Parashat Beshalach

Daf 44a (דַּף מ״ד ע״א)

nd it was when Pharaoh sent the people, and Elohim did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, etc. (וַיְהִי בְּשַׁלַּח פַּרְעֹה אֶת הָעָם וְלֹא נָחָם אֱלֹהִים דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים וְגוֹ'). Rabbi Shim‘on opened (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח): A prayer of Chavakuk the prophet, on Shigyonot (Habakkuk 3) (תְּפִלָּה לַחֲבַקּוּק הַנָּבִיא עַל שִׁגְיוֹנוֹת). This verse is difficult, and it requires examination (הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא, וְאִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ), why is it written a prayer of Chavakuk the prophet more than by all other prophets of the world? (מַאי שְׁנָא תְּפִלָּה לַחֲבַקּוּק הַנָּבִיא, יַתִּיר מִכָּל שְׁאַר נְבִיאֵי עָלְמָא), for it is not written a prayer of Yeshayah the prophet, or of Yirmiyah, or of Yechezkel, or of Hoshea, or of any other prophet of the world (דְּלָא כְּתִיב בְּהוּ תְּפִלָּה לִישַׁעְיָה הַנָּבִיא, אוֹ לְיִרְמִיָּה, אוֹ לִיחֶזְקֵאל, אוֹ לְהוֹשֵׁעַ, אוֹ לִשְׁאַר נְבִיאֵי עָלְמָא).

Rather, thus we have learned (אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּנֵינָן): Elisha merited in this world what no other prophet merited, except Moshe (אֱלִישָׁע זָכָה בְּהַאי עָלְמָא מַה דְּלָא זָכָה נְבִיאָה אָחֳרָא, בַּר מִמֹּשֶׁה). (And even with all that, he did not seek to burden his Master) (וְעִם כָּל דְּהָכִי לָא בָּעָא לְאַטְרָחָא לְמָרֵיהּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזִי), what is written? (מַאי כְּתִיב): And it was on the day that Elisha passed to Shunem, and there was a great woman there (Melakhim II 4) (וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיַּעֲבוֹר אֱלִישָׁע אֶל שׁוּנֵם וְשָׁם אִשָּׁה גְּדוֹלָה). What is a great woman? (מַאי אִשָּׁה גְּדוֹלָה). Rather, great in her deeds (אֶלָּא גְּדוֹלָה בְּעוֹבָדָהָא), that all the members of her household praised her (דְּכָל בְּנֵי בֵיתָא מִשְׁתַּבְּחִין בָּהּ), and she was the essence of the house (וְהִיא עִקָרָא דְּבֵיתָא), and because her husband was not regularly present in the house to be its essence, he was not remembered, only she (וּבְגִין דְּבַעֲלָהּ לָא הֲוָה שְׁכִיחַ בְּבֵיתָא לְמֶהֱוֵי עִקָרָא, לָא הֲוָה אִדְכַּר הוּא, אֶלָּא הִיא).

And furthermore, and there was a great woman-greater than all other women of the world (וְתוּ, וְשָׁם אִשָּׁה גְּדוֹלָה: גְּדוֹלָה עַל כָּל שְׁאַר נְשֵׁי עָלְמָא), for the rest of the women of the world, when they see a guest in the house, they are pained by him (דְּהָא שְׁאַר נְשֵׁי עָלְמָא, כַּד חָמָאן אוּשְׁפִּיזָא בְּבֵיתָא, מִצְטַעֲרָן בֵּיהּ), and they press upon him (וְדָחֲקָן בֵּיהּ), all the more so to remove from him money (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן לְאַפָּקָא עָלֵיהּ מָמוֹנָא), but she rejoiced in the guest (וְהִיא חֲדַת בֵּיהּ בְּאוּשְׁפִּיזָא), and to expend money for him, all the more so (וּלְאַפָּקָא עָלֵיהּ מָמוֹנָא, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן).

Since she saw Elisha, she rejoiced with him at once (כֵּיוָן דְּחָמַת לֵיהּ לֶאֱלִישָׁע חַדַת בֵּיהּ לַחֲדָּא). And because of this, the praise of the entire matter is upon the woman (וְעַל דָּא, שְׁבָחָא דְּכֹלָּא דְּאִתְּתָא הִיא), for the guest of the house is of the woman (דְּהָא אוּשְׁפִּיזָא דְּבֵיתָא דְּאִתְּתָא הִיא). And for this reason: and there was a great woman-greater than other women (וּבְגִין כַּךְ וְשָׁם אִשָּׁה גְּדוֹלָה, גְּדוֹלָה עַל שְׁאַר נָשִׁין). And she said to her husband: Behold now I know that this is a holy man of Elohim-how did she know? (וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל אִישָׁהּ הִנֵּה נָא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים קָדוֹשׁ הוּא, בְּמָּה יַדְעָה). Rather, as the friends have established (אֶלָּא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּא), that a white rose was cast under his bed (דְּשׁוּשִׁיפָא חִוָּורָא זְרִיקַת לֵיהּ בְּעַרְסֵיהּ), and she never saw in him nocturnal emission (וְלָא חָמַת בֵּיהּ קֶרִי מֵעוֹלָם), and no fly ever passed over his plate (וְלָא אַעְבָּר זְבוּבָא בְּפָתוֹרֵיהּ).

These words are difficult (הָנֵי מִילֵי קַשְׁיָין), for if you say that she did not see in him a nocturnal emission (אִי תֵּימָא דְּלָא חָמַת בֵּיהּ קֶרִי), behold, many women are like that in the world (הָא סַגִּיאִין אִינּוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא הָכִי בְּעָלְמָא), what is the difference here? (מַה שִׁנּוּיָא הָכָא). And if you say that no fly passed over his plate (וְאִי תֵּימָא דְּלָא עָבַר זְבוּבָא בְּפָתוֹרֵיהּ), why is it written, Behold now I know (אֲמַאי כְּתִיב, הִנֵּה נָא יָדַעְתִּי), did she know and not another? (וְכִי הִיא יַדְעַת, וְלָא אָחֳרָא), and behold all those who saw him eat at his plate would have known (וְהָא כָּל אִינּוּן דְּחָמוּ לֵיהּ אָכִיל בְּפָתוֹרֵיהּ הֲווֹ יַדְעֵי).

Rather, you have spoken well (אֶלָּא שַׁפִּיר קָאַמְרַת), but Behold now I know-she knew, and not another (אֲבָל הִנֵּה נָא יָדַעְתִּי, הִיא יַדְעָה, וְלָא אָחֳרָא), because she prepared his bed (בְּגִין דְּהִיא מְתַקְנַת עַרְסֵיהּ), at the time he lay down at night and when he rose in the morning (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּשָׁכִיב בְּלֵילְיָא, וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּקָאִים בְּצַפְרָא). And this that they say, that a white rose was placed under his bed (וְהַאי דְּקַאמְרֵי דְּשׁוּשִׁיפָא חִוָּורָא זְרִיקַת לֵיהּ בְּעַרְסֵיהּ), so it was (הָכִי הֲוָה), and through it she knew (וּבָהּ יַדְעָה). For the way of the world is, when a man rises from his bed (דְּאָרְחָא דְּעָלְמָא, כֵּיוָן דְּקָאִים בַּר נָשׁ מֵעַרְסֵיהּ), the rose that lies there gives off a putrid odor (סָלִיק שׁוּשִׁיפָא דְּנָאִים בָּהּ, רֵיחָא מְנוּוָלָא). But this one-when that rose rose from beneath his bed (וְהַאי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּסַלְקַת הַהוּא שׁוּשִׁיפָא מֵעַרְסֵיהּ), a fragrance rose (הֲוָה סָלִיק רֵיחִין), like the fragrance of the Garden of Eden (כְּרֵיחִין דְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן).

She said: If he were not holy, and the holiness of his Master upon him (אָמְרָה אִי לָאו דְּקַדִּישָׁא הוּא, וּקְדוּשָׁה דְּמָרֵיהּ עָלֵיהּ), such a holy fragrance would not rise like this (לָא סָלִיק רֵיחָא קַדִּישָׁא הָכִי). Because of this, she wished to separate him from the house (בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ, בָּעֵי לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִן בֵּיתָא), for a man does not guard himself so much in a house (דְּלָא אִזְדְּהַר בַּר נָשׁ כָּל כַּךְ בְּבֵיתָא). But she said (אֲבָל אַמְרַת), Let us make now a small upper room with a wall, and place there for him a bed, and a table, and a chair, and a menorah (נַעֲשֶׂה נָא עֲלִיַּית קִיר קְטַנָּה וְנָשִׂים לוֹ שָׁם מִטָּה וְשֻׁלְחָן וְכִסֵּא וּמְנוֹרָה). These four-why? (אַרְבַּע אִלֵּין לָמָּה). Rather, because they are the Tikkunim of Knesset Yisrael (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן תִּקּוּנָא דִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), Which is called the upper chamber of the wall (דְּאִתְקְרִיאַת עֲלִיַּית קִיר), and so it is called, as it is written (וְהָכִי אִתְקַרְיא, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב): And Chizkiyahu turned his face to the wall (Isaiah 38) (וַיַּסֵּב חִזְקִיָּה פָּנָיו אֶל הַקִּיר).

A bed, and a table, and a chair, and a menorah (מִטָּה וְשֻׁלְחָן וְכִסֵּא וּמְנוֹרָה), these are not according to the proper order of usage (לָאו אִינּוּן כְּתִיקוּן דְּשִׁמּוּשָׁא), for the chair should come first (דְּהָא כִּסֵּא קָא בָּעֵי בְּקַדְמִיתָא), and after that the table (וּלְבָתַר שֻׁלְחָן), after that the menorah (לְבָתַר מְנוֹרָה), after that the bed (לְבָתַר מִטָּה). Why then was the bed placed first? (אֲמַאי אַקְדִּימַת מִטָּה). Because it is more beloved to him than all of them (בְּגִין דְּהִיא חֲבִיבָה עָלֵיהּ יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָּא), and a person places first what is beloved to him (וְאַקְדִּים בַּר נָשׁ מַה דְּחָבִיב עָלֵיהּ). (Kings II 4) And it was on the day, and he came there (וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיָּבוֹא שָׁמָּה). And it was on the day-what is this day? (וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם, מַאן הוּא יוֹמָא דָּא). Rather, as they have established (אֶלָּא כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ). And come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי): that day was a good day, Rosh Hashanah (הַהוּא יוֹמָא, יוֹמָא טָבָא דְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הֲוָה), on which the barren women of the world are remembered (דְּאִתְפְּקָדוּ בֵּיהּ עֲקָרוֹת דְּעָלְמָא), and the children of the world are remembered on it (וְאִתְפַּקְּדָן בֵּיהּ בְּנֵי עָלְמָא). He called to the Shunammitess and said (קָרָא לַשּׁוּנַמִּית וְאָמַר), (Kings II 4) Behold, you have trembled for us with all this trembling (הִנֵּה חָרַדְתְּ אֵלֵינוּ אֶת כָּל הַחֲרָדָה הַזֹּאת).