The youth then followed, taking as his text: “The king by judgement establisheth the land, but a man of offerings overthroweth it” (Prov. 29, 4). ‘The king here’, he said, ‘is the Holy One, blessed be He. “Judgement” is Jacob, who is the epitome of the patriarchs. “A man of offerings” is Esau, who used to ask questions about offerings, but never bring any. Or again, I can say that ‘offerings” is the negation of judgement, being the elevation of mercy, and therefore “a man of offerings overthroweth it”.
2
וְאִי תֵּימָא, הָא דָּוִד מַלְכָּא אִישׁ תְּרוּמָה הֲוָה, אֶלָּא בְּרַחֲמֵי. וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא (ס"א דוד מלכא איש תרומה הוה וארעא אתקיימא בגיניה הכי הוא ודאי. אבל כלא ברחמי הוה) דְּהָא כְּתִיב (ישעיהו נ״ה:ג׳) חַסְדֵי דָּוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים, כְּמָה דְּאִתְדְּבַק בְּהַאי, אִתְדְּבַק בְּהַאי.
But was not David “a man of offerings”, and yet the land was established by him? This was because it is written of him, “the sure mercies of David”; as he clung to one quality, so did he cling to the other.
All his days David strove that this “offering” should be united with judgement. Solomon came and wedded them together, so that the moon became full and the land was established. Zedekiah came and parted them, and the land was left without judgement, and the moon was impaired and the land was devastated.
פָּתַח הַהוּא רַבְיָא וְאָמַר, (משלי כ״ט:ד׳) מֶלֶךְ בְמִשְׁפָּט יַעֲמִיד אָרֶץ וְגוֹ'. מַאן מֶלֶךְ. דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. בְּמִשְׁפָּט דָּא יַעֲקֹב, דְּאִיהוּ כְּלָלָא דַּאֲבָהָן. וְאִישׁ תְּרוּמוֹת, תְּרוּמַת כְּתִיב, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שמות כ״ה:ג׳) וְזֹאת הַתְּרוּמָה. וְאִישׁ תְּרוּמוֹת, דָּא עֵשָׂו, דְּבָעֵי עַל תְּרוּמוֹת וְעַל מַעֲשְׂרוֹת כָּל יוֹמָא, וְלָא עָבִיד מִדִי. וְאִישׁ תְּרוּמוֹת דְּלָאו אִיהוּ מִשְׁפָּט. דְּהָא תְּרוּמָה אִסְתַּלְקוּתָא דְּרַחֲמֵי, בְּגִין דָּא לָא אַתְיָא בְּמִּשְׁפָּט, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (משלי י״ג:כ״ג) וְיֵשׁ נִסְפֶּה בְּלֹא מִשְׁפָּט, וְעַל דָּא, וְאִישׁ תְּרוּמֹת יֶהֶרְסֶנָּה.
The youth then followed, taking as his text: “The king by judgement establisheth the land, but a man of offerings overthroweth it” (Prov. 29, 4). ‘The king here’, he said, ‘is the Holy One, blessed be He. “Judgement” is Jacob, who is the epitome of the patriarchs. “A man of offerings” is Esau, who used to ask questions about offerings, but never bring any. Or again, I can say that ‘offerings” is the negation of judgement, being the elevation of mercy, and therefore “a man of offerings overthroweth it”.
וְאִי תֵּימָא, הָא דָּוִד מַלְכָּא אִישׁ תְּרוּמָה הֲוָה, אֶלָּא בְּרַחֲמֵי. וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא (ס"א דוד מלכא איש תרומה הוה וארעא אתקיימא בגיניה הכי הוא ודאי. אבל כלא ברחמי הוה) דְּהָא כְּתִיב (ישעיהו נ״ה:ג׳) חַסְדֵי דָּוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים, כְּמָה דְּאִתְדְּבַק בְּהַאי, אִתְדְּבַק בְּהַאי.
But was not David “a man of offerings”, and yet the land was established by him? This was because it is written of him, “the sure mercies of David”; as he clung to one quality, so did he cling to the other.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל יוֹמוֹי דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא, הֲוָה מִשְׁתָּדַּל (בגין) דְּהַאי תְּרוּמָה, יִתְקְשַׁר בְּמִּשְׁפָּט, וְיִזְדַּוְוגוּן כַּחֲדָא. (בגין דיתקיים בארעא) אָתָא שְׁלֹמֹה וְזִוִּוג לוֹן כַּחֲדָא, וְקַיְּימָא סִיהֲרָא בְּאַשְׁלְמוּתָא, וְקַיְּימָא אַרְעָא בְּקִיּוּמָא. אָתָא צִדְקִיָּהוּ וְאַפְרִישׁ לוֹן, וְאִשְׁתְּאָרַת אַרְעָא בְּלָא מִשְׁפָּט, וְאִתְפְּגִימַת סִיהֲרָא, וְאִתְחֲרִיבַת אַרְעָא, כְּדֵין וְאִישׁ תְּרוּמַת יֶהֶרְסֶנָּה.
All his days David strove that this “offering” should be united with judgement. Solomon came and wedded them together, so that the moon became full and the land was established. Zedekiah came and parted them, and the land was left without judgement, and the moon was impaired and the land was devastated.