Introduction
We continue with Psalm 99, in its second part. The Malbim builds the entire psalm upon levels of divine providence: guidance channeled through nature and the celestial spheres, versus an exalted, elevated guidance that is miraculous and wondrous, wherein the Holy One, blessed be He, is directly present with His people. From the verses before us, we will learn the distinction between "He is holy" and "the Lord our God is holy", and examine the elevated stature of Moshe, Aharon, and Shmuel.
"And prostrate yourselves at His footstool" - What is a footstool?
רוֹמְמוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַהֲדֹם רַגְלָיו קָדוֹשׁ הוּא׃ - "Exalt the Lord our God and prostrate yourselves at His footstool; He is holy."
The Radak explains that here the psalmist addresses both the Jewish people and all the nations alike. "Exalt the Lord our God" - with your mouth. "And prostrate yourselves at His footstool" - this refers to the Beit HaMikdash, which corresponds to the heavenly Jerusalem and is considered His footstool. And what is a footstool (hadom)? The small bench that kings had beneath their feet. For a familiar illustration: when a sandak is seated, he sits on a high chair, and a low bench is placed under his feet - that is a footstool. And because the Holy One, blessed be He, is holy and His Name is holy, therefore prostrate yourselves at His footstool.
The Malbim explains: although we are currently speaking of a time when the Holy One, blessed be He, does not guide through the unique, miraculous mode of providence, but rather, as it were, "the heavens are His throne" - miracles are concealed, descending and cascading down to earth through nature (and the heavens always represent the natural order, the celestial bodies, and the planetary system) - nevertheless, His footstool is on earth. That is, the ultimate destination of providence reaches the earth through the heavens. The meaning of this is that the Holy One, blessed be He, arranges the governance of the Throne - the providence conducted through the mechanisms of nature - in accordance with His footstool, according to what is needed by the lower realms. According to what beings below need, the Holy One, blessed be He, guides and directs His world.
"He is holy" - Why in the third person?
The psalmist says "our God" - direct possessive, and immediately afterward "He is holy", in the third person. Why? We have already mentioned the explanation of the Rashba, that this concept is expressed in every blessing. When reciting a berachah, one says, "Blessed are You, Lord" - addressing Him in the second person - and immediately continues, "our God, King of the universe, by Whose word all things came to be" - in the third person. Why not "by Your word"?
The Rashba explains: the blessing seeks to express two truths that require careful balance. Had everything been phrased in the third person - "Blessed is He, the Lord our God, King of the universe, by Whose word all things came to be" - a sense would arise that the Holy One, blessed be He, is not with us, but far away. Therefore, we open with "Blessed are You, Lord": I am addressing You directly, You are right here with me, as one speaks to a companion, standing before the King. On the other hand, such closeness might engender excessive familiarity, as though the divide were not so vast. Therefore, the blessing continues, "King of the universe, by Whose word all things came to be" - exalted, elevated, transcendent, and holy, spoken of in the third person, at a distance.
So too here: it does not say "You are holy", but "He is holy". The Malbim explains that this is because it still refers to the transcendent and concealed realm of holiness. This aligns precisely with his interpretation of the verse: it speaks of a reality where Hashem directs His world through nature, through the celestial bodies and the stars, which inherently entails concealment. Thus, "He is holy" signifies concealment within nature, where His presence is not overtly apparent in natural events, but rather operates as a hidden providence. For holiness is fundamentally an aspect of separation and transcendence.
Moshe, Aharon, and Shmuel
מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן בְּכֹהֲנָיו וּשְׁמוּאֵל בְּקֹרְאֵי שְׁמוֹ קֹרִאים אֶל־יְהֹוָה וְהוּא יַעֲנֵם׃ - "Moshe and Aharon among His priests, and Shmuel among those who call upon His Name; they called to the Lord, and He answered them."
"Moses and Aaron among His priests" - they were the High Priests. "And Samuel among those who call upon His name" - Samuel was the greatest of the prophets, says the Radak, and the prophets are "those who call upon His name." Whenever they would call upon Hashem, He would answer them.
And why does it mention Samuel specifically? Because Samuel was from the family of Moses and Aaron - he was a Levite - and he was a prophet like them. It is also possible that he was greater in prophecy than the other prophets, just as we say of Moses that he was greater in prophecy than all the prophets. And as Jeremiah says (chapter 15): "Though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me" - joining Samuel together with Moses.
We have already discussed this when studying Sefer Shmuel, that there are distinct levels in prophecy. The highest level of prophecy, the *aspaklaria hame'irah* (the luminous lens), is the prophecy of Moses, and no level ever equaled it: "And there did not arise another prophet in Israel like Moses." This is also what guarantees that there will never be any "updates" to the Torah, for there has never been a prophet like Moses, and no one can bring anything higher than what Moses brought. Moshe Rabbeinu represents the closest possible proximity to God, and no one can ever claim to have received anything from a state of greater closeness. And although all the other prophets occupy a realm apart from Moses, there are varying levels among them as well, and of Samuel it is written that his level was higher than that of the other prophets - even though he did not attain the stature of Moses. This is what we see here: "Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among those who call upon His name."
Furthermore: "And until Samuel, vision was not widespread" - until the time of Samuel, prophecy was rare. When Samuel came, he broke open the vision: through him prophecy multiplied, and anyone who came into his proximity began to prophesy. "Is Saul also among the prophets?" - yes, because when entering Samuel's presence, the divine overflow is so vast and powerful that even a person who is not inherently a prophet begins to prophesy and receive from that abundance.
Midrash: This One a Levite and That One a Levite
The Midrash notes: You find that what is written of Moses is written of Samuel. This one was a Levite, and that one was a Levite. This one recited song, and that one recited song. This one ruled over all Israel and Judah, and that one ruled over all Israel and Judah (meaning not a king literally, as Samuel was not a king, but a leader). This one led for forty years, and that one led for forty years. This one waged wars, and that one waged wars. This one killed kings, and that one killed kings - Samuel executed Agag, king of Amalek. This one built altars, and that one built altars. This one offered sacrifices, and that one offered sacrifices. This one was addressed with a call, "And Hashem called to Moses," and that one was addressed with a call, "And Hashem called to Samuel."
Moses Among His Priests
As for the phrase "among His priests" - Moses was also a priest, having initially officiated in the priesthood during the seven days of inauguration (Miluim), which is why Scripture calls him a priest. The Radak cites a Midrash (Midrash Shocher Tov and Yalkut Shimoni): Rabbi Yonatan said in the name of Rabbi Yose son of Rabbi Berachiah in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karchah, throughout all forty years that Israel spent in the wilderness, Moses never ceased to serve in the High Priesthood, as it is written, "Moses and Aaron among His priests." Consider this novel insight: we know he served during the days of inauguration, yet the Midrash comes and reveals that throughout the entire forty years, Moses served in the High Priesthood. Rabbi Berachiah said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua, this is indicated by an explicit verse: "The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was set apart... But Moses, the man of God, his sons were named after the tribe of Levi" - the sons are designated as Levites, whereas the father, Moses, is implied to be counted among the priests. Thus, Moshe Rabbeinu possessed a stature in which it was fitting to define him as a priest.
The Third Level: Miraculous Guidance
The Malbim explains that here the psalm transitions to speaking of the third level - the exalted and lofty level, the dimension of divine influence channeled through miracles rather than through nature. When there exist among the nation "Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among those who call upon His name," when Israel is worthy of supernatural, wondrous guidance, when there are supreme holy individuals among us like Moses, Aaron, and Samuel - then the Holy One, blessed be He, dwells with His priests just as He was with Moses and Aaron, so to speak, in profound attachment.
And "those who call upon His name" are exemplified by Samuel, who would call upon Hashem and Hashem would answer him. As we find: Samuel said to them, why do you need a king? "Is today not wheat harvest? I will call upon Hashem, and He will send thunder and rain" - he prays, and in the height of summer the Holy One, blessed be He, sends thunder and rain in an instant. Clearly, there is a reality of "those who call upon His name," and when such individuals are present, the generation merits an exalted spiritual providence, a guidance that transcends nature: "They called upon Hashem, and He answered them."
The Pillar of Cloud - The Sign of Prophecy
בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן יְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם שָׁמְרוּ עֵדֹתָיו וְחֹק נָתַן־לָמוֹ׃ - In a pillar of cloud He would speak to them; they kept His testimonies and the statute He gave them.
Just as Hashem speaks with Moshe and Aharon in a pillar of cloud - "Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud" - so "In a pillar of cloud He would speak to them." The Radak explains: "In a pillar of cloud He would speak to them" refers to Moshe and Aharon, for whenever He revealed Himself to them, the cloud would descend upon the Tent of Meeting, and then the Shechinah would be revealed to them.
And so, Rashi notes, it was also with Shmuel. When Shaul went searching for the donkeys, he asked: "Is the seer here?", and "They answered them and said, 'He is.'" And on what basis did they direct him to his location? They saw the cloud tied over his entrance. With Shmuel, there was a cloud tied over his entrance - thus, "In a pillar of cloud He would speak to them" was said not only concerning Moshe and Aharon, but also in reference to Shmuel.
The Radak further cites Rav Saadia Gaon, who explained that this was a sign for the prophet to know that what he was seeing and hearing was indeed from Hashem. For ostensibly, there might be room for a prophet to confuse prophecy with a dream, as it says, "In a dream I will speak to him." If so, how would the prophet know that his experience was prophecy and not a mere dream? Rav Saadia Gaon explains that the Holy One, blessed be He, gives him an indication and imparts an unmistakable awareness that this is a prophecy. At times, this sign was a pillar of cloud standing opposite the prophet, uniquely positioned before him while the rest of the sky was completely cloudless - and then he knew with certainty that this was a prophecy from Hashem, as is written of Moshe, Aharon, and Shmuel: "In a pillar of cloud He would speak to them."
In Mishnat HaChalomot, several clear proofs are brought demonstrating that it is impossible for a prophet to mistakenly think that a prophecy is merely an ordinary dream. For if one were to say such a mistake were possible - how could Avraham Avinu go to bind his son? Perhaps you are mistaken, and perhaps you are about to commit murder based on a misunderstanding? And if one should ask: in Shmuel's case, do we not see that he was unsure who was speaking to him, repeatedly going to Eli to ask, "Did you call me?", and Eli telling him, "I did not call; go back and lie down," until Eli instructed him to say, "Speak, for Your servant is listening," and only then did he realize Hashem was speaking with him? Regarding this, the holy books explain that this uncertainty occurs only at the very inception of prophecy. In his first prophecy, a prophet cannot yet distinguish, for until now he only experienced dreams, and suddenly he perceives prophecy. However, once he has experienced prophecy even once, he errs no more. There is simply no reality in which a prophet is confused and wonders whether it might just be a dream; it is crystal clear to him that this is a prophecy from Hashem, and on that basis he can convey the message without any concern that these might be mere dreams rather than absolute truth.
"They kept His testimonies and the statute He gave them"
Moshe and Aharon kept the testimonies and statutes that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them - meaning they took care to deliver the prophecy exactly as it was transmitted to them, passing on the message without any compromise and without any omission, "without addition or diminution," in the words of the Radak. It goes without saying, says the Radak, that regarding what the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded for themselves alone - as Moshe was commanded during the seven days of the inauguration (Miluim), and as Aharon was commanded, "You and your sons with you shall safeguard your priesthood" - they certainly performed everything Hashem commanded them. Rather, even regarding what He instructed them to command the people, they taught the matters with absolute precision, without addition or deficiency.
And likewise with Shmuel, "they kept His testimonies": we see that he instructed Israel, traveling to accompany and judge them, turning the people back to the right path so they would serve Hashem alone. "And his return was to Ramah, for there was his home" - only once a year would he return to his home, but he was constantly traveling and circuiting through all the cities of Israel to inspire them to teshuvah and bring them close to His service.
"You answered them" - Close Providence
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ אַתָּה עֲנִיתָם אֵל נֹשֵׂא הָיִיתָ לָהֶם וְנֹקֵם עַל־עֲלִילוֹתָם׃ - Hashem, our God, You answered them; a forgiving God You were to them, but an avenger for their misdeeds.
The Malbim explains: Just as He gave the Torah and mitzvot to Moshe and Aharon, and just as they kept His testimonies and the statute He gave them, so it was evident to all that "Hashem, our God, You answered them." And what does "You" mean? Not through an intermediary or by indirect means, but directly through His own divine power.
And what is the meaning of "a forgiving God You were to them"? When the Holy One, blessed be He, directs His world through the mode of guidance with which He led the generation of Moshe and Aharon and the generation of Shmuel - a miraculous, wondrous providence transcending nature - then for every slight deviation, there is immediate retribution. And as discussed previously, this was one of the people's difficulties with Shmuel's leadership. Why did they reject Shmuel? After all, what could be better: Shmuel stands and makes a request, and immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, thunders against the enemies and they all flee. Why would one need a king with an army, where victory is uncertain?
The reason is simple, and it is the very same reason Israel did not want the manna. What was their issue with the manna? The manna was too holy and too sanctifying; it distanced them from bodily lusts, and they did not want that - "and they lusted an intense longing": they had no real lusts, yet they craved to have cravings. Leadership under Moshe and Aharon was exalted, but it had a significant "downside," so to speak: for every minor deviation, one received an immediate slap. A certain number fell at Kivrot HaTa'avah, a certain number at Taveirah, a certain number at the Golden Calf - every deviation brought a direct blow alongside it. On the one hand, it was an exceptionally pleasant existence: you are thirsty - He brings you water from the rock; you have nothing to eat - take manna; you crave meat - take quail; the pillar of cloud accompanies you constantly. Yet a providence under which one is scrutinized at every moment is an exacting providence, demanding daily perfection. That is why they asked for a natural order: "Now set a king over us to judge us like all the nations" - the nations are not under a regime where every moment is scrutinized. Let us feel free, not stressed by someone watching and inspecting everything we do at all times.
The Malbim explains: when the Jewish people are under such a system of providence, like the generation of Moshe, punishment is immediate - yet forgiveness is also immediate. Moshe Rabbeinu stands and prays, and instantly comes the response, "I have forgiven according to your word." The leadership is direct, and therefore the responses to everything that occurs are immediate.
In contrast, when providence operates in a concealed manner, we might well not receive punishment immediately, but only when the system of nature aligns with it. For example, a drought is decreed upon us - but if, from the standpoint of the celestial bodies and natural order, this year is intrinsically blessed, there will be no drought. This means the punishment is not immediate. Does that mean we were forgiven? No. It means the Holy One, blessed be He, awaits another opportunity. Thus we see more than once in the Prophets that they received punishment only years after a sin was committed, because conditions were not yet ripe to bring retribution upon them. Sometimes the Holy One, blessed be He, waits until natural circumstances make it fitting and appropriate. In a miraculous order, however, Hashem upends the laws of nature at that very moment and brings whatever He desires.
Worst of all: when providence conforms to nature, we rationalize the punishment as a purely natural event. Why is there a drought? You tell him: "A certain number of years ago..." and he replies: "Come on, what are you talking about? So many years have passed since then!" You say: "Nine years ago you derived pleasure from the feast of that wicked man." And he says: "What, are you keeping score from back then? That was nine years ago!" Yes, sir; providence operates through nature, so it looks entirely natural to you. In the same way: "Mordechai does not kneel or bow, he is causing trouble, look what he has caused" - that is how people rationalize under a natural order. When a person is governed by nature, he explains away everything because there is no immediate reaction. But imagine if, for every minor deviation, we received an immediate slap on the spot - then the hand of Hashem would be crystal clear to us. A person goes to turn on a light on Shabbat, and his hand is charred, unable to open it for two weeks. We would perceive the Divine instantly. And that is how Israel lived in the wilderness, under that direct spiritual providence.
This is what the Malbim means when he says that under concealed providence there is no immediate forgiveness for the sinner. For under the guidance of an angel, what is written? "For he will not pardon your transgression." When there is direct spiritual providence, Moshe Rabbeinu stands and prays, and "I have forgiven according to your word." But when Hashem sends an angel and intermediaries to lead us - "he will not pardon your transgression." And this is the meaning of "You alone have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities": when a father is always at home, if the child misbehaves, he is disciplined on the spot. But when the father is away - "Just wait until father comes home." That is concealed providence. Under open providence, however, when the father is right here, the moment the child does something wrong, he immediately realizes that what he did was improper.
And this is "You were a God Who forgave them [nosei], and took vengeance on their misdeeds": "Nosei" (literally "bearing") expresses immense closeness, that the Holy One, blessed be He, carried us as a nursing father carries an infant throughout those forty years. And consequently, "took vengeance on their misdeeds" - for every misdeed they committed against the Holy One, blessed be He, retribution followed immediately, and Hashem cleansed their sin right away. For it is the absence of an immediate slap that causes us to become entrenched and sink deeper into sin: because I saw no consequence for what I did, I continue and decline further, until long after, when the consequence finally arrives, one no longer connects it to that early sin, and at times even harbors grievances against the Holy One, blessed be He. But under the heavenly providence in the days of Moshe and Aharon - "Hashem our God, You answered them," You answered their every plea, and even when they went astray, "You were a God Who bore them, and took vengeance on their misdeeds." This is an intimate providence where the Holy One, blessed be He, is ever-present with them, in both directions: immediate good when they do good, and the opposite when they do wrong.
"For Hashem Our God Is Holy"
רוֹמְמוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְהַר קׇדְשׁוֹ כִּי־קָדוֹשׁ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃ - Exalt Hashem our God, and bow at His holy mountain, for Hashem our God is holy.
The Radak explains: when you see what Hashem does for those who love Him - referring here to the future redemption - then everyone will exalt Hashem and glorify Him. "And bow at His holy mountain" refers to Mount Moriah, where the Beit HaMikdash stands, for it is holy and its site is holy, as it is written: "And you shall revere My Sanctuary." And as has already been explained, the reverence is not directed toward the physical location itself, but toward the Holy One, blessed be He, Who commanded regarding the House and Whose Shechinah dwells within it.
Nor does it mean that we bow to the mountain because the mountain itself possesses an inherent divinity to which one bows. Even when one goes and bows at the Western Wall, one is not worshipping the stones, but bowing to the Shechinah, which has never departed from the Western Wall. "And bow at His holy mountain" is directed toward Hashem, blessed be He, and this is "for Hashem our God is holy" - not the mountain per se, but the Holy One, blessed be He, Who is present there.
And the Malbim explains: when the Holy One, blessed be He, dwelt among us, at a time when the Jewish people performed His will, such as in the days of Moshe and Aharon and the days of Shmuel, Hashem dwelt, as it were, with us here below. The Holy One, blessed be He, dwells among the lower realms - not as we saw earlier, where He is in heaven and the earth is His footstool, which represents a top-down descent, a providence channelled through the celestial bodies, stars, and constellations. Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, is here, and this place is not merely His footstool, but the very place of His Throne.
Therefore: "Exalt Hashem our God, and bow at His holy mountain" - because there He dwells and is present in our midst. And note carefully: here it does not say "He is holy," for "He is holy" implies distinct and transcendent, high above among the celestial spheres. Rather, it says, "for Hashem our God is holy." As we have often noted, "our God" expresses the resting of His Shechinah upon us, our relationship with the Holy One, blessed be He, and it is always an expression of individual providence. "For Hashem our God is holy" - He is now present within our midst, and here the Holy One, blessed be He, rests His Shechinah, which is the pinnacle of closeness. It is not as we saw in the preceding psalms, where Hashem governs His world in a more distant manner through the celestial bodies, but rather direct providence from Him, blessed be He.
In summary:
Psalm 99 leads us through the ascending levels of Divine governance: from the concealed guidance operating through nature and the celestial bodies, in which it is said, "He is holy" - transcendent and hidden, while the earth is merely His footstool; to the exalted level where "Moshe and Aharon are among His priests, and Shmuel is among those who call upon His Name," a generation of supreme holy figures who merited an immediate response - "they would call upon Hashem, and He would answer them." This level of Providence is demanding, as every deviation is answered immediately, yet it also contains "a forgiving God You were to them" - immediate atonement and pardon, and a closeness that does not allow a person to become deeply rooted in sin. And in the future to come, when His Shechinah will dwell tangibly in our midst, it is said: "Exalt Hashem our God and bow down at His holy mountain, for holy is Hashem our God" - no longer a distant "He," but "our God" Who dwells among us with direct, manifest Providence. With this, we conclude Chapter 99 of Tehillim.