R. Jose discoursed on the verse: Thou art my hiding-place; thou wilt preserve me from the adversary; with songs of deliverance thou wilt compass me about. Selah (Ibid. 32, 7). ‘It is God’, he said, ‘who is a hiding-place and a shield to the man that walks in the ways of the Torah; such a man is covered by the shadow of His wings so that no one can do him mischief. “Thou wilt preserve me from the adversary”; that is, from the adversary on high and from the adversary here below, both of whom are one and the same evil prompter, who is the opponent above and the opponent below; and if not for the evil prompter, man would have no adversary in the world.
“With songs of deliverance thou wilt compass me about” is an allusion to those songs that possess grades of potency to save; with which, therefore, “Thou wilt compass me about” to afford me deliverance when on a journey. (This verse is efficacious whether read forwards or backwards.)
Observe that all the songs and hymns that David sang contain deep allusions of wisdom, because he composed them under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which alone it was that prompted him.’
R. Eleazar discoursed on the verse: Thou didst thrust sore at me that I might fall; but the Lord helped me (Ibid. 118, 13). ‘We should have expected’, he said, ‘“they did thrust sore at me” instead of “thou didst, etc.” But, in truth, this alludes to the “other side” that continually thrusts at a man, and tries to seduce him and lead him astray from God; the same is, indeed, the evil prompter who follows man about. It is to him that David addressed the words, “thou didst thrust sore at me”, seeing that he endeavoured by means of all sorts of afflictions to turn him aside from God. David thus said: “Thou didst thrust sore at me-to cause me to fall into Gehinnom-but the Lord helped me-so that I was not delivered into thy hand.” It is, hence, incumbent on a man to be on his guard against the evil prompter, so that he shall not obtain the mastery over him; such a man God guards in all his ways, as it is written: “Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, and thou shalt not dash thy foot” (Prov. 3, 23), also: “When thou goest thy step shall not be straitened; and if thou runnest thou shalt not stumble” (Ibid. 4, 12); and also: “But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Ibid. 5, 18).’
Said R. Judah: ‘Happy are Israel whom the Holy One, blessed be He, preserves in this world and in the world to come, as it is written: “Thy people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever” (Is. 60, 21). Blessed be the Lord, for evermore. Amen and Amen!’
פָּתַח רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר, (תהילים ל״ב:ז׳) אַתָּה סֵתֶר לִי מִצַּר תִּצְרֵנִי רָנִי פַלֵּט תְּסוֹבְבֵנִי סֶלָּה. אַתָּה סֵתֶר לִי, דָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאִיהוּ סִתְרָא וּמָגֵן לְבַר נָשׁ דְּאָזִיל בְּאָרְחֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאִיהוּ אִסְתַּתַּר בְּצִלָּא דְגַדְפוֹי דְּלָא יָכְלִין לְאַבְאָשָׁא לֵיהּ. מִצַּר תִּצְרֵנִי, מֵעֵילָא וּמִתַּתָּא, לְעֵילָא אִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ מָארֵי דְבָבוּ, לְתַתָּא אוּף הָכִי נָמֵי. וּמַאן אִיהוּ, דָּא יֵצֶר הָרָע, דְאִיהוּ צַר לְעֵילָא וְצַר לְתַתָּא. וְאִלְמָלֵא יֵצֶר הָרָע, לָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח מָארֵי דְּבָבוּ לְבַר נָשׁ בְּעַלְמָא. בְּגִין כָּךְ מִצַּר תִּצְרֵנִי.
R. Jose discoursed on the verse: Thou art my hiding-place; thou wilt preserve me from the adversary; with songs of deliverance thou wilt compass me about. Selah (Ibid. 32, 7). ‘It is God’, he said, ‘who is a hiding-place and a shield to the man that walks in the ways of the Torah; such a man is covered by the shadow of His wings so that no one can do him mischief. “Thou wilt preserve me from the adversary”; that is, from the adversary on high and from the adversary here below, both of whom are one and the same evil prompter, who is the opponent above and the opponent below; and if not for the evil prompter, man would have no adversary in the world.
רָנֵי פַלֵּט תְּסוֹבְבֵנִי סֶלָה, יְסוֹבְבֵנִי סֶלָה מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי תְּסוֹבְבֵנִי. אִלֵּין אִינוּן שִׁירִין דְּאִית בְּהוּ דַּרְגִּין לְהַצָּלָה, תְּסוֹבְבֵנִי בְּהוּ לְשֵׁזָבָא לִי בְּאָרְחָא. וְהַאי קְרָא אִיהוּ כְּסִדְרָא וְאִיהוּ לְמַפְרֵעַ, מֵהַאי גִיסָא וּמֵהַאי גִיסָא.
“With songs of deliverance thou wilt compass me about” is an allusion to those songs that possess grades of potency to save; with which, therefore, “Thou wilt compass me about” to afford me deliverance when on a journey. (This verse is efficacious whether read forwards or backwards.)
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּאִלֵּין שִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן דְּקָאֲמַר דָּוִד אִית בְּהוֹן רָזִין וּמִלִּין עִלָּאִין בְּרָזֵי דְחָכְמְתָא, בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ בְּרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא אִתְאֲמָרוּ. דְּהֲוָה שָׁרַא רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא עֲלֵיהּ דְּדָוִד, וְהֲוָה אָמַר שִׁירָתָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כֻּלְּהוּ בְּרָזֵי דְחָכְמְתָא אִתְאֲמָרוּ.
Observe that all the songs and hymns that David sang contain deep allusions of wisdom, because he composed them under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which alone it was that prompted him.’
פָּתַח רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, (תהילים קי״ח:י״ג) דָּחֹה דְחִיתַנִי לִנְפֹּל וַיְיָ עֲזָרָנִי, דָּחֹה דְחִיתַנִי, דָּחֹה דָחוּנִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי דָּחֹה דְחִיתַנִי. אֶלָּא דָּא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא דְּדַחְיָיא לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ תָּדִיר, וּבָעֵי לְדַחְיָיא לֵיהּ וּלְאַסְטָאָה לֵיהּ מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְדָא הוּא יֵצֶר הָרָע דְּאִשְׁתַּכַּח לְגַבֵּיהּ דְבַּר נָשׁ תָּדִיר. וּלְקֳבְלֵיהּ אַהֲדַר דָּוִד וְאָמַר דָּחֹה דְחִיתַנִי לִנְפּוֹל. בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ הֲוָה אִשְׁתַּדַּל לְגַבֵּיהּ בְּכָל אִינוּן עַקְתִין לְאַסְטָאָה לֵיהּ מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְעֲלֵיהּ אָמַר דָּוִד דָּחֹה דְחִיתַנִי לִנְפּוֹל בַּגֵּיהִנָּם. וַיְיָ עֲזָרָנִי דְּלָא אִתְמַסַּרְנָא בִּידָךְ. וְעַל דָּא אִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִזְדַּהֲרָא מִנֵּיהּ, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט עֲלֵיהּ. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּדֵין נָטִיר לֵיהּ בְּכָל אָרְחוֹי. דִּכְתִיב, (משלי ג׳:כ״ג) אָז תֵּלֵךְ לָבֶטַח דַרְכֶּךָ וְרַגְלֶךָ לא תִגּוֹף (משלי ד׳:י״ב) בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לֹא יֵצַר צַעֲדֶךָ וְאִם תָּרוּץ לא תִכָּשֵׁל. וּכְתִיב, (משלי ד׳:י״ח) וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ הוֹלֵךְ וְאוֹר עַד נְכוֹן הַיּוֹם.
R. Eleazar discoursed on the verse: Thou didst thrust sore at me that I might fall; but the Lord helped me (Ibid. 118, 13). ‘We should have expected’, he said, ‘“they did thrust sore at me” instead of “thou didst, etc.” But, in truth, this alludes to the “other side” that continually thrusts at a man, and tries to seduce him and lead him astray from God; the same is, indeed, the evil prompter who follows man about. It is to him that David addressed the words, “thou didst thrust sore at me”, seeing that he endeavoured by means of all sorts of afflictions to turn him aside from God. David thus said: “Thou didst thrust sore at me-to cause me to fall into Gehinnom-but the Lord helped me-so that I was not delivered into thy hand.” It is, hence, incumbent on a man to be on his guard against the evil prompter, so that he shall not obtain the mastery over him; such a man God guards in all his ways, as it is written: “Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, and thou shalt not dash thy foot” (Prov. 3, 23), also: “When thou goest thy step shall not be straitened; and if thou runnest thou shalt not stumble” (Ibid. 4, 12); and also: “But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Ibid. 5, 18).’
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה זַכָּאִין אִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיר לוֹן בְּעַלְמָא דֵין וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי. דִּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו ס׳:כ״א) וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ. בָּרוּךְ יְיָ לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן. (ע"כ פרשת וישלח)
Said R. Judah: ‘Happy are Israel whom the Holy One, blessed be He, preserves in this world and in the world to come, as it is written: “Thy people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever” (Is. 60, 21). Blessed be the Lord, for evermore. Amen and Amen!’