א׳
שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּֽעֲל֗וֹת לִשְׁלֹ֫מֹ֥ה אִם־יְהוָ֤ה ׀ לֹא־יִבְנֶ֬ה בַ֗יִת שָׁ֤וְא ׀ עָמְל֣וּ בוֹנָ֣יו בּ֑וֹ אִם־יְהוָ֥ה לֹֽא־יִשְׁמָר־עִ֝֗יר שָׁ֤וְא ׀ שָׁקַ֬ד שׁוֹמֵֽר׃
1
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain on it;
unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman keeps vigil in vain.
1
A Song of Ascents; of Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, They labour in vain that build it; Except the LORD keep the city, The watchman waketh but in vain.
שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת לִשְׁלֹמֹה. שִׁיר זֶה אָמַר דָּוִד עַל שְׁלֹמֹה בְּנוֹ שֶׁצָּפָה בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ שֶׁעָתִיד לִבְנוֹת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וּבוֹ בַיּוֹם יִשָּׂא שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת בַּת פַּרְעֹה, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (ירמיהו לב:לא) ״כִּי עַל אַפִּי וְעַל חֲמָתִי הָיְתָה לִּי הָעִיר הַזֹּאת לְמִן הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ אוֹתָהּ״. לְכָךְ אָמַר הַמִּזְמוֹר הַזֶּה: לָמָּה לְךָ בְּנִי לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת וְלָסוּר מֵאַחֲרֵי הַמָּקוֹם מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵינוֹ חָפֵץ בָּהּ, לַשָּׁוְא עָמְלוּ בוֹנָיו בּוֹ:
A song of ascents about Solomon This song David recited about his son, Solomon, for he saw through the holy spirit that he [Solomon] was destined to build the Temple, and on that very day, Solomon would marry Pharaoh’s daughter, and concerning this was said (Jer. 32:31): “For this city has aroused My anger and My wrath since the day they built it.” Therefore, he recited this song. My son, why should you build a house and turn away from following the Omnipresent? Since He does not desire it, its workers have toiled at it in vain.
שָׁוְא שָׁקַד שׁוֹמֵר. עַל חִנָּם צוֹפֶה בָּהּ הַשּׁוֹמֵר:
[its] watcher keeps his vigil in vain The watchman watches it in vain.
ב׳
שָׁ֤וְא לָכֶ֨ם ׀ מַשְׁכִּ֪ימֵי ק֡וּם מְאַֽחֲרֵי־שֶׁ֗בֶת אֹ֭כְלֵי לֶ֣חֶם הָעֲצָבִ֑ים כֵּ֤ן יִתֵּ֖ן לִֽידִיד֣וֹ שֵׁנָֽא׃
2
In vain do you rise early
and stay up late,
you who toil for the bread you eat;
He provides as much for His loved ones while they sleep.
2
It is vain for you that ye rise early, and sit up late, Ye that eat the bread of toil; So He giveth unto His beloved in sleep.
שָׁוְא לָכֶם. בַּעֲלֵי הָאוּמָּנִיּוֹת הַמַּשְׁכִּימִים וּמְאַחֲרִים לִמְלַאכְתָּם וּמִתְפַּרְנְסִים בְּעִצָּבוֹן וּבִיגִיעָה בְּלֶחֶם הָעֲצָבִים שֶׁל טֹרַח:
It is futile for you The craftsmen, who rise early and stay late at their work and sustain themselves with toil and labor, with bread of toil, [i.e.,] of the toil of work.
כֵּן יִתֵּן. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא פַּרְנָסָה לְמִי שֶׁמְּנַדֵּד שֵׁנָה מֵעֵינָיו בִּשְׁבִיל לַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה:
so will the Lord give The Holy One, blessed be He, [will give] sustenance to him who banishes his sleep from his eyes in order to engage in the Torah.
לִידִידוֹ שֵׁנָא. לִמְנַדֵּד מֵעֵינָיו שֵׁינָה (כתובות סב.):
to one who banishes sleep Heb. לידידו שנא. to one who banishes (מנדד) sleep from his eyes.
ג׳
הִנֵּ֤ה נַחֲלַ֣ת יְהוָ֣ה בָּנִ֑ים שָׂ֝כָ֗ר פְּרִ֣י הַבָּֽטֶן׃
3
Sons are the provision of the LORD;
the fruit of the womb, His reward.
3
Lo, children are a heritage of the LORD; The fruit of the womb is a reward.
הִנֵּה נַחֲלַת ה׳. לְאוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ:
Behold, the heritage of the Lord for that man [who banishes sleep from his eyes].
בָּנִים. אֵלּוּ הַתַּלְמִידִים שֶׁהוּא מַעֲמִיד, שֶׁהֵם לוֹ כְּבָנִים (ספרי דברים לד):
sons These are the disciples whom he sets up, who are to him like sons.
שָׂכָר פְּרִי הַבָּטֶן. שְׂכַר פְּרִי הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁבַּלֵּב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כִּי נָעִים כִּי תִשְׁמְרֵם בְּבִטְנֶךָ״ (משלי כב:יח):
the reward is the fruit of the innards The reward is the fruit of the Torah that is in his heart as it is said (Prov. 22:18): “For it is pleasant that you guard them in your innards.”
ד׳
כְּחִצִּ֥ים בְּיַד־גִּבּ֑וֹר כֵּ֝֗ן בְּנֵ֣י הַנְּעוּרִֽים׃
4
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are sons born to a man in his youth.
4
As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, So are the children of one's youth.
כְּחִצִּים בְּיַד גִּבּוֹר. לְהִלָּחֵם בָּם אֶת אוֹיְבָיו:
Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man with which to battle his enemies.
כֵּן בְּנֵי הַנְּעוּרִים. הַתַּלְמִידִים שֶׁאָדָם מַעֲמִיד מִנְּעוּרָיו:
so are the sons of one’s youth The disciples that a man sets up in his youth.
ה׳
אַשְׁרֵ֤י הַגֶּ֗בֶר אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִלֵּ֥א אֶת־אַשְׁפָּת֗וֹ מֵ֫הֶ֥ם לֹֽא־יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ כִּֽי־יְדַבְּר֖וּ אֶת־אוֹיְבִ֣ים בַּשָּֽׁעַר׃
5
Happy is the man who fills his quiver with them;
they shall not be put to shame
when they contend with the enemy in the gate.
5
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; They shall not be put to shame, When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר מִלֵּא אֶת אַשְׁפָּתוֹ. מֵאוֹתָם חִצִּים, אַשְׁפָּה תִּיק הַחִצִּים שֶׁקּוֹרִין קויכרי״ן בְּלַעַ״ז:
Praiseworthy is the man who has filled his quiver with those arrows. אשפה is the arrowcase, called cuyvre in Old French.
לֹא יֵבֹשׁוּ כִּי יְדַבְּרוּ אֶת אוֹיְבִים בַּשָּׁעַר. תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, שֶׁמְּנַצְּחִין זֶה אֶת זֶה בַּהֲלָכָה וְנִרְאִים כְּאוֹיְבִים זֶה לָזֶה (קדושין ל.) (תוספות):
they will not be ashamed when they talk to the enemies in the gate Torah scholars who defeat one another in halachah and appear as enemies to one another (addendum).