“Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due time.” R. Jose applied this verse to Moses when he brought out Israel from Egypt and made them a free people, for then they, the “princes”, ate the Passover in dlle season (Ex. 11, 11).
Said R. Simeon ben Yohai: “Have I not said that all the words of King Solomon are found within the holy Temple (i.e., have an esoteric significance)? What you have said is quite true, as far as it goes, and the application to Moses is quite feasible, but this particular verse soars into higher reaches, and is in the holy Temple.
“Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles.” “Land” (erez), without any specific designation, refers to the earth (erez), as it is written: “He cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel” (Lam. 2, 1). This “earth” is one of the mysteries which are found within the crowns of the Holy King, for it is written: “On the day when the Lord God made earth and heaven” (Gen. 2, 4). And this “earth” derives all its nourishment from the holy perfection called “heaven”.
And when the Holy One resolved to destroy His house and the Holy Land below, He first removed the “Holy Land” which is above- the celestial prototype-and cast it down from that grade where it had formerly imbibed nourishment from the holy Heaven, and then He caused the land below to be devastated: first He “cast down from heaven the earth”, and then “He remembered not His footstool” (Ibid.). For there is a dictum concerning the Holy One’s ways: “When He resolves to judge the world, He first executes judgement above, and then there follows the judgement below.” First “the Lord shall punish the host of heaven in heaven”, and then “the kings of the earth upon the earth” (cf. Isa. 24, 21)’
Said R. Simeon: ‘Blessed art thou, O Land (earth), that thy king is free (ben horin), and nourishes thee in plenty without fear of interference from the “other one” (Severity), all being nourished by that Supernal King. “And thy princes eat in due time”, this “time” being that of which it is written: “In time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!” (Num. 23, 23). “Woe to thee, O land (earth), when thy king is a child”, as the prophet threatened Israel with the words, “And I will give children to be their princes” (Isa. 3, 4); for, indeed, woe unto the earth when it imbibes nourishment from the Left Side, the attribute of Severity, which is the symbolism of the words, “and thy princes eat in the morning”, that is, have to imbibe the vapours of that early blackness which reigns before the Light breaks and banishes all other rulers by the resplendence of its own majestic glory.’
R. Simeon, we are told, explained thus the words, “And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall pass from one end to the other.” ‘“The middle bar”’, he said, ‘signifies Jacob, the perfect saint, as we have pointed out on another occasion in connection with the characterization of Jacob as “a complete man, dwelling in tents” (Gen. 25, 27). It does not say, “dwelling in a tent”, but “dwelling in tents,’, which denotes that he unified the two “tents” (of Severity and Mercy). The same implication may be found here: “The middle bar in the midst of the boards shall pass from one end to the other”, uniting them.
Jacob was perfect in regard to both sides, the Holy Ancient and the Microprosopus, and also to the supernal Grace and the supernal Power, harmonizing the two.’
תָּאנָא (קהלתי) אַשְׁרֵיךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ בֶּן חוֹרִים וְשָׂרַיִךְ בָּעֵת יֹאכֵלוּ. רִבִּי יוֹסִי אוֹקִים לְהַאי קְרָא, בְּמֹשֶׁה, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַפִּיק לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם, וַעֲבַד לוֹן בְּנִי חוֹרִין. וְשָׂרַיִךְ בָּעֵת יאכֵלוּ, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות י״ב:י״א) וְאֲכַלְתֶּם אוֹתוֹ בְּחִפָּזוֹן פֶּסַח הוּא לַיְיָ'.
“Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due time.” R. Jose applied this verse to Moses when he brought out Israel from Egypt and made them a free people, for then they, the “princes”, ate the Passover in dlle season (Ex. 11, 11).
אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחָאי, וְכִי לָא אֲמֵינָא דְּמִלוֹי דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ בְּגוֹ, לְגוֹ הֵיכְלָא קַדִּישָׁא הֲווֹ. וְהַאי דְּאַמְרִיתּוּ כֹּלָּא שַׁפִּיר הֲוָה, וְלִדְרָשָׁא הוּא דְּאָתָא, אֲבָל הַאי קְרָא, לְעֵילָּא בְּהֵיכָלָא קַדִּישָׁא הוּא.
Said R. Simeon ben Yohai: “Have I not said that all the words of King Solomon are found within the holy Temple (i.e., have an esoteric significance)? What you have said is quite true, as far as it goes, and the application to Moses is quite feasible, but this particular verse soars into higher reaches, and is in the holy Temple.
תָּאנָא, אַשְׁרֵיךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ בֶּן חוֹרִים. מַאי אֶרֶץ. אֶרֶץ סְתָם. דְּתַנְיָא, מַהוּ דִּכְתִּיב, (איכה ב׳:א׳) הִשְׁלִיךְ מִשָּׁמַיִם אֶרֶץ תִּפְאֶרֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֶלָּא הַאי אֶרֶץ, הִיא רָזָא, בְּגוֹ כִּתְרֵי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ (בראשית ב׳:ד׳) בְּיוֹם עֲשׂוֹת יְיָ' אֱלהִים אֶרֶץ וְשָׁמָיִם. וְהַאי אֶרֶץ, וְכָל מַה דְּיָנִיק וְאִתְּזָן, מֵהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם הוּא, וְלָא אִתְּזָנַת אַרְעָא דָּא, אֶלָּא מִשְּׁלֵימוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם.
“Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles.” “Land” (erez), without any specific designation, refers to the earth (erez), as it is written: “He cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel” (Lam. 2, 1). This “earth” is one of the mysteries which are found within the crowns of the Holy King, for it is written: “On the day when the Lord God made earth and heaven” (Gen. 2, 4). And this “earth” derives all its nourishment from the holy perfection called “heaven”.
וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַחֲרָבָא בֵּיתֵיהּ דִּלְתַתָּא, וְאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּלְתַתָּא, אַעְבַּר לְהַאי אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּלְעֵילָּא בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְנָחִית לֵיהּ מֵהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּהֲוָה יַנְקָא מִשָּׁמַיִם קַדִּישָׁא, וּלְבָתַר חָרִיב לְהַאי דִּלְתַתָּא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב הִשְׁלִיךְ מִשָּׁמַיִם אֶרֶץ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּלְבָתַר וְלָא זָכָר הֲדוֹם רַגְלָיו. דְּתַנְיָא, כַּךְ אָרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כַּד בָּעֵי לְמֵידַן עָלְמָא, בְּקַדְמִיתָא עָבִיד דִּינָא לְעֵילָּא, וּלְבָתַר אִתְקָיָּים לְתַתָּא, דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו כ״ד:כ״א) יִפְקוֹד יְיָ' עַל צְבָא הַמָּרוֹם בַּמָּרוֹם, בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּלְבָתַר וְעַל מַלְכֵי הָאֲדָמָה עַל הָאֲדָמָה.
And when the Holy One resolved to destroy His house and the Holy Land below, He first removed the “Holy Land” which is above- the celestial prototype-and cast it down from that grade where it had formerly imbibed nourishment from the holy Heaven, and then He caused the land below to be devastated: first He “cast down from heaven the earth”, and then “He remembered not His footstool” (Ibid.). For there is a dictum concerning the Holy One’s ways: “When He resolves to judge the world, He first executes judgement above, and then there follows the judgement below.” First “the Lord shall punish the host of heaven in heaven”, and then “the kings of the earth upon the earth” (cf. Isa. 24, 21)’
אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אַשְׁרֵיךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ בֶּן חוֹרִין, דְּזָן לָךְ בִּסְגִיאוּת כֹּלָּא, בְּלָא דְּחִילוּ דְּאַחֲרָא, וּמֵהַהוּא מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה אִתְּזַן כֹּלָּא. וְשָׂרַיִךְ בָּעֵת יאכֵלוּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (במדבר כ״ג:כ״ג) כָּעֵת יֵאָמֵר לְיַעֲקֹב וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל מָה פָּעַל אֵל, אִי לָךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ נָעַר כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (ישעיהו ג׳:ד׳) וְנָתַתִּי נְעָרִים שָׂרֵיהֶם. דְּוַוי לְאַרְעָא כַּד יַנְקָא מִשְּׂמָאלָא. וְשָׂרַיִךְ בַּבֹּקֶר יֹאכֵלוּ, בְּהַהוּא קַדְרוּתָא, וְעַד לָא נָהִיר, וְלָא שַׁלְטָא מָה דְּשַׁלְטָא.
Said R. Simeon: ‘Blessed art thou, O Land (earth), that thy king is free (ben horin), and nourishes thee in plenty without fear of interference from the “other one” (Severity), all being nourished by that Supernal King. “And thy princes eat in due time”, this “time” being that of which it is written: “In time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!” (Num. 23, 23). “Woe to thee, O land (earth), when thy king is a child”, as the prophet threatened Israel with the words, “And I will give children to be their princes” (Isa. 3, 4); for, indeed, woe unto the earth when it imbibes nourishment from the Left Side, the attribute of Severity, which is the symbolism of the words, “and thy princes eat in the morning”, that is, have to imbibe the vapours of that early blackness which reigns before the Light breaks and banishes all other rulers by the resplendence of its own majestic glory.’
תָּנָא אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, (שמות כ״ו:כ״ח) וְהַבְּרִיחַ הַתִּיכוֹן בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּרָשִׁים מַבְרִיחַ מִן הַקָּצֶה אֶל הַקָּצֶה, דָּא הוּא יַעֲקֹב קַדִּישָׁא שְׁלֵימָא, כְּמָה דְּאוּקִימְנָא, דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית כ״ה:כ״ז) וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יוֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים. יוֹשֵׁב אֹהֶל לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא יוֹשֵׁב אוֹהָלִים, תְּרֵי, דְּאָחִיד לְהַאי וְאָחִיד לְהַאי. אַף הָכָא כְּתִיב, וְהַבְּרִיחַ הַתִּיכוֹן בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּרָשִׁים, מַבְרִיחַ מִן הַקָּצֶה אֶל הַקָּצֶה, דְּאָחִיד לְהַאי וְאָחִיד לְהַאי.
R. Simeon, we are told, explained thus the words, “And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall pass from one end to the other.” ‘“The middle bar”’, he said, ‘signifies Jacob, the perfect saint, as we have pointed out on another occasion in connection with the characterization of Jacob as “a complete man, dwelling in tents” (Gen. 25, 27). It does not say, “dwelling in a tent”, but “dwelling in tents,’, which denotes that he unified the two “tents” (of Severity and Mercy). The same implication may be found here: “The middle bar in the midst of the boards shall pass from one end to the other”, uniting them.
דְּתָנֵינָן, מַאי אִישׁ תָּם. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, שְׁלִים. שְׁלִים מִכֹּלָּא, שְׁלִים לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין, לְעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְלִזְעֵיר אַפִּין. שְׁלִים לְחֶסֶד עִלָּאָה וְלִגְּבוּרָה עִלָּאָה, וְאַשְׁלִים לְהַאי וּלְהַאי.
Jacob was perfect in regard to both sides, the Holy Ancient and the Microprosopus, and also to the supernal Grace and the supernal Power, harmonizing the two.’