50. Rabbi Yitzchak was studying before Rabbi Elazar, the son of Rabbi Shimon, and said to him, Did the Shechinah REALLY descend into Egypt with Jacob? He said to him, Did She not? Is it not written, "And I will descend with you" (Beresheet 46:4)? He said to him, Come and behold. The Shechinah descended into Egypt with Jacob and six hundred thousand holy Chariots with Her. This is what is written, "About six hundred thousand footmen" (Shemot 12:37). And we learned that six hundred thousand holy Chariots descended with Jacob into Egypt, and they all ascended from there when the Yisrael left Egypt. This is what is written, "And the children of Yisrael journeyed from Ramses to Sukkot about six hundred thousand footmen" (Ibid.). It does not say 'six hundred thousand,' rather it says "about six hundred thousand." THIS IMPLIES THAT as the six hundred thousand BELOW left, so those SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND HOLY CHARIOTS FROM ABOVE WHO WERE WITH THEM left.

51. Come and behold, This is the secret of the matter. When those holy Chariots and holy encampments departed, Yisrael then saw and knew they were being detained FROM LEAVING because of them, SINCE THEY WERE NOT LEAVING. And all the haste of Yisrael was for them. This is the meaning of what is written, "And could not delay" (Shemot 12:39). It should have said, 'And they did not want to delay,' but instead it is written, "And could not." AND THIS WAS OUT OF NECESSITY BECAUSE OF THE HOST OF ANGELS THAT WERE TARRYING FOR THEM! And it is actually understood from here that the children of Yisrael IN THE PHRASE were all the children of Yisrael of the firmament - NAMELY THE ANGELS. Thus it is written, "The children of Yisrael who came into Egypt with Jacob" (Shemot 1:1). It does not state, 'And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt with him,' but: "And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt with Jacob," MEANING who came to Egypt in the beginning, REFERRING TO THE ANGELS, AS STATED PREVIOUSLY. And with whom did they come? With Jacob.

52. Rabbi Yehuda states, We have a situation involving a minor to major inference. At the time when Jacob was saved from Laban, it is written, "And Jacob went on his way, and angels of Elohim met him" (Beresheet 32:2). Then, when he descended into Egypt, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I will go down with you into Egypt" (Beresheet 46:4). And if the Master descends, is it not the rule ALL THE MORE SO that His attendants will descend with Him? Thus, it is written, "Who came into Egypt with Jacob" (Shemot 1:1), INSTEAD OF 'WITH HIM.' Rabbi Ya'akov of the village of Chanan asks in the name of Rabbi Aba: Who are the children of Yisrael mentioned here? AND HE ANSWERS, Those who are actually called 'the children of Yisrael,' NAMELY THE TRIBES.

53. Rabbi Aba opened the discussion TO BRING PROOF TO HIS WORDS saying: "Come and behold the works of Hashem who has made desolations (Heb. shamot) in the earth" (Tehilim 46:9). Do not pronounce it shamot, but rather shemot (lit. 'names'). This follows a similar thought expressed by Rabbi Chiya that, as the Holy One, blessed be He, has done in heaven, so has He done on earth. Just as there are holy names in heaven, so are there holy names here on earth. THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE TRIBES OF WHICH IT IS WRITTEN, "THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL...."

54. Rabbi Yehuda said that six hundred thousand supernal angels descended with Jacob on the day that Jacob descended into Egypt. Rabbi Yehuda commenced TO BRING PROOF OF HIS WORDS, "Behold the litter, that of Solomon. Sixty valiant men are round about it" (Shir Hashirim 3:7). There are locks that are forged to accommodate a key, AND THE KEYS turn inside THE LOCK. The locks are in the seventh SFIRAH OF MALCHUT, and they are carved in the sixth SFIRAH OF YESOD. This is the meaning of what is written, "Sixty valiant men are round about it."

55. HE CONTINUES TO EXPLAIN THE ENTIRE VERSE AND SAYS, "Behold the litter," refers to the Shechinah, WHICH IS CALLED 'BED.' "Of Solomon" (Shlomo), refers to the King, to whom the peace (Heb. shalom) belongs, ZEIR ANPIN, THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT BRINGS PEACE BETWEEN RIGHT AND LEFT. "Sixty valiant men are round about it," are the six hundred thousand supernal angels of the host of the Shechinah that descended with Jacob into Egypt. "Of the mighty men of Yisrael," refers to supernal Yisrael, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, FOR GVURAH ('MIGHT') IS DRAWN TO THEM FROM THERE. The verse, "And these are the names of the children of Israel...every man came with his household," REFERS TO them and their customs, BECAUSE "CAME WITH HIS HOUSEHOLD" MEANS HIS WAYS AND CUSTOMS. FOR EVERY ANGEL HAS A PARTICULAR TASK AFTER WHICH HE IS NAMED, AS WE KNOW.

56. Rabbi Chiya was traveling from Usha to Lod. He was riding on a donkey, and Rabbi Yosi was with him. Rabbi Chiya dismounted, waving his hands toward Rabbi Yosi. He said to him, If the people knew the great respect given to Jacob when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "I will descend with you into Egypt" (Beresheet 46:4), they would lick the dust in the three parasangs around his grave. Thus, our teachers, the greatest men in the world, the sages of the Mishnah expound upon it. It is written, "Moses went out towards his father-in-law" (Shemot 18:7). AND THEY EXPLAIN, When Aaron saw Moses going out, he joined him. Elazar and the princes and the elders accompanied him, and the heads of the house of the fathers and men of mark in the congregation and all Yisrael accompanied them. So it came about that all of Yisrael went out to meet Jethro, because who would see Moses and Aaron and the princes going out and not accompany them? Thus, because of Moses, they all went out! Now if this occurred because of Moses, when the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I will descend with you into Egypt," certainly THE WHOLE HEAVENLY COURT DESCENDED WITH HIM. NOW IT IS COMPREHENSIBLE WHY IN THE BEGINNING THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, SAID, "I WILL DESCEND WITH YOU INTO EGYPT," WHICH INSINUATES THAT HE ALONE WOULD DESCEND. AND AFTERWARDS IT SAYS, "AND THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL," WHICH MEANS ALL THE HEAVENLY COURT. FOR BY MOSES ALSO, IT IS WRITTEN, "AND MOSES WENT OUT," YET ALL YISRAEL WENT OUT WITH HIM!