20a (כ׳:א׳)

And he says, “For You save a lowly people” (וְאוֹמֵר ״כִּי אַתָּה עָם־עָנִי תוֹשִׁיעַ״) (Psalms 18:28). If so, the purpose of his death is that The Holy One Blessed Be He (אִם כֵּן, תַּכְלִית מִיתָתוֹ הִיא לְהִפָּרַע הקב״ה) may punish those wicked ones we mentioned (מֵאֵלּוּ הָרְשָׁעִים שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), not because Hashem desires to kill him (לֹא לְפִי שֶׁה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ רוֹצֶה לְהָמִית אוֹתוֹ). And about this it is said, “Although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth” (וְעַל זֶה אָמַר ״עַל לֹא חָמָס עָשָׂה וְלֹא מִרְמָה בְּפִיו״) (Isaiah 53:9).

Meaning to say, that because he did no violence and no deceit (רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר, שֶׁלְפִי שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂה חָמָס וְלֹא מִרְמָה), this was the cause that his grave was given among the wicked (זוֹ הָיְתָה סִיבָּה שֶׁנָּתַן קִבְרוֹ לָרְשָׁעִים), and from his death a great benefit will be drawn (וּמִמִּיתָתוֹ יִמָּשֵׁךְ לוֹ תּוֹעֶלֶת גָּדוֹל), as you will understand further on (כְּמוֹ שֶׁתָּבִין לְהַלָּן): “He shall see seed, he shall prolong days, and the desire of Hashem shall succeed in his hand” (״יִרְאֶה זֶרַע יַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים וְחֵפֶץ ה׳ בְּיָדוֹ יִצְלָח״) (Isaiah 53:10).

For since he is of the seed of Yosef (כִּי כֵיוָן שֶׁהוּא מִזֶּרַע יוֹסֵף), The Holy One Blessed Be He shall make him prosper as it is said concerning Yosef (הקב״ה יַצְלִיחַ בְּיָדוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר בְּיוֹסֵף): “And everything that he did, Hashem made succeed in his hand” (״וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר הוּא עוֹשֶׂה ה׳ מַצְלִיחַ בְּיָדוֹ״) (Bereshit 39:3).

And for this reason The Holy One Blessed Be He wanted to smite him and afflict him and place this guilt upon his soul (וּלְזוֹא הַסִּבָּה רָצָה הקב״ה לְהַכּוֹתוֹ וּלְחַלּוֹתוֹ וּלְשִׂים זֶה הָאָשָׁם בְּנַפְשׁוֹ), for through this: “He shall see seed…” etc., “From the toil of his soul he shall see and be satisfied…” etc (שֶׁמִּצַּד זֶה ״יִרְאֶה זֶרַע״ כו׳, ״מֵעֲמַל נַפְשׁוֹ יִרְאֶה יִשְׂבָּע״ כו׳) (Isaiah 53:10–11).

Know that from the beginning of this verse until the word “for many” (דַּע, שֶׁמִּתְּחִלַּת זֶה הַפָּסוּק עַד ״לָרַבִּים״) there are thirty-nine letters (יֵשׁ ל״ט אוֹתִיּוֹת), corresponding to thirty-nine days in which his soul toils and he is dead (כְּנֶגֶד ל״ט יָמִים שֶׁיַּעֲמוֹל נַפְשׁוֹ וִיהִיֶה מֵת). From this he will see and be satisfied with Da‘at and Binah (שֶׁמִּצַּד זֶה יִרְאֶה וְיִשְׂבַּע דַּעַת וּבִינָה), as Yosef knew (כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה יוֹדֵעַ יוֹסֵף). And this he could not receive and understand beforehand while he was among the wicked (וְזֶה לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לְקַבֵּל וּלְהָבִין קֹדֶם לָכֵן בְּהִיוֹתוֹ בֵּין הָרְשָׁעִים). And this is what is meant when it says, “From the toil of his soul he shall see and be satisfied in his knowledge” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר ״מֵעֲמַל נַפְשׁוֹ יִרְאֶה יִשְׂבַּע בְּדַעְתּוֹ״) (Isaiah 53:11). “My righteous servant shall justify the many” (״יַצְדִּיק צַדִּיק עַבְדִּי לָרַבִּים״) (Isaiah 53:11), meaning the Tzaddik who is Mashiach ben David shall revive Mashiach ben Ephraim in the sight of all (יִרְצֶה, צַדִּיק שֶׁהוּא מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד יְחַיֶּה אֶת מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן אֶפְרַיִם לְעֵינֵי הַכֹּל), and he will restore his soul in greater completeness than it was before he died (וִישִׁיב נִשְׁמָתוֹ יוֹתֵר בִּשְׁלֵמוּת מִמַּה שֶׁהָיְתָה קֹדֶם שֶׁיָּמוּת).

And through this, the righteousness and uprightness of Mashiach ben David will be revealed before all (וּבָזֶה יִתְפַּרְסֵם לְעֵינֵי הַכֹּל צִדְקוּת וְיָשְׁרוּת מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד). For just as in his power it is to slay the wicked with the breath of his lips (כִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁבְּיָדוֹ לְהָמִית בְּרוּחַ שְׂפָתָיו אֶת הָרְשָׁעִים), so too is it in his power to revive the righteous (כֵּן יֵשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לְהַחֲיוֹת הַצַּדִּיקִים). And it is said of him, “Righteous and saved is he” (וְנֶאֱמַר עָלָיו ״צַדִּיק וְנוֹשָׁע הוּא״) (Zechariah 9:9), and it is also said of him, “And My servant David” (וְגַם נֶאֱמַר עָלָיו ״וְעַבְדִּי דָוִד״) (Ezekiel 37:24).

Therefore it says, “My righteous servant shall justify…” etc (וְלָכֵן אָמַר ״יַצְדִּיק צַדִּיק עַבְדִּי״ כו׳). And Mashiach ben Ephraim shall not die (וּמָשִׁיחַ בֶּן אֶפְרַיִם לֹא יָמוּת), rather during those thirty-nine days he will bear the sins of the many (אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּאוֹתָם ל״ט יוֹם יִסְבֹּל עֲוֺנוֹת הָרַבִּים), as it says, “And their iniquities he bore” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר ״וַעֲוֺנָתָם הוּא יִסְבֹּל״) (Isaiah 53:11). And on the fortieth day he shall be alive and see the spoils of Gog and Magog (וּבַיּוֹם הָאַרְבָּעִים יִהְיֶה חַי וְיִרְאֶה בִּשְׁלַל גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג), as the verse says: “Therefore I will divide to him among the many…” etc (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״לָכֵן אֲחַלֵּק לוֹ בָרַבִּים״ כו׳) (Isaiah 53:12), “Because he poured out his soul to death” etc (״תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱרָה לַמָּוֶת נַפְשׁוֹ״ כו׳), “And he made intercession for the transgressors” (״וְלַפֹּשְׁעִים יַפְגִּיעַ״). That is, because of these transgressors (יִרְצֶה, כִּי מִצַּד אֵלּוּ הַפּוֹשְׁעִים), he was required to endure all we have mentioned (נִצְטָרֵךְ לַעֲבוֹר כָּל מַה שֶּׁאָמַרְנוּ), in order that the exaltedness of Hashem be revealed afterward (לְהִתְפַּרְסֵם אַחַר כָּךְ מַעֲלַת ה׳ יִתְעַלֶּה).

The general principle that emerges is that the coming of Mashiach ben Ephraim is solely in order for The Holy One Blessed Be He (כְּלַל הָעוֹלֶה, שֶׁבִּיאַת מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן אֶפְרַיִם אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא לְהִפָּרַע הקב״ה) to exact retribution from the wicked (מֵהָרְשָׁעִים), and to bring destruction upon them (וְלַעֲשׂוֹת כִּלָּיָה בָּהֶם), as it is written: “The wicked shall not stand in judgment” (דְּכְתִיב ״לֹא יָקֻמוּ רְשָׁעִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּט״) (Psalms 1:5). This verse informs us of two things (הוֹדִיעָנוּ זֶה הַפָּסוּק שְׁנֵי דְּבָרִים): first, that in the judgment which The Holy One Blessed Be He will enact in the world when He judges the nations to exalt Yisrael (אֶחָד, כִּי בַּמִּשְׁפָּט שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה הקב״ה בָּעוֹלָם כְּשֶׁיִּשְׁפוֹט הָאֻמּוֹת לְרוֹמֵם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), then the wicked will be cut off (אָז הָרְשָׁעִים יִהְיוּ נִכְרָתִים); and second, that they will not arise to witness the majesty of Hashem that will be revealed in the days of Mashiach ben David (וְהַשֵּׁנִי, שֶׁלֹּא יָקוּמוּ לִרְאוֹת גְּאוֹן ה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁיִּלְבַּשׁ בִּזְמַן מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד), about whom it is said “Tzaddik” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עָלָיו צַדִּיק), and all those who will be in his time will also be Tzaddikim through suffering (וְכָל אֵלּוּ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בִּזְמַנוֹ יִהְיוּ גַּם כֵּן צַדִּיקִים בְּאֶמְצָעוּת הַצָּרוֹת), having been refined like silver in the crucible (שֶׁיִּהְיוּ נִצְרָפִים כַּכֶּסֶף בְּתוֹךְ הַכּוּר). And this is what the verse says: “The spirit of Hashem spoke in me, and His word was on my tongue” (וְזֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״רוּחַ ה׳ דִּבֶּר בִּי וּמִלָּתוֹ עַל לְשׁוֹנִי״) (II Samuel 23:2).

The meaning is: that divine spirit which is destined to be poured upon Mashiach ben David spoke in me (הַכַּוָּנָה, אוֹתוֹ רוּחַ אֱלֹהִי שֶׁעָתִיד לְהִשָּׁפֵעַ עַל מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד דִּבֵּר בִּי). “And His word was on my tongue” (״וּמִלָּתוֹ עַל לְשׁוֹנִי״), meaning the name of The Holy One Blessed Be He that will be on his tongue to slay and consume the wicked (שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עַל לְשׁוֹנוֹ לְהָמִית וּלְכַלּוֹת הָרְשָׁעִים) as we said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ). “He said: the God of Yisrael spoke to me, the Rock of Yisrael said, ruler over men: a righteous one rules through fear of God” (״אָמַר אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִי דִּבֶּר צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹשֵׁל בָּאָדָם צַדִּיק מוֹשֵׁל יִרְאַת אֱלֹהִים״) (II Samuel 23:3). And why did He call me “the Rock of Yisrael”? (וְלָמָּה קָרָא אוֹתִי ״צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל״) Because I am “ruler over man” (לְפִי שֶׁאֲנִי ״מוֹשֵׁל בָּאָדָם״).

What does it mean “ruler over man”? (מַה רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר ״מוֹשֵׁל בָּאָדָם״) “Adam” means from the earth [adamah] (אָדָם הוּא מֵאֲדָמָה), and the man who was taken from the earth is ruled over by the evil inclination (וְהָאָדָם שֶׁנִּלְקַח מִן הָאֲדָמָה מוֹשֵׁל עָלָיו יֵצֶר הָרַע), just as he ruled over Adam haRishon (כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּשַׁל עַל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן), and he does not have the power to rule over the creatures of above and below (וְאֵין בּוֹ כֹּחַ לִמְשׁוֹל עַל יְצוּרֵי מַעְלָה וּמַטָּה), as Adam HaRishon ruled over them before he sinned (כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה מוֹשֵׁל עֲלֵיהֶם אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן קֹדֶם שֶׁחָטָא).