“He gave him the tithe of all.” What do the words “the tithe of all” mean? Scripture means the tenth part of that region whence blessings emanate; and that region is called “All.” According to another interpretation, the words “And he gave him the tithe of all” mean that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the tithe to Abraham. And wherein did this tithe consist? It consisted in the Sephirotic degree upon which the whole faith is founded, and which is the source of all blessings. Now, by granting Abraham the faculty to attain this Sephirah, He thus gave him the tithe, which consists in taking one from ten, and ten from a hundred. It was after receiving this tithe that Abraham attained the highest degree which it is permitted a man to attain. Rabbi Éléazar said to this Jew: “Thy words are exact.” He then asked him: “What is thy occupation?” The Jew replied: “I was a schoolmaster in my native town; but when Rabbi Yossé, of the village of Ilanen, came to my town, the inhabitants withdrew their children from me and sent them to his school. Now, although the inhabitants of my town had consented to continue paying me the same wages that I had received when I was a schoolmaster, I deemed it beneath my dignity to accept payment for doing nothing; and therefore I engaged myself as guide to this doctor of the Law.” Rabbi Éléazar said to him: “Thou needest my father’s blessing, that thy circumstances may improve.” So they went to Rabbi Siméon. The Jew studied all day in the presence of Rabbi Siméon. One day, he was studying the laws concerning the washing of the hands. On that occasion, Rabbi Siméon said: “Whosoever does not wash his hands properly shall be punished, both in Heaven and here below; and the punishment here below shall consist in poverty. And just as the punishment of him who does not wash his hands properly extends both to Heaven and to earth, so the blessing bestowed upon him who washes them properly is twofold, for he is blessed both in Heaven and on earth; the blessing on earth consists in wealth.”
One day, Rabbi Simeon saw this Jew pouring a great abundance of water over his hands. Rabbi Simeon cried out: “Fill his hands with Thy blessings.” From that day on, this Jew became rich; for he had found a treasure. He devoted the rest of his life to the study of the doctrine; every day he gave alms to the poor, toward whom he showed himself gracious. Rabbi Simeon applied to him the following verse: “But as for Thee, thou shalt rejoice in the Lord; Thou shalt find thy delight in the bosom of Israel.”
It is written: “After this the Lord spoke unto Abraham in a vision.” Rabbi Yehouda opened one of his discourses in the following manner: Scripture says: “I am my beloved’s, and his heart is turned toward me.” This verse has been explained in this way: No movement takes place in heaven without a prior impulse coming from below. Likewise, the blessings from above can be effective here below only when something real already exists; that is to say, in order to obtain the heavenly blessing, one must already possess something, for the blessing can have no effect upon emptiness. Whence do we know this? We know it from the wife of Obadiah, whom the prophet Elisha had asked: “Tell me, what hast thou in thine house?” For the blessings from above cannot extend over emptiness. Therefore Scripture adds: “And she answered: Thy handmaid hath nothing in the house, save a little oil to anoint herself with (asoukh schamen).” What does the word “asoukh” signify? The woman had said: The quantity of my oil is no greater than what is needed to rub a little on one’s little finger. The prophet answered her: Thy words reassure me; for I knew not how I might draw the blessings from above upon a house wherein there is nothing. But since thou hast a little oil, the blessings may spread over thy house. Whence do we know this? We know it from the words of Scripture: “It is
like the good oil that was poured upon the head of Aaron...” And a little farther on: “... For there the Lord commanded that the blessing should be.” But one might perhaps object that the verse just quoted speaks of dew, and not of oil, as it is written: “... Like the dew of Mount Hermon, which descends upon Mount Sion.” To this we shall answer: The words “oil” and “dew,” mentioned in this verse, designate one and the same thing. For the heavenly dew is drawn by the Holy One, blessed be He, from the source of heavenly oil. The source of oil is on the right side. There are two sources: one of wine and the other of oil. Each of these sources flows in a different direction; that of wine flows toward the left side, and that of oil toward the right. Now, since it is from the right side that blessings are poured forth upon this world, it is with oil that the sacred kings must be anointed; and it is through oil that blessings are poured forth into this lower world. Observe that it was through the oil from above that the descendants of David and Solomon were blessed. How do we know this? We know it by this analogy of words. Here Scripture says: “... And the oil ceased (va-ïaamod)”; and elsewhere it is written: “On that day the shoot of Jesse shall stand as an ensign (omed lenes) before all the peoples.”
Note that we infer from the table upon which the shewbread was displayed that the heavenly blessing, which provides food for men, can take effect only if there is already something there; therefore the table was never to remain without the shewbread, not even for a second. It is for this reason also that one must never pronounce the blessing at table if it is completely cleared; for the blessings from above do not descend upon a cleared table. Note that Scripture says: “I am my beloved’s, and His heart is turned toward me,” which means that one must first belong to God, and only then does God turn toward man. According to another interpretation, the words: “I am my beloved’s” have the following meaning. We know, by tradition, that the Shekhinah does not dwell among the guilty; it is only when a man strives to amend his ways and to draw near to the Holy One, blessed be He, that the Shekhinah attaches herself to him. Therefore Scripture says first: “I am my beloved’s”; and only thereafter does it add: “... And his heart is turned toward me.” For it is only when a man strives to improve his life that Heaven comes to his aid and enables him to accomplish it.
Mark that the words of Scripture: “After this ...”, have the following meaning. After Abraham had pursued the kings whom the Holy One, blessed be He, took upon Himself to slay, he was seized with great fear; for he had said to himself: “Perhaps (which God forbid) I have diminished the reward to which I was entitled on account of the conversions I wrought among my contemporaries; perhaps I have diminished that reward by having been the cause of these men’s death.” At once the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: “Fear not, Abram; I am thy protector, and Thy reward is exceedingly great.” God said to Abraham: Thou shalt receive a reward for having caused the death of these men; for they shall have no part in eternity. Scripture says: “After this, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision.” What does the word “vision” signify? God appeared to Abraham at that degree of the Divine Essence which embraces all the other forms. Rabbi Siméon said: Mark that before Abraham’s circumcision, God neither appeared nor spoke to him save at one degree of the Divine Essence. And what was that degree? It was the degree called “vision” (mahze), as it is written: “... Who hath seen the visions (mahze) of the Almighty.” But after his circumcision, all the other degrees of the Divine Essence were added to the first degree which Abraham had formerly beheld; and it was under this manifestation that God spoke to him henceforth, as it is written: “And
“I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty,” whereas, before his circumcision, Abraham had never perceived the divine essence in all its degrees. But perhaps someone will object: it is nevertheless written, “And the Lord appeared unto Abram”; and a little further on it is written, “And Abram went on still toward the south”; and it is also written, “And Abram built an altar there unto the Lord, who had appeared unto him.” Now all these words have previously been interpreted to mean that Abraham had seen all the degrees of the divine essence. How can one therefore now claim that, before his circumcision, Abraham had perceived only one degree of the divine essence? To this objection we shall answer as follows: Observe that, beforehand, the Holy One, blessed be He, had granted Abraham all the wisdom necessary to know Wisdom, to cleave to it, and to penetrate the mystery of Faith; but when He spoke to Abraham, He appeared to him only in the lower degree of the divine essence. It was only after Abraham’s circumcision that God spoke to him, appearing to him in all the degrees, and joining the higher degrees of the divine essence to the lower degrees. It was then that Abraham reached the highest degree, as we have said. Observe that, so long as a man is not circumcised, he cannot unite himself with the name of the Holy One, blessed be He; but as soon as he is circumcised, he enters into this name and unites himself with it. But perhaps someone will object: Abraham had nevertheless united himself with God before he was circumcised! To this we shall answer as follows: Indeed, Abraham had united himself with God before his circumcision; but this union was not perfect. It was only because of the great love God bore Abraham that He allowed him to unite himself with Him before his circumcision; but at the same time He commanded him to be circumcised; and it was only after his circumcision that he attained all the degrees, uniting himself with God by an indissoluble bond. For the covenant of circumcision constitutes the strongest bond between man and God; this bond embraces all the other bonds. Therefore, before Abraham’s circumcision, God appeared to him only in a vision, as has just been said. Observe that the world was created only through the Covenant, as it is written: “Bereschith bara Élohim.” It follows from these words that the world was founded upon the Covenant; and elsewhere it is written: “If My covenant had not been with day and night, I would not have established the laws that govern heaven and earth.” For the purpose of the Covenant is that there be no separation between day and night. Rabbi Éléazar said: The Holy One, blessed be He, created the world only upon condition. He said: If Israel accepts the doctrine, it is well; otherwise, I shall plunge the world back into tohu and bohu. And indeed, the world did not become stable until Israel received the doctrine on Mount Sinai; only from that day onward did the world become firmly established. It is likewise from that day onward that the Holy One, blessed be He, creates worlds. What is meant by these words: “… creates worlds”? This means that He brings about matrimonial unions; for it is from that day onward that the Holy One, blessed be He, brings about unions, saying: Let the daughter of so-and-so be the wife of so-and-so. Such are the worlds that He ceases not to create. Observe that Scripture says: “I am thy protector.” Scripture uses the word “anochi,” for it denotes the degree of the divine essence to which Abraham had formerly cleaved.
It is written: “And Abram said: Lord God, what wilt Thou give me?” Scripture makes use of the word Adonai, a divine name composed of the letters Aleph, Daleth, Vav, Noun and Yod; and it also makes use of the word Jehovah, a name composed of Yod and Hé, and of Hé and Vav, provided with the vowel-points of the name Elohim. Scripture thus reveals to us the mystery of the union of the worlds: the union of the world above, “Adonai,” with that below, “Elohim.”
Abraham said to God: “What wilt Thou give me? And I shall die childless.” Abraham said to God: I have no son, and I have learned that whoever leaves no son in this world is called “ariri” (solitary, childless), as it is written: “They shall die childless (aririm).” Why did Abraham speak thus to God? Why did he say to the Holy One, blessed be He: “What wilt Thou give me?” These words would seem to imply—if it be permitted so to speak—that Abraham had no faith in the Holy One, blessed be He! Here is the explanation: the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to Abraham: “I am thy protector,” in this lower world, “and thy reward is exceedingly great,” in the world to come. Therefore Abraham answered God: How can I have a reward in the world to come, when, according to the law of Wisdom, no man can claim this reward unless he leaves a son in this world? Therefore Abraham said: “What wilt Thou give me? And I shall die childless.” We infer from these words of Abraham that the man whom God has not deemed worthy to have children in this world will not be deemed worthy either to enter the court of the world to come. Abraham had foreseen, by virtue of his astrological knowledge, that he would have no children. Therefore Scripture says: “And God brought him forth outside, etc.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham: “Look not upon these stars; but put thy trust in My name, and thou shalt have a son.” God added: “... Thus (coh) shall thy seed be multiplied.” The word “coh” denotes a holy name that grants men children; it is to this name, God said to Abraham, that thou must turn, and not to another side. “Coh” is the gate of prayers; it is in this divine name that man finds his blessing; it is in this divine name that man shall see his prayers answered. “Coh” is on the side of “power”; for Isaac comes from the side of “power,” which is called “coh.” It is from “coh,” God said to Abraham, that fruit comes in this lower world, and not from the side of the stars and other heavenly bodies. Therefore Scripture adds: “And Abram believed in God,” which means: he attached himself to the world above and not to that below. He believed in God, and not in the stars and other heavenly bodies; he believed in God, Who had promised to raise him to that degree which would enable him to have children in this world. Scripture adds: “... And his faith was counted unto him for righteousness.” Scripture uses the words “was counted unto him,” for although it was Abraham’s duty to believe in God, the divine name “coh” counted this faith unto him for righteousness, as a work of supererogation. According to another interpretation, the words: “... And his faith was counted unto him for righteousness” mean that Abraham had joined the world above with that below.
Observe that it was only when he received the name Abraham that he was able to have children; but he could have none as long as he bore the name Abram. But, one might object, he did indeed beget Ishmael while he bore the name Abram! To this we shall reply: He did beget a son while his name was Abram; but he could not beget the son that the Holy One, blessed be He, had promised him until after he had received the name Abraham. As long as he bore the name Abram, he could beget only a son for this lower world; it was only when he received the name Abraham, and thus entered into the Covenant with God, that he could beget a son for the world above. This is the meaning of the words: “Abram cannot beget; Abraham alone begets,” that is to say: Abraham begets a son for the world above, such as Isaac.
“And Abram was ninety-nine years old, etc.” Rabbi Abba opened one of his discourses in the following manner: It is written: “Is there any God besides the Lord? Is there any Rock (tzour) besides our God?” It was King David who composed this verse: “Is there any God besides the Lord?” What sovereign, or ruler, can do anything without the Lord’s consent and without having received a command from the Holy One, blessed be He? For no sovereign is free in his actions, nor can he do anything on his own initiative. David added: “Is there any Rock besides our God?” Who can accomplish an act of strength without God, in Whose hands all strength lies?
According to another interpretation, by the words: “Is there any God beside the Lord?”, David meant that all is in the power of the Holy One, blessed be He, and not as some men think, imagining that they can foresee the future by consulting the course of the stars; for the course of the stars does indeed indicate many things, but the Holy One, blessed be He, changes them according to His will. David added: “Is there any rock (tzour) beside our God?” These words have already been explained in this way: There is no painter comparable to the Holy One, blessed be He, who knows how to paint one figure within another, and who knows how to bring His painting to all perfection, endowing it with a heavenly soul, like the perfection above. That is why David said: “Is there any other painter (tzour) beside our God?” Observe that, through the desire which the man feels for the woman and the woman for the man, at the moment of their union, their seeds mingle and produce a child containing within itself both figures; for the Holy One, blessed be He, always forms the child so that it takes after both father and mother. That is why it is fitting for a man to sanctify himself at the time of marital union, so that the child to be born may have its figure complete and proper.
Rabbi Hiyya said: Behold how great are the works of the Holy One, blessed be He, which are manifested in the art of man’s creation; for the form of man corresponds to the celestial form. Now the Holy One, blessed be He, creates worlds every day, in that He brings about unions, uniting those who are to be united; He also forms the figures of men before they come into the world.
Consider the following words of Rabbi Simeon: It is written: “This is the book of the generations of Adam.” Had Adam, then, a book? But these words have already been explained in this manner: The Holy One, blessed be He, caused Adam to foresee all the generations to come, as well as the great masters who would lead each generation. But in what manner did God cause Adam to see them? Did God merely permit him to foresee, through the Holy Spirit, that such and such generations would exist in the world? Was it merely by means of the mystery of Wisdom that Adam had foreseen what would take place in the world? No. Adam had seen with his own eyes the figures of all future men. How could he see them? From the day the world was created, all the
Consider the following words of Rabbi Simeon: It is written: “This is the book of the generations of Adam.” Had Adam, then, a book? But these words have already been explained in this manner: The Holy One, blessed be He, caused Adam to foresee all the generations to come, as well as the great masters who would lead each generation. But in what manner did God cause Adam to see them? Did God merely permit him to foresee, through the Holy Spirit, that such and such generations would exist in the world? Was it merely by means of the mystery of Wisdom that Adam had foreseen what would take place in the world? No. Adam had seen with his own eyes the figures of all future men. How could he see them? From the day the world was created, all the
The souls destined to animate the men of this world exist before the Holy One, blessed be He; and each has a form like that of the body of the man whom it is destined to animate later in this lower world. Likewise, the Holy One, blessed be He, provides all the souls of the Just after they leave this world with a covering other than the body, yet having its form. Thus Adam was able to see, with his own eyes, all the men yet to come.
But let none imagine that the souls destined to animate future men were brought into the presence of God only at the moment when He wished to show them to Adam. It is not so. All the words of the Holy One, blessed be He, endure for ever. Now, since He had commanded the souls to appear before Him, to be shown to Adam, they remain ever in the presence of God, until the hour when they descend into this lower world. In the same manner is the following verse explained: “This covenant which I make this day, this oath which I confirm anew, is not with you alone, but with all those who are with us today, and with all those who are not with us today.” These words have been explained in this way: The souls of all the men destined to be born into this world were gathered there. This verse deserves to be examined. Scripture says: “… And with all those who are not with us today.” These words seem to allude to future men who will be born of those who were present; therefore, in the second part of the sentence, where the absent are spoken of, Scripture does not use the word “omed,” as it does in the first part of the verse, where those present are spoken of. Thus it follows from this verse that all the souls of future men were present there; but they were invisible. The meaning of the verse, then, is this: “… And with all those who are not,” that is to say, with all the men who are not yet born. And Scripture adds: “… With us today,” that is to say, their souls are present with us today. But since the souls of future men could be seen by Adam by reason of their forms, why could they not be seen at the time of the Covenant? The truth is that, at the time when the Law was given to Israel, Israel beheld the higher degrees of the divine essence; and Israel’s desire to contemplate the glory of its Master was so great that it saw only the light of the Holy One, blessed be He, and not the light shed by the souls that were present there. Thus all the souls of the men destined to be born have stood, since the creation of the world, in the presence of the Holy One, blessed be He; and each has the same form as the body it is destined to animate. Therefore Scripture says: “Thine eyes saw me when I was yet unformed; and all are written in Thy book…” Why did David say: “Thine eyes saw me when I was yet unformed”?—Because the form of souls, before their descent into this lower world, resembles that of the bodies they animate. Therefore David also said: “Is there any other painter than our God?” that is to say, is there a painter who knows how to make one painting within another, after the fashion of the Holy One, blessed be He? According to another version, the words: “Is there any other God than the Lord (Éloha)?” allude to the mystery of the sacred name “El,” which is the synthesis of all the degrees of the divine essence. But one may perhaps object that “El” designates a particular degree, since Scripture says: “God (El) is angry every day.” To this we shall answer as follows: Observe that there is no “El” without “Jéhovah”; the one is never separated from the other, nor shall it ever be separated from the other. Therefore Scripture says: “Is there a God ‘El’ without the Lord (Jéhovah)? Is there a rock (tzour) without Élohenou?” For “tzour” is not separated from “El” and “Jéhovah” either; and all are one, as it is written: “Acknowledge this day, and let this thought be ever engraved upon thy heart, that Jéhovah is one with Élohim, etc.” Observe that, so long as Abraham had not been circumcised, God revealed Himself to him only in a vision, as we have already said, since it is written: “The Lord spoke to Abram in a vision (bamahzeh).” The word “bamahzeh” designates the degree of the divine essence which reflects all
the celestial figures, as we have said; and this “mahzeh” contains the mystery of the Covenant. But one might perhaps object: How can it be that this “mahzeh” reflects all the other degrees of the Divine Essence, when we have said previously that, so long as Abraham had not been circumcised, God had revealed Himself to him only through the lower degree, without showing him the other degrees? Now, the appearance for which Scripture uses the words: “And God spoke unto Abram in a vision (bamahzeh)” took place before Abraham’s circumcision! But the truth is that the lower degree through which God revealed Himself to Abraham before his circumcision reflects the other degrees. Thus, although Abraham had not yet been circumcised at that time, he was able to perceive the other degrees of the Divine Essence in the lower degree, which reflects them all. One degree of the Divine Essence is on the right side and is white in color; another degree is on the left side and is red in color; and the third degree of the Divine Essence reflects the two preceding colors, and in it one can perceive the colors of the two degrees above it. It was in this third degree of the Divine Essence that God revealed Himself to Abraham and spoke unto him, although he had not yet been circumcised. But after his circumcision, Scripture says: “The Lord appeared unto Abram.” Mark that, in Balaam’s case, Scripture uses the words “mahzeh Schadaï,” whereas, in Abraham’s case, Scripture uses only the word “mahzeh.” What is the difference between these two expressions? The expression “mahzeh Schadaï” designates the angels beneath the throne of God: such was Balaam’s vision; whereas the word “mahzeh” alone designates heaven, that degree of the Divine Essence which reflects the other degrees. That is why Scripture uses only the word “mahzeh” for Abraham, whereas for Balaam it employs the term “mahzeh Schadaï.” Thus, before his circumcision, Abraham had perceived only the degree of the Divine Essence that we have just indicated; but after his circumcision, Scripture says: “And the Lord appeared unto Abram, etc.” It was then that he saw all the degrees of the Divine Essence that are above the degree he had previously perceived. It was through this degree that God spoke unto Abraham; and it was through the vision of this degree that Abraham, ascending from rung to rung, came to enter into the sacred Covenant, where he was able to see all the degrees of the Divine Essence.
Observe that, when Abram was circumcised, he separated himself from the foreskin, the symbol of the impure world, and entered into the sacred Covenant; he entered into that Covenant upon which the world is founded; and since he entered therein, it follows that the world is likewise founded upon him. Therefore it is written: “If the Covenant which I have made with the day and with the night had not been, I would not have established the laws which govern heaven and earth.” Thus, the world is founded upon the Covenant. And it is also written: “Such is the origin of heaven and earth, when they were created (behibaram).” Now, the word “behibaram” must be read as two words, “behe baram,” which means “through Abraham.” These two verses contain the same mystery. When the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Adam all the generations to come, Adam saw each soul in the same form as the body of the man it was destined to animate. Observe that a tradition teaches us that, when Adam beheld David, for whom no span of life had been allotted, he was troubled; and therefore he yielded him seventy years of his own life. This is why Adam, who was to live a thousand years, lived only nine hundred and thirty, since seventy years were taken from him for David’s life. This fact constitutes a mystery of Wisdom: David has no life of his own; he has only the seventy years taken from Adam. This fact is grounded in a mystery; for all that takes place in this lower world is the effect of the supreme mystery. Observe, moreover, that all souls stand above in pairs, that is to say, the one destined to animate the man stands beside the one destined to animate the woman. And when they descend into this lower world, the Holy One, blessed be He, unites them anew. Rabbi Isaac said: The Holy One, blessed be He, brings about marriages, saying: “Let the daughter of such a one be the wife of such a one.” Rabbi Yossé asked: Why are we told that the souls of husband and wife were already united above, since we already know this from the words of Scripture: “There is nothing new under the sun”; for these words clearly show that the unions below already existed! Rabbi Yehouda answered: Scripture says that there is nothing new under the sun; but in heaven many new things come to pass. Rabbi Yossé further asked: Why does God need to proclaim that the daughter of such a one is the wife of such a one, whereas Rabbi Hizqiya had said in the name of Rabbi Hiyâ that, at the very moment when one of the spouses comes into the world, the other is destined for him?
Rabbi Abba said: Happy is the lot of the righteous, whose souls surround the holy King before their descent into this lowly world. For we know by tradition that, when the Holy One, blessed be He, sends souls down into this lowly world, they are all arranged in pairs, composed of male and female. The male soul is united with the female soul. Thus united, all these pairs of souls are entrusted to the messenger angel appointed over the conception of women. This angel bears the name “Night.” As soon as the souls are entrusted to this angel, they separate; sometimes it is the male soul that first animates the man, sometimes it is the female soul that first animates the woman. And when the time for marriage comes, the Holy One, blessed be He, Who knows these spirits and souls, unites them again as before; He proclaims their union. Thus, when the spouses unite, they form but one body and one soul; the right side is then united with the left side in a fitting manner. Therefore Scripture says: “There is nothing new under the sun.” But perhaps one will object: Yet we know by tradition that marriages are subject to a man’s conduct! Indeed they are; for, if a man is worthy and performs good works, he enjoys the favor of being united in marriage with that woman whose soul was united with his before its descent to earth. Rabbi Hiya asked: Where must a man of good conduct go to seek the wife destined for him? Rabbi Abba answered him: We know by tradition that a man is bound to sacrifice all his wealth to obtain in marriage the daughter of a doctor of the Law; for it is to the doctors of the Law that God entrusts the deposit of good souls. One of the mysteries of tradition teaches us that men whose souls are on earth for the second time may, by means of prayers addressed to Heaven, obtain in marriage women whose souls are the soul-mates of other men. Such is the meaning of the words of the colleagues: “It is forbidden to marry a woman during the feast days; but it is permitted to betroth her, lest another man forestall the bridegroom by addressing prayers to Heaven on this matter.” The colleagues have spoken very well. They use the expression “lest another”; by this word “another” they designate a man whose soul has returned to earth for the second time. For this reason marriages are arduous work for the Holy One, blessed be He; for, in every case—that is, whether it be the man whose soul is the woman’s soul-mate who marries her, or a man whose soul has returned to earth for the second time who marries her—the marriage is always just, as it is written: “… For the ways of the Lord are right.” Rabbi Yehouda sent word to Rabbi Éléazar: We know the mystery that presides over marriages; but we wonder where men whose souls migrate to earth for the second time find women whose souls are their soul-mates. Rabbi Éléazar sent him this answer: It is written: “Where shall they take wives? For we have all sworn together that we will not give them our daughters.” And a little farther on it is written: “Go, they said to them; hide yourselves in the vineyards. And when you see the daughters of Shiloh coming forth to dance according to custom, come suddenly out of the vineyards, and let each of you take one for his wife.” This biblical passage, concerning the descendants of Benjamin, proves to us that through effort one may succeed in marrying a woman whose soul is the soul-mate of another man. Therefore tradition teaches us that one may betroth during the feast, lest one be forestalled by another, who would address prayers to Heaven to obtain this woman. Now the soul of this other whom one fears is not, after all, the woman’s soul-mate; and yet one fears that, by virtue of his prayer, he may obtain this woman in marriage. But, on careful reflection, thou wilt find the mystery that governs marriages. This is also the case of a man who dies without children, whose wife is bound by law to marry his brother. Now, if this woman, after marrying her husband’s brother, bears a son, that son is animated by the soul of his father, who returns to earth for the second time. This son finds no woman whose soul is his soul-mate, since the soul-mate of his own soul animates his own mother. Therefore the colleagues said: It is permitted to betroth even during the feast days, lest one be forestalled by another through prayers addressed to Heaven on this matter; for by means of prayers one may obtain in marriage a woman whose soul is the soul-mate of another man. Yet this latter case can occur only when the man whose soul is the woman’s soul-mate is a sinner, and the other, who seeks to forestall him, is righteous. Upon receiving this answer, Rabbi Yehouda cried out: Now I understand why marriages are arduous work for the Holy One, blessed be He! Happy is the lot of Israel, to whom the doctrine teaches the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, as well as all the secrets and all the…
Blessed is the lot of him who devotes himself to the study of the doctrine and never parts from it! For whoever parts from it, even for but one hour, does as though he were parting from life, as it is written: “… For it is thy life and the length of thy days.” And elsewhere it is written: “… For in it thou shalt find length of days, increase of years of life, and peace.”
It is written: “And Abram was ninety-nine years old, etc.” Rabbi Yossé opened one of his discourses in the following manner: It is written: “All thy people are a people of righteous men; they shall possess the land for ever…” The lot of the Israelites is happier than that of the other peoples; for the Holy One, blessed be He, calls them “righteous men.” For we have learned by tradition that there are one hundred and twenty-eight thousand winged angels who fly throughout the whole world and gather there all the voices that are heard. And we know by tradition that every deed performed in this world produces a voice; and it is these voices, produced by deeds, that the angels gather and then bring before their Master, Who judges them according as they are good or evil. It is to this mystery that the words of Scripture allude: “… For a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.” At what hour are the voices brought by the angels judged in heaven? Rabbi Hiyâ said: At the time when man sleeps and his soul, parting from him, ascends to heaven to bear witness to his deeds: it is at that hour that the voices brought by the angels are judged in heaven, as it is written: “Keep the door of thy mouth even from her that lieth in thy bosom.” These words refer to the soul; and why?—Because it bears witness to the deeds of man. Rabbi Yehouda said: The soul bears witness during the night to all the deeds that man performed during the preceding day. We have learned that Rabbi Éléazar said the following: During the first hour of the night, after the day has ended and the sun has set, the angels who keep the keys of the gates through which the sun passes go and shut the twelve gates that remain open throughout the day. A voice then resounds, summoning all these guardians of the gates. They gather together and ascend on high in silence, none of them opening his mouth. At this moment the angels charged with gathering the voices produced by the deeds of men fly throughout the world. The moon begins to illumine the earth, and the angels sound the trumpet; the first blast is even, and the second is broken and has the effect of a lament. After a few moments, they sound the trumpet a second time; then many angels sing hymns and praises before their Master, and the judgment of the world begins. Thus, while men sleep, their souls leave their bodies and ascend to heaven to bear witness there to the deeds of men. When a man is found guilty, the Holy One, blessed be He, has mercy on him and nevertheless sends his soul back to him. At midnight, when the cock awakens, the wind, which then blows from the northeast, is suddenly stopped by a current of grace coming from the opposite direction, from the south. It is then that the Holy One, blessed be He, takes delight in the presence of the righteous in the Garden of Eden. Happy is the lot of the man who rises at that hour to devote himself to the study of doctrine! For the Holy One, blessed be He, as well as all the righteous present in the Garden of Eden, heeds his voice, as it is written: “O thou that dwellest in the gardens, thy companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.” But there is more: the Holy One, blessed be He, covers the man who rises at midnight to devote himself to the study of doctrine with a ray of grace, which serves as his guardian in this world; for all the angels above and below are bound to guard the man covered by this ray of grace, as it is written: “The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me.” Rabbi Hizqiya said: Whosoever devotes himself
He who studies the Doctrine at the hour of midnight is certain often to have a share in eternal life. Rabbi Yossé asked: What is the meaning of the word “often”? Rabbi Hizqiya answered him: This is what I have learned: At every midnight, when the Holy One, blessed be He, enters the Garden of Eden, all the plants of the Garden are watered more abundantly than usual by the river called “the River Qedoumim,” and also “the River of Delights,” whose waters never cease to flow. Thus the man who rises at midnight and devotes himself to the study of the Doctrine is—if it be permitted so to speak—watered by this river together with the other plants of the Garden of Eden, which is but just; for, since the righteous in the Garden of Eden hear the voice of him who rises at midnight, and delight in it, it is no more than just that they in turn grant him a share of the river that waters them. That is why it is said that he who rises at midnight is certain “often” to have a share in eternal life, seeing that he receives his share of the heavenly river each night.
Rabbi Abba was once going from Tiberias to the residence of his father-in-law, which served as a meeting place for the doctors of the Law. His son, Rabbi Jacob, accompanied him. They came to the village of Tarscha, where they decided to spend the night. As they were about to go to bed, Rabbi Abba asked the master of the house: “Is there a cock in this house?” The master of the house said to him: “Why do you ask me that?” Rabbi Abba answered him: “So that I may rise at the exact hour of midnight.” The other replied: “You have no need of a cock for that; I have in my house an object that marks the hour of midnight: I fill with water the pans of the balance placed before my bed. One of these pans has a hole through which the water escapes drop by drop. At the hour of midnight, the pierced pan being completely empty, the other, which balances it, falls back, and, as it falls back, it makes a sound heard throughout the house; we know then
which is the exact hour of midnight. I once had in my house an old man who was wont to rise every midnight and devote himself to the study of the doctrine, and it was he who devised this method for his own use. Rabbi Abba cried out: Blessed be the Lord, who directed my steps to this house. At midnight, indeed, the balance-pan fell and made a sound. Rabbi Abba and Rabbi Jacob, rising, heard the master of the house, seated on the threshold of his door with his two sons, speaking thus: It is written: “At midnight I rise to praise Thee for the judgments of Thy righteousness.” Why does David say: “Midnight I rise…” instead of: “At midnight I rise…”? But, in truth, it is the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, whom David designates by this word. The sons asked: Is the Holy One, blessed be He, then called “Midnight”? Their father answered them: Yes, for it is at the exact hour of midnight that one may find the Holy One, blessed be He, and obtain His help; for it is the hour when He enters the Garden of Eden to delight Himself there with the righteous. Rabbi Abba then said to his son Rabbi Jacob: It is certain that we shall join ourselves to the Shekhinah if we unite ourselves with these people. They therefore drew near and sat beside the master of the house, saying to him: Repeat to us the words you have just spoken; for they are excellent. From whom did you learn them? The master of the house answered them: I learned them from the old man who lived in my house. This same old man also taught me that, during the first three hours of the night, the angels charged with gathering testimonies for the judgment of men fly throughout this lower world. At the exact hour of midnight, the Holy One, blessed be He, appears in the Garden of Eden. All the punishments that befall men in this lower world, as well as all the decrees of the upper world, take place only at the hour of midnight. Whence do we know this? We know it from Abraham, as it is written: “And he divided the night for them, and, falling upon them with his servants, he defeated them.” And,
To indicate the hour of the plague of Egypt, Scripture says: “At midnight, the Lord smote all the firstborn of Egypt.” Several examples of this are found in Scripture. David knew this. Whence did he know it? Here is what the old man taught me concerning this: David’s kingdom depended upon it; and this is why he arose at midnight and sang praises. For this reason he himself calls the Holy One, blessed be He, “Midnight.” David adds: “... To praise Thee for the judgments of Thy righteousness,” since all the heavenly judgments take place at midnight; now, royal power is the image of the judgments on high; this is why David arose at that hour and sang songs. Rabbi Abba arose and kissed the master of the house, saying to him: Truly, what thou hast just said is exact; blessed be the Lord, Who hath guided my steps hither.
Observe that the night is the hour of judgments in all places, above as well as below; thus have we learned, and thus was the matter taught in the presence of Rabbi Simeon. One of the young sons of the master of the house asked: If this be so, why did David say: “At midnight”? His father answered him: We have just explained that it is because the heavenly Kingdom makes its presence felt at the hour of midnight. The son replied: I have heard another explanation of this. Rabbi Abba said to him: Speak, dear child; for I hope to find in thy words the voice of the Lamp. The young son of the master of the house began to speak thus: I have heard that the night is the hour of the judgments of the Kingdom; during the night, judgments are in all places, above as well as below. What makes David say “in the midst” is that the middle of the night draws sustenance both from rigor and from mercy; for the first half of the night is the hour of rigors, and the second half of the night causes the faces to shine with joy on the side of Mercy. Therefore David said: “At midnight...”