“As for the actions of man, from the word of Your lips, I have guarded myself from lawless ways. You support my steps on Your way ….” (Tehilim, 17:4) “As for the actions of man, from the word of Your lips.” David haMelech is saying before the Holy One, blessed be He, “You have given power to man to make his own choices. And You have made it quite clear which ways are outside the bounds of Your law, and it is within the power of man to guard himself within these boundaries. I have been careful to guard myself concerning all of this, yet my prayer before You is, ‘please support my steps on Your way.’” The word for “Your way” is ma’agloteicha, from the word for circle, ma’agal. This implies a circuitous way, a path from the side that not everyone knows.3Kind of a “road less taken,” in the Avodat Hashem. Thus he prays that God illuminate his eyes to travel on the less-known path.
לִפְעֻלּוֹת אָדָם בִּדְבַר שְׂפָתֶיךָ אֲנִי שָׁמַרְתִּי אָרְחוֹת פָּרִיץ תָּמֹךְ אֲשֻׁרַי בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתֶיךָ בַּל כוּ'. "לִפְעֻלּוֹת אָדָם בִּדְבַר שְׂפָתֶיךָ", הַיְינוּ שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַה שֶּׁמָּסַרְתָּ כֹּחַ בְּיַד הָאָדָם וְהוֹדַעְתָּ מְפֹרָשׁ שֶׁזֶּהוּ אָרְחוֹת פָּרִיץ וּבְיַד הָאָדָם וּבְכֹחוֹ לִשְׁמֹר מִזֶּה, בְּכָל זֶה שָׁמַרְתִּי אֶת עַצְמִי, אַךְ תְּפִלָּתִי הִיא "תָּמֹךְ אֲשֻׁרַי בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתֶיךָ", מַעְגָּל הוּא לְשׁוֹן דֶּרֶךְ מִן הַצַּד שֶׁאֵין כָּל הָאָדָם יוֹדֵעַ מִזֶּה וְעַל זֶה הִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁהַש"י יָאִיר עֵינָיו וְיִתָּמְכוּ מַעְגְּלוֹתָיו.
“As for the actions of man, from the word of Your lips, I have guarded myself from lawless ways. You support my steps on Your way ….” (Tehilim, 17:4)
“As for the actions of man, from the word of Your lips.” David haMelech is saying before the Holy One, blessed be He, “You have given power to man to make his own choices. And You have made it quite clear which ways are outside the bounds of Your law, and it is within the power of man to guard himself within these boundaries. I have been careful to guard myself concerning all of this, yet my prayer before You is, ‘please support my steps on Your way.’” The word for “Your way” is ma’agloteicha, from the word for circle, ma’agal. This implies a circuitous way, a path from the side that not everyone knows.3Kind of a “road less taken,” in the Avodat Hashem. Thus he prays that God illuminate his eyes to travel on the less-known path.