Jerusalem Talmud Sukkah 5.4

משנה: הַחֲסִידִים וְאַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה הָיוּ מְרַקְּדִין לִפְנֵיהֶן בַּאֲבוּקוֹת וְאוֹמֵר לִפְנֵיהֶן דִּבְרֵי תושְׁבָּחוֹת. וְהַלְוִיִּם בְּכִינּוֹרוֹת בִּנְבָלִים וּבִמְצִלְתַּיִם וּבְכָל כְּלֵי שִׁיר בְּלֹא מִסְפָּר עַל חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מַעֲלוֹת הַיּוֹרְדוֹת מֵעֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעֶזְרַת נָשִׁים כְּנֶגֶד חֲמֵשּׁ עֶשְׂרֶה שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת שֶׁבַּתְּהִילִּים שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶם עוֹמְדִים הַלְּוִים בְּשִׁיר.

MISHNAH: The pious ones and people of good deeds were dancing in public with torches and reciting words of praise. And the Levites with lutes, with harps, and with cymbals and all kinds of innumerable musical instruments on the fifteen steps which descend from the courtyard of Israel to the women’s courtyard corresponding to the fifteen songs of ascent in Psalms on which the Levites were standing for song.

הלכה: הַחֲסִידִים וְאַנְשֵׁי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. יֵשׁ מֵהֶן שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִין. אַשְׁרַיִיךְ יַלְדּותִי שֶׁלֹּא בִיַישְׁתָּ אֶת זִקְנוּתִי. אֵילּוּ אַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה. וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶן אוֹמְרִין. אַשְׁרַיִיךְ זִקְנוּתִי שֶׁכִּיפַּרְתְּ עַל יַלְדּוּתִי. אֵילּוּ בַעֲלֵי תְשׁוּבָה. אִילּוּ וָאֵילּוּ הָיוּ אוֹמְרִין. אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא. וּמִי שֶׁחָטָא יִימָּחֵל לוֹ. הִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן כַּד הֲוֵה חֲמִי לוֹן עָבְרִין בְפַחַז הֲוָה אֲמַר לוֹן. דַּאֲנָן הָכָא מָן הָכָא. וּלְקִילּוּסָן הוּא צָרִיךְ. וְהָכְתִיב אֶלֶף אַלְפִין יְשַׁמְּשׁוּנֵּיהּ וְרִיבּוֹא ריבְוָון קָדָמוֹהִי יְקוּמוּן. כַּד הֲוָה חֲמִי לוֹן עָבְדִין בְּכוֹשֶׁר הֲוָה אֲמַר. דִּי לָא נָן הָכָא מָאן הָכָא. שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְפָנָיו כַּמָּה קִילּוּסִין חָבִיב הוּא קִילּוּסָן שֶׁלְיִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹתֵר מִכֹּל. מַה טַעַם. וּנְעִים זְמִרוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל. יוֹשֵׁב תְּהִילּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל.

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 written, 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 Israel; enthroned on the praises of Israel.

בֶּן יְהוֹצָדָק הָיָה מִשְׁתַּבֵּחַ בִּקְפִיצוֹתָיו. אָמְרוּ עָלָיו עַל רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל שֶׁהָיָה מְרַקֵּד בִּשְׁמוֹנֶה אֲבוּקוֹת שֶׁלְזָהָב וְלֹא הָיָה אֶחָד מֵהֶן נוֹגֵעַ (בָּאָרֶץ) [בַּחֲבֵרוֹ]. וּכְשֶׁהָיָה כוֹרֵעַ הָיָה נוֹעֵץ גּוֹדְלוֹ בָאָרֶץ וְכוֹרֵעַ וּמִיַּד הָיָה נִזְקָף. אֵי זוֹ הִיא כְרִיעָה וְאֵי זוֹ הִיא בְרִיכָה. רִבִּי חִיָיה רַבָּה הֶרְאָה כְרִיעָה לִפְנֵי רִבִּי [וְנִפְסַח] וְנִתְרַפֵּא. לֵוִי בַּר סִיסִי הֶרְאָה בְרִיכָה לִפְנֵי רִבִּי וְנִפְסַח וְלֹא נִתְרַפֵּא.

Ben Yehoṣadaq was priding himself for his vaulting. They said about Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel that he was dancing with eight golden torches and neither of them touched (the ground) [any other.] When he was bowing down to his shinbone he thrust his thumb into the ground, bowed down to his shinbone, and immediately stood up. What is bowing down to one’s shinbone and what is kneeling? The great Rebbi Ḥiyya showed bowing down to his shinbone before Rebbi, [became lame] and was healed. Levi ben Sisi showed kneeling before Rebbi, became lame and was not healed.

כְּתִיב וַיָּשָׁב דָּוִד לְבָרֵךְ אֶת בֵּיתוֹ וַתֵּצֵא מִיכַל בַּת שָׁאוּל לִקְרָאתוֹ וגו׳. מָהוּ אֶחָד הָרֵיקִים. אָמַר אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא. הָרֵיקִים שֶׁבָּרֵיקִים. זֶה אָרְכֵיסְטֵיס. אָמְרָה. הַיּוֹם נִגְלָה כְבוֹד בֵּית אַבָּא. אָמְרוּ עָלָיו עַל בֵּית שָׁאוּל שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאֶה מֵהֶם לֹא עֵקֶב וְלֹא גוֹדֶל מִימֵיהֶם. הָדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיָּבֹא אֶל גִּדְרוֹת הַצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר עַל הַדֶּרֶךְ וְשָׁם מְעָרָה. רִבִּי אָבוּן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי לָעְזָר. גָּדֵר לִפְנִים מִגָּדֵר הָיָה. וַיָּבֹא שָׁאוּל לְהָסֵךְ אֶת רַגְלָיו. וַהֲוָה חֲמִי לֵיהּ מְשׁוּלְשָׁל צִיבְחַד וּמְסַלֵּיק צִיבְחַד. מְשׁוּלְשָׁל צִיבְחַד וּמְסַלֵּיק צִיבְחַד. אֲמַר [דָּוִד]. הֵיאַךְ מִינְגַּע בְּהָדֵין גּוּפָא צַדִּיקָא. הָדָא הִיא דוּ אָמַר לֵיהּ. הִנֵּה הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ אֵת אֲשֶׁר נְתָנְךָ הַיּוֹם בְּיָדִי בַּמְּעָרָה וְאָמַר לַהֲרָגְךָ. וָאָחוּס עָלֶיךָ אֵין כָּתוּב כָּאן אֶלָּא וַתָּחָס עָלֶיךָ. צְנִיעוּתָךְ חָסָת עָלֶיךָ. וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל מִיכַל לִפְנֵי יְי אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בִּי מֵאָבִיךְ וגו׳. וּנְקַלּוֹתִי עוֹד מִזּאת וְהָיִיתִי שָׁפָל בְּעֵינָיי וְעִם הָאֲמָהוֹת אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתְּ עִמָּם אִכָּבֵדָה. שֶׁאֵינָן אֲמָהוֹת אֶלָּא אִימָּהוֹת. וּמַה נֶעֶנְשָׁה. וּלְמִיכַל בַּת שָׁאוּל לֹא הָיָה לָהּ וָולֶד עַד יוֹם מוֹתָהּ. וְהָכְתִיב הַשִּׁישִּׁי יִתְרְעָם לְעֶגְלָה אִשְׁתּוֹ. שֶׁגָּעַת כְּעֶגְלָה וָמֵתָה.

It is written: David returned to bless his house when Mikhal, Saul’s daughter, came towards him, etc. Who is one of the empty ones? Abba bar Cahana said, the most empty one, that is the dancer. She told him, today the honor of my father’s house became obvious. One said about the family of Saul that one never saw a heel or a thumb of them. That is what is written: He came to the sheep fences along the road and there was a cave. Rebbi Abun in the name of Rebbi Eleazar: That was a fence inside a fence. Saul came to spread his feet. He saw him how he lifted a little and covered a little. [David] said, how could one touch such a righteous body. That is what he told him, behold, what your eyes saw today which today gave me in your hand in the cave and I could have killed you, etc. Is it not written “I had mercy on you” but it had mercy on you, your modesty had mercy on you. David told Michal, before the Eternal Who chose me over your father, etc. And I was still humbler than this and I was lowly in my eyes, and with the servant girls you mentioned, with them I shall be honored, for they are not servant girls but mothers. How was she punished? Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no child until the day of her death. But is it not written: The sixth Yitre`am, of his wife Calf. She mooed like a calf and died.