1The first 34 lines of the Hebrew text are untranslated as explained in the Translator’s note on Page 15b.R. Abba was once sitting before R. Simeon, when R. Eleazar entered. R. Simeon thereupon quoted the verse: “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, etc.” (Ps. 92, 12). ‘The palm’, he said, ‘is the slowest of all trees to mature, taking seventy years. The reason why the righteous is compared here to the palm tree is one which the Companions are reluctant to reveal, although it is indicated by the Scripture.
It has to do with the exile f Babylon, when the Shekinah did not return to its home till seventy years had passed. The “righteous” here is the Holy One, blessed be He, as in the verse, “For the Lord is righteous, he loveth righteousness” (Ps. 11, 8).
He is also compared to a cedar, as in the verse, “Excellent as the cedars” (S.S. 15). “He shall grow in Lebanon”; this is the supernal Eden, of which it is written, “No eye hath seen, O God, save thine” (Isa. 64, 4). This Cedar shall grow in that exalted place;
and this shall be in the last exile, when God shall be like that cedar which is long in coming up, but once it comes up grows in a day, and at the beginning of the next day already provides a shade against the sun.
“They shall be planted in the house of the Lord”, at the time of the Messiah; “and flourish in the courts of our God, at the resurrection of the dead; “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age”, on the day when the world will be waste, “and they shall be full of sap and green” afterwards;1Only the first 13 lines of the Hebrew text appear in the translation. and why all this? “To show that the Lord is upright, he is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in him.”
רִבִּי אַבָּא הֲוָה יָתִיב קָמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, עָאל רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כְּתִיב, (תהילים צ״ב:י״ג) צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרָח וְגוֹ'. צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר, מַאי כַּתָּמָר. דְּהָא מִכָּל אִילָנֵי עָלְמָא לֵית דְּמִתְעַכֵּב לְאַפְרְחָא, כְּמוֹ תָּמָר. דְּסָלִיק לְשִׁבְעִין שְׁנִין. מַאי טַעְמָא כַּתָּמָר. אֶלָּא אַף עַל גַּב דִּקְרָא אַסְהִיד, חַבְרַיָּיא כֻּלְּהוּ לָא בָּעוּ לְגַלָּאָה.
1The first 34 lines of the Hebrew text are untranslated as explained in the Translator’s note on Page 15b.R. Abba was once sitting before R. Simeon, when R. Eleazar entered. R. Simeon thereupon quoted the verse: “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, etc.” (Ps. 92, 12). ‘The palm’, he said, ‘is the slowest of all trees to mature, taking seventy years. The reason why the righteous is compared here to the palm tree is one which the Companions are reluctant to reveal, although it is indicated by the Scripture.
אֲבָל צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרָח, עַל גָּלוּתָא דְּבָבֶל אִתְּמַר, דְּהָא לָא תָּבַת שְׁכִינְתָּא לְאַתְרָהָא, אֶלָּא בְּסוֹף שִׁבְעִין שְׁנִין. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ירמיהו כ״ט:י׳) כִּי לְפִי מְלֹאת לְבָבֶל שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה אֶפְקוֹד אֶתְכֶם. וְדָא הוּא צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרָח, דְּסָלִיק דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא לְשִׁבְעִין שְׁנִין. צַדִּיק: דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים י״א:ז׳) כִּי צַדִּיק יְיָ' צְדָקוֹת אָהֵב. וּכְתִיב, (שמות ט) יְיָ' הַצַּדִּיק. וּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו ג׳:י׳) אִמְרוּ צַדִּיק כִּי טוֹב.
It has to do with the exile f Babylon, when the Shekinah did not return to its home till seventy years had passed. The “righteous” here is the Holy One, blessed be He, as in the verse, “For the Lord is righteous, he loveth righteousness” (Ps. 11, 8).
כְּאֶרְז בַּלְּבָנוֹן יִשְׂגֶּא, מַהוּ אֶרֶז. דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. דִּכְתִּיב, בָּחוּר כָּאֲרָזִים. (ס"א דיתיב על כורסיא דיעקב שלימא) בַּלְּבָנוֹן יִשְׂגֶּא, בַּלְּבָנוֹן וַדַּאי, וְדָא הוּא עֵדֶן דִּלְעֵילָּא, דְּעָלֵיהּ כְּתִיב (ישעיהו ס״ד:ג׳) עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלהִים זוּלָתְךָ. וְהַאי אֶרֶז, בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר עִלָּאָה, יִשְׂגֶּא.
He is also compared to a cedar, as in the verse, “Excellent as the cedars” (S.S. 15). “He shall grow in Lebanon”; this is the supernal Eden, of which it is written, “No eye hath seen, O God, save thine” (Isa. 64, 4). This Cedar shall grow in that exalted place;
ודָא בְּגָלוּתָא בַּתְרָאָה הוּא כְּהַאי אֶרֶז, דְּאִתְעַכָּב לְסַלְּקָאָה. וּמִשַּׁעְתָּא, דְּסָלִיק עַד דְּקָאִים בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ, הוּא יוֹמָא. וְשִׁירוּתָא דְּיוֹמָא אַחֲרִינָא, עַד דְּעָבִיד צֵל בִּנְהוֹרָא דִּימָמָא. וְאֶרֶז לָא סָלִיק, אֶלָּא בְּעִדּוּנָא דְּמַיָּא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (במדבר כ״ד:ו׳) כָּאֲרָזִים עֲלֵי מָיִם. כַּךְ אֶרֶז בַּלְּבָנוֹן יִשְׂגֶּא. דְּמִתַּמָּן נָפִיק מַבּוּעָא וְנַהֲרָא דְּמַיָּא, לְאַשְׁקָאָה. ואֶרֶז, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב, (שיר השירים ה׳:ט״ו) בָּחוּר כָּאֲרָזִים.
and this shall be in the last exile, when God shall be like that cedar which is long in coming up, but once it comes up grows in a day, and at the beginning of the next day already provides a shade against the sun.
שְׁתוּלִים בְּבֵית יְיָ', לְזִמְנָא דְּמַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא. בְּחַצְרוֹת אֱלֹהֵינוּ יַפְרִיחוּ, בִּתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים. עוֹד יְנוּבוּן בְּשֵׂיבָה, בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּיִשְׁתְּכַח עָלְמָא חָרוּב. דְּשֵנִים וְרַעֲנַנִּים יִהְיוּ, לְבָתַר דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו ס״ו:כ״ב) הַשָּׁמַיִם הַחֲדָשִׁים והָאָרֶץ הַחֲדָשָׁה, וּכְדֵין (תהלים קד) יִשְׂמַח יְיָ' בְּמַעֲשָׂיו כְּתִיב. וְכָּל כַּךְ לָמָּה (תהילים צ״ב:ט״ז) לְהַגִּיד כִּי יָשָׁר יְיָ' צוּרִי וְלֹא עַוְלָתָה בּוֹ.
“They shall be planted in the house of the Lord”, at the time of the Messiah; “and flourish in the courts of our God, at the resurrection of the dead; “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age”, on the day when the world will be waste, “and they shall be full of sap and green” afterwards;1Only the first 13 lines of the Hebrew text appear in the translation. and why all this? “To show that the Lord is upright, he is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in him.”