So they remained in the cave all that day. When night came, the moon shone into the cave, and two merchants passed by with asses laden with wine and food for themselves. They said to one another: ‘Let us stop here, and give food and drink to the asses, and go into the cave.’ Said the other: ‘Before we go in, explain this verse.’
He said: ‘Which one?’ ‘I refer’, he said, ‘to the verse, “I will praise thee for ever because thou hast done” (Ps. 52, 10). Done what? It also says, “Because thou art good in the presence of thy saints” (Ibid.). Why only in their presence and not that of others?’ He could not give him an answer. ‘Alas’, he said, ‘that for the sake of my business I have neglected the Holy One, blessed be He.’ R. Hiya and R. Jose, who heard them from the cave, rejoiced. ‘Did not I tell you’, said R. Hiya, ‘that when God does a miracle He does not do it by halves?’ So they went out,
and R. Hiya immediately addressed them with the verse: “Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near” (Isa. 57, 19). ‘The near and the far’, he said, ‘are one and the same, namely, the penitent who was first far from God and has been brought near. Also, when a man is far from the Torah he is far from God, but if he draws near to the Torah, God draws him near to Himself. Now, therefore, join us and come into the cave.’ So the merchants joined them, having first tethered their asses and given them food. Then they all went out to the mouth of the cave,
and one of the merchants said: ‘Since you are scholars, explain to us this verse: “I will give thee thanks for ever because thou hast done [made] and I will hope, etc.” ‘
R. Hiya answered: ‘It means, because thou hast made the world; for because of this world which God has made and established, man must thank Him every day. As for the words, “for thou art good before thy saints”, this is indeed so, since the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is good before the righteous but not before the wicked, who spurn it every day and do not study the Torah.’ Said the other: ‘This is all very good, but I have heard a word from behind the wall, as they say, which I am afraid to disclose.’ Thereupon R. Hiya and R. Jose said to him: ‘Speak out, for the Torah is not an inheritance for one place only.’
So he said to them: ‘One day when I went to Lydda, on entering the town I stood behind the wall of a house in which was R. Simeon, and I heard him expound this verse, “I will praise thee because thou hast done”, thus. The words “I will give praise to thee” were addressed by King David to the Holy One, blessed be He, for that last world which He has made [Malkuth]; for David attached himself to that world and through it attained to kingship. “I will wait on thy name, for it is good”: this is the Holy One, blessed be He, when unified with that world which is called “good”. And when is it called good? When it is in the presence of thy saints, or rather, “lovingkindnesses”,1Reading hasadekha for hasidekha.
for when these are filled from the goodness of the stream issuing from the Ancient Holy One, then Yesod is called “good”, and then He [Yesod] establishes this latter world and all is blessed. Hence David waited for this grade to illumine the world to which he was attached.
R. Hiya and R. Jose came up to him and kissed him on his head. Said R. Hiya: ‘Who shall cover thine eye in the dust, O R. Simeon, for thou art in thy place and thou shakest the highest mountains, and even the birds of the heaven rejoice at thy words. Alas for the world when thou shalt depart from it!’
The man resumed: ‘At the same time I heard him expound the verse, “Now therefore, O God, hearken unto the prayer of thy servant and to his supplications… for my Lord’s (Adonai) sake” (Dan. 9, 17). If this name were the highest, it would be in place here, as though one were to say, Do it for the sake of the king. But we know that this name signifies only the place of judgement, from which judgement issues to the world. Can a man say to a king, Do for the sake of thy servant or something less than thyself?
The truth is, however, that this name prepares the house for the King and the sanctuary below, and when the sanctuary is established below, this name is established above; hence it is as though one said to the king, Build this house and this palace, that the Matrona may not have to abide without the palace.’
יָתְבוּ גּוֹ הַהוּא מְעַרְתָּא כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא, כַּד רָמַשׁ לֵילְיָא, אִתְנְהִיר סִיהֲרָא בִּמְעַרְתָּא. עָבְרוּ תְּרֵי טַיָּיעֵי, וַחֲמָרֵיהוֹן טְעִינִין מֵחַמְרָא וּמֵיכְלָא לְגַרְמַיְיהוּ שָׁארֵי עַל מָטוּלָא. אָמְרֵי הַאי לְהַאי, נָבִית הָכָא, נִיהַב מֵיכְלָא וּמִשְׁתְּיָיא לַחֲמָרֵי, וַאֲנָן נָעוּל לִמְעַרְתָּא דָּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ חַבְרֵיהּ עַד לָא נִיעוּל, תֵּימָא הַאי קְרָא דְּלָא מִתְיַישְּׁבָא.
So they remained in the cave all that day. When night came, the moon shone into the cave, and two merchants passed by with asses laden with wine and food for themselves. They said to one another: ‘Let us stop here, and give food and drink to the asses, and go into the cave.’ Said the other: ‘Before we go in, explain this verse.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ מַאי הוּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ מִלָּה חַד, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים נ״ב:י״א) אוֹדְךָ לְעוֹלָם כִּי עָשִׂיתָ וְגוֹ'. מַהוּ כִּי עָשִׂיתָ, וְלָא כְּתִיב מָה. וּכְתִיב כִי טוֹב נֶגֶד חֲסִידֶיךָ. וְכִי לְגַבֵּי אָחֳרָא לָאו אִיהוּ טוֹב, לָא הֲוָה בִּידֵיהּ. אָמַר וַוי לְטִיוּעָנָא, דְּשָׁבַקְנָא לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגִינֵיהּ. רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי דַּהֲווֹ יַתְבֵי בִּמְעַרְתָּא חֲדוּ, אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, וְלָא אֲמָרִית לְךָ דְּכַד עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נִיסָא, בְּכֹלָּא עָבִיד. נַפְקוּ.
He said: ‘Which one?’ ‘I refer’, he said, ‘to the verse, “I will praise thee for ever because thou hast done” (Ps. 52, 10). Done what? It also says, “Because thou art good in the presence of thy saints” (Ibid.). Why only in their presence and not that of others?’ He could not give him an answer. ‘Alas’, he said, ‘that for the sake of my business I have neglected the Holy One, blessed be He.’ R. Hiya and R. Jose, who heard them from the cave, rejoiced. ‘Did not I tell you’, said R. Hiya, ‘that when God does a miracle He does not do it by halves?’ So they went out,
כַּד נַפְקוּ אַקְדִּים רִבִּי חִיָּיא וּפָתַח, (ישעיהו נ״ז:י״ט) שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם לָרָחוֹק. תְּרֵי שְׁלָמָא הָכָא, חַד לָרָחוֹק, וְחַד לַקָּרוֹב, וְכֹלָּא חַד. לָרָחוֹק, דְּאִתְעָבִיד קָרוֹב. (תו לרחוק) דָּא הוּא מָארֵיהּ דִּתְשׁוּבָה, קוֹדֶם הֲוָה רָחוֹק, וְהַשְׁתָּא אִיהוּ קָרוֹב. תּוּ רָחוֹק, כַּד בַּר נָשׁ אִתְרְחִיק מֵאוֹרַיְיתָא. רָחִיק הוּא מְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּמַאן דְּקָרִיב לְאוֹרַיְיתָא, קָרִיב לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְחַבָּרוּ עִמָּנָא וְעוּלוּ לִמְעַרְתָּא אָתוּ אִינּוּן טַיָיעִין וְאִשְׁתָּתָּפוּ עִמְּהוֹן. אִשְׁתֶּנְקָלוּ לַחֲמָרַיְיהוּ, ואַתְקִנוּ לְמֵיכַל, נַפְקוּ כֻּלְּהוּ לְפוּם מְעַרְתָּא.
and R. Hiya immediately addressed them with the verse: “Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near” (Isa. 57, 19). ‘The near and the far’, he said, ‘are one and the same, namely, the penitent who was first far from God and has been brought near. Also, when a man is far from the Torah he is far from God, but if he draws near to the Torah, God draws him near to Himself. Now, therefore, join us and come into the cave.’ So the merchants joined them, having first tethered their asses and given them food. Then they all went out to the mouth of the cave,
אָמַר חַד מִן טַיְיעָן נֵימְרוּ לָן מָארֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, הַאי קְרָא אוֹדְךָ לְעוֹלָם כִּי עָשִׂיתָ וַאֲק1ַוְּה וְגוֹ'. כִּי עָשִׂיתָ, מַהוּ כִּי עָשִׂיתָ, וְלָא כְּתִיב מָה. וּכְתִיב כִּי טוֹב נֶגֶד חֲסִידֶיךָ, וְכִי לְגַבֵּי אָחֳרָא לָאו הוּא טוֹב.
and one of the merchants said: ‘Since you are scholars, explain to us this verse: “I will give thee thanks for ever because thou hast done [made] and I will hope, etc.” ‘
אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, כִּי עָשִׂיתָ ודַּאי, וּמַה עָשִׂיתָ. לְעוֹלָם. דִּבְגִין הַאי עוֹלָם, דַּעֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאַתְּקַן לֵיהּ, אוֹדֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּכָל יוֹמָא. וַאֲק1ַוְּה שִׁמְךָ כִי טוֹב נְגֶד חֲסִידֶיךָ, הָכִי הוּא ודַּאי, לָקֳבֵל אִינּוּן זַכָּאִין, שְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא טוֹב. וְלָא לָקֳבְלֵי חַיָּיבַיָּא, דִּמְבַזִּין לֵיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְלָא מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, יֵאוֹת הוּא. אֲבָל מִלָּה שְׁמַעְנָא מִבָּתַר כּוֹתָלָא, וּמִסְתָּפֵינָא לְגַלָּאָה. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, אֵימָא מִילָּךְ, דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לָאו אִיהוּ יְרוּתָא לַאֲתַר חַד.
R. Hiya answered: ‘It means, because thou hast made the world; for because of this world which God has made and established, man must thank Him every day. As for the words, “for thou art good before thy saints”, this is indeed so, since the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is good before the righteous but not before the wicked, who spurn it every day and do not study the Torah.’ Said the other: ‘This is all very good, but I have heard a word from behind the wall, as they say, which I am afraid to disclose.’ Thereupon R. Hiya and R. Jose said to him: ‘Speak out, for the Torah is not an inheritance for one place only.’
אָמַר לוֹן, יוֹמָא חַד הֲוִינָא אָזִיל לְלוּד, עָאלָנָא לְמָתָא, וְאִסְמַכְנָא גַּרְמָאי בָּתַר כּוֹתָלָא חַד, וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי הֲוָה בְּהַהוּא בֵּיתָא, וְשָׁמַעְנָא מִפּוּמֵיהּ הַאי קְרָא, אוֹדְךָ לְעוֹלָם כִּי עָשִׂיתָ. אוֹדְךָ, דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הֲשָׁלוֹם (לקודשא בריך הוא) אֲמָרוֹ, עַל הַהוּא עוֹלָם בַּתְרָאָה, דְּאִיהוּ עֲבַד דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא אָחִיד בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא עוֹלָם, וּבֵיהּ יָרִית מַלְכוּתָא. וַאֲקַּוֶה שִׁמְךָ כִּי טוֹב, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּיִחוּדָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא דְּאִקְרֵי טוֹב. אֵימָתַי אִקְרֵי טוֹב. נֶגֶד חֲסִידֶיךָ. מַאן אִינּוּן חֲסִידֶיךָ.
So he said to them: ‘One day when I went to Lydda, on entering the town I stood behind the wall of a house in which was R. Simeon, and I heard him expound this verse, “I will praise thee because thou hast done”, thus. The words “I will give praise to thee” were addressed by King David to the Holy One, blessed be He, for that last world which He has made [Malkuth]; for David attached himself to that world and through it attained to kingship. “I will wait on thy name, for it is good”: this is the Holy One, blessed be He, when unified with that world which is called “good”. And when is it called good? When it is in the presence of thy saints, or rather, “lovingkindnesses”,1Reading hasadekha for hasidekha.
אֶלָּא אִית חֶסֶד וְאִית חֶסֶד, ואִלֵּין אִקְרוּן חַסְדֵי דָּוד (ויחי רי"ט, תרומה קס"ט) הַנֶּאֱמָנִים. וְכַד אִלֵּין חַסְדֵּי דָּוִד אִתְמַלְּיָין מֵהַהוּא טִיבוּ דִּנְגִידוּ דְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, כְּדֵין אִקְרֵי יְסוֹד טוֹב. כְּדֵין אִשְׁתְּכַח טוֹב לְגַבַּיְיהוּ. דְּהָא (ס"א כד אשתכח כמה דאיהו ביה) כְּמָה דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח דְּאִיהוּ בֵּיהּ, הָכִי אִיהוּ מְבַסָּם לְהַאי עָלְמָא בַּתְרָאָה. וְכֹלָּא אִשְׁתְּכַח בִּבְרָכָה, וְעַל דָּא דָּוִד הֲוָה מְחַכֶּה לְהַאי דַּרְגָּא, דְּנָהִיר לְהַאי עוֹלָם דְּאִיהוּ אָחִיד בֵּיהּ.
for when these are filled from the goodness of the stream issuing from the Ancient Holy One, then Yesod is called “good”, and then He [Yesod] establishes this latter world and all is blessed. Hence David waited for this grade to illumine the world to which he was attached.
מִלִּין אִלֵּין הָכִי שְׁמַעְנָא לוֹן, אֲבָל לָא יְדַעְנָא מַאי הוּא. אָתוּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְנַשְּׁקוּ לֵיהּ בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, מַאן חָפֵּי עֵינָיךְ בְּעַפְרָא רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי, דְּאַנְתְּ בְּאַתְרָךְ וְאַנְתְּ מַרְעִישׁ טוּרַיָּא עִלָּאֵי, וַאֲפִילּוּ צִפּוֹרֵי שְׁמַיָא וְכֹלָּא חַדָּאן בְּמִלוּלָךְ וַוי לְעָלְמָא בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא כַּד תִּסְתָּלַּק מִנֵּיהּ.
R. Hiya and R. Jose came up to him and kissed him on his head. Said R. Hiya: ‘Who shall cover thine eye in the dust, O R. Simeon, for thou art in thy place and thou shakest the highest mountains, and even the birds of the heaven rejoice at thy words. Alas for the world when thou shalt depart from it!’
תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר הַהוּא גַּבְרָא, הָא מִלָּה אָחֳרָא שְׁמַעְנָא מִנֵּיהּ בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא, בַּקְּרָא דִּכְתִּיב, (דניאל ט׳:י״ז) וְעַתָּה שְׁמַע אֱלהֵינוּ אֶל תְּפִלַּת עַבְדְּךָ וְאֶל תַּחְנוּנָיו וְגוֹ' לְמַעַן אֲדֹנָי. ואָמַר הָכֵי, אִי שְׁמָא דָּא מְעַלְּיָא (נ"א לעילא) מִכֹּלָּא, שַׁפִּיר הוּא, דְּהָכִי אַמְרִין עָבִיד בְּדִיל מַלְכָּא. אֲבָל שְׁמָא דָּא, הָא יְדִיעַ דְּהוּא אֲתַר בֵּי דִּינָא, דְּמִנֵּיהּ נָפִיק דִּינָא לְעָלְמָא. מַאן חָמָא דְּאַמְרִין לְמַלְכָּא, עָבִיד בְּגִין עַבְדְּךָ, אוֹ בְּגִין מִלָּה זְעֵירָא מִנָךְ.
The man resumed: ‘At the same time I heard him expound the verse, “Now therefore, O God, hearken unto the prayer of thy servant and to his supplications… for my Lord’s (Adonai) sake” (Dan. 9, 17). If this name were the highest, it would be in place here, as though one were to say, Do it for the sake of the king. But we know that this name signifies only the place of judgement, from which judgement issues to the world. Can a man say to a king, Do for the sake of thy servant or something less than thyself?
אֶלָּא הָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ, דִּשְׁמָא דָּא אַתְקִין בֵּיתָא לְמַלְכָּא, וּבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא לְתַתָּא, וְדָא אָחִיד בְּדָא, בְּגִין דְּאִתְקָשָׁר דָּא בְּדָא. וְכַד מַקְדְּשָׁא לְתַתָּא קָאִים בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ, הַאי שְׁמָא לְעֵילָּא קָאִים בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ. וְדָא הוּא כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר לְמַלְכָּא בְּנֵי בֵּיתָא דָּא, וְהֵיכָלָא דָּא, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַחַת מַטְרוֹנִיתָא דְּיָתְבָא לְבַר מֵהֵיכָלָהּ. אוּף הָכָא, (דניאל ט׳:י״ז) וְהָאֵר פָּנֶיךָ עַל מִקְדָּשְׁךָ הַשָּׁמֵם לְמַעַן אֲדֹנָי. מַאי טַעְמָא לְמַעַן אֲדֹנָי. דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח לְבַר מִן דִּיוּרֵיהּ.
The truth is, however, that this name prepares the house for the King and the sanctuary below, and when the sanctuary is established below, this name is established above; hence it is as though one said to the king, Build this house and this palace, that the Matrona may not have to abide without the palace.’