AND IF YE SAY, WHAT SHALL WE EAT, ETC. R. Judah cited here the verse: “Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and follow after faithfulness” (Ps. 37, 3).
Observe’, he said, ‘that, as we have learnt, the deed below arouses the activity above, as it says, “and ye shall do (lit. make) them”, as much as to say, by your action below you make those above. Hence it says here, “Do (i.e. make) good”, “good” being a reference to the Zaddik. When you do this, then that “good” is aroused, and then you may “dwell in the land and follow after faithfulness”.
The “earth” referred to here is the supernal earth, with which none can abide save he first arouse this “good”; but if he does that he may dwell in its midst and eat its fruit and delight in it. And the same meaning is in the words “follow after faithfulness”. We may also take these words to mean, “Concentrate all thy thought upon Her”.
For if thou arousest not this good to meet Her, bestirrest thyself not to meet Her, this good departs from Her and thou canst not approach Her, as thou canst not approach a burning furnace, and if thou dost approach it will be in fear, like one who is afraid of death, for then a fire burns to consume the world. But if this “good” advances to meet Her and abides in Her, then thou needest not to fear, and then “thou shalt decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee and light shall shine upon thy ways” (Job 22, 28).
For the sons of faith bend Her to their will every day. Who are the sons of faith? Those who arouse this “good” to meet Her, and do not spare their substance, knowing that the Holy One, blessed be He, will give them more, because they set in motion blessings before Him.
Hence “if ye say, What shall we eat in the seventh year?” the answer is, “I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year”; just as it is written elsewhere: “See that the Lord… giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days” (Ex. 16, 29).’
(ויקרא כ״ה:כ׳) וְכִי תֹאמְרוּ מַה נֹאכַל וְגוֹ', רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, (תהילים ל״ז:ג׳) בְּטַח בַּיְיָ' וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב שְׁכָן אֶרֶץ וּרְעֵה אֱמוּנָה. לְעוֹלָם בַּר נָשׁ יְהֵא זָהִיר בְּמָארֵיהּ, וִידַבֵּק לִבֵּיהּ בִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה, בְּגִין דִּיהֱוִי שְׁלִים בְּמָארֵיהּ. דְּכַד יֶהֱוִי שְׁלִים בֵּיהּ, לָא יַכְלִין לְאַבְאָשָׁא לֵיהּ כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא.
AND IF YE SAY, WHAT SHALL WE EAT, ETC. R. Judah cited here the verse: “Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and follow after faithfulness” (Ps. 37, 3).
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּטַח בַּיְיָ' וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב, מַאי וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב. אֶלָּא הָכִי תַּנִינָן, בְּעוֹבְדָא דִּלְתַתָּא, יִתְעַר עוֹבְדָא דִּלְעֵילָא. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם, כִּבְיָכוֹל, אַתּוּן תַּעַבְדוּן לְהוֹן, בְּגִין דִּבְהַהוּא אַתְעֲרוּתָא דִּלְכוֹן דְּאַתּוּן עַבְדִּין לְתַתָּא, אִתְעַר לְעֵילָּא וְעַל דָּא וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב כְּתִיב, וְאֵין טוֹב, אֶלָא צַדִיק, דִּכְתִיב (ישעיהו ג׳:י׳) אִמְרוּ צַדִּיק כִּי טוֹב. כֵּיוָן דְּאַתּוּן עַבְדִּין הַאי, ודַאי הַאי טוֹב יִתְעַר, כְּדֵין שְׁכָן אֶרֶץ וּרְעֵה אֱמוּנָה, וְכֹלָּא חַד.
Observe’, he said, ‘that, as we have learnt, the deed below arouses the activity above, as it says, “and ye shall do (lit. make) them”, as much as to say, by your action below you make those above. Hence it says here, “Do (i.e. make) good”, “good” being a reference to the Zaddik. When you do this, then that “good” is aroused, and then you may “dwell in the land and follow after faithfulness”.
שְׁכָן אֶרֶץ, אֶרֶץ עִלָּאָה. דְּהָא לֵית לָךְ בְּעָלְמָא, דְּיָכוֹל לְמִשְׁרֵי בַּהֲדָהּ, עַד דְּיִתְעַר הַאי טוֹב לְגַבָּהּ, כֵּיוָן דְּיִתְעַר לֵיהּ, כִּבְיָכוֹל הוּא עֲבִיד לֵיהּ, וּכְדֵין שְׁכָן אֶרֶץ, שְׁרֵי בְּגַוָּוה, אֵיכוּל אֵיבָה, אִשְׁתַּעְשַׁע בַּהַדָּה. וּרְעֵה אֱמוּנָה, דָּא אֶרֶץ וְכֹלָא חַד כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים צ״ב:ג׳) וְאֱמוּנָתְךָ בַּלֵּילוֹת. וּרְעֵה אֱמוּנָה, הֲוִי דָּבַּר לָהּ בְּכָל רְעוּתָךְ.
The “earth” referred to here is the supernal earth, with which none can abide save he first arouse this “good”; but if he does that he may dwell in its midst and eat its fruit and delight in it. And the same meaning is in the words “follow after faithfulness”. We may also take these words to mean, “Concentrate all thy thought upon Her”.
וְאִי לָא תִּתְּעַר לָקֳבְלָהּ, הַאי טוֹב אִתְרְחַק מִנָּהּ, וְלָא תִּקְרַב בַּהֲדָהּ, לָא תִּקְרַב לְגוֹ אַתּוּן נוּרָא יָקִידְתָּא, וְאִי תִּקְרַב בַּהֲדָהּ, בִּדְחִילוּ, כְּמָאן דְּדָחִיל מִן מוֹתָא. דְּהָא כְּדֵין נוּרָא דָּלִיק, וְאוֹקִיד עָלְמָא בְשַׁלְהוֹבוֹי. וְכֵיוָן דְּאִתְעַר לָקֳבְלָהּ הַאי טוֹב, כְּדֵין, שָׁארֵי בְּגַוָּוהּ, וְלָא תִּדְחַל מִנָּהּ אַנְתְּ, כְּדֵין, (איוב כ״ב:כ״ח) וְתִגְזַר אֹמֶר וְיָקָם לָךְ וְעַל דְּרָכֶיךָ נָגַּה אוֹר.
For if thou arousest not this good to meet Her, bestirrest thyself not to meet Her, this good departs from Her and thou canst not approach Her, as thou canst not approach a burning furnace, and if thou dost approach it will be in fear, like one who is afraid of death, for then a fire burns to consume the world. But if this “good” advances to meet Her and abides in Her, then thou needest not to fear, and then “thou shalt decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee and light shall shine upon thy ways” (Job 22, 28).
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּנֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא מַדְבְּרֵי לְהַאי לִרְעוּתְהוֹן בְּכָל יוֹמָא. מַאן אִינּוּן בְּנֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא. אִינּוּן דְּמִתְעָרֵי הַאי טוֹב לָקֳבְלֵיהּ, וְלָא חָס עַל דִּילֵיהּ, וְיַדְעֵי דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב לֵיהּ יַתִיר. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (משלי י״א:כ״ד) יֵשׁ מְפַזֵּר וְנוֹסָף עוֹד. מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין דְּהַאי אִתְעַר בִּרְכָאן לָקֳבְלֵיהּ, וְלָא יֵימָּא אִי אֶתֵּן הַאי הַשְׁתָּא, מַאי אַעְבִּיד לְמָחָר. אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב לֵיהּ בִּרְכָאָן עַד בְּלִי דַּי, כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ.
For the sons of faith bend Her to their will every day. Who are the sons of faith? Those who arouse this “good” to meet Her, and do not spare their substance, knowing that the Holy One, blessed be He, will give them more, because they set in motion blessings before Him.
וּבְגִין כַּךְ, וְכִי תֹּאמְרוּ מַה נֹּאכַל בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִית וְגוֹ', מַה כְּתִיב. וְצִוִּיתִי אֶת בִּרְכָתִי לָכֶם בַּשָּׁנָה הַשִּׁשִּׁית וְעָשָׂת אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה לִשְׁלֹשׁ הַשָּׁנִים. וְעָשָׂת, וְעָשְׂתָה מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי וְעָשָׂת. אֶלָּא לְאַפָּקָא ה', דְּאִית לָהּ שְׁמִטָּה וְנַיְיחָא, וְלָא עָבִיד עֲבִידְתָּא. כְּתִיב (שמות ט״ז:כ״ט) רְאוּ כִּי יְיָ' וְגוֹ' נוֹתֵן לָכֶם בַּיּוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי לֶחֶם יוֹמָיִם וְגוֹ', כְּגַוְונָא דָּא וְצִוִּיתִי אֶת בִּרְכָתִי לָכֶם בַּשָּׁנָה הַשִּׁשִּׁית וְגוֹ'.
Hence “if ye say, What shall we eat in the seventh year?” the answer is, “I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year”; just as it is written elsewhere: “See that the Lord… giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days” (Ex. 16, 29).’