Shemot
Deeds Egyptians Hebrew Letters Koh Prayer Righteous Sh'ma Yisrael

207. "And he looked this way [Heb. koh (Caf-Hei)] and that (koh)" (Shemot 2:12). SINCE he saw in these fifty letters that Yisrael proclaim twice every day the prayer, "Sh'ma Yisrael" (Hear O Yisrael), that contains Caf-Hei (= 25) and Caf-Hei LETTERS twice; but he did not see THAT THE EGYPTIAN WOULD BE SAYING THEM. "And he looked Koh and Koh." Rabbi Aba said, THE FIRST Koh IS BECAUSE he looked to see whoever possessed good deeds, and THE SECOND Koh IS BECAUSE he desired to perceive whether a righteous son would emerge from him. Immediately, "he saw that there was no man" (Ibid.) he saw by the Holy Spirit that no righteous son would not emerge from him.

207. וַיִּפֶן כֹּה וָכֹה. חָמָא בְּאִלֵּין נ' אַתְוָון, דִּמְיַחֲדִין לֵיהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל יוֹמָא, שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל פַּעֲמַיִם, דְּאִית בְּהוֹן כ"ה כ"ה תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי, וְלָא חָמָא בֵּיהּ. וַיִּפֶן כֹּה וָכֹה וְגוֹ.' כֹּה וָכֹה, אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, כֹּה חָמָא, אִי הֲווֹ בֵּיהּ עוֹבָדִין דְּכַשְׁרָן. וָכֹה אִי זַמִין לְנָפְקָא מִנֵּיהּ בְּרָא מְעַלְיָא, מִיָּד וַיַּרְא כִּי אֵין אִישׁ. חָמָא בְּרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא, דְּלָא זַמִין לְנָפְקָא מִנֵּיהּ בְּרָא מְעַלְיָא.

Darkness Light Righteous Wicked Wickedness Wisdom

208. Rabbi Aba said, How many wicked people are there in the world who beget good children, more than the righteous. And that good son who comes from the wicked person is even better because he is pure from impure, light from darkness, wisdom from foolishness and this is the best of all.

208. דְּאָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, כַּמָּה חַיָּיבִין אִינּוּן בְּעָלְמָא, דְּמָפְקֵי בְּנֵי מְעַלְיָא, יַתִּיר מֵאִינוּן זַכָּאִין. וְהַהוּא בְּרָא מְעַלְיָא דְּנָפַק מִן חַיָּיבָא, אִיהוּ מְעַלְיָא יַתִּיר, לְמֶהֱוֵי טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא. נְהוֹרָא מִגּוֹ חֲשׁוֹכָא. חָכְמְתָא מִגּוֹ טִפְּשׁוּתָא. וְדָא אִיהוּ מְעַלְיָא מִכֹּלָּא.