29b (כ״ט:ב׳)

This is what Scripture says: “And the house of Ya'akov shall be fire, and the house of Yosef flame, and the house of Esav stubble” (Ovadiah 1:18) (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״וְהָיָה בֵּית יַעֲקֹב אֵשׁ וּבֵית יוֹסֵף לֶהָבָה וּבֵית עֵשָׂו לְקַשׁ). He said: even though the fire will be from the house of Ya'akov (אָמַר: שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָאֵשׁ יִהְיֶה מִבֵּית יַעֲקֹב), the flame that will consume the stubble will be from Yosef (הַלֶּהָבָה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שׂוֹרֵף הַקַּשׁ יִהְיֶה מִיּוֹסֵף).

And that which it said “and no remnant shall remain of the house of Esav” (וּמַה שֶׁאָמַר ״וְלֹא יִהְיֶה שָׂרִיד לְבֵית עֵשָׂו)-it means, the remnant that survived the first time will not remain now (רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר: אוֹתוֹ שָׂרִיד שֶׁנִּשְׁאַר בַּפַּעַם הָרִאשׁוֹנָה לֹא יִשָּׁאֵר עַתָּה). And that which it said “and he will find there the King Mashiach” (וּמַה שֶׁאָמַר ״וּמוֹצֵא שָׁם מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ)-it means, he will be found there in Beit Govrin when the time comes that Edom will be low and humbled (רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר: שֶׁיִּמְצָאֶנּוּ שָׁם בְּבֵית גּוּבְרִין כְּשֶׁיָּבוֹא הַזְּמַן שֶׁיִּשָּׁפֵל וְיִכָּנַע אֱדוֹם).

And this is what it said “and completes for him the kingship” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר ״וּמַשְׁלִים לוֹ הַמְּלוּכוֹת)-meaning, Edom’s kingdom is brought to its end then (רְצוֹנוֹ לוֹמַר: יַשְׁלִים מַלְכוּת אֱדוֹם בְּאוֹתוֹ הַזְּמַן). “And to where does he flee? To Botzrah” (וּלְאָן הוּא בּוֹרֵחַ לְבָצְרָה)-that is the head of all these dominions in Italia (שֶׁהִיא רֹאשׁ לְכָל הַשַּׂרְרוּת הָאֵלּוּ שֶׁבְּאִיטַלְיָא). And even though this teaching speaks of the nation of Edom (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבַּמַּאֲמָר הַזֶּה מְדַבֵּר בְּאוּמַּת אֱדוֹם), afterward it shifts to speak to its ministering prince (אַחַר כָּךְ מְשַׁנֶּה וּמְדַבֵּר עִם שַׂר שֶׁלָּהֶם), as we said: “Immediately Hashem seizes his prince by the lock of his head, and Eliyahu slaughters him” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ ״מִיָּד הקב״ה תּוֹפֵשׂ לְשַׂרוֹ בִּצִּיצִית רֹאשׁוֹ וְאֵלִיָּהוּ שׁוֹחֲטוֹ).

And do not think that above there exists anything to which the term “slaughter” applies (וְאַל תַּחְשֹׁב שֶׁלְמַעְלָה יֵשׁ דָּבָר שֶׁנוּכַל לוֹמַר עָלָיו שְׁחִיטָה), but rather when Hashem removes the power of the supernal princes, He decrees upon the kings below (אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁהקב״ה מֵסִיר כֹּחַ הַשָּׂרִים בַּמָּרוֹם, פּוֹקֵד עַל הַמְּלָכִים שֶׁתַּחְתֵּיהֶם בָּאָרֶץ). And their “slaughter” is the removal of their power and rulership (וְשְׁחִיטָתָם הִיא הֲסָרַת כֹּחָם וּמֶמְשַׁלְתָּם). And why is it fitting that Hashem Himself should do this, and Eliyahu with Him? (וּמֵאֵי זֶה צַד רָאוּי שֶׁהקב״ה בְּעַצְמוֹ יַעֲשֶׂה זֶה וְאֵלִיָּהוּ עִמּוֹ) Because it is said: “Behold I send you Eliyahu the prophet” (Malachi 3:23) (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא), and it is written deficient, without the Vav (וְהוּא חֲסֵר בְּלֹא וא״ו); for the Vav was taken by Ya'akov as a pledge (שֶׁהַוא״ו קְבָעוֹ יַעֲקֹב בִּמְשִׁכּוֹן). And for this reason Scripture says: “And I will remember My covenant with Ya'akov, and also My covenant with Yitzchak…” (Vayikra 26:42) (״וְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּרִיתִי יַעֲקֹב וְאַף אֶת בְּרִיתִי יִצְחָק״ וְגוֹ)-mentioning Ya'akov first, because the pledge is in his hand (שֶׁהִזְכִּיר יַעֲקֹב בַּתְּחִלָּה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַמַּשְׁכּוֹן בְּיָדוֹ).

Therefore, this teaching brought the verse “Until I come to my lord to Seir” (Bereishit 33:14) (וְלָכֵן הֵבִיא זֶה הַמַּאֲמָר עַל פָּסוּק ״עַד אֲשֶׁר אָבוֹא אֶל אֲדֹנִי שֵׂעִירָה), meaning Ya'akov’s intention was: until Eliyahu comes to seek Esav in Seir (שֶׁכַּוָּנַת יַעֲקֹב לוֹמַר: עַד שֶׁיָּבוֹא אֵלִיָּהוּ לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת עֵשָׂו בְּשֵׂעִיר), for “Eliyahu” is hinted in the final letters of Avo el Adoni Se‘irah [I will come to my lord at Se‘ir] (שֶׁ"אֵלִיָּהוּ" רָמוּז בְּסוֹפֵי תֵיבוֹת "אָבֹא אֶל אֲדֹנִי שֵׂעִירָה).

For we do not find that Ya'akov himself ever came to Seir (שֶׁלֹּא מָצִינוּ שֶׁיַּעֲקֹב עַצְמוֹ בָּא לְשֵׂעִיר), and this is the reason this teaching says that Eliyahu slaughters him (וְזֶה הַטַּעַם שֶׁאָמַר הַמַּאֲמָר שֶׁאֵלִיָּהוּ שׁוֹחֲטוֹ). And the reason Hashem Himself will do this is that wherever there is need to subdue a supernal prince or array, Hashem alone must act (וְהַטַּעַם שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה זֶה הקב״ה בְּעַצְמוֹ הוּא, כִּי כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְשַׁדֵּד שַׂר אוֹ מַעֲרָכָה, צָרִיךְ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה הקב״ה בְּעַצְמוֹ), for no other prince has power to remove the force of another prince (שֶׁאֵין כֹּחַ בְּיַד שַׂר אַחֵר לְהָסִיר כֹּחַ שַׂר אַחֵר). As we find in the Exodus from Egypt-it was by Hashem alone, as it is said: “And against all the gods of Egypt I shall execute judgments-I, Hashem” (Shemot 12:12) (״וּבְכָל אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם אֶעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים, אֲנִי ה׳). And as it is expounded: “I and not a messenger; I and not a seraph… I am Hashem, I and none other” (אֲנִי וְלֹא מַלְאָךְ, אֲנִי וְלֹא שָׂרָף… אֲנִי ה׳, אֲנִי וְלֹא אַחֵר). And now I will reveal to you why we call the Shabbat before Pesach “Shabbat haGadol” (וְעַתָּה אַגְלֶה לְךָ לָמָּה אֲנַחְנוּ קוֹרִין לְשַׁבָּת שֶׁלִּפְנֵי הַפֶּסַח "שַׁבָּת הַגָּדוֹל).

Know that Aries, who is the prince of Egypt (דַּע, שֶׁטָּלֶה שֶׁהוּא שַׂרוֹ שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם), and Scorpio, which is with Aries (וְעַקְרָב שֶׁהוּא עִם טָלֶה), and his angel is Sama’el, who is the prince of Esav (וּמַלְאָכוֹ סַמָּאֵ״ל שֶׁהוּא שַׂרוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו). And it is known that when a king sends to seize a man, before judgment is carried out against him, he listens to his arguments and does not slay him immediately (וִידוּעַ הוּא, שֶׁכְּשֶׁמֶּלֶךְ אֶחָד שׁוֹלֵחַ לִתְפֹּשׂ אָדָם אֶחָד, קֹדֶם שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה בּוֹ דִּין שׁוֹמֵעַ טַעֲנוֹתָיו וְאֵינוֹ הוֹרְגוֹ מִיָּד). And when the Holy One Blessed Be He wished to subdue the prince of Egypt (וּכְשֶׁרָצָה הקב״ה לְשַׁדֵּד שַׂר מִצְרַיִם), He commanded to seize him first on the Shabbat that we call “Shabbat haGadol” (צִוָּה לִתְפֹּשׂוֹ קֹדֶם, בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ קוֹרְאִים אוֹתוֹ "שַׁבָּת הַגָּדוֹל).

For on that day Israel would seize the lamb below (שֶׁבְּאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם הָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל תּוֹפְשִׂים הַשֶּׂה לְמַטָּה), to allude that the prince was seized above and sat in judgment before the Holy One Blessed Be He to remove his power (לְרַמֵּז שֶׁהַשַּׂר הָיָה תָּפוּשׂ לְמַעְלָה וְיוֹשֵׁב בְּדִין לִפְנֵי הקב״ה כְּדֵי לְהָסִיר כֹּחוֹ). And the lamb was slaughtered on the eve of Pesach (וְנִשְׁחַט הַשֶּׂה בְּעֶרֶב הַפֶּסַח), to allude that then the power of the constellation was removed above (לְרַמֵּז שֶׁאָז הוּסַר כֹּחַ הַמַּזָּל לְמַעְלָה). And once the power of the prince was removed, immediately that night was the plague of the firstborn in Egypt (וּכְיוֹן שֶׁהוּסַר כֹּחַ הַשַּׂר, מִיָּד בְּאוֹתוֹ הַלַּיְלָה הָיְתָה מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת בְּמִצְרַיִם). And since Sama’el is with Aries, who is the prince of Egypt (וּכְיוֹן שֶׁסַמָּאֵ״ל הוּא עִם טָלֶה שֶׁהוּא שַׂר מִצְרַיִם), the Holy One Blessed Be He executed judgment on that very day that He executed judgment on Aries (עָשָׂה הקב״ה דִּין בְּאוֹתוֹ יוֹם עַצְמוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה דִּין בַּטָּלֶה).

And to do this, His power was magnified, as it is said: “And now may the power of Hashem be magnified” (Bamidbar 14:17) (וּלַעֲשׂוֹת זֶה יִגְדַּל כֹּחוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְעַתָּה יִגְדַּל נָא כֹּחַ אֲדֹנָי). And because of this we call it “Shabbat haGadol” (וּבִשְׁבִיל זֶה קוֹרִין אוֹתוֹ "שַׁבָּת הַגָּדוֹל), for His power was magnified to perform this action for our benefit (לְפִי שֶׁגָּדַל כֹּחוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת זֹאת הַפְּעֻלָּה לְטוֹבָתֵנוּ). And this is hinted in the verse: “This is the day Hashem has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Tehillim 118:24) (וְזֶה רָמוּז בַּפָּסוּק "זֶה הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה ה׳ נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ): “This is the day Hashem has made”-this is the act in the Exodus from Egypt in which the power of Aries was subdued ("זֶה הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה ה׳" – זֹאת הַפְּעֻלָּה בְּיִצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם שֶׁשָּׁדַד כֹּחַ טָלֶה), “let us rejoice and be glad in it”-on that very same day, He will execute judgment upon Sama’el (נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ – בְּאוֹתוֹ יוֹם עַצְמוֹ יַעֲשֶׂה דִּין בְּסַמָּאֵ״ל).