R. Isaac then followed with a discourse on the verses: “O Lord, in thy strength the king rejoiceth; and in thy salvation how greatly doth he exult! Thou hast given him his heart’s desire… he asked life of thee, thou gavest it to him, even length of days for ever and ever” (Ps. 21, 2-5). He said: ‘David intended in this psalm to sing the praises of the Community of Israel by pointing out that the Holy One, blessed be He, is gladdened by means of the Torah, which is called “strength”, as it is written, “The Lord will give strength unto the people” (Ibid. 21, 11). The “king” in this verse refers to the Holy One, blessed be He,
The verse continues: “He asked life of thee, thou gavest it to him, even length of days for ever and ever”. From here we learn that King David was not endowed with any life-duration at all of his own, but it was Adam who made him a gift of a portion of his life, consisting of seventy years.1v. Yalkut Hadash, 5b; Zohar, Gen. 55a. He thus attained length of life, both in this world and in the world to come.
The Psalm continues: “For thou makest him most blessed (lit. blessings) for ever; thou makest him glad with joy in thy presence” (Ibid. 21, 7), because He is the blessing of the whole world, the source of all blessing; similarly, it was said to Abram, “and be thou a blessing” (Gen. 12, 2):
“Thou wilt make him glad with joy”; this refers to the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, will raise the Community of Israel from the dust and renew Her with the renewal of the moon in joy;
“in thy presence”, to wit, to abide joyfully in Thy presence, in the perfection which She will achieve in that time. For when the Sanctuary was destroyed it was emptied of all its fulness, as we read: “She that hath borne seven languisheth” (Jer. 15, 9), also, “I shall be filled with her that is laid waste” (Ezek. 26, 2).1v. T. B. Pesahim, 72b et passim. There is at this point a lacuna in the text.
פָּתַח רִבִּי יִצְחָק אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וְאָמַר, (תהילים כ״א:ה׳) יְיָ' בְּעָזְּךָ יִשְׂמַח מֶלֶךְ וּבִישׁוּעָתְךָ מַה יָּגֶיל מְאֹד תַּאֲוַת לִבּוֹ וְגוֹ', חַיִּים שָׁאַל מִמְּךָ וְגוֹ', שִׁירָתָא דָּא לָא אָמַר לָהּ דָּוִד, אֶלָּא עַל תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חַדֵּי לָהּ בְּחֵידוּ דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִקְרֵי עֹז, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים כ״ט:י״א) יְיָ' עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן וְגוֹ'. יִשְׂמַח מֶלֶךְ: דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא (ד"א דא כנסת ישראל) דְּאִתְקְרֵי מֶלֶךְ, דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים ל״ג:ה׳) וַיְהִי בִישֻׁרוּן מֶלֶךְ.
R. Isaac then followed with a discourse on the verses: “O Lord, in thy strength the king rejoiceth; and in thy salvation how greatly doth he exult! Thou hast given him his heart’s desire… he asked life of thee, thou gavest it to him, even length of days for ever and ever” (Ps. 21, 2-5). He said: ‘David intended in this psalm to sing the praises of the Community of Israel by pointing out that the Holy One, blessed be He, is gladdened by means of the Torah, which is called “strength”, as it is written, “The Lord will give strength unto the people” (Ibid. 21, 11). The “king” in this verse refers to the Holy One, blessed be He,
וּבִישׁוּעָתְךָ מַה יָּגֶיל מְאֹד, דָּא (רכ"ג ע"א) יְשׁוּעָה דִּימִינָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים ס׳:ז׳) הוֹשִׁיעָה יְמִינְךָ וַעֲנֵנִי. וַתּוֹשַׁע לוֹ יְמִינוֹ. מַה (דבר אחר) יָּגֶיל מְאֹד, י' יְתֵירָה, וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא דִּבְרִית קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִיהוּ חֶדְוָה דְּכֹלָּא (דילה), וְכֹלָּא עַל הַאי מֶלֶךְ אִתְּמַר.
and the salvation mentioned is that of the Right.
חַיִּים שָׁאַל מִמְּךָ נָתַתָּ לוֹ אֹרֶךְ יָמִים עוֹלָם וָעֶד. מֵהָכָא אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא לָא הֲווֹ לֵיהּ חַיִּים כְּלַל, בַּר דְּאָדָם קַדְמָאָה יָהַב לֵיהּ מִדִילֵיהּ. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דְּדָוִד דְּמַלְכָּא אִתְקָיָּים שִׁבְעִין שְׁנִין. וְאִינּוּן ע' שְׁנִין יָהִב לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מֵאִינּוּן שְׁנִין דְּאָדָם קַדְמָאָה, וּבְהוּ אִתְקָיָּים, וְאִתְיְיהִיב לֵיהּ אוֹרִיכוּ דְּיוֹמִין בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, וְעַל דָּא חַיִּים שָׁאַל מִמְּךָ נָתַתָּ לוֹ.
The verse continues: “He asked life of thee, thou gavest it to him, even length of days for ever and ever”. From here we learn that King David was not endowed with any life-duration at all of his own, but it was Adam who made him a gift of a portion of his life, consisting of seventy years.1v. Yalkut Hadash, 5b; Zohar, Gen. 55a. He thus attained length of life, both in this world and in the world to come.
גָּדוֹל כְּבוֹדוֹ, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ גָּדוֹל, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים קמ״ז:ה׳) גָּדוֹל אֲדוֹנֵנוּ וְרַב כֹּחַ. וַדַּאי אִקְרֵי גָּדוֹל, וְרָזָא דָּא, (בראשית א׳:ז׳) וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת שְׁנֵי הַמְּאוֹרוֹת הַגְּדוֹלִים, גְּדוֹלִים הֲווֹ וַדַּאי. וְעִם כָּל דָּא, אִיהוּ אִקְרֵי גָּדוֹל, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר גָּדוֹל אֲדוֹנֵינוּ וְרַב כֹּחַ. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אִקְרֵי גָּדוֹל, אֶלָּא בְּהַאי, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים מ״ח:ב׳) גָּדוֹל יְיָ' וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ הַר קָדְשׁוֹ. בְּמָה אִיהוּ גָּדוֹל, (ויקרא ה' ע"א) בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ הַר קָדְשׁוֹ.
“His glory is great”, because the Holy One, blessed be He, is the greater of “the two great lights” (Gen. 1, 16), but only “through thy salvation”.
(תהילים כ״א:ז׳) כִּי תְשִׁיתֵהוּ בְרָכוֹת לָעַד. כִּי תְשִׁיתֵהוּ בְרָכוֹת, בְּגִין דְּהַאי אִיהוּ בִּרְכָתָא דְּכָל עָלְמָא, וְכָל בִּרְכָאן דְּכָל עָלְמָא מֵהָכָא נַפְקֵי, וְדָא אִיהוּ בְּרָכָה. וְרָזָא דָּא, (בראשית יב) וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה. דְּהָא הָכָא שְׁרִיאָן כָּל בִּרְכָאן דִּלְעֵילָּא, וּמֵהָכָא נַפְקֵי לְכָל עָלְמָא, וְעַל דָּא אִקְרֵי בְּרָכָה.
The Psalm continues: “For thou makest him most blessed (lit. blessings) for ever; thou makest him glad with joy in thy presence” (Ibid. 21, 7), because He is the blessing of the whole world, the source of all blessing; similarly, it was said to Abram, “and be thou a blessing” (Gen. 12, 2):
תְּחַדֵהוּ בְּשִׂמְחָה, כְּתִיב הָכָא תְּחַדֵהוּ בְּשִׂמְחָה, וּכְתִיב הָתָם (שמות י״ח:ט׳) וַיִּחַדּ יִתְרוֹ, בְּגִין דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַקָּמָא לָהּ לִכְּנְסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעַפְרָא, וּלְאַתְּקְפָא בָּהּ בְּרָזָא דִּימִינָא, וּלְחַדְּתּוֹתֵי לָהּ חַדְתּוּתָא דְּסִיהֲרָא בְּשִׁמְשָׁא.
“Thou wilt make him glad with joy”; this refers to the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, will raise the Community of Israel from the dust and renew Her with the renewal of the moon in joy;
כְּתִיב תְּחַדֵּהוּ בְּשִׂמְחָה אֶת פָּנֶיךָ, אֶת פָּנֶיךָ, לְמֶהֱוֵי קַמָּךְ, וּלְמֶהֱוֵי בְּחֵידוּ לָקֳבֵל אַנְפָּךְ, בְּהַהוּא שְׁלִימוּ דְּתִשְׁתְּלִים בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא. דְּהָא בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, אִתְרְקִינַת מִכָּל מַה דְּאִתְמַלְּיָיא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (ירמיהו ט״ו:ט׳) אֻמְלְלָה יוֹלֶדֶת הַשִּׁבְעָה. וּכְתִיב (יחזקאל כ״ו:ב׳) אִמָּלְאָה הָחֳרָבָה. (כאן חסר)
“in thy presence”, to wit, to abide joyfully in Thy presence, in the perfection which She will achieve in that time. For when the Sanctuary was destroyed it was emptied of all its fulness, as we read: “She that hath borne seven languisheth” (Jer. 15, 9), also, “I shall be filled with her that is laid waste” (Ezek. 26, 2).1v. T. B. Pesahim, 72b et passim. There is at this point a lacuna in the text.