Vayechi: Chapter 42

A formidable mountain

Synopsis

While walking, Rabbi Yosi, Rabbi Yehuda, and Rabbi Chizkiyah encounter a formidable mountain. Although Rabbi Yosi is initially afraid of the danger they may encounter, knowing that where danger is obvious, one should be afraid, the three continue on. Since all three are worthy of the Shechinah's protection, and knowing that demons and evil spirits will not attack a threesome, the companions are assured that no harm will come to them. They then discuss the verse, "The angel who redeemed me." Through their discourse, we learn that the "angel" is an allusion to the Shechinah. As long as man prays to God before he begins a journey, the Shechinah accompanies him and delivers him from harm.

Relevance

The protective Light from the righteous threesome of Rabbis Yosi, Yehuda, and Hezekiah filters into our lives, safeguarding us from unseen negative forces and evil entities that can wreak havoc in our lives. The blessings of The Creator emanate from these words, giving us further protection in our journeys, both physical and spiritual.

Mountains Shechinah

423. While they were walking, they reached a mountain. Rabbi Yosi said, This mountain is formidable, let us not remain here but walk on. Rabbi Yehuda said, If you were solitary, I would advise it, for we have learned that he who walks alone on the road endangers his life, but this does not apply to three. Also, each of us is worthy OF PROTECTION, that the Shechinah will not depart from him.

423. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, אָעֳלוּ בְּחַד טוּרָא, א"ר יוֹסֵי, הַאי טוּרָא דַחֲלָא, נֵהַךְ וְלָא נִתְעַכֵּב הָכָא, בְּגִין דְּטוּרָא דְּחִילָא הוּא. אֲמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, אִי הֲוָה חַד, הֲוָה אֲמִינָא הָכֵי, דְּהָא תָּנִינָן דְּמַאן דְּאָזֵיל יְחִידָאי בְּאוֹרְחָא אִתְחַיַּיב בְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ, אֲבָל תְּלָתָא לָא, וְכָל חַד וְחַד מִינָן, אִתְחֲזֵי דְלָא תַעֲדֵי מִינָן שְׁכִינְתָּא.

Beasts Demons Evil Fear Miracle Mountains Samuel Saul

424. Rabbi Yosi said, We have learned that a man should not rely on a miracle. We know this from Samuel, as it is written, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me" (I Shmuel 16:2), and Samuel was more worthy OF A MIRACLE than us. He said to him: Even so THAT HE WAS WORTHIER OF A MIRACLE THAN US, he was alone, and the danger was obvious, FOR IT WAS CERTAIN THAT SAUL WOULD HEAR OF IT AND KILL HIM. But we are three, and there is no danger in sight, MEANING, IT IS NOT CERTAIN. If it be evil spirits, DEMONS, we have learned that they do not appear before or hurt a threesome; if it is a robber, there are none here, since the mountain is far from inhabited places, and there are no people here, but there is fear of wild beasts here.

424. א"ר יוֹסֵי, הָא תָּנִינָן דְּלָא יִסְמוֹךְ בַּר נָשׁ עַל נִסָּא. מְנָלָן. מִשְׁמוּאֵל, דִּכְתִיב אֵיךְ אֵלֵךְ וְשָׁמַע שָׁאוּל וַהֲרָגָנִי, וְהָא אִתְחֲזֵי שְׁמוּאֵל יַתִּיר מִינָן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ, אֲפִילּוּ הָכֵי, אִיהוּ הֲוָה חַד, וְהֶזֵּיקָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח לְעֵינָא. אֲבָל אֲנַן תְּלָתָא, וְהֶזֵּיקָא לָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח לְעֵינָא. דְּאִי מִשּׁוּם מַזִּיקִין. הָא תָּנִינָן, דְּלִתְלָתָא לָא מִתְחֲזֵי, וְלָא מַזְקֵי, וְאִי מִשּׁוּם לִסְטִים, לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי הָכָא, דְּהָא רָחֵיק מֵיִישׁוּבָא הַאי טוּרָא, וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי הָכָא, בְּרַם דְּחִילוּ הוּא, דְּחֵיוָון בָּרָא דְּמִשְׁתַּכְּחִין הָכָא.

Angels Precepts Righteous Shechinah Torah

425. He opened the discussion saying, "The angel who redeemed (lit. 'redeems') me ..." (Beresheet 48:16). HE ASKS, It says "redeems," while it should have been 'who redeemed.' Why the present tense? HE REPLIES, This is because he abides always with people, and never abandons a righteous man. Come and see, the angel who redeems me is the Shechinah, who continually accompanies man, never turns from him as long as he observes the precepts of the Torah. A man should therefore be careful not to go out alone on the road. HE ASKS, What is 'alone?' HE ANSWERS, A man should be careful to keep the precepts of the Torah, so that the Shechinah shall not depart from him, and he will have to go alone, unaccompanied by the Shechinah.

425. פְּתַח וַאֲמַר הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי מִכָּל רָע, הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בֵּיהּ, הַגּוֹאֵל, אֲשֶׁר גָּאַל מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי הַגּוֹאֵל. בְּגִין דְּהוּא מִשְׁתַּכַּח תָּדִיר לְגַבֵּי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, וְלָא אַעֲדֵי מִב"נ זַכָּאָה לְעָלְמִין. תָּא חֲזֵי, הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּאָזֵיל עִמֵּיהּ דְּב"נ תָּדִיר, וְלָא אַעֲדֵי מִנֵּיהּ, כַּד ב"נ נָטֵיר פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא. וְע"ד יִזְדַּהֵר בַּר נָשׁ, דְּלָא יִפּוֹק יְחִידָאי בְּאוֹרְחָא, מַאי יְחִידָאי. דְּיִזְדַּהֵר ב"נ לְמִטַּר פִּקּוּדֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא תַעֲדֵי מִנֵּיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא, וְיִצְטָרֵךְ לְמֵיזַל יְחִידָאי, בְּלָא זִוּוּגָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא.

Prayer Shechinah

426. Come and see, When a man sets out on his way, he should pray before his Master in order to draw the Shechinah upon him, and then go out on his way, joined by the Shechinah, who would redeem him on the way and save him in time of need.

426. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד נָפֵיק בַּר נָשׁ לְאוֹרְחָא, יְסַדַּר צְלוֹתָא קַמֵי מָארֵיהּ, בְּגִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא עֲלֵיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא, וּלְבָתַר יִפּוֹק לְאוֹרְחָא, וְיִשְׁכַּח זִוּוּגָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא, לְמִפְרַק לֵיהּ בְּאוֹרְחָא, וּלְשֵׁזָבָא לֵיהּ, בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ.

Jacob Shechinah Torah

427. It is written that Jacob said, "If Elohim will be with me," referring to the union with the Shechinah "and will keep me in this way" (Beresheet 28:20) to deliver him from any HARM. Jacob was solitary at the time, and the Shechinah walked before him. So much more for friends with the words of the Torah among them.

427. מַה כְּתִיב בְּיַעֲקֹב, אִם יִהְיֶה אֱלֹקִים עִמָּדִי, דָּא זִווּגָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא. וּשְׁמָרַנִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה, לְמִפְרַק לִי מִכֹּלָּא, וְיַעֲקֹב יְחִידָאי הֲוָה בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא אָזְלַת קַמֵּיהּ, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן חַבְרַיָיא דְּאִית בֵּינַיְיהוּ מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.

Beasts Fear Miracle Mountains Shechinah Torah

428. Rabbi Yosi said, What shall we do? If we stay here, the day declines and if we climb, it is a great and formidable mountain and I fear the wild beasts. Rabbi Yehuda said, I am amazed at you THAT YOU ARE SO AFRAID. Rabbi Yosi said to him: We have learned that a man should not rely on a miracle, since the Holy One, blessed be He, does not perform miracles at all times. He said to him: This is true for a lone man, but we are three. With words of the Torah between us, and the Shechinah with us, I have no fear.

428. א"ר יוֹסֵי, מַאי נַעֲבֵיד, אִי נִתְעַכֵּב הָכָא, הָא יוֹמָא מָאִיךְ לְמֵיעַל, אִי נְהַךְ לְעֵילָא, טוּרָא רַב אִיהוּ, וּדְחִילוּ דְּחֵיוָון חַקְלָא דָּחֵילְנָא. א"ר יְהוּדָה, תְּוַוהְנָא עֲלָךְ ר' יוֹסֵי. א"ל הָא תָּנִינָן דְּלָא יִסְמוֹךְ בַּר נָשׁ עַל נִיסָא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא יַרְחֵישׁ נִיסָא בְּכָל שַׁעְתָּא. א"ל ה"מ יְחִידָאי, אֲבָל אֲנַחְנָא תְּלָתָא, וּמִלֵּי אוֹרַיְיתָא בֵּינָנָא, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא עִמָּנָא, לָא דָחֵילְנָא.

Beasts Caves Rock

429. While they were walking they saw a rock with a cave in it. Rabbi Yehuda said, Let us climb to that rock, for I see a cave in it. They went there and saw the cave. Rabbi Yosi said, I am afraid, lest this cave is a lair of beasts, which might harm us.

429. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, חָמוּ לְעֵילָא בְּטוּרָא, טִנָּרָא חַד, וְחַד מְעַרְתָּא בְּגַוָּוהּ. א"ר יְהוּדָה, נֵיהַךְ וְנֵיסַק לְהַהוּא טִינָרָא, דַּאֲנָא חָמֵי חָדָא מְעַרְתָּא תַּמָּן. סְלִיקוּ לְתַמָּן, וְחָמוּ הַהִיא מְעַרְתָּא. א"ר יוֹסֵי, דָּחֵילְנָא, דִּילְמָא הַהִיא מְעַרְתָּא אֲתַר דִּלְחֵיוָון אִיהוּ, וְלָא יִפְגְּעוּ לוֹן הָכָא.

Fear Lion Righteous Zion

430. Rabbi Yehuda said to Rabbi Chizkiyah, I see that Rabbi Yosi is afraid. You might say that this is since he is a sinner, for whoever fears is a sinner, as it is written, "The sinners in Zion are afraid" (Yeshayah 33:14). Yet is no sinner BUT A RIGHTEOUS MAN, and it is written, "But the righteous are bold as a lion" (Mishlei 28:1). Rabbi Yosi said, It is because danger is obvious AND WHEREVER DAMAGE IS OBVIOUS ONE SHOULD BE AFRAID.

430. א"ר יְהוּדָה לְר' חִזְקִיָּה, הָא חָמֵינָא דְּר' יוֹסֵי דָחֵיל אִיהוּ, אִי תֵימָא בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ חַטָּאָה, דְּכָל מַאן דְּדָחֵיל, חַטָּאָה אִיהוּ, דִּכְתִיב פָּחֲדוּ בְצִיּוֹן חַטָּאִים, הָא לָאו אִיהוּ חַטָּאָה, וּכְתִיב וְצַדִּיקִים כִּכְפִיר יִבְטָח. א"ר יוֹסֵי, בְּגִין דְּנִזְקָא שְׁכִיחַ.

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