As R. Eleazar was once going from Cappadocia to Lydda, accompanied by R. Jose and R. Hizkiah, he began to discourse thus: ‘It is written, “And I have put my words in thy mouth and have covered thee in the shadow of my hand” (Isa. 51, 16). We have been taught’, he said, ‘that if a man studies the words of the Torah and ever has them on his lips, God protects him and the Shekinah spreads her wings over him; nay more, he supports the world and God rejoices over him as if He had that day planted heaven and earth, as it says, “to plant heaven and to lay the foundations of the earth, and to say to Zion, thou art my people” (Ibid.);
He further discoursed on the verse: “Bind the testimony, seal up the law among my disciples” (Isa. 8, 16). ‘The testimony is that of David, referred to in the verse, “My testimony that I shall teach them” (Ps. 132, 12). The seal of the law and of all the abundance that flows from above is where? “In my disciples”; for there is the abundance gathered between the two pillars (Nezah and Hod) that stand there, and so all is tied firmly with one trusty knot.
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הֲוָה אָזִיל מִקַּפּוֹטְקַיָּא לְלוּד, וַהֲווּ עִמֵּיהּ רִבִּי יֵיסָא וְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה. פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו נ״א:ט״ז) וָאָשִׂים דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ וּבְצֵל יָדִי כִּסִּיתִיךָ וְגוֹ'. תָּנֵינָן, כָּל בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְשִׂפְוָותֵיהּ מְרַחְשָׁן אוֹרַיְיתָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חַפְּיָא עָלֵיהּ, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא פַּרְשָׂא עָלֵיהּ גַּדְפָהָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וָאָשִׂים דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ וּבְצֵל יָדִי כִּסִּיתִיךָ. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְּהוּא מְקַיֵּים עָלְמָא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חַדֵּי עִמֵּיהּ, כְּאִלּוּ הַהוּא יוֹמָא נָטַע שְׁמַיָא וְאַרְעָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו נ״א:ט״ז) לִנְטוֹעַ שָׁמַיִם וְלִיסוֹד אָרֶץ וְלֵאמֹר לְצִיּוֹן עַמִּי אָתָּה.
As R. Eleazar was once going from Cappadocia to Lydda, accompanied by R. Jose and R. Hizkiah, he began to discourse thus: ‘It is written, “And I have put my words in thy mouth and have covered thee in the shadow of my hand” (Isa. 51, 16). We have been taught’, he said, ‘that if a man studies the words of the Torah and ever has them on his lips, God protects him and the Shekinah spreads her wings over him; nay more, he supports the world and God rejoices over him as if He had that day planted heaven and earth, as it says, “to plant heaven and to lay the foundations of the earth, and to say to Zion, thou art my people” (Ibid.);
מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִקְרוּן בִּשְׁמָא דְּצִיּוֹן, דִּכְתִּיב וְלֵאמֹר לְצִיּוֹן עַמִּי אַתָּה, וַחֲמֵינָא דִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִקְרֵי בִּשְׁמָא דְּצִיּוֹן, דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו א׳:כ״ז) צִיּוֹן בְּמִשְׁפָּט תִּפָּדֶה וְשָׁבֶיהָ בִּצְדָקָה.
from this we learn that Israel are called Zion.’
תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו ח׳:ט״ז) צוֹר תְּעוּדָה חֲתוֹם תּוֹרָה בְּלִמּוּדָי. צוֹר תְּעוּדָה. דָּא סַהֲדוּתָא דְּדָוִד, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים קל״ב:י״ב) וְעֵדוֹתִי זוֹ אֲלַמְּדֵם. צוֹר: הִיא קִשּׁוּרָא, כְּמַאן דְּקָטַר קְטוּרָא בַּאֲתַר חַד. חֲתוֹם תּוֹרָה בְּלִמּוּדָי. חֲתוֹם תּוֹרָה: חַתִימָה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְכָל נְגִידוּ וּרְבוּ דְּנָגִיד מִלְּעֵילָּא, בְּאָן (נ"א בין) חֲתִימָה דִּילֵיהּ. בְּלִמּוּדָי. בְּגִין דְּתַמָּן אִתְכְּנַשׁ רְבוּ וּמִשְׁחָא, בֵּין תְּרֵין קַיָימִין, דְּתַמָּן שַׁרְיָין, אֲתַר כְּנִישׁוּ דְּכָל רְבוּת וּמְשַׁח דְּנָגִיד מִלְּעֵילָּא, לְאַשְׁדָּאָה לֵיהּ בְּפוּמָא דְּאַמָּה, וּלְאַרְקָא לֵיהּ בְּהַאי תְּעוּדָה. וּכְדֵין אִתְקְשַׁר כֹּלָּא קִשְׁרָא חַד מְהֵימָנָא.
He further discoursed on the verse: “Bind the testimony, seal up the law among my disciples” (Isa. 8, 16). ‘The testimony is that of David, referred to in the verse, “My testimony that I shall teach them” (Ps. 132, 12). The seal of the law and of all the abundance that flows from above is where? “In my disciples”; for there is the abundance gathered between the two pillars (Nezah and Hod) that stand there, and so all is tied firmly with one trusty knot.