דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: וַיִּגְבַּהּ ה' צְבָאוֹת בַּמִּשְׁפָּט וְגוֹ' (ישעיה ה, טז). אֵימָתַי נַעֲשֶׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא גָּבוֹהַּ בְּעוֹלָמוֹ. כְּשֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט בָּאֻמּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: נִצָּב לָרִיב ה' וְעוֹמֵד לָדִין עַמִּים (שם ג, יג). וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, חֲזֵה הֲוִית עַד דֵּי כָרְסָוָן רְמִיו (דניאל ז, ט). מַהוּ כָרְסָוָן, וְכִי כִּסְּאוֹת הַרְבֵּה הֵן. וְהָא כְּתִיב: וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת ה' יוֹשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא רָם וְנִשָּׂא (ישעיה ו, א). וּכְתִיב: מֶלֶךְ יוֹשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא דִּין (משלי כ, ח). וּמַהוּ כָרְסָוָן. רַבִּי יוֹסִי הַגְּלִילִי וְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא. חַד אָמַר, כָרְסָוָן, זֶה הַכִּסֵּא וַאֲפוֹפְרִין שֶׁלּוֹ. וְחַד אָמַר, אֵלּוּ כִּסְּאוֹת אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁעָתִיד לְהָפְכָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהָפַכְתִּי כִּסֵּא מַמְלָכוֹת (חגי ב, כב). תֵּדַע, שֶׁכֵּן הוּא אָמַר, כָרְסָוָן רְמִיו, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: סוּס וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם (שמות טו, א). וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי מַהוּ כָרְסָוָן. לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יוֹשֵׁב, וְהַמַּלְאָכִים נוֹתְנִין כִּסְּאוֹת לִגְדוֹלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהֵן יוֹשְׁבִין. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יוֹשֵׁב עִם הַזְּקֵנִים כְּאַב בֵּית דִּין וְדָנִין לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ה' בְּמִשְׁפָּט יָבֹא עִם זִקְנֵי עַמּוֹ (ישעיה ג, יד). עַל זִקְנֵי עַמּוֹ אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר כָּאן, אֶלָּא עִם זִקְנֵי עַמּוֹ וְשָׂרָיו. מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יוֹשֵׁב עִם הַזְּקֵנִים וְשָׂרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְדָן לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם. וּמִי הֵן. אֵלּוּ כִּסְּאוֹת בֵּית דָּוִד וְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי שָׁמָּה יָשְׁבוּ כִסְּאוֹת לְמִשְׁפָּט, כִּסְּאוֹת לְבֵית דָּוִד (תהלים קכב, ה). אָמַר רַבִּי פִּנְחָס בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חִלְקִיָּה הַדְּרוֹמָה, אִם אַתָּה אוֹמֵר, כִּי שָׁמָּה יָשְׁבוּ כִסְּאוֹת לְמִשְׁפָּט כִּסְּאוֹת לְבֵית דָּוִד, מַהוּ וְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין יְתִב (דניאל ז, ט). אֶלָּא שֶׁהוּא יוֹשֵׁב בֵּינֵיהֶם כְּאַב בֵּית דִּין וְדָן עִמָּהֶם אֶת הָאֻמּוֹת. לְכָךְ כְּתִיב: עַד דֵּי כָרְסָוָן רְמִיו. וּמַהוּ וּשְׂעַר רֵאשֵׁהּ כַּעֲמַר נְקֵא (שם). שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְנַקֶּה אֶת עַצְמוֹ מֵעוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וּפוֹרֵעַ לָהֶם שְׂכַר מִצְוֹת קַלּוֹת שֶׁעָשׂוּ, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, כְּדֵי לָדוּן אוֹתָן וּלְחַיְּבָם לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא לָהֶן פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה וְלֹא יִמָּצֵא לָהֶן זְכוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּמַה יַּעֲנֶה מַלְאֲכֵי גוֹי, כִּי ה' יִסַּד צִיּוֹן, וּבָהּ יֶחֱסוּ עֲנִיֵּי עַמּוֹ (ישעיה יד, לב). וּמִיָּד עוֹשֶׂה בָּהֶן אֶת הַדִּין. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נַעֲשֶׂה גָּבוֹהַּ בְּעוֹלָמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּגְבַּהּ ה' צְבָאוֹת בַּמִּשְׁפָּט (שם ה, טז). מַהוּ וְהָאֵל הַקָּדוֹשׁ נִקְדַּשׁ בִּצְדָקָה. שֶׁהוּא מִתְקַדֵּשׁ בְּעוֹלָמוֹ, בִּצְדָקָה, שֶׁהוּא מְלַמֵּד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל סַנֵּיגוֹרְיָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר בִּצְדָקָה רַב לְהוֹשִׁיעַ (ישעיה סג, א). אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, לֶעָתִיד אֲנִי מִתְקַדֵּשׁ בָּכֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי בִרְאוֹתוֹ יְלָדָיו מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי בְּקִרְבּוֹ יַקְדִּישׁוּ שְׁמִי (שם כט, כג). וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר (שם מט, ג). וְאַתֶּם מִתְקַדְּשִׁים בִּי וַאֲנִי מִתְקַדֵּשׁ בָּכֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים (ויקרא יא, מד). (Lev. 19:2:) “Speak unto the [whole congregation] of the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘You shall be holy.’” This text is related (to Is. 5:16), “The Lord of hosts has been exalted through justice, and the holy God has been sanctified through holiness.” When did the Holy One, blessed be He, become exalted in His world? When he brought about judgment and justice among the peoples of the world. It is so stated (in Is. 3:13), “The Lord stands up to plead a cause, and rises to judge peoples.” It also says (in Dan. 7:9), “I looked until thrones were set in place [or thrown down] (remiw).”1The Aramaic word can mean both WERE SET IN PLACE and WERE THROWN DOWN. The former meaning better fits the biblical context; but one of the midrashic interpretations given here requires the latter meaning. What is the meaning of “thrones” (in the plural)? Were there a lot of thrones, when [there is] that which is written (in Is. 6:1), “I saw the Lord seated upon a throne (in the singular)?” What is the meaning of “thrones?” R. Jose the Galilean and R. Aqiva differed.2Hag. 14a. One said, “Thrones denotes the throne plus its footstool; and the other said, “These are thrones that belong to the nations of the world, since the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to throw them down, as stated (in Hag. 2:22), ‘Then I will throw down the throne of kingdoms, [and destroy the kingdoms of the gentiles].’” You know [for yourself] that this is so. "Thrones were set up," is not written here (in Dan. 7:9), but “thrones were thrown down.” Thus it is written (in Exod. 15:1 or 21), “the horse and his rider he has thrown (rt.: rmh) into the sea.” Our masters say, “What is the meaning of thrones? In the age to come the Holy One, blessed be He, will sit down, and the angels will place thrones for the great ones of Israel for them to sit down, so that the Holy One, blessed be He, will be sitting with them like the president of the court (av bet din). Then they shall judge the peoples of the world, as stated (in Is. 3:14), ‘The Lord will come in judgment along with the elders of His people and their princes.’3Exod. R. 5:12. ‘Against the elders of His people’ is not written here, but ‘along with the elders [of His people].’ [Scripture] is teaching that the Holy One, blessed be He, will sit along with the elders and princes of Israel to judge the nations of the world.” And which [thrones] are they? These are the thrones of the house of David and the elders of Israel, as stated (in Ps. 122:5), “There stood the thrones of judgment, thrones of the House of David.” R. Pinhas said in the name of R. Hilqiyah the Southerner (i.e., from Judah), [who said] in the name of R. Reuben, “If you say, ‘When thrones stand there for judgment,’ [that] they are thrones of the House of David; then what is [the meaning of (Dan. 7:9), ‘and the Ancient of days (God) took His seat?’ That He sits among them like the president of the court, and with them He judges the nations. It is therefore written (ibid.), ‘until thrones were set in place.’” What is the meaning of (ibid., cont.), “and the hair of his head was like clean wool?” When the Holy One, blessed be He, cleanses Himself from the worshippers of idolatry; He gives them compensation for the easy commandments which they have observed in this world. [He does so] in order to judge them and convict them in the world to come, so that they will have no excuse and have no merit found for them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 14:32), “And what will he answer the angels of4Mal’akhe. In the biblical context, the word should be rendered as “messengers of,” but the midrash interprets the passage eschatologically. a [given] nation? That the Lord has established Zion, and in it there shall the afflicted of His people take refuge.” Then He immediately renders the judgment against them. At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, becomes exalted in his world, as stated (in Is. 5:16), “The Lord of hosts is exalted in judgment.” What is the meaning of (ibid.), “and the holy God is sanctified in justice (tsedekah, which also means charity)?” That He is sanctified in His world in justice, because He advocates for the defense concerning Israel, as stated (in Is. 63:1), “it is I who speaks in justice (tsedekah), mighty to save.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “In the future, I will be sanctified in you, as stated (in Is. 29:23), ‘For when [Jacob] sees his children in his midst, the work of My hands, they shall sanctify My name.’” And so it says (in Is. 49:3), “Israel in whom I will be glorified.” So you are sanctified in Me, and I am sanctified in you, as stated (in Lev. 11:44; cf. 19:2), “so you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy.”