R. Jesse the Younger was a frequent visitor at the school of R. Simeon. Referring one day to the verse: “Blessings are upon the head of the righteous” (Prov. 10, 6), he asked: ‘Why does it say “upon the head of the righteous”, and not simply “upon the righteous”?’ R. Simeon in answer said: ‘This is an allusion to the Holy Crown, as has been explained elsewhere. Or again, the “head of the righteous” can be an allusion to Jacob, who received the blessings and transmitted them to the Righteous One, from whom they were diffused to all sides, so that all worlds were blessed.
This is an allusion to the Holy Crown, as has been explained elsewhere. Or again, the “head of the righteous” can be an allusion to Jacob, who received the blessings and transmitted them to the Righteous One, from whom they were diffused to all sides, so that all worlds were blessed. We have, however, affirmed that “Righteous” is the name given to the place of the covenant whence there issue fountains abroad, and just as the aperture of a wine cask through which the wine is drawn is called the top or head of the cask, so is this spot called “the head of righteous”, when it wells forth into the female.
Furthermore, whoever succeeds in keeping unsullied the sign of the holy covenant, and observes the precepts of the Torah, is called righteous, and is so called from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot; and when blessings flow into the world they rest upon his head, from whence they are diffused throughout the world, through the medium of the holy and worthy sons whom he brings up.’
R. Jesse further cited the verse, I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken (Ps. 37, 25). ‘These words,’ he said, ‘according to our teaching, were uttered by the Chieftain of the world, who concentrated in them more wisdom than most people would think.’
רִבִּי יֵיסָא זוּטָא הֲוָה שְׁכִיחַ קַמֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אָמַר לֵיהּ. הַאי דִכְתִיב (משלי י׳:ו׳) בְּרָכוֹת לְרֹאשׁ צַדִּיק, לַצַדִּיק מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי לְרֹאשׁ צַדִּיק. אָמַר לֵיהּ, רֹאשׁ צַדִּיק דָּא הִיא עֲטָרָה קַדִּישָׁא, וְאוּקְמוּהָ. תוּ, רֹאשׁ צַדִּיק, דָּא יַעֲקֹב, דְּאִיהוּ נָטִיל בִּרְכָאן, וְנָגִיד לוֹן לַצַדִּיק, וּמִתַּמָּן אִזְדְּרִיקוּ לְכָל עֵיבָר, וּמִתְבָּרְכָן כֻּלְּהוּ עַלְמִין.
R. Jesse the Younger was a frequent visitor at the school of R. Simeon. Referring one day to the verse: “Blessings are upon the head of the righteous” (Prov. 10, 6), he asked: ‘Why does it say “upon the head of the righteous”, and not simply “upon the righteous”?’ R. Simeon in answer said: ‘This is an allusion to the Holy Crown, as has been explained elsewhere. Or again, the “head of the righteous” can be an allusion to Jacob, who received the blessings and transmitted them to the Righteous One, from whom they were diffused to all sides, so that all worlds were blessed.
אֲבָל הָא אוֹקִימְנָא, בְּרָכוֹת לְרֹאשׁ צַדִּיק, (ראש) צַדִּיק אִקְרֵי, הַהוּא אֲתַר (ס"א ל"ג רישא) דִּבְרִית, דְּמִנֵּיהּ נָפְקִין מַבּוּעִין לְבַר, נוּקְבָא דְּקִיסְטָא דְּחַמְרָא נָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ, אִיהוּ רֵישָׁא. כָּךְ רֹאשׁ צַדִּיק, הַהוּא אֲתַר, כַּד זָרִיק מַבּוּעִין לְנוּקְבָא, אִקְרֵי רֹאשׁ צַדִּיק. צַדִּיק אִיהוּ רֹאשׁ (נ"א רישא לכל ברכאן) בְּגִין דְּכָל בִּרְכָאן בֵּיהּ שָׁרְיָין.
This is an allusion to the Holy Crown, as has been explained elsewhere. Or again, the “head of the righteous” can be an allusion to Jacob, who received the blessings and transmitted them to the Righteous One, from whom they were diffused to all sides, so that all worlds were blessed. We have, however, affirmed that “Righteous” is the name given to the place of the covenant whence there issue fountains abroad, and just as the aperture of a wine cask through which the wine is drawn is called the top or head of the cask, so is this spot called “the head of righteous”, when it wells forth into the female.
תוּ, הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, דְּזָכֵי לְמִנְטַר אָת קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְעֲבִיד פִּקּוּדֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, צַדִּיק אִקְרֵי, וּמֵרִישֵׁיהּ וְעַד רַגְלוֹי הָכִי אִקְרֵי. וְכַד בִּרְכָאן נָגְדִין לְעָלְמָא, שַׁרְיָין עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ, וּמִנֵּיהּ קָיְימֵי בִּרְכָאן לְעַלְמָא, בִּבְנִין קַדִּישִׁין זַכָּאִין דְּאוֹקִים.
Furthermore, whoever succeeds in keeping unsullied the sign of the holy covenant, and observes the precepts of the Torah, is called righteous, and is so called from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot; and when blessings flow into the world they rest upon his head, from whence they are diffused throughout the world, through the medium of the holy and worthy sons whom he brings up.’
רִבִּי יֵיסָא תוּ שָׁאִיל וְאָמַר, (תהילים ל״ז:כ״ה) כְּתִיב נַעַר הָיִיתִי גַּם זָקַנְתִּי וְגו'. הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ דְּשָׂרוֹ דְעַלְמָא אֲמָרוֹ, אִיהוּ אֲמָרוֹ בְּחָכְמְתָא, יַתִּיר מִמַּה דְּחָשְׁבִין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, בְּרִי יָאוֹת הוּא, דְּהָא בְּיִחוּדָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְּמָר נַעַר הָיִיתִי גַּם זָקַנְתִּי וְהָכִי הוּא.
R. Jesse further cited the verse, I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken (Ps. 37, 25). ‘These words,’ he said, ‘according to our teaching, were uttered by the Chieftain of the world, who concentrated in them more wisdom than most people would think.’