"The righteous man flourishes like the palm tree"

264. Rabbi Aba was sitting before Rabbi Shimon. Rabbi Elazar, his son, entered. Rabbi Shimon said, It is written, "The righteous man flourishes like the palm tree..." (Tehilim 92:13). Why "like the palm tree?" HE ANSWERS, Of all the trees of the world, none is as slow to flourish as the palm tree, for it grows seventy years. Wherefore IS THE RIGHTEOUS MAN LIKENED to the palm tree? Though the verse bears witness to it, none of the friends wishes to reveal this.

265. "The righteous man flourishes like the palm tree" talks of the exile in Babylon, from which the Shechinah returned to Her place only after seventy years. Hence, it says, "That after seventy years are accomplished at Babylon I will take heed of you" (Yirmeyah 29:10). This is "the righteous man flourishes like the palm tree," for it grows as male and female for seventy years. The righteous is the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO RETURNED TO BABYLON AFTER SEVENTY YEARS. Hence, it is written, "For Hashem is righteous, He loves righteousness" (Tehilim 11:7), "Hashem is righteous" (Shemot 9:27) and "Say of the righteous that it shall be well with him" (Yeshayah 3:10). INDEED, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, IS CALLED RIGHTEOUS.

266. "He grows like a cedar in Lebanon" (Tehilim 92:13). What is a cedar? HE REPLIES, It is the Holy One, blessed be He, as written, "Excellent as the cedars" (Shir Hashirim 5:15). "He grows...in Lebanon" (Ibid.), surely in the Lebanon which is the supernal Eden, NAMELY CHOCHMAH, of which it is written, "Neither has the eye seen an Elohim besides You" (Yeshayah 64:3). The cedar, ZEIR ANPIN, will grow in that high place, NAMELY, WHEN IT ASCENDS TOWARDS IT.

267. In the last exile, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, is like a cedar that is slow to FLOURISH AND grow. From the time it starts growing until it is mature - NAMELY, UNTIL REDEMPTION COMES - a day passes; NAMELY THE DAY OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WHICH IS A THOUSAND YEARS LONG. And the beginning of the second day, until it throws a shadow in the daylight - NAMELY, AFTER MIDDAY WHEN THE SUN BEGINS TO DECLINE - WHICH, IN THE DAY OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, LASTS 500 YEARS. AFTER 1,500 YEARS, REDEMPTION WILL COME. And the cedar grows only when supplied with water, as it says, "Like cedar trees beside the waters" (Bemidbar 24:6) so "he grows like a cedar in Lebanon," whence, FROM LEBANON, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, a source of water and a river - WHICH IS BINAH - issues to water THE CEDAR. The cedar is the Holy One, blessed be He, ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH RECEIVES THE WATER, as written, "Excellent as the cedars."

268. "Those that are planted in the house of Hashem" (Tehilim 92:14): At the time of The Messiah, they "shall flourish in the courts of our Elohim" (Ibid.) at the revival of the dead. And "they still bring forth fruit in old age" (Ibid. 15) when the world will be destroyed - NAMELY, IN THE SEVENTH MILLENNIUM - "they are fat and flourishing" afterwards WHEN THE WORLD WILL BE REBUILT, as written, "The new heavens and the new earth" (Yeshayah 66:22). Then it is written, "Let Hashem rejoice in His works" (Tehilim 104:31). What is the purpose of all this? "To declare that Hashem is upright: He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in Him" (Tehilim 92:16).