293. Rabbi Pinchas was going to see his daughter, the wife of Rabbi Shimon, who was ill. The friends joined along with him and he was riding on his donkey. While still walking along on their journey, they met up with two Arabs. He asked them if any sound stirred in this field from ancient days. They said, From times past, we do not know. From our times, we do know, because one day, robbers spread out over the roads in that field and assaulted Jews, and intended to destroy them. From the distance, the voice of this donkey ON WHICH YOU RIDE was heard in this field. It brayed twice. A flame of fire came along with that sound and burned them and these Jews were saved. He said to them, Arabs, Arabs, IN THE MERIT of this episode that you related to me, you will be saved today from the other robbers that are awaiting you along the road.

294. Rabbi Pinchas wept and said, Master of the Universe, this miracle You performed for my sake; these Jews were saved, and I did not even know. He opened the discussion with the verse: "To Him who alone does great wonders: for His steadfast love endures forever" (Tehilim 136:4). How much good does the Holy One, blessed be He, do for people, and how many miracles does He perform for them every day. No one knows except He alone. A person gets up in the morning and a snake comes to kill him. The person places his foot on his head, WITHOUT INTENTION, and kills him. No one is aware of that except the Holy One, blessed be He, alone. "To Him who alone does great wonders:" A person walks along the road and robbers lie in wait to kill him. Another one comes along and pays ransom instead for him, and he is saved. None knows of the kindness that the Holy One, blessed be He, did with him and the miracle that just occurred to him, but the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself. "To Him who alone does great wonders:" He by Himself made it andknows, and no one else is even knows it.

295. He said to his friends, Friends, what I inquired of these Arabs who are always present in the field WAS if they heard the voices of the friends who study and deal with the Torah. Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Elazar, his son, and the rest of the friends are traveling in front of us and are not aware of us, and I inquired of those Arabs about them, since I know that Rabbi Shimon's voice shakes up the fields and the mountains. They told me something I did not know of, MEANING THAT MIRACLE.

296. While still traveling, these Arabs returned to them. They said to him, Old man, you asked us if A VOICE WAS STIRRED IN THE FIELD from days gone by. But you have not asked us about this day. We noticed, TODAY, a wonderful marvel. We saw five people sitting together and an old man was with them. We saw birds gathering and extending their wings over their heads, some going and some returning, so the shadow did not pass away from over their heads. This old man raised his voice to them, and they listened.

297. He said, It is about this that I inquired. Arabs, Arabs, go and this road should be ready for you with whatever you wish. You have told me two things that make me glad. They left. The friends said, How are we going to find where Rabbi Shimon is? He said to them, Leave that to the one who has dominion over the footsteps of the beasts. He will direct their steps towards that place. He did not lead his donkey yet his donkey, on its own, took a detour from the road about two miles, and went there.

298. The donkey began to bray three times. Rabbi Pinchas dismounted and said to his friends, Let's prepare welcome the countenance OF ATIK YOMIN, MEANING THE SHECHINAH, because now a great face and a small face are coming towards us, MEANING RABBI SHIMON AND HIS DISCIPLES. Rabbi Shimon heard the braying of the donkey and said to his friends, Let us rise, because the voice of the donkey of the pious old sage has risen towards us. Rabbi Shimon rose and the friends rose.

299. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion with the verse: "A psalm. O sing to Hashem a new song; for He has done marvelous things" (Tehilim 98:1). OVER THE WORD "A psalm," there is a vertical musical note, WHICH IS THE CANTILATION MARK CALLED 'PAZER.' HE ASKS: Why? HE REPLIES: This note is indicative of a great reason, because this psalm comes and gets adorned with a supernal crown above its head. THEREFORE, it receives ABOVE IT a vertical NOTE THAT IS THE MUSICAL NOTE PAZER. Who chanted this song? The cows, who mooed: "O sing to Hashem a new song." HE ASKS: To whom did they say this "sing?" HE REPLIES: To the many Chariots, many appointees, for the many levels that came by there and went out to welcome the ark. To them, they used to say "SING."