Psalm 146 opens with "Halleluyah" and continues with a series of warnings and lessons: who one can rely upon and who one must not. In the preceding chapters, King David praised the general benevolence of the Holy One, Blessed be He - "You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing" - and from here onward he turns to his own soul, calling upon it to praise Hashem for the personal kindnesses bestowed upon him. From this, the chapter arrives at the fundamental principle: salvation comes solely from Him, Blessed be He, and not from the power of mortal flesh and blood.
הַלְלוּ־יָהּ הַלְלִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת־יְהֹוָה׃ - Halleluyah! Praise Hashem, O my soul!
Ibn Ezra explains that "Halleluyah" is an address to the Jewish people - you shall praise Hashem - and afterward the psalmist turns to himself as well: "Praise Hashem, O my soul." That is, he addresses others, and he also addresses his own soul.
In the Yerushalmi, Tractate Sukkah, a dispute is cited between Rav and Shmuel as to whether "Halleluyah" is one word or two words. If it is two words - "Hallelu Yah" - it contains a Divine Name that may not be erased, for it means "Praise Hashem." But if it is one word, it is like other names that end in "Yah" - such as Nechemiah, mapelyah, and the like - which were not written with divine intent and do not have the status of a holy Name.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: "Halleluyah" is one of the ten expressions of praise with which the Book of Tehillim was uttered, and "Halleluyah" is the most praiseworthy - the finest - of them all. If "Halleluyah" is one word, its meaning is praise of Hashem; and if two words, it is a holy Name that may not be erased.
Radak explains that King David foresaw the ingathering of the exiles through the Holy Spirit; facing the Jewish people, he calls out "Halleluyah," and regarding himself, he says, "Praise Hashem, O my soul" - whether with them or without them. That is to say, my soul will praise Hashem under all circumstances, whether they are with me or not.
The Malbim adds: after having praised the universal goodness of the Holy One, Blessed be He - those kindnesses that Hashem performs for all creations - he now commands his soul to praise Hashem for the specific, personal kindnesses granted to him. And this is truly what every person needs: to thank and praise for the individualized favors done on his behalf. Every day a person should express gratitude to the Master of the World for granting him a wife, children, a home, a livelihood - speaking privately between himself and his Maker, just as the Chafetz Chaim used to spend much time in solitude and conversation with Hashem, Blessed be He, thanking Him for every single detail. One must give thanks in a general way for Hashem having created His world, for causing the sun to rise, and for granting health to all who enter the world; and beyond that, one must also give thanks for what He has given him personally - blessings that many have not been privileged to receive.
אֲהַלְלָה יְהֹוָה בְּחַיָּי אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹהַי בְּעוֹדִי׃ - I will praise Hashem while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I exist.
The plain meaning of the verse: as long as I am alive, I will praise Him and sing to Him, and I will publicize and proclaim His Blessed Name before the multitude. Metzudat David explains that "aheleh" (I will praise) refers to praise with the mouth, whereas "azamrah" (I will sing praises) refers to musical instruments, and "be'odi" means as long as I exist.
The Malbim explains that there are two kinds of praise here. One is for the very gift of life - "I will praise Hashem while I live." The second, "I will sing praises to my God while I exist [be'odi]" - is for the added advantage that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave me beyond mere life. "Odi" comes from the word od ("more"): the addition He granted me. This differs from the other commentators, who interpreted "be'odi" as "as long as I live"; according to the Malbim, "be'odi" means with my "more" - with the addition and distinct advantage that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave me to enhance my life.
The Malbim adds a distinction that we have already encountered several times: the Tetragrammaton (the Name of Havayah) denotes general providence, indicating that Hashem brings all existence into being - from the concept of existence (havayah). By contrast, "Elokai" ("my God") denotes individual providence (hashgachah pratit), the personal bond He maintains with me. Similarly, zemer (musical praise) is of higher standing than hillul (general praise). Therefore: "I will praise Hashem while I live" - for the life He granted to every creature, as the Source Who brings all beings into existence, for this I praise the Name of Havayah. But for the "more," the distinct advantage He gave me specifically, I sing praises "to my God" - to the God Who relates specifically to me, Who bestows His bounty upon me individually, and Who, out of that personal bond, gave me beyond what He gave to everyone else.
In Otzrot HaAggadah, another explanation is cited: when a person is treated with the Attribute of Mercy, of course he praises and gives thanks - what could be easier than praising when everything is going well, when abundance is great, and life smiles upon him? But when he is treated with the Attribute of Justice, that is where a person's true character is tested. Suddenly he has complaints, objections, and grievances. But if a person truly believes that everything is for the good even in times of hardship - that in the World to Come it will become clear to him that everything was for his benefit, to purify him and to do good for him in the end - he does not wait until then. Rather, he gives thanks right now, in the very midst of the trial itself.
This is what the verse means: "I will praise Hashem while I live" - the Name of Havayah is a name of loving-kindness and mercy, and when I am treated with compassion, it is natural and understandable that I would praise. But that is not enough; rather, "I will sing praises to my God while I exist [be'odi]" - the Name Elokim signifies judgment, and even when the Holy One, blessed be He, deals with me through strict judgment, I sing to Him, specifically "be'odi" - while I am still here in this world. Not Above, when it will be clear to everyone how everything was for the best, but here, in the realm of darkness, when I cannot yet see how this is for the good - yet despite it all, I praise and give thanks, because I know that everything is for my ultimate benefit.
This is similar to what we discussed previously regarding Nebuchadnezzar. After the Holy One, blessed be He, restored his kingdom to him, he gave thanks and declared, "How great are His signs, and how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom." Our Sages state that had he continued singing, he would have overshadowed all the songs and praises of King David, until an angel came and struck him on his mouth. On the surface, this is puzzling: does King David hold an exclusive monopoly on song and praise? Why shouldn't Nebuchadnezzar praise? But one must ask when Nebuchadnezzar sang: when he returned to his palace, when life was good for him. To that, Heaven said to him: that is no great accomplishment. King David sang, "A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son: Hashem, how many are my foes!" - he sang and offered praise at the very moment of flight. Let us see if you, too, are capable of singing when things are not going well for you. An angel came and struck him on the mouth - and he immediately fell silent. This proves that his song was not genuine song that thanks Hashem for whatever He brings, but merely praise as long as his own needs are satisfied; the moment circumstances do not suit him, he immediately responds with grievance.
אַל־תִּבְטְחוּ בִנְדִיבִים בְּבֶן־אָדָם שֶׁאֵין לוֹ תְשׁוּעָה׃ - Do not put your trust in nobles, in a son of man in whom there is no salvation.
Ibn Ezra explains in his first interpretation: "in whom there is no salvation" - he does not possess the true power of salvation to deliver you. But he adds that the more correct interpretation in his eyes is that he has no salvation for himself - he cannot even save himself; and if you cannot save yourself, how can you save me?
Radak writes that this is in line with what Yirmeyahu said: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart turns away from Hashem." When you place your trust in someone to save you, you turn your heart away from Hashem, for you think: so-and-so will help me, such-and-such person will take care of me, that person is my relative. But notice Radak's insightful qualification: if one must turn to a person, he should place his primary trust in God, blessed be He, that He will put it into the noble person's heart to help him. Radak does not entirely dismiss turning to flesh and blood; it is human nature that a person needs assistance and turns to his fellow. What is rejected is the notion that the help originates from him. Another person can help me only if Hashem places it in his heart to do so. Therefore, our primary appeal must be directed toward Him, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, save me. I am making an effort and turning to so-and-so, but please, Hashem - grant that this effort bear fruit, and put it into his heart to act kindly toward me. This is the prayer that must accompany every appeal for human assistance.
And what is the meaning of "in whom there is no salvation," given that in reality we witness many deliverances brought about through human beings? Radak continues along the same line: it is not within a person's own power to rescue his fellow from distress unless it is the will of God, blessed be He. One cannot say that human beings never bring salvation; certainly they do - but only because Hashem willed it and sent them as His emissaries. For salvation belongs to Hashem alone, and He brings it about through human agents, just as He brought about the redemption from the Babylonian exile through Cyrus. Similarly, in the future He will orchestrate the redemption of Israel through the kings of the nations, stirring their spirit to send them forth, as it is written: "And they shall bring all your brethren out of all nations as an offering to Hashem." All of this will come to pass in the merit of Israel having trusted in God alone during the exile. Salvation may manifest through human hands, but the One directing it is the Holy One, blessed be He, and to Him alone must one turn.
On the other hand, one must be cautious of the opposite extreme. The story is told of a man drowning at sea. Rescue boats, ships, and life buoys began reaching him, but he turned them all away: "No, I trust only in Hashem; only Hashem will save me." A few minutes later, he had become food for the fish. When his soul ascended Above, he pleaded: "Master of the Universe, I trusted in You, I relied on You!" The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: "How many boats did I send you? How many life buoys did I send you?" Thus, to trust that man is the savior - absolutely not; to trust in Hashem that He will send the rescuer - absolutely yes. For this reason, there is no need to flatter someone who is in a position to help; one must find favor in the eyes of Hashem, make the appropriate effort, turn to Him, and beseech Hashem to put it into that person's heart to help.
The Malbim explains the sequence of the verses: after declaring, "I will praise Hashem while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I exist," it now commands, "Do not trust in nobles." Even though a philanthropist is generous by nature, possessing a strong desire to give and a wish to do good, do not rely on him nonetheless. First, "in a mortal man who has no salvation": by virtue of being human, power and salvation do not belong to him at all, but rather to Hashem, blessed be He, and he is not the master of power. And second, even if he were capable of helping - that is addressed in what follows.
תֵּצֵא רוּחוֹ יָשֻׁב לְאַדְמָתוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אָבְדוּ עֶשְׁתֹּנֹתָיו׃ - His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; on that very day his plans perish.
The Malbim explains: one can picture his spirit departing from him and the body returning to its earth, as it is written, "and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God Who gave it." And then, "on that very day his plans perish" - all of his thoughts and plans are lost. In other words, even if he has the means, who can guarantee that he will reach the point of actually helping you? Man's stay here is temporary; he might have genuinely wanted to help you - and passed away.
A story took place in a certain yeshivah: there was a wealthy man whom they had tried to solicit for a donation for a long time, to no avail. One day he arrived and said that he saw how his family members were behaving - each complaining about his sibling and about the children - and he did not want to bequeath his fortune to them. He said: "After my hundred and twenty years, all my money will belong to the yeshivah, so that I will have 'your righteousness shall go before you.'" They told him, "Come tomorrow at eight in the morning." He said, "Why tomorrow? We could do it right now; I will bring a lawyer and we can finalize the matter immediately." They told him, "No, it has already been arranged with a lawyer for tomorrow." The next morning at eight o'clock, the Chevra Kadisha van was already standing there with a crowd gathered around. The man did not survive the night, and all of his money ended up going precisely to those he did not want to receive it.
This teaches you: in a single moment, a person could have paved his way in the World to Come for eternity - yet he lost it all. And why? Because a person thinks: "During my lifetime I will not give; I need the money, I have uses for it. After my death, I have no use for it anyway - take it." The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: "Why do you think you are the master to give whenever you please? When you finally want to, I may no longer want it, and this merit will not stand for you." Give while the Holy One, blessed be He, gives you life. "While I live," "while I exist" - that is when you should give, that is when you should praise and laud. The idea of postponing everything until after death turns out to be too late; nothing more can be done with that wealth, and certainly no spiritual gain will come from it.
A similar story occurred with a Jewish man who wanted to donate a legendary sum, and he too gave everyone a hard time, refusing to give during his lifetime. Finally he agreed, writing in his will that his money should be given to "religious institutions." Non-Jewish parties came and claimed that Christian institutions are also religious institutions, and substantial portions of his money went to churches - "and your righteousness shall go before you"... So too, there was an incident with a man who pledged to donate but never signed. In the end, after something occurred that displeased him, the yeshivah he intended to build was never established; instead, Teddy Stadium bears his name. This is the merit that will stand for him and serve as his shield and buckler, with games played there on Shabbat, may Hashem save us. See how foolish a person can be: give during your lifetime! Why wait until after death? Today you have mastery over your wealth; today you are able to give.
In the book Otzrot HaAggadah, a well-known vort is cited on "Do not trust in nobles, in a mortal man who has no salvation": many believe that to maintain a yeshivah, a kollel, or a place of Torah, one needs great philanthropists. The verse says: do not trust in nobles - rather, specifically "in a person who has not," from him the salvation will come. That simple person who gives ma'aser kesafim not from millions but from a modest salary of a few thousand - along with another and another like him - from there salvation truly sprouts, precisely from those who were never counted on or relied upon.
In this context, a story is told about the philanthropist Reb Moshe Chaim Rothenberg, brother of the Chiddushei HaRim of Ger. A poor chassid once came to him carrying a letter from the Rebbe, Reb Menachem Mendel of Kotzk, asking him to assist with the wedding expenses for his daughter. The poor man presented the letter, and the wealthy patron examined it, appearing unimpressed; he reached into his pocket, took out a ruble, gave it to him, and bid him farewell. The poor man was in shock: the travel expenses alone to get there had cost a fortune, and this is what he gave? But the man dismissed him. The poor man walked away crestfallen, broken and crushed - he had been certain that from here his salvation would come. As he approached the train station, a messenger from the wealthy man ran after him, told him that the patron would help him, and handed him a very generous sum that covered all the expenses.
The poor man did not understand what had happened, so he returned to the town and went in to see the wealthy man. He asked: "At first you gave me a single ruble, and then you sent a messenger who covered all my wedding expenses - what happened? Why did you change your mind?" The patron replied: "When you handed me the Rebbe's letter, I realized you were completely at ease; in your imagination, the money was already in your pocket. You forgot that there is a Creator of the universe to Whom one must turn. You were confident - 'I have a letter from the Kotzker Rebbe, who wouldn't listen to him? I am all set.' I wanted to remind you that no person is ever 'all set,' and that everything comes from Him, blessed be He. Once you realized that, I gave." In one brief lesson, he made it clear to him: nothing is certain, nothing is guaranteed, everything is solely from Him, blessed be He.
This is also one of the reasons for what was said regarding the serpent: that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him his sustenance in advance for all the days of his life - "Take yours and do not show your face to Me." Man, on the other hand - "the eyes of all look to You with hope" - must pray day by day for his sustenance and ask of Hashem. And if you ask, did not the serpent merit having abundance at all times? The answer is: one whom they do not want to look upward is sent away with ready sustenance - "Do not turn to Me." It is precisely the struggle and the need to turn to Hashem each time that serves as the way we maintain our connection with the Holy One, blessed be He. When a person has a stockpile that makes him feel calm and secure, he already feels he does not need the Master of the Universe - "Just don't bother me, everything is fine" - and may Hashem spare us from such an attitude.
This is also why the manna fell every single day. Could not the Holy One, blessed be He, have given them manna in large quantities that would last for a long time? After all, they camped in certain places for many years - "and they journeyed from Kadesh," and they stayed there for nineteen years. Rather, this is the entire point: that a person should look up to the Holy One, blessed be He, with eyes of hope.
This is also one of the reasons for the severity of the prohibition of lending with interest (ribbit). It is written in the holy books that one of the reasons is that a person becomes confident and secure in his money: "I have money, so I am all set." The Keli Yakar explains that such a person has a "meter" constantly running; he goes to sleep calm, and even on Shabbos and Yom Tov his money works for him. And if you ask, if so, why does the Torah permit "unto a foreigner you may lend on interest" - does he not lose his trust in Hashem there as well? The Keli Yakar answers: We all know how much one can rely on a gentile. And we all know what this led to in the lands of Europe, where Jews were forbidden from engaging in many trades and their primary livelihood was money lending with interest - and every so often, when the locals wanted their debts wiped out, they staged a pogrom, and the debt was wiped out along with the Jew. Thus, a person can never feel completely confident and secure in what he lent to a non-Jew, and therefore the Torah did not forbid lending to him with interest. But to your brother - do not lend with interest, because there the money is secure, and when the money is secure, you no longer rely on the Holy One, blessed be He.
The chapter opens with individual praise - not only for the overarching goodness that Hashem bestows upon every creature, but for those unique kindnesses done for me personally: "I will praise Hashem while I live" refers to life itself, granted to all; "I will sing praises to my God while I exist" refers to the added dimension and advantage granted to me through divine providence - even during times of judgment and darkness. From this awareness comes the warning, "Do not put your trust in nobles" - not because one may never turn to flesh and blood, but because salvation comes entirely from Him, blessed be He, and He merely brings it about through human agents. Man himself has no power to save, and even if he appears to have power - "his breath departs, he returns to his earth; on that very day his plans perish." From here we derive a practical lesson: to give and do good during life, not postponing it until after death, and to remember that it is precisely from the small and simple people - "in a mortal who has nothing" - that salvation sprouts forth, and that a person must never base his trust on money or on man, but solely on the Holy One, blessed be He.