It is written: “Take away the wicked from before the king and his throne shall be established in lovingkindness ” (Prov. 25, 3). When sinners are numerous in the world, the throne of the holy King is established in judgement and flames play around the world. But when the wicked are removed from the world, His throne is established in lovingkindness and not in judgement.
This shows that the lower world depends on the higher, and the higher is disposed according to the conduct of the lower. We further learn from this verse that when the priest enters the sanctuary he should enter with lovingkindness, of which the emblem is water, and not with wine, which is the emblem of severity.’
R. Judah and R. Isaac then came and kissed his head, and from that day he never left R. Judah, and when he entered the House of Study, R. Judah used to rise before him, saying: ‘I have learnt something from him, and it is fitting that I should show him respect.’ Afterwards he became one of the Companions and they used to call him “R. Jesse the hammerhead that breaks rocks and makes the sparks fly in all directions”, and R. Eleazar used to apply to him the verse: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee” (Jer. 1, 4).
כְּתִיב (משלי כ״ה:ד׳-ה׳) הָגוֹ סִיגִים מִכָּסֶף וַיֵּצֵא לַצּוֹרֵף כֶּלִי הָגוֹ רָשָׁע לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ וְיִכּוֹן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסְאוֹ. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַסְגִּיאוּ חַיָּיבִין בְּעָלְמָא, כּוּרְסְיָיא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִישָׁא אִתְתַּקְּנַת בְּדִינָא, לְאִסְתְּאָבָת (ס"א ואשתאבת) (ס"א וקיימא) בְּדִינָא, וְשַׁלְהוֹבוֹי אוֹקְדִין עָלְמָא. וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְעֲבָר חַיָּיבַיָא מֵעָלְמָא, כְּדֵין וְיִכּוֹן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסְאוֹ. בַּחֶסֶד, וְלָא בְּדִינָא מַאי מַשְׁמַע.
It is written: “Take away the wicked from before the king and his throne shall be established in lovingkindness ” (Prov. 25, 3). When sinners are numerous in the world, the throne of the holy King is established in judgement and flames play around the world. But when the wicked are removed from the world, His throne is established in lovingkindness and not in judgement.
מַשְׁמַע דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה תַּלְיָא בְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, וְעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה לְפוּם אָרְחֵי דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה. וְיִכּוֹן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסְאוֹ. מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ, וּלְאַתְקְנָא כּוּרְסְיֵיהּ, בְּחֶסֶד וְלָא בְּדִינָא. מַאי מַשְׁמַע. דְּכַד עָיֵיל כַּהֲנָא לְבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא, דְּיֵעוּל בְּחֶסֶד דְּאִיהוּ מַיָּא, וְלָא יֵיעוּל בְּיַיִן דְּשָׁתֵי דְּאִיהוּ גְּבוּרָה. יֵיעוּל (בהאי מלה) בְּמַיָּא, וְלָא יֵיעוּל בְּחַמְרָא.
This shows that the lower world depends on the higher, and the higher is disposed according to the conduct of the lower. We further learn from this verse that when the priest enters the sanctuary he should enter with lovingkindness, of which the emblem is water, and not with wine, which is the emblem of severity.’
אָתוּ רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרִבִּי יִצְחָק, וְנַשְּׁקוּ רֵישֵׁיהּ, וּמֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא לָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִבֵּי רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְכַד הֲוָה עָיֵיל לְבֵי מִדְרָשָׁא, הֲוָה קָם רִבִּי יְהוּדָה קַמֵּיהּ, אָמַר מִלָּה אוֹלִיפְנָא מִנֵּיהּ, וְיָאוּת לְאַנְהָגָא בֵּיהּ יְקָר. לְבָתַר אִסְתְּלַּק בֵּין חַבְרַיָּיא, וַהֲווּ קָארָן לֵיהּ רִבִּי יֵיסָא, רֵישָׁא דְּפַטִּישָׁא דְּמַתְבָּר טִנָרִין, וְאַפִּיק שַׁלְהוֹבִין לְכָל סְטָר. וַהֲוָה קָרֵי עָלֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, (ירמיהו א׳:ה׳) בְּטֶרֶם אֶצָּרְךָ בַּבֶּטֶן יְדַעְתִּיךָ.
R. Judah and R. Isaac then came and kissed his head, and from that day he never left R. Judah, and when he entered the House of Study, R. Judah used to rise before him, saying: ‘I have learnt something from him, and it is fitting that I should show him respect.’ Afterwards he became one of the Companions and they used to call him “R. Jesse the hammerhead that breaks rocks and makes the sparks fly in all directions”, and R. Eleazar used to apply to him the verse: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee” (Jer. 1, 4).