THIS TIME WILL I PRAISE THE LORD. R. Simeon adduced here the verse: “I will praise the Lord with my whole heart (lebab), with the council of the upright, and with the congregation” (Ps. 111, 1). ‘The intensified form lebab (heart) is used here’, he said, ‘to show that David desired to praise the Lord with his whole being, including both his good prompter (yetser-tob) and his evil prompter (yetser-ra’), or, in other terms, the right side and the left side
the heart (lebab), being symbolic of South and North. By the phrase “with the council of the upright” David implied the other directions, making up the six directions of the world, after the supernal pattern; “the congregation” is a reference to the realm of Judah, the term ‘edah (congregation) being akin to the term ‘eduth (testimony) in the passage, “and my testimony (ve-‘edothi) that I shall teach them” (Ps. 132, 13),
as well as to the vocable ‘od (yet) in the passage, “but Judah yet (‘od) ruleth with God, etc.” (Hos. 12, 1). On the other hand, in the verse: “I will praise thee with my whole heart (libi) toward Elohim will I sing praise unto thee” (Ibid. 138, 1), David addressed himself to one single realm, designated Elohim1The grade Malkuth, or Kingdom., singing praises to the grade associated with the right side.
Observe that Judah embraced all sides, having taken hold of the South as well as of the East; himself issuing from the left side, with his beginning in the North, he took hold of the South, since his turnings were to the right, and attached himself to the body. Hence Leah’s words: “This time I will praise the Lord.” The words, “And she stood still not to bear any more” imply that there was now a firm standing, that all was now in order, since the Heavenly Throne was now (with the birth of Judah) made complete.’
R. Simeon was once walking in the country when he met R. Abba and R. Hiya and R. Jose. When he saw them he said: ‘We ought to have here some new expositions of the Torah. So the three of them sat down for a time. When he was about to go, each one of them in turn discoursed on a Scriptural text.
R. Abba took the verse: And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot had separated from him: Lift up now thine eyes, etc. (Gen. XIII, I4). ‘Did Abraham then’, he asked, ‘inherit only so much of land as was within his range of vision and no more -a mere three, four, or, at most, five parasangs? This would contradict the next verse saying: “for all the land which thou seest to thee I will give it” (Ibid. 15).
But the truth is that in surveying the four directions of the world he saw the whole land, since the four directions embrace the whole world. Furthermore, God raised him high above the Land of Israel and made him see how it is bound up with the four cardinal points. Abram thus looked over the whole of the land. In a similar way, whoever sees R. Simeon sees the whole world, sees the delight of the upper world and the lower world.’
R. Hiya followed with the text: “The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed” (Gen. 28, 13). ‘Did God, then’, he asked, ‘promise him no more than that spot, a mere four or five cubits? The truth, however, is that God at that moment folded up the whole of the land of Israel within those four cubits, so that that spot comprised the whole land. Now, if the whole land can be so concentrated, how much more truly may it be said that R. Simeon, who is the light of the world, is of equal worth with the whole world!’
R. Jose then took the passage: “This time will I praise the Lord.” ‘Was it not’, he asked, ‘equally incumbent on her to praise God for the birth of her other sons? But the truth is that Judah, in virtue of being the fourth son, was the completion of the Heavenly Throne. Judah alone is thus the mainstay of the Heavenly Throne and is its truest support. For this very reason, moreover, was he called Judah (YHVDH), a word which contains the Divine Name with the addition of the letter Daleth (four), pointing to the four supports of the Heavenly Throne. With how much greater force can this be said of R. Simeon, who illumines the whole world with the light of the Torah, and who kindles the light of many lamps!’
(בראשית כ״ט:ל״ה) הַפַּעַם (קע"ח ע"ב) אוֹדֶה אֶת ה', רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים קי״א:א׳) אוֹדֶה ה' בְּכָל לֵבָב בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים וְעֵדָה, בְּכָל לֵבָב, בְּכָל לֵב מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא, דָּוִד בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה דִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, קָא בָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְאוֹדָאָה לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אוֹדֶה ה' בְּכָל לֵבָב בְּיֵצֶר טוֹב וּבְיֵצֶר רָע, וְאִלֵּין תְּרֵין סִטְרִין, חַד יָמִינָא וְחַד שְׂמָאלָא.
THIS TIME WILL I PRAISE THE LORD. R. Simeon adduced here the verse: “I will praise the Lord with my whole heart (lebab), with the council of the upright, and with the congregation” (Ps. 111, 1). ‘The intensified form lebab (heart) is used here’, he said, ‘to show that David desired to praise the Lord with his whole being, including both his good prompter (yetser-tob) and his evil prompter (yetser-ra’), or, in other terms, the right side and the left side
בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים וְעֵדָה, אִלֵּין אִינוּן שְׁאָר סִטְרִין דְּהַאי עַלְמָא, דְּהָא לֵבָב, כְּגַוְונָא דְדָרוֹם וְצָפוֹן. בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים, אִלֵּין אִינוּן שְׁאָר סִטְרֵי עַלְמָא, דְּאִינוּן שִׁית כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא. וְעֵדָה, דָּא הוּא אֲתַר דִּיהוּדָה, וּכְתִיב, (תהילים קל״ב:י״ב) וְעֵדוֹתִי זוֹ אֲלַמְּדֵם.
the heart (lebab), being symbolic of South and North. By the phrase “with the council of the upright” David implied the other directions, making up the six directions of the world, after the supernal pattern; “the congregation” is a reference to the realm of Judah, the term ‘edah (congregation) being akin to the term ‘eduth (testimony) in the passage, “and my testimony (ve-‘edothi) that I shall teach them” (Ps. 132, 13),
וּכְתִיב, (הושע י״ב:א׳) וִיהוּדָה עוֹד רָד עִם אֵל וְגו'. כְּתִיב (תהילים קל״ח:א׳) אוֹדְךָ בְּכָל לִבִּי נֶגֶד אֱלהִים אֲזַמְּרֶךָּ, הָכָא בְּאֲתַר חַד קָאֲמַר, דִּכְתִיב נֶגֶד אֱלהִים אֲזַמְּרֶךָּ. דְּהָא לְגַבֵּי הַאי דַרְגָּא קָאֲמַר שִׁירָתָא, לְחַבְּרָא לֵיהּ בִּימִינָא.
as well as to the vocable ‘od (yet) in the passage, “but Judah yet (‘od) ruleth with God, etc.” (Hos. 12, 1). On the other hand, in the verse: “I will praise thee with my whole heart (libi) toward Elohim will I sing praise unto thee” (Ibid. 138, 1), David addressed himself to one single realm, designated Elohim1The grade Malkuth, or Kingdom., singing praises to the grade associated with the right side.
תָּא חֲזֵי, יְהוּדָה אָחִיד בְּכָל סִטְרִין, אָחִיד בְּדָרוֹם וְאָחִיד בְּמִזְרָח. דְּהָא אִיהוּ מִסְּטַר שְׂמָאלָא קָא אַתְיָא, (שמות רכ"ג ע"א) וְשֵׁירוּתֵיהּ בַּצָּפוֹן וְאָחִיד בְּדָרוֹם, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אָזִיל לִימִינָא וְאִתְאֲחִיד בְּגוּפָא, בְּגִין כָּךְ (בראשית כ״ט:ל״ה) הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת ה'. וַתַּעֲמֹד מִלֶּדֶת, וַתַּעֲמֹד, דְּקָיְימָא בְּקִיּוּמָא דְּקָיְימָא כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת, דְּהָא אִתְתַּקַּן כֹּלָּא רְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא.
Observe that Judah embraced all sides, having taken hold of the South as well as of the East; himself issuing from the left side, with his beginning in the North, he took hold of the South, since his turnings were to the right, and attached himself to the body. Hence Leah’s words: “This time I will praise the Lord.” The words, “And she stood still not to bear any more” imply that there was now a firm standing, that all was now in order, since the Heavenly Throne was now (with the birth of Judah) made complete.’
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן נָפַק לְקִרְיָיתָא, אִזְדַּמַּן לֵיהּ רַבִּי אַבָּא וְרַבִּי חִיָּיא וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי, כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לוֹן, אָמַר חַדְּתוּתֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא אִצְטְרִיךְ הָכָא, יָתְבוּ תְּלָתָא אִלֵּין, (ס"א יומין) כַּד בָּעָא לְמֵיזַל, פָּתַח כָּל חַד וְחַד קְרָא.
R. Simeon was once walking in the country when he met R. Abba and R. Hiya and R. Jose. When he saw them he said: ‘We ought to have here some new expositions of the Torah. So the three of them sat down for a time. When he was about to go, each one of them in turn discoursed on a Scriptural text.
רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (בראשיתיג) וַה' אָמַר אֶל אַבְרָם אַחֲרֵי הִפָּרֶד לוֹט מֵעִמּוֹ וְגו', שָׂא נָא עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה וְגו'. וְכִי לְפוּם חֵיזוּ דְאַבְרָהָם יָרִית אַרְעָא וְלָא יַתִּיר. עַד כַּמָּה חָמֵי בַּר נָשׁ, תְּלַת פַּרְסֵי אוֹ אַרְבַּע אוֹ חָמֵשׁ פַּרְסֵי, וְאִיהוּ אָמַר (בראשית י״ג:ט״ו) כִּי אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה רוֹאֶה וְגו'.
R. Abba took the verse: And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot had separated from him: Lift up now thine eyes, etc. (Gen. XIII, I4). ‘Did Abraham then’, he asked, ‘inherit only so much of land as was within his range of vision and no more -a mere three, four, or, at most, five parasangs? This would contradict the next verse saying: “for all the land which thou seest to thee I will give it” (Ibid. 15).
אֶלָּא, כֵּיוָן דְּאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין דְּעַלְמָא חָמֵי, כָּל אַרְעָא חָמֵי. דְּהָא אַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי דְעָלְמָא, כְּלָלָא דְכָל עָלְמָא. תוּ, זְקַף לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל אַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאַחְמֵי לֵיהּ דְּאִיהִי קְשִׁירָא בְּסִטְרֵי דְעַלְמָא, וְהֲוָה חָמֵי כֹּלָּא. כְּגַוְונָא דָא, מַאן דְּחָמֵי לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כָּל עַלְמָא חָמֵי, חֶדְוָותָא דְּעֵילָא וְתַתָּא.
But the truth is that in surveying the four directions of the world he saw the whole land, since the four directions embrace the whole world. Furthermore, God raised him high above the Land of Israel and made him see how it is bound up with the four cardinal points. Abram thus looked over the whole of the land. In a similar way, whoever sees R. Simeon sees the whole world, sees the delight of the upper world and the lower world.’
פָּתַח רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְאָמַר (בראשית כ״ח:י״ג-י״ד) הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שׁוֹכֵב עָלֶיהָ לְךָ אֶתְּנְנָּה וּלְזַרְעֶךָ, וְכִי הַהוּא אֲתַר בִּלְחוֹדוֹי אַבְטַח לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּהָא אַרְבַּע אַמִּין אוֹ חַמְשָׁא הֲווּ וְלָא יַתִּיר. אֶלָּא, בְּזִמְנָא הַהוּא, בְּאִינוּן אַרְבַּע אַמִּין, כָּפִיל לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כָּל אַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. אִשְׁתַּכַּח הַהוּא אֲתַר כְּלָלָא דְכָל אַרְעָא, וּמַה הַהוּא אֲתַר אִיהוּ כְּלָלָא דְכָל אַרְעָא, רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן דְּאִיהוּ בּוּצִינָא דְכָל אַרְעָא, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה דְּשָׁקִיל כְּכָל עַלְמָא.
R. Hiya followed with the text: “The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed” (Gen. 28, 13). ‘Did God, then’, he asked, ‘promise him no more than that spot, a mere four or five cubits? The truth, however, is that God at that moment folded up the whole of the land of Israel within those four cubits, so that that spot comprised the whole land. Now, if the whole land can be so concentrated, how much more truly may it be said that R. Simeon, who is the light of the world, is of equal worth with the whole world!’
פָּתַח רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר, הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת ה', וְכִי בְּכֻלְּהוּ דְּאוֹלִידַת, לָא אִתְחֲזֵי לְאוֹדָאָה לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֶלָּא בְּהַאי. אֶלָּא יְהוּדָה אִיהוּ בְּרָא רְבִיעָאָה לְכֻּרְסְיָיא, וְאִיהוּ אַשְׁלִים לְכֻּרְסְיָיא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, יְהוּדָה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, תִּקּוּנָא דְכֻּרְסְיָיא וּסְמָכָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ סְמָכִין. (נ"א דהוו תלת, אברהם ויצחק ויעקב וכדין אתא דוד מיהודה ואשלים לכרסייא, ועל כך אקרי יהודה דאיהו שמא קדישא והדל"ת (ס"א ד' רגלוהי) מרגלוהי דכורסייא) רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן דְּנָהִיר כָּל עַלְמָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְכַמָּה בּוּצִינִין נָהֲרִין בְּגִינֵיהּ, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.
R. Jose then took the passage: “This time will I praise the Lord.” ‘Was it not’, he asked, ‘equally incumbent on her to praise God for the birth of her other sons? But the truth is that Judah, in virtue of being the fourth son, was the completion of the Heavenly Throne. Judah alone is thus the mainstay of the Heavenly Throne and is its truest support. For this very reason, moreover, was he called Judah (YHVDH), a word which contains the Divine Name with the addition of the letter Daleth (four), pointing to the four supports of the Heavenly Throne. With how much greater force can this be said of R. Simeon, who illumines the whole world with the light of the Torah, and who kindles the light of many lamps!’