He then discoursed on the verse: “The Lord hath chastened me sore”, etc. (Ps. 118, 18). ‘David said this in reference to all that had befallen him in this world, to his having been pursued and taken refuge in the land of Moab and the land of the Philistines, in order to strengthen his assurance of the other world.
He said: If I have sinned in this world I have been smitten in this world and received my punishment and been purified, and nothing of my punishment is left for the next world after death. Hence assuredly “God has chastened me” in this world, “but he hath not given me over to death” in the next world. So I, too, have been purified once in this world, and from now onward I must be careful that I do not incur disgrace in the world to come.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים קי״ח:י״ח) יַסּוֹר יִסְּרַנִּי יָהּ וְגוֹ', דָּוִד מַלְכָּא אָמַר דָּא, עַל כָּל מַה (ס"א דאעבר) דְּעֲבַד בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְאָמַר עַל אַבְטָחוּתָא דְּהֲוָה לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא. עַל כָּל מַה דְּאַעְבָּר בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, דִּרְדִיפוּ לֵיהּ, וַהֲוָה (ליה) עָרִיק בְּאַרְעָא נוּכְרָאָה, בְּאַרְעָא דְּמוֹאָב, וּבְאַרְעָא דִּפְלִשְׁתָּאֵי, וּמִכֻּלְּהוּ שֵׁזִיב לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְלָא שָׁבִיק לֵיהּ לְמוֹתָא, וְאָמַר עַל אַבְטָחוּתָא דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא.
He then discoursed on the verse: “The Lord hath chastened me sore”, etc. (Ps. 118, 18). ‘David said this in reference to all that had befallen him in this world, to his having been pursued and taken refuge in the land of Moab and the land of the Philistines, in order to strengthen his assurance of the other world.
אָמַר דָּוִד, אִי הָכָא חַבְנָא לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הָכָא אַלְקֵינָא, וְקַבִּילְנָא עוֹנְשָׁא דִּילִי, וְאַדְכֵּי לִי מִכָּל מַה דְּחַבְנָא, וְלָא שָׁבִיק עוֹנְשָׁא דִּילִי לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא, בָּתַר מִיתָה. וַדַּאי יַסּוֹר יִסְּרַנִּי יָהּ, בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, בְּגִין לְנַקָּאָה לִי. וְלַמָּוְת לֹא נְתָנָנִי, בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, לְנַטְלָא נִקְמָתָא מִנַּאי, וַאֲנָא, הָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אַנְקֵי לִי זִמְנָא חֲדָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, מִכָּאן וְהָלְאָה אִצְטְרִיכְנָא דְּלָא אֱהֵא בְּכִסּוּפָא בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
He said: If I have sinned in this world I have been smitten in this world and received my punishment and been purified, and nothing of my punishment is left for the next world after death. Hence assuredly “God has chastened me” in this world, “but he hath not given me over to death” in the next world. So I, too, have been purified once in this world, and from now onward I must be careful that I do not incur disgrace in the world to come.’