִיל יְחִידָאי בְּאוֹרְחָא, אִתְחַיַּיב בְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ. אֲבָל תְּלָתָא לָא. וְכָל חַד וְחַד מִינָן, אִתְחֲזֵי דְלָא תַעֲדֵי מִינָן שְׁכִינְתָּא.
As they proceeded they came to a mountain. Said R. Jose: ‘This mountain is very formidable, let us keep clear of it.’ Said R. Judah: ‘If I were alone I should think the same, since we have learnt that he who travels alone makes his life forfeit. But this does not apply to three, all the more seeing that each one of us is worthy to be accompanied by the Shekinah.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, הָא תָּנִינָן דְּלָא יִסְמוֹךְ בַּר נָשׁ עַל נִסָּא. מְנָלָן, מִשְׁמוּאֵל. דִּכְתִיב, (שמואל א ט״ז:ב׳) אֵיךְ אֵלֵךְ וְשָׁמַע שָׁאוּל וַהֲרָגָנִי, וְהָא אִתְחֲזֵי שְׁמוּאֵל יַתִּיר מִינָן. אָמַר לֵיהּ, אֲפִילּוּ הָכִי, אִיהוּ הֲוָה חַד, וְהֶזֵּיקָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח לְעֵינָא. אֲבָל אֲנַן תְּלָתָא, וְהֶזֵּיקָא לָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח לְעֵינָא. דְּאִי מִשּׁוּם מַזִּיקִין. הָא תָּנִינָן, דְּלִתְלָתָא לָא מִתְחֲזֵי וְלָא מַזְקֵי. וְאִי מִשּׁוּם לִסְטִים, לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי הָכָא, דְּהָא רָחִיק מֵיִישׁוּבָא הַאי טוּרָא, וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי הָכָא. בְּרַם דְּחִילוּ הוּא, דְּחֵיוָון בָּרָא דְּמִשְׁתַּכְּחִין הָכָא.
Said R. Jose: ‘But we have learnt that a man should not rely on a miracle, since even Samuel said: “How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me” (I Sam. 16, 2), and he was more worthy than we are.’ He replied: ‘Even so, he was by himself and the danger was obvious, whereas we are three and there is no danger actually in sight. For if it is evil spirits you are afraid of, we have learnt that they do not show themselves to three or harm them, and if it is robbers, there are none here, because this mountain is far from any inhabited spot, and people never pass here. The only thing we have to be afraid of is wild beasts.
פָּתַח וְאָמַר. הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי מִכָּל רָע, הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בֵּיהּ, (ס"א ל"ג דהא כתיב) הַגּוֹאֵל, אֲשֶׁר גָּאַל מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי הַגּוֹאֵל. בְּגִין דְּהוּא מִשְׁתַּכַּח תָּדִיר לְגַבֵּי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, וְלָא אַעֲדֵי מִבַּר נָשׁ זַכָּאָה לְעָלְמִין. תָּא חֲזֵי, הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּאָזִיל עִמֵּיהּ דְּבַּר נָשׁ תָּדִיר, וְלָא אַעֲדֵי מִנֵּיהּ, כַּד בַּר נָשׁ נָטִיר פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא. וְעַל דָּא יִזְדַּהֵר בַּר נָשׁ, דְּלָא יִפּוּק יְחִידָאי בְּאוֹרְחָא. מַאי יְחִידָאי, דְּיִזְדַּהֵר בַּר נָשׁ לְמִטַּר פִּקּוּדֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא תַעֲדֵי מִנֵּיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא, וְיִצְטָרֵךְ לְמֵיזַל יְחִידָאי, בְּלָא זִוּוּגָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא.
Scripture speaks of “the angel who redeemed me from all evil”. This angel is the Shekinah, who continually accompanies a man and leaves him not so long as he keeps the precepts of the Law. Hence a man should be careful not to go on the road alone, that is to say, he should diligently keep the precepts of the Law in order that he may not be deserted by the Shekinah, and so be forced to go alone without the accompaniment of the Shekinah.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד נָפִיק בַּר נָשׁ לְאוֹרְחָא, יְסַדַּר צְלוֹתָא קַמֵי מָארֵיהּ, בְּגִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא עֲלֵיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא, וּלְבָתַר יִפּוּק לְאוֹרְחָא, וְיִשְׁכַּח זִוּוּגָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא, לְמִפְרַק לֵיהּ בְּאוֹרְחָא, וּלְשֵׁזָבָא לֵיהּ בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ.
Hence, before starting on a journey a man should first address his prayer to God in order that he may draw the Shekinah to himself, to be protected by it on the road and delivered from all harm.
מַה כְּתִיב בְּיַעֲקֹב, (בראשית כ״ח:כ׳) אִם יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי, דָּא זִווּגָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא. וּשְׁמָרַנִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה, לְמִפְרַק לִי מִכֹּלָּא, וְיַעֲקֹב יְחִידָאי הֲוָה בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא אָזְלַת קַמֵּיהּ. כָּל שֶׁכֵּן חַבְרַיָיא דְּאִית בֵּינַיְיהוּ מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. (אמר רבי יוסי, ודאי כך הוא, אדהכי מאיך שמשא לערבא.)
So Jacob, on setting out, said: “If God shall be with me”, i.e. if the Shekinah will accompany me, “and keep me in this way” (Gen. 28, 20), to deliver me from all harm. Now Jacob was alone at that time, but the Shekinah went with him; all the more so then will it accompany the Companions who discourse on the Torah.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, מַאי נַעֲבִיד, אִי נִתְעַכֵּב הָכָא, הָא יוֹמָא מָאִיךְ לְמֵיעַל. אִי נְהַךְ לְעֵילָא, טוּרָא רַב אִיהוּ, וּדְחִילוּ דְּחֵיוָון חַקְלָא דָּחִילְנָא. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, תְּוַוהְנָא עֲלָךְ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. אָמַר לֵיהּ הָא תָּנִינָן דְּלָא יִסְמוֹךְ בַּר נָשׁ עַל נִיסָא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא יַרְחִישׁ נִיסָא בְּכָל שַׁעְתָּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, הָנֵי מִילֵי יְחִידָאי, אֲבָל אֲנַחְנָא תְּלָתָא, וּמִלֵּי אוֹרַיְיתָא בֵּינָנָא, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא עִמָּנָא, לָא דָחִילְנָא.
Said R. Jose: ‘What are we to do? If we remain here we shall be overtaken by night; if we commence to ascend, the mountain is very high, and there is danger from wild beasts.’ Said R. Judah: ‘I am surprised at you, R. Jose.’ He replied: ‘We have learnt that a man should not rely on a miracle, for God does not perform miracles at all times.’ He answered: ‘That applies only when a man is by himself. But we are three, and words of Torah pass between us and the Shekinah is with us; therefore we have no need to fear.’