Introduction
In this section of the psalm, King David transitions from describing Israel's trust in Hashem to the blessing itself. Until now, the text declared: "Israel, trust in Hashem... house of Aaron... those who fear Hashem," and now comes the response to that trust: the blessing that the Holy One, blessed be He, pours out upon those who place their trust in Him. The Malbim interprets the entire psalm as referring to King Chizkiyahu, who fell terminally ill and had lost hope for his life, yet through his prayer, the Holy One, blessed be He, restored him to health and granted him another fifteen years. As we will see at the end of the chapter, this theme culminates specifically in the verse, "The dead do not praise God."
"Hashem, Who Has Remembered Us, Will Bless" - Remembering That Signifies Divine Providence
יְהֹוָה זְכָרָנוּ יְבָרֵךְ, יְבָרֵךְ אֶת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְבָרֵךְ אֶת בֵּית אַהֲרֹן. - Hashem, Who has remembered us, will bless; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.
"Hashem who remembered us" - Hashem, Who has always remembered us. In relation to the Holy One, blessed be He, remembering means Divine providence, just as we recall the theme of Zichronot on Rosh Hashanah: that the Holy One, blessed be He, watches over us with individual care. He always remembers us in His compassion, and out of that remembrance He will bless His people. Following the general statement comes the detail, just as he detailed earlier: the house of Israel, the house of Aaron, those who fear Hashem, the small together with the great.
Ibn Ezra offers a fascinating explanation, also cited by Radak: "Hashem, zecharanu yevarech" - He will bless our males (zecharim). This interpretation seems somewhat puzzling, for the text should have read zechareinu yevarech rather than zecharanu with a kamatz. Moreover, if it refers to males, where are the females - are they not worthy of blessing? Rather, "He will bless the house of Israel" - "house" is akin to "the house of Jacob," referring to the women of the household, and it is of them he speaks. Radak explains that if we say it refers to males, the reason is that they are the ones who make the festival pilgrimage, since this Hallel was recited during the offering of the Pesach sacrifice and on the festivals; and although many women also made the pilgrimage, the halachic obligation falls upon the male.
The Malbim explains: by virtue of His remembering us - and by what merit does He remember us? By virtue of our trust in Him. Whoever trusts in Hashem, Hashem does not abandon him into the hands of anyone else, but rather looks after him personally. Therefore, He blesses us anew, an added blessing atop the one already mentioned, and this time the blessing corresponds to the measure of one's trust and the spiritual stature of the one who trusts. The greater the trust, the greater the divine bounty. Thus, "He will bless the house of Israel," and with an even more specialized blessing, "He will bless the house of Aaron," whose trust and stature are greater.
An Allusion to Abbaye and Rava in the Verse
Rav Mazuz notes: the acronym of "et beit Yisrael yevarech" (את בית ישראל יברך) forms Abbaye (אביי), and juxtaposed to it, "He will bless the house of Aaron" concludes with words whose initial letters form the acronym Abba (אבא) - "et beit Aharon" (את בית אהרן) - which was the primary name of Rava (and the Gemara notes that Rabbah's name was also Abba). Thus, both Abbaye and Rava are hinted at in a single verse. Why were both alluded to together? Because both were kohanim descended from Aaron, from the house of Eli, upon whom it was decreed to die in the prime of life, yet they merited long life through the merit of Torah study - Abbaye through Torah and acts of lovingkindness.
The Blessing in the Home - The Words of the Chida
In his work Yosef Tehillot, the Chida explains based on the teaching of Chazal: Blessing is found in a person's home only on account of his wife, as it says, "And he treated Avram well for her sake." This is the meaning of "Hashem, zecharanu yevarech" - He will bless the males; and when? "He will bless the house of Israel" - when He blesses the house of Israel, which refers to the wife, and through her merit the male will also be blessed.
"The Small Together with the Great"
יְבָרֵךְ יִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה, הַקְּטַנִּים עִם הַגְּדֹלִים. - He will bless those who fear Hashem, the small together with the great.
Those who fear Hashem He blesses with a special, greater blessing, according to their stature and their fear of Heaven, as the Malbim explains. He adds: "The small together with the great" - by blessing the great with an individual blessing, the great blessing will extend to the small as well. This is comparable to a large cup standing in the center surrounded by small cups: when the large one is filled to the brim, it overflows and pours into the small ones. Likewise, through the abundance of bounty bestowed upon those who fear Hashem, the small will also be blessed alongside the great.
The Words of the Maharitz Dushinsky - The Father's Closeness to His Sons
In Tehillot Maharitz, he explains in stirring words: every father is obligated to supervise his children in their youth, ensuring they remain close to him and do not drift away, watching over all their conduct, their studies, and their prayers with an open, watchful eye. Then he can be confident that they will grow up on the lap of Torah and fear of Heaven, and he will see in them offspring blessed by Hashem. This is not like what has unfortunately become widespread in our day, where children view themselves as grown-ups, distancing themselves from their parents, praying by themselves and studying by themselves, while their parents leave them to their own devices without paying mind to what they are doing. For the inclination of man's heart is evil from his youth, and consequently, to our great sorrow, the fruit produced is spoiled, failing to attain the paths of life.
Along these lines, he interprets the verse, "For He strengthened the bars of your gates; He blessed your children within you": When are children considered blessed, with the Shechinah resting upon them? When you strengthen the bars of the gates - not locking them entirely, but posting a guard - and then "your children are within you," meaning you do not allow them to wander off according to their whims and desires. If they remain continually close within your midst, there is hope that they will be blessed by Hashem. According to this, our verse is explained: "He will bless those who fear Hashem" - when will the children of the generation emerge blessed and genuinely God-fearing? "The small together with the great," when the child attaches himself, connects, and stays close to the adult, witnessing firsthand the ways of life, paths of uprightness, inspiration and devotion in prayer, performance of mitzvot, and diligence in Torah study. This leaves an indelible impression on him, producing holy fruit of praise to Hashem.
These words are wonderful, but one must be cautious in applying them in our generation, where everyone seeks independence and feels they have already outgrown their parents' apron strings. Anyone who tries to enforce this by force may find that it boomerangs: even when trying to restrict in a holy manner - insisting that he study specifically with you or where you study - the child feels suffocated and coerced, and will later look for ways to cast off the yoke. In our generation, when the street is so alluring and the outside pull is so strong, the more tightly we close the walls, the sooner we ensure he will bolt outside. Therefore, one must calibrate properly, allow more openness, and above all lead by personal example, so the child knows from whom to learn and how to act.
Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky: The Small Walking with the Great
In Ta'ama D'Kra, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky explains the verse not specifically regarding children, but in a general sense: "The small together with the great" - specifically when the small walk with the great, and a person consults with a great person, there is blessing and success. But when the small do not consult the great, and instead each person acts as he pleases, wanting to be God-fearing according to his own judgment, there is no blessing upon this. Often a person adopts stringencies and meticulous practices, viewing himself as a holy, pious ascetic; but did you consult a Torah giant first? Perhaps he would have told you under no circumstances to do so, because it will only cause harm and stir up trouble at home and with others. Many people do not ask, and deep down they know why - because they already know what the great person would tell them, meaning they have made themselves into authorities in their own right. Regarding this, Rabbi Chaim says: there is no blessing. "He will bless those who fear Hashem" - precisely when the small defer to the great and follow their guidance.
"May Hashem Increase You" - What Is the Blessing?
יֹסֵף יְהֹוָה עֲלֵיכֶם, עֲלֵיכֶם וְעַל בְּנֵיכֶם. - May Hashem increase you, you and your children.
The Ibn Ezra asks: we saw "He will bless the House of Israel," "He will bless the House of Aharon," "He will bless those who fear Hashem" - but what is the blessing itself? This is the blessing: "May Hashem increase you, you and your children," and "Blessed are you to Hashem, Maker of heaven and earth." For a blessing denotes increase, whereas a curse denotes deficiency. As explained many times, berachah signifies multiplicity, and the letters of b-r-ch are the first plural numbers in each order of magnitude: Aleph is one and Beit is already plural; in the tens, Yod is ten and Khaf is already plural; in the hundreds, Kuf is one hundred and Reish is already plural - forming the letters Beit-Reish-Khaf. Not only that, but this represents the greatest relative increase: Gimmel is also plural, but Gimmel compared to Beit adds only one-third, whereas Beit doubled Aleph. As one progresses through the letters, the proportional increase decreases. Thus, the greatest multiplication is Beit, Khaf, and Reish, which double the preceding quantity. This is what the Vilna Gaon notes: a firstborn (bechor, spelled Beit-Khaf-Reish) receives a double portion, corresponding to those very letters that double the letters preceding them. Thus, "May Hashem increase you" is the blessing, meaning that you shall have multiplicity, which is the very essence of blessing.
The Radak explains that "May Hashem increase you" is directed toward all those previously mentioned - the House of Israel, the House of Aharon, and those who fear Hashem. This is stated either as a prophecy, indicating that this is destined to occur, or as a prayer, petitioning that He increase them and their children. "Upon you and upon your children" corresponds to what was said earlier, "the small together with the great." The Alshich HaKadosh explains that this is the response of Ruach HaKodesh: we say, "He will bless those who fear Hashem, the small together with the great," and the Divine Spirit responds to all three groups, "May Hashem increase you" with children, and subsequently include those yet to be born alongside you, so that their children will also be blessed, this blessing flowing down to them from the blessing of the fathers.
The Malbim adds a wonderful explanation: Once Hashem blesses the great, and the abundance flows down from them to the small as well, they become equal in blessing - and since the great are more worthy of blessing than the small, the Holy One, blessed be He, must add an even greater blessing to them so that their advantage is preserved. Then, once again, the blessing will flow down to the small as well, and He will again need to add to the great, and so on in an endless cycle. It emerges that the blessing is limitless: the Divine spiritual flow is boundless, for each time He adds blessing to the great, it encompasses the small once more, continuously increasing blessing endlessly without end.
"Maker of Heaven and Earth" - Continually, Every Day
בְּרוּכִים אַתֶּם לַיהֹוָה, עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ. - Blessed are you of Hashem, Maker of heaven and earth.
The Radak explains: You are blessed of Hashem, Who makes the celestial and terrestrial realms, and it is in His power to bless whomever He wishes. The Malbim adds: Beyond the blessing that He will bestow upon you from now on, you have already been blessed of Hashem from of old - this is a comprehensive blessing with which we have already been blessed from the beginning of time, by virtue of His being the "Maker of heaven and earth." The nations of the world believed that heaven and earth were primordial, that the world had existed eternally. Gradually they sobered up and recognized that the universe was brought into being, and not gradually but in a single instant, and began speaking of the Big Bang. Moreover, they used to believe that the system itself operates autonomously, that the stars and constellations channel the influence. Regarding this, the verse comes and states: "Maker of heaven and earth" - in the present tense, for He makes them at every single moment, renewing in His goodness each day continually the work of creation.
The heavens do not stand by inertia from the Six Days of Creation. At every moment, the Holy One, blessed be He, "spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood" - and this Divine command is not something that happened and ceased. "Forever, Hashem, Your word stands firm in heaven" - that utterance stands firm and reverberates: that there be a sun, that there be a moon, that there be stars, that there be an earth. And by the power of this reverberation, by the power of this continuous and eternal speech, they exist. The Holy One, blessed be He, instills within the heavens the governance that they project below, and He forms the earth and directs it with Providence according to the merits of its inhabitants. Thus, all abundance ultimately flows from Him.
What is Divine Providence?
We learn in Siftei Chaim by Rav Friedlander: Many mistakenly think that Divine Providence (Hashgachah) simply means that the Holy One, blessed be He, sees every creature. There is a dispute as to whether Providence extends to animals, with some maintaining that Providence over animals is general to the species - not over each individual elephant, but over the species of elephants - whereas for the Jewish people, Providence is individual (Hashgachah Pratit). But does He not see each individual elephant? Is there a screen before Him, or does He have any limitation? Certainly not. Rather, the concept of Hashgachah means that at every moment He evaluates man's state of being and channels abundance to him according to his standing and his spiritual progress. Hashgachah Pratit means constant, tailored engagement with man's state, giving him at every moment according to the fruit of his deeds - at times retribution, and at times the Holy One, blessed be He, conveys a message to him. This is the meaning of "Blessed are you of Hashem, Maker of heaven and earth": that you merit Providence at every single moment, that the Holy One, blessed be He, accompanies us.
The Parable of the Atoms
Imagine seeing a person sitting and turning a hand crank, and as long as he does, the sun rises, but the moment he stops - the sun halts. Nothing here sustains itself; rather, at every moment he generates it anew. And if we look deeper: What is matter composed of? Atoms. An atom is not static; it is constantly in motion. Our entire perception of solidity is an illusion: there is something spinning here, like a fan blade that appears as a solid disc when spinning rapidly. If that motion were to cease, the entire net solid mass of the Eiffel Tower would fit into a matchbox. Clearly, then, Someone is sustaining this reality and continuously setting it in motion, providing its energy of action. Your car cannot move without fuel; how could an atom continue moving on its own forever? All these movements - Someone is operating them, and that is what gives existence to the world. At this very moment, the Holy One, blessed be He, commands these forces to orbit and form the fabric of existence, and the moment He were to stop, everything would collapse into a tiny speck of mass. It is not merely maintained by a past will, but by constant activation: this continual Divine will is what generates reality.
"And the Earth He Gave to the Children of Man" - Before and After a Blessing
הַשָּׁמַיִם שָׁמַיִם לַיהֹוָה, וְהָאָרֶץ נָתַן לִבְנֵי אָדָם. - The heavens are the heavens of Hashem, but the earth He has given to the children of man.
In the sefer Kol Rinah Ve-Todah, the author cites the Gemara where Levi pointed out an apparent contradiction: It is written, "To Hashem belongs the earth and its fullness," yet on the other hand, "And the earth He has given to the children of man." The Gemara resolves this: One verse refers to before a blessing (berachah), and the other to after a blessing. Before reciting a berachah - "To Hashem belongs the earth and its fullness," everything is His; but after a person recites the blessing, "Blessed are You, Hashem... Who creates the fruit of the tree," the Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: It is given to you, eat and enjoy in good health. This is the allusion in the verses: "Blessed are you of Hashem" - when you bless Hashem and give thanks for what He has given you, then "The heavens are the heavens of Hashem, but the earth He has given to the children of man"; He bestows abundance upon you so that you may receive it and express gratitude to Hashem, blessed be He.
The Radak explains: Although Hashem makes both heaven and earth, dominion over the heavens belongs to Him alone, and man has no share in the heavens. However high man may attempt to reach - building a tower whose top is in the heavens, or even constructing spacecraft to ascend - still, "The heavens are the heavens of Hashem." Yet dominion over the earth He gave to the children of man, as it is written: "You give him dominion over the works of Your hands; You have placed all things under his feet: sheep and oxen, all of them, and also the beasts of the field; the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea." Man was granted mastery and dominion over the physical world down here. However, human beings must recognize that the Holy One, blessed be He, is the ultimate Ruler over all, and whenever He wills, He can dismiss this appointed official and appoint another. And whoever acknowledges the Holy One, blessed be He, is the faithful official. This is the meaning of "and the earth He gave to the children of man" - that from within the earthly realm, they should recognize the Leader, God, acknowledging that "the heavens are the heavens of Hashem."
The Malbim explains: The making of the heavens and their governance pertain to Hashem alone; He guides them according to His will, based on the laws He established and in His goodness renews each day, continually, the work of Creation. But the governance of the earth - that He gave to the children of man. And by virtue of whom is the earth governed? By virtue of the actions of those below. "Take heed not to ruin My world" - through evil deeds, man can bring destruction upon the world, even a flood, through the corrupt deeds of the generation. It turns out that He handed the earth over to the governance of human beings: what happens here on earth depends on our actions and our choices, and in accordance with this, Hashem guides the earth. With this, the psalmist concludes what he opened with: "Our God is in the heavens; whatever He desires, He does" - Hashem always acts according to His will in the heavens, whereas the earthly realm He entrusted to us, so that if we do good deeds we receive good, and if not, Heaven forbid, the opposite.
"Children of Man" - Who Is Worthy of Benefiting from the Earthly Realm
Some explain this by way of an allusion based on what our Sages said: An am ha'aretz (an unlearned person) is forbidden to eat meat, as it says, "This is the law of the beast and the fowl" - whoever does not engage in Torah study is forbidden to eat the meat of animals and fowl. One might reflect that there are many groups that oppose slaughter and the consumption of meat, claiming that eating meat is murder. In a certain sense, there is truth to this premise - not for their reasons, but in essence: our Sages themselves state that an am ha'aretz is forbidden to eat meat! The reason is straightforward: What permits taking the life of one zoological species merely to sustain another zoological species? However, if one is dealing with a God-fearing person, a servant of Hashem, such an individual is not merely another zoological species, but the crown of Creation, the divine will realized here in the world, regarding whom it is said, "You have placed all things under his feet," and the entire world was created solely to serve him. In that case, the animal rejoices to become food for the righteous, for thereby it achieves elevation: until now it was merely an animal, and now it becomes fuel for the righteous person's prayer and Torah study. But with an am ha'aretz, the cow says to him: Until now I fulfilled Hashem's will - I grazed in the pasture, gave milk, and everything was wonderful; then you came and ate me, and through you I became fuel for transgressions. It turns out that the animal was indeed murdered, for one took something the Holy One, blessed be He, created and brought it down into degradation, diminishing its stature.
Furthermore, our Sages said: "You are called 'adam' (man), and the idolaters are not called 'adam.'" The term "adam" denotes elevated stature and spiritual rank; others are called "anashim" (people), but not "adam." So it is taught in Tanna Devei Eliyahu: "Between an adam" - between upright people, between righteous people, between performers of loving-kindness. With this introduction, we can understand: "And the earth He gave to the children of man" - the earthly realm, the material matters of this world, eating and drinking, He gave to those worthy of being called "children of man." The Jewish people, Torah scholars, are permitted to benefit from all these, for the animals consumed become fuel for the service of Hashem, thereby elevating and exalting their status. But to those who do not fall into the category of "children of man," who are considered wicked, He did not grant the right to indulge in worldly pleasures, for through their eating they not only fail to elevate them, but drag them down and degrade their stature even further.
Rectification Along the Entire Chain - The Concept of the Korban
This is the very concept of the korban (offering). When a person commits a sin, he corrupts everything along the entire chain, from bottom to top: he ate an animal and then committed sins - meaning he corrupted not only the animal, but also the vegetation the animal ate, since the grass served as fuel for the animal that became fuel for his sins; and not only the vegetation, but also the inanimate realm, since the soil provided fertile ground for the plants that were food for the animal that fed the transgressor. And how is this rectified? The Torah instructs: bring a korban. "An altar of earth you shall make for Me" - this rectifies the inanimate. Place wood upon the altar - rectifying the plant kingdom. Offer the animal upon the altar - rectifying the animal kingdom. And then let him confess and repent - rectifying the human, speaking realm (medaber). Thus, he rectifies along the entire chain everything that was blemished through sin. All these elements had served as instruments for desecrating Hashem's Name, for committing sins, and for provoking the Creator: instruments granted by Him were used to anger Him, and now those very same tools are taken and used to fulfill the Creator's will - this is the rectification accomplished through the korban.
"Shamayim" From the Word for Wonder
The book HaMe'or HaKatan explains: Shamayim (heavens) is related to hishtomemut (wonder and astonishment). People gaze at the heavens and are astonished, filled with awe and wonder, praising Hashem for the sun, the moon, and the stars. "And the earth He gave to the children of man" - so that people should also contemplate the earthly realm, and thereby recognize the greatness of the Creator. It is told of the Chazon Ish that once his household was waiting for him to return home, but he did not arrive. They went to search for him and found him standing and gazing at a flower, remarking: How much beauty there is in Creation, how much divine design, how clearly the handiwork of Hashem is seen here! This is the meaning of "and the earth He gave to the children of man": Hashem gave us the earthly realm so that we may contemplate it and come to know the Creator.
Bringing Heaven Down to Earth
Rabbi Elifaz explains: "The heavens are the heavens of Hashem, and the earth He gave to the children of man" - the heavens belong to the Holy One, blessed be He, but the earth He gave to human beings, and through the power of the earth one can draw the heavens down to here. A person can bring spirituality down to this world through his actions on earth: "You shall sanctify yourselves, and you shall be holy." And when a person fulfills the will of Hashem down here, he is even granted dominion in the heavens - a righteous person decrees, and the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfills. Although the heavens belong to Hashem, by virtue of the earth that He gave to the children of man, He granted you dominion in the heavens as well, to govern and effect change there by virtue of what you fulfill here on earth.
"The Dead Do Not Praise Yah"
לֹא הַמֵּתִים יְהַלְלוּ יָהּ, וְלֹא כָּל יֹרְדֵי דוּמָה. - The dead do not praise God, nor do any who descend into silence.
"The dead do not praise God" - these are those whom the Holy One, blessed be He, puts to death before their allotted time, taking their lives for their iniquity, because they did not recognize the Holy One, blessed be He, during their lifetimes and did not see His blessed sovereignty. They will die and will not praise God. And why? Because the soul of the wicked descends downward to the earth like the soul of an animal, and in this state there is no praise for Hashem, blessed be He; "their soul perishes at their death," "and that soul shall be cut off." These are "those who descend into silence" (dumah). And what is dumah? The grave, which is called this because the body in the grave is silent like a stone; the ministering angel of Gehinnom is also called Dumah. The soul of the wicked perishes when the body perishes, and as it were, remains with it in the grave, whereas the soul of the righteous ascends upward to receive its reward. But those who are considered dead even while living - for the wicked are called dead even in their lifetimes - are not among those who do the will of Hashem and praise Him, and they are those who descend into silence.
The Malbim explains that here begins the fourth section, extending until "Please, Hashem, for I am Your servant," and it describes what happened to King Chizkiyahu, who fell ill, despaired of his life, and Hashem restored him to health. Regarding this it is said, "The dead do not praise God": The Holy One, blessed be He, desires His world and His creations; He wants them to serve Him, and has no desire to bring death upon the world. Through this it is assured that He will not bring death upon all, for what purpose would death serve - "For in death there is no remembrance of You"; in death it is impossible to mention Hashem and impossible to serve Him, everything is over. The Holy One, blessed be He, desires that man have life, "For I do not desire the death of the one who dies, but rather that he return from his ways and live," that man rectify his deeds and his ways; whereas there in the grave, in dumah, he is silent, and it is impossible to praise Hashem.
"And we will bless God"
וַאֲנַחְנוּ נְבָרֵךְ יָהּ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם, הַלְלוּ יָהּ. - But we will bless God from this time forth and forevermore. Halleluyah!
The Malbim explains: "And we" - we who are alive, not only will we praise, but we will also bless God. Hallel (praise) is expressing praise to Hashem, but berachah (blessing) means that through our actions we draw down an increase of divine bounty, as the word berachah denotes increase. We will bless Him, for He is the source of all bounty and blessing. In this, he teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not desire the death of His pious ones; rather, Hashem desires life and wants the people of Israel to cling to Him and have life, so that they may praise, recount, and laud the Creator - and this serves as an introduction to the following psalm.
The Radak explains: "And we will bless God" - we who fear Hashem, who know and recognize that He is Master of all, Hashem will grant us life. If earlier the verse spoke of the wicked, who are considered as dead, we who desire to serve Him and praise Him will bless God "from this time forth," from now, "and forevermore," for eternity, into the life of the World to Come, which is eternal life.
And in the work Otzrot HaAggadah, it is explained based on the Midrash: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "My children, open for Me an opening of repentance the size of the eye of a needle, and I will open for you openings through which wagons and carriages can enter." This is the meaning of "And we will bless God" - we, for our part, will open the opening and bless Hashem, blessed be He, and then "from this time forth and forevermore, Halleluyah," we are assured that we will continue to thank and praise Hashem, blessed be He, forever, for one who comes to purify himself is granted divine assistance.
In summary: The final portion of the psalm is an ever-expanding blessing: Hashem remembers us and watches over us by virtue of our trust in Him, and blesses the House of Israel, the House of Aharon, and those who fear Him - each according to their stature and trust. The blessing bestowed upon the great overflows to the small like water from a full cup, and from this, the abundance must continuously renew without limit: "May Hashem increase you, you and your children." "Blessed are you to Hashem, Maker of heaven and earth" - for the world is not primordial and does not exist on its own, but rather the Holy One, blessed be He, renews its existence at every moment and watches over us at all times. The heavens He kept for Himself, and the earth He gave into our hands: the guidance of the earth depends on our deeds, and earthly existence was given to human beings so that they may contemplate it, recognize the Creator, and elevate it to holiness. And from this - not the dead will praise God, but rather we the living, who open an entrance the size of the eye of a needle, will bless and praise Hashem from this time forth and forevermore.