28a (כ״ח:א׳)

And when the Holy One Blessed Be He will raise up that restoration of David (וּכְשֶׁיָּקִים הקב״ה זֹאת הַהֲקָמָה שֶׁל דָּוִד), then the power of the sword of Esav will be removed (אָז יוּסַר כֹּחַ חֶרֶב עֵשָׂו), and there will be healing for Israel from the afflictions of their disease (וִיהִי רְפוּאָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִנְּגָעֵי מַחֲלָתָם), and it will be a day of vengeance for Israel from the evils the nations did to them (וִיהִי יוֹם נָקָם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵהָרָעוֹת שֶׁעָשׂוּ לָהֶם הָאֻמּוֹת). And this is hinted at in the psalm: “For the Leader; upon Mahalath. A Maskil of David” (וְזֶה רָמוּז בְּמִזְמוֹר ״לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל מַחֲלַת מַשְׂכִּיל לְדָוִד), for this is the third Machalat (שֶׁזֹּאת הִיא הַ״מַחֲלַת הַשְּׁלִישִׁית), and he said: “The fool said in his heart: there is no God” (וְאָמַר ״אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ אֵין אֱלֹקִים). Now he returns to speak of the nations (עַתָּה חוֹזֵר לְדַבֵּר עַל הָאֻמּוֹת): “They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; there is none that does good” (הִשְׁחִיתוּ וְהִתְעִיבוּ עָוֶל אֵין עֹשֵׂה טוֹב)-he means (יִרְצֶה), they have corrupted His inheritance, may He be exalted (שֶׁהִשְׁחִיתוּ נַחֲלָתוֹ יִתְעַלֶּה), and even though they abominated injustice (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִתְעִיבוּ הֶעָוֶל), in that they performed justice in their lands (שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹשִׂים מִשְׁפָּט בְּאַרְצָם), “there is none that does good” (אֵין עֹשֵׂה טוֹב), for there was not among them one who would serve the Holy One Blessed Be He (שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בָהֶם מִי שֶׁיַּעֲבוֹד לַהקב״ה).

And He will not conduct Himself with them with mercy (וְהוּא לֹא יִתְנַהֵג עִמָּהֶם בְּרַחֲמִים), but with the attribute of judgment (אֶלָּא בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין), as it is said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר): “God looks down from heaven” etc (אֱלֹקִים מִשָּׁמַיִם הִשְׁקִיף כו'). He means (יִרְצֶה), He will look down upon the nations to exact punishment and vengeance upon them (יִשְׁקִיף עַל הָאֻמּוֹת לִפְרֹעַ וְלְהִנָּקֵם מֵהֶם) for what they did to Israel, who are called “the sons of Adam” (עַל מַה שֶּׁעָשׂוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם). “To see if there is any wise one who seeks God” (לִרְאוֹת הֲיֵשׁ מַשְׂכִּיל דָּרֵשׁ אֶת אֱלֹקִים)-He means, Hashem, may He be blessed, will see (יִרְצֶה, יִרְאֶה ה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ) if there is in Israel anyone who seeks that the attribute of judgment be turned upon the nations (אִם יֵשׁ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִי שֶׁיִּדְרֹשׁ שֶׁמִּדַּת הַדִּין יֵהָפֵךְ עַל הָאֻמּוֹת), and who will find the merit of the forefathers and invoke it (וִימְצָא זְכוּת הָאָבוֹת וְיִזְכֹּר אוֹתוֹ), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר): “And I will remember for them the covenant of the ancients” (וְזָכַרְתִּי לָהֶם בְּרִית רִאשֹׁנִים).

Then He will exact from them with the attribute of judgment (וְאָז יִפְרַע מֵהֶם בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין), and He will return blessing to Israel (וִישִׁיב הַבְּרָכָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). And this is what Scripture says: “They are altogether turned back” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב "כָּלוֹ מָגוּ יַחְדָּו), [interpreted] as from the language of return, like “They have turned back” (ס״ג מִלְּשׁוֹן הֵשָׁבוֹן כְּמוֹ "נָסֹגוּ אָחוֹר)-meaning that good and blessing shall return to Israel (כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁיָּשׁוּב הַטּוֹב וְהַבְּרָכָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). And he changed it and wrote “kulo [his all]” (וְשִׁינָּה וְכָתַב ״כָּלוֹ״), for the Kol [all] is not uprooted from its place (לְפִי שֶׁהַ״כֹּל״ אֵינוֹ נֶעְקָר מִמְּקוֹמוֹ); rather, the good that flows from it was bestowed upon the nations (אֶלָּא שֶׁהַטּוֹב הַנִּמְשָׁךְ מִמֶּנּוּ הָיָה מוּשְׁפָּע עַל הָאֻמּוֹת). But the blessing of the Kol [all] belongs to Yisrael forever (אֲבָל בִּרְכַּת הַ״כֹּל״ הִיא שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעוֹלָם).

And for this reason he said, “kulo [his all]” (וְלָזֶה אָמַר ״כָּלוֹ״)—meaning, his Kol [all] (יִרְצֶה, הַ״כֹּל״ שֶׁלוֹ), namely, the blessing that was removed from him (שֶׁהִיא הַבְּרָכָה שֶׁהֵסִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ), because “They are corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one” (בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁ״נֶאֱלְחוּ וְאֵין עֹשֵׂה טוֹב אֵין גַּם אֶחָד״). Now the Kol [all] shall return together (עַתָּה יָשׁוּב הַכֹּל יַחְדָּו). And why did the nations rule over them (וְלָמָּה מָשְׁלוּ הָאֻמּוֹת בָּהֶם)? Because there was none among them who sought that the attribute of judgment be turned upon the nations (לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בָהֶם מִי שֶׁיִּדְרֹשׁ שֶׁמִּדַּת הַדִּין תֵּהָפֵךְ עַל הָאֻמּוֹת).

And this is what it says: “They called not upon God” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר "אֱלֹקִים לֹא קָרָאוּ), that if they had the merit to call upon Him and He would answer them (שֶׁאִלּוּ הָיָה בָהֶם זְכוּת שֶׁהָיוּ קוֹרְאִים אוֹתוֹ וְיַעֲנֵם), then it would not have been fulfilled in them what is written above (לֹא הָיָה מִתְקַיֵּם בָּהֶם מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב לְמַעְלָה), “They have eaten up My people as they eat bread; they have not called upon God” (אָכְלוּ עַמִּי אָכְלוּ לֶחֶם אֱלֹקִים לֹא קָרָאוּ). But with all this (אֲבָל עִם כָּל זֶה), since the Holy One Blessed Be He will do this for the merit of the forefathers and for the sake of the poor and the afflictions of Israel (כֵּיוָן שֶׁהקב״ה יַעֲשֶׂה זֶה בִּשְׁבִיל זְכוּת הָאָבוֹת וּבִשְׁבִיל הָעֲנִיִּים וְעִנּוּיֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), certainly the attribute of judgment will be turned upon them (וַדַּאי תֵּהָפֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם מִדַּת הַדִּין). And this is what it says: “There they feared a fear” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר ״שָׁם פָּחֲדוּ פָחַד), and it added and said: “Where no fear was” (וְהוֹסִיף וְאָמַר "לֹא הָיָה פָחַד)-meaning, there was no fear for Israel but only for the nations (שֶׁהַכַּוָּנָה, לֹא הָיָה פַּחַד לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלָּא לָאֻמּוֹת בִּלְבָד). And the Holy One Blessed Be He said to Israel (וְאָמַר הקב״ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל): You, do not fear (אַתָּה אַל תִּירָא), “for God has scattered the bones of your besieger” (כִּי אֱלֹקִים פִּזֵּר עַצְמוֹת חָנֶךָ), meaning the nations (שֶׁהֵם הָאֻמּוֹת). “You put them to shame, because God has rejected them” (הֲבִשְׁתָּם כִּי אֱלֹקִים מְאַסָם)-He means, when the blessing flows to Israel (יִרְצֶה, בְּהִמָּשֵׁךְ הַבְּרָכָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), the nations will be ashamed (יִבּוֹשׁוּ הָאֻמּוֹת), because God has rejected them from being preserved (לְפִי שֶׁמְאַסָם אֱלֹקִים מִלִּהְיוֹת נֶאֱבָדִים).

And in this there are two salvations for Israel (וּבְזֶה ב׳ יְשׁוּעוֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל): the first, that blessing shall return to Israel (הָאַחַת שֶׁיָּשׁוּב הַבְּרָכָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), and the second, that the nations shall perish (וְהַשֵּׁנִית שֶׁיֹּאבְדוּ הָאֻמּוֹת). And for this it said: “Salvations of Israel” (וְלָזֶה אָמַר ״יְשׁוּעוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל)-the two salvations we have said (הַב׳ יְשׁוּעוֹת שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ). And when the Holy One Blessed Be He will answer Israel with these salvations (וּכְשֶׁיַּעֲנֶה הקב״ה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאֵלֶּה הַיְשׁוּעוֹת), it is a time of trouble (עֵת צָרָה הִיא), and about it is said: “May Hashem answer you on the day of trouble” (וְעָלֶיהָ נֶאֱמַר ״יַעַנְךָ ה׳ בְּיוֹם צָרָה). And why is it a time of trouble (וְלָמָּה יִהְיֶה בְצָרָה)?

Because the Holy One Blessed Be He does not answer us through our own merit (לְפִי שֶׁאֵין הקב״ה עוֹנֶה אוֹתָנוּ בִּזְכוּתֵנוּ) but through the merit of our forefathers (אֶלָּא בִּזְכוּת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ), as it says: “For the Leader; upon Mahalath, to answer, a Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל מַחֲלַת לַעֲנוֹת מַשְׂכִּיל לְהֵימָן הָאֶזְרָחִי)-He means, that what Hashem, may He be blessed, answered us, is through the merit of Heman the Ezrahite, who is Avraham (יִרְצֶה, שֶׁמַּה שֶּׁעָנָה ה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ אוֹתָנוּ הוּא בִּזְכוּת הֵימָן הָאֶזְרָחִי, שֶׁהוּא אַבְרָהָם). And this is the fourth Machalat (וְזֶהוּ הַ״מַחֲלַת הָרְבִיעִי). And la‘anot [to answer] means from the root of answering (וְ״לַעֲנוֹת מִלְּשׁוֹן עֲנִיָּה). And in this psalm are mentioned all the evils we suffered in exile (וּבָזֶה הַמִּזְמוֹר מַזְכִּיר כָּל הָרָעוֹת שֶׁסָּבַלְנוּ בַּגָּלוּת), as you will see (כְּמוֹ שֶׁתִּרְאֶה).