R. Simeon further gave an exposition of the verse: The Lord said unto my lord, Sit at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool (Ps. 110, 1). “The Lord saith unto my lord”: ‘to wit, the upper grade said to the lower, “sit at my right hand”, in order that the West should be linked with the South and the Left with the Right so as to break the power of the Gentiles. Or again, “The Lord” is (the celestial) Jacob, and “to my lord” is “the ark of the covenant, the lord of all the earth” (Josh. 3, 11).
According to another explanation, “the Lord” refers to the Jubilee and “my lord” to the Sabbatical Year (cf. Ex. 21, 5, “I love my lord”). The words “sit at my right hand” are appropriate, because the Right is located in the Jubilee, and the Sabbatical Year craves to be linked with the Right.
When it first came into being, the Sabbatical Year was not linked securely (to the supreme power) through either the Right or the Left. So when it sought to secure itself, the supreme power stretched forth its right arm to meet it and created this world. It is because it is from the side of the Left that it has no sure basis till the time of the seventh millennium, when at length it will be linked through the Right. Then the Sabbatical Year, between the Right and the Left, will be securely based, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and it will not depart from there for ever.
According to this explanation, we must take the words “sit at my right hand” to refer only to a specified period, viz. “till I make thine enemies thy footstool”, but not in perpetuity; for when that event has come to pass, it will not depart from there for ever, as it is written, “for thou shalt spread abroad on the right hand and on the left” (Is. 54, 3), all being united.
תּוּ פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר (תהלים ק) נְאֻם יְיָ לַאדוֹנִי שֵׁב לִימִינִי עַד אָשִׁית אוֹיְבֶיךָ הֲדוֹם לְרַגְלֶיךָ. נְאֻם יְיָ לַאדוֹנִי, דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה לְדַרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה קָאָמַר שֵׁב לִימִינִי, לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא מַעֲרָבִית בִּדְרוֹמִית שְׂמָאלָא בְּיָמִינָא. בְּגִין לְתַבְּרָא חֵילֵיהוֹן דִּשְׁאָר עַמִין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת. נְאֻם יְיָ לַאדוֹנִי, נְאֻם יְיָ דָּא יַעֲקֹב. לַאֲדוֹנִי דָּא (יהושע ג׳:י״א) אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית אֲדוֹן כָּל הָאָרֶץ.
R. Simeon further gave an exposition of the verse: The Lord said unto my lord, Sit at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool (Ps. 110, 1). “The Lord saith unto my lord”: ‘to wit, the upper grade said to the lower, “sit at my right hand”, in order that the West should be linked with the South and the Left with the Right so as to break the power of the Gentiles. Or again, “The Lord” is (the celestial) Jacob, and “to my lord” is “the ark of the covenant, the lord of all the earth” (Josh. 3, 11).
דָּבָר אַחֵר נְאֻם יְיָ דָּא יוֹבְלָא. לַאֲדוֹנִי דָּא שְׁמִיטָה. דִּכְתִיב בָּהּ (שמות כ״א:ה׳) אָהַבְתִּי אֶת אֲדוֹנִי. שֵׁב לִימִינִי דְּהָא יְמִינָא בְּיוֹבְלָא שָׁרְיָא. וּשְׁמִיטָה בָּעֵי לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּיָמִינָא.
According to another explanation, “the Lord” refers to the Jubilee and “my lord” to the Sabbatical Year (cf. Ex. 21, 5, “I love my lord”). The words “sit at my right hand” are appropriate, because the Right is located in the Jubilee, and the Sabbatical Year craves to be linked with the Right.
תָּא חֲזֵי, שְׁמִיטָה דָא לָא אִתְקְשַׁר בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים בְּיָמִינָא ובִשְׂמָאלָא מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִשְׁתַּכְּחַת, כַּד בָּעְיָא לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא אוֹשִׁיט דְּרוֹעָא שְׂמָאלָא לְקֳבְלָהּ וּבָרָא עָלְמָא דֵין. וּבְגִין דְּהוּא מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא לֵית בֵּיהּ קִיּוּמָא עַד זִמְנָא דְּאֶלֶף שְׁבִיעָאָה. דִּבְהַהוּא יוֹמָא לְחוּד אִתְקַשַּׁר כְּדֵין בְּיָמִינָא. וּכְדֵין תֶּהוֵי בֵּין יָמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים וְיִשְׁתַּכְּחוּן שָׁמַיִם חֲדָשִׁים וְאֶרֶץ חֲדָשָׁה וּכְדֵין לָא תַעֲדֵי מִתַּמָּן לְעָלְמִין.
When it first came into being, the Sabbatical Year was not linked securely (to the supreme power) through either the Right or the Left. So when it sought to secure itself, the supreme power stretched forth its right arm to meet it and created this world. It is because it is from the side of the Left that it has no sure basis till the time of the seventh millennium, when at length it will be linked through the Right. Then the Sabbatical Year, between the Right and the Left, will be securely based, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and it will not depart from there for ever.
אִי הָכִי בְּמַאי נוֹקִים שֵׁב לִימִינִי. אֶלָּא עַד זִמְנָא יְדִיעָא דִּכְתִיב עַד אָשִׁית אוֹיְבֶיךָ הֲדוֹם לְרַגְלֶיךָ וְלָא תָדִיר. אֲבָל בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא לָא תַעֲדֵי מִתַּמָּן לְעָלְמִין דִּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו נ״ד:ג׳) כִּי יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל תִּפְרוֹצִי לְמֶהוֵי כֹּלָּא חַד.
According to this explanation, we must take the words “sit at my right hand” to refer only to a specified period, viz. “till I make thine enemies thy footstool”, but not in perpetuity; for when that event has come to pass, it will not depart from there for ever, as it is written, “for thou shalt spread abroad on the right hand and on the left” (Is. 54, 3), all being united.