"And I will give you peace in the land"
Rabbi Yosi says that a man lying in his bed at night should not speak about the demons that roam around seeking judgment. He tells us that when the children of Yisrael are found to be meritorious. God gives them peace in the land. Rabbi Aba talks about the fact that when the leader is good the whole world is saved because of his merit, and yet Josiah was killed even though he was a worthy leader who had done honest deeds. Rabbi Shimon says that was a result of Josiah's disbelief of Jeremiah's warnings and his failure to admonish Yisrael to repent. Rabbi Aba says that the Shechinah went into exile with Yisrael and was God's pledge to them. When He will ask for His pledge back He will come to live with Yisrael. Rabbi Yehuda speaks about Moses taking the Tent and pitching it outside the camp, and Rabbi Shimon explains to him that meant that the Tent of Meeting, that was the Shechinah, should be kept in the hands of a trustee until it was known who should keep it, Yisrael having been false to God with the creation of the Golden Calf. God made Joshua the trusted one who was worthy of guarding the pledge. In spite of the fact that Yisrael sinned, God did not remove His pledge from them and they did not forsake His pledge. Rabbi Yitzchak says that God still watches them and sees them in their synagogues and schools.
25. "And I will give you peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid" (Vayikra 26:6). Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion with the verse: "Tremble, and sin not..." (Tehilim 4:5). This verse has been explained. It behooves man to have his Good Inclination cause his Evil one to tremble. This is well. But when night falls and man lies in his bed, numerous seekers of Judgment, NAMELY DAMAGING DEMONS, stir up in the world and go and roam about. Thus, men should tremble before the Holy One, blessed be He, and fear Him so that their souls will not be among them, but will be saved from them. It behooves one not to utter one word of them, NAMELY, NOT TO SPEAK OF THEM AT ALL, so as not to rouse them against him, and so that they will not be with him. Hence, it says, "commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still" (Ibid.), WHICH MEANS that one must not talk about them.
25. וְנָתַתִּי שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ וּשְׁכַבְתֶּם וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד וְגוֹ.' ר' יוֹסֵי פָּתַח, רִגְזוּ וְאַל תֶּחֱטָאוּ וְגוֹ.' רִגְזוּ וְאַל תֶּחֱטָאוּ, הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאַרְגָּזָא יֵצֶר טוֹב עַל יֵצֶר הָרָע, וְשַׁפִּיר. אֲבָל בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּרָמַשׁ לֵילְיָא, וּבַר נָשׁ שָׁכִיב עַל עַרְסֵיהּ, כַּמָה גַּרְדִּינֵי נִמוּסִין מִתְעָרִין בְּעָלְמָא, וְאָזְלִין וְשָׁאטִין, וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא בָּעָאן לְאִתְרַגְּזָא מִקָּמֵיה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּלְדַחֲלָא מִנֵּיהּ, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח נַפְשֵׁיהּ בְּגַּוַּיְיהוּ, וְיִשְׁתֵּזִיב מִנַּיְיהוּ. וְיִבְעֵי לֵיהּ לב"נ, דְּלָא יָפִּיק מִנַּיְיהוּ מִלָּה בְּפוּמֵיהּ. בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְּעַר לְהוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְלָא יִשְׁתַּכְּחוּן בַּהֲדֵּיהּ. הה"ד אִמְרוּ בִלְבַבְכֶם עַל מִשְׁכַּבְכֶם וְדֹמּוּ סֶלָה. דְּלָא יָפִּיק מִנַּיְיהוּ מִלָּה מִפּוּמֵיהּ.
26. Come and behold: when Yisrael are found meritorious before the Holy One, blessed be He, it is written: "And I will give peace in the land." This is up above, as the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to join the Congregation of Yisrael, AS "PEACE" MEANS YESOD, AND "THE LAND" IS MALCHUT. Then, "you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid." Why? Because "I will remove evil beasts out of the land." This is an evil kind of beast that is down below. Which? Igeret, the daughter of Machalat, AN EVIL KLIPAH, and all her companions. This is by night. By day, THE VERSE, "AND I WILL REMOVE EVIL BEASTS OUT OF THE LAND," ALLUDES TO men from her side WHO CAUSE DAMAGE IN THE WORLD. This is the meaning of, "neither shall the sword go through your land" (Vayikra 26:6).
26. ת"ח, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל זַכָּאִין קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מַה כְּתִיב, וְנָתַתִּי שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ. הַאי לְעֵילָּא. דְּאָתֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. כְּדֵין וּשְׁכַבְתֶּם וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד. מ"ט. בְּגִין וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי חַיָּה רָעָה מִן הָאָרֶץ. דָּא חַיָּה דְּזִינָא בִּישָׁא לְתַתָּא. וּמַאי אִיהִי. אִגֶּרֶת בַּת מַחֲלַת, הִיא, וְכָל סִיעָתָא דִּילָהּ. הַאי בְּלֵילְיָא. בִּימָמָא, בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּאָתוּ מִסִּטְרָהָא דָּא, הה"ד וְחֶרֶב לֹא תַעֲבוֹר בְּאַרְצְכֶם.
27. Rabbi Aba said: It has been explained that even a sword of peace SHALL NOT "GO THROUGH YOUR LAND," as in the case of Pharaoh Necho, WHO WANTED TO PASS THROUGH THE LAND OF YISRAEL, BUT THE KING JOSIAH DID NOT PERMIT IT. THE MEANING of, "neither shall the sword go through your land," alludes to her companions, WHO COME FROM THE SIDE OF THE SAID KLIPAH. "I will remove evil beasts out of the land," means that THE KLIPAH ITSELF shall not have dominion over the land, nor shall it even go through - not the sword of the other nations, and not even one armed person shall pass you.
27. ר' אַבָּא אָמַר, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ דַּאֲפִילּוּ חֶרֶב שֶׁל שָׁלוֹם, כְּגוֹן פַּרְעֹה נְכֹה. אֲבָל וְחֶרֶב לֹא תַעֲבוֹר, דָּא סִיעָתָא דִּילָהּ. וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי חַיָּה רָעָה, דְּלָא תִּשְׁלוֹט בְּאַרְעָא, וַאֲפִילּוּ הַעֲבָרָה בְּעָלְמָא לֹא תַעֲבוֹר עָלַיְיכוּ, וַאֲפִילּוּ חֶרֶב דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין, וַאֲפִילּוּ ב"נ מִזְיָינָא, לָא יַעֲבוֹר עָלַיְיכוּ.
28. This is what king Josiah asked for WHEN HE DID NOT ALLOW THE SOLDIERS OF PHARAOH NECHO TO GO THROUGH THE LAND. It has been explained that he was caught in the sins of Yisrael AND WAS THEREFORE KILLED, as it is written, "The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Hashem, was taken in their pits" (Eichah 4:20). We must examine this, for we learned that if the leader of the people is good, the whole world is saved due to his merit. If the leader of the people is not honest, the whole people are caught for his sin. Yet why was Josiah, who was a worthy leader of honest deeds, caught in Yisrael's sins?
28. וְדָא דָּרִישׁ יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ מַלְכָּא, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ דְּהוּא אַתְפַּס בְּחוֹבַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, רוּחַ אַפֵּינוּ מְשִׁיחַ יְיָ' נִלְכַּד בִּשְׁחִיתוֹתָם וְגוֹ.' הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, דְּהָא תָּנֵינָן אִי רֵישָׁא דְּעַמָּא הוּא טַב, כָּל עַמָּא מִשְׁתֶּזְבָן בְּגִינֵיהּ. וְאִי רֵישָׁא דְּעַמָּא לָא אִתְכֵּשָׁר, כָּל עַמָּא אִתָּפְסָן בְּחוֹבֵיהּ. וְהָא יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ רֵישָׁא דְּכַשְׁרָא הֲוָה, וְעוֹבָדוֹי מִתְכַּשְּׁרָן. אֲמַאי אִתְפַּס בְּחוֹבֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
29. AND HE ANSWERS: This happened because he did not believe Jeremiah, and did not admonish Yisrael TO REPENT, for he thought they were all as righteous as he was. Yirmeyah told him of this, but he did not believe him and was therefore caught in their sins. Moreover, the moon, MALCHUT, had then the lowest light, and was about to be completely blocked, SINCE IT WAS NEAR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE.
29. אֶלָּא עַל דְּלָא הַיָּמִין בֵּיהּ בְּיִרְמִיָהוּ, וְלָא כָּפִית לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּחָשִׁיב דְּכֻלְּהוּ זַכָּאִין כְּוָותֵיהּ. וַהֲוָה אָמַר לֵיהּ יִרְמִיָּה, וְלָא הַיָּמִין בֵּיהּ. ובג"כ אִתְפַּס בְּחוֹבֵיהוֹן. וְעוֹד דְּסִיהֲרָא הֲוָה מָאִיךְ נְהוֹרָא, וּבַעְיָא לְאַסְתְּמָא.