We continue through the chapters of Hallel, arriving at Chapter 118. The Radak notes that our Sages disputed (Pesachim 117a) about whom this psalm was composed: some say it was said concerning King David, while others say it was said concerning the Messianic era. If it refers to the Messianic era, those who give thanks to Hashem are the children of the exile - those people who were until now in exile and have now been redeemed by the Mashiach; they are the ones who will give thanks. From this also stems the praise of this psalm: it opens with "Give thanks" (Hodu) and concludes with "Give thanks," ending as it began. The Radak explains it in both ways, both in relation to David and in relation to the Messianic era, and this is how we will study it.
הוֹדוּ לַיהֹוָה כִּי־טוֹב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ׃ - Give thanks to Hashem, for He is good, for His kindness endures forever.
יֹאמַר־נָא יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ׃ יֹאמְרוּ־נָא בֵית־אַהֲרֹן כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ׃ יֹאמְרוּ־נָא יִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ׃ - Let Israel now say: "For His kindness endures forever." Let the house of Aaron now say: "For His kindness endures forever." Let those who fear Hashem now say: "For His kindness endures forever."
If we say that the psalm refers to King David, then David arises to reign and proclaims: Give thanks to Hashem - you are all obligated to thank Hashem that I am reigning over you, for my kingship will only benefit you. Afterward, he specifies who must give thanks: Israel, the house of Aaron, and those who fear Hashem. The Radak explains: Israel must give thanks to Hashem for appointing me king, because with Hashem's help I merited to defeat the enemies - already in the days of Saul when he appointed me over his army, and all the more so now that I am king in my own right. Their hearts can be tranquil and secure that enemies will not invade, for the enemies fear David. The house of Aaron, who are the kohanim, must thank Hashem for my kingship, for Saul slaughtered Nov, the city of kohanim, and this is something I will never do - there is no fear that I would act as he did. And those who fear Hashem must also give thanks, because the people of Israel will now live in peace and security, and they will have the leisure to engage in Torah, in the fear of Heaven, and in fulfilling the mitzvot of Hashem. When there is war and turmoil, a person lacks the peace of mind for this; but when there is quiet, rest, and tranquility, one can sit and devote oneself to spiritual pursuits. In this same way, Yaakov sought to dwell in tranquility - not to indulge in worldly pleasures, Heaven forbid, but so that he could immerse himself in Torah and divine service without distractions.
Those who fear Hashem have an additional reason to rejoice: I, too, fear Hashem as they do. It is always beneficial for us when the king is a person whose values align with our own - we seek the fear of Hashem, and the king also seeks the fear of Hashem, so he will have deep understanding and sympathy for all that we desire and aspire to achieve. I love them and keep them in my company, and when appointing people to positions of leadership, he will not appoint wicked men, but those who fear Hashem like himself. This is the meaning of the verse, "I am a companion to all who fear You" - the God-fearing have every reason to rejoice that their king is a companion to all who fear Hashem.
The Midrash notes that "those who fear Hashem" refers to the house of David, as it is said, "I am a companion to all who fear You." And what did David do? He said: "I dwell in a house of cedar, while the Ark of the Covenant of God dwells within curtains" - it is unfitting that I dwell in a permanent house while the Ark of God resides in a tent. Because of this, he desired to build the Beis HaMikdash. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Forever I will keep My kindness for him," and "I will establish his descendants forever" - this request, that the Ark of the Covenant of Hashem have a permanent home, Hashem will remember for him as an eternal kindness.
So too, it is said regarding Israel, "For His kindness endures forever": the Holy One, blessed be He, does not perform kindness for just a year or two, but forever. "The kindnesses of Hashem never cease" - meaning the kindnesses of Hashem, blessed be He, have no end. "And My kindness shall not depart from you." We see that when Hashem's kindness flows, it is boundless. In what respect is the kindness to the house of Aaron eternal? As it is written, "And it shall be for him and for his descendants after him an eternal covenant of priesthood" - the privilege and kindness that Hashem bestowed upon Aaron by granting them the priesthood is likewise "His kindness endures forever," an everlasting and constant kindness, ensuring that the priesthood will never depart from them. Even though in the future the service of the firstborn is destined to return to the firstborn (as explained in Mishnat HaGilgulim) - the priesthood will return to the firstborn, yet nevertheless it will not be revoked from the kohanim. That is, the servants in the Beis HaMikdash will include both the firstborn and the kohanim, but the priesthood of the kohanim will not be abolished, for "an eternal covenant of priesthood" is everlasting.
This is the understanding of the psalm as it pertains to King David. Now let us understand it as it relates to the Messianic era. In the presence of all the nations, it proclaims: "Give thanks to Hashem, for He is good, for His kindness endures forever" - behold, Hashem has done good for Israel and preserved His kindness for them eternally, unto the end of days. Throughout the entire period that they were in exile, the Holy One, blessed be He, guarded His kindness for them, meaning He kept His promise to bestow kindness upon them, and now He redeems them. Therefore, the nations will proclaim, "For His kindness endures forever."
And Israel will thank Hashem and declare, "For His kindness is eternal," because until now we were in the category of slaves - "slaves ruled over us" - and today we are masters. The House of Aharon will also give thanks and declare, "For His kindness is eternal," for as long as we were in exile, in what way were the Kohanim distinguished? A Kohen recites Birkat Kohanim in the synagogue, he is called up first to the Torah, but he has no service in the Beit HaMikdash. That entire function, which was the core duty of the Kohanim, is missing for them in exile, and when the redemption comes, they too will declare, "For His kindness is eternal." And so too those who fear Hashem, who isolate themselves with Torah and wisdom - because in exile it is difficult to engage in Torah, difficult to fulfill Hashem's mitzvot, difficult to be among those who fear Hashem, due to all the troubles around us, due to the wicked who attempt to disrupt our observance of the mitzvot, and due to the difficulty of observing mitzvot within a society that is inherently corrupt, where people walk about immodestly and the like - all these disrupt those who fear Hashem. Therefore, when the redemption arrives, they too will declare, "For His kindness is eternal." And at the time of the redemption, says the Metzudat David, Israel will offer thanksgiving to Hashem, for His kindness is eternal.
The Malbim explains that the call "Give thanks to Hashem, for He is good, for His kindness is eternal" in the first verse is addressed to the nations of the world. How do we know this? Because in the second verse he says, "Let Israel say, for His kindness is eternal" - it necessarily follows that in the first verse he turned to others, to the nations: you, the nations, give thanks to Hashem, for He is good, for His kindness is eternal, and Israel too will thank Hashem. And why does he repeat and elaborate? Because the Jewish people merit a particular, personal benevolence from Hashem, and the higher your stature and the greater the personal benevolence you receive from Him, blessed be He, the greater the thanksgiving you are obligated to offer. Thus, the structure builds upon itself: the nations first, followed by Israel who are on a higher level, followed by the House of Aharon who received more benevolence than the rest of Israel, followed by those who fear Hashem, whose stature is greater than that of the House of Aharon. Each, in proportion to the abundance of goodness received, is obligated in greater thanksgiving.
This is also what the Chovot HaLevavot explains: the Jewish people, who received greater personal benevolence than the nations, are obligated in the 613 mitzvot; while the nations, who received less benevolence from Hashem, are obligated in only seven mitzvot. And the sons of Aharon are obligated in the twenty-four priestly mitzvot, corresponding to the twenty-four priestly gifts they received. One corresponds to the other: a person is obligated to give according to the abundance he has received, in proportion to the stature he has attained. Similarly, the royal House of David, whom Hashem singled out with even greater benevolence - "execute justice in the morning" - also have duties placed upon them. The king is obligated to keep a Sefer Torah with him at all times; and even if his ancestors left him a Sefer Torah, he must write an additional personal Sefer Torah that will accompany him all the days of his life. Every Jew is obligated to own a Sefer Torah, but he may keep it in the ark; the king is obligated to carry it with him wherever he goes.
And he does not need a Sefer Torah sixty centimeters high - it can even be miniature. There was once a very wealthy man who bought such a small Sefer Torah, one you hold in the palm of your hand - great for dancing on Simchat Torah without getting tired. Someone looked at it and asked him: How can anyone read from this? The wealthy man replied: It makes everyone's eyes pop! The man responded: Well, that is the whole point. In any case, the king must have a Sefer Torah with him at all times. And what do we see from this? When you have privileges, there are also demands.
And this is always the case. Therefore, we must realize: as the Jewish people, we might feel a certain sense of superiority - we are Israel, and the nations are beneath us. But that is not how we should think. The proper perspective should be: it is true that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave me privileges, but that demands far more of me. I am required to do what a gentile is not required to do. How many mitzvot does a gentile have? Seven, that is all, and they are primarily societal: do not steal, do not murder, do not commit adultery, appoint judges, do not eat a limb from a living animal. I, by contrast, am commanded with 613 mitzvot, meaning to cling to Hashem morning, noon, and night - not only in the morning, but how to sleep, on which side to sleep, what to think about as you fall asleep, what you do upon entering the restroom, upon leaving, and while inside. Is there any moment in which a Jew lacks clear instructions on what to do? There is no such thing. Whereas for a gentile, the Seven Noahide Mitzvot do not take up a single minute of his day; he has nothing active to perform throughout the day, only not to steal, not to murder, not to commit adultery, and not to eat a limb from a living animal - none of which require dedication and continuous effort. Thus, I must view being Jewish as an elevated stature that places a demand upon me, not as an advantage from which to say, "Who is he anyway, just a gentile?" That is the wrong mindset. Rather: I have merited being a Jew, "Blessed are You, Hashem... Who has not made me a gentile," and that demands of me far greater effort and toil.
Let us consider: a prime minister - do many people want to be prime minister? You can find a hundred and twenty who are sure they are suited for it, and add to that all the cab drivers, and you will see how many people want to be prime minister and are convinced they are prime ministers in the making! But now let us ask all of them: whose life is more comfortable, yours or the prime minister's? If you want to go out to a restaurant with your wife, you just say, "Come on, let's go," and you arrive. For him, the security service must be involved: Sir, wait, let us scout the place, everyone is screened, a security tent is set up as he enters. Can he just step outside freely, when someone might try to assassinate him? And if you attend a wedding - people think four times before inviting a government minister or a prime minister, because every guest has to go through security screening, and people say: forget it, no need for the prime minister, just let me enjoy the wedding. What does this show us? We all understand that being in high office is extremely demanding and very restrictive, yet that does not stop anyone from aspiring to it.
The same applies to a wealthy person. Imagine yourself right now as a multi-billionaire - is your life more peaceful or less? Far less, without question. Look at the facts: who sleeps better at night, you or him? When a person has billions invested, and a stock dips by a quarter of a percent and he loses hundreds of millions, he has no life. Yet that does not prevent anyone from aspiring to be a billionaire; everyone says, "No, it's fine, give it to me, I'll manage." What does this mean? A person understands that possessing stature is demanding. Being a Jew is demanding. There is no doubt about it. But what would one prefer, to be an animal? A cat has a much simpler life - no worries, cats do not die of heart attacks, they have no mortgage payments, no marital difficulties, and no problems with the children. But who wants to be a cat?
In the same way, one must understand: I have merited being a human being, and beyond that, I have merited being part of that two-tenths of a percent of the world who are children of the King, children of the Holy One, blessed be He. "You are children to Hashem your God," "whenever we call out to Him," and "Esau I hated." The Holy One, blessed be He, has plenty of Esaus and plenty of Ishmaels - what does He have from them? Do they determine anything in creation? When I speak, it reaches to the highest realms; and not only reaches, but my actions move all the worlds. Whereas a gentile, even if he performs the greatest good deeds, does not reach above the ceiling; at most, he affects something for himself. It does not determine whether Mashiach will come, it does not affect the state of the Jewish people, and it sets nothing in motion in the supernal realms. A gentile effects nothing in the upper worlds, whereas I am a portion of God from Above. So while it is demanding, and yes, I must observe 613 mitzvot, I am a portion of God from Above. Who would be willing to give that up and say, "Give me the easy way out, I would rather be a gentile - meow"? One who thinks this way may truly not grasp what it means to be a Jew; if that is his mindset, it is a sign that he does not understand the immense stature of being part of Israel. We all understand that one wants to be a Jew, and is ready to invest and make the effort.
I belong to the Jewish people - redemption belongs to the Jewish people, eternity belongs to the Jewish people. And the nations, what will become of them? "And foreigners shall stand and feed your flocks, and strangers shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers" - that is their role in the world. And this era is drawing to a close: "Six thousand years the world exists," six thousand years and that is all, followed by the coming of Mashiach, and everything is destined to be fulfilled toward the close of those six thousand years. So what will remain of them? "Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as dust on the scales" - dust remaining on the balance, one puff and it is gone. But I am Israel, "You are children to Hashem your God." A gentile has an animalistic soul; I have a Nefesh, a Ruach - an additional spiritual level - and a Neshamah, and all three are a portion of God from Above. For the nations, it stems from the Kelipot, from the impure chariot; whereas I possess a portion of God from Above. Who would be willing to forfeit this and say, "I would rather be a cat"? There is simply no comparison. And this is what is explained: each group adds thanksgiving according to the unique stature it possesses, and the more a person has received from Hashem, the more obligated he is in his service to Hashem, blessed be He, in proportion to the greatness of the stature he has attained.
Ibn Ezra mentions here the holy ones of Israel: the House of Aharon are people of elevated stature, and therefore they are all the more obligated to give thanks to Hashem; and after that, he mentions the fearers of Hashem - and in his view, this refers to those who fear Hashem among every nation. We have seen another explanation, but each commentator explains according to his approach.
Rashi says: Who are the fearers of Hashem? These are the descendants of Levi. Why do we define them as those who fear Hashem? Because about them it is said, "Whoever is for Hashem, come to me! And all the sons of Levi gathered to him." So it was during the incident of the Golden Calf, and when they resisted the rebellious call in Israel when they said, "Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt"; those who clung to the fear of Hashem were the sons of Levi. And as is well known, in Egypt as well, those who were not subjected to hard labor but rather sat and engaged in Torah study were the sons of Levi. This was through the foresight of Yosef, who purchased all the land of Egypt except the land of the priests, ensuring a unique and protected status for the spiritual servants, for he knew that this would ultimately be beneficial for his brothers: that one tribe out of all the tribes would dedicate itself purely to Torah study and keep the embers glowing. This is the definition of "those who fear Hashem."
מִן־הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי יָּהּ עָנָנִי בַמֶּרְחָב יָהּ׃ - From the straits I called upon Yah; Yah answered me with expansive relief.
The Radak explains: This verse can be understood as referring to David HaMelech, who thanks Hashem, blessed be He, for bringing him out from the straits into an expansive place. When he was fleeing, he was in narrow straits, hiding in caves and strongholds, and from there Hashem "answered me" and broadened my steps. And if we say that the verse refers to Klal Yisrael as a whole, "from the straits" refers to the narrow constriction of the exile in which we found ourselves, and from there "I called upon Yah," until Hashem answered me and placed me in expansive freedom.
The Malbim explains that here the psalm begins to describe in detail the episode of King Chizkiyahu - for as we recall, according to the Malbim's approach, all of these verses speak of Chizkiyahu. Chizkiyahu was critically ill, facing death, and called out to Hashem from the straits, and then "Yah answered me with expansive relief" - the danger had passed. This also served as a sign, as the Holy One, blessed be He, assured him that he would also be delivered from the hand of the king of Assyria: "And from the hand of the king of Assyria I will deliver you." This is what he means: from this I knew that "Hashem is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" - because Hashem delivered me from my illness, granting this as an omen that He would also rescue me from the king of Assyria.
Before continuing, let us mention what the Toldos Yaakov Yosef cites in the name of the Baal Shem Tov regarding "From the straits I called upon Yah": Many people find themselves in narrow straits and think they can run away from them and extricate themselves from distress. But one must know that it is impossible to flee from trouble. What one must do instead is pray.
Let us preface this with an incident involving the Steipler Gaon. A woman once came to him and said that she already had several children, and every pregnancy was an ordeal, a time of great suffering - the distress of pregnancy followed by the agony of childbirth - and she wanted the Rav's permission to stop having more children. The Steipler told her: Know that it is decreed upon a person how much hardship he is destined to endure, and how much suffering he is meant to experience in this world. But in what form? A person can absorb this suffering through children - pregnancies, childbirth, and the hardship of raising children, which is neither easy nor simple; or one might experience it through illnesses, rushing to hospitals, and all sorts of other afflictions. It is impossible to flee from suffering, and what one must realize is that at best, one can choose the lesser distress. One who tries to flee from trouble, the Steipler said, is like a pregnant woman suffering the pains of pregnancy whose friends suggest, "Change of place brings change of fortune; perhaps move to a different city" - yet she moves carrying her child with her and experiences the very same pain; wherever she goes, the pain accompanies her. So too here: what is the true remedy? "From the straits I called upon Yah." Do not think of devising all kinds of maneuvers to escape the straits on your own - the trial was decreed by Hashem, and from there, from within the distress, I called upon Yah; and then, "Yah answered me with expansive relief," meaning that Hashem will answer me and bring me out from distress into expansive space.
In the work Imros Tehoros, it is brought in the name of the Maggid of Kozhnitz: "From the straits I called upon Yah" - the verse comes to teach that when David HaMelech was in distress, he did not dwell on his personal trouble, but on the pain of the Shechinah, the exile of the Divine Presence. "In all their affliction He is afflicted" - when the Jewish people suffer, the Holy One, blessed be He, also feels pain. What, then, troubled David? The distress of the Holy One, blessed be He. When a Jew suffers, what does the Shechinah say? "My head is heavy, my arm is heavy" - the Shechinah laments its pain. If so, "From the straits" - what weighed on my mind, and what occupied my thoughts? "I called upon Yah" - about the pain of Yah, the anguish of the Shechinah.
Based on this explanation, one might add a connection: We say, "For a hand is upon the throne of Yah, Hashem has war with Amalek from generation to generation." "Upon the throne of Yah" indicates that the Name is not complete and the Throne is not complete until Amalek is eradicated. It follows, then, that we live in a state of the Shechinah in exile. The Chafetz Chaim once observed: Do you know anyone who does not have a chair to sit on in his home, whose chair is about to collapse? We have dining sets, living room sets - do we lack chairs? You could host twenty people in your home at once and have chairs for everyone. But consider this: the Holy One, blessed be He, does not have a complete Throne; He does not even have a whole chair, as it were, in His domain! This perspective is what troubled David: "From the straits I called" - upon whom? Upon "Yah," as in "a hand is upon the throne of Yah." It was the exile of the Shechinah that troubled him. When I lament my own suffering, I remember the exile of the Shechinah and grieve over the Shechinah's pain, and this stands at the forefront of my concerns, far above my own private troubles.
Based on this, what follows is also understood. We have discussed several times, especially regarding the Rosh Hashanah prayers, that according to the holy Zohar their primary focus is not a person's troubles and problems, but rather that a person should pray for Hashem to reveal His kingship in the world - "that everything formed may know that You have formed it," "and everything that has breath in its nostrils shall say: Hashem, the God of Israel, is King" - an aspiration that everyone recognize the sovereignty of Heaven. And if a person asks: But I have problems, and I need to pray for my own personal needs as well, so what will happen with that if you tell me not to pray for them on Rosh Hashanah? To this we reply: One who is concerned about the exile of the Shechinah, one who grieves over the distress of the Holy One, blessed be He, one whose entire prayer is that Hashem reign over His world - "Make His will your will, so that He may make your will His will." On the contrary, the Holy One, blessed be He, says: Are you completely concerned only with Me? Then I set aside My matters, as it were, and devote Myself entirely to caring for you. And a person will never lose out from this.
Therefore, "From the straits I called upon Yah" - when I call out over the pain of the exile of the Shechinah, the response "He answered me" is "with the expansiveness of Yah [bamerchav Yah]": the Holy One, blessed be He, answers me with expansiveness even while He Himself remains, as it were, in the aspect of "Yah." That is to say, this is not yet the ultimate redemption from exile, yet I am already in an expansive space. Why? Because you lament over the exile of the Shechinah and the distress, as it were, of the Holy One, blessed be He; therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, says: I will attend to your troubles, and I will at least bring you out into expansiveness - even though "a hand is on the throne of Yah," and we have not yet arrived at the state where the Holy One, blessed be He, rules His world in an open and visible manner. Despite all this, I am already found in an expansive place.
יְהֹוָה לִי לֹא אִירָא מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂה לִּי אָדָם׃ - Hashem is with me, I will not fear; what can man do to me?
Radak explains: Since Hashem is with me, I have no fear of anything man might wish to do to me, because man has no power or ability against Hashem, blessed be He. And the Malbim explains, based on what we explained that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Chizkiyahu the illness as a sign and omen - that just as you recover from the illness, so will you be saved from Sancheiriv - that he says: Since I have seen that "From the straits I called upon Yah; Yah answered me with expansiveness" to heal me from the illness, then "Hashem is with me, I will not fear" - I am not afraid of what Sancheiriv might do, and I know that Hashem will deliver me from him.
The Malbim notes precisely: Had Hashem answered him while still in straits, he might have feared that even though the Holy One, blessed be He, had lessened his punishment, there would not be a complete salvation. But since I saw that Hashem did not answer me in straits, but rather "answered me with expansiveness," meaning He brought me completely out of the distress - rather than merely assisting me slightly within the distress - from this I knew that just as my prayer regarding the illness was accepted and Hashem performed a miracle for me and I recovered, so too He will perform a miracle for me regarding Sancheiriv, and therefore "I will not fear." In this there are two levels: the first is that Hashem will shield him and save him from the enemy, "I will not fear; what can man do to me?"; and the second is that Hashem will further help him defeat the enemy, so that not only will he remain unharmed by him, but he will even vanquish him. Just as we say, "He is their help and their shield" - the Holy One, blessed be He, will shield me, and I will go on to wage war against the enemies.
יְהֹוָה לִי בְּעֹזְרָי וַאֲנִי אֶרְאֶה בְשֹׂנְאָי׃ - Hashem is with me among my helpers, and I shall look upon my foes.
The meaning of this is: Hashem will be with me among my helpers, and this is not merely protection and the defeat of the enemy, but I will also see vengeance wreaked upon my enemies - I will conquer them, not merely be saved from them. Radak explains: "Hashem is with me among my helpers" - Hashem is with me, and He is with my helpers; that is, Hashem assists me and assists those who come to help me. The enemies will have no power to harm me; rather, "I shall look" upon my foes just as I desire to see. This is an elliptical phrase: "And I shall look upon my foes" - what will you see? The intention is: whatever I yearn to see happen to my foes - downfall, ruin, death, and the like - so Hashem will cause me to see upon my enemies. This is an expression that appears in many places regarding enemies: "My eye has seen its desire upon my enemies," "My eye has gazed upon those who lie in wait for me" - all of these are expressions of gazing, that I will see and gaze upon the downfall of the enemies.
The sefer Imrot Tehorot cites in the name of Midrash Shmuel: From an open and known enemy, a person can protect himself. But one who presents himself as a friend and helper, while in his heart and within him he lays his ambush - from such people it is exceedingly difficult to protect oneself, for outwardly he appears as your friend, and one requires special siyata d'Shemaya (Heavenly assistance) to be saved from them. This is what the verse means by "Hashem is with me among my helpers" - I need special help from Hashem, blessed be He, against those who appear to me as my helpers, who are in truth concealed enemies; "and I shall look upon my foes" - those who are openly my foes I can look after on my own, for my foes are revealed, and I already know how to handle them.
In the sefer Panim Yafot, a wonderful explanation is offered: "Hashem is with me among my helpers" - when the Holy One, blessed be He, helps me with my merits, then "and I shall look upon my foes," meaning I will have the merit to gaze upon their downfall. This is based on what is written concerning Lot, where Hashem warned him, "Do not look behind you," and similarly with the wife of Lot, who looked behind her and became a pillar of salt. Indeed, this requires understanding: What is so terrible about looking behind oneself? What is the problem with it? Moreover, we have not seen such a warning given to anyone else - Avraham was not warned with such an admonition, nor was any other person, but only Lot. What is the reason?
It is written in the holy books that if a person is saved through his own merit, he has enough merit to witness the downfall of his enemies. But if a person was not saved through his own merit, but rather an act of kindness was performed for him, he does not even have the right to witness the downfall of his enemies. For since it is not in your merit at all - you should have been among them, and the Holy One, blessed be He, had pity and compassion on you on account of Avraham - if you witness the downfall of the enemies, you are counted along with them, and this will harm you as well. To merit witnessing the downfall of one's enemies, the salvation must truly come in one's own merit. And this is what is stated here: "Hashem is for me among my helpers" - when the help was for me and in my own merit, then "and I will gaze upon my enemies." But one who is saved through the merit of others does not witness the downfall of his enemies. So too: "The righteous will rejoice when he sees vengeance" - how wonderful: if he saw vengeance, rejoice, for this is a sign that you are righteous! For someone who is not truly righteous and the salvation did not come on his account has no right to behold the downfall of the enemies; and if he beheld vengeance - it is a sign that he is a tzaddik.
Chapter 118 is expounded by Chazal in two ways: concerning Dovid HaMelech upon ascending to the throne, and concerning the Messianic era - and in both approaches it is a psalm of thanksgiving, opening with "Give thanks" (Hodu) and concluding with "Give thanks." The order of the verses - nations, Yisrael, the House of Aharon, those who fear Hashem - teaches us the great foundation of the Malbim: each group adds thanksgiving according to its stature, and the greater the bounty and spiritual standing a person is granted, the more his divine service demands of him. From here comes the proper perspective on our being Yisrael: not haughtiness, but a profound demand, for having a portion of G-d from Above demands effort and toil. And from "From the straits I called out to Yah," we learned that one does not flee from distress, but cries out from within it, and that for one who cares for the pain of the Shechinah more than his own personal distress - the Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, sets aside His own concerns and brings him out into the open expanse. Alongside this, "Hashem is for me, I shall not fear" and "Hashem is for me among my helpers": salvation, victory, and even the merit to behold the downfall of one's enemies - when salvation comes in one's own merit, "the righteous will rejoice when he sees vengeance."