Psalm 22 opens with "For the conductor, upon Ayelet HaShachar," describing the distress of the supplicant surrounded by enemies, alongside the salvation that dawns upon him like the morning light. In the portion before us, according to the Malbim, we have already reached the stage of salvation itself: the enemies have reached the height of their plundering and looting, yet they were unable to harm him. From this point forward, the psalm ascends from outcry to thanksgiving, and from thanksgiving to the end-of-days vision in which all the ends of the earth will turn to Hashem.
יְחַלְּקוּ בְגָדַי לָהֶם וְעַל לְבוּשִׁי יַפִּילוּ גוֹרָל׃ - They divide my garments among themselves, and cast lots for my attire.
The Malbim notes the precise difference between "garments" (begadim) and "attire" (levush). A beged is a general term for ordinary clothing, whereas levush always denotes a distinct and unique garment: royal attire on the one hand, sackcloth on the other. Therefore: "They divide my garments among themselves" - they are already dividing the ordinary clothes among themselves, each taking his portion. But "and cast lots for my attire" - he has a single royal garment, and over it they cast lots to see who will win it. That is to say, the plunder has already been divided and planned down to the very last detail.
וְאַתָּה יְהֹוָה אַל תִּרְחָק אֱיָלוּתִי לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה׃ - But You, Hashem, do not be far; my strength, hasten to my aid!
Even though they had already divided his clothes and cast lots for his attire, they could not touch him. "Do not be far" - stand near to me, ready for salvation; and not only that, but "hasten to my aid" - with swiftness and speed. And what is the meaning of "eyaluti"? Rashi explains that it denotes strength, as in "like a man with no strength [eyal]," "it is in the power [el] of my hand," and "the mighty [eilei] of the land" (or in modern Hebrew: tycoons or barons of wealth). The name El denotes power, capability, and the Master of all forces, and similarly "the cause of both parties shall come before the judges [elohim]" - referring to the judges, who possess authority and power. Yet the Malbim explains that there is wordplay here: the psalm opens with "Ayelet HaShachar," and now the light of salvation sparkles from amidst the surrounding enemies - and Hashem is "eyaluti," like the morning star shining for me, radiant and bringing salvation: "Eyaluti, hasten to my aid."
הַצִּילָה מֵחֶרֶב נַפְשִׁי מִיַּד כֶּלֶב יְחִידָתִי׃ - Rescue my soul from the sword, my only one from the power of the dog.
"Rescue my soul from the sword" - from the sword of the hunters pursuing me. "From the power of the dog" - the dogs have already surrounded me; they are already here, about to seize me. And what is "my only one" (yechidati)? The Malbim explains: this is the only thing that still remains for me. They have already plundered everything, they have already cast lots for my attire, and nothing remains except the soul - save it from their hand, so that I do not fall into their grasp.
Ibn Ezra explains why the soul is called "yechidah" (solitary or unique): "Because every human soul is solitary, isolated with its body from the universal soul, and when it separates from its body, it is gathered back into the all." There is a collective source of souls, and each soul that descends into this world is solitary, separated from the rest of the souls and dwelling alone with its physical body. When a person departs from the world, it returns and is gathered back into the whole. This, then, is the plea: rescue from the power of the dog that which is currently "my only one," so that it may remain my solitary soul and not yet be gathered back into the all.
הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי מִפִּי אַרְיֵה וּמִקַּרְנֵי רֵמִים עֲנִיתָנִי׃ - Save me from the lion's mouth; and from the horns of the re'emim You answered me.
The Malbim paints a vivid picture here: David stands surrounded by those who have come to devour him, and among them is a lion that has already begun to tear into him. "Save me from the lion's mouth" - I am already inside the jaws of the lion, save me! And how? "And from the horns of the re'emim You answered me" - the Holy One, blessed be He, brings forth a re'em, an immense beast with mighty horns, and the re'em lifts him upon its horns, carrying him away and removing him from the lion. And as he stands high above on the horns of the re'em with the crowd gathered all around, from there he offers thanks, praise, and glory to Hashem - "I will declare Your name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise You."
The Ibn Ezra explains that the horns of the re'em are the strongest of all, and adds an intriguing point: "I have heard people say that the re'em will leap from a high mountain onto its horns, and they will not break" - it is capable of jumping from a mountaintop directly onto its horns without them breaking. Others explain that its horns are loftier than any other, as in, "My horn You have exalted like that of a re'em." According to his approach, "from the horns of re'emim You answered me" means that David needed rescue from the horns of the re'emim themselves. Thus there is a fundamental difference between the commentators: according to Ibn Ezra, David prayed for deliverance from the horns of the re'emim, whereas according to the Malbim, it was specifically by means of the horns of the re'em that Hashem rescued him from the jaws of the lion.
There is a magnificent insight here into Chazal's famous teaching regarding Esther as she approached Achashverosh. Rabbi Levi said: When she reached the chamber of idols, the Shechinah departed from her. She cried out, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" - which is, of course, the opening of our psalm, "Ayelet Hashachar," depicting Esther's plight. She tries to discern the spiritual cause: "Could it be that You judge an unintentional act as intentional, and coercion as voluntary?" - perhaps You are holding me accountable for going to Achashverosh and submitting to this defiled man, even though I am compelled against my will? "Or perhaps it is because I called him a dog, as it says, 'Deliver my soul from the sword, my only one from the grip of the dog'?" Immediately, she reconsidered and referred to him as a lion, as it says, "Save me from the lion's mouth."
This seems astonishing. If someone refers to the greatest oppressor as a "dog," who could possibly fault her? At most, it insults the canine species! The same applies to all the tyrants throughout history, who merely exchange names. Who would protest, "Why are you disrespecting him, why call him a dog?" After all, Esther is pleading, "Deliver my only one from the grip of the dog," and the dog is Haman - she is begging Hashem to save the Jewish people from his grasp. What difference could it make whether she calls him a dog or a lion, and to whom does it matter?
Rather, the explanation is profound and true. When a person is confronted by a dog, what is his instinctive reaction? He looks around: Where is a stone? Where is a stick? How can I handle this? If he finds a stick, he feels equipped. If he merely bends down as if to pick up a stone, the dog usually takes the hint. But when a lion stands before him, who looks for a stone? Can one ward off a lion with stones? Everyone understands that human efforts are finished, and there is nothing left to do but plead for mercy. Esther realized: If I called Haman a "dog," it reveals that I failed to comprehend the true nature of the peril. It implied that I believed this crisis could be managed through natural means: "It is fortunate that Esther is in the royal palace; she will speak with Achashverosh, we will try this strategy and that strategy, we will navigate a way out of this trap." Are you relying on yourself? Do you imagine that you can handle this? If you failed to grasp the magnitude of the danger, the Shechinah departs. She immediately repented: Master of the Universe, I regret calling him a dog; he is a lion! And if he is a lion, I have no one to turn to but You; only You can save me. All human options are exhausted, it lies entirely beyond my power and capability, and salvation belongs to Hashem alone.
אֲסַפְּרָה שִׁמְךָ לְאֶחָי בְּתוֹךְ קָהָל אֲהַלְלֶךָּ׃ - I will declare Your name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise You.
From there, from atop the horns of the re'emim, I declare Your name to my brethren and offer praise in the midst of the congregation. The Malbim explains: One for whom a miracle has been performed is obligated to offer thanksgiving, as it says, "Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people, and praise Him in the seat of the elders." What is the difference between the two? Chazal derive from "in the assembly of the people" that one must praise Hashem before a quorum of ten, which constitutes an "assembly." And from "in the seat of the elders they shall praise Him," they derive that Torah scholars must also be present, which is why when reciting Birkat HaGomel, two of the ten should be talmidei chachamim. "The seat of the elders" does not refer to a nursing home, but means that Torah scholars must be present where the praise is offered. Why? The ten are required for public proclamation - there is resonance in a crowd, and through this, Hashem's name is magnified. But that alone remains external; authentic praise demands depth and contemplation, and it is the sages who delve deeply and truly contemplate.
With this, the Malbim explains the verse: "I will declare Your name to my brethren" - David's brethren are the talmidei chachamim, and expanding upon "in the seat of the elders they shall praise Him," he resolves to recount to them Your name, Your mighty deeds, and the kindness You have bestowed upon me. "In the midst of the congregation I will praise You" - corresponds to "let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people," meaning: I will not suffice with mere public exaltation, but will offer meaningful praise, so that the general congregation too will perceive the inner depth and spiritual essence of the miracle.
יִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה הַלְלוּהוּ כָּל זֶרַע יַעֲקֹב כַּבְּדוּהוּ וְגוּרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ כָּל זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - You who fear Hashem, praise Him; all the seed of Yaakov, honor Him; and revere Him, all the seed of Yisrael.
The Malbim enumerates three groups here: those who fear Hashem, the seed of Yaakov, and the seed of Yisrael. We find a similar division elsewhere: "House of Yisrael, bless Hashem; House of Aharon... you who fear Hashem." Yisrael is greater than Yaakov, for the name "Yisrael" connotes nobility and dominion. The Jewish people are sometimes called by the name Yaakov and sometimes by the name Yisrael. "Yaakov" points to a lower level, related to ekev (heel) and "he outwitted me (vaya'keveini) these two times." "Yisrael" points to nobility and the higher spiritual rank. Generally, Yisrael refers to the sages and the righteous among the people, while Yaakov refers to the masses, to those who are on a simpler level in the service of Hashem and closeness to God, resembling the heel.
Those who fear Hashem are the ones who offer praise, representing the highest level, while the House of Yaakov and Yisrael are the listeners - and between them, too, there are two distinct levels. "All the seed of Yaakov, honor Him" stands in contrast to "and revere Him, all the seed of Yisrael." One who fears Hashem stands on a higher level than one who merely honors Him. You can find people who say, "I have respect for religion" - wonderful, but how God-fearing are you? Even a gentile can understand the concept of honoring Hashem: Hashem created the world, so it is fitting to honor Him. But does that make a person God-fearing? That is a much higher level. Fear of God, says the Malbim, is the recognition of individual Divine Providence, that Hashem punishes and rewards; one who has truly acquired this conviction observes the mitzvot and is meticulous in his actions. Therefore, "revere Him" is said of the seed of Yisrael, who are the leaders and the spiritually prominent among the people, whereas "seed of Yaakov, honor Him" refers to those who merely honor Hashem but have not reached divine service rooted in an acute awareness of reward and punishment, and therefore do not translate it into the realm of concrete action.
כִּי לֹא בָזָה וְלֹא שִׁקַּץ עֱנוּת עָנִי וְלֹא הִסְתִּיר פָּנָיו מִמֶּנּוּ וּבְשַׁוְּעוֹ אֵלָיו שָׁמֵעַ׃ - For He has not despised nor abhorred the lowliness of the poor, nor has He hidden His face from him; and when he cried out to Him, He heard.
The Malbim explains that "enut" denotes submissiveness and humility, as in "How long will you refuse to humble yourself (la'anot) before Me?" The submissiveness and lowly state of the poor man - Hashem did not despise or abhor it. When something is unimportant in a person's eyes, he does not invest in it: we do not invest in household cats or mice, certainly not in roaches or other pests, and if we do invest anything, it is in pesticides. One might have thought that the lowliness and humility of the pauper are insignificant to Hashem, and that He, as it were, has no interest in dealing with them. Scripture comes and tells us: that is not so. The distinction between "despised" (baza) and "abhorred" (shiketz): "baza" means that it is too beneath Him to bother with, like a person who does not engage with simple creatures; "shiketz" stems from disgust or hatred toward the thing. Nor is it that Hashem fails to oversee what transpires in the lower world, which is why the verse states, "nor has He hidden His face from him." Do not say: if the poor man is in such a low state, Hashem must have hidden His face from him. That is not the reason; on the contrary - "and when he cried out to Him, He heard": when the poor man cries out to Hashem, Hashem hears his cry and accepts his prayer.
We have explained according to the Malbim that "enut ani" refers to the poor man's humble submissiveness, and this is also implied by Rashi, as in the phrase "la'anot mipannai" (to humble oneself before Me). However, the Radak cites other commentators, as well as the Targum, who interpret "enut ani" as the prayer of the poor man, from the word for verbal answering and speech, as in "vaya'an vayomer" (he spoke up and said) and "ma'aneh lashon" (the response of the tongue). According to this view: Hashem does not hide His face from him, but rather listens to his cry; his "enut" is his prayer and outcry, which Hashem hears and answers.
מֵאִתְּךָ תְּהִלָּתִי בְּקָהָל רָב נְדָרַי אֲשַׁלֵּם נֶגֶד יְרֵאָיו׃ - From You is my praise in the great assembly; I will pay my vows in the presence of those who fear Him.
He returns to what he said earlier, "In the midst of the congregation I will praise You": even the very praise with which I praise You, I received from You. The praise itself is Divine bounty flowing from Hashem, "From You is my praise in the great assembly" - because You showed me Your Providence and Your special mercy. And following the praise comes "I will pay my vows": one must bring a thanksgiving offering (korban todah) for the miracle, as it is written, "And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with singing." What I pledged, I will fulfill.
יֹאכְלוּ עֲנָוִים וְיִשְׂבָּעוּ יְהַלְלוּ יְהֹוָה דֹּרְשָׁיו יְחִי לְבַבְכֶם לָעַד׃ - The humble shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek Hashem shall praise Him; may your hearts live forever.
According to the Malbim, this refers to the Kohanim who offer the thanksgiving offering (Korban Todah). "I will pay my vows" - I will bring the Todah, and the Kohanim will eat from the meat of the sacrifice and praise Hashem. And why "and be satisfied"? As is well known, only a small amount of the sacrificial meat was eaten, yet it was blessed in their stomachs; moreover, our Sages noted that those who ate of the sacrificial meat did not need to relieve themselves, for like the manna, it was absorbed directly into the limbs. Thus, they ate little and were fully satisfied. Afterwards, they praise Hashem, and then "may your hearts live forever" - the heart sustained by the sacrificial meat receives a spiritual outflow from this sacred food and merits eternal life, referring to eternity in the World to Come and not merely bodily life. As Chazal taught, "The Kohanim eat and the owners achieve atonement": the eating of the Kohanim is an integral part of the divine service of Hashem. One must not view it merely as their livelihood; rather, the eating itself is their form of divine service. It is also written that a Heavenly voice (Bat Kol) would resound in the Temple Courtyard (Azarah), announcing that so-and-so should come and eat of the holy meat - demonstrating that this is an inseparable part of the service.
The Radak explains differently: "The humble shall eat and be satisfied" does not refer to the Kohanim, but rather to the Jewish people, who are called "humble" - as in the teaching, "Humble ones, the time of your redemption has arrived" - whereas the nations are considered arrogant. Israel is called "those who seek Him," for they seek Hashem throughout their exile. And while in exile - "The humble shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek Hashem shall praise Him," referring to those who seek Hashem even in times of distress. When they are redeemed, they will eat from the spoils of their enemies: all that the nations plundered from us throughout the centuries - they will eat, be satisfied, and take delight. For the nations built their wealth off us; anyone wishing to see this need only visit the Vatican to see how many precious treasures of the Jewish people are housed there, or travel Europe to see the vast fortunes and masterworks of art that belonged to Jews for generations, all plundered by Germany. From this one can see how reality will be reversed: they were sated from us, and now the humble will eat and be satisfied from the plunder of the enemies.
And what is the meaning of "may your hearts live"? The Radak explains: This is like the phrase "and the spirit of Yaakov lived," the exact opposite of "and his heart went numb." The living spirit resides in the heart, and when a person is engulfed in distress, his heart is like dead, as in "my heart is slain within me." But when he emerges from trouble - "and the spirit of Yaakov their father revived," the heart exults and comes back to life. And this vitality will be "forever" - there will never be another exile: not like the revival during the First Temple period, which was followed by exile, nor like that of the Second Temple, after which came an exile of nearly two thousand years, but rather "may your hearts live forever."
יִזְכְּרוּ וְיָשֻׁבוּ אֶל יְהֹוָה כָּל אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְפָנֶיךָ כָּל מִשְׁפְּחוֹת גּוֹיִם׃ כִּי לַיהֹוָה הַמְּלוּכָה וּמֹשֵׁל בַּגּוֹיִם׃ - All the ends of the earth will remember and return to Hashem, and all the families of the nations will bow down before You. For kingship belongs to Hashem, and He rules over the nations.
The Malbim explains that the clauses here directly parallel one another: "All the ends of the earth will remember and return to Hashem" - why? "For kingship belongs to Hashem." "And all the families of the nations will bow down before You" - why? "And He rules over the nations." There is an essential difference between a king (melech) and a ruler (moshel), as also elucidated by the Vilna Gaon: a king reigns with the consent and choice of the people, who desire his monarchy; a ruler, by contrast, is generally an autocrat who governs with a strong hand against their will. The Holy One, Blessed be He, reigns without requiring the consent of the people to crown Him, and this is "for kingship belongs to Hashem" - an intrinsic sovereignty. All the ends of the earth will remember this, that kingship is His and that He is the Creator, and through this realization they will return to Him. Furthermore, He also "rules over the nations": the nations oppressed and tortured us throughout history, and Hashem will govern them with a strong hand and His full power, punishing them and overthrowing nations and kingdoms, as it says, "And I will manifest My greatness and My holiness" through the retribution He will bring upon them; He will bring Esav to the Valley of Yehoshaphat to judge him, as it says, "And saviors shall ascend Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esav." Then, "all the families of the nations will bow down before You" - a prostration compelled against their will, out of terror and awe.
אָכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ כָּל דִּשְׁנֵי אֶרֶץ לְפָנָיו יִכְרְעוּ כָּל יוֹרְדֵי עָפָר וְנַפְשׁוֹ לֹא חִיָּה׃ - All the robust of the earth have eaten and bowed down; before Him shall kneel all who descend to the dust, and he who could not keep his soul alive.
"The robust of the earth" (dyshnei eretz), the Malbim explains, refers to people whose sole occupation in this world is to fatten themselves, like stall-fed calves, with physical pleasures. "They have eaten and bowed down" - they gorged themselves until their posture bent low, bowed down from overfilling their bellies. But what does this indulgence profit them, when they are merely fattening a body destined for dust, maggots, and worms, while providing no vitality to the spiritual soul? All they sought was bodily pleasure, lust, and materialism. Therefore, "before Him shall kneel all who descend to the dust, and he who could not keep his soul alive": at the conclusion of life, on the day of death, they will arrive to render an accounting before the Holy One, Blessed be He, and will kneel as those who descend to the dust, having done nothing to revive their souls for eternity. The soul of the wicked sinks downward into the earth, for its entire concern was earthliness and that is its natural domain; whereas the soul of the righteous person, who yearned for spirituality throughout his days, ascends upward to reach Him, blessed be He.
Ibn Ezra explains in a similar vein, noting that these words stand in direct contrast to what was stated earlier, "The humble shall eat and be satisfied": the humble eat little and are satisfied, eating only to sustain their souls, and regarding them it is said, "May your hearts live forever." But the "robust of the earth," who chase after luxury and strive to seize every worldly pleasure, are the exact antithesis of the humble. Regarding them it is stated, "and he who could not keep his soul alive" - their hearts will not live forever, since their sole interest was physical self-indulgence and the pleasures of this world.
The Radak cites an explanation in the name of his father that the verse depicts two distinct groups. Among the gentiles, there will be those who return to Hashem, and they will be fat and flourishing: they will repent, seek closeness to Him, and Hashem will accept them; then "they will eat and bow down," giving thanks to Hashem for all He has bestowed upon them. According to the Radak, this is stated in praise of those gentiles who will return to Hashem and desire to do His will. However, there are others among the nations whom the Holy One, Blessed be He, will not accept even if they kneel and prostrate themselves, and these are the ones who shed the blood of Israel: they will descend to the dust and end up in Gehinnom, and regarding them it is said, "and he who could not keep his soul alive" - Hashem will not preserve the soul of a single one of them. Why? Because the financial damage they inflicted on us can be rectified through compensation, as it says, "Instead of copper I will bring gold" - those who plundered copper will pay double and give gold. But what can ever compensate for the shed blood of Israel? Regarding this it is said, "I will hold innocent, but their bloodshed I will not hold innocent," and it says, "Their lifeblood was sprinkled upon My garments" - the bloodstains of Israel remain, as it were, permanently upon the garments of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and Hashem declares that He will never cleanse them. Therefore, these will descend to the dust and their souls will not live, their lives serving as restitution for the lives of Israel; whereas the first part of the verse refers to those who did not take Jewish lives but merely seized their money, and they will "kneel before Him" and be received in repentance.
Rashi cites the teaching of Chazal that the dying behold the Shechinah before their death. As stated in Masechet Kallah Rabbati (chapter 3): "A person does not die until he sees the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, as it is stated, 'For man shall not see Me and live' - in their lifetime they do not see Him, but in their death they do see Him, and it is stated, 'Before Him shall bow all who go down to the dust.'" So too in Midrash Tehillim (Shocher Tov): Rabbi Yochanan said, "'A seed shall serve Him' - both the righteous and the wicked greet the Divine Presence, as it is stated, 'Before Him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and he who could not keep his soul alive.' And why do the wicked greet the Divine Presence? It is understandable that the righteous do; but why the wicked? Rather, the wicked rebelled against the Holy One, blessed be He, and at the time of their death they are shown the Divine Presence and told: 'Come and see the face of the King whom you rebelled against, and He is destined to exact retribution from you.' In other words, they are told: the celebrations are over; the One whom you angered all your days - behold now His face. The soul is then filled with a tremendous desire to cleave to Him, blessed be He, yet it is told: not only will you not cleave to Him, but He is also destined to exact retribution from you. A most severe punishment. By contrast, regarding the righteous: 'The righteous too, at the time of their passing, are shown the Divine Presence and told: Come and see the face of the King whom you served, for He is destined to grant your reward' - all your days you served Him out of darkness, concealment, and hardship; come and see who is destined to grant your reward.
זֶרַע יַעַבְדֶנּוּ יְסֻפַּר לַאדֹנָי לַדּוֹר׃ - A seed shall serve Him; it shall be counted unto the Lord for the generation.
"A seed shall serve Him" - these are the righteous who serve Hashem. The Malbim explains that yesupar is not an expression of narration (telling a story), as the simple meaning of the verse suggests, but an expression of counting - it will be numbered. Only this seed, the seed that serves Him, will be included in the tally of generations and numbered among them. But the wicked, who did not serve Him, are as though completely erased from history, as if they never existed at all; Hashem does not count them in the tally of the world's generations. Only those who do His will are counted - "A seed shall serve Him; it shall be counted unto the Lord for the generation."
יָבֹאוּ וְיַגִּידוּ צִדְקָתוֹ לְעַם נוֹלָד כִּי עָשָׂה׃ - They shall come and declare His righteousness to a people that shall be born, that He has done it.
And David concludes: "They shall come" - that very seed who will come and declare His righteousness, they are the ones who will be counted before the Holy One, blessed be He. Hashem will consider them a people born into the world and made by Him, both those who were born and His handiwork - "to a people that shall be born, that He has done it." But the "fat ones of the earth," who did not preserve their souls alive, are not counted by Hashem at all, as if they had no offspring and had never existed in the world.
The Radak explains: "They shall come and declare" - those returning from exile who will arrive from the ends of the earth will declare His righteousness to the people born to them, to the children who come after them. These children did not witness the deeds that Hashem performed for their fathers, and therefore the fathers will come and tell them how much loving-kindness, salvation, and help Hashem granted us even while we were in exile.
The Radak concludes by noting that the Christians interpreted this psalm as referring to that man, as though he were describing the afflictions inflicted upon him by Israel, turning to the Father and describing how persecutors, dogs, and evildoers surrounded him. As has been noted more than once, the Malbim hardly mentions Christianity at all, as he was wary of dealing with it while living among them, having suffered multiple times from informers who claimed to find hints in his writings mocking them; consequently, all his remarks on the subject are made with subtle hints, whereas he speaks freely about the children of Ishmael. With the Radak, however, the opposite is true: he addresses Christianity openly. In brief, here is how he refutes their claims:
They interpreted "Like a lion, my hands and my feet" (ka'ari yaday veraglay) as karu yaday veraglay ("they pierced my hands and my feet"), referring to the nails driven into his hands and feet during the crucifixion. They were likewise misled by the verse "and he who could not keep his soul alive" (venafsho lo chiyah), claiming: behold, he is a deity, "before him shall bow all who go down to the dust," and he did not wish to keep his soul alive, since according to their doctrine he assumed a physical body in order to be killed, so that through his death he might release the inhabitants of Gehinnom. Yet according to this, it is entirely incomprehensible what grievance they hold against the Jews: according to their claim, the Jews killed him, yet by your own doctrine, this was his very desire - to be killed in order to release those in Gehinnom - so what grievance do you have? And this, of course, is far from the only refutation against Christianity.
The Radak says: "Now let their ears hear what their mouths speak." If he did not wish to keep his soul alive and be saved from the hands of his killers, why did he cry out, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me, far from my salvation"? After all, you are not asking to be saved at all! And why did he complain, "I cry by day, but You do not answer" - when he supposedly does not want to be answered? Furthermore: if he is a deity, why does he need to call upon someone else to save him? Let him save himself! And if this is a deity who cries for help, it is a weak deity; if he is looking for someone to help him, how can he help you? Furthermore: how could he say, "You Who inhabit the praises of Israel," when according to your doctrine it was Israel who killed him, so how could he praise the praises of Israel? Furthermore: "In You our fathers trusted" - yet according to their doctrine he had only one father, so why use the plural "our fathers"? Furthermore: would God Himself say, "But I am a worm and not a man"? What kind of worm is this? Furthermore: "He committed himself to Hashem, let Him deliver him, let Him rescue him" - what is this speaking of? If it refers to the flesh, He neither delivered him nor rescued him; and if it refers to divinity, divinity requires no rescue. Furthermore: "For You drew me from the womb" - how could he say this, when he himself is supposed to bring others out of the womb? Furthermore: "I will declare Your name to my brothers" - does your god have brothers? We were unaware. Furthermore: recounting and praising come as thanksgiving after salvation has occurred, but he was not saved, but rather hanged and crucified, so for what is there to praise? Furthermore: "All the seed of Jacob honor Him... for He did not despise nor abhor the plea of the afflicted" - yet according to their doctrine, Israel were the ones who harmed him, so how could he say they would praise Him? And in his affliction, the Father did indeed despise him, abhor him, hide His face from him, and when he cried out to Him, He did not listen. Furthermore: "And all the families of the nations shall bow down before You" - yet the Jews and the Ishmaelites do not believe in him, and all the families of the nations have not accepted their religion regarding him, but only the Christians. Thus, all their claims are proven false.
And as noted, this is merely a tiny fraction of the immense difficulties facing Christianity, which is full of holes like Swiss cheese, leaving not one stone upon another. Anyone who begins to investigate the subject sees that it is a collection of fabrications, lies, myths, and inventions, devoid of any substance. When challenged with questions, they have no answers, only: "You just have to believe; I feel it in my heart." One cannot argue with feelings; you feel that way - good for you, but I feel differently. Yet can you prove it? Can you provide evidence? Judaism is built on evidence, on proofs, and on fulfilled prophecies. In Christianity, there is not even a single prophecy. There is one "prophecy" uttered five hundred years ago, claiming that the Jewish people would never merit returning to their land because they killed that man - and behold, we returned. They replied: Yes, but not to Jerusalem. And in 5727 (1967), we returned to Jerusalem as well. Then came the ostrich approach: the pope did not come to visit, did not watch or listen to the news, and thus dismissed the whole matter. That is their sole prophecy, from an archbishop five hundred years ago; whereas Judaism possesses a wealth of prophecies coming to pass before our very eyes. This is truth versus falsehood, and from here we can appreciate that Judaism is as distant from Christianity and Islam as east is from west. This has been elaborated on elsewhere, and whoever wishes may listen to the shiurim on Sefer HaKuzari.
In this part of the psalm, the transition is made from the depths to salvation: the enemies have already divided the garments and cast lots for the clothing, yet they could not touch the soul itself; and the supplicant cries, "My strength, hasten to my aid" - that Hashem be to him like the radiant morning star. He pleads for his "only one," the very last thing left to him, and is described as one already standing in the mouth of the lion and rescued from the horns of the wild oxen - and from that very place he recounts and praises. From the Midrash regarding Esther we learned a major principle: one who calls his enemy a "dog" believes he can contend through his own strength, whereas one who calls him a "lion" knows that he has none other than Hashem alone. From there, the psalm ascends to thanksgiving in the congregation and in the assembly of the sages, to the three levels of those who serve Him, to the promise that Hashem does not despise the affliction of the poor and does not hide His face, and to the End of Days when all the ends of the earth will return, the humble will eat and be satisfied and their hearts will live forever, while the "fat ones of the earth" who did not keep their souls alive will bow to the dust and not be counted among the generations at all. Only "seed that serves Him" will be recounted to the Lord for a generation, and they will come and declare His righteousness to a nation yet to be born, that He has done it.