From whose example do we know this? From this song of Moses. First the lower addresses the higher in the words, “For I will call on the name of the Lord”, and again, “Ascribe greatness to our God”, the reference being to the Most High King. Afterwards he traces the degrees from higher to lower, as it is written, “righteous and upright”. Finally the knot of faith is tied in the words “he is”.
This should be the example for every man in arranging the praises of his Master. At first he should ascend from the lower to the higher till he carries the honour of his Master to the place whence issues the stream of the most recondite fountain. Then he draws it downwards from that moistening stream to each grade in turn down to the lowest grade, so that blessings are drawn to all from on high. Then he has to knit all firmly together with the knot of faith, and this is the man who honours the name of his Master by unifying the Holy Name. Of such a one it is written, “Them that honour me I will honour” (I Sam. 2, 30), that is, them that honour Me in this world I will honour in the next.
“But”, the verse goes on, “they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed”. This applies to one who does not know how to unify the Holy Name, to bind the knot of faith, and to bring blessings to the proper place; for whoever does not know how to honour the name of his Master were better not to have been born.
מְנָלָן מִמֹּשֶׁה, בְּקַדְמִיתָא, מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא, (דברים לב) כִּי שֵׁם יְיָ' אֶקְרָא. מַאי אֶקְרָא. כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (ויקרא א׳:א׳) וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה, דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא. לְבָתַר, הָבוּ גֹּדֶל לֵאלֹהֵינוּ, דָּא מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה. לְבָתַר נָחִית בְּדַרְגּוֹי מֵעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא, דִּכְתִּיב צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר. לְבָתַר קָשִׁיר קִשְׁרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא וְאָמַר, הוּא, וְדָא הוּא קִשְׁרָא לְכֹלָּא.
From whose example do we know this? From this song of Moses. First the lower addresses the higher in the words, “For I will call on the name of the Lord”, and again, “Ascribe greatness to our God”, the reference being to the Most High King. Afterwards he traces the degrees from higher to lower, as it is written, “righteous and upright”. Finally the knot of faith is tied in the words “he is”.
בְּגִין כָּךְ, בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְסַדְּרָא שְׁבָחָא דְּמָארֵיהּ כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא, בְּקַדְמִיתָא מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא, לְסַלְּקָא יְקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, לַאֲתָר דְּשַׁקְיוּ דַּעֲמִיקָא (ע' ע"א) דְּבֵירָא נָגִיד וְנָפִיק. לְבָתַר (נגיד) לְאַמְשָׁכָא מֵעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא, מֵהַהוּא שַׁקְיוּ דְּנַחֲלָא, לְכָל דַּרְגָּא וְדַרְגָּא, עַד דַּרְגָּא בַּתְרָאָה, לְאַמְשָׁכָא בִּרְכָאן לְכֹלָּא, מִלְּעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא. לְבָתַר בָּעֵי לְקַשְּׁרָא קִשְׁרָא בְּכֹלָּא, קִשְׁרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא. וְדָא הוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּאוֹקִיר לִשְׁמָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, לְיַחֲדָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (שמואל א ב׳:ל׳) כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד, כִּי מְכַבְּדַי לְעָלְמָא דָּא, אֲכַבֵּד בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
This should be the example for every man in arranging the praises of his Master. At first he should ascend from the lower to the higher till he carries the honour of his Master to the place whence issues the stream of the most recondite fountain. Then he draws it downwards from that moistening stream to each grade in turn down to the lowest grade, so that blessings are drawn to all from on high. Then he has to knit all firmly together with the knot of faith, and this is the man who honours the name of his Master by unifying the Holy Name. Of such a one it is written, “Them that honour me I will honour” (I Sam. 2, 30), that is, them that honour Me in this world I will honour in the next.
וּבוֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ, מַאי וּבוֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ. דָּא הוּא מַאן דְּלָא יָדַע לְיַחֲדָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּלְקַשְּׁרָא קִשְׁרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, וּלְאַמְשָׁכָא בִּרְכָאן לַאֲתָר דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ, וּלְאוֹקִיר שְׁמָא דְּמָארֵיהּ. וְכָל מַאן דְּלָא יָדַע לְאוֹקִיר שְׁמָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, טַב לֵיהּ דְּלָא אִבְרֵי.
“But”, the verse goes on, “they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed”. This applies to one who does not know how to unify the Holy Name, to bind the knot of faith, and to bring blessings to the proper place; for whoever does not know how to honour the name of his Master were better not to have been born.