By means of this riches Solomon ruled over all the kings of the earth, and therefore “silver was not accounted for anything in the days of Solomon” (I Kings 10, 21), but everything was of gold; and of that time it is written: “And he had dust of gold” (Job 28, 6). For the sun shining on the dust of the mountain tops turned it into gold.
From the rays of the sun beating on the mountains the dust of the earth among the mountains became gold. And but for the wild beasts that roamed there, men would not have been poor.
Hence Solomon had no need to sing like David, save one song which is beloved of wealth, and is the jewel and favourite of all chants of praises, since it contains the praises recited by the Matron when she sits on the throne opposite the King.
Solomon was hereby led into error. He saw that the moon had approached the sun and the right hand was embracing and the left hand under the head. Seeing this he said: “What need is there of the right hand here, seeing that they have drawn near to one another?”
God then said to him: “I swear to thee that as thou hast rejected the right hand, thou shalt one day require the kindness (Hesed)1which comes from the Right. of men and shalt not obtain it.” Straightway the sun parted from the moon, and the moon began to darken, and Solomon went begging and said: “I am Koheleth”, and no one would show him kindness.
It is written: “The old lion perishes without prey, and the young of the lioness are scattered” (Job 4, 11). When the lioness gives food, all the (heavenly) hosts come together and draw sustenance.
But when she is without prey on account of the Galuth, then they are scattered to different sides. Hence, when the sacrifices were offered they were all supported and drew near together, as we have said. But now that there are no sacrifices, then indeed “the young of the lioness are scattered” Hence, there is no day without punishment, because upper and lower do not receive the proper impulse, as we have said.
Now it is prayer which gives the proper impulse above and below, and through the blessings with which we bless God upper and lower are blessed. Hence worlds are blessed through the prayer of Israel. He who blesses God is blessed, and he who does not bless God is not blessed.
וְעַל דָּא (מלכים א ו) אֵין כֶּסֶף נֶחְשַׁב בִּימֵי שְׁלמֹה. אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא דְהַב, דְּאִתְרַבֵּי דְּהַב, וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא כְּתִיב, (איוב כ״ח:ו׳) וְעַפְרוֹת זָהָב לוֹ, דְּהָא עָפָר דִּלְעֵילָא, הֲוָה מִסְתַּכֵּל בֵּיהּ שִׁמְשָׁא, וּבְאִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא וְתוּקְפֵיהּ, עַפְרָא עָבִיד וְאַסְגֵּי דְהַב.
By means of this riches Solomon ruled over all the kings of the earth, and therefore “silver was not accounted for anything in the days of Solomon” (I Kings 10, 21), but everything was of gold; and of that time it is written: “And he had dust of gold” (Job 28, 6). For the sun shining on the dust of the mountain tops turned it into gold.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מִטּוּרֵי דִּנְהִירוּ, דְּתוּקְפָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא תַּמָּן, עַפְרָא דְּאַרְעָא בֵּינֵי טוּרֵי, כֻּלְּהוּ עָבְדֵי דְהַב, וְאִלְמָלֵא חֵיוָון בִּישִׁין דִּרְבִיאוּ תַּמָּן, בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לָא הֲווּ מִסְכְּנֵי, בְּגִין דְּתוּקְפָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא אַסְגֵּי דְהַב.
From the rays of the sun beating on the mountains the dust of the earth among the mountains became gold. And but for the wild beasts that roamed there, men would not have been poor.
בְגִין כָּךְ, בְּיוֹמוֹי דִשְׁלֹמֹה, אֵין כֶּסֶף נְחְשַׁב לִמְאוּמָה, דְּהָא תַּקִּיפָא דְשִׁמְשָׁא אִסְתַּכַּל בְּעַפְרָא, וְאַסְגֵּי לֵיהּ דְּהַב. וְעוֹד דְּהַהוּא עַפְרָא, סִטְרָא דְּדִינָא אִיהוּ. כַּד אִסְתַּכַּל בֵּיהּ שִׁמְשָׁא, נָטַל תּוּקְפָא וְאִתְרַבֵּי דַּהֲבָא. כֵּיוָן דְּאִסְתַּכַּל שְׁלֹמֹה בָּהּ, שַׁבַּח וְאַכְרִיז וְאָמַר, (קהלת ג׳:כ׳) הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן הֶעָפָר וְגו'.
When Solomon observed this he called aloud: “All was from the dust” (Eccl. 3, 20).
וְעַל דָּא שְׁלֹמֹה לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְנַגְנָא כְּדָוִד, אֶלָּא שִׁירָתָא דְּאִיהוּ רְחִימֵי דְעוּתְרָא, דְּהוּא נְהִירוּ וּרְחִימוּ דְּכָל תּוּשְׁבְּחָן דְּעַלְמָא בֵּיהּ הֲווּ, תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא כַּד יָתְבָא בְּכֻּרְסְיָיא לְקֳבְלֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא קָאֲמַר.
Hence Solomon had no need to sing like David, save one song which is beloved of wealth, and is the jewel and favourite of all chants of praises, since it contains the praises recited by the Matron when she sits on the throne opposite the King.
כְּתִיב, (מלכים א י׳:כ״ז) וַיִּתֵּן הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת הַכֶּסֶף בִּירוּשָׁלַם כַּאֲבָנִים, בְּגִין דְכֹלָּא הֲוָה דְהַב, וְעַפְרָא אִתְקַשַּׁר בִּשְּׂמָאלָא, בְּסִטְרָא דִרְחִימוּ. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שיר השירים ב׳:ו׳) שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי, וְשִׁמְשָׁא אִתְדָּבַּק בַּהֲדָהּ, וְלָא אִתְעֲדֵי מִינָהּ.
Everything was gold, and dust was joined with the left hand, on the side of love, and the sun clung to it and did not part from it.
שְׁלמֹה טָעָה בְּהַאי, דְּהָא חָמָא דְּאִתְקְרִיב סִיהֲרָא בְּשִׁמְשָׁא, וִימִינָא מְחַבְּקָא, וּשְׂמָאלָא תְּחוֹת רֵישָׁא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְקְרִיבוּ דָּא בְּדָא, אָמַר, הָא אִתְקְרִיבוּ כְּחֲדָא, יְמִינָא מַה הָכָא. דְּהָא יְמִינָא לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא בְּגִין לְקָרְבָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְקְרִיבוּ דָּא בְּדָא לְמַאי אִצְטְרִיךְ, מִיָּד אֵין כֶּסֶף נֶחְשַׁב בִּימֵי שְׁלמֹה.
Solomon was hereby led into error. He saw that the moon had approached the sun and the right hand was embracing and the left hand under the head. Seeing this he said: “What need is there of the right hand here, seeing that they have drawn near to one another?”
אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אַנְתְּ דָּחִית יְמִינָא, חַיָּיךְ, אַנְתְּ תִּצְטָרֵךְ לְחֶסֶד בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, וְלָא תִשְׁכַּח. מִיָּד סָטָא שִׁמְשָׁא מִלְּקַבֵּל סִיהֲרָא, וְסִיהֲרָא שַׁרְיָא לְאִתְחַשְּׁכָא, וְהֲוָה שְׁלמֹה מְהַדַּר עַל פִּתְחִין, וְאָמַר, (קהלת א׳:י״ב) אֲנִי קֹהֶלֶת, וְלָא הֲוָה מַאן דְּיַעֲבִיד עִמֵּיהּ חֶסֶד, מַאי טַעְמָא, בְּגִין דְּדָחָה יְמִינָא, וְלָא חָשִׁיב לֵיהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (מלכים א י׳:כ״א) אֵין כֶּסֶף נֶחְשַׁב בִּימֵי שְׁלמֹה לִמְאוּמָה.
God then said to him: “I swear to thee that as thou hast rejected the right hand, thou shalt one day require the kindness (Hesed)1which comes from the Right. of men and shalt not obtain it.” Straightway the sun parted from the moon, and the moon began to darken, and Solomon went begging and said: “I am Koheleth”, and no one would show him kindness.
וְעַל דָּא, כָּל דְּאַסְגֵּי תּוּשְׁבְּחָן לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אַסְגֵּי שְׁלָמָא לְעֵילָא, בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ הַקְשִׁיבִי לַיְשָׁה. כְּתִיב, (איוב ו) לַיִּשׁ אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי טֶרֶף וְגו', לַיִּשׁ הַיְינוּ לַיְשָׁה, כְּדִכְתִיב, חָק חֻקָּה. אוֹבֵד, כְּדִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו כ״ז:י״ג) וּבָאוּ הָאוֹבְדִים. מִבְּלִי טָרֶף, בְּגִין, דְּאִיהִי תָּבְעָה (ס"א עילה) עָלֶיהָ לְמֵיהַב, כְּדִכְתִיב, (משלי ל״א:ט״ו) וַתָּקָם בְּעוֹד לַיְלָה וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ.
It is written: “The old lion perishes without prey, and the young of the lioness are scattered” (Job 4, 11). When the lioness gives food, all the (heavenly) hosts come together and draw sustenance.
וּבְנֵי לָבִיא יִתְפָּרָדוּ. בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ חַיָילִין, כַּד אִיהִי יְהִיבַת לְהוֹן טֶרֶף, כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְחַבְּרָן כְּחַד, וְיָנְקִין כְּחַד. וְכַד אִיהִי יָתְבָא מִבְּלִי טֶרֶף, דְּגָרַם גָּלוּתָא, וַדַּאי בְּנֵי לָבִיא יִתְפָּרָדוּ, מִתְפָּרְשָׁן כֻּלְּהוּ לְכַמָּה סִטְרִין וְאָרְחִין, בְּגִין לְאַשְׁכָּחָא לְמֶעְבַּד דִּינָא. וְעַל דָּא, בְּזִמְנָא דְקָרְבָּנָא אִתְעֲבִיד, כֹּלָּא מִתְתַּקְנָן, וּמִתְקַרְבִין כְּחֲדָא כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן. הַשְׁתָּא דְּקָרְבָּנָא לא אִתְעֲבִיד, וַדַּאי בְּנֵי לָבִיא יִתְפָּרָדוּ, וּבְגִינֵי כָּךְ, לֵית לָן יוֹם דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח בֵּיהּ דִּינָא, דְּהָא לָא מִתְעָרִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין בִּשְׁלִימוּ עִלָּאָה כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן.
But when she is without prey on account of the Galuth, then they are scattered to different sides. Hence, when the sacrifices were offered they were all supported and drew near together, as we have said. But now that there are no sacrifices, then indeed “the young of the lioness are scattered” Hence, there is no day without punishment, because upper and lower do not receive the proper impulse, as we have said.
תָּא חֲזֵי, הַשְׁתָּא צְלוֹתָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ, אִתְעַר שְׁלִימוּ לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, וּבְבִרְכָתָא דְּבָרִיךְ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מִתְבָּרְכִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין. וְעַל דָּא בִּצְלוֹתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְבָּרְכָאן עָלְמִין. מַאן דִּמְבָרֵךְ לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, יִתְבָּרַךְ. מַאן דְּלָא בָּרִיךְ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לָא יִתְבָּרַךְ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שמואל א ב׳:ל׳) כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבוֹזַי יֵקָלוּ.
Now it is prayer which gives the proper impulse above and below, and through the blessings with which we bless God upper and lower are blessed. Hence worlds are blessed through the prayer of Israel. He who blesses God is blessed, and he who does not bless God is not blessed.