AND SHE OPENED IT AND SHE SAW IT (vathir’ehu), THE CHILD. Why say “she saw it, the child” instead of simply “she saw the child”? Said R. Simeon: ‘There is not a word in the Torah that does not contain sublime and precious mystical teachings. In regard to this passage, we have learned that the impress of the King and the Matrona was discernible in the child, an impress symbolized by the letters Vau and He. She thus straightway “had compassion on him”. So far, the whole passage has allusions to heavenly matters; from this point the text concerns earthly occurrences, with the exception of the verse following.

AND HIS SISTER STOOD AFAR OFF. Whose sister? The sister of Him Who calls the Community of Israel “My sister”, in the verse “Open to me, my sister, my love!” (Cant. 5, 2). “Afar off”-as it is written: “From far off hath the Lord appeared unto me” (Jer. 31, 2).

From which it is evident that all the righteous are known by all in those higher regions before their souls descend into this world; how much more, then, Moses. We also learn from this that the souls of the righteous emanate from an upper region, as we have already stated. But there is also an esoteric lesson connected with it, namely, that the soul has a father and a mother, as the body has a father and a mother in this world. In fact, all things above and below proceed from Male and Female, as we have already derived from the words “Let the earth bring forth a living soul” (Gen. 1, 24). “The earth” symbolizes the community of Israel; “a living soul”-the soul of the first, the supernal Man, as already explained.’ Then came R. Abba to him, kissed him, and said: ‘Verily, thou hast spoken well! It is so indeed. Blessed is Moses, the faithful Shepherd, more faithful than all the other prophets of the world.’

There is still another interpretation of “and his sister stood afar off’, namely, as symbolizing “Wisdom” -“say to wisdom, thou art my sister” (Prov. 7, 4). Said R. Isaac: ‘The attribute of Justice has never departed from the world, for whenever Israel sinned, stern Justice stood there as her accuser, and then “his sister (wisdom) stood afar off’, without interfering.