מִ֗י יְ֭מַלֵּל גְּבוּר֣וֹת יְהוָ֑ה יַ֝שְׁמִ֗יעַ כָּל־תְּהִלָּתֽוֹ׃
Qui saura dire la toute-puissance de l’Éternel, exprimer toute sa gloire?
Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot
Rebbi Yoḥanan15The Rome ms. has “R. Ḥanina” and that must be the correct reading since R. Yoḥanan belongs to the generation after R. Jonathan but R. Ḥanina (the Amora) was an older colleague of R. Jonathan and should be mentioned first. and Rebbi Jonathan went to make peace in the Southern settlements. They came to a place where they found the reader saying16In the first benediction of the ‘Amidah. The parallel in the Babli (33b) is in the name of R. Ḥanina only who notes there that the three attributes we mention are only permitted because Moses used them in the Torah and the Men of the Great Assembly adopted them for prayer.
In the Babli, R. Ḥanina let the reader finish and only afterwards asked him: Did you finish all that can be said about your Creator? This argument also is accepted by the Yerushalmi since the explanations of the verses that follow are based on the principle that God’s infinity cannot be expressed in finite words. In the Yerushalmi tradition, anyone who deviates from the pattern instituted by the Sages has to be stopped in the middle of his prayer.: “The great God, the strong and awe-inspiring, the noble and overpowering;” they stopped him and told him: you are not permitted to add to the formula the Sages coined for benedictions. Rav Huna in the name of Rav: (Job 37:23) “The All-powerful, we did not find for Him the fullness of His might,” we did not find out the might and strength of the Holy One, praise to Him17It is too much for finite man.! Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: (Job 37:20) “Can it be told to Him if I should speak, if a man tells, he certainly will be swallowed up.” If a man comes to tell the strengths of the Holy One, praise to Him, he sets himself up to be swallowed away from the world. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman said (Ps. 106:2) “Who can tell the strengths of the Eternal?” For example, I and my colleagues18Not Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman but King David, meaning that Psalms cannot be composed without inspiration. This side remark is only brought as preliminary to Rebbi Abun’s interpretation.. Rebbi Abun said: “Who can ever tell the strengths of the Eternal?” Jacob19In the parallel in the Babli (Megillah 18a) he is called Rebbi Yehudah from Kefar Giboraia. His birthplace is a village North of Safed. He is mentioned as being in Tyre, where Rebbi Ḥaggai had him whipped because he proposed the principle of patrilineal descent for Jews [Midrash Qohelet rabba 7(44), Bereshit rabba 7(3), Bemidbar rabba 19]. of Kefar Naburaia explained in Tyre: (Ps. 65:2) “Silence is praise for You, God in Zion!” The medicine for everything is silence; like a priceless20Greek τιμή “value, price”. jewel: everyone who adorns himself with it, diminishes it.
In the Babli, R. Ḥanina let the reader finish and only afterwards asked him: Did you finish all that can be said about your Creator? This argument also is accepted by the Yerushalmi since the explanations of the verses that follow are based on the principle that God’s infinity cannot be expressed in finite words. In the Yerushalmi tradition, anyone who deviates from the pattern instituted by the Sages has to be stopped in the middle of his prayer.: “The great God, the strong and awe-inspiring, the noble and overpowering;” they stopped him and told him: you are not permitted to add to the formula the Sages coined for benedictions. Rav Huna in the name of Rav: (Job 37:23) “The All-powerful, we did not find for Him the fullness of His might,” we did not find out the might and strength of the Holy One, praise to Him17It is too much for finite man.! Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: (Job 37:20) “Can it be told to Him if I should speak, if a man tells, he certainly will be swallowed up.” If a man comes to tell the strengths of the Holy One, praise to Him, he sets himself up to be swallowed away from the world. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman said (Ps. 106:2) “Who can tell the strengths of the Eternal?” For example, I and my colleagues18Not Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman but King David, meaning that Psalms cannot be composed without inspiration. This side remark is only brought as preliminary to Rebbi Abun’s interpretation.. Rebbi Abun said: “Who can ever tell the strengths of the Eternal?” Jacob19In the parallel in the Babli (Megillah 18a) he is called Rebbi Yehudah from Kefar Giboraia. His birthplace is a village North of Safed. He is mentioned as being in Tyre, where Rebbi Ḥaggai had him whipped because he proposed the principle of patrilineal descent for Jews [Midrash Qohelet rabba 7(44), Bereshit rabba 7(3), Bemidbar rabba 19]. of Kefar Naburaia explained in Tyre: (Ps. 65:2) “Silence is praise for You, God in Zion!” The medicine for everything is silence; like a priceless20Greek τιμή “value, price”. jewel: everyone who adorns himself with it, diminishes it.
Makkot
'Nor one who loves wealth (hamon) will have income (t'vu'ah)'—for whom it is fitting to teach in public (hamon)? One who all of the reward (t'vuah) is his." [This drash plays on ambiguity in the Masoretic text between lamed-aleph ("lo" as in "no") and lamed-vav ("lo" as in "his")]. And this is [similar to] what Rabbi Elazar said: "What is that which is written, 'Who can sing the mighty deeds of God, [who can] recount all His praises?' (Psalms 106:2)? For whom is it filling to sing the mighty deeds of God? To the one who is able to recount all His praises."
Megillah
Beyond this it is forbidden to declare the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He. For R. Elazar said: What is it that is written, “Who can express the mighty acts of the Lord, or make all his praise heard” (Psalms 106:2)? For whom is it fitting to express the mighty acts of the Lord? For one who can make all his praise heard.