"The earth feared, and was still"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yosi opens by saying that God told the earth that if Yisrael accepted the Torah all would be well, but if not He would return the earth to its formless condition. Because of this the earth trembled in fear that Yisrael would not accept, but when Yisrael said they would obey the Torah, the earth became still. After Yisrael accepted, they were no longer afraid of witchcraft or sorcery, because God removed its power over them when He led them out of Egypt. Balak knew this immediately when he arrived, so he needed advice from Bilaam. Next Rabbi Elazar is persuaded by the other rabbis to reveal the secret of the joy that God experiences in the Garden of Eden with the righteous.

Earth Edom Fear Seir Thought Torah Void

153. Rabbi Yosi said, "Hashem, when you did go out of Seir, when you did march out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled..." (Shoftim 5:4). That was during the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, returned from Seir, because they didn't accept the Torah. "The earth trembled:" What is the reason that it trembled? It is because it wanted to return to formlessness and void. The Holy One, blessed be He, made a condition with the world that if the children of Yisrael accept the Torah, it is good but if not, I will return you to formlessness and void. When the earth noticed that the Holy One, blessed be He, invited all the nations to accept the Torah, but they didn't accept, and from all the nations, only Yisrael were left, the earth thought that Yisrael, too, would refuse to accept the Torah as the others did. Due to this, "the earth trembled;" as soon as YISRAEL said, "Will we do, and obey" (Shemot 24:7) immediately, it quieted down. This is what is written: "The earth feared, and was still." First it "feared," then "was still" (Tehilim 76:9).

153. א"ר יוֹסֵי, יְיָ' בְּצֵאתְךָ מִשֵּׂעִיר בְּצַעְדְּךָ מִשְּׂדֵה אֱדוֹם אֶרֶץ רָעָשָׁה. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא תָּב מִשֵּׂעִיר, דְּלָא קַבִּילוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא, אֶרֶץ רָעָשָׁה וְגוֹ.' מ"ט רָעָשָׁה. בְּגִין דְּבָעָאת לְאָהַדְרָא לְתוֹהוּ וָבוֹהוּ, דְּהָכִי אַתְנֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעָלְמָא, אִי יְקַבְּלוּן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹרַיְיתָא, מוּטָב. וְאִם לָאו, אַהְדָּר עָלְמָא לְתוֹהוּ וָבוֹהוּ. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָאת אַרְעָא, דְּהָא אַזְמִין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְכָל עֲמְמַיָא דִּיְקַבְּלוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא קַבִּילוּ. וּמִכָּל עֲמְמַיָא לָא אִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ אֶלָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ, חֲשִׁיבַת אַרְעָא, דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לָא יְקַבְּלוּ כְּוָותַיְיהוּ, ובג"כ אֶרֶץ רָעָשָׁה. כֵּיוָן דְּאָמְרוּ נַּעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע, מִיָּד שָׁקָטָה, הה"ד אֶרֶץ יָרְאָה וְשָׁקָטָה. יָרְאָה בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וּלְבַסּוֹף וְשָׁקָטָה.

Aram Balaam Balak Deeds Egypt Mesopotamia Rivers Sorcery Table Witchcraft

154. Come and see: Because Yisrael said, "will we do," they were neither afraid of any deeds that the practitioners of witchcraft of the world were capable of doing nor of any sorcerers in the world. What is the reason? One is THAT THEY SAID, "WILL WE DO" and one is because the Holy One, blessed be He, broke all the witchcraft and sorcery before the children of Yisrael, when He took them out of Egypt, so that they should have no effect on them. When Balak came, he was aware of it. Immediately, "he sent messengers to Bilaam the son of Beor to Petor, which is by the river" (Bemidbar 22:5). What is Petor? It is that he prepared a table (Aram. Ptora) from which to ask for counsel as to what to do. "by the river:" HE ASKS: It should have said 'two rivers (Heb. naharaim),' SINCE HE WAS FROM ARAM NAHARAIM (ENG. 'TWO RIVERS'). HE REPLIES: He certainly dwells at all times on one river, MEANING TO SAY THE TABLE OF THE KLIPAH, WHICH IS MALCHUT OF KLIPAH, STANDS ABOVE ONE RIVER OF THAT KLIPAH, WHICH IS YESOD OF THE KLIPAH.

154. ות"ח, בְּגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אָמְרוּ נַעֲשֶׂה, לָא דַּחֲלִין מִן כָּל עֲשִׂיָּיה, דְּיֵכְלוּן כָּל חֲרָשֵׁי דְּעָלְמָא לְמֶעְבַּד, וְלָא מִכָּל קִסְמִין וְחַרְשִׁין דְּעָלְמָא. מ"ט. חַד, בּג"ד. וְחַד, בְּגִין דְּכַד אַפִּיק לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִמִּצְרַיִם, תָּבַר קַמַּיְיהוּ כָּל זִינֵי חַרְשֵׁי וּקִסְמִין, דְּלָא יַכְלִין לְשַׁלְּטָאָה עָלַיְיהוּ, וְהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא דְּאָתָא בָּלָק, הֲוָה יָדַע דָּא. מִיָּד וַיִשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֶל בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר פְּתוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר עַל הַנָּהָר וְגוֹ.' מַאי פְּתוֹרָה. אֶלָּא דְּיַתְקִין פְּתוֹרָא, וְיִבְעֵי מִתַּמָּן עֵיטָא, מַה יַעְבִּיד. אֲשֶׁר עַל הַנָּהָר, עַל הַנְהָרִים מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי עַל הַנָּהָר. וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא, דְּעַל חַד נַהֲרָא קַיְּימָא תָּדִיר.

Garden of Eden Midnight Pillar Righteous Torah World to Come, The

155. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba went to see Rabbi Yosi, son of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakunya, father-in-law of Rabbi Elazar. They rose at midnight to study the Torah. They sat. Rabbi Elazar said, Now is the time that the Holy One, blessed be He, enters the Garden of Eden to be merry with the righteous that are there. Rabbi Aba said, What is this joy and how does He rejoice in them? Rabbi Elazar said, This matter is a secret sealed with me that is not known TO ALL, AND HE DID NOT WANT TO DIVULGE IT. RABBI ABA said to him, Were then the great pillars in the world before us empty, THAT YOU SAY that they did not know OF THIS SECRET AND IT IS IMPROPER TO REVEAL IT? HAD THEY not pursue the knowledge of the reason of their existence in this world, and what they can expect in the World to Come. THEN MOST DEFINITELY, THEY TOO WERE AWARE OF THIS SECRET; THEREFORE, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DIVULGE IT.

155. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא, הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי לְמֶיחֱמֵי לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּר' שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקוּנְיָא, חַמוֹי דְּרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, קָמוּ בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, יָתְבוּ. א"ר אֶלְעָזָר, הַשְׁתָּא הוּא עִדָנָא, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָאל בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, לְאִשְׁתַּעְשָׁע בְּצַדִיקַיָּיא דְּתַמָּן. א"ר אַבָּא, שַׁעֲשׁוּעָא דָּא מַאי הוּא, וְהֵיךְ יִשְׁתַּעְשַׁע בְּהוּ. א"ר אֶלְעָזָר, מִלָּה דָּא רָזָא סְתִימָא אִיהוּ, טְמִירָא לְגַבֵּי, דְּלָא יְדִיעַ. אָ"ל, וְכִי בְּרֵיקָנַיָּא הֲווֹ סַמְכִין רַבְרְבִין דְּמִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, דְּלָא יָדְעוּ, וְלָא רָדְפוּ אֲבַּתְרָהּ לְמִנְדַע עַל מַה קַיְימִין בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּמַה הֲווֹ מְחַכָּאן בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא.