R. Abba cited here the verse: “Fair in situation, the joy of the whole earth; even Mount Zion, the uttermost parts of the earth, the city of the great King” (Ps. 48, 3), expounding it esoterically. ‘“Fair in situation” ‘, he said, ‘is an allusion to Joseph the Righteous, of whom it is said: “And Joseph was of beautiful form, and fair to look upon” (Gen. 39, 6). He is called “the joy of the whole earth”, as he is the joy and the gladness both of the upper and the lower world. He is also “Mount Zion, the uttermost part of the north”, seeing that in his territory it was that the Tabernacle of Shiloh stood.
“The city of the great King” is the place prepared to meet the Most High King, it being altogether the Holy of Holies, from whence there issue all light, all blessings, and all joy, to cause all faces to shine-the centre from which the Temple receives blessings, which in turn sends out blessings to all the world.’
רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים מ״ח:ג׳) יְפֵה נוֹף מְשׂוֹשׂ כָּל הָאָרֶץ הַר צִיּוֹן יַרְכְּתֵי צָפוֹן קִרְיַת מֶלֶךְ רָב. הַאי קְרָא רָזָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא אִיהוּ. יְפֵה נוֹף, דָּא אִיהוּ יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ, וַיְהִי יוֹסֵף יְפֵה תֹאַר וִיפֵה מַרְאֶה. מְשׂוֹשׂ כָּל הָאָרֶץ, אִיהוּ חֶדְוָה וְחֵדוּ לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא. הַר צִיּוֹן יַרְכְּתֵי צָפוֹן, בְּגִין דִּבְחוּלָקֵיהּ קָאִים מַשְׁכְּנָא דְשִׁילֹה, הַר צִיּוֹן דָּא יְרוּשָׁלַ ם. יַרְכְּתֵי צָפוֹן, הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא.
R. Abba cited here the verse: “Fair in situation, the joy of the whole earth; even Mount Zion, the uttermost parts of the earth, the city of the great King” (Ps. 48, 3), expounding it esoterically. ‘“Fair in situation” ‘, he said, ‘is an allusion to Joseph the Righteous, of whom it is said: “And Joseph was of beautiful form, and fair to look upon” (Gen. 39, 6). He is called “the joy of the whole earth”, as he is the joy and the gladness both of the upper and the lower world. He is also “Mount Zion, the uttermost part of the north”, seeing that in his territory it was that the Tabernacle of Shiloh stood.
קִרְיַת מֶלֶךְ רָב, אֲתַר אִיהוּ מְתַקְּנָא, לָקֳבֵיל מֶלֶךְ רָב, דָּא מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה דְּכֹלָּא, קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים. דְּהָא מִתַּמָּן אַתְיָא כָּל נְהִירוּ וְכָל בִּרְכָאן וְכָל חֵידוּ דְּכֹלָּא. דְּהָא מִתַּמָּן נָהֲרִין כָּל אַנְפִּין, וּבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא אִתְבָּרְכָא מִתַּמָּן. וְכַד אִיהִי מִתְבָּרְכָא, מִתַּמָּן נָפְקֵי בִּרְכָאן לְכָל עַלְמָא, דְּהָא כָּל עַלְמָא מִתַּמָּן אִתְבָּרְכָא.
“The city of the great King” is the place prepared to meet the Most High King, it being altogether the Holy of Holies, from whence there issue all light, all blessings, and all joy, to cause all faces to shine-the centre from which the Temple receives blessings, which in turn sends out blessings to all the world.’