Shemot: Chapter 2

"The word of Hashem was"

Synopsis

From Rabbi Shimon's discourse on "The word of Hashem was," we learn that the word hayah is repeated because the first time it refers to the exile in Egypt and the second time to the Babylonian exile. Rabbi Shimon reinforces Ezekial's role as a faithful prophet in his comparison of the Babylonian and the Egyptian exiles. The Babylonian captivity, we learn, caused far more pain and suffering for the children of Israel than the Egyptian exile. The children of Israel were able to endure the exile in Egypt patiently because they were familiar with the suffering of their father, the righteous Jacob. However, the Babylonian exile brought suffering to the point of despair, and they came to believe that God had deserted them. As a result, they were pitied in heaven and on earth, and God called His entire celestial army together and sent them to be with the children of Yisrael in captivity. When they arrived, the spirit of Prophecy descended on Ezekial. He announced his vision to the children of Israel, but they did not believe him. Thus, he was compelled to reveal his entire celestial vision to them. At this, their joy and love for God returned. This is why Ezekial revealed the formatting whole of his vision - with the permission of God.

Relevance

When we choose to walk the spiritual path, our moments of hurting and sorrow are mercifully brief. If, however, one indulges his own self-seeking desires, then suffering is intensified and prolonged. The Light cast through this particular narrative ends our personal and global exile. The tears that have flowed throughout history until today are dried up, as the Heavens open to reveal the warming rays of the Creator. Upon the merit of Jacob, whose magnificent soul encompasses all humanity, we rejoice as our redemption is actualized through this awesome Book of Splendor.

Ezekiel Faith Prophets Sanctuary

6. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion saying: "The word of Hashem was (Heb. hayoh hayah)..." (Yechezkel 1:1). HE ASKS, Why is the word hayah repeated twice? We should further ask why Ezekiel revealed all that he saw if he was a faithful prophet. Should one whom the King brought into His sanctuary reveal what he saw? HE ANSWERS, Certainly Ezekiel was a faithful prophet, and all that he saw was by Faith, and whatever he revealed was with the permission of the Holy One, blessed be He, and all was as it should have been.

6. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח, הָיֹה הָיָה דְּבַר ה,' הָיֹה הָיָה תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי אֲמַאי. וְתוּ אִית לְשָׁאֲלָה, אִי יְחֶזְקֵאל נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא הֲוָה, אֲמַאי גַּלֵּי כָּל מַה דְּחָמָא, מַאן דְּמַלְכָּא אָעִיל לֵיהּ בְּהֵיכָלֵיהּ אִית לֵיהּ לְגַלָאָה רָזִין דְּחָמֵי. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי יְחֶזְקֵאל נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא הֲוָה, וְכָל מַה דְּחָמָא בִּמְהֵימָנוּתָא אִיהוּ, וּבִרְשׁוּתָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גַּלֵּי כָּל מַה דְּגַלֵּי, וְכֹלָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ.

7. Rabbi Shimon said, Even though pain comes to him temporarily, someone who is accustomed to suffer pain bears his yoke and does not worry. But when pain comes to one who has spent all his days in pleasures and luxuries and is not accustomed to pain, this is complete pain and deserves weeping.

7. אָמַר ר"ש, מַאן דְּרָגִיל לְמִסְבַּל צַעֲרָא אע"ג דְּאָתֵי לְפוּם שַׁעְתָא צַעֲרָא, סָבִיל מַטְלָנוֹי, וְלָא חָיִישׁ, אֲבָל מַאן דְּלָא רָגִיל בְּצַּעַר, וַהֲוָה כָּל יוֹמוֹי בְּתַפְנוּקִין וְעִידוּנִין, וְאָתֵי לֵיהּ צַעֲרָא, דָּא אִיהוּ צַעֲרָא שְׁלִים, וְעַל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִבְכֵּי.

Babel Babylon Egypt Exile Righteous

8. Yisrael was accustomed to pain when descending into Egypt, for all the days of that righteous man, their father, were spent in pain. Therefore, they endured the exile properly AND DID NOT WORRY GREATLY. But the exile of Babylon was in complete pain; it was a pain for which both those above and below wept.

8. כַּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כַּד נַחְתּוּ לְמִצְרַיִם, רְגִילִין בְּצַעֲרָא הֲווֹ, דְּהָא כָּל יוֹמוֹי דְּהַהוּא זַכָּאָה אֲבוּהוֹן בְּצַעֲרָא הֲוָה, וְעַל דָּא סָבְלוּ גָּלוּתָא כַּדְקָא יָאוּת. אֲבָל גָּלוּתָא דְּבָבֶל הַהוּא הֲוָה צַעֲרָא שְׁלִים, הַהוּא הֲוָה צַעֲרָא דְּעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין בָּכָאן עָלֵיהּ.

Babel Babylon Exile Gold Rivers Zion

9. Those above wept, as it is written, "Behold, the mighty ones shall cry outside" (Yeshayah 33:7). Those below cried, as it is written, "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down..." (Tehilim 137:1). They all wept over the exile of Babylon. Why? Because previously they had the luxuries of kings, as is written, "The precious sons of Zion..." (Eichah 4:2).

9. עִלָּאִין: דִּכְתִּיב, הֵן אֶרְאֶלָּם צָעֲקוּ חוּצָה וְגוֹ.' תַּתָּאִין: דִּכְתִּיב, עַל נַהֲרוֹת בָּבֶל שָׁם יָשַׁבְנוּ וְגוֹ' כֻּלְּהוֹן בָּכוּ עַל גָּלוּתָא דְּבָבֶל. מ"ט. בְּגִין דַּהֲווֹ בְּתַפְנוּקֵי מַלְכִין דִּכְתִּיב בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן הַיְקָרִים וְגוֹ.'

Babel Babylon Exile Gold Jeremiah Mountains Thought Zion

10. As we learned, Rabbi Yitzchak said, What is meant by the verse, "On the mountains I will take up a weeping and wailing" (Yirmeyah 9:9)? The mountains that are referred to are the loftiest in the world. And who are these lofty mountains? They are "the precious sons of Zion comparable to fine gold." And now they are descending into exile with grindstones on their necks and their hands tied behind. And when they arrived in the exile of Babylon, they thought that they would never have support because the Holy One, blessed be He, had forsaken them and would no longer watch over them.

10. דִּתְנַן אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, מַאי דִּכְתִּיב עַל הֶהָרִים אֶשָּׂא בְכִי וָנֶהִי. אֶלָּא, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן טוּרַיָּא רַמָיָא דְּעָלְמִין. וּמַאן אִינּוּן טוּרַיָּא רַמָיָא, אִינּוּן, בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן הַיְקָרִים הַמְסוּלָּאִים בַּפָּז וְהַשְּׁתָּא הֲווֹ נַחְתִּין בְּגָלוּתָא, בְּרֵיחַיָּא עַל קַדְלֵיהוֹן וִידֵיהוֹן מְהַדְּקָן לַאֲחוֹרָא. וְכַד עָאלוּ בְּגָלוּתָא בְּבָבֶל, חָשִׁיבוּ דְּהָא לֵית לְהוּ קִיּוּמָא לְעָלְמִין, דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁבִיק לוֹן, וְלָא יַשְׁגַּח בְּהוֹן לְעָלְמִין.

Babel Babylon Camp Chariot Exile Heaven Hosts

11. We learned that Rabbi Shimon said, At that moment, the Holy One, blessed be He, summoned all His company, all the Chariots and camps and His officers and all the hosts of heaven. And he said to them, 'What are you doing here? My beloved children are in the exile of Babylon and you are here! Arise, all of you descend to Babylon and I with you.' This is the meaning of, "Thus says Hashem, 'For your sake I have sent to Babylon'" (Yeshayah 43:14). This refers to the Holy One, blessed be He. "And will bring down all of them as fugitives..." (Ibid.). These are all the supernal Chariots and camps.

11. וְתָנֵינָן, אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא קָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְכָל פָּמַלְיָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְכָל רְתִיכִין קַדִּישִׁין, וְכָל חֵילֵיהּ וּמַשִּׁרְיָיתֵיהּ, וְרַבְרְבָנוֹי, וְכָל חֵילָא דִּשְׁמַיָּא, וְאָמַר לוֹן, מָה אָתּוּן עַבְדִּין הָכָא, וּמַה בְּנֵי רְחִימָאי בְּגָלוּתָא דְּבָבֶל, וְאָתּוּן הָכָא, קוּמוּ חוּתוּ כֻּלְּכוּן לְבָּבֶל, וַאֲנָא עִמְּכוֹן. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, כֹּה אָמַר ה' לְמַעַנְכֶם שִׁלַּחְתִּי בָבֶלָה וְגוֹ.' לְמַעַנְכֶם שִׁלַּחְתִּי בָבֶלָה, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְהוֹרַדְתִּי בָרִיחִים כּוּלָם, אִלֵּין כָּל רְתִיכִין וּמַשִׁרְיָין עִלָּאִין.

Babel Babylon Chariot Exile Ezekiel Fear Heaven Heavens Hosts

12. When they descended to Babylon, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit of prophecy rested on Ezekiel. And he saw whatever he saw and said to Yisrael: 'Behold your Master is here and all the hosts of heaven and the Chariots that have come to dwell with you.' They did not believe him until he was obliged to reveal all that he saw - 'I saw thus, I saw thus...' and if he revealed more, whatever he revealed was altogether necessary. As soon as Yisrael saw this, they rejoiced. And when they heard the words from Ezekiel's mouth, they no longer feared their exile at all because they knew that the Holy One, blessed be He, would not leave them. And everything that he revealed, he revealed with permission.

12. כַּד נַחְתּוּ לְבָּבֶל, אִתְפַּתָּחוּ שְׁמַיָּא, וְשָׁרָאת רוּחַ נְבוּאָה קַדִּישָׁא עַל יְחֶזְקֵאל, וְחָמָא כָּל מַה דְּחָמָא, וְאָמַר לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הָא מָארֵיכוֹן הָכָא, וְכָל חֵילֵי שְׁמַיָּא וּרְתִּיכוּ, דְּאָתוּ לְמֵידָר בֵּינֵיכוֹן. לָא הֵימְנוּהוּ, עַד דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְגַלָּאָה כָּל מַה דְּחָמָא, וָאֵרֶא כָּךְ, וָאֵרֶא כָּךְ. וְאִי גַּלֵּי יַתִּיר, מַה דְּגַלֵּי כֹּלָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּךְ, חַדוּ. וְכַד שָׁמְעוּ מִלִּין מִפּוּמֵיהּ דִיחֶזְקֵאל, לָא חַיְישׁוּ עַל גָּלְוּתְהוֹן כְּלָל, דְּהָא יָדְעוּ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא שָׁבִיק לוֹן. וְכָל מַה דְּגַלֵּי בִּרְשׁוּתָא גַּלֵּי.

Babel Babylon Camp Chariot Egypt Exile Jacob Shechinah

13. We learned that in each and every place to which Yisrael was exiled, the Shechinah was exiled with them. And here by the exile of Egypt, it is written, "And these are the names of the children of Israel..." (Shemot 1:1). AND HE ASKS, Since it is written, "the children of Yisrael," why does it conclude, "with Jacob?" It should have said, 'Who came with him.' AND HE ANSWERS, "These are the names of the children of Israel," refers to the supernal Chariots and camps that descended with Jacob together with the Shechinah into the exile of Egypt. THIS ALSO ANSWERS WHY "HAYOH- HAYAH" (YECHEZKEL 1:3) IS WRITTEN TWICE. THE FIRST HAYOH REFERS TO THE EXILE OF EGYPT, AND THE SECOND HAYAH REFERS TO THE EXILE OF BABYLON.

13. וְתָנֵינָן בְּכָל אֲתָר דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל גָּלוּ, תַּמָן שְׁכִינְתָּא גָּלְתָה עִמְהוֹן, וְהָכָא בְּגָלוּתָא דְּמִצְרַיִם מַה כְּתִיב, וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ.' כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִּיב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, מַהוּ אֵת יַעֲקֹב, הַבָּאִים אִתּוֹ אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֵימָר. אֶלָּא, אֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִינּוּן רְתִיכִין וּמַשִּׁרְיָין עִלָּאִין, דְּנַחְתּוּ עִם יַעֲקֹב, בַּהֲדֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא, בְּגָלוּתָא דְּמִצְרַיִם.

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