Then R. Simeon began to speak on the verse: “A song of degrees. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever” (Ps. 125, 1). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘has been variously interpreted, but its special significance is this: “A song of degrees” refers to the song which is sung by the supernal holy grades from the side of the celestial Might in harmony with the song of the Levites here below. There are ” degrees” upon “degrees”, and they worship in the mystery of the fifty years (Jubilee).
“They that trust in the Lord” are the righteous which trust in their good works, as it is written: “The righteous trust (are bold) like the young lion” (Prov. 28, 1). It might be objected that the righteous do not, in fact, trust in their own works, being, on the contrary, perpetually in a state of fear and trembling, like Abraham, of whom it says that he was afraid concerning Sarah (Gen. 12, 10-13); or Isaac, who was afraid (Ibid. 26, 7); or, again, like Jacob, who was likewise in fear (Ibid. 32, 8); and if these did not trust in their own good works, how much less cause for assurance have other righteous men! How, then, can it be said with any justice that “the righteous trust like the young lion”?
We must observe, however, that they are compared to the young lion (Kephir), and not to the other kinds of lion, which are stronger. The young lion, although strong enough to hold his own, is, in comparison with the other kinds of lions, weak, and so does not trust his own strength. In the same manner the righteous, although confident of the power of their good works, yet do not trust in them more than the young lion in his strength.
Therefore it says here: “They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion”, namely, they will be in the future dispensation, not merely like the young, or even the old, lion, but like mount Zion, immovable and without fear. And ye, my sons, sons of the saints above, your trust, your confidence, is indeed like unto mount Zion. Verily, blessed are ye in this world and in the world to come!’
The companions now proceeded on their way, and by the time they reached the town it had grown dark. Said R. Simeon: ‘As this day has shed light upon us while we were on our way, enabling us to make ourselves worthy of the world to come, so also will this night shed light upon us that we may through it become worthy of the world to come and crown the words of the day with those of the night in the presence of the Ancient of Days, for so perfect a day as this shall not occur again in all future generations. Happy indeed is our lot in this world, and happy in the world to come.’
R. Simeon then repaired to his house, accompanied by R. Eleazar, R. Abba, and R. Jose. There they remained until midnight. Then R. Simeon said to the Companions: ‘It is now time to crown the Holy Chariot which is above by our studies here below.’ Then, turning to R. Jose, he said: ‘Since no discourse from thee has been heard among us during the day, thou must now begin to illumine the night, for the time is now arrived in which it is auspicious and desirable that both higher and lower spheres should be illumined.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים קכ״ה:א׳) שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת הַבּוֹטְחִים בַּיְיָ' כְּהַר צִיּוֹן לֹא יִמּוֹט לְעוֹלָם יֵשֵׁב, הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ. אֲבָל שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דְּקַאמְרֵי אִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין קַדִּישִׁין עִלָּאִין, מִסִּטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָן עִלָּאִין, וְאִינּוּן כְּגַוְונָא דְּלֵוָאֵי לְתַתָּא, וְאִינּוּן מַעֲלוֹת, דַּרְגִּין עַל דַּרְגִּין, וּפָלְחִין בְּרָזָא דְּחַמְשִׁין שְׁנִין. וְהַאי אִיהוּ שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת הַבֹּטְחִים בַּיְיָ' כְּהַר צִיּוֹן דָּא אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא, דְּאִינּוּן מִתְרַחֲצָן בֵּיהּ בְּעוֹבָדִין דִּלְהוֹן.
Then R. Simeon began to speak on the verse: “A song of degrees. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever” (Ps. 125, 1). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘has been variously interpreted, but its special significance is this: “A song of degrees” refers to the song which is sung by the supernal holy grades from the side of the celestial Might in harmony with the song of the Levites here below. There are ” degrees” upon “degrees”, and they worship in the mystery of the fifty years (Jubilee).
כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (משלי כ״ח:א׳) וְצַדִּיקִים כִּכְפִיר יִבְטָח. וְאִי תֵּימָא הָא צַדִּיקַיָּיא לָא מִתְרַחֲצָן בְּעוֹבָדֵיהוֹן כְּלַל, וְתָדִיר דַּחֲלִין, כְּאַבְרָהָם, דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ (בראשית י״ב:י״א) וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִקְרִיב לָבֹא מִצְרָיְמָה וְגוֹ'. כְּיִצְחָק, דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ, (בראשית כ״ו:ז׳) כִּי יָרֵא לֵאמֹר אִשְׁתִּי. כְּיַעֲקֹב, דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ, (בראשית ל״ב:ח׳) וַיִּירָא יַעֲקֹב מְאֹד וְיֵצֶר לוֹ. וְאִי הָנֵי לָא אִתְרְחִיצוּ בְּעוֹבָדֵיהוֹן, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן שְׁאַר צַדִּיקֵי עָלְמָא, וְאַת אָמַרְתָּ וְצַדִּיקִים כִּכְפִיר יִבְטָח.
“They that trust in the Lord” are the righteous which trust in their good works, as it is written: “The righteous trust (are bold) like the young lion” (Prov. 28, 1). It might be objected that the righteous do not, in fact, trust in their own works, being, on the contrary, perpetually in a state of fear and trembling, like Abraham, of whom it says that he was afraid concerning Sarah (Gen. 12, 10-13); or Isaac, who was afraid (Ibid. 26, 7); or, again, like Jacob, who was likewise in fear (Ibid. 32, 8); and if these did not trust in their own good works, how much less cause for assurance have other righteous men! How, then, can it be said with any justice that “the righteous trust like the young lion”?
אֶלָּא וַדַּאי, כִּכְפִיר כְּתִיב, דְּהָא מִכָּל אִינּוּן שְׁמָהָן, לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא כְּפִיר, וְלָא כְּתִיב, לָא אַרְיֵה, וְלָא שָׁחַל, וְלָא שָׁחַץ, אֶלָּא כְּפִיר. דְּאִיהוּ חַלְשָׁא וּזְעִירָא מִכֻּלְּהוּ. וְלָא אִתְרְחִיץ בְּחֵילֵיהּ, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ תַּקִּיף. כַּךְ צַדִּיקַיָּיא לָא אִתְרְחִיצוּ בְּעוֹבָדֵיהוֹן הַשְׁתָּא, אֶלָּא כִּכְפִיר. אַף עַל גַּב דְּיַדְעִין דְּתַקִיף חֵילָא דְּעוֹבָדֵיהוֹן לָא אִתְרַחֲצָן אֶלָּא כִּכְפִיר, וְלָא יַתִּיר.
We must observe, however, that they are compared to the young lion (Kephir), and not to the other kinds of lion, which are stronger. The young lion, although strong enough to hold his own, is, in comparison with the other kinds of lions, weak, and so does not trust his own strength. In the same manner the righteous, although confident of the power of their good works, yet do not trust in them more than the young lion in his strength.
וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ הַבֹּטְחִים בַּיְיָ' כְּהַר צִיּוֹן וְגוֹ', לָא כִּכְפִיר וְלָא כְּאַרְיֵה, וְלָאו כְּכֻלְּהוּ שְׁמָהָן. אֶלָּא כְּהַר צִיּוֹן, וְאוּקְמוּהָ מַה הַר צִיּוֹן אִיהוּ תַּקִּיף, וְלָא יִמּוֹט תָּדִיר, אוּף הָכִי בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, לֶהֱווֹ כְּהַר צִיּוֹן. וְלָא כְּהַשְׁתָּא, דְּלָא אִתְרְחִיצוּ אֶלָּא כִּכְפִיר, דְּדָחִיל וְלָא אִתְרְחִיץ בְּחֵילֵיהּ. וְאָתּוּן בְּנֵי קַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין, רָחְצָנוּתָא דִּלְכוֹן כְּהַר צִיּוֹן, וַדַּאי זַכָּאִין אָתוּן בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
Therefore it says here: “They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion”, namely, they will be in the future dispensation, not merely like the young, or even the old, lion, but like mount Zion, immovable and without fear. And ye, my sons, sons of the saints above, your trust, your confidence, is indeed like unto mount Zion. Verily, blessed are ye in this world and in the world to come!’
אָזְלוּ, כַּד מָטוּ לְמָתָא, אִתְחֲשָׁךְ לֵילְיָא. אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כְּמָה דְּיוֹמָא דָּא, אַנְהִיר לָן בְּהַאי אָרְחָא, לְמִזְכֵּי בֵּיהּ בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתִי, אוּף הָכִי הַאי לֵילְיָא, יַנְהִיר לָן, לְמִזְכֵּי לָן לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתִי, וּלְאַעֲטְּרָא מִלִּין דִּימָמָא בְּלֵילְיָא דָּא קָמֵי עַתִּיק יוֹמִין דְּהָא כְּיוֹמָא דָּא שְׁלִים, לָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח בְּכָל דָּרִין אַחֲרָנִין. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָנָא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
The companions now proceeded on their way, and by the time they reached the town it had grown dark. Said R. Simeon: ‘As this day has shed light upon us while we were on our way, enabling us to make ourselves worthy of the world to come, so also will this night shed light upon us that we may through it become worthy of the world to come and crown the words of the day with those of the night in the presence of the Ancient of Days, for so perfect a day as this shall not occur again in all future generations. Happy indeed is our lot in this world, and happy in the world to come.’
עָאלוּ לְבֵיתֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרַבִּי אַבָּא וְרַבִּי יוֹסִי עִמְּהוֹן. בָּתּוֹ עַד דְּאִתְפְּלַג לֵילְיָא. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְפְּלַג לֵילְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְחַבְרַיָּא, עִידָּן אִיהוּ לְאַעְטְּרָא רְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא לְעֵילָּא, בְּאִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָא דִּילָן. אָמַר לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי יוֹסִי, אַנְתְּ דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמָעוּ מִילָךְ בְּהַאי יוֹמָא בֵּינָנָא, אַנְתְּ הֲוֵי שֵׁירוּתָא, לְאַנְהָרָא לֵילְיָא, דְּהָא הַשְׁתָּא עִידָּן רְעוּתָא אִיהוּ, לְאַנְהָרָא עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא.
R. Simeon then repaired to his house, accompanied by R. Eleazar, R. Abba, and R. Jose. There they remained until midnight. Then R. Simeon said to the Companions: ‘It is now time to crown the Holy Chariot which is above by our studies here below.’ Then, turning to R. Jose, he said: ‘Since no discourse from thee has been heard among us during the day, thou must now begin to illumine the night, for the time is now arrived in which it is auspicious and desirable that both higher and lower spheres should be illumined.’