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Way back in 1998, on MBD's "English Collection," he published a song titled "Daddy Dear" depicting a dialogue between a son and his father regarding a cup Hashem supposedly has in Shamayim into which He cries when the Bnei Yisrael are hurt. When the cup is full, we will be redeemed. The song ends with a plea from the father-son duo that the cup should finally be filled and our tzaros completed.

Is there a Midrash or Gemara behind this song? Is there any basis to it other than a mashal the songwriter came up with to explain why we haven't been redeemed yet - that our metaphorical cup of tzaros hasn't runneth over?

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    At least we know the source for the tune and the opening words. Google Cab Calloway and 'Little child'.
    – user6591
    Commented Aug 18, 2016 at 19:20
  • The tune goes back even further. According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, he got it from an old French song. (Well, I suppose Wikipedia isn't all-knowing; after all, if it was, StackExchange wouldn't exist.)
    – DonielF
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 4:24

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I’ve found a source at least for the part that Hashem has a cup which He fills with our tears. Tehillim 56:9 reads, in part:

אָ֥תָּה שִׂ֣ימָה דִמְעָתִ֣י בְנֹאדֶ֑ךָ

You place my tears in Your flask

Rashi:

שימה דמעתי בנאדך. שים דמעתי בנאד שלך ותהא שמורה לפניך:

Place my tears in Your flask, that they should be guarded before You.

I still have yet to find a source that our redemption is tied to this cup, but that’s a pretty clear source that such a cup exists.

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  • In Selichos of Neila we say יְהִי רָצוֹן לְפָנֶֽיךָ שׁוֹמֵעַ קוֹל בִּכְיוֹת. שֶׁתָּשִׂים דִּמְעוֹתֵֽינוּ בְּנֹאדְךָ לִהְיוֹת. וְתַצִּילֵֽנוּ מִכָּל גְּזֵרוֹת אַכְזָרִיּוֹת. כִּי לְךָ לְבַד עֵינֵֽינוּ תְלוּיוֹת., referencing this pasuk. Here it does seem to be tied to some sort of redemption.
    – YSR
    Commented Oct 12, 2023 at 5:44
  • And also note that in this selicha Hashem places the tears of Klal Yisrael in the flask, not just David's
    – YSR
    Commented Oct 18, 2023 at 16:43

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