Musar para sa Jeremias 1:5

נפש כי תחטא וגומר או הודע אליו חטאתו . Both in the Zohar and in the Tzror HaMor much has been written about these verses (4,22-23). The words או הודע אליו חטאתו are understood to refer to pre-natal knowledge, information given to the soul of the person in question prior to his being born. These commentators compare the situation to Jeremiah 1,5: "Before I created you in the womb I selected you, etc." This proves that communication with man commences before he is born. His soul is exhorted to behave in a certain way once he is on earth. The subject is explained by Rabbi Simlai in Nidah 30: "While the embryo is in the womb of its mother it may be compared to a writing book folded over, his two hands at his sides, etc.. A light is lit near his head enabling him to view every corner of the globe. He is taught the entire Torah as we know from ויורני ויאמר לי יתמך דברי לבך, "He also taught me and said to me: 'let your heart retain my words'" (Proverbs 4,4). Another verse from scripture along similar lines is Job 29,4: ואומר בסוד אלוקה עלי אהלי, "When the secrets of G–d were in my tent," i.e. I was privy to the mystical aspects of Torah while still in the womb. The baby is not born until it has been made to swear to be a צדיק not a רשע. He is told that even though the whole world may describe him as a צדיק, he must still consider himself a רשע. He should remain aware of the purity of G–d and his angels, as well as of the purity of the soul he has been equipped with. He is warned that as long as he preserves the purity of his soul all is well and good, but should he fail to so preserve its purity, his soul will be removed from him. This is the gist of Rabbi Simlai's statement.

Accustom yourself to your holy thoughts and higher outlook, as described above. Now please contrast the lofty state of earlier times as opposed to our lowly state now. For according to what is apparent from the Prophets and the Writings, prophecy was not something unusual, a novelty or a wonder. When God wanted to inform Manoach and his wife of the [future] birth of their son, Samson, he did not inform them by way of a dream or a heavenly voice (bat kol). For what is the point of all these things, when He can send an angel to them? And if once was not enough, He sent it a second time - even though Manoach and his wife were not greats among the Jewish people, as the Sages, may their memory be blessed, have said. But were they not still Israelites - they were still among the holy people. And so they were able to see and speak to the angel, like one man to another - this one asks and that one answers. King Saul also prophesied among the band of prophets, even though he was not a prophet and it was before he became king. And not only him; but when he sent his messengers to chase King David and they came to Samuel the prophet and his students, the sons of the prophets, the spirit came upon them and they also prophesied. And it appears that it was not only to save David that God had the spirit of prophecy rest upon them. For He would not have changed bloodthirsty pursuers into prophets in order to save him. He would have rather done a different miracle, as He did other times when He saved him. But why is there a need for miracles and changing nature here? The Holy One, blessed be He, does not do miracles for no reason, if there is something as simple as making them into prophets [available] here. Were they not Israelites? When they distance themselves from their Source, they become more physical; but when they are alongside prophets, they too experience prophecy sprouting forth from them. And even when Saul chased after [David]; when he came to [the prophets], he prophesied the whole night. Moreover, the Sages, may their memory be blessed, said (Megillah 14a:11) that the prophets were twice as many as the [Israelite men] that came out of Egypt, meaning that there were 1,200,000 prophets in Israel. But they were not recorded in the verses, since only prophecy that was needed for [future] generations was written down; whereas prophecy that was not needed for [future] generations was not written down. And it is stated in Midrash Shir haShirim that this number was only during the generation of Elijah the prophet, and it did not include the prophets from other generations. The advantage of the prophet over other Israelites was that he was always a prophet, such that the level of his prophecy was much greater than theirs. To illustrate: Today there are tzaddikim that are always tzaddikim and serve God greatly - each one according to his level. Yet there is no getting away from the fact that there is righteousness (tzedekah) and divine service in every Jew, at least sometimes. And if their righteousness is not like the righteousness of the tzaddik, it is service and righteousness nevertheless. So too was it with prophecy in earlier times: The forty-eight prophets, who were recorded, rose to becoming great prophets - each one according to his level. They were permanent prophets, as it is stated in the verse (Jeremiah 1:5), "I have given you as a prophet unto the nations." But to receive prophecy once, at a time of need - as in the case of Manoach and his wife; or when they were among the prophets - every Israelite was able to merit that. For were the Israelites not close to God in earlier days? So the apertures of the Heavens were open, and the Father spoke with the children for any need.

Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Yitzchak went over to the boy and kissed him on the head and rejoiced with him. Then he related to them the order of his studies and revealed other amazing insights. Finally they asked him, “What is your name?” “Yeisa,” he replied. They said, “From now on you shall be called Rabbi Yeisa.” “Hand the donkey over to your father and come with us,” they instructed him. So the boy went with them and when he arrived at the study hall Rabbi Yehudah rose before him, instructing all the students of the yeshivah to treat him with honor… Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai applied to him the verse, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Yirmeyahu 1:5).