צב " mercies*. DELUGE-EARTHQUAKE. 167 I pray thee, O my lord, tell thy servant what these great and fearful visions are, "for I know that there is nothing hid from the 66 66 66 eyes of my lord, who has seen all written in the "book which was in the hand of the man who spake unto us upon the holy mountains. Let the kindness of my lord, I pray thee, be great "toward me, to make good his mercy with me, according as he hath done from the day of the covenant until now.' And he answered me, ❝ and said, Know, my son, that the great fowl "which thou hast seen is a vision of earthquake "and deluge; the deluge will be in this country, "and in another country, on the north side, on the "uttermost part of the earth; and the earthquake "in the land of thy kindredt. So far as the beast "is above the earth, will the water be above the "houses, and the feathers of the beast which fell "from it are to confound the dwellers of this "world among themselves, and for the confusion "of them who flee from the earthquake and the 66 66 deluge. And as for the smaller fowl which "rested above its fellow, it cometh to intercede for the inhabitants of the whole world, and to "establish the covenant which God hath sworn "when the waters of Noah were overpast§. And * Dan. ix. 9. פלפול + Portugal. Gen. xii. 1. § Is. liv. 9. צג 168 TWO STARS WITH COLORED TAILS. "these wonders shall be for a sign unto thee. And thou shalt not stay in this place; but it "shall come to pass, when the deluge shall be 66 66 66 66 over, that thou shalt return thither. And in "those days, the earthquake will be in the kingdom of Portugal; and when the deluge shall be "at Rome, it shall also be in the north. And the lightnings which came down from heaven, which separated you from the birds, shew, that after "the flood [y], two great stars shall be seen,` one upon the citadel on which were the fowls; "and the second upon the great place which is "situated high on the clefts* of the rock. And "each star shall have a great tail of purple color†, "and they shall be in the sight of the inhabitants of Rome for many days, and they shall all pro 66 66 phesy concerning them. And the star which "shall be seen over the place, will show, that "there shall abide a great weeping over the place, " and over all its cities, which are on the west of Turkey, for they shall be the inheritances of their "'enemies. And the second star sheweth that "this shall not be for ever; but that Israel will do 66 66 valiantly, that singing may be in the morning." "And as for the fear thou fearedst before the 8, possession, inheritance. Num. xxiv. 18. Ps. xxx. 5. Num. xxiv. 10. צג EPHRON AND CHARUM. 169 lightnings, it sheweth, that in the time, when "the two stars will be visible unto the eyes of the 66 people, there shall a great fear befall thee; for "the wicked of thy people will seek to take thy "life. But fear not, for they shall not prevail 66 66 66 against thee. And from that time until seven months, (for thirty years must be completed for thee, to receive* higher degreest, two and one, "to put on the linen garment, because they have poured out thy soul unto death) then shalt thou "have leave to go to the place which thou knowest; because, for this purpose, I have brought thee "over out of Turkey. And thou knowest also the 'earthquake of the kingdom of Portugal, and the 66 66 66 66 deluge which shall be in the north, why they will "come; and now I go to see the change of Ephron and Charum§. For when in Ephron "the bird shall sing, there will be a present given “to them who dwell in the dust, to sing upon "the tree of life. Then shall the souls which "are in the body be destroyed, and the wicked "shall no more exist to be contemptible round "about with the things which stand upon the .לקבל דרגין צלאין תרי וחד * +1277, steps, Targum Onkelos. Exod. xx. 23. 26, the חלוף עפרון וחרום 8 מעלות Hebrew Is. liii. 12. 170 66 66 66 SOLOMON AWOKE. צג height of the world, and the living and eternal king shall be living and exalted*, according "to the mystery of the vau () in the holy name "Jehovah (1), which was the staff in the hand "of Jacob, to support by it the righteous of the people who are called man (78). And then they shall say, Blessed be the Lord that day, "who hath given a wise son unto David. This day "is the day of joy known to the Lord. And on "the self-same day shall rest upon the king Messiah a holy spirit, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, to make him rule over a great people, "and to be at eventide a light to shine through "the night. After this shall awake from the dust "the dead of the world, and he will renew them by a perfect resurrection. No satan and no evil 66 66 66 spirit shall then be, and the Lord will give rest "to his people.' And it came to pass, when the "old man left off speaking according to these 66 words, that Solomon‡ awoke, and stretched out "his hands toward heaven, and said, Lord God "of Israel, I acknowledge before thee, that thou "hast dealt kindly with me this day, for the sake "of thy great mercies, and not according to my righteousness; and for the sake of thy lovingkindness, and not for my innocency; for what 66 * 071 ' 7' 0'' *, viz. in the hearts of his people. + Is. xi. 2. The writer of the letter. צו MENACHEM. 171 "am I, that I should be taught a high matter 66 66 66 over which there is a watcher*; if it was not by thy good and great hand, to shew the good unto "criminals which thou hast shewn me this day, "not according to the work of mine hand, but according to thy righteousness, O living God, that I "have seen what I have seen, and my soul is preserved; blessed be the Lord who sheweth good66 ness unto debtors!' 66 831. And it came to pass, in the morning, "when the dawn arose‡, that I went unto the "house of the commander of the camp, and took the clothes which I had left there. And as "mine hands were weak, and my body was sorely fatigued, I besought the Lord in my heart, that "I might recognise a Jew man of the children of "Israel among the Gentiles; and I placed myself "at the parting of the way where much people pass by, and the Lord gave me according as it 66 66 was in my heart; and I called unto one of "those that passed, and separated him from the rest of the people, and I asked him, 'What is 66 66 66 thy name?' And he said, Menachem.' And I said, 'Are there rabbanim among you?' And "he said, "There are.' And because he answered Namely, to guard its mystery. + Gen. xxxii. 30. |