“Was [vayhi].” Rabbi Shimon bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: Every place that vayhi is stated, it is trouble or joy; if it is trouble, it is unparalleled trouble, if it is joy, it is unparalleled joy. Rabbi Shmuel bat Naḥman came and made a distinction: Every place thay vayhi is stated it is trouble, [every place that] vehaya [is stated, it is] joy. They raised an objection to him: But is it not written: “God said: Let there be light, and there was [vayhi] light” (Genesis 1:3).
He said to them: ‘That, too, is not joy, as the world was not privileged to utilize that light, as Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: That light that the Holy One blessed be He created on the first day, a person could look and see from one end of the world to the other end. When the Holy One blessed be He saw the generation of Enosh, the generation of the Flood, and the generation of the Dispersion, He stood and sequestered it, and designated it for the righteous in the future, as it is stated: “But the path of the righteous is like a radiant light, growing brighter until noon”’ (Proverbs 4:18).
They raised an objection to him: “It was [vayhi] evening; it was [vayhi] morning, one day” (Genesis 1:5). He said to them: ‘That, too, is not joy, as everything created on the first day is destined to erode, as it is stated: “For the heavens will be eroded like smoke and the earth will be tattered like a garment, and its inhabitants, likewise, will die, but My salvation will be forever and My righteousness will remain unbroken”’ (Isaiah 51:6).
They raised an objection to him: All the instances of vayhi during the six days of Creation. He said to them: ‘They, too, are not joy, as everything that was created during the six days of Creation requires action, e.g., mustard requires sweetening, lupines require boiling, and wheat requires grinding.’ They raised an objection to him: “The Lord was [vayhi] with Joseph, and he was [vayhi] a successful man and he was [vayhi] in the house of his master, the Egyptian” (Genesis 39:2).
He said to them: ‘That, too, is not joy, as the bear25This is a metaphor for Potiphar’s wife. solicited him.’ “It was [vayhi] on the day that Moses concluded [to erect the Tabernacle]” (Numbers 7:1). He said to them: ‘That, too, is not joy, as it was sequestered when the Temple was built.’ “It was [vayhi] on the eighth day” (Leviticus 9:1).
He said to them: ‘That, too, is not joy, as on that very day, Nadav and Avihu were killed.’ But is it not written: “The Lord was [vayhi] with Joshua; his renown was throughout the land”? (Joshua 6:27). ‘That, too, is not joy, as on that very day, he rent his garments, as it is stated: “Joshua rent his garments, fell on his face to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel”’ (Joshua 7:6).
But is it not written: “It was [vayhi] when the king was settled in his house”? (II Samuel 7:1). He said to them: ‘That, too, is not joy, as on that very day, Natan the prophet came to him, and the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “However, you will not build the House”’ (II Chronicles 6:9). But is it not written: “The one who presented his offering…was [vayhi]”? (Numbers 7:12). He said to them: ‘That, too, is not joy, as it was seen before the Holy One blessed be He that they26The heads of the twelve tribes, who brought the offerings when the Tabernacle was erected. would go with Koraḥ and his assembly in his dispute.’
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Levi ben Perata: This is analogous to the son of a high ranking official who stole in the bathhouse. The bathhouse attendant feared identifying him by name. Nevertheless, he publicized him as a certain lad garbed in white. So, even though it [the Torah] did not explicitly mention the names of the princes who participated with Koraḥ and went along with him, it publicizes them by means of allusion: “Princes of the assembly, the distinguished of the convocation, people of renown” (Numbers 16:2), just as it says: “These are the distinguished of the assembly, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they are the heads of the thousands of Israel” (Numbers 1:16).
“People of renown [shem],” as their names [shemotan] were mentioned in the census of the banners, just as it says: These are the names of the men who will stand with you…” (Numbers 1:5). They said to him: ‘We have said ours; you say yours.’27We cited proof that vayhi could also connote joy. You rejected those proofs. Now, prove your claim that vehaya connotes joy.
He said to them: ‘Everywhere that vehaya is stated, it is joy. “It will be on that day, that the mountains will drip nectar…” (Joel 4:18). “It will be on that day that spring water will emerge from Jerusalem” (Zechariah 14:8). “It will be on that day that the Lord will continue, [setting His hand a second time to acquire the remnant of His people]” (Isaiah 11:11).
“It will be on that day, each man will maintain a young cow [and two sheep]” (Isaiah 7:21). “It will be on that day, that a great shofar will be sounded…” (Isaiah 27:13). “It will be that [it will be said of] the remaining in Zion…[Holy, for everyone written for life in Jerusalem]”’ (Isaiah 4:3). [They said to him:] ‘But is it not written: “It was when Jerusalem was captured”? (Jeremiah 38:28). He said to them: ‘that, too, is not trouble, but joy, as on that day Menaḥem28A name for the messianic king. was born and Israel paid off their debt for their iniquities, as Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Israel paid off their debt for their iniquities on the day that the Temple was destroyed, as it is stated: “Your iniquity is completed, daughter of Zion; He will not continue to exile you”’ (Lamentations 4:22).