The death of David did not mean the end of his glory and grandeur. It
merely caused a change of scene. In the heavenly realm as on earth
David ranks among the first. The crown upon his head outshines all
others, and whenever he moves out of Paradise to present himself before
God, suns, stars, angels, seraphim, and other holy beings run to meet
him. In the heavenly court-room a throne of fire of gigantic dimensions
is erected for him directly opposite to the throne of God. Seated on
this throne and surrounded by the kings of the house of David and other
Israelitish kings, he intones wondrously beautiful psalms. At the end
he always cites the verse: "The Lord reigns forever and ever," to which
the archangel Metatron and those with him reply: "Holy, holy, holy, is
the Lord of hosts!" This is the signal for the holy Hayyot and heaven
and earth to join in with praise. Finally the kings of the house of
David sing the verse: "And the Lord shall be king over all; in that day
shall the Lord be one, and His name one." (128)
The greatest distinction to be accorded David is reserved for the
judgment day, when God will prepare a great banquet in Paradise for all
the righteous. At David's petition, God Himself will be present at the
banquet, and will sit on His throne, opposite to which David's throne
will be placed. At the end of the banquet, God will pass the wine cup
over which grace is said, to Abraham, with the words: "Pronounce the
blessing over the wine, thou who art the father of the pious of the
world." Abraham will reply: "I am not worthy to pronounce the blessing,
for I am the father also of the Ishmaelites, who kindle God's wrath."
God will then turn to Isaac: "Say the blessing, for thou wert bound
upon the altar as a sacrifice." "I am not worthy," he will reply, "for
the children of my son Esau destroyed the Temple." Then to Jacob: "Do
thou speak the blessing, thou whose children were blameless." Jacob
also will decline the honor on the ground that he was married to two
sisters at the same time, which later was strictly prohibited by the
Torah. God will then turn to Moses: "Say the blessing, for thou didst
receive the law and didst fulfil its precepts." Moses will answer: "I
am not worthy to do it, seeing that I was not found worthy to enter the
Holy Land." God will next offer the honor to Joshua, who both led
Israel into the Holy Land, and fulfilled the commandments of the law.
He, too, will refuse to pronounce the blessing, because he was not
found worthy to bring forth a son. Finally God will turn to David with
the words: "Take the cup and say the blessing, thou the sweetest singer
in Israel and Israel's king. And David will reply: 'Yes, I will
pronounce the blessing, for I am worthy of the honor.'" (129) Then God
will take the Torah and read various passages from it, and David will
recite a psalm in which both the pious in Paradise and the wicked in
hell will join with a loud Amen. Thereupon God will send his angels to
lead the wicked from hell to Paradise. (130)