Rabbi Abba arose, laid his hands upon the head of the young man, and blessed him. Then he said: I had always thought that wisdom was found only among the righteous who are worthy of it. I now perceive that, while Rabbi Simeon yet lives, even children enjoy the favor of knowing the supreme Wisdom. Happy art thou, Rabbi Simeon! Woe unto the generation that shall see thee no more! They remained seated until daybreak and continued the study of the doctrine.
Rabbi Abba then began to speak as follows: It is written: “All thy people are a people of righteous men, etc.” This verse has been explained by the colleagues in the following manner: Why does Scripture say, “All thy people are a people of righteous men”? Are all the Israelites, then, righteous? Are there not among the Israelites so many sinners and so many wicked men who transgress the commandment of Scripture? But this is what we have learned on this subject in the mysteries of tradition: Happy is the lot of the Israelites who offer sacrifices; for it is the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, that the Israelites offer their sons as a burnt offering on the eighth day after birth; and, from the moment the children are circumcised, they partake of the good portion of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: “And the Righteous One is the foundation of the world.” From the moment the children partake of the portion of the Righteous One, they are called righteous. Thus, at the time of circumcision, all the Israelites are called “righteous”; therefore Scripture adds: “... They shall possess the land for ever,” as it is written: “Open to me the gates of the Righteous One, that I may enter therein”; and a little further on it is written: “This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.” These words allude to those who have been circumcised; for they are called “righteous.” The Scrip-
They are the offspring that I have planted, which means: they are the offspring of the plants that the Holy One, blessed be He, planted in the Garden of Eden; now, the earth below is one of these plants. This is why the Israelites have a goodly portion in the world to come, as it is written: “And the righteous shall dwell in the land for ever.” Scripture says: “They shall possess the land for ever.” What do the words “for ever” mean? These words have the meaning indicated in our tradition, and explained by the colleagues. Abraham had not the letter He in his name until he was circumcised; but immediately after his circumcision, the letter He was joined to his name, and the Shekhinah attached Herself to him; and from that moment he was called Abraham. This is why it is written: “Such was the origin of the heaven and the earth when they were created.” Now, a tradition teaches us that one must not read “behibaram,” but “belle baram,” which means: through Abraham. How can one say that the heaven and the earth were created through Abraham, who is the image of the Sephira “Grace” (Hesed), when we know that the word “behibaram” means that the heaven and the earth were created by the Shekhinah, of whom the He is the symbol? These two traditions are not in contradiction; but both come to the same thing. Rabbi Jacob asked his father, Rabbi Abba: We know that the He of the word “behibaram” is written in the Pentateuch smaller than the other letters, whereas the He of the word “halaïehovah” (which begins the verse: “Is this how, O foolish and senseless people, you show your gratitude to the Lord?”) is written larger than the other letters of the Pentateuch. What difference is there between these two He’s? Rabbi Abba answered him: The first of these He’s designates the celestial degree of which the sabbatical year is the image, whereas the second He designates the higher degree of heaven of which the jubilee year is the image. It is for the same reason that the moon is at times full, and at times diminished: and yet it is the same moon. Such also is the mystery that designates the Shekhinah, at times by a He written smaller than the other letters, and at times by a He written larger.
Rabbi Abba said: Happy is the lot of the Israelites, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, has distinguished from the other nations by giving them the mark of circumcision! For whoever bears this sign shall not go into hell, if he keeps it intact in the proper manner—that is, if he lives in chastity, does not come under the dominion of another power, that is, under the dominion of the demon, and, finally, does not violate the oath sworn in the name of the King. For whoever violates the law of chastity is as guilty as one who violates the oath sworn in the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: “For they have violated the law of the Lord, since they have begotten bastard children.”
Rabbi Abba further said: At the moment when a man brings his child into the Covenant of Circumcision, the Holy One, blessed be He, calls all the celestial hosts and says to them: See what son I have created in the world! At that moment, the prophet Elijah traverses the world in four flights and arrives at the place where the circumcision is performed. Therefore we have learned that a man is bound to place a seat in honor of the prophet in the house where the circumcision is performed, and to say: This seat is for the prophet Elijah; if these words are not spoken, the prophet does not sit upon it. Then the prophet ascends to heaven and bears witness to the circumcision before the Holy One, blessed be He. Observe that Scripture first says: “And the Lord addressed him, saying: What doest thou here, Elijah?” And a little lower down: “And He answered: I burn with zeal for Thee, Lord, God of hosts (Sebaoth), because the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, etc.” God thus spoke to Elijah: I swear by Thy life that wherever My children impress this sacred mark upon their flesh, Thou shalt be present; and the same mouth, which bears witness before Me today that the children of Israel have forsaken the Covenant, shall henceforth bear witness that they have fulfilled this act of the Covenant. This corroborates the tradition according to which the prophet Elijah was punished by the Holy One, blessed be He, because he had made himself the accuser of the children of God.
While they were thus conversing on matters of doctrine, day broke. Rabbi Abba and his son therefore prepared to depart. The master of the house said to them: Complete the work of which you spoke this night. They asked him the meaning of these words. He answered them: Tomorrow you shall see the Master—that is, the prophet Elijah, who shall be present here. It is my wife who charges me to ask this favour of you, to defer your departure; for tomorrow shall be celebrated the feast of the circumcision of my newborn son. Rabbi Abba answered: This is an invitation to a good work: we are invited to receive the Shekhinah; we shall stay. They spent the whole day there. When night came, the master of the house invited all his friends, and everyone spent the night devoted to the study of doctrine. Not one slept throughout the night. The master of the house, addressing his guests, said to them: I would have each of you set forth a new thought concerning doctrine.
“You who have distinguished yourselves among the children of Israel, willingly exposing your lives to peril, bless the Lord.” For what reason did Deborah and Barak begin their song with this verse? But we know, by tradition, that the world subsists only by virtue of the Covenant, as it is written: “If it had not been for the Covenant which I made with the day and with the night, I would not have established the laws that govern heaven and earth.” Thus, so long as the Israelites perform the work of the Covenant, that is to say, the act of circumcision, the laws that govern heaven and earth remain steadfast. But, during the time when Israel forsakes the law of the Covenant—God preserve us from it—heaven and earth are no longer steadfast, and blessings no longer flow into this world. Observe that the other peoples never dominate Israel except when he forsakes this fundamental law. What is meant by “forsaking this fundamental law”? It means that the Israelites no longer perform the act of “periah,” which consists in lowering the foreskin to uncover the glans. This is why Scripture says: “And the children of Israel forsook the Lord, etc.” And a little further on: “And the Lord delivered them into the hands of Sisera.” Thus, these words: “… They forsook the Lord” must be interpreted in this way: that they forsook the law of the Covenant. But when Deborah came, and satisfied Israel with this teaching (that is to say, with the knowledge of the connection between Israel’s oppression and its forsaking of the law of the Covenant), Israel’s enemy fell. This is why tradition teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Joshua: “What! The Israelites are uncircumcised, they do not observe the law of ‘periah,’ they do not uncover the glans; in a word, they do not enter into My Covenant, and you would have them enter the holy land and subdue their enemies there? No: ‘Renew the rite of circumcision among the children of Israel.’” So long as the Israelites had not observed the law of “periah” and uncovered the sign of the Covenant, they could neither enter the holy land nor subdue their enemies. It was the same with Deborah: as soon as Israel had once again been granted the sign of the Covenant, he gained the upper hand over his enemies; and blessings began once more to flow into the world. This is why Scripture says: “Biproa peraoth” (that is to say: after they had begun again to observe the law of “periah”), “bebithnadeb am” (that is to say: when the people of Israel had once again been granted this law), “barcou Jéhovah” (that is to say: then the blessings of the Lord once more flowed into the world).
Another guest arose and began to speak as follows: It is written: “And it came to pass by the way, in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him.” Whom did He seek to kill? Was it Moses or his son?—Moses. The Holy One, blessed be He, spoke thus to Moses: How! Thou wouldst deliver the people of Israel from the yoke of the Egyptians, Thou wouldst overcome a great and mighty king such as Pharaoh, and dost Thou forget to circumcise Thine own son? Therefore He sought to kill him. We have learned by tradition that the angel Gabriel descended at that moment, surrounded by a flame, to burn Moses; at the same time a serpent came forth from the flames and sought to swallow him. Why a serpent? The Holy One, blessed be He, spoke thus to Moses: Thou purposest to go and slay the great and mighty serpent, that is, Pharaoh, and dost Thou not circumcise Thine own son? At once God signalled to the serpent to swallow Moses. When Sephora saw this, she circumcised her son, and the serpent released Moses, as it is written: “And Sephora took at once a ‘tzour’ and circumcised her son.” What does the word “tzour” mean? This word means “remedy.” And wherein did this remedy consist? Scripture adds: “She cut off the foreskin of her son.” At that moment she was inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Another guest spoke thus: It is written: “And Joseph said unto his brethren: Draw near to me. And they drew near unto him, etc.” Why did Joseph say unto his brethren: “Draw near to me”? Were they not already near him? But here is the reason. When Joseph told them that he was their brother, they were afraid; for they saw him at the head of the kingdom. Joseph said unto them: I gained the kingdom through this mark of the Covenant; and he showed it to them; wherefore he said unto them: “Draw near to me…” And Scripture adds: “…And they drew near unto him.” And showing them his member marked with circumcision, he said unto them: It is this member that won me the kingship; for I kept it pure. Hence we infer that kingship awaits all those who preserve in all its purity this mark of the Covenant. How do we know this? We know it from Booz, as it is written: “I adjure thee by the Lord; lie here until morning.” The tempting spirit sought to seduce Booz. But he swore by the name of the Lord not to yield to temptation, and he preserved intact the purity of the mark of the Covenant. Therefore he was deemed worthy to bring forth kings who ruled over all other kings, and to be the stock of the King-Messiah, who is called by the name of the Holy One, blessed be He.
Another guest began to speak as follows: It is written: “Though armies should encamp against me, my heart would not be afraid; though war should be waged against me, even then would I have full confidence in that (bezoth).” What does the word “that” (bezoth) signify? It denotes the mark of the Covenant which a man always bears, and which is likewise impressed above. Therefore David said: “… I would have full confidence in that (bezoth),” that is to say, in the mark of the Covenant, as it is written: “Behold (zoth) the sign of the Covenant”; and elsewhere: “Behold (zoth) the Covenant which I make with you.” All these words “zoth” denote the same degrees of the divine essence; for we know, by tradition, that “ze” (male) and “zoth” (female) are united and never part. But perhaps someone will object that everyone is in the same case; why, then, did David say: “I would have full confidence in zoth,” as though “zoth” were his alone? But David had united himself with her, that is to say, with the Shekhinah, of whom he was the image, through the royal crown he possessed. Observe that it was because King David had not preserved “zoth” in all its purity that the kingship was taken from him for a time; thus tradition teaches us. “Zoth” is impressed in the heavenly kingdom, as well as in Jerusalem, the holy city. At the hour when David forsook “zoth,” at the time of his sin with Bathsheba, a heavenly voice made these words heard: David, thou shalt be separated from the thing to which thou art now attached: thou shalt be driven out of Jerusalem, and the kingship shall be taken from thee. Whence do we know this? We know it from the words of Scripture: “I will raise up evil against thee from thine own house.” Thus David was punished on the same side on which he had sinned. Now, if King David was so severely punished for having separated himself from “zoth,” how much more so will the other men of this world be punished? They shall be punished all the more severely.
Another guest began to speak as follows: It is written: “If the Lord had not helped me, my soul had almost dwelt in hell (Doumah).” We have learned as follows: What is the deed that constitutes the merit of the Israelites, whereby they do not go down into hell and are not delivered into the hands of the angel Doumah, as are the heathen nations? It is the sign of the Covenant. For we know by tradition that, at the hour when a man departs from this lower world, many legions of angels, charged with punishing the guilty, draw near to him; but as soon as they behold the holy sign of the Covenant, they leave him and do not seize him to deliver him into the hands of Doumah, who brings men down into hell; for whoever is delivered into the hands of the latter descends into hell. Thus the angels above as well as those below fear this sacred sign; and the man who preserves it pure fears no severity, for he is united with the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. It was because King David had not preserved this sacred sign in all its purity that the kingship was taken from him and he was driven out of Jerusalem. David feared that the angels charged with exercising severity against men would seize his soul and place it in the hands of Doumah, which would have meant for it death in eternity. David remained in this fear until the prophet Nathan announced to him this good news: “The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.” Then David cried out: “If the Lord had not helped me, my soul had almost dwelt in hell.”
Another guest began to speak as follows: It is written: “If I find favour in the sight of the Lord, He will answer me and show me His sign (otho) and His tabernacle.” Who, then, is able to behold the Holy One, blessed be He? This is what tradition teaches us concerning this matter: At the moment when the punishment was decreed against him, David knew that this punishment had been inflicted upon him because he had not kept the sign of the Covenant in all its purity, the sign which embraces all other works and sums up all the deeds of man; for none deserves the name of righteous unless he keeps this sign in all its purity. Therefore he prayed to God, saying: “If I find favour in the sight of the Lord, He will answer me and show me His sign (otho) and His tabernacle.” What did he mean by the word “otho”? David said: May God deign to show me His holy sign; for I have trembled from the moment I lost my own. What is meant by the sign of God? Kingship and Jerusalem are the sign of God. Now, he who does not keep his own sign in all purity cannot aspire to the sign of God. Therefore David prayed to God to show him His holy sign, which is Kingship, and His tabernacle, which is Jerusalem; for he had lost his own sign, which corresponds to that of God.
Another guest began to speak as follows: It is written: “And in my flesh shall I see my God (Éloha).” Why did Job say, “... In my flesh”? Why did he not say, “within me”? But Job was speaking literally of the flesh. And what did he mean by this? He alluded to the flesh of which Scripture speaks: “The holy flesh they have polluted”; and elsewhere: “The Covenant that I make with you shall be marked in your flesh, as the sign of the everlasting Covenant.” For we know, by a tradition, that whenever a man is marked with the sacred sign of the Covenant, he sees the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself; for it is at that moment that the holy soul (neschamah) is united with the body of man. If a man is unworthy and does not preserve this mark of the Covenant in all its purity, Scripture says of him: “They are destroyed by the breath of God (minischmath Éloha).” For whoever does not preserve in all its purity the mark of the Holy One, blessed be He, also loses his soul. But the Shekhinah never departs from him who is worthy and preserves the mark in all its purity. And when does the Shekhinah become permanently established in man? When he marries, and quum signum foederis suum in locum ponit. For we know by a tradition that the letters Vav and Hé are for this reason placed next to one another in the alphabet, because Vav is the symbol of the male principle, whereas Hé is the symbol of the female principle. These two principles are united together. Thus, when husband and wife are united, the two become one; and a ray of heavenly grace covers them. This ray proceeds from the side of the male principle. It is called “hésed” (grace), according to the words of Scripture: “The Grace of God (hésed El) endureth for ever.” For this ray issues from the supreme Wisdom and enters into the male principle; and he communicates it to the female principle. We know, by another tradition, that the letters of the word “Éloha” are divided in this way: El (אל) denotes the light of Wisdom; O (ו) denotes the male principle, and Hé (ה) denotes the female principle. All three united together bear the name “Éloha.” The holy soul that emanates from them remains attached to man only so long as he keeps the mark of the Covenant in all its purity; and this is why Job said: “And in my flesh shall I see my God (Éloha).” For it is through the purity of the flesh that man preserves the soul. Therefore, happy is the lot of the holy Israelites who cleave to the Holy One, blessed be He! Happy is their lot in this world and in the world to come! Of them Scripture says: “You have cleaved unto the Lord your God.” And it is for this reason, Scripture adds: “... You have been kept alive unto this day.”
Addressing the guests, Rabbi Abba said to them: How is this? You possess so much light, and yet you dwell in this village! They answered him: When birds leave their nest, they know not whither to go, as it is written: “As a bird that leaves its nest, so is the man that forsakes his country.” Now, this country is favorable to us for the study of the doctrine. This is our custom: we sleep during the first half of the night, and devote the second half to the study of the doctrine. And when day breaks, the air, perfumed by the neighboring forests, and the murmur of the waters flowing in the streams open our minds to the study of the doctrine and engrave it upon our hearts. The severity of Heaven once fell upon this country; a great number of masters
The illustrious ones died for having neglected the study of the doctrine. It is since that time that we devote ourselves day and night to the study of the doctrine in this land, which is so propitious to us; and whoever should separate himself from this land would be as foolish as if he separated himself from life. Rabbi Abba raised his hands and blessed them. They went out together until daybreak. As soon as day dawned, the guests said to the young men who were present there: Go out and see whether it is already broad daylight. And, if it is, let each of you impart to this great man, that is to say, Rabbi Abba, some new thought concerning the doctrine. They went out and observed the break of day. One of the young men said: On this day a fire shall descend from above. Another added: The fire shall descend upon this house. A third, finally, added: This fire that is about to descend shall burn the old man who is present here, that is to say, Rabbi Abba. Rabbi Abba cried out: May God preserve us from it! He was frightened by these words and could not utter a single word. Having recovered himself, he cried out: I see that heaven is in communication with earth, since these young men know how to foretell the events that shall take place during the day. And indeed, the young men’s predictions came to pass. For the friends gathered in the house beheld the face of the Shekhinah on that day and were thus surrounded by fire. As for the prediction concerning Rabbi Abba, it likewise came to pass; for the joy he felt in studying the doctrine kindled his face and made it burn like fire. They did not leave the house all day; the house was surrounded by thick smoke; and the friends gathered there felt a joy as great as if they had received the doctrine on that very day at Mount Sinai. Their minds were so absorbed in the study of the doctrine that, on leaving the house, they did not know whether it was day or night. Rabbi Abba then said: While we are together, let each of us utter a new thought of wisdom, to bestow a blessing upon the master of this house, who today celebrates the feast of the circumcision.
One of the guests began to speak in the following manner: It is written: “Blessed is he whom Thou choosest and takest into Thy service; he shall dwell in Thy courts. We shall be filled with the good things of Thy house; Thy tabernacle is holy.” Thus Scripture begins by using the word “courts,” then the word “house,” and lastly the word “tabernacle.” One is lower than the other and higher than the other. First it is said: “He shall dwell in Thy courts...,” as it is written: “And he that remaineth in Sion, and he that abideth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy.” Then Scripture says: “We shall be filled with the good things of Thy house...,” as it is written: “By Wisdom shall a house be built, and by Understanding shall it be established.” Scripture does not say: “Wisdom shall build the house”; for, had it been written thus, one would have understood that Wisdom itself is called the house; but Scripture says: “By Wisdom shall a house be built”; this is an allusion to the mystery expressed in the words: “And a river goeth out of Eden to water the Garden, etc.” Lastly, Scripture adds: “... Thy tabernacle (hecal) is holy”; this is the highest of all the degrees. For we know, by tradition, that the word “hecal” signifies “he cal,” which means “there is all”; for it is the tabernacle that effects the union of all. The beginning of the verse proves this interpretation: “Blessed is he whom Thou choosest and takest into Thy service; he dwelleth in Thy courts...” Whoever offers his son as a burnt offering before the Holy One, blessed be He, that is to say, submits him to the ceremony of circumcision, may be assured that the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts this offering, draws the newborn child near to Him, and chooses His dwelling within the two enclosures, that is to say, in the tabernacle which is within the two aforesaid enclosures. And since it is the inner enclosure that unites the two outer enclosures, Scripture uses the word “hatzerekha” in the plural; for Scripture designates the two outer enclosures. For this reason the zealous men of old were wont to recite this verse when they offered their children as burnt offerings, that is to say, when they had them circumcised. The recitation of the verse was performed in the following manner: One part of the assembly began to recite the first part
from the verse: “Blessed is he whom Thou choosest and takest into Thy service; he shall dwell in Thy court…” Whereupon the other part of the attendants answered: “…We shall be filled with the good things of Thy house.” Finally, the father of the child pronounced the blessing: “Blessed art Thou, Lord, Master of the Universe, Who hast sanctified us and commanded us to bring the child into the covenant of Abraham our father.” Whereupon the attendants answered: “May God grant that, even as thou hast brought thy child into the Covenant, thou mayest bring him into that of doctrine, marriage, and good works.” We know, moreover, by tradition, that a man must first begin by praying for himself, and then for others, as it is written: “And let him pray for himself, for his house, and for all the congregation of Israel.” Thus, first, prayer for oneself, and then for others. We believe that this precept must be followed; that is to say, after having prayed for ourselves, we must then pray for the child who has just been born.
Rabbi Abba said: Verily, the precept is just, and whosoever follows it not excludes himself from the ten canopies which the Holy One, blessed be He, hath destined for the Just in the world to come. Therefore this verse of the Psalms contains ten words, each full of faith; for each word corresponds to one of the aforesaid canopies. Happy is your lot, in this world and in the world to come, for the doctrine is graven in your heart, as though ye had been present, clothed in your bodies, upon Mount Sinai, at the moment when the doctrine was revealed to Israel.
Another guest began to speak as follows: It is written: “Thou shalt make Me an altar of earth, and thou shalt offer thereon thy burnt offerings, thy peace offerings, etc.” We know by tradition that whoever offers his son as a burnt offering—that is, circumcises him—has as much merit as if he had offered to the Holy One, blessed be He, all the burnt offerings in the world, and as if he had erected the most perfect altar. Therefore, it is fitting to set up, for the purpose of circumcision, an altar of earth, which consists of a vessel filled with earth upon which the foreskin that has been cut off is cast; and this act is as pleasing to the Holy One, blessed be He, as if burnt offerings and sacrifices of sheep and oxen had been offered to Him. On the contrary, the act of circumcision is more pleasing to Him than all the sacrifices, as it is written: “And thou shalt offer thereon thy burnt offerings, thy peace offerings, etc.” And Scripture adds: “In every place where I shall mention My name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.” What do the words mean: “… Where I shall mention My name”? This is an allusion to the mark of the Covenant, as it is written: “The mystery of the Lord is known to them that fear Him, and He maketh His covenant known unto them.” Thus, by the “altar of earth,” Scripture denotes the vessel filled with earth upon which the foreskin is cast, as we have just said. What does Scripture say further? “And if thou make Me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone; for it shall be defiled if thou use a tool upon it.” These words allude to the Gentiles converted to Judaism. Since the Gentile comes from a people hardened in mind and hardened in heart, Scripture denotes him by the name “altar of stone.” What do the words mean: “Thou shalt not build it of hewn stone”? These words teach us that one must not circumcise a Gentile before bringing him to the knowledge of the Holy One, blessed be He; for if one circumcises a Gentile without removing from him that hardness of heart which makes him unfit for the service of the Holy One, blessed be He, one is like a man who, to soften a stone, hews it on one side and the other; its inside nevertheless remains hard. Therefore Scripture says: “Thou shalt not build it of hewn stone.” However much you may hew the stone on every side, its inside will nevertheless remain hard. And Scripture adds: “… For it shall be defiled if thou use a tool upon it.” Scripture means that circumcision would be of no avail to the Gentiles if their hard heart is not softened. Therefore, happy is the lot of him who makes the offering of his son acceptable to the Holy One, blessed be He, through circumcision. It is fitting that the father who performs this duty rejoice throughout the whole day, as it is written: “And let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice; let them ever shout for joy, and Thou shalt dwell among them; and all those that love Thy name shall glory in Thee.”
Another guest began to speak in the following manner:
It is written: “And Abram was ninety-nine years old; and the Lord appeared unto him, and said: I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be thou perfect.” This verse calls for examination, for it presents several difficulties. First, had the Holy One, blessed be He, never appeared unto Abraham before he had reached the age of ninety-nine, that Scripture should say: “And Abram was ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared unto him”? This would suggest that God had appeared unto him only when he had attained that age, whereas this is not so, as it is written earlier: “And the Lord said unto Abram…”; and elsewhere: “And the Lord said unto Abram…”; and yet elsewhere: “And He said unto Abram: Know of a surety that thy seed shall sojourn in a strange land, etc.” The other difficulty presented by this verse is this: Scripture first says “ninety years” (schanah), in the singular; and afterwards it says “and nine years” (schanim), in the plural. But this is what tradition teaches us concerning the matter: until Abraham had reached this age, Scripture never says that God had appeared unto him. Why? Because he was hardened by reason of the foreskin; and therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, had never revealed Himself unto him in a fitting manner. It was only after his circumcision that God revealed Himself unto him, as it is written: “And the Lord appeared unto him.” Why did the Lord appear unto him? Because He wished to reveal to him the relation between this sign of the Covenant and the sacred Crown. Moreover, since the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to bring forth a sacred seed from Abraham, it was necessary that he himself should be made sacred before begetting his seed; and since he was to have a son only at the age of ninety-nine, it was only at that age that he was granted the divine revelation which sanctified him.
This is why God did not appear to him until that age, and not before. Another reason why Scripture says “ninety years,” in the singular, is this: until Abraham reached the age of ninety-nine, all his years counted as only one, so little were they filled; but as soon as he reached that age, his years began to count. Scripture says: “And the Lord appeared unto him, and said: I am God Almighty (Schadaï).” Why did God never again say unto Abraham: “I am God Almighty (Schadaï)”? But this is what tradition teaches us on this matter: the Holy One, blessed be He, created lower crowns, devoid of all holiness. All those who are uncircumcised are defiled by these crowns and bear their mark. And what is this mark? They bear the mark of the letters Schin and Daleth, but no other letter besides. This is why they are defiled, and the demon clings to them. But as soon as men are circumcised, they leave this sphere and come beneath the wings of the Shekhinah. Then the Yod, symbolized by the sacred sign of the Covenant, is imprinted upon their body; and thus they become marked with the Yod between the Schin and the Daleth; the sacred name “Schadaï” is then complete. This is why it is written on the occasion of circumcision: “I am God Almighty (Schadaï).” God added: “Walk before Me, and be perfect (thamim).” The word “thamim” also means “complete.” Thus God said unto Abraham: Until this day, thy mark was incomplete, since it bore only the signs of the letters Schin and Daleth; circumcise thyself and complete thy mark with the sign of the Yod; then shalt thou be marked with the complete name “Schadaï”; and whosoever is marked with this name is blessed by this name, as it is written: “May God Almighty (Schadaï) bless thee.” Who is God Almighty (Schadaï)? He is the One from whom all blessings emanate, the One who rules over all the lower crowns, the One, finally, before whom all are seized with fear. For this reason, all those who are not on the side of holiness withdraw from him who is circumcised and can gain no hold upon him. But there is more: he shall never descend into hell, as it is written: “All thy people are a people of the righteous, etc.”
Rabbi Abba exclaimed: Happy is your lot in this world and in the world to come; happy also is my lot, in that I have been favored with hearing these words from your mouth. You are all holy; you are all children of the holy God; it is of you that Scripture says: “One shall say: I am the Lord’s; another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; another shall write with his hand: I am the Lord’s, and shall glory in bearing the name of Israel.” Each one of you is united with the sacred and supreme King; you are the great doctors and the great masters of this land which is called “the land of life,” a land from which the great men draw their sacred nourishment.
Another guest began to speak in the following manner:
Another guest began to speak in the following manner:
It is written: “Happy is the land whose king is of free birth, and whose princes eat only at the appointed time, for strength.” And previously it is written: “Woe to the land whose king is a child, and whose princes eat in the morning.” These two verses seem to contradict one another; but their contradiction is only apparent. The verse “Happy is the land...” refers to the celestial land that rules over all the celestial “Hayoth”; and this is why it is called “the land of life” (haïm); and it is of this land that Scripture says: “It is the land (eretz) that the Lord thy God hath always visited”; and elsewhere it is written: “It is a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without ever lacking it.” By eating this bread, precisely, man shall lack nothing. And why? Scripture answers: “... Because the king is of free birth.” These words refer to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: “Thus saith the Lord: Israel is My first-born son...” Why is God called “a free-born Son”? Because of the words of Scripture: “For this year is a jubilee year, and ye shall sanctify it.” And previously it is written: “Ye shall sanctify the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” Now, since all liberty comes from the celestial degree called “Jobel,” God is called “the free-born Son” (ben horin), seeing that all liberty emanates from Him. But perhaps it may be objected: If this is so, Scripture ought to have called Him “the Son of liberty” (ben herouth), instead of “the free-born Son” (ben horin)? Here is what the mystery of tradition teaches us on this subject: When the Yod unites with the Hé, they give birth to the celestial river, as it is written: “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden.” But let none say: When the Yod unites with the Hé (which might suggest the possibility that they do not unite); for the truth is that they are truly united. And this is why Scripture says: “the free-born Son.” Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: “Happy is the land whose king is the free-born Son, and whose princes eat only at the appointed time, for strength,” that is to say: whose princes feed on Him with joy, with holiness, and with reverence. And previously Scripture said: “Woe to the land whose king is a child.” This verse refers to the lower land. For tradition teaches us that all the lands inhabited by the heathen peoples are ruled by great chiefs, at whose head stands the one of whom Scripture says: “I was young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken.” Now, according to tradition, these words were spoken by the chief of the world, that is to say, by the demon. Therefore the demon is called “a child” (naar). This is why Scripture says: “Woe to the land whose king is a child.” For woe to the world that draws its sustenance from that side. And when Israel is in exile, it resembles one who draws his sustenance from a domain that is not his own. Scripture adds: “... And whose princes eat in the morning.” For they take sustenance only in the morning and at no other hour of the day. According to tradition, severity prevails in the world in the morning, at sunrise, and in the evening, at its setting, because of the heathen, who, by worshipping that luminary, provoke God to anger. And what is the cause of these evils? It is because the king is a child, which means: because he who is called “child” rules over the land. But ye all who are here are worthy men, friends of truth, holy men, children of the sacred King; ye draw your sustenance not from that side, but from the holy and upper side; it is of you that Scripture says: “Ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.”
Rabbi Abba began to speak as follows: It is written: “I will sing to my Beloved the song of my friend, concerning His vineyard. My Beloved had a vineyard at Qeren ben Schamen. He hedged it round about; He removed its stones, and planted it with a choice and excellent vine.” This verse calls for careful examination; for it presents the following difficulties: first, why does Scripture say “song”? It should rather have said “reproof.” Next, why does it say “I will sing to my Beloved,” instead of saying “to my friend,” as it says afterwards, “the song of my friend”? And finally, what do the words “My Beloved had a vineyard at Qeren ben Schamen” mean? I have searched all the Holy Scriptures, and nowhere have I found a land called Qeren ben Schamen. This verse has been interpreted by the colleagues in various ways, all excellent. Here is the first. The words “I will sing to my Beloved...” designate Isaac, who was called “Beloved” even before his coming into this world. Why was he called “Beloved”? A tradition teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be He, loving Isaac in a most particular manner, delayed his birth until after the circumcision of Abraham, his father, until the latter had become complete by the addition of a He to his name; this He was also added to Sarah’s name. The addition of the He to the names of Abraham and Sarah calls for an explanation. That Sarah should have had her name increased by a He is in the proper order, because the He is the symbol of the female principle; but why was Abraham’s name enriched with a He, instead of with a Yod, the symbol of the male principle, since Abraham was a male? But a supreme mystery is concealed behind this fact: Abraham ascended to the supreme ladder and drew inspiration from the upper He, which is the male principle. For there is an upper He and a lower He; one is male and the other female. Therefore Abraham ascended to the upper He, while Sarah descended to the lower He. It is also written: “And God said unto Abram: Thus shall thy seed be multiplied.” Thus God spoke to Abraham of the multiplication of his own seed, because Abraham had attained the upper He, which is also male; now, whoever enters into this He also becomes male. For this reason every circumcised pagan is called a “righteous convert,” because he does not descend from the sacred stock that had been circumcised. For the same reason every pagan who has himself circumcised receives Abraham as his patronymic. Therefore God said to Abraham: “Thus shall thy seed be,” which means: it shall be the name of all the pagans who enter into the Covenant of circumcision. Here is the reason why Abraham’s name was also increased by a He; for, had Sarah alone received the He, the children Abraham would in that case have begotten would have been only children of “below,” that is to say, converted pagans, children designated by the word “coh.” But by virtue of the union of the two He’s, the upper He added to Abraham’s name and the lower He added to Sarah’s name, Abraham was able to beget children from “above” (that is to say, issuing from the sacred stock itself). The union of the two He’s gave birth to the Yod; therefore the Yod is the first letter of Isaac’s name, the image of the male principle. It was from Isaac that the male principle began to spread throughout the world, as it is written: “For in Isaac shall thy seed be called.” Isaac in turn begot children from “above,” as it is written: “Thou givest truth to Jacob.” And Jacob completed the whole work. But perhaps someone will object: Did Abraham, then, do nothing...