Said R. Dostai: ‘When the children of the Holy One are delivered up to the rulers of the Gentiles, twelve celestial tribunals meet together and precipitate themselves into the great abyss, and all the ministering angels with all servitors cry in agony. Two tears fall then into the abyss. The higher angelic beings roll down below, and the lower are brought still lower to the measure of two hundred and forty degrees, for “The lion hath roared, who will not fear?” (Amos 3, 8).’
We have learned that at the time the Holy One, blessed be He, had given over Israel into the hand of the chieftain of Egypt, He decreed that seven hardships should be laid on them by the Egyptians These are enumerated in the verse saying: “And they made their lives bitter with hard service, etc.” Correspondingly, He bestowed on them seven favours, as enumerated in the verse: “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed mighty, very mighty, exceedingly so, and the land was filled with them.”
ר' דּוֹסְתָּאי אָמַר בְּעִדָנָא דְּאִתְמַסְּרָן בְּנוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְשׁוּלְטָנֵי עֲמָמִין, מִתְכַּנְּפִין תְּרֵיסַר בָּתֵּי דִּינִין, וּמִשְׁתַּקְּעָן גּוֹ תְּהוֹמָא רַבָּה, גָּעֵי טַרְנָא, גָעִין, וּרְהִיטָן (נ"א תריסין) וְנַחְתִּין תְּרֵין דִּמְעִין לִשְׁקִיעָא דְּיַמָּא רַבָּה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהילים ל״ו:ז׳) מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ תְּהוֹם רַבָּה. וּמִתְגַּלְגְּלָן עִלָּאִין לְתַתָּא, אִתְבַּקְּעָן תַּתָּאִין, וְנַחְתִּין מָאתַן וְאַרְבְּעִין דַּרְגִּין הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (עמוס ג׳:ח׳) אַרְיֵה שָׁאָג מִי לֹא יִירָא.
Said R. Dostai: ‘When the children of the Holy One are delivered up to the rulers of the Gentiles, twelve celestial tribunals meet together and precipitate themselves into the great abyss, and all the ministering angels with all servitors cry in agony. Two tears fall then into the abyss. The higher angelic beings roll down below, and the lower are brought still lower to the measure of two hundred and forty degrees, for “The lion hath roared, who will not fear?” (Amos 3, 8).’
תָּנָּא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמָסַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְשָׂרָא דְּמִצְרָאֵי, גָּזַר עָלַיְיהוּ ז' גְּזֵרוֹת, שֶׁיְשַׁעֲבְּדוּ בְּהוֹן מִצְרָאֵי. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שמות א׳:י״ד) וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה בְּחוֹמֶר וּבִלְבֵנִים וְגוֹ'. וְלָקֳבְלֵיהוֹן שִׁבְעָה לְטָב, וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל פָּרוּ, וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ, וַיִּרְבּוּ, וַיַּעַצְמוּ, בִּמְאֹד, מְאֹד, וַתְּמַלֵא הָאָרֶץ אוֹתָם.
We have learned that at the time the Holy One, blessed be He, had given over Israel into the hand of the chieftain of Egypt, He decreed that seven hardships should be laid on them by the Egyptians These are enumerated in the verse saying: “And they made their lives bitter with hard service, etc.” Correspondingly, He bestowed on them seven favours, as enumerated in the verse: “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed mighty, very mighty, exceedingly so, and the land was filled with them.”