SO GOD GIVE THEE OF THE DEW OF HEAVEN, AND OF THE FAT PLACES OF THE EARTH, AND PLENTY OF CORN AND WINE. R. Abba said: ‘We may bring into connection with this passage the verse: “A song of Ascents. In my distress I called unto the Lord and he answered me” (Ps. 120, 1). Many songs and hymns did David utter before the Almighty for the purpose of perfecting his grade and making himself a name, as Scripture says: “And David got him a name” (II Sam. 8, 13). But this song David recited when he contemplated this incident of Jacob.’
R. Eleazar said: ‘It was Jacob who uttered this psalm at the moment when his father said to him: “Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.” That was a moment of great distress for Jacob, as he feared that his father would recognize him. We read, however: “And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.” It was then that Jacob said: “In my distress I called unto the Lord, and he answered me.’
“O Lord, deliver my soul from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue” (Ps. 120, 1-2). The “lying lips” is a reference to the grade of Esau, which is so called because when the serpent brought curses into the world it was by means of cunning and crookedness.
וְיִתֶּן לְךָ הָאֱלהִים מִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ וְרֹב דָּגָן וְתִירוֹשׁ. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ, אֲבָל (פתח רבי אבא ואמר) תָּא חֲזֵי, (תהילים ק״כ:א׳) שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת אֶל יְיָ בַּצָּרָתָה לִי קָרָאתִי וַיַּעֲנֵנִי. כַּמָּה שִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן אָמַר דָּוִד מַלְכָּא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְכֹלָּא בְּגִין לְאַתְקָנָא דַרְגֵּיהּ וּלְמֶעְבַּד לֵיהּ שְׁמָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמואל ב ח׳:י״ג) וַיַּעַשׂ דָּוִד שֵׁם, וְשִׁירָתָא דָּא אָמַר (ס"א ל"ג ליה) כַּד חָמָא עוֹבָדָא דָּא לְיַעֲקֹב (ס"א דיעקב).
SO GOD GIVE THEE OF THE DEW OF HEAVEN, AND OF THE FAT PLACES OF THE EARTH, AND PLENTY OF CORN AND WINE. R. Abba said: ‘We may bring into connection with this passage the verse: “A song of Ascents. In my distress I called unto the Lord and he answered me” (Ps. 120, 1). Many songs and hymns did David utter before the Almighty for the purpose of perfecting his grade and making himself a name, as Scripture says: “And David got him a name” (II Sam. 8, 13). But this song David recited when he contemplated this incident of Jacob.’
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, יַעֲקֹב אָמַר שִׁירָתָא דָא (דהא), בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּאָמַר לֵיהּ אֲבוֹי, (בראשית כ״ז:כ״א) גְּשָׁה נָא וַאֲמֻשְׁךָ בְּנִי הַאַתָּה זֶה בְּנִי עֵשָׂו אִם לֹא, כְּדֵין (ד"א בגין) דְּהֲוָה (הוה) יַעֲקֹב בְּעָאקוּ סַגִּי, דְּדָחִיל דְּאֲבוֹי יְדַע לֵיהּ וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע קַמֵּיהּ. מַה כְּתִיב, (בראשית כ״ז:כ״ג) וְלא הִכִּירוֹ כִּי הָיוּ יָדָיו כִּידֵי עֵשָׂו אָחִיו שְׂעִירוֹת וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ. כְּדֵין אָמַר, (תהילים ק״כ:א׳) אֶל יְיָ בַּצָּרָתָה לִי קָרָאתִי וַיַּעֲנֵנִי.
R. Eleazar said: ‘It was Jacob who uttered this psalm at the moment when his father said to him: “Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.” That was a moment of great distress for Jacob, as he feared that his father would recognize him. We read, however: “And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.” It was then that Jacob said: “In my distress I called unto the Lord, and he answered me.’
(שם) יְיָ הַצִּילָה נַפְשִׁי מִשְּׂפַת שֶׁקֶר מִלָּשׁוֹן רְמִיָה, דָּא הוּא דַּרְגָּא דְעֵשָׂו שַׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ, דְּאִיהוּ שְׂפַת שֶׁקֶר (ס"א מה הוא). שְׂפַת שֶׁקֶר, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְאַיְיתֵי הַהוּא חִוְיָא לְוָוטִין עַל עַלְמָא, וּבְחַכִּימוּ וּבַעֲקִימוּ אַיְיתֵי לְוָוטִין, דְּאִתְלַטְיָא עָלְמָא.
“O Lord, deliver my soul from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue” (Ps. 120, 1-2). The “lying lips” is a reference to the grade of Esau, which is so called because when the serpent brought curses into the world it was by means of cunning and crookedness.