R. Abba expounded in this connection the verse: “There was a little city and few men within it, and there came a great king against it and besieged it”, etc. (Eccl. 9, 14, 15). ‘The “little city”,’ he said, ‘has here its well-known esoteric meaning (Malkuth); it is so called because it is the last and the lowest of all (the grades). There are “few men within it”, for few are those who succeed in ascending to it and abiding in it.
“A great king comes to it”: this is the Holv One, blessed be He, who comes to unite with it, and He “surrounds it” with walls, “and builds great bulwarks for it”, so that it is called “the holy city”, and all the treasure of the King is placed there, and therefore it alone is crowned with all the diadems of the King.
“He finds therein a poor wise man”, or, as we should rather say, “a prudent (misken) wise man”, a man crowned with the crowns of the Law and the precepts of the King, and endowed with wisdom to interpret aright the service of his Master. He “shall escape to that city in his wisdom”,
but “no man remembereth that man” to follow his example in keeping the precepts of the Law and studying the Torah. “Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength”, because in the other world none are permitted to enter save those truly virtuous who study the Torah day and night and are crowned with the precepts of the Law.
“But the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard”, since mankind pay no heed to him and have no desire to associate with him and listen to him. For so we have learnt, that to listen to the words of the Torah is like receiving it from Sinai, no matter from whom it comes, and he who inclines his ear to listen gives honour to the Holy King and to the Torah.’
דָּבָר אַחֵר תְּעַנּוּ אֶת נַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם. רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (קהלת ט׳:י״ד) עִיר קְטַנָּה וַאֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעָט וְגוֹ', עִיר קְטַנָּה, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ. אֲבָל עִיר קְטַנָּה, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיהו כ״ו:א׳) עִיר עָז לָנוּ יְשׁוּעָה יָשִׁית חוֹמוֹת וַחֵיל וְגוֹ'. וּכְתִּיב (הושע י״א:ט׳) וְלֹא אָבֹא בְּעִיר. עִיר קְטַנָּה, זְעֵירָא הִיא, דְּהִיא בַּתְרָאָה מִכֹּלָּא, תַּתָּאָה מִכֹלָּא, שׁוּרוֹי רַבְרְבִין, תַּקִּיפִין, קַדִּישִׁין, עִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ אִקְרֵי. וַאֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעָט, זְעִירִין אִינּוּן דְּזַכָּאן לְסַלְּקָא לְגַוָּוהּ, וּלְמִשְׁרֵי בָּהּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים כ״ד:ג׳) מִי יַעֲלֶה בְהַר יְיָ' וּמִי יָקוּם בִּמְקוֹם קָדְשׁוֹ וְגוֹ'. וְעַל דָּא אֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעָט.
R. Abba expounded in this connection the verse: “There was a little city and few men within it, and there came a great king against it and besieged it”, etc. (Eccl. 9, 14, 15). ‘The “little city”,’ he said, ‘has here its well-known esoteric meaning (Malkuth); it is so called because it is the last and the lowest of all (the grades). There are “few men within it”, for few are those who succeed in ascending to it and abiding in it.
וּבָא אֵלֶיהָ מֶלֶךְ גָּדוֹל, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. לְאִזְדַוְּוגָא בָּהּ, וּלְמִשְׁרֵי בָּהּ, וְסָבַב אוֹתָהּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (זכריה ב׳:ט׳) וַאֲנִי אֶהְיֶה לָּהּ נְאֻם יְיָ' חוֹמַת אֵשׁ סָבִיב וְגוֹ'. וּבָנָה עָלֶיהָ מְצוֹדִים גְּדוֹלִים, דְּבָנָה שׁוּרוֹי, רַבְרְבִין תַּקִּיפִין יֶאֱיָאן וְשַׁפִּירִין (ס"א מכל אבנין יקירין) קַדִּישִׁין. עִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ אִקְרֵי, וְכָל יְקָרָא דְּמַלְכָּא עַיִּיל בְּגַוָּוהּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, הִיא בִּלְחוֹדָהָא כְּלִילָא מִכָּל עִטְרֵי דְּמַלְכָּא, וְכָל עִטְרֵי מַלְכָּא בָּהּ מִתְעַטְּרִין. בְּגִין כָּךְ, וַאֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעָט כְּתִיב.
“A great king comes to it”: this is the Holv One, blessed be He, who comes to unite with it, and He “surrounds it” with walls, “and builds great bulwarks for it”, so that it is called “the holy city”, and all the treasure of the King is placed there, and therefore it alone is crowned with all the diadems of the King.
וּמָצָא בָהּ אִישׁ מִסְכֵּן וְחָכָם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהלים טו) נְקִי כַפַּיִם וּבַר לֵבָב. מִסְכֵּן: כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שמות א׳:י״א) וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת לְפַרְעֹה, מִתְעַטָּר בְּעִטְרִין תַּקִּיפִין, בְּעִטְרֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּעִטְרֵי פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּמַלְכָּא. וְחָכָם, דְּזָכֵי בָּהּ בְּהַאי חָכְמָה. וְחָכָם, דְּהוּא חַכִּים יַתִיר מִכֹּלָּא לְעַיְּינָא בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, בְּגִין לְמִזְכֵּי בָּהּ, וּלְאַעֲלָא בָּהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב, וּמִלַּט הוּא אֶת הָעִיר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ. וּמִלַּט: כְּמוֹ (שמואל א כ׳:כ״ט) אִמָּלְטָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת אֶחָי, (בראשית י״ט:כ׳) אִמָּלְטָה נָא שָׁמָּה. אוּף הָכָא וּמִלַּט הוּא אֶת הָעִיר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ.
“He finds therein a poor wise man”, or, as we should rather say, “a prudent (misken) wise man”, a man crowned with the crowns of the Law and the precepts of the King, and endowed with wisdom to interpret aright the service of his Master. He “shall escape to that city in his wisdom”,
וְאָדָם לֹא זָכַר אֶת הָאִישׁ הַמִּסְכֵּן הַהוּא, וְאָדָם לָא זָכַר, לְמֶעְבַּד פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כְּהַהוּא גְּבַר מִסְכְּנָא דְּאִתְחַבָּר בְּכֹלָּא, בְּגִין לְמִזְכֵּי בָּהּ. (קהלת ט׳:ט״ז) וְאָמַרְתִּי אָנִי טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִגְּבוּרָה. דְּהָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, לָא יָהֲבִין רְשׁוּ לְמֵיעַל, בַּר הָנֵי זַכָּאֵי קְשׁוֹט, הָנֵי דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יוֹמָא וְלֵילֵי, וּמִתְעַטְּרֵי בְּפִקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, לְמֵיעַל בְּהוּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
but “no man remembereth that man” to follow his example in keeping the precepts of the Law and studying the Torah. “Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength”, because in the other world none are permitted to enter save those truly virtuous who study the Torah day and night and are crowned with the precepts of the Law.
וְחָכְמַת הַמִּסְכֵּן בְּזוּיָה וּדְבָרָיו אֵינָם נִשְׁמָעִים. דְּהָא בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין בֵּיהּ, וְלָא בָּעָאן לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בֵּיהּ, וּלְאָצִית לְמִלּוֹי. דְּתָנָא, כָּל מַאן דְּאָצִית לְמִלּוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, זַכָּאָה הוּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּכְאִלּוּ קַבִּיל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי. וַאֲפִילּוּ מִכָּל בַּר נָשׁ נָמֵי בָּעֵי לְמִשְׁמַע מִלּוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וּמַאן דְּאַרְכִין אוּדְנֵיהּ לָקֳבְלֵיהּ, יָהִיב יְקָרָא לְמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְיָהִיב יְקָרָא לְאוֹרַיְיתָא. עָלֵיהּ כְּתִיב, (דברים כ״ז:ט׳) הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה נִהְיֵיתָ לְעָם לַיְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ.
“But the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard”, since mankind pay no heed to him and have no desire to associate with him and listen to him. For so we have learnt, that to listen to the words of the Torah is like receiving it from Sinai, no matter from whom it comes, and he who inclines his ear to listen gives honour to the Holy King and to the Torah.’