"And now your two sons...who were born to you"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yosi opens the discussion with the saying that the two sons, Ephraim and Menasheh, are born to Israel into 'exile.' Vav will help Jacob at the time of redemption, and give his children a portion of the land. The aspect of Ephraim refers to the children who were forgotten, and the aspect of Menasheh to those he regards as his own. But Hashem will attend to both aspects and redeem them, taking them out of their land of exile. Rabbi Aba then says that when God executes judgment upon Egypt, Yisrael will be redeemed from exile. Rabbi Shimon next explains that God will make a Chupah (marriage canopy) for every righteous man in Jerusalem, as a means for the giving of the Torah and the building of the Temple. Yisrael will be born after the redemption of the fathers (Chariots). Rabbi Shimon finally explains that all children born in Jerusalem after the redemption, will go to Heaven, will have only Hebrew names, and will inherit the land according to their numbers.

Relevance

The blessings and wisdom contained herein are varied and abundant. Put briefly, we are all children of Jacob and our exile continues to this very day. However, when one earnestly turns to the path of Jacob, the Torah - the Light of the Upper World [the Hebrew letter Vav] will assist him in removing the Evil Inclination [Egypt], the underlying cause behind the continued exile. Furthermore, this passage awakens the entire world to the truth of the Torah and the power of Kabbalah and connects the reader to the redemptive Light emanating from the Land of Yisrael. Our personal and global redemption is therefore quickened.

Dwellings Egypt Ephraim Exile Holy Land Menashe, King of Judah Messiah, The

73. "And now your two sons...who were born to you" (Beresheet 48:5): These are Yisrael below, who are in exile, the children of the Holy One, blessed be He, who are born among the nations. TO WIT, THE VERSE, "YOUR TWO SONS, EPHRAIM AND MENASHEH, WHO WERE BORN TO YOU IN THE LAND OF EGYPT" REFERS TO YISRAEL WHO IS IN EXILE AMONG THE NATIONS. FOR EGYPT INCLUDES ALL EXILES. We learned, Rabbi Yosi said, that Yisrael who will be in the Holy Land of Yisrael, dwelling in the land, at the coming of the Messiah, will be with their brothers in that place. For exile will be only for those who live in a foreign land, and they are called 'exiles.'

73. וְעַתָּה שְׁנֵי בָנֶיךָ הַנּוֹלָדִים לְךָ, דָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא, דְּאַתְרֵיהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא, בְּנוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּאִתְיְילִידוּ בֵּינֵי עַמְמַיָא. תָּנָא א"ר יוֹסֵי, יִשְׂרָאֵל, כַּד יְהוֹן בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל, דָּר בְּאַרְעָא, כַּד יֵיתֵי מְשִׁיחָא, יְהוֹן עִם אֲחוּהוֹן דִּילְהוֹן בְּאַתְרֵיהוֹן, דְּלָא אִתְקְרֵי גָּלוּת, אֶלָּא לְמַאן דְּאִיהוּ דָּר בְּאַרְעָא נוּכְרָאָה, אִינוּן אִתְקַרְיָין גָּלְיָין.

Brit (Covenant) Covenant (Brit) Jacob Redemption and Salvation Temple, The

74. וְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּרִיתִי יַעֲקוֹב, וא"ו יְתֵירָה, תֵּיתֵי וא"ו דְּאִסְתַּלְּקַת כַּד אִתְחָרֵיב בֵּיתָא, וּתְהֵא סִיּוּעָא לְיַעֲקֹב, כַּד יְהֵא דָא, וִיהֵא לִבְרָא קַדִּישָׁא אַרְעָא אַחְסָנַת עָלַם, וִיהוֹן בְּנוֹהִי בְּאַרְעֲהוֹן, דְּדָארוֹ מִקַּדְּמַת דְּנָא, זַכָּאָה חוּלְקֵהוֹן.

Egypt Ephraim Exile Hatred Jacob Judgment Land of Yisrael Menashe, King of Judah Prayer Reuben Simeon Sin Zeir Anpin

75. The children who were exiled out of the Land of Yisrael and were forgotten (THE ASPECT OF MENASHEH) and multiplied (AND INCREASED ACCORDING TO THE ASPECT OF EPHRAIM: Supernal Jacob, ZEIR ANPIN) said to the one below, 'Your children who are out of the Land of Yisrael, born in exile in other lands, before I came to Egypt and sentenced them for their sins, I do not consider to be your children those who were born in exile in a foreign land, though they be many (THE ASPECT OF EPHRAIM) and forgotten (THE ASPECT OF MENASHEH) they are my own CHILDREN. But when I saw them in this exile, I healed their pains and heard their prayers, for Reuben, "Surely Hashem has looked upon my affliction" (Beresheet 29:32) and for Simeon, "Because Hashem has heard that I was hated" (Ibid. 33).' THIS IS THE MEANING OF THE VERSE "EPHRAIM AND MENASHEH" WHO MULTIPLIED AND WERE FORGOTTEN IN EXILE "AS REUBEN AND SIMEON THEY SHALL BE MINE," MEANING, HE WILL SEE THEIR POVERTY, HEAR THEIR PRAYER AND REDEEM THEM, ACCORDING TO THE MEANING OF THE NAMES REUBEN AND SIMEON. 'Think of it as if they were before Me, and when we shall return from Egypt, WHICH INCLUDES ALL THE EXILES, after executing Judgment on them, we shall take them out of the land of their exile.'

75. כְּעַן בָּרְיָא, דַּהֲוָה עַרְעָן לְהוֹן, דְּאִתְגְּלִיאוּ מִן לְבַר לְאַרְעָא וְאִתְנְשִׁיאוּ, וְאַנְפִּישׁוּ, וְיֵימָא יַעֲקֹב עִלָּאָה לְתַתָּא, בָּרֵי דִּילָךְ דְּאִינוּן לְבַר לְאַרְעָא דְּאִתְיְילִידוּ בְּגָלוּתָא, בְּכָל אַרְעָא וְאַרְעָא, עַד דַּאֲנָא אֵיעוֹל לְמִצְרָאֵי, וְאַעֲבֵיד לְהוֹן דִּינָא, עַל חוֹבֵיהוֹן, לָאו אֲנָא מַסְקֵית בְּרָךְ, דְּאִתְבְּרִיאוּ בְּגָלוּתָא, לְבַר לְאַרְעָא בְּאַרְעָא רְחִיקָא, וְאע"ג דְּאִינוּן סַגִּיאִין, וְאִתְנְשִׁיאוּ, דִּילִי אִינוּן, כַּד חֲזֵיתִי דָּא גָּלוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן, וְאַסֵיתִי לְכֵיבֵיהוֹן, וְשָׁמְעִית קָלֵיהוֹן. רְאוּבֵן: כִּי רָאָה ה' אֶת עָנְיִי. שִׁמְעוֹן: כִּי שָׁמַע ה' כִּי שְׂנוּאָה אָנֹכִי, וְחָשֵׁיב בְּלִבָּךְ, כְּאִילּוּ יֶהֶוְיָין קֳדָמַי אִינוּן, וּמִדִּנְתוֹב מִמִּצְרָאֵי, מִלְּמֶעְבַּד דִּינָא, נָסֵיק יַתְהוֹן מֵאֲרַע גָּלוּתָא.

Egypt Exile Flow Judgment Offering

76. Rabbi Aba said, From this WE UNDERSTAND THAT AFTER HE WILL EXECUTE JUDGMENT UPON EGYPT, WHICH INCLUDES ALL THE NATIONS, YISRAEL WILL BE REDEEMED FROM EXILE, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "And they shall bring all your brethren out of all the nations for an offering to Hashem" (Yeshayah 66:20). This refers to the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, will execute Judgment upon Egypt; NAMELY UPON ALL THE NATIONS WHICH THE EARLIER VERSE MENTIONED, at that time, all the nations will bring an offering when they hear about the Holy One, blessed be He, "and all the nations shall flow to it" (Yeshayah 2:2).

76. רִבִּי אַבָּא אֲמַר, מֵהָכָא וְהֵבִיאוּ אֶת כָּל אֲחֵיכֶם מִכָּל הַגּוֹיִם מִנְחָה לַה,' צָבֵי לְמֵימַר, כַּד יְהֵא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּדִינָא בְּמִצְרָאֵי, בְּעִדָּנָא הַהִיא יֵיתוּן כָּל עַמְּמַיָא מִנְחָה, כַּד שְׁמָעוּ שְׁמוּעָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הַיְינוּ וְנָהֲרוּ אֵלָיו כָּל הַגּוֹיִם.

Bride Canopy Wedding (Chupah) Chupah (Wedding Canopy) Heart Jeremiah Jerusalem Marriage Righteous Shechinah Temple, The Torah Zion

77. We learned that Rabbi Shimon said, The Holy One, blessed be He, will make for every righteous man a canopy in Jerusalem. It is written, "The voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride" (Yirmeyah 16:9) when the Shechinah will return to the King and He will engage Her, as it is written, "Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold...on the day of his wedding, and on the day of the gladness of his heart" (Shir Hashirim 2:11). "The day of his wedding" is the giving of the Torah, and "the day of the gladness of his heart" is the building of the Temple, may it be built soon in our days.

77. תָּנָא, אֲמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, עָתִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶיעְבַּד לְכָל זַכָּאָה וְזַכָּאָה, חוּפָּה בִּירוּשְׁלֵם, קוֹל שָׂשׂוֹן וְקוֹל שִׂמְחָה קוֹל חָתָן וְקוֹל כַּלָּה, כַּד תֵּיתוּב מַטְרוֹנִיתָא לְמַלְכָּא, וְעָבֵיד לָהּ אֵרוּסִין, הה"ד צְאֶינָה וּרְאֶינָה וגו' בְּיוֹם חֲתוּנָתוֹ וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ. בְּיוֹם חֲתוּנָתוֹ זֶה מַתַּן תּוֹרָה, וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ זֶה בִּנְיַן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ.

Chariot Redemption and Salvation

Converts Heaven Incest Jerusalem Jerusalem, Terrestrial Redemption and Salvation

79. We learned that Rabbi Shimon said, "And your issue (also: 'your homeland')" is Terrestrial Jerusalem. FOR THE WORDS "born at home" (Vayikra 18:9) in relation to the portion concerning sexual misconduct, refer to the Terrestrial Jerusalem. THE MEANING OF THE VERSE IS that people who will be born in that Jerusalem will not only return to their Master in heaven, but will also convert AFTER REDEMPTION. They will have only names of Yisrael, not according to their father, such as 'the proselyte of Cappadocia,' but a name of Yisrael.

79. תָּאנָא, אֲמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וּמוֹלַדְתְּךָ: דָּא יְרוּשְׁלִַם דִּלְתַתָּא, מוֹלֶדֶת בַּיִת בְּפָרָשַׁת עֲרָיוֹת, יְרוּשָׁלִַם לְתַתָּא, גּוּבְרִין דְּאִתְיְילִידוּ דָּא יְרוּשָׁלִַם, בָּתַר דְּנָא, דִּיתוּבוּן עַלְמָא לְמָארֵי שְׁמַיָא בִּירוּשָׁלִַם, כַּד אִתְגַּיְירוּ לָא אִתְקָרוּן אֶלָּא עַל שְׁמָהָן, דְּהוּא בַּר יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלָא יִתְקָרוּן כַּד אֲבָהַתְהוֹן, גִּיּוֹרָא מִקַּפּוֹטְקִיָּא, אֶלָּא בִּשְׁמָא יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Converts Tribes

80. לְךָ יִהְיוּ: צָבֵי לְמֵימַר, עַל שְׁמֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל יִתְקָרוּן, עַל שֵׁם אֲחֵיהוֹן יִקָּרְאוּ בְּנַחֲלָתָם, וְכַד תָּבוּ יִתְחַסְנוּן אִלֵּין עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאַרְעָא, וְיִסַּב כָּל שִׁבְטָא וְשִׁבְטָא, דִּידֵיהּ וְגוּבְרִין מִנְּהוֹן, כָּל חָדָא לְפוּם מִנְיָינֵיהּ.