R. Jesse further discoursed on the verse: “And there shall be faithfulness in thy times, strength of salvation, wisdom and knowledge, and the fear of the Lord which is his treasure” (Isa. 33, 6). ‘We have been taught’, he said, ‘that whoever devotes himself to the study of the Torah in this world, and is able to appoint set times for it, must do so in “faithfulness”, must direct his mind toward the Holy One, blessed be He, must study for Heaven’s sake. The words “strength of salvation” indicate that he must fuse Rigour with Mercy. “Wisdom and Knowledge” are two qualities which merge into one another.
“The fear of the Lord is his treasure”; to wit, the treasure which contains the qualities just mentioned. For the fear of the Lord collects all those “brooks” (of wisdom), and so becomes the receptacle of all. And when these treasures issue from it they do so under a vigilant count-taking.
That process is thus called “faithfulness”, as explained. Verily, if herein faithfulness has to be manifested, how much more so in workaday matters! The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore made the whole of Israel know the inwardness of faithfulness in all things that they performed.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו ל״ג:ו׳) וְהָיָה אֱמוּנַת עִתֶּךָ חֹסֶן יְשׁוּעוֹת חָכְמַת וָדָעַת יִרְאַת יְיָ' הִיא אוֹצָרוֹ. הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא, אֲבָל הָא תָּנֵינָן, כָּל בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִתְעַסָּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְזָכֵי לְמִקְבַּע עִתִּין לָהּ, אִצְטְרִיךְ בֶּאֱמוּנָה, דִּרְעוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ יִתְכַּוֵּין לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, יִתְכַּוֵּין לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, בְּגִין דְּאֱמוּנָה לְהָכִי אִתְכְּוָון. חֹסֶן יְשׁוּעוֹת, לְאַכְלְלָא רַחֲמֵי בְּדִינָא. חָכְמַת וָדָעַת, דִּתְרֵין אִלֵּין שָׁרָאן דָּא עַל דָּא. דָּא טָמִיר וְגָנִיז, לְאַשְׁרָאָה דָּא עַל דָּא.
R. Jesse further discoursed on the verse: “And there shall be faithfulness in thy times, strength of salvation, wisdom and knowledge, and the fear of the Lord which is his treasure” (Isa. 33, 6). ‘We have been taught’, he said, ‘that whoever devotes himself to the study of the Torah in this world, and is able to appoint set times for it, must do so in “faithfulness”, must direct his mind toward the Holy One, blessed be He, must study for Heaven’s sake. The words “strength of salvation” indicate that he must fuse Rigour with Mercy. “Wisdom and Knowledge” are two qualities which merge into one another.
יִרְאַת יְיָ' הִיא אוֹצָרוֹ. אוֹצָרוֹ דְּכָל אִלֵּין, בְּגִין דְּהַאי יִרְאַת יְיָ', נָקִיט כָּל אִינּוּן נַחֲלִין, וְאִיהִי אִתְעָבִידַת אוֹצָר לְכֻלְּהוּ. וְכַד נָפְקִין מִנָּהּ כָּל אִינּוּן גְּנִיזִין כֻּלְּהוּ, אַפִּיק לוֹן בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא. מְנָלָן. דִּכְתִּיב, (שיר השירים ז׳:ה׳) עֵינַיִךְ בְּרֵכוֹת בְּחֶשׁבּוֹן. בְּחֶשׁבּוֹן וַדַּאי עָבִיד, וְאַפִּיק אִינּוּן בְּרֵכוֹת מַיִם, וְאַשְׁגַּח לְאַפָּקָא כֹּלָּא בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא. (נ"א ואשקו לכלא).
“The fear of the Lord is his treasure”; to wit, the treasure which contains the qualities just mentioned. For the fear of the Lord collects all those “brooks” (of wisdom), and so becomes the receptacle of all. And when these treasures issue from it they do so under a vigilant count-taking.
וְעַל דָּא אִקְרֵי אֱמוּנָה. וּבְכֹלָּא אִקְרֵי אֱמוּנָה, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא. וּמַה אִי הָכָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאַחֲזָאָה מְהֵימְנוּתָא, לִשְׁאַר מִלֵּי דְּעָלְמָא עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. וְעַל דָּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה אוֹדַע לְהוּ לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל, רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא דִּילְהוּ, בְּכָל מַה דְּעָבְדוּ, וְכֹלָּא אִתְּמַר.
That process is thus called “faithfulness”, as explained. Verily, if herein faithfulness has to be manifested, how much more so in workaday matters! The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore made the whole of Israel know the inwardness of faithfulness in all things that they performed.’