Zion and Jerusalem

Synopsis

We learn that blessings come out to everyone from Zion and that Jerusalem is blessed for the sake of Zion. When Jerusalem is blessed, all the people are blessed. We are reminded that the rainbow alludes to judgment and that one should not judge others. When one's children's children are god-fearing, saintly and holy then there is peace upon Yisrael. Rabbi Elazar likens "children's children" to the lower Sfirot, and says that the children - Chesed, Gvurah and Tiferet, are only crowned and revived by Binah when the fathers, Chochmah and Binah, are crowned and blessed by Keter. After this explanation the rabbis pray, during which time a serpent winds itself around the mule of Rabbi Pinchas; the serpent is then destroyed by the Rabbi's command.

Jerusalem Zion

10. Rabbi Elazar was traveling along a road, where he met Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair and his whinnying donkey. Rabbi Pinchas said to him: From the note of gladness in the donkey's voice, I see that surely I shall meet someone here. When he emerged from under the brow of the hill, he saw Rabbi Elazar coming towards him and said: Assuredly, the omen of the DONKEY'S rejoicing has been fulfilled. Rabbi Elazar then came up to him and kissed him. He said to him: If you would like TO JOIN ME and go the same way, let us go together and if not, go your way. He replied: Indeed, I was going towards you and since I have found you, I will follow you and we can go together.

10. ר' אֶלְעָזָר הֲוָה אָזִיל בְּאוֹרְחָא, אַשְׁכָּחֵיהּ לְר' פִּנְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר דַּהֲוָה אָתֵי, גָּעָא חֲמָרֵיהּ. א"ר פִּנְחָס, וַדַּאי בְּקָלָא דְּחֶדְוְותָא דַּחֲמָרָא, חֲמֵינָא אַנְפִּין חַדְתִּין יִשְׁתַּכְּחוּן הָכָא, כֵּיוָן דְּנָפַק מִבָּתַר עַנְפּוֹי דְּטוּרָא, חָמָא לֵיהּ לְר' אֶלְעָזָר דַּהֲוָה אָתֵי, אָמַר וַדַּאי קָלָא דְּחֶדְוְותָא אִשְׁתְּלִים. נָחַת ר' אֶלְעָזָר לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְנָשִׁיק לֵיהּ, אָ"ל אִי טוּפְסָא דְּאָרְחָא, חַד לְגַבָּךְ, נֵזִיל וְנִתְחַבֵּר כַּחֲדָא. וְאִי לָאו טוֹל אָרְחָךְ וְזִיל. אָ"ל, וַדַּאי לָקֳבְלָךְ אֲזִילְנָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאַשְׁכַּחְנָא לָךְ, אֵיזִיל אֲבַתְרָךְ וְנִתְחַבָּר כַּחֲדָא.

Blessing Jerusalem Mercy Zion

11. Rabbi Pinchas opened the discussion with the verse: "Hashem shall bless you out of Zion and you shall see the good of Jerusalem" (Tehilim 128:5). AND HE ASKS: Why "out of Zion?" HE ANSWERS: Because FROM ZION, WHICH IS THE YESOD OF MALCHUT, all blessings come out to all, as it is written: "For there Hashem has commanded the blessings, even eternal life" (Tehilim 133:3). Hence, "Hashem shall bless you out of Zion," since from there blessings emanate to everything. "And you shall see the good of Jerusalem." For the sake of Zion, Jerusalem - WHICH IS MALCHUT - is blessed, BECAUSE ZION IS THE YESOD OF MALCHUT and Mercy rests there. When Jerusalem is blessed, all the people are blessed.

11. פָּתַח רִבִּי פִּנְחָס וְאָמַר, יְבָרֶכְךָ יְיָ' מִצִּיּוֹן וּרְאֵה בְּטוּב וְגוֹ.' יְבָרֶכְךָ יְיָ' מִצִיּוֹן, מ"ט מִצִּיּוֹן. בְּגִין דְּהָא מִתַמָּן נָפְקֵי בִּרְכָאָן לְכֹלָּא. הה"ד כִּי שָׁם צִוָּה יְיָ' אֶת הַבְּרָכָה חַיִּים עַד הָעוֹלָם. ובג"כ יְבָרֶכְךָ יְיָ' מִצִיּוֹן דְּהָא מִתַּמָּן נַפְקֵי בִּרְכָאן לְכֹלָּא. וּרְאֵה בְּטוּב יְרוּשָׁלָםִ, דִּבְגִינֵי צִיּוֹן יְרוּשָׁלָםִ אִתְבָּרְכָא, דְּכֵיוָן דְּצִיּוֹן אִתְמְלֵי בִּרְכָאן, כְּדֵין יְרוּשָׁלַםִ אִתְבָּרְכָא, וְאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בָּהּ רַחֲמִים. וְכַד יְרוּשָׁלַםִ אִתְבָּרְכָא, כָּל עַמָּא אִתְבָּרְכָא.

Head Hebrew Letters Jerusalem Judgment Peace Rainbow Righteous Zeir Anpin

12. "All the days of your life" (Ibid.), MEANS that the rainbow shall not be seen in your days any more than it was in the days of your father, RABBI SHIMON BEN YOCHAI, IN WHOSE DAYS NO RAINBOW WAS SEEN, FOR THE RAINBOW ALLUDES TO JUDGMENT. Of that, IT IS WRITTEN: "And you shall see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life," MEANING THAT ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE, YOU SHALL SEE THE GOOD OF MALCHUT NO JUDGMENTS WILL APPEAR IN HER. "And you shall see your children's children" (Tehilim 128:6), WHO WILL BE God-fearing, saintly and holy, and then, "peace upon Yisrael." "Peace upon Yisrael," is like saying, 'Peace be upon the head of the King, that he may lack nothing!' Thus there is peace upon Yisrael, NAMELY, UPON THE HEAD OF ZEIR ANPIN - WHICH IS CALLED 'YISRAEL' WHEN HE HAS THE THREE FIRST SFIROT, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF 'HEAD.' FOR THE NAME "YISRAEL" HAS THE LETTERS OF THE WORDS "LI- ROSH" (LIT. 'I HAVE A HEAD'). As long as there are righteous in the world, THERE IS PEACE UPON THE HEAD OF ZEIR ANPIN.

12. כָּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, דְּלָא יִתְחֲזֵי קֶשֶׁת בְּיוֹמָךְ, כְּמָה לְאָבוּךְ. וְעַל דָּא וּרְאֵה בְּטוּב יְרוּשָׁלָםִ כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ. וּרְאֵה בָנִים לְבָנֶיךָ, דַּחֲלֵי חַטָּאָה, חֲסִידִין, קַדִּישִׁין, כְּדֵין שָׁלוֹם עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. מַאי שָׁלוֹם עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֶלָּא, כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר שְׁלָמָא עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא, דְּלָא יֶחְסַר כֹּלָּא. כַּךְ שָׁלוֹם עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּזִמְנָא דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא יִשְׁתַּכְּחוּן בְּעָלְמָא.

Crowns Keter Streams Zeir Anpin Zion

13. Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion with the verse: "Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their fathers" (Mishlei 17:6). We have already explained that the word "children" MEANS CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH ARE 'CHILDREN' TO CHOCHMAH AND BINAH. "Children's children" are the other Sfirot of the King, NAMELY NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, as it is written: "And all your children shall be taught of Hashem" (Yeshayah 54:13), WHICH ALLUDES TO NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. It is also written: "The precious sons of Zion" (Eichah 4:2), THAT IS, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH COMBINE WITH ZION - NAMELY, YESOD OF MALCHUT. This is like the words, "And the glory of children is their fathers," WHICH MEANS THAT the children, CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, are only crowned through their fathers, WHO ARE CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, THE PARENTS OF CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. From that verse, we have learned that the children - CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET - are only crowned and revived by the running stream, WHICH IS BINAH, when the fathers, CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, are crowned and blessed BY THE KETER, as is written: "And the glory of children is their fathers."

13. פָּתַח ר' אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, עֲטֶרֶת זְקֵנִים בְּנֵי בָנִים וְתִפְאֶרֶת בָּנִים אֲבוֹתָם. בָּנִים הָא אוֹקִימְנָא. בְּנֵי בָנִים, אִלֵּין שְׁאָר כִּתְרֵי מַלְכָּא, כד"א וְכָל בָּנַיִךְ לִמּוּדֵי יְיָ.' וּכְתִיב בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן הַיְקָרִים, כד"א וְתִפְאֶרֶת בָּנִים אֲבוֹתָם, לָא מִתְעַטְּרָן בְּנִין אֶלָּא בַּאֲבָהָן. מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא, דִּבְנִין לָא מִתְעַטְּרֵי, וְלָא מִשְׁתַּקְיָין מִשַּׁקְיוּ דְּנַחֲלָא, אֶלָּא בְּזִמְנָא דַּאֲבָהָן מִתְעַטְּרָאן וּמִתְבָּרְכָאן, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב וְתִפְאֶרֶת בָּנִים אֲבוֹתָם.

Animals Lips Nest Prayer Serpent Torah Wind

14. As they were going along, the time of prayer arrived, so they dismounted and said their prayers. While they were praying, a serpent wound itself ROUND the legs of the donkey of Rabbi Pinchas, which was frightened and thereupon uttered two cries. After they had finished praying, Rabbi Pinchas said: Assuredly, my animal is in pain, for IT IS BEING PUNISHED - BECAUSE earlier in the day, while MY LIPS were uttering words of Torah, THE DONKEY took me through a place where there was dung. THAT IS WHY it is now in pain. As they stood up, they saw the serpent coiled round the donkey's legs, and Rabbi Pinchas said: Snake, snake, go and wind yourself round YOUR OWN nest. At this, the snake detached himself FROM THE ANIMAL'S LEG, and fell into pieces.

14. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, מָטָא עִדָּן צְלוֹתָא, נַחְתּוּ וְצַלּוּ. עַד דַּהֲווֹ מְצָלֵי, קַפְטָר חַד חִוְיָא בְּרַגְלוֹי דְּחֲמָרָא, דְּרִבִּי פִּנְחָס. קַפְטָא וְגָעָא תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי. בָּתַר דְּסִיְּימוּ צְלוֹתָא, אָמַר רִבִּי פִּנְחָס, וַדַּאי צַעֲרָא הוּא לִבְעִירָא דִּילִי, דְּהָא יוֹמָא דָּא אַקְדִּימְנָא, וַהֲוֵינָא מַרְחִישׁ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאַעְבַּר לִי בַּאֲתַר דְּלִכְלוּכָא שַׁרְיָא, וְהַשְׁתָּא מְצַעֲרֵי לָהּ. קָמוּ וְחָמוּ חַד חִוְיָא קָטִיר אֲרַגְלֵיהּ, א"ר פִּנְחָס, חִוְיָא חִוְיָא, זִיל וְאַסְחַר קוּטְרָךְ, בְּקִטְפוּרָא דְּחוּרָא. אַדְּהָכִי אִתְנְשַׁר חִוְיָא, וְנָפַל קַפְסִירֵי קַפְסִירֵי.