"Before the day cools"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yitzchak opens with an explanation of the title verse. We learn that the subjugation of Yisrael will end after one thousand years, whereupon God will appear in the terrestrial Jerusalem to purify it. At this time, He will drive the heathen nations from the Holy City and shake the wicked out of the earth. If the exile lasts longer than one thousand years, we are told, it is because Yisrael will not return in repentance to God.

Relevance

Often, we know that a particular behavior is positive and beneficial to our life. Nevertheless, another voice inside us persuades us to avoid it and procrastinate. Likewise, we are all-too-often aware that a certain behavior is extremely detrimental. We routinely vow not to engage in such actions. Yet these same voices compel us into the misdeed, even though we do not really want to.

When we allow our negative and wicked impulses to rule over our own positive traits and good intentions, the nations of the world are empowered, measure for measure, to rule over Yisrael. Meditating with deep conviction on the words presented here shakes and dislodges all the disobedient impulses that govern our daily behavior. We stir repentance in our hearts for all our iniquities caused by these negative traits. Genuine repentance and deep remorse are unimaginably powerful forces; and through them, we now achieve our final purification and correction.

Our soul achieves dominion over our lives. In turn, Yisrael is purified with great mercy and is empowered so that her relationship with the other nations of the world is strengthened, founded upon unconditional mutual love and respect. Permanent world peace is achieved through our spiritual actions performed here, for they have infinitely more power and might than the military or political actions that take place in the physical realm.

Exile Year

291. Rabbi Yitzchak opened the discussion saying: "Before the day cools, and the shadows flee away" (Shir Hashirim 4:6). "Before the day cools" refers to the exile of Yisrael, and that they would be subjugated in exile until that day when the rule of the nations will end. For we have learned that Rabbi Yitzchak said that the dominion of all nations together over Yisrael would last one thousand years. There is no nation that would not subjugate them. The one day corresponds to the words "but it shall be one particular day which shall be known as Hashem's..." (Zecharyah 14:7).

291. רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח, עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים וְגוֹ,' עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם, הַאי קְרָא עַל גָּלוּתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְּמַר, דְּאִינּוּן יִשְׁתַּעְבְּדוּן בְּגָלוּתָא, עַד דְּיִסְתַּיֵּים הַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּשֻׁלְטָנוּתָא דְּאוּמִין. דִּתְנָן, א"ר יִצְחָק, אֶלֶף שְׁנִין הוּא שֻׁלְטָנוּתָא דְּכָל אוּמִין כַּחֲדָא, עֲלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְלֵית לָךְ אוּמָה דְּלָא יִשְׁתַּעְבֵּד בְּהוֹן. וְיוֹמָא חֲדָא, הוּא לָקֳבְלֵיה דִּכְתִּיב, וְהָיָה יוֹם אֶחָד הוּא יִוָּדַע לַיְיָ' וְגוֹ.'

Corners Earth Garments Jerusalem Job Mountains Mount Moriah Myrrh Temple, The Wicked Wickedness Zion

292. Another explanation. "Before the day cools," meaning before that day the nations will cool. "And the shadows flee away," are the governments that dominate them. "I will get me to the mountain of myrrh" (Shir Hashirim 4:6), said the Holy One, blessed be He, 'I will betake myself to shake the nations from Jerusalem, which is the mountain of myrrh, as is written, 'on the mountain of Moriah that is in Jerusalem' (II Divrei Hayamim 3:1). "And to the hill of frankincense," is the Temple that is in Zion, about which is written, "Fair in situation, the joy of the whole earth; Mount Zion" (Tehilim 48:3). AND THIS IS ALSO TO SHAKE OUT FROM THERE ALL THE WICKED PEOPLE, as is written, "To grasp the corners of the earth and to shake all the wicked people from it" (Iyov 38:13), as one holds a garment to shake all the filth from it.

292. ד"א, עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם קֹדֶם דְּיָפוּחַ הַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּאוּמִין. וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים, אִינּוּן שׁוּלְטָנִין דְּשַׁלְטוּ עֲלַיְיהוּ. אֵלֵךְ לִי אֶל הַר הַמּוֹר, אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אֵלֵךְ לִי, לְנַעְרָא הָאוּמוֹת מִירוּשְׁלֵם דְּהוּא הַר הַמּוֹר, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, בְּהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה אֲשֶׁר בִּירוּשָׁלַםִ. וְאֶל גִּבְעַת הַלְּבוֹנָה, דָּא בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא דִּי בְּצִיּוֹן, דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ יְפֵה נוֹף מְשׂוֹשׂ כָּל הָאָרֶץ הַר צִיּוֹן וְגוֹ,' כד"א, לֶאֱחוֹז בְּכַנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ וְיִנָּעֲרוּ רְשָׁעִים מִמֶּנָּה. כְּהַאי דְּאָחִיד בְּטַלִית, לְנַעֲרָא טִנּוּפָא מִנָּהּ.

Jerusalem, Terrestrial Purification Year

293. Rabbi Yosi said, The Holy One, blessed be He, will eventually be revealed in terrestrial Jerusalem, and purify it from the filth of the nations, before that day of the nations is complete. For Rabbi Chiya said, The dominion of the nations over Yisrael lasts only one day, and that is the day of the Holy One, blessed be He, which is one thousand years long. This is what is written, "He has made me desolate and faint all the day" (Eichah 1:13), meaning one day only, and no more.

293. א"ר יוֹסֵי, עָתִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְגַּלְיָיא בִּירוּשְׁלֵם דִּלְתַתָּא, וּלְדַכְּאָה יָתָהּ מִטִּנּוּפֵי עֲמַמְיָא, עַד דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּלִים הַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּאוּמִין. דא"ר חִיָּיא, לֵית שׁוּלְטָנוּ לְאוּמִין עֲלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶלָּא יוֹמָא חֲדָא לְחוֹד, דְּהוּא יוֹמוֹ שֶׁל הַקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהוּא אֶלֶף שָׁנִים. הה"ד, נְתָנַי שׁוֹמֵמָה כָּל הַיּוֹם דָּוָה. יוֹמָא חַד לְחוּד, וְלָא יַתִּיר.

Heaven Repentance Year

294. א"ר יוֹסֵי, אִי יַתִּיר יִשְׁתַּעְבְּדוּן, לֹא עַל פּוּם גִּזְרַת מַלְכָּא הוּא, אֶלָּא עַל דְּלָא בַּעְיָין לְמֵיְהַדָר לָקֳבְלֵיהּ, וּכְתִיב וְהָיָה כִּי יָבוֹאוּ עָלֶיךָ כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְגוֹ,' וּכְתִיב, אִם יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲךָ בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם מִשָׁם יְקַבֶּצְךָ וְגוֹ.'