Sefer Tehillim, chapter 86 - a chapter that we recite every day on which Tachanun is said. It is worthwhile to make an effort to understand what we are saying. The Radak writes that David composed this chapter when he was in exile, fleeing from Shaul, and he prays to Hashem to protect him from the hands of those who seek his life.
תְּפִלָּה לְדָוִד: הַטֵּה־יְהֹוָה אׇזְנְךָ עֲנֵנִי כִּי־עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אָנִי׃ - A prayer of David: Incline Your ear, Hashem, answer me, for I am poor and destitute.
The Radak explains that David calls himself poor (*ani*) because he was truly impoverished in the places where he was hiding: in his actual situation, he lacked even basic sustenance. And if anyone helped him, it was the men of Yehudah who assisted him in secret. It can also be interpreted as referring to the days he spent with Achish, king of Gat, when he sustained himself from the spoils of the nations. Therefore, he calls himself poor - like an impoverished person who has no helpers, since he had no supporters from the Jewish people while residing in Gat with Shaul in pursuit of him.
The Ibn Ezra likewise raises a difficulty: Was King David really poor and destitute (*ani ve'evyon*)? After all, there is no poverty in royalty. The first possibility - by way of metaphor: he was poor and destitute in his own eyes, poor in matters of pride. A second possibility: in comparison to the kings of the nations - help me, for compared to the gentile kings I am poor and needy. And an additional possibility: he is praying before Hashem, may He be blessed, and before Him, who am I and what am I? This is an expression of poverty and lowliness before the Holy One, blessed be He.
The Malbim likewise explains that David offered this prayer so that Hashem would rescue him from the hand of his enemies and from those who sought his life: "Incline Your ear, Hashem, answer me" - I ask, Master of the Universe, that You answer me, based on five distinct grounds. The first reason: "For I am poor and destitute" - it is Your way, Master of the Universe, to have mercy on the poor and the destitute, and this alone is a reason to have mercy on me. The second reason stems from strict justice and judgment, as we shall see further on.
What is an *ani* (poor man) and what is an *evyon* (destitute man), and why does David double these terms? The Radak's approach is to say that repeating the idea with different synonyms serves to reinforce the matter. However, this is not the approach of the Malbim, who holds that there is a precise distinction between every single word. The Malbim refers back to what was already explained in chapter 40: *ani* differs from its other synonyms - *evyon*, *dal*, *makh*, *rash* - in that *ani* denotes poverty of the soul, lowliness of spirit, and humility. One might note that *ani* and *anavah* (humility) share the same root. Poverty here expresses inner humility and submissiveness; whoever does not pursue worldly desires and honor - whether he has wealth or not - is termed an *ani*. For the most part, this applies to righteous people, as tzaddikim are humble in spirit.
Therefore, King David calls himself *ani* and does not define himself as *dal*, for he did not lack wealth or health; rather, on account of his humility of spirit and his submissiveness before Hashem, he calls himself *ani*. Yet there is voluntary submission, and there is submission resulting from an external cause. Therefore, where the submission and lowliness arise from an external cause, Scripture juxtaposes the term *evyon* with *ani*. That is to say: I am not impoverished solely out of personal choice and will, but also due to circumstances forced upon me. *Evyon* comes from the root of craving and desire (*ta'ev*, *avah*) - as in "my brother-in-law refuses (*lo avah*)". David says: on the contrary, from my own nature I am an *evyon*, yearning for everything, yet I possess poverty of the soul, lowliness of spirit, and humility because of the reality in which I am being pursued.
שׇׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי כִּי־חָסִיד אָנִי הוֹשַׁע עַבְדְּךָ אַתָּה אֱלֹהַי הַבּוֹטֵחַ אֵלֶיךָ׃ - Preserve my soul, for I am pious; save Your servant, You are my God, who trusts in You.
First, a grammatical point. The Radak explains: "Shamrah nafshi" - the shin is read with a broad kamatz (a long 'a' sound), and there is a ga'yah (a meteg) with the kamatz, which causes the following sheva under the mem to be vocalized (a sheva na). We do not pronounce it "Shomrah nafshi", but rather "Shamrah nafshi". The meteg is there to indicate that it should be read this way, and not with a kamatz chataf. A kamatz chataf is like the vowel in the word oniyah ('ship'), where it is read with an 'o' sound; but when the kamatz is broad and accompanied by a meteg under the shin, it animates the mem that follows it. Rav Mazuz writes similarly in his work Emet Keneh on Tehillim: one must say "Shamrah nafshi" and not "Shomrah nafshi", the shin with a broad kamatz and the mem with a sheva na (and what was printed there, that the resh has a sheva na, is certainly an error, as the resh has a kamatz).
There are indeed places where we say "Shomrah", as we find nearby in U'va L'Tziyon: "Hashem, God of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yisrael our fathers, keep this forever (shomrah zot l'olam) as the inclination of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and direct their hearts toward You" - there, the shin has no meteg, and therefore it is read "Shomrah". The Radak cites several examples: "Shomrah zot l'olam", and "Zochrah li Elokai l'tovah" ('Remember this for my good, my God') - in those cases it is a short vowel, and therefore pronounced "Zochrah". Here, however, the pronunciation is drawn out on the shin to enhance the pleasantness of the melody, and the mem receives a sheva na: "Shamrah nafshi". Here too, this is an imperative - please Hashem, guard my soul.
The Radak notes: Some wonder, how could King David declare, "For I am pious (ki chasid ani)"? This sounds boastful. Chazal were already sensitive to this difficulty, and cited David's words: "Am I not a chasid? For all the kings of the East and the West sit in their honor, while my hands are soiled with the blood of a fetus and placenta in order to purify a woman for her husband." King David was the greatest master of the Oral Torah, and the Halachah is decided in accordance with his rulings everywhere. It is related that for every praise Doeg offered concerning David in order to incite Saul's jealousy, Saul replied: 'My son Yonatan is like that too.' 'Skilled in playing music' and all the other praises - 'My son Yonatan is like that too.' Until Doeg told him: 'The Halachah is decided in accordance with his rulings everywhere' - at which point Saul fell silent. Why? Because there cannot be two people about whom the Halachah is decided in every place; that distinction belongs to only one person. Thus David possessed extraordinary stature; people brought their halachic questions to him, and his hands were soiled with fetal blood and placenta to permit a woman to her husband. This is unquestionably profound piety.
The Radak adds: It is not surprising that he calls himself a chasid, because he acted with lovingkindness toward God and toward people. Even though he sinned at times, his heart was upright and he repented of his misdeeds. Notice this: a chasid is not necessarily someone who has never sinned. A chasid is a person who may have sinned, but his heart is upright and he sincerely regrets his sin. When the prophet came to rebuke him, he immediately confessed, "I have sinned." Furthermore, the Radak explains, David only spoke this way in contrast to his enemies: they harmed him, yet he did not harm them; on the contrary, he repaid their evil with good. They rejoiced at his downfall, while he rejoiced in their well-being: "I spared my oppressor empty-handed" - someone who persecuted me and fell into my hands, whom I could have killed, I let go unharmed. "You have put joy into my heart more than when their grain and wine increased" - this refers to his enemies, and David says he harbored no envy toward them. Saul pursued him, and twice fell into his hands so that David could have killed him, yet twice he spared his life. And so it was with his other enemies. Therefore he pleads, "Do not allow Your pious one to see the pit," and "Hashem rewarded me according to my righteousness" - Master of the Universe, see how I treat my enemies with piety; it is therefore fitting that You deliver me.
The Midrash brings an additional teaching: Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Alexandri - whoever hears himself insulted and remains silent is entitled to call himself a chasid. Who is permitted to say, "I am a chasid"? Not only someone who wears a shtreimel. One who hears himself being cursed and holds his peace is entitled to say, "I am a chasid."
"Who trusts in You (habote'ach eilecha)" - Master of the Universe, You are my God; save the one who trusts in You. Do not wonder at the phrasing "eilecha" (literally 'to You'), says the Radak, for trust is sometimes phrased as "trusting in You" (bote'ach becha) and sometimes as "to You" (eilecha), since the word el can substitute for the letter beit. We find this in the verse, "And into the Ark you shall place the testimony (ve'el ha'aron titein et ha'eidut)" - which means "in the Ark you shall place the testimony." Here too, "who trusts to You" means who trusts in You.
The Malbim explains: "Preserve my soul, for I am pious" - this is a request based on strict justice: I am deserving of mercy because I am pious, and with the pious You act piously; the Holy One, blessed be He, is meant to bestow lovingkindness upon His pious servants. Moreover, the meaning of "preserve my soul" is that my soul should not collapse and fall away from piety as a result of being persecuted. Under such circumstances, a person is liable to harbor resentment toward the Holy One, blessed be He, or even utter words of heresy, Heaven forbid. Guard my soul - I am pious and I want to remain pious, so that I may continue to conduct myself with piety.
The third basis for his request is trust: "Save Your servant," because he trusts in You. This touches upon the honor of Your Name: to assist those who place their trust in You. For if people see that You deliver those who trust in You, others will also realize that it is worthwhile to trust in Hashem, and He will deliver them as well. As the Vilna Gaon once told his disciple, Rav Chaim of Volozhin, regarding the verses, "Be strong and let your heart take courage, all who hope for Hashem" and "He who trusts in Hashem, lovingkindness surrounds him": It does not say 'Eliyahu' and it does not say 'Chaim'; rather, it says "all who hope for Hashem." Hashem's kindness rests upon anyone who trusts in Him - whoever places his trust in Him, the Holy One, blessed be He, showers goodness upon him, and this is guaranteed. Thus, trust itself is sufficient reason that You should bestow good upon me. The fourth basis is prayer, as we shall see shortly.
One might add an insight here: ostensibly, if you are a chasid, you already merit divine protection on your own, so why is it necessary to pray for it? If you had said: Master of the Universe, preserve my soul even though I am not so righteous and not complete - that would be understandable. But "for I am pious" - you deserve protection in any case!
Rather, this can be understood through a profound idea: There is an apparent contradiction in the words of Chazal. In one place it is taught that a person should always view himself as balanced right in the middle (a beinoni) - half merits and half sins, and the entire world is likewise half merits and half sins, so that one single deed can tip both himself and the entire world to the scale of merit, and Heaven forbid the opposite. Yet elsewhere it is stated: "Even if the entire world tells you that you are a righteous person (a tzaddik), be in your own eyes like a wicked person (a rasha)." How can these two be reconciled? The answer is straightforward: When a person examines himself on his own, he should view himself as balanced in the middle. But if the entire world tells him that he is a tzaddik, that becomes extremely dangerous, for when everyone praises him, he is liable to believe it. Therefore, at that point one must bend the iron completely to the opposite extreme so that it will straighten out: tell yourself that you are a rasha, and in this way you will ultimately keep yourself balanced in the middle.
Based on this, one can explain our verse as well: David HaMelech is saying - Master of the Universe, I know that I am pious (a chassid), and that is precisely why I ask, "Preserve my soul," because that self-awareness poses an immense danger. If I know that I am pious, who knows how far I might fall? Therefore, facing this grave danger - preserve my soul, for I am pious; I am a chassid who knows he is a chassid, and for that I need extraordinary protection.
חׇנֵּנִי אֲדֹנָי כִּי אֵלֶיךָ אֶקְרָא כׇּל־הַיּוֹם׃ - Grant me grace, Hashem, for to You I call all day.
What is meant by "all day"? Rashi explains: throughout the entire exile, which is day for the nations and night for Israel, as is explicitly taught in Midrash Tehillim. Protect me, Hashem, "all day" - for the nations of the world, this world is daytime, the exile is their day, while for the Jewish people it is night. But in the future we are destined for "the night shines like the day, darkness and light are the same," when reality will be inverted: for the nations it will be one long night, and for the Jewish people it will be day - "Bring near the day that is neither day nor night," and the Holy One, Blessed is He, will shine the sun with the light of the seven days of Creation. We await that day, but in the meantime, it is day only for the nations. "To You I call all day" - throughout the entire era of exile, which is daytime for the nations, I cry out to You.
The Radak explains that "all day" means continuously, across all days; it does not mean that he calls out to Hashem literally from morning until evening, but rather: to You, Hashem, I call on all days. Furthermore, "to You I call" means that my calling is directed exclusively to You; I place my hope in no one else, as it is written in Psalm 25, "For You I have hoped all day."
This reflects a principle often explained: many times a person trusts in Hashem, but he trusts also in Hashem. His trust is not genuine trust in Hashem, but trust "also in Hashem": "I need something, so I approached so-and-so, spoke to an activist, tried to pull some strings, and the Holy One, Blessed is He, will also help." In other words, he brings the Holy One, Blessed is He, into the picture merely as background, not at the center; it is good to have Him in the background so that if things go wrong, there is a backup rescue team. Surely, that is not the way. If, Heaven forbid, someone does not feel well, the very first step must be: Master of the Universe, send me a recovery! And since the Torah writes, "and he shall provide for healing," granting permission to a physician to heal, requiring us to act within the natural order, he also takes the medication and recites, "May it be Your will that this endeavor brings healing." But first and foremost, he turns to Hashem: Master of the Universe, I have a headache, please heal me! One must not treat the Holy One, Blessed is He, merely as a fallback option. There are people who act like options traders: first they pursue the natural option, and if a problem arises, they have another option - the Master of the Universe. Not so; the Holy One, Blessed is He, must be at the very center. This is the meaning of: "To You I call all day" - for You I have hoped; my cry is not directed to any other helper but to You alone, and therefore grant me grace.
This aligns beautifully with what the author of Chovot HaLevavot writes: when a person places his trust in the Holy One, Blessed is He, Hashem, as it were, commits to helping him; but when a person trusts in flesh and blood, the Holy One, Blessed is He, leaves him in the hands of the one he trusted - "You trust in him? Go to him, let him help you." This is explicitly stated in the verse: "Where is their god, the rock in whom they sought refuge?" An Eloha is a power; where is the power you relied upon? "Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their libations" - you relied on it and offered it sacrifices, fats, and libations; "let them arise and help you, let them be a shelter over you" - call upon him to help you! But here David says: No, Master of the Universe, to You alone do I call all day; my prayer is addressed solely to You, and therefore it is fitting that You answer me.
The Malbim explains: this is an additional reason I ask that You answer me - from the perspective of prayer itself. "Grant me grace, Hashem, for to You I call all day" - because I persist in my calling all day long. Note that the request is framed in terms of grace (chaninah), as in "Va'etchanan" - an expression of entreating for unearned favor. Chazal teach that chaneni denotes an unearned gift (matnat chinam): not because I am worthy, and not because I deserve it, but grant it to me as a free gift, for if something is granted to me on account of my merits, it may diminish my merits.
שַׂמֵּחַ נֶפֶשׁ עַבְדֶּךָ כִּי אֵלֶיךָ אֲדֹנָי נַפְשִׁי אֶשָּׂא׃ - Gladden the soul of Your servant, for to You, my Lord, I lift up my soul.
The fifth reason David asks Hashem to answer him: because I have relinquished hope in all worldly matters other than the Master of the Universe. I have nothing besides the Holy One, blessed is He; this is all I ask, and I have nothing beyond this. This is why he says: "Gladden the soul of Your servant" - I have no joy in this world, Master of the Universe, except in You; "for unto You, Hashem, I lift up my soul" - and since this is so, it is reason to answer me and save me, for I have nothing and no savior other than You.
And what is the meaning of "I lift up my soul"? Rashi explains: I direct - unto You I direct my soul. Radak explains this in several ways: as an expression of wholehearted supplication, as in "Let us lift up our heart with our hands"; or in the manner of an offering, as in "and portions were taken" - that I bring my soul to You as an offering, giving it as a gift to You, prepared to dedicate my life; or in the sense of hope and yearning, as in "and unto it he sets his heart [lifts up his soul]," meaning that toward it lies his longing. Thus, "unto You, Hashem, I lift up my soul" means: my soul yearns for You.
In the first four pesukim of the psalm, King David presents five reasons for his plea that Hashem answer him: because he is poor and destitute - the poverty of soul and lowliness of spirit forced upon him by his persecution; from the perspective of justice, that with the devout He acts devoutly, and as a plea that his soul not fall from its piety; from the perspective of trust, for helping those who trust in Him magnifies the honor of His Name; from the perspective of prayer and grace, in that he persistently calls only to Him and requests an unearned gift; and because he has relinquished hope in all worldly matters and has no joy or savior other than the Holy One, blessed is He, alone. From here emerges the practical lesson for us: to place the Holy One, blessed is He, at the center rather than in the background, to call upon Him first, and to know that specifically one who recognizes his spiritual stature needs special protection so as not to fall from it.