Introduction
In this part of Chapter 97, we continue the progression begun at the start of the psalm: the revelation of Hashem's kingship in the world, and especially the refutation of the mindset of idolaters and astrologers (worshipers of the heavenly host). The chapter explains that natural governance - the celestial systems, the heavens, and the rain - is not an autonomous force, nor is it "blind fate." Rather, it is a conduit through which the Holy One, blessed be He, directs the world according to the laws of righteousness and justice. From there, the chapter transitions to the higher realm of providence: the governance of Zion and Israel, which is the intimate individual providence of a father over his son.
"And All the Peoples Saw" - A Note on Ta'amei Emet
הִגִּידוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם צִדְקוֹ וְרָאוּ כָל־הָעַמִּים כְּבוֹדוֹ׃ - The heavens declared His righteousness, and all the peoples saw His glory.
First, a note on the cantillation: Why do we read "ver'au khol ha'amim" with a soft chaf rather than "ver'au kol ha'amim" with a dagesh? After all, under the word "ver'au" there is a tifcha. In standard biblical verses, a tifcha is a disjunctive accent (a pause). However, in the poetic books of Emet - Iyov, Mishlei, and Tehillim - the cantillation marks operate differently; these are known as Ta'amei Emet, and in this system, the tifcha (or tarcha) is a conjunctive accent that connects words. Therefore, "ver'au khol ha'amim kevodo" is read together without a pause, and consequently, the dagesh drops from the letter chaf due to the preceding open vowel letter (ehevi). If "ver'au" had been read with a pause, the chaf would have taken a dagesh, pronounced "kol ha'amim."
The Heavens Testify That Nature Is Not Deterministic
The Malbim explains: "The heavens declared His righteousness" - through this, all will see that the governance of the celestial array, the stars and the heavens, is not a deterministic system governed by rigid, immutable laws of nature. Rather, they will see that it is an order directed according to righteousness and justice: if you are worthy, the system behaves accordingly, and if you are unworthy, the Holy One, blessed be He, alters the course of events through the very mechanisms of nature. Consequently, "the heavens declared His righteousness": through the heavens Hashem dispenses reward, and through them He also administers punishment - Hashem causes the rain to fall elsewhere, and thereby extracts retribution.
And this is not merely seen in localized segments, but rather "and all the peoples saw His glory." According to the worldview of the astrologers, everything that occurs in the terrestrial realm stems from celestial arrangements and deterministic cause and effect, to the extent that the heavens in their courses pay no heed to justice or righteousness based on human deeds, but simply revolve according to their fixed cycles. Even if injustice befalls the righteous and good fortune visits the wicked, the heavens do not intervene; they perpetually bring rain and constantly dispense their influence in a fixed manner. But now, even the heavens declare His righteousness - for the heavens themselves operate with justice. When reward is due, it comes through the heavens, just as the Torah states: if we do not fulfill Hashem's will, "He will shut up the heavens," and when we fulfill Hashem's will, the earth will yield its produce. Natural governance itself is subordinate to human deeds, and there is no such thing as blind fate.
The Malbim adds: In the view of the astrologers, each star rules over and influences only one specific region of the earth and one nation - an isolated, localized influence over that particular people, climate, or continent. But now, "and all the peoples saw His glory": they will see that the Master of the celestial host is the Holy One, blessed be He, and He guides it according to His laws of justice, through a unified governance encompassing all nations. There is no independent ruler for each nation, nor is each nation consigned to its own star; rather, there is one Ruler Who directs everything. You may well be right in the premise that influence descends through the celestial bodies - but it is not the star that exerts that influence. There is no point in turning to a star, but only to Hashem, Who guides all the nations.
The Radak explains: "The heavens declared His righteousness" - when? When Hashem rains hailstones, fire, and brimstone upon the wicked, whereupon everyone will rightly proclaim: behold, this is Hashem's governance. When Hashem sends down rain from heaven, Hashem's righteousness will be clearly evident. And when is His righteousness evident? When Hashem executes judgment upon the wicked and grants good reward to the righteous. And who proclaims that righteousness? The heavens - through the judgment that Hashem executes by means of them.
The Shame of Idol Worshipers
יֵבֹשׁוּ כָּל־עֹבְדֵי פֶסֶל הַמִּתְהַלְלִים בָּאֱלִילִים הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ־לוֹ כָּל־אֱלֹהִים׃ - Ashamed will be all who serve idols, who boast of false gods; prostrate yourselves before Him, all you gods.
Through this, all worshippers of carved idols will be put to shame. Until now, they would boast and praise their idols, claiming that all their success - what they conquered, what they achieved, what they accomplished - came from the power of these idols. Now, when Hashem judges them, they will see and know that there is no substance to them whatsoever, and that power belongs to Hashem alone. And idols and false gods, explains the Radak, are figures that people used to fashion in the likeness of the heavenly host in order to draw down influence - sun images and the like - to channel bounty from that host of heaven.
"Bow before Him, all you gods" - that very host of heaven to which you bowed down itself prostrates before Hashem, may He be blessed. Through this, they will realize that neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars possess any independent power, for all of them are subordinate to Hashem. Prostration is the ultimate expression of subordination: that they nullify themselves before Him and perform His will. Indeed, you see that Hashem executed judgment against their worshippers - and if they possessed any independent power, why did the star not protect you? Why did the constellation you worship not guard you? Rather, you learn from this that the Holy One, blessed be He, directs the celestial bodies, and they have no independent power whatsoever.
And what does "all gods" mean? On the surface, what kind of "gods" exist that are supposed to bow down to Hashem? The Radak explains that the word "worshippers" (ovdei) from the beginning of the verse carries over to its end. This is a foundational principle we have explained several times: a phrase written at the beginning of a verse sometimes applies to the continuation of the verse as well, even though it is not repeated explicitly. Just as we say, "Who did not make our portion like theirs, nor our lot like that of all their multitude" - as if it were written "and did not make our lot like that of all their multitude," where "Who did not make" carries over to the end of the verse. So too here: "Ashamed are all worshippers of carved idols... bow down to Him, all worshippers of gods." That is to say, all those who worship false gods are the ones who will bow down to Hashem, and the verse does not imply that there are other deities in creation.
The Malbim explains: "Ashamed are all worshippers of carved idols" - whether the worshippers of physical statues, who believe that through the statue they draw down the spiritual energy of the celestial bodies (having crafted statues in the likeness of the stars and heavenly forces), or "those who boast in false gods," who believe that they or their homeland are supervised by a specific cosmic force - that a particular star influences this country or that continent. Both types will be put to shame, for now they will see that all powers bow down to Hashem.
And what does "all gods" (elohim) mean according to the Malbim? Elohim means "powers." The word El denotes power, and it is a term shared between Hashem and every other force in creation. That is why one can say "other gods" (elohim acherim) - forces that people worshipped, yet they are alien and not the power of Hashem. That is why the Torah can say, "to the judges (elohim) the matter of both of them shall come," in the sense of judges and magistrates; that is why one says, "it is within the power of my hand" (yesh le'el yadi); and that is the source of expressions like "the mighty of the land" (eilei ha'aretz), or in modern usage, "magnates of wealth" (eilei hon) or "oil barons" (eilei neft) - all deriving from the root for power. It follows, then, that all forces are subordinate to Hashem. The nations worshipped the forces of creation, and one cannot deny that the sun is a power and the moon is a power; the question is whether it is an independent power or a "puppet on a string." We know that they possess no independent power at all, and the word mazal (constellation) itself stems from the flowing down (nozel) of abundance channeled through them - it is merely a conduit, not an independent force.
According to this, there is no need to interpret the verse as "bow down to Him, all worshippers of gods"; rather, "all gods" is understood literally: the forces of nature are elohim, meaning powers, yet they possess no independent authority. It becomes evident that Hashem directs them with His infinite power, and consequently there is no point in turning to such a force. Although it possesses power, it neither listens, nor hears, nor gives you anything on its own, for it is nothing more than an agent executing what the Holy One, blessed be He, commands it. Therefore, one must bow only to the Prime Cause - to Hashem, may He be blessed.
The Joy of Zion and the Daughters of Judah
שָׁמְעָה וַתִּשְׂמַח צִיּוֹן וַתָּגֵלְנָה בְּנוֹת יְהוּדָה לְמַעַן מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ יְהֹוָה׃ - Zion heard and rejoiced, and the daughters of Judah exulted, because of Your judgments, Hashem.
"Heard" - what will she hear? The Radak explains: all the lightning and thunder. "And rejoiced" - as will the rest of the people; Israel will hear and rejoice, because they know that these are hailstones, stones of ice and fire descending to punish the wicked. In contrast, the nations will feel terror at this, as we saw earlier, "all the inhabitants of the world tremble," because they realize that the Day of Judgment has arrived, when Hashem exacts retribution from them.
"Zion," explains the Radak, is the capital of the kingdom of Israel. By the way, the commentators offer several explanations for the term "Zion": the interpretation that Zion refers to Eretz Yisrael is the least common among the commentators. Generally, Zion refers to Jerusalem - "let us go up to Zion" refers to Jerusalem, not to Eretz Yisrael as a whole; and some say it is a specific quarter within Jerusalem named Zion. And why do Zion and Jerusalem specifically rejoice? Because the judgment of the wicked will take place in the Valley of Jehoshaphat in Jerusalem, and there Hashem will exact retribution from them. Therefore, "Zion heard and rejoiced," seeing vengeance visited upon the enemies who persecuted the Jewish people.
"And the daughters of Judah exulted" - we have explained several times that this does not refer to literal daughters, but to the surrounding villages. There is a central city, and Scripture speaks of "Ekron and its daughters," "Ashdod and its daughters" - the settlements surrounding it. This is also how Targum consistently renders it: kufrenaha, meaning the satellite towns and surrounding villages. Thus, Zion will rejoice and the daughters of Judah will exult - those settled around Jerusalem - "because of Your judgments, Hashem."
The Malbim explains: although the divine order guiding Zion operates on a higher plane than the one described here. For all the providence we have discussed until now is conducted through nature, where the Holy One, blessed be He, channels bounty through the physical realm. The governance of Zion, however, is supernatural and miraculous - like the providence of "Sun, stand still at Gibeon," or the splitting of the Red Sea, an order that transcends nature. Jerusalem and Zion are guided by miraculous, providential, personal governance that overrides all laws of nature, akin to the miracle of "He Who commanded oil to burn will command vinegar to burn." Nevertheless, when Zion hears that Hashem oversees all the nations, governing them through the celestial order according to the laws of righteousness and justice, Zion will rejoice over those judgments. For until now, the nations did not even acknowledge that lower form of providence, remaining convinced that they were governed independently by the power of the stars and constellations. Now they will recognize that even their governance is an execution of justice through nature, and that the celestial ministers do not govern them autonomously, but rather everything is guided by Hashem.
"You Are Exalted Far Above All Gods"
כִּי־אַתָּה יְהֹוָה עֶלְיוֹן עַל־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ מְאֹד נַעֲלֵיתָ עַל־כָּל־אֱלֹהִים׃ - For You, Hashem, are supreme over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.
The Radak explains: They will recognize that You are supreme to an infinite degree. Do not understand "supreme" (elyon) merely as being above them, but rather incomparably and boundlessly higher. "You are exalted far above all gods" - referring to all those forces of the heavenly hosts that the nations worshipped; suddenly it becomes clear to them that there is a Supreme Being above them, and who is He? The Holy One, blessed be He, and He is the ultimate source of all influence.
The Malbim explains: Through the judgments You execute, You will be recognized as supreme over all the earth, and everyone will acknowledge that You are supreme, the Prime Cause, and that everything stems from You. And second: "You are exalted far above all gods" - all the forces within creation derive entirely from You, and You, Master of the Universe, do not act out of necessity or determinism, but out of absolute free will. When Hashem wills it, He acts and executes justice and judgment. This refutes their assumption that the forces of nature operate deterministically, that the celestial order is fixed and unchangeable, bringing rain under all circumstances and running the mechanisms of nature regardless of the deeds of those below. Through this judgment, they will realize that this is not so: the workings of heaven and earth may follow fixed laws, but there is One Who commands and compels them. You are exalted above them; You determine when the heavens yield rain and when they do not; You determine when abundance flows and when it is withheld. Consequently, there is no sense in turning to the forces of nature, but only to the Prime Cause, to the One Who stands above those "gods," above all those natural forces.
"O You Who Love Hashem, Hate Evil" - General Providence and Individual Providence
אֹהֲבֵי יְהֹוָה שִׂנְאוּ־רָע שֹׁמֵר נַפְשׁוֹת חֲסִידָיו מִיַּד רְשָׁעִים יַצִּילֵם׃ - O you who love Hashem, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His pious ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
The Radak explains: From now on, anyone who loves Hashem will hate every evil person. For until now, when people saw the wicked prospering, they would say: perhaps it is worthwhile to join with the wicked. A person sees a wicked man for whom fortune smiles, and this prevents him from distancing himself from evil; instead, he thinks: perhaps wickedness pays, look how successful he is! But now, when people witness the Divine revelation, those who love Hashem will hate every evil person, and no one will harbor any doubt that perhaps Hashem does not see the deeds of the wicked or that wickedness might be profitable. He will see how Hashem alone preserves the souls of His pious ones, saving them from the hand of the wicked and redeeming them from exile, and through this they will cleave to Hashem with complete devotion.
The Malbim explains: After having clarified the concept of general providence (hashgachah kelalit) - how Hashem oversees the world through the systems of nature and governs them - the psalmist now turns to the Jewish people and the righteous, declaring: "O you who love Hashem, hate evil." That is, everything discussed up to this point pertained to the nations of the world - how they are treated, what is expected of them, and the level of understanding they can attain regarding Divine providence. But now he addresses us: What is our grasp of reality as the children of Hashem, and how are we to relate to the world?
Regarding this, he says: You are not like the nations, whose governance is natural and whose providence is general rather than individual. As we mentioned, through the rainfall, Hashem provides for a nation collectively. The nations do not cleave to Hashem, and therefore providence over them is general; they worship the host of heaven, "which Hashem your God has allotted to all the nations." But you, who cleave to Hashem your God - the Malbim writes - are like a son under the watchful care of his father, who watches over him with individual providence (hashgachah pratit) that encompasses all his affairs out of love. A king overseeing his nation exercises general providence; he does not know specifically what is happening with Moshe or what is happening with Yankele. But regarding his own son at home, he knows everything that happens with him. That is individual providence.
Here an explanation is needed: What does it mean that Hashem does not look at every single member of the nations individually? Does the Holy One, blessed be He, need to make a special effort to observe each person? This is discussed at length in works like Rav Friedlander's Sifsei Chaim, which elaborates on the concept of providence. In short: knowledge and perception do not change in the Holy One, blessed be He. Hashem sees every single detail and knows every thought of every gentile in the world and every living creature; He requires no special mechanism to perceive what one is thinking or doing. Rather, when we say the nations are subject to general providence, it means that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not assign them a mission or orchestrate individual trials for them; His interaction with them is only on a collective level. In contrast, the Jewish people have individual providence: Hashem constantly monitors, like a highly sensitive seismograph, to see precisely what an individual did at this very moment, and tailors personal trials and spiritual opportunities for his growth in the service of Hashem accordingly. It is not a question of seeing versus not seeing - Hashem sees everyone equally - but rather that with the nations, as it were, He does not involve Himself in each individual's detailed spiritual development, whether someone passed a trial or what trial to present to him next. That is the essence of individual providence, and Hashem extends it exclusively to us, for we alone are children to Hashem our God.
And this stems from love, explains the Malbim. Therefore we are called "those who love Hashem," and our duty is to hate evil, because love of Hashem is inherently a love of goodness. Hashem loves us because we do His will and embody goodness, and that is also why we love Hashem: because we love what is good, and Hashem is the ultimate perfection of good and the source of all benevolence. Consequently, we are not subject to the natural and celestial order, but to individual providence, whereas the nations remain under general providence.
Therefore, "He preserves the souls of His pious ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked." Because providence over us is individual, the Holy One, blessed be He, guards our every step: if an individual is slated for harm, Hashem protects him personally. This is another fundamental difference between individual and general providence. For example, the Rambam defines providence over animals as "species providence" (hashgachah minit): Hashem ensures that the species of elephants does not go extinct, and if His will is that a species become extinct, it becomes extinct - which is why certain animals have vanished. Yet Hashem does not direct individual providence over what happens to each specific elephant. Again, this does not mean He is unaware, but rather that He does not actively intervene to guide and care for each one on a moment-to-moment basis according to its individual actions. But with Israel, it is precisely that: providence is individual; the Holy One, blessed be He, watches over each person, cares for him, guides him, and bestows bounty upon him according to his standing at any given moment.
And the reason is that since Israel possesses a portion of God from Above - the soul of a Jew is a portion of God from Above, from beneath the Throne of Glory - Hashem has a bond of cleaving with us. The nations do not possess a Neshamah; they possess only the level of a Nefesh, and even this is an animalistic soul, as elaborated in detail in *Mishnat HaGilgulim*; consequently, they have no connection to Divinity, and their source is from the chariot of impurity, the chariot of the Kelipah. Therefore, whether an individual gentile exists or ceases to exist does not truly make a difference in ultimate reality. But the people of Israel do make a difference, for we are a portion of God from Above, and within each one of us is a holy spark from Him, blessed be He, and we have a deep bond and connection to Hashem, blessed be He, like a father to his son. Thus He "preserves the souls of His pious ones" - every single soul individually the Holy One, blessed be He, guards with individual Divine Providence (*hashgachah pratit*), and by virtue of this protection, "He rescues them from the hand of the wicked," unlike the nations, whose governance is general.
"Light is sown for the righteous" - The Indelible Diamond
אוֹר זָרֻעַ לַצַּדִּיק וּלְיִשְׁרֵי־לֵב שִׂמְחָה׃ - Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
The Malbim explains: The Divine light is sown within us, like a seed planted in their soul, ready to blossom and multiply if it is watered, hoed, and cultivated. This is a magnificent and profound concept that Rav Dessler elaborates upon, and whoever wishes can hear it in the lessons delivered on *Michtav Me-Eliyahu*. Rav Dessler says: Within a person there is a core, the inner point of truth, the Divine light, the portion of God from Above, and no matter how much mire and mud may cover it - it will never disappear; it always remains. This is the aspect of "An Israelite who has sinned, even though he has sinned - he remains an Israelite." It is impossible to erase this; a Jew cannot divest himself of his Jewishness. He may perform acts of apostasy and behave like a non-Jew, but he cannot strip away his Judaism. And when that Jew returns, we do not tell him, "Convert" - there is no conversion, for you never actually left; rather, it was merely mud and mire that he cast upon that tremendous, mighty diamond, the portion of God from Above.
From here emerges a practical difference, as has been noted more than once, a vast distinction between Israel and the nations: A non-Jew, if you will, is earthenware - without resorting to harsher expressions, let us suffice with this - whereas a Jew is a diamond. Take a Jew, this diamond, place him in the garbage, wrap him in foul and filthy things - he remains a diamond. Conversely, take the piece of earthenware and plate it with a gleaming layer of gold - it remains earthenware. A gentile, even if he is among the pious of the nations of the world, is still earthenware; while a Jew, even if he is an apostate, is still a diamond. Therefore, if there is an opportunity to save someone, whom does one save? The Jew and not the non-Jew, because he is a diamond, a portion of God from Above, a holy spark that can never be extinguished or nullified. What is required is to take him, wash him, purify him, and see how "You are children to Hashem your God." And this is what the Torah speaks of when the Holy One, blessed be He, will take us out from among the nations and "A new heart I will give you" - that very diamond will once again shine brilliantly, for it can never be nullified and was never erased.
This is what the verse means by "Light is sown for the righteous": the Divine light is sown within them, like a seed planted in their soul, ready to blossom and multiply - one need only cleanse it, only polish it. "Water it and hoe it" - meaning, guard it and cultivate it. One who guards his soul and does its spiritual work, says the Malbim, magnifies this light up to the heavens; and one who does not merely covers it with more dirt, yet the light still remains inside. And this is what is said, "The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn": the light shines when one truly polishes the diamond, cleanses it, and makes it sparkle, and then he is worthy of that Divine light, worthy of the bounty of prophecy and the spiritual bounty that rests upon him.
And then, "and gladness for the upright in heart": upon those upright in heart, the Holy One, blessed be He, causes joy to rest, which is the Divine light flowing upon them - prophecy, Ruach HaKodesh, as we say, "For by the light of Your countenance You gave us the Torah of life, the love of lovingkindness, righteousness, blessing, and mercy" - everything comes through the light of Hashem's countenance. And what is needed for this? To polish the diamond so that it is genuinely fit to receive the light; for if it wallows in the dust, it is not fitting, it does not shine, and it is not worthy of receiving the light. Then they will rejoice with spiritual joy through the Divine light shining within their soul, "When His lamp shone above my head," and as it is written, "The light of the righteous rejoices."
The Tzaddik and the Upright in Heart - Battle Versus Joy
The Malbim explains: What is the difference between a *tzaddik* (a righteous person) and the *yishrei lev* (the upright in heart)? The *tzaddik* is one who conquers his evil inclination, whereas the upright in heart is one whose very nature is inclined toward good. Therefore he rejoices: "Light is sown for the righteous," but "and gladness for the upright in heart," because the upright in heart is naturally inclined toward good and has no inner battle. When a person is naturally inclined toward bad, yet serves Hashem - there is a yeshivah expression for this, a "*tzolnik*," "he is a *tzol*." And what is a *tzol*? An acronym for *Tzaddik V'ra Lo* ("a righteous person who suffers"). And what does it mean that he suffers? You see that he serves Hashem, but he looks miserable and suffering - a person who serves Hashem out of hardship, and so he appears to have it bad. That is, he is forced to struggle; he has urges and must fight them, and he suffers in this battle. By contrast, the upright in heart, in his innermost being his inclination is already attuned to the service of Hashem, his heart is inclined toward the good, and with him there is joy. He does not suffer, he does not endure a perpetual war, for he has no attraction to evil to begin with; for him, the service of Hashem is not born of suffering, but of joy.
"And give thanks to His holy name"
שִׂמְחוּ צַדִּיקִים בַּיהֹוָה וְהוֹדוּ לְזֵכֶר קָדְשׁוֹ׃ - Rejoice in Hashem, you righteous, and give thanks to His holy name.
King David concludes by saying: Rejoice in Hashem, you righteous. And why? Because then they will see the upright judgments of Hashem, explains the Radak, and then they will give thanks "to His holy name," meaning to His Name, blessed be He.
The Malbim explains: "Rejoice in Hashem, you righteous," because then we will see how Hashem is bound to us in a bond of love, that we hold the status of children to Hashem our God. Hashem will then perform miracles and wonders with us in the manner of "holy." And "holy" (kadosh) always signifies something distinct, supernatural, and spiritual - Hashem will perform miracles and wonders with us through the realm of His holiness, a realm that transcends nature. Therefore, "and give thanks to His holy remembrance": we will not give thanks merely for natural providence, but for something far higher, a realm of holiness, supernatural guidance, and supernatural miracles; and we will give thanks to His holy remembrance - the realm that is beyond nature.
In summary:
This section of the psalm guides us from the nations' recognition of natural providence to the unique providence over Israel. The heavens declare Hashem's righteousness - that even the systems of nature do not operate out of blind necessity, but in accordance with righteousness and justice. Through this, the worshipers of carved images and idols will be put to shame, recognizing that all "gods" - all the forces of creation - prostrate themselves before Hashem, have no independent power, and that there is no purpose in turning to anything other than the First Cause. Zion and the daughters of Judah rejoice in Hashem's judgments, for even though their guidance is miraculous and supernatural, ultimately all the nations acknowledge that all governance comes directly from Him, blessed be He. From this follows the call to us: "You who love Hashem, hate evil" - for we are children placed under the individual, loving providence of Hashem, Who guards the souls of His pious ones and rescues them from the hand of the wicked. And within each of us, "light is sown" - that diamond of a portion of God from Above that is never extinguished, and our entire service is to polish and purify it until it shines brightly, bringing about the joy of the upright in heart and thanksgiving "to His holy remembrance" - for the providence that is beyond nature.