א׳
לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ לְדָ֫וִ֥ד בַּֽיהוָ֨ה ׀ חָסִ֗יתִי אֵ֭יךְ תֹּאמְר֣וּ לְנַפְשִׁ֑י נודו [נ֝֗וּדִי] הַרְכֶ֥ם צִפּֽוֹר׃
1
For the leader. Of David.
In the LORD I take refuge;
how can you say to me,
“Take to the hills like a bird!
1
For the Leader. [A Psalm] of David. In the LORD have I taken refuge; how say ye to my soul: 'Flee thou! to your mountain, ye birds'?
אֵיךְ תֹּאמְרוּ לְנַפְשִׁי נוּדִי וְגוֹ׳. זֶהוּ דֻּגְמַת ״כִּי גֵרְשׁוּנִי הַיּוֹם מֵהִסְתַּפֵּחַ בְּנַחֲלַת ה׳״ (שמואל א כו:יט), שֶׁגֵּרְשׁוּהוּ מֵאֶרֶץ לְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ. וְכָאן הוּא אוֹמֵר: בַּה׳ חָסִיתִי, שֶׁיַּחֲזִירֵנִי לְהִסְתַּפֵּחַ בְּנַחֲלָתִי. אֵיךְ תֹּאמְרוּ אַתֶּם טוֹרְדִים לְנַפְשִׁי נוּדִי הַרְכֶם עֲבוֹר הַר שֶׁלָּכֶם אַתָּה צִפּוֹר הַנּוֹדֵד, שֶׁכָּל אָדָם הַמִּטַּלְטֵל נִמְשָׁל לְצִפּוֹר הַנּוֹדֶדֶת מִן קִנָּהּ, כְּדִכְתִיב ״כְּצִפּוֹר נוֹדֶדֶת מִן קִנָּהּ כֵּן אִישׁ נוֹדֵד מִמְּקוֹמוֹ״ (משלי כז:ח), שֶׁנָּדַד קִנֶּךָ שֶׁטְּרַדְנוּךָ מִכָּל הָהָר כְּצִפּוֹר הַנּוֹדֶדֶת. נוּדוּ כְּתִיב, שֶׁהוּא נִדְרָשׁ אַף בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהָאֻמּוֹת אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם כֵּן:
How do you say to my soul, “Wander from your mountain, etc. This is on the order of (I Sam. 26: 19): “for they have driven me today from cleaving to the Lord’s heritage,” for they drove him out of the [Holy] Land to outside the [Holy] Land, and here he says, “I took refuge in the Lord [hoping] that He would restore me to cleave to His heritage. How do You, who drive away my soul, say to me,...“Wander from your mountain”? Pass over your mountain, you wandering bird. For every wandering person is compared to a bird that wanders from its nest, as it is written (in Prov. 27:8): “As a bird wandering from its nest, so is a man wandering from his place.” For your nest has wandered, because we have driven you from the entire mountain like a wandering bird. The masoretic spelling is נודו [plural] because it is also expounded on in reference to Israel, that the nations say that to them.
ב׳
כִּ֤י הִנֵּ֪ה הָרְשָׁעִ֡ים יִדְרְכ֬וּן קֶ֗שֶׁת כּוֹנְנ֣וּ חִצָּ֣ם עַל־יֶ֑תֶר לִיר֥וֹת בְּמוֹ־אֹ֝֗פֶל לְיִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃
2
For see, the wicked bend the bow,
they set their arrow on the string
to shoot from the shadows at the upright.
2
For, lo, the wicked bend the bow, they have made ready their arrow upon the string, that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
כִּי הִנֵּה הָרְשָׁעִים. דּוֹאֵג וְדִילָטוֹרֵי הַדּוֹר, הַמְּטִילִין אֵיבָה בֵּינִי וּבֵין שָׁאוּל (דברים רבה ה:י):
For behold the wicked Doeg and the informers of the generation who cause hatred between me and Saul.
יִדְרְכוּן. לְשׁוֹן דְּרִיכָה נוֹפֵל בְּקֶשֶׁת, שֶׁכְּשֶׁהוּא חָזָק, צָרִיךְ לִיתֵּן רַגְלוֹ עָלָיו כְּשֶׁרוֹצֶה לִנְטוֹתוֹ:
tread The expression of treading is appropriate for the bow, because if it is stout, he must place his foot on it when he wishes to bend it.
קֶשֶׁת. לְשׁוֹנָם יִדְרְכוּ קַשְׁתָּם שֶׁקֶר (ירמיהו ט:ב):
the bow They have directed their tongue treacherously [as] their bows (Jer. 9:2).
כּוֹנְנוּ חִצָּם עַל יֶתֶר. הַקֶּשֶׁת קוֹרְדָ״א דְּאַרְ״ק בְּלַעַ״ז:
they set their arrow on the bowstring lit. the cord [the string], of the bow, corde d’arche in French, a bowstring.
לִירוֹת. אַהֲגִיטֵ״ר בְּלַעַ״ז:
in the dark In secret.
בְּמוֹ אֹפֶל. בַּמִּסְתָּר:
at the upright of heart David and the priests of Nob.
לְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב. דָּוִד וְכֹהֲנֵי נוֹב (שמואל ב כב):
to shoot ajeter in French.
ג׳
כִּ֣י הַ֭שָּׁתוֹת יֵֽהָרֵס֑וּן צַ֝דִּ֗יק מַה־פָּעָֽל׃
3
When the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous man do?”
3
When the foundations are destroyed, what hath the righteous wrought?
כִּי הַשָּׁתוֹת יֵהָרֵסוּן. עַל יֶדְכֶם נֶהֶרְגוּ כֹּהֲנֵי ה׳ הַצַּדִּיקִים, שֶׁהֵם שָׁתוֹת שֶׁל עוֹלָם:
For the foundations were destroyed Because of you the righteous priests of the Lord, who are the foundation of the world, were slain.
צַדִּיק מַה פָּעָל. דָּוִד, שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא, מַה פָּעַל בְּכָל זֹאת? אַתֶּם תִּשְׂאוּ עָוֹן, וְלֹא אֲנִי:
what did the righteous man do David, who did not sin, what did he do in this entire matter? [He said to Doeg,] You shall bear the iniquity, not I.
ד׳
יְהוָ֤ה ׀ בְּֽהֵ֘יכַ֤ל קָדְשׁ֗וֹ יְהוָה֮ בַּשָּׁמַ֪יִם כִּ֫סְא֥וֹ עֵינָ֥יו יֶחֱז֑וּ עַפְעַפָּ֥יו יִ֝בְחֲנ֗וּ בְּנֵ֣י אָדָֽם׃
4
The LORD is in His holy palace;
the LORD—His throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His gaze searches mankind.
4
The LORD is in His holy temple, the LORD, His throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men.
ה׳ בְּהֵיכַל קָדְשׁוֹ. הָרוֹאֶה וּבוֹחֵן מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם כִּסְאוֹ גָּבוֹהַּ, עֵינָיו יֶחֱזוּ אֶתְכֶם בָּאָרֶץ:
The Lord is in His Holy Temple Who sees and tests their deeds, and although His throne is in Heaven and is lofty, His eyes see you on the earth.
ה׳
יְהוָה֮ צַדִּ֪יק יִ֫בְחָ֥ן וְ֭רָשָׁע וְאֹהֵ֣ב חָמָ֑ס שָֽׂנְאָ֥ה נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃
5
The LORD seeks out the righteous man,
but loathes the wicked one who loves injustice.
5
The LORD trieth the righteous; but the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth.
ה׳ צַדִּיק יִבְחָן. וְאִם מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֲנִי לוֹקֶה וְנִרְדָּף עַל יֶדְכֶם אַתֶּם מִתְהַלְּלִים לֵאמֹר ״אֱלֹהִים עֲזָבוֹ״ (תהלים עא:יא), לֹא כֵּן הוּא. אַךְ כֵּן מִדָּתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיַסֵּר וּלְנַסּוֹת הַצַּדִּיקִים וְלֹא אֶת הָרְשָׁעִים. הַפִּשְׁתָּנִי הַזֶּה כָּל זְמַן שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ שֶׁפִּשְׁתָּנוֹ יָפָה הוּא מַקִּישׁ עָלֶיהָ, וּכְשֶׁאֵינוֹ יָפָה הוּא מְמַעֵט בִּכְתִישָׁה לְפִי שֶׁמִּתְנַתֶּקֶת (בראשית רבה לב:ג):
The Lord tries the righteous And if, because I suffer and am pursued by you, you boast, saying (below 71:11), “God has forsaken him,” it is not so, but so is the custom of the Holy One, blessed be He, to chasten and to test the righteous but not the wicked. This flax worker as long as he knows that his flax is of high quality, he beats it, but when it is not of high quality, he crushes it only a little because it breaks.
שָׂנְאָה נַפְשׁוֹ. וּמַצְנִיעַ לוֹ אֶת גְּמוּל עֲווֹנוֹתָיו לְעוֹלָם אָרוֹךְ, וְאָז יַמְטֵר עֲלֵיהֶם בַּגֵּיהִנֹּם:
His soul hates He lays away the recompense for his iniquities for the “long world,” and then He showers [punishment] upon them [sic] in Gehinnom.
ו׳
יַמְטֵ֥ר עַל־רְשָׁעִ֗ים פַּ֫חִ֥ים אֵ֣שׁ וְ֭גָפְרִית וְר֥וּחַ זִלְעָפ֗וֹת מְנָ֣ת כּוֹסָֽם׃
6
He will rain down upon the wicked blazing coals and sulfur;
a scorching wind shall be their lot.
6
Upon the wicked He will cause to rain coals; fire and brimstone and burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.
פַּחִים. לְשׁוֹן פֶּחָמִים:
charcoal Heb. פחים, an expression of charcoal (פחם).
זִלְעָפוֹת. לְשׁוֹן שְׂרֵפָה. וּמְנַחֵם פָּתַר אוֹתוֹ לְשׁוֹן ״שַׁעַר קָטֶב״ (ישעיה כח:ב), וְכֵן ״מִפְּנֵי זַלְעֲפוֹת רָעָב״ (איכה ה:י), ״זִלְעָפָה אֲחָזַתְנִי״ (תהלים קיט:נג), כְּלוֹמַר שָׂעֲרוּ שַׂעַר (יחזקאל כז:לה) (ס״א אינו):
burning Heb. זלעפות, an expression of burning. Menachem (p. 79) interprets it as an expression of (Isa. 28:2) “a storm of destruction (שער קטב).” Likewise, (in Lam. 5:10), “because of the heat of (זלעפות) hunger”; (below 119:53), “burning (זלעפה) seized me.” That is to say, (as in Ezek. 27:35), “became greatly alarmed (שערו שער).” (The quotation from Menachem appears only in several early printed editions, and not in any manuscript.)
ז׳
כִּֽי־צַדִּ֣יק יְ֭הוָה צְדָק֣וֹת אָהֵ֑ב יָ֝שָׁ֗ר יֶחֱז֥וּ פָנֵֽימוֹ׃
7
For the LORD is righteous;
He loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold His face.
7
For the LORD is righteous, He loveth righteousness; the upright shall behold His face.
כִּי צַדִּיק ה׳ צְדָקוֹת אָהֵב. וִירַחֵם עַל הַצַּדִּיק, וְאוֹהֵב אוֹתָם שֶׁפָּנִימוֹ יֶחֱזוּ יָשָׁר:
For the Lord is righteous; He loves [workers of] righteousness and has mercy on the righteous and loves those whose faces see the straight [way], in whose sight the straight way is proper.
יָשָׁר יֶחֱזוּ פָנֵימוֹ. מוּסָב עַל צַדִּיק ה׳, צְדָקוֹת אָהֵב וְאוֹתָם אֲשֶׁר יָשָׁר יֶחֱזוּ פָנֵימוֹ. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ (סנהדרין כו,א-ב) פָּתְרוּ הָרְשָׁעִים יִדְרְכוּן קֶשֶׁת עַל שֶׁבְנָא וְסִיעָתוֹ, וּפָתְרוּ לְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב עַל חִזְקִיָּהוּ וְסִיעָתוֹ:
whose faces approve of the straight This refers to “The Lord is righteous; He loves [workers of] righteousness and those whose faces approve of the straight [way].” Our Sages [Mid. Ps. 11:2, Sanh. 26a, Lev. Rabbah 5:5] interpreted “the wicked tread the bow” as referring to Shebna and his company, and they interpreted “the upright of heart” as referring to Hezekiah and his company.
כִּי הַשָּׁתוֹת יֵהָרֵסוּן. אִם הַשָּׁתוֹת נֶהֶרְסוּ עַל יְדֵיהֶם, צַדִּיקוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם מַה פָּעַל? וְאֵין סֵדֶר הַמִּקְרָאוֹת נוֹפֵל עַל הַמִּדְרָשׁ:
For the foundations are destroyed If the foundations are destroyed by them, what did the Righteous One of the world accomplish? The sequence of verses, though, does not concur with the Midrash.