רַבִּי יְהוּדָה קָם לֵילְיָא חַד לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּפַלְגוּ לֵילְיָא בְּבֵי אוּשְׁפִּיזָא בְּמָתָא מַחְסֵיָא. וְהֲוָה תַּמָּן בְּבֵיתָא חַד יוּדָאי דְּאֲתָא בִּתְרֵי קְסִירָא דְקַטְפִירָא. פָּתַח רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְאָמַר (בראשית כ״ח:כ״ב) וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱלֹהִים. דָּא הִיא אֶבֶן שְׁתִיָּה דְּמִתַּמָּן אִשְׁתִּיל עָלְמָא וְעֲלָה אִתְבְּנֵי בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא. R. Judah one night, whilst staying at an inn in Matha-Mehasia, rose at midnight to study the Torah. At the time there happened to be there a certain Judean traveller who had with him two sacks of clothes. R. Judah began to expound the verse, “And this stone which I have set up for a pillar shall be God’s house” (Gen. 28, 22). ‘That stone’, he said, ‘was the foundation stone out of which the world evolved, and on which the Temple was built.’

זָקַף רֵישֵׁיהּ הַהוּא יוּדָאי וְאֲמַר לָהּ הַאי מִלָּה אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר, וְהָא אֶבֶן שְׁתִיָּה עַד לָא אִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא הֲוַת וּמִינָהּ אִשְׁתִּיל עָלְמָא, וְאַתְּ אֲמַרְתְּ וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה. דְּמַשְׁמַע דְּיַעֲקֹב שַׁוֵי לָהּ הַשְׁתָּא דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית כ״ח:כ״ב) וַיִּקַּח אֶת הָאֶבֶן אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מֵרַאֲשׁוֹתָיו. וְתוּ דְּיַעֲקֹב בְּבֵית אֵל הֲוָה וְהַאי אַבְנָא הֲוַת בִּיְרוּשָׁלַ ם. The Judean raised his head and said, ‘How is this possible? This foundation stone was created before the world, to be the point from which the world evolved, and yet you say that it is referred to in the verse, “and this stone which I have set up for a pillar”, which indicates that Jacob put it there, this being the same stone of which it is said, “and he took the stone that he had put under his head” (Ibid. I8). A further difficulty is that Jacob was in Bethel, whereas the foundation stone is in Jerusalem.’

רַבִּי יְהוּדָה לָא אַסְחַר רֵישֵׁיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, פָּתַח וְאָמַר (עמוס ד׳:י״ב) הִכּוֹן לִקְרַאת אֱלקֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּכְתִיב, (דברים כ״ז:ט׳) הַסְכֵּת וּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל. מִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא בָּעְיָין כַּוָּונָה. וּמִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בָּעָאן לְאִתְתַּקָּנָא בְּגוּפָא וּרְעוּתָא כְּחֲדָא. קָם הַהוּא יוּדָאי וְאִתְלַבַּשׁ, וְיָתִיב לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְאָמַר זַכָּאִין אַתּוּן צַדִּיקַיָא דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יוֹמָא וְלֵילֵי. R. Judah, without turning his head, recited the verse, “Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel” (Amos 4, 12), and also “Be attentive and hearken, O Israel” (Deut. 27, 9). ‘We learn from here, he said, ‘that the study of the Torah must be approached with proper preparation, not only of the mind but also of the body.’ The Judean then arose and put on his garments, and seating himself beside R. Judah, said, ‘Happy are ye righteous who give yourselves up to the study of the Torah day and night.’

אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הַשְׁתָּא דְּכַוְונַת גַּרְמָךְ, אֵימָא מִילָךְ דְּנִתְחַבֵּר כְּחֲדָא. דְּהָא מִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא בָּעְיָין תִּקּוּנָא דְגוּפָא וְתִקּוּנָא דְלִבָּא. וְאִי לָאו בְּעַרְסָאי שְׁכִיבְנָא וּבְלִבָּאי אָמַרְנָא מִלִּין. אֶלָּא הָא תָּנִינָן דְּאָפִילּוּ חַד דְּיָתִיב וְלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא שְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְחַבְּרַת בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וּמַה שְּׁכִינְתָּא הָכָא וְאֲנָא שָׁכִיב בְּעַרְסָאי. וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּבַעֲיָין צַחוּתָא. Said R. Judah to him, ‘Now that you have properly attired yourself, say what you have to say, so that we may join together, as the study of the Torah requires a seemly garb as well as an attentive mind. Otherwise I could just as well lie in my bed and meditate. But we have been taught that even a single person who sits and studies the Torah has for his companion the Shekinah; and how could the Shekinah be here whilst I am in bed?’

וְתוּ דְּכָל בַּר נָשׁ (אחרי מות סז א) דְּקָם לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא מִפַּלְגוּ לֵילְיָא כַּד אִתְעַר רוּחַ צָפוֹן (בפלגו דליליא) קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָתֵי לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא עִם צַדִּיקַיָא בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן. וְהוּא וְכָל צַדִּיקַיָיא דִּבְגִנְתָּא כֻּלְהוּ צַיְיתִין (ליה וצייתין) לְאִלֵּין מִלִּין דְּנָפְקֵי מִפּוּמֵיהּ. וּמַה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְכָל צַדִּיקַיָּיא מִתְעַדְּנִין לְמִשְׁמַע מִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דָּא וְאֲנָא אֱהֵא שָׁכִיב בְּעַרְסָאי. אָמַר לֵיהּ הַשְׁתָּא אֵימָא מִילָךְ. Furthermore, the words of the Torah must be clearly articulated. Moreover, when a man gets up to study at midnight, at the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to disport Himself with the righteous in the Garden of Eden, He and all the righteous in the Garden are listening to the words that issue from his mouth. Since that is so, that the Holy One, blessed be He, and all the righteous feel delight in listening to the words of the Torah at this time, should I remain lying in bed?’ He then said to him, ‘Now say what you have to say.’

אָמַר לֵיהּ שְׁאֵילְנָא עַל מַה דְּאֲמַרְתְּ בִּפְסוּקָא דָא (רזא דאבן שתיה דאמרת) וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱלהִים דְּדָא אֶבֶן שְׁתִיָה. (השתא דציית למלי) הֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר, דְּהָא אֶבֶן שְׁתִיָּה עַד לָא אִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא הֲוַת וּמִנָּהּ אִשְׁתִּיל עָלְמָא, וְאַתְּ אֲמַרְתְּ אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי, דְּמַשְׁמַע דְּיַעֲקֹב שַׁוֵּי לָהּ הַשְׁתָּא. וּכְתִיב וַיִּקַּח אֶת הָאֶבֶן אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מֵרַאֲשׁוֹתָיו. The Judean then said, ‘Regarding your remark that Jacob’s stone was the foundation stone, I have asked you, first, how can that be, seeing that the foundation stone preceded the creation of the world, and was the one from which the world evolved, whereas Jacob’s stone was put by him in its place, as it is written, “and the stone which I have put”, also, “And he took the stone that he had put under his head.”’

וְתוּ דְּיַעֲקֹב בְּבֵית אֵל הֲוָה וְאַבְנָא דָא הֲוַת בִּיְרוּשָׁלַם. אָמַר לֵיהּ כָּל אַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִכְפַּל תְּחוֹתוֹי וְהַהוּא אֶבֶן תְּחוֹתֵיהּ הֲוַת. אָמַר לֵיהּ אֲשֶׁר שָׂם כְּתִיב. וּכְתִיב וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ אִי יָדַעְתְּ מִלָּה אֵימָא לָהּ. And secondly, how can the two be identified, seeing that Jacob was in Bethel and that the stone was in Jerusalem?’ R. Judah answered, ‘The whole land of Israel was folded up beneath him, so that that stone was underneath him.’ The Judean repeated his question, quoting again the expressions ‘that he put’-‘the stone which I had put’. Said R. Judah to him, ‘If you know a better answer, say it.’

פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים י״ז:ט״ו) אֲנִי בְצֶדֶק אֶחזֶה פָנֶיךָ אֶשְׂבְּעָה בְהָקִיץ תְּמוּנָתֶךָ. דָּוִד מַלְכָּא חֲבִיבוּתָא וּדְבֵקוּתָא דִילֵיהּ בְּהַאי אֶבֶן הֲוָה. וְעֲלָהּ אָמַר (תהילים קי״ח:כ״ב) אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה. וְכַד בָּעָא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּחִיזוּ יְקָרָא דְמָרֵיהּ, נְטַל לְהַאי אֶבֶן בִּידֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא וּלְבָתַר עָיִיל. The Judean then discoursed as follows. ‘It is written, As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness (Ps. 17, 15). King David felt great affection and attachment for this stone: it was of it that he said, “The stone which the builders rejected is become the corner stone” (Ibid. 118, 22). And whenever he desired to gaze at the reflection of the glory of his Master, he first took that stone in his hand and then he entered,

בְּגִין דְּכָל מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קַמֵּי מָרֵיהּ, לָא אָעִיל אֶלָּא בְּהַאי אֶבֶן. דִּכְתִיב, (ויקרא יג) בְּזֹאת יָבֹא אַהֲרֹן אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ. וְדָוִד מְשַׁבַּח גַּרְמֵיהּ וְאָמַר אֲנִי בְּצֶדֶק אֶחזֶה פָנֶיךָ. וְכָל אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתֵיהּ דְּדָוִד לְאִתְחֲזָאָה בְּהַאי אֶבֶן כְּדְקָא יְאוּת לְגַבֵּי דִּלְעֵילָא. as whoever wishes to appear before his Master can only do so through that stone, as it is written, “Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place” (Lev. 16, 3). It was David’s boast that “As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness”, and he exerted himself in every way to appear before Him on high in proper guise by means of that stone.

תָּא חֲזֵי, אַבְרָהָם אַתְקִין צְלוֹתָא דְצַפְרָא וְאוֹדַע טִיבוּ דְמָארֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא. וְאַתְקִין הַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא בְּתִקּוּנָהָא כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית כ״ב:ג׳) וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר. יִצְחָק אַתְקִין צְלוֹתָא דְמִנְחָה וְאוֹדַע בְּעָלְמָא דְּאִית דִּין וְאִית דַּיָּין דְּיָכוֹל לְשֵׁזָבָא וּלְמֵידַן עָלְמָא. Now, Abraham instituted morning prayer and taught the world the character of his Master, and made that hour a propitious one for prayer. Isaac instituted afternoon prayer (minhah) and taught the world that there is a supreme Judge who can either pardon or condemn the world.