א׳
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ לידיתון [לִֽידוּת֗וּן] מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
1
For the leader; for Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1
For the Leader, for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
לִידוּתוּן. שֵׁם אָדָם אֶחָד מִן הַמְשׁוֹרְרִים (דברי הימים א טז:מא-מב), וְגַם כְּלִי שִׁיר הָיָה שָׁם שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ יְדוּתוּן (תהלים סב:א). וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה: עַל הַדָּתוֹת וְעַל הַדִּינִין וְהַגְּזֵרוֹת שֶׁל צָרָה הַנִּגְזֶרֶת עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל:
to Jeduthun The name of one of the singers, and there was also a musical instrument called Jeduthun. According to the Midrash Aggadah (Song Rabbah 4:1 [4]): concerning the edicts (דתות) and concerning the distressing laws and decrees that are decreed upon Israel.
ב׳
אָמַ֗רְתִּי אֶֽשְׁמְרָ֣ה דְרָכַי֮ מֵחֲט֪וֹא בִלְשׁ֫וֹנִ֥י אֶשְׁמְרָ֥ה לְפִ֥י מַחְס֑וֹם בְּעֹ֖ד רָשָׁ֣ע לְנֶגְדִּֽי׃
2
I resolved I would watch my step
lest I offend by my speech;
I would keep my mouth muzzled
while the wicked man was in my presence.
2
I said: 'I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep a curb upon my mouth, while the wicked is before me.'
אָמַרְתִּי אֶשְׁמְרָה דְרָכַי וְגוֹ׳. אֲנַחְנוּ הָיָה בְלִבֵּנוּ לִשְׁמֹר אֶת עַצְמֵנוּ עַל כָּל הַצָּרוֹת הַבָּאוֹת עָלֵינוּ, שֶׁלֹּא נְהַרְהֵר וְנְדַבֵּר קָשֶׁה אַחַר מִדַּת הַדִּין, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָרְשָׁעִים לְנֶגְדֵּנוּ הַמְּצִירִים לָנוּ:
I said, “I will guard my ways, etc.” As for us—we had in mind to watch ourselves with all the troubles that come upon us, neither to criticize nor speak harshly of the Divine Attribute of Justice although the wicked who oppress us are before us.
מַחְסוֹם. כְּמוֹ ״לֹא תַחְסֹם שׁוֹר״ (דברים כה:ד), אמושלמנ״ט בְּלַעַ״ז. וְנֶאֱלַמְנוּ דוּמִיָּה יָמִים רַבִּים, וְגַם הֶחֱשֵׁינוּ מִטּוֹב אֲפִלּוּ מִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה מִפְּנֵי יִרְאָתָם, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ כְּאֵבֵנוּ נֶעְכַּר וְנִבְהַל. וּכְשֶׁשָּׁתַקְנוּ חַם לִבֵּנוּ בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ, וּבְהֶגְיוֹן לִבֵּנוּ בּוֹעֵר בָּנוּ כְּמוֹ אֵשׁ, וְהוּא גּוֹרֵם לָנוּ שֶׁאָנוּ מְדַבְּרִים בִּלְשׁוֹנֵנוּ (בְּלַחַשׁ ס״א אינו) לְפָנֶיךָ. וְזוֹ הִיא שֶׁאָנוּ מְדַבְּרִים: הוֹדִיעֵנו ה׳ קִצֵּנוּ, עַד מָתַי נִהְיֶה בַצָּרָה, וְנֵדַע מָתַי נִהְיֶה אֲנַחְנוּ חֲדֵלִים מִמֶּנָּה:
a muzzle Heb. מחסם, as (in Deut. 25:4): “You shall not muzzle (תחסם) an ox, amuzelment in Old French. And I made myself mute in silence many days. We also were silent from “good,” even from words of Torah, because of their fear of them, our pain was so intense and frightening. When we were silent, our heart was hot within us and in the thought of our heart it burns in us like fire. That causes us to speak with our tongue (in silence—not in all editions) before You, and this is what we say, “O Lord, let us know our end.” How long will we be in distress, and let us know when we will be over it.
ג׳
נֶאֱלַ֣מְתִּי ד֭וּמִיָּה הֶחֱשֵׁ֣יתִי מִטּ֑וֹב וּכְאֵבִ֥י נֶעְכָּֽר׃
3
I was dumb, silent;
I was very still
while my pain was intense.
3
I was dumb with silence; I held my peace, had no comfort; and my pain was held in check.
ד׳
חַם־לִבִּ֨י ׀ בְּקִרְבִּ֗י בַּהֲגִיגִ֥י תִבְעַר־אֵ֑שׁ דִּ֝בַּ֗רְתִּי בִּלְשֽׁוֹנִי׃
4
My mind was in a rage,
my thoughts were all aflame;
I spoke out:
4
My heart waxed hot within me; while I was musing, the fire kindled; Then spoke I with my tongue:
ה׳
הוֹדִ֘יעֵ֤נִי יְהוָ֨ה ׀ קִצִּ֗י וּמִדַּ֣ת יָמַ֣י מַה־הִ֑יא אֵ֝דְעָ֗ה מֶה־חָדֵ֥ל אָֽנִי׃
5
Tell me, O LORD, what my term is,
what is the measure of my days;
I would know how fleeting my life is.
5
'LORD, make me to know mine end, And the measure of my days, what it is; Let me know how short-lived I am.
ו׳
הִנֵּ֤ה טְפָח֨וֹת ׀ נָ֘תַ֤תָּה יָמַ֗י וְחֶלְדִּ֣י כְאַ֣יִן נֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ אַ֥ךְ כָּֽל־הֶ֥בֶל כָּל־אָ֝דָ֗ם נִצָּ֥ב סֶֽלָה׃
6
You have made my life just handbreadths long;
its span is as nothing in Your sight;
no man endures any longer than a breath. Selah.
6
Behold, Thou hast made my days as hand-breadths; and mine age is as nothing before Thee; surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity. Selah
הִנֵּה טְפָחוֹת. מְדוּדִים הֵם יְמֵי הָאָדָם כְּדָבָר הַנִּמְדָּד בִּטְפָחִים, כֵּן יְמֵי הָאָדָם קְצוּבִים. וְחֶלְדִּי. וְזִקְנָתֵנוּ כְּאַיִן נֶגְדֶּךָ, חֶלֶד, לְשׁוֹן חֲלוּדָה רדוייל בְּלַעַ״ז:
Behold...handbreadths The days of man are measured like a thing that is measured with handbreadths; so are man’s days limited. and my old age Heb. וחלדי, and our old age is as nothing before you. חלד is an expression of rust (חלודה), rodijjl in Old French; rust, old age.
כָּל אָדָם נִצָּב. כָּל אָדָם חַי, הֶבֶל הֵם חַיָּיו וּמַצָּבוֹ:
every man his life and his condition are a life of vanity.
ז׳
אַךְ־בְּצֶ֤לֶם ׀ יִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־אִ֗ישׁ אַךְ־הֶ֥בֶל יֶהֱמָי֑וּן יִ֝צְבֹּ֗ר וְֽלֹא־יֵדַ֥ע מִי־אֹסְפָֽם׃
7
Man walks about as a mere shadow;
mere futility is his hustle and bustle,
amassing and not knowing who will gather in.
7
Surely man walketh as a mere semblance; surely for vanity they are in turmoil; He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
אַךְ בְּצֶלֶם. בְּחֹשֶׁךְ, פֵּרְשׁוֹ דּוּנַשׁ לְשׁוֹן ״צַלְמָוֶת״ (ישעיה ט:א), וּמְנַחֵם פֵּרְשׁוֹ צֶלֶם מַמָּשׁ כְּמוֹ ״כִּי בְצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם״ (בראשית ט:ו), וְלֹא יִתָּכְנוּ דְּבָרָיו:
but in darkness Heb. בצלם, in darkness. Dunash explained it as an expression of darkness (צלמות) (Teshuvoth Dunash p. 89), but Menachem (p. 150) explained it as an actual image, as (in Gen. 9: 6) “for in the image of God He made man.” His view is impossible, however.
אַךְ הֶבֶל. הוּא כָּל הַהֲמִיָּה וְתַאֲוָה שֶׁלָּהֶם:
all that they stir is but vanity All their stirring and lust.
יִצְבֹּר. תְּבוּאָה בַּשָּׂדֶה כָּל יְמוֹת הַקָּצִיר:
he gathers grain in the field all the days of the harvest.
וְלֹא יֵדַע מִי אֹסְפָם. אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ מִי אֲסָפָם לַבַּיִת, שֶׁמָּא לִפְנֵי הָאָסִיף יָמוּת:
yet he knows not who will bring them in He does not know who will gather them into the house; perhaps he will die before the ingathering.
ח׳
וְעַתָּ֣ה מַה־קִּוִּ֣יתִי אֲדֹנָ֑י תּ֝וֹחַלְתִּ֗י לְךָ֣ הִֽיא׃
8
What, then, can I count on, O Lord?
In You my hope lies.
8
And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope, it is in Thee.
וְעַתָּה מַה קִּוִּיתִי. מָה הִיא הַשְּׁאֵלָה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי שׁוֹאֵל וּמְיַחֵל מִמְּךָ? אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא שֶׁמִּפְּשָׁעַי הַצִּילֵנִי:
And now, what have I hoped What is the request that I ask and hope from You? It is only that You save me from my transgressions.
ט׳
מִכָּל־פְּשָׁעַ֥י הַצִּילֵ֑נִי חֶרְפַּ֥ת נָ֝בָ֗ל אַל־תְּשִׂימֵֽנִי׃
9
Deliver me from all my transgressions;
make me not the butt of the benighted.
9
Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the reproach of the base.
חֶרְפַּת נָבָל. חֶרְפַּת הַנָּבָל אַל תְּשִׂימֵנִי, הָבֵא גַּם עָלָיו נְגָעִים וּמַכְאוֹבוֹת, שֶׁלֹּא יוּכַל לוֹמַר לִי: אַתֶּם לוֹקִים וְאָנוּ אֵין אָנוּ לוֹקִים. וְהַתְּפִלָּה הַזֹּאת גָּרְמָה לְהָבִיא יִסּוּרֵי חֳלָאִים עֲלֵיהֶם (בראשית רבה פח:א):
do not make me the reproach of the ignoble Esau. Bring afflictions and pains upon him too, so he will not be able to say to me, “You are suffering, and we are not suffering.” This prayer was instrumental in bringing about the pains of illnesses upon the nations.
י׳
נֶ֭אֱלַמְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶפְתַּח־פִּ֑י כִּ֖י אַתָּ֣ה עָשִֽׂיתָ׃
10
I am dumb, I do not speak up,
for it is Your doing.
10
I am dumb, I open not my mouth; because Thou hast done it.
כִּי אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ. שֶׁהֵבֵאתָ עָלֵינוּ צָרָה:
because You have done it For You brought upon us trouble more than all nations.
י"א
הָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י נִגְעֶ֑ךָ מִתִּגְרַ֥ת יָ֝דְךָ֗ אֲנִ֣י כָלִֽיתִי׃
11
Take away Your plague from me;
I perish from Your blows.
11
Remove Thy stroke from off me; I am consumed by the blow of Thy hand.
מִתִּגְרַת יָדְךָ. מִמּוֹרָא מַכּוֹתֶיךָ. תִּגְרַת לְשׁוֹן ״וַיָּגָר מוֹאָב״ (במדבר כב:ג), וְהַתָּי״ו יְסוֹד נוֹפֵל בַּתֵּיבָה כְּמוֹ תְּנוּבָה תְּלוּנָה תְּקוּמָה תְּחִנָּה, כֵּן פֵּירֵשׁ מְנַחֵם. וַאֲנִי אוֹמֵר שֶׁאֵין תִּגְרַת לְשׁוֹן מָגוֹר, שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר תְּגוּרָה כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר מִן וַיָּשָׁב תְּשׁוּבָה וַיָּקָם וַיָּרָם וַיָּלֶן תְּקוּמָה תְּרוּמָה תְּלוּנָה, כֵּן אָמַר וַיָּגָר תְּגוּרָה אוֹ מְגוֹרָה כְּמוֹ ״מָגוֹר מִסָּבִיב״ (ירמיהו כ:ג), ״מְגוּרָתָם אָבִיא לָהֶם״ (ישעיהו סו:ד). הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁאֵין תִּגְרַת אֶלָּא כְּמוֹ ״לָמָּה תִּתְגָּרֶה בְּרָעָה״ (דברי הימים ב כה:יט), ״אַל תִּתְגָּרוּ בָם״ (דברים ב:ה), שֶׁהַפּוֹעַל שֶׁלּוֹ גָּרָה, כְּמוֹ קִוָּה אִוָּה צִוָּה שֶׁפְּעֻלָּתָם תִּקְוָה תַּאֲוָה מִצְוָה, כֵּן יֹאמַר מִן גָּרָה תִּגְרַת. וְכֵן פֵּירוּשׁוֹ: מִמַּכַּת יָדְךָ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה מְגָרֶה עָלַי אֲנִי כָלִיתִי:
from the fear of Your hand Heb. מתגרת, from the fear of Your blows. תגרת is an expression of (Num. 22:3): “And Moab became terrified (וַיָגָר).” The “tav” is a defective radical in the word, like תנובה, produce; תלונה, complaint; תקומה, restoration; תכונה, characteristic. This is how Menachem explained it, but I maintain that תגרת is not an expression of מָגוֹר, fear, because he should have said תגוּרה as he says from: וישב (and he returned) תשוּבה, [from] ויקם, וירם and וילן: תקוּמה, תרוּמה and תלוּנה, so he should say from ויגר, תגוּלה, or מגוּרה as (above 31:14, Jer. 20:3): “terror (מגור) from all sides”; (Isa. 66:4) “and their fears (ומגורתם) I will bring.” Thus you learn that מתגרת is nothing but as (II Chron. 25:19), “Why should you provoke (תתגרה) disaster?”; (Deut. 2:5), “Do not provoke (תתגרו) them,” in which case the verb is גרה like קוה, to hope; אוה, to desire; צוה, to command, of which the noun is תקוה, תאוה, מצוה. So one says from גרה, תגרה, and this is its explanation: from the blows of Your hand, with which You fight me, I perish.
י"ב
בְּֽתוֹכָ֘ח֤וֹת עַל־עָוֺ֨ן ׀ יִסַּ֬רְתָּ אִ֗ישׁ וַתֶּ֣מֶס כָּעָ֣שׁ חֲמוּד֑וֹ אַ֤ךְ הֶ֖בֶל כָּל־אָדָ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃
12
You chastise a man in punishment for his sin,
consuming like a moth what he treasures.
No man is more than a breath. Selah.
12
With rebukes dost Thou chasten man for iniquity, and like a moth Thou makest his beauty to consume away; surely every man is vanity. Selah
בְּתוֹכָחוֹת. הַכְּתוּבוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה (ויקרא כו; דברים כח) עַל עֲוֹנִינוּ שֶׁהֶעֱוִינוּ לְפָנֶיךָ, וְיִסַּרְתָּנוּ בָּהֶם:
With rebukes that are written in the Torah for our iniquities that we have sinned before You and for which You chastised us.
וַתֶּמֶס כָּעָשׁ חֲמוּדוֹ. הִרְקַבְתָּ בְּשָׂרֵינוּ כְּבֶגֶד שֶׁאֲכָלוֹ עָשׁ:
You have caused his flesh to decay You have caused our flesh to decay like a moth-eaten garment.
חֲמוּדוֹ. בְּשָׂרוֹ, שֶׁהוּא חֶמְדָּתוֹ:
Heb. חמודו means his flesh, which is his desire (חמדתו).
י"ג
שִֽׁמְעָ֥ה־תְפִלָּתִ֨י ׀ יְהוָ֡ה וְשַׁוְעָתִ֨י ׀ הַאֲזִינָה֮ אֶֽל־דִּמְעָתִ֗י אַֽל־תֶּ֫חֱרַ֥שׁ כִּ֤י גֵ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י עִמָּ֑ךְ תּ֝וֹשָׁ֗ב כְּכָל־אֲבוֹתָֽי׃
13
Hear my prayer, O LORD;
give ear to my cry;
do not disregard my tears;
for like all my forebears
I am an alien, resident with You.
13
Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; keep not silence at my tears; for I am a stranger with Thee, a sojourner, as all my fathers were.
י"ד
הָשַׁ֣ע מִמֶּ֣נִּי וְאַבְלִ֑יגָה בְּטֶ֖רֶם אֵלֵ֣ךְ וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃
14
Look away from me, that I may recover,
before I pass away and am gone.
14
Look away from me, that I may take comfort, before I go hence, and be no more.'
הָשַׁע מִמֶּנִּי. הֶרֶף יָדְךָ מִלְּהַלְקוֹתִי:
Turn away from me Loosen Your hand from smiting me.
וְאַבְלִיגָה. וְאֶתְחַזְּקָה:
that I may recover Heb. ואבלגה,that I regain my strength.