Chapter 34
Chapter 34 somebodyBalak 34:363-368 (Chapter 34) (Balak) (Zohar)
Balak 34:363-368 (Chapter 34) (Balak) (Zohar) somebodyעַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, הָא יוֹנָה חַד מָטָא לְגַבֵּי רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר. שְׁרִיאַת, וְקָא מְצַפְצְפָא קַמֵּיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, יוֹנָה כְּשֵׁרָה מְהֵימְנָת הֲוִית תָּדִיר בִּשְׁלִיחוּתִיךְ, זִילִי וְאֵימָא לֵיהּ, הָא חַבְרַיָּיא אָתָאן לְגַבָּךְ, וַאֲנָא עִמְּהוֹן. וְנִסָא יִתְרְחִישׁ לֵיהּ לִתְלָתָא יוֹמִין, וְלָא יִנְפּוֹל עָלֵיהּ דְּחִילוּ, דְּהָא בְּחֶדְוָה אֲנָן אַזְלִין לְגַבֵּיהּ. אָתִיב זִמְנָא אַחֲרָא וְאָמַר, לָא חַדֵּינָא סַגְּיָא, וּבָאִישׁ בְּעֵינָי סַגִּי, עַל חַד רִמּוֹנָא מַלְיָא דְּאִתְיְהִיב תְּחוֹתֵיהּ, וְיוֹסֵי שְׁמֵיהּ. אַזְלַת הַהִיא יוֹנָא מִקַּמֵּיהּ, וְאִינּוּן חַבְרַיָּיא אַזְלוּ. As they were going along a pigeon approached R. Eleazar and commenced cooing in front of him. He said: ‘Worthy dove, thou wast ever a faithful messenger, go and tell him that the Companions are coming and I am with them, and a miracle will be performed for him in three days, and he should not be afraid as we are approaching him in joy.’ He replied again, saying: ‘I am not very glad; in fact, I am sore distressed on account of a certain full pomegranate which has been sacrificed for him, and Jose is his name’. The dove went on in front and the Companions left them.
אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא לְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, מַאי הַאי, תַּוַּוהְנָא סַגִּי, מִמָּה דַּחֲמֵינָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, יוֹנָה דָּא אָתָאת לְגַבָּאי בִּשְׁלִיחוּתֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵי חָמֵי, דְּאִיהוּ בְּבֵי מַרְעֵיהּ, וְיָדַעְנָא מֵהַאי יוֹנָה דְּאִשְׁתְּזִיב, וְחִלּוּפָא אִתְיְיהִיב עָלֵיהּ וְאִתְסֵּי. Said R. Abba: ‘I am greatly amazed at what I see.’ He said to him: ‘This dove came to me on a message from R. Jose, my father-in-law, who is lying ill, and I know from this pigeon that he has been delivered, and a substitute has been found for him, and he has been healed’.
עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלוּ, הָא עוּרְבָא חַד קָאִים לְקַמַּיְיהוּ, קָרָא בְּחֵילָא, וּמְצַפְצְפָא צִפְצוּפָא סַגִּי. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, לְהָכִי אַתְּ קַיְּימָא, וּלְהָכִי אַנְּתְּ מִתַקֵּן, זִיל לְאָרְחָךְ, דְּהָא יְדַעְנָא. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, חַבְרַיָּיא נֵיזִיל וְנִגְמוֹל חֶסֶד לְרִמוֹנָא, דְּהֲוָה מַלְיָא מִכֹּלָּא, וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי דִּפְקִיעִין שְׁמֵיהּ אִיהוּ, דְּהָא אִסְתַּלָּק מֵעָלְמָא דֵּין, וְלֵית מַאן דְּחָזֵי לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בֵּיהּ, וְאִיהוּ קָרִב לְגַבָּן. As they went along a raven came and stood before them, croaking loudly. R. Eleazar ‘said: ‘For this thou art here, and for this thou art come; go thy way, for I know already.’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘Companions, let us proceed and do an office of kindness with a pomegranate that was full of juice, R. Jose of Pekiin was his name, for he has departed from this world and there is no one to attend to him, and he is near us.’
סָטוּ מֵאָרְחָא, וְאָזְלוּ לְתַמָן. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמוּ לוֹן כָּל בְּנֵי מָאתָא, נַפְקוּ לְגַבַּיְיהוּ. וְעָאלוּ תַּמָּן בְּבֵי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי דִּפְקִיעִין, אִינּוּן חַבְרַיָּיא אִלֵּין. בְּרָא זְעֵירָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, וְלָא שָׁבִיק לְבַר נָשׁ דְּיִמְטֵי לְעַרְסָא דַּאֲבוֹי, בָּתַר דְּמִית. אֶלָּא הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי הֲוָה סָמִיךְ לֵיהּ, וּבָכֵי עָלֵיהּ, פּוּמֵיהּ בְּפוּמֵיהּ מִתְדַּבְּקָא. So they turned aside and went there. When the townsfolk saw them, they all came out to meet them. The Companions then went into the house of R. Jose of Pekiin. He had a young son who would let no one approach the bed of his father as he lay dead, but he himself kept close to him and wept over him, putting his mouth to his mouth.
פָּתַח הַהוּא יַנּוּקָא וְאָמַר, מָארֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא, כְּתִיב בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, (דברים כ״ב:ו׳) כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן צִפּוֹר לְפָנֶיךָ וְגוֹ', שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם וְגוֹ'. הֲוָה גָּעֵי הַהוּא יַנּוּקָא וּבָכֵי, אָמַר, מָארֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא, קַיֵּים מִלָּה דָּא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, תְּרֵין בְּנִין הֲוִינָא מֵאַבָּא וְאִמִּי, אֲנָא וַאֲחֹתִי זְעֵירְתָּא מִנַּאי. הֲוָה לָךְ לְמֵיסַב לָן, וּלְקַיְּימָא מִלָּה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְאִי תֵּימָא מָארֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא, אֵם כְּתִיב, וְלָא אָב, הָא הָכָא כּוֹלָּא הוּא, אַבָּא וְאִמָּא. אִימָּא מִיתַת, וּנְסִיבַת לָהּ מֵעַל בְּנִין. הַשְׁתָּא אַבָּא דְּהֲוִי חָפֵּי עֲלָן, אִנְסִיב מֵעַל בְּנִין, אָן דִּינָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. בָּכוּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְחַבְרַיָּיא, לָקֳבֵל בִּכְיָה וְגָעוּ דְּהַהוּא יַנּוּקָא. He exclaimed: ‘Sovereign of the Universe, it is written in the Torah, “If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee… thou shalt surely let the dam go” (Deut. 22, 6). Sovereign of the Universe,’ he said with sobs, ‘fulfil this word. We were two children to my father and mother, I and my younger sister. Thou shouldst have taken us and fulfilled the injunction of the Torah. And if Thou shouldst say, It is written “mother” and not “father”, he was both, father and mother, for my mother has died and Thou didst take her from her children. Now the father who was our protector has been taken from the children; where is the justice?’ R. Eleazar and the Companions wept to hear the tears and sobs of the boy.
פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, (משלי כ״ה:ג׳) שָׁמַיִם לָרוּם וָאָרֶץ לָעוֹמֶק וְגוֹ'. עַד דְּהֲוָה אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר קְרָא דָּא, הֲוָה עַמּוּדָא דְּאֶשָּׁא פָּסִיק בֵּינַיְיהוּ, וְהַהוּא יַנּוּקָא הֲוָה דָּבִיק בְּפוּמֵיהּ דַּאֲבוֹי, וְלָא הֲווֹ מִתְפָּרְשָׁאן. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אוֹ בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִרְחָשׁ נִיסָא, אוֹ בָּעֵי דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּדַל בַּר נָשׁ אַחֲרָא עָלֵיהּ, אֲבָל עַל מִלִּין דְּהַהוּא יַנּוּקָא וְדִמְעוֹי, לָא יָכִילְנָא לְמִסְבַּל. R. Eleazar started to quote the verse, “The heaven for height and the earth for depth” (Prov. 25, 3), but before he could complete it a pillar of fire parted them, while the child still had his lips pressed to the mouth of his father. Said R. Eleazar: ‘Either God desires to work a miracle, or He desires no other man to attend to him; but in any case I cannot bear the words and the tears of this child.’
עַד דַּהֲווֹ יַתְבִין, שָׁמְעוּ חַד קָלָא, דְּהֲוָה אָמַר, זַכָּאָה אַנְּתְּ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, דְּמִלִּין דְּהַאי גַּדְיָא זְעֵירָא, וְדִמְעוֹי, סְלִיקוּ לְגַבֵּי כֻּרְסְיָיא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְדָנוּ דִּינָא, וּתְלֵיסָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא אַזְמִין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוְת בְּגִינָךְ, וְהָא עֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין שְׁנִין אוֹסִיפוּ לָךְ, עַד דְּתוֹלִיף אוֹרַיְיתָא, לְהַאי גַּדְיָא שְׁלֵימָא, חֲבִיבָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. As they sat they heard a voice say: ‘Happy art thou, R. Jose, for the words of this young kid have ascended to the throne of the Holy King and sentence has been passed and God has assigned thirteen men to the Angel of Death in thy place, and an addition has been made to thy years so that thou mayest teach the Torah to this excellent kid, beloved before the Holy One, blessed be He.’
קָמוּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְחַבְרַיָּיא, וְלָא שָׁבְקוּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְמֵיקָם בְּבֵיתָא, מִיַּד חָמוּ הַהוּא עַמּוּדָא דְּאֶשָּׁא דְּסָלִיק, וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח עֵינוֹי. וְהַהוּא יַנּוּקָא דָּבִיק פּוּמֵיהּ בְּפוּמֵיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָנָא דַּחֲמֵינָא תְּחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים, עֵינָא בְּעֵינָא. קְרִיבוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, וַהֲוָה הַהוּא יַנּוּקָא נָאִים, כְּמָה דְּגָוַע מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, אָמְרוּ זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָךְ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, וּבָרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּאַרְחִישׁ לָךְ נִיסָא, עַל גַּעְיָא וּבִכְיָיא דִּבְנָךְ, וּבְמִלּוֹי, דְּהָכִי דָּחִיק בְּמִלִּין שְׁפִּירִין לִתְרַע שְׁמַיָא, בְּמִלּוֹי וּבְדִמְעוֹי אוֹסִיפוּ לָךְ חַיִּין. R. Eleazar and the Companions rose and would not let anyone stay in the house. Forthwith they saw that pillar of fire depart and R. Jose opened his eyes, the boy’s lips still being pressed close to his. Said R. Eleazar: ‘Happy is our lot that we have seen the resurrection of the dead with our own eyes’. They drew near to him and found the boy sleeping like one dead to the world. They said: ‘Happy is thy portion, R. Jose, and blessed is God who has wrought a miracle for thee for the weeping and sobbing of thy son. For the sake of his beautiful words with which he has knocked at the gate of heaven and of his tears they have added years to thy life.’
נְטָלוּהוּ לְהַהוּא יַנּוּקָא, וּנְשַׁקוּהוּ וּבָכוּ עִמֵּיהּ מֵחֶדְוָה סַגִּיא. וְאַפְקוּהוּ לְבֵיתָא אַחֲרָא, וְאַתְּעֲרוּ עָלֵיהּ, וְלָא אוֹדְעוּ לֵיהּ מִיָּד, אֶלָּא לְבָתַר הָכִי. חֲדוּ תַּמָּן תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין, וְחַדִישׁוּ בַּהֲדֵי הַהוּא רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, כַּמָה חִדּוּשִׁין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. They then lifted up the boy and kissed him, weeping for joy, and they took him out of the house to another house, and were careful not to tell him at once. They remained there three days, and expounded many points of the Torah with R. Jose.
אָמַר לוֹן רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, חַבְרַיָּיא, לָא אִתְיְהִיבַת לִי רְשׁוּ לְגַלָּאָה מֵהַהוּא דַּחֲמֵינָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, אֶלָּא לְבָתַר תְּרֵיסָר שְׁנִין. אֲבָל תְּלַת מְאָה וְשִׁתִּין וַחֲמֵשׁ דִּמְעִין, דְּאוֹשִׁיד בְּרִי, עָאלוּ בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאוֹמֵינָא לְכוּ חַבְרַיָּיא, דִּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּפָתַח בְּהַהוּא פְּסוּקָא, וְגָעָא בְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין, אִזְדַּעֲזָעוּ תְּלַת מְאָה אַלְפֵי סַפְסָלֵי דַּהֲווֹ בִּמְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ קַיְימֵי קַמֵּיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וּבָעוּ רַחֲמֵי עָלַי, וְעָרְבוּ לִי. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְמְלֵי רַחֲמִין עָלַי. Said R. Jose to the Companions: ‘I am not permitted to reveal what I saw in the other world till twelve years have passed. But the three hundred and sixty-five tears which my son shed have all been counted before the Almighty, and I assure you, Companions, that when he quoted that verse three hundred thousand chairs in the Academy of the firmament were shaken, and all stood before the Holy King and besought mercy for me and offered themselves as surety for me, and God was filled with mercy towards me, being well pleased with those words and his offer to sacrifice himself for me,
וְשַׁפִּיר קַמֵּיהּ, אִינּוּן מִלִּין, וְהֵיךְ מָסַר נַפְשֵׁיהּ עָלַי. וְחַד אַפֹּטְרוֹפֹּסָא הֲוָה קַמֵּיהּ, וְקָאָמַר, מָארֵי דְּעָלְמָא, הָא כְּתִיב (תהילים ח׳:ג׳) מִפִּי עוֹלְלִים וְיוֹנְקִים יִסַּדְתָּ עוֹז לְמַעַן צוֹרְרֶיךָ לְהַשְׁבִּית אוֹיֵב וּמִתְנַקֵּם. יְהֵא רַעֲוָא קַמָּךְ, זְכוּ דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּזְכוּ דְּהַהוּא רַבְיָא, דְּקָא מָסַר נַפְשֵׁיהּ עַל אֲבוּהָּ דְּתֵחוּס עָלֵיהּ, וְיִשְׁתֵּזִיב. and there was one Guardian who said: Sovereign of the Universe, it is written, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established strength” (Ps. 8, 3). May it please Thee for the merit of the Torah and for the merit of that child who offered his life for his father, that Thou mayest spare him so that he be delivered.
וּתְלֵיסָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא אַזְמִין לֵיהּ תְּחוֹתַי, וְעִרְבוֹנָא יָהַב לֵיהּ, מִדִּינָא תַּקִּיפָא דָּא. כְּדֵין קָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוְת, וּפָקִיד לֵיהּ עָלַי, דְּלֵיתֻב לְבָתַר עֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין שְׁנִין, דְּהָא לָאו עִרְבוֹנָא קַמֵּיהּ, אֶלָּא לִיתוּב לִידוֹי, מַשְׁכֹּנִין דַּהֲווֹ בִּידוֹי, הַשְׁתָּא חַבְרַיָּיא, בְּגִין דְּחָמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאַתּוּן זַכָּאֵי קְשׁוֹט, אִתְרְחִישׁ נִיסָא לְעֵינַיְיכוּ. So He assigned him thirteen men in my place and gave him a pledge to save me from this sentence. Then God called the Angel of Death and commanded him to return for me in twenty-two years. And so, Companions, because God saw that you are truly virtuous, He wrought a miracle before your eyes.’