וְאָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, כְּתִיב, (בראשית ל׳:כ״ה) וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה רָחֵל אֶת יוֹסֵף וְגו', מַה חָמָא יַעֲקֹב לְמֵיהַךְ לְאוֹרְחֵיהּ, כָּד אִתְיְלִיד יוֹסֵף, וְעַד לָא אִתְיְלִיד יוֹסֵף לָא בָעָא לְמֵיהַךְ לְאוֹרְחֵיהּ. אֶלָּא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דְּחָמָא דְאִתְיְלִיד שִׂטְנָא דְעֵשָׂו. R. Eleazar further cited the verse: AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN RACHEL HAD BORNE JOSEPH, ETC. ‘With the birth of Joseph, Jacob saw that the adversary of Esau had appeared, and he therefore made ready to depart.

וְתָא חֲזֵי, יוֹסֵף אַשְׁלִים דּוּכְתֵּיהּ בַּתְרֵיהּ וְיוֹסֵף זָכֵי לֵיהּ, דְּאִקְרֵי צַדִּיק, וְהָכָא סִיּוּמָא דְגוּפָא. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא יַעֲקֹב, דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים גּוּפָא, בָּעָא גּוּפָא לְמֵהַךְ לְאוֹרְחֵיהּ, וְסִיּוּמָא דְגוּפָא הוּא בְּרִית. וְעִם כָּל דָּא בִּנְיָמִן אַשְׁלִים חוּשְׁבְּנָא, דְּבֵיהּ אִשְׁתְּלִימוּ תְּרֵיסַר. Observe further that Joseph gave, as it were, fixity to Jacob, corresponding to the Zaddik in whom the Body ends, and so he merited in particular to be called righteous. So when Jacob saw that the Body was made complete, his body conceived the desire to depart, the completion of the body being the sign of the covenant. But for all that it was Benjamin who completed the number of the twelve tribes.

וְאִי תֵימָא, וְכִי לָא הֲוָה יָדַע יַעֲקֹב, דְּעַד כְּעָן לָא אִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ שִׁבְטִין, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְיְלִיד יוֹסֵף, מַאי טַעְמָא לָא אוֹרִיךְ עַד דְּיִתְיְלִיד בִּנְיָמִין וְיִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ שִׁבְטִין. אֶלָּא, יַעֲקֹב בְּחָכְמְתָא עֲבַד, וּמִלָּה יָדַע. אָמַר, וַדַּאי אִי אִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ הָכָא כֻּלְּהוּ שִׁבְטִין, הָא יְדַעְנָא דְּתִקּוּנָא דִּלְעֵילָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. וּבְאַרְעָא דָא, לָא לִיבָּעֵי דְּיִשְׁתְּלִימוּ, אֶלָּא בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא. Why, then, it may be asked, did Jacob, knowing that the number of the tribes was not yet full, not wait for the birth of Benjamin to complete the number? The reason is that Jacob was guided by a further consideration. “It is clear”, he said, “that if the number of the tribes will be completed here, then divine perfection will rest upon them in the appropriate manner; but in this land it is not desirable that they should attain perfection, but only in the Holy Land.”

תָּא חֲזֵי דְּהָכִי הוּא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין, תִּקּוּנָא דְעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה נִינְהוּ, וְכֵיוָן דְּאִתְיְלִיד בִּנְיָמִין, מִיתַת רָחֵל, וְנָטְלָא דוּכְתָּא הַאי עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, לְאִתְתַּקָּנָא בְּהוּ. וְעַל דָּא לָא אִתְיְלִיד בִּנְיָמִין, אֶלָּא בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית מ״ח:ז׳) וַאֲנִי בְּבוֹאִי מִפַּדָּן מֵתָה עָלַי רָחֵל בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן בַּדֶּרֶךְ, וְתַמָּן מִיתַת רָחֵל וְנָטְלָא דוּכְתָּא, הַאי עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, לְאִתְיַשְּׁבָא בְּבֵיתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא, וְכָל זִמְנָא דְרָחֵל קָיְימָא, עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה לָא אִתְתַּקְּנָא בְּהוּ, מִיתַת רָחֵל, נָטְלָא (ד"א ל"ג לעילא) בֵּיתָא בִּשְׁלִימוּ. The proof that all the twelve tribes together effect the full realisation of the lower world is to be seen in the fact that immediately Benjamin was born Rachel died, and this lower world fell into its proper place, and attained through them perfect realisation. Hence Benjamin had to be born in the Holy Land and not elsewhere. So Scripture says: “And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died unto me in the land of Canaan” (Gen. 48, 7). Rachel thus died there, and her place was filled by this lower world, which assumed its rightful place in a completed House. But as long as Rachel was alive the lower world could not be made perfected through them.

וְאִי תֵימָא, לֵאָה אַמַּאי לָא מִיתַת בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּבֵיתָא בְּעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה (נ"א עלאה) אִיהוּ, וְכֹלָּא מִנֵּיהּ הֲווּ לְאִתְתַּקְּנָא, וְלָאו מֵעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה (נ"א תתאה), וּבְגִין כָּךְ לָא מִיתַת בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא. וְכָל עוֹבָדוֹי דְּלֵאָה בְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא אִינוּן, בְּגִין דְּעַלְמָא עִלָאָה אִיהוּ בְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא, וְלָאו בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ לָא אִדְכַּר מִיתָתָהּ דְלֵאָה, כְּמִיתָתָהּ דְּרָחֵל. If it is asked why Leah did not die at the same time, the answer is that the House was in the lower world, and from it all were to be brought to full self-realisation, but it was not in the upper world. This was the reason that Leah did not die at that time. Moreover, all that concerned Leah is kept under a veil, as she typified the upper world, which is veiled and undisclosed; and this is another reason why Leah’s death is not divulged like that of Rachel.

וְתָא חֲזֵי, דְּהָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי. בְּגִין דְּעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה, כָּל מִלּוֹי בְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא, וְעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה כָּל מִלּוֹי בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא. בְּגִין כָּךְ, אִתְכַּסְּיָא לֵאָה בִּמְעַרְתָּא דְּכָפֶלְתָּא, וְרָחֵל בְּגִלּוּיָיא דְּאוֹרְחָא, דָּא בְּסִתְרָא, וְדָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא. וּבְאִתְכַּסְּיָא עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה אִתְרְשִׁים, דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית ל׳:י״ג) וַתֹּאמֶר לֵאָה בְּאָשְׁרִי כִּי אִשְׁרוּנִי בָנוֹת, וּבְגִין כָּךְ קָרְאָה שְׁמֵיהּ אָשֵׁר. It is in accordance, too, with this difference between the upper and the lower worlds that Leah was buried away from sight in the cave of Machpelah; whereas Rachel was buried by the open road. Hence it is that all blessings are from two worlds, the disclosed and the undisclosed, though the whole originates from the upper world;¹The last 3 lines of the Hebrew text do not appear in our translation.

תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּגַוְונָא דָא (שמות לה) ה' ה' תְּרֵין עָלְמִין (נשא קל"ח ע"א) נִינְהוּ, דָּא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא וְדָא בְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא, וְעַל דָּא פָּסִיק טַעְמָא בְּגַוַּוְיְיהוּ, וּמֵעַלְמָא דָא עַד עַלְמָא דָא, כֹּלָּא חָד. Observe that we similarly find the divine Name repeated twice in: “The Lord, the Lord… merciful and gracious” (Ex. 24, 6), alluding to the two worlds, the hidden and the revealed; and this explains the tonal pause between the two. But for all that, the one world and the other form together an absolute unity.’

(בראשית לא) וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה רָחֵל אֶת יוֹסֵף וְגו', אָמַר (נדפס דף קס"ה ע"א בסתרי תורה) רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, תָּא חֲזֵי, שְׁלֵימוּתָא דְיַעֲקֹב דְּלָא בָעָא לְמֵיזַל אֶלָּא בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ דְּלָבָן. וְאִי תֵימָא, זִמְנָא אַחֲרִינָא אַמַּאי לָא אָזִיל בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ. אֶלָא בְּגִין דְּדָחִיל יַעֲקֹב, דְּלָא יִשְׁבּוֹק לֵיהּ, וְיִשְׁתְּלִימוּ תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין בְּאַרְעָא אָחֳרָא. וְעַל דָּא כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא דְּמָטָא שַׁעְתָּא דְבִנְיָמִין, בָּרַח. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וַיִּבְרַח הוּא וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ. AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN RACHEL HAD BORNE JOSEPH, ETC. R. Judah said: ‘Jacob, as a straightforward man, did not wish to leave save by the permission of Laban. In the end, it is true, he did depart without asking Laban’s permission, but this was because he feared that Laban would not let him go, and in consequence the last of the twelve tribes would be born in an alien land. Hence, when he saw that the time had come for Benjamin to be born, he fled, as it is written: SO HE FLED WITH ALL THAT HE HAD.

דְּכֵיוָן דְּאִתְיְלִיד בִּנְיָמִין, אִתְקַשְׁרַת שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּכֻלְּהוּ שִׁבְטִין, וְנָטְלָא בֵּיתָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ. וְיַעֲקֹב הֲוָה יָדַע בְּרָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא, דְּכַד יִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין, דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא תִּתְקַשֵּׁט וְתִתְקַשֵּׁר בְּהוּ, וְרָחֵל תָּמוּת, וְאִיהִי נָטְלָא בֵּיתָא. For as soon as Benjamin was born, the Shekinah attached herself to the company of the tribes and made her home with them. And Jacob, through his knowledge of the mystic symbolism, was aware that as soon as the twelve tribes should be complete the Shekinah would make them her adornment and attach herself to them, and that Rachel would die and the Shekinah would take possession of the House.

תָּא חֲזֵי, הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה אִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב כְּמָה דְאִתְחֲזֵי לְמשֶׁה, אֶלָּא דְּלָא יְכִילַת, עַד דְּהֲווּ תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין בְּבֵיתָא לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּהוּ, וּכְדֵין אִתְדַּכִּיאַת (נ"א אתדחיית) רָחֵל, וְנָטְלָא אִיהִי בֵיתָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ שִׁבְטִין, וַהֲוַת עִקְּרָא דְבֵיתָא, וּכְדֵין (תהילים קי״ג:ט׳) מוֹשִׁיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת וַדַּאי. Our tradition tells us that the lower world was assigned to Jacob in the same way as it was later to Moses, but this could not be accomplished until there were the full twelve tribes in the House to whom the Shekinah could attach herself. It was then that Rachel was removed, and the Shekinah took up her abode in the House with all the tribes, and become the foundation of the House. Assuredly, “He sets in her place the foundation of the House” (Ps. 113, 9).

אָמַר יַעֲקֹב, הָא מָטָא זִמְנָא, דְּאִשְׁתְּלִימוּ תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין, וַדַּאי עַלְמָא דִּלְעֵילָא יֵחוֹת הוּא לְבֵיתָא לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּהוּ, וּמִסְכְּנוּתָא דָא אִתְדַּחְיָיא קַמֵּיהּ. אִי תָּמוּת הָכָא, לָא אִפּוּק מֵהָכָא לְעָלְמִין. וְלָא עוֹד, אֶלָּא בְאַרְעָא דָא, לָא אִתְחֲזֵי לְאַשְׁלָמָא בֵיתָא. בְּגִין כָּךְ וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה וְגו', עַד לָא אִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ שִׁבְטִין. Jacob thus said: “The time has now arrived for the number of the twelve tribes to be completed, so that the upper world will be due to descend into the House to become attached to them, and this poor woman (Rachel) will be thrust out to make room for it. Should she die here, I shall never be able to get away. Moreover, this is not the land where it is fitting that the House should be made complete.” Hence AND IT CAME TO PASS, ETC.’

שָׁמַע רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אָמַר, וַדַּאי כָּל מִלּוֹי דְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה שַׁפִּיר, וְדָא סָלִיק עַל כֹּלָּא. וְאִי תֵימָא אַמַּאי לָא אֲזַל לֵיהּ לְאוֹרְחֵיהּ מִיָּד. אֶלָּא, כָּל זְמַן דְּרָחֵל לָא מִתְעַבְּרָא מִבִּנְיָמִין, אִתְעַכַּב תַּמָּן. כֵּיוָן דְּמָטָא זִמְנָא דְּבִנְיָמִין, עָרַק וְלָא בָעָא רְשׁוּתָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְעַכֵּב תַּמָּן וְיִתְחַבֵּר יַעֲקֹב בְּכוּלְהוּ שִׁבְטִין, בְּאַתְרָא (דלא) דְאִצְטְרִיךְ. R. Simeon, on hearing all this exposition, said: ‘Assuredly all R. Judah’s expositions are excellent, but this excels them all. Jacob might indeed have departed at once, but he delayed until Rachel was pregnant with Benjamin. Then he fled without asking permission, so as not to linger there any more and so that his union with all the tribes might be effected in the fitting place.’

רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח, (שמות ד׳:י״ח) וַיֵּלֶךְ משֶׁה וַיָּשָׁב אֶל יֶתֶר חוֹתְנוֹ וְגו'. תָּא חֲזֵי, משֶׁה רָעֵי עָנָא דְיִתְרוֹ חָמוּי הֲוָה, וְדִיּוּרֵיהּ הֲוָה בֵּיהּ. וְכַד בָּעֵי לְמֵיזַל, לָא אֲזַל אֶלָּא בִּרְשׁוּתָא דִידֵיהּ. וְיַעֲקֹב דְּהֲוָה שְׁלִים וְדִיּוּרֵיהּ הֲוָה תָּדִיר עִמֵּיהּ דְּלָבָן, אַמַּאי לָא בָעָא רְשׁוּתָא מִנֵּיהּ. אֶלָּא הָא אִתְּמָר דְּלָא יְגַלְגֵּל לָבָן עִמֵּיהּ גִּלְגּוּלִין וְיִשְׁתָּאַר תַּמָּן. דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא אָמַר לֵיהּ, וּמִיָּד גִּלְגֵּל עֲלֵיהּ גִּלְגּוּלִין וְאִשְׁתָּאַר תַּמָּן, וְהַשְׁתָּא דָחִיל מִנֵּיהּ. R. Abba said: ‘We read of Moses that “he went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, etc.” (Ex. 4, 18). Now Moses, who was the shepherd of Jethro’s flock and lived with him as Jacob with Laban, when he wished to go away first obtained his permission; why, then, did not Jacob, being so upright a man, obtain permission from Laban before leaving him? The truth is, as tradition teaches us, that Jacob feared lest Laban might employ all sorts of devices to make him remain with him longer, as he had done at first.

אֲבָל יִתְרוֹ, לָא הֲוָה הָכִי לְגַבֵּי משֶׁה. בְּגִין דְּלָבָן חָרָשָׁא הֲוָה, וּבְחָרָשָׁא הֲוָה כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי לְגַבֵּי דְיַעֲקֹב, וְהַשְׁתָּא לָא בָעָא יַעֲקֹב לְאִתְעַכְּבָא תַּמָּן, דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר לֵיהּ (בראשית ל״א:ג׳) שׁוּב אֶל אֶרֶץ אֲבוֹתֶיךָ וְגו'. וְעַל דָּא לָא בָעָא לְאִתְעַכְּבָא וּלְמִישְׁבַּק פִּקּוּדָא דְמָרֵיהּ. Moses, however, had nothing of the kind to fear from Jethro. Laban was a magician, and in all his dealings with Jacob used magical arts. But Jacob did not wish to remain there any longer, since God had said to him: “Return unto the land of thy fathers, etc.” (Gen. 31, 3).