321. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion with the verse: "And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, 'Who are those with you?' And he said, 'The children which Elohim has graciously given Your servant'" (Beresheet 33:5). Come and see that the wicked one allowed his eyes to gaze at the women. Due to him, JACOB had to make some arrangements. Jacob placed the handmaidens in front, and their sons, who were a little more important, behind them. Leah followed behind them, and her sons were behind her. Behind them was Joseph and behind him Rachel. And he HIMSELF went in front of all of them.

322. (THIS IS ANOTHER VERSION, EXPLAINING DIFFERENTLY). After they all bowed down, it is written: "Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves" (Ibid. 6). Afterward, it says, "And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves" (Ibid. 7). HE ASKS: But Joseph was last behind Rachel and Rachel was in front of him, AND NOT JOSEPH IN FRONT OF RACHEL. HE REPLIES: It is just that when this good son, beloved son, the righteous in the world, Joseph, noticed that the eyes of the wicked were staring at the women, he was fearful for his mother. THEN he came out from behind her and spread his arms and his body and covered her, so that wicked one would not place his eyes on his mother. How much did he inflate his size? Six cubits to each direction, so he covered her up so that the eyes of the wicked one shall have no effect over her. CONSEQUENTLY, AT THE START, JOSEPH WAS INDEED BEHIND HER, AS IT IS WRITTEN EARLIER. HOWEVER, HE LATER CAME OUT FROM BEHIND HER AND WENT IN FRONT OF HER.

323. Similar to this, "Bilaam lifted up his eyes" (Bemidbar 24:2). It is written "eye:" that refers to the evil eye that wished to stare at them, MEANING THAT HE ROUSED AGAINST THEM THAT EVIL KLIPAH CALLED 'EVIL EYE.' "And he saw Yisrael abiding according to their tribes" (Ibid.): What is the meaning of "according to their tribes?" HE REPLIES: It only refers to the tribes of Joseph and Benjamin that were there. Upon the tribe of Joseph, no evil eye can have any effect, as it is written: "Joseph is a fruitful bough" (Beresheet 49:22). What does "a fruitful bough" mean? It means that he increased and spread about to cover his mother FROM THE EVIL EYE OF ESAU, AS MENTIONED EARLIER. "A fruitful bough by a well" means that no evil eye can affect him. It is written about the tribe of Benjamin: "And he shall dwell between his shoulders" (Devarim 33:12) and: "He shall dwell in safety" (Ibid.). What does "in safety" indicate? It means that he has no fear of the evil eye and is not afraid of any evil plague.

324. The wicked one said, I will remove AND MAKE VOID this line OF THE TRIBES OF JOSEPH AND BENJAMIN, so that they will not last IN THE WORLD, and I will gaze at them WITH MY EVIL EYE as is required. Rachel was present there and noticed that the eye of the wicked one was focussed to do harm. What did she do? She came out and spread her wings over them, which covered over her children. This is what it says: "And Bilaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Yisrael." Once the Holy Spirit, WHICH IS MALCHUT CALLED 'RACHEL,' noticed the focussed eye OF BILAAM, instantly "the spirit of Elohim came upon him." Upon whom WAS THE SPIRIT OF ELOHIM? THAT MEANS upon Yisrael, THAT THE SPIRIT OF ELOHIM spread its wings and covered over them. Immediately, the wicked one retreated.

325. At first, the son was covering his mother and now the mother covered her son. At that time when JOSEPH covered his mother, Rachel, so the evil eye of the wicked one would not harm her, the Holy One, blessed be He, said TO JOSEPH, 'Upon your life, when an evil eye approaches to gaze at your children and Mine, your mother will cover over them. You covered over your mother and your mother will cover you.'

326. "And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children" (Beresheet 33:5). This verse was said in the secret of wisdom on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), when people stand for trial, and Yisrael repent before the Holy One, blessed be He, to be forgiven for their iniquities and the Accuser standing over them, planning to destroy them due to their iniquities, they send him that gift, MEANING THE GOAT FOR AZAZEL. Then it is written: "For he said, 'I will appease him with the present that goes before me'" (Beresheet 32:21). After the Accuser receives this gift, he reverses himself and becomes his advocate.

327. THE ACCUSER raises HIS EYES and sees the children of Yisrael are fasting and are bare footed. He sees women and he sees children; all are fasting, all are radiant with purity. "And he said, 'Who (Heb. mi) are those (Heb. eleh) with you?'" (Ibid. 5), MEANING the Holy Name ELOHIM THAT IS DERIVED FROM MI ELEH; THEY ARE with you, YISRAEL. He asked about the children, and he replied, "The children that Elohim has graciously given your servant" (Beresheet 33:5). HE ASKS: Did he need to answer him anything? HE REPLIES: Since he accepted that bribe, MEANING THE SCAPEGOAT, he turned to be a good advocate for them. He raised his eyes and saw Yisrael in this way and thought that, due to the fear of him, LEST HE MAKE ACCUSATIONS ABOUT THEM, they were in such a state OF FASTING AND REPENTANCE.

328. ANOTHER EXPLANATION: He asked about the children and said, "Who are these with you?" What is the meaning of: "Who are these with you?" HE REPLIES THAT what he meant IS THE FAST AND REPENTANCE befits you, because you sinned against the King. Why are these children in a situation like this, FASTING, and "Who are these with you?" "And he said, 'The children':" The Holy Spirit said this; therefore, there is a vertical tonal pause, ZAKEF GADOL, ON TOP OF "And he said," AND ON TOP OF "the children" without specifying, TO INDICATE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT SPOKE SO. "That Elohim has graciously given your servant:" HE INQUIRES: Did then the Holy Spirit say TO ESAU, "your servant?" HE RESPONDS: The Holy Spirit said, These are the children who have not had a taste of sin IN THEIR FIRST INCARNATION. The Holy One, blessed be He, placed them in the hands of your minister and he killed them without them having sinned, as it says, "And on the side of their oppressors there was power" (Kohelet 4:1). That is the meaning of, "your servant."

329. As soon as he heard about these children, he immediately ascended to the presence of the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, Master of the Universe, all Your ways are just and true. If there is any judgment that prevails upon Yisrael, that would be for their own sins. Why did You hand over their children, who have not sinned, to be killed? The Holy One, blessed be He, accepts thus his words and has compassion on them. At that time, IN YOM KIPPUR, children do not suffer from diphtheria.

330. The Accuser becomes jealous about this chieftain appointed under him and says, Did the Holy One, blessed be He, give men children that carry upon themselves sins and iniquities? To the chieftain He handed children without sin, who don't even know the taste of sin. He immediately goes and removes them from his hand, so he should not have any control over them. Therefore, THE HOLY SPIRIT proceeded and said, "The children that Elohim has graciously given your servant," to that servant, MEANING HE GRACIOUSLY GAVE HIM CHILDREN THAT ARE without taste of any iniquity or sin. And so that the appointed one shall not have more praise than him, he wishes to remove them from his hand.