Kabbalah Library

26. Rabbi Zira came before Rabbi Elazar son of Arach. He found him sitting with his eyes springing water, whispering with his lips, and crying. Rabbi Zira turned back and said to his servant, “Why is my lord sitting and crying?” He said, “I went in twice to approach him but I could not.”

While they were seated, Rabbi Elazar entered his room, and until he came down from there, his voice was walking in the house, and crying.

27. He heard him saying “Rock, rock, a high and holy rock over the whole world in the sanctity of your Master, the people of the nations are destined to slight you, and place impure carcasses on you to defile your holy place, and every impurity will approach you. Woe to the world at that time.”

28. He went down from his room and sat in his chair. Rabbi Zira said to his servant, “Go and tell my lord if I should come before him.” His servant entered and said to him, “Rabbi Zira is here.” He did not look at him and did not raise his eyes.

29. Afterwards, he said to his servant, “Let Rabbi Zira in, and you will sit outside.” Rabbi Zira came in and kneeled out of fear, and sat in front of him. Rabbi Elazar saw, pushed him with his leg and said, “Get up from there and sit as you usually do.” He got up and sat as he usually does.

30. Rabbi Zira said, “The fact that my lord was crying, what did he see?” He said to him, “I saw that the important one of the whole world is in great shattering, that that honorable and holy stone from which the whole world was planted, the foundation stone, is that stone on which Jacob rested his head.”

31. That stone, from which the whole world was planted, whose head was sunken in the great deep, how could Jacob move it? But the angle of that stone was sunken in the great deep, and its top went up to the Temple, and the Holy of Holies stood on it, and on it, the high and honorable Shechina [Divinity], as it is written, “From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel,” and the holy name of the upper king was engraved in it.

32. When Jacob came, he called the holy name and took it from the great deep, and placed it in the place of the Holy of Holies.

33. It is written, “And he took of the stones of the place,” meaning he took one of the stones of the place, the place of the deep, where stones grind water for the whole world, as it is written, “Water wears away stones.”

34. That stone was primary for everyone, and ascended up to the place where there was the Temple. Jacob’s intention was only on one of them, on the foundation stone, since it hinted him a hint. As the stone from everything is planted, so is Jacob: The whole world is planted from him.

35. At that time, “And he took of the stones of the place,” the foundation stone, which is the core of the whole world, “and placed it under his head,” meaning he placed in his heart, which is his head, since one is similar to the other, since Jacob was similar to the merit of the stone. Promptly, “And he lied down in the place,” meaning that his mind was settled in that place.

36. He took a known sign. He said, “This is my similitude, equal to me, and if this one has some merit, I will have merit. For this reason, he took notice of it and made a vow, as it is written, “And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house.” That is, if this stone, which I have set as a pillar, will be God’s house, promptly, “and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You,” he vowed to give the tithing.

37. This is why it is called the “stone of Israel,” after him, for he placed his heart and eyes on it, and the Creator made it an everlasting house, and there was his Shechina.

38. “This is why I am crying, for I saw that the impurity of the nations and dead carcasses were to be placed on that stone. Woe to the world, woe to that time, woe to that generation.” He cried as in the beginning. He rested and went silent. “Woe to those who will be in the world when the High King of the world awakens.”

39. Rabbi Zira wept. He said, “You, the holy angel, know this; she deserves to be wept over. Happy are you, righteous, that you are holy in this world and in the next world.