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Jeremiah and the Beautiful Woman
Jeremiah and the Beautiful Woman:
Then, when she had, had her full
measure of grief - she who was as
beautiful as Tirzah - the valiant
angels cried aloud. As Jeremiah son of
Hilkiah came out of the Temple, he
met the beautiful woman, in filthy
attire.
'In the name of God and man, I charge
you to tell me: are you a demon among
demons or a human being? Your
beauteous form is like that of flesh and
blood; but the dread fear of you is
like that of angels alone!'
'I am neither a demon nor a thing of
base matter. I was renowned for my
peace and repose; for I beloned to
three and to seventy-one, to twelve, to
sixty and to one.
'The one was Abraham, who was one of
the three, the Patriarchs three; the
twelve were the tribes of the Lord; the
sixty were the myriads (who came out
of Egypt); and the seventy-one were the
elders of the Lord.'
'Heed my advice and repent. Since you
were once so esteemed, it is fitting that
you exult and rejoice in goodness, so
that you may no longer be called "the
faithless daughter".
'How can I rejoice, how sing out loud?
My infants are delivered into the
enemies' hands, my prophets beaten
and dragged away, my kings and nobles
exiled, my priests in chains.
'On account of my sins my abode is
desolate; my beloved* of old was driven
away and fled; my lovely tabernacle
was ravaged; she that was full of people,
how lonely she dwells!
Whereupon he entreated his Creator:
'O You who are full of pity -
as a father upon his son!' Then God
cried out: 'Woe to the father who has
banished his son, and woe to the son
who is not at his father's table!
'Arise Jeremiah! Why are you so
silent? Go summon the Patriarchs and
Aaron and Moses. Let the shepherds
come and raise a lament, for desert
wolves have devoured the lamb.'
Then the prophet Jeremiah growled
out loud; by the Double Cave** he
roared like a lion: 'Weep aloud, you
fathers of splendour; for your children
have strayed and are captives!'
Eleazar ben Kallir (? sixth century)
*my beloved... The Shekinah (Divine Majesty), which accompanied Israel wherever they went as exiles.
**The Cave of Makhpelah in Hebron, the burial place of the Patriarchs and their wives.
The Celestial Fire:
Now an angel of the Lord appeared to
Moses in a blazing fire -
a fire that devours fire; a fire that burns
in things dry and moist; a fire that
glows amidst snow and ice; a fire that is
like a crouching lion; a fire that reveals
itself in many forms; a fire that is, and
never expires; a fire that shines and
roars; a fire that blazes and sparkles; a
fire that flies in a storm wind; a fire
that burns without wood; a fire that
renews itself everyday; a fire that is
not fanned by fire; a fire that billlows
like palm branches; a fire whose sparks
are flashes of lightning; a fire black as
a raven; a fire, curled, like the colours
of the rainbow!
Eleazar ben Kallir
Then, when she had, had her full
measure of grief - she who was as
beautiful as Tirzah - the valiant
angels cried aloud. As Jeremiah son of
Hilkiah came out of the Temple, he
met the beautiful woman, in filthy
attire.
'In the name of God and man, I charge
you to tell me: are you a demon among
demons or a human being? Your
beauteous form is like that of flesh and
blood; but the dread fear of you is
like that of angels alone!'
'I am neither a demon nor a thing of
base matter. I was renowned for my
peace and repose; for I beloned to
three and to seventy-one, to twelve, to
sixty and to one.
'The one was Abraham, who was one of
the three, the Patriarchs three; the
twelve were the tribes of the Lord; the
sixty were the myriads (who came out
of Egypt); and the seventy-one were the
elders of the Lord.'
'Heed my advice and repent. Since you
were once so esteemed, it is fitting that
you exult and rejoice in goodness, so
that you may no longer be called "the
faithless daughter".
'How can I rejoice, how sing out loud?
My infants are delivered into the
enemies' hands, my prophets beaten
and dragged away, my kings and nobles
exiled, my priests in chains.
'On account of my sins my abode is
desolate; my beloved* of old was driven
away and fled; my lovely tabernacle
was ravaged; she that was full of people,
how lonely she dwells!
Whereupon he entreated his Creator:
'O You who are full of pity -
as a father upon his son!' Then God
cried out: 'Woe to the father who has
banished his son, and woe to the son
who is not at his father's table!
'Arise Jeremiah! Why are you so
silent? Go summon the Patriarchs and
Aaron and Moses. Let the shepherds
come and raise a lament, for desert
wolves have devoured the lamb.'
Then the prophet Jeremiah growled
out loud; by the Double Cave** he
roared like a lion: 'Weep aloud, you
fathers of splendour; for your children
have strayed and are captives!'
Eleazar ben Kallir (? sixth century)
*my beloved... The Shekinah (Divine Majesty), which accompanied Israel wherever they went as exiles.
**The Cave of Makhpelah in Hebron, the burial place of the Patriarchs and their wives.
The Celestial Fire:
Now an angel of the Lord appeared to
Moses in a blazing fire -
a fire that devours fire; a fire that burns
in things dry and moist; a fire that
glows amidst snow and ice; a fire that is
like a crouching lion; a fire that reveals
itself in many forms; a fire that is, and
never expires; a fire that shines and
roars; a fire that blazes and sparkles; a
fire that flies in a storm wind; a fire
that burns without wood; a fire that
renews itself everyday; a fire that is
not fanned by fire; a fire that billlows
like palm branches; a fire whose sparks
are flashes of lightning; a fire black as
a raven; a fire, curled, like the colours
of the rainbow!
Eleazar ben Kallir