Commentary for Berakhot 14:13
אמר ר' שמעון בן אבישלום משל למה הדבר דומה לאדם שיצא עליו שטר חוב קודם שפרעו היה עצב לאחר שפרעו שמח
R. Simeon b. Abishalom said : A parable : To what is it like ? To a man to whom it is said, "To-morrow a bill of debt will be issued against thee." Before he sees it, he worries; but having seen it, he rejoices. So was it likewise with David. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house" (II Sam. xii. 11), he grieved; for he said,
Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
The claim is not as heavy as he anticipated. I have adopted the reading of M. which is preferable to that of edd., viz. : "To a man against whom a bill for debt has been issued. Before he has settled it, he worries; but having settled it, he rejoices." The point of the comparison is the anxiety caused by uncertainty.
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