Said R. Isaac to himself: ‘I will join them and listen to what they have to say.’ He accordingly went along with them. The man then commenced to discourse on the verse: Arise, O Lord, unto thy resting place, thoa and the ark of thy strength (Ps. 132, 8). ‘David,’ he said, ‘when he uttered these words, was like a man saying to a king, “Let your Highness arise and proceed to his abode of rest.”’
Moses also addressed God similarly when he said: “Arise, O Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered” (Num. 10, 35). The difference between the two is this. Moses spoke like a man giving orders in his own household, and so, as it were, bade the Lord to make war against His enemies; whereas David solicited Him to retire to His place of rest, and in accordance with the rules of etiquette included in his invitation both the King and His Consort. Hence he said: “Arise, O Lord, unto thy resting place, thou and the ark of thy strength”, so as not to separate them.’
From David’s conduct on this occasion we learn that anyone who invites a king should strive to entertain him in some novel fashion, so as to afford him special pleasure. If, for instance, it is the king’s wont to be entertained by ordinary clowns and jester, he should provide for him specially refined and courtly entertainers.
Thus, when David invited the King and His Consort, he replaced the customary entertainers of the King with a higher order. So he said: “Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints sing songs” (Ps. 132, 9).’ Now the Levites were the regular musicians of the King, but David, having extended an invitation to Him, deviated from the normal practice and provided priests and saints to entertain Him.
God said to him: “David, I do not wish to burden thee overmuch.” Said David in reply: “O my Master, when Thou art in Thy palace, Thou doest according to Thy will, but now that I have invited Thee, it is for me to arrange matters, and it is my will to bring before Thee these, although it is not their usual task.”
From here we learn again that in his own house a man may arrange things as he pleases, but when invited out he must be at the command of his host, and conform to his desires. For when David substituted the priests for the Levites, God assented to his wish.
David further said: “For thy servant David’s sake turn not away the face of thine anointed” (Ibid. 10), as much as to say: “Let not the arrangements I have made be annulled.” God said to him: “David, even my vessels I will not make use of, but will use thine instead.” Nor did God stir from there until He had bestowed upon him a multitude of gifts, as it is written: “The Lord swore unto David in truth; he will not turn back from it: of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne” (Ibid. 11).’ R. Isaac went up to the man and kissed him, saying: ‘It was worth my while to come hither if only to hear this.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אֶשְׁתַּתַּף בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, וְאֶשְׁמַע מַאי קָאַמְרֵי. אֲזַל בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ. פָּתַח הַהוּא בַּר נַשׁ וְאָמַר, (תהילים קל״ב:ח׳) קוּמָה יְיָ לִמְנוּחָתֶךָ אַתָּה וַאֲרוֹן עֻזֶּךְ. קוּמָה יְיָ לִמְנוּחָתֶךָ, כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר, יְקוּם מַלְכָּא, לְבֵי נַיְיחָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנֵיהּ.
Said R. Isaac to himself: ‘I will join them and listen to what they have to say.’ He accordingly went along with them. The man then commenced to discourse on the verse: Arise, O Lord, unto thy resting place, thoa and the ark of thy strength (Ps. 132, 8). ‘David,’ he said, ‘when he uttered these words, was like a man saying to a king, “Let your Highness arise and proceed to his abode of rest.”’
תְּרֵין אִינוּן הֲווּ דְּאָמְרוּ קוּמָה יְיָ, משֶׁה וְדָוִד. משֶׁה אָמַר, (במדבר י׳:ל״ה) קוּמָה יְיָ וְיָפוּצוּ אוֹיְבֶיךָ. וְדָוִד אָמַר, קוּמָה יְיָ לִמְנוּחָתֶךָ. מַאי אִיכָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ. אֶלָּא משֶׁה כְּמַאן דְּפָּקִּיד לְבֵיתֵיהּ קָאֲמַר, משֶׁה פַּקִּיד לָהּ, לְאֲגָחָא קְרָבָא לָקֳבֵיל שַׂנְאוֹי. דָּוִד זָמִּין לֵיהּ לְנַיְיחָא, כְּמָה דְּמַזְמִין (ליה) לְמָרִיהּ, זַמִּין לְמַלְכָּא וּלְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא עִמֵּיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, קוּמָה יְיָ לִמְנוּחָתֶךָ אַתָּה וַאֲרוֹן עֻזֶּךָ, בְּגִין דְּלָא לְאַפְרָשָׁא לוֹן.
Moses also addressed God similarly when he said: “Arise, O Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered” (Num. 10, 35). The difference between the two is this. Moses spoke like a man giving orders in his own household, and so, as it were, bade the Lord to make war against His enemies; whereas David solicited Him to retire to His place of rest, and in accordance with the rules of etiquette included in his invitation both the King and His Consort. Hence he said: “Arise, O Lord, unto thy resting place, thou and the ark of thy strength”, so as not to separate them.’
(תהילים קל״ב:ט׳) כֹּהֲנֶיךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ צֶדֶק וַחֲסִידֶיךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ. מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּמַאן דִּמְזַמֵּן לְמַלְכָּא, יְשַׁנֵּי עוֹבָדוֹי בְּגִין לְמֵיהַב חֶדְוָה לְמַלְכָּא. אִי אָרְחֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא דְּחָדָאן לֵיהּ בְּדִיחֵי הֶדְיוֹטֵי, יְסַדַּר קַמֵּיהּ בְּדִיחֵי רוֹפִינוּס וּפַרְדַּשְׁכֵי, וְאִי לָאו, לָאו אִיהוּ (בגין) בְּדִיחוּתָא דְמַלְכָּא.
From David’s conduct on this occasion we learn that anyone who invites a king should strive to entertain him in some novel fashion, so as to afford him special pleasure. If, for instance, it is the king’s wont to be entertained by ordinary clowns and jester, he should provide for him specially refined and courtly entertainers.
תָּא חֲזֵי, דָּוִד זַמִּין לֵיהּ לְמַלְכָּא וּלְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא לְנַיְיחָא, מָה עֲבַד, שָׁנֵי בְּדִיחֵי דְמַלְכָּא, בְּגִין רוֹפִינוּס. וּמַאן נִינְהוּ, דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים קל״ב:ט׳) כֹּהֲנֶיךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ צֶדֶק וַחֲסִידֶיךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ. (ר"ל ע"ב, רל"ד ע"א) וַחֲסִידֶיךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ, לְוִיֶּיךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, דְּהָא לֵיוָאֵי אִינוּן בְּדִיחֵי מַלְכָּא. וְהַשְׁתָּא דָּוִד דְּזַמִּין לֵיהּ לְנַיְיחָא, עֲבַד כֹּהֲנֵי וַחֲסִידֵי דְּלֶיהווּ אִינוּן בְּדִיחֵי מַלְכָּא.
Thus, when David invited the King and His Consort, he replaced the customary entertainers of the King with a higher order. So he said: “Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints sing songs” (Ps. 132, 9).’ Now the Levites were the regular musicians of the King, but David, having extended an invitation to Him, deviated from the normal practice and provided priests and saints to entertain Him.
אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דָּוִד, לָא בָעֵינָא לְאַטְרָחָא עֲלָךְ. (אלין) (נ"א אמר ליה קודשא בריך הוא, דוד, לאו הכי) אָמַר לֵיהּ דָּוִד, מָארִי (לאו הכי אלא), כַּד אַנְתְּ בְּהֵיכָלָךְ, אַתְּ עָבִיד רְעוּתָךְ. הַשְׁתָּא דְּזַמִּינְנָא לָךְ, בִּרְעוּתִי קַיְימָא מִלָּה לְאַקְרָבָא אִלֵּין, דְּאִינוּן חֲשִׁיבֵי יַתִּיר, אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָאו אָרְחַיְיהוּ בְּהַאי.
God said to him: “David, I do not wish to burden thee overmuch.” Said David in reply: “O my Master, when Thou art in Thy palace, Thou doest according to Thy will, but now that I have invited Thee, it is for me to arrange matters, and it is my will to bring before Thee these, although it is not their usual task.”
מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּמַאן דְּאִיהוּ בְּבֵיתֵיהּ, יְסַדֵּר אוֹרְחֵיהּ וְעוֹבָדֵיהּ כִּרְעוּתֵיהּ. אִי מְזַמְּנִין לֵיהּ, יַעֲבִיד רְעוּתֵיהּ דְּאוּשְׁפִּיזֵיהּ, כְּמָה דִמְסַדַּר עֲלוֹי. דְּהָא דָוִד אַחְלַף לֵיוָאֵי וְסַדַּר כַּהֲנֵי, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹקִים מִלָּה כִּרְעוּתֵיהּ.
From here we learn again that in his own house a man may arrange things as he pleases, but when invited out he must be at the command of his host, and conform to his desires. For when David substituted the priests for the Levites, God assented to his wish.
אָמַר דָּוִד, בַּעֲבוּר דָּוִד עַבְדֶּךָ אַל תָּשֵׁב פְּנֵי מְשִׁיחֶךָ סִדּוּרָא דְּקָא סַדַּרְנָא, לָא יְתוּב לַאֲחוֹרָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דָּוִד, חַיֶּיךָ, אֲפִילּוּ בְּמָאנִין דִילִי לָא אֶשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ, אֶלָּא בְּמָאנִין דִּילָךְ. וְלָא זָז קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִתַּמָּן, עַד דְּיָהִיב לֵיהּ נְבַזְבְּזָן וּמַתְּנָן, דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים קל״ב:י״א) נִשְׁבַּע יְיָ לְדָוִד אֱמֶת לא יָשׁוּב מִמֶּנָּהּ מִפְּרִי בִטְנְךָ אָשִׁית לְכִסֵּא לָךְ. אֲתָא רִבִּי יִצְחָק וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ, אָמַר אִי לָא אֲתֵינָא לְהַאי אָרְחָא, אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמַע דָּא דַּיַּי.
David further said: “For thy servant David’s sake turn not away the face of thine anointed” (Ibid. 10), as much as to say: “Let not the arrangements I have made be annulled.” God said to him: “David, even my vessels I will not make use of, but will use thine instead.” Nor did God stir from there until He had bestowed upon him a multitude of gifts, as it is written: “The Lord swore unto David in truth; he will not turn back from it: of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne” (Ibid. 11).’ R. Isaac went up to the man and kissed him, saying: ‘It was worth my while to come hither if only to hear this.’