R. Eleazar and R. Jose were once walking together. Said R. Eleazar to R. Jose: ‘Open thy mouth, and let thy words flow forth!’ R. Jose replied: ‘Will it please the master if I ask him to solve a certain difficulty for me? I have heard from the mouth of the “holy lamp” (R. Simeon b. Yohai) this interpretation of the words: “and these are the names of the children of Israel”-that they refer to the “Ancient Israel” (God) and to all the heavenly hosts and chariots who went into captivity with Jacob. I am, however, puzzled how to fit the words “a man and his household” in this verse into this interpretation.’ R. Eleazar replied: ‘What R. Simeon said is certainly correct. We have an esoteric doctrine that the receiver is, as it were, a “house” to the giver.’
This may be illustrated from the following verse: “And it came to pass when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord and the king’s house” (I K. IX, I). “The house of the Lord” is, of course, the Temple, which includes the outer courts, the porch, the antechambers, and the Temple itself: but the “king’s house” is not, as you might think, the palace of Solomon, but the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctum
the word “King” being here used in its absolute sense. For this King, although supreme, is, in relation to the Highest Point, the most hidden One, feminine, or receptive; but at the same time He is masculine, or active, in relation to the lower King; and this double relationship, to that which is above and that which is below, appertains to the whole supramundane world. It is in this symbolic sense that the angels are here called “his house”.’
AND THESE ARE THE NAMES. R. Jose connected these words with the words from the Song of Songs (4, 12): “A closed garden is my sister bride, a closed spring, a sealed fountain.” ‘ “A closed garden” refers to the Community of Israel, for,’ said R. Eleazar, ‘as the garden has to be tended, ploughed, watered, and trimmed, so has the Community of Israel to be tended, nurtured, and trimmed. She is called “garden” and she is called “vineyard”: “for the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is Israel… and he fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof’ (Isa. 5, 1-7).’
וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאוֹרְחָא, עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי, אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, אַפְתַּח פּוּמָךְ, וְיִנְהֲרוּן מִילָךְ אָמַר לֵיהּ נִיחָא קָמֵיהּ דְּמַר, דְּאֶשְׁאַל מִלָּה חֲדָא דְּקַשְׁיָא לִי, (אחורי דף זה) הָא שְׁמַעְנָא מִבּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּהֲוָה אָמַר, וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנִי יִשְׂרָאֵל, יִשְׂרָאֵל סָבָא. כָּל אִינּוּן חֵילִין וּמַשְׁרְיָין דְּהֲווֹ נַחְתִּין לְגָלוּתָא בַּהֲדֵי יַעֲקֹב, דִּכְתִּיב, אֵת יַעֲקֹב. מַהוּ דִּכְתִּיב אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ, וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא. אֶלָּא הָא תָּנֵינָן, כָּל דִּמְקַבֵּל מֵאָחֲרָא, אִיהוּ בֵּיתָא מֵהַהוּא דְּיָהִיב, וְעַל דָּא אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ.
R. Eleazar and R. Jose were once walking together. Said R. Eleazar to R. Jose: ‘Open thy mouth, and let thy words flow forth!’ R. Jose replied: ‘Will it please the master if I ask him to solve a certain difficulty for me? I have heard from the mouth of the “holy lamp” (R. Simeon b. Yohai) this interpretation of the words: “and these are the names of the children of Israel”-that they refer to the “Ancient Israel” (God) and to all the heavenly hosts and chariots who went into captivity with Jacob. I am, however, puzzled how to fit the words “a man and his household” in this verse into this interpretation.’ R. Eleazar replied: ‘What R. Simeon said is certainly correct. We have an esoteric doctrine that the receiver is, as it were, a “house” to the giver.’
פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, (מלכים א ט׳:א׳) וַיְהִי כְּכַלּוֹת שְׁלֹמֹה לִבְנוֹת אֶת בֵּית ה' וְאֶת בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וְגוֹ'. וְכִי כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר אֶת בֵּית ה', מַהוּ וְאֶת בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ, אִי בְּגִין שְׁלֹמֹה אִתְּמַר, לָאו הָכִי, אֶלָּא אֶת בֵּית ה' דָּא בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְאֶת בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּא קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים.
This may be illustrated from the following verse: “And it came to pass when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord and the king’s house” (I K. IX, I). “The house of the Lord” is, of course, the Temple, which includes the outer courts, the porch, the antechambers, and the Temple itself: but the “king’s house” is not, as you might think, the palace of Solomon, but the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctum
בֵּית ה' דְּאִיהוּ בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ כְּגוֹן: עֲזָרוֹת וּלְשָׁכוֹת וּבֵית הָאוּלָם וְהַדְּבִיר, דָּא בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וַדַּאי אִקְרֵי בֵּית ה'. בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ: דָּא קֹדֶשׁ הַקָּדָשִׁים, דְּאִיהוּ פְּנִימָאָה דְּכֹלָּא, הַמֶּלֶךְ סְתָם. מֶלֶךְ דָּא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ מֶלֶךְ עִלָּאָה, אִיהוּ נוּקְבָּא לְגַבֵּי נְקוּדָה עִלָּאָה, סְתִימָא דְּכֹלָּא. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ נוּקְבָּא, אִיהוּ דְּכוּרָא לְגַבֵּי מֶלֶךְ דִּלְתַתָּא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ כֹּלָּא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא וְעַל דָּא, תַּתָּאֵי, בְּרָזָא דָּא כְּתִיב בְּהוּ, אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ.
the word “King” being here used in its absolute sense. For this King, although supreme, is, in relation to the Highest Point, the most hidden One, feminine, or receptive; but at the same time He is masculine, or active, in relation to the lower King; and this double relationship, to that which is above and that which is below, appertains to the whole supramundane world. It is in this symbolic sense that the angels are here called “his house”.’
וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת, רִבִּי (אלעזר) יוֹסֵי פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (שיר השירים ד׳:י״ב) גַּן נָעוּל אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה גַּל נָעוּל מַעְיָן חָתוּם. גַּן נָעוּל: דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהִיא גַּן נָעוּל. דְּאָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, מַה הַגַּן הַזֶּה צָרִיךְ לִשְׁמוֹר, לַעְדּוֹר, וּלְהַשְׁקוֹת, וְלִזְמוֹר. כַּךְ כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, צְרִיכָה לַעְדּוֹר, וְלִשְׁמוֹר, וּלְהַשְׁקוֹת, וְלִזְמוֹר, וְנִקְרֵאת גַּן, וְנִקְרֵאת כֶּרְם, מַה הַכֶּרֶם הַזֶּה צָרִיךְ לַעְדּוֹר וּלְהַשְׁקוֹת וְלִזְמוֹר וְלַחְפּוֹר, כַּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו ה׳:ז׳) כִּי כֶּרֶם ה' צְבָאוֹת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו ה׳:ז׳) וַיְעַזְקֵהוּ וַיְסַקְּלֵהוּ וְגוֹ'.
AND THESE ARE THE NAMES. R. Jose connected these words with the words from the Song of Songs (4, 12): “A closed garden is my sister bride, a closed spring, a sealed fountain.” ‘ “A closed garden” refers to the Community of Israel, for,’ said R. Eleazar, ‘as the garden has to be tended, ploughed, watered, and trimmed, so has the Community of Israel to be tended, nurtured, and trimmed. She is called “garden” and she is called “vineyard”: “for the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is Israel… and he fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof’ (Isa. 5, 1-7).’