Daf 53a (דַּף נ״ג ע״א)

And when Kudsha Berikh Hu arouses judgment (וְכַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְּעַר דִּינוֹי), He judges in this crown (דָּאִין דִּינוֹי בְּהַאי כִּתְרָא). Then it is written (Job 9): “He destroys the innocent and the wicked” (כְּדֵין כְּתִיב: תָּם וְרָשָׁע הוּא מְכַלֶּה), because the Righteous are seized for the sins of the wicked (בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא מִתַּפְּסָאן בְּחוֹבֵיהוֹן דְּרַשִּׁיעַיָּא), as it is written (II Samuel 24): “And Hashem said to the angel who was destroying the people: it is enough…” (דִּכְתִיב: וַיֹּאמֶר ייָ לַמַּלְאָךְ הַמַּשְׁחִית בָּעָם רַב וְגוֹ'). And because of this, said Rabbi Yose (וְעַל דָּא אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): Job spoke this saying (אִיּוֹב מִלָּה דָּא), and did not complete the word (וְלָא אַגְמַר מִלָּה), and it has been established: “Take the majority” (וְאוֹקְמוּהָ: טוֹל הָרָב).

Rabbi Yissa said (רִבִּי יֵיסָא אָמַר): “One it is”-this is Kenesset Yisrael in the exile of Egypt (אַחַת הִיא: דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא דְּמִצְרָיִם), for her sake Kudsha Berikh Hu struck Egypt (דִּבְגִינָהּ קָטַל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּמִצְרָאֵי), and wrought vengeance upon them (וְעָבִיד בְּהוּ נוּקְמִין). This is what is written: “He destroys the innocent and the wicked” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: תָּם וְרָשָׁע הוּא מְכַלֶּה).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר): Job was not struck except at the time Yisrael left Egypt (אִיּוֹב לָא אֶלְקֵי אֶלָּא בִּזִמְנָא דְּנָפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם). Job said: “If so, all faces are equal: He destroys the innocent and the wicked” (אָמַר אִיּוֹב: אִי הָכִי, כָּל אַפַּיָּיא שָׁוִין-תָּם וְרָשָׁע הוּא מְכַלֶּה). Pharaoh attacked Yisrael (פַּרְעֹה אַתְקִיף בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), and said (Exodus 5): “Who is Hashem that I should listen to His voice?” (וְאָמַר: מִי ייָ אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁמַע בְּקוֹלוֹ). But I did not attack them, nor did I do anything (וַאֲנָא לָא אַתְקִיפְנָא בְּהוּ וְלָא עֲבִידְנָא מִידִי) “He destroys the innocent and the wicked” (תָּם וְרָשָׁע הוּא מְכַלֶּה). This is what is written (Exodus 9) “He who feared the word of Hashem from the servants of Pharaoh”-this is Job (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: הַיָּרֵא אֶת דְּבַר ייָ מֵעַבְדֵי פַּרְעֹה, זֶה אִיּוֹב).

Rabbi Yehudah said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר): Those hailstones that were descending (אִינּוּן אַבְנֵי בַּרְדָּא דַּהֲווֹ נַחְתִּין), were stopped by the hand of Moshe (אִתְעַכְּבוּ עַל יְדוֹי דְּמֹשֶׁה); afterward they wrought vengeance in the days of Yehoshua (לְבָתַר עָבְדוּ נוּקְמִין בְּיוֹמֵי דִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ). And in the time to come (וּלְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי), those that remained are destined to descend upon Edom and her daughters (זְמִינִין לְאַחֲתָא אִינּוּן דְּאִשְׁתָּאָרוּ עַל אֱדוֹם וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ). Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): This is what is written (Micah 7): “As in the days of your coming out from the land of Egypt I will show him wonders” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב: כִּימֵי צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אַרְאֶנּוּ נִפְלָאוֹת).

Another matter of “And Yisrael saw the great hand…” (Exodus 14) (דָּבָר אַחֵר: וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַיָּד הַגְּדוֹלָה וְגוֹ'), this verse-its beginning is not its end, and its end is not its beginning (הַאי קְרָא לָאו רֵישֵׁיהּ סֵיפֵיהּ, וְלָאו סֵיפֵיהּ רֵישֵׁיהּ). First it says “And Yisrael saw…” and afterward: “And the people feared Hashem” (בְּקַדְמִיתָא: וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבָתַר: וַיִּירְאוּ הָעָם אֶת ייָ).

Rather, Rabbi Yehudah said (אֶלָּא אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): that elder who descended with his children into exile (הַהוּא סָבָא דְּנָחַת עִם בְּנוֹי בְּגָלוּתָא), and bore the exile upon himself (וְסָבִיל עֲלֵיהּ גָּלוּתָא), and entered with his children into exile (וְאָעִיל לִבְנוֹי בְּגָלוּתָא) he is the one who truly saw (הוּא מַמָּשׁ חָמָא), all those acts of vengeance and mighty deeds that Kudsha Berikh Hu performed in Egypt (כָּל אִינּוּן נוּקְמִין וְכָל גְּבוּרָאן דְּעָבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּמִצְרַיִם). This is what is written: “And Yisrael saw”-truly Yisrael (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב: וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל – יִשְׂרָאֵל מַמָּשׁ). And Rabbi Yehudah said (וְאָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): Kudsha Berikh Hu ascended to that elder (סָלִיק קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְהַאי סָבָא), and said to him: Arise and see your children coming out from the midst of a mighty nation (וְאָמַר לֵיהּ: קוּם חֲמֵי בְּנָךְ דְּנָפְקִין מִגּוֹ עַמָּא תַּקִּיפָא). Arise and see the mighty deeds I have performed for your children in Egypt (קוּם חֲמֵי גְּבוּרָאן דְּעָבַדִּית בִּגִין בְּנָךְ בְּמִצְרָיִם). And this is what Rabbi Yissa said (וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא): At the time Yisrael went down into the exile of Egypt (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַטְּלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְנַחְתָּא בְּגָלוּתָא דְּמִצְרַיִם), great fear and dread fell upon him (דְּחִילוּ וְאֵימָתָא תַּקִּיפָא נָפַל עֲלוֹהִי). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to Ya'akov (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיַעֲקֹב): Why are you afraid? (Bereshit 46) “Do not fear to go down to Egypt” (אֲמַאי אַתְּ דָּחִיל – אַל תִּירָא מֵרְדָה מִצְרַיְמָה). From the words “Do not fear,” it is implied that he was indeed afraid (מִמַּה דִּכְתִּיב: אַל תִּירָא – מַשְׁמַע דְּחִילוּ הֲוָה דָּחִיל).

He said to Him: “For I will make you into a great nation there” (אָמַר לֵיהּ: כִּי לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל אֲשִׂימְךָ שָׁם). He said to Him: “I am afraid that my children will be destroyed” (אָמַר לֵיהּ: דָּחִילְנָא דִּי יְשִׁיצוּן בָּנַי). He said to him: “I will go down with you to Egypt” (אָמַר לֵיהּ: אָנֹכִי אֵרֵד עִמְּךָ מִצְרַיְמָה). He said to Him: “Still I am afraid-that I will not merit to be buried with my fathers, and not see the redemption of my children and the mighty deeds You will do for them” (אָמַר לֵיהּ: תּוּ דָּחִילְנָא דְּלָא אַזְכֵּי לְאִתְקַבְּרָא בֵּינִי אֲבָהָתַי, וְלָא אַחְמֵי פּוּרְקָנָא דְּבָנַי, וּגְבוּרָאן דְּתַּעֲבִיד לְהוּ). He said to him: “And I will surely bring you up again” (אָמַר לֵיהּ: וְאָנֹכִי אֲעַלְךָ גַּם עָלֹה) to be buried in the graves of your fathers (אַעַלְךָ לְאִתְקַבְּרָא בְּקִבְרֵי אֲבָהָתָךְ). “Also bring up”-to behold the redemption of your children and the mighty deeds I will perform for them (גַּם עָלֹה – לְמֵחֱמֵי פּוּרְקָנָא דִּבְרָךְ וּגְבוּרָאן דְּאַעֲבִיד לְהוּ). And on that day when Yisrael went out from Egypt (וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּנָפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם), Kudsha Berikh Hu ascended to Ya'akov (סָלִיק לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיַעֲקֹב) and said to him (וְאָמַר לֵיהּ): Arise and see the redemption of your children (קוּם חָמֵי בְּפוּרְקָנָא דִּבְרָךְ), how many forces and mighty deeds I have performed for them (דְּכַמָּה חֵילִין וּגְבוּרָאן עֲבַדִּית לְהוּ). And Ya'akov was there (וְיַעֲקֹב הֲוָה תַּמָּן) and saw everything (וְחָמָא כֹּלָּא). This is what is written: “And Yisrael saw the great hand” (Exodus 14) (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַיָּד הַגְּדוֹלָה).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said (רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר): From here, “And He brought you out with His presence, with His great power from Egypt” (Deuteronomy 4) (מֵהָכָא: וַיּוֹצִיאֲךָ בְּפָנָיו בְּכֹחוֹ הַגָּדוֹל מִמִּצְרַיִם). What is “with His presence”? (מַאי בְּפָנָיו) “With His presence” is Ya'akov (בְּפָנָיו דָּא יַעֲקֹב), who entered with all of them there (דְּאָעִיל לְכֻלְּהוּ תַּמָּן). Rabbi Ḥizkiyah said (רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה אָמַר): “With His presence” is Avraham (בְּפָנָיו דָּא אַבְרָהָם), as it is written: “And Avraham fell on his face” (Bereshit 17) (דִּכְתִּיב: וַיִּפֹּל אַבְרָהָם עַל פָּנָיו).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Avraham said, “Shall a child be born to a man one hundred years old…” (Bereshit 17) (הַלֶּבֶן מֵאָה שָׁנָה יִוָּלֵד וְגוֹ'). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him: By your life, you shall see how many multitudes and how many hosts will emerge from you (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא: חַיֶּיךָ אַתְּ תֶּחֱמֵי כַּמָּה אוֹכְלוֹסִין וְכַמָּה חַיָּילִין דְּיִפְּקוּן מִמְּךָ). At the time Yisrael went out of Egypt (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם), all those tribes and all those myriads (כָּל אִינּוּן שְׁבָטִין כָּל אִינּוּן רִבְוָון), Kudsha Berikh Hu ascended to Avraham (סָלִיק קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם) and he saw them (וְחָמָא לוֹן). This is what is written: “And He brought you out with His presence” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב וַיּוֹצִיאֲךָ בְּפָנָיו).

Rabbi Abba said (רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר): All the Patriarchs were summoned there in all that redemption (כֻּלְּהוּ אֲבָהָתָא אִזְדַּמְּנוּ תַּמָּן בְּכָל הַהוּא פּוּרְקָנָא). This is what is written: “And He brought you out with His presence” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב וַיּוֹצִיאֲךָ בְּפָנָיו). What is “with His presence”? These are the Patriarchs (מַאי בְּפָנָיו אִלֵּין אֲבָהָתָא).