Psalms · Psalm 99

"nations will quake" — [This] deals with the war of Gog and Magog. Then the nations will quake, as the matter that is said (Zech. 14:12): “And this shall be the plague, etc.” "will falter" — Heb. תנוט, an expression of (73:2): “my feet faltered (נטוי).”

'Hashem reigns; let the peoples tremble' — the word 'reigns' also serves [elliptically] for another [clause]: '[He is] King, enthroned upon the cherubim.' 'let the earth quake' — like 'let it tremble,' and it has no parallel [elsewhere in Scripture]. the meaning of 'let the peoples tremble' is: they are the wicked.

"Hashem" — Above it says, "Hashem reigns; let the earth rejoice," and above it also says, "Hashem reigns... the world also is established, that it cannot be moved"; and now it says, "let the peoples tremble... let the earth quake" — and all of this is true, for the peoples will tremble and the earth will quake at the downfall of Gog and Magog, and afterward the earth will rejoice and the world will be established, unmoved, for there will no longer be war in the world. And it says, "He is enthroned upon the cherubim" — that He will return His Divine Presence to Zion, in the Temple.

"Hashem reigns" — When His kingship is revealed, the peoples around the land of Israel will tremble. "He is enthroned" — Before Him who is enthroned upon the cherubim that are upon the Ark, the earth will be prone to fall; meaning, trembling will seize the inhabitants of the earth.

"Tremble" — a term for trembling, as in 'tremble, and sin not' (above, Psalms 4).

'Hashem reigns' — behold, at the time Hashem is revealed in this kingship and governance, 'let the peoples tremble,' as it is written, 'the peoples have heard, they tremble.' And because He is 'enthroned upon cherubim, let the earth quake' — for in the first aspect, the depiction of Hashem comes as a King sitting in the heavens, for He governs by means of the cosmic order, in that His throne is in the heavens, and He arranges the governance of the heavens according to what is fitting for providential governance, with fairness and justice. But now He is depicted as dwelling on earth and residing upon the cherubim, which is a depiction of the miraculous governance that comes by means of the angels, His ministers who do His will, who are winged beings — this is the depiction of the cherubim. And because of this, the earth quakes from dread of the great King who dwells within it.

'Hashem [is great in Zion]' — because it mentioned '[He is] enthroned upon the cherubim,' it now mentions that His dwelling is in Zion.

"Hashem" — Then He will be great in Zion, for there He will show His greatness over all the peoples by executing judgment upon the wicked.

"Hashem is in Zion" — Hashem, whose dwelling is in Zion, is great and exalted above all, and they will tremble before Him.

'Hashem' — now he begins to arrange these three levels and the difference between them, and the structure of the verses: at the time that 'in Zion is great,' etc., then 'they shall acknowledge Your name,' etc.; and at the time that 'the strength of a king who loves justice,' etc., then 'exalt Hashem our God, and bow down at His footstool'; and at the time that 'Moses and Aaron among His priests,' etc., then 'exalt Hashem our God, and bow down at His holy hill.' He identifies three levels. First: at the time that 'Hashem is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples' — there is a difference between 'great' and 'high.' The 'great' extends in quantity from above to below, like a pillar standing on the earth with its top in the heavens, so that each person attains from it according to his own height — the dwarf grasps the bottom of the pillar, and the giant grasps its middle. In this image, Hashem is found in Zion, so that each person attains from Him according to his own level of perfection, whether a little or a great deal, and He is found with every man of Israel, even with the smallest of them. But a thing that is 'high,' like a star in the heavens, no man is able to attain — and in this image, Hashem is found in relation to the idolatrous nations, as it is said, 'high above all nations is Hashem,' meaning that they say He is utterly unattainable, and that He does not oversee the lowly world at all. Accordingly, he says: at the time that Hashem is 'high above all the peoples' — that is, at the time He hands them over to the governance of the cosmic order and does not show them His providence at all, but is only 'great in Zion,' where He watches over and rules with great dominion — then, 'they shall acknowledge only Your name.' Then they will not acknowledge Him Himself, but only His name — for acknowledgment of His name indicates that they have merely heard a report from afar, and have not attained Him Himself; for then they know of Hashem only what they have grasped from what has become publicly known of the deeds that He performed in Zion. And because, through the report of His providence in Zion, they will acknowledge, saying, 'great and awesome, He is holy' — these three epithets encompass three modes of governance that he speaks of by these terms: the name 'great' indicates that He is the first of causes and their last; and 'awesome' indicates that He is able to arrange the cosmic order and to override it so that it accords with His governance; and the name 'holy' indicates that He is exalted above the ordinary governance that operates by means of nature, and instead performs wonders with His right hand and His holy arm, in an exalted, miraculous manner, elevated above the laws of this world and its order.

"They will acknowledge Your name" — They will acknowledge the might of the King Who loves judgment.

'Let them praise [Your name]' — [this] refers back to 'the peoples'; and 'Your name' is the proper, honored Name that was revealed through Moses to Israel, for in none of the [other] languages is there an honored name for Him — only among the people of Israel alone.

"Let them praise" — Then all the peoples will praise Your name, for it is great and awesome.

"Let them praise Your name" — Let all of them praise Your name, [saying] "for it is great," etc.

"and the might of the King Who loves judgment" — This refers back to the preceding verse. "You founded equity" — You founded compromise and peacemaking between persons, by Your statement (Exod. 23:5): “Should you see your enemy’s donkey lying etc.”; (ibid. verse 4), “Should you come upon Your enemy’s ox, etc.” Now who is it who sees his enemy being kind to him, whose heart will not be inspired to embrace him and kiss him? (Tanchuma).

'The strength also [of the king]' — strength and glory belong to the king who loves justice. the meaning of 'You alone' is: either [You established it] alone, or [that] 'the beginning is from You.' The meaning of 'equity' is: the laws of the Torah and its righteous statutes, which were given through His messengers — namely Moses — among His priests. The word 'kohen' (priest) throughout Scripture means 'minister,' [as in] 'priests of Hashem, ministers of our God' (Isaiah 61:6), and 'and they shall minister to Me' (Exodus 28:41). Therefore, even though Aaron was the head priest, Moses was priest of the priests, for he ministered during the seven days of consecration [of the Tabernacle]. And it mentions Samuel, who was of their [priestly] families, in his calling out to Hashem, and He answered him, as it is written: 'I will call unto Hashem, and He will answer' (1 Samuel 12:17-18) — immediately.

"And the strength of the king" — Then His strength will be seen, and that He is King over all; and then they will recognize that You love justice, and that You have established all things with equity, and that it is You who executed justice in Jacob when You exiled them among the nations, and it is You who performed righteousness in Jacob when You brought them out of exile. And some explain the verse as referring to the laws of the Torah that He gave to Jacob, for they are all equitable, and then all the peoples will acknowledge them.

"And the strength of the king" — the strength belongs to the King who loves justice. "Equity" — the Torah, which is equity — You have established it. "Justice and righteousness" — the laws of the Torah and its righteous words, given to Jacob — they are the work of Your hands.

'And the strength' (Level 2) — at the time that 'You have established strength, a king who loves justice, upon equity' — at a time when You are not [merely] 'high above the peoples' without overseeing them, but rather You resemble a judge who directs everything with justice according to the law, and resemble a king who loves justice, who has established his strength upon equity, so that everything is conducted according to the laws of rectitude — to the point that the cosmic order, which is the throne of Hashem, is established upon equity, to act according to rectitude and righteousness, just as the Supreme King who loves justice established it. This will be in the governance of the idolatrous nations, who will be governed by means of the cosmic order, such that nonetheless the governance of the cosmic order will accord with reward and punishment. 'Justice and righteousness You have wrought in Jacob' — however, with Jacob there will be a different governance, superior to it, for they will not be governed by means of the cosmic order, but rather You Yourself have wrought in him justice and righteousness. 'Justice' (mishpat) is what He gives according to what is deserved, and 'righteousness' (tzedakah) is what He gives according to the supreme righteousness, which gives in kindness on account of the righteousness of God, more than is warranted according to the deed. And at the time that He governs the world at large with equity, He will govern Jacob at a higher level, which is a governance composed of justice and righteousness — a miraculous, wondrous governance, according to the individual reward, which is the justice, and according to the kindness of God with a special love, which is the righteousness, by which He performs hidden miracles for them. Then, 'exalt Hashem our God, and bow down at His footstool' — for although he is still speaking here of a time when Hashem does not dwell on earth to conduct a special governance from Himself alone, but rather it is depicted as if the heavens were His throne — for even the miracles are hidden and descend by way of the heavens and nature — nonetheless, His footstool is on earth; that is, the endpoint of His providence is on earth, by way of the heavens. And He arranges the governance of the throne and its being seated upon it, which is the governance of the cosmic order, according to His footstool and the need on earth, according to the deeds and needs of those below. And by this, 'you shall bow down at His footstool,' for in any case the ultimate outcome of what surrounds Him on earth accords with individual providence. And there, 'He is holy' — set apart and distinct, and He governs according to providence and wonder, for this is the definition of holiness. (And it says 'He is holy' in the third person, because at this level His holiness is still wrapped and covered by the veil of nature.)

"Exalt" — He speaks, addressing all Israel and all the peoples: "Exalt Hashem our God with your mouths." "And bow down at His footstool" — That is the Temple, for it is holy and His name is holy; for you shall see that the earlier prophets, who were holy, when they bowed down and prayed before Him, Hashem would answer them.

"At His footstool" — This is the Temple; and he speaks by way of metaphor, as if from the place of His dwelling, the heavens, He lowers His feet to rest in the Temple. "Holy is He" — for He is holy, and holiness rests upon His footstool as well.

"Footstool" — it is the stool of the throne, placed beneath the feet of the one who sits, as in 'a footstool for your feet' (below, Psalms 110).

[The meaning of 'equity' is the laws of the Torah and its righteous statutes, which were given through His messengers, namely] Moses — among His priests. The word 'kohen' (priest) throughout Scripture means 'minister,' [as in] 'priests of Hashem, ministers of our God' (Isaiah 61:6), and 'and they shall minister to Me' (Exodus 28:41). Therefore, even though Aaron was the head priest, Moses was priest of the priests, for he ministered during the seven days of consecration. And it mentions Samuel, who was of their [priestly] families, in his calling out to Hashem, and He answered him, as it is written: 'I will call unto Hashem, and He will answer' (1 Samuel 12:17-18) — immediately.

"Moses and Aaron" — Who were the great priests among His priests; and likewise Samuel, who was great among the prophets of his time — for the prophets are those who call upon His name — and these, every time they called upon Hashem, He would answer them. And it mentions Samuel because he was of the family of Moses and Aaron, and a prophet like them; and it is possible that he was greater in prophecy than the other prophets after Moses, as it says, "Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me." And as for what it says, "among His priests" — for Moses too was a priest, and he served in the priesthood first, for he served the seven days of consecration. "Those who call upon Hashem" — The aleph is quiescent [silent], and so too in "those who sin against Hashem."

"Moses and Aaron" — meaning, see the greatness of His holiness: for behold, Moses and Aaron were among the greatest and most distinguished of Hashem's priests (for Moses too was a priest, since he served [in that role] during the days of the inauguration), and Samuel was among the greatest and most distinguished of those who call upon His name. "Call [upon Him]" — They would call upon Hashem, and He would answer them.

"Moses" (level three) — but at the time when 'Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel' was 'among those who call upon His name' — that is to say, at a time when Israel stood at such a level that His Presence rested upon them in a wondrous way, and He was found with His priests just as He was found with Moses and Aaron, so that His priests would resemble Moses and Aaron in God's cleaving to them, and those who call upon His name would resemble Samuel. And he explains: just as He answered Samuel when he called to Him, and a sign was performed as a wonder for him — as it says there, 'Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call unto Hashem, and He will send thunder and rain' — so too, 'those who call upon His name call upon Hashem, and He answers them.' And just as He spoke with Moses and Aaron in the pillar of cloud, as it is written, 'Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud,' so 'in the pillar of cloud He would speak to them.' And just as He gave Moses and Aaron Torah and commandments, so they 'kept His testimonies, and the statute He gave them,' until it was seen by all that 'Hashem our God, You answered them' — not through a messenger or intermediary. 'A forgiving God' — for when Hashem conducts Himself according to this wondrous mode of governance, as He conducted Himself in the generation of Moses, then He punishes sin immediately, as it was in the generation of the wilderness, and He also forgives the sinner immediately. For as long as the governance is through hidden providence, it is conceivable that He would not punish immediately, since nature does not concur with this, and likewise He would not forgive the sinner immediately — as it is written, 'Behold, I send an angel...for he will not pardon your transgressions.' Not so one who is governed through miraculous providence by Hashem Himself — He punishes immediately and forgives immediately, as it is written, 'Only you have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities' — like a father to his son, whom he punishes immediately for his rebellion and forgives immediately. And this is the meaning of: a forgiving God — 'You were forgiving to them,' and also, 'yet an avenger of their misdeeds' — for by punishing him immediately, the sin is atoned for immediately.

"In a pillar of cloud He would speak to them" — Even with Samuel. This is what is stated (I Sam. 9: 11f.): “and they said to them, Is the seer here? and they answered them and said, He is (יֵש).” You will see a cloud attached to his doorway, as Scripture says (Num. 9:20): “And sometimes the cloud would be...” "they kept His testimonies and the statute He gave them" — The statute that He gave them.

'In the pillar of cloud,' 'to them' — this refers back to Moses and Aaron, and Samuel is not included with them, like 'and he put the blood of war in peace' (1 Kings 2:5), which refers back to Joab alone and not Amasa — and there are many similar cases. And the reason for saying of Moses and Aaron that they were 'keepers of His testimonies' is that they served as intermediaries between Hashem and Israel; the testimonies and statutes that Hashem gave them, they kept so as to convey them thus to Israel, neither adding to them nor subtracting from them — and this is their praise, for there was no need to mention separately that they kept the Torah. 'Exalt' — when you come to the Temple. 'And bow down at His footstool' — facing the place of the Ark, for the place of His footstool is holy; or it refers back to the glorious Name [Hashem], as is written at the end of this psalm. 'Moses... in the pillar' — I have already explained it.

"In the pillar" — Its reference is to Moses and Aaron. "They kept His testimonies, and the statute that He gave them" — Moses and Aaron kept the testimonies and the statutes that were given to them to tell Israel; they kept them so as to tell Israel without addition or omission, and likewise what He commanded Aaron regarding the charge of the priesthood. And likewise Samuel kept His testimonies and taught them to Israel and brought them back to the good way, as it is written, "and they served Hashem alone."

"In the pillar of cloud" — With the pillar of cloud He came and spoke concerning them, because they kept His testimonies and the statute that He gave them.

"a forgiving God" — [Forgiving] the iniquity of Israel. "for them" — Heb. להם, for their sake. "but vengeful" — You were vengeful for their misdeeds: Moses and Aaron for “Hear now, you rebels!” As for Samuel, because he did not direct his sons in the good way, he died young.

'Hashem our God, You answered them' — [this refers to] Moses and Aaron: when they fell upon their faces, and in the matter of the incense, You responded to them — for on their account You forgave Israel. 'And You took vengeance on their misdeeds' — concerning the matter of those who were burned and those who were swallowed up.

"Hashem" — When they prayed on behalf of Israel, You answered them, and forgave Israel for their sake. "To them" [lahem] — Its meaning is "for their sake." "Though You took vengeance on their misdeeds" — On the misdeeds that Korah and all his congregation did to them [Moses and Aaron].

"You did answer them" — Although You answered them every time they called upon You, and for their sake You bore the sin of Israel, nevertheless You took vengeance for their misdeeds and did not forgive them anything — for Moses and Aaron died over the waters of Meribah, and Samuel did not live long because he did not guide his sons properly. And from all this the greatness of His holiness is seen, for He shows no favoritism.

"Their misdeeds" — their deeds, as in 'which was done to me' (Lamentations 1:12).

"for the Lord our God is holy" — because He is strict with the righteous, He is sanctified in the world, and so He says (Exod. 29:43): “and it will be sanctified with My glory,” meaning “with those glorified by Me.”

'Exalt' — when they go out from the Temple. And 'bow down at His holy hill' outwardly — but in truth, in the faith of the heart, it is to the glorious Name [Hashem].

"Exalt" — When you see what He does for those who love Him. "And worship at His holy hill" — That is Mount Moriah, on which the Temple stands, for it is holy and its place is holy; and when they see the House, they see only Him who commanded concerning the House and chose it; and when they bow toward the wall of the House, they bow only to Him who sanctified the House; and they direct their intent to remembering God and stirring the heart toward Him.

"Exalt" — Therefore, "exalt," etc. "At His holy hill" — this is the Temple on Mount Moriah.

'Exalt' — then Hashem is like one who dwells among them, as if His dwelling were on His holy mountain below, not in heaven with the earth as His footstool; rather, 'exalt Hashem our God, and bow down at His holy hill,' for there Hashem dwells, and 'holy is Hashem our God' among us. And therefore it does not say 'He is holy,' for He is our God and is found among us.