Before us is the final portion of Psalm 68, the verses concluding this grand hymn. After describing Hashem's salvation of His people, the psalm concludes with a vision of the nations of the world bringing tribute to Hashem, and with a call to the people of Israel to "Ascribe strength to God" - a call from which we will derive a monumental principle in understanding miraculous Providence and our own role within it. We will proceed through the verses following the explanations of Rashi, Radak, and the Malbim.
יֶאֱתָיוּ חַשְׁמַנִּים מִנִּי מִצְרָיִם כּוּשׁ תָּרִיץ יָדָיו לֵאלֹהִים׃ - Nobles shall come out of Egypt; Cush shall hasten to stretch out its hands to God.
Rashi explains: When You destroy Edom and King Messiah arises, they will bring You offerings and gifts from both Egypt and Cush. And what does chashmanim mean? Rashi cites Menachem that it is the name of a place, like Cheshmonah. Indeed, some say that the Chashmonaim (Hasmoneans) were named after the city of Cheshmonah, which was the origin of their name. Others say that chashmanim means gifts and presents - there is little biblical precedent for this meaning, but it fits the plain meaning of the text nicely: they will bring gifts to You from Egypt and from Cush.
Radak and Ibn Ezra explain that chashmanim are the great leaders and officers, men of distinction. Even in modern Hebrew this term is used as a high ecclesiastical title - a cardinal is called a chashman, based on this concept. Similarly, Matisyahu ben Yochanan the Kohen Gadol was called a Chashmonai, meaning distinguished and honorable, as were his sons after him. Thus, there are two approaches: either named after the city of Cheshmonah, or on account of their stature and importance.
Radak explains that the psalm refers to the war of Chizkiyahu. Sancheriv came from his campaigns in Cush and Egypt, carrying with him all the silver and gold he had looted there, along with all the captives he had taken. The Holy One, blessed be He, sent him there first so that he would load up the vast spoils and transport them right to the outskirts of Jerusalem - why should we have to toil and exert ourselves? Let him haul and bring everything here. And when he besieged Jerusalem, an angel of Hashem went out and struck him down, and all that plunder fell into the hands of Israel. This is the meaning of "Nobles shall come out of Egypt" - all the riches of Egypt and Cush arrived in Jerusalem.
Concerning this it was said, "I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place": as it were, Sancheriv was destined to strike us, but the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Egypt as our ransom, and Cush and Seba in our stead - instead of us falling, they fell as an atonement for us. Likewise, "The labor of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall pass over to you and be yours" - all their labor and trade profits will pass over to you.
Radak adds further: those who survived the plague turned to the faith of Israel and converted. While there is a Midrash of Chazal stating that none survived except Sancheriv and his two sons, Radak understands that there were others who survived. Regarding them it is said, "Surely God is in you, and there is no other, there is no God besides" - meaning, they proclaimed: God is only among you, and there is no deity besides Hashem. About them it was also stated in the prophecy, "There shall be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan and swearing to Hashem of Hosts" - they will speak the Holy Tongue and swear allegiance to Hashem out of complete faith. So too here: they will bring tribute to the Beis HaMikdash, and the congregation of Cush will hasten to stretch out its hands with an offering to God.
Radak asks: normally, running is done with the feet, so should it not have said "hasten its feet"? Rather, although the feet do the running, the offering is presented with the hands. Therefore it says "hasten its hands" - running with its feet and presenting the tribute with its hands.
מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ שִׁירוּ לֵאלֹהִים זַמְּרוּ אֲדֹנָי סֶלָה׃ - Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord, Selah.
The Malbim explains: dignitaries and nobles will come from Egypt, and distant Cush will also stretch out its hands eagerly to God, and all the kingdoms of the earth will come and sing and chant praises to Hashem. This mirrors what was stated at the opening of this theme: "Sing to God, sing praises to His Name," for at that time everyone will recognize Hashem's might and power. And "Selah" - with this, the subject concludes, marking the fourth section of the psalm.
לָרֹכֵב בִּשְׁמֵי שְׁמֵי קֶדֶם הֵן יִתֵּן בְּקוֹלוֹ קוֹל עֹז׃ - To Him Who rides upon the highest heavens of ancient times; behold, He gives forth His voice, a voice of strength.
The Radak explains: "The heavens of heavens" refers to "shemei hashamayim" - the heavens are at a certain height, and the heavens of heavens are higher still, the uppermost sphere that encompasses everything, which is called Aravot. And why "ancient times" (kedem)? Because the heavens and their celestial bodies have stood from ancient times, existing from the day they were created, unlike earthly beings - man was created later. And "behold, He gives forth His voice, a voice of strength" - Hashem will direct His voice against His enemies, a mighty voice, and rebuke them.
The Malbim notes that the psalm concludes with what it opened: at first it said, "Sing to God, sing praises to His Name, extol Him Who rides across the deserts (Aravot)" - Hashem rode through the wilderness and saved us through battle, through the natural order. But now: "To Him Who rides upon the highest heavens of ancient times" - the Holy One, Blessed be He, guides us with a providence that is above nature, a miraculous providence, elevated and exalted above our heavens. Earlier, He was "riding across the deserts," representing an earthly providence; now He guides us from the highest heavens, which influence our heavens and are of a loftier realm. Therefore, "behold, He gives forth His voice, a voice of strength" - a voice higher than the natural voice, a voice of power manifest in supernatural providence.
תְּנוּ עֹז לֵאלֹהִים עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל גַּאֲוָתוֹ וְעֻזּוֹ בַּשְּׁחָקִים׃ - Ascribe strength to God; His majesty is over Israel, and His strength is in the skies.
The Radak explains: through your words, you ascribe strength to Him, for what Hashem did for you in taking vengeance upon your enemies was not through your own power, but through the strength of God. "His majesty is over Israel, and His strength is in the skies" - just as one who gazes into the heavens sees His strength, as in "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse reflects His handiwork," so too is His majesty evident over the people of Israel: in that He fights on their behalf and saves them from their enemies. When the entire world was bogged down in the COVID pandemic and the people of Israel were already emerging from it - this was an expression of the strength of the Holy One, Blessed be He. There is no natural explanation for this; only a crude and earthbound person would think in terms of a prime minister and political connections, whereas someone with even a measure of spirituality understands that it is "a land upon which the eyes of Hashem your God are always set, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year." This is Hashem's salvation upon us, showing mercy and compassion to His servants. The only question is whether we show gratitude and know how to appreciate it.
The Malbim emphasizes: this miraculous providence is directed only toward Israel. The Holy One, Blessed be He, does not guide the nations of the world with miraculous providence; natural providence applies to all at all times. Therefore it says, "Ascribe strength to God" - prepare yourselves through good deeds, through which you, so to speak, give Him strength to guide you with spiritual providence. In simple terms: do you want to merit supernatural providence? It depends on you. If you are upright and worthy, you, as it were, give power for you to be guided in this way; but if you are unworthy, as it were, the power Above is weakened from guiding you miraculously, and He guides you according to the laws of nature.
The Malbim further adds: the conduct of the Holy One, Blessed be He, in a miraculous and wondrous way is called in Scripture "the majesty of Hashem." There is nature, and there is rising above nature - that is, acting through an exalted and transcendent providence above the fixed order. And where is this providence established? "And His strength is in the skies (shechakim)" - the skies are above the planetary spheres. The celestial alignment - the spheres and constellations - represents natural providence; and although that which flows through the power of the stars and constellations also stems from Him, Blessed be He (since *mazal* is related to *nozel*, the abundance that flows down from the higher worlds), nevertheless it remains a fixed, natural order. In contrast, His strength is in the skies, and His majesty is over Israel - meaning that He guides them in a manner above nature, and this occurs only when they are worthy of it through their deeds. Therefore: "Ascribe strength to God" - be worthy, perform good deeds, and through this you will merit supernatural providence.
In the sefer Tehillot Maharit, the author cites the words of Chazal: When Israel performs the will of the Omnipresent, they add strength to the Heavenly Might and the Heavenly retinue. This is truly wondrous - do we add strength to God? Yet it is written, "Ascribe strength to God" (Tenu oz le-Elohim), meaning you give strength to God! These matters require explanation, and we have already elaborated upon them at length; whoever desires a foundational understanding of this topic should study the beginning of Nefesh HaChaim, which deals with this subject in depth and explains how it operates.
Here he explains with a parable: A father educates his son, guides him on the straight path, teaches him and makes him wise, until he becomes a great tree, one of the leaders of the land, a tremendous talmid chacham, refined in character traits and upright in deed. Who benefits from this? First and foremost the son, but one cannot deny that the father does as well. "Who are you?" - So-and-so's father. Your son is that great person, that wise scholar - this brings honor. Wherever Rav Ovadia's father entered, people would stand before him as if for the gadol hador; he was merely the father of Rav Ovadia, but because he had such a son, they honored him. Thus, the father, too, is honored through the greatness of his son.
So too here: all our power to perform valiantly comes from Him, Blessed be He, but when the children - "You are children to the Lord your God" - are seen in such an elevated state, the honor of Heaven is magnified, and through this, as it were, praise is given to Hashem. And the reverse is also true: when the Jewish people corrupt their ways and the Holy One, Blessed be He, punishes them, He must also hold them accountable for the desecration of God's Name (Chillul Hashem). For the nations see a downtrodden people and say: Their God is weak, He could not save them. We delivered ourselves into the hands of the nations, and they blaspheme and revile the Name of Heaven, and for this too we are held to account. But when we do His will, His Name is magnified and sanctified, for He is the One who grants us the power to achieve greatness, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it were, takes pride in us - "Israel, in whom I take pride." See how wonderfully he expounds the verse: "Ascribe strength to God" - improve your deeds so that you can add strength to the Heavenly Might above. And if you ask how it is possible to add anything, as it were, to Hashem, the answer is: "His majesty is over Israel, and His strength is in the skies." Because Hashem takes pride in and is glorified through the people of Israel, through this there is honor and strength for Hashem, Blessed be He, in the skies.
And it continues: "Awesome is God from Your sanctuaries" - as it were, the Holy One, Blessed be He, becomes feared and revered through Israel, who sanctify His Name. But know the truth: "The God of Israel, He gives strength and power to the people" - without His help, we would never have attained this. Do not imagine that you are giving anything to Hashem, because ultimately, even what you gave came from Him, Blessed be He, and from Him you received the power to give. Therefore, we are obligated to thank and praise His Name: "Blessed be God."
In Nefesh HaChaim, this is elaborated further: regarding the Holy One, Blessed be He, in His Essence (Atzmut), it is impossible to add anything whatsoever. This is also logical: it is inconceivable that I could produce something that gives Him what He did not possess before. Did the Holy One, Blessed be He, create man in order to receive something from him? Would that imply He created something because He lacked it, and needs human beings for that purpose? If you make Him needy, you have diminished Him. Who is needy? One who lacks. A healthy person does not need drugs; who needs drugs? An addict. A need is not a perfection but a deficiency, a sign of lack. One who has no need of anything is complete. If so, the Holy One, Blessed be He, needs nothing, and if you say that He needs our praise, you have rendered Him deficient.
Rather, the Nefesh HaChaim explains that one must distinguish between the holy Sefirot and His Essence, Blessed be He. We have already elaborated on this, and it can be summarized briefly to make the picture complete: His Essence, Blessed be He, refers to the Holy One, Blessed be He, beyond the Tzimtzum (contraction). He contracted His light, created a vacant space, and there created worlds; but beyond the Tzimtzum we have no grasp of Him, nor even a name. Even Ein Sof (Infinite / Without End) is not a definition of Him, for as the Nefesh HaChaim points out, one could just as well have said "Without Beginning" - something that has no end also has no beginning, so why jump to the end? Rather, when we say Ein Sof, it does not refer to His Essence, Blessed be He, but to our perception of Him: our comprehension has no end, we cannot reach its conclusion, yet there is a beginning, for He revealed to us His ways and His conduct. But in His Essence, there is not even a beginning, nor does He have any name, since every name confines and defines, whereas He, Blessed be He, cannot be defined.
Therefore, when we say, "Ascribe strength to God," it refers to the Sefirot, which are light emanating from Him, Blessed be He; our actions have the power to increase the abundance of their light or diminish it. When you increase the abundance of their light, they channel divine bounty down below; and when you diminish their light, you cause harm and do not receive bounty. This is the concept of Mayin Dechurin and Mayin Nukvin (male and female waters), which we discussed at length. Thus, regarding the Holy One, Blessed be He, in His Essence, you have given nothing; it is only within the Sefirot - an emanated power from Him, Blessed be He - that it is possible to increase the abundance of light through our deeds, through which goodness is channeled down to us.
נוֹרָא אֱלֹהִים מִמִּקְדָּשֶׁיךָ אֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא נֹתֵן עֹז וְתַעֲצֻמוֹת לָעָם בָּרוּךְ אֱלֹהִים׃ - Awesome is God from Your sanctuaries; the God of Israel, He gives strength and power to the people; blessed be God.
Rashi cites a Midrash of Chazal: "From Your sanctuaries" (mi-mikdashecha) - from Your destroying it, You are feared; that is, people revere You because You destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. For they say: If He showed no favoritism even to His Temple, which was, as it were, the Creator's own house, all the more so will He show no favoritism to the wicked. Thus, in the destruction of the Temple there is awe and fear instilled in the wicked, lest they corrupt their ways.
Rashi further cites from Midrash Aggadah: Do not read it as mi-mikdashecha ("from Your sanctuaries"), but rather as mi-mekuddashecha ("from Your holy ones") - when the Holy One, Blessed be He, executes judgment upon the righteous, He is feared, exalted, and lauded, as was said at the death of Aharon's two sons: "Through those near to Me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified." If He is exacting with the righteous, how much more must I, who am not righteous, rectify my ways; and out of this, people come to revere Him.
And as we mentioned throughout the psalm, Rashi cites the exposition of Chazal that the entire psalm up to "Blessed is the Lord day by day" speaks of the day the Torah was given: "A bountiful rain" was at the Giving of the Torah; "Your flock settled in it" refers to Israel at Mount Sinai; "Kings of armies flee, they flee" refers to the angels of hosts, for the Jewish people drew back out of fear and the angels guided them step by step and brought them close to the mountain. But Rashi notes that his heart cannot settle on interpreting "settled in it" as an expression of settling into the Torah. Similarly, his heart cannot settle on interpreting "The mountain God desired for His dwelling" as referring to Mount Sinai, for He did not desire it as His permanent dwelling nor to dwell there forever - and here it is written, "Yea, the Lord will dwell there forever." If anything, "The mountain God desired for His dwelling" is the Temple Mount, from which the Shechinah has never departed, whereas today Mount Sinai has no sanctity and no Shechinah dwells there. All of this is the way of derash, but according to the peshat of the psalm, it is difficult to fit these interpretations into the verses. Therefore, Rashi interpreted the psalm as it appeared right to him, according to the plain meaning closely tied to the text.
Radak explains: "God is awesome from Your sanctuaries" - awe comes to people from the Beit HaMikdash, for the glory of Hashem dwells there, and there they witnessed ongoing, constant miracles. Rain never extinguished the fire of the woodpile on the Altar - anyone learning Daf Yomi is familiar with this. There is an open bonfire, torrential rain is pouring down, it might even be snowing - this is Jerusalem in the dead of winter - and despite all this, the fire was never extinguished. Likewise, "the wind never prevailed over the pillar of smoke." The Altar did not stand inside a building; the entire Courtyard - the Priests' Courtyard, the Israelites' Courtyard, and the Women's Courtyard - was unroofed, and the winds howled, yet the smoke rose straight up like a column. Anyone who has seen the smokestacks near Haifa or Hadera knows that smoke always bends to the side; here, however, the smoke rose straight like a rod, visible from miles away. Constant miracles were seen in the Beit HaMikdash, and this is "God is awesome from Your sanctuaries": a person who came to the Beit HaMikdash and beheld these wonders left filled with the fear of Hashem.
And why does the verse say "from Your sanctuaries" in the plural (*mimikdashecha*), rather than "from Your sanctuary" (*mimikdashcha*)? One possibility in Radak's commentary is that the earthly Sanctuary corresponds to the heavenly Sanctuary, and the verse refers to both sanctuaries, including the Throne of Glory. Another possibility is that it refers to the three sections of the Temple. The built and roofed structure was shaped like an inverted Hebrew letter *zayin*: the wide entrance hall was called the Ulam (Vestibule); inside it was the Heichal (Sanctuary proper), containing the Menorah, the Shulchan, and the Incense Altar; and further inside was the Dvir, the Kodesh HaKodashim (Holy of Holies), where the Ark and the Tablets inside it rested - and this was only in the First Temple - as well as the Cherubim that Solomon made. Regarding these three areas, the verse says "from Your sanctuaries." Radak does not interpret this as the First and Second Temples, since David lived long before the Second Temple; however, one could also suggest that it refers to the Mishkan and the Beit HaMikdash, for the Mishkan was also called Hashem's sanctuary: "And they shall make for Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them."
"The God of Israel, He gives strength and power to the people" - Hashem gives strength and might to Israel. And why does it say "to *the* people" (*la'am*) with the definite article? It refers to the well-known nation, the people of Israel, who are His people. "Blessed is God" - for this, it is fitting that we give Him thanks, bless Him, and praise Him. Radak adds that some commentators interpret this entire psalm as referring to the Messianic future, to the War of Gog and Magog, but what seems correct to him is what he wrote: that the psalm speaks of the historical reality of its era, concerning Sennacherib's campaign against Hezekiah.
Malbim explains: You, Israel, know that "from Your sanctuaries" - from your Beit HaMikdash, and from your sanctifying yourself before Him - from this "God is awesome." As we explained, the Holy One, blessed be He, governs through miraculous providence when we are worthy, and such providence inspires awe before Him. Under the natural order there is no awe, for nature is routine and fixed, and people do not readily see the hand of Hashem in it. None of us wakes up overwhelmed with wonder at the sight of the sunrise; but if we were to see the Red Sea split, we would be filled with wonder - for how long is uncertain, but we would be amazed. Therefore, through your sanctifying yourself before Him, God is awesome: He performs deeds through which His awe is made manifest, conducting affairs in a manner that transcends nature.
"The God of Israel" - we have already explained that when the text simply says *Elokim*, it denotes His governance of the world at large, whereas when it says *Elohecha* ("your God"), it denotes supernatural providence, individual Divine providence (*hashgachah pratit*) over the people of Israel. Here, "the God (*El*) of Israel" reflects the dimension of God specifically for Israel, our personal God Who watches over us. The distinction between *El* and *el* is straightforward: *el* with a segol - as in "And Hashem spoke *to* Moses, saying" - means "to" or "unto"; whereas *El* with a tzeirei means God. Here, *El Yisrael* is spelled with a tzeirei, meaning that Hashem is the God of Israel Who watches over them with individual providence.
"He gives strength and power to the people" - and this corresponds to the spiritual standing of the people of Israel. When Israel walk in a path of devotion to Hashem, in a manner that transcends nature - as we explained on the weekly Torah portion, that when we act above our natural instincts, subduing and overcoming our nature - the Holy One, blessed be He, overrides nature and alters its order for our sake. This is the meaning of "You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your God, am holy": when you sanctify yourself and overcome your nature, the Holy One, blessed be He, says: I, too, will guide you through holy providence, "your God" - personal providence, an order of guidance that transcends nature. What does "holy" mean? Elevated and exalted. Nature is the lower, fixed realm, whereas supernatural providence is the exalted realm; it is holy providence.
This is what the verse conveys: see in whose hands the strength is placed - in the hands of the people of Israel. If we conduct ourselves with holiness, Hashem will guide us through supernatural providence. In the hands of Israel lies the power to govern heaven and earth and to step above nature, that is, to lead and master nature. "He gives strength and power to the people" - because the people conduct themselves with supernatural discipline, they are worthy that Hashem overturn the laws of nature for their sake. Therefore: "Blessed is God" - blessed is He for His wonders and for the goodness He bestows upon His people Israel.
The conclusion of the psalm leads us from the outside inward: Egypt and Cush bring tribute, and all the kingdoms of the earth sing to Hashem, for everyone recognized His might in the downfall of Sennacherib. From there, the song ascends to "Him Who rides upon the ancient heaven of heavens," to the miraculous providence that transcends nature, and to the call, "Ascribe strength to God": the strength is placed in our hands. Through our good deeds, we add light to the upper spheres and magnify the glory of Heaven, for "His majesty is over Israel" - the Holy One, blessed be He, glories in His children. "God is awesome from Your sanctuaries" - from the Beit HaMikdash where miracles were witnessed daily, and through our sanctifying ourselves before Him, the awe of Him is revealed in the world. And ultimately, everything is from Him: "The God of Israel, He gives strength and power to the people" - and consequently, "Blessed is God."