R. Eleazar and R. Isaac and R. Judah were once walking together on the road. Said R. Eleazar: ‘It is time we drew to ourselves the company of the Shekinah; this will only be if She hears from us words of the Torah.’ R. Judah then remarked: ‘Let the chief begin.’
R. Eleazar then began to discourse on the verse: “I am small and despised, yet have I not forgotten thy precepts” (Ps. 119, 141). ‘King David’, he said, ‘sometimes extols himself, saying, for instance, “and [He] whose mercy to his anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore” (Ibid. 18, 51); or, “The saying of David, the son of Jesse, and the saying of the man raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob” (2 Sam. 23, 1); and at other times he abases himself, saying, “for I am poor and needy” (Ps. 86, 1), or, as here: “I am small and despised.” Now he also said of himself: “The stone which the builders rejected is become the chief corner-stone” (Ibid. 118, 22).
The truth is that when he found himself in peace and triumphant over his enemies, he extolled himself; but when he found himself oppressed and harassed by his enemies, he abased himself and called himself the poorest and the least of men. For at one time he would prevail over his enemies, and then he would again feel their pressure;
but for all that he would always obtain dominion over them, and they were never able to discomfit him. Despite that, King David always humbled himself before the Holy One, blessed be He; for whoever abases himself before Him, He exalts above all other men. The Holy One, blessed be He, thus found David acceptable in this world and in the world to come-in this world, as it says, “For I will defend this city to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake” (Isa. 37, 35); and in the future world, as it says, “and [they] shall seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall come trembling unto the Lord and to his goodness in the end of days” (Hos. 3, 5). David, indeed, was king in this world and will be king in the time to come; hence “the stone the builders rejected is become the chief corner-stone”.
For, when the sun turns away his face from the moon, and does not shine upon her, she has no light whatever and so does not shine, but is poverty-stricken and dark on all sides; but when the sun turns towards her and radiates his light upon her, then her face is illumined and she adorns herself for him as a woman for a man. She thus is then invested with the dominion of the world.
So David adorned himself after this very manner. Now he would appear poor and dejected, but then again he would be revelling in riches. Hence David’s declaration, “I am small and despised, yet have I not forgotten thy precepts.” It behoves, indeed, every man to follow this example and to humble himself in every respect so as to become a vessel in which the Holy One, blessed be He, may find delight. This lesson has also been expounded in connection with the phrase, “with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit’ (Isa. 57, 15).’
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי יִצְחָק וְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְּאוֹרְחָא, אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, עִידָּן אִיהוּ לְמֵהַךְ בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, בְּגִין דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא לָא תִּשְׁרֵי עֲלָן, אֶלָּא מִגּוֹ מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, מַאן דְּאִיהוּ רִישָׁא, לִיפְתַּח בְּרֵישָׁא.
R. Eleazar and R. Isaac and R. Judah were once walking together on the road. Said R. Eleazar: ‘It is time we drew to ourselves the company of the Shekinah; this will only be if She hears from us words of the Torah.’ R. Judah then remarked: ‘Let the chief begin.’
פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, (תהילים קי״ט:קמ״א) צָעִיר אָנֹכִי וְנִבְזֶה פִּקּוּדֶיךָ לֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי. צָעִיר אָנֹכִי וְנִבְזֶה, דָּוִד מַלְכָּא, לְזִמְנִין אִיהוּ קָא מְשַׁבַּח גַּרְמֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים י״ח:נ״א) וְעוֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לִמְשִׁיחוֹ לְדָוִד וּלְזַרְעוֹ עַד עוֹלָם. וּכְתִיב, (שמואל ב כ״ג:א׳) נְאֻם דָּוִד בֶּן יִשַׁי וּנְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר הוּקַם עָל מְשִׁיחַ אֱלהֵי יַעֲקֹב. וּלְזִמְנִין עָבֵד גַּרְמֵיהּ מִסְכְּנָא, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים פ״ו:א׳) כִּי עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אָנִי. וּכְתִיב צָעִיר אָנֹכִי וְנִבְזֶה. וְאִיהוּ אָמַר (תהילים קי״ח:כ״ב) אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה.
R. Eleazar then began to discourse on the verse: “I am small and despised, yet have I not forgotten thy precepts” (Ps. 119, 141). ‘King David’, he said, ‘sometimes extols himself, saying, for instance, “and [He] whose mercy to his anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore” (Ibid. 18, 51); or, “The saying of David, the son of Jesse, and the saying of the man raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob” (2 Sam. 23, 1); and at other times he abases himself, saying, “for I am poor and needy” (Ps. 86, 1), or, as here: “I am small and despised.” Now he also said of himself: “The stone which the builders rejected is become the chief corner-stone” (Ibid. 118, 22).
אֶלָּא, בְּזִמְנָא דְּהֲוָה סָלִיק בְּדַרְגָּא דִּשְׁלָמָא, וְאִסְתַּלָּק בְּדִינָא דִּקְשׁוֹט, וַהֲוָה שַׁלִּיט עַל שָׂנְאוֹי, הֲוָה קָא מְשַׁבַּח גַּרְמֵיהּ. וּבְזִמְנָא דְּחָמָא גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּעָקוּ, וְשָׁנְאוֹי קָא דַּחֲקִין לֵיהּ, כְּדֵין מָאִיךְ גַּרְמֵיהּ, וַהֲוָה קָרֵי גַּרְמֵיהּ מִסְכְּנָא, זְעִירָא לְכֹלָּא. מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין, דְּהָא לְזִמְנִין הֲוָה שַׁלִּיט, וּלְזִמְנִין הֲוָה בְּעָקוּ דְּשָׂנְאוֹי.
The truth is that when he found himself in peace and triumphant over his enemies, he extolled himself; but when he found himself oppressed and harassed by his enemies, he abased himself and called himself the poorest and the least of men. For at one time he would prevail over his enemies, and then he would again feel their pressure;
וְעִם כָּל דָּא אִיהוּ שַׁלִּיט עָלַיְיהוּ תָּדִיר, וְלָא יָכִילוּ לֵיהּ. וְדָוִד מַלְכָּא, תָּדִיר אִיהוּ הֲוָה שָׁפִיל גַּרְמֵיהּ לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּכָל מַאן דְּמָאִיךְ גַּרְמֵיהּ קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אִיהוּ זָקִיף לֵיהּ עַל כֹּלָּא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, אִתְרְעֵי בֵּיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו ל״ז:ל״ה) וְגַנּוֹתִי עַל הָעִיר הַזֹּאת לְהוֹשִׁיעָהּ לְמַעֲנִי וּלְמַעַן דָּוִד עַבְדִּי. וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דִּכְתִּיב, (הושע ג׳:ה׳) וּבִקְשׁוּ אֶת יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְאֵת דָּוִד מַלְכָּם וּפָחֲדוּ אֶל יְיָ' וְאֶל טוּבוֹ בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים. דָּוִד אִיהוּ הֲוָה מַלְכָּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְדָוִד יְהֵא מַלְכָּא לְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי. וְעַל דָּא אָמַר, אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָה.
but for all that he would always obtain dominion over them, and they were never able to discomfit him. Despite that, King David always humbled himself before the Holy One, blessed be He; for whoever abases himself before Him, He exalts above all other men. The Holy One, blessed be He, thus found David acceptable in this world and in the world to come-in this world, as it says, “For I will defend this city to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake” (Isa. 37, 35); and in the future world, as it says, “and [they] shall seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall come trembling unto the Lord and to his goodness in the end of days” (Hos. 3, 5). David, indeed, was king in this world and will be king in the time to come; hence “the stone the builders rejected is become the chief corner-stone”.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא מְהַדֵּר אַנְפּוֹי, וְלָא נָהִיר לְסִיהֲרָא, אִתְעַבָּר נְהוֹרָהָא (לסיהרא) וְלָא נְהִירַת, כְּדֵין אִיהִי בְּמִסְכְּנוּתָא בְּכָל סִטְרִין, וְאִתְקַדְּרָת. וְלֵית לָהּ נְהוֹרָא כְּלַל. וְכַד שִׁמְשָׁא אַהְדָּר לָקֳבְלָהּ, וְאַנְהִיר לָהּ, כְּדֵין אִתְנְהִירַת אַנְפָּהָא, וְאִתְקַשְּׁטָת לְגַבֵּיהּ, כְּנוּקְבָּא דְּאִתְקַשְּׁטַת לְגַבֵּי דְּכוּרָא, וּכְדֵין אִיהִי שַׁלְטָא בְּשׁוּלְטָנוּ בְּעָלְמָא.
For, when the sun turns away his face from the moon, and does not shine upon her, she has no light whatever and so does not shine, but is poverty-stricken and dark on all sides; but when the sun turns towards her and radiates his light upon her, then her face is illumined and she adorns herself for him as a woman for a man. She thus is then invested with the dominion of the world.
וְעַל דָּא, דָּוִד הֲוָה מְעַטֵּר גַּרְמֵיהּ, בְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא מַמָּשׁ. לְזִמְנִין אִיהוּ מִסְכְּנָא, וּלְזִמְנִין אִיהוּ בְּעוּתְרָא בְּעַתִּירוּ דְּכֹלָּא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ הֲוָה אָמַר, צָעִיר אָנֹכִי וְנִבְזֶה. וְעִם כָּל דָּא, פִּקּוּדֶיךָ לֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, אִית לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ לְמֶהֱוֵי נִבְזֶה בְּעֵינָיו, (ס"א ונבזה ומה אי דוד מלכא כך כל שכן בר נש אחרא דאית ליה) לְאַשְׁפְּלָא גַּרְמָהּ בְּכֹלָּא, לְמֶהֱוֵי אִיהוּ מָאנָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בֵּיהּ, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו נ״ז:ט״ו) וְאֶת דַּכָּא וּשְׁפַל רוּחַ. הַשְׁתָּא אֲנָא אֶפְתַּח בְּרֵישָׁא.
So David adorned himself after this very manner. Now he would appear poor and dejected, but then again he would be revelling in riches. Hence David’s declaration, “I am small and despised, yet have I not forgotten thy precepts.” It behoves, indeed, every man to follow this example and to humble himself in every respect so as to become a vessel in which the Holy One, blessed be He, may find delight. This lesson has also been expounded in connection with the phrase, “with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit’ (Isa. 57, 15).’