Psalms · Psalm 36

"For the Leader, of the servant of Hashem, of David" — the meaning of "servant of Hashem" is because he mentions the words of the transgressors and those who rebel against the honored Name.

"For the Leader; of the servant of Hashem; of David" — since [the psalm] speaks about the wicked man, whose view is that he has no master who will punish him for the evil that he does, it therefore says "of the servant of Hashem," for the counsel of the wicked was far from him [David], and he was truly "a servant of Hashem," knowing that he had a Master who repays man for good and for evil.

"For the leader" — in this psalm he will set forth the arguments of the evil inclination and its enticements: how it readies its arrow upon the string to shoot its dark arguments into the heart, and the responses by which it is overcome. Therefore he says, "For the leader," [meaning] "for the servant of Hashem" — by these [responses] the servant of Hashem overcomes his adversary, and turns back the battle at the gate with wondrous and awesome words.

"The word of the transgression to the wicked man, in the midst of my heart, etc." — This is a transposed verse. I feel within my heart that the transgressioni.e., the evil inclinationsays to the wicked man that the fear of God should not be before his eyes. "in the midst of my heart" — Like a person who says, “It seems to me.”

"Speaks" [נאם] — the meaning is: this I think within my heart, for transgression, as it were, speaks to the wicked man: "do not fear," therefore "there is no God before his eyes."

"Transgression speaks to the wicked, it seems to me" — I say within my heart that "transgression," which is the evil inclination, says to the wicked man: do as you wish. And it is called "transgression" just as [Scripture elsewhere] calls it "sin": "Sin crouches at the door" (Genesis 4:7). "There is no fear of God before his eyes" — that is to say, there is nothing before your eyes of which you are afraid.

"Transgression speaks, etc." — That is to say: I think within my heart that the evil inclination incites and says to the wicked person, "There is no one in the world who has fear of God before his eyes, for the Omnipresent does not watch over the lowly world; so do what your heart desires."

"Speaks" — it is an expression of a declaration, as in 'says the Lord Hashem' (Isaiah 1:24). "Transgression" — the evil inclination is called 'transgression,' just as it is called 'sin,' as it is written, 'sin crouches at the door' (Genesis 4:7).

"Transgression speaks to the wicked, within my heart" — within my heart and my thoughts is found "the speech of transgression to the wicked," that is, the arguments that transgression speaks to the wicked man. He depicts it as though sin were arguing with the wicked man, for the intellect stands against transgression and refuses to fulfill its desire, and transgression arrays arguments against it. And these are [the arguments]: Regarding the commandments and admonitions that Hashem gave us in general, there are two views. Some say that the matter of the Torah and the commandments is like a king commanding his servant, "this you shall do and this you shall not do" — that the servant is obligated to obey his voice out of fear and dread of him, without asking at all what the reason for this commandment is, only that the master so willed it. And some say that all the commandments are for our benefit, and they compare Hashem, who commands them, to a physician who instructs and warns the patient what to eat and what not to eat, so that the patient obeys his voice out of self-love, because he desires life. Against the first view, transgression argues, saying, "There is no fear of God before his eyes" — the fear that you fear of God and His punishment is a matter of belief, a thing not visible to the eyes, and many deny it, [saying] that there is no fear and no judgment and reckoning. And why is there no fear of God before his eyes? Why is the sentence for an evil deed not carried out swiftly, openly, before the eyes of mankind? By this he denies the fear of punishment and providence, like all the well-known arguments of the philosophers who deny reward and punishment.

"For it smoothed" — The transgression made smooth places appear to his eyes in order that the Holy One, blessed be He, find his iniquity to hate him.

"For it flatters him" [כי החליק] — from the same root as "amareha hechelikah" ("her words are smooth"), like "ve'anokhi ish chalak" ("and I am a smooth man"); for it makes the evil thing smooth/pleasant in his eyes, [as if to say] that Hashem will find his iniquity and hate him, in the manner of "God has found the iniquity of your servants."

"For it flatters him in his eyes" — it flatters him in his eyes and makes the deed appear beautiful to him. "Until his iniquity be found" — "be found" [means]: it entices him to seek out the evil deed until he finds it, similar to: "Go, find the arrows" (I Samuel 20:21). "To be hated" — from his continual practice of it, he will [come to] loathe the transgression and hate it. But one might also say: it entices him "to find his iniquity," "to hate" — in the opposite sense, and this is the better way [to understand it]. Similarly: "For they have forsaken Hashem, to give heed" (Hosea 4:10) — whose meaning is: to follow the ways of other gods. And in the midrash (Shocher Tov, with variations): the wicked look with their eyes, search with their hands, and scheme in their hearts "to find" some "iniquity" that the Holy One, blessed be He, "hates," so that they may do it. And so it says (Deuteronomy 12:31): "For every abomination of Hashem which He hates have they done to their gods."

"For he flatters" — for through his enticement he smooths over and makes this thing appear beautiful in his eyes, and his whole intent is to find in him a sin, to make him hated in the eyes of the Omnipresent, for he [the inclination] does not seek his peace.

"For" — and against the second view, that the commandments and admonitions are for man's benefit and that the intellect agrees with them — behold, "it flatters him in his eyes": it lays the rugged terrain before him as a smooth path, showing him that the practical intellect does not compel the performance of the commandments and the avoidance of transgressions; and it demands of him "to find his iniquity, to hate it" — that he find the reason why he should hate the sin and why he should refrain from it. Now, the first argument he employs by way of the theoretical intellect, for concerning the beliefs of providence, reward and punishment, and the like, the theoretical intellect deliberates, and against them transgression comes forth with counterfeit theoretical proofs. And the second argument he employs with the practical intellect, which discerns good and evil in deeds and actions, and with it transgression comes forth to coat silver dross over earthenware, to show that there is no injustice in doing evil — based on arguments drawn from practical reasoning.

"he refrained from learning to improve" — He refrained from contemplating to improve his deeds.

"The words of" — and "chadal" ("he has left off") is joined with a lamed, like "vayechdelu livnot ha'ir" ("and they left off building the city").

"The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit" — for even if he speaks well with his mouth, it is "iniquity and deceit," because in his heart he thinks evil. "He has ceased to be wise" — [meaning] to accept discipline so as to make his heart wise. "To do good" — and to improve his way.

"The words of his mouth" — and the wicked person, having been enticed by it [the evil inclination], speaks with his mouth iniquity and deceit, and restrains himself from reflecting on the matter, from investigating the truth, and from improving his way.

"Iniquity" — mischief and falsehood.

"The words of" — after recounting the speech of transgression and its arguments, as they occur within his heart — for he too had these arguments of the evil inclination and its enticements pass through his heart — he says that he examined [them] and found that "the words of his mouth," [that is] of transgression, are "iniquity and deceit": for its proofs, which it draws from the theoretical intellect, are deceit and forgery, and the arguments it makes from the practical intellect are iniquity, for since his heart is full of iniquity, therefore all evil appears good in his eyes. And he explains that the error in the theoretical intellect comes about because "he has ceased to be wise" — not because he was wise, but rather because he was not wise, for had he applied wisdom to the matter, he would have found the truth. And the error from the practical intellect comes about because "he has ceased to do good" — for had he wanted to do good in his deeds, he would have felt that the commandments of Hashem are good and upright.

"he stands on a way that is not good" — The Holy One, blessed be He, placed before him the good way and the way of death, yet he chooses for himself a way that is not good.

"Iniquity," "upon his bed" — at night. "He sets himself" — the opposite of "his bed," [meaning] during the day. "In a way that is not good" — [refers to] a negative commandment. "He does not despise evil" — the meaning is doubled [for emphasis].

"He devises iniquity upon his bed" — at night he devises [plans] to do evil, for the bed is a place for thinking while a person is still awake, since he is not occupied with any [other] business. And by day — "He sets himself in a way that is not good" — to do evil. And it says "not good" following the manner of the language [i.e., as an idiom], like: "that is not clean" (Genesis 7:2), "for he is not clean" (I Samuel 20:26); and likewise: "who walk in the way that is not good" (Isaiah 65:2), and "and has done that which is not good among his people" (Ezekiel 18:18), and "a false balance is not good" (Proverbs 20:23), and others like them. Or perhaps it says this so as not to say "evil" twice in succession. Or its meaning is: that there is no good in his way in any respect, for it is all evil. "He abhors not evil" — at all times he loves to do evil, and there is no time at which he abhors the evil [enough] to refrain from doing it.

"Upon his bed" — at the time when he is free of his cares. "He sets himself" — although at first he stands in a way and conduct that is not good, and has not yet resolved to do evil, in the end of the matter he will not refuse even evil, for such is the way of one enticed by the evil inclination.

"Iniquity" — he explains that man, by his origin and nature, is inclined to understand the truth wisely and to do good in his deeds and actions, and it is fitting that he should despise evil and cling to good. But only through "devising iniquity upon his bed" — if he merely entertains a thought of iniquity in contemplation — or through "setting himself in a way that is not good" in deed — even though this is not through active commission but only through passive omission, in that he does not think and inquire after the truth and does not strive to do good — this will grow in his heart a root bearing gall and wormwood, until "he does not abhor evil," and he calls evil good.

"O Lord, Your kindness is in the heavens" — Because of these wicked men, You remove [Your] kindness from the earth creatures and raise up Your faith until the sky to remove it from the sons of men.

"Hashem" — it appears that the heh which is [normally] missing [from the word "bashamayim," in the heavens] is [here] retained, as in the phrase "Hashem, in the heavens, has established His throne" [where it is not written]; therefore the bet [there] is vocalized with a patach. And the meaning of this verse is: because I am a servant of Hashem, I know that His kindness encompasses everything. And the meaning [further]: there is nothing higher than the heavens, as far as the eye can see. And some say: that the heavens are the source of kindness and the wellspring of faithfulness.

"Hashem, [Your lovingkindness is] in the heavens" — with the heh of the definite article, as grammar requires, though [Scripture] usually omits it, for ease. And the meaning of "in the heavens" is: unto the heavens; and similarly: "they could not touch their garments" (Lamentations 4:14). And it is possible that this one is like them: "and he shall send away the goat into the wilderness" (Leviticus 16:22) — like: unto the wilderness. "Your lovingkindness" — and the lovingkindness of God and His faithfulness [endure] forever. For faithfulness is the perpetuation of the species so that it not be destroyed; for even if individuals — who are the particular, deficient members — perish, the species endures forever. And so it says (Isaiah 45:18): "He created it not a waste, He formed it to be inhabited." And so it is written (Psalms 119:90): "Your faithfulness is unto all generations; You have established the earth, and it stands"; "and the earth abides forever" (Ecclesiastes 1:4). And lovingkindness is the provision for the sustaining of the world, in that He provides for every living creature its food in a manner close at hand, without great exertion — for it could not endure if it required great exertion, and yet faithfulness would remain [intact]. But lovingkindness is the extra measure, that this very goodness is itself a provision for the sustaining of the world, as it says (Psalms 104:14): "Who makes the grass to grow for the cattle"; "Who makes the mountains bring forth grass" (Psalms 147:8), for the mountains are the dwelling place of the wild beasts, and there He makes their food grow for them. And so it says (Psalms 104:10-11): "Who sends forth springs into the valleys, they run between the mountains; they give drink to every beast of the field" — for He provides them food and drink in their [own] place; and this is the lovingkindness of God toward His creatures. And furthermore, regarding the provision for the sustaining of the world: that which is more necessary for the sustaining of the world is provided more abundantly. For drink is more necessary for the continuance of life than food; therefore water is found provided in greater abundance than food, and without labor or preparation. And air is more necessary to every living being than food and drink; therefore it is found in even greater abundance, for no living being can survive without it even for a single hour. And David said, when relating the deed of the wicked man and his thought: Great are the lovingkindnesses of Hashem toward His creatures, for even the deniers of Him, whom he mentioned above, He provides for their sustenance and their food forever. And he said: "Your faithfulness reaches to the skies" — for the lovingkindness of God, may He be blessed, is great, unto the heavens, and so too is His faithfulness, for "heavens" and "skies" are one and the same; and it is the way of the language to vary the words where repetition occurs. And so he said in another verse, when magnifying [His] lovingkindness and truth (Psalms 57:11): "For Your lovingkindness is great unto the heavens, and Your truth unto the skies." And exaggerating it even further, he said (Psalms 108:5): "For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens." And the meaning of "unto the skies" is: like [reaching] from the earth unto the heavens. And so he said (Psalms 103:11): "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward them that fear Him."

"In the heavens" — but the truth is that Hashem's acts of kindness extend even in the lowly world, from the earth to the heavens, and He watches over everything. "Your faithfulness" — the trustworthiness of the payment of reward [that You are faithful to pay reward].

"Is in the heavens" — meaning, 'reaches unto the heavens'; and likewise 'that they could not touch their garments' (Lamentations 4:14), meaning, 'to the point that they could not.'

"Hashem" — now he comes to argue and respond to the speech of transgression and its arguments. First he responds to what was said, "there is no fear of God before his eyes," which raised the question: why does Hashem not punish the wicked and pay the reward of the righteous immediately in this world? To this he answers: "Hashem, Your lovingkindness is in the heavens" — meaning that Hashem's governance of His world divides into two categories. The first is the natural governance, orderly and fixed according to set, limited laws that do not change — such as day and night, summer and winter, rain and drought, and the like. This governance is fixed in the heavens (shamayim), for according to the motion of the sphere and the order of the heavenly bodies and their courses, they determine the actions of the lower beings according to the law that their Creator set for them from ancient times. This governance is called in the Holy Scriptures by the name "faithfulness," for Hashem keeps His faithfulness in them, not changing the law He set for them — as it is said, "The heavens, You establish Your faithfulness in them," and "Forever, O Hashem, Your word stands firm in the heavens; Your faithfulness is for all generations" (as was stated above at [Psalm] 33, on "and all His work is done in faithfulness"). The second is the non-fixed governance, whereby Hashem alters nature and conducts another, wondrous governance according to the need of the time and circumstance, for the moment — such as at the time of the Exodus from Egypt and in the wilderness, when He performed wonders in the sight of their forefathers. This governance is fixed in the "skies" (shechakim), which are higher than the heavens, and they always allude to this governance. This governance is called by the name "lovingkindness," for in it He does not keep faithfulness and adherence to the laws He set, but rather acts according to His lovingkindness toward those who keep His covenant and testimonies. Now, as it appears to people, it seems to them that the natural governance, which is faithfulness, is fixed in the heavens, and the miraculous governance, which is lovingkindness, is fixed in the skies — meaning, that nature always proceeds according to its fixed laws and never changes of itself; only when Hashem wishes to conduct a miraculous governance does He abandon His natural laws and override them, in such a way that the miracle does not come from the heavens and the motion of the spheres, but rather through the suspension of the heavens and the cessation of their power and the strengthening of the power of the skies. Accordingly, reward and punishment are not natural but miraculous — meaning, that through a person's keeping a commandment or transgressing a sin, nature does not change on his account according to the natural order, but only according to another, miraculous order, if Hashem wishes to reward or punish him — so that reward and punishment require a special will from Hashem and a new, unmediated governance. But as long as nature remains on its ordinary footing, it is conceivable that the wicked commit great transgressions and prosper, and the righteous are afflicted with suffering, if their fortune requires this — since there is no connection between human deeds and the laws of nature. And by this transgression argues, saying, "there is no fear of God before his eyes." And so, accordingly, the governance of miracle, reward, and punishment, which is not natural, is not fixed but renewed for the moment, and it would not be conceivable at all for there to be lovingkindness in the heavens and faithfulness in the skies. But the Torah teaches us the opposite: for the Torah has already testified that nature, in all its workings, follows after the deeds of men, whether good or evil — that if they improve their deeds, they arouse the natural instrument that plays, so that it goes forth to meet them with drums and dances and pours out blessing upon them; and if they do evil in their deeds, the orders of nature and its systems become corrupted, and arouse evil and want — as is explained in the portion of Bechukotai and elsewhere, that if they heed His commandments, He gives rain and showers and all good, and the opposite for the opposite. It is clear, then, that He who created the great world, which is in general founded upon fixed, unchanging natural laws, [also created] the small world, which is man — who alone is governed according to other, freely-chosen laws, which he can alter by his choice; and he, by his choice, rules over the natural laws of his body and compels them to submit to the laws of intellect and free will, to obey the Torah of Hashem and His commandments. In His infinite wisdom, He devised a way to bind the governance of these two worlds together with wondrous, fine bonds and hidden spiritual cords, such that the governance of nature and its laws in the great world submit to and are drawn after the governance of the freely-chosen deeds in the small world — until the world and man resemble (in the words of the Akeidat Yitzchak) two musical instruments tuned to the same pitch, such that the strings of the great violin vibrate according to what is played upon the small violin corresponding to it — so that every deed of man, whether evil or good, arouses against it evil or good in the great world. Accordingly, the wondrous governance that follows the deed, which is lovingkindness, is found also in the heavens and in nature, for it too conducts itself according to the deeds of men. And so he says, "Hashem, Your lovingkindness is in the heavens." And likewise, faithfulness, which is the fixed governance according to fixed laws, is found also in the skies — for the second, miraculous governance that follows the deed is not random, in such a way that it overrides the laws of nature for the moment; rather, it is another nature, fixed and orderly, likewise for producing miracles for those who fear Him according to their deeds. And so he says, "Your faithfulness reaches to the skies."

"Your charity" — is as scarce to the creatures as the mighty mountains because of the deeds of the wicked, and Your judgments come upon the world until the vast deep. Another explanation: "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains" — The one with whom You wish to deal charitably, You raise up and strengthen like the mighty mountains. אל is an expression of strength, as (in Ezek. 17: 13): “and he has taken away the mighty of (אילי) the land.” "Your judgments are the vast deep" — Whomever You wish to judge, and wreak vengeance upon, You humble him to the vast deep. "Your judgments" — Heb. משפטיך, joustiza in Old French, justice. "You save both man and beast" — People who are as astute as Adam, but who make themselves as humble as beasts, You save, O Lord.

"Your righteousness" — Rabbi Moshe said: human beings cannot bear/grasp Your righteousness, for it is like the mighty mountains. And the correct view is: that it is so exalted that its full extent cannot be known, like the mighty mountains of God, which a person cannot reach the summit of; and likewise the knowledge of Your judgments is like the great deep, which is so deep that no person can see [its bottom]. "Man and beast" — the meaning is that He judges every sentient creature, along the lines of: "and of every beast will I require it."

"Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains" — "like the mighty mountains" [means] the high mountains. And it is the way of the language, when it wishes to magnify a thing, to attach it to God, as in: "an exceedingly great city" [lit. "a city great to God"] (Jonah 3:3); "and there was a trembling of God" (I Samuel 14:15); "a land of thick darkness" [lit. "darkness of God"] (Jeremiah 2:31); "a most vehement flame" [lit. "flame of God"] (Song of Songs 8:6); "and its branches were cedars of God" (Psalms 80:11). And it says "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains" because it had [just] said "Hashem, Your lovingkindness is in the heavens." It means: although Your lovingkindness is great toward all, toward the good and toward the wicked alike, You distinguish between them at the time when You see fit, and You magnify Your righteousness toward the good like the high and great mountains — so great is Your righteousness toward the good. "Your judgments are like the great deep" — and You magnify Your judgments toward the wicked; when You see fit to bring them into judgment, You sink them down to the great deep, so that they never come up from there. He compared the good [reward] to mountains, which are a place of stronghold and refuge from the enemy — so is the goodness of God, may He be blessed, and His salvation, as it says (Proverbs 18:10): "The name of Hashem is a tower of strength"; "my rock and my fortress" (II Samuel 22:2; Psalm 18:3); "You have made my mountain to stand strong" (Psalm 30:8) — so that men are unable to remove it from the good, or to rob it from them. And he compared the evil [punishment] to the great deep, which is a place of destruction from which a man cannot be saved, as it says (Psalm 69:2-3): "For the waters have come in even unto the soul; I have sunk in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters." And it says: "Man and beast You preserve, O Hashem" — that is to say: even though You distinguish between the good and the wicked in this world, watching over the good for good and over the wicked for evil, each according to his deeds, yet there are times when You bestow Your goodness upon the wicked man and save him from distress. And I say: that lovingkindness which You show to the wicked man who denies You is like the lovingkindness You show to the beast, which does not recognize Your kindness, yet You provide for its needs — and this is [the meaning of] "Man and beast You preserve, O Hashem": for the wicked man, or the fool, is like a beast in the form of a man, [having] the form of the beast within the form of the good man. And the sage Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained the meaning of "Man and beast You preserve, O Hashem" [to mean]: that He will judge every sentient being, along the lines of "at the hand of every beast will I require it" (Genesis 9:5). And our Rabbis expounded (Babylonian Talmud, Arachin 5b, with slight variation): were it not for "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains," who could stand before "Your judgments," which are like a great deep? And further, in their words (Chullin 63a): Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri (*Shlomo HaKatan notes: in our text of the Talmud it reads simply "Rabbi Yochanan," unspecified) — when he saw a shalach [a species of bird], he would say: "Your judgments are a great deep"; when he saw an ant, he would say: "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains."

"Your righteousness" — the righteous acts that You perform for the righteous are high and lofty like the mountains of God. "Your judgments" — the judgments that You execute upon the wicked are as abundant as the great deep, and over everything You watch, to repay according to the reward [due]. "Man and beast" — You, Hashem, save man and even beast, for You watch over all.

"Like the mighty mountains" — one who wishes to magnify something attaches it to the word 'El' (mighty/God), and likewise 'and its branches were like the mighty cedars' (below, Psalm 80). "Great" — large.

"Your righteousness" — However, there is a difference between two kinds of recompense: between the complete, revealed miracle that comes about as if in play, such as the splitting of the Sea of Reeds and the Jordan, and the descent of the manna, which everyone saw was a miracle for the sake of Israel and in accordance with their deeds; and the hidden miracle that comes about through nature, such as the falling of rain for those who keep His commandments, which comes from the heavens — this is not perceived by everyone, and many will say that "the world follows its accustomed course," and that the rain falls according to nature, not according to deeds. I have already explained (in my commentary on Isaiah 59, and in many other places) that just as "righteousness" (tzedakah) and "justice" (mishpat), as applied to human beings, are distinguished in that righteousness indicates commandments between man and God and justice indicates commandments between man and his fellow, so too these two terms, as applied to God, are distinguished: righteousness indicates the deeds that Hashem performs by virtue of His Godhead, and justice indicates the deeds He performs with regard to human beings. Accordingly, the revealed miracles that Hashem performs are called by the name "righteousness," for He performs them by virtue of His Godhead and His simple will, without regard to the fixed natural order; while "justice" indicates the governance of nature according to the deeds of human beings, whether evil or good. Therefore it says, "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains" — for the righteousness, which are the revealed miracles, are visible to all like mighty mountains; but "Your judgments" — that which You reward and punish through hidden miracles within the laws of nature — are covered "like the great deep," so that many therefore doubt this recompense and punishment and deny it. Now he explains why this is so: "man and beast You preserve, Hashem" — because man is composed of two parts: one part is "beast," for there is no difference between the body of man and the body of a beast, so that with respect to his body he is a beast, subject to compelling natural laws, while with respect to his soul and intellect he is "man," and can choose and act according to his choice, against his bodily nature. And if reward and punishment were openly revealed, he would not choose good and reject evil by virtue of the intellect's choice, but only by virtue of the nature of his body — just as he would not drink a deadly poison, out of the nature of his body. For everything a person does for the sake of benefit and pleasure to the body, he does out of his animal nature, not out of his human choice, for the freedom of choice exists only when one does the good because it is good, and for the sake of the law of the intellect, free of any bodily motive. Therefore it was necessary to hide reward and punishment in "the great deep," so that room would be found for performing the commandments from the part of him that is "man." And by this he also teaches, by way of allusion, how it can be conceived that man's freely-chosen deeds bring about changes in the great world and in the general order of nature — for an example of this is seen in man himself: even though his animal body is bound under natural laws, man, insofar as he is "man," that is, by virtue of his intellect, can change the nature of the beast and draw it against its natural laws, through intellectual deeds. And we have already explained elsewhere that Hashem arranged the body of man so that it would encompass within it all the natural laws that are dispersed throughout the whole work of creation — that is, that it encompasses within it the entire great world. And when his human, intellectual soul subdues the laws of the small world and its nature under its dominion, it thereby subdues also the great world — for the two are one and the same matter.

"How precious is Your kindness" — It is not fitting that it be extended to these wicked, but the children of men who take refuge in the shadow of Your wingsthey will be sated from the fat of Your house, etc.

"How" — since He mentioned man and beast, He now mentions the more honored among mankind. "How precious" — [the word] serves for both singular and plural according to the grammatical rule, as if it were written: "How precious are the children of men who take refuge in the shadow of Your wings," or "how precious [it is] to each one of them."

"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God" — He says: the lovingkindness by which You treat the good and the wicked equally at times belongs to this world; but in the lovingkindness of the world to come, the wicked will have no share in it — it will belong entirely to the righteous. And that lovingkindness is more precious and more honored than the lovingkindness of this world, which is a passing good; but that other lovingkindness is the enduring and eternal good. This is what he means by "How precious is Your lovingkindness." The word "how" (mah) is used for magnification, as in "How great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You" (Psalms 31:20). Regarding the lovingkindness of this world he said (Psalms 57:11): "Your lovingkindness reaches to the heavens"; but the lovingkindness of the world to come has no measure, as the prophet said (Isaiah 64:3): "No eye has seen a God besides You." "And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings" — in the world to come, those who will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings are those who are truly "children of men," not those who are like "beasts," as he mentioned earlier; for those latter sometimes have good in this world, but not in the world to come. Therefore he says "God" (Elohim), whose meaning here is "judge," for there each person will be requited according to his judgment.

"How precious" — how very precious and valuable is the kindness that You perform. "They take refuge" — for through Your kindness You become a refuge for them.

"How precious" — now he comes to answer the second argument of Transgression, namely what is stated: "to find his iniquity, to hate it" — who argues that he finds in his intellect no reason for Hashem's commandments, and why he should hate iniquity, particularly with regard to most of the commandments between man and God, about which Transgression argues: what benefit is there in these deeds, and what loss would there be in abandoning them? To this he answers that man is unique in this respect among all the creatures of the earth, for all of them Hashem has left to nature — not so man, for by virtue of his divine soul, which is elevated above nature, he must sanctify himself through special deeds. Through these he draws near to God and draws down upon himself the divine, providential influence, for these deeds have this special power to draw down upon him all the divine influence and spiritual attachment, until his soul returns to be of the order of the higher beings, and afterward returns to the eternal Eden, to eternal life — and this is a special lovingkindness toward the human species. This is what is meant by "How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God" — this lovingkindness is very precious (for preciousness belongs to that whose existence is rare, and so too spiritual and divine existence is rare in this physical world) — and it is that "the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings." He poetically conveys that all creatures are given over to nature, except the human species, to whom providence cleaves as an eagle hovers over its young; so does God shelter over him, like a bird spreading its wings over its young, on account of the closeness between them, since the soul is a part of His own essence, blessed be He.

"Yirveyun" [they are abundantly satisfied] — is like [the form] "yirbeyun" [they increase]. "Your house" — refers to those who withdraw in seclusion to serve Hashem in their own house; and this service enriches the soul, and the knowledge of Hashem delights them. "River" — the meaning is that it does not cease.

"They are abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Your house" — all this refers to the world to come, the world of souls and angels. And it is called "the house of Hashem," just as it is called "the Temple of Hashem," "His holy mountain," "the mountain of Hashem," and "the pleasantness of Hashem," as we explained (Psalms 11:4; 15:1; 27:4). The "fatness" and the "pleasure" are the attainment of the knowledge of God, may He be blessed. It is the good that has no evil after it, and the satiety that has no hunger or thirst after it. And the meaning of — "And You make them drink of the river of Your pleasures" — is that the pleasures will be as abundant as the waters of a river. And the meaning of — "You make them drink" — is that You will help them attain knowledge.

"They are abundantly satisfied" — they are sated from the good that comes to them from the heavens. "And the river" — and with the waters of the river that flows out from Eden You give them to drink; and this is by way of a metaphor for abundance of plenty.

"Are abundantly satisfied" — from the language of saturation and fullness. "With the fatness" — an expression of fat.

"They are abundantly satisfied" — although all the offspring of nature are outside the house of Hashem, placed in His outer courtyards, which is the governance of nature, the souls of human beings are members of His household and His palace, eaters of His bread at His table, so that their bread is not the physical, natural bread, and their water is not the water of a spring or a cistern; rather, their bread is "the fatness of Your house," the bread of the mighty, and their drink is from the stream of the supernal "Eden," which is a metaphor for the divine influence — His teachings and His commandments, the unity of His indwelling Presence, and the influence of His prophecy — through which they merit all the spiritual attainments. Now, who is so foolish as to still ask for the reason of the commandments that are between man and God? For since man is bound to God in this manner, he must necessarily keep His commandments, which are the means leading to this goal — they are the bread and water by which this soul, the daughter of God, who takes refuge in the shadow of its wings, is satisfied.

"For, the fountain of life" — the life of the supernal soul, which does not die. "In Your light we see light" — a metaphor for the reward of the World to Come, for there is nothing in this world more honored than light, and it is a substance/essence yet is not a physical body.

"For with You is the fountain of life" — just as the waters of a spring never cease, unlike gathered [still] waters, which do cease, so the life of the world to come is without cessation; it is a "life" that has no death after it, and a "light" that has no darkness after it. This is [the meaning of] "In Your light we see light."

"For with You" — in Your hand is the fountain of life, to give to whoever is good in Your eyes. "In Your light" — by the light that comes from You alone is light truly seen — that is to say, it is a unique light, better than all other light.

"The fountain" — a flowing spring.

"For with You" — meaning, all living creatures that are under nature receive from nature life and light: life to animate the body, and light to bring sense-perception from potential into actuality. But natural life is only a conduit flowing from the true life, whose source is with Hashem, so that natural life and spiritual life are both termed "life" only equivocally, for the spiritual lives are the true life, flowing forth from the source, while the physical lives are only illusory life. Likewise, physical light, which brings the sense of sight from potential into actuality, is only a spark from the spiritual, divine light, which is the true light and the root of all lights, so that the relation of physical light to this light is like the relation of the sense of sight to light: just as the sense of sight does not come from potential into actuality except through light, so the light of the world does not acquire existence, nor become visible, except through the supernal light. Therefore it says, "In Your light we see light" — that through Your hidden light, light is seen and brought into actuality, as it is written, "Come, let us walk in the light of Hashem" (Isaiah 2:5), and "you who cling to Hashem your God are all alive today" (Deuteronomy 4:4) — for true life is attachment to Hashem, and the true light is the light of Hashem and His splendor. And since the commandments are ladders and rungs by which man draws up from the source of life and merits to gaze upon the light of Hashem, while transgressions are death and true darkness — behold, one has already found an answer to the declaration of Transgression: "to find his iniquity, to hate it."

"Continue" — the meaning of "to those who know You" is that they are at the highest level. He mentioned "continue" because His lovingkindness is in the heavens; and "continue" also serves for another clause — namely, "and [continue] Your righteousness to the upright in heart," who have good deeds even though they are not on the level of those who know Hashem.

"O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You; and Your righteousness to the upright in heart" — "continue Your lovingkindness" (meshokh chasdekha): the word "continuing" (meshikhah) is used in the sense of "extending," as in "and He extended (va-yet) lovingkindness to him" (Genesis 39:21); and likewise "I have drawn (meshakhtikh) you with lovingkindness" (Jeremiah 31:3). He says: extend lovingkindness "to those who know You" in this world, so that they may occupy themselves with wisdom and the commandments, with nothing to hinder them from the affairs of this world. Or the verse may be interpreted as referring to the world to come; and "those who know You" are the wise, who occupy themselves with Torah, the commandments, and the knowledge of the divinity of the Creator to the extent of their ability; and "the upright in heart" are those who walk in simplicity of heart and in uprightness, occupying themselves with Torah and the commandments, but who have not attained to the knowledge of divinity so as to know the Creator, except by way of tradition. He asks of God that He continue His lovingkindness — which is the extra measure of good in the world to come — to those who know Him, and that His righteousness, which is the good fitting for the upright in heart, [continue] as well.

"To those who know You" — to those who know You, [meaning] to believe in You.

"Continue" — Based on this proposal, [the psalmist] requests from Hashem that He continue His lovingkindness and righteousness toward those who are not enticed by the arguments of transgression that come to lead a person astray, whether in thought or in deed; rather, they keep their way straight, both in thought — to know Hashem, as it says, "to those who know You," and in deed — to make the heart upright to fulfill His commandments without any deviation or doubt, but only "with an upright heart." Now, "those who know Hashem" — they will attain His lovingkindness, for they know that Hashem conducts [the world] through a wondrous, miraculous providence according to the time and the deeds; and through this knowledge, "Hashem will continue His lovingkindness upon them." And "the upright of heart" — through deeds that are between man and the Omnipresent, which are called righteousness (tzedakah) in the Holy Scriptures — so too "Hashem will continue His righteousness upon them."

"Let the foot of haughtiness not come with me" — Let the foot of these wicked men not come with me at the time of the reception of reward, [because] their lot should [not] be with the righteous. "neither shall the hand of the wicked cause me to wander" — from my place when I return to inherit a double [portion]: my portion and the portion of the wicked man, in the goodness, as the matter that is stated (in Isa. 61:7): “Therefore, in their land they shall inherit twofold.” And then...

"Let not" — the meaning is: let not the foot of the arrogant come upon me; this is expressed in the manner of "yishkavenah" [he shall lie with her], as if to say that they should not join together with him in the house of Hashem. "And the hand" — he mentions the foot and the hand. "Let not... drive me away" — the meaning is: from the fatness of Your house, to another place.

"Let not [the foot of pride] overtake me" — "overtake me" (tevo'eni) means "come upon me"; and likewise "let ruin come upon him (tevo'ehu)" (Psalms 35:8) means "come upon him." He asks that it not come upon him — "the foot of pride" — the foot of the enemies who come "in pride" to harass me in war, so that I would not be free for the service of God. "And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away" — from my place, where I withdraw in solitude to know Your ways. He mentions the "foot" and the "hand," because they would come with their feet and fight with their hands.

"Let not come upon me" — let not the foot of proud men come upon me to distress me, and let not the wicked drive me from my place with a strong hand.

"Let not... overtake me" — Therefore I ask that I not stumble through the arguments of transgression in these two ways, whether in thought or in deed. Against [stumbling in] thought he asks, "let not the foot of pride overtake me," for pride is the cause of stumbling in speculation concerning matters beyond nature, and all the more so in divine wisdom — in that one becomes proud, [thinking] that nothing is hidden from his grasp, and does not know that there are things closed off from human intellect, that there is a limit to his comprehension, and that it is impossible for him to grasp matters abstracted from matter, as is explained in the science of the critique of reason; and as David the king, peace be upon him, said, "Hashem, my heart was not haughty." And against [stumbling in] deed he said, "and let not the hand of the wicked drive me away" — the "hand" denotes actions; [he asks] that the hands of the wicked not sway him to perform a wicked act.

"There the workers of iniquity have fallen" — There they will understand their downfall, and there they were thrust away and were unable to rise.

"There" — the meaning is: they shall fall in the very place where they intended to drive me away, before they could come to me. And some say: when the foot hastens to come to me it shall stumble, and when the hand strengthens itself to drive me away they shall be thrust down, as in: "You thrust hard at me that I might fall." And the meaning of "there" is like "then," and similarly: "there they cry out, but He does not answer." And it is possible that "there" alludes to the place where the workers of iniquity fell in ancient days. And the meaning is that I should know that the hand of the wicked shall not drive me away, for they themselves shall fall just as those like them fell in times past.

"There are the workers of iniquity fallen" — "fallen" (naflu) is a past-tense form used in place of the future, as is customary in prophecies and words of the holy spirit; and its meaning is: in their place they will fall, so that they will have no power to come into our land and make war against us. "They are thrust down, and are not able to rise" — they will have a thrusting-down and a fall from which they will no longer be able to rise again — the opposite of the righteous man, of whom it is said (Proverbs 24:16): "For a righteous man falls seven times and rises." The word "duchu" (thrust down) is accented on the last syllable, with the revia on the chet, and it belongs to the passive form whose agent is not mentioned, from the intensive [pu'al] pattern; it follows the pattern of "the prayers of David are ended (kalu)" (Psalms 72:20), except that here the chet does not take a dagesh.

"There they have fallen" — in the place where they would come to distress me, there they have fallen, and they are cast down, unable to rise.

"Are fallen" — like 'they shall fall'; the past tense is used in place of the future.

"There" — That is to say, even though I know that the workers of iniquity sometimes succeed in this world, nevertheless "there," in the eternal world, "the workers of iniquity have fallen" — for the fact that they succeed here is so that they may fall there with an eternal fall, "unable to rise," for one who falls in this world will rise in the World to Come; but not so one who falls there, whose punishment is eternal — he will never rise.