Chapter Nine (פֶּרֶק תְּשִׁיעִי)

And furthermore I will write to you wondrous things (וְעוֹד אֶכְתּוֹב לָכֶם דְּבָרִים נִפְלָאִים), what he related of wonders (מַה שֶּׁהִגִּיד נִפְלָאוֹת), what was renewed in the kingdom of Rome (מַה שֶּׁנִּתְחַדֵּשׁ בְּמַלְכוּת רוֹמִי), and what will yet be renewed (וּמַה שֶּׁיִּתְחַדֵּשׁ עוֹד), and what will be renewed in the kingdom that is in the Holy Land (וּמַה שֶּׁיִּתְחַדֵּשׁ בַּמַּלְכוּת שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה). In his hand are wondrous matters (בְּיָדוֹ דְּבָרִים נִפְלָאִים). And already letters came from Rome to the priests in Jerusalem (וּכְבָר בָּאוּ כְּתָבִים מֵרוֹמִי אֶל הַכּוֹמְרִים שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם), letters and supplications that they should pray for them to their man, Yeshu (כְּתָבִים וְתַחֲנוּנִים שֶׁיִּתְפַּלְּלוּ בַּעֲדָם אֶל אִישָׁם שִׁשִּׁי יֵשׁוּ). And they wrote wondrous things that cannot be set down in writing (וְכָתְבוּ דְּבָרִים נִפְלָאִים שֶׁאֵין לְהַעֲלוֹתָם בִּכְתָב), what was renewed there (מַה שֶּׁנִּתְחַדֵּשׁ שָׁם). And all this the sage related two months before the letters arrived (וְכָל זֶה הִגִּיד הֶחָכָם שְׁנֵי חֳדָשִׁים קֹדֶם שֶׁבָּאוּ הַכְּתָבִים). And the sages saw his stature and holiness (וְרָאוּ הַחֲכָמִים מַעֲלָתוֹ וּקְדוּשָּׁתוֹ). And everyone who goes on a mission of the congregation, or on private business (וְכָל מִי שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ בִּשְׁלִיחוּת הַקָּהָל אוֹ בְּעֵסֶק יָחִיד), goes to him and asks his counsel (הוֹלְכִים אֵלָיו וּשְׁאוֹלִים אֶת פִּיו), and no man turns aside from his words to the right or to the left (וְאֵין אִישׁ סָר מִדְּבָרָיו יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל). And this sage is like a faithful father to the sages (וְזֶה הֶחָכָם הוּא כְּאָב נֶאֱמָן לַחֲכָמִים), and he continually visits the study halls of the other leading sages (וְתָמִיד מְבַקֵּר בְּמִדְרָשֵׁי שְׁאָר הַחֲכָמִים הַשּׁוֹלְטִים). As there is some division among the sages and the study circles in the Batei Midrash [Study Halls] (כַּאֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ אֵיזֶה חִלּוּק בֵּין הַחֲכָמִים וְהַחֲבוּרוֹת בְּבָתֵּי הַמִּדְרָשִׁים), whether in the Poskim [Halakhic Decisors] (הֵן בַּפּוֹסְקִים), whether in the Mishnah (הֵן בַּמִּשְׁנָה), or whether in the Talmud and the Midrash (הֵן בַּתַּלְמוּד וּבַמִּדְרָשׁ), they come to him (הֵם בָּאִים אֵלָיו). And with the help of Hashem, blessed be He, his word flows among them (וּבְעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ עֲלֵיהֶם תַּטִּיף מִלָּתוֹ), and it is in their mouths like honey for sweetness (וְתִהְיֶה בְּפִיהֶם כְּדְבַשׁ לְמָתוֹק). And likewise, this elder comes to the sages at appointed times, on a festival day, or whenever there is some dream (וְכֵן זֶה הַזָּקֵן בָּא אֶל הַחֲכָמִים לְעִתִּים מְזוּמָּנִים בְּיוֹם טוֹב אוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ אֵיזֶה חֲלוֹם). He comes and reveals to them awesome things concerning the end of our redemption, which cannot be written (בָּא וּמְגַלֶּה לָהֶם דְּבָרִים נוֹרָאִים מִקֵּץ גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ שֶׁאֵין לְכוֹתְבָם).

And already he explained one passage from the Zohar (וּכְבָר פֵּרֵשׁ מַאֲמָר אֶחָד מִן הַזֹּהַר), wonders concerning the wondrous end of our redemption (נִפְלָאוֹת מֵהַקֵּץ הַפְּלָאוֹת מִגְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ), Amen (אָמֵן). And he said that our salvation is near to come (וְאָמַר כִּי קְרוֹבָה יְשׁוּעָתֵנוּ לָבוֹא). And furthermore I will tell of the city of Shekhem (וְעוֹד אֲסַפֵּר מֵעִיר שְׁכֶם), and it is a city surrounded by a wall (וְהִיא עִיר מֻקֶּפֶת חוֹמָה). And it has more than three hundred and sixty-five springs (וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁס״ה מַעְיָנוֹת בְּמִסְפָּר), so that because of the multitude of springs, a great river flows through the middle of the street (עַד שֶׁמֵּרוֹב הַמַּעְיָנוֹת הוֹלֵךְ נָהָר גָּדוֹל בְּאֶמְצַע רְחוֹב). And all of them are sweet as honey (וְכוּלָּם מְתוּקִים כַּדְּבַשׁ), and all of them flow forth from a mountain on the right side of the city (וְכוּלָּן יוֹצְאִים מֵהַר שֶׁהוּא בִּימִין הָעִיר), and it is Mount Gerizim (וְהוּא הַר גְּרִיזִים), and it is full of fine olive trees and healthy grasses (וְהוּא מָלֵא זֵיתִים טוֹבִים וַעֲשָׂבִים בְּרִיאִים). And opposite it, on the left side of the city, as one comes from Jerusalem, the Holy City, may it be built and established (וּכְנֶגְדּוֹ מִשְּׂמֹאל הָעִיר כְּבוֹא הָאִישׁ מִירוּשָׁלַיִם עִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ תּוּב״ב), is Mount Eval (וְהוּא הַר עֵיבָל), dry as wood (יָבֵשׁ כָּעֵץ), and there is no grass or vegetation upon it whatsoever (וְאֵין בּוֹ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב כָּלָל). And the two mountains are exceedingly high (וּשְׁנֵי הֶהָרִים הֵם גְּבוֹהִים הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד), and they extend for more than a parsah's journey (וְהֵם אֲרוּכִים מַהֲלַךְ פַּרְסָה וְיוֹתֵר). And before the city, between the mountains, is a very great and broad valley (וּלְפָנֵי הָעִיר בֵּין הֶהָרִים בִּקְעָה גְּדוֹלָה וּרְחָבָה מְאֹד). It is the portion of the field which Ya'akov Avinu purchased when he encamped before the city (הִיא חֶלְקַת הַשָּׂדֶה שֶׁקָּנָה יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ כְּשֶׁחָנָה אֶת פְּנֵי הָעִיר). And Yosef the Tzaddik, peace be upon him, is buried there (וְשָׁם קָבוּר יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק ע״ה). And there is a beautiful structure over the cave (וְיֵשׁ בִּנְיָן נָאֶה עַל פְּנֵי הַמְּעָרָה), and a beautiful and great building above it (וּבִנְיָן נָאֶה וְגָדוֹל עָלָיו וְעַל יִתְרוֹ). And it is surrounded by a wall enclosing the structure of Yosef the Tzaddik, peace be upon him (וּמוּקָף חוֹמָה סָבִיב הַבִּנְיָן שֶׁל יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק ע״ה). And he is buried beneath Mount Eval (וְהוּא קָבוּר תַּחַת הַר עֵיבָל).

And there is a great reason for this in the words of the Ari, of blessed memory (וְיֵשׁ טַעַם גָּדוֹל בָּזֶה בִּדְבַרֵי הָאֲרִ״י זצ״ל). And know that in Jerusalem there are no markers upon the graves, as there are in Tzefat, may it be built and established (וּתְדַע שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם לֹא יֵשׁ צִיּוּן עַל הַקְּבָרִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּצְפַת תּוּב״ב). For the gentiles in Jerusalem, the Holy City, are wicked (כִּי הַגּוֹיִם בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם עִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ הֵם רְשָׁעִים), and they steal all the stones from the graves (וְגוֹזְלִים כָּל הָאֲבָנִים מִן הַקְּבָרִים). And in Jerusalem they build only with small stones (וְאֵין בּוֹנִין בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם רַק מֵאֲבָנִים דַּקּוֹת), and there is no place to write upon them as there is in Tzefat, may it be built and established (וְאֵין מָקוֹם לִכְתֹּב עֲלֵיהֶם כְּמוֹ בְּצְפַת תּוּב״ב). And there is no recognizable grave in Jerusalem (וְאֵין מָקוֹם קֶבֶר נִכָּר בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם), except the grave of Zechariah the prophet, peace be upon him (רַק עַל קֶבֶר זְכַרְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא ע״ה), and the Pillar of Avshalom (וְיָד אַבְשָׁלוֹם). This too is a beautiful structure (הוּא גַּם כֵּן בִּנְיָן נָאֶה), but he was not buried there (אֲבָל הוּא לֹא נִקְבַּר שָׁם). And nearby is the structure of the dwelling of King Uzziah when he became a Metzora [Leper] (וְאֶצְלוֹ בְּסָמוּךְ הוּא בִּנְיָן דִּירַת הַמֶּלֶךְ עֻזִּיָּהוּ כְּשֶׁנִּצְטָרַע), and he dwelt in the House of Freedom (וַיֵּשֶׁב בֵּית הַחָפְשִׁית) (II Kings 15:5). And these three structures are exceedingly great (וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת הַבִּנְיָנִים הָאֵלֶּה הֵם גְּדוֹלִים מְאֹד), and they stand below the Mount of Olives, on the western side of Mount Moriah (וְעוֹמְדִים תַּחַת הַר הַזֵּיתִים בְּמַעֲרָבוֹ שֶׁל הַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה). And between them is the Valley of Yehoshafat, exceedingly great (וּבֵינֵיהֶם עֵמֶק שֶׁל יְהוֹשָׁפָט גְּדוֹלָה עַד מְאֹד). And there is no other distinguished grave in Jerusalem, peace be upon her (וְאֵין עוֹד קֶבֶר בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם עָלֶיהָ הַשָּׁלוֹם מְסוּיָּם). And furthermore, know that the holy place is surrounded by a very high wall (וְעוֹד תֵּדַע שֶׁמָּקוֹם הַקֹּדֶשׁ הוּא מֻקָּף חוֹמָה גְּבוֹהָה מְאֹד). And in this wall there are twelve gates of surpassing beauty (וְיֵשׁ בַּחוֹמָה זוֹ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁעָרִים נָאִים בְּתַכְלִית הַיֹּפִי). And their doors and their bars are of iron (וְדַלְתוֹתֵיהֶם וּבְרִיחֵיהֶם בַּרְזֶל). And these twelve gates are on three sides of the holy place (וְאֵלּוּ הַשְּׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁעָרִים הֵם בִּשְׁלוֹשׁ צִדֵּי מָקוֹם הַקֹּדֶשׁ). And on its eastern side there is no gate (וּבְמִזְרָחוֹ לֹא יֵשׁ שַׁעַר). And it is evident from the wall that there had once been a gate on the eastern side (וְנִכָּר בַּחוֹמָה שֶׁהָיָה בַּמִּזְרָח שַׁעַר). And behold, it is sealed (וְהִנֵּה הִיא סְתוּמָה). And its secret is in the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory (וְסוֹדוֹ הוּא בִּכְתָבֵי הָאֲרִ״י ז״ל). And also, as to why the holy place remains empty without any building, he spoke concerning this matters that cannot be set down in writing (וְגַם לָמָּה הַמָּקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ פָּנוּי בְּלֹא בִּנְיָן, וְאָמַר עַל זֶה דְּבָרִים שֶׁאֵין לְהַעֲלוֹתָם בִּכְתָב).