AND SHE OPENED IT AND SHE SAW IT (vathir’ehu), THE CHILD. Why say “she saw it, the child” instead of simply “she saw the child”? Said R. Simeon: ‘There is not a word in the Torah that does not contain sublime and precious mystical teachings. In regard to this passage, we have learned that the impress of the King and the Matrona was discernible in the child, an impress symbolized by the letters Vau and He. She thus straightway “had compassion on him”. So far, the whole passage has allusions to heavenly matters; from this point the text concerns earthly occurrences, with the exception of the verse following.
AND HIS SISTER STOOD AFAR OFF. Whose sister? The sister of Him Who calls the Community of Israel “My sister”, in the verse “Open to me, my sister, my love!” (Cant. 5, 2). “Afar off”-as it is written: “From far off hath the Lord appeared unto me” (Jer. 31, 2).
From which it is evident that all the righteous are known by all in those higher regions before their souls descend into this world; how much more, then, Moses. We also learn from this that the souls of the righteous emanate from an upper region, as we have already stated. But there is also an esoteric lesson connected with it, namely, that the soul has a father and a mother, as the body has a father and a mother in this world. In fact, all things above and below proceed from Male and Female, as we have already derived from the words “Let the earth bring forth a living soul” (Gen. 1, 24). “The earth” symbolizes the community of Israel; “a living soul”-the soul of the first, the supernal Man, as already explained.’ Then came R. Abba to him, kissed him, and said: ‘Verily, thou hast spoken well! It is so indeed. Blessed is Moses, the faithful Shepherd, more faithful than all the other prophets of the world.’
There is still another interpretation of “and his sister stood afar off’, namely, as symbolizing “Wisdom” -“say to wisdom, thou art my sister” (Prov. 7, 4). Said R. Isaac: ‘The attribute of Justice has never departed from the world, for whenever Israel sinned, stern Justice stood there as her accuser, and then “his sister (wisdom) stood afar off’, without interfering.
(שמות ב׳:ו׳) וַתִּפְתַּח וַתִּרְאֵהוּ אֶת הַיֶּלֶד. וַתִּרְאֵהוּ וַתֵּרֶא מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. מַאי וַתִּרְאֵהוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, לֵית לָךְ מִלָּה בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּלֵית בָּהּ רָזִין עִלָּאִין וְיַקִּירִין. אֶלָּא הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, רְשִׁימָא דְּמַלְכָּא וּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ, וְאִיהוּ רְשִׁימָא דְּוָא"ו הֵ"א. וּמִיַּד וַתַּחְמוֹל עָלָיו וְגוֹ'. עַד כָּאן לְעֵילָּא, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה לְתַתָּא, בַּר מֵהַאי קְרָא.
AND SHE OPENED IT AND SHE SAW IT (vathir’ehu), THE CHILD. Why say “she saw it, the child” instead of simply “she saw the child”? Said R. Simeon: ‘There is not a word in the Torah that does not contain sublime and precious mystical teachings. In regard to this passage, we have learned that the impress of the King and the Matrona was discernible in the child, an impress symbolized by the letters Vau and He. She thus straightway “had compassion on him”. So far, the whole passage has allusions to heavenly matters; from this point the text concerns earthly occurrences, with the exception of the verse following.
(שמות ב׳:ד׳) וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחוֹתוֹ מֵרָחוֹק וְגוֹ'. וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחוֹתוֹ, אֲחוֹתוֹ דְּמַאן. אֲחוֹתֵיה, דְּהַהוּא דְּקָרָא לִכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲחוֹתִי. כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שיר השירים ה׳:ב׳) פִּתְחִי לִי אֲחוֹתִי רַעְיָתִי. מֵרָחוֹק: כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר (ירמיהו ל״א:ג׳) מֵרָחוֹק ה' נִרְאָה לִי.
AND HIS SISTER STOOD AFAR OFF. Whose sister? The sister of Him Who calls the Community of Israel “My sister”, in the verse “Open to me, my sister, my love!” (Cant. 5, 2). “Afar off”-as it is written: “From far off hath the Lord appeared unto me” (Jer. 31, 2).
(מאי) מַשְׁמַע, דְּאִינּוּן זַכָּאִין, עַד לָא נַחְתּוּ לְעָלְמָא, אִשְׁתְּמוֹדָעָאן אִינּוּן לְעֵילָּא, לְגַבֵּי כֹּלָּא, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן מֹשֶׁה. וּמַשְׁמַע נָמֵי, דְּנִשְׁמָתֵהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא, אִתְמְשָׁכוּ מֵאֲתָר עִלָּאָה, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּמַשְׁמַע, דְּאָב וָאֵם אִית לְנִשְׁמְתָא, כְּמָה דְּאִית אָב וָאֵם לְגוּפָא בְּאַרְעָא, וּמַשְׁמַע, דִּבְכָּל סִטְרִין, בֵּין לְעֵילָּא, בֵּין לְתַתָּא, מִדְכַר וְנוּקְבָּא אַתְיָין כֹּלָּא וּמִשְׁתַּכְחֵי. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ רָזָא, דִּכְתִּיב, תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה. הָאָרֶץ: דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה: (ויקרא ל"ט ע"ב) נַפְשָׁא דְּאָדָם קַדְמָאָה עִלָּאָה, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר. אָתָא רִבִּי אַבָּא וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ. אָמַר וַדַּאי שַׁפִּיר קָאֲמַרְתְ, וְהָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא, עַל כָּל שְׁאַר נְבִיאֵי עָלְמָא. (ע"כ)
From which it is evident that all the righteous are known by all in those higher regions before their souls descend into this world; how much more, then, Moses. We also learn from this that the souls of the righteous emanate from an upper region, as we have already stated. But there is also an esoteric lesson connected with it, namely, that the soul has a father and a mother, as the body has a father and a mother in this world. In fact, all things above and below proceed from Male and Female, as we have already derived from the words “Let the earth bring forth a living soul” (Gen. 1, 24). “The earth” symbolizes the community of Israel; “a living soul”-the soul of the first, the supernal Man, as already explained.’ Then came R. Abba to him, kissed him, and said: ‘Verily, thou hast spoken well! It is so indeed. Blessed is Moses, the faithful Shepherd, more faithful than all the other prophets of the world.’
(סתרי תורה) דָּבָר אַחֵר וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחוֹתוֹ דָּא הִיא חָכְמָה, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר, (משלי ז׳:ד׳) אֱמוֹר לַחָכְמָה אֲחוֹתִי אָתְּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, מֵעוֹלָם לָא אִתְעֲדִיאַת (נ"א אתער) גִּזְרַת דִּינָא מֵעָלְמָא, דְּהָא בְּכָל שַׁעְתָא דְּהֲווּ יִשְׂרָאֵל חָטָאן, הֲוָה דִּינָא מְקַטְרְגָא עִמְּהוֹן, וּכְדֵין, וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחוֹתוֹ מֵרָחוֹק. (ד"א מרחוק) כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר מֵרָחוֹק ה' נִרְאָה לִי. (ע"כ)
There is still another interpretation of “and his sister stood afar off’, namely, as symbolizing “Wisdom” -“say to wisdom, thou art my sister” (Prov. 7, 4). Said R. Isaac: ‘The attribute of Justice has never departed from the world, for whenever Israel sinned, stern Justice stood there as her accuser, and then “his sister (wisdom) stood afar off’, without interfering.