This chapter is King David's psalm of repentance, and in this section we reach its conclusion: from the plea "O Lord, open my lips" to the prophetic words concerning Zion and Jerusalem and the offerings that will be favorably accepted in the future. The central axis here is the relationship between the sacrifice and the heart: what the Holy One, blessed be He, truly desires, what He merely accepts, and why primary atonement depends specifically upon a broken spirit and a contrite heart.
אֲדֹנָי שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶךָ׃ - O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Your praise.
Rashi explains: "O Lord, open my lips" - forgive me, and then I will have the opening of mouth to declare Your praise. One can also see an additional allusion here. Often, a person comes to pray, but his mouth is tainted and his deeds are corrupted. This does not mean one should not pray at such a time, but prayer in such a state remains at a very low level. We have already discussed how two people can perform the exact same mitzvah, one in holiness and purity and the other amid spiritual defilement; even if both had the exact same intentions, it matters who is performing it. When a person is elevated, the mitzvah is elevated; when a person is base, the mitzvah remains base. Therefore, David pleads: Master of the Universe, forgive me for this iniquity, and then I will be able to open my lips to declare Your praise, and Your praise from my mouth will be accepted with favor.
For otherwise, as our Sages teach, it is like one who presents an offering to the king in repulsive vessels. A mouth through which, five minutes ago, one spoke slander (lashon hara), falsehood, flattery, inappropriate words, or vulgar speech - with this very mouth are you to praise Hashem, may He be blessed? Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: Had I been present at the creation of the world, I would have requested that man be given two mouths, one for words of Torah and one for mundane speech. Yet in the end he said: It is better not, for man would simply speak idle chatter in stereo, utilizing the second mouth simultaneously. It is far better to have only one mouth - provided that we safeguard it in holiness. When the mouth is holy, prayer is received entirely differently, and Torah study is received entirely differently.
And this is the meaning of "This shall be the law of the leper (metzora) on the day of his purification." Prior to this, he is corrupted by sin, his mouth is blemished, and he presents an offering in a filthy vessel - so his Torah is of little value. When is it valuable? "On the day of his purification," when he has repented for the blemish of his speech and the vessel is clean. With such a clean vessel, one presents an offering to Hashem and prays before Him - this is Torah and this is prayer. With a blemished vessel, one blemishes both prayer and Torah.
There is another explanation of "This shall be the law (torah) of the metzora on the day of his purification": it is explained that when a person speaks lashon hara, he transfers his merits to the person he spoke about and takes upon himself that person's sins. Thus, a person arrives in the World of Truth and says: Master of the Universe, I studied so much Torah, where is it? They answer him: You benefited the public, fortunate are you - you gave to this one, and you gave to that one; you distributed your Torah to others through the lashon hara you spoke! When will his Torah return to him? "On the day of his purification" - when he purifies himself and does teshuvah, all of his Torah returns to him.
The Radak notes that the Divine Name here is written as Adonai (spelled Aleph-Dalet-Nun-Yud), a distinction that should also be carefully noted in prayer books. The Name of Adonut signifies "Master of all," whereas the Tetragrammaton (the Name Havayah) signifies "Master of all, Who was, is, and will be." It is well known that there are seven holy Names that may not be erased, and each Name represents a distinct dimension and essence. The Name Adonai is associated with judgment - the letters of א-ד-נ-י form the letters of דינא (dina, judgment) - whereas the Name Havayah is a Name of loving-kindness (chesed). Furthermore, the Name Havayah is distinct from all other Names because it is the proper noun (Shem HaEtzem), whereas all the other Names are descriptive titles: Adonut indicates that He is Master of all; Elokim indicates that He is the Master of all powers, "El" denoting strength; Tzeva'ot signifies that all the heavenly hosts are His; Shaddai indicates that He said to His world "dai" (enough). Each of these describes an aspect of the abilities and manifestations of the Creator, blessed be He.
Even this is true only from the perspective of the lower world. Beyond the realm of tzimtzum (the primordial divine contraction), no thought can grasp the Holy One, blessed be He, at all (leit machashava tefisa beh kelal), and He has no name, for even a name is a form of limitation, definition, and categorization. When speaking of the Holy One, blessed be He, in His absolute Essence, He has no name, since every name implies some level of human apprehension, whereas in His Essence, no apprehension is possible at all. However, from the perspective of His revelation in the world through the mystery of tzimtzum - after He contracted His light to form a sphere within which all the worlds exist - in this dimension it is meaningful to speak of the Name Havayah as the proper Name of His Essence.
In any case, here the Name is written as Adonai. Indeed, there are prayer books that mistakenly print "O Lord, open my lips" using the Name Havayah, which is an outright error. Radak explains: Adonai signifies that You are Master of all; "open my lips" corresponds to when my tongue sings of Your righteousness. That is, restore the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) to me, so that words of song may once again flow from my tongue as they did originally; for initially the Holy Spirit rested upon David and "His word was upon my tongue." "Open my lips" means grant me divine assistance in this, and then "my mouth shall declare Your praise."
The holy Alshich explains the verse based on what we find concerning Rabbi Chiya and his sons. The Gemara relates that Rebbe met Eliyahu HaNavi and asked him who possesses the power to effect change in the world. Eliyahu replied that if Rabbi Chiya and his sons were to pray, they would have the power to move the upper worlds. Rebbe decreed a fast and had them lead the prayers before the Ark. When they recited "Mashiv haruach" (He causes the wind to blow) - a wind blew; when they recited "Morid hagashem" (He causes the rain to fall) - rain descended. The world began to tremble, for they were about to reach "Mechayei hameitim" (He revives the dead), and had they said it, the dead would have risen - whereupon a wind blew and dispersed them.
Here we see the power of "Before they call, I will answer." They had not yet asked for anything; they did not say, "Please, Hashem, grant wind," but merely praised Hashem as the One Who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall - merely mentioning it, even before reaching the blessing for rain ("Barech aleinu") - and already the wind blew and the rain fell. This is precisely what King David asks: that the Holy One, blessed be He, grant him two things. First, "Open my lips" - help me to pray. And second - that You not require me to make requests and plead; rather, while "my mouth declares Your praise," through praise alone, like Rabbi Chiya and his sons, even then You will answer and respond favorably to me.
כִּי לֹא־תַחְפֹּץ זֶבַח וְאֶתֵּנָה עוֹלָה לֹא תִרְצֶה׃ - For You do not desire a sacrifice, or else I would give it; You take no pleasure in an elevation offering.
The Radak explains: Had I known that You desire a sacrifice for this iniquity, for my failing - "I would give it," I would offer it. But I know that You prefer a broken heart, as the next verse states, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit." Therefore, I return to You in repentance with a broken heart.
The Radak then asks: The Holy One, blessed be He, Himself commanded the offerings along with confession and repentance, so how can David say, "You do not desire a sacrifice"? The answer is that sacrifices were prescribed only for unintentional sins (*shegagah*), whereas David's act was intentional (*meizid*), and there is no sacrifice for intentional sin. To be sure, there are certain guilt offerings (*asham*) brought even for intentional transgressions - such as the *asham* for a designated bondwoman (*shifchah charufah*) or the *asham* for robbery (*asham gezeilot*) - but sin offerings (*chatat*) are always for unintentional sins. The Holy One, blessed be He, desires sacrifices for inadvertent sins, not intentional ones. And what should one do if he sinned intentionally? Repent with a broken and contrite heart, and when it involves a sin between man and his fellow man, reconcile with his fellow and appease him.
The Radak further explains the primary reason for sacrifices: The Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them solely to break the heart and nullify the body's desires from the heart. How so? When a person watches the sacrificial fats (*eimurim*) burning, it symbolizes the burning away of physical desires, and he must reflect that what is being done to the animal should rightfully have been done to him. The Holy One, blessed be He, accepted the animal in his stead - why? Because in an unintentional sin, the transgression is external, an error stemming from his animalistic side; whereas in an intentional sin, the soul itself is corrupted. In an inadvertent sin, the body stumbled unknowingly, so in place of the body that stumbled, another body is taken - the body of an animal. While offering the sacrifice, a person must observe the slaughter, the skinning, and the fats going up in smoke, and feel that this should have been done to him, understanding that it mirrors the burning away of worldly passions and bestiality. And the Holy One, blessed be He, knows all hearts, whether one sinned unintentionally or intentionally, and it is before Him that one brings the offering - therefore, for unintentional sins one brings a sacrifice, but for intentional sin, which is a flaw of the soul itself, there is no sacrifice.
The Malbim explains: "With what shall I approach Hashem... Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" - how could I offer my child as a sacrifice when I know that You do not even desire an animal sacrifice, let alone human offerings!
And what is the difference between *tachpotz* (desire) and *tirtzeh* (favor/will)? The Malbim has explained this in several places: *chefetz* is an emotional, instinctual matter - a person's craving and natural inclination, stemming from something being pleasant, sweet, or personally appealing, toward which the animal soul is drawn, as in "and he desired Jacob's daughter," where passion is aroused. *Ratzon*, by contrast, is an intellectual, rational matter. A person can want (*rotzeh*) something even without desiring (*chafetz*) it. For instance, a person is told: "You have a serious medical condition and need surgery." Does he desire (*chafetz*) surgery? Certainly not; he wishes none of it were necessary. Yet he wants (*rotzeh*) it, because he knows it will resolve his problem. *Ratzon* is rational; through intellect, one recognizes that this is necessary. It is very painful, and he does not relish it, yet he wills it for the benefit and good it brings.
According to this principle, consider the following: A peace offering (*shelamim*) does not come to atone for sin, but rather to express gratitude to Hashem, may He be blessed. Hashem wills (*rotzeh*) the peace offering, even though He does not crave (*chafetz*) it. To illustrate: when someone brings me a generous gift in appreciation for help I provided, I both want and enjoy it - I want him to express his gratitude toward me, and I take pleasure in it because he brought delicious and fine things. With the Holy One, blessed be He, only the first aspect applies. He wants you to show gratitude and not be an ingrate, but does He crave the sacrifice? Does He need a meal? *Chefetz*, which denotes an instinctual, appetite-driven desire, is entirely inapplicable to the Holy One, blessed be He.
An elevation offering (*olah*), on the other hand, comes to atone for the neglect of a positive commandment or for a negative commandment remedied by a positive one (*lav hanitak le'aseh*). In this offering, the Holy One, blessed be He, has neither *chefetz* nor *ratzon*. He certainly has no *chefetz*, since He does not crave even a peace offering. As for *ratzon* - He wills the peace offering, but not the *olah*, for you are bringing it only because you sinned, and He does not want you to sin, nor does He want you to bring Him an offering on that account. With a peace offering, quite the opposite: "Everyone who is called by My name, I created him for My glory, I formed him, indeed I made him" - it is fitting and good for a person to show gratitude. But with an *olah*, you arrived at bringing a sacrifice as a result of your sin, and that is something He does not desire.
This is the meaning of "For You do not desire a sacrifice, or else I would give it" - referring to a peace-offering (shelamim), which You do not yearn for even though You find favor in it; "a burnt-offering You do not want" - referring to the burnt-offering brought for a sin, which You do not even desire, for it would have been far better had one not stumbled at all and not needed to bring a burnt-offering before Him for atonement. The Malbim adds: when Scripture says, "and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him," this refers to appeasement and reconciliation after one has already sinned, but Hashem would certainly prefer that a person not sin at all and never need to bring a sin-offering or a burnt-offering.
זִבְחֵי אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה לֵב־נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה אֱלֹהִים לֹא תִבְזֶה׃ - The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
Ibn Ezra explains: repentance is considered as the sacrifices of God. And what is repentance? A broken and contrite heart. When you repent, it is as if you offered a sacrifice. As has been explained numerous times, the essence of teshuvah is a broken heart. Rabbeinu Yonah teaches that the core of teshuvah is regret, and in proportion to the magnitude of the regret is the depth of the repentance and the depth of the purification; the greater the regret, the more powerful the repentance and the greater the purification.
And this, unfortunately, is our Achilles' heel. We often go through the motions of repentance, but who among us has ever felt a truly broken spirit? Who has felt genuine heartache over having stumbled into sin? Who has ever experienced a broken and contrite heart? A story is told of a man who came to Rav Shteinman seeking a tikkun of repentance for several matters, may Hashem have mercy. The Rav gave him a rectification: not to eat this, not to do that, and several other practices. The man asked him: "And after all this, will I be forgiven?" The Rav said to him: "Tell me, have you ever lost a thousand shekels? Say, five hundred, or even one hundred shekels?" He said: "Yes." The Rav asked: "Did you feel anguish?" He replied: "Certainly, how could I not?" The Rav told him: "If, after all the repentance you perform, you feel pain comparable to the anguish you felt over those hundred shekels - your sin will be atoned for." What a disgrace: a person grieves more over losing fifty or a hundred shekels than over stumbling into sin! A person may sin, but the heartache is absent. Yet the essence of repentance is for a person to feel true anguish over having stumbled.
Radak explains: the sacrifice that the Holy One, blessed be He, desires is a broken spirit, and "a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise" - this, Hashem does not despise. But as for an animal sacrifice, when the heart is not broken, that Hashem despises. In simple terms: a broken heart is excellent even without a sacrifice, while a sacrifice is worthless without a broken heart. The primary requirement is the broken heart, and it is through this wholeness that atonement comes.
The Malbim explains similarly: the primary sacrifice Hashem desires is the broken spirit, where a person breaks his internal spirit. The spirit, according to him, is what conjures mental images upon the heart. For every sin begins in the imagination: a person imagines how delicious something is, how exceptional it is, and from these images rising in the heart he ends up where he ends up. As has often been noted, all advertising plays precisely on this point - on the imagination. They show you pizza being sliced with the cheese stretching, a steak seared with grill marks and juicy, the imagination is stirred - and then you taste it and say: it is nothing like the picture. And this is not even mentioning how pictures deceive, showing so many chocolate chips that you can barely see the cookie, yet upon opening the package one needs a magnifying glass to find them. Even when the picture is real, it always looks better in the photograph. Such is the power of imagination, and through it the yetzer hara works on us.
Everything therefore begins there, and for this reason what Hashem desires is a "broken spirit" - to break the internal spirit that projects images onto the heart, so that it will no longer paint illicit images, meaning that one will no longer entertain fantasies of transgressing, but only thoughts and images of wisdom and fear of Hashem. This is what the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts as a sacrifice.
And what is the heart? The Malbim explains that the heart is the outer dimension, the dwelling place of the spirit, representing the inciting drive and the evil inclination - as in, "You have granted him the desire of his heart," for the seat of desires is in the heart. And how does one break the heart? Through fasting, through affliction, through subduing the body; for the heart expresses the bodily desires, and therefore the way to break it is by breaking the physical body, through which the external vessels are shattered.
In truth, man is composed of both of these aspects, and committing a sin requires both forces combined: on the one hand, the internal faculty of imagination, envisioning the sin; and on the other, the physical instruments of action. A person who is physically broken, ill, in a daze, or crushed under the bondage of Egypt does not have the physical energy to even contemplate sin. Thus, we have the combination of body and soul. Corresponding to the soul that imagines the sin, Scripture says "a broken spirit"; and corresponding to the body, which harbors physical desires, it says "a broken and contrite heart" - just as David said, "and my heart is slain within me" - and this too God will not despise. But sacrifices and physical mortification - these the Holy One, blessed be He, does not desire; He desires a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart.
The Maharitz Dushinsky explains, based on the Gemara in Menachot (110a), that the name Elokim is never mentioned in the passages of the sacrifices. This is a point examined during the study of Sefer HaKuzari. Why? Because Elokim denotes powers, and we do not offer sacrifices to any intermediate power - "save unto Hashem alone" - only to the Tetragrammaton, blessed be He. Therefore, in all the sacrificial offerings, the four-letter Name of Hashem is always used, and one never finds a sacrifice offered to Elokim: "He who sacrifices to gods shall be utterly destroyed, save unto Hashem alone." For Elokim denotes powers, and one does not serve powers, but rather Him in His very Essence, may He be blessed.
And the allusion in this is: sacrifices in and of themselves do not come to sweeten strict justice, but rather to channel divine bounty into the world. Pouring bounty into the world is an aspect of the Tetragrammaton, Hashem's essential Name, which brings all worlds into existence and from which all aspects of lovingkindness and bounty flow. The purpose of the sacrifice is to channel bounty. And what sweetens strict judgment when there is divine displeasure and wrath upon a person? Only repentance, only a broken heart - the awakening that accompanies the bringing of the sacrifice.
Therefore, when a person arrived at the Beit HaMikdash with a sacrifice, they would speak to his heart and inspire him. If the Kohen saw that the man was completely asleep spiritually, coming merely to pay a tax and leave, he would tell the Levi'im to burst into song. They would sing a song of yearning and longing, his heart would break, and he would repent. Both elements are required together: repentance sweetens the judgments, and the sacrifice draws down the bounty in the wake of that sweetening. This is the hint in the verse: "The sacrifices of Elokim" - how does one sacrifice and subdue the attribute of strict justice, the aspect of Elokim? "A broken spirit", the contrite heart that accompanies the offering of the sacrifice. But the sacrifice itself is the aspect of pouring forth chesed and bringing down bounty.
הֵיטִיבָה בִרְצוֹנְךָ אֶת־צִיּוֹן תִּבְנֶה חוֹמוֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם׃ - Do good in Your favor unto Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem.
Rashi explains: "Do good in Your favor unto Zion" - build the Beit HaMikdash within it in the days of Solomon, my son. This speaks of the future, and Ibn Ezra is already sensitive to this, citing a novel interpretation from one of the scholars of Spain: that the last two verses were added by one of the pious individuals in Babylon, who would prostrate himself before Hashem and pray this psalm. Why would he suggest such a thing? "Because it was not known that Zion was the chosen place until the old age of David." That is, in his youth, at the time of the sin, how could David speak of Zion when he only came to know it at the end of his days? After all, the sin involving Batsheva took place some twelve or thirteen years before his passing - since Solomon was twelve when he began to reign, at which point David passed away, and the sin preceded that.
However, Ibn Ezra says there is no need to resort to such an explanation, for it is correct that it was said through Ruach HaKodesh. King David spoke these words through Ruach HaKodesh, as it says: "The spirit of Hashem spoke in me, and His word was upon my tongue" (II Samuel 23:2). The songs he sang were given in their exact words from the Holy One, blessed be He, through His holy spirit. David was the father of all who possessed Ruach HaKodesh, so it is no wonder that he spoke of future realities that did not yet exist.
The Radak states this explicitly as well: in these final two verses, it is apparent that Ruach HaKodesh had returned to him. After all, this is precisely what he asked for - "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit," restore to me the Ruach HaKodesh that was taken from me - and here we see that this request was fulfilled. His holy spirit had returned, and through Ruach HaKodesh he foresaw that the Beit HaMikdash was destined to be destroyed, both the First and the Second, because of their sins. Even though they brought sacrifices constantly, their deeds were corrupt: during the First Temple there were the three cardinal sins, and during the Second Temple there was baseless hatred; therefore, Hashem destroyed the Temple. In the messianic era, however, the sacrifices will be accepted favorably, and only then will the Holy One, blessed be He, desire them. This is the meaning of "Do good in Your favor unto Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem" - and then "You will delight in righteous sacrifices." According to the Radak, this already refers to the Third Temple, when they will rectify their deeds and fully repent of the three sins and of baseless hatred. Then You will delight in their deeds and bulls will be offered upon Your altar - and all of this was spoken through Ruach HaKodesh.
The Malbim explains: although You do not currently delight in sacrifices, You will do good unto Zion through Your favor - for Zion is the site of the Sanctuary and the resting place of the Shechinah, and You will desire to dwell there. You will not benefit Zion through walls, bars, and gates, but rather by resting Your Divine Presence within it. Conversely, "build the walls of Jerusalem" refers to the dwelling place of the populace, for the benefit of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and there the beneficence takes the form of building external walls. Thus, there is the spiritual aspect - the resting of the Shechinah in Zion, and the physical aspect - the physical rebuilding of Jerusalem.
אָז תַּחְפֹּץ זִבְחֵי־צֶדֶק עוֹלָה וְכָלִיל אָז יַעֲלוּ עַל־מִזְבַּחֲךָ פָרִים׃ - Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then bulls will be offered upon Your altar.
King David concludes the psalm: then You will accept righteous sacrifices - these are the peace offerings, the additional offerings, and the burnt offering that will be brought continually. As for "whole offering" (kalil) - Ibn Ezra notes that this refers to the meal offering of a Kohen, which is consumed entirely upon the altar. The Radak explains that the offerings then will be righteous sacrifices, whereas the earlier ones were in the category of futile offerings, devoid of genuine substance, as in: "Bring no more vain meal offerings; it is incense of abomination" (Isaiah 1:13). But in the messianic era, You will delight in offerings that are truly righteous sacrifices, burnt offering and whole offering. And why does the verse say "burnt offering and whole offering"? Since a burnt offering is already offered entirely, is this not redundant? Rather, it comes to include the meal offering - the meal offering of a Kohen - which is consumed entirely. As for "bulls" - this refers to sin offerings and peace offerings, and the same applies to sheep, but scripture chose to mention the largest of the animal offerings.
And the Malbim concludes his commentary on the chapter: "Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices" - not only will You accept them willingly, as we explained that divine favor relates to the conceptual realm, where Hashem finds favor when one brings a peace offering, but then You will also genuinely delight in the sacrifices themselves. Why? Because they will be righteous sacrifices. They will not be peace offerings that a person brings merely for material success, for some earthly benefit bestowed upon him - for such an offering is still of an inferior level, expressing gratitude only for physical, mundane matters. Rather, they will be sacrifices that reflect righteousness: offerings brought to thank You for having taught them the ways of righteousness, and for righteousness enduring constantly among them. Not like today, where institutions call themselves the "High Court of Justice" - where "justice" (tzedek) is merely the name of a planet, while true justice has long been forgotten. But then, true righteousness will prevail and endure among them, and in this Hashem delights for its own sake.
Therefore, "You will desire righteous sacrifices", and not only sacrifices but also "burnt offering and whole offering", for they too will then signify righteousness rather than sin. Yet with all this, You will not desire what was mentioned earlier, that a person should give his firstborn or the fruit of his body as an offering to Hashem. What will ascend upon the altar then? Only bulls - "then they shall offer bulls upon Your altar." But now, You do not desire sacrifice at all, but solely a broken and crushed heart.
King David asks that the Holy One, blessed be He, forgive him and open his lips, for a blemished mouth is not a fitting vessel with which to present an offering to the King; and he asks, like Rabbi Chiya and his sons, to be answered already during the praise, even before the petition itself. From here he arrives at the great foundation: the sacrifice, even when Hashem desires it, is not the primary point, and for an olah brought for a sin, there is not even a desire for it. The essence is "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit" - the breaking of the spirit that envisioned the sin and the breaking of the heart, which is the seat of desires, which is true remorse and heartbreak, and this is what sweetens the strict judgments. Finally, the Ruach HaKodesh returns to David, and through it he envisions Zion being built, the walls of Jerusalem being erected, and the era when sacrifices will be sacrifices of righteousness, pleasing before the Omnipresent. May it be Hashem's will that the Beit HaMikdash be rebuilt speedily, Amen and Amen.