R. Isaac and R. Jesse were once walking together on the road. Said R. Jesse: ‘Behold, the Shekinah is near us. Let us therefore engage in an exposition of the Torah, since whoso occupies himself with the Torah draws Her nearer to himself.’
R. Isaac then began a discourse on the verse: The Lord liveth, and blessed be my Rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation (Ps. 18, 47). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘has a recondite meaning We know that God is called “the living one”. But this verse indicates that the perfectly righteous man also is called “living one”, so that there is a righteous living one on high, and correspondingly a righteous living one here on earth. On high it is God who is called “living one”, and here below it is the righteous man who is called “living one”, as it is written: “And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a living man”1According to the K’tib. (II Sam. 23, 20). He was so called because he was a righteous man, and the righteous man is called “living one”. The words “blessed by my Rock” have the same reference, since the Living One and the Blessed One are never parted, and when united are called “well of living waters”; the one flows in, and the other is filled therewith.
“And exalted be the God of my salvation”; this indicates the supernal world, which is high and exalted over all, inasmuch as from it everything springs, even all the outpouring by which the well is filled, receiving therefrom blessings to spread light among all the dwellers of the lower world. And when the whole is filled properly, then “exalted will be the Rock of salvation”.’
רִבִּי יִצְחָק וְרַבִּי יֵיסָא, הֲווּ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא, אָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא, הָא שְׁכִינְתָּא לְגַבָּן נִתְעַסַּק בְּמִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּכָל מַאן דְּעָסִיק בְּמִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא וְיִשְׁתַּדַּל בָּהּ, זָכֵי לְאַמְשָׁכָא לֵיהּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ.
R. Isaac and R. Jesse were once walking together on the road. Said R. Jesse: ‘Behold, the Shekinah is near us. Let us therefore engage in an exposition of the Torah, since whoso occupies himself with the Torah draws Her nearer to himself.’
פָּתַח רִבִּי יִצְחָק וְאָמַר, (תהילים י״ח:מ״ז) חַי יְיָ וּבָרוּךְ צוּרִי וְיָרוּם אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעִי, הַאי קְרָא אִיהוּ רָזָא. חַי יְיָ, וְכִי לָא יְדַעְנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִקְרֵי חַי, אֶלָּא אֲפִילּוּ צַדִּיק, אִיהוּ אִקְרֵי חַי, דְּהָא חַי, צַדִּיק אִיהוּ לְעֵילָא וְצַדִּיק אִיהוּ לְתַתָּא. לְעֵילָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִקְרֵי חַי. לְתַתָּא צַדִּיק אִקְרֵי חַי, דִּכְתִיב, (שמואל ב כ״ג:כ׳) וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶּן יְהוֹיָדָע בֶּן אִישׁ חַי, אַמַּאי אִקְרֵי חַי בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ צַדִּיק, דְּהָא צַדִּיק חַי אִקְרֵי, חַי הָעוֹלָמִים. וּבָרוּךְ צוּרִי, כֹּלָּא חַד, חַי וּבָרוּךְ, דְּלָא מִתְפָּרְשֵׁי מֵהַדָּדֵי, דְּכַד מִתְחַבְּרִין כְּחֲדָא. אִקְרֵי (שיר השירים ד׳:ט״ו) בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים. דָּא נְבִיעַ לְגוֹ, וְדָא אִתְמַלְיָיא מִנֵּיהּ.
R. Isaac then began a discourse on the verse: The Lord liveth, and blessed be my Rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation (Ps. 18, 47). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘has a recondite meaning We know that God is called “the living one”. But this verse indicates that the perfectly righteous man also is called “living one”, so that there is a righteous living one on high, and correspondingly a righteous living one here on earth. On high it is God who is called “living one”, and here below it is the righteous man who is called “living one”, as it is written: “And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a living man”1According to the K’tib. (II Sam. 23, 20). He was so called because he was a righteous man, and the righteous man is called “living one”. The words “blessed by my Rock” have the same reference, since the Living One and the Blessed One are never parted, and when united are called “well of living waters”; the one flows in, and the other is filled therewith.
וְיָרוּם אֱלהֵי יִשְׁעִי, דָּא עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ רָם וְנִשָּׂא, רָם עַל כֹּלָּא. דְּהָא מִינֵיהּ נָפִיק כֹּלָּא, (מקורא דלא פסיק) וְכָל נְבִיעוּ דִּנְבִיעַ, לְאִתְמַלְיָיא בֵּירָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְבָּרְכָא, לְאַנְהָרָא לְכָל אִינוּן דִּלְתַתָּא, וְכַד (האי) אִתְמַלְיָיא, כֹּלָּא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, כְּדֵין וְיָרוּם אֱלהֵי יִשְׁעִי.
“And exalted be the God of my salvation”; this indicates the supernal world, which is high and exalted over all, inasmuch as from it everything springs, even all the outpouring by which the well is filled, receiving therefrom blessings to spread light among all the dwellers of the lower world. And when the whole is filled properly, then “exalted will be the Rock of salvation”.’