Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in Tehillim, arranged according to the letters of the alef-beit, with eight verses for each letter, all dealing with the Torah and its mitzvot. In this lesson, we will focus on the letter Heh of the chapter - verses 33-37, in which King David asks for instruction, understanding, and guidance in the ways of the Torah, and above all: that he may merit to serve Hashem for His Own sake, and not for reward or monetary gain.
הוֹרֵנִי יְהֹוָה דֶּרֶךְ חֻקֶּיךָ וְאֶצְּרֶנָּה עֵקֶב׃ - Teach me, Hashem, the way of Your statutes, and I will keep it to the end.
Rashi explains "and I will keep it ekev" - I will guard it in all its paths and footsteps (the heel of its paths); that is, in every way I will keep the way of Hashem's statutes. The Radak cites another interpretation in the name of Ibn Ezra: "I will guard it, because it has an ekev (a reward)." Ekev denotes an end, just as the heel (ekev) is the end of man's body, and here it refers to the recompense and reward at the conclusion of the deed - I will keep it because reward is promised for it, as in the verse, "in keeping them there is great reward (ekev rav)."
However, Radak himself does not accept this interpretation, for according to it, King David would be saying that he observes mitzvot in order to receive a reward, which is a lower level of divine service - and Chazal have already taught: "Do not be like servants who serve the master for the sake of receiving a reward." Therefore, he cites his father's explanation: the reward for Your teaching me the way of Your statutes will be the very fact that I preserve them. What will I repay You for teaching me? By keeping Your commandments and cleaving to Your Torah. This is not an external reward; rather, the observance itself is the "ekev."
Radak himself explains: "Ekev" indeed signifies the end, as in "forever, to the end" and "he shall press upon their heel," and reward is likewise called ekev because it comes at the conclusion of the deed - "And it shall come to pass, because (ekev) you heed." Here, however, it does not refer to reward, but to the end of time: I will keep it until the end of my days. I will observe Hashem's commandments to the very end, without any change throughout my entire life. People often experience ups and downs: at times one strengthens himself and at times wanes, at times growing a beard and at times shaving it, at times wearing a kippah and at times not, at times going to the synagogue and at times staying away, at times only on Shabbat - swinging like a pendulum. King David says: With me it is not so; "and I will keep it to the end" - until the end of my days, as long as I live, I will preserve it.
Others added an explanation based on the homiletic teaching of Chazal on the verse "And it shall come to pass, because (ekev) you heed" - referring to those mitzvot that a person tramples with his heels (ekev). David says: "Teach me, Hashem, the way of Your statutes," and then I will safeguard even those mitzvot that people tend to tread upon with their heels; I will not compromise on them either.
The Malbim emphasizes that the central word in the verse is "statutes" (chukim). A person might easily run along the path of ordinary mitzvot, moving forward smoothly without stumbling, and yet on the path of chukim it is difficult to run, because they require deeper understanding. Not only are the underlying reasons for the chukim concealed - why did Hashem command this? "I have decreed a decree"; why a red heifer, why forbidden mixtures of plants (kilayim), why wool and linen (shatnez)? - but even their practical path is unfamiliar. And when the path is hidden, one cannot walk on it at all. When someone knows the way, he at least has a "Waze," but when he does not know it, he cannot proceed. Therefore David asks: Teach me the proper way to understand the chukim, and then "I will keep it ekev" - I will set my heel upon this path, guard it, and be able to walk in it. The Malbim also cites the interpretation that he will keep it until the end of his life, as we saw in Radak, which fits beautifully into his approach: if I know the way of the chukim, I will preserve it until the end of my days, without any fear of straying from the path due to misunderstanding or lack of knowledge regarding the reasons for Hashem's statutes.
הֲבִינֵנִי וְאֶצְּרָה תוֹרָתֶךָ וְאֶשְׁמְרֶנָּה בְכָל־לֵב׃ - Give me understanding, that I may keep Your Torah, and observe it with all my heart.
Radak explains: I seek to observe Hashem's mitzvot not to make a name for myself - not for fame or so that everyone knows who David is and what his good deeds are, but rather "with all my heart," out of my love to fulfill Your commandments. For one who acts for the sake of making an impression and gaining publicity does not act with all his heart, but merely so that others will see and esteem him.
The Malbim explains that the focal point here is "Torah." Beyond the plea that Hashem show him the wonders of the Torah, that it remove from him the path of falsehood and guide him along the straight path, he also asks to grasp the straightforward words of the Torah with heartfelt understanding. The definition of binah (understanding) is to deduce one matter from another, and the entire Torah is built upon true binah: one learns a principle and derives another insight from it. After all, the written Torah does not explicitly state the halachic status of a microwave regarding the prohibition of meat and milk, nor does it mention in vitro fertilization, alongside countless modern issues for which we find no direct mention. It is only through halachic comparison and deriving one concept from another that we learn the proper ruling for each case. This is the dimension of "Havineni" ("Give me understanding").
The Malbim adds that a notzer (one who safeguards deeply) is on a higher level than a shomer (one who keeps). Guarding exists at a certain baseline level, whereas netzira is an elevated tier. When a person does not fully understand something, he cannot safeguard it properly. But when he truly understands and recognizes how dangerous something is - "and I will safeguard it" - his protection is superb. When you tell a child not to do something, he will often try to do it anyway, because he does not genuinely grasp the gravity of the danger. Yet when someone truly comprehends the severity of the matter, he will not even attempt it. Likewise with "and I will keep it with all my heart" - one who does not understand the words of the Torah will not observe them whole-heartedly, but rather out of a desire for reward and abundance. In contrast, one who understands the deeper reasons of the Torah observes it for its own sake, with all his heart.
הַדְרִיכֵנִי בִּנְתִיב מִצְוֺתֶיךָ כִּי־בוֹ חָפָצְתִּי׃ - Guide me in the path of Your mitzvos, for in it I take delight.
The Radak explains: Guide me, open my heart and intellect so that my will is directed toward it, and so that I do not err in it - like a person who knows the way and can walk it without error, knowing it almost by heart. The guidance is what prevents me from stumbling into mistakes.
The Malbim highlights that the primary theme here is "mitzvos," and he recalls the distinction seen earlier between a derech (road) and a nativ (path): a road is broad, whereas a path is narrow. Concerning the broad road, it says, "I run the road of Your mitzvos" - on the highway, I can run. But on the narrow paths, which are the trails that branch off from the main highway, I cannot run and cannot walk on my own; rather, I require guidance. The idea is that the overarching principles of the mitzvos are clear, but when one arrives at the intricate details, extensive clarification and nuance are needed - what is the ruling in this scenario, and what is the halacha in that one? It is in the finer nuances of the mitzvos where a person is most prone to stumble or commit a transgression, and therefore concerning the narrow path, he pleads for special guidance.
And what is the meaning of "for in it I take delight"? This aligns with Chazal's exposition on the verse, "he delights greatly in His mitzvos" - in His mitzvos, and not in the reward for His mitzvos. He does not ask for guidance merely to fulfill many mitzvos and thereby accumulate great reward; rather, "for in it I take delight" - I delight in the mitzvos themselves. I have chosen them for their own sake, and not for the reward I might receive for them.
הַט־לִבִּי אֶל־עֵדְוֺתֶיךָ וְאַל אֶל־בָּצַע׃ - Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetous gain.
The Radak explains: May my heart not yearn greedily to amass wealth, nor should I pursue monetary gain, but let my entire heart be directed toward Your testimonies. The word betza denotes the love of money, as in the phrase sonei vatza ("haters of unjust gain") - God-fearing men of truth who abhor money, meaning they do not chase after it. For an eager pursuit of wealth inevitably distorts the clarity of one's mind, and driven by monetary interests, a person makes decisions that run counter to the law and to what is truly right.
One may also suggest an interpretation by way of an allusive homily (remez). Sephardim recite the blessing, "...Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us al divrei Torah (concerning words of Torah)," whereas Ashkenazim recite "...la'asok be-divrei Torah (to engage / do business in words of Torah)." Someone once quipped that among Ashkenazim, every aspect of Torah becomes an eisek (a business): one has an esrog business, another a tefillin business, and another a Sefer Torah business. In truth, this is fundamentally a good thing - it is far better for a person to deal in Sifrei Torah than in mundane wares, and the more closely something is connected to holiness, the more wonderful it is. Yet the verse comes to hint: even when you deal in sacred items, let your goal be to benefit others spiritually (lezakos). "I am selling you tefillin so that you can wear the most strictly kosher, beautiful tefillin and perform the mitzvah with optimal refinement." "And not to covetous gain" - may money alone not be before my eyes. For if money is all that guides me, I will no longer care if I sell mediocre, substandard tefillin while spinning tales about how extraordinary my merchandise is, when in reality the only concern is how much profit can be made.
It is told of one of the great tzaddikim that someone brought him a mezuzah to examine. He looked at it and remarked, "It does not say Shema Yisrael here." They asked him, "Then what is written here?" He replied, "Money, money, money, money." That is to say, through divine inspiration (ruach hakodesh), he perceived that the scribe's sole motivation was, "Another mezuzah, another mezuzah, how to make more money," whereas writing properly and focusing with the required holy intentions did not interest him at all. This is the meaning of "Incline my heart to Your testimonies" - that my whole purpose be centered upon Your mitzvos, and that greed not distort my heart and my judgment.
The Malbim explains that the central theme of the verse is "testimonies" (edut). As previously mentioned, the testimonies are the narratives in the Torah that bear witness to the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, and to His divine providence: punishment for the wicked - the people of Sodom, the Generation of the Dispersion, the Generation of the Flood, as well as Pharaoh and the plagues brought upon him; and bountiful reward for the righteous - such as the gracious promises given to Avraham Avinu, who withstood his trials. In other words, the testimonies attest that Hashem is faithful to grant good reward to those who fear Him and to punish the wicked. This is why we saw earlier, "In the way of Your testimonies I rejoiced" and "Your testimonies are my delight" - all this brings joy, for one who fulfills Hashem's will sees proven through these testimonies that a worthy reward is paid for one's actions.
Yet here a concern arises: lest one's entire motivation in serving Hashem be for the sake of the reward, with one's sole ambition focused on what can be received from Him, blessed be He. This is not the perfection of divine service. While reaching even such a level would be praiseworthy, it is not the ultimate level of perfection, for it resembles servants who serve their master on condition of receiving a reward. The true level of perfection is to serve the Holy One, blessed be He, even if there were no reward at all, simply because one is His servant and a trusted member of His household, desiring to do what is pleasing before Him. When a person says, "I serve only for the reward," upon deeper reflection this contains a major flaw, as though saying: Master of the Universe, Your mitzvot do not interest me; truly I would not do anything, but I know there is a paycheck, so I perform them. This sounds like a child who brings his father a cup of tea and says: "Father, I am bringing this only because I know there is an inheritance." To such words the father would reply: "Take the cup of tea, I do not want it, do not bring me anything - do you view me merely as an ATM?" In truth, divine service must be performed because it brings satisfaction and pleasure to Him, even if there were no reward.
Therefore David comes and pleads, "Incline my heart to Your testimonies" - that I may rejoice in them for their own sake, since they bear witness to Hashem's providence and His goodness and lovingkindness, "and not to gain" (betza) - that the servant should not be seeking profit, asking "what gain is there" and what can be profited from this; rather, what should truly matter is how to bring satisfaction before Him, and toward this alone should all aspiration be directed.
In the sefer Panim Yafot, he explains: David asks, "Incline my heart to Your testimonies" - my desire is to engage only in Torah, "and not to betza." This alludes to the statement of the Gemara that it is a mitzvah to compromise (livtzo'a): when two litigants arrive, one should not immediately insist that "the law pierce the mountain," but rather seek a compromise. Regarding this David says: I will engage only in Torah, but I will not compromise. What would such a compromise be? The physical body pulls in one direction and the soul in another, and a compromise is reached in the middle: a little for the body and a little for the soul, a little of this world and a little of the World to Come, a little pleasure and a little worldly desire. No! Rather, "Incline my heart" - let my entire heart incline only toward Torah and Your testimonies, without trying to satisfy both sides, but ensuring that my perfection and aspiration are to serve You alone, with no interest in anything else.
The Chazon Ish defined this mindset as that of "people of religion and life." For them, there is religion and there is life, and the two must not be mixed: you were in the Beit Midrash and the synagogue, you finished prayer and finished learning, and that is where religion ends; now you step outside, and life must begin. For such individuals, religion is confined to a barracks, kept in a separate corner, and life happens elsewhere. The Chazon Ish notes that this is a total distortion, for a person must realize that religion - the service of Hashem, blessed be He - is the purpose of all of life. "In all your ways know Him" - not only in the synagogue and not only during prayer, but accompanying a person day by day, hour by hour, and moment by moment. Even when going to sleep, one must sleep in accordance with Halachah, carefully considering what to recite before sleep and what intention to hold during sleep. Divine service must accompany a person twenty-four hours a day, without striking a "compromise" (bitzua) - dividing life between this world and the World to Come, allotting a portion to the body and a portion to the soul - but rather allowing the soul to guide the person throughout the entire day and in every action.
In the sefer Tehilot Maharit", he cites the teaching of Chazal that scholars engaged in Torah study do not interrupt their learning for prayer. To what level of scholars does this refer? The Gemara explains: scholars of the caliber of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his companions, who did not interrupt their learning for prayer, but remained immersed in Torah with constant diligence. King David pleads with the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, my desire is to engage in Torah with such intensity that I would be exempt from prayer - not to evade prayer, but that my level of diligence might reach such an extraordinary height. Where is this alluded to in the verse? "And not to betza": prayer is divided into three daily services - Shacharit, Minchah, and Maariv, corresponding to morning (boker), afternoon (tzohorayim), and evening (erev), the Hebrew initials of which form the word betza (בצ"ע). Thus he prays to be devoted entirely and uninterruptedly to Torah with supreme diligence.
Along these lines, this can be understood in a slightly different way: "Incline my heart to Your testimonies" - that I may engage in Torah continuously and without pause, rather than being among those who merely set aside brief, fixed times for Torah study - betza (בצ"ע): learning a bit in the morning (boker), a bit in the afternoon (tzohorayim), and a bit in the evening (erev). Rather than learning in fragmented segments, one should strive to engage in Torah relentlessly and with profound diligence. Certainly, one who is unable to do more should learn in the morning, afternoon, and whenever possible; but one who possesses the capability should not be content with that alone, praying instead, "Incline my heart to Your testimonies" - that all one's pursuits and endeavors, day and night, be dedicated solely to the study of Torah.
הַעֲבֵר עֵינַי מֵרְאוֹת שָׁוְא בִּדְרָכֶךָ חַיֵּנִי׃ - Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity; preserve me alive in Your ways.
The Radak explains that this entire petition is that Hashem help him fulfill the mitzvos: "from seeing vanity" - that I not wander after my eyes; "in Your way give me life" - for sin brings death upon man, and when I walk in the ways of Hashem, I will find true vitality in it. The Ibn Ezra adds that a person's life will be prolonged if he does not follow his eyes. Nor does this refer merely to guarding one's eyes in the literal sense, but to pursuing the desires of his heart and eyes. The eyes are the procurers of sin, brokering transgression for man, and when he is drawn after what his eyes see, this shortens his days; but when he clings to Hashem - "in Your way give me life."
The Malbim explains that this verse connects directly to the one preceding it: that my eyes should not behold something of no real substance. For as we have seen, I do not wish to serve Hashem for monetary gain or reward, and regarding this he says, "Turn away my eyes from seeing vanity" - reward has no independent substance; it is not the ultimate goal and it is not the essence. Therefore, let my eyes not gaze upon reward, nor should it be their aspiration; this is "seeing vanity." Rather, what should be? "In Your way give me life" - that my entire focus and outlook be directed toward Your ways: how I may cling to the ways of Hashem, which are loving-kindness, mercy, and grace, and learn to walk in them and live in them. Let this be my sole aspiration, rather than looking at monetary gain and what I stand to profit, which is a vain sight unworthy of man's pursuit.
The eight verses of the letter Heh in Chapter 119 form a series of petitions by David HaMelech: "Teach me" the concealed path of the statutes, so that I may set my footsteps upon it and keep it to the end of my days; "Give me understanding" with the discernment of deducing one matter from another, for only one who truly understands preserves the Torah and keeps it with all his heart; "Lead me" along the narrow path of the mitzvos' details and fine points, where one cannot run alone. And above all weaves the connecting thread: "and not to monetary gain" and "turn away my eyes from seeing vanity" - that neither wealth nor reward be set before my eyes, that I make no compromise between body and soul and never divide my existence into "religion" and "life." Rather, my entire being should be devoted to the Torah and the service of Hashem out of love, "for in it I delight" - in His mitzvos, and not in the reward for His mitzvos.