Notes

1. The flaying of Rabbi Yishmael’s skin (הַפְשָׁטַת עוֹרוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל): see Avodah Zarah, daf 11b (רְאֵה עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה דַּף י״א, ב׳): “Rav Yehudah said in the name of Shmuel” (אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל), “Another practice they have in Rome” (עוֹד אַחֶרֶת יֵשׁ לָהֶם בְּרוֹמִי), “once every seventy years” (אַחַת לְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה), “they bring a complete man” (מֵבִיאִין אָדָם שָׁלֵם), “and place him upon a crippled man” (וּמַרְכִּיבִין אוֹתוֹ עַל אָדָם חִיגֵּר), “and they clothe him in the garments of Adam haRishon” (וּמַלְבִּישִׁין אוֹתוֹ בִּגְדֵי אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן), “and they place upon his head the scalp of Rabbi Yishmael” (וּמַנִּיחִין לוֹ בְּרֹאשׁוֹ קַרְקִיפְלוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל), etc. (וְכוּ'). See Rashi there (רְאֵה רַשִ״י שָׁם): “The scalp of Rabbi Yishmael” (קַרְקִיפְלוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל)-“he was a Kohen Gadol, and one of the 10 Martyrs” (כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל וּמֵהֲרוּגֵי מַלְכוּת הָיָה), “and because of his beauty the daughter of the Caesar fell for him” (וּמִתּוֹךְ יָפְיוֹ נִכְנַס בְּלֵב בַּת קֵיסַר), “and they flayed the skin of his face” (וְהִפְשִׁיטוּ עוֹר פָּנָיו), “and embalmed it in balsam oil” (וְחָנְטָהוּ בְּאֲפַרְסְמוֹן), “that it might be preserved and not decay” (שֶׁתִּהְיֶה מְקֻיֶּמֶת וְלֹא יִשְׁתַּנֶּה), “and it is still stored in the treasuries of Rome” (וְעַדַיִן מֻנָּח בְּגִנְזֵי רוֹמִי).

2. Their roar ascended (עָלוּ שַׁאֲגָתָם) - thus it appears in the manuscript (כָּךְ בַּכְּתָב יָד), meaning: the roar of the 10 Martyrs (כְּלוֹמַר: שַׁאֲגָתָם שֶׁל הַהֲרוּגֵי מַלְכוּת).

3. See Kohelet Ya‘akov, entry “Yona” (רְאֵה קֹהֶלֶת יַעֲקֹב – עֵרֶךְ יוֹ): Yona is the son of the Tzarfatit whom Eliyahu revived (יוֹנָה הוּא בֶן הַצָּרְפַתִּית שֶׁהֶחֱיָה אֵלִיָּהוּ), and therefore he is called “ben Amitai” (וְעַל כֵּן נִקְרָא בֶן אֲמִתַּי), as it is said: “And the word of Hashem in your mouth is truth” (1 Kings 17:24) [מְלָכִים א׳, י״ז, כ״ד] (כְּמָה דְּאָמַר: "וּדְבַר ה׳ בְּפִיךָ אֱמֶת). And Eliyahu revived him by drawing down seven times the Name Sa”G as an encompassing light (וֶאֱלִיָּהוּ הֶחֱיָהוּ שֶׁהוֹרִיד שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים ס״ג אוֹר מַקִּיף), and seven times Sa”G equals the numerical value of Emet (ז׳ פְּעָמִים ס״ג גִּימַטְרִיָּא אֱמֶת), and this is the meaning of “And the word of Hashem in your mouth is truth” (וְזֶהוּ: "וּדְבַר ה׳ בְּפִיךָ אֱמֶת). And the Rav said in Derush haGilgulim, Introduction 32 (וְאָמַר הָרַב בְּדְרוּשׁ הַגִּלְגּוּלִים – הַקְדָּמָה ל״ב), that in the secret of Eliyahu’s resurrection, Eliyahu placed a spark of Yosef within Yona (בְּסוֹד אֵלִיָּהוּ בְּאַרְבַּע, שֶׁאֵלִיָּהוּ נָתַן בְּיוֹנָה נִיצוֹץ יוֹסֵף), and that he is Mashiach ben Yosef (וְשֶׁהוּא מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן יוֹסֵף). And the Ramaz said that this is what is meant by: “Until Shiloh comes” (Bereshit 49:10) [בְּרֵאשִׁית מ״ט, י׳] (וְאָמַר הָרְמַ"ז שֶׁזֶּה מַה שֶּׁאָמַר: "עַד כִּי יָבוֹא שִׁילֹה) - this refers to Moshe, who is Mashiach ben David (זֶה מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁהוּא מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד), and the initials of "Yona ben Amitai" form the acronym י״ב״א (וְי״ב״א – רָאשֵׁי תֵבוֹת יוֹנָה בֶן אֲמִתַּי), who is Mashiach ben Yosef (שֶׁהוּא מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן יוֹסֵף).

4. As it is written in the Zohar, Volume I, daf 7b (רְאֵה זֹהַר חֵלֶק א׳ דַּף ז׳, ב׳): Hashem, I heard Your report and I feared (Habakkuk 3:2) [חֲבַקּוּק ג׳, ב׳] ("אָמַר יְהוָ״ה שָׁמַעְתִּי שִׁמְעֲךָ יָרֵאתִי)-this verse was spoken by Chavakuk (הָאִי קְרָא חֲבַקּוּק אָמְרוֹ), at the time he beheld his death (בִּשְׁעָתָא דְּחָמָא מִיתָתֵיהּ), and it was fulfilled through Elisha (וְאִתְקַיֵּים עַל יְדָא דְאֱלִישָׁע). Why is he called Chavakuk? (אַמַּאי אַקְרֵי חֲבַקּוּק) Because it is written: “At this season, according to the time of life, you shall embrace a son” (2 Kings 4:16) [מְלָכִים ב׳ ד׳, ט״ז] ("לַמּוֹעֵד הַזֶּה כָּעֵת חַיָּה אַתְּ חוֹבֶקֶת בֵּן)-and this was the son of the Shunammit woman (וְדָא בַּרֵיהּ דְּשׁוּנַמִּית הֲוָה). And there were two embraces (וּתְרֵין חֲבוּקִין הֲווֹ), one from his mother (חַד דְּאִמֵּיהּ), and one from Elisha (וְחַד דְּאֱלִישָׁע), as it is written: “And he put his mouth upon his mouth” (2 Kings 4:34) [מְלָכִים ב׳ ד׳, ל״ד] ("וַיָּשֶׂם פִּיו עַל פִּיו). We have found in the Book of King Shlomo (אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בִּסְפַרָא דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא), that a Name engraved from seventy-two Names was engraved upon him in letters (שְׁמָא גְלִיפָא דִּשְׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין שְׁמָהִין אַגְלִיף עֲלוֹי בִּתְּיוָן). Because the letters of the Alef–Beit that his father had engraved into him at first (בְּגִין דְּאַתְוָון דְּאַלְפָּא בֵּיתָא דְּאַגְלִיף בֵּיהּ אַבּוֹי בִּקְדָמִיתָא), when he died, departed from him (כַּד מֵית פָּרְחוּ מִנֵּיהּ). And now that Elisha embraced him (וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּאֱלִישָׁע חֲבַק לֵיהּ), he engraved into him all those letters of the seventy-two Names (אַגְלִיף בֵּיהּ כָּל אִינוּן אַתְוָון דִּשְׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין שְׁמָהִין). And the letters of those seventy-two Names are engraved (וְאַתְוָון דְּאֵלִין שְׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין שְׁמָהִין גְּלִיפִין), and they are 216 letters (אִינוּן מֵאתַיִן וְשִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר אַתְוָון), and all the letters were engraved into his ruach (וְכוּלְּהוּ אַתְוָון אַגְלִיף בְּרוּחֵיהּ) - some read: “in his speech” (נ״א: בְּדִיבּוּרָא) - by Elisha (אֱלִישָׁע), in order to establish him through the letters of the seventy-two Names (בְּגִין לְקַיְּימָא לֵיהּ בְּאַתְוָון דִּשְׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין שְׁמָהִין). And he called him Chavakuk (וְקָרָא לֵיהּ חֲבַקּוּק), a name that completes all sides (שְׁמָא דְּאַשְׁלִים לְכָל סְטְרִין), fulfills the embraces (אַשְׁלִים לַחֲבוּקִין), as it is said (כְּרַתְאִמַר), and completes the mystery of the 216 letters of the holy Name (וְאַשְׁלִים לְרָזָא דִּמְאַתַּיִן וְשִׁיתְּסַר אַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא). In the letters, his ruach was restored (בִּתְּיוָן אִתְקַיֵּים לְאַהֲדָרָא רוּחֵיהּ), and in the letters, his entire body was reestablished in its form (וּבְאַתְוָון אִתְקַיֵּים כָּל גּוּפֵיהּ עַל קִיּוּמֵיהּ), and for this reason he was called Chavakuk (וְעַל דָּא אַקְרֵי חֲבַקּוּק). And he said (וְאִיהוּ אָמַר): “Hashem, I have heard Your report and I was afraid” (Habakkuk 3:2) [חֲבַקּוּק ג׳, ב׳] ("יְהוָ״ה שָׁמַעְתִּי שִׁמְעֲךָ יָרֵאתִי)-I have heard what befell me (שְׁמַעְנָא מָה דַהֲוָה לִי), that I tasted of that world (דְּאַטְעִימְנָא מֵהַהוּא עָלְמָא), and I was struck with awe (וְדַחִילְנָא). He began to beg mercy for his soul (שָׁרָא לְמִבְעֵי רַחֲמֵי עַל נַפְשֵׁיהּ), and said (וַאֲמַר): “Hashem, Your work which You have done with me” (יְהוָ״ה פָּעֳלְךָ דְּעָבַדְתָּ לִי), “in the midst of the years revive it” (בְּקֶרֶב שָׁנִים תְּחַיֵּיהוּ), like “his life” (כְּמוֹ חַיָּיו). And whoever is bound with those primordial years, life is bound into him (וְכָל מַאן דְּאִתְקַשַּׁר בְּאִינוּן שְׁנִים קַדְמוֹנִיּוֹת, חַיֵּין אִתְקַשְּׁרוּ בֵּיהּ). “In the midst of the years, make it known” (בְּקֶרֶב שָׁנִים תּוֹדִיעַ), to that level in which there is no life at all (לְהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ חַיֵּין כְּלָל).