(33) Rabbi Yudan said that the redemption of this nation will not come all at once but little by little. And what is 'magnifies'? It is because it grows and goes before Israel. Because they are now burdened with great troubles, and if redemption were to come all at once, they could not bear a great salvation that comes from great troubles. Therefore, it comes little by little and grows and goes...

The great Rebbi Ḥiyya and Rebbi Simeon ben Ḥalaphta were walking in the valley of Arbela before morning and saw “the morning hind” that started radiating. The great Rebbi Ḥiyya said to Rebbi Simeon ben Ḥalaphta, the great man: so will be the deliverance of Israel; it starts out very little and grows and longer as it goes on.

(3) Who brings a redeemer to their children’s children, for the sake of His Name, with love.

(2) Rav Yosef asks if the days of Messiah's coming and the resurrection of the dead are the same. He responded, No, as we have learned that the building of the Temple precedes the gathering of the exiles, which precedes the resurrection of the dead. The resurrection of the dead is the last act of all. We know this from the verse, "Hashem builds Jerusalem, He gathers together the outcasts of Yisrael. He heals the broken-hearted, and binds up their wounds" (Tehilim 147:2-3). This refers to the resurrection of the dead, which is the healing of the brokenhearted and their dead. First He builds Jerusalem; then He gathers the outcasts of Yisrael; last of all, He heals the brokenhearted.

(1) “And their outcry due to the labor went up to the Lord.” They were not worthy of redemption even though the end [of the exile] had already come. But because their labor caused them to cry out to God, He accepted their prayers. The verse mentions twice “due to the labor”: “And the Israelites groaned and cried out due to the labor, and their outcry due to the labor went up to God.” This shows that the prayer a person recites when in trouble and under duress is more wholesome and acceptable and goes straight up to God! Similarly, you will find that the Prophet Jonah inferred this when he said (Jonah 2:8): “When my soul grew faint upon me, I remembered the Lord and my prayer came to You, to Your Holy Temple.” The prophet said clearly that a prayer which is recited when one is suffering and faint, is a prayer that will come before God in His Holy Temple.

(5) R. Judah continued: ‘Concerning the future it says: “They will come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them.” For the sake of the weeping of Rachel, the child’s mother, will they come and be gathered in from captivity.’ R. Isaac said: ‘The redemption of Israel depends only on weeping: when the effect of the tears of Esau, which he shed before his father on account of the birthright (Gen. 27, 38) shall have been exhausted, redemption will begin for Israel.’...

(4) He... helps the impoverished, and He answers His people when they cry out to Him.

(4) Why were the matriarchs barren? Rabbi Sheila of Kefar Temarta and Rabbi Ḥelbo in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: It is because the Holy One blessed be He desires their prayers and desires their supplications...

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: For what reason were our forefathers initially infertile? Because the Holy One, Blessed be He, desires the prayers of the righteous...

Rabbi Elazar says: Since the day the Temple was destroyed the gates of prayer were locked, and prayer is not accepted as it once was, as it is stated in lament of the Temple’s destruction: “Though I plead and call out, He shuts out my prayer” (Lamentations 3:8). Yet, despite the fact that the gates of prayer were locked with the destruction of the Temple, the gates of tears were not locked, and one who cries before God may rest assured that his prayers will be answered, as it is stated: “Hear my prayer, Lord, and give ear to my pleading, keep not silence at my tears” (Psalms 39:13).

Rabbi Simon bar Menasya said: Israel will not see a sign of redemption until they שוב seek all three. This is what is written: ‘Afterwards the children of Israel shall return and seek Hashem their God’ — this is מלכות שמים; ‘and David their king’ — this is מלכות בית דוד; ‘and they shall fear Hashem and His goodness’ — this is the Temple.

(2) ויהי חשך אפלה … שלשת ימים — there was darkness of gloom when no man saw another during those three days, and there was moreover another period of three days’ darkness twice as thick as this when no man rose from his place: one who happened to be sitting when this second period of darkness began was unable to rise, and one who was then standing was unable to sit down. And why did He bring darkness upon them? Because there were wicked people amongst the Israelites of that generation who had no desire to leave Egypt, and these died during the three days of darkness...

(3) Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, blessed is His name, before whom there is no favoritism and who examines the innermost thoughts and feelings, bring darkness upon them? It is because there were sinners among the Israelites who had Egyptian patrons, had wealth and honor, and did not want to leave...

The Holy One, Blessed be He, seeks the heart, and the barometer of greatness is devotion of the heart and not the amount of Torah that one studies, as it is written: “But the Lord looks on the heart” (I Samuel 16:7).

It is taught in a baraita with regard to the few that are destined to be redeemed: Rav Simai says that it is stated: “And I will take you to Me as a people” (Exodus 6:7), and juxtaposed to that verse it is stated: “And I will bring you into the land” (Exodus 6:8). The Torah compares their exodus from Egypt to their entry into the land; just as during their entry into the land only two of six hundred thousand entered the land, as they all died in the wilderness except for Caleb and Joshua, so too, during their exodus from Egypt, in terms of the ratio, only two of six hundred thousand left Egypt and the rest died there. Rava says: And likewise, that will be the situation in the messianic era, as it is stated: “And she shall respond there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt” (Hosea 2:17). The ultimate redemption and the exodus from Egypt are juxtaposed, indicating that in the messianic era too, only few will survive.

What does ‘their coming into the land [was] two from the six hundred thousand’ mean? It means that from the six hundred thousand who left Egypt, only two people remained: Joshua and Caleb, as we say in Bava Batra in the chapter Yes Nachal (Bava Batra 121a). The decree was not applied to those under twenty or over sixty years old. Therefore, in counting the six hundred thousand in the wilderness, I would not count anyone younger than twenty or older than sixty.

Even their going out from Egypt was ‘two from the six hundred thousand’ — meaning that from the six hundred thousand who were in Egypt, only two were left. And those two from the six hundred thousand rose to become the six hundred thousand who came out, one out of every six hundred thousand among them. The rest all died during the three days of darkness, so that the Egyptians would not see the downfall of Israel.

And so too, in the days of the Messiah — that from the six hundred thousand, only two will remain.

My brother Rabbi Binyamin, of blessed memory, wrote: this is the meaning of the matter: one who mourns over it is worthy to see its consolation, even if he is at the end of the exile; and he is written among the company of the righteous, among all those written for life in Jerusalem, fit for redemption. But one who does not mourn over it is not worthy to see its consolation, even if he is at the end of the redemption; and he is written among the company of the wicked, who do not believe and are not fit for redemption, just as we find in Egypt, where all those who did not believe in the redemption died during the three days of darkness…

(8) After the twelve months the Messiah will be carried up to heaven in that pillar of fire and receive there power and dominion and the royal crown. When he descends, the pillar of fire will again be visible to the eyes of the world, and the Messiah will reveal himself, and mighty nations will gather round him, and he shall declare war against all the world. At that time the Holy One shall show forth his power before all the nations of the earth, and the Messiah shall be manifested throughout the whole universe, and all the kings will unite to fight against him,

(9) and even in Israel there will be found some wicked ones who shall join them in the fight against the Messiah. Then there will be darkness over all the world, and for fifteen days shall it continue, and many in Israel shall perish in that darkness. Concerning this darkness it is written: “Behold, darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the peoples” (Isa. 60, 2).

(25) He will send our Messiah at the end of days, to redeem all who await His final deliverance.

(2) It is from the roots of this commandment that we should be free from our preoccupations in honor of the day [of Shabbat], in order to instill within our souls faithfulness to the [concept of the] universe’s creation, which is [a concept that affects many fundamental principles in Judaism] (lit. a rope that drags along all the foundations of our religion). And we remember once a week, every week, that the universe was created in six distinct days, that nothing was created on the seventh day, and that different [types of creations] were brought into being each day. [All of this confirms the Torah’s philosophical idea of God’s] Simple (Single) Will, which differs from the philosophers’ view, that disgusts us in their idea regarding this matter that [alongside] the Blessed One[’s existence] was everything. And through our rest on the seventh day we are reminded of the universe’s creation; because, when everyone simultaneously rests once a week, curious people will ask what is the point of this rest? And the answer will be “because [in] six days God created, etc.” (Exodus 31:17). [And through that answer], everyone will be strengthened in the true faith. And in addition to remembering the universe’s creation, there is in [Shabbat] also a remembering of the miracle of [the exodus from] Egypt — that we were slaves there and we were not able to rest whenever we desired to rest, and God saved us from their hands and commanded us to rest on the seventh day (Shabbat). Therefore, the second root is mentioned in Deuteronomy (lit. the repetition of the Torah), as it states in the [context of] the commandment of Shabbat, “And you should remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, etc. therefore the Lord, your God, commanded you to [observe] (lit. make) the day of Shabbat” (Deuteronomy 5:15).

Rather, is it not that this is what the mishna is saying in the last clause: Except for the transgressor to pour wine as a libation to idolatry or to desecrate Shabbat in public? Apparently, a transgressor with regard to idol worship is a transgressor with regard to the entire Torah, and this baraita is a refutation of the opinion of Rav Anan. The Gemara concludes: It is indeed a conclusive refutation.

Rather, is this what it means: offerings are accepted from the transgressors of Israel who are violators in only one matter, except for one who violates the prohibition against wine used for libations and one who desecrates Shabbat, since these are more severe. This shows that one who is an idolater is considered like one who has rejected the entire Torah.

This tanna holds Shabbat to be as severe as idolatry, because one who serves idolatry denies the Holy One, blessed be He, while one who desecrates Shabbat denies His works and gives false testimony, as it were, saying that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not rest on the work of Creation

(12) Rabbi Levi said: If Israel observes Shabbat properly, even one day, the son of David will come. Why? Because it is equivalent to all the mitzvot...

Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: If only the Jewish people would keep two Shabbatot in accordance with their halakhot, they would be immediately redeemed, as it is stated: “So said God to the eunuchs who will keep My Shabbatot” (Isaiah 56:4), and it is written after that: “And I will bring them to My holy mountain and will let them rejoice in My house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:7).

Rebbi Levi said, if Israel would keep one Sabbath following its rules, David’s son would immediately come. What is the reason? Moses said, eat it today, for Sabbath is this day to the Eternal, etc. One day. And it says, by repentance and satisfaction you will be helped. By keeping the Sabbath and staying put you will be freed.

(1) R. Simeon lifted up his hands and wept. ‘Alas,’ he said, ‘for him who will live at that time! Yet happy he who will live at that time! When the Holy One comes to visit the “Hind” (Israel), he will examine who it is that remains loyal to her at that time, and then woe to him who shall not be found worthy, and of whom it shall be said, “I looked and there was none to help” (Isa. 62, 23). Many sufferings shall then befall Israel.

(2) But happy he who will be found faithful at that time! For he shall see the joy-giving light of the King. Concerning that time it is proclaimed: “I will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried” (Zech. 13, 9).

(17)But I will bring healing to youAnd cure you of your wounds—declares GOD.
Though they called you “Outcast,That Zion whom no one seeks out,”

GEMARA: The Gemara asks: And from where do we derive that one performs actions in commemoration of the Temple? As the verse states: “For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds, said the Lord; because they have called you an outcast: She is Zion, there is none who care for her” (Jeremiah 30:17). This verse teaches by inference that Jerusalem requires caring through acts of commemoration.

(7) Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the Flood.

(1) נח ובניו NOAH AND HIS SONS — The men separately and the women separately, because they were forbidden to live together as man and wife since the world was living in a state of distress (2) מפני מי המבול BECAUSE OF THE WATERS OF THE FLOOD — (מפני properly means ‘‘from before”) — Noah, also, was of those people who are wanting in faith: he believed and he did not believe that the Flood would come, and he would not enter the Ark until the waters forced him to do so (Genesis Rabbah 32:6).

The tanna of the mishna further states: In each and every generation a person must view himself as though he personally left Egypt, as it is stated: “And you shall tell your son on that day, saying: It is because of this which the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:8). In every generation, each person must say: “This which the Lord did for me,” and not: This which the Lord did for my forefathers.

‘In every generation a person is obligated to see himself as if he himself came out of Egypt’ — meaning, besides the simple meaning, that if the Holy One, blessed be He, had not taken our ancestors out, Heaven forbid, Israel would have entered into total destruction and there would have been no recovery, so in that sense He truly redeemed us.

There is an additional, even deeper idea, which we have written earlier: our master, may his memory be a blessing, wrote in Chesed L’Avraham that every year, thirty days before Passover, by His mercy God removes one part out of thirty from the souls of Israel that had become mixed up in the forces of impurity, until on the night of Passover all the souls of Israel have come out of impurity and are free.

Therefore, it is possible that a person must see himself as if he personally came out of Egypt, because in truth he too came out of impurity, and that is the Exodus from Egypt.

(1)

When the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Yechezkel the form of the [Temple], what did He say? "Describe the [Temple] to the House of Israel... Yehezkel [responded] to the Holy One, blessed be He, "Until now, we are put into exile in the land of our enemies; and You say to me to go and inform Israel [about] the form of the [Temple], and 'write [it] in their eyes, and they should preserve its form and all of its statutes [and do them]' (Ezekiel 43:11). And are they able to do [them]? Leave them until they emerge from the exile, and afterwards, I will go and tell them." [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Yechezkel, "And because My children are in exile, the building of My [Temple] should be idle?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Its reading in the Torah is as great as its building. Go and say it to them, and they will occupy themselves to read the form of the [Temple] in the Torah. And in reward for its reading, that they occupy themselves to read about it, I count it for them as if they were occupied with the building of the [Temple]."

(4) May it be Your will, Adonoy, our God, and the God of our Fathers that the Holy Temple be rebuilt speedily in our days, and grant us our share in Your Torah. And there we will serve You reverently as in the days of old, and in earlier years. And let Adonoy be pleased with the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem as in the days of old and in earlier years.

(87) May the Temple be rebuilt, the city of Zion filled, and there we will sing a new song, and with joyous singing we will come up. The Merciful One, the Sanctified One, blessed and exalted, over a full cup of wine, the bounty of Adonoy.

(55) The Merciful One, may He return for us the service of the Beis Hamikdash in its place speedily in our days, Amein, Selah.