Behar: Chapter 9

Charity saves from Death

Synopsis

We read a story wherein Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yosi encounter two men, one of whom gives all of his food to a poor man on the road. The charitable man is saved by a miracle from a snake, and Rabbi Yosi says that he earned the miracle by way of his merit in going hungry. Rabbi Yosi quotes the verse, "Trust in Hashem, and do good; dwell in the land, and enjoy security," which is the whole message of this section.

Bread Death Death and the Afterlife Food Prayer

58. Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yosi were walking along the way and chanced upon a mountain. They found two men walking, and at the same time a man coming, who said to them: Please, I pray you, give me a piece of bread. For I have been lost in the desert for two days and have had nothing to eat. One of the men went aside, took out the provision he brought with him for the way and gave it to him; he fed him and gave him drink. His companion said to him: What shall you do when you need food? For as for me, I will eat my own AND SHALL GIVE YOU NOTHING. He said to him: I do not rely upon YOUR FOOD! The poor man sat by him until he had eaten all he had, and he gave the remaining bread to the poor man for the road. And he went away.

58. רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא, פָּגְעוּ בְּהַהוּא טוּרָא, אַשְׁכָּחוּ תְּרֵי גַּבְרֵי דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, אַדְּהָכִי חָמוּ חַד בַּר נָשׁ דַּהֲוָה אָתֵי, וְאָמַר לוֹן, בְּמָטוּ מִנַּיְיכוּ, הָבוּ לִי מְזוֹנָא פִּתָּא דְּנַהֲמָאִ, דְהַנֵי תְרֵין יוֹמִין דְּתַעִינָא בְּמַדְבֵרָא, וְלָא אֲכַלְנָא מִדִי. אִשְׁתְּמִיט חַד מֵאִינּוּן תְּרֵי גַּבְרֵי, וְאַפִּיק מְזוֹנֵיהּ דְּאִיהוּ אַיְיתֵי לְאוֹרְחָא, וְיָהִיב לֵיהּ, וְאָכִיל וְאַשְׁקֵי לֵיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ חַבְרֵיהּ, מַה תַּעֲבִיד מִן מְזוֹנָא, דְּהָא אֲנָא דִּידִי אֲכַלְנָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, וּמֶה עֲלֵי דִּידָךְ, אֲנָא אָזִיל, יָתִיב גַּבֵּיהּ הַהוּא מִסְכְּנָא, עַד דְּאָכַל כָּל מַה דַּהֲוָה גַּבֵּיהּ, וְהַהוּא נָהֲמָא דְּאִשְׁתְּאַר, יָהַב לֵיהּ לְאוֹרְחָא, וְאָזַל לֵיהּ.

Bread Death Death and the Afterlife Food Merit

59. Rabbi Chiya said: The Holy One, blessed be He, did not wish it to be done by us. Rabbi Yosi said: Perhaps there is an impending sentence upon that man, and the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to put this in his way in order to save him. While they were walking the man became exhausted DUE TO HUNGER. His companion said to him: Did I not tell you not to give your bread to another? Rabbi Chiya said to Rabbi Yosi: We have food with us, let us give him some to eat. Rabbi Yosi said: Do you wish to take away his merit? Let us go and see, for surely death follows in his footsteps - MEANING THAT THE DANGER OF DEATH IS FOLLOWING HIM and the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to prepare a merit for him in order to save him.

59. אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, לָא בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּמִלָּה דָּא יִתְעֲבִיד עַל יְדָן. אָמַר ר' יוֹסֵי דִּילְמָא דִּינָא אִתְגְּזַר עַל הַהוּא ב"נ, וּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְזַמְּנָא קַמֵּיהּ הַאי, בְּגִין לְשֵׁזָבָא לֵיהּ. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי, לָאָה הַהוּא גַּבְרָא בְּאוֹרְחָא, אָ"ל חַבְרֵיהּ, וְלָא אֲמֵינָא לָךְ דְּלָא תִּתֵּן נָהֲמָא לְאָחֳרָא. א"ר חִיָּיא לְר' יוֹסֵי, הָא מְזוֹנָא גַּבָּן נִיהַב לֵיהּ לְמֵיכַל. א"ר יוֹסֵי תִּבְעֵי לְמֵיפַּק מִנֵּיהּ זְכוּתָא, נֵזִיל וְנֶחֱמֵי, דְּהָא וַדַאי בְּקַפְטוּרֵי דְּדָא טִפְסָא דְּמוֹתָא אִתְאֲחִיד, וּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְזַמְּנָא זְכוּתֵיהּ, בְּגִין לְשֵׁזְבֵיהּ.

Head Miracle Serpent Tree

60. Meanwhile, the man sat to sleep under a tree. His friend went further and sat in a different place. Rabbi Yosi said to Rabbi Chiya: Let us sit down and watch, for surely the Holy One, blessed be He, intends to perform a miracle by him. They stood up and waited. While they were waiting, they saw a fiery rattlesnake standing by him. Rabbi Chiya said: Woe unto that man, for he is about to die. Rabbi Yosi said: This man is worthy of a miracle of the Holy One, blessed be He. A snake then came down the tree with the intention of killing him. The rattlesnake attacked the snake and killed it. Then the rattlesnake turned his head and went on his way.

60. אַדְּהָכִי, יָתִיב הַהוּא ב"נ, וְנָאִים תְּחוֹת חַד אִילָנָא, וְחַבְרֵיהּ אִתְרְחִיק מִנֵּיהּ, וְיָתִיב בְּדֶּרֶךְ אָחֳרָא. א"ר יוֹסֵי לְרִבִּי חִיָּיא, הַשְׁתָּא נֵיתִיב וְנֶחֱמֵי, דְּוַדַּאי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לְמִרְחָשׁ לֵיהּ נִיסָא, קָמוּ וְאוֹרִיכוּ. אַדְּהָכִי חָמוּ חַד טִיפְסָא בְּשַׁלְהוֹבֵי קָאֵים גַּבֵּיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, וַוי עַל הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, דְּהַשְׁתָּא יָימוּת. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, זַכָּאָה הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יַרְחִישׁ לֵיהּ נִיסָא. אַדְּהָכִי נָחַת מֵאִילָנָא חַד חִוְיָא, וּבָעָא לְמִקְטְלֵיהּ. קָם הַהוּא טִפְסָא עָלֵיהּ וְקַטְלֵיהּ. קִסְטֵּר בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ טִפְסָא, וְאָזַל לֵיהּ.

Food Merit Miracle

61. Rabbi Yosi said: Have I not told you that the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to perform a miracle for him, and you must not take away his merit, THAT HE SHOULD NOT GIVE HIM FOOD. In the meanwhile, the man awoke from his sleep and rose to go. Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yosi joined him and gave him food. After he ate, they told him of the miracle the Holy One, blessed be He, performed for him.

61. א"ר יוֹסֵי, וְלָא אֲמֵינָא לְךָ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעָא לְמִרְחָשׁ לֵיהּ נִיסָא, וְלָא תִּיפּוּק זְכוּתֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ. אַדְּהָכִי אִתְּעַר הַהוּא ב"נ, וְקָם וְאָזִיל לֵיהּ. אֲחִידוּ בֵּיהּ ר' חִיָּיא וְר' יוֹסֵי, וְיָהֲבוּ לֵיהּ לְמֵיכַל. בָּתַר דְּאָכַל, אַחְוִיאוּ לֵיהּ נִיסָא דְּרָחִישׁ לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.

Congregation Death Death and the Afterlife Faith Righteous Tree Tree of Life Zeir Anpin

62. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion and said: "Trust in Hashem, and do good; dwell in the land, and enjoy security (also: 'Faith')" (Tehilim 37:3). Happy is the portion of he who does good using what is his, since he stirs good, WHICH IS YESOD, toward the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT. With what DOES HE STIR? With righteousness (Charity), since when Righteousness is stirred, that good stirs toward the Congregation of Yisrael. It is therefore written, "but righteousness delivers from death" (Mishlei 10:2). What is the reason for this? Because Righteousness is the Tree of Life, ZEIR ANPIN. It is aroused against the Tree of Death to take those who are attached to it, and it saves them from death. Who causes the Tree of Life to be stirred to do that? One says: The charity THAT MAN does; it is as if he does it above, IN CAUSING MALCHUT TO BE UNITED WITH THE TREE OF LIFE, as it is written: "and do righteousness at all times" (Tehilim 106:3). We have already explained this.

62. פָּתַח ר' יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר, בְּטַח בַּיְיָ' וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב שְׁכָן אֶרֶץ וּרְעֵה אֱמוּנָה, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ דְּעָבֵיד טוֹב מִדִּידֵיהּ, דְּהָא אִתְּעַר טוֹב בִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּבְמָּה. בִּצְדָקָה. דְּכַד אִתְּעַר צְדָקָה, הוּא טוֹב כְּדֵין אִתְּעַר לְגַבֵּי כ"י. וְעַ"ד כְּתִיב וּצְדָקָה תַּצִּיל מִמָּוֶת. מ"ט. בְּגִין דִּצְדָקָה אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי הוּא, וְאִתְּעַר עַל הַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא, וְנָטִיל אִינּוּן דַּאֲחִידָן בֵּיהּ, וְשֵׁזִיב לוֹן מִן מוֹתָא. מַאן גָּרִים לְהַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי דְּאִתְּעַר לְהַאי, הֲוֵי אֵימָא הַהִיא צְדָקָה דְּאִיהוּ עֲבִיד, כִּבְיָכוֹל הוּא עֲבִיד לֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא, כד"א עוֹשֵׂה צְדָקָה בְכָל עֵת. וְהָא אִתְּמַר.

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