It is written: “And Elohim remembered Noah, and all the wild beasts, and all the domestic animals that were with him in the ark.” Rabbi Hiyya opened one of his discourses in the following manner: Scripture says: “A prudent man sees evil and hides himself.” This verse applies to Noah, who entered the ark and hid himself therein. He entered the ark when the waters drove him into it.
As we have said previously, as soon as Noah beheld the angel of death, he entered the ark to hide himself from him. Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: “The prudent man foreseeth the evil,” that is, the angel of death. Scripture adds: “… And hideth himself.” This is what Noah did, as it is written: “… And Noah entered the ark, and with him his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, to shelter themselves from the waters of the Flood.” Rabbi Yossé said: The words of Scripture, “The prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself,” have reference to what has been said; for when death ravages the world, a prudent man hides himself and does not go out, so as not to be seen by the destroying angel, seeing that he is authorized to harm all who come within his sight; therefore Scripture adds in the second part of the sentence: “But the simple pass on (abrou), and are punished.” By the word “abrou,” Scripture means that the simple pass before the destroying angel, and thereby are punished. According to another interpretation, the word “abrou” means to transgress; thus Scripture means that the simple transgress the commandments of their Master, and are punished on that account. According to another interpretation, the first part of the verse, “The prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself,” applies to Noah; the second part of the verse, “… But the simple pass on, and are punished,” applies to Noah’s contemporaries; for had Noah not hidden himself, he would have suffered the punishment of the others; but because he remained hidden throughout the calamity, there came to pass afterward what Scripture says: “And Elohim remembered Noah.” Rabbi Simeon said: Observe that, during the time when severity prevails in the world, Scripture never uses the word “remembrance” (zacar); it is only after severity has ceased, and the sinners of this world have already been destroyed, that Scripture uses the word “remembrance.” For so long as severity prevails in the world, there is no union; and it is the destroying angel who then rules the world. But when severity has ceased and the heavenly wrath is appeased, all returns to its proper course. Therefore Scripture says here: “And Elohim remembered (va-ïzcor) Noah.” Thus the word “zacar” is applied to Noah, because Scripture has said of him that he was a righteous man.
It is written: “Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them.” It is at the hour when the Holy One, blessed be He, casts into the sea a fine dart, like a thread, proceeding from the right side, that the sea is stirred and brings forth the waters of the abyss, which at one moment rise up and form waves, and at another sink into the depths and carve out valleys. God then restrains the waves and calms the fury of the waters, without anyone perceiving it. Jonah, cast into the sea, was swallowed by a fish. How could Jonah live in the entrails of a fish without his soul at once departing from his body? Because God rules over this fine fluid, like a thread, from the left side, which alone stirs the sea and makes the waves rise on high. When the fine fluid, like a thread, from the right side descends into the sea, the fine fluid, like a thread, from the left side goes to meet it, to unite with it; and it is then that the waves are stirred and roar like hungry creatures craving food. Thus, at the moment when the sea is stirred by the waves, the Holy One, blessed be He, drives them back and makes them return to their place. This is what Scripture means by the words: “Thou stillest the raging of the waves thereof.” The word “theschabhem” (Thou stillest) means: Thou breakest the waves, to make them return to their place. According to another interpretation, the word “theschabhem” should be translated according to its literal sense, which is: “Thou praisest”; for God indeed praises the waves of the sea for their desire to behold the fine fluid, like a thread, from the right side, cast into the sea; for this desire is the sole cause of their agitation. We infer from this passage that every man deserves praise when he is eager to know the divine mysteries and strives to penetrate them; such a man is praiseworthy, even though he never attains his goal, because Heaven has not endowed him with sufficient intelligence to attain it.
Rabbi Yehouda said: As long as Noah dwelt in the ark, he feared lest the Holy One, blessed be He, should remember him; but after judgment had been executed and the guilty of the world had been destroyed, Scripture says: “And Elohim remembered Noah.”
Rabbi Éléazar said: Observe that, at the time when severity prevails in the world, it is better for a man that his name should never be mentioned before the Holy One, blessed be He, in heaven; for if his name be mentioned there, his sins are mentioned also, and his deeds are examined. Whence do we know what has been said above? We know it from the Shunammite woman; for the day on which Elisha lodged with the Shunammite woman was the first day of the year, on which the Holy One, blessed be He, judges the world. Therefore Elisha said to the woman: “Wouldst thou have me speak for thee to the King?” Here the word “King” signifies the Holy One, blessed be He, Who is called “King,” “Holy King,” “King of Justice.” But the Shunammite woman answered him: “I dwell among my people.” She meant to say: “I would not be remembered before God except together with my people,” so that her deeds might not be examined separately, but together with those of all the people; for when the deeds of the people as a whole are examined, the faults of each individual seem less grave; therefore the Shunammite woman wished her deeds to be examined at the same time as those of all the people. Observe that, as long as the wrath of heaven prevailed in the world, there was no remembrance of Noah; but as soon as severity had ceased, Scripture says: “And Elohim remembered Noah.” According to another interpretation, the words of Scripture: “And Elohim remembered Noah” have the same meaning as the words: “And I have my Covenant in mind.”
Rabbi Hizqiya, going one day from Cappadocia to Lydda, met Rabbi Yessa. The latter said to him: I am astonished that Thou goest alone, since a precept forbids us to set out alone on a journey. Rabbi Hizqiya answered him: I am accompanied by a young boy who will soon join me. Rabbi Yessa replied to him: I am
I am nevertheless surprised that thou shouldst have a young boy accompany thee, with whom thou canst in no way converse on matters pertaining to the doctrine, whereas, according to another precept, whoever does not converse during a journey on matters pertaining to the doctrine exposes himself to danger. Rabbi Hizqiya answered him: Indeed, thou art right. Meanwhile, the young boy arrived. Rabbi Yessa said to him: My son, whence art thou? The boy answered: I am from the city of Lyda; and, having heard that this illustrious man was going there, I hastened to serve him on his journey and accompany him as far as my native city. Rabbi Yessa continued: My son, hast thou any knowledge of matters pertaining to the doctrine? The boy answered: I have; for my father taught me the section on sacrifices; and, moreover, I have often listened to the lessons my father gave to my elder brother. Rabbi Yessa then said to him: My son, tell me what thou knowest. The boy began his discourse in the following manner: It is written: “And Noah built an altar unto the Lord; and, taking of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, he offered them for a burnt-offering upon that altar.” By the words: “And Noah built an altar,” Scripture refers to the altar upon which the first man had already sacrificed. Why had Noah offered a burnt-offering rather than another sacrifice? Because the burnt-offering is offered only for the expiation of sins committed in thought; now, Noah’s sin was of this kind: for Noah had thought within himself: Since the Holy One, blessed be He, has decreed the punishment of the world and the destruction of all beings upon the earth, with the sole exception of myself, I fear that this earthly favor may deprive me of the heavenly reward and the life to come. Now, since this thought was sinful, Noah immediately built an altar unto the Lord, the very same upon which Adam had sacrificed. If it was the same altar as Adam’s, why did Noah need to build it, since it already existed? But as the sins of the world had brought about the Flood, which destroyed and overturned everything, Adam’s altar had suffered the same fate; therefore Noah had to build it anew. Scripture says: “He offered burnt-offerings.” The word “burnt-offering” (Oloth) is written in the singular, whereas it is pronounced in the plural. Here is the reason: It is written: “The burnt-offering is a woman and a sweet savor unto God.” Now, the animal offered as a burnt-offering must be a male, as it is written: “He shall choose a male without blemish.” Why then does Scripture say: “The burnt-offering is a woman (ischah)”? It is true that the word “ischah” is rendered, according to its literal meaning, as “burning,” and denotes offerings intended to be consumed by fire; but, if this were the true meaning of the word, it should be spelled “esch,” without the final Hé. The truth is that, although the burnt-offering is a male, its purpose is to unite the male principle with the female principle, which must never remain separate; the burnt-offering is intended to cause the female principle to ascend toward the male principle and unite with it. Although the word “ischeh” is interpreted as “consumed,” according to a tradition this word also has an anagogical meaning. Noah necessarily had to offer a burnt-offering, since he represented the male principle, which the Holy One, blessed be He, united with the ark, symbol of the female principle. Therefore Noah offered a burnt-offering, which is likewise the symbol of the union of the male and female principles; and for this reason Scripture designates the burnt-offering by the name “ischah,” a word composed of “esch” and the Hé, which symbolizes the union of the female principle, emanating from the left side, with the male principle, emanating from the right side. This is why the burnt-offering (Olah) is called “woman” (ischah). “Ischah” denotes the bond of love that unites the left side with the burnt-offering, symbol of the male side, so that the right side may cause the left side to ascend with it and unite it with itself. Therefore Scripture says: “The burnt-offering (Olah) is a woman (ischah),” which means that the burnt-offering effects the union of the male principle with the female principle.
Scripture says: “... And God smelled a sweet savour”; and elsewhere it is written: “Ischeh is a sweet savour.” This is what we have heard concerning the word “ischeh”: Smoke and fire are united together; for there is no smoke without fire, as it is written: “And Mount Zion was covered with smoke, because the Lord had descended there amid the fires.” Now observe that fire is an inner element of great subtlety, and is visible to the eye only when it issues from within and unites itself with a body less subtle than itself. Thus, since fire is visible only when united with another palpable body, it follows that every fire produces smoke, because smoke is but the effect of the contact of very subtle fire with a denser element. The truth of this may be observed in the breath expelled from the nostrils, which is the smoke issuing from the fire; therefore Scripture says: “They shall put incense in Thy nostrils.” For the fire returns to its place of origin, and the nostrils, sensing the scent, breathe it in and absorb it, so as to form a whole and bring it back to its origin; and all returns into the Thought and becomes one desire. Therefore Scripture says “sweet savour” (nihoah). “Nihoah” means: that which appeases wrath and brings peace; for the smoke has entered therein and united with the fire, penetrating within until it appeases the wrath. And when the perfect union is accomplished and the wrath appeased, joy reigns everywhere and makes radiant lights shine forth; therefore the verse says: “... And God smelled a sweet savour,” as though God breathed in and absorbed everything into Himself.
Rabbi Yessa approached the young boy and kissed him, saying: Thou possessest so great a treasure, and we knew it not when we met thee! I wish to turn back and accompany thee. Then all three took the same road. Rabbi Hizqiya said: The Shekhinah accompanies us on this journey, since She favours us by permitting us to learn these mysteries which were unknown to us. Then he took the young boy by the hand; and all three continued on their way.
Rabbi Hizqiya and Rabbi Yessa then said to the young boy: “Recite to us one of those verses whose interpretation you learned from your father.” The young boy began to speak thus: Scripture says: “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth.” This verse signifies the heavenly desire, and means that desire issues from His mouth and not from the fire of His nostrils; for when the mouth kisses, fire comes forth with love, with the brightness of the face, with universal joy, and with union that brings peace. Therefore Scripture adds: “... For Thy breasts are better than wine.” Scripture means that wine which gladdens and makes joy shine upon the faces and in the eyes of those who drink it, but not that wine which makes one drunk, stirs up anger, darkens the face, and dims the eyes; such wine is called “wine of wrath.” And because this wine is good, it brightens the face, gives lustre to the eyes, and arouses desire and love. Therefore wine was poured out each day as a libation upon the altar, in such measure as to gladden those who drank it, as it is written: “And Thou shalt offer for a drink offering the fourth part of a hin of wine.” Such is the meaning of Scripture’s words: “... For Thy breasts are better than wine,” which means: than that wine which arouses joy and desires. For all things are formed above as below; and when desire awakens below, it awakens likewise above. These are two candles; when the one above is extinguished, the flame of the one below, rising in the smoke of the burnt offering, rekindles the one above.
Rabbi Hizqiya said: In truth, this is exact; the world above depends upon that below; and that below depends upon that above. And since the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem, blessings have no longer been poured forth in the world above, nor in that below; for these two worlds depend upon one another. Rabbi Yossé also said that, since that day, blessings have no longer been poured forth; but curses are poured forth in the world, seeing that the source of blessings has dried up. And why? Because Israel no longer dwells
upon the earth and no longer fulfills the duties indispensable for kindling the celestial lamps and obtaining blessings. That is why, from this day onward, there are no more blessings, either above or below, and the world is no longer in its normal state. Rabbi Hizqiya further said: Scripture says: “I will no more curse the earth for man’s sake.” What is the meaning of the words “lo osiph”? Rabbi Yessa replied: Here is the interpretation of this verse that I heard from Rabbi Simeon: So long as the supreme Fire gives off intense heat, it produces, through its contact with matter, a dense smoke, which constitutes severity below; thus, the more abundantly celestial heat reaches men, the more harmful it is to them because of the smoke it gives off, which eventually destroys them all. But when celestial heat does not arrive in great abundance, the smoke it gives off, which constitutes severity below, is not dense enough to destroy men. Such is the meaning of Scripture’s words: “lo osiph,” which means: I will not increase the celestial heat that I send below, which, upon coming into contact with matter, produces the smoke that constitutes the curse of the earth.
The young boy then said: I have heard that, from the moment when God said to Adam: “Cursed is the ground for thy sake,” the evil serpent obtained permission to rule over the earth, to destroy it and to exterminate its inhabitants. But, from the day when Noah offered a burnt offering, whose odour the Holy One, blessed be He, smelled, the earth obtained permission to free itself from the serpent’s yoke and to cleanse itself of the defilement with which it was infected. This is why Israel offers burnt offerings to the Holy One, blessed be He, to illumine the face of the earth. Rabbi Hizqiya said: These words are true; only, the earth’s freedom from the serpent’s yoke and its cleansing were not complete until the day when Israel was placed at the foot of Mount Sinai. Rabbi Yessa said: The Holy One, blessed be He, diminished the light of the moon and gave the serpent dominion over the earth; and all this because of man’s sin; for all the works of creation were cursed because of him; from the day when Noah offered a burnt offering, the earth was delivered from the curse with which it was burdened; but the moon retained its notch, except during the time when burnt offerings were made in this world and Israel dwelt in its land.
Addressing the young boy, Rabbi Yessa asked him: What is thy name? He answered: Abba (Father). Rabbi Yessa said to him: Mayest thou be a father in all things, in wisdom as well as in years. Rabbi Yessa applied to him the following verse: “Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bare thee rejoice.” Rabbi Hizqiya said: A day will come when the Holy One, blessed be He, shall cause the spirit of impurity to disappear from this world, as it is written: “And I will cause the unclean spirit to pass out of the land”; and elsewhere it is written: “He will swallow up death for ever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the reproach of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.” The day will come when the Holy One, blessed be He, shall illumine the moon with a light like that of the sun, and deliver it from that temporary darkness which the evil serpent brought upon it, as it is written: “And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days.” What mean the words: “… as the light of seven days”? They mean: as the primal light which the Holy One, blessed be He, hid during the seven days of creation.
It is written: “And Elohim blessed Noah and his children; and He said unto them: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth.” Rabbi Abba opened one of his discourses in the following manner: Scripture says: “The blessing of the Lord maketh men rich; and affliction shall have no part with them.” The words “the blessing of the Lord” designate the Shekhinah, who is appointed over the blessings of the world; for it is from Her that they emanate.
the blessings of every man. Note that previously Scripture said: “And Jehovah said unto Noah: Enter into the ark, thou and all thy house, etc.” As we have already explained, this was the permission granted to the guest by the master of the house to enter his dwelling. Then it is the wife who authorizes the guest to leave the house. Thus the guest first entered with the husband’s permission, and afterward departed with the wife’s permission. From these words of Scripture we infer that it is for the master of the house to authorize the guest to enter his house, and for the wife to authorize him to leave it. Therefore Scripture says: “And Elohim said unto Noah: Go forth from the ark, etc.”; for Elohim, Who is the celestial wife, had power only to invite him to leave the house of hospitality, but not to invite him to enter it. After leaving the house of hospitality, Noah offered a gift to the wife, because it is the wife who always remains at home, and because it is she who rules. But this gift which Noah offered to the wife reached her only through the husband, as Scripture says: “And Noah built an altar unto Jehovah.” The gift which a host gives to the wife of the household is intended to make her more beloved by her husband. From these words of Scripture we infer that it is fitting for every host, when leaving the house, to give a gift to the wife of the one who invited him, and that this gift must be given to the husband, so that he may convey it to his wife. Thus the wife blessed Noah, as it is written: “And Elohim blessed Noah and his sons; and He said unto them: Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” Such likewise is the meaning of the verse: “The blessing of the Lord maketh men rich”; for it is indeed the Shekhinah, called the blessing of the Lord, that maketh men rich, as we have already said. Scripture adds: “… And affliction shall have no part with them.” Scripture uses the word “etzeb” to express the idea of affliction, a word which also means “sorrow,” because it alludes to the mystery expressed in the words: “Cursed is the ground for thy sake; and thou shalt eat of it all the days of thy life with sorrow (beitzabon).” The word “etzeb” denotes celestial wrath, which makes every ray of joy vanish from the face; it is the time when the light of the moon grows dim and celestial blessings are not poured forth upon the world. When He said unto Adam: “… Thou shalt eat of it all the days of thy life with sorrow (beitzabon),” God meant that man would henceforth receive his celestial nourishment only while surrounded and troubled by evil spirits, which prevent the celestial blessings from reaching the world in their original purity. Therefore Scripture says: “… And He shall not increase (iosiph) the sorrow (etzeb) with it.” Thus the verse quoted above expresses the same mystery contained in the words of Scripture: “I will not again curse the ground.” Scripture adds: “Let all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of heaven be smitten with fear and tremble before you, together with all that moveth upon the earth.” God said unto Noah: From this day forth, you shall once more be endowed with human countenances; for before this day men no longer had human countenances. Note that Scripture says for the first time: “… For man was created in the image of Elohim,” whereas previously it is written: “In the day that Elohim created man, He made him in the likeness of Elohim.” For, after the first sins, the faces of men were transformed and no longer resembled the image above, so that men feared the wild beasts instead of being feared by them. Before the sin of men, all creatures trembled and drew back before man when, lifting their eyes, they beheld the sacred image. But after their sin, human faces no longer appeared to the eyes of the wild beasts as human faces, but as the faces of other creatures. Thus, instead of being feared, men began to fear the animals. Note that all men who do not sin
Those who do not rebel against their Master and do not transgress the commandments of the Law preserve upon their faces, without any alteration, the imprint of the features of the celestial countenance; therefore all the creatures of the world tremble before them. But as soon as men transgress the commandments of the Law, the features of their faces are altered, and they begin to fear the other creatures; and when the celestial features are effaced from their faces, wild beasts dare attack them, since they no longer see in them the features of the celestial countenance that should be imprinted upon every human face. Thus, as the world had just been renewed after the Flood and restored to its former state, God, in bestowing this blessing upon men, restored them to mastery over all creatures, as it is written: “I have placed all the fish of the sea in your hands.” Thus God placed under man’s dominion not only the creatures living in the same region as he, but also the fish of the sea. Rabbi Hiyà said: The words of Scripture, “I have placed all the fish of the sea in your hands,” mean: I placed them under your dominion from the first hour, as it is written: “… And have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of heaven, etc.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, placed all creatures under the dominion of men from the creation of the world.
It is written: “And Elohim blessed Noah.” Rabbi Hizqiya opened one of his discourses in the following manner: Scripture says: “A Psalm of David for understanding: Blessed are they whose sins are lifted up and whose transgression is hidden.” This verse has already been interpreted; but it also contains a mystery of Wisdom; for we know by tradition that David praised the Holy One, blessed be He, with ten different kinds of songs, that is, with songs beginning with ten different terms, one of which is “understanding” (maschil). Understanding forms one of the ten celestial degrees designated by the ten terms with which the various Psalms begin. David prepared himself before understanding descended upon him. The words of Scripture: “Blessed are they whose sins are lifted up” have the following meaning: at the moment when the Holy One, blessed be He, places the sins and merits of men upon the scales, it happens that, when a man is worthy, the pan on which the sins are placed rises up, counterbalanced by the other pan, on which the merits are placed, and which descends. Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: “Blessed is the lot of those whose sins are lifted up,” that is, whose pan containing the sins rises up. Scripture adds: “... And whose transgression is hidden.” Scripture means those whose transgressions God hides at the moment when severity prevails in the world, so that the destroying angel may not seize them, as was the case with Noah, whose transgression the Holy One, blessed be He, hid—the transgression which Adam brought into the world. For as long as this transgression remains in the world, man suffers; the other creatures hold sway over the world; man fears them, and the world is not in its natural state. Therefore, when Noah came out of the ark, the Holy One, blessed be He, blessed him, as it is written: “And Elohim blessed Noah and his sons, etc.”
Scripture adds: “And you, increase and multiply; enter into the earth and fill it.” In the blessing that God gave to Noah, the women are not mentioned: Scripture says only, “And Elohim blessed Noah and his sons”; but it does not speak of the women. Rabbi Simeon says: The word “and you” (veathem) includes both males and females. Moreover, the word “eth,” placed before Noah’s name, includes Noah’s wife as well in God’s blessing; and the word “ve-eth,” placed before the words “his sons,” includes the wives of his sons as well in the divine blessing. It is precisely because God blessed men and women alike that He afterward said to them: “And you, increase and multiply; enter into the earth and fill it.” It was then that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Noah the seven commandments of the doctrine, which he and all his descendants were to observe until the day when Israel was placed at the foot of Mount Sinai, the day when all the commandments were given at once.
It is written: “And Elohim said unto Noah: Behold the sign of the Covenant which I establish for ever between Me and you, etc. I have set (nathathi) My bow in the clouds.” The word “nathathi” denotes the past; for the bow had already been set in the clouds before this event. Rabbi Simeon began one of his discourses in the following manner: Scripture says: “And above the firmament that was over their heads was seen something like a throne resembling sapphire.” And previously Scripture had said: “And the sound I heard them make with their wings was like the sound of great waters and like the voice that God (Schadaï) makes heard from the height of heaven. They made a sound as they walked, like the sound of a great multitude and like the sound of a whole army; and when they stopped, they lowered their wings.” These words refer to the four celestial angels, mighty and holy, who support the firmament. To cover their bodies, they all spread their wings and join them to one another; and, when they spread their wings, the sound produced by this movement is heard; for that is the moment when they intone hymns to the glory of God, as it is written: “... Like the voice that God (Schadaï) makes heard from the height of heaven.” Scripture likens their praises to the voice of God, because, like the voice of God, their praises never cease to resound, as it is written: “... That glory may sing Thy praises and never be silent.” And what is the substance of the praises they sing? They sing: “The Lord hath made known His salvation; He hath manifested His righteousness in the sight of the nations.” Scripture adds: “They made a sound as they walked, like the sound of a great multitude.” Scripture means: Like the sound made by the celestial army when all the sacred legions gathered together make the praises of God resound. And what is the substance of the praises sung by the celestial army? It sings: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, the God of hosts; the earth is full of His glory.” The four angels of the chariot say “holy” as they turn their faces toward the south; they say “holy” as they turn their faces toward the north; they repeat “holy” as they turn toward the east; and they say “blessed” as they turn toward the west. The aforesaid firmament is spread above the heads of these four angels, who continually turn their faces toward the directions followed in turn by this firmament, so that the firmament reflects the figures turned toward it. As these four figures are placed at the four corners of the firmament, it follows that the latter first reflects the four colors peculiar to the four figures, which are: the figure of the lion, the figure of the ox, the figure of the eagle, and the figure of the man. Even in the first three figures, the image of man predominates, so that the angel whose figure is that of a lion resembles a lion-man; the one whose figure is that of an eagle resembles an eagle-man; the one whose figure is that of an ox resembles an ox-man. Thus, the figure of man is likewise imprinted in all the figures; therefore Scripture says: “They four had the face of a man.” And since this firmament reflects each of these figures in a different color, it follows that it presents four colors corresponding to the four sacred signs engraved above (that is to say, the four letters of the name of Jehovah) and to the four principal colors below. When these four colors are divided, they present twelve varieties of color. The four principal colors are: green, red, white, and blue; these four colors contain all the other shades; therefore Scripture says: “And as the bow that appeareth in the sky on a rainy day, so was the light that shone round about the image of the glory of the Lord.” These words allude to the four principal colors, which contain all the other shades. Such is the mystery of the words of Scripture: “I have set My bow in the clouds.” What does the word “My bow” signify? This word has the same meaning as that which Scripture applies to Joseph: “He hath set his bow in the Mighty One; and the chains of his hands and arms were broken by the hand of the almighty God of Jacob. From thence he went forth to be the shepherd and strength of Israel.” As Joseph was a righteous man, Scripture says of him that he set his bow in God; that is to say: the Covenant symbolized by the bow, which is likewise symbolized by the Righteous One. For the Covenant is symbolized by both. And since Noah was likewise a righteous man, he
The bow was shown to him. What does the word “vaïspozou” mean? This word means that the light spreading from the bow of the Covenant rejoices everyone, as it is written: “They are more desirable than an abundance of gold and precious stones, and sweeter than honey or the finest honeycomb.” These lights illuminated Joseph because of his chastity; and this is what earned him the name “Joseph the Just.” This is why the bow is called the bow of the Covenant, because the breaking up of the light of the sun seen in the rainbow is the symbol of the breaking up of the celestial and supreme light reflected by the firmament upheld by the four angels of the chariot. This is why it is forbidden to gaze upon the rainbow when it appears, because this is a profanation of the Shekhinah, of which it is the image; and since celestial majesty commands the reverence of not looking upon it, one must likewise not look upon the solar spectacle visible in the rainbow. And when the earth sees the rainbow appear, it is natural that it should convince itself that the celestial union is perfect. This is why Scripture says: “... That it may be the sign of the Covenant that I have made with the earth.” As we have said above, the rainbow displays three different colours joined in a single beam. And all of this forms but one mystery; and it rises in the cloud to become visible. Scripture adds: “And above the firmament that was over their heads was seen something like a throne resembling sapphire.”
These words designate the foundation stone (schethiyâ), which forms the central point of the whole world and upon which the Holy of Holies of the Sanctuary in Jerusalem is based. And what is this foundation stone? It is the sacred and celestial throne placed above the four figures engraved on the four sides of the celestial chariot. This throne is symbolized by the traditional law. Scripture adds: “... And it appeared as a man seated upon this throne.” This man is symbolized by the written law. We infer from these words that the written law must be placed above the traditional law, since the man appeared seated upon the throne; and since this throne constitutes the foundation stone, Jacob, who was the image of the man in Ezekiel’s vision, laid his head upon this stone.
Rabbi Yehouda once arose during the night to devote the midnight hour to the study of the doctrine. This took place in an inn in the city of Mahseya, where there was lodging also a Jewish merchant who had come to this city to sell two bales of garments. Rabbi Yehouda opened his discourse in the following manner: Scripture says: “And this stone, which I have set up for a monument, shall be called the house of Elohim.” These words designate the foundation stone (schethiyâ), which served as the starting point for the creation of the world and upon which the Sanctuary was built. The Jewish merchant, who was at that moment in bed, raised his head and said to Rabbi Yehouda: Thy words cannot be exact, since the foundation stone existed before the creation of the world, seeing that it served as the starting point for its creation; yet Scripture says: “And this stone, which I have set up for a monument, shall be called the house of Elohim.” By the words “which I have set up,” Scripture makes it understood that this stone was set up for the first time by Jacob, but had not been so set up before. Moreover, Scripture also says: “He took the stone which he had placed
beneath his head, and set it up as a monument.” Finally, Jacob was at that moment in Beth-El, whereas the foundation stone of which tradition speaks is in Jerusalem. Rabbi Yehouda did not even turn his head towards the speaker to answer him; and he continued to speak thus: It is written: “Prepare thyself, O Israel, to go forth to meet thy God”; and elsewhere it is written: “Give ear, O Israel, and hearken.” We infer from these words of Scripture that the study of doctrine demands attention of mind and, together with attention, outward propriety. The Jewish merchant rose, dressed himself, and sat down beside Rabbi Yehouda, to whom he said: Happy is your lot, you righteous men, who devote your days and nights to the study of doctrine.
Rabbi Yehouda said to him: Now that thou hast adorned thyself, repeat to me the objection thou hast just made, that we may converse together concerning matters pertaining to doctrine. For know that the study of doctrine requires the adornment of the body as well as the attention of the mind. I too might have remained in bed and meditated in my heart upon the matter pertaining to doctrine. But here is the reason why I preferred to rise: Tradition teaches us that the Shekhinah keeps company with him who devotes himself to the study of doctrine, even when he devotes himself to it alone, that is, without pupils or companions. Now, how could I have remained in bed, when I knew that the Shekhinah was present here! Moreover, the study of doctrine requires serenity of mind, a disposition of the soul which one can scarcely possess while lying down. Lastly, I preferred to leave my bed because the Holy One, blessed be He, walks in the Garden of Eden with the righteous when a man rises in the night to devote himself to the study of the law, from the hour of midnight until dawn, when the north wind blows; and all the righteous who walk at that hour in the Garden of Eden listen attentively to the words that come from the man’s mouth. How could I have remained in bed at an hour when the Holy One, blessed be He, and all the righteous delight in hearing words concerning doctrine! Rabbi Yehouda added: Repeat to me thy objection.