For when a man is virtuous in this world his days are blessed above, from that place which is the measure of his days, mentioned in the verse, “Show me, O Lord, mine end, and what is the measure of my days” (Ps. 39, 5). The “end” here is the “end of the right”, which was united with David, and the “measure of my days” was the power in charge of his days.’
R. Judah said: ‘I have heard from R. Simeon that this verse refers to the days which were assigned to him out of the life of Adam, namely seventy years, since it has been affirmed that David had no life of his own, but Adam gave him seventy years of his life.
David therefore prayed to know why it was that he had no life of his own, and continued, “Let me know how fleeting I am”, that is to say, why, like the moon, I am without light of my own, unlike all those celestial lights which all have their own life.
תָּא חֲזֵי, יוֹמִין דְּבַּר נָשׁ, כַּד זָכֵי בְּהַאי עַלְמָא בְּעוֹבָדִין טָבָאן, יוֹמִין דִּילֵיהּ אִתְבָּרְכָאן לְעֵילָא, מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִיהוּ מִדַּת יוֹמוֹי. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים ל״ט:ה׳) הוֹדִיעֵנִי יְיָ קִצִּי וּמִדַּת יָמַי מַה הִיא וְגו', הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ. אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, קִצִּי, דָּא קֵץ הַיָּמִין, דְּאִיהוּ מִתְקַשַּׁר בֵּיהּ בְּדָוִ ד. וּמִדַּת יָמַי מַה הִיא, דָּא אִיהוּ דְּאִתְמַנֵּי (נ"א דאית ממנא) מַמָּשׁ עַל יוֹמוֹי.
For when a man is virtuous in this world his days are blessed above, from that place which is the measure of his days, mentioned in the verse, “Show me, O Lord, mine end, and what is the measure of my days” (Ps. 39, 5). The “end” here is the “end of the right”, which was united with David, and the “measure of my days” was the power in charge of his days.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, הָא שָׁמַעְנָא מֵרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, דְּהַאי קְרָא אִתְּמָר, עַל אִינוּן יוֹמִין דְּאִתְגְּזָרוּ עֲלוֹי מֵאָדָם קַדְמָאָה, דְּאִינוּן ע'. דְּהָא אִתְּמָר, דְּחַיִּין כְּלַל לָא הֲווּ לֵיהּ, אֶלָּא דְּיָהִיב לֵיהּ אָדָם מֵאִינוּן יוֹמִין דִּילֵיהּ, שִׁבְעִין שְׁנִין.
R. Judah said: ‘I have heard from R. Simeon that this verse refers to the days which were assigned to him out of the life of Adam, namely seventy years, since it has been affirmed that David had no life of his own, but Adam gave him seventy years of his life.
וְרָזָא דָא, וִילוֹן לָא מְשַׁמֵשׁ כְּלוּם, וְסִיהֲרָא לָא נָהֲרַת מִגַּרְמָהּ כְּלַל, וְשִׁבְעִין שְׁנִין נָהֲרִין לָהּ בְּכָל סִטְרָהָא, וְאִינוּן חַיֵּי דָוִד סְתָם. וְעַל דָּא בָּעָא דָּוִד לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְמִנְדַע רָזָא דָּא, עַל מָה לֵית לָהּ חַיִּין לְסִיהֲרָא מִגַּרְמָהּ, וּלְמִנְדַע עִקָּרָא דִילָהּ.
David therefore prayed to know why it was that he had no life of his own, and continued, “Let me know how fleeting I am”, that is to say, why, like the moon, I am without light of my own, unlike all those celestial lights which all have their own life.
וּמִדַּת יָמַי מַה הִיא, דָּא הוּא דַרְגָּא (ס"א דעלמא) עִלָּאָה סְתִימָא, דְּאִיהוּ קָיְימָא עַל כָּל אִינוּן יוֹמִין, דְּאִינוּן חַיִּין דִילָהּ, אֲתַר דְּנָהִיר לְכֹלָּא. אֵדְעָה מֶה חָדֵל אָנִי. אָמַר דָּוִד, אִנְדַע עַל מַה חָדֵל אֲנָא נְהוֹרָא מִגַּרְמִי, וְאִתְמְנַע מִנִּי, כִּשְׁאָר כָּל אִינוּן נְהוֹרָאִין עִלָּאִין דְּאִית לוֹן חַיִּין לְכֻלְּהוּ, וְאֲנָא עַל מַה אֲנָא חָדֵל, וְעַל מַה אִתְמְנַע מִנִּי. וְדָא הוּא דְבָעָא דָוִד לְמִנְדַע, וְלָא אִתְיְיהִיב לֵיהּ רְשׁוּתָא לְמִנְדַע.
This is what David sought to know, but permission was not given to him.