Psalms · Psalm 12

"on the sheminith" — The eight stringed harp.

"For the leader; on the Sheminith" — [refers to] a melody, or a poem, or a string [i.e., an eight-stringed instrument].

"For the Leader; on the Sheminith. A Psalm of David" — I have already explained the meaning of "on the Sheminith" (Psalms 4). And this psalm was spoken through the holy spirit concerning the future, about a generation in which the wicked would overpower the poor, and it says:

"For the Leader" — [this psalm was composed] against the men of [malicious] speech of his time, who spoke arrogantly against Hashem and expounded falsehood in His Torah, and who spoke slander between one man and his fellow.

"are gone" — Heb. גמר, lit. finished, destroyed. "have vanished" — Heb. פסו, faylirt in Old French, to lack, fail. "for the faithful have vanished from the sons of men" — Everyone betrays me and spies out the places where I hide, and tells Saul (54:2): “Is not David hiding with us?”

"For the godly man ceases" [ki gamar chasid] — 'gamar' is an intransitive verb. Or, if it were transitive, [it would mean] 'the godly man has ceased doing kindness.' Also, 'pasu' (they fail) [is related to] 'nichretu' (they are cut off), like 'pas yeda' (the palm of the hand) (Daniel 5:5). "And the faithful" [ve-emunim] — is an adjective; it is not like [the noun in] 'shomer emunim' (who keeps faith) (Isaiah 26:2), where it is a noun.

"Help, Hashem; for the godly man ceases, for the faithful fail from among the children of men" — that is to say: the godly and the men of faith have ceased and failed, and most of the people of this generation are wicked, and they scheme counsel against the poor and the weak; therefore Hashem's salvation is needed to save them from their hand.

"Help, Hashem" — to be saved from the hand of Saul. "For the godly man ceases" — the godly/pious have vanished from the world, and there is no one to be found to protest to Saul and to plead my case before him. "Fail" — the faithful have vanished, and they speak lies about me before Saul.

'Pasu' — meaning, they have ceased and come to an end.

"For the godly man ceases" — [referring to] those who used to perform kindness in a matter they had not promised at all, and likewise performed additional commandments out of piety [beyond what was required]. "And the faithful also fail" — men of truth, who kept what they had promised, and in [matters of] the commandments performed [only] the obligation incumbent upon them. And not this alone, but "they speak falsehood, each man to his fellow," and they cloak the falsehood with "flattering lips, and speak with a double heart." And one may also explain: "they speak falsehood" — in matters of belief and opinion; "and with flattering lips" — in matters between one man and his fellow.

"with a double heart" — Lit. with a heart and a heart; with two hearts. They feign friendliness, but there is hatred hidden in their heart.

"Falsehood" [chalakot, smooth things] — is an adjective, and the noun it modifies is omitted, [understood as] 'amarot' (words). Like 'and he spoke harsh things to them' (Genesis 42:7), where 'harsh things' likewise modifies an implied 'words.' "With a double heart" [be-lev va-lev] — as though he had two hearts, and the tongue pleads on behalf of one of them.

"They speak falsehood, every one with his neighbor" — for they say with their mouths what is not in their hearts; and this is "falsehood." "With a flattering lip [siftei chalakot]" — "chalakot" is a noun; and if it were an adjective, the noun it modifies would be elided: [understood as] "flattering words." "With a double heart do they speak" — for they present themselves through their words with one heart for good, while their [actual] heart is for evil.

"They speak falsehood, etc." — What they speak smoothly is false, for it does not match their [true] thoughts. "With a heart and a heart do they speak" — As if the tongue speaks as the agent of one heart, while the second heart is not with it [does not agree].

"May He cut off" — this is prophetic [speech], in the manner of "Heal me, Hashem, and I shall be healed" (Jeremiah 17:14), or it is a prayer. "That speaks proud things" — like "his food is fat" (Habakkuk 1:16).

"May Hashem cut off all flattering lips" — [stated] by way of prophecy, or by way of prayer. "The tongue that speaks proud things [gedolot]" — "gedolot": great [gedolot] or lofty words; and likewise "like a flock of the shorn ewes [ha-ketzuvot]" (Song of Songs 4:2); "his food is fat [beri'ah]" (Habakkuk 1:16), and words similar to these.

"May Hashem cut off" — He prays that Hashem will cut off the possessor of flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks weighty and impressive-sounding words in order to deceive.

'Gedolot' — meaning, important and esteemed, as in 'a great woman' (2 Kings 4).

"May Hashem cut off all flattering lips" — in matters between one man and his fellow; "the tongue that speaks great things" — in matters of belief, for "the tongue" designates matters of the intellect, [referring to] those who philosophize about matters of belief and deny the faith.

"With our tongue we will overpower" — With our tongue we will gain strength.

"To our tongue" — meaning "for the sake of our tongue," like "lest they say of me" (Judges 9:54).

"Who have said: With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are with us — who is master over us?" — "lilshoneinu" [with our tongue] stands for "bishvil leshoneinu" [for the sake of our tongue], like "say of me: he is my brother" (Genesis 20:13).

"With our tongue [we will prevail]" — [they say:] with our tongue, which speaks great things, we shall prevail over everyone, for we can deceive them; "our lips are with us" — are not our lips in our own control? And we can speak with them words of falsehood, the opposite of what is in the heart, for who is master over us to command that we speak only what is in the heart? For who knows what is in the heart?

"Who have said: our tongue will we make mighty" — in matters of belief; "our lips are with us" — in matters between one man and his fellow, where he speaks slander and deceit; and they say, "who is master over us?" — after they make their tongue mighty with counterfeit proofs to deny providence, [concluding] that they have no master in heaven; and their lips are with them to overcome their fellows with lips of falsehood, [concluding] that they have no master on earth.

"Because of the plunder of the poor" — Because of the plunder of the poor who are robbed by you for example, I myself and my men and the priests of Nob and because of the cry of the needy, the Lord shall say, “Now I will rise to their help.” "I will grant them salvation, He shall speak" — I will grant them salvation, He will speak concerning them. יפיח is an expression of speech. There are many [examples] in the Book of Proverbs, and in Habakkuk (2:3): “and He shall speak (יפח) of the end, and it shall not fail.” However, Menachem (p. 141), interpreted it as an expression of a snare, as (below 124:7) “the snare (הפח) broke.”

The mem of "mi-shod" ("because of the oppression," [of the poor]) is like the mem of "mi-chamas achikha Ya'akov" ("because of the violence done to your brother Jacob," Obadiah 1:10). "'Now will I arise,' says Hashem" — this is by way of prophecy. "I will set [him] in safety" — like "Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine I have mixed" (Proverbs 9:5). And the meaning is: "I will set [him] in safety, [him] at whom they puff" — ["yafiach"] means "he speaks," like "utters lies" (Proverbs 6:19), and it is connected to the verse that follows it.

"Because of the oppression of the poor" — which I see, "because of the sighing of the needy" — which I hear, "now will I arise, says Hashem" — to save them; and "says Hashem" is stated by way of prophecy "I will set him in safety at whom they puff" — "I will set" the poor "in safety" from him who "puffs" at them, meaning: I will save them from those who set snares [pachim] for them to trap them; and likewise "they ensnare a city [yafichu kiryah]" (Proverbs 29:8) [means] they set a snare.

"Because of the oppression" — because of the oppression that they inflict on the poor through their cunning. "Because of the sighing" — of those who cry out over the oppression, "now I will arise" — to exact punishment from them. "I will set in safety him at whom they puff" — as if it said, "I will set safety for the one who puffs at him," meaning: I will help the one who comes to destroy the wicked man, [doing so merely] by puffing a breath — that is, with ease.

'Mishod' — a term meaning oppression. 'Me'enkat' — a term meaning outcry, as in 'the groaning of the prisoner' (below, Psalm 79).

"For the oppression [of the poor]" — against those who harm their fellows in matters between man and man, he [David] says that the Master will arise to punish them; and the two clauses are parallel: "For the oppression of the poor, now will I arise, says Hashem" — to punish the plunderers; "and for the sighing of the needy, I will set him in safety, at whom they puff" — for the needy person has nothing that can be plundered from him, and his sighing is because [people] are unwilling to save him through charity and kindness. "Hashem will breathe forth" and say, "I will set him in safety," in order to save them.

"The sayings of the Lord are pure sayings" — for He has the ability to fulfill them, but the sayings of the sons of men are not sayings when they die and are unable to fulfill [them]. "pure" — Clear and permanent. Whatever He promises He does, for He promised me salvation and the throne. "silver refined" — They are like refined silver that is exposed to the entire land. "exposed" — Heb. בעליל, an expression of revealing; in the language of the Mishna (Rosh Hashanah 21b, see Gemara): “whether it was plainly (בעליל) visible or whether it was not plainly (בעליל) visible, etc.” Others explain בעליל as an expression of elevation, and this is its explanation: silver refined with the best earth. That is to say, like silver that is refined with the best earth and its upper layer, because a person makes a crucible to refine the silver from the best earth. Another explanation: בעליל is like בעלי, with a mortar (as in Prov. 27:22): “among grain with a pestle,” which is the name of a utensil in which [grain] is crushed. Similarly, בעליל is the crucible in which gold and silver are smelted. However, this does not seem correct because he does not call עלי the mortar in which [the grain] is crushed, but the handle of the pestle with which they crush. This is called pilon in French, pestle. Another explanation: בעליל is an expression of the master of a hand, i.e., the master of the earth, and the praise of the word applies to God. Targum Jonathan, too, renders it as an expression of lordship. He says that His sayings are like silver, refined by the Lord of the earth, Who is God, for He refined and clarified them.

"The words [of Hashem]" — and the meaning is: that Hashem will save, from the hand of those who make themselves mighty with their tongue, the one who meditates on His Torah; therefore, "You will guard them." And the word "ba'alil" doubles the lamed, in the manner of "sagrir" ("a continual rain," Proverbs 27:15), and it is from the same root as "u-va'al ha-aretz" ("and the owner of the land"), which means its lord; thus "silver refined ba'alil" [would mean] "the silver of the lord of the land." "Seven times" — [meaning] many times.

"The words of Hashem are pure words" — and if you should say that what Hashem says will not come to pass — this is not so, for "the words of Hashem are pure words"; there is no dross in them, for they are all truth, and they are like "silver refined in a furnace of earth [ba'alil la'aretz]" — and like "silver" that is "refined seven times [mezukak shiv'atayim]" — and the meaning of "ba'alil la'aretz" is like "ba'al ha'aretz" [master of the earth], meaning: lord of the earth; and the bet [in ba'alil] is part of the root, doubling the last root letter of the verb, on the pattern of the word "sagrir" [driving rain]; that is to say: these words are like "refined silver" from the Master of all the earth. And the lamed of "la'aretz" is like the lamed of "they killed [harugo] to Abner" (2 Samuel 3:30); "the third, to Absalom" (1 Chronicles 3:2), or it may stand in place of the definite article heh. And some explain (Targum and Rashi) that in "ba'alil" the bet is a [prefix of] usage, and its meaning is: supreme and praised, that is to say: "refined silver" from the choicest part of the earth from which the smelting furnace is made. And our Sages, of blessed memory, explained (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:5) that "alil" is a place that is seen and revealed, in their saying: "whether it was seen openly [be'alil]." And they said (ibid., Bavli 21b): From where do we know that this word "alil" means openly/revealed? For it is written "ba'alil la'aretz." And the meaning of "shiv'atayim" is many doubled times; for the numbers seven and sevenfold come to indicate a great quantity, like "seven times [sheva] for your sins" (Leviticus 26:21); "seven times [sheva] the righteous falls and rises" (Proverbs 24:16); "seven eyes" (Zechariah 3:9). Likewise "shiv'atayim" [means] many doubled times; and similarly "sevenfold [shiv'atayim] shall he be avenged" (Genesis 4:15).

"The words of Hashem" — Indeed the words of Hashem are pure, like silver that is refined in an exposed place, in the depths of the earth, many times, so that it then becomes pure without dross; so too the words of Hashem — not one of them will fall to the ground [unfulfilled], for so it shall be, that He will give strength into the hand of the one who destroys the wicked.

'Ba'alil' — in a revealed, open place; and in the Mishnah: 'whether it was seen openly [ba'alil]' (Rosh Hashanah 21). 'La'aretz' — like 'ba'aretz' (in the earth).

"The words [of Hashem]" — and against those who speak arrogantly regarding belief and strive to falsify the Torah of Hashem and to expound from it discourses of deceit, he says: "the words of Hashem are pure words" — that is, the sayings, the figures of speech, and the narratives in the Torah, which are the garments and bodies clothing the divine wisdom and the secrets hidden within it, which are their souls — these are pure. For even the narratives and the figures of speech in the Torah are clean of all dross, unlike the sayings of the philosophers, who clothe [their] wisdoms in invented tales that contain no benefit. Not so the Torah — for even its revealed [surface], which is the garment for the hidden [content], is pure and full of wisdom and morality; and the inner [content] clothed beneath the garments is "silver refined in a crucible on the ground" — a very precious thing — "and purified seven times." And concerning the sayings and the silver I ask: "You, Hashem, will guard them" — the sayings; and likewise as for the silver, You, Hashem, "will preserve it from this generation" — so that they [the wicked] not falsify the sayings and this refined silver, and not expound from it discourses of vanity. "Round about" — meaning, "preserve it from this generation, in which the wicked walk about" — around the husk that covers the fruit, around the garments and narratives of the Torah, in order to falsify them and mix into them chaff and refuse — "at a time when vileness is exalted among the sons of men" — at a time when base and lowly things are exalted among the sons of men, at a time when they abandon the precious and honored thing, which is the received faith and the divine matters, while base and despised things, which are the investigations of the intellect and misleading proofs, are precious and lofty in their eyes — for then the wicked walk about the sayings of Hashem, to put false things and despised speculations in their place. At this time it is necessary that You watch to guard and preserve the sayings of Hashem and the silver of the divine religion from the falsifiers, so that they not mix into them dross and vile matters.

"shall guard them" — Those poor and needy people being pursued by this generation, who are informers.

"You" — it is possible that the mem of "tishmerem" ("You will guard them") refers back to "the words of Hashem." "And You will preserve us" — [i.e., preserve us from] the one who puffs against them; and "this" [zu] is used like "these" [eleh]. And the interpretation is: that the men of his generation are wicked; therefore [the phrase] "surrounding him" follows. And the meaning is that they roam everywhere to do evil.

"You, Hashem, will guard them" — You will guard the poor. And it says: "You will preserve us" — the term is in the singular, [applying] to each and every poor person, in whatever place he may be among those who oppress him. "From this generation" — from this generation, that is, the wicked, "You will guard them" "Forever" — in every generation.

"You will keep them" — the needy. "You will preserve us" — You will guard each one forever from the hand of the men of that generation.

"Wicked men walk on all sides" — to hide traps to cause me to stumble. "when the basest to the sons of men is elevated" — Heb. כרם זלות לבני אדם [They walk on all sides] because of their envy, for they are jealous of my greatness, that I was taken from behind the sheep to be a king. This is the interpretation of כרם זלות לבני אדם: when a man considered by the sons of men to be base is elevated. This is on the order of the passage elsewhere (below 118:22): “The stone that the builders rejected became a cornerstone.” The Midrash Aggadah interprets it concerning Israel in the future, when they will be elevated. [Unknown Midrashic source] Menachem interprets כרם זלות לבני אדם (pp. 78, 164): like a gluttonous wild ox to devour the sons of men. Accordingly, כרם is rendered: like a רים or ראם, and זלות is like (Deut. 21:20) זולל וסבא, “a glutton and a drunkard.” The following is its interpretation: The wicked walk on all sides around the poor man; the wicked walk to swallow him for naught, as a wild ox to swallow the sons of men.

And the interpretation of "vileness" [zulut] is disgrace, like "the precious out of the vile" (Jeremiah 15:19), "for I have become vile" (Lamentations 1:11), "all who honored her have despised her" (Lamentations 1:8) — and it is deficient, lacking what would be expected [in the full form]. "When it is exalted" — [refers to] men of vileness, in the manner of [the elliptical construction in] "and Your might in battle," "do not be rebellious" (Ezekiel 2:8), and "but I am prayer" (Psalm 109:4). And some say it is from "a glutton and a drunkard" (Deuteronomy 21:20), but the first [explanation] is correct.

"The wicked walk on every side" — for "the wicked walk about" the righteous to do them harm; therefore it is necessary that You guard them from them. "When vileness is exalted among the sons of men" — when the wicked are raised up, it is "vileness" and degradation "for the sons of men"; along the lines of "but when the wicked bears rule, the people mourn" (Proverbs 29:2). And "vileness" is the opposite of honor; and the zayin takes a kubutz vowel (pronounced with pursed lips).

"On every side" — for the wicked walk around the needy man to trap him, like the ravenous wild ox that goes about seeking to prey upon people; therefore the needy man has no protection except through Your hand.

'Kerum' — like 'kere'em' (like a wild ox), a type of animal. 'Zelut' — from the language of zolel (glutton) and ra'avtan (voracious).