R. Judah found an example of the same thing in King David, who said of himself: “O, how I love thy Torah! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 109, 97); “At midnight I rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgements” (Ibid. 5, 62). David guided his people like a shepherd so that they should not turn from the way of truth.
During the day he studied the Law, in order to perfect himself in it, and at night he sang praises to the Holy One, blessed be He, until the morning, which he awakened, as he said: “Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp; I wake up the morning.”
During the day he sought to administer justice in order to fuse the Left with the Right, and during the night he (sang praises) in order to make night also as it were a part of day.
And observe that King David in his time brought all those “living creatures of the field” (Ps. 104, 11) near the ocean, but as soon as Solomon obtained sway the ocean heaved up in its fulness and watered them. Which of them were the first to be given drink? It has already been stated that it was the huge supernal fishes, regarding which it is written, “and fill the waters in the seas ” (Gen. 1, 22).
(שמות ז׳:ט׳) כִּי יְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיכֶם פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים קי״ט:צ״ז) מָה אָהַבְתִּי תוֹרָתֶךָ כָּל הַיּוֹם הִיא שִׂיחָתִי. וּכְתִיב, (תהילים קי״ט:ס״ב) חֲצוֹת לַיְלָה אָקוּם לְהוֹדוֹת לָךְ עַל מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ. תָּא חֲזֵי, דָּוִד אִיהוּ מַלְכָּא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֵידָן עַמָּא, לְדַבְּרָא לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּרַעְיָא דִּמַדְבַּר עָאנֵיהּ דְּלָא יִסְטוּן מֵאוֹרְחָא דִּקְשׁוֹט. הָא בַּלַּיְלָה כְּתִיב, חֲצוֹת לַיְלָה אָקוּם לְהוֹדוֹת לָךְ עַל מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ. וְאִיהוּ אִתְעֲסַק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּבְתוּשְׁבְּחָן דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עַד דְּאָתֵי צַפְרָא.
R. Judah found an example of the same thing in King David, who said of himself: “O, how I love thy Torah! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 109, 97); “At midnight I rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgements” (Ibid. 5, 62). David guided his people like a shepherd so that they should not turn from the way of truth.
וְאִיהוּ אִתְּעַר צַפְרָא, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים נ״ז:ט׳) עוּרָה כְבוֹדִי עוּרָה הַנֵּבֶל וְכִנּוֹר אָעִירָה שָׁחָר. כַּד אָתֵי יְמָמָא, אָמַר הַאי קְרָא, מָה אָהַבְתִּי תוֹרָתֶךָ כָּל הַיּוֹם הִיא שִׂיחָתִי. מַאי כָּל הַיּוֹם הִיא שִׂיחָתִי. אֶלָּא, מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּכָל מַאן דְּיִשְׁתְּדַל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְאַשְׁלְמָא דִּינָא עַל בּוּרְיֵיהּ, כְּאִילּוּ קִיֵּים אוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא. בְּגִין כָּךְ, כָּל הַיּוֹם הִיא שִׂיחָתִי.
During the day he studied the Law, in order to perfect himself in it, and at night he sang praises to the Holy One, blessed be He, until the morning, which he awakened, as he said: “Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp; I wake up the morning.”
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּיוֹמָא אִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְאַשְׁלְמָא דִּינִין. בְּלֵילְיָא, אִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּשִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן, עַד דְּאָתֵי יְמָמָא. מַאי טַעְמָא. כָּל יוֹמָא אִתְעֲסַק לְאַשְׁלָמָא דִּינִין, בְּגִין לְאַכְלָלָא שְׂמָאלָא בִּימִינָא. בְּלֵילְיָא, בְּגִין לְאַכְלְלָא דַּרְגָּא דְּלֵילְיָא בִּימָמָא.
During the day he sought to administer justice in order to fuse the Left with the Right, and during the night he (sang praises) in order to make night also as it were a part of day.
וְתָא חֲזֵי, (תרומה קמ"ה ע"א) בְּיוֹמֵי דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא, הֲוָה מְקָרֵב כָּל אִינּוּן (תהילים ק״ד:י״א) חַיְתוֹ שָׂדָי, לְגַבֵּי יַמָּא. כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא שְׁלֹמֹה, נָפַק יַמָּא וְאִתְמְלֵי, וְאַשְׁקֵי לְהוּ. הֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ אִתְשַׁקְיָין בְּקַדְמִיתָא. הָא אוּקְמוּהָ. אִלֵּין תַּנִּינַיָיא רַבְרְבִין עִלָּאִין, דִּכְתִּיב בְּהוּ, (בראשית א׳:כ״ב) וּמִלְאוּ אֶת הַמַּיִם בַּיַּמִּים
And observe that King David in his time brought all those “living creatures of the field” (Ps. 104, 11) near the ocean, but as soon as Solomon obtained sway the ocean heaved up in its fulness and watered them. Which of them were the first to be given drink? It has already been stated that it was the huge supernal fishes, regarding which it is written, “and fill the waters in the seas ” (Gen. 1, 22).