R. Eleazar, R. Abba, and R. Jose were once walking from Tiberias to Sepphoris’ On the way they met a Jew who started a conversation by quoting: “A burden upon Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud and cometh into Egypt, and the godlings of Egypt shall flee from his presence” (Isa. XIX, I). ‘Mark this,’ he said. ‘All the kings and all the nations of the world are as nothing before the Holy One, blessed be He (Dan. 4, 32). He only has to decide a thing and it is done. What, then, is the significance of the expression “cometh into Egypt”? Did He have to “come”?
Yea, verily, He “came” for the sake of the Matrona (Shekinah), to take Her, as it were, by the hand and raise Her in glory, as He will also do when Israel’s captivity in Edom (Rome) Will come to an end.’
R. Jose remarked: ‘If it was for the sake of the Matrona, why did He not “come” to Babylon, where the Shekinah was also in exile with Israel?’ To this the Jew replied that according to tradition the reason why the Holy One did not reveal Himself fully by signs and wonders in Babylon was because the Israelites took to themselves foreign wives and profaned the sign of the holy Covenant. In Egypt, however, it was different: they entered it as pure sons of Israel, and left it as such.
When the Edomitic exile comes to an end He shall manifest His glory in fulness and raise up His Spouse from the dust, saying to her: “Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem, loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion” (Isa. 52, 2). Who shall then stand against Him?
It is written “And the godlings of Egypt shall flee from His presence.” The “godlings” are not merely idols made of stone and wood, but celestial principalities and terrestrial divinities. Indeed, wherever Israel is in exile the Holy One watches them and demands an account from those peoples and their supernal representatives.
Mark what is written! “Thus says the Lord, my people went down at the first to Egypt to sojourn there, and Assyria oppressed them for nothing” (Ibid. 5, 4). The Holy One had a grave complaint against Assyria. “Behold what Assyria has done to me! Egypt I punished severely, although she treated my people with hospitality when they came to sojourn there, assigning to them the fat of the land, the land of Goshen; and even later, though they oppressed them, they did not take away the land from them nor anything belonging to them” (cf. Ex. 9, 6).
But Assyria “oppressed them for nothing”: they dragged them to the other end of the earth and took their country away from them.” Now if Egypt was punished, notwithstanding the kindness with which she treated Israel, especially at first, it can certainly be expected that Assyria and Edom, and, in fact, all the nations who have maltreated Israel, will receive their punishment from the Holy One, when He will manifest the glory of His Name to them, as it is written, “Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself, and I will be known among many nations” (Ezek. 38, 23).
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי מִטְּבֶרְיָא לְצִפּוֹרִי, עַד דַּהֲווּ אַזְלֵי, פָּגַע בְּהוּ חַד יוּדָאִי, פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו י״ט:א׳) מַשָּׂא מִצְרָיִם הִנֵּה ה' רוֹכֵב עַל עָב קַל וּבָא מִצְרַיִם וְנָעוּ אֱלִילֵי מִצְרַיִם מִפָּנָיו. תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל מַלְכִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְכָל עַמִּין דְּעָלְמָא, לָא חֲשִׁיבֵי כְּלוּם קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב, (דניאל ד׳:ל״ב) וְכָל דַּיְּירֵי אַרְעָא כְּלָא חֲשִׁיבִין וּכְמִצְבְּיֵהּ עָבִיד בְּחֵיל שְׁמַיָּא. וְהָכָא בְּמִצְרַיִם, אַף עַל גַּב דְּכָל אִינּוּן גְּבוּרָאן, וְדַרְעָא מְרֹמְמָא גַּלֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּמִצְרַיִם, מַה כְּתִיב הִנֵּה ה' רוֹכֵב עַל עָב קַל וּבָא מִצְרַיִם. מַאי שְׁנָא, בְּכָל עַמִּין דְּעָלְמָא, דְּלָא הֲוָה הָכִי, דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּזַר גְּזֵרָה וְאִתְעָבִיד, וְהָכָא אִיהוּ אָתָא, דִּכְתִּיב וּבָא מִצְרַיִם. וּכְתִיב, (שמות י״ב:י״ב) וְעָבַרְתִּי בְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וְגוֹ' אֲנִי ה'.
R. Eleazar, R. Abba, and R. Jose were once walking from Tiberias to Sepphoris’ On the way they met a Jew who started a conversation by quoting: “A burden upon Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud and cometh into Egypt, and the godlings of Egypt shall flee from his presence” (Isa. XIX, I). ‘Mark this,’ he said. ‘All the kings and all the nations of the world are as nothing before the Holy One, blessed be He (Dan. 4, 32). He only has to decide a thing and it is done. What, then, is the significance of the expression “cometh into Egypt”? Did He have to “come”?
אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דְּמַלְכָּא הֲוָה אָתֵי, לְאַפָּקָא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא דַּהֲוַות תַּמָּן. וּבְגִין יְקָרָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא הֲוָה אָתֵי. וְעַל דָּא הֲוָה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי בִּיקָרָהּ, וְאָתֵי לְגַבָּהּ לַאֲקָּמָא לָהּ, וּלְמֵיהַב לָהּ יְדָא, וּלְזַקְפָא לָהּ, כְּמָה דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד בְּסוֹף גָּלוּתָא דֶּאֱדוֹם.
Yea, verily, He “came” for the sake of the Matrona (Shekinah), to take Her, as it were, by the hand and raise Her in glory, as He will also do when Israel’s captivity in Edom (Rome) Will come to an end.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא, אִי הָכִי, דִּבְגִין דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא הֲוָה, הָא בְּגָלוּתָא דְּבָבֶל, מַטְרוֹנִיתָא תַּמָּן הֲוַת, אֲמַאי לָא הֲוָה כַּךְ. אָמַר לֵיהּ, הָא תָּנֵינָן, דְּחַטָּאָה גָּרַם, דְּנָטְלוּ נָשִׁים נָכְרִיּוֹת, וְאָעִילוּ בְּרִית קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא בִּרְשׁוּתָא אָחֲרָא. וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִתְאֲבִידוּ מִנְּהוֹן נִסִּין, וְאַתְוָון, דְּאִתְחָזֵי לְמֶעְבַּד לְהוּ, מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה הָכִי בְּגָלוּתָא דְּמִצְרַיִם, דְּכֻלְּהוּ הֲווֹ שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (ד' א') עָאלוּ, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נָפְקוּ.
R. Jose remarked: ‘If it was for the sake of the Matrona, why did He not “come” to Babylon, where the Shekinah was also in exile with Israel?’ To this the Jew replied that according to tradition the reason why the Holy One did not reveal Himself fully by signs and wonders in Babylon was because the Israelites took to themselves foreign wives and profaned the sign of the holy Covenant. In Egypt, however, it was different: they entered it as pure sons of Israel, and left it as such.
בְּגָלוּתָא דֶּאֱדוֹם, בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְיַקְּרָא בְּעָלְמָא, וּלְמֵיתֵי אִיהוּ לְאַקָּמָא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וּלְנַעֲרָא לָהּ מֵעַפְרָא. וַוי לְמַאן דִּיעֲרַע תַּמָּן קָמֵיהּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּיֵימָא (ישעיהו נ״ב:ב׳) הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי שְׁבִי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הִתְפַּתְּחִי מוֹסְרֵי צַוָּארֵךְ. מַאן הוּא מַלְכָּא וְעַמָּא דְּיֵיקוּם קָמֵיהּ.
When the Edomitic exile comes to an end He shall manifest His glory in fulness and raise up His Spouse from the dust, saying to her: “Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem, loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion” (Isa. 52, 2). Who shall then stand against Him?
(ישעיהו י״ט:א׳) וְנָעוּ אֱלִילֵי מִצְרַיִם מִפָּנָיו, אֱלִילֵי מִצְרַיִם, לָאו עַל אֲבָנִין וְאָעִין אִתְּמַר, אֶלָּא עַל כָּל אִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין מְמָנָן עִלָּאִין, וְעַל אִינּוּן פּוּלְחָנִין תַּתָּאִין דִּלְהוֹן. וּבְכָל אֲתָר דְּגָלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי עָלַיְיהוּ, וְאִתְקָבִיל מֵאִינוּן עַמִּין.
It is written “And the godlings of Egypt shall flee from His presence.” The “godlings” are not merely idols made of stone and wood, but celestial principalities and terrestrial divinities. Indeed, wherever Israel is in exile the Holy One watches them and demands an account from those peoples and their supernal representatives.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִּיב, (ישעיה נ"ב) כֹה אָמַר ה' מִצְרַיִם יָרַד עַמִּי בָרִאשׁוֹנָה לָגוּר שָׁם וְאַשּׁוּר בְּאֶפֶס עֲשָׁקוֹ תּוּרְעֲמָא דְּאִתְרְעַם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל אַשּׁוּר, וְאָמַר, חָמוּ מַה עָבֵד לִי אַשּׁוּר, דְּהָא מִצְרַיִם דַּאֲנָא עֲבָדִית בְּהוּ כָּל אִינּוּן דִּינִין, וְעַמִּי (אינון) נַחְתּוּ תַּמָּן, לְדַיָּירָא בֵּינֵיהוֹן, וְקִבְּלוּם מִצְרָאֵי בֵּינַיְיהוּ, וְיָהֲבוּן לוֹן שְׁפַר אַרְעָא אֶרֶץ גּוֹשֶן, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאָעִיקוּ לוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא, לָא אַעְדוּ אַרְעָא מִנְּהוֹן, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות ט') רַק בְּאֶרֶץ גּוֹשֶן אֲשֶׁר שָׁם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ'. וּמֵיטַב אַרְעָא דְּמִצְרַיִם הֲוָה, דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית מ"ו) בְּמֵיטַב הָאָרֶץ בְּאֶרֶץ רַעְמְסֵס. וְתוּ, דְּלָא אַעְדּוּ מִדִּלְהוֹן כְּלוּם, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות ט') וּמִמִּקְנֵה בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ'. וְעִם כָּל דָּא אִתְדָּנוּ בְּכַמָּה דִּינִין.
Mark what is written! “Thus says the Lord, my people went down at the first to Egypt to sojourn there, and Assyria oppressed them for nothing” (Ibid. 5, 4). The Holy One had a grave complaint against Assyria. “Behold what Assyria has done to me! Egypt I punished severely, although she treated my people with hospitality when they came to sojourn there, assigning to them the fat of the land, the land of Goshen; and even later, though they oppressed them, they did not take away the land from them nor anything belonging to them” (cf. Ex. 9, 6).
אֲבָל אַשּׁוּר בְּאֶפֶס עֲשָׁקוֹ, אַטִּיל לוֹן בְּאַרְעָא דְּסַיְיפֵי עָלְמָא, וְנָטַל לוֹן אַרְעָא דִּלְהוֹן. וּמַה מִצְרָאֵי, דְּעָבְדֵי כָּל הָנֵי טָבָאן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אִתְדָּנוּ בְּכָל אִינּוּן דִּינִין. אַשּׁוּר וְאֱדוֹם וּשְׁאַר עַמִּין, דִּמְעִיקִין לוֹן, וְקַטְלִין לוֹן, וְנַטְלִין לוֹן מָמוֹנֵיהוֹן, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לְיַקָּרָא שְׁמֵיהּ עָלַיְיהוּ, דִּכְתִּיב, (יחזקאל ל״ח:כ״ג) וְהִתְגַּדִּלְתִּי וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתִּי וְנוֹדַעְתִּי. הָתָם בְּמִצְרַיִם בְּמַלְכָּא חַד, וְהָכָא בְּכָל מַלְכִין דְּעָלְמָא.
But Assyria “oppressed them for nothing”: they dragged them to the other end of the earth and took their country away from them.” Now if Egypt was punished, notwithstanding the kindness with which she treated Israel, especially at first, it can certainly be expected that Assyria and Edom, and, in fact, all the nations who have maltreated Israel, will receive their punishment from the Holy One, when He will manifest the glory of His Name to them, as it is written, “Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself, and I will be known among many nations” (Ezek. 38, 23).