AND ABRAHAM WAS OLD, HE HAD COME INTO DAYS; AND THE LORD BLESSED ABRAHAM IN ALL THINGS. R. Judah discoursed on the verse: Happy is the man whom thou choosest and bringest near, that he may dwell in thy courts (Ps. 65, 5). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘may be explained as follows. Happy is the man whose ways are found right before the Holy One and in whom He finds pleasure so as to bring him near to Himself.
Observe how Abraham strove to come nearer and nearer to Him, making Him the object of his longing the whole of his days. Not just one day, or just every now and then, but by his works advancing day by day from grade to grade, until he rose, when he was old, to the higher grades proper to him.
Hence we read that when Abraham was old he “came into days”, i.e. he entered into those supernal days, the days familiar in the doctrine of true faith. Further, “the Lord blessed Abraham in all things (ba-kol)”, the region called kol (all) being the source whence issue all boons and blessings.
Happy are the penitent who in the space of one day, one hour, nay, one second, can draw near to the Holy One, as near as even the truly righteous in the space of many years. Abraham did not reach that high grade until he was old, as already said. So, too, David, of whom it is written, “and King David was old, he came into days” (I Kings 1, 1). But the penitent immediately finds entrance, and is brought close to the Holy One, blessed be He.’
R. Jose said: ‘We have been taught that the place assigned to the penitent in the next world is one where even the wholly righteous are not permitted to enter, as the former are the nearest of all to the King; they are more devoted and strive more intently to draw near to the King.
וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וַיְיָ בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח (תהילים ס״ה:ה׳) אַשְׁרֵי תִּבְחַר וּתְקָרֵב יִשְׁכֹּן חֲצֵרֶיךָ, הַאי קְרָא (צד ע"ב) אִתְּמָר, אֲבָל זַכָּאָה הוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּאוֹרְחוֹי אִתְכַּשְׁרָן קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאִיהוּ אִתְרָעֵי בֵּיהּ לְקָרָבָא לֵיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ.
AND ABRAHAM WAS OLD, HE HAD COME INTO DAYS; AND THE LORD BLESSED ABRAHAM IN ALL THINGS. R. Judah discoursed on the verse: Happy is the man whom thou choosest and bringest near, that he may dwell in thy courts (Ps. 65, 5). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘may be explained as follows. Happy is the man whose ways are found right before the Holy One and in whom He finds pleasure so as to bring him near to Himself.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אַבְרָהָם אִתְקְרִיב לְגַבֵּיהּ וְתִאוּבְתֵּיהּ דִּילֵיהּ הֲוָה כָּל יוֹמוֹי בְּהַאי, וְלָא אִתְקְרִיב אַבְרָהָם בְּיוֹמָא חָדָא אוֹ בְּזִמְנָא חָדָא, אֶלָּא עוֹבָדוֹי קְרִיבוּ לֵיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמוֹי מִדַּרְגָּא לְדַרְגָּא, עַד דְּאִסְתַּלַק בְּדַרְגּוֹי.
Observe how Abraham strove to come nearer and nearer to Him, making Him the object of his longing the whole of his days. Not just one day, or just every now and then, but by his works advancing day by day from grade to grade, until he rose, when he was old, to the higher grades proper to him.
כַּד הֲוָה סִיב וְעָאל בְּדַרְגִּין עִלָּאִין כְּדְקָא חָזֵי דִּכְתִיב וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן, וּכְדֵין בָּא בַּיָּמִים בְּאִינוּן יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין בְּאִינוּן יוֹמִין יְדִיעָאן בְּרָזָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא. וַיְיָ בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל. דְּמִתַּמָּן נָפְקִין כָּל בִּרְכָאן וְכָל טִיבוּ.
Hence we read that when Abraham was old he “came into days”, i.e. he entered into those supernal days, the days familiar in the doctrine of true faith. Further, “the Lord blessed Abraham in all things (ba-kol)”, the region called kol (all) being the source whence issue all boons and blessings.
זַכָּאִין אִינוּן מָארֵיהוֹן דִּתְשׁוּבָה דְּהָא בְּשַׁעְתָּא חָדָא בְּיוֹמָא חָדָא בְּרִגְעָא חָדָא קְרֵיבִין לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה הָכִי אֲפִילּוּ לְצַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים דְּאִתְקְרִיבוּ גַּבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּכַמָּה שְׁנִין. אַבְרָהָם לָא עָאל בְּאִינוּן יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין עַד דְּהֲוָה סִיב כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. וְכֵן דָּוִד דִּכְתִיב (מלכים א א׳:א׳) וְהַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים. אֲבָל מָארִיהּ דִּתְשׁוּבָה מִיָּד עָאל וְאִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
Happy are the penitent who in the space of one day, one hour, nay, one second, can draw near to the Holy One, as near as even the truly righteous in the space of many years. Abraham did not reach that high grade until he was old, as already said. So, too, David, of whom it is written, “and King David was old, he came into days” (I Kings 1, 1). But the penitent immediately finds entrance, and is brought close to the Holy One, blessed be He.’
רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר תָּנִינָן אֲתַר דְּמָארֵיהוֹן דִּתְשׁוּבָה קָיְימֵי בֵּיהּ, בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא, צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים לֵית לוֹן רְשׁוּ לְקָיְימָא בֵּיהּ, בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן קְרֵיבִין לְמַלְכָּא יַתִּיר מִכֻּלְּהוּ, וְאִינוּן מָשְׁכֵי עֲלַיְיהוּ בִּרְעוּתָא דְלִבָּא יַתִּיר וּבְחֵילָא סַגְיָא לְאִתְקְרָבָא לְמַלְכָּא.
R. Jose said: ‘We have been taught that the place assigned to the penitent in the next world is one where even the wholly righteous are not permitted to enter, as the former are the nearest of all to the King; they are more devoted and strive more intently to draw near to the King.