The children of Yisrael, the children of Jacob

Synopsis

This discussion provides greater insight into the verse, "These are the names of the children of Israel." Rabbi Yosi first reinforces this verse as an indication of the importance of the twelve Tribes who sustain the world. His comment on the title names reveals a lack of distinction between the terms; this relates closely to the death and descent of Joseph and his brothers, and is the subject of the discourse that ensues. We learn that the Shechinah and the supernal angels went with Jacob and his sons into Egypt while he was alive. Then, after the death of Joseph and the tribes, Yisrael descended into exile, and the Shechinah (with the twelve Tribes inscribed in Her) and the supernal angels descended with them. Consequently, Yisrael became known as the children of Jacob, since they descended to the level of the children of Jacob.

Relevance

The power to end our exile and control the twelve constellations and the entire physical world, and to ascend to the ultimate spiritual heights known as "Yisrael," is imbued in the reader.

Jacob Tribes

Egypt Grades Heaven Hosts Jacob Joseph Shechinah Thought

268. Rabbi Yehuda said TO RABBI YOSI BEN RABBI YEHUDA: Heaven forbid that when the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I will descend with you to Egypt," that it should occur to you that the Shechinah descended with Him precisely in that moment. THIS WAS BECAUSE RABBI YEHUDA THOUGHT THE IMPLICATION OF RABBI YOSI BEN RABBI YEHUDA WAS THAT THEY WERE AT THE LEVEL OF THE CHILDREN OF JACOB, MEANING 'DESCENDING,' IMMEDIATELY UPON THEIR ARRIVAL IN EGYPT. But rather, the Shechinah descended at the time his children experienced descent. This is what is written, "I will go down with you into Egypt; and I will also surely bring you up again" (Beresheet 46:4), MEANING THAT as long as you will ascend, then I will also ascend; and when you descend, I will descend with you. After Joseph and all his brothers died and they descended, the Shechinah also descended with them. And as they descended, MEANING THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL, so did these descend, MEANING THE SHECHINAH AND HER HOSTS.

268. א"ר יְהוּדָה, ח"ו, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אָנֹכִי אֵרֵד עִמְּךָ מִצְרַיְמָה, ס"ד דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא תֵּיחוֹת עִמֵּיהּ בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא מַמָּשׁ, אֶלָּא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דַּהֲוַת יְרִידָה לִבְנוֹהִי, נַחְתַּת שְׁכִינְתָּא, הה"ד, אָנֹכִי אֵרֵד עִמְּךָ מִצְרַיְמָה, וְאָנֹכִי אֲעַלְךָ גַּם עָלֹה, כָּל זִמְנָא דִּיהֲוֵי לָךְ עֲלִיָּיה, כִּבְיָכוֹ"ל עֲלִיָּיה אִית לִי, וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דִּיהֲוֵי לָךְ יְרִידָה, כִּבְיָכוֹ"ל אָנֹכִי אֵרֵד עִמְּךָ. וְעַד דְּמִית יוֹסֵף וְכָל אָחוּי, וַהֲוַת לוֹן יְרִידָה, קָמַת שְׁכִינְתָּא וְנַחְתַּת עִמְּהוֹן, כְּמָה דְּנַחְתּוּ אִלֵּין, כַּךְ נַחְתּוּ אִלֵּין.

Angels Death Death and the Afterlife Eleh (these) Exile Jacob Joseph Shechinah These (Eleh) Tribes Year

269. Rabbi Yosi ben Rabbi Yehuda, said TO HIM, It is written above, "And Joseph died, being 110 years old" (Beresheet 50:26). At the time that Joseph and all the tribes died and descended, the children of Yisrael descended into exile, and the Shechinah and the supernal angels descended with them, MEANING AS RABBI YEHUDA SAID. This is what is written, "And these are the names of the children of Israel;" THE VAV OF "VE'ELEH" ('AND THESE') is added to the first ones that descended into exile AFTER THE DEATH OF JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS. THEREFORE, THEY MUST BE THE CHILDREN OF JACOB, NAMELY IN DESCENT.

269. אָמַר ר' יוֹסֵי בַּר' יְהוּדָה, מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵיל מִנֵּיהּ, וַיָּמָת יוֹסֵף בֶּן מֵאָה וָעֶשֶׁר שָׁנִים וְגוֹ,' בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא דְּמִית יוֹסֵף, וְכֻלְּהוּ שְׁבָטִין, וַהֲוָה לוֹן יְרִידָה, נַחְתּוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא וּמַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי נַחְתּוּ עִמְּהוֹן, הה"ד, וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִינּוּן אִתּוֹסָפוּ עַל קַדְמָאֵי לְמֵיחַת בְּגָלוּתָא.

Death Death and the Afterlife Egypt Exile Grades Jacob Shechinah Torah Tribes Twelve Twelve Tribes of Israel

270. RABBI YEHUDA asked him, If so, was Jacob dead or not? He replied, He was dead! So he said to him, It is written, "Who came to Egypt with Jacob" (Shemot 1:1). If he was alive, IT IS POSSIBLE to say "with Jacob," BUT IF THE TORAH IS SPEAKING of after his death, remove "with Jacob," SINCE HE HAD ALREADY DIED - SINCE THE VAV ('AND') ADDS TO THE FIRST ONES. But come and behold, the verse does not say 'who came (lit. 'come') into Egypt with Jacob' but IT IS WRITTEN, "who came." For until then, there was no descent for Jacob. And we learn that THE SHECHINAH AND THE TWELVE TRIBES THAT ARE IN HER came with Jacob TO EGYPT, and went from there until the descent into exile, MEANING AFTER THE DEATH OF JACOB AND THE TRIBES. And then those descended with them, MEANING THE SHECHINAH AND THE TWELVE TRIBES IN HER. Therefore the passage, "And these are the names OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL," REFERS TO THEIR GREAT LEVEL AND IMPORTANCE, SINCE IT REFERS TO THE DAYS OF ASCENT AND NOT THE DAYS OF DESCENT.

270. א"ל, אִי הָכִי, יַעֲקֹב הֲוָה מִית אוֹ לָא. א"ל מִית. א"ל, וּמַהוּ דִּכְתִּיב הַבָּאִים מִצְרָיְמָה אֵת יַעֲקֹב, אִי בְּחַיֵּי, אֵימָא אֵת יַעֲקֹב, וְאִי בָּתַר דְּמִית, אַפִּיק מִתַּמָּן אֵת יַעֲקֹב. אֶלָּא תָּא חֲזֵי, לָא אָמַר קְרָא הַיּוֹרְדִים מִצְרָיְמָה אֵת יַעֲקֹב, דְּעַד כְּעָן לָא הֲוַת יְרִידָה לְיַעֲקֹב, אֶלָּא הַבָּאִים, אוֹלִיפְנָא דְּאָתוּ עִמֵּיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, וְאָזְלוּ לְהוֹן, עַד דְּנַחְתּוּ אִלֵּין בְּגָלוּתָא, נַחְתּוּ אִלֵּין עִמְּהוֹן, הה"ד וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת וְגוֹ.'

Egypt Exile Jacob Shechinah Twelve Twelve Tribes of Israel

271. Rabbi Dustai said, Every day they would come, THE SHECHINAH AND THE TWELVE TRIBES THAT WERE IN HER, and leave. This is what is written, "Who come into Egypt," IN THE PRESENT TENSE, and not 'Who came,' IN THE PAST TENSE. This means that in the beginning it is written, "Who come into Egypt with Jacob," BEFORE THE DESCENT, and when they descended, it is written, "Every man came with his household" (Shemot 1:1), IN PAST TENSE. Come and behold, the children of Jacob had already died by that time, and the others descended INTO EXILE.

271. ר' דּוֹסְתָּאי אָמַר, בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא הֲווֹ אַתְיָין, וְאַזְלִין לוֹן, הה"ד הַבָּאִים מִצְרַיְמָה, וְלָא כְּתִיב אֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ, וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב הַבָּאִים מִצְרָיְמָה בְּקַדְמֵיתָא אֵת יַעֲקֹב. וּלְבָתַר כַּד הֲוַת לוֹן יְרִידָה אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ. וְתָּא חֲזֵי, בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב כֻּלְּהוּ הַווֹ מֵתִין בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא וְנַחְתּוּ אִלֵּין וְאִלֵּין.

Angels Chariot Egypt Form Shechinah Tribes Twelve Twelve Tribes of Israel

272. Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Elazar said, This portion contains lofty subjects. For we learned that at the time these holy companies and Chariots descended, WHICH ARE the form of the TWELVE tribes which are engraved above IN THE SHECHINAH, they all came to sojourn with them. This is the meaning of, "Every man came with his household," WHICH ALLUDES TO THE ANGELS WHO CAME TO SOJOURN IN EGYPT WITH THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL, and, "Reuben, Simeon, Levi..." (Ibid. 2). THEY ALLUDE TO THE FORMS OF THE TWELVE TRIBES IN THE SHECHINAH.

272. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמְרוּ, הַאי פַּרְשְׁתָּא מִלִּין עִלָּאִין אִית בָּהּ, דִּתְנָן, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַחְתּוּ אִלֵּין רְתִיכִין וּמַשִּׁרְיָין קַדִּישִׁין, דִיוֹקְנֵיהוֹן דִּשְׁבָטִין, דִּגְלִיפִין לְעֵילָּא, כֻּלְּהוּ עָאלָן לְמֵידָר עִמְּהוֹן. הה"ד, אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ, וּכְתִיב רְאוּבֵן שִׁמְעוֹן לֵוִי.

Egypt Grades Jacob

273. Another explanation of, "And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt with Jacob...:" HE HAD DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING WHY IT OPENED WITH "THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL," AND CONCLUDED WITH "JACOB," AND SAYS, This portion reverted FROM THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL TO JACOB. IT IS according to what Rabbi Yosi ben Rabbi Yehuda, said earlier - THAT THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL DESCENDED TO THE LEVEL OF THE CHILDREN OF JACOB. And it all occurred, MEANING THAT ALL THE LITERAL EXPLANATIONS ARE TRUE.