Psalms · Psalm 134

"A Song of Ascents. Behold, bless" — Behold, when you are blessed like the dew of Hermon, then you are obligated to bless Hashem. And the meaning of "in the nights" — that you should bless Him even at night for the good things He has done for you; and he is speaking to the priests, therefore —

'A song' — behold, when Hashem commands the blessing for you, bless Him also, you, with your praise, each one according to his understanding. 'All you servants of Hashem' — these are the wise and the pious who rise from their beds at night and come to pray in the house of Hashem and to give thanks to His name.

"Who stand, etc." — To praise Hashem in the Temple.

"A Song of Ascents" — in this song he lays a wondrous foundation concerning the principles of faith, namely, that the supernal source, whose waters never fail, becomes blessed and increased through the deeds of those below. For Hashem bestows good upon the good and abundance upon those who are prepared [to receive it]; but at a time when the generation is unworthy to receive it, then the spring becomes muddied and the source corrupted, and the conduits of the flow do not pour forth their blessing. This is the meaning of the blessing that Israel confers upon Hashem: that through their good deeds and their prayers they fill the supernal blessing — "the stream of God, full of water" — with the waters of kindness, goodness, and mercy, and pour it out upon the earth; but when their deeds turn bad, the channels of water dry up and the river becomes desolate and dry. And as our sages, of blessed memory, said, that Israel adds strength to the might above, and that the blessing is a need of the One on high; and as is written in the book Artzot HaChaim (in Eretz Yehudah, section 5), in the interpretation of the word "barukh" ("blessed"), with several proofs. And this is the meaning of, "behold, bless Hashem" — that is, give Him blessing, the upper springs and the lower springs, through your good deeds. You, "all the servants of Hashem who stand in the house of Hashem in the nights," like faithful servants who serve day and night and do not depart from their post for a moment — you shall bless Hashem and give strength to God.

"Lift up your hands" — by day, and this is [the same as] "and Aaron lifted up his hands" (Leviticus 9:22). "And bless Hashem" — on this day, this is the priestly blessing.

"Sanctuary" — in the place of holiness. And the meaning of "lift up your hands" — [this refers to] the raising of the hands (the priestly hand-raising) by which the priests would lift their hands and bless Israel. But in my opinion, the meaning is the lifting up of hands to God in prayer, and it is also possible to interpret "sanctuary" as meaning "toward the place of holiness."

"Lift up" — Raise your hands to Hashem in holiness to bless Him, for such is the way of those who bless, to raise their hands upward.

"Lift up your hands, in holiness" — the poet depicts, in the manner of people who bless, who lift up their hands and place them upon the head of the one being blessed (as it says, "And Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them"). However, he explains that it is not physical hands that you shall lift up, but rather "hands of holiness" — he depicts holiness as an abstract entity, and it is she who lifts up her hands on high and blesses Hashem in holiness, unto the Holy One, Holy of Holies. That is to say, through their conduct in holiness — for the definition of holiness is that one overcome and sanctify himself above matter and its natures, and conduct himself with an intellectual, spiritual conduct rooted in holiness — through this they lift up hands to bless in the upper realms, so as to pour forth from there an abundance of the fullness of favor, blessing, and generosity.

"Hallelujah" — these are the words of the psalmist to the priests, the Levites, the singers.

"May Hashem bless you" — according to the commentators, the meaning is that the priests would say to Israel, in their blessing, "May Hashem bless you." But in my opinion, these are the words of the psalmist, who said "Bless Hashem," [and] meant: if you bless Him, He will bless you. And the meaning of "out of Zion" — for the Glory dwells there, and from there the blessing will come to all Israel. And he said "who made heaven and earth" — that is to say, He made the heavens, which give blessing to the world, and He made the earth, so that it gives its produce for a blessing, as He, may He be blessed, commands.

"May He bless you, etc." — The verse is inverted [in word order]; [it means] "May Hashem, who made [heaven and earth], bless you," etc. "Out of Zion" — That is to say, if you bless Hashem, then He too will bless you out of Zion, for from there all blessings and good things flow, since it is the place where the Divine Presence rests.

"May He bless you" — this explains through what act you bless Hashem, namely, that you give Him strength and might so that He is able to bless you, for this depends on your deeds; and you "bless" Him by filling Him with blessing so that He can bestow it upon you, in the matter of "may Hashem bless you out of Zion" — that your blessing will not come by way of the [celestial] system and the ordered course of the heavens, "but out of Zion," by means of the fine vapors and drops of dew that rise up from below, from the deeds and service of Zion — "from Him who made heaven and earth" — for this is the blessing that is not [naturally] drawn down from heaven to earth, but rather from Hashem above, who made both of them, and who bestows upon them a blessing that is providential and miraculous.