Psalm, a song of the sons of Korah. Its foundation is on the holy mountains, the Lord loves the gates of Zion. The Almighty said, "I love the gates that are prominent in the law, of all synagogues and houses of study." Another interpretation of the verse, "A turbulent city is one without comfort" (Isaiah 54:11), Rabbi Isaac said, "Turbulence refers to actions and being unsettled."
Just as it is said, "There was a great storm on the sea and there was no comfort" (Jonah 1:4), so too, the Almighty said to Israel, "In this world, I chastise you" (Isaiah 54:11). "I will lay your foundation with sapphires and make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of crystal and your walls of precious stones" (Isaiah 54:11-12). "I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of gems, and all your walls of precious stones" (Isaiah 54:12).
There was a man who took a sapphire stone to test it. He put it on a sandstone and struck it with a hammer, and the sandstone broke, but the sapphire did not. "I will make your suns like shards of glass" (Isaiah 54:12). Rabbi Berachiah said in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, "Michael and Gabriel disagreed about this.
Some say they will be made of sapphire and some say they will be beautiful." The Almighty said to Isaiah, "Both will be made, and I will make your suns like shards of glass, and your gates like the stones of a gun." Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel, "The great gate of Jerusalem has two mezuzot and two carvings of one stone." Rabbi Yochanan said, "Your gates will be made of large, good stones, ten by twenty cubits, and will be placed at the gates of Jerusalem."
One of his disciples scoffed at this and said, "We don't remember a simple tradition, how can we remember something so complex?" Later, his ship sailed out to sea and he saw the ministering angels chiseling large and good stones, ten by twenty cubits. He asked them, "For whom are you doing this?" They answered, "These will be placed at the gates of Jerusalem."
When he returned and saw the fulfillment of the prophecy, he said, "Blessed are those who believe." Rika said to him, "If you had not seen it, you would not have believed it. You scoffed at the words of the sages, but when you set your eyes on it, a pile of bones was made." Rabbi Pinchas HaKohen Bar Chama related a story about a certain pious man who was traveling and was amazed at the following thought: "Is it possible that a gate with two mezuzahs and a stone threshold could rise ten cubits high?"
He then saw a single stone rising from the sea to a height of twenty cubits. Be careful not to use your gates as gunstones, and let all your borders be made of precious stones. Rabbi Benjamin Bar Levi said, "In this world, people are busy digging their fields, but in the future, all your borders will be made of precious and good stones." Rabbi Yudan said, "In the future, if a person owes his friend two or three gold coins, he will say to him, 'Let us go to the King Messiah.'
And they will go to him, and he will say to him, 'What do I owe you two or three gold coins for?' Take it from here that gold and silver before the King Messiah are like dust, as it is said, 'The Lord is your boundary and your peace.'" The sons of Korach asked him, "When will you do this?" He replied, "I will tell you that we will sing and praise."
Woe to the sons of Korach who sing a psalm whose foundation is in the holy mountains. The foundation of the world is in the merit of the two mountains of holiness, Mount Sinai and Mount Moriah. Rabbi Pinchas said in the name of Rabbi Reuben, "God will bring to Sinai, Tabor, and Carmel and give Jerusalem precedence over them, as it is said, 'The mount of the Lord's house shall be established at the top of the mountains.'"
Rabbi Chanina said, "Not only that, but it will be a time of singing, and they will respond to him with songs and praises, as it is said, 'And he will lift up from the hills.'" The word "lift up" only means singing, as it is said, "And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for the singing."