R. Eleazar discoursed on the verse: Hallelukah (praise ye the Lord). I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart, in the council of the upright, and in the congregation. (Ps. CXI, I). ‘King David’, he said, ‘daily devoted himself to the worship of the Almighty, and he would rise at midnight and sing hymns and songs of praise and thanksgiving, so as to establish his place in the kingdom above.
For as soon as the north wind began to blow at midnight he knew that the moment had come when God rose, as it were, to disport Himself with the righteous in the Garden of Eden; so he arose at that moment and busied himself with songs and thanksgivings until the morning.
For, as we have affirmed, when the Holy One, blessed be He, appears in the Garden of Eden, He and all the righteous in the Garden of Eden listen to the voice of the suppliant, as we read: “The companions hearken for thy voice, cause me to hear it” (S. S. 8, 13); and, moreover, a thread of grace is woven round him during the day, as it is written: “By day the Lord will command his lovingkindness, and in the night his song shall be with me” (Ps. 42, 9). And furthermore, all the words of the Torah which one utters in the night ascend and are woven into a garland before the Almighty. King David therefore devoted himself during the night to the service of his Master.
Observe the heading Hallelukah (praise ye the Lord), for we have learned that of all the titles that David affixed to his songs and hymns, the most excellent was Hallelukah, embracing as it does in one single word the name of God and the call to praise, the name being Kah, and the praise coming from the Community of Israel, who continually compose thanksgivings to the Holy One, blessed be He, as we read: “O God, there is no silence for thee; hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God” (Ps. 83, 2), because the Community of Israel continually arranges and offers up its thanksgivings to Him.
Now we read further: “I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart (lebab)”, that is, as already explained, with the good and the evil prompter, who are always with a man:
“in the council of the upright, and in the congregation” is an allusion to Israel, who are adorned with all grades-priests and Levites, the just and the pious. It is the same congregation of which we read: “God standeth in the congregation of God” (Ps. 82, 1).
Hence a man should continually offer praise to God, since He takes delight in songs and hymns, and when a man knows how to offer praise to God in the proper manner, He accepts his prayer and delivers him, as we read: “I will set him on high, because he hath known my name… With long life will I satisfy him, etc.” (Ibid. 91, 14-16).’
פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, (שם קיא) הַלְלוּיָה אוֹדֶה יְיָ בְּכָל לֵבָב בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים וְעֵדָה, הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ. אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, דָּוִד מַלְכָּא כָּל יוֹמוֹי הֲוָה מִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהֲוָה קָם בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא וּמְשַׁבַּח וּמוֹדֶה בְּשִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן, בְּגִין לְאִתְתַּקָּנָא דּוּכְתֵּיהּ בְּמַלְכוּ דִּלְעֵילָא.
R. Eleazar discoursed on the verse: Hallelukah (praise ye the Lord). I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart, in the council of the upright, and in the congregation. (Ps. CXI, I). ‘King David’, he said, ‘daily devoted himself to the worship of the Almighty, and he would rise at midnight and sing hymns and songs of praise and thanksgiving, so as to establish his place in the kingdom above.
דְּכַד אִתְעַר רוּחַ צָפוֹן בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא, הֲוָה יָדַע דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא יִתְעַר בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן לְאִשְׁתַּעְשֵׁעַ עִם צַדִּיקַיָּיא, וְאִיהוּ הֲוָה קָם בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא וְאִתְגַּבַּר בְּשִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן עַד דְּסָלִיק צַפְרָא.
For as soon as the north wind began to blow at midnight he knew that the moment had come when God rose, as it were, to disport Himself with the righteous in the Garden of Eden; so he arose at that moment and busied himself with songs and thanksgivings until the morning.
בְּגִין דְּכַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִשְׁתַּכַּח בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן, הָא אוֹקִימְנָא דְּאִיהוּ וְכָל צַדִּיקַיָּיא דִּבְגִנְתָּא כֻּלְּהוּ צַיְיתִין לְקָלֵיהּ. כְּדִכְתִיב, (שיר השירים ח׳:י״ג) חֲבֵרִים מַקְשִׁיבִים לְקוֹלֵךְ הַשְׁמִיעִנִי. וְלָא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְחוּטָא דְחֶסֶד מָשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ בִּימָמָא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים מ״ב:ט׳) יוֹמָם יְצַוֶּה יְיָ חַסְדּוֹ וּבַלַּיְלָה שִׁירֹה עִמִּי. וְלא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְאִינוּן מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאִיהוּ אָמַר, כֻּלְּהוּ סָלְקִין וּמִתְעַטְּרִין קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ דָּוִד מַלְכָּא הֲוָה מִשְׁתַּדֵּל בְּלֵילְיָא בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְמָארֵיהּ.
For, as we have affirmed, when the Holy One, blessed be He, appears in the Garden of Eden, He and all the righteous in the Garden of Eden listen to the voice of the suppliant, as we read: “The companions hearken for thy voice, cause me to hear it” (S. S. 8, 13); and, moreover, a thread of grace is woven round him during the day, as it is written: “By day the Lord will command his lovingkindness, and in the night his song shall be with me” (Ps. 42, 9). And furthermore, all the words of the Torah which one utters in the night ascend and are woven into a garland before the Almighty. King David therefore devoted himself during the night to the service of his Master.
תָּא חֲזֵי, הַלְלוּיָהּ, בְּכָל אִינוּן שִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן דְּקָאֲמַר דָּוִד, הָא תָּנִינָן דִּלְעֵילָא מִכֻּלְּהוֹן הוּא הַלְלוּיָהּ וְאוּקְמוּהָ. מַאי טַעְמָא בְּגִין דְּכָלִיל שְׁמָא וּשְׁבָחָא כַּחֲדָא. מַאי שְׁמָא וּשְׁבָחָא. שְׁמָא דָּא (א) י"ה. שְׁבָחָא מַאן אִיהוּ, אֶלָּא דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִיהוּ (הלל בגימ' ה"ס שהוא אדני) מְתַקְנָּא שְׁבָחָא תָּדִיר לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְלָא אִשְׁתַּכְּכַת. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (תהילים פ״ג:ב׳) אֱלהִים אַל דֳּמִי לָךְ אַל תֶּחרָשׁ וְאַל תִּשְׁקֹט אֵל. בְּגִין דְּסִדּוּרָא דְּשְׁבָחָא אִיהִי מְסַדְּרַת וּמְשַׁבַּחַת תָּדִיר לְגַבֵּיהּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ שְׁמָא וּשְׁבָחָא כַּחֲדָא.
Observe the heading Hallelukah (praise ye the Lord), for we have learned that of all the titles that David affixed to his songs and hymns, the most excellent was Hallelukah, embracing as it does in one single word the name of God and the call to praise, the name being Kah, and the praise coming from the Community of Israel, who continually compose thanksgivings to the Holy One, blessed be He, as we read: “O God, there is no silence for thee; hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God” (Ps. 83, 2), because the Community of Israel continually arranges and offers up its thanksgivings to Him.
אוֹדֶה יְיָ בְּכָל לֵבָב, כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהָ בְּיֵצֶר הַטּוֹב וּבְיֵצֶר הָרָע, בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי תָּדִיר לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דברים ו) בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וְאוּקְמוּהָ.
Now we read further: “I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart (lebab)”, that is, as already explained, with the good and the evil prompter, who are always with a man:
בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים (ועדה), אִלֵּין אִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין בְּהוּ מִתְעַטְּרָן כַּהֲנֵי וְלֵיוָאֵי, צַדִּיקֵי וַחֲסִידֵי, יְשָׁרִים. וְעֵדָה, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים פ״ב:א׳) נִצָּב בַּעֲדַת אֵל. וְאִינוּן רָזָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְעַטַּר בְּהוּ.
“in the council of the upright, and in the congregation” is an allusion to Israel, who are adorned with all grades-priests and Levites, the just and the pious. It is the same congregation of which we read: “God standeth in the congregation of God” (Ps. 82, 1).
וּבְגִין כָּךְ בָּעֵי בַר נָשׁ לְשַׁבְּחָא לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא תָּדִיר, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אִתְרָעֵי בְּשִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן, וּמַאן דְּיָדַע לְשַׁבְּחָא לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קַבִּיל צְלוֹתֵיהּ וְשֵׁזִיב לֵיהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהילים צ״א:י״ד) אֲשַׂגְּבֵהוּ כִּי יָדַע שְׁמִי וְגו' אֹרֶךְ יָמִים וְגו'.
Hence a man should continually offer praise to God, since He takes delight in songs and hymns, and when a man knows how to offer praise to God in the proper manner, He accepts his prayer and delivers him, as we read: “I will set him on high, because he hath known my name… With long life will I satisfy him, etc.” (Ibid. 91, 14-16).’