Know! it is possible for a person to be sitting in one place together with his friend in Gan Eden, and for him to experience all the pleasures and delights, and all the three hundred ten worlds, whereas his friend feels nothing and experiences no pleasure whatsoever.
This is because “the heaven to the heights, and the earth to the depths, and the heart of kings is unfathomable” (Proverbs 25:3). As our Sages teach: If all the seas were ink, and [the reeds of] the lakes were quills… they would still not be able to put into writing the hidden matters of the authorities, as it says, “The heaven for height…” (Shabbat 11a).
We find therefore that the “heart of kings” is much more expansive than the height of heaven and the depth of the earth which occupy so much space, many thousands and thousands of miles. Yet the heart and the brain, which are very small in terms of their space, apprehend everything; so much so that his heart is able to attend to each and every country, and he can apprehend and picture in his heart [and mind] each and every land, and the astronomy of the heavens, and much, much more than this. For “the heart of kings is unfathomable.”
See, understand and comprehend the greatness of the Creator: how the little holds much. A small fragment of heart such as this, and a small mind such as this, apprehends within its space such great things as these. The only reason for this is that Godliness is found there. For the essence of Godliness is found in the heart, as is explained elsewhere.
So now, understand and comprehend. If the heart—which contains only an aspect of Godliness, one that is not even, so to speak, one part in many millions of the Creator’s providence—is of such great value that it can apprehend within its little space worlds without number….
And even of gentiles it is said, “the heart of kings is unfathomable.” This is because his heart attends to each and every land, and he apprehends and calibrates in his mind every land under his authority, as well as all its inhabitants and all that is found there.
We find therefore that the primary greatness of the king, and his pleasure and rule, are only in the heart—he knows in his heart that he is king over all these lands and rules over them all as his heart wills and as he desires.
Now, understand on your own, that in this way it is possible for him to contain all the three hundred ten worlds in his heart. For the heart can apprehend within its space “that which is unfathomable… and without number” (cf. Job 9:10), as above. He will experience all the pleasures and delights, yet his friend, although he sits alongside him, will feel nothing. For his heart is lacking in all this, in all the good and delights that his friend, the tzaddik, experiences in his heart.
Happy is he. For, as mentioned above, the principal feeling of the pleasure and the delight of the World to Come, and [that of] all the three hundred ten worlds, is all in the heart.
דַּע, שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב אֶחָד אֵצֶל חֲבֵרוֹ בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד בְּגַן־עֵדֶן, וְלָזֶה יִהְיוּ כָּל הַתַּעֲנוּגִים וְהַשַּׁעֲשׁוּעִים וְכָל הַשַּׁ"י (שלוש מאות ועשר) עוֹלָמוֹת, וַחֲבֵרוֹ לֹא יַרְגִּישׁ כְּלוּם, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה לוֹ שׁוּם תַּעֲנוּג.
Know! it is possible for a person to be sitting in one place together with his friend in Gan Eden, and for him to experience all the pleasures and delights, and all the three hundred ten worlds, whereas his friend feels nothing and experiences no pleasure whatsoever.
כִּי שָׁמַיִם לָרוּם וָאָרֶץ לָעֹמֶק, וְלֵב מְלָכִים אֵין חֵקֶר (משלי כה); וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שבת יא): אִם יִהְיוּ כָּל הַיַּמִּים דְּיוֹ, וַאֲגַמִּים קֻלְמוֹסִים וְכוּ', אֵין מַסְפִּיקִין לִכְתֹּב חֲלָלָהּ שֶׁל רָשׁוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: שָׁמַיִם לָרוּם וְכוּ'.
This is because “the heaven to the heights, and the earth to the depths, and the heart of kings is unfathomable” (Proverbs 25:3). As our Sages teach: If all the seas were ink, and [the reeds of] the lakes were quills… they would still not be able to put into writing the hidden matters of the authorities, as it says, “The heaven for height…” (Shabbat 11a).
נִמְצָא שֶׁלֵּב מְלָכִים גָּדוֹל הַרְבֵּה מֵרוּם הַשָּׁמַיִם וְעֹמֶק הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁתּוֹפְסִים כָּל כָּךְ מָקוֹם כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה אַלְפֵי אֲלָפִים פַּרְסָאוֹת, וְהַלֵּב וְהַמֹּחַ שֶׁקְּטַנִּים מְאֹד בִּמְקוֹמָם, הֵם תּוֹפְסִים הַכֹּל, עַד שֶׁיָּכוֹל לִתֵּן לֵב עַל כָּל מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וְלִתְפֹּס וּלְהִצְטַיֵּר בְּלִבּוֹ כָּל מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וּתְכוּנוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְיוֹתֵר וְיוֹתֵר מִזֶּה, כִּי לֵב מְלָכִים אֵין חֵקֶר.
We find therefore that the “heart of kings” is much more expansive than the height of heaven and the depth of the earth which occupy so much space, many thousands and thousands of miles. Yet the heart and the brain, which are very small in terms of their space, apprehend everything; so much so that his heart is able to attend to each and every country, and he can apprehend and picture in his heart [and mind] each and every land, and the astronomy of the heavens, and much, much more than this. For “the heart of kings is unfathomable.”
רְאֵה וְהָבֵן וַחֲכַם גְּדֻלַּת הַבּוֹרֵא, אֵיךְ הַמּוּעָט מַחֲזִיק אֶת הַמְרֻבֶּה, שֶׁחֲתִיכַת לֵב קָטָן כָּזֶה, וּמֹחַ קָטָן כָּזֶה, יִתְפֹּס בִּמְקוֹמוֹ דְּבָרִים גְּדוֹלִים כָּאֵלֶּה, וְזֶה רַק מֵחֲמַת שֶׁנִּמְצָא שָׁם הָאֱלֹקוּת. כִּי עִקַּר הָאֱלֹקוּת הוּא בְּהַלֵּב, כַּמְבֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (לעיל בסימן מט).
See, understand and comprehend the greatness of the Creator: how the little holds much. A small fragment of heart such as this, and a small mind such as this, apprehends within its space such great things as these. The only reason for this is that Godliness is found there. For the essence of Godliness is found in the heart, as is explained elsewhere.
וּמֵעַתָּה בִּין וַחֲכַם: אִם בְּהַלֵּב, שֶׁנִּמְצָא שָׁם רַק בְּחִינוֹת אֱלֹקוּת, שֶׁאֵינוֹ כִּבְיָכוֹל חֵלֶק אֶחָד מֵאַלְפֵי אֲלָפִים מֵהַשְׁגָּחַת הַבּוֹרֵא בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כַּמָּה גָּדוֹל עֶרְכּוֹ, שֶׁיָּכוֹל לִתְפֹּס בִּמְקוֹמוֹ הַמּוּעָט, עוֹלָמוֹת אֵין מִסְפָּר,
So now, understand and comprehend. If the heart—which contains only an aspect of Godliness, one that is not even, so to speak, one part in many millions of the Creator’s providence—is of such great value that it can apprehend within its little space worlds without number….
וַאֲפִלּוּ עַל עַכּוּ"ם נֶאֱמַר: וְלֵב מְלָכִים אֵין חֵקֶר, עַל שֶׁנּוֹתֵן לֵב לְכָל מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה, וְתוֹפֵס וּמְשַׁעֵר בְּדַעְתּוֹ כָּל הַמְּדִינוֹת שֶׁתַּחְתָּיו, עִם כָּל הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו, וְכָל הַנִּמְצָא בָּהּ.
And even of gentiles it is said, “the heart of kings is unfathomable.” This is because his heart attends to each and every land, and he apprehends and calibrates in his mind every land under his authority, as well as all its inhabitants and all that is found there.
וּמֵעַתָּה הֱוֵי דָּן אַלְפֵי אֲלָפִים קַל וָחֹמֶר, לְשַׁעֵר בְּדַעְתּוֹ מִגְּדֻלּוֹת הַבּוֹרֵא בָּרוּךְ הוּא.
… so now, one must deduce thousands upon thousands of minor-to-major-inferences to estimate in his mind [a degree] of the Creator’s greatness.
נִמְצָא, שֶׁעִקַּר גְּדֻלּוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ וְתַעֲנוּגוֹ וּמֶמְשַׁלְתּוֹ הוּא רַק בַּלֵּב, שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁהוּא מֶלֶךְ עַל כָּל הַמְּדִינוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וּמוֹשֵׁל בְּכֻלָּם כִּרְצוֹן לִבּוֹ וְחֶפְצוֹ,
We find therefore that the primary greatness of the king, and his pleasure and rule, are only in the heart—he knows in his heart that he is king over all these lands and rules over them all as his heart wills and as he desires.
וּמֵעַתָּה תָּבִין מֵעַצְמְךָ, שֶׁלָּזֶה אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ כָּל הַשַּׁ"י עוֹלָמוֹת בְּלִבּוֹ, כִּי הַלֵּב יָכוֹל לִתְפֹּס בִּמְקוֹמוֹ עַד אֵין חֵקֶר וְאֵין מִסְפָּר כַּנַּ"ל, וְיִהְיֶה לוֹ כָּל הַתַּעֲנוּגִים וְהַשַּׁעֲשׁוּעִים, וַחֲבֵרוֹ אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁיּוֹשֵׁב אֶצְלוֹ לֹא יַרְגִּישׁ כְּלוּם, כִּי לִבּוֹ חָסֵר מִכָּל זֶה, מִכָּל הַטּוֹבוֹת וְהַשַּׁעֲשׁוּעִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ לַחֲבֵרוֹ הַצַּדִּיק בְּתוֹךְ לִבּוֹ,
Now, understand on your own, that in this way it is possible for him to contain all the three hundred ten worlds in his heart. For the heart can apprehend within its space “that which is unfathomable… and without number” (cf. Job 9:10), as above. He will experience all the pleasures and delights, yet his friend, although he sits alongside him, will feel nothing. For his heart is lacking in all this, in all the good and delights that his friend, the tzaddik, experiences in his heart.
אַשְׁרֵי לוֹ, כִּי עִקַּר הַרְגָּשַׁת תַּעֲנוּג וְשַׁעֲשוּעַ עוֹלָם הַבָּא וְכָל הַשַּׁ"י עוֹלָמוֹת – הַכֹּל הוּא בַּלֵּב כַּנַּ"ל:
Happy is he. For, as mentioned above, the principal feeling of the pleasure and the delight of the World to Come, and [that of] all the three hundred ten worlds, is all in the heart.