While they were sitting midnight arrived, and R. Judah said to R. Jose: ‘Now the north wind awakes and the night is divided, and now is the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, longs for the voice of the righteous in this world, the voice of those who study the Torah. Now God is listening to us in this place; therefore let us not cease from discoursing on the Torah.’
He then commenced: THE ANGEL WHO DELIVERED ME FROM ALL EVIL. This is the same as the one mentioned in the verse: “Behold I send an angel before thee, etc.” (Ex. 23, 20), who, as we have laid down, is the deliverer of the world, the protector of mankind, and the one who procures blessings for all the world, he himself receiving them first.
This angel is sometimes male, sometimes female. When he procures blessings for the world, he is male, resembling the male who provides blessings for the female. But when he comes to bring chastisement on the world he is called female, being, as it were, pregnant with the judgement.
עַד דְּהֲווּ יָתְבֵי אִתְפְּלִיג לֵילְיָא, אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יְהוּדָה לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, הַשְׁתָּא רוּחָא דְצָפוֹן אִתְעַר, וְלֵילְיָא אִתְפְּלַג, וְהַשְׁתָּא עִדָּנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא תָּאִיב לְקָלְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָא בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, אִינוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. הַשְׁתָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא צַיֵּית (לקול מלייהו) לָן בְּהַאי אֲתַר, לָא נִפְסוֹק מִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא.
While they were sitting midnight arrived, and R. Judah said to R. Jose: ‘Now the north wind awakes and the night is divided, and now is the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, longs for the voice of the righteous in this world, the voice of those who study the Torah. Now God is listening to us in this place; therefore let us not cease from discoursing on the Torah.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, הַמַּלְאָךָ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי מִכָּל רָע, הָא אִתְּמָר וְאוּקְמוּהָ. אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב, (שמות כ״ג:כ׳) הִנִּה אָנֹכִי שׁוֹלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ וְגו', דָּא הוּא מַלְאָךְ דְּאִיהוּ פָּרוֹקָא דְעַלְמָא, נְטִירוּ דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, וְהַאי אִיהוּ דְּאַזְמִין בִּרְכָאן לְכָל עַלְמָא, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ נָטִיל לוֹן בְּקַדְמִיתָא, ולְבָתַר אִיהוּ אַזְמִין לוֹן בְּעַלְמָא. וּבְגִין דָּא כְּתִיב, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שׁוֹלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ. (שמות ל״ג:ב׳) וְשָׁלַחְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ מַלְאָךְ.
He then commenced: THE ANGEL WHO DELIVERED ME FROM ALL EVIL. This is the same as the one mentioned in the verse: “Behold I send an angel before thee, etc.” (Ex. 23, 20), who, as we have laid down, is the deliverer of the world, the protector of mankind, and the one who procures blessings for all the world, he himself receiving them first.
וְהַאי אִיהוּ מַלְאָךְ דִּלְזִמְנִין דָּכָר וּלְזִמְנִין נוּקְבָא, וְהָכִי אִיהוּ. דְּבְּזִמְנָא דְּאִיהוּ אַזְמִין בִּרְכָאן לְעַלְמָא (לעילא), כְּדֵין אִיהוּ דָּכָר, וְאִקְרֵי דָּכָר. כִּדְכוּרָא דְּאַזְמִין בִּרְכָאן (לתתא) לְנוּקְבָא, הָכִי אִיהוּ אַזְמִין בִּרְכָאן לְעַלְמָא. וּבְזִמְנָא דְּקָיְימָא בְּדִינָא עַל עַלְמָא, כְּדֵין אִקְרֵי נוּקְבָא. כְּנוּקְבָא דְּאִיהִי עוּבָּרָא, הָכִי אִיהוּ אִתְמְלֵי מִן דִּינָא, וּכְדֵין אִקְרֵי נוּקְבָא. וְעַל דָּא לְזִמְנִין אִקְרֵי דְכוּרָא, וּלְזִמְנִין אִקְרֵי נוּקְבָא, וְכֹלָּא רָזָא חָדָא.
This angel is sometimes male, sometimes female. When he procures blessings for the world, he is male, resembling the male who provides blessings for the female. But when he comes to bring chastisement on the world he is called female, being, as it were, pregnant with the judgement.