IN THE GREATNESS OF THINE EXCELLENCY (lit. uplifting) THOU OVERTHROWEST THEM THAT RISE UP AGAINST THEE. R. Hezekiah found here the same idea as in the verse: “Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in time of trouble?” (Ps. 10, 1). ‘The sins of mankind,’ he said, ‘cause the Holy One to ascend higher and higher, and then men cry bitterly but without avail, because the Holy One has departed from the world, and they are unable to return to Him.’
R. Isaac, however, applied these words to the time when the Holy One will adorn Himself with majesty in face of the nations who will gather against Him, of whom it says: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed” (Ps. 2, 2). We are told that the seventy guardians of the nations will at that time gather from all sides with the armies of the whole world and start war against Jerusalem the holy city, and take counsel together against the Holy One. They will say: “Let us rise first against the Patron, and then against His people and against His sanctuary!”
Then “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; ehe Lord shall have them in derision” (v. 4). He will put on His majesty and shall dash them in pieces.’
R. Abba said, in the name of R. Jesse the Elder-and R. Simeon made the same remark- that the Holy One will bring to life again all those kings who afflicted Israel and Jerusalem: Hadrian, Lupinus, Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, and all the other kings of the nations who have destroyed His house, and set them up again as rulers, and they shall gather many nations, and then He will do vengeance and justice upon them near Jerusalem, as it is written: “And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem” (Zech. 14, 12). On the other hand, here it says: “In the greatness of thy excellency Thou wilt overthrow thine opponents”, which refers to the Messianic times; and so this song has an eternal significance.
(שמות ט״ו:ז׳) וּבְרֹב גְּאוֹנְךָ תַּהֲרוֹס קָמֶיךָ. ר' חִזְקִיָּה פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים י׳:א׳) לָמָּה יְיָ' תַּעֲמוֹד בְּרָחוֹק תַּעְלִים לְעִתּוֹת בַּצָּרָה, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּחוֹבֵי עָלְמָא גָּרְמוּ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא סָלִיק לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא, וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא צַוְוחִין וְנַחְתִּין דִּמְעִין, וְלֵית מַאן דְּיִשְׁגַּח עָלַיְיהוּ. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ סָלִיק לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא, וּתְשׁוּבָה אִתְמָנַּע מִנַּיְיהוּ, כְּדֵין כְּתִיב, וּבְרֹב גְּאוֹנְךָ תַּהֲרוֹס קָמֶיךָ.
IN THE GREATNESS OF THINE EXCELLENCY (lit. uplifting) THOU OVERTHROWEST THEM THAT RISE UP AGAINST THEE. R. Hezekiah found here the same idea as in the verse: “Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in time of trouble?” (Ps. 10, 1). ‘The sins of mankind,’ he said, ‘cause the Holy One to ascend higher and higher, and then men cry bitterly but without avail, because the Holy One has departed from the world, and they are unable to return to Him.’
ר' יִצְחָק אָמַר, הַאי קְרָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְלָבַשׁ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּאוּתָא, עַל עֲמַמְיָא דְּיִתְכַּנְּשׁוּן עָלֵיהּ, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים ב׳:ב׳) וְרוֹזְנִים נוֹסְדוּ יַחַד עַל יְיָ' וְעַל מְשִׁיחוֹ. וְתָאנָא זְמִינִין אִינּוּן שִׁבְעִין קַסְטוֹרִין מִכָּל עִיבָר, (נ"א עמין) לְאִתְכַּנְּשָׁא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא בְּאוֹכְלוֹסִין דְּכָל עָלְמָא, וּלְמֶעְבַּד קְרָבָא עַל יְרוּשָׁלַ ם קַרְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וּלְאַחֲדָא עֵיטִין עָלֵיהּ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּמַאי אַמְרֵי, נוֹקִים עַל פַּטְרוֹנָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּלְבָתַר עַל עַמֵּיהּ, וְעַל הֵיכָלֵיהּ.
R. Isaac, however, applied these words to the time when the Holy One will adorn Himself with majesty in face of the nations who will gather against Him, of whom it says: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed” (Ps. 2, 2). We are told that the seventy guardians of the nations will at that time gather from all sides with the armies of the whole world and start war against Jerusalem the holy city, and take counsel together against the Holy One. They will say: “Let us rise first against the Patron, and then against His people and against His sanctuary!”
כְּדֵין זַמִין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְחַיְּיכָא עָלַיְיהוּ. דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים ב׳:ד׳) יוֹשֵׁב בַּשָׁמַיִם יִשְׂחַק יְיָ' יִלְעַג לָמוֹ. בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא יִלְבַּשׁ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּאוּותָא עָלַיְיהוּ, וִישֵׁיצִינוּן מִן עָלְמָא, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (זכריה י״ד:י״ב) וְזֹאת תִּהְיֶה הַמַּגֵּפָה אֲשֶׁר יִגֹּף יְיָ' אֶת כָּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר צָבְאוּ עַל יְרוּשָׁלַ ם הָמֵק בְּשָׂרוֹ וְהוּא עוֹמֵד עַל רַגְלָיו.
Then “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; ehe Lord shall have them in derision” (v. 4). He will put on His majesty and shall dash them in pieces.’
רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַב יֵיסָא סָבָא, וְהָכִי אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, זַמִין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַחֲיָיא לְכָל אִינּוּן מַלְכִין, דְּעָקוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְלִיְרוּשָׁלַ ם, לְאַנְדְּרִיאָנוּס, לְלוּפִינוֹס, וּנְבוּכַדְנֶצַר, וּלְסַנְחֵרִיב, וּלְכָל שְׁאַר מַלְכֵי עַמִּין, דְּחָרִיבוּ בֵּיתֵיהּ, וּלְשַׁלְּטָאָה לוֹן כְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְיִתְכָּנְּשׁוּן עִמְּהוֹן שְׁאַר עַמִּין, וְזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִנַּיְיהוּ בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָיא, סַחֲרָנֵי יְרוּשָׁלַם. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וְזֹאת תִּהְיֶה הַמַּגֵּפָה אֲשֶׁר יִגֹּף יְיָ' אֶת כָּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר צָבְאוּ עַל יְרוּשָׁלַ ם. אֲשֶׁר יִצְבְּאוּ לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא אֲשֶׁר צָבְאוּ. כְּדֵין כְּתִיב, וּבְרֹב גְּאוֹנְךָ תַּהֲרוֹס קָמֶיךָ, וְדָא לְזִמְנָא דְּאָתָא מְשִׁיחָא, כְּתִיב, וְשִׁירָתָא דָּא שִׁירָתָא דְּעָלְמִין הִיא.
R. Abba said, in the name of R. Jesse the Elder-and R. Simeon made the same remark- that the Holy One will bring to life again all those kings who afflicted Israel and Jerusalem: Hadrian, Lupinus, Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, and all the other kings of the nations who have destroyed His house, and set them up again as rulers, and they shall gather many nations, and then He will do vengeance and justice upon them near Jerusalem, as it is written: “And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem” (Zech. 14, 12). On the other hand, here it says: “In the greatness of thy excellency Thou wilt overthrow thine opponents”, which refers to the Messianic times; and so this song has an eternal significance.
(שמות ט״ו:ח׳) וּבְרוּחַ אַפֶּיךָ נֶעֶרְמוּ מַיִם, בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא. וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִית בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, וּלְזִמְנָא דְּמַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא, וּלְזִמְנָא דְּגוֹג וּמָגוֹג. נִצְּבוּ כְּמוֹ נֵד, לְזִמְנָא דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דְּאִיהוּ חֶדְוָותָא דְּכָל עָלְמִין.