26b (כ״ו:ב׳)

And the fourth is in Tehillim, (וְהָרְבִיעִי בְּתְהִלִּים) “That He made with Avraham, and His oath to Yitzchak” (Psalms 105:9) (אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת אֶת אַבְרָהָם וּשְׁבוּעָתוֹ לְיִצְחָק). To allude (לְרַמֵּז) that from Yitzchak (כִּי מִיִּצְחָק), who is in the attribute of Gevurah (שֶׁהוּא בְּמִדַּת גְּבוּרָה), came to us the affliction (בָּא לָנוּ הַצָּרָה) which is written with a Tzadi (שֶׁהִיא כְּתוּבָה בְּצַדִּ״י), and it will be exchanged with a shin (וּתְחֻלַּף לְשִׁי״ן), which alludes to joy and gladness (שֶׁרוֹמֵז שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה), and this shall be (וְזֶה יִהְיֶה) at the return of His people Yisrael (בִּשְׁבוּת עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל), as it is said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר): “Joy and gladness shall overtake, and sorrow and sighing shall flee” (Isaiah 35:10) ("שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְנָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה).

And as long as Yisrael fulfill the Torah (וְכָל זְמַן שֶׁיְּקַיְּמוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַתּוֹרָה), the sword of Esav cannot harm them (לֹא תוּכַל חֶרֶב עֵשָׂו לְהַזִּיק לָהֶם), for it only rules (לְפִי שֶׁהִיא אֵינָהּ מוֹשֶׁלֶת) when Yisrael separate and distance themselves from the Torah (אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל נִפְרָשִׁים וְנִרְחָקִים מֵהַתּוֹרָה), at which point the sword is strengthened (שֶׁאָז מִתְחַזֶּקֶת הַחֶרֶב), and wars multiply in the world (וּמִתְרַבּוֹת הַמִּלְחָמוֹת בָּעוֹלָם), and the kingdoms of the nations are strengthened (וּמִתְחַזְּקִים מַלְכֻיּוֹת הָאֻמּוֹת) with great might (בְּחוֹזֶק גָּדוֹל), each different from the other (מְשֻׁנֶּה זוֹ מִזּוֹ), as the verse says in Daniel (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב בְּדָנִיֵּאל): “And four great beasts rose from the sea, different one from another” (Daniel 7:3) ("וְאַרְבַּע חֵיוָן רַבְרְבָן סַלְקָן מִן יַמָּא שְׁנָיִן דָּא מִן דָּא). And know (וְדַע), that these four (שֶׁאֵלּוּ הָאַרְבָּעָה) are all one matter (כֻּלָּם דָּבָר אֶחָד), for they are the four kingdoms (שֶׁהֵם ד׳ מַלְכֻיּוֹת) that are strengthened due to the sin of Yisrael (מִתְחַזְּקוֹת בְּסִבַּת חַטַּאת יִשְׂרָאֵל), and in the end all remains one (וּלְסוֹף הַכֹּל נִשְׁאָר בְּאֶחָד), as the verse says (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב): “And the fourth kingdom shall be on earth, which shall differ from all the kingdoms” (Daniel 7:23) ("מַלְכוּ רְבִיעָאָה תְּהוֵא בְאַרְעָא דִּי תִשְׁנֵא מִן כָּל מַלְכוּתָא). But it is divided into four parts (אֲבָל נֶחְלַק לְד׳ חֲלָקִים), to allude to the four winds (לְרַמֵּז עַל אַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת) which we mentioned above (שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה), that give strength to the sword of Esav (שֶׁנוֹתְנִים כֹּחַ בְּחֶרֶב עֵשָׂו) to afflict Yisrael (לְהַכְאִיב לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), when they distance themselves from the Torah (כְּשֶׁיִּרְחֲקוּ עַצְמָם מִן הַתּוֹרָה), as we said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ).

For so it was given to him in the blessing (שֶׁכֵּן נָתַן לוֹ בִּבְרָכָתוֹ), with which Yitzchak blessed him (שֶׁבֵּרְכוֹ יִצְחָק), and Esav seized this power immediately (וְעֵשָׂו תָּפַשׂ מִיָּד זֶה הַכֹּחַ), as is hinted in the verse (כְּמוֹ שֶׁרָמוּז בַּפָּסוּק): “And Esav saw that Yitzchak had blessed Ya'akov… ‘You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan’” (Bereshit 28:6) ("וַיַּרְא עֵשָׂו כִּי בֵרַךְ יִצְחָק אֶת יַעֲקֹב… לֹא תִקַּח אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת כְּנָעַן).

That is to say (רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר): since your blessing (כֵּיוָן שֶׁבִּרְכָתְךָ) is the very blessing (הִיא אוֹתָהּ בְּרָכָה) that the Holy One Blessed Be He (שֶׁבֵּרֵךְ הקב״ה) blessed me and Avraham my father with (אוֹתִי וְאֶת אַבְרָהָם אָבִי), giving us all the good (שֶׁנָּתַן לָנוּ כָּל טוּבוֹת) of the world (שֶׁל עוֹלָם), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר): “And Hashem blessed Avraham with everything” (Bereshit 24:1) ("וַה׳ בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל), and in Yitzchak it is written (וּבְיִצְחָק כְּתִיב): “And I ate from everything” (Bereshit 27:33) ("וְאָכַל מִכֹּל), and in Ya'akov it is written (וּבְיַעֲקֹב כְּתִיב): “I have everything” (Bereshit 33:11) ("יֵשׁ לִי כֹּל). And this blessing remains with us (וְזוֹ הַבְּרָכָה הִיא קַיֶּמֶת לָנוּ), when we cleave to His Torah, may He be blessed (כְּשֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ דְּבוּקִים בְּתוֹרָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ), and separate from the other nations (וּנְבֻדָּלִים מִשְּׁאָר הָאֻמּוֹת).

For this reason He commanded (לָזֶה צִוָּה): “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan” (Bereshit 28:1) ("לֹא תִקַּח אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת כְּנָעַן), meaning (הַכַּוָּנָה), that he not intermix with the nations (שֶׁלֹּא יִתְעָרֵב בָּאֻמּוֹת), lest it be a cause for him to become distant from the Torah (שֶׁיְּהֵא סִבָּה שֶׁיְּהֵא מִתְרַחֵק מִן הַתּוֹרָה). And the proof that in this way the blessing will remain (וְהָרְאָיָה שֶׁבְּזֶה תִּהְיֶה הַבְּרָכָה קַיֶּמֶת), is in what is said (בַּאֲמִירוֹ): “And he sent him to Paddan Aram to take from there a wife, in blessing him” (Bereshit 28:2) ("וַיְשַׁלַּח אֹתוֹ פַּדַּנָּה אֲרָם לָקַחַת לוֹ מִשָּׁם אִשָּׁה בְּבָרֲכוֹ אֹתוֹ).

And it is written (וְכָתוּב): “And Ya'akov listened to his father and mother…” etc. “And Esav went to Yishmael, and took Machalat daughter of Yishmael son of Avraham, sister of Nevayot, over his wives, to himself for a wife” (Bereshit 28:7,9) (״וַיִּשְׁמַע יַעֲקֹב אֶל אָבִיו וְאֶל אִמּוֹ״ וכו׳ ״וַיֵּלֶךְ עֵשָׂו אֶל יִשְׁמָעֵאל וַיִּקַּח אֶת מָחֲלַת בַּת יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן אַבְרָהָם אֲחוֹת נְבָיוֹת עַל נָשָׁיו לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה). Machalat is a term of sickness (מָחֲלַת הוּא לְשׁוֹן חֹלִי), and it hints to the power of the sword of Esav (וְרֶמֶז לְכֹחַ חֶרֶב עֵשָׂו), which receives from the four winds we mentioned (שֶׁמְּקַבֶּלֶת מֵהָאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), and Yisrael were warned (וְהוּזְהַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל) not to enter under this power (שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנְסוּ תַּחַת זֶה הַכֹּחַ), but only under the power of the Blessed One (אֶלָּא תַּחַת כֹּחוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ).

And in our Torah (וּבְתוֹרָתֵנוּ) you will find four times the name Machalat (תִּמְצָא ד׳ פְּעָמִים שֵׁם מָחֲלַת), to allude to these four winds (לְרַמֵּז לָאֵלּוּ אַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת), and this is the first (וְזֶהוּ הָרִאשׁוֹן). And the second you will find in Divrei haYamim, (וְהַשֵּׁנִי תִּמְצָא בִּדְבְרֵי הַיָּמִים) as it is written: “And Rechav‘am took for himself a wife, Machalat daughter of Yerimot” (II Chronicles 11:18) ("וַיִּקַּח לוֹ רְחַבְעָם אִשָּׁה אֵת מָחֲלַת בַּת יְרִימוֹת), and the written form is “son of Yerimot” (וְהַכְּתִיב הוּא ״בֶּן יְרִימוֹת), to allude (לְרַמֵּז) that every king of Yisrael (כִּי כָל מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל) receives effusion from Hashem, may He be blessed (הוּא מוּשְׁפָע מֵה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ), who effuses through his corresponding middah (שֶׁמַּשְׁפִּיעַ בְּמִדָּה שֶׁלּוֹ) when he walks in His blessed ways (כְּשֶׁהוּא הוֹלֵךְ בְּדְרָכָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ).

And when he distances himself from His ways, may He be blessed (וּכְשֶׁהוּא מִתְרַחֵק מִדְרָכָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ), he causes that the effusion be removed from that middah (גּוֹרֵם שֶׁתִּסְתַלֵּק אוֹתָהּ הַשְּׁפָעָה מֵהַמִּדָּה), and it acts in such a way (וְעוֹשֶׂה בְּאֹפֶן) that the effusion is drawn elsewhere (שֶׁיְּהֵא נִשְׁפָּע בִּמְקוֹמוֹת אֲחֵרִים). And since one who receives the shefa is referred to in the feminine (וּכְוָון שֶׁהַמְּקַבֵּל שֶׁפַע מִתְיַחֵס בְּשֵׁם נְקֵבָה), while the one who bestows is referred to in the masculine (וְהַמַּשְׁפִּיעַ בִּלְשׁוֹן זָכָר), therefore, by changing the text and writing “son” in place of “daughter” (בַּמַּה שֶׁשִּׁינָה וְכָתַב בִּמְקוֹם בַּת בֶּן), He hinted to us (רָמַז לָנוּ) that, although this woman whom Rechav‘am married (שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁזֹּאת הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁנָּשָׂא רְחַבְעָם) was from the family of Ben David [the son of David] (הָיְתָה מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת בֶּן דָּוִד), since Rechav‘am was distant from His Torah, may He be blessed (כֵּיוָן שֶׁרְחַבְעָם הָיָה מְרֻחָק מִתּוֹרָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ), he was liable to the sword alluded to by the name Machalat (וְהָיָה מְחֻיָּב לַחֶרֶב הָרְמוּזָה בַּשֵּׁם מָחֲלַת), and caused the shefa to depart (וְגָרַם שֶׁתִּסְתַלֵּק הַשְּׁפָעָה), which had been flowing into Knesset Yisrael (שֶׁהָיְתָה נִשְׁפַּעַת בִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), through the seven eyes of which we have spoken (בְּשִׁבְעָה עֵינַיִם שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), hinted at by his sons (שֶׁהֵם רְמוּזִים בְּבָנָיו): Ye’ush (יְעוּשׁ), Shemariah (שְׁמַרְיָה), Zaham (זַהַם), Aviyah (אֲבִיָּה), Ati (עָתִי), Ziza (זִיזָא), and Shelomit (שְׁלוֹמִית).

And the name Aviyah (וְשֵׁם ״אֲבִיָּה) means, “My Father is Yod–Heh” (יִרְצֶה – אָבִי יה). And Ati (וְ"עָתִי) means, “My times” (רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר – הָעִתִּים שֶׁלִּי). And Ziza is an expression of removal (וְ״זִיזָא״ הוּא מִלְּשׁוֹן הֲסָרָה), as in, “The Shekhinah never departed” (כְּמוֹ "מֵעוֹלָם לֹא זָזָה שְׁכִינָה).