א׳
יֹ֭שֵׁב בְּסֵ֣תֶר עֶלְי֑וֹן בְּצֵ֥ל שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְלוֹנָֽן׃
1
O you who dwell in the shelter of the Most High
and abide in the protection of Shaddai—
1
O thou that dwellest in the covert of the Most High, And abidest in the shadow of the Almighty;
יוֹשֵׁב בְּסֵתֶר עֶלְיוֹן. מִי שֶׁהוּא חוֹסֶה בְּסֵתֶר כַּנְפֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה, הוּא יִתְלוֹנָן בְּצִלּוֹ, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵגִין עָלָיו. הֲרֵי מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ זֶה מַשִּׂיא אֶת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לַחֲסוֹת בְּכַנְפֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה:
He who dwells in the covert of the Most High He who takes shelter in the covert of the wings of the Shechinah.
יוֹשֵׁב בְּסֵתֶר עֶלְיוֹן. כְּמוֹ ״בְּצִלּוֹ חָמַדְתִּי וְיָשַׁבְתִּי״ (שיר השירים ב:ג):
he will lodge in His shadow, for the Holy One, blessed be He, protects him. Moses, our teacher, hereby persuades people to take shelter in the wings of the Shechinah.
שַׁדַּי. לְשׁוֹן חוֹזֶק:
the Almighty Heb. שדי, an expression of strength. “He who dwells in the covert of the Most High” is like (Song 2:3): “in His shadow I desired and sat.”
ב׳
אֹמַ֗ר לַֽ֭יהוָה מַחְסִ֣י וּמְצוּדָתִ֑י אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אֶבְטַח־בּֽוֹ׃
2
I say of the LORD, my refuge and stronghold,
my God in whom I trust,
2
I will say of the LORD, who is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust,
אוֹמַר לַה׳ מַחְסִי. הוּא וּמְצוּדָתִי, וְהַכֹּל יִלְמְדוּ מִמֶּנִּי. וְלָמָּה אֲנִי אוֹמֵר כֵּן?
I shall say of the Lord [that He is] my shelter and my fortress and all will learn from me. Now why do I say this?
ג׳
כִּ֤י ה֣וּא יַ֭צִּֽילְךָ מִפַּ֥ח יָק֗וּשׁ מִדֶּ֥בֶר הַוּֽוֹת׃
3
that He will save you from the fowler’s trap,
from the destructive plague.
3
That He will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the noisome pestilence.
כִּי הוּא יַצִּילְךָ מִפַּח יָקוּשׁ וְגוֹ׳. לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד הוּא אוֹמֵר יוֹשֵׁב בְּסֵתֶר עֶלְיוֹן:
For He will save you from the snare that traps, etc. To everyone he says, “He who dwells in the covert of the Most High.”
ד׳
בְּאֶבְרָת֨וֹ ׀ יָ֣סֶךְ לָ֭ךְ וְתַֽחַת־כְּנָפָ֣יו תֶּחְסֶ֑ה צִנָּ֖ה וְֽסֹחֵרָ֣ה אֲמִתּֽוֹ׃
4
He will cover you with His pinions;
you will find refuge under His wings;
His fidelity is an encircling shield.
4
He will cover thee with His pinions, And under His wings shalt thou take refuge; His truth is a shield and a buckler.
בְּאֶבְרָתוֹ. כָּנָף:
יָסֶךְ. יְסוֹכֵךְ:
With His wing He will cover...you will take refuge You will be covered.
תֶּחְסֶה. תִּתְכַּסֶּה:
צִנָּה וְסֹחֵרָה. הוּא צִנָּה הַמַּקֶּפֶת אֶת הָאָדָם קָרוֹב לְאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹתָיו, סֹחֵרָה לְשׁוֹן סְחוֹר סְחוֹר (שבת יג.):
an encompassing shield Heb. צנה וסחרה. This is a shield that encompasses a man closely on his four sides. וסֹחֵרָה is an expression of סְחוֹר סְחוֹר, around.
ה׳
לֹא־תִ֭ירָא מִפַּ֣חַד לָ֑יְלָה מֵ֝חֵ֗ץ יָע֥וּף יוֹמָֽם׃
5
You need not fear the terror by night,
or the arrow that flies by day,
5
Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flieth by day;
לֹא תִירָא. אִם תִּבְטַח בּוֹ:
You will not fear if you trust in Him.
מֵחֵץ יָעוּף יוֹמָם. שֵׁד הַמְּעוֹפֵף כְּחֵץ:
the arrow that flies by day the demon that flies like an arrow.
ו׳
מִ֭דֶּבֶר בָּאֹ֣פֶל יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ מִ֝קֶּ֗טֶב יָשׁ֥וּד צָהֳרָֽיִם׃
6
the plague that stalks in the darkness,
or the scourge that ravages at noon.
6
Of the pestilence that walketh in darkness, Nor of the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
מִדֶּבֶר וּמִקֶּטֶב. שֵׁמוֹת שֵׁדִים הֵם, זֶה מַזִּיק בַּלַּיְלָה וְזֶה מַזִּיק בַּצָּהֳרַיִם (פסחים קיא:):
Pestilence, etc., destruction These are names of demons; one destroys at night, and one destroys at noon.
יָשׁוּד. ״יְשׁוֹדֵד״ (הושע י:ב):
ravages Heb. יָשוּד, [equivalent to] יְשוֹדֵד.
ז׳
יִפֹּ֤ל מִצִּדְּךָ֨ ׀ אֶ֗לֶף וּרְבָבָ֥ה מִימִינֶ֑ךָ אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִגָּֽשׁ׃
7
A thousand may fall at your left side,
ten thousand at your right,
but it shall not reach you.
7
A thousand may fall at Thy side, And ten thousand at Thy right hand; It shall not come nigh thee.
יִפֹּל מִצִּדְּךָ אֶלֶף. לְשׁוֹן חֲנִיָּה, כְּמוֹ ״עַל פְּנֵי כָל אֶחָיו נָפָל״ (בראשית כה:יח):
A thousand will be stationed at your side Heb. יפל, an expression of encamping, as (Gen. 25: 18): “before the face of all his brothers did he settle (נפל).”
מִצִּדְּךָ. מִשְּׂמֹאלְךָ יַחֲנוּ אֶלֶף שֵׁדִים, וְאֵלֶיךָ לֹא יִגָּשׁ לְהַזִּיק:
at your side At your left a thousand demons will be stationed, and they will not approach you to harm [you].
ח׳
רַ֭ק בְּעֵינֶ֣יךָ תַבִּ֑יט וְשִׁלֻּמַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים תִּרְאֶֽה׃
8
You will see it with your eyes,
you will witness the punishment of the wicked.
8
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the recompense of the wicked.
וְשִׁלֻּמַת. כִּלָּיוֹן, וְלָמָּה?
and...the annihilation Heb. ושלמת, complete destruction. And why?
ט׳
כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן שַׂ֣מְתָּ מְעוֹנֶֽךָ׃
9
Because you took the LORD—my refuge,
the Most High—as your haven,
9
For thou hast made the LORD who is my refuge, Even the Most High, thy habitation.
כִּי אַתָּה. אָמַרְתָּ ה׳ מַחְסִי. וַהֲרֵי זֶה מִקְרָא קָצָר:
For you You said, “The Lord is my refuge.” This is an elliptical verse.
עֶלְיוֹן שַׂמְתָּ מְעוֹנֶךָ. אֶת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שַׂמְתָּ מְעוֹן מִבְטַחֲךָ:
the Most High you made your dwelling You made the Holy One, blessed be He, the seat of your trust.
י׳
לֹֽא־תְאֻנֶּ֣ה אֵלֶ֣יךָ רָעָ֑ה וְ֝נֶ֗גַע לֹא־יִקְרַ֥ב בְּאָהֳלֶֽךָ׃
10
no harm will befall you,
no disease touch your tent.
10
There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent.
לֹא תְאֻנֶּה. לֹא תִקְרֶה, וְכֵן ״וְהָאֱלֹהִים אִנָּה לְיָדוֹ״ (שמות כא:יג):
No...will befall Heb. לא תאנה, will not happen. Similarly, (Exod. 21:13): “and God allowed it to happen (אנה) to his hand.”
י"א
כִּ֣י מַ֭לְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ לִ֝שְׁמָרְךָ֗ בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃
11
For He will order His angels
to guard you wherever you go.
11
For He will give His angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways.
י"ב
עַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם יִשָּׂא֑וּנְךָ פֶּן־תִּגֹּ֖ף בָּאֶ֣בֶן רַגְלֶֽךָ׃
12
They will carry you in their hands
lest you hurt your foot on a stone.
12
They shall bear thee upon their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
פֶּן תִּגֹּף. פֶּן תִּכָּשֵׁל, וְכֵן כָּל לְשׁוֹן נְגִיפָה; אצופי״ר בְּלַעַ״ז:
lest...stumble Heb. תגף, lest it [your foot] stumble, and so every expression of נְגִפָה, acupir, azoper, to hit, strike against.
י"ג
עַל־שַׁ֣חַל וָפֶ֣תֶן תִּדְרֹ֑ךְ תִּרְמֹ֖ס כְּפִ֣יר וְתַנִּֽין׃
13
You will tread on cubs and vipers;
you will trample lions and asps.
13
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and asp; The young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under feet.
י"ד
כִּ֤י בִ֣י חָ֭שַׁק וַאֲפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ אֲ֝שַׂגְּבֵ֗הוּ כִּֽי־יָדַ֥ע שְׁמִֽי׃
14
“Because he is devoted to Me I will deliver him;
I will keep him safe, for he knows My name.
14
'Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.
ט"ו
יִקְרָאֵ֨נִי ׀ וְֽאֶעֱנֵ֗הוּ עִמּֽוֹ־אָנֹכִ֥י בְצָרָ֑ה אֲ֝חַלְּצֵ֗הוּ וַֽאֲכַבְּדֵֽהוּ׃
15
When he calls on Me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress;
I will rescue him and make him honored;
15
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him, and bring him to honour.
ט"ז
אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים אַשְׂבִּיעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝אַרְאֵ֗הוּ בִּֽישׁוּעָתִֽי׃
16
I will let him live to a ripe old age,
and show him My salvation.”
16
With long life will I satisfy him, And make Him to behold My salvation.'