Psalms · Psalm 19

'For the leader, a psalm of David.'

"For the leader" — He explains that the glory of Hashem is revealed in His world through two visions: through the world that He created, we attain it by the way of investigation and study; and through the Torah we attain it by the way of prophecy and divine revelation. And he explains that there is an advantage to the revelation of His glory, His existence, His providence, and the work of His hands through the Torah, over contemplation and investigation, in six respects:

"The heavens recite the glory of God" — The Psalmist himself explains the matter: There is neither speech nor words. They do not speak with people but since “their line goes forth throughout the earth” and they give light to the people, thereby the creatures recite the glory of God and give thanks and bless [Him] for the luminaries. "and the sky tells of the work of His hands" — The stars and planets, which are the work of the hands of the Holy One, blessed be He, and which are there, as it is stated (in Gen. 1:17): “And God placed them in the firmament of the heavens,” whence they proclaim His glory.

"The heavens declare" — this psalm is very exalted, and it is bound up with the workings of the heavens; and now I will explain it briefly, though one who has not studied the science of the constellations will not understand it. "The heavens" — the movement of the spheres, which are uniform in one respect and different in another, and which move in a straight course in themselves, though it is not straight relative to the inhabitants of the earth; and the measure of [their] movement neither increases nor decreases according to exact proofs, yet it does appear to increase and decrease to the sight of the eye. Now one who knows the paths of the circles [orbits] knows supernal knowledge; and thus the heavens are, as it were, teachers of righteousness along the way, or [as it is written], "speak to the earth, and it shall teach you" [Job 12:8]; and the heavens are the dwelling-places of the stars. And the word "declare [mesaperim]" — because they stand continually in one fixed order, and this is the glory of Hashem. And it says "God [El]" — to make known His power. "and the firmament declares" — that is, the air, as I explained in the portion of Bereishit — things are renewed every day; therefore it is written "the work of His hands." For with respect to the heavens it is written "the glory of God," and this is true, for the air receives the power of the ministering [angels] and the great host.

'The heavens declare the glory of God' — Some commentators (the author of the Targum, and others) explain this in the manner of 'Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you' (Job 12:8), and likewise 'Ask now the beasts, and they shall teach you' (ibid. 7); so too 'the heavens declare.' For from the wonders and the great works that a person sees in the heavens, a person recounts the glory of God; and this is [the meaning of] what it says: 'There is no speech, and there are no words; their voice is not heard' — that is to say: it is not that they [the heavens] speak in words, but rather from what a person sees in them, human beings 'declare' 'the glory of God.' And we may also explain: 'declare' [is said] of the heavens and of the firmament themselves, for in their course and their circuit, in a proper order, the glory of God, may He be blessed, is seen; and that itself is the telling and the declaring, in the manner of: 'He sends forth His speech to the earth; His word runs very swiftly' (Psalms 147:15). And as for what it says: 'there is no speech and there are no words' — 'there are no words' like the words of human beings, but rather the deeds that they [the heavens] perform are the 'words,' and they are the telling and the declaring; and so it says: 'and to the end of the world, their words.' And the Master, Teacher of Righteousness, the great sage Rabbeinu Moshe, explained (Guide of the Perplexed 2:5): 'declare' [is said] of the heavens [themselves]. For his opinion, and the opinion of the philosophers, is that the celestial spheres are living, intelligent beings that serve God and praise Him with great praise, and extol Him with mighty and great extollings. And therefore it says: 'the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament tells of the work of His hands' — even though the telling and the declaring are not by mouth and speech; and this is [the meaning of] what it says: 'there is no speech, and there are no words; their voice is not heard' — rather, the telling and the declaring belong to them like an image that a person forms in his heart, made of words of praise and thanksgiving, without bringing them forth in speech. 'And the firmament tells of the work of His hands' — this is a repetition, for it is like 'the heavens declare the glory of God,' since the heavens are called 'firmament' (rakia), as it is said (Daniel 12:3): 'like the brightness of the firmament,' etc.; and 'And God set them in the firmament of the heavens' (Genesis 1:17) — according to the one who explains that this is said concerning the celestial spheres. And the sage Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra explained: 'the firmament' [means] the air.

"The heavens declare" — meaning, through the heavens the glory of God is seen, and it is as if they themselves were declaring His glory. "And the work [of His hands]" — the firmament tells and testifies to the wonders of the work of Hashem's hands.

"The heavens declare the glory of God" — "the heavens" includes all the heavenly bodies that are in the sphere-world, while "the firmament" is a term specific to the place where the vapors rise, where rain and hail are formed; and up to there reaches the boundary of the earth, fit for the breathing of all living creatures, while from there and upward begins the boundary of the heavens, where no living creature can survive — so indeed holds the view of the Guide [for the Perplexed] and those who follow his approach in explaining the term "firmament." And there is a difference between "the glory of Hashem" and "the work of His hands": the glory is His by virtue of His being the Creator of everything at the beginning of Creation and the cause of all created beings, and this the heavens declare — for whoever sees this great structure and the luminaries within it knows that there is a single Creator who arranged everything by His power and wisdom. However, from this we cannot know that He is still engaged in creation, renewing the work of Creation every day, and that He is the One who conducts the world; and this becomes known from the firmament, for from the wonders of the rain and the providence found in it, it becomes known that He is still engaged and active, preparing rain for the earth and making the mountains grow grass. And our sages, of blessed memory, said: "The work of the hands of the righteous — who declares it? The firmament" — for through it comes the rain brought by the prayer of the righteous, and the Holy One, blessed be He, brings it in its proper time in every place, according to the need of each land, in the place suited to it, according to the time and the place; thereby the providence of Hashem and His action in His world become known. And there is a difference between "recounting" and "declaring": one who declares tells something new that concerns his fellow, and this is "the firmament declares" — it announces at every moment the works of Hashem's hands, renewed in creation for the sake of human settlement; but the heavens' "recounting" speaks of the past, that Hashem created everything in the six days of Creation — which is like recounting something that already happened long ago, that does not concern us in the present.

"Day to day utters speech" — The Creation is renewed from day to day. In the evening, the sun sets, and in the morning it rises. Thereby, the people utter sayings of praise throughout these days and nights, for they teach the people to praise and to give thanks. Menachem interprets [the word] יביע as an expression of a gushing fountain (מעין נובע). "tells knowledge" — Heb. יחוה, an expression of telling.

'Day' — There are complete proofs from the science of calculation (mathematics/astronomy) that the arrangement of the seven [planets] changes in all its parts, and one will never find the configuration of one arrangement resembling another — even if the world were to endure for thousands upon thousands of myriads of years. This too is explained in the Book of Formation (Sefer Yetzirah). And therefore, whatever is renewed on a given day, that day makes it known to the next, one to another, and generation to generation — for on every day there is something new. And there is no argument from the words of Solomon, 'there is nothing new' (Ecclesiastes 1:9), for he was speaking of the general category. 'Utters' (yabia) — [meaning] that it does not stop, like a spring (mabu'a); or like [the sense of] 'declares' (yagid), as in 'behold, they utter with their mouths' (Psalms 59:8), like 'I will declare to you, hear me' (Job 15:17). And the meaning of 'day and night' is that time continues [perpetually].

'Day to day utters speech, and night to night reveals knowledge' — 'Utters' (yavia) means 'speaks,' as in 'behold, they utter (yabi'un) with their mouth' (Psalms 59:8); 'my lips shall utter' (Psalms 119:171). And its meaning is: this day speaks concerning the day that comes after it, and the night concerning the night that comes after it. That is to say: the order of the movements, by day and by night, is now just as it was from the six days of Creation, and so it will be forever; nothing has changed and nothing has been altered. Thus this day tells regarding tomorrow, for it is known that it will be so.

"Day to day" — from day to day it utters speech, meaning: every day it is as if the wonders of Hashem are spoken of, for at every moment the wonders of the Omnipresent are seen through them.

"Yabia" ("utters") — [meaning] speaks, as in "they utter with their mouth" (yabi'un befihem) (below, Psalm 39). "Yechaveh" ("reveals") — [meaning] tells, as in "I will declare my opinion" (achaveh de'i) (Job 32).

"Day" — Behold, from three things we can establish that something results from the action of a purposeful agent and did not come about by chance and accident: first, from the standpoint of frequency — for chance events occur only rarely; second, from the standpoint of wisdom — whether it was done in perfection, for a thing that comes about by chance does not come about in perfection and in proper order; third, from the standpoint of purpose — for chance does not tend toward any purpose, and if it tends toward a purpose it is not chance. So the Philosopher stated all this (in the Book of Physics, Discourse 2). And so he explains here how the glory of God becomes known from the general creation: first, from the standpoint of frequency — this declaration is continual in time, for "day to day utters speech"; and since by day every person sees the works of God, the day "utters speech" and recounts His might, while at night, which is a time of stillness when the whole of nature "puts a hand to its mouth," that is a time for reflection, when people think over and consider what they saw and heard by day and derive from it knowledge of God — and so it says, "and night to night reveals knowledge." And since each day tells a new word of the divine renewals that occur day after day, so too each night brings new revelations of God's actions to be known, and His deeds to be understood. It also means that the days are always adjacent to one another, and likewise the nights, for the day, and likewise the night, continually revolves and rolls around the globe, so that at every moment the passing day utters speech to the coming day at its heel and enters in its place, and likewise night to night — so that this frequency continues and multiplies at every moment.

'There is no' — he mentions that the heavens have no mouth, like [that of] a human being. And the meaning of 'words' (omer) is that these are utterances that have a complete sense, such as saying 'Reuben is alive' — this can only be composed of connected words. The utterance is [the name] 'Reuben,' while the [mere] sound produces [only] the letter reish of 'Reuben.' And so he mentioned that through the sight of the physical eye and the sight of the inner soul's eye — that is, wisdom — one will see the truth of what the heavens recount and what the firmament declares.

'There is no speech, there are no words, neither is their voice heard' — We have already explained this.

"There is no speech" — it is indeed true that there is no utterance or speech in them, and their voice is not heard.

"There is no" — And this declaration is not made in a whisper: for "there is no speech" — meaning, no complete utterance — and also "there are no words" — meaning, not even individual utterances — yet it is not true that "their voice is unheard": for every utterance and every word that goes forth from nature and its wonders, renewed at every moment to testify to the Creator's glory, their voice is heard from one end of the earth to the other, and every plant, every creeping thing, and every motion that occurs in the world gives forth a mighty sound and proclaims aloud the greatness of the Creator and His wisdom.

"Their line goes forth throughout the earth" — The line of the heavens, which are stretched out over the face of the entire earth, and because of which their words are at the end of the world, for all speak of the wonders they see. "for the sun He made" — [i.e.,] the Holy One, blessed be He. "a tent therein" — In the heavens. From here it is derived that the sun is placed within its case. Tanchuma.

'Their line' (kavam) — like 'line upon line' (kav la-kav) (Isaiah 28:10) — and it means writing; and the mem of 'kavam' refers back to the heavens. And the meaning is that their writing is read in every place, and all the wise understand its meaning in every place on earth. 'And to the end of the world' (u-vi-ktzeh tevel) — that is, the inhabited earth; from their words they make [it] heard. And behold, [this is] narration (sippur), and the 'line' (kav) is [the] writing (sefer) — these are the three things the author of Sefer Yetzirah mentioned: sefer [book], sefer [number], and sippur [narration] — for these three are the foundations of all the sciences. And the reason for mentioning the sun is that it is greater than every [other] body, and all the higher [celestial] motions are all bound up with it, and it generates time — the equal and the unequal [hours] — and day and night, and the metals and the plants; and all living things depend on the sun. And so Solomon said 'under the sun' (Ecclesiastes 1:3), and [the word 'tent' means] 'a dwelling place' (naveh), like 'each man to his tents' (ish le-ohalav) (2 Samuel 20:1) — for the sun is fixed in its sphere, by complete proofs from the science of the workings of the heavens. Some say [that 'ohel' here is] like 'light,' and similarly [the verb is used in] 'it does not shine' (lo ya'ahil) (Job 25:5). But in my opinion, the alef of 'ya'ahil' is extra, like the alef in 've-he'eznichu neharot' — 'and the rivers will stink' (Isaiah 19:6) — and it is of the same pattern (gizrah) as 'their light will not shine' (lo yahelu oram) (Isaiah 13:10). And the meaning of 'in them, in the heavens' (bahem ba-shamayim) is that it [the sun] is hidden from the eyes of the earth's inhabitants, relative to the distance of the lands from the eastern edge; and he likened it to a bridegroom (chatan), because everyone who sees him rejoices in him. And the meaning of 'like a mighty man' (ke-gibbor) is because its sphere runs together with it, and it does not grow faint and does not grow weary.

'In all the land their line (kav) has gone out' — kav [means] their construction; so too, 'line upon line' (Isaiah 25:11), for construction is done by stretching a line. That is to say, the work of the spheres and the stars 'has gone out in all the land'; and so too 'and their words to the end of the world' — that is, their deeds are their words. 'In them He has set a tent for the sun' — that is, a dwelling and a place among the spheres. He tells this about the sun in particular, because it is the great light, and because mankind derives from it a greater benefit than from the other stars — through its light and its heat, for people, and likewise for the other living creatures and for plants. And when it says 'in them,' its meaning is: in one of them — as in 'and he was buried in the cities of Gilead' (Judges 12:7) — namely, the fourth of the seven spheres, in which are the seven planets. And it says 'in them,' because these stars are fixed within the body of the spheres. Similarly it says (Genesis 1:17): 'And God set them in the firmament of the heavens,' and does not say 'upon the firmament.' And so too in the words of our Sages, may their memory be blessed (Midrash Tanchuma, Bereishit 5): 'The stars are fixed in the firmament like nails fixed in a door.'

"Through all the earth" — but because the structures of the heavens go forth to be seen throughout all the earth, their words are therefore heard to the end of the earth, even though there is no utterance in them — for in what they display of the wonders of Hashem, it is as though they had spoken. "For the sun" — behold, for the sun He set a tent in the heavens, for its course is in the heavens and it does not move from there.

"Kavam" [their line] — that is to say, their structure, made by the stretching of the measuring line (kav hamishkal). "Milleihem" [their words] — [meaning] their sayings, as in "there is no word (millah) on my tongue" (below, Psalm 139).

"In all" — And also, this declaration is not confined to one particular place, for it spreads to every place, so that even "in all the earth" — the uninhabited part — "their line has gone out"; for the line that the Creator, blessed be He, stretched over the general structure [of the universe] extends over the whole earth, which is part of that structure and hangs upon nothing, suspended by the pulling line among the surrounding heavens, which draw it from every side by the word of the Creator of all. And "to the end of the world" — that is, the inhabited portion — there "their words" go forth, for there all creatures and existing things utter words and declare the wisdom of God and His nature. — "For the sun" — now he begins to explain how they were made with wisdom and in perfect completeness. Behold, "for the sun He has set a tent among them," from which light and life go forth to all the bodies beneath it, and especially to the globe of the earth, to which it gives light and life, both for plants and for living creatures; and Hashem arranged its course with wondrous wisdom, so that its light would spread to every corner of the earth. For "and he" — the sun travels in two opposite courses: first, the daily course, in which it circles every day from east to west; second, the yearly course, in which it circles every year from west to east. And this circling is not along the line that equalizes day [the equator], but inclines from the equator to the north and to the south by more than twenty-three degrees — for when it is at the New Moon of Nisan, at the head of the constellation Aries, it inclines day by day through the zones until the head of Cancer, and then it turns back to travel toward Libra and from there to Capricorn, and it does not deviate from its course from zone to zone even by a hairsbreadth. And the ancients said that the sun's own motion is from west to east, but the daily sphere compels it each day and carries it around the globe of the earth from east to west. And of the necessary motion that it travels each day it says, "and he is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber" — for the bridegroom's coming out of the chamber is by necessity. And of its own motion that it travels each year it says, "he rejoices like a mighty man to run a course" — which is what it does by its own will, not by necessity. And since this yearly course does not travel along the great, fixed road that lies on the equator, but rather on the "path" that is off to the side, on the sphere of the zodiac, it says "to run a path" (larutz orach), for a path (orach) is what turns off from the great road to the side, toward the villages, and is not so fixed. And through this, "his going forth is from the end of the heaven" — although he goes forth from the end of the heaven, he does not travel straight along the equator, but rather "and his circuit is to the ends of them" — he circles around to the extremities, that is, to the north side and to the south side. And this shows abundant wisdom: for had it always traveled along the equator, it would not have been possible for the earth to be inhabited, because along the sun's path on the equator the heat would burn intensely, while in the northern and southern regions the sun's heat would not reach at all; but because it goes and circles around to the sides, to the extremities, "there is nothing hidden from its heat" — the sun's heat spreads to every extremity, and the whole earth becomes fit for habitation. And in this the wisdom is made clear, and also the purpose — that He did not create it a waste [tohu] — and all this is testimony to the action of a wise agent.

"And it is like a bridegroom emerging from his chamber" — every morning. This is what is meant by “The heavens recite the glory of God.”

'Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber' — at dawn, when it comes forth in its splendor and glory, it is 'like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,' whom everyone rejoices to see; so too, everyone rejoices in the light of the sun. And my father and master, may his memory be blessed, explained that he [David] compared it 'to a bridegroom coming out of his chamber' who longs to return to his bride — so the sun returns every day to the place of its rising. And he also compared it to a mighty warrior, saying: 'and rejoices as a strong man to run his course' — because it does not falter in its running. And it says 'rejoices as a strong man,' because a mighty warrior rejoices and is glad when he goes out to war. And so it says, in speaking of the strength of the horse (Job 39:21): 'he rejoices in his strength, he goes out to meet the weapons'; so the sun rejoices when it goes forth. And its blossoming, its shining forth, and its rising are [expressions of] rejoicing and gladness.

"Which is" — this sun goes forth with joy to shine upon the earth, just as a bridegroom rejoices and exults when he comes out of his wedding chamber. It rejoices in its course as a mighty man exults to run his path, for he is confident in his strength and is not terrified before anyone; so too the sun is confident that it will proceed on its course with none to hinder it.

"and its circuit is to their ends" — The circuit of its orbit is from one end to the other. "and none is hidden from its heat" — Had the sun been placed in the lowest sky, no man would be able to hide from its heat (Mid. Ps. 18:13) for the sun and the moon are in the second sky, as is stated (in Hagigah 12b): There are seven skies—Vilon, Rakia, Shehakim, Zevul, Machon, Ma’on, Aravothand he counts them in order: Vilon does not serve for anything; in Rakia are the sun, the moon, the stars, and the planets, etc.

'From the end' — he mentions its [the sun's] motions according to its true nature, which is the opposite of the great [diurnal] motion [of the heavens]. And the word 'tekufah' (circuit) is like 'when the days of the feast had run their circuit' (ki hikkifu yemei ha-mishteh) (Job 1:5), [and] 'they have surrounded me' (hikkifuni) (Psalms 22:17). And the meaning of 'and there is nothing hidden' is that the heat of the sun in the world is like the heat of the heart in the human body — from the proofs of the science of nature — and behold, it is the life of all bodies.

'His going forth is from the end of the heaven' — from the east. 'and his circuit to the ends of it' — over all the ends of the heavens is his course. And it says 'and his circuit' (tekufato), which means his circling, as in 'the circuit (tekufat) of the year' (Exodus 34:22), because he circles the directions and returns to the place of his rising, as Solomon said (Ecclesiastes 1:6): 'going toward the south, and turning about to the north' — for by day his course appears to be toward the south wind, going westward, then turning to the north wind by night, until in the morning he returns to the direction from which he rose. And so too in the words of our Sages, may their memory be blessed (Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 56a): 'he goes toward the south by day and turns to the north by night.' But this is only in appearance, since his course inclines toward the south, though he does not actually reach the southern extremity. However, according to the science of astronomy, this is said not of the daily circuit but of the yearly circuit — that he is toward the south in the days of winter and toward the north in the days of summer, and this is visible to the eyes, known and clear. And so too in the words of our Sages, may their memory be blessed, in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (chapter six): 'he goes toward the south in the season (tekufah) of Tishrei and the season of Tevet, and turns to the north in the season of Nisan and the season of Tammuz.' 'and there is nothing hid from its heat' — for the sun's heat is throughout the entire world, even though it is not equal in every place. And it says 'and there is nothing hid from its heat,' and does not say 'and there is nothing hid' from its light, because a person can hide from its light but not from its heat, for even in the innermost chambers its heat reaches him. And the Sage Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained: 'and there is nothing hid from its heat' — because the heat of the sun in the world is like the heat of the heart in the body, according to the view of the science of nature, and behold it is [a source of] life for all bodies. If so, its meaning is: nothing is hidden from the benefit of its heat.

"From the end [of the heaven]" — the rising of the sun is from the end of the heavens, according to what appears and seems so to each person at his own horizon and season. And its circuit is to the ends of the heavens — meaning, every day it rises in the direction it rose yesterday and sets in the direction it set yesterday, and so it goes around, day after day. "And there is nothing hidden" — and there is no one who is hidden from the heat of the sun.

"U'tekufato" ("and its circuit") — from the language of "hakafah" [encompassing] and "sivuv" [turning].

"The law of the Lord is perfect" — That too illuminates like the sun, as is written at the end of the topic: “enlightening the eyes,” and Scripture states (in Prov. 6:23): “For a commandment is a candle and the Torah is light.” Another explanation: "and none is hidden from its heat" — on the Day of Judgment, [as is stated in Malachi 3:19]: “And the sun that comes shall burn them up.” But the law of the Lord is perfect; it restores the soul to ways of life and it protects those who study it from that burning, as is stated (ibid. verse 20): “And the sun of mercy shall rise with healing...for you who fear My Name.” "the testimony of the Lord is faithful" — It is faithful to testify for those who study it. "restoring the soul" — It [the law] restores it [the soul] from the ways of death to the ways of life. The law, the testimony, the orders, the commandments, the fear, and the judgments total six, corresponding to the six orders of the Mishnah. Between each name [of God] are five words including the name itself, corresponding to the Five Books of the Pentateuch. And so [the Psalmist] concludes: “true, altogether just.” They are altogether devised with kindness and truth. "making the simple one wise" — It gives wisdom to the simple.

'The law of' — Rav Saadiah Gaon said that the word 'it will say' (yomar) is elided, [meaning] that the sun says, 'the law of Hashem is perfect.' But in my opinion, he [David] has until now been describing how the intelligent person can find testimony for the divine and come to know His works; and David says: there is also another witness, more honored than it [the sun] and more trustworthy — namely, the law of Hashem, and His testimony, and His precepts, and His commandments, and His fear, and His ordinances. And the explanation of 'torah' is that it instructs (moreh) the straight path by means of the signs stated [within it], like 'the law of leprosy' (torat ha-tzara'at) (Leviticus 14:57) and [the law of] the nazirite (Numbers 6:13). And he mentioned 'restoring the soul,' because the Torah removes doubt from the soul. And the meaning of saying 'perfect' (temimah) corresponds to the sun, because the sun is perfect in its light and is not like the moon. And the meaning of 'restoring the soul' is like the sun: for from the time the sun is in the ascending half of its sphere, the life of many of the sick is restored — the opposite of what happens when it is in the descending half of its sphere. And the physicians know this, and the testimony of these matters has been passed down from the mouths of witnesses who saw it with their own eyes. And because a person cannot know these things by way of [rational] proofs, he said 'making the simple wise' — meaning that they are trustworthy and not false, even though the wise of heart do not know them [through proof]. And he said of the Torah [that it is] 'perfect,' because it needs no other witness alongside it.

'The law of Hashem' — why did he juxtapose the subject of the Torah to the subject of the sun? He meant to say: just as the heavens, the sun, and the spheres testify and tell of the glory of God and of His wisdom, so the Torah and the commandments which He commanded to His people Israel testify to His wisdom and to His righteousness, as it says (Deuteronomy 4:8): 'that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law.' And furthermore he meant: just as the heavens and the sun benefit the world, and through them the world endures, so too the Torah — it is 'perfect,' and it is 'restoring the soul,' and the survival of the soul is through it, just as the survival of the world is through the sun; for the soul is in the body like a stranger in a foreign land who has no helpers or supporters, for the body's many helpers pursue desire, and the soul is like a lone captive among them. And so Solomon said, comparing it to a poor, wise man (Ecclesiastes 9:15). And behold, the Torah 'restores the soul' in that it teaches a person the straight path and turns him away from worldly desires and from many stumbling-blocks. And behold, it 'restores' the soul from its captivity and imprisonment to its own nature and to its place of honor. And David spoke of the Torah, the commandments, and the ordinances, regarding their truth and their righteousness. And 'Torah' denotes the nature of a commandment — how it is to be performed — from the same [root] as 'and I have not heeded the voice of my teachers [morai]' (Proverbs 5:13), and 'to teach [u-lehorot], He put in his heart' (Exodus 35:34), which indicate the nature of a thing, as in 'the law of the beast and the fowl' (Leviticus 11:46), 'the law of the leper' (Leviticus 14:2), 'the law of her who gives birth' (Leviticus 12:7), 'the law of the one with a discharge' (Leviticus 15:32), 'the law of the Nazirite' (Numbers 6:21). And nevertheless, the [whole] Book is called by the name 'the Torah,' from 'In the beginning' to 'in the sight of all Israel,' as it is written (Deuteronomy 31:9): 'And Moses wrote this Torah'; '[and] he took this Book of the Torah' (Deuteronomy 31:26); for the account of the work of Creation, and the account of the matter of the Patriarchs, and likewise the account of all the other matters — all of them point to God, for He is the Creator of the world, and to His goodness, and to His creatures, and to His providence over the good and the wicked. And he mentioned 'the commandments' — that is, what God commanded to be done in the ways of the service and love of God, like a master who commands his servant to serve him. And 'the testimony' ('edut) is that which is a testimony between Israel and God, that they accepted Him as their God, and He accepted them as a treasured people — like 'the Ark of the Testimony' (Exodus 25:22), 'the Tent of the Testimony' (Numbers 17:23). For the commandments which Israel were commanded are [themselves] a testimony, and the Tablets, upon which were the Ten Commandments — which encompass the whole Torah — those things were a great testimony to Israel, in that they beheld His glory on Mount Sinai amid thunder and lightning; and that great vision is a testimony to them and to their children forever. Likewise, the observance of the Sabbath and the festivals is to them a testimony, a sign, and a remembrance; and the Sabbatical year and the Jubilee — all of it is a testimony to them and to their children forever, as it says: 'for all the earth is Mine' (Exodus 19:5); 'they are My servants' (Leviticus 25:55). And he said 'the precepts (pikudei) of Hashem' regarding the commandments of the intellect, which God entrusted and placed in the heart, and which the intellect itself points to. And he said 'fear,' which is the beginning of the commandments and their foundation, for if the servant does not fear his master, he will not perform his command; and complete fear is [present even] in secret. And he said 'the judgments (mishpatim),' which are the laws between a person and his fellow. Now, he thus mentioned every term for commandment except 'statutes' (chukim). And the reason is that he said of them: 'perfect,' 'restoring the soul,' 'sure,' 'making wise the simple,' 'upright,' 'rejoicing the heart,' 'pure,' 'enlightening the eyes,' 'clean,' 'true,' 'righteous altogether,' 'more desirable' and 'sweet' — and all this can only be said of the commandments whose reason is revealed and evident. But the statutes (chukim), such as [the prohibition of] eating pork, wearing sha'atnez [a mixture of wool and linen], and things like them, whose reason is not revealed to everyone — how could it be said of them that they are 'desirable and sweet and pure'? Even though this is so for one to whom their reason is apparent, their reason is not apparent to most people. And he said: 'perfect' — that it is entirely whole; nothing is lacking in it of all the things a person needs, in this world and in the world to come. And he said: 'restoring the soul' — as we have explained. And he said: 'the testimony of Hashem is sure' — because there is no falsehood in it, for the Glory dwelt among Israel in the sight of all Israel; there is none who can deny or doubt it. And he said: 'making wise the simple:' — because all the details of the Tabernacle are wondrous wisdom, for not one thing was insignificant — the menorah, the altars, the curtains. And likewise all these things point to wisdom; it [the Tabernacle] is called by the Sages the 'middle world,' which is the image of the upper world and the image of the small world [microcosm]. Likewise, the observance of the Sabbath is a great wisdom, for on account of it a person investigates the renewal of the world and the whole work of Creation, and this is the science of nature. And it says of the Torah (Deuteronomy 4:6): 'for it is your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of all the peoples,' etc. And it says (ibid.): 'surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' And even though he divides these attributes, saying of 'the Torah': 'perfect,' 'restoring the soul,' and saying of 'the testimony': 'sure,' 'making wise the simple,' and so on for the others — they are all equal in these attributes, and he did not mean to say this attribute of the one alone, to the exclusion of its fellow; rather, he attached each attribute to the term nearest to it, so that one should learn about it according to that attribute, as we have explained and as we shall yet explain.

"The Torah of Hashem is perfect" — but the Torah of Hashem is more perfect, meaning, complete in its workings, and more beneficial than the sun. "Restoring the soul" — meaning, that the sun, for all its benefit, sometimes causes harm with its great heat, until a person falls sick with a fatal illness; but the Torah still restores a person's soul, for it protects and saves from death. "Testimony" — the commandments are called "testimony" because they testify concerning those who fulfill them, that they believe in Hashem. "Making wise the simple" — but the sun at times drives its heat into a person's brain and he goes mad.

"Meshivat" [restoring] — an expression of settling and quieting, as in "a restorer of life" (lemashiv nefesh) (Ruth 4).

'The law' — after he told how the glory of Hashem and His greatness are recognized through the world, he says that there is yet another telling, one that proclaims the wonders of the One perfect in knowledge, which has an advantage over the first telling — that of the world — in six respects, corresponding to the six parts of the Torah that he prayed about in the psalm of the eightfold acrostic (Psalm 119): namely, torah (law), edut (testimony), pikkudim (precepts), mitzvah (commandment), chukkim (statutes), and mishpatim (ordinances), as we explained there. Regarding the part called 'torah' (law), which teaches us the foundations of belief, both in matters of divine philosophy and in matters of prophecy, he says that it has an advantage over what those engaged in speculation attain through their inquiries by means of the first telling, that of the world. For the 'law' attained through the first telling is not perfect: it teaches us only that there is a Creator, since there can be no created thing without a Creator, but not whether the world is eternal or created, nor how it was created — whether from absolute nothingness or from primordial matter — and from it we cannot know of providence, prophecy, Torah from heaven, and Hashem's closeness to His near people. But 'the law of Hashem is perfect,' lacking nothing, for it teaches us all the parts of belief and doctrine. Also, the first telling does not teach us about the soul, its spirituality, its perfection, and how it returns to Hashem, God — but the law of Hashem is 'restoring the soul' to the bundle of life. 'Testimony' is the part of it called 'testimony' (edut), which is the narrative portion of the Torah; it is distinguished from the stories of the philosophers, which they invented for themselves in order to clothe their speculations, most of which are fabricated and meant only as parables. But 'the testimony of Hashem is trustworthy,' for even the outer garments of the Torah — its narratives — apart from their inner intent and the secrets hidden within them, are true according to their plain sense. And whereas the testimony of the philosophers, who testify to what they have derived through their inquiries, is understood only by the wise who engage in speculation, the narratives of the Torah and its testimony 'make the simple wise': for even the simple person will see, from the deeds of the generation of the Flood, the generation of the Dispersion, Sodom, and the like, the punishments Hashem metes out to the wicked; and from the deeds of the Patriarchs and their histories, His providence over the righteous; and from the matters of the Exodus from Egypt and all that is mentioned, he will see that Hashem, blessed be He, overturns nature and performs wondrous miracles; and from the standing at Mount Sinai, they will recognize the truth of prophecy and Torah from heaven, and the like.

"clear" — Shining.

'The precepts of' (pikudei) — of the same pattern (gizrah) as 'pikadon' (a deposit); and these are [the faculties] found within the power of the soul in every person, once he reaches the age of obligation (bar mitzvah), for Hashem deposited them in the heart. And he mentioned 'upright' (yesharim) together with them, because all the wise grow wiser through them by the straight way, in which there is no stumbling block. And he said 'rejoicing the heart,' because through them the wise man attains the level of eternal joy. And corresponding to the sun he mentioned 'upright,' because the sun's course runs along the axes of the sphere of the zodiac, and that is the straight path. Moreover, they [the precepts] are superior to mere deposits, because the sun at times deviates from the sphere of the equator, whereas 'rejoicing the heart' corresponds to the sun in that it rejoices only by day and not by night — but the precepts rejoice always. And 'the commandment of Hashem' is a positive commandment; he called them 'mitzvot' because for most of them it is not written why they were commanded, and he said of them 'pure' (barah), for so they are to the pure of heart — hence 'enlightening the eyes,' like a person who was in darkness. And corresponding to the sun he said 'barah' (pure), because there is nothing in it like blackness within it, as there is with the moon. And the superiority of the commandment is that clouds hide the light of the sun by day, but not so the commandment; it is 'enlightening the eyes,' for it is the light of the world by day and also by night — for the light of the moon [merely] points to [the sun's light], as demonstrated by complete proofs.

'The precepts of Hashem' — we would explain 'precepts' as 'commandments,' following the Targum, but since it afterward says 'the commandment of Hashem,' we therefore explain 'precepts' from the same root as in 'and the food shall be as a store' (Genesis 41:36), which refers to the matter of storing away and setting aside. They are the things that the intellect points to, and it says that they are 'right' — there is nothing twisted or crooked in them, for were it not so, the intellect would not point to them. And for this reason they are 'rejoicing the heart' — for the wise man rejoices in his intellect. And when it overcomes the body and guides it in the ways of the intellect, there is no joy in the world like that joy — it is the joy of the soul. Therefore it says 'rejoicing the heart,' and does not say 'rejoicing the person,' for a person rejoices in the desires of the world, but the intellect — which is the heart — rejoices only in the ways of the intellect. And so it says (Psalms 119:111): 'For they are the rejoicing of my heart.' And it says: 'The commandment of Hashem is pure' — every single commandment, in whatever place it applies, is 'pure' and clear, without any dross whatsoever; and it is 'enlightening the eyes' — for a people without commandments walk in darkness, for the commandments give light to the heart, and they are a rung by which to ascend to the great glory.

"Rejoicing the heart" — but not so the sun, for it brings worry into a person's heart, lest he be harmed by its abundant heat. "Enlightening the eyes" — but one who looks too often at the light of the sun, his eyes grow dim.

"Barah" [pure] — from the language of "barur" [clear] and "naki" [clean].

'The precepts of Hashem' — the portion of the commandments called by the name 'precepts' (pikkudim), which are specifically designated as a remembrance, either through matters of belief (such as the festivals, in remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt) or through character traits (such as the commandments of unloading and loading a burden, leaving the corner of the field for the poor, gifts to the poor, and the like) — these are distinguished from similar precepts that people have instituted by their own agreement, which are not upright. But 'the precepts of Hashem are right,' for they were made according to uprightness and justice. Also, human precepts do not gladden the heart, since they contain no honorable purpose — which is what gladdens the heart of the one who performs it, by his knowing the benefit that will result from the act — but the precepts of Hashem 'gladden the heart' of those who perform them. 'The commandment of Hashem' — the portion specifically called 'commandment' (mitzvah), which is most of the commandments of the Torah — is distinguished from the commandments of men, who walk in darkness, upon whom the light of reason has not shone. But 'the commandment of Hashem is pure,' for all of them have sound reasons that guide the mind rightly and bring happiness to souls, and it also 'enlightens the eyes' — that is, the senses — for it teaches him compassion, graciousness, generosity, and all the good character traits, which he shall practice and by which he shall live in the life of this world.

'The fear of' — [refers to] negative commandments (mitzvot lo ta'aseh). And he said 'pure' (tehorah), because the pure person is one who does not defile himself through [transgressing] negative commandments. 'Enduring forever' — meaning that it is not possible that Hashem should permit what is forbidden [to become permitted]. And corresponding to the sun he said 'pure,' because there are times the sun darkens [is eclipsed], even though its body is pure — rather, the matter concerns something other [than the sun itself]. And 'the sun endures forever,' for it is not composite, like the created beings [made] of the four elements, even though the position of the sun changes according to the directions [of the horizon, i.e., with the seasons]. 'The ordinances of' — it is known that the judgments of the science of the zodiac [depend] on the arrangement of the 'attendants' (i.e., the planets) in their relation to the sun; and there are judgments in [differing] configurations that contradict one another, and because of this those who practice this judgment [i.e., astrologers] go astray. Therefore he said of 'the ordinances of Hashem, they are righteous altogether.' And after he finished speaking of the superiority of the Torah, which benefits the intelligent person in the world to come, he mentioned it [again] in contrast to the pleasures of this world.

'The fear of Hashem is clean' — these are the things a person does in secret, or without others knowing, such as theft, and falsifying measures and weights, and things like them; and these are the things about which it is written, 'and you shall fear your God, I am Hashem' (Leviticus 19:11, 12, 14, 32; 25:17, 36, 43). 'The fear' is 'clean,' without dross; for a person is kept from doing evil things that are done in public out of fear of other people. Now that kind of silver is not clean, for it has dross in it; but as for things that are hidden, which a person refrains from doing only out of fear of God, that 'fear' is 'clean,' for it has no dross in it. And it says: 'Enduring for ever' — for there are commandments that have a fixed place and time, but the matters that belong to 'the fear of Hashem' endure forever; they have no limited time. Or, it may be said that 'enduring for ever' refers to the whole Torah — that God did not command it for a limited time, but it is forever and ever. This is not like the words of the heretical Christians, who say that the Torah given at Mount Sinai had a set time, until the coming of Jesus the Nazarene; for until his time it was to be understood physically, and from the time he came he commanded that it be understood spiritually. Their words are words of empty wind and vanity. For as to the commandments that they say are meant allegorically and are not to be understood according to their plain sense — behold, God commanded concerning them explicitly, and not by way of allegory. If so, then as for the rest of the commandments, a person is not to understand them by way of allegory, but only according to their plain sense. For if the commandments were meant allegorically, the commandments would be thrown into doubt — one person saying the hidden matter within it is thus, and another saying it is thus; but Scripture says (Deuteronomy 30:11): 'For this commandment which I command you this day is not too wondrous for you, nor is it far off.' And if there were hidden matters within the commandments that could not be understood according to their plain sense, then indeed they would be wondrous and far off. 'The ordinances of Hashem are true, they are righteous altogether' — we have already explained that 'the ordinances' are the laws between a person and his fellow, and all of them are words of 'truth,' plain to see, and all of them are 'altogether righteous' — there is no injustice in any one of them. Some explain the reason it links the Torah to the sun as being to magnify its benefit above the benefit of the sun; for there are things the sun harms, whereas the Torah is beneficial in every respect. Therefore it says, 'the Torah of Hashem is perfect' — it is whole and complete, for in all the ways of this world and the World to Come a person will find benefit in it. And it says 'restoring the soul,' for when a person sits in the sun too long, he may become fatally ill, as it says regarding Jonah (4:8): 'And the sun beat upon Jonah's head, and he fainted'; the Torah is not so, for it is 'restoring the soul' to the body, and one is sustained by it. And at times the sun enters a person's brain and he goes mad; the Torah is not so, but rather it is 'making the simple wise.' And when a person sits in the sun a great deal, he will worry over its heat; not so the 'precepts of Hashem,' which are 'rejoicing the heart.' And when a person looks directly at the body of the sun, his eyes grow dim; the 'commandment of Hashem' is not so, for it is 'pure, enlightening the eyes.' And clouds may cover the sun; but 'the fear of Hashem is clean' and clear — nothing covers it or hides it. And the sun gives light by day and not by night; but 'the fear of Hashem endures for ever.' And the sun's light and heat are not equal throughout the day, for until midday it increases and from midday onward it decreases; not so the 'ordinances of Hashem,' but rather 'they are true, they are righteous altogether,' and do not contradict one another.

"Enduring forever" — but not so the sun, for at times a cloud covers it. "They are righteous altogether" — they do not contradict one another; but the sun, when it appears on this horizon, is not seen on the horizon opposite it, and it is as though [its shining on one] contradicted [its absence on] the other.

'The fear of Hashem' refers to the portion of the statutes (chukkim) in the Torah, which have no reason except that they are the decree of the King, and we must perform them out of fear of Him, like a servant who performs his master's commands without inquiring into their reason and rationale — as it is written, 'And Hashem commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Hashem our God.' There is a difference between them and the statutes instituted by men, most of which are impure — such as all the abominations done for idolatry, from harlotry to the burning of children, which was done out of fear of the idols — whereas the fear of Hashem is pure. So too, the fear of vanity does not endure, for they would constantly exchange their statutes for others, as is known, but the fear of Hashem stands forever. 'The ordinances of Hashem' — this is the portion of the ordinances (mishpatim) in the Torah — is distinguished from other legal systems, which are not true, for human reason is incapable of gauging either the true justice of a law according to righteousness, or the punishments due to transgressors, that they be measured and weighed precisely according to the sin; nor of bringing civil and religious justice into agreement with natural justice; nor of making the laws agree with one another. But the ordinances of Hashem 'are righteous altogether' — there is no contradiction among them, nor between them and natural justice.

"and drippings of honeycombs" — Heb. ונפת צופים, sweetness of honeycombs; breche, or bresches, honeycombs. Menachem interprets ונפת as an expression of a drop, and so (in Prov. 5:3): “drip sweetness (נפת)”; (ibid. 7:17), “I sprinkled (נפתי) my couch.”

'The desired things' (ha-nechmadim) — the people of the world desire to have gold and much fine gold for themselves — these being precious stones — because they endure and are found at the time of need, since they remain intact in themselves and do not diminish. And wisdom has an advantage over them, for a person finds it available to him both in his life and in his death. And the meaning of 'and sweeter' is that every living creature, good and bad, needs food. He says that the pleasure of wisdom is greater than the pleasure of sweet food, and there is nothing above honey — because [the pleasure of] food is a momentary pleasure, while wisdom is eternal. Also, the meaning of 'sweeter... than honey and the honeycomb' [applies] to the wise alone, not to every person; therefore [it also says] 'also Your servant.' And the word 'in them' (bahem) is like [referring to] 'the desired things.' And the meaning of 'in keeping them there is great reward' — I know that in keeping them the one who keeps them will receive great reward; and behold, they benefit [him] in this world and in the world to come.

'More to be desired than gold' — it says that the words of the Torah and the commandments are 'more to be desired' than 'gold' 'and than fine gold' — that is the good, pure gold. And this is: 'much' — like 'over all the great men of his house' (Esther 1:8), meaning great in importance and stature. Or the meaning of 'much' may be in quantity, in which case 'much' would apply to both 'gold' and 'fine gold,' for people desire 'much gold and fine gold' as wealth. Some explain (Ibn Ezra and others) that 'fine gold' means precious stones, which a person desires; but the wise and discerning desire the Torah and wisdom even more. So too Solomon said (Proverbs 3:15): 'and all your desirable things cannot compare to it.' For wealth belongs to this world and not to the World to Come, while wisdom belongs to this world and to the World to Come. And wealth may be robbed or stolen from a person, or lost at sea or on land; but wisdom cannot be robbed or stolen, nor can it be lost by its owner. And as for wealth — if a person gives it away, or trades with it, what he gives does not remain in his hand; but as for wisdom — if he teaches it to another, it does not leave his possession, but rather he increases in wisdom. Behold, the words of the Torah and wisdom are 'more to be desired' by the wise and discerning than 'gold and much fine gold.' 'and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb' — for 'honey' is the food that is more pleasant to a person than other foods; nevertheless, if he eats too much of it, it will harm him and he will vomit it up, and the food benefits him only temporarily. Wisdom is not so, for the more one increases in it, the more it benefits him, and it benefits him forever. And since it said 'to be desired' — to whom are they 'desired and sweet'? To the wise and discerning and to those who fear Hashem. Therefore it says:

"More to be desired" — to one who desires them, there is nothing that compares to them, for they are more desirable to him than gold, etc., and sweeter to him than honey, etc.

"Venofet" [and the honeycomb] — an expression of dripping, as in "your lips drip honey" (nofet titofnah) (Song of Songs 4). "Tzufim" [honeycombs] — this is what honeycombs are called, and likewise "the drippings of honey" (tzuf devash) (Proverbs 17); and he doubles his statement [uses synonyms].

'More to be desired' — he says that one will find in it also the illusory perfections that man pursues: whether the beneficial — for they are 'more to be desired than gold, than much fine gold' — or the pleasant — for they are 'sweeter than honey and the honeycomb' — so that one finds in them both the immediate pleasure and the benefit for civic life and success in this world.

"for in observing them there is great reward" — I was careful in its observance because of Your great good that You have hidden away, and according to this usage, עקב is like (Gen. 26:5): “because (עקב) Abraham hearkened to My voice.” Another explanation of עקב רב: The end of the Torah scholars is that they will come to greatness. עקב is an expression of the end, and there is a similar expression in the language of the Mishnah (Sotah 9:15): “At the end (בעקבות) of the exile, prior to the coming of the Messiah.”

"Moreover by them Your servant is warned" — that is to say: I too am among them; even though I am not one of the wise, I am "Your servant," and I am zealous for Your commandments and "careful of them," and they are "desirable and sweet" to me. I also know that "in keeping of them there is great reward" — Beyond the sweetness and delight that the intelligent person finds "in them," the intelligent soul longs and yearns for wisdom, even though it will receive no reward for this. For it is the nature of the intelligent soul to desire wisdom, just as it is the nature of the desiring soul to desire pleasant food; thus the wise occupy themselves with Torah and wisdom by nature, even though they do not hope for reward of this kind. And David said: "in keeping of them there is great reward" — [meaning] beyond that [natural] desire. For I, and the intelligent ones who desire them, also have, in keeping them, "great" reward, in that You do good to those who keep the commandments in this world and in the world to come — except that the essential reward is for the world to come. Therefore the reward is called "great reward" (eikev rav): just as the heel (eikev) is the end of the body, so the reward is the end of the deed, and the deed is not completed for a person until the day of his death.

"Also Your servant" — meaning, I too am among those who desire them, and I am careful to fulfill them. "in keeping of them there is great reward" — for there is much reward given in their observance.

"Ekev" [reward] — an expression of reward and recompense, which is the end result of the deed, like the heel (akev), which is the end of the body; and likewise, "if you heed" (ekev tishme'un) (Deuteronomy 7).

'Moreover' — and nevertheless, even 'Your servant,' who does not pursue illusory things, the beneficial and the pleasant, nevertheless 'is warned by them,' because 'in keeping them there is great reward' — for a great purpose is found in keeping them for their own sake, namely, the love of the good that is inherent within them themselves.

"Who understands errors?" — I was careful with them but it is impossible to be so careful that one does not err in them, and You cleanse me of hidden sins, which were hidden from me; of which I was unaware when I sinned inadvertently.

"Errors" — It is possible that the alef stands in place of a doubled letter, or in place of a yod, like "sekhiyyot ha-chemdah" ["prized images"] (Isaiah 2:16). And the sense is: I am watchful with all my might, yet I fear that perhaps an error will befall me; therefore he says: clear me of what is hidden from me.

"Who can discern his errors? Clear me from hidden faults" — It is true that my heart and my will are toward Your commandments, but this I ask of You: that You "clear me of hidden faults," for "who can discern errors" — for there is no one who knows and understands everything, since in some matters a person "will err" and the matter will be "hidden" from his eyes; and concerning this I ask of You that You not punish me for "the hidden things," but rather "clear me" of them.

"Who can discern" — who is able to reflect without finding error in himself? For it happens many times that a person errs in his own understanding, thinking there is nothing wrong with a certain matter, but it is not so, for the substance of the matter is hidden and concealed from him. "Clear me from hidden faults" — therefore I ask that You forgive me and clear me of the evil I did, because the substance of the matter was hidden from me.

'Errors' — he prays, however, that he not stumble in taking care to observe them, in two ways: first, through error — that is, an error of reasoning, whereby he mistakenly declares the forbidden to be permitted, for this is the nature of error, and 'who can discern' it, so as to be saved from an error of the intellect. Second, 'clear me from hidden faults' — that is, complete inadvertence, as when one thinks something is permitted fat when it is forbidden fat — that You not punish me for this.

"Also...from willful sins" — Heb. מזדים, from willful sins. "then I will be perfect" — Heb. איתם will be perfect. The Sages said (Mid. Ps. 19:17, Lev. Rabbah 5:8): To what can David be compared? To a Cuthite who goes from door to door, and they are more cunning in this matter than any other people. “Give me a drink of water,” something that costs no money. After drinking, he says, “Perhaps you have a small onion?” After he gives it to him, he says, “Is there an onion without salt?” After he gives it to him, he says, “Give me a little bread, so that the onion does not harm me.” So did David say at first concerning the inadvertent sins, and then concerning the willful sins, and afterwards concerning the rebellious sins. פשעים are rebellious sins, with which one intends to provoke, and so Scripture says (II Kings 3:7): “The king of Moab rebelled (פשע) against me.”

"Also" — He prays to Hashem that He will bring about circumstances — for by Him actions are weighed (cf. 1 Samuel 2:3) — that will hold him back from the company of the willful sinners and their evil, so that they may not rule over him. And the sense of "az eitam" ["then I shall be blameless"] — then I shall be perfect, and "eitam" is a strange word. And the sense is: for he would not be able to keep the commandments if willful sinners were to rule over him, for they would force him.

"Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins, that they may not have dominion over me" — I ask of You a further request, greater than what I have already asked: that You keep me from "presumptuous sins," so that they "not have dominion over me," and that my [evil] inclination not overpower me — for I will guard myself with all my strength, and You too will assist me so that the evil inclination does not rule over me. For the Holy One, blessed be He, assists the one whose heart is upright, as He said to Avimelech (Genesis 20:6): "I also withheld you from sinning against Me." "Zedim" (presumptuous sins) is a noun and not an adjective; and "zad" would be a noun on the pattern of "resh" (poverty) and "osher" (wealth) (Proverbs 30:8); "it is in the power of my hand" (Genesis 31:29). "then I shall be faultless" (eitam) — is written with a yod after the alef, and it is the vowel-letter that stands in place of a dagesh, used without a yod, like "lo yimad" — "it shall not be measured" (Hosea 2:1); and "kol levav enosh yimas" — "every heart of man shall melt" (Isaiah 13:7). And there is a midrashic interpretation of it: that the numerical value of the yod is ten, and the Torah was given in the Ten Commandments (Aseret HaDibrot), which are its perfection and completeness. He said: then, "when You clear me of errors" and assist me so that "presumptuous sins" do not rule over me, then I will be "faultless and complete." "and I shall be clear from great transgression" — "transgression" (pesha) is worse than "presumptuous sin" (zadon), for presumptuous sin is when a person, out of desire for a thing, transgresses deliberately; but "great transgression" is when one rebels against his Master, disdains His commandments, and commits a violation even though he does not desire it. And one who is accustomed to "presumptuous sins" will come to the point of rebellion; therefore David said: if "You clear me of errors," and assist me regarding "presumptuous sins" so that they "do not have dominion over me," then I will never be deliberate [in sin]; and if I am no longer deliberate, surely I will not be a rebel; and this is what he said: "and I shall be clear from great transgression." And "great" (rav) means: large — for the greatest of evil deeds and transgressions is rebellion. And after he prayed this, he asked of God that He accept his prayer.

"Also from presumptuous sins" — also from doing evil deliberately, restrain me, and strengthen my heart so that I not do them. "let them not have dominion over me" — meaning, they will not be able to turn my heart toward the pleasantness and sweetness found in those willful pleasures; rather, I will overcome the desire. "then I shall be faultless" — then I will be complete, for You will atone for the errors, and from presumptuous sins You will withhold me; for from transgression — that is, rebellion, which is a greater and more grievous sin than this — I will be clean of myself, since I will surely not sin through rebellion; and if so, nothing evil will remain in my hand, and I will be complete. As if to say: behold, it is very difficult to be complete, except in this manner.

"Eitam" ("faultless") — from the language of "tam" [complete] and "shalem" [whole].

'Moreover' — although I am confident that I will not transgress the commandments of Hashem deliberately, sometimes a person is led astray by willful sinners who deliberately dispute the Torah and mislead a person through their arguments, or who rule over him and force him to turn from the way of the good. Regarding the first, he says, 'Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous [sinners]' — that I not associate with them; and regarding the second, he says, 'let them not have dominion over me; then I shall be faultless' — that is, I shall be perfect — 'and I shall be clear from great transgression' — for I will certainly not transgress deliberately and in rebellion. And not only that I not stumble in deed, but I ask that 'the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You' — that both the words that come from my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be acceptable before You, so that I say and think nothing against Your will.

"be acceptable" — To appease and placate You.

"Let the words of my mouth be acceptable" — that willful sinners not rule over him. And the sense of "my Rock" — that he should not fear that willful sinners will rule over him; for if they were to rule over him, he would have no redeemer from their hand other than Him; therefore: "Hashem, my Rock, and my Redeemer."

"Let the words of my mouth ... be acceptable" — what I said "before You" with "my mouth"; "and the meditation of my heart before You" — and what I did not say with "my mouth," but rather thought "in my heart" — the thought is the "meditation of the heart" — this too, "let it be acceptable." For a person thinks many things in his heart and is not able to put them into words with his lips; therefore David said (Psalms 51:17): "Hashem, open my lips"; and Solomon said (Proverbs 16:1): "and from Hashem is the answer of the tongue." "Hashem, my Rock" — my strength, in whom I trust regarding my requests, "and my Redeemer" — from errors and presumptuous sins.

"and the meditation of my heart" — also the thoughts of my heart, which I am unable to express with my mouth — may these too be acceptable before You.