Daf 7a (דַּף ז׳ ע״א)

With what judgment is that minister above judged? (בְּמַאי דִּינָא אִתְּדָּן הַהוּא מְמָנָא דִּלְעֵילָּא). They pass him through that river of Dinur that flows and goes out (אַעְבְּרוּ לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא נְהַר דִּינוּר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק), and then they remove that dominion from him (וּכְדֵין אַעְדִּיוּ הַהוּא שׁוּלְטָנוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ), and immediately they proclaim about him in the firmament (וּמִיַּד מַכְרִיזֵי עָלֵיהּ בִּרְקִיעָא): “The dominion of minister so-and-so has been removed from him” (שׁוּלְטָנוּתָא דִּמְמָנָא פְּלַנְיָא אַעְדִּיוּ מִנֵּיהּ). Until that voice reaches all those firmaments (עַד דְּמָטֵי הַהוּא קַלָּא בְּכָל אִינּוּן רְקִיעִין), until it reaches those who rule in this world (עַד דְּמָטֵי בְּאִינוּן דְּשַׁלְטִין בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and a voice goes out and proclaims throughout the entire world (וְנָפִיק קָלָא וְאַכְרִיז בְּכָל עָלְמָא), until it reaches birds and infants (עַד דְּמָטֵי לְעוֹפֵי וְלִינוֹקֵי), and to those foolish among the children of men who do not know (וּלְאִינוּן טִפְּשִׁין דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא דְּלָא יַדְעִין). “And a new king arose” (וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ).

Rabbi Chiyya said: A new king, truly new it was (רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ, חָדָשׁ מַמָּשׁ הֲוָה). Rabbi Yose said: It was one who renewed decrees (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר דְּהֲוָה מְחַדֵּשׁ גְּזֵירִין), for no other king had renewed such as he did before (דְּלָא חִידֵשׁ מַלְכָּא אַחֲרָא מִקַּדְמָת דְּנָא). “Who did not know Yosef” (אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַע אֶת יוֹסֵף). All that good which Yosef had done in the land of Egypt (כָּל הַהוּא טִיבוּ, דְּעָבַד יוֹסֵף בְּאַרְעָא דְּמִצְרַיִם), as it is written: “And Yosef brought all the money into Pharaoh’s house” (Bereshit 47) (וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת כָּל הַכֶּסֶף בֵּיתָה פַרְעֹה). And he sustained them in the years of famine (וְקִיֵּים לוֹן בִּשְׁנִי כַּפְנָא), all of this he did not remember (כָּל הַאי לָא דָּכִיר), and he made himself as one who did not know him (וְעָבִיד גַּרְמֵיהּ דְּלָא יָדַע בֵּיהּ).

Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Yehudah were sitting and learning Orayta before Rabbi Shimon (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה, הֲווֹ יַתְבִי וְלָעָאן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא קָמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן). Rabbi Yehudah said: This that is written, “And a new king arose over Egypt” (Exodus 1), and we have learned (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, הַאי דִּכְתִּיב וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ עַל מִצְרָיִם, וְתָנֵינָן), that he arose of his own accord (דְּאִיהוּ קָם מִגַּרְמֵיהּ), that which was lowly stood up (מַה דְּהֲוָה שָׁפַל, קָם), and was not fitting to be a king (וְלָא אִתְחָזֵי לְמַלְכָּא), and arose in wealth (וּבְעוּתְרָא קָם).

Rabbi Shimon said: So it is in every way (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כֹּלָּא הָכִי הוּא), like the case of Achashverosh, who was not fitting to be king (כְּגַוְונָא דְּאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ דְּלָא אִתְחָזֵי לְמַלְכָּא), and arose of himself (וְקָם מִגַּרְמֵיהּ), and arose in wealth (וְקָם בְּעוּתְרָא), and sought to destroy Yisrael from the world (וּבָעָא לְאוֹבָדָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעָלְמָא). So also here (אוּף הָכָא), this one was not fitting to be king (הַאי לָא אִתְחָזֵי לְמַלְכָּא), and arose of himself (וְקָם מִגַרְמֵיהּ), and sought to destroy Yisrael from the world (וּבָעָא לְאוֹבָדָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעָלְמָא), as it is written: “And he said to his people…” and so on (דִּכְתִּיב וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל עַמּוֹ וְגוֹ'), “Come, let us deal wisely with him…” and so on (הָבָה נִּתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ וְגוֹ'). And when a king arises above (וְכַד הֲוָה קָם מַלְכָּא לְעֵילָּא), a king arises below (קָם מַלְכָּא לְתַתָּא).

Rabbi El'azar and Rabbi Abba and Rabbi Yosi were going from Tiberias to Tzippori (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי מִטְּבֶרְיָא לְצִפּוֹרִי). As they were going (עַד דַּהֲווּ אַזְלֵי), a certain Jew encountered them (פָּגַע בְּהוּ חַד יוּדָאִי), he opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “The burden of Egypt: Behold, Hashem rides upon a swift cloud and comes into Egypt, and the idols of Egypt shall tremble before Him” (Isaiah 19) (מַשָּׂא מִצְרָיִם הִנֵּה ה' רוֹכֵב עַל עָב קַל וּבָא מִצְרַיִם וְנָעוּ אֱלִילֵי מִצְרַיִם מִפָּנָיו).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): all the kings of the world (כָּל מַלְכִין דְּעָלְמָא), and all the nations of the world (וְכָל עַמִּין דְּעָלְמָא), are considered as nothing before Kudsha Berikh Hu (לָא חֲשִׁיבֵי כְּלוּם קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “And all the inhabitants of the earth are as nothing, and He does according to His will with the host of heaven” (Daniel 4) (וְכָל דַּיְּירֵי אַרְעָא כְּלָא חֲשִׁיבִין וּכְמִצְבְּיֵהּ עָבִיד בְּחֵיל שְׁמַיָּא). And here in Egypt (וְהָכָא בְּמִצְרַיִם), even though all those were mighty (אַף עַל גַּב דְּכָל אִינּוּן גְּבוּרָאן), and strong of arm (וְדַרְעָא מְרֹמְמָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu revealed Himself in Egypt (גַּלֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּמִצְרַיִם). What is written? “Behold, Hashem rides upon a swift cloud and comes into Egypt” (מַה כְּתִיב הִנֵּה ה' רוֹכֵב עַל עָב קַל וּבָא מִצְרַיִם). What is different in Egypt from all the other nations of the world, that it was not so with them? (מַאי שְׁנָא, בְּכָל עַמִּין דְּעָלְמָא, דְּלָא הֲוָה הָכִי), for Kudsha Berikh Hu decrees a decree and it is fulfilled (דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּזַר גְּזֵרָה וְאִתְעָבִיד), but here He Himself came, as it is written: “And comes into Egypt” (וְהָכָא אִיהוּ אָתָא, דִּכְתִּיב וּבָא מִצְרַיִם). And it is written: “And I shall pass through the land of Egypt… I am Hashem” (Exodus 12) (וּכְתִיב, וְעָבַרְתִּי בְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וְגוֹ' אֲנִי ה'). Rather, because the King came to bring out the Matronita who was there (אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דְּמַלְכָּא הֲוָה אָתֵי, לְאַפָּקָא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא דַּהֲוַות תַּמָּן), and because of the honor of the Matronita He came (וּבְגִין יְקָרָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא הֲוָה אָתֵי). And for this Kudsha Berikh Hu desired her honor (וְעַל דָּא הֲוָה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי בִּיקָרָהּ), and came to her (וְאָתֵי לְגַבָּהּ), to raise her up (לַאֲקָּמָא לָהּ), and to give her His hand (וּלְמֵיהַב לָהּ יְדָא), and to elevate her (וּלְזַקְפָא לָהּ), just as Kudsha Berikh Hu is destined to do at the end of the exile of Edom (כְּמָה דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד בְּסוֹף גָּלוּתָא דֶּאֱדוֹם).

Rabbi Yisa said (אָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא), if so — that it was because of the Matronita — behold, in the exile of Babylon, the Matronita was there (אִי הָכִי, דִּבְגִין דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא הֲוָה, הָא בְּגָלוּתָא דְּבָבֶל, מַטְרוֹנִיתָא תַּמָּן הֲוַת), why then was it not the same? (אֲמַאי לָא הֲוָה כַּךְ). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): behold, we have learned (הָא תָּנֵינָן), that sin caused it (דְּחַטָּאָה גָּרַם), for they took foreign women (דְּנָטְלוּ נָשִׁים נָכְרִיּוֹת), and they brought the established holy covenant into foreign authority (וְאָעִילוּ בְּרִית קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא בִּרְשׁוּתָא אָחֲרָא). And because of this, miracles and signs that were fit to be done for them were removed (וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִתְאֲבִידוּ מִנְּהוֹן נִסִּין, וְאַתְוָון, דְּאִתְחָזֵי לְמֶעְבַּד לְהוּ), unlike the exile of Egypt (מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה הָכִי בְּגָלוּתָא דְּמִצְרַיִם), where all were tribes of Yah, the Children of Yisrael (דְּכֻלְּהוּ הֲווֹ שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), the Children of Yisrael went in (ד׳ א׳ עָאלוּ), the Children of Yisrael came out (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נָפְקוּ).

In the exile of Edom (בְּגָלוּתָא דֶּאֱדוֹם), Kudsha Berikh Hu desires to be glorified in the world (בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְיַקְּרָא בְּעָלְמָא), and to come Himself to raise the Matronita (וּלְמֵיתֵי אִיהוּ לְאַקָּמָא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא), and to shake her from the dust (וּלְנַעֲרָא לָהּ מֵעַפְרָא). Woe to whoever opposes Him there (וַוֵי לְמַאן דִּיעֲרַע תַּמָּן קָמֵיהּ), at the time when it is said (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּיֵימָא): “Shake yourself from the dust, arise, sit, O Jerusalem; loosen the bonds from your neck” (Isaiah 52) (הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי שְׁבִי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הִתְפַּתְּחִי מוֹסְרֵי צַוָּארֵךְ). Who is the king and the people who will stand before Him? (מַאן הוּא מַלְכָּא וְעַמָּא דְּיֵיקוּם קָמֵיהּ). “And the idols of Egypt shall tremble before Him” (Isaiah 19) (וְנָעוּ אֱלִילֵי מִצְרַיִם מִפָּנָיו), “the idols of Egypt” (אֱלִילֵי מִצְרַיִם) — not about stones and wood is it said (לָאו עַל אֲבָנִין וְאָעִין אִתְּמַר), but about all those levels of upper appointees (אֶלָּא עַל כָּל אִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין מְמָנָן עִלָּאִין), and about their lower forms of service (וְעַל אִינּוּן פּוּלְחָנִין תַּתָּאִין דִּלְהוֹן). And in every place where Yisrael is exiled (וּבְכָל אֲתָר דְּגָלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל), Kudsha Berikh Hu desires them (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי עָלַיְיהוּ), and is received by those nations (וְאִתְקָבִיל מֵאִינוּן עַמִּין).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), what is written (מַה דִּכְתִּיב): “Thus says Hashem: My people went down at first to Egypt to dwell there, and Assyria oppressed them without cause” (Isaiah 52) (כֹה אָמַר ה' מִצְרַיִם יָרַד עַמִּי בָרִאשׁוֹנָה לָגוּר שָׁם וְאַשּׁוּר בְּאֶפֶס עֲשָׁקוֹ). The anger with which Kudsha Berikh Hu was enraged with Assyria (תוּרְעֲמָא דְּאִתְרְעַם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל אַשּׁוּר), He said: How severe is what Assyria did to Me! (וְאָמַר, חָמוּ מַה עָבֵד לִי אַשּׁוּר). For Egypt — I did with them all the judgments (דְּהָא מִצְרַיִם דַּאֲנָא עֲבָדִית בְּהוּ כָּל אִינּוּן דִּינִין), and My people went down there (וְעַמִּי נַחְתּוּ תַּמָּן), to dwell among them (לְדַיָּירָא בֵּינֵיהוֹן), and the Egyptians received them (וְקִבְּלוּם מִצְרָאֵי בֵּינַיְיהוּ), and they gave them good land — the land of Goshen (וְיָהֲבוּן לוֹן שְׁפַר אַרְעָא אֶרֶץ גּוֹשֶן). And even though they afflicted them in exile (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאָעִיקוּ לוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא), they did not remove the land from them (לָא אַעְדוּ אַרְעָא מִנְּהוֹן), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “Only in the land of Goshen, where the Children of Yisrael were…” (Exodus 9) (רַק בְּאֶרֶץ גּוֹשֶן אֲשֶׁר שָׁם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ'). And it was the best of the land of Egypt (וּמֵיטַב אַרְעָא דְּמִצְרַיִם הֲוָה), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “In the best of the land, in the land of Rameses” (Bereshit 46) (בְּמֵיטַב הָאָרֶץ בְּאֶרֶץ רַעְמְסֵס). And furthermore, they did not remove anything from their possessions (וְתוּ, דְּלָא אַעְדּוּ מִדִּלְהוֹן כְּלוּם), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “And from the cattle of the Children of Yisrael…” (Exodus 9) (וּמִמִּקְנֵה בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ'). And with all this, they were judged with many judgments (וְעִם כָּל דָּא אִתְדָּנוּ בְּכַמָּה דִּינִין).