Introduction: From Awe of Heaven to Interpersonal Conduct
Psalm 112 opens with the praise of one who fears Hashem, and in the section before us, it transitions from conduct toward God to conduct toward one's fellow man: how the righteous person gives, how he measures his actions, and how he stands steadfast in the face of bad tidings and enemies. We will examine the verses in order, with the explanations of the Rishonim and the Malbim.
טוֹב־אִישׁ חוֹנֵן וּמַלְוֶה יְכַלְכֵּל דְּבָרָיו בְּמִשְׁפָּט׃ - Good is the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice.
"Tov Ish" - Inverted Word Order
Ibn Ezra notes that the words are written, as it were, in reverse order: "tov ish" means "an ish tov" - a good man. A good man is one who is gracious and lends. He brings another example: "kol rabbim amim", which means "kol amim rabbim" (all many nations), even though it is written in inverted order. Alternatively, it can be explained as: good is the person who is gracious and lends, and this person conducts his affairs with justice.
What Is "Yechalkel" - An Expression of Measurement
The root k-l denotes measurement. Thus we find: "ve-chal ba-shalish afar ha-aretz" (and measured the dust of the earth with a measure) - he measured. We also recognize this term in the practical world: calibrating (mechaylim) fuel pumps, meaning verifying that the measuring device measures accurately - so that if it says a liter, it is truly a liter. For if five cubic centimeters are withheld from each customer, over the course of a year with thousands of liters it amounts to a substantial profit; therefore, regulatory agencies exist whose role is to inspect and calibrate the pumps. Likewise, we find "Mechilta", which is an expression of measure, as well as the "Thirteen Mechilan de-Rachamei" - the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy.
According to this, Ibn Ezra explains: "yechalkel" is a doubled form, like "ve-chal ba-shalish", as though it said "kal-kal devarav be-mishpat" - he evaluates and examines the measure of his affairs, ensuring they correspond precisely with justice, neither in excess nor in deficit. He further cites those who say that "yechalkel" is like "the spirit of a man will sustain (yechalkel) his sickness", where Ibn Ezra explains it as enduring, but here it carries the sense of carrying and sustaining - he will maintain and sustain his affairs with justice.
Rashi: Giving Generously While Restraining One's Own Needs
Rashi explains: "Good is the man who is gracious and lends" - he acts graciously toward the poor and lends to them, and does not make meticulous excuses such as "I do not have the means" or "my current financial situation does not allow it"; rather, he gives. Yet for his own needs in food, drink, and clothing, he manages with judgment and measure, and is frugal with his assets. That is, he does not live lavishly, but only according to what is necessary for him, and as a result, he retains more resources to be gracious and give to others.
Radak: The Middle Path in All Character Traits
Radak says that charity is among the qualities of an upright person, and concerning this it is said: "Good is the man." "Gracious" - he gives the poor an outright gift; and to one who is unwilling to accept a gift, saying, "He who hates gifts shall live," he offers a loan. And there is a piece of practical advice: when the borrower asks when he must repay, he tells him, "When I need it, I will give you two weeks' notice" - a long-term loan that, in due time, effectively turns into a grant.
And "he conducts his affairs with justice" - that he conducts all his gifts and expenditures in equal measure, with righteousness and justice. That is to say, he should not completely withdraw from worldly pleasures, but neither should he indulge in them excessively. As the Rambam writes, the golden mean, the middle path, is the correct path. So too with giving to the poor: he should not squander all his wealth until he himself becomes dependent on others, yet on the other hand, he should not be a miser who withholds his money from the needy.
The Radak provides examples regarding other character traits as well: love and hatred, joy and worry, generosity and stinginess, courage and fear (faintness of heart), and the like. In each of these, one who goes to the extreme does not follow the upright path. A person whose joy is excessive and who is overly exuberant crosses into the category of frivolity; while one who shuns joy entirely may become depressed. The correct path is the balanced one: to rejoice where appropriate, and not to indulge in excessive joy where it is uncalled for.
A Subtle Hint from Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
It is told of one of the students of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach - who was renowned for his great warmth toward his students, a smiling person who appeared with a broad smile in all his photographs, and about whom a book was even published entitled HaTorah Mesamei'ach ("The Torah Gladdens"): This student related: We would attend his daily shiur, and we felt somewhat informal with him. Once, I spoke to him with a smile and a certain lightheadedness. How did he rebuke me? He said to me, "It seems to me that today you had the merit of juxtaposing redemption to prayer [semichat ge'ulah litefillah]." I immediately understood the hint and grew serious - for the Gemara relates that a certain sage who merited to juxtapose redemption to prayer had a smile that did not leave his face the entire day. In other words: You are smiling a bit too much today. Thus, in all character traits, the middle path is the correct one: not excessive love nor excessive hatred, not excessive joy, not excessive generosity nor stinginess - in everything, balance must prevail.
The Brisker Rav: Character Traits According to the Creator's Will
It was said of the Brisker Rav that people could not pinpoint his character traits. One could not label him as merciful or the opposite, soft or unyielding. Why? Because in every matter, he employed the precise trait called for by that situation. In certain matters, people said he was as unbending as cedar, while in others he was filled with boundless compassion and softness. The wisdom lay in examining what each matter required. He guided all his actions according to the Creator's will, never saying, "This is just my nature" - he did not act out of temperament, but according to "what the Lord your God asks of you." This is "he conducts his affairs with justice" - in the manner appropriate according to justice for that specific matter.
The Malbim: Causing No Injustice to Anyone
The Malbim explains that after speaking of how one who fears Hashem conducts himself in mitzvot between man and God, the text now transitions to his conduct in mitzvot between man and his fellow man: "Good is the man" who is gracious, lends, and performs acts of kindness, and conducts his affairs and behavior with justice - being careful not to cause any injustice to anyone, doing everything according to the law.
And since we mentioned Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and the meticulous care never to cause injustice to anyone: When the Rebbetzin passed away and he accompanied her to her final resting place, they told him before the grave was sealed that it is customary to ask for forgiveness (mechilah). He replied that he had nothing to ask forgiveness for. Seventy years of shared life, and he had nothing to ask forgiveness for - whereas each of us, from the morning hours alone, already needs to ask forgiveness for numerous things! When they later asked him: Did you never have arguments between you? He replied: Perhaps there were disagreements, but there was never any hurtful offense, never anything contrary to Halachah or contrary to the law, doing something to cause pain. This is the complete person.
The Chazon Ish was once asked: Who can check the box and say he has navigated this world successfully? He answered: One who can say at the end of his life that he never hurt another person. Not how much Torah he learned, nor how punctilious he was with mitzvot - but that he never hurt another human being. Certainly, we are formed of clay and fallible, so what this requires of us is to strive harder, and if we have already caused hurt, to ask for forgiveness. This is what we can take from these teachings according to our own level.
כִּי־לְעוֹלָם לֹא־יִמּוֹט לְזֵכֶר עוֹלָם יִהְיֶה צַדִּיק׃ - For he shall never falter; the righteous man will be remembered forever.
The Righteous Man Does Not Falter
The Ibn Ezra notes here that the ultimate end of the righteous person will be good: he will never falter and his memory will endure, as it is written, "and the righteous person is the foundation of the world" - a foundation that sustains the world and never collapses. The Radak explains that this is a continuation of what was said earlier, that the righteous person is gracious and gives of his money; and regarding this the verse says, "For he will never falter" - his wealth will not fall away from him, he will never suffer a financial collapse; rather, he will always be able to continue giving, and he will remain healthy in body.
The Pele Yoetz: The Giver Becomes a Vessel
This idea was mentioned when studying the Pele Yoetz, and it is a true and accurate reality that anyone who observes can see. There are stingy types who never give, constantly looking only for how to take and keep for themselves; and in contrast, there are generous people who give constantly, who are always the first to bestow upon others. Notice, says the Pele Yoetz: those who always give - always have. And this does not refer to the wealthy, who often tend to give less, but rather to the ordinary people around us: those with an open heart, whom the Holy One, Blessed is He, ultimately always provides with more to give. Whereas one who constantly pinches pennies, calculates every cent, and looks for where not to spend - ultimately always lacks.
And this is a reality: when a person conducts himself with generosity, he draws abundance upon himself. When one gives - one becomes a vessel, and when one is a vessel, the Holy One, Blessed is He, pours abundance upon him. But when a person does not give, he is not a vessel but a flat surface - the Holy One, Blessed is He, says: Where shall I place it? Everything slides off, nothing goes inside. There are many examples of this: people whose financial situation was far from comfortable, or even dire, yet they always made sure to help - contributing a thousand shekels here, assisting there, sometimes out of their bare minimum - and one marvels at how such a person survives, yet he always has, always gives more and more, and the Holy One, Blessed is He, continually pours abundance upon him. He is not rich, nor even well-off, but through his giving he becomes a vessel for blessing, so that Heaven continues to bestow upon him.
"The Righteous Person Shall Be in Everlasting Remembrance"
The Radak concludes: even after his death, the righteous person will be remembered for good. When a wicked person dies, people say, "May his name and memory be blotted out," but when a righteous person dies - "the righteous person shall be in everlasting remembrance." We see righteous individuals whose yahrzeit is remembered after fifty, a hundred, two hundred, and two thousand years. To this day, the day of the passing of Aharon HaKohen is remembered, from some three thousand three hundred years ago - the fifth of Av, a day of fasting for the righteous. Thus, the righteous person is remembered for many years after his passing.
מִשְּׁמוּעָה רָעָה לֹא יִירָא נָכוֹן לִבּוֹ בָּטֻחַ בַּיהֹוָה׃ - He shall not fear evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in Hashem.
The Opposite of the Wicked - "The Sound of Terrors in His Ears"
"He shall not fear evil tidings" - the exact opposite of the wicked person, of whom Iyov says, "the sound of terrors is in his ears," constantly haunted by fears. In the spirit of these days of sirens, there are people for whom one must feel compassion, who live in terrible fear and instantly succumb to tension and stress. One of the signs is that they imagine sirens - suddenly hearing some faint sound and imagining, "Wait, quiet, did you hear that?". That is "the sound of terrors in his ears." May Hashem deliver us from all trouble.
But the righteous person - he shall not fear evil tidings. When he hears a bad report about his children and relatives in another country, or hears that enemies are poised to attack, he is not afraid. "His heart is steadfast, trusting in Hashem" - the Radak explains: he does not trust in his wealth, nor in the abundance of his power, nor in a friend to rescue him or in someone to help him, but in Hashem alone; therefore he does not fear. For when one trusts in flesh and blood, we remember what happened when reliance was placed on the Bar Lev Line, and what happened fifty years later when reliance was placed on fences, sensors, artificial intelligence, and sophisticated systems - and it became clear that "unless Hashem guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain," and that unless their Rock had sold them and Hashem had delivered them up, there is nothing to rely upon other than Hashem alone.
The Malbim: Three Sources of Fear
The Malbim explains that a person experiences fear for several reasons: sometimes because he has sins - "Sinners in Zion are afraid," for sinners live in fear because they know they have iniquities; sometimes because he harmed others, and thus fears they will take vengeance and retaliate against him; and sometimes because of the vicissitudes of time - troubles, wars, and natural disasters. But one who trusts in Hashem fears nothing, for he is confident that the Holy One, Blessed is He, will overturn destiny and turn the tide for good.
The Shelah HaKadosh: "He Knows It Is for His Good"
If we reflect on this, can one truly say that the righteous person is necessarily protected from all suffering? After all, righteous individuals perished in the Holocaust. Therefore, the Shelah HaKadosh explains: "He shall not fear evil tidings" - he does not fear them because he knows that they are for his good, to cleanse his sins.
This is, in essence, the definition of *bitachon* (trust in Hashem). This has been discussed at length in lessons on the Chazon Ish's *Emunah U'Bitachon*. The Chazon Ish notes that an erroneous idea has taken root among the masses regarding the definition of *bitachon*: people think that trust means "nothing bad will happen to me." He asks: Did a prophet come and assure you that nothing will happen to you? What are you relying on - your merits? Your mitzvos? We have seen that tragedies befall the righteous as well. Rather, *bitachon* means knowing that everything that happens to me is directed by Him, blessed be He; knowing that no one can harm me unless it is the will of Hashem; knowing that I am just as safe sitting on my couch as anywhere else, and that I am always in the hands of the Holy One, blessed be He. Certainly, there are situations of danger where the Satan prosecutes, without a doubt, but no danger can harm you, and no one can save you, unless Hashem wills it so.
If so, is a person guaranteed that he will not die? No. He may die, but that too is for the good - it is an atonement for sins, it is purification, and through it he attains the highest levels. Is one guaranteed that he will never fall ill? No, but "he knows it is for his good, to cleanse his sins." Consequently, when a person possesses trust, when trouble arrives he does not harbor grievances against the Holy One, blessed be He. The question "Master of the Universe, why?" reflects a lack of *bitachon*; one who has *bitachon* says: Hashem is righteous, for I have rebelled, and I know that whatever Hashem does is entirely for man's ultimate good. Even when I do not understand, and at times there are difficult questions, it has already been said that faith does not provide answers, but rather enables a person to live with the questions. That is the power of faith: even when I have questions, I believe in Hashem with complete faith, believing that everything is for the good and that whatever the Merciful One does is for the best (*kol de'avid Rachmana letav avid*), and that at the conclusion of the process everything will turn out to be good. This does not necessarily mean I will receive an answer as to why this happened, or why the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper - faith does not provide answers, but grants us the strength to continue living even when questions remain.
This is the mark of the tzaddik: he does not cry out and does not complain, but rather "sits alone and keeps silent." So we find with Aharon: "And Aharon was silent." His two sons died on his greatest day of joy, the day of the inauguration of the Mishkan, and what did he do? He was silent. These are tremendous inner strengths, to be capable of silence at the hour of the greatest and most terrible tragedy.
Hillel the Elder: "I Am Confident That This Is Not from My Household"
Through this we can understand what Hillel the Elder said: when he would hear a cry of distress in the city, he would say, "I am confident that this is not from my house." People ask: Who promised you? Have we not heard of troubles and tragedies befalling great people? The Chafetz Chaim lost a son, a young unmarried man who was expected to be the Chafetz Chaim of the next generation, a brilliant scholar who collaborated with him on the *Mishnah Berurah* - and he passed away in his youth. Was there any flaw in the Chafetz Chaim? The same occurred with the Vilna Gaon, whose daughter passed away in her youth, and he accepted the divine judgment upon himself; it is related that a heavenly angel (*maggid*) told him: Had you known what an impression was made in Heaven by your acceptance of the divine decree, you would have danced at her funeral more than you danced at her wedding.
Rather, what did Hillel mean? "I am confident that this is not from my house," because in my home, even if misfortune strikes, we do not scream and wail. We accept the judgment of Heaven and know that it comes from Him, blessed be He. When desperate wails are heard, it is a sign that it does not come from my home, for when the Holy One, blessed be He, brings suffering, one "sits alone and keeps silent," and that is how I have trained my household. Thus, this was not a guarantee that tragedy could never strike his home; tragedy might indeed be in his home, but in our house, people do not scream.
Binah Le'Ittim: The Heart as a Prophet
The *Binah Le'Ittim* offers another explanation: the heart serves as a kind of true prophet, informing a person of what is to occur, whether good or the reverse - what we might call intuition, a sixth sense. Often, these feelings serve as the compass of the heart, guiding us regarding what is happening and what is yet to come. In this light, it is taught: if a person hears a cry of distress and senses within himself no tremor or agitation, and his heart remains calm and trusting in Hashem, this is evidence that the tragedy is not from his household. This is what Hillel knew: because "his heart is steadfast, trusting in Hashem," he felt serene, without palpitations or an inner foreboding of impending misfortune, and therefore he was confident that it was not from his home.
סָמוּךְ לִבּוֹ לֹא יִירָא עַד אֲשֶׁר יִרְאֶה בְצָרָיו׃ - His heart is steadfast, he shall not fear, until he looks upon his adversaries.
A Heart Supported by Hashem
Rashi explains samuch libo - he leans upon and trusts in the Holy One, blessed be He. His heart relies upon Hashem, may He be blessed, and therefore he does not fear man. And the Radak adds that he trusts in the Holy One, blessed be He, at all times, "until he sees his desire upon his adversaries" - until he sees upon them the retribution he hopes to see, meaning he anticipates seeing how Hashem exacts retribution from his adversaries and enemies. And what is the emphasis of "until he sees his desire upon his adversaries"? Often we are impatient: we have suffered a blow and want to see immediate vengeance. But he is not like that - his heart is steadfast, trusting in Hashem; even if it takes another decade, he knows that in the end he will see the downfall of his adversaries.
The Chafetz Chaim: The Holy One, Blessed Be He, Does Not Forget
An example cited in the past comes from the Chafetz Chaim, who on several occasions offered an explanation for events that transpired. Once, a rabid dog bit a certain man, and he died in agonizing torment, barking like a dog until his soul departed in a humiliating and degrading manner. The whole town was in turmoil - he was not so old, and the incident caused a great stir. The Chafetz Chaim said: I recall that ten years ago, that same man rented an apartment to a widow. She fell behind on her rent, and he threatened her that she must pay, and when she had no means to pay, he dismantled the roof over her home. She was left exposed to the freezing cold and rains of the European winter; unable to remain, she left. Said the Chafetz Chaim: When I witnessed that, I was appalled, for terrible, severe things are written regarding one who torments a widow - "he will surely cry out to Me, and I will hear his cry," for the Holy One, blessed be He, is the Father of orphans and the Judge of widows. I said to myself: Is it possible that Hashem would make His Torah appear void? Ten years passed, and behold, see how the Holy One, blessed be He, exacted retribution from that man. The lesson is straightforward: even if you see time pass, do not imagine that the sin has been pardoned. The Holy One, blessed be He, does not run according to your clock, and one cannot set a "deadline" for Him - wait, and you will see it happen.
And so said the Chafetz Chaim in his day, when the Spanish Civil War broke out and nearly a million citizens were killed: Do you think the Holy One, blessed be He, forgot what they did to us four hundred years ago? The Expulsion from Spain was accounted for after four hundred years, and the Holy One, blessed be He, exacted retribution from them - a million people slaughtering one another. Many more examples could be cited to illustrate "his heart is steadfast, he shall not fear": he is calm and confident, not in a rush, until he sees how the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts retribution from his oppressors.
And another incident: There was a din Torah before Rabbi Nissim Karelitz, and one litigant - a religious man - was found liable. He brazenly acted with impudence, and was not content with that alone, but sued Rabbi Nissim Karelitz in civil court so that the secular court might overturn the ruling. Rabbi Nissim Karelitz went to the court - an appalling indignity, that the gadol hador must stand before secular judges, before a wicked judge who eats non-kosher food, to be judged by him. The judge treated him with respect, asked his questions, received all his answers, and told the plaintiff that he did not understand the claim at all, that everything that had been ruled was correct - and he upheld the rabbinical court's ruling completely. Two years went by, and that man was riding a motorcycle and was struck by a truck, to the point that they had to scrape him off the road and he was unrecognizable. It was related that Rabbi Nissim Karelitz went to comfort the father, and the father said something chilling to him: I remember what happened two years ago, and I was amazed at how the Holy One, blessed be He, waited two years for him. I told him back then: you are playing with fire, be careful, "their hiss is the hiss of a fiery serpent and their sting is the sting of a scorpion" - but he, with his headstrong energy, refused to listen. And now, see what came of it. This is "his heart is steadfast, he shall not fear, until he sees his desire upon his adversaries": you expect it to happen immediately, but the timetable of the Holy One, blessed be He, is different.
The Metzudot and the Malbim
Metzudat David explains: His heart will be so steadfast in Hashem and fearless, that he will have the composure of mind to see the calamity befalling his adversaries. The meaning is: sometimes a person is plunged into distress and does not even notice how the Holy One, blessed be He, has already exacted retribution from his enemies, because he is consumed by his own suffering. When a person is gripped by fear, he cannot turn his attention to witness the retribution of his adversaries; but one who is not afraid and whose heart is steadfast merits also to witness the retribution of his adversaries.
And the Malbim adds: Lest you say that perhaps he fears enemies who might do him harm - for up to this point the text spoke of one engaged in disputes with others and the vicissitudes of fortune, whereas here actual enemies are meant - regarding this the verse says that in this too, "his heart is steadfast, he shall not fear": his heart is confident in his righteousness, that not only will they do him no harm, but he will further witness Hashem's retribution upon his enemies.
פִּזַּר נָתַן לָאֶבְיוֹנִים צִדְקָתוֹ עֹמֶדֶת לָעַד קַרְנוֹ תָּרוּם בְּכָבוֹד׃ - He scattered, he gave to the needy; his righteousness endures forever, his pride shall be exalted with honor.
The Virtue of Dispersing Charity
"He scattered, he gave to the needy" - he dispersed and gave of his wealth to the impoverished. And the concept of scattering is giving to this one, and to that one, and to that one. As the Rambam writes, when one has charity funds in hand, it is preferable to disperse them: if you have a thousand shekels, you could give one avreich a thousand, or ten avreichim one hundred each - and the Rambam says it is better to give to ten. Even though you might say that a thousand shekels will benefit one avreich more than a small amount will benefit each individual, nevertheless, give to ten, because in doing so a person subdues his evil inclination again and again. Giving once means subduing your inclination once; but taking out money time after time, one repeatedly overcomes his inclination, and that carries an intrinsic virtue.
And so it is here: he scatters and gives to all the needy of whom he is aware. Yet he does not give such lavish gifts that he himself remains poor, for that is not the way of the righteous man, as the Radak explains; rather, he gives according to what he can bear - an amount that will not ruin him financially, just as the Sages said: one who dispenses should not dispense more than a fifth.
"His righteousness endures forever" - this righteousness endures for him and for his children after him, as it is written, "He preserves kindness for thousands," meaning that the Holy One, blessed be He, remembers for a person the kindness he performed for thousands of generations. And this is "forever" - both for thousands of generations in this world, and that his righteousness endures for him in the World to Come. "His horn will be exalted in honor" - "horn" is always an expression of strength and might, as in "and He will exalt the horn of His anointed," where the Holy One, blessed be He, exalts the horn of His anointed with which he will gore the enemies, and likewise, "his horn will be exalted through His salvation." Here too: his horn, his strength and might, will be exalted, as in "the horns of the righteous shall be exalted," whereas regarding the wicked it says, "and all the horns of the wicked I will cut off."
The Malbim explains: even if he increased his acts of charity and kindness and dispersed his money to the needy, do not fear that because of this he will fall into poverty; on the contrary, "his righteousness endures forever" - his wealth will be blessed so that he can continually give charity, for he will be granted more and more, and as we have said: the giver becomes a vessel for the abundance bestowed upon him.
Rav Mazuz's Allusions: Tithes and a Fifth
Rav Mazuz focuses on the two verses. In verse 5, it says "he manages his affairs with justice" - that he should not squander too much lest he become impoverished, and in that merit, "for he will never stumble." And the allusion: "Yechalkel" (יכלכל) - the letter yud (י) from "kalkel" (כלכל). "Kalkel" in gematria equals one hundred (kaf-lamed is fifty, plus another kaf-lamed is fifty). Take yud (ten) out of kalkel (one hundred) - this is the tithe (ten percent), a person who conducts his affairs with justice and gives according to his obligation. Then ninety percent remains for him, which corresponds to the initials of "Ki le'olam lo yimot" (כי לעולם לא ימוט): "ki le'olam" - kaf and lamed equal fifty, "lo yimot" - lamed and yud equal forty, totaling ninety. Through this, he will never stumble - the ninety will remain in his possession, and with them he will never stumble.
And according to this, he explains what follows: earlier the verse spoke of one who manages his affairs with justice, giving a tithe; here it speaks of one who gives generously - and how much is generous giving? A fifth. "He dispersed, he gave to the needy" (פיזר נתן לאביונים) - "to the needy, yam" (לאביון י"ם): yud he keeps for himself and mem he gives to the needy, which is one fifth. For our Sages said, "One who dispenses charity should not dispense more than a fifth" - he does not give away everything. And this is also alluded to in the word tzedakah (צדקה): mem and yud equal fifty, and from them one gives the yud (ten) - which is a fifth. And in the word tzedakah, both the tithe and the fifth are hinted at: if you have a kuf (one hundred), make it a tzaddi (ninety) - that is, give ten out of a hundred and you will be left with ninety; and if you have a hei (five), make it a dalet (four). Furthermore, tzedakah in gematria equals 199. Our Sages said that one who possesses two hundred zuz is not given charity, and only one who has 199 is still eligible for charity, and one is even permitted to give him a thousand, and we do not tell the giver, "Give him only one more zuz" - he is poor, and one may give him a large sum. Thus, tzedakah is 199, to teach you that if you have 199, you are still eligible for charity.
However, today this is not the criterion, as we have discussed in the past. Today the criterion is someone who must skimp on food. He may own an apartment, but what good does that do him - he cannot eat the apartment, and on a daily basis he must cut back on his sustenance. And I do not mean someone who merely refrains from ribeye steak, but someone who must calculate carefully even what basic items he needs to buy.
רָשָׁע יִרְאֶה וְכָעָס שִׁנָּיו יַחֲרֹק וְנָמָס תַּאֲוַת רְשָׁעִים תֹּאבֵד׃ - The wicked one will see and be angered; he will gnash his teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked will perish.
The Anger of the Wicked
When the wicked person sees the honor of the righteous, out of immense envy he will become furious, and then he will gnash his teeth from anger and envy; and "melt away" - his heart will melt from jealousy, as it is written, "jealousy is rottenness to the bones." And had it been in his power to destroy the righteous person, he would have destroyed him. "The desire of the wicked will perish" - that which the wicked desire, to see the downfall of the righteous, their desire will perish; the Holy One, blessed be He, will thwart it, and they will never see the righteous person's downfall. Another interpretation: the wicked person desires what is good for himself, and concerning this it is said, "the desire of the wicked will perish" - that which he covets for himself, You, Hashem, will destroy his desire and not grant it to him. In contrast, regarding the righteous it is said, "He will grant the desire of the righteous," for the righteous person desires what is truly good, and therefore, please Hashem, fulfill his desire; but the desire of the wicked, which is always a desire for evil, will perish.
The Malbim explains: the wicked person sees the success of the righteous and becomes angry, yet despite everything he can do nothing to him - and this is "he will gnash his teeth and melt away." For when does a person gnash his teeth and melt away? When he is powerless to act. When he has the power, he goes and acts, strikes, and fights; but here he is forced to stand in place, watch, gnash his teeth, and melt away. "The desire of the wicked will perish" - he will not attain his heart's desire and will be unable to harm the righteous.
Tanna Devei Eliyahu: What the Nations Will See in the Future to Come
In Tanna Devei Eliyahu, the Sages expounded: "The wicked one will see and be angered" - all the nations and kingdoms that tormented Israel are destined to see Israel's joy, and they will grieve and become enraged, and then die once again. For in the future to come, at the Resurrection of the Dead, "some to everlasting life, and some to reproach and everlasting abhorrence" - the nations will also rise. The wicked who persecuted us will also rise, in order to witness the greatness of Israel and realize that what they did not only failed to benefit them, but ultimately proved to have benefited the people of Israel - for whatever the Merciful One does, at the end of the process, leads to the perfection of the world. And each one will see that what he lost, he lost for himself, and he will remain in everlasting abhorrence.
Furthermore, our Sages said there that those nations and kingdoms that afflicted Israel are destined to be plowmen and vinedressers for Israel, as it is written: "And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers" - the nations will plead to be our servants. It is told that the German Chancellor once met one of the Torah giants of Israel and asked him: Is it true, what I have heard, that you Jews say we are destined to be your servants in the Future to Come? He replied: Whoever does not wish to be among our servants in the Future to Come simply will not be there. In other words, plainly put: You will beg for it. He expressed this delicately - whoever does not wish to is not obligated, but he will not be there at all; and whoever remains will understand what a profound privilege it is to serve Israel, and will plead to be here to serve us.
In summary: The second half of the chapter portrays the character of the one who fears Hashem in interpersonal matters: he is generous and lends, disperses and gives to the needy, and at the same time "conducts his affairs with justice" - precisely measuring every action and character trait, walking the middle path, neither extravagant nor miserly, and taking meticulous care never to wrong anyone. As a result, he never falters, becomes a conduit for divine bounty, and his righteousness endures for him and his offspring forever. And regarding his trust: "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings", not because he is guaranteed that no harm will ever befall him, but because he knows that everything is from His Hand, blessed be He, and for his ultimate good, to purge his sins - and therefore his heart is steadfast, he neither cries out nor panics, until he sees how the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts retribution from his foes in His own time and in His own way. Meanwhile, the wicked man stands by, gnashes his teeth, melts away, and his desire perishes.