My Musing
What image does the word “dark” engender? A sense of foreboding? A sense of total envelopment?
The midrash tries to understand the concept of feeling darkness. It entertains two extremes, above and below, and settles on below. Because from above it should not be foreboding.
מדרש תנחומא )ורשא( פרשת בא סימן בWhat image does the word “dark” engender? A sense of foreboding? A sense of total envelopment?
The midrash tries to understand the concept of feeling darkness. It entertains two extremes, above and below, and settles on below. Because from above it should not be foreboding.
(שמות י:כא) "וַיֹּאמֶר יְדֹוָד אֶל מֹשֶׁה נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם וִיהִי חֹשֶׁךְ עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְיָמֵשׁ חֹשֶׁךְ "
And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.'
מהיכן היה אותו החשך?
רבי יהודה ורבי נחמיה. רבי יהודה אומר, 'מחשך של מעלה'. שנאמר, (תהלים יח:יב) "יָשֶׁת חֹשֶׁךְ סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ חֶשְׁכַת מַיִם עָבֵי שְׁחָקִים"
רבי נחמיה אומר, 'מחשך גיהנם'. שנאמר, (איוב י:כב) "אֶרֶץ עֵיפָתָה כְּמוֹ אֹפֶל צַלְמָוֶת וְלֹא סְדָרִים וַתֹּפַע כְּמוֹ אֹפֶל"
From where did the darkness originate?
It is a discussion between Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Nechemia. Rabbi Yehudah says, ‘the darkenss of above’. As it says, “He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him; darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.”
Rabbi Nechemia says, ‘the darkness of Gehenom, below’. As it says, “A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself; a land of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.”
It is a discussion between Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Nechemia. Rabbi Yehudah says, ‘the darkenss of above’. As it says, “He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him; darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.”
Rabbi Nechemia says, ‘the darkness of Gehenom, below’. As it says, “A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself; a land of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.”
אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי, 'בשלשה מקומות שמענו שאדם משמיע תלמודו סמוך למיתתו. מנין? שנאמר, (משלי כב:כא) "לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ קֹשְׁטְ אִמְרֵי אֱמֶת, לְהָשִׁיב אֲמָרִים אֱמֶת לְשֹׁלְחֶיךָ"
וכן שלמה אמר, (קהלת יב:יג) "סוֹף דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע אֶת הָאֱלֹקִים יְרָא וְאֶת מִצְוֹתָיו שְׁמוֹר כִּי זֶה כָּל הָאָדָם"
וכאן "צַלְמָוֶת וְלֹא סְדָרִים". כיון שאדם נטה לצילה של מיתה הוא סודר תלמודו. שנאמר," צַלְמָוֶת וְלֹא סְדָרִים".
רבי תנחומא בר אבא אמר, 'כיון שבא להסתלק, מלאכי השרת אומרים, 'תנו עוז לאלהים' הוי "אֶרֶץ עֵיפָתָה כְּמוֹ אֹפֶל".
וכן שלמה אמר, (קהלת יב:יג) "סוֹף דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע אֶת הָאֱלֹקִים יְרָא וְאֶת מִצְוֹתָיו שְׁמוֹר כִּי זֶה כָּל הָאָדָם"
וכאן "צַלְמָוֶת וְלֹא סְדָרִים". כיון שאדם נטה לצילה של מיתה הוא סודר תלמודו. שנאמר," צַלְמָוֶת וְלֹא סְדָרִים".
רבי תנחומא בר אבא אמר, 'כיון שבא להסתלק, מלאכי השרת אומרים, 'תנו עוז לאלהים' הוי "אֶרֶץ עֵיפָתָה כְּמוֹ אֹפֶל".
Said Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, ‘ In three places we have heard that a person puts his learning (things) in order close to his death. From where do we know this? As it says, “That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mightest bring back words of truth to them that send thee?”
And similarly Solomon said, “The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man.”
And here “a land of the shadow of death, without any order”. Since the person is tilted towards the shadow of death he puts his things in order. As it says “a land of the shadow of death, without any order”
Rabbi Tanhuma bar Abba said, Since it comes time to leave, the angels of service says, Give strength to God, that is fulfillment of the verse ““A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself”
ווי לו לבית שחלונו פתוחה לתוך חשך. "וַתֹּפַע כְּמוֹ אֹפֶל", אור שלה מתוך חשך. וכן הוא אומר, (יחזקאל לא:טו) "כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְדֹוִד בְּיוֹם רִדְתּוֹ שְׁאוֹלָה, הֶאֱבַלְתִּי כִּסֵּתִי עָלָיו אֶת תְּהוֹם וָאֶמְנַע נַהֲרוֹתֶיהָ וַיִּכָּלְאוּ מַיִם רַבִּים וָאַקְדִּר עָלָיו לְבָנוֹן וְכָל עֲצֵי הַשָּׂדֶה עָלָיו עֻלְפֶּה"And similarly Solomon said, “The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man.”
And here “a land of the shadow of death, without any order”. Since the person is tilted towards the shadow of death he puts his things in order. As it says “a land of the shadow of death, without any order”
Rabbi Tanhuma bar Abba said, Since it comes time to leave, the angels of service says, Give strength to God, that is fulfillment of the verse ““A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself”
Woe unto the house whose windows open to the dark. “and where the light is as darkness”, her light comes from within the darkness. And thus the scripture says, “Thus saith the Lord GOD: In the day when he went down to the nether-world I caused the deep to mourn and cover itself for him, and I restrained the rivers thereof, and the great waters were stayed; and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.”
רבי יהודה בר רבי אמר, 'במה הרשעים מתכסים בגיהנם? בחשך'. חזקיה בן רבי יהודה אומר, 'הגיגית הזו במה מכסין אותה? בכלי חרש'. מינה ובה. כשם שהיא של חרס, כך מכסין אותה בכלי חרס. כך הרשעים. (ישעיהו כט:טו) "הוֹי הַמַּעֲמִיקִים מֵידֹוָד לַסְתִּר עֵצָה וְהָיָה בְמַחְשָׁךְ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ מִי רֹאֵנוּ וּמִי יוֹדְעֵנוּ"
Rabbi Yehudah bar Rebbe said, ‘with what do the evil doers enter Gehinom? In darkness’. Hizkiyah ben Rabbi Yehudah says, “this roof, with what is it covered? With pottery. Just as it is made of clay so it is covered in clay. So too the evil doers. “Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say: 'Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?'”
לפיכך הקדוש ברוך הוא מכסה עליהם את התהום שהוא חשך שנאמר (בראשית א:ב) "וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם"
"וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל פְּנֵי תְהוֹם" זה גיהנם. הוי חשך שהביא על המצרים מתוך גיהנם היה, וימש חשך, כמה היה אותו חשך? אמר רבותינו ז"ל, 'עבה כדינר' שנאמר, "וְיָמֵשׁ חֹשֶׁךְ".
Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He covers them with the depths that are dark as it says, “And the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.”
“darkness was upon the face of the deep” that is Gehinom. Behold the darkness that enveloped the Egyptians was from Gehinom. To touch the darkness, how much of the darkness was there? Said our rabbis, thick like a dinar, as it says, “darkness which may be felt.”
“darkness was upon the face of the deep” that is Gehinom. Behold the darkness that enveloped the Egyptians was from Gehinom. To touch the darkness, how much of the darkness was there? Said our rabbis, thick like a dinar, as it says, “darkness which may be felt.”
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