meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Malbim/Writings/Malbim on Psalms/English/merged.txt"}
text: Malbim on Psalms
  מלבי"ם על תהילים
  merged
  
  This file contains merged sections from the following text versions:
  -Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology
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  -Sefaria Community Translation
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  Malbim on Psalms
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  [The author] is coming to explain the conditions on account of which a person will be a "Happy Person." There is a difference between a "Happy Person" and a "Successful Person": "Success" applies to worldly matters, [enjoyed] in life in this World; "Happiness" is in spiritual matters, [enjoyed] in the World to Come. Now, there are three areas of fulfillment, 1) fulfillment of acquisition, 2) fulfillment of the body, and 3) fulfillment of the soul. Therefore the Psalmist explains that here he is addressing the "Happiness of Man" [soleley] the "Happiness" that only man can attain, which is afforded by his being [at the level of] Man--not coupled with the "Happiness" which is afforded by being a living being (i.e. the fulfillment of acquisition or fulfillment of the body) which can also be found among animals. [In fact] we find various animals that attain their livelihood and sustenance more easily and swiftly then man; as the expression goes, "there are none more wealthy than a pig." There are also animals which can accomplish can accomplish more than man is able to though use of the body, such as the elephant and the lion; and, in regards to the senses, an eagle, hawk through their faculty of sight. This is not the "Happiness" unique to a person; rather, [the "Happiness of Man"] is the fulfillment of refined character and spiritual qualities which can only be found achieved by man. The Psalmist explains that Man's happiness depends primarily on his being careful not to sin. (2-4) "WHO DOES NOT WALK IN THE COUNSEL OF THE WICKED..." There is a difference between "the wicked" and "the sinners": "the wicked" sin intentionally and rebelliously, whether in matters between man and the Omnipresent or in matters between man and his fellow. That is why the Psalmist said, "the counsel of the wicked," because they are the ones who sin with counsel and intentionally whereas in regards to the "sinners", it would not be right to say "counsel" since they do sin with counsel. The Psalmist adds further- ["THE "HAPPY PERSON"] DOES NOT STAND IN THE PATH OF THE "SINNERS" the "sinners" are the ones who sin from out of desire alone. Meaning to say that [in addition to not sinning like the "wicked"], the "happy person" also does not sin on account of their desires either. And not only does he not "WALK on the path of the sinners"--continuously sinning out of desire--but he does not even "STAND on their path"--even momentarily. The Psalmist adds further- AND IN THE DWELLING PLACE OF THE "LAZY" HE DOES NOT DWELL, the "lazy" don't act wrongly, but they also don't do good. They only chase after  wind and vapor (nothingness) and mockery, and they don't delve in Torah.
  
  Verse 2
  
  כי אם: Withholding from doing bad is not enough, the condition of אושר is that he does good. And not that he does good out of politeness alone, like philosophers who fabricate religions for themselves, but [the condition is that the reason he does good is because] he keeps the Torah of Hashem and its commandments. And he [the author of the psalm] explains that the condition [of אושר] is doing the good because it is good to do so, and because it is a commandment of Hashem, and not because of other facets that he hopes to gain for his work, [like] payment and benefit. In that [latter] case, his desire wouldn't be Hashem's Torah, rather the pleasantness and helpfulness is because he hopes for payment for his work. Therefore, [the author] conditions כי אם בתורת ה' חפצו: Hashem's Torah [must be] his desire. And perfection in this (doing good by carrying out Hashem's Torah and mitzvos) is split into two parts: perfection in study and perfection in action. Perfection in study is called תורת ה', because it teaches the wisdom of Hashem and his ways and his truth, but man won't reach the ultimate takeaway from this aspect, and it's enough to desire it and attempt to grasp it and look deeply into it, but even if he doesn't reach it (comprehend what he's studying to the point of reaching conclusive applicable commandments), he doesn't fear. Perfection in action is תורת האדם, that it teaches that which should be done or that which shouldn't be done, and this is called תורתו, and about this portion [of the Torah] it says, יהגה יומם ולילה, that he should learn it on the condition to do it, [meaning that unlike with the portions of Torah that do not come to command a person in a specific action, and therefore do not need to be learned in a way to extract an action as the application, the portions of Torah that command a person in an action must be learned with the intention to know exactly how to act in accordance with what the Torah commands].
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  &lt;&lt;in progress=""&gt;&gt;"WHY?" After the Psalmist explained the loss of the wicked person, who is like chaff that is blown away* by the wind and has no hope unless he protects...
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
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  Verse 45
  
  
  
  Verse 46
  
  
  
  Verse 47
  
  
  
  Verse 48
  
  
  
  Verse 49
  
  
  
  Verse 50
  
  
  
  Verse 51
  
  Magnifies: And proportional to the greatness of gratitude, so shall the salvation increase in each and every moment... So that [God] shall magnify the salvations of God's king: and, external to how God will repay me for gratitude and praise, [God] will perform [acts of] lovingkindness for God's anointed one, for David and for his seed, for the faithful [acts of] lovingkindness of David [included] the cutting him of the covenant that sovereignty would not depart from his seed, and this is out of lovingkindness, as is written in II Samuel 2:7ff, and this lovingkindness shall continue for eternity.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  To David...In this psalm it will be explained that Hashgacha results from cleaving to Hashem, and the one who cleaves to Him will have Constant Hashgacha which will protect him from all harm, and therefore the individual could rest assured and not fear from any evil thing, for "nothing evil befalls a tzadik", except at the moment he severs the thread of dvekut and turns away from the service of Hashem, as the Moreh Nevuchim expained (3:53). Therefore from the multitude of requests which a man can make, it is fitting that he focus on the single request in which he will find all that he desires; that is [to request] that he cleaves to Hashem constantly. Therefore [David] prays that Hashem assists him in achieving this dvekut and removes all obstacles that prevent this great thing which is the pinnacle of his happiness and his request. 
  Hashem is my light ... Yirah is from a known thing, and Pachad is from something unknown. When a man fears from revealed enemies which battle with him it is called Yirah; corresponding to this David says that Hashem is my light and my salvation, from whom shall I have Yirah. Meaning to say, it's conceivable that a man will fear from his enemies 1) lest they come upon him at night while he is unable to see them and protect himself; to this David said "Hashem is my light"  2) lest the enemy's might and strength be greater than his [and they overpower him]; to this David said "Hashem is my salvation", and therefore from whom shall I have fear? And regarding man fearing his foes that secretly plot evil against him...without him knowing, this is called Pahad. To this David said that "Hashem is the stronghold of my life" therefore "From whom shall I have pahad?"
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  ... and I will request it continually in the future, for all requests are found within this one, which is ...
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  A song for the dedication of the house. The entire psalm was crafted to give thanks for his recovery from illness, and there is no connection in it to dedicating a house. It can be explained that the house in question here is a metaphor for the body, which is the residence of the soul and the inner home for the person who dwells within it, because the soul is the real person, while the physical body is only a material home for it to dwell in....
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  A song, a psalm – This psalm is founded on the great storm that occurred at that time which shattered mountains and broke rocks. Even though the storm raged on Mount Zion as well nothing there was harmed because the Lord who dwells on this mountain protected it. This storm was for the good of Israel, because at that time the kings of the land joined together and came from Tarshish in ships to conquer the land of Israel. This storm broke their ships and drove their armies into the sea. This psalm is closely related to psalm 46.
  
  
  
  
  
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  "Also", all groups of people, respected and not, rich and poor, everybody is ignorant about this.
  
  
  
  
  
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  Verse 2
  
  From Zion – And Gd will cause His Presence to appear from Zion, because from there He will come to judge the hypocrites and to expose their evil:
  
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  Verse 8
  
  "Mine are all the animals of the fields" - that are better than cows and ownerless. And if you think I desire the meat of a domesticated animal, I have "The domesticated animas [behemot] on a thousand mountains", and also "I know all the birds in the sky" and also "If I were to hunger, would I tell you to sacrifice for thanksgiving?" Even if we were to picture that G-d gets hungry, would He need us to sacrifice for Him?
  
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  Verse 10
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
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  His tabernacle was in Shalem – In Jerusalem because there the masses settled, there was Gd’s tabernacle (sukkah) because a tabernacle is a temporary dwelling. And His dwelling place in Tzion. In Tzion the king, the Sanhedrin and the priest of Gd sat, there His dwelling was permanent because there was the Sanctuary of Gd.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
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  Verse 22
  
  That men may declare – That is to say, to develop all mortal men that they declare afterwards the name of the Lord and His praise in Jerusalem in the future, when all nations and kingdoms gather together to serve the Lord. The phrase ‘the name of the Lord’ indicates the spread of His name as creator of the world, renewer and controller. This will be declared in Zion because the wise men and the priests reside there, who know the name of the Lord. ‘His praise’ refers to His ways and guidance which are merciful and filled with grace. This will be known even to the masses who reside in Jerusalem, through the whole city.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Verse 19
  
  Open (the king and the upright ones who went with him arrived at the Temple to give thanks and to bring their offerings of thanksgiving and sacrifice that day), and this [opening] is a mitzvah for the gatekeepers that they should open the gates of justice for him these are the gates of the Temple so that he may enter and thank H' He called them the gates of justice because after his salvation came by means of chastisements, H' treated him in accordance with the attribute of justice according to his actions, and not in accordance with the attribute of kindness.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  A song of ascents of David – This psalm is speaking the praise of Jerusalem. It describes the nation in its totality as one body made up of different individual limbs and Jerusalem as “a city that was joined together within itself…” (Psalms 122:3) The individual limbs join together to become a whole body which can contain the spirit of life, an intellect and a Godly soul. The House of God is located within her and it is the vessel which prepares the whole body to receive the Divine Presence and the Godly soul. The city itself is like the heart and brain within the body, which prepare it to receive the vital force and the intellect. In light of this it says “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord,’” because there God dwells and He makes the Divine Presence and Godliness to come to rest in holiness.
  
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  Request – It has been explained that Jerusalem is that which upholds the connectivity of the wholeness of the body and its unity. Now it goes on to say that just as if asked about the welfare of the personal body one would reply that its peace depends on whether its limbs and powers are connected and in peace with each other, because at the moment one divides between them then death comes, so too if one asks after the peace of Jerusalem the answer is that her peace depends on the tranquility of those who love her. The peace of Jerusalem depends on whether there is inner tranquility between those who love her. This is because the primary essence of Jerusalem is the unity of the nation, and if this is so then if strife and struggle arise between her people and an estrangement of hearts occurs, there will be no peace found for the city. Her primary peace is herself with herself “…like a city that was joined together within itself,” (Psalms 122:3) and not if they are divided. There is a difference between peace and tranquility, because 'peace' indicates an external peace and 'tranquility' an inner tranquility. Thus the psalm says that through Israel having inner tranquility, which is why it calls them her lovers, because there is love between them even if they have no peace from their external enemies, this will bring about the external peace of Jerusalem.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  May the Lord bless you from Zion – You will yet merit to be blessed from Zion which is the blessing of the wholeness of Israel that comes out from Zion where the Lord commanded blessing for the whole people. You will receive this blessing from the whole and you will also strive for the good of the whole. and see the good of Jerusalem – to see the good of Jerusalem and the success of the whole. Through this all the days of your life will be special, because you will devote all your days to the good of the whole, to see their happiness and good:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Until I find a place for the Lord – 1] That the place be found where the Sanctuary will be built, as it is written “And it will be, that the place the Lord, your God, will choose…” (Deuteronomy 12:11) and they did not know at first where the chosen place was. 2] dwellings for the Mighty One of Jacob, after the place is found. the Sanctuary (where the Lord will dwell permanently), will be built. Since the fact that the Lord will dwell on earth in a particular place was revealed to Yaakov in a dream, and he said “This is none other than the house of God…” (Genesis 28:17) therefore the verse says ‘for the One of Jacob.’ So too, just as Yaakov swore an oath there and said “Then this stone, which I have placed as a monument, shall be a house of God…” (Genesis 28:22) the psalm says “…he vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Psalms 132:2)
  
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  For the Lord has chosen Zion – Because the choice of the seed of David was for the sake of the choice of Zion as I explained above. And it says that in the beginning the Lord chose Zion in the sense of a choice which excludes all other places, and afterwards ‘He desired it for His habitation,’ He desired the place in and of itself without looking at it in relation to rejecting anywhere else.
  
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  Like the dew of Hermon – Sometimes the inflow will reach that which is prepared for it by means of an intermediary, such that it arrives first at a place for which it is not essentially intended in order to pour out from there onto the proper place. This is like the dew of Hermon which is not intended for the needs of mount Hermon, rather that it descend on the mountains of Zion because there God has commanded the blessing. The primary blessing comes down for the sake of Mount Zion and goes by way of Mount Hermon, because the life which the dew brings to Mount Hermon is not constant life which lasts forever, and is not eternal life. But the life which is on Mount Zion is eternal, everlasting life. Similarly, the abundance of wealth and possessions which came to Zevulun only came to them for the sake of Yissachar, in order that they would have the freedom to occupy themselves with Torah and through them to acquire eternal life. These came to Yissachar through the means of Zevulun, and in this Zevulun was like Mount Hermon which receives the dew for the sake of Mount Zion.
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  Song of ascents – There is within this song a wondrous cornerstone to the foundations of faith. This is that the supernal source, whose waters never fail, is blessed and increased through the actions of those below because the Lord pours out good to the good and abundance to those who are prepared. When the generation is not fit to receive this, then the spring is muddied, the source is ruined and the channels will not pour out their blessings, this is the notion of the blessing with which Israel blesses the Lord. Through their good deeds and prayers the supernal pool is filled, the river of God is filled with the waters of loving kindness, goodness and mercy, and it pours out upon the land. And when their actions are evil the streams of water dry up and the river becomes dry and desolate, as the Sages taught ‘Israel adds strength to the power above.’ Blessing is for the sake of the One above, as is written in the book The Lands of the Living (in the Land of Yehudah, 5) in explanation of the word ‘blessed’ with many proofs. This is what is written “Behold, bless the Lord,” that is to say – give Him blessing, exiles above and exiles below, through your good deeds. You “all servants of the Lord who stand in the house of the Lord at night,” like faithful servants who labor day and night and never leave their post for a moment, bless the Lord and give might unto God.
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
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  May the Lord bless you – It is explaining in what way you bless the Lord. That is, that you give Him strength and might in order that He be able to bless you, because this depends on your actions. You should bless Him, that is - fill Him with blessing in order that He can pour it out on you. What does ‘May the Lord bless you from Zion’ mean? That your blessing will not come from the structure and orders of the workings of the heavens, but rather from Zion. It will come through the delicate vapors and the drops of dew which rise up from below, from the acts of Zion and their service. From ‘He Who made heaven and earth,’ which is the blessing that does not derive from the heavens or the earth, but rather from the Lord above who made them both and pours out miraculous, providential blessing upon them.
  
  
  
  
  
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  Blessed is the Lord from Zion – Blessing arises from Zion, and according to the merit of Zion it descends into the world, because He dwells in Jerusalem and watches over all the actions of the people within it, to bless them according to their actions and their sacred service.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  By – This song was laid down in the first year after Cyrus conquered Babylon. By the rivers of Babylon – In Babylon we were not weeping and mourning Zion for the sake of the material goods we had lost, the wealth and possessions, fields and vineyards, because also ‘by the rivers of Babylon, there we sat’ meaning we had an established settlement. We also had there fields and vineyards, as it is written “build houses and live in them, plant vineyards and eat their fruits” (Jeremiah 29:5) Nevertheless, we also wept when we remembered Zion because we recalled the holiness of Zion, where the there was the Holy Temple, the service and the Divine Presence. For this we wept, for the spiritual joy which was lost to us.
  
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  If I forget you, O Jerusalem – The verse is putting forward the idea that just as the right hand is ready for all one’s motions and occupations, so Jerusalem is the beloved of all our motions and occupations. Therefore it is impossible to forget her just as it is impossible to forget one’s right hand. Even more than this, “May my tongue cling to my palate, if I do not remember you…” (Psalms 137:6), that all my speech is about you and if I do not speak of your memories I will be as a mute whose tongue is stuck to his palate. Not only when I am exiled and wandering, but also “…if I do not bring up Jerusalem at the beginning of my joy,” (ibid.) also if I am rejoicing in worldly success Jerusalem should be above it all, to the point where all joy is overturned to sadness through the memory of her destruction:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem – This song and the praises which it speaks are over the fact that the Lord Himself builds Jerusalem. That with His particular providence He is occupied with its building, that it should be “…the city of God, the holy place of the dwellings of the Most High…” (Psalms 46:5) And that He Himself will bring the scattered of Israel back into it, those driven to the four corners of the earth. (Or it is speaking about the ingathering of the tribes and their joining to one another in it, as it is written “The built-up Jerusalem is like a city that was joined together within itself,” (Psalms 122:3) as I explained there):