R. Hiya and R. Jose were once walking together when the latter said: ‘Let us expound words of the Torah, words of the Ancient of Days.’ R. Hiya thereupon began with the verse: “I acknowledge my sin unto thee, etc.” (Ps. 32, 5). He said: ‘From this we learn that a man who conceals his sins and does not confess them before the Holy King and beg for mercy is not allowed to enter the door of repentance. But if he states them openly before God, then God has pity on him and mercy prevails over judgement,
There seems to be a certain redundancy of expression in this verse, as it would have been sufficient to say, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; and here, too, we should have expected “to thee” instead of “to the Lord”.
But, indeed, these words, like all David’s words, were uttered in the holy spirit. He was addressing the Kingdom of Heaven [Malkuth], for she is the intermediary between earth and heaven, and whoso has a petition of the King must make it known to her first. Hence David said: “I will acknowledge my sin to thee, the Kingdom of Heaven, and mine iniquity have I not hid from the Righteous One of the universe, and I said, I will confess my sin to the Lord, to wit, the Holy King to whom all peace belongs.” Then it goes on: “And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin”; this was in the highest realm, the place where the Ancient Holy One abides. Thus this verse includes all;
and in the same way, whoever prays to the King should unify the Holy Name in his thought, ranging from lower to upper, and from upper to lower, and linking all together, and then his prayer will be granted.’ Said R. Jose: ‘Who has the skill to pray like King David, who used to keep watch at the gate of the King?’ Said R. Hiya to him: ‘Assuredly it is so, and therefore the Torah has taught us the ways of the Holy King that we may know how to seek him, as it says, “After the Lord your God ye shall walk” (Deut. 13, 4).’
רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאוֹרְחָא, עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי לְרִבִּי חִיָּיא, נִשְׁתַּדֵּל בְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּמִלֵּי דְּעַתִּיק יוֹמִין. פָּתַח רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְאָמַר, (תהילים ל״ב:ה׳) חַטָּאתִי אוֹדִיעֲךָ וגוֹ', מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּכָל בַּר נָשׁ דִּמְכַסֵּי חֶטְאוֹי ולָא מְפֹרָשׁ לוֹן קָמֵי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְיִתְבַּע עָלַיְיהוּ רַחֲמֵי, לָא יָהֲבִין לֵיהּ לְמִפְתַח פִּתְחָא דִּתְשׁוּבָה, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אִכְסִיף (נ"א מכסי) מִנֵּיהּ. וְאִי אִיהוּ פָּרִישׁ לוֹן קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָיִיס עָלֵיהּ וְיִתְגַּבְּרוּן רַחֲמֵי עַל דִּינָא.
R. Hiya and R. Jose were once walking together when the latter said: ‘Let us expound words of the Torah, words of the Ancient of Days.’ R. Hiya thereupon began with the verse: “I acknowledge my sin unto thee, etc.” (Ps. 32, 5). He said: ‘From this we learn that a man who conceals his sins and does not confess them before the Holy King and beg for mercy is not allowed to enter the door of repentance. But if he states them openly before God, then God has pity on him and mercy prevails over judgement,
וכָּל שֶׁכֵּן אִי אִיהוּ בָּכֵי, דְּהָא כָּל פִּתְחִין סְתִימִין אִיהוּ פָּתַח, וְאִתְקַבָּל צְלוֹתֵיהּ, וְעַל דָּא, פְּרִישׁוּ דְּחֶטְאוֹי, יְקָרָא הוּא דְּמַלְכָּא, לְאַגְבָּרָא רַחֲמֵי עַל דִּינָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב (תהילים נ׳:כ״ג) זוֹבֵחַ תּוֹדָה יְכַבְּדָנְנִי. מַהוּ יְכַבְּדָנְנִי. תְּרֵין כִּבוּדִין אִינּוּן, חַד לְעֵילָּא, וְחַד לְתַתָּא, חַד בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, וְחַד בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
all the more so if he weeps, for tears open all doors. Thus the confession of sin brings honour to the King by making mercy prevail over judgement.
הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא בְּכֹלָּא, בִּסְגִיאוּת מִלִּין, דְּהָא בְּאוֹדֶה עֲלֵי פְּשָׁעַי סַגִי. מַהוּ חָטָאתִי אוֹדִיעֲךָ וַעֲוֹנִי לא כִסִּיתִי, וּלְבָתַר אוֹדֶה עֲלֵי פְשָׁעַי לַיְיָ', וְעוֹד דְּהָא אוֹדֶה עֲלֵי פְּשָׁעַי לַיְיָ', לְךָ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ.
There seems to be a certain redundancy of expression in this verse, as it would have been sufficient to say, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; and here, too, we should have expected “to thee” instead of “to the Lord”.
אֶלָּא דָּוִד, כָּל מִלּוֹי בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ אַמָרָן, וּלְמַלְכוּתָא דִּשְׁמַיָּא אָמַר, בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי שְׁלִיחָא מִתַּתָּאֵי לְעִילָּאֵי, וּמֵעִילָּאֵי לְתַּתָּאֵי, וּמַאן דְּבָעֵי לְמַלְכָּא, לָהּ אוֹדַע בְּקַדְמִיתָא. וְעַל דָּא חַטָּאתִי אוֹדִיעֲךָ, (ד"א למלכותא דשמיא קאמר) וַעֲוֹנִי לֹא כִסִּיתִי, מִצַּדִּיקוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם. אָמַרְתִי אוֹדֶה עֲלֵי פְשָׁעַי לַיְיָ', דָּא מַלְכָּא קַדִישָׁא, דִּשְׁלָמָא כֹּלָּא דִּילֵיהּ, וּשְׁלָמָא דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאַעֲלָאָה קָמֵיהּ בְּהוֹדָאָה. דְּהָא שְׁלָמִים הָכִי מִתְקָרְבִין בְּהוֹדָאָה, דִּכְתִיב (ויקרא ז׳:י״ג) עַל זֶבַח תּוֹדַת שְׁלָמָיו. (תהילים ל״ב:ה׳) וְאַתָּה נָשָׂאתָ עֲוֹן חַטָּאתִי סֶלָה. דָּא לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא, אֲתַר דְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא שַׁרְיָא. בְּגִין כָּךְ, הַאי קְרָא אָחִיד בְּכֹלָּא.
But, indeed, these words, like all David’s words, were uttered in the holy spirit. He was addressing the Kingdom of Heaven [Malkuth], for she is the intermediary between earth and heaven, and whoso has a petition of the King must make it known to her first. Hence David said: “I will acknowledge my sin to thee, the Kingdom of Heaven, and mine iniquity have I not hid from the Righteous One of the universe, and I said, I will confess my sin to the Lord, to wit, the Holy King to whom all peace belongs.” Then it goes on: “And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin”; this was in the highest realm, the place where the Ancient Holy One abides. Thus this verse includes all;
כְּגַוונָא דָּא, מַאן דְּיִתְבַּע בָּעוּתֵיהּ לְמַלְכָּא, בָּעֵי לְיַחֲדָא שְׁמָא קַדִישָׁא בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ, מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא וּמֵעֵילָּא לְתַּתָּא, וּלְקַשְּׁרָא כֹּלָּא בְּחַד קִשְׁרָא, וּבְהַהוּא קִשּׁוּרָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בָּעוּתֵיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, מַאן הוּא חַכִּימָא, לְמִתְבַּע בָּעוּתֵיהּ כְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא, דְּהוּא הֲוָה נָטִיר פִּתְחָא דְּמַלְכָּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא ודַאי הָכִי הוּא. וְעַל דָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא אוֹלִיף לָן, אָרְחֵי דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּגִין דְּנִנְדַּע לְמֵיהַךְ אֲבַתְרֵיהּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (דברים י״ג:ה׳) אַחֲרֵי יְיָ' אֱלהֵיכֶם תֵּלֵכוּ וגוֹ'.
and in the same way, whoever prays to the King should unify the Holy Name in his thought, ranging from lower to upper, and from upper to lower, and linking all together, and then his prayer will be granted.’ Said R. Jose: ‘Who has the skill to pray like King David, who used to keep watch at the gate of the King?’ Said R. Hiya to him: ‘Assuredly it is so, and therefore the Torah has taught us the ways of the Holy King that we may know how to seek him, as it says, “After the Lord your God ye shall walk” (Deut. 13, 4).’