29a (כ״ט:א׳)

And to where does he flee? To Botzrah (וּלְאָן הוּא בּוֹרֵחַ לְבָצְרָה). And the Holy One Blessed Be He is revealed upon him to slay him (וְנִגְלֶה עָלָיו הקב״ה לְהָרְגוֹ), and he says: “Did You not command: ‘And he shall flee to one of these cities and live’?” (Devarim 19:5) (וְהוּא אוֹמֵר: וְלֹא צִוִּיתָ ״וְנָס אֶל אַחַת מִן הֶעָרִים הָאֵל וָחָי). And the Holy One Blessed Be He answers him: Did you not read what is written beside it: “The avenger of the blood shall put the murderer to death”? (Bamidbar 35:19) (וְהקב״ה מֵשִׁיב לוֹ: לֹא קָרָאתָ מַה כָּתוּב בְּצִדּוֹ: ״גֹּאֵל הַדָּם הוּא יָמִית אֶת הָרֹצֵחַ). And it is written: “Israel is My firstborn son” (Shemot 4:22) (וּכְתִיב ״בְּנִי בְכֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל), and it is written: “My brothers and my companions” (Tehillim 122:8) (וּכְתִיב ״אַחַי וְרֵעָי), and it is written: “For the children of Israel, His near people” (Tehillim 148:14) (וּכְתִיב ״לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַם קְרֹבוֹ), and it is written: “My beloved is pure and ruddy” (Shir HaShirim 5:10) (וּכְתִיב ״דּוֹדִי צַח וְאָדוֹם), and it is written: “Or his uncle or his uncle’s son shall redeem him” (Vayikra 25:49) (וּכְתִיב ״אוֹ דֹדוֹ אוֹ בֶן דֹדוֹ יִגְאָלֶנּוּ).

Immediately the Holy One Blessed Be He grasps his ministering prince by the lock of his head (מִיָּד הקב״ה תּוֹפֵשׂ לְשַׂרוֹ בִּצְיצִית רֹאשׁוֹ), and Eliyahu slaughters him (וְאֵלִיָּהוּ שוֹחֲטוֹ), and his blood spurts upon his garments (וְדָמוֹ נִתָּז עַל בְּגָדָיו). Upon his return from there, it says: “Who is this that comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Botzrah…” (Yeshayahu 63:1) (בְּחֻזְרוֹ מִשָּׁם אוֹמֵר ״מִי זֶה בָּא מֵאֱדוֹם חֲמוּץ בְּגָדִים מִבָּצְרָה" וְגוֹ). From this statement it appears that Eliyahu is destined to be revealed in the city of Rome (נִרְאֶה מִזֶּה הַמַּאֲמָר שֶׁאֵלִיָּהוּ עָתִיד לְהִיגָּלוֹת בְּעִיר רוֹמִי). And since this has come into our hands, let us say a word on it (וְהוֹאִיל וְאָתָא לִידָן נֵימָא בָּהּ מִילְתָא).

It must be examined: from what perspective is it fitting that Eliyahu should slaughter the Minister [Sar] of Edom (יֵשׁ לִרְאוֹת מֵאֵי זֶה צַד רָאוּי שֶׁאֵלִיָּהוּ יִשְׁחֹט שַׂרְדוֹ שֶׁל אֱדוֹם)? For it would seem more fitting that he should be slaughtered by the prince of Israel (שֶׁיֹּתֵר רָאוּי הָיָה שֶׁיִּשְׁחָטֶנּוּ שַׂרְדוֹ שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל).

Furthermore, it must be examined: for what relevance is there, with regard to supernal matters which are spiritual, to speak of the language of slaughtering and blood (וְעוֹד יֵשׁ לִרְאוֹת, כִּי מַה שַּׁיָּיךְ בְּדְבָרִים עֶלְיוֹנִים שֶׁהֵם רוּחָנִיִּים לוֹמַר בָּהֶם לָשׁוֹן שְׁחִיטָה וְדָם)? And when we resolve this, you will understand great secrets (וּכְשֶׁנְּתַרֵּץ זֶה, תָּבִין סוֹדוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת). And if you had attained access to the Beit Midrash in which this teaching was stated (וְאִם הָיִיתָ מַשִּׂיג בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ שֶׁבּוֹ נֶאֱמַר זֶה הַמַּאֲמָר), you would have no doubt-not in this, nor in other matters (לֹא הָיָה לְךָ שׁוּם סָפֵק לֹא בָּזֶה וְלֹא בִּדְבָרִים אֲחֵרִים), for all would have been clearly engraved and explained to you (שֶׁהַכֹּל הָיוּ מְחֻרָצִים וּמְפוֹרָשִׁים לְךָ).

And I do not have permission now to reveal the secret (וְאֵין לִי רְשׁוּת לְגַלּוֹת עַתָּה הַסּוֹד), except to say that this Beit Midrash is not like other batei midrashot (אֶלָּא מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי אוֹמֵר הוּא שֶׁאֵין זֶה בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ כִּשְׁאָר בָּתֵּי מִדְרָשִׁים), for from Heaven they study in this Beit Midrash (כִּי מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם לוֹמְדִים בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ הַזֶּה), and even today, this Beit Midrash is open to one who has the merit to study in it (וְעוֹד הַיּוֹם זֶה בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ פָּתוּחַ לְמִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ זְכוּת לִלְמוֹד בּוֹ).

And in order to return to the explanation of the teaching (וּכְדֵי לַחֲזוֹר לְפֵירוּשׁ הַמַּאֲמָר), that which he said “Beit Govrin” (מַה שֶׁאָמַר ״בֵּית גּוּבְרִין)-these are the dominions that exist in Italia Lunbardia (אֵלּוּ הַשַּׂרְרֻיּוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּאִיטַלְיָא לוּנְבַּרְדִיָּא), in which is used the term “dominions” and not “Kingdoms” (שֶׁבָּאֵלּוּ נֶאֱמַר לָשׁוֹן שַׂרְרוּת וְלֹא מַלְכוּת), such as Venice, Ancona, Pisa, Florence, and many such (כְּמוֹ וִינִיסְיָה, אַנְקוֹנָה, פִּישָׁה, פְּלוֹרִינְסִיָּה וְרַבִּים כָּאֵלּוּ), and many such are in the land of Alemannia (וְכָאֵלּוּ יֵשׁ רַבּוֹת בְּאֶרֶץ אֱלִימַאנְיָא). And that which he said, that all nations are destined to betray Edom and not leave her a city or province until she reaches Beit Govrin (וּמַה שֶׁאָמַר שֶׁעֲתִידִין כָּל הָאֻמּוֹת לִבְגּוֹד בֶּאֱדוֹם וְאֵין מַנִּיחִין לָהּ לֹא כֶּרֶךְ וְלֹא מְדִינָה עַד שֶׁמַּגַּעַת לְבֵית גּוּבְרִין)-this is not future but past (אֵין זֶה עָתִיד אֶלָּא עָבָר), for all the states of Edom and their cities and dominion were at first adjacent to the Land of Israel (שֶׁכָּל מְדִינוֹת אֱדוֹם וְעָרֵיהֶם וְשַׂרְרוּתָם הָיָה מִתְּחִלָּה סָמוּךְ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל), and afterward all their cities were lost and their states destroyed after Yosef the righteous prevailed over them (וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָבְדוּ כָּל עָרֵיהֶם וְנִשְׁמְדוּ מְדִינוֹתֵיהֶם אַחַר שֶׁגָּבַר עֲלֵיהֶם יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק), as it says in the Midrash, in the teaching we brought on Eliphaz the Temani (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר בַּמִּדְרָשׁ בַּמַּאֲמָר שֶׁהֵבֵינוּ עַל אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי). And there it says how Tzfo fled from Egypt (וְשָׁם אָמַר אֵיךְ צְפוֹ בָּרַח מִמִּצְרַיִם), and went to the land of Kampania (וְהָלַךְ לְאֶרֶץ קַאנְפַּאנְיָא), and ruled over the Kittim in Rome (וּמָלַךְ עַל הַכִּתִּים בְּרוֹמִי), and in the end ruled over the land of Yavan [Greece], Italia (לְסוֹף, מָלַךְ עַל אֶרֶץ יָוָן אִיטַלְיָא), and did not return to his land (וְלֹא שָׁב לְאַרְצוֹ), because the nations that were near him cast him out from among them (לְפִי שֶׁהָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ קְרוֹבִים אֵלָיו דְּחָהוּ מִבֵּינֵיהֶם), as we said in this very teaching we are now explaining (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ בַּמַּאֲמָר הַזֶּה שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ בְּפֵירוּשׁוֹ): “and they cast her from nation to nation until she reaches Beit Govrin” (וְדוֹחִין אוֹתָהּ מֵאוּמָּה לְאוּמָּה עַד שֶׁמַּגַּעַת לְבֵית גּוּבְרִין).

If so, from this man, Tzfo, who remained (אִם כֵּן, מִזֶּה הָאִישׁ שֶׁהוּא צְפוֹ שֶׁנִּשְׁאָר), all the nations of Edom found today were formed and multiplied (כָּרוּ וְרַבּוּ מִמֶּנּוּ כָּל אֻמּוֹת אֱדוֹם הַנִּמְצָאוֹת עַתָּה). And “Govrin” is a term of strength (וְ״גּוּבְרִין״ לָשׁוֹן גְּבוּרָה הוּא), for in these dominions that we mentioned (לְפִי שֶׁבָּאֵלּוּ הַשַּׂרְרוּת שֶׁהִזְכַּרְנוּ), men of valor have always been found (נִמְצְאוּ לָעוֹלָם אֲנָשִׁים גִּבּוֹרֵי חַיִל). And because they accepted upon themselves one man as king, who came from the mountain of Esav, which is near to the Land of Israel-that is, Tzfo (וּמִצַּד שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם לְמֶלֶךְ אִישׁ אֶחָד שֶׁבָּא מֵהַר עֵשָׂו שֶׁהוּא סָמוּךְ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהוּא צְפוֹ), they are all destined to be humbled (עֲתִידִין כֻּלָּם לִהְיוֹת נִכְנָעִים), so that the seed of that man be cut off (כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּכָּרֵת זַרְעוֹ שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ), for His intent, blessed is He, is that his memory not remain in the world (שֶׁכַּוָּנָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁאֵר זִכְרוֹ בָּעוֹלָם).

This is what Scripture says: “And your mighty ones shall be dismayed, O Teman, in order that every man from the mountain of Esav be cut off by slaughter” (Ovadiah 1:9) (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״וְחַתּוּ גִּבּוֹרֶיךָ תֵימָן לְמַעַן יִכָּרֵת אִישׁ מֵהַר עֵשָׂו מִקָּטֶל). He means: the cause of your subjugation will be so that that man from the mountain of Esav be cut off, as we said, so that not even a remnant will remain of him (יֵרָצֶה: סִבַּת הַהַכְנָעָה שֶׁלְּךָ תִּהְיֶה כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּכָּרֵת אוֹתוֹ אִישׁ שֶׁהוּא מֵהַר עֵשָׂו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ, שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁאֵר מִמֶּנּוּ שָׂרִיד). And even though all that is done to him is so that the rulership be given to the house of Ya'akov, in which the kingship of Yehudah is traced (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכָּל מַה שֶׁנֶּעֱשֶׂה לָזֶה הוּא כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּנָּתֵן הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב, שֶׁבָּהּ מִתְיַחֵס מַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה), as it is said: “Also the seed of Ya'akov and David My servant…” (Yirmeyahu 33:26) (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר ״גַּם זֶרַע יַעֲקֹב וְדָוִיד עַבְדִּי), nevertheless the one who will destroy that man will be from Yosef (עִם כָּל זֶה, הָאִישׁ שֶׁיִּשְׂרֹף לָזֶה הָאִישׁ יִהְיֶה מִיּוֹסֵף), because he fled from Yosef (לְפִי שֶׁהוּא בָרַח מִיַּד יוֹסֵף), and into his hand he is destined to fall (וּבְיָדוֹ עָתִיד לִיפּוֹל), and he will not be saved in Beit Govrin as he was initially when he fled there (וְלֹא יִנָּצֵל בְּבֵית גּוּבְרִין כְּמוֹ בַּתְּחִלָּה כְּשֶׁבָּרַח לְשָׁם).