It is written, "Midnight I will rise to give thanks unto Thee for Thy righteous judgments" (Psalm 119:62). The word "at" is not used, and so we assume that "Midnight" is an appellation of the Holy One, be blessed, whom David speaks of thus because midnight is the hour when He appears with his retinue, and goes into the Garden of Eden to converse with the righteous. Rabbi Abba then said to Rabbi Jacob: Now we indeed have the luck to be with the Presence.
And they went and seated themselves by their host, and said: Tell us again that which you just said, which is very good. Where did you hear it? He replied: My grandfather told it me. He said that the accuser angels below are busy all about the world during the first three hours of the night, but exactly at midnight the accusations halt, for at this moment God enters the Garden of Eden.
He continued: These ceremonies above occur nightly, only at the exact midnight and this we know from what is written of Abraham, that "the night was divided for them" (Gen. 14:15) and from the verse "and it came to pass at midnight," in the story of the Exodus (Exod. 12:29), and from numerous other passages in the Scripture. David knew it, so the old man related, because upon it depended his kingship. And so he was accustomed to get up at this hour and sing praises, and on this account he addressed God as "Midnight." He said, too, "I will rise to give thanks unto Thee for Thy righteous judgments," since he knew this sphere to be the source of justice, with judgments of earthly kings deriving therefrom, and for this reason David did not ever fail to rise and sing praises at this hour.
Rabbi Abba went up to him and kissed him, and said: Surely, it is as you say. Blessed be God who has guided me here. In all places judgment is executed at night, and this we have certainly affirmed, discussing it before Rabbi Simeon.
To be continued...
Comments