"And Israel beheld Joseph's sons"

Synopsis

Rabbi Aba explains that lower Israel will be joined with the children of Yisrael into a great crowd, at which point they will all be circumcised and converted. Together, they will then return to their country with love for each other, and only then, "The Creator shall be one." Rabbi Shimon next explains that sores on the skin of the people of Yisrael represent the borders that will separate them from the others in their new land.

Relevance

The universal truth of the Torah and the spiritual power of the Zohar are awakened within the souls of all mankind, facilitating the objective of global unity. The purifying Light that shines and cleanses during circumcision helps refine our souls and purge from them the aspect of the Evil Inclination associated with negative sexual behavior. Moreover, through these verses, the arrival of the final redemption is accelerated and our commitment to the path of Torah is strengthened.

Circumcision Converts Foreigner Heart Israel Joseph Seas Shechinah

88. "And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, 'Who are these?'" (Beresheet 48:8). Rabbi Aba opened the discussion with the verse, "Then shall you say in your heart, 'Who has begotten me these'" (Yeshayah 49:21). HE ASKS, What does scripture mean by that? HE ANSWERS, Lower Israel saw that the children of Yisrael will come before Him, when they will come "from Elam and from Shin'ar and from Chamat and from the islands of the sea" (Yeshayah 11:11), they will all gather into a great number. The Shechinah will say, Who are all these, are there not any who are unfit, of foreign children? They will say to Him, we are all Your children, there is no foreigner among us. For they will be separated the one from the other, THE MOTLEY CROWD WILL BE SEPARATED FROM YISRAEL, and they will be circumcised together and converted. The proselyte then will return together with Yisrael and they will be together.

88. וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף וַיּאמֶר מִי אֵלֶּה. רִבִּי אַבָּא פְּתַח וְאָמַרְתְּ בִּלְבָבֵךְ מִי יָלַד לִי אֶת אֵלֶּה, מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי, יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא, חָזֵי דְּיֵיתוּן בְּנוֹהִי דְיִשְׂרָאֵל קָדָמֵיהּ, כַּד יֵיתוּן מֵעֵילָם וּמִשִּׁנְעָר וּמֵחֲמָת וּמֵאִיֵּי הַיָּם וְאַכְנָשׁוּ כֻּלְּהוּ וִיהוֹן סַגִּיאִין, תֵּימָא שְׁכִינְתָּא מֵאָן אִינוּן כֻּלְּהוֹן, וְלָא בְּהוֹן פְּסוּל מִבְּנֵי נוּכְרָאָה, יֵימְרוּן לֵיהּ, אֲנַחְנָא כֻּלָּנָא מְבָרַךְ, וְלֵית בְּנָא נוּכְרָאָה בַּהֲדָן, דְּיִתְפָּרְשׁוּן דָּא מִן דָּא וְכָרַת לְהוֹן כַּחֲדָא, וְיִתְגַּיְירוּן, יְתוּבוּן גִּיּוּרִין עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל, וִיהוֹן כַּחֲדָא.

Foreigner Jacob Love Mercy Skin

89. We have learned that proselytes are as bad to Yisrael as a sore on the skin. It is written, "For Hashem will have Mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Yisrael, and set them in their own land, and the stranger shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob" (Yeshayah 14:1). When the children will return to their country and there will be love among them, then "Hashem shall be one, and His name One" (Zecharyah 14:9). The proselyte will then cleave to the people of Yisrael and will be like a sore on their skin.

89. תָּנָא, קָשִׁים גֵּרִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּסַפַּחַת בְּעוֹר הַחַי, לְאַרְעֲהוֹן. כְּתִיב כִּי יְרַחֵם ה' אֶת יַעֲקֹב וּבָחַר עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְנִלְוָה הַגֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם וְנִסְפְּחוּ עַל בֵּית יַעֲקֹב, כַּד יְתוּבוּן לְאַרְעֲהוֹן בְּרָיָא, וִיהֶוְיָין רְחִימוּ בְהוֹן, יִהְיֶה ה' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד, יִתְלַוּוּן גִּיּוֹרִין עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהֶוְויָין לְהוֹן כְּעוֹמְקָא בְּבִשְׂרֵיהוֹן.

Curtain Exile Skin

90. HE ASKS, Why are they LIKE A SORE ON THE SKIN? HE SAYS, come and hearken, Rabbi Shimon said that IT REFERS TO the borders of the country, for every one will want to live in the land of Yisrael, and the people OUTSIDE ITS BORDERS will be afraid. HENCE it is written, "And let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations" (Yeshayah 54:2). The verse implies that the curtains you had before FROM THE TIME OF EXILE should be stretched and fortified more than those of the other nations so to speak, whom you saw strengthening them, when you were with the other nations, NAMELY IN EXILE AMONG THE NATIONS. AND THE PROSELYTES shall be many.

90. וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה. ת"ש, אֲמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, עַל תְּחוּמִין דְּאַרְעָא, דְּכָל חַד יְהֵא רַעֲוָא לְמֵידַר בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְתִסְתָּעַר דִּיּוּרִין. כְּתִיב וִיתֵדוֹתַיִךְ חֲזֵקִי, צָבֵי לְמֵימַר, סִיכְיָא דְּהַוְיָין עִמָּךְ מֵעִקָּרָא, אַתְקֵיף יַתְהוֹן, וְסַיַּיע יַתְהוֹן יַתִּיר מִשְׁאָר עַמָּמִין, כִּבְיָכוֹל, דְּאַתְּ סָכֵי לְאִתְתַּקְּפָא יַתְהוֹן, בְּכָל עַמְּמַיָא אָחֳרָא. וִיהוֹן סַגִּיאִין.