The psalm before us - "A Psalm, a song for the Sabbath day" - addresses one of the fundamental questions of faith: why the wicked prosper while the righteous appear downtrodden. In this part of the lesson we enter the heart of the matter: the fleeting flourishing of the wicked and their ultimate destruction, contrasted with the enduring eternity of the righteous - "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree."
בִּפְרֹחַ רְשָׁעִים כְּמוֹ עֵשֶׂב וַיָּצִיצוּ כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן לְהִשָּׁמְדָם עֲדֵי עַד׃ - "When the wicked flourish like grass, and all workers of iniquity blossom, it is that they may be destroyed forever."
The Malbim explains in his lexical commentary that the metaphor here is remarkably precise: by its very nature, at the exact moment grass blossoms, it casts its seed and withers. So it is with the wicked - they are destroyed right after they bloom and propagate their kind. That is to say, they bring forth their kind and are immediately wiped out; they possess no continuity and no eternal existence.
The Malbim adds a further distinction: there is a difference between "the wicked" (resha'im) and "workers of iniquity" (po'alei aven). "Workers of iniquity" generally denotes sins between man and his fellow, whereas "wicked" often refers to transgressions between man and God. Observe the nuance: the wicked perish after they flourish (blossom), whereas the workers of iniquity are destroyed already when they sprout (bud). There is a great difference between them - the bud precedes the flower; first a plant sprouts, and only later does the flower open. It follows that when someone is a worker of iniquity, sinning against his fellow man, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings destruction upon him even before He destroys the wicked one who sins against Heaven.
We see from this that the Holy One, blessed be He, is far less patient with sins between man and his fellow. The nations may commit many wrongs, but when the people of Nineveh acted wickedness toward one another, God resolved to destroy them; when the people of Sodom mistreated their fellow human beings, God determined to destroy them. There were many places steeped in idolatry that were not sentenced to immediate annihilation; but when injustice between man and fellow man takes root, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not permit it to endure. Therefore, "when all workers of iniquity blossom, it is to destroy them forever" - they merely sprout and are already cut down. But the wicked flourish like grass; they are granted an opportunity to bloom, perhaps they will repent, and only afterward will they perish if they do not change.
וְאַתָּה מָרוֹם לְעֹלָם יְהֹוָה׃ - "And You, Hashem, are exalted forever."
Rashi comments on "And You are exalted": in all Your judgments Your hand is supreme, and all acknowledge the righteousness of Your verdict; Hashem is truth and His judgment is truth. The Radak explains that even when the wicked prosper, a person must not say: Does Hashem not see? Has Hashem forsaken the land? How could the Holy One, blessed be He, allow such injustice to prevail in the world? Such talk resembles the claims of those lacking faith who say "God does not oversee the deeds of men," or as some among our own people once said, "Hashem does not see us." That is certainly not true; Hashem watches and sees all, as it says, "And You, Hashem, are exalted forever." "Exalted" describes One who observes everything from on high. Someone standing below cannot necessarily see, but One who is supreme and lofty beholds all. As Jeremiah says: "Can a man hide in secret places and I shall not see him?"
So too says Solomon in Kohelet: "If you see oppression of the poor and the perversion of justice and righteousness in the state, do not marvel at the matter, for a high official is watched by a higher one, and there are higher ones over them." One who delves into this verse in its context in Kohelet learns that there is always an authority above an authority, a Watcher with supreme power over all. Everything is guided by Divine Providence; everything is under control. Does it seem to you that there is no judgment, that "Hashem has forsaken the land"? Absolutely not. A time will come when every person receives according to his deeds, and Hashem will ultimately settle the account with everyone.
This is also reflected in Malachi, whose contemporaries complained: "It is futile to serve God, and what profit is it that we kept His charge?... And now we praise the arrogant; those who work wickedness are built up." You see the arrogant prospering and evildoers being built up. And what does the prophet reply to them? "Then those who feared Hashem spoke to one another, and Hashem listened and heard," and later: "And you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him." In other words, what you see now may seem contrary to reason - why do the wicked prosper while the righteous are brought low? The answer is: this state of affairs is temporary. You will once again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. In the days of the Messiah, the arrogant and the wicked will perish, which is what our psalm means by "For behold, Your enemies, Hashem, shall perish."
Today, too, one hears all sorts of critics speaking with arrogance and contempt about Torah scholars - the very individuals who sustain the world, the ones in whose merit everyone else eats, breathes, and survives. In their merit! If a young man were not sitting in the kollel, what would become of you? By what power would you exist? By the power of the fleeting vanities to which you cling? If society exists, it is because there is a yeshivah student in Bnei Brak, in Jerusalem, in Beit Shemesh, or in Elad, sitting right now, immersed in Torah study and carrying the entire world on his shoulders, allowing you to endure as well. And yet people dare claim that these scholars waste time or merely drink coffee... what audacity, what insolence. But do not worry: when you see that "the arrogant are praised" and "workers of wickedness are built up," remember: "And you shall return and discern." You will witness once more the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not, and in the Messianic era the wicked will come to an end. Hashem is on high; Hashem sees all. You may not witness the consequences immediately, but in the end nothing is hidden from His gaze, and no one escapes an accounting before the Holy One, blessed be He.
The Malbim explains: Even though the wicked flourish, and even though you see workers of iniquity - those who are wicked in interpersonal matters - blossoming, nevertheless, "But You, Hashem, are on high forever"; Your hand will always reach them. The Malbim adds a wonderful explanation: When a person has someone acting against him, or a king faces rebels, he rushes to take retribution against them. Why does he rush? First, because right now they are here, and tomorrow they might change their identity, flee the country, move to a place without an extradition treaty - who knows? Therefore, let us eliminate them now, for his reach is not always guaranteed. Second, he himself does not live forever: who knows what will happen tomorrow or the day after? So as long as I am here and have the strength - let us punish them now. But with You, Master of the Universe, neither of these concerns applies: You are exalted on high and have the upper hand, and You are also eternal, "forever." Therefore, with You there is no need to rush to execute judgment, and nothing is hidden from Hashem. We mortals need immediacy, because otherwise how will I catch him, and how will I collect from him? But the Holy One, blessed be He, says: Do not worry, in the end everyone comes to Me, and whatever a person deserves to receive - he will receive in the end.
כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ יְהֹוָה כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ יֹאבֵדוּ יִתְפָּרְדוּ כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן׃ - For behold, Your enemies, Hashem, for behold, Your enemies shall perish; all workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
The Malbim says that this occurs in two distinct ways. First, because they are Your enemies, they will perish: since they are enemies of Hashem, through Divine providence Hashem destroys them. You fight against Hashem? Hashem will destroy you. Second, on their own, "all workers of iniquity shall be scattered": their very own evil deeds cause their disintegration, as in "and when the wicked perish."
And this is the reality we see with all the forces of evil. Look at corrupt political parties: Lapid the father was ultimately kicked out of his very own party. The son came along, and the son's power eclipsed the father's - meaning, seeing what they did to his father, he decided there would be no democracy. Democracy? Maybe in South Korea; here it is North Korea, here there is a dictator securing his position for decades as the party's supreme president. The Putin of "Yesh Atid" - that is the future. No one will budge me from here; they ousted my father? I am not leaving room for such possibilities anymore. And high praise of democracy on your lips? Democracy sounds nice for the media, and as a media man he tells you that; but how to run my party - leave that to me, I know how to run it.
In simple words: you see that the wicked scatter on their own. What remains today of Meretz? Who would have believed it? This was a party that won twelve Knesset seats, until back then they declared, "There is a God!" - does anyone remember that declaration? They won twelve seats and even he shouted, "There is a God!" And what is left of them today? Constantly looking for mergers, someone to align with. They partnered with all sorts of Arabs who poke them right in the eye, and they do not know what to make of them. You are in favor of unity and integration? Here, take the Arabs you wanted so badly, after all you wanted to integrate them - and they stab them in the back and twist the blade. So the wicked will scatter on their own; leave it to them, they will devour each other, you do not need to do anything. "All workers of iniquity shall be scattered" - this is essentially all you see: a clique of workers of iniquity slowly falling apart from within.
Thus we find: on the one hand, because they are Hashem's enemies, Hashem will destroy them through Divine providence - "for behold, Your enemies shall perish"; and on the other hand, because they are workers of iniquity, they will scatter on their own. And workers of iniquity are wicked people in interpersonal relations as well. Indeed, one can see this: people on the left will always speak about helping the underprivileged, about equal rights, about all those slogans, yet in their personal lives they are completely removed from it. A person who needs individual help will turn to a Charedi Knesset member; he will not turn to a Knesset member from Meretz - the chances of him paying any attention or caring are slim. "Do not come to me, leave me alone, I am a public representative, I did not come to deal with the individual." They do not deal with the individual. And not only that - the hatreds among them are truly appalling. To think that these people speak lofty words about human dignity and freedom and caring for the weak - do they really care about the weak? Look at the decrees they enact against the underprivileged: "You are not my electorate, why should I care about you? Did you bring me into the Knesset? You voted for Bibi - so let him take care of you." But you talk about caring for the weak! Yes, but there are weak people of another kind: there are Bedouins, there are Arabs, there are all sorts of other weak groups - those are the ones he comes to care for. So you see that these people are workers of iniquity, wicked in interpersonal matters, and this itself will cause them to break apart and crumble.
In the sefer Zeh HaSha'ar, a wonderful insight is brought by way of remez from Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropoli. As often noted: whenever you hear chiddushim in his name, these are insights received through Ruach HaKodesh, truly wondrous. The verse states: "Its opening at the head shall be folded inward; its opening shall have a woven binding around it, like the opening of a coat of mail, it shall not tear." At first glance, what can one deduce from a verse describing the form of the garment? Yet, as is known, the two primary heads of the forces of impurity - which we will not pronounce fully by mouth - are S"M (Samech-Mem-Aleph-Lamed) and his mate L"I (Lamed-Yud-Lamed-Yud-Taf), may she perish. By the way, S-M-A-L is an acronym for Siyum Masechet Ein La'asot ("A siyum on a tractate must not be made") - he does not want conclusions; he always pushes you to start, and later he will make sure to trip you up, but reaching a completion - against that the Sitra Achra fights intensely.
And come and see how both are hinted at in this very verse: "Lefiv saviv ma'aseh oreig" - Lamed, Samech, Mem, Aleph, the acronym of his name in reverse order. Immediately following: "tachra yihyeh lo lo yikare'a" - Taf, Yud, Lamed, Lamed, Yud, the letters of her name in reverse. And it is all in the exact same verse! And what separates them? The word "k'fi": "k'fi tachra" - the word "k'fi" creates the separation, so there will be no union between the S"M and his mate, for if they unite, it poses mortal danger. And this is the meaning of "And I will take away My hand (kapi)" - for if Hashem were to remove His protective hand, Heaven forbid, a union between them could occur, causing immense destruction.
And this is what is alluded to in our verse: "Yitparadu kol po'alei" - the first letters of "kol po'alei yitparadu" form k-f-y (kapi). And what does this "k'fi" do? "All workers of iniquity shall be scattered" - it separates the workers of iniquity, keeping these two forces of evil apart from each other. So too is it hinted in the verse, "to cut off from the city of Hashem all workers of iniquity": "Hashem kol po'alei" - again forming k-f-y. Through this "kapi" they will be cut off, since through it they are kept apart.
וַתָּרֶם כִּרְאֵים קַרְנִי בַּלֹּתִי בְּשֶׁמֶן רַעֲנָן׃ - You have raised my horn like that of a wild ox; I am saturated with fresh oil.
Radak explains: Here the Psalmist speaks of every righteous person, for he shifts to the singular. Every righteous person sees the wicked, who are Hashem's enemies, how they are scattered and perish, and thanks Hashem, blessed is He: "Thank You, Master of the Universe, for allowing me to witness the downfall of the wicked, and for raising my horn like the horns of the wild ox," as it is written, "his horns are the horns of a wild ox, with them he shall gore peoples." And so is the expression always used: "and raise the horn of His anointed," and "May You swiftly cause the sprout of David Your servant to flourish, and let his horn be exalted through Your salvation." A horn is an expression of power and might, for the horn gores - "with them he shall gore peoples"; raising the horn means that he was granted strength and valor. And the righteous person offers thanks that his horn has been raised to see the downfall of the wicked and the elevation of the righteous.
"I am saturated with fresh oil" (*baloti b'shemen ra'anan*) - according to Radak, this is from the language of *belulah vashemen* (mixed with oil), as though I have been saturated with fresh oil, hinting at an abundance of goodness and pleasure, like someone whose head has been anointed with fine, choice oil. Malbim explains differently: "You have raised my horn like that of a wild ox" - the horn of success will rise from its lowly state, and *baloti* is from the language of "After I have withered, shall I have pleasure?" (Bereishit 18:12), meaning my aging and wearing out. After I have grown worn and old, I will be rejuvenated by the oil with which Hashem, so to speak, anoints me. The horn is an expression of physical vigor, while the oil - which, as is known, olive oil benefits memory and has the power to restore seventy years of Torah study - hints at spiritual success.
וַתַּבֵּט עֵינִי בְּשׁוּרָי בַּקָּמִים עָלַי מְרֵעִים תִּשְׁמַעְנָה אָזְנָי׃ - My eye has gazed upon those who lie in wait for me; my ears have heard of the evildoers who rise up against me.
From the wording of the verse, you understand that *shorai* refers to people who do me harm, as the continuation states: "my ears have heard of the evildoers who rise up against me." Rashi explains: *shorai* - my adversaries, the people hostile to me. From what root? *Shor* denotes looking, as in "I see him, but not now; I behold him (*ashurenu*), but not near" (Bamidbar 24:17), and like "eyes right" (*l'yamin shor*) - a wall is also called *shur*, both because it consists of rows (*shurot*), and because sentries would climb upon it to gaze out and watch, as in "He gazes (*yashor*) upon men" (Iyov 33:27), which is an expression of gazing. Therefore, "My eye has gazed upon those who lie in wait for me (*shorai*)" - my eye will see the downfall of those who look at me with an evil eye. "My ears have heard of the evildoers who rise up against me" - regarding the wicked who rise up against me, my ears heard from behind the heavenly curtain (*pargod*) that they will not prevail over me and will not be able to harm me.
And why both seeing and hearing? Radak explains: My eye saw in them, and my ear heard concerning them, what I desired - I will merit seeing their downfall and hearing about their ruin, everything I wished to hear regarding those who do me evil. As it is written elsewhere, "and my eye gazed upon my enemies" (Tehillim 54:9), that my eye will see their downfall unfold.
Malbim explains: Since I know that the righteous experience affliction at the beginning and tranquility in the end, while for the wicked it is the reverse, my eye gazes upon the watchful onlookers, upon those who observe me when evildoers rise against me, and my ears hear what they say. And what do they say? That is the next verse - "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree." Here we have a profound principle: for the righteous, things are difficult at first, but later on they experience true success and great light; a path whose beginning is full of obstacles leads into a smooth and straight road. And the opposite is equally true: when you see everything going smoothly without a hitch, one must be very cautious - who knows where it leads; it is too smooth and too easy, and it may well lead only to ruin.
Malbim further analyzes the nuance: What is the difference between *shorai* and *vatabet*, given that both relate to seeing? *Habbatah* (gazing) means focusing one's attention on something - this is the distinction between simple seeing (*re'iyah*) and gazing (*habbatah*): seeing is merely viewing casually, whereas gazing means directing one's heart and contemplating the object. And what is the difference between that and *shur*? *Shur* is gazing from afar. Therefore, *shorerai* (my watchful foes) are those who watch from a distance to observe my misfortune, and this is also why a wall is called a *shur*, for one ascends it to scan and look into the distance.
צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרָח כְּאֶרֶז בַּלְּבָנוֹן יִשְׂגֶּה׃ - The righteous will flourish like a palm tree; he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Malbim explains: Everyone who sees this recognizes and declares that through the very fact that evildoers rise against the righteous, through that very adversity "the righteous will flourish like a palm tree" - that which you see as suffering in the present is the very cause of his subsequent growth and flourishing.
Consider this imagery: the palm tree blossoms and yields fruit, but it has a disadvantage - after blossoming, it dries up, and especially if it is cut down, its trunk does not regenerate, and no other palm tree grows from that same trunk. The cedar, on the other hand, constantly thrives, and its trunk regenerates if it is cut down, but it has a drawback - it produces no fruit, as the cedar is a non-fruit-bearing tree. The righteous person is compared to both: to the palm - in that he blossoms and bears holy fruit, these being the children who continue his path and attach themselves to a great tree; and to the cedar - in that he has eternal endurance unlike the palm, remaining permanent, so that even if he is cut down, he sprouts anew.
So too in the homiletical teaching: Midrash Shocher Tov cites several differences between the palm and the cedar to explain why the Psalmist depended on both. Just as the shade of this palm tree is far from it - for the palm does not cast shade directly beneath it, as its fronds are only at the top, and therefore its shadow is cast far off - so too with the righteous, the bestowal of their reward is far off, in the World to Come. And just as one does not fashion utensils from a palm tree, for palm wood is not suitable for crafting utensils - could Israel also be like this? The verse therefore states, "he shall thrive like a cedar in Lebanon," as cedar is suitable for crafting utensils. And just as a cedar does not produce fruit - could Israel also be like this? The verse states, "like a palm tree," which produces fruit. And just as when a cedar and a palm tree are uprooted they cannot be replaced - could Israel also be like this? The verse states, "Planted in the house of the Lord," for they are planted permanently. And what is "in Lebanon"? The Midrash explains: a forest in the Land of Israel. And what is "yisgeh" (shall thrive)? It means he will grow and flourish, denoting increase, as in "sagi ko'ach," meaning great in power - "sagi" in Aramaic means abundant or great; thus the cedar in Lebanon multiplies.
שְׁתוּלִים בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה בְּחַצְרוֹת אֱלֹהֵינוּ יַפְרִיחוּ׃ - Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courtyards of our God.
Since the verse compares the righteous to trees, the Radak explains: they are planted in a fertile spot, in the house of the Lord, a moist place capable of producing growth; "in the courtyards of our God" - that is the place where the sages, the teachers of Halachah and Torah, reside. And know that in the days of the Messiah, the wicked will be cut off and nothing will remain of them, "and your people are all righteous," all will engage in the knowledge of God, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. All will be planted in the house of the Lord, the dwelling of the sages, and there they will flourish, prosper, and increase in wisdom. And why did it mention both "house" and "courtyards"? Because the Kohanim and Levi'im are in the house, while the Israelites are in the courtyard - the courtyard of the Beis HaMikdash.
The Malbim explains that "planted" corresponds to "he shall thrive like a cedar in Lebanon," indicating that the righteous person possesses an intrinsic existence, and even when he is cut down from this world, he will thrive, for he has an eternal existence in the World to Come, beyond mere earthly reality. And what is meant by "planted" (shatul)? The term "planted" always refers to something that was in one place, was uprooted, and was replanted anew. So it is with the righteous: when he is uprooted from his place in this world, one might say, "Look, what did the righteous gain by his righteousness if he died in the prime of his life?" But in truth, that is not so; rather, he is replanted on high before the Holy One, Blessed be He, in the world of souls. As it is written, "Until I enter the sanctuaries of God" - then I will see that what I thought was uprooted here has grown immensely there on high, thriving like a cedar in Lebanon. And corresponding to "The righteous shall blossom like a palm tree," blossoming in this world and leaving sons and daughters who follow in his path, it says, "in the courtyards of our God they shall flourish" - they will flourish far beyond that.
The Chafetz Chaim, as is well known, related that he remembered being in Vilna and hearing a sermon by the Maggid, Rabbi Ze'ev of Vilna. The beis midrash was packed to capacity, and the Maggid told them: When I speak here, I see such inspiration; I see how the listeners are spellbound, thirstily drinking in the words and longing to advance spiritually - "Planted in the house of the Lord," if only everyone here would remain planted in the house of the Lord, what wonderful aspirations! But "in the courtyards of our God they shall flourish [yafrichu]" - the moment they step out of the synagogue, it all flies away. What do they busy themselves with now? Material matters, "Did you hear what happened?", politics, and trivialities. What happened? A person merely stepped out into the courtyard, and everything evaporated. A person must know: "Planted in the house of the Lord," but you must carry it into the courtyard as well - even when you step out into practical life, take what you learned with you and apply it, so that it does not remain confined to the beis midrash.
עוֹד יְנוּבוּן בְּשֵׂיבָה דְּשֵׁנִים וְרַעֲנַנִּים יִהְיוּ׃ - They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be vigorous and fresh.
The Radak explains: In the Messianic era, the days of Israel will be long, "For as the days of a tree shall be the days of My people," and the days that are considered old age in this world will be like the days of youth - someone who is considered elderly today will be considered a youth in the days of the Messiah. And this is the meaning of "For the youth shall die a hundred years old": if someone dies at the age of one hundred, people will say that he passed away in the prime of his youth. This is stated specifically regarding a sinner, who will die; and why only at age one hundred? Because prior to that age they are not punished, just as someone is considered twenty today - in the Heavenly Court punishment is not administered until age twenty, and in the future they will not administer punishment until age one hundred. Others say, and so the Alshich HaKadosh cites and proves from the verse, that "the youth shall die a hundred years old" refers to the gentiles, but among Israel they will not die at all - "He will swallow up death forever," and there will be no death among Israel at all, only among the gentiles will a youth die at one hundred years old.
The Malbim explains: "They shall still bear fruit" [od yenuvun], from the word tenuvah, fruit - "yielding its fruit." Even in old age they father children, and they themselves remain vigorous and fresh in bodily strength so that they can engage in Torah study. It is well known that the Chafetz Chaim remarried only out of necessity; he had no plans to marry, but when there was no choice and he needed someone to manage the household, he said: If I am to marry, let it be to a woman capable of bearing children. He was then, in his late sixties or seventies, and he went and married a younger woman capable of bearing children, and she bore him children. Rav Hillel Zaks, a rosh yeshivah of Chevron, came from this second marriage. Thus, one of the prominent heads of Chevron Yeshiva descended from the Chafetz Chaim precisely after there were no longer any plans. Despite it all, one sees how he produced fruit - "vigorous and fresh," even in old age bearing children who bring enduring life and splendor to the world.
לְהַגִּיד כִּי יָשָׁר יְהֹוָה צוּרִי וְלֹא עַוְלָתָה בּוֹ׃ - To declare that Hashem is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no injustice in Him.
The conclusion of the chapter: everyone will declare that Hashem is upright. Today, people stand bewildered - why do the wicked prosper and why do the righteous suffer? They have questions and doubts regarding the deeds of Hashem, may He be blessed. But in the future to come, everything will be understood: all of Hashem's deeds are upright. In the days of Mashiach, they will be refined and purified, and all who remain will be like refined silver; there will no longer be tranquility for the wicked nor adversity for the righteous. Then everyone will acknowledge and say, "My Rock, and there is no injustice in Him" - Hashem is my Rock, the One in Whom I trust; there is no injustice in Him, and all His work is done in faithfulness. At that time, they will also understand the entire conduct of Providence here in this world, which once provoked questions, wonder, and bewilderment, when people could not comprehend Hashem's ways. In the future to come, when they witness this, all will proclaim, "My Rock, and there is no injustice in Him."
The Malbim explains that this continues the previous verse: "They shall still bring forth fruit in old age" - they will produce fruit in their old age so that they can declare and make known that Hashem is upright, my Rock, and there is no injustice in Him. For when one witnesses the success of the wicked, it raises doubts; but when one sees how the righteous receive their reward and observes their success, through this they will say, "My Rock, and there is no injustice in Him." Thus, whoever contemplates "They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing" comes to recognize that Hashem's providence operates with uprightness and justice.
The flourishing of the wicked is like the sprouting of grass - it yields its seed and withers; and the workers of iniquity, those whose wickedness lies in interpersonal dealings, are destroyed even earlier, at the blossoming stage, for the Holy One, blessed be He, has no patience for this. And if it appears to the eye that they are successful - "But You, Hashem, are on high forever," Your hand can always reach and You are eternal, so You have no need to rush judgment. Ultimately, "behold, Your enemies shall perish" through divine providence, and "all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered" on their own, through their own wickedness. In contrast, the righteous person is compared to a date palm that yields fruit and to a cedar whose existence is enduring and whose trunk regenerates: flourishing in this world through children who walk in his ways, and replanted Above in the world of souls; "Planted in the house of Hashem" - and we must carry the Beit Midrash into the courtyard as well, into practical, everyday life. May it be His will that we merit to see eye to eye how righteous and upright Hashem is, my Rock, and there is no injustice in Him. Amen and Amen.