R. Simeon further discoursed on the text: I rejoiced when they said unto me: Let us go unto the house of the Lord (Ibid. 122, 1). ‘This verse has been explained’, he said, ‘as follows. David was minded to build the House of God, but he was commanded to leave the task to his son, as we read: “Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord… nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name” (I Kings VIII, l8-19). The whole of Israel knew of this and they used to say: “When is David going to die so that Solomon his son may arise and build the House, and we shall be able to say, ‘Our feet are standing within thy gates, O Jerusalem’ (Ps. 122, 2), for we will then go up and offer sacrifices?”
But although David knew that they were impatient for his death, yet he rejoiced to hear them speak thus on account of his son, who would take his place in carrying out the command to build the House. David thus commenced to sing its praises and said: “Jerusalem that art builded as a city that is compact together” (Ibid. 122, 3).
According to our teachers, God fashioned the lower Jerusalem on the model of the heavenly Jerusalem, the one exactly facing the other, as it is written: “the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established” (Ex. 15, 17). The expression “that art builded” indicates that God will in time to come cause the upper Jerusalem to descend below; this is further proved by the phrase “as a city that is compact (she-hubrah) together”, where the term hubrah (lit. she is joined), written in the singular, indicates that the Mother has joined the Daughter and the two are become as one.
We read further: “Whither the tribes went up”, they being the support of the world and the upholding of the lower world, and even of the upper world, as it says: “even the tribes of the Lord, as a testimony unto Israel”, the term “Israel” having its esoteric significance; for they, being the support of the lower world, act as a testimony to the upper world, and all in order “to give thanks unto the name of the Lord” (Ps. 122, 4), i.e. to acknowledge the name of God in all directions.’” AND ISRAEL SAID UNTO JOSEPH: DO NOT THY BRETHREN FEED THE FLOCK OF SHECHEM? COME, AND I WILL SEND THEE UNTO THEM.
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים קכ״ב:א׳) שָׂמַחְתִּי בְּאוֹמְרִים לִי בֵּית יְיָ נִלֵךְ. הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דְּדָוִד הֲוָה עִם לִבֵּיהּ לְמִבְנֵי בֵּיתָא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (מלכים א ח׳:י״ז) וַיְהִי עִם לְבַב דָּוִד אָבִי לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת לְשֵׁם יְיָ וְגו'. וּלְבָתַר מַה כְּתִיב רַק אַתָּה לא תִבְנֶה הַבַּיִת כִּי אִם בִּנְךָ הַיּוֹצֵא מֵחֲלָצֶיךָ הוּא יִבְנֶה הַבַּיִת לִשְׁמִי. וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲווּ יָדְעֵי דָא, וְהֲווּ אָמְרוּ אֵימָתַי יָמוּת דָּוִד וְיָקוּם שְׁלֹמֹה בְּרֵיהּ וְיִבְנֶה בֵּיתָא. וּכְדֵין עוֹמְדוֹת הָיוּ רַגְלֵינוּ בִּשְׁעָרַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, כְּדֵין נִיסַק וְנַקְרִיב תַּמָּן קָרְבָּנִין.
R. Simeon further discoursed on the text: I rejoiced when they said unto me: Let us go unto the house of the Lord (Ibid. 122, 1). ‘This verse has been explained’, he said, ‘as follows. David was minded to build the House of God, but he was commanded to leave the task to his son, as we read: “Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord… nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name” (I Kings VIII, l8-19). The whole of Israel knew of this and they used to say: “When is David going to die so that Solomon his son may arise and build the House, and we shall be able to say, ‘Our feet are standing within thy gates, O Jerusalem’ (Ps. 122, 2), for we will then go up and offer sacrifices?”
וְעִם כָּל דָּא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּהֲווּ אָמְרוּ אֵימָתַי יָמוּת סָבָא דָא, כְּדֵין שָׂמַחְתִּי. וְחֶדְוָה הֲוָה לִי בְּגִין בְּרִי, דְּהֲווּ אָמְרֵי דִבְרִי יָקוּם תְּחוֹתִי לְמִגְמַר פִּקוּדָא לְמִבְנִי בֵיתָא. כְּדֵין שָׁרֵי וְשַׁבַּח לָהּ וְאָמַר, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הַבְּנוּיָה כְּעִיר שֶׁחֻבְּרָה לָהּ יַחְדָּו.
But although David knew that they were impatient for his death, yet he rejoiced to hear them speak thus on account of his son, who would take his place in carrying out the command to build the House. David thus commenced to sing its praises and said: “Jerusalem that art builded as a city that is compact together” (Ibid. 122, 3).
תְּנַן עֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יְרוּשָׁלַיִם לְתַתָּא כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא, וְדָא מִתְתַּקְּנָא (דא) לָקֳבֵל דָּא דִּכְתִיב, (שמות ט״ו:י״ז) מָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ פָּעַלְתָּ יְיָ. הַבְּנוּיָה, דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְנַחֲתָא לָהּ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם דִּלְעֵילָא כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת, וּבְגִין כָּךְ הַבְּנוּיָה. שֶׁחֻבְּרָה לָהּ יַחְדָּו, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ שֶׁחֻבְּרָה שֶׁחִבְּרוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא דְּאִתְחַבָּרַת אִמָּא בִּבְרַתָּא וְהֲווּ כְּחֲדָא וְאוּקְמוּהָ.
According to our teachers, God fashioned the lower Jerusalem on the model of the heavenly Jerusalem, the one exactly facing the other, as it is written: “the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established” (Ex. 15, 17). The expression “that art builded” indicates that God will in time to come cause the upper Jerusalem to descend below; this is further proved by the phrase “as a city that is compact (she-hubrah) together”, where the term hubrah (lit. she is joined), written in the singular, indicates that the Mother has joined the Daughter and the two are become as one.
וְאִתְּמָר. שֶׁשָּׁם עָלוּ שְׁבָטִים אִלֵּין אִינוּן קִיּוּמָא דְעַלְמָא וְתִקּוּנָא דְעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, וְלָא תֵימָא דְּעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, אֶלָּא אֲפִילּוּ דְּעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה. דִּכְתִיב שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, לְיִשְׂרָאֵל דַּיְיקָא. בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן קִיּוּמָא לְתַתָּא, סַהֲדוּתָא אִינוּן לְעֵילָא. וְכֹלָּא לְהוֹדוֹת לְשֵׁם יְיָ, לְאוֹדָאָה שְׁמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְכָל סִטְרִין, דִּכְתִיב לְהוֹדוֹת לְשֵׁם יְיָ:
We read further: “Whither the tribes went up”, they being the support of the world and the upholding of the lower world, and even of the upper world, as it says: “even the tribes of the Lord, as a testimony unto Israel”, the term “Israel” having its esoteric significance; for they, being the support of the lower world, act as a testimony to the upper world, and all in order “to give thanks unto the name of the Lord” (Ps. 122, 4), i.e. to acknowledge the name of God in all directions.’” AND ISRAEL SAID UNTO JOSEPH: DO NOT THY BRETHREN FEED THE FLOCK OF SHECHEM? COME, AND I WILL SEND THEE UNTO THEM.