R. Jesse then discoursed on the verse: He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous; but with kings upon the throne he setteth them for ever, and they are exalted (Job 36, 7). ‘When’, he said, ‘the domination of the wicked ceases and they perish from the world, then the righteous obtain dominion, as it says: “He preserveth not the life of the wicked, but giveth to the poor their right” (Ibid. 6). The words, “He withdraweth not from the righteous his eye” are parallel to the text, “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous” (Ps. 34, 16).
“But with kings upon the throne”; these are the kings who are, as it were, united to their thrones, and whom He setteth for ever so that they remain immovably established. “And they are exalted”, to wit, to rule over the world so that the throne remains firmly established on its supports. Or, again, it may mean that they raise the throne and set it up on high so that it should become united to its proper place and there should thus be a complete unity.’
Whilst they were proceeding on their way they caught sight of a man coming towards them, with a child riding on his shoulders. Said R. Isaac: ‘This man is without doubt a Judean, and he wants to give people a chance to do a good action.’ Said R. Jesse: ‘Let us be the first to take advantage of the opportunity.’
When he came up to them, R. Jesse asked him: ‘Whereto is the saffron pot set on the path?’ The man replied: ‘So as to afford people an opportunity of doing a pious action; for I have two sons who were taken captive by a brigand who passed through my native town, and now I am on the road in order to afford people the opportunity of doing a good action.’ The two thereupon availed themselves of the occasion and gave him food to eat.
פָּתַח רִבִּי יֵיסָא וְאָמַר, (איוב ל״ו:ז׳) לא יִגְרַע מִצַּדִּיק עֵינָיו וְאֶת מְלָכִים לַכִּסֵּא וַיּשִׁיבֵם לָנֶצַח וַיִּגְבָּהוּ, תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד חַיָּיבַיָא לָא שָׁלְטִין בְּעַלְמָא וְאִתְאֲבִידוּ מִינֵיהּ, (בעלמא) (מעלמא) כְּדֵין צַּדִּיק אִיהוּ שַׁלִּיט בְּעַלְמָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שם) לא יְחַיֶּה רָשָׁע וּמִשְׁפַּט עֲנִיִּים יִתֵּן. מַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ, לא יִגְּרַע מִצַּדִּיק עֵינָיו, מַהוּ עֵינָיו, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהלים לה) עֵינֵי יְיָ אֶל צַדִּיקִים.
R. Jesse then discoursed on the verse: He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous; but with kings upon the throne he setteth them for ever, and they are exalted (Job 36, 7). ‘When’, he said, ‘the domination of the wicked ceases and they perish from the world, then the righteous obtain dominion, as it says: “He preserveth not the life of the wicked, but giveth to the poor their right” (Ibid. 6). The words, “He withdraweth not from the righteous his eye” are parallel to the text, “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous” (Ps. 34, 16).
וְאֶת מְלָכִים לַכִּסֵּא, אִלֵּין אִינוּן מְלָכִין שַׁלִּיטִין, דְּאִתְאַחֲדָן לַכִּסֵּא. וַיּשִׁיבֵם לָנֶצַח, דְּאִתְקַיְימוּ בְּכֻּרְסְיָיא, בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים. וַיִּגְבָּהוּ, אַמַּאי וַיִּגְבָּהוּ, לְשַׁלְטָאָה בְּעַלְמָא, וְיִתְקַיֵּים כֻּרְסְיָיא עַל סַמְכוֹהִי. דָּבָר אַחֵר וַיִּגְבָּהוּ, דְּנָטְלֵי כֻּרְסְיָיא, וְזָקְפִין לָהּ לְעֵילָא, לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, וּכְדֵין כֹּלָּא יִחוּדָא חָדָא.
“But with kings upon the throne”; these are the kings who are, as it were, united to their thrones, and whom He setteth for ever so that they remain immovably established. “And they are exalted”, to wit, to rule over the world so that the throne remains firmly established on its supports. Or, again, it may mean that they raise the throne and set it up on high so that it should become united to its proper place and there should thus be a complete unity.’
עַד דְּהֲווּ אָזְלֵי, חָמוּ חַד בַּר נָשׁ, דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי וְחַד יְנוּקָא עִמֵּיהּ, רָכִיב עַל כִּתְפֵיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, וַדַּאי הַאי בַּר נָשׁ יוּדָאי אִיהוּ, וּבְגִין לְזַכָּאָה לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא קָא אָתֵי. אָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא, נִזְכֶּה אֲנַן בְּקַדְמִיתָא בֵּיהּ.
Whilst they were proceeding on their way they caught sight of a man coming towards them, with a child riding on his shoulders. Said R. Isaac: ‘This man is without doubt a Judean, and he wants to give people a chance to do a good action.’ Said R. Jesse: ‘Let us be the first to take advantage of the opportunity.’
כַּד מָטָא לְגַבַּיְיהוּ, אָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא אָן קִיסְתָא דִּטְרִימָא (ס"א קיסטא דעמירא) בְּקִירְטוֹי דְּאוֹרְחָא, אָמַר בְּגִין דְּיִזְכּוּן (ד"א ל"ג בי) בְּנֵי נְשָׁא, דְּהָא תְּרֵין בְּנִין אִית לִי, וְאָתָא טוּרָנָא לְמָתָא, וְאִשְׁתַּבּוּ. וְהָאִידְנָא אָזִילְנָא, בְּגִין דְּיִזְכּוּן בְּהוּ בְּנִי נָשָׁא. זָכוּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וְיַהֲבוּ לֵיהּ לְמֵיכַל.
When he came up to them, R. Jesse asked him: ‘Whereto is the saffron pot set on the path?’ The man replied: ‘So as to afford people an opportunity of doing a pious action; for I have two sons who were taken captive by a brigand who passed through my native town, and now I am on the road in order to afford people the opportunity of doing a good action.’ The two thereupon availed themselves of the occasion and gave him food to eat.