R. Jose discoursed on the verse: “The burden of Duma. One calleth unto me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night?” (Isa. 21, 11). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘has already been expounded in many places, but it can also be interpreted as follows. To all the other exiles of Israel a term was set, and their duration was known beforehand, but the exile of Edom is “a burden of silence”, for its term has not been disclosed.
Says the Holy One, blessed be He: “One calls to Me from Seir”: I have heard a voice from those who are oppressed and prostrate in the exile of Seir,1Edom=Rome. saying, Watchman, what of the night?-asking Me what I have done with My Matrona.
Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, assembles all His court and says: “See how My beloved children forget their own oppression and think only of the Matrona, saying to Me, Thou who art called Keeper, how dost Thou keep Thyself and Thy house?”
Then the Holy One, blessed be He, answers them: “I have not forgotten My guardianship, for I will yet receive Her and be with Her.” “The morning has come”, for at first He ascended aloft to that morning which is ever ready for Him. Now it is time to be joined to “the night”. The night, too, is ready, but for your sakes it has been delayed. And if you ask why, the answer is, “Return”, to wit, in repentance, and then “come to Me” and we shall all place ourselves in a row and return to our place, as it is written, “And the Lord thy God will return with thy captivity and will return and gather thee from all the peoples.” The word “return” occurs here twice-once referring to the Holy One, blessed be He, and once to the Community of Israel.”
רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו כ״א:י״א) מַשָּׂא דּוּמָה אֵלַי קוֹרֵא מִשֵּׂעִיר שׁוֹמֵר מַה מִּלַּיְלָה שׁוֹמֵר מַה מִּלֵּיל. הַאי קְרָא אוֹקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא, בְּכַמָּה אֲתַר. אֲבָל מַשָּׂא דּוּמָה, כָּל זִמְנִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בְּגָלוּתָא, אִתְיְידַע זִמְנָא וְקִצָא דִּלְהוֹן, וְזִמְנָא וְקִצָא דְּהַהוּא גָּלוּתָא. וְגָלוּתָא דֶּאֱדוֹם, הוּא מַשָּׂא דּוּמָה, דְּלָא אִתְגַּלְיָיא וְלָא אִתְיְידַע כְּאִינּוּן אָחֳרָנִין.
R. Jose discoursed on the verse: “The burden of Duma. One calleth unto me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night?” (Isa. 21, 11). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘has already been expounded in many places, but it can also be interpreted as follows. To all the other exiles of Israel a term was set, and their duration was known beforehand, but the exile of Edom is “a burden of silence”, for its term has not been disclosed.
קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר, אֵלַי קוֹרֵא מִשֵּׂעִיר, קָלָא שְׁמַעְנָא בְּגָלוּתָא דְּשָעִיר, אִינּוּן דְּדַחֲקֵי בֵּינַיְיהוּ, אִינּוּן דְּשַׁכְבֵי לְעַפְרָא. וּמַאי אַמְרֵי. שׁוֹמֵר מַה מִּלַּיְלָה שׁוֹמֵר מַה מִּלֵּיל אִינּוּן תַּבְעָן לִי עַל מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, מַה עֲבָדִית מִן מַטְרוֹנִיתָא דִּילִי.
Says the Holy One, blessed be He: “One calls to Me from Seir”: I have heard a voice from those who are oppressed and prostrate in the exile of Seir,1Edom=Rome. saying, Watchman, what of the night?-asking Me what I have done with My Matrona.
כְּדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כָּנִישׁ לְפָמַלְיָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְאָמַר, חָמוּ בָּנַי רְחִימַי, דְּאִינּוּן דְּחִיקִין בְּגָלוּתָא, וְשַׁבְקִין צַעֲרָא דִּלְהוֹן, וְתַבְעִין לִי עַל מַטְרוֹנִיתָא. וְאַמְרֵי, שׁוֹמֵר: אַנְתְּ דְּאִקְרֵי שׁוֹמֵר, אָן הוּא שְׁמִירָה דִּילָךְ אָן הוּא שְׁמִירָה דְּבֵיתָךְ. מַה מִּלַּיְלָה: מַה עַבְדַת מִּלַּיְלָה, הָכִי נַטְרַת לָהּ. מַה מִּלֵּיל. דְּהָא לְזִמְנִין אִתְקְרֵי לַיְלָה, וּלְזִמְנִין אִתְקְרֵי לֵיל, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שמות י״ב:מ״ב) לֵיל שִׁמּוּרִים הוּא. וּכְתִיב הוּא הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה.
Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, assembles all His court and says: “See how My beloved children forget their own oppression and think only of the Matrona, saying to Me, Thou who art called Keeper, how dost Thou keep Thyself and Thy house?”
כְּדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָתִיב לוֹן, הָא שְׁמִירָה דִּידִי אִשְׁתְּכַח, דְּהָא אֲנָא זַמִּין לָקֳבְלָהּ, וּלְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא בַּהֲדָהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב אָמַר שׁוֹמֵר, הַהוּא דְּנָטִיר בֵּיתָא, אָתָא בֹקֶר וְגַם לָיְלָה. דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא אִסְתַּלָּק לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא, וְסָלִיק לְהַהוּא (ס"א אתר) בֹּקֶר (ע"ד ע"ב) דְּאִזְדְּמַן בֵּיהּ תְּדִירָא. הַשְׁתָּא אָתָא בֹּקֶר. הָא זַמִּין לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בַּלַּיְלָה. וְגַם לַיְלָה, הָא זְמִינָא הִיא. אֲבָל בְּגִינֵיכוֹן אִתְעַכְּבוּ. וְאִי אַתּוּן בָּעָאן דָּא, עַל מַה אַתּוּן מִתְעַכְּבֵי, שׁוּבוּ. שׁוּבוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה. כְּדֵין אֵתָיוּ, אָתוּ לְגַבָּאי, וְנֶהֱוֵי כֹּלָּא בְּמָדוֹרָא חֲדָא, וְכֻלָּנָא נֵתוּב לְאַתְרָנָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (דברים ל׳:ג׳) וְשָׁב יְיָ' אֱלהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ, והֵשִׁיב לָא נְאֱמַר, אֶלָּא וְשָׁב. תְּרֵין וְשָׁב וְשָׁב כְּתִיב הָכָא. אֶלָּא, חַד לִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְחַד לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְשָׁב יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְשָׁב וְקִבֶּצְךָ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים.
Then the Holy One, blessed be He, answers them: “I have not forgotten My guardianship, for I will yet receive Her and be with Her.” “The morning has come”, for at first He ascended aloft to that morning which is ever ready for Him. Now it is time to be joined to “the night”. The night, too, is ready, but for your sakes it has been delayed. And if you ask why, the answer is, “Return”, to wit, in repentance, and then “come to Me” and we shall all place ourselves in a row and return to our place, as it is written, “And the Lord thy God will return with thy captivity and will return and gather thee from all the peoples.” The word “return” occurs here twice-once referring to the Holy One, blessed be He, and once to the Community of Israel.”