ייִדישער מחשבֿה אויף ירמיהו 31:19

And in the Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 82:10), it is asked: What did our father Jacob see that led him to bury Rachel on the road to Efrat (Genesis 35:19)? He foresaw that the exiles were destined to pass by there, so he buried her there in order that she might seek mercy for her children. This is as it is written (cf. Jeremiah 31:14-16), “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, etc… Thus says the Lord: Restrain your voice from weeping… for there is hope for your future… and your children shall return to their own border.” End of quote. And the explanation of this matter is as they further elucidated in the Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 71:2): “Rachel weeps for her children” (Jeremiah 31:14)—Israel is called by the name of Rachel; and not just by Rachel’s name, but by the name of her son: “Is Ephraim My dear son?” (ibid., 19). And this Midrash has a most profound reason, for a wife is called a ‘house,’ as Rabbi Yosi said (Shabbat 118b), “I never called my wife ‘my wife,’ but rather ‘my house.’” And because Rachel was the mainstay of Jacob’s house, as our Sages of blessed memory said, it is she who was the mainstay of the house. And whoever is called ‘house’ includes and unifies everything, just as a house includes and unifies all that is within it. Therefore, Israel is called by the name of Rachel, because she was the mainstay of Jacob’s house. And likewise, Israel is called by the name of her son, for just as she was the essential part, so too was her son the essential part, and this is very well known. Therefore, the Midrash says that Rachel was buried on the road, for if Rachel had been buried in the cave, there would not have remained with Israel in their exile the gathering and unifying power for Israel in their exile. But as it is, the unifying power does remain with Israel, only it is not in a state of actuality but in potential alone. For this reason, Rachel, who is the unifying power of Israel—for indeed all of Israel is called by her name—was buried on the road. And it is for this reason that she seeks mercy until Israel is completely gathered in their land. For if Rachel—who is the mainstay of the house that gathers Israel—had not been buried on the road, Israel would have, Heaven forfend, already been splintered, and there would no longer have been among them a power that gathers and assembles Israel. And this is the meaning of the Holy One, Blessed be He’s, response to her: “Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears,” for it is through the merit of Rachel—who is the power that gathers Israel—that Israel will return from their exile. And this is the meaning of, “and your children shall return to their own border,” for there is a power that unifies Israel in the midst of their exile, and on account of that unifying power, Israel will return from their exile. And this is what we wished to explain.

The above constitute the 156 aspects and appellations of the Mashiach of the beginning, Mashiach ben Yosef. I repeat that there is an obligation and commandment to pray daily for his life and success as explained above in Chapter 1. There is an additional important commandment to speak of him continuously since doing so arouses the mercy of Heaven on his behalf and on behalf of the entire House of Israel. As is written about Efraim, who is Mashiach ben Yosef: “for whenever I speak of him, I remember him better; therefore my inner self yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord” (Jer. 31:19).

(3) That he realizes the punishment the act obligates. Because, if he does not know this, necessity does not bring him to regret it. But, if it is clear to him that he will be punished for it, he will regret it afterwards and seek forgiveness, as written: "For after my return I have completely changed my mind, and after I had been brought to know myself (the punishments waiting for me) I smote upon my thigh" (Yirmiyahu 31:18), and "My flesh bristles from fright of You, and I dread Your judgments" (Tehillim 119:120).