Psalm 135 opens with a resounding call to praise: "Halleluyah." Yet who is called upon to offer praise, and by virtue of what do they praise? The entire psalm is built upon these two questions. The Malbim guides us through the chapter with a single foundational principle: Israel recognizes their Creator through the regular order of nature itself, and they do not need signs and wonders in order to believe. Signs and wonders were intended for the nations, or to bring about Israel's salvation - not for the sake of our faith.
הַלְלוּ־יָהּ הַלְלוּ אֶת־שֵׁם יְהֹוָה הַלְלוּ עַבְדֵי יְהֹוָה׃ - Praise the Lord! Praise the name of Hashem; praise, you servants of Hashem!
Ibn Ezra explains that these words are addressed to the Kohanim and Levites who sang in the House of Hashem: it is to you I turn - praise the Name of Hashem. The Radak notes the change in order: in Psalm 133 [or 113] it says "praise, you servants of Hashem" first and only then "praise the name of Hashem," whereas here the order is reversed. The reason: to link "praise, you servants of Hashem" directly to "who stand in the House of Hashem" - those servants of Hashem who stand in the House of Hashem. The Metzudat David explains similarly: invert the order of the verse and expound it - Halleluyah, and who shall praise? "Praise, you servants of Hashem," you shall praise Hashem. And why specifically you? Because to the wicked it is said, "What right have you to recount My statutes?" (Tehillim 50:16); thus the call to praise Hashem is directed specifically to the servants of Hashem, for whom praise is fitting.
The Malbim teaches a fundamental principle: it is through the regular, orderly conduct of the world that we recognize Hashem's existence, His wisdom, and His providence. It is enough to gaze at the sun, the moon, the stars, and the natural world - from this alone we already perceive Hashem's governance. When the Holy One, blessed be He, alters the laws of nature, that is termed a sign and a wonder. Yet signs and wonders are not essential for us, for we believe in Hashem and see Him at every step, even within nature itself. We do not need the sun to stand still in Gibeon to know that God exists - we see God through reality as it is.
For whom, then, are signs and wonders intended? For the nations - so that they, too, may recognize Hashem's might, His existence, and His mastery over all the hidden forces of nature. Another purpose is to bring about the redemption and salvation of Israel. Hashem desires to save us, and therefore performs signs and wonders, as He did in Egypt, or as with the hailstones that rained down from heaven to rescue us. These signs and wonders serve our salvation, not our faith, for our faith remains firm even without miraculous signs.
Therefore it says: "Praise the name of Hashem" - the Name through which the Holy One, blessed be He, is continually renowned throughout the entire world, the Name made known through the fixed natural order: sun, seas, rivers, moon, and stars. "Praise, you servants of Hashem" - His servants perceive Him through this alone, through this renowned Name, and have no need for signs and wonders. The Name of Hashem that is recognized and evident within nature is reason enough for the servants of Hashem to offer praise. Notice that in the morning Shacharit prayer, when we open with thanksgiving - "Blessed are You, Hashem... Who forms light and creates darkness" - we do not speak of miracles or signs and wonders. What are we thanking Him for? For Creation itself: there is a sun, a moon, and stars, and the Holy One, blessed be He, in His goodness renews the work of Creation daily. The very fact that the sun rose today is already ample reason for the servants of Hashem to praise Him.
This is the meaning of "the name of Hashem": the fixed order that is evident to all, through which His Name is recognized. We can never comprehend His true essence, but when we praise Him on account of the constant natural order, we praise Him through "the name of Hashem," through which His Name is revealed.
שֶׁעֹמְדִים בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה בְּחַצְרוֹת בֵּית אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃ - Who stand in the House of Hashem, in the courtyards of the House of our God.
The Radak explains: "You who stand in the house of the Lord" - these are the Kohanim; "in the courtyards of the house of our God" - here he addresses the people of Israel, for Israel prays in the courtyards and does not enter within into the Sanctuary. Thus, he turns to both the Kohanim and to all of Israel.
The Malbim elaborates: both those who enter within to the holy place to stand in the house of the Lord - the Kohanim who draw near to the Lord - and those who stand in the courtyards of the house of our God - the Levites and the courtyard of Israel - all perceive the Holy One, blessed be He, through His Name, which is to say, through the fixed order of nature. Furthermore, he indicates here two levels of perception: "You who stand in the house of the Lord" are those who grasp, as it were, the King in His Essence, who are close to Him, blessed be He, knowing His secrets and discerning His mysteries - the Work of Creation and the Work of the Chariot. And "those who stand in the courtyards of the house of our God" are further away, having not attained that inner depth of comprehension nor reached the Work of the Chariot; they stand, as it were, outside and see the Holy One, blessed be He, from afar - "From afar the Lord appeared to me" - rather than through the close comprehension of knowing His governance all the way to the innermost sanctum, as the great sages do.
הַלְלוּ־יָהּ כִּי־טוֹב יְהֹוָה זַמְּרוּ לִשְׁמוֹ כִּי נָעִים׃ - Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praises to His Name, for it is pleasant.
The Radak explains: "For the Lord is good" - and it is fitting to praise Him, for He is good and does good; likewise, His Name is pleasant and worthy of praise. And what is "His Name"? "He is His Name and His Name is He" - and the verse repeats the thought in different words, in keeping with the Radak's usual method of explaining that the Psalmist repeats the idea for emphasis. And toward whom is this directed? Toward those destined to stand in the house of the Lord that King Solomon would build, or in the Beit HaMikdash to be built by King Messiah - toward them he says: praise the Lord for He is good, sing to His Name for it is pleasant, they will praise Him there in the Beit HaMikdash.
The Malbim explains that there are two distinct forms of praise here: one regarding God in Himself - "for the Lord is good"; and the second regarding creation and the governance within it - "sing praise to His Name", for "His Name" refers to the way He is recognized in creation, through what He created and formed in His world. Concerning this it is said, "for it is pleasant." And what is this pleasantness? In the words of the Malbim: "from the standpoint of the value, order, and relationship between the perceived and the perceiver, which is a relative matter" - that is, in His fixed, orderly governance, which is His Name, He is pleasant.
And what constitutes something pleasant? When things make sense and fall into place, they are pleasant to us, and when something does not fit together, it is unpleasant. This is true in every sphere: physical, spiritual, and even in comprehending a Talmudic sugya. When the pieces fall into place, it is pleasant; when the pieces do not fit, the sugya is confusing: one does not understand what the question was or what the resolution is, where we began and where we ended up. The quality of "pleasant" always reflects orderly governance. And pleasantness arises from the relationship between the perceiver and the perceived: we are the perceivers, and the perceived is the Holy One, blessed be He, and His ways of governance; when we perceive His ways, there is pleasantness in it. When one perceives the hand of God and recognizes His providence, that is the essence of pleasantness.
One can also explain that the quality of "pleasant" refers to the very order of governance itself, for throughout nature we see how meticulously it is arranged. If the sun were slightly closer to us, we would be scorched; if it were slightly further away, we would freeze to death. The same is true of the oxygen levels we breathe, and of every single element: the slightest change, and everything would be devastated in one direction or the other. Thus, "for it is pleasant" signifies complete harmony and integration, and beyond that, a continuous cycle of balance: one element sustains another, just as the oceans produce vapor, the vapor forms clouds, the clouds yield rain, and the rain replenishes the oceans, and so on. This cyclical balance demonstrates the pleasantness of divine governance, where every part continually influences every other part, working together in complete harmony. All of this proves that Someone fashioned this harmony; it did not occur on its own. Einstein famously remarked: "God does not play dice." When asked whether everything might have come about randomly, by sheer coincidence, he replied that everything in nature is designed down to the finest detail. The greater a scientist one is, the more one perceives and acknowledges this; whereas the more stubborn a denier one is, the tighter he shuts his eyes to avoid seeing it. But to the greatest men of science, it is obvious that there is an Arranger; observing creation so marvelously ordered, it is clear that "it is pleasant" - Someone made all of this to be so harmonious and pleasant.
כִּי־יַעֲקֹב בָּחַר לוֹ יָהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִסְגֻלָּתוֹ׃ - For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel as His treasured possession.
The straightforward meaning is: you, the people of Israel, are more obligated to praise Him than all other nations, for God has chosen us. "For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself" - the Lord chose Jacob; "Israel as His treasured possession" - we are the cherished treasure of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the term *segulat melachim* means a royal treasury; we are the precious treasure of the Omnipresent.
The Malbim explains that this verse clarifies why His Name is pleasant: the orderly governance of nature is pleasant because it also embodies providence over the people of Israel. Seemingly, the laws of nature do not depend on human deeds - summer and winter, autumn and spring, sunrise and sunset - all are fixed cycles governed by celestial patterns and natural laws, drawing no distinction between the righteous and the wicked. While this holds true for the nations of the world, it does not apply to Israel: "For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself" - Israel is not subject to the natural order; on the contrary, nature is subordinate to them, "You have placed everything under his feet," and God's governance of them operates entirely according to merit and liability. The Holy One, blessed be He, suspends the systems of nature to do good to us, or Heaven forbid the reverse. Thus nature is subordinate to us, and we are not bound by the dictates of nature - and in this, "His Name is pleasant": even within the known order of nature, through which He is recognized, we discern its true pleasantness and providential harmony.
Within this there are two levels: the level of "Yaakov" and the level of "Yisrael." As the Malbim mentions many times, as do other commentators: "Yaakov" represents the lower level of Israel, the aspect of the "eikev" (heel), a lowly place; whereas "Yisrael" connotes dominion (serarah), an exalted stature, the spiritually elevated individuals within the Jewish people. In their degraded state they are called "Yaakov," yet nevertheless - "For Yah has chosen Yaakov for Himself": even in their lowly state, Hashem chooses them. This reflects what we have noted more than once, that the lowest Jew possesses a soul far beyond that of the nations. To use a parable: take an earthenware vessel and plate it in gold, and by contrast, take solid gold and cover it in dirt - all of us would prefer the soiled gold over the gold-plated earthenware. A gentile is gold-plated earthenware; he possesses only an animalistic soul, with no intrinsic connection to this level of holiness. By contrast, the Jewish people are an actual portion of God from Above, a spiritual essence, a holy divine spark; and even if covered in grime, it can be cleansed and restored to its exalted state. Redemption and the entire future depend solely on Israel. Therefore, even when they are in the state of "Yaakov," at a very low spiritual level, still "Yah has chosen him for Himself" - Hashem says: I still prefer them over the nations.
On the other hand: "Yisrael as His treasured possession" - when the Jewish people are at their heights, the greatest among them, they embody His treasured possession (segulah). "For Yah has chosen Yaakov for Himself" stems from choice within the natural order, as we explained; but "Yisrael" is already His segulah, a royal treasure, where the divine conduct is entirely supernatural. The Holy One, blessed be He, guides the tzaddik above the ways of nature, with direct, individual providence at every single moment. This is the concept of a segulah - a treasure kept inside a vault, guarded continuously; the Holy One, blessed be He, protects the tzaddik so that no misfortune will strike him and no harm will befall him. This is the level of "Yisrael," who are His treasured possession under supernatural providence.
Some expound "For Yah has chosen Yaakov for Himself" as meaning that the Jewish people chose the Holy One, blessed be He, and there are cantillation marks (teamim) that appear in a way that might support this reading. But in the book Emet Keneh, Rav Mazuz writes that this is not the literal meaning (peshat) of the verse; rather, the more correct approach is that the Holy One, blessed be He, chose the people of Israel. The continuation of the verse proves this: "Yisrael as His treasured possession" - Hashem took Israel to be His treasured possession. It is inconceivable that the first half of the verse would speak of what we chose, while the second half speaks of what Hashem chose. Inevitably, the entire verse is speaking of the Holy One, blessed be He: Yah chose Yaakov for Himself, and Yisrael as His treasured possession.
The book Otzrot HaAggadah explains this verse homiletically and with humor. As is well known, in recent generations many self-styled "Babas" have arisen, each donning a robe and handing out blessings, amulets, and all sorts of gimmicks. People, out of naivety - and one can certainly understand them, given all their hardships - flock after every "Ali Baba" and the forty thieves around him. The trouble is immense: it leads to a desecration of Hashem's Name (Chillul Hashem), terrible things occur, and eventually the impostor's disgrace is exposed in the media, leading people to sneer, "Look at your righteous men" - may Hashem have mercy, truly shameful situations. The Torah leaders of every generation have spoken out fiercely against these impostors in robes, emphasizing that this is not the way of the Torah nor the proper path of leadership. Someone once remarked that the Baba Sali was the "Baba Batra" - the final Baba, and there are no genuine Babas after him.
One must distance himself completely from all those who merely put on a show of righteousness. Rav Ben Tzion Abba Shaul once remarked: they carry many sins, but monetary theft (gezel) leads the accusations against them. A person comes and puts down five hundred shekels, confident that the Baba will provide him with a spiritual rectification (tikkun). What rectification? Let him first rectify himself, with all his flaws and corruption! But no - he immediately steps up to rectify you, offering to open the Ark for you if you just add another thousand shekels. Some even promise cures for serious illnesses and the like, only for the scam to be exposed in the media and end in utter humiliation - a terrible and tragic desecration of Hashem's Name.
Regarding this, he expounds: "For Yaakov has chosen Yah for himself" - know whom the Holy One, blessed be He, truly desires: one who lives with humility and modesty, the aspect of Yaakov, the heel (eikev), the lowest point. "He has chosen Yah for himself" - he chooses Hashem, blessed be He. You come to ask him: "Rebbe, what should I do?" and he tells you: "Recite Birkat HaMazon with intention; recite these specific chapters of Tehillim; strengthen yourself in this particular mitzvah." But "Yisrael" - those who seek prominence and prestige - "for His segulah": they always have instant solutions and segulot for every problem, amulets and gimmicks. Right away he directs you to segulot: perform this charm, place this here, light this many candles, and that is it, all done, you need do nothing more. You do not need to examine your ways at all - as if the only thing being examined is your bank account! But "Yaakov," a genuinely God-fearing person, asks you: "In what area are you strengthening yourself? What positive commitment are you taking upon yourself?" "He chose Yah for himself" - he chooses the service of Hashem, bringing people closer to the Omnipresent, and through that merit drawing down salvation.
כִּי אֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־גָדוֹל יְהֹוָה וַאֲדֹנֵינוּ מִכָּל־אֱלֹהִים׃ - For I know that Hashem is great, and our Master is above all gods.
כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־חָפֵץ יְהֹוָה עָשָׂה בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ בַּיַּמִּים וְכָל־תְּהֹמוֹת׃ - Whatever Hashem desires He has done, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the depths.
מַעֲלֶה נְשִׂאִים מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ בְּרָקִים לַמָּטָר עָשָׂה מוֹצֵא־רוּחַ מֵאוֹצְרוֹתָיו׃ - He causes clouds to rise from the ends of the earth, He makes lightning for the rain, He brings forth wind from His storehouses.
The Malbim explains: Here the Jew says - I do not need signs and wonders; signs and wonders are needed for the nations, whereas we recognize the Holy One, blessed be He, through the order of nature. "For I know that Hashem is great" - by virtue of the fact that "Whatever Hashem pleased, He did in heaven and on earth," having brought forth creation, which constitutes the natural order, and directed it according to His desire and will; "He causes vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth" - again, the order of nature. From this I know that Hashem is great, and I do not need Him to perform a sign or a wonder for me to recognize His governance.
Two things are stated here. The first: "Hashem is great." The term gadol ("great") always points to the prime cause and the ultimate end, from the very beginning to the end. The difference between gadol and ram ("exalted"): ram is high, but gadol encompasses from below all the way to above - or if you will, from above to below: the prime cause and the end of all causes. In the world, someone initiates an action, and others carry it out and implement it; with the Holy One, blessed be He, there is no such thing - He Himself acted from beginning to end, and He is the cause of everything that exists from start to finish. This is the aspect of "Hashem is great."
And the second: "And our Master is above all gods." The Malbim teaches that any Divine Name conjugated in relation to us denotes individual Divine providence (hashgachah pratit): Elokeinu indicates individual providence, whereas Elokim indicates general governance; Adoneinu ("our Master") indicates He is our Master through individual providence, whereas generic mastership denotes general governance. "And our Master" is greater than all powers: He directs, watches over, and rules everything that happens here on earth, to the point that all the forces of nature submit to Him to carry out His desire and will, guiding us with a governance that transcends nature.
And from what do I recognize this? "Whatever Hashem pleased, He did in heaven and on earth" - not only did He make heaven and earth, which constitutes the fixed order of nature, but within heaven and earth He did whatever He pleased: whatever He wished He created within them - clouds, luminaries, inanimate matter, vegetation, animals, and humankind, "in the seas and all the depths."
And corresponding to "our Master is above all gods" - from where is this known? "He causes vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth." Rain is the single greatest proof of individual providence, as seen at length in the Book of Iyov, chapters 36-37. And how does the rain come? "He causes vapors (nesi'im) to ascend from the ends of the earth" - vapors rise up (mitnas'im) from the earth to the realm of the clouds. These vapors are full of wind and air, which is why they are light and ascend upwards, and in doing so they remain hidden and invisible to the eye. No one sees the vapor: in a boiling kettle you see steam, but in daily life, when told there is ninety percent humidity, you do not see it - though you certainly feel it without any doubt. Yet despite this, these very vapors form the clouds. "He made lightnings for the rain" - when the Holy One, blessed be He, wants rain to fall, lightning and thunder appear and rain descends. "He brings forth the wind from His treasuries" - He releases the wind trapped inside the vapors; until now there was wind in them that caused them to float in the air, and when He extracts the wind from them, droplets form, and these droplets fall and provide rain upon the surface of the earth.
The matter of rain, as the Ibn Ezra writes, is the greatest proof of the governance of the Holy One, blessed be He. The Ibn Ezra cites the verse in Yirmeyahu: "Are there any among the vanities of the nations that can bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers?" - ask a gentile to make rain fall; not a single gentile is capable of bringing rain. Even if a Native American dances the rain dance day and night, he may sweat, but no rain will come of it. And technology as well - at most, it can seed clouds with silver iodide, if there are clouds to begin with; they still haven't decided to rain right here, and you can try to coax them - but try bringing clouds here and let's see. Whereas throughout all generations, whenever people wanted rain, they turned to the Jewish people. In Yemen it was well known: they would threaten the Jews, and the Jews would go to the cemetery and pray, and by the time they returned, rain was already falling. And likewise in Jerusalem: when there was a drought, the Pasha would threaten the Jews, and they would go to the Mount of Olives, and when they returned, rain was already falling. "Are there any among the vanities of the nations that can bring rain?" - rain is something for which mankind has found no way, not even with artificial intelligence, to create clouds. This key remains exclusively in the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He.
It is interesting that the key of childbirth (chayah) also remains in His hand: there are people who undergo every possible treatment, they are told that everything is fine - yet there are no children, may Hashem have mercy. Today there are many treatments that help in situations where help was once impossible, and everything comes from Him, blessed be He, without doubt; yet we see that the key remains with the Holy One, blessed be He. The same is true with the key of livelihood (parnassah): two people open the exact same business, both are sharp, both are in prime locations - one succeeds and the other collapses. It has often been noted that there is no guarantee for any business to succeed, unless one happens to be a member of parliament; in all other cases, no business can guarantee that one will walk away with a guaranteed salary. Nothing is certain. Some collapse under identical conditions, while others succeed under far worse circumstances - the key of livelihood remains in the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He. Thus, in all these matters we see how profoundly the hand of Hashem guides the Jewish people, even in areas requiring the suspension of natural order.
And if one asks: Why does Hashem cooperate and allow mamzerim to be born, or allow an "Ahmed son of Sarah" to be born? The Holy One, blessed be He, established His world, and the wicked cause corruption; and whoever corrupts is destined to give an accounting. The Holy One, blessed be He, does not disrupt the world's order to prevent human corruption. "Whatever Hashem pleased, He did" - and He also willed to limit His own intervention, and that too He did; the restraint He placed upon Himself is likewise from Him.
The Radak explains "Whatever Hashem pleased, He did": Not so the angels and the stars, who cannot do whatever they please, for if they do anything, it is solely through the will of God; even what descends through the heavenly constellations is by Hashem's will. But Hashem did whatever He pleased. "In heaven and on earth" - there is none to prevent Him from governing heaven, earth, and all their hosts; everything is directed by Him, blessed be He. "In the seas and all the depths" - "the seas" refers to the ocean, and "all the depths" refers to the rivers. One prime example is the matter of rain, of which Eliphaz said, "Who does great things past finding out... Who gives rain upon the earth" - one of the wondrous things in which the Holy One, blessed be He, retained the key in His own hand.
"He causes vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth" - the Radak says this refers to the clouds, which rise from the ends of the earth and ascend high above, as it is written, "A mist ascended from the earth." And what is "the ends of the earth"? Where does the land end? If you walk across the land to the very edge, where do you arrive? At the sea. The land ends where it joins the sea, and from there the sea begins. Thus, "He causes vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth" means from the sea, for clouds rise from the seas, as it is written, "He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the face of the earth." Likewise, Eliyahu told his attendant to look toward the sea, and behold, "a small cloud like the palm of a man's hand" was rising from the sea - once again showing that clouds are described as originating from the sea. "He made lightnings for the rain" - and herein lies a wonder, for lightning is fire and rain is water, yet fire and water coexist.
שֶׁהִכָּה בְּכוֹרֵי מִצְרָיִם מֵאָדָם עַד־בְּהֵמָה׃ - Who struck the firstborn of Egypt, from man to beast.
Ibn Ezra asks why the psalmist mentions the plague of the firstborn first, and offers two reasons. First: the essence of the Exodus from Egypt was on account of the plague of the firstborn. Even though it was the one that ultimately persuaded Pharaoh at the end, the proof that it was the primary purpose comes from the very first command: "Go and say to Pharaoh... Behold, I will slay your son, your firstborn" - a warning issued before any of the plagues had even begun. Anyone reading this wonders: the plan was laid out at the very beginning; from the outset the Holy One, blessed be He, sent Moshe to say, "I will slay your son, your firstborn," even though in practice this arrived only with the tenth plague, after Pharaoh underwent nine "courses" before reaching the final course. Yet from the very start he was told: I will slay your firstborn son if you do not let My people go. Thus, the entire thrust of the Exodus from Egypt was ultimately to strike their firstborn. Moreover, as is known, they deified the firstborn as part of their pantheon of idols, so there was also a purpose in eradicating that belief.
The second reason: the firstborn of Israel were spared, creating a miracle within a miracle - He struck the firstborn of Egypt while the firstborn of Israel were saved. Ibn Ezra follows his own consistent approach here, for he does not hold that there was distinction ("and I will set apart") in every single plague. The Rishonim dispute this, maintaining that in every plague there was a differentiation between Israel and Egypt, whereas Ibn Ezra maintains that only in the plagues where it explicitly states "and I will set apart" was there differentiation, and where it was not stated, Israel suffered alongside Egypt. While this is not the accepted view, according to his approach, the firstborn of Israel were spared during the plague of the firstborn, making it a miracle within a miracle; therefore, the verse specifically mentions "Who struck the firstborn of Egypt." Radak, on the other hand, explains that the firstborn were mentioned first because it was through this that they ultimately departed Egypt - the psalmist cited the plague that finally brought them out.
שָׁלַח אוֹתֹת וּמֹפְתִים בְּתוֹכֵכִי מִצְרָיִם בְּפַרְעֹה וּבְכָל־עֲבָדָיו׃ - He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and upon all his servants.
From all of this they will recognize that Hashem is greater than all gods, and that the Holy One, blessed be He, directs the world according to His will and everything comes from Him. The sefer *Hakatuv LeChaim* cites the verse "And seven days were fulfilled," on which Rashi explains that each plague lasted a quarter of a month, while for three parts of the month Moshe warned them - that is, three weeks of warning and one week of plague, so that over the course of ten months Pharaoh received ten plagues. Thus, in effect, each plague cycle spanned a full month. This is hinted at in our verse: "He sent signs and wonders *betochechi* (in the midst of) Egypt." Everyone asks: why *betochechi* instead of *betoch*? Rather, it can be read as *betoch kaf-yud* - and the letters *kaf-yud* in gematria equal thirty: He sent the plague within thirty days, for each cycle lasted an entire month. Another explanation: it is taught that even the firstborn who were already buried in the earth were struck, as though they were ejected from their graves and their bones scattered - "in the deep depths (*betochechi*) of Egypt," referring to what was buried inside the ground, which was also struck by the plague of the firstborn. This is how the sefer *Hakatuv LeChaim* explains it.
Radak explains that "signs and wonders" here comes to encompass the rest of the plagues: after speaking of the plague of the firstborn, the verse now turns to the other plagues. The plagues were a sign and wonder demonstrating that "whatever Hashem pleased, He did"; for if the plagues had been mere chance, how were the Israelites spared? From this you learn that whatever Hashem willed, He did: this one He wished to strike and that one He wished to save, and what He desired was precisely what came to pass. And what is the meaning of *betochechi*? Radak says that the letter *yud* is an embellishment, as in *betochechi Yerushalayim* ("in your midst, O Jerusalem"), and it is as if it were written *betochech Mitzrayim* - addressing Egypt in the second person, with an added *yud*. And regarding "upon Pharaoh and upon all his servants," he asks: where is the rest of his nation mentioned? He answers: his people suffered all the more so; the verse emphasizes that even Pharaoh and his servants, the rulers and ministers, could not escape the plagues.
The Malbim explains that the phrase "He sent signs and wonders" applies to both clauses, serving a dual role: He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, and He sent signs and wonders upon Pharaoh and upon all his servants - "He sent signs and wonders" governs the end of the verse as well.
In Kotzk, they used to say: "Signs and wonders in the land of the sons of Cham" - it is *they* who need signs and wonders; the Jewish people are whole in their faith even without signs and wonders. And this is the Malbim's entire theme throughout the chapter: we believe in the Holy One, blessed be He, and discern Him already within nature itself. The nations are impressed by supernatural signs and wonders; this is why in Kotzk they did not recount tales of miracles and wonders as was common in other Hasidic courts, nor did they place great emphasis on them.
The story is told of Hasidim who once encountered the son of the Chofetz Chaim on a train. Each Hasid shared wondrous tales about his own Rebbe, and they turned to him and said: "Tell us some wonders about your father as well." As is well known, with the Chofetz Chaim miracles rolled beneath the table in the most natural fashion: he would know who was about to enter and what matter they would discuss; he would converse with a visitor about something the person had never imagined sharing, revealing hidden occurrences from inside his home - he had countless miracles. They urged him, "Tell us something!" But he showed little enthusiasm for the topic and told them: "My father would always say that far more than being amazed by 'a tzaddik decrees and the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfills,' one should be amazed by 'the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees and a tzaddik fulfills.' *That* is what should evoke wonder! A human being is formed from clay and drawn after bodily desires; if such a person bends himself to the Divine will, how extraordinary that is! On the other hand, managing, as it were, to bend the will of the Holy One, blessed be He - He is a gracious, humble, merciful, and long-suffering King; there is nothing to marvel at in His acquiescence. But to marvel at a person subduing himself to the Divine will - that is the true wonder."
The psalm addresses the servants of Hashem, the Kohanim, the Levi'im, and the people of Israel who stand in the House of Hashem and in His courtyards, calling upon them to praise the "Name of Hashem" - the Name revealed through the constant, orderly governance of creation. Israel does not require signs and wonders in order to believe; they see the hand of Hashem in the sun and the moon, in the clouds and the rain, and in the pleasant order and harmony across all the wonders of nature. "For Hashem is good" - in His very essence; "sing praises to His Name, for it is pleasant" - from the perspective of creation and its inherent order. Embedded within this natural governance is divine providence over Israel as well: "For Yah has chosen Jacob for Himself" - even in their lowliness; "Israel as His treasured possession" - through a supernatural governance. "Whatever Hashem pleased, He did," and the keys that were never entrusted to any created being - rain, childbirth, and sustenance - testify to how "great is Hashem, and our Lord is above all gods." As for the signs and wonders sent into Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants, they were intended for the land of the children of Cham; we marvel precisely at the simple and great wonder: that man, formed of clay, should subordinate himself to the Divine will.