Introduction
In this part of Chapter 135, the Psalmist continues recounting the mighty deeds of the Creator: from the plagues of Egypt to the wars against Sihon and Og and the conquest of the Land, and from there to the two aspects of the Holy One, blessed be He - His Name of constant governance and His remembrance through miraculous governance. Afterward, he contrasts the futility of idolatry with the greatness of Israel, concluding with a call to all the houses of the nation to bless Hashem. The guiding theme, as we have seen throughout the chapter in the words of the Malbim, is that miracles were not performed so that we would recognize the reality of the Creator - which we already know from nature itself - but for the nations and for the needs of Israel.
The Victory of the Few Over the Many
שֶׁהִכָּה גּוֹיִם רַבִּים וְהָרַג מְלָכִים עֲצוּמִים׃ לְסִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִי וּלְעוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן וּלְכֹל מַמְלְכוֹת כְּנָעַן׃ - Who struck down many nations and slew mighty kings: Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
The people of Israel were few - people leaving Egypt, broken from crushing labor, neither trained in war nor seasoned battle fighters. In contrast, the nations dwelling in the land numbered in the millions. Yet Israel struck them down and inherited their land. From this, one sees that the Holy One, blessed be He, accomplishes everything according to His will.
Why are Sihon and Og specifically singled out? First, because Israel fought them first, and they are therefore mentioned first. Second, because they were greater and mightier than the other kings, as it is written: "Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of cedars, and who was as strong as the oaks." Afterward, he includes them all together - "and all the kingdoms of Canaan" - encompassing all the other peoples, but mentioning the greatest and strongest first.
Signs and Wonders - For Whom Are They Needed?
The Malbim explains that the war against Sihon and Og was also miraculous, exceeding the bounds of nature. And it, too, was not performed for our sake; we recognize the Holy One, blessed be He, from nature as well. Rather, they needed these signs and wonders; they needed this spiritual message - that there is a God Who overturns the entire natural order.
According to this, what was stated above, "He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt," applies not only to Egypt, but also extends to Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan. They were the ones who needed signs and wonders. We ourselves do not need them, as we recognize Hashem through ordinary reality; Hashem altered and upended the laws of nature so that they would acknowledge His divinity.
A Heritage for Israel His People
וְנָתַן אַרְצָם נַחֲלָה נַחֲלָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ׃ - And gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to Israel His people.
"Their land" - the land of Sihon, Og, and Canaan, which He gave as an inheritance to the people of Israel. And why emphasize "to Israel His people"? The Radak explains: to tell you that they are His people, chosen from among all nations, and He therefore gave them the land chosen above all lands.
The Malbim explains that in giving the land as an inheritance there were several miracles, in the wars of Yehoshua. Yet these too were not performed so that one would recognize the reality of Hashem - for the existence of Hashem is already recognizable through nature. The entire purpose was "an inheritance to Israel His people": so that the Jewish people would receive their inheritance. For Hashem performs wonders either so that the nations may learn from them, or to grant us the land as our heritage and give us what we are due - but not to teach us faith, since faith is already known to us from the reality of nature. And because the land was promised to the holy Patriarchs, the Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, saw to it that we received what was promised to us, and gave us the land as an inheritance through signs and wonders.
Name and Remembrance: Two Modes of Providence
יְהֹוָה שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם יְהֹוָה זִכְרְךָ לְדֹר וָדֹר׃ - Hashem, Your Name endures forever; Hashem, Your remembrance is for all generations.
Rashi explains: Just as Your greatness and dominion were then, so are they now. The Holy One, blessed be He, retains His power forever just as in the past, and You possess the power to judge and avenge our cause - indeed Your Name is forever, indeed Your remembrance is for all generations; therefore, exact retribution from those who rise up against us.
The Malbim explains that there are two modes of divine conduct here. There is the orderly conduct, established from the six days of creation, which does not change: sunrise and sunset, summer and winter. This is the "Name" of Hashem - a name represents that by which He is constantly known, from eternity, without change; hence, "Your Name endures forever." By contrast, there is the miraculous conduct, renewed intermittently, such as the splitting of the Red Sea, which is not constant - and this is called "Your remembrance."
And why specifically the term "remembrance"? Because when a person wants to be remembered, he performs an extraordinary act, a great feat of heroism, something out of the ordinary - and by virtue of that he is remembered; people do not remember you for standard routines. Therefore, "Your remembrance is for all generations": through wondrous providence that transcends nature, You will be remembered.
This also explains the difference in the Holy Tongue between "forever" (le'olam) and "for all generations" (ledor vador). "Forever" refers to a fixed order of conduct that never changes at all: sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset. "For all generations" refers to conduct that varies from generation to generation, with each generation defined on its own - this is the supernatural providence, which is not constant, yet in every generation we witness miracles that transcend nature. According to the needs of the generation, the Holy One, blessed be He, performs wonders, and through this conduct the remembrance of the Holy One, blessed be He, is made manifest.
For Hashem Will Judge His People
כִּי יָדִין יְהֹוָה עַמּוֹ וְעַל עֲבָדָיו יִתְנֶחָם׃ - For Hashem will judge His people, and relent concerning His servants.
Rashi explains: "Will judge" - He will champion their cause against their enemies; "will relent" - He will reconsider. That is, the Holy One, blessed be He, will reconsider the afflictions of His servants, the exile and everything they endure, and will redeem us.
The Radak adds: Even though the inheritance He gave us is presently in the hands of others - as it is said, "an inheritance to Israel His people," and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave us the lands of nations, yet we are in exile and the heritage is not in our hands - this is not forever. A time will come when "Hashem will judge His people," demanding justice for Israel from the nations and judging them for what they did to His people, in the spirit of "And saviors shall ascend Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esav." And "concerning His servants He will relent" - He will reconsider what He brought upon His servants, for Israel has already received its due punishment in exile, and is consequently fit to return to its inheritance.
Miracles According to the Need of the Generation
The Malbim explains: After mentioning the wonders and miracles that the Holy One, blessed be He, performs in every generation, he provides the reason - because Hashem judges His servants to execute their justice. The Holy One, blessed be He, performs miracles according to the need of the generation. As we have discussed several times, a miracle is performed for a specific, focused purpose. When the people of Israel are in distress at the shore of the sea, Hashem splits the sea for them. When the people of Israel are at war, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings down hailstones from the heavens. According to the state of the generation and according to the situation in which Hashem wishes to exact retribution from the nations and save Israel, He innovates miracles: either to punish those who afflict us, or to bestow good upon us, or both together.
And the Malbim explains "and He will relent regarding His servants" (ve'al avadav yitnecham) with a wonderful insight: When the Holy One, blessed be He, performs a miracle and alters the laws of creation, it appears, as it were, as though He reconsiders the laws of nature. There are fixed laws, and as it were, He relents from them for a time - "Sun, stand still at Giv'on," "The flowing waters stood upright like a wall." The waters stand still even though the fixed law is that water flows downward. The Holy One, blessed be He, as it were relents from the laws that He Himself established in nature - not permanently, but for that specific hour, for the sake of His servants, to save them and elevate them. According to this, it does not mean that He relents over the servants, but rather that He relents over the laws of nature - for the sake of His servants. In order to redeem His servants and extract them from straits, He as it were steps back from the laws of nature and performs supernatural acts for them.
The Futility of Idolatry
עֲצַבֵּי הַגּוֹיִם כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אָדָם׃ - The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
The Radak explains: When "He will relent regarding His servants" and the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts retribution from the nations, the idols of the nations will come to nothing, and everyone will recognize that there is no substance to them and that they cannot save in a time of trouble - for their idols, their fetishes, are nothing more than silver and gold; there is no spirit in them and no substance to them.
And why are they called atzabbim (idols)? The Metzudat Tziyon says: The carved images of idolatry are called this because they bring sorrow (me'atzevet) to the heart of their worshippers - a person calls out to it and receives no response. It causes him grief and distress; he calls out, he cries out, and there is nothing.
The Malbim explains: After stating that "Hashem is greater than all gods," the verse comes to declare that the idols of the nations are utterly void. From the perspective of material, they are silver and gold; from the perspective of the maker, they are the work of human hands - someone manufactured them. And what can one expect from such a god? In terms of its material, it is merely silver and gold, and in terms of its form, as the following verses describe: "They have a mouth, but do not speak," and so on, as we will see momentarily.
When Silver and Gold Become Idolatry
In the sefer Otzrot HaTehillim, an explanation is brought by way of homiletical hint (remez). Chazal say that the righteous hold their wealth dearer to them than their bodies, yet on the other hand, we see that wealth and money often work to a person's detriment. For he becomes convinced that he achieved it all through his own wisdom, that the startup is registered in his name, that he is the genius, the brilliant strategist, and the mastermind - "And Yeshurun grew fat and kicked." Because, in his mind, everything came through his own ingenuity, he no longer needs the Holy One, blessed be He: "Master of the Universe, I can manage on my own, just do not interfere." Heaven forbid.
Consequently, all his silver and gold are considered idolatry, for it is them he serves and not the Holy One, blessed be He. The silver and gold led him to believe in himself and in his money, to rely upon "My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth." And this is the meaning of "The idols of the nations are silver and gold" - when do silver and gold become like the idolatry of the nations? When they are "the work of human hands": when a person is certain that he made it, that he achieved it, through his own strength, his wisdom, and his toil. Such a person reaches a state where his wealth is literally like the idols of the nations. But if it is not "the work of human hands" - if he knows that everything is from Him, blessed be He, and that he possesses only what the Holy One, blessed be He, bestows upon him - then he may have silver and gold, and they will not be like the idolatry of the nations.
They Have a Mouth, but Do Not Speak
פֶּה לָהֶם וְלֹא יְדַבֵּרוּ עֵינַיִם לָהֶם וְלֹא יִרְאוּ׃ אׇזְנַיִם לָהֶם וְלֹא יַאֲזִינוּ אַף אֵין יֶשׁ רוּחַ בְּפִיהֶם׃ - They have a mouth, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not listen; nor is there any breath in their mouth.
Ibn Ezra explains why he begins specifically with the mouth: man's honor above all earthly creations lies in the higher soul endowed with speech. The superiority of man over all creatures is the power of speech, a "speaking spirit" (ruach memalela), and therefore he opens with this - they have mouths, yet they do not speak.
The Malbim adds: The deficiency is not only in terms of matter (silver and gold) and not only in terms of the efficient cause (that man fashioned them), but also in terms of form - "They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes they have, but do not see"; they perceive nothing with their senses. Even the vital soul (nefesh hachiyunit) is lacking in them: "neither is there any breath in their mouths" - there is no breath in them at all. The vital soul is the basic soul that imparts the power of life, and it exists even in animals; every animal that moves possesses a vital spirit - yet even such a spirit is absent from them.
כְּמוֹהֶם יִהְיוּ עֹשֵׂיהֶם כֹּל אֲשֶׁר בֹּטֵחַ בָּהֶם׃ - Those who make them will be like them, whoever trusts in them.
Ibn Ezra: Just as they are without a soul and without sight, hearing, or smell, so too will their makers be. Radak explains that this is stated as a prayer: Please, Hashem, let those who make them become like those idols, that all their craftsmen perish and become like them - having mouths but not speaking, eyes but not seeing, ears but not hearing, with no breath in their mouths - and let all who worship them be just like them. This is a form of prayer by the psalmist that the Holy One, blessed be He, should do so to idolaters.
The Malbim adds: It is as if the entire purpose of their manufacture is that their makers and all who trust in them should become like them. Just as the idols have no influence or efficacy whatsoever, so too their makers will have no influence - like the blind and the deaf, exerting no impact at all.
The Houses of Israel Offer Blessings
בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְהֹוָה בֵּית אַהֲרֹן בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְהֹוָה׃ בֵּית הַלֵּוִי בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְהֹוָה יִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְהֹוָה׃ - House of Israel, bless Hashem! House of Aaron, bless Hashem! House of Levi, bless Hashem! You who fear Hashem, bless Hashem!
In contrast to the idolaters, he turns to Israel: "House of Israel, bless Hashem" - for Hashem separated you from the nations, and you are in the category of the House of Israel. Afterwards comes the higher level, the most distinguished among you - the House of Aaron, who are the Kohanim. Next is the tribe as a whole - the House of Levi, which includes the Levites. And finally, "You who fear Hashem," which encompasses all those who revere Hashem, both from Israel and from the nations.
Ibn Ezra emphasizes that "those who fear Hashem" refers not necessarily to Israel, since concerning Israel he already said at the outset, "House of Israel, bless Hashem." Rather, it refers to anyone who fears Hashem, as in the opinion that Job was from the nations and was one who "feared God and shunned evil" - of all such individuals it is said that they should bless Hashem.
Radak explains that this comes to contrast the state of Israel with that of the believers in idols: you, who do not trust in them, bless Hashem Who saved you from the power of the idols and from the hand of their worshippers. And likewise the House of Aaron, the Kohanim who minister in the House of Hashem.
The Meaning of a Blessing
The Malbim explains that after commanding praise - "Praise, servants of Hashem" - he adds, "Bless Hashem": through your good deeds, you open the supernal source to bestow blessing upon you. Blessing (berachah) always denotes increase, drawn from the supernal reservoir (berechah), in the terminology of the kabbalists: a divine bounty poised above, to which we open an aperture so that it may descend and flow upon us below. When we recite a blessing, our intention is to draw down bounty from the supernal pool. Thus the blessing expands for each person according to their level of sanctity - to the House of Aaron according to their level, to the House of Levi according to their level, and to those who fear Hashem according to their level; each according to their closeness to the Divine receives the supernal bounty to illuminate their soul and bestow upon them goodness from the Infinite, blessed be He.
Why "Barechu Et Hashem" and Not "Nevarech Elokeinu"
The Tosafot Yom Tov in Masechet Berachot, which we studied in our lessons on the Mishnayot, raises an interesting question. At the reading of the Torah and during prayer we say, "Barechu et Hashem ha-mevorach," invoking the Name Havayah - the Name of mercy. Yet in the zimun (call to grace after meals) we say, "Nevarech Elokeinu she'achalnu mishelo," invoking the Name Elokim - the Name of strict justice. What is the difference?
If we reflect on this: the Holy One, blessed be He, created man, and as his Maker, He is, as it were, obligated to sustain him. This is the most fundamental reality. It would have been, so to speak, irresponsible to create a human being and cast him into the wilderness; consequently, the necessities of life are expected. It is a kind of obligation of the Creator toward His creation: "I created him, so I take responsibility and sustain him." Therefore, over food we say, "Let us bless our God (Elokeinu) from Whose bounty we have eaten" - for by strict justice, it is fitting that He sustain us. However, providing for us with grace, kindness, abundance, and great mercy - to that He is under no obligation. This is why we add "and with great mercy": the Holy One, blessed be He, also provided a variety of flavors and an appealing appearance for food, so that a person would have an appetite to eat. The provision of bread itself is a matter of strict justice; everything beyond that is lovingkindness and mercy.
On the other hand, the Holy One, blessed be He, was under no obligation whatsoever to give us the Torah. Giving the Torah is an act of immense lovingkindness and an enormous favor He bestowed upon us. An even greater favor was that He gave it down to earth, entrusting us to be the ones who decide its laws - a subject in its own right that we once discussed at length. For this, it is fitting to say, "Barechu et Hashem ha-mevorach," using the Name Havayah, the Name of lovingkindness: He gave us a Torah; He gave us His instruction manual. "Blessed are You, Hashem, Giver of the Torah" - I thank You for giving me a Torah. The nations of the world did not merit this; while they must be aware of the Torah, they received seven mitzvot, whereas we received the entire Torah and the mitzvah of Torah study. This is the lovingkindness of Hashem, and therefore we say, "Barechu et Hashem ha-mevorach" - Who bestowed this lovingkindness upon us.
Who Are Those Who Fear Hashem
"House of Levi" - these are the ones who sing before Hashem with voice and musical instruments, in the words of the Radak; let them bless Hashem. And regarding "those who fear Hashem," the Radak offers two explanations: first, that these are the sages of Israel who isolate themselves in the House of Hashem to study; and second, following the approach of Ibn Ezra, those who fear Hashem among every nation - anyone who comes to pray in the House of Hashem and fears Hashem, he too should bless.
Rashi explains that "those who fear Hashem" refers to converts. From this, the Vilna Gaon notes, we can understand why the text does not say "House of those who fear Hashem." Up to this point, the psalm spoke in terms of houses - the House of Israel, the House of Aaron, the House of Levi - but regarding those who fear Hashem, it does not mention a "house." This is because it refers to converts, and converts do not come from an established "house." They have no prior lineage, dynasty, or ancestral house within the Jewish people. The Levites have a house, the tribe of Levi, but a convert arrives as an individual without a house in Israel. The Metzudat David explains that "those who fear Hashem" are the pious of the nations of the world, which aligns with the explanation of Ibn Ezra and the Radak that this refers to those who fear Hashem found among every nation.
Blessed Be Hashem from Zion
בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה מִצִּיּוֹן שֹׁכֵן יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם הַלְלוּ־יָהּ׃ - Blessed be Hashem from Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem, Halleluyah!
The Radak explains: Zion is the place where the Divine Glory rests within Jerusalem. For Jerusalem is divided into two: Jerusalem is the dwelling place of human beings, while Zion is the place of the Temple, the abode of the Shechinah. Although today we use the term "Zion" as a designation for the entire Land of Israel, in the Scriptures it refers to the holy site in Jerusalem, the site of the Temple, the central sanctuary there. From there, instruction goes forth to all, and through this, all will give thanks, praise, and bless Hashem - Halleluyah, praise Hashem for this.
The Malbim explains: "Blessed be Hashem from Zion" - blessing ascends from Zion according to merit, and in accordance with the merit of Zion, blessing also descends. The Holy One, blessed be He, dwells in Jerusalem and watches over those who are there, blessing them according to their deeds in holiness, according to the sacrifices and their service. If the Temple is run like a den of lawbreakers and murderers, it has a negative impact on the entire nation; but if they honor the place and sacrifice properly, the Holy One, blessed be He, bestows goodness upon them. This is the meaning of "Blessed be Hashem from Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem, Halleluyah": since He dwells in Jerusalem and watches over the deeds of the people within it, He blesses them in accordance with their worthy actions.
In summary:
In this part of the psalm, the Psalmist recounts Hashem's wonders in the wars of Sihon and Og and the conquest of the Land, teaching that these miracles were performed for the nations so that they would recognize His Divinity, and for Israel so that they would receive their promised inheritance - not in order for us to learn emunah, which we already perceive through nature. "Your Name" signifies the constant, unchanging providence of the natural order, while "Your remembrance" represents the miraculous providence renewed in each generation according to its needs, to the point that "He relents concerning His servants" - as it were, relenting from the fixed laws of nature for the sake of His servants. In contrast to the utter futility of the idols, which possess neither true substance, form, nor spirit, and facing the danger that silver and gold will be regarded as "the work of human hands" and turn into idolatry, the chapter calls upon all the sectors of Israel - the House of Israel, Aaron, Levi, and those who fear Hashem - to bless Hashem, thereby opening the source of supernal bounty, and concludes: "Blessed is Hashem from Zion, He Who dwells in Jerusalem, Halleluyah!"