Talmud zu Tehillim 22:78

⁵³Tactate Soferim 16:10. The piece is missing in Tactate Soferim in Maḥzor Vitry. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, I never looked into a book of sermon concepts, except that once I looked, and I found written there: The 175 paragraphs where in the Torah is written speech, saying, commandment⁵⁴The number of paragraphs which start with an expression of commandment., correspond to the years of our father Abraham, as it is written, you took gifts from Man⁵⁵Ps. 68:19. Traditionally the Psalm is read as describing the Exodus and the epiphany at Sinai. The gift is the Torah given to Moses., and it is written, the great Man among giants⁵⁶Jos. 14:15.. The 147 songs written in Psalms⁵⁷The number of Psalms if Psalms 1–2, 9–10, 114–115 are combinred. correspond to the years of our father Jacob. This teaches that all praises by which Israel praise the Holy One, praise to Him, correspond to the years of Jacob, as it is said, You are Holy, throning over the praises of Israel⁵⁸Ps. 22:4.. The 123 times Israel answer “halleluiah”⁵⁹In the recitation of “Hallel” (Pss. 113–118) by the reader, the congregation answers every half-verse by “halleluiah”. This form of recitation, described by Maimonides Hilkhot Ḥanukkah 3:12 (Babli Sukkah 38b), still is common among Yemenite congregations. The exact places of response are indicated in the Yemenite Tikālil. correspond to the years of Aaron, Halleluiah, praise God by His holy one⁶⁰Ps. 150:1., Aaron his holy one, for Aaron, the Eternal’s holy one⁶¹Ps. 106:16.. Nevertheless I was frightened in the night⁶²Because of the sin he committed reading the book in which was written what only should be orally transmitted..

BARAITHA.¹For the Baraithoth in this chap. cf. DEZ I. R. Judah [the Prince] said: The way of the disciples of the wise is to be meek and lowly of spirit.
GEMARA. Whence is this derived? For it is written, Seek ye the Lord, all ye humble of the earth, that have executed His ordinance; seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.²Zeph. 2, 3. When our holy Rabbi³i.e. R. Judah the Prince. Cf. Ḥag. 4b (Sonc. ed., p. 17) where this is attributed to R. Ammi. came to this verse, he cried out and wept [because it stated,] Seek righteousness, seek humility, and perhaps!⁴Even then salvation is only problematical, the text stating it may be, etc. Woe to the creatures who think that death is a place of refuge and declare, ‘How many iniquities we are able to guard ourselves against!’⁵Since when we die we are safe from punishment. R. Isaac b. Parnak said: All man’s sins are engraven in his bones and all his merits are inscribed on his right hand, so that you shall not say that their sins are recorded and their merits are not. Whence [is this learnt]? As it is stated, The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.⁶Ps. 121, 5, shade, meaning divine protection, in reward for a person’s merits; cf. ibid. XCI, 1.
R. Joshua b. Levi said: It is necessary for a man to take these words to heart, and then he will repent of his own accord. Come and see what is written, For, lo, He that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought [siḥo].⁷Amos 4, 13. In the hour of his death man is reminded even of his least important talk [siḥah]. How is this? When a man is about to die, three Ministering Angels come to him:⁸Cf. ‘A.Z. 20b (Sonc. ed., p. 105). one is the Angel of Death, the second is a scribe and the third the angel who has been given authority over him who says to him, ‘Arise, your appointed time has come’. He replies, ‘I will not come; my appointed time has not yet arrived’. Thereupon the scribe sits down and calculates his days and years. Immediately the human being opens his eyes and, seeing the Angel of Death, trembles and falls upon his face. The Sages said: The Angel of Death extends in length from one end of the world to the other; from the sole of his foot to the top of his head he is [covered] all over with eyes; his clothing is of fire, his feet are of fire, and on the fiery sword in his hand hangs a drop of gall. From this [drop of gall] man dies, from it [the corpse] decomposes, from it his face becomes sallow, and he does not die until he beholds the Holy One, blessed be He; as it is stated, For man shall not see Me and live,⁹Ex. 33, 20. [meaning,] in their lifetime they do not see Me, but at their death they do see Me, as it is stated, All they that go down to the dust shall kneel before Him.¹⁰Ps. 22, 30. Forthwith man testifies against himself all that he had done in this world. His mouth testifies and the Holy One, blessed be He, seals [his testimony], as it is stated, By Myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from My mouth in righteousness, and shall not come back.¹¹Isa. 45, 23. Therefore it is necessary that a man should reflect upon his latter end, as we have learnt: R. Leviṭas, a man of Jabneh, said: Be exceedingly lowly of spirit, since the hope of man is but the worm.¹²Aboth IV, 4 (Sonc. ed., p. 45). Hence our Rabbis taught: [The way of the disciples of the wise is to be] meek and lowly of spirit.

“The place of stoning was two man-sizes high,” etc. It happened that a pious man was walking on the road when he saw two people having sex with a bitch. They said, we know that this is a pious man, he will go, testify against us, and our lord David will kill us⁷⁵Which the king by his police powers could do on the information of one witness.. Therefore, we shall be quicker than him and testify against him. They testified against him and he was sentenced to be executed. That is what David said⁷⁶Ps. 22:21., Rescue my soul from the sword, From the dog my only one! From the sword, Uriah’s sword. From the dog, the pious man’s dog.

HALAKHAH: At first one dips it in sauce¹¹³One dips kosher bread in the non-kosher sauce which may be forbidden only rabbinically.. If she feels well again it is good. Otherwise one gives her of the body of forbidden food¹¹⁴If the woman smells cooking on the day of Atonement, probably it is Gentile non-kosher food. But see the paragraph after the next.. Two pregnant women came before Rebbi Tarphon. He sent two students to them and told them, go and tell them, it is the Great Fast-day. They said it to the first one and she quieted down. They said about him¹¹⁵Since it is the baby who carves the food, not his mother who simply is the provider. For similar stories Babli 82b/83a., from my mother’swomb You are my God¹¹⁶Ps. 22:11.. They said it to the second, who did not quiet down. They said about him, The wicked are perverts from the womb; they err from the belly, the speakers of lies¹¹⁷Ps.58:4!

HALAKHAH: At first one dips it in sauce¹¹³One dips kosher bread in the non-kosher sauce which may be forbidden only rabbinically.. If she feels well again it is good. Otherwise one gives her of the body of forbidden food¹¹⁴If the woman smells cooking on the day of Atonement, probably it is Gentile non-kosher food. But see the paragraph after the next.. Two pregnant women came before Rebbi Tarphon. He sent two students to them and told them, go and tell them, it is the Great Fast-day. They said it to the first one and she quieted down. They said about him¹¹⁵Since it is the baby who carves the food, not his mother who simply is the provider. For similar stories Babli 82b/83a., from my mother’swomb You are my God¹¹⁶Ps. 22:11.. They said it to the second, who did not quiet down. They said about him, The wicked are perverts from the womb; they err from the belly, the speakers of lies¹¹⁷Ps.58:4!

HALAKHAH: “The pious ones and people of good deeds.” Some of them were saying, blessed be my youth which did not shame my old age; these are the people of good deeds. But others were saying, blessed be my old age which atoned for my youth. Both of these were saying, blessed be who never sinned; and he who sinned may be forgiven. Hillel the Elder, if he saw them wantonly transgressing said to them, even though I am here, who is here? Does He need acclamations? Is it not written⁷⁵Dan. 7:10., thousands upon thousands serve Him, and myriads of myriads stand before Him? If he saw them acting correctly he was saying, if I am not here who is here? Even though there are many acclaims before Him, the acclaim of Israel is beloved more than anything else. What is the reason? And the pleasantness of the songs of Israel⁷⁶2S. 23:1.; enthroned on the praises of Israel⁷⁷Ps. 22:4..

Another interpretation of Ye that inflame yourselves among the terebinths: Whoever arouses himself and masturbates forfeits his life, as it is stated, And Er, Judah’s first-born, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.⁷⁴Gen. 38, 7. His sin was that he prevented pregnancy; cf. Midrash Rabbah, Genesis, LXXXV, 4 (Sonc. ed., p. 792). And whoever deliberately causes an erection is a transgressor, as it is stated, And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of the Lord.⁷⁵ibid. 10; cf. the preceding verse.
Even children meet the Divine Presence, as it is stated, A seed shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord unto the next generation.⁷⁶Ps. 22, 31; cf. Sanh. 110b (Sonc. ed., p. 761). It shall be told indicates that when God’s glory can be related by a person, i.e. even a child when he is able to speak, he earns his right to a share in the World to Come. For what sin do a man’s children die [young]?⁷⁷Shab. 32b (Sonc. ed., p. 148); cf. Midrash Ecclesiastes 4, 1 (Sonc. ed., p. 110). R. Eliezer said: For the sin of [unfulfilled] vows, as it is said, Suffer not thy mouth to bring thy flesh into guilt … and destroy the work of thy hands.⁷⁸Eccl. 5, 5. R. Nathan said: For the sin of [neglecting] the mezuzah, as it is written, And thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thy house, and upon thy gates which is followed by that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children.⁷⁹The prolonged life of the children is made conditional in Deut. 11, 20f., on the fulfilment of the preceding commandment. R. Nehorai said: For the sin of [neglecting] the ẓiẓith, as it is written, Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor.⁸⁰Jer. 2, 34; skirts refers to the precept of ẓiẓith. R. Joshua⁸¹GRA. emends to ‘R. Judah the Prince’. said: For the sin of [neglecting the study of] the Torah children die young, as it is stated, Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.⁸²Hos. 4, 6. The parallel in Shab. 32b (Sonc. ed., p. 148) cites Jer. 2, 30. R. ‘Aḳiba said: Whoever does not occupy himself with [the study of] the Torah causes poverty to come upon his children.
What should a man do so that his children shall grow rich and flourish?⁸³Reading with GRA ויתקיימו. Let him fulfil the will of God and the wishes of his wife. This is the will of God: Let him freely distribute his money to the poor, as it is stated, He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the needy; his righteousness endureth for ever.⁸⁴Ps. 112, 9.

The rabbis of Caesarea say, Gentile minors¹²⁴In the Babli, Sanhedrin 110b, this is restricted to minor children of evil Gentiles. Cf. Berakhot Chapter Nine, Notes 71 ff. and the armies of Nebucadnezzar will not live and will not be judged; about them it says (Jer. 51:39,57): “They will sleep an eternal sleep and never wake up.” From when do Jewish minors live? The elder Rebbi Ḥiyya and Rebbi Simeon ben Rebbi, one said from when they are born, the other said from when they talk¹²⁵Also in the Babli, Sanhedrin110b.. He who says from when they are born (Ps. 22:32): “they shall come and tell His justice to the born people He made.” He who says from when they talk (Ps. 22:31): “Seed will worship Him, it will by told to the Master by the generation.” It was stated in the name of Rebbi Meïr: From the time [the child] knows to answer Amen in the synagogue. What is the reason? (Is. 26:2) “Open the gates, let the just people come who keep trust¹²⁶In the Babli, Sanhedrin 110b and Sabbath 119b, it is explained that those who keep trust are those who respond Amen, “trustworthy”..” There they say, from when they are circumcised (Ps. 88:16): “I carried your fear, I cease”¹²⁷For the translation, cf. Arabic فني "to cease". Once the baby carries the fear of the Eternal, being circumcised, even if it ceases to exist it has part of the salvation expressed in the Psalm. But the rabbis from here say, from when they are born (Ps. 87:5): “He will say to Zion¹²⁸The Heavenly Zion., everybody [who] was born [is] in it.” Rebbi Eleazar says, even the still-born, what is the reason? (Is. 49:6) “The watched ones of Israel to return”, the created ones of Israel to return¹²⁹.

The rabbis of Caesarea say, Gentile minors¹²⁴In the Babli, Sanhedrin 110b, this is restricted to minor children of evil Gentiles. Cf. Berakhot Chapter Nine, Notes 71 ff. and the armies of Nebucadnezzar will not live and will not be judged; about them it says (Jer. 51:39,57): “They will sleep an eternal sleep and never wake up.” From when do Jewish minors live? The elder Rebbi Ḥiyya and Rebbi Simeon ben Rebbi, one said from when they are born, the other said from when they talk¹²⁵Also in the Babli, Sanhedrin110b.. He who says from when they are born (Ps. 22:32): “they shall come and tell His justice to the born people He made.” He who says from when they talk (Ps. 22:31): “Seed will worship Him, it will by told to the Master by the generation.” It was stated in the name of Rebbi Meïr: From the time [the child] knows to answer Amen in the synagogue. What is the reason? (Is. 26:2) “Open the gates, let the just people come who keep trust¹²⁶In the Babli, Sanhedrin 110b and Sabbath 119b, it is explained that those who keep trust are those who respond Amen, “trustworthy”..” There they say, from when they are circumcised (Ps. 88:16): “I carried your fear, I cease”¹²⁷For the translation, cf. Arabic فني "to cease". Once the baby carries the fear of the Eternal, being circumcised, even if it ceases to exist it has part of the salvation expressed in the Psalm. But the rabbis from here say, from when they are born (Ps. 87:5): “He will say to Zion¹²⁸The Heavenly Zion., everybody [who] was born [is] in it.” Rebbi Eleazar says, even the still-born, what is the reason? (Is. 49:6) “The watched ones of Israel to return”, the created ones of Israel to return¹²⁹.

The hundred and forty-seven psalms⁵⁵The number of Psalms in the Heb. Bible is 150; but, according to Rabbinic opinion, I and II, IX and X, CXXXIV and CXXXV are each reckoned as one Psalm. included in the Book of Psalms correspond to the number of years of Jacob.⁵⁶Cf. Gen. 47, 28. This is intended to teach you that all the praises which Israel offer to the Holy One, blessed be He, correspond to the number of years of our father Jacob. What is the reason?⁵⁷GRA inserts the question. [Scripture states,] Yet Thou art holy, O Thou that art enthroned upon the praises of Israel.⁵⁸Ps. 22, 4. Israel is synonymous with Jacob.

Ben Azzai would say: When someone’s mind is calm as a result of the wisdom they have acquired, that is a good sign. When someone’s mind is not calm as a result of the wisdom they have acquired, that is a bad sign. When someone’s mind is calm in the face of his desire, that is a good sign. When someone’s mind is not calm in the face of his desire, that is a bad sign. When the sages look kindly upon someone (at the time of his death), that is a good sign. When the sages do not look kindly upon someone, that is a bad sign. When someone is facing upward [at the time of his death], that is a good sign. When someone is facing downward, that is a bad sign. When someone looks people in the eye, that is a good sign. When someone avoids looking people in the eye, that is a bad sign. When someone’s face shines, that is a good sign. When someone’s face is gloomy, that is a bad sign.
At the hour of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai’s death, he raised his voice and cried. His students said to him: Rabbi! You are a tall pillar, a light to the world, a mighty hammer; so why do you cry? He said to them: Am I going to face a human king? If he were angry with me, it would be only in this world. And if he imprisoned me or killed me, it would be only in this world. And what’s more, I would be able to pacify him with words, or bribe him with money. But no, I am going to face the King of all kings, the Holy Blessed One. And if He is angry with me, it will be in this world and in the World to Come. And what’s more, I cannot pacify Him with words or bribe Him with money. So I have two paths before me: one that leads to Paradise, and one that leads to Gehenna, and I do not know if He will force me into Gehenna or bring me into Paradise. For the verse says about Him (Psalms 22:30), “All who go down into the dirt will submit before him.” (With regard to Moses, it says that he breathed his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people.) It also says (Exodus 33:23), “I will remove my hand.” And then it says (Ezekiel 2:10), “And He spread it out before me, and it had writing on the front and on the back.” “On the front” refers to this world; “on the back” refers to the World to Come. Another interpretation: “On the front” refers to the sufferings of the righteous in this world and the tranquility of the wicked in this world. “On the back” refers to the reward for the righteous in the Future to Come, and the punishment for the wicked in Gehenna.
[The verse from Ezekiel continues:]“And on it were written lamentations, dirges, and woes” (Ezekiel 2:10). “Lamentations” refers to the punishment of the wicked in this world, as it says (Ezekiel 32:16), “This is the lamentation with which they shall lament for her; the women of the nations shall lament for her.” “Dirges” refers to the reward for the righteous in the Time to Come, as it says (Psalms 92:4), “Upon the ten-stringed instrument, and upon the lyre and the dirge of the harp.” “Woe” refers to the punishment of the wicked in the World to Come ,as it says (Ezekiel 7:26), “Woe will come upon woe, rumor upon rumor.”
He would also say: Clear your house of impurity, and prepare a chair for Hezekiah, king of Judah.