AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, GO ON BEFORE THE PEOPLE AND TAKE WITH THEE, ETC. R. Hiya began his interpretation by quoting the following verse: “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them” (Ps. 34, 8). He said: ‘Blessed are the righteous, in that the Holy One is more concerned for their honour than for His own! See how He ignores those who scorn and blaspheme the Supernal! Sanherib, for instance, said: “Who are they among the gods of the countries… that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?” (2 Kings 18, 35), and yet the Holy One exacted no requital from him; but as soon as he stretched out his hand against Hezekiah “the angel of the Lord smote in the camp of the Assyrians” (Ibid. 5, 19).
Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, worshipped heathen gods, brought incense and sacrificed to them, and yet God did not requite him for his sin; but when Iddo the prophet came to warn him, and Jeroboam stretched out his hand against him, then “his hand which he put up against him dried up and he could not pull it in again to him” (I Kings 13, 4).
Pharaoh scorned and blasphemed, and said: “Who is the Lord?” (Ex. 5, 2), but the Holy One did not punish him until he refused to let Israel go, as it is written: “As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people… Behold to-morrow at this time I will cause it, etc. (Ex. 9, 17). And so it is always the case that the Holy One avenges the insult done to the righteous more than one offered to Himself.
Here, however, when Moses said “They be almost ready to stone me” (Ex. 17, 4), God said to him: “Moses, now is not the time to exact reparation for the insult done to thee. However, go before the people, and I shall see who will stretch out his hand against thee! Art thou in their power or in mine? ”
(שמות י״ז:ה׳) וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה עֲבוֹר לִפְנֵי הָעָם וְגוֹ'. רִבִּי חִיָיא פָּתַח, (תהלים לה) חוֹנֶה מַלְאַךְ יְיָ' סָבִיב לִירֵאָיו וַיְחַלְּצֵם. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בִּיקָרֵיהוֹן, יַתִּיר עַל דִּילֵיהּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה אִינּוּן בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, דִּמְחָרְפֵי וּמְגַדְּפֵי לְעֵילָּא, כְּגוֹן סַנְחֵרִיב חֵרֵף וְגִדֵּף, וְאָמַר (מלכים ב י״ח:ל״ה) מִי בְּכָל אֱלהֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת וְגוֹ'. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מָחִיל, וְלָא תָּבַע מִנִּיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּאוֹשִׁיט יְדֵיהּ עַל חִזְקִיָּה, מַה כְּתִיב (מלכים ב י״ט:ל״ה) וַיֵּצֵא מַלְאַךְ יְיָ' וַיַּךְ בְּמַחֲנִה אַשּׁוּר וְגוֹ'.
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, GO ON BEFORE THE PEOPLE AND TAKE WITH THEE, ETC. R. Hiya began his interpretation by quoting the following verse: “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them” (Ps. 34, 8). He said: ‘Blessed are the righteous, in that the Holy One is more concerned for their honour than for His own! See how He ignores those who scorn and blaspheme the Supernal! Sanherib, for instance, said: “Who are they among the gods of the countries… that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?” (2 Kings 18, 35), and yet the Holy One exacted no requital from him; but as soon as he stretched out his hand against Hezekiah “the angel of the Lord smote in the camp of the Assyrians” (Ibid. 5, 19).
יָרָבְעָם בֶּן נְבָט הֲוָה פָּלַח לְעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וּמְקָטַר לָהּ, וּמְזָבַח לָהּ, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא תָּבַע מִנֵּיהּ. וְכַד אָתָא עִדוֹ נְבִיאָה, וְאִתְנַבֵּי עָלֵיהּ, וְאוֹשִׁיט יָרָבְעָם יְדָא לְקָבְלֵיהּ, מַה כְּתִיב (מלכים א י״ג:ד׳) וַתִּיבַשׁ יָדוֹ וְגוֹ', וְלֹא יָכֹל לַהֲשִׁיבָהּ אֵלָיו. (ועל דפלח לעבודה זרה לא תבע ליה קודשא בריך הוא)
Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, worshipped heathen gods, brought incense and sacrificed to them, and yet God did not requite him for his sin; but when Iddo the prophet came to warn him, and Jeroboam stretched out his hand against him, then “his hand which he put up against him dried up and he could not pull it in again to him” (I Kings 13, 4).
פַּרְעֹה חֵרֵף וְגִדֵּף, וְאָמַר (שמות ה) מִי יְיָ' וְגוֹ'. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא תָּבַע מִנֵּיהּ, עַד דְּסָרִיב בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות ט׳:י״ז) עוֹדְךָ מִסְתּוֹלֵל בְּעַמִּי. (שמות ט׳:י״ז) הִנֵּה יַד יְיָ' הוֹיָה בְּמִקְנְךְ וְגוֹ', וְכֵן בְּכָל אֲתָר, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא תָּבַע עֶלְבּוֹנָא דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא יַתִּיר עַל דִּילֵיהּ.
Pharaoh scorned and blasphemed, and said: “Who is the Lord?” (Ex. 5, 2), but the Holy One did not punish him until he refused to let Israel go, as it is written: “As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people… Behold to-morrow at this time I will cause it, etc. (Ex. 9, 17). And so it is always the case that the Holy One avenges the insult done to the righteous more than one offered to Himself.
הָכָא מֹשֶׁה, אָמַר עוֹד מְעַט וּסְקָלוּנִי, אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מֹשֶׁה לָאו עִידָּן הוּא לְמִתְבַּע עֶלְבּוֹנָךְ, אֶלָּא עֲבוֹר לִפְנֵי הָעָם, וְאַחְמֵי מַאן יוֹשִׁיט יְדוֹי לָקֳבְלָךְ, וְכִי בִּרְשׁוּתַיְיהוּ אַתְּ קָאִים, אוֹ בִּרְשׁוּתִי.
Here, however, when Moses said “They be almost ready to stone me” (Ex. 17, 4), God said to him: “Moses, now is not the time to exact reparation for the insult done to thee. However, go before the people, and I shall see who will stretch out his hand against thee! Art thou in their power or in mine? ”