Text size
Excerpt
Rabbi Isaac said: The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Adam the faces of the men of all the generations that would succeed one another in the world; He also showed him the faces of all the sages of the future, as well as of all the kings of the future who would reign over Israel. When He came to David, king of Israel, He foretold to him, showing him his face, that he would be born and die within a short space of time; for such was David’s destiny. Adam then said to the Holy One, blessed be He: I wish to grant David a span of seventy years from the length of my life. The Holy One, blessed be He, took seventy years from Adam’s life, which was to have been a thousand years, and granted them to David. Therefore David praised the Lord, saying: “... For Thou hast filled me with joy, O Lord, through Thy works; and I shall rejoice in beholding the works of Thy hands.” David said to God: Who was it that filled me with joy by granting me life upon the earth? And he answered himself: It is Thy works, which means: it is Adam, the first man, who is the work of the Holy One, blessed be He, and not of a man of flesh and blood.
Source Zohar I, Section Bereschith, fol. 54b · 📖 Read the full passage
✨ To meditate on today
According to the Zohar, the great book of Jewish mysticism, God showed Adam all the generations to come; seeing that David was to live only a few moments, Adam offered him seventy years of his own life, and David thanked God for this joy of being alive, born of the work of His hands. Today, think of someone whose generosity made your life possible or more beautiful — a parent, a friend, a teacher —, thank them, and in turn give a little of your time to someone.
Receive a lesson of this teaching every day by email or Telegram
Subscribe for free →