We continue with the final section of Psalm 27. Until now, King David spoke of the enemies pursuing him and of his trust in Hashem. From this point forward, he transitions to petitions: guidance in the ways of Hashem, rescue from the hands of his adversaries, and the strengthening of faith and hope. At the conclusion of the psalm, we will see how the entire chapter is tied to the days of Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance, and why David concludes specifically with the double repetition of "Hope in Hashem."
הוֹרֵנִי יְהֹוָה דַּרְכֶּךָ וּנְחֵנִי בְּאֹרַח מִישׁוֹר לְמַעַן שׁוֹרְרָי׃ - Teach me, Hashem, Your way, and lead me on a level path because of my watchful foes.
The Malbim explains: King David asks here that Hashem ease the means necessary for him to attain knowledge of Godliness, to attain spirituality. We have already learned that there is a distinction between a derech (a major way) and an orach (a pathway). The derech is the highway, the broad and grand road - regarding this he says, "Teach me, Hashem, Your way," for it suffices merely to show it to me. But the orach refers to the specific, individual paths that branch off from the main highway - there, mere pointing is not enough; there one requires active guidance: "and lead me on a level path," on a straight and upright course.
And why? The Malbim explains that as we already saw in Chapter 5, a person faces two impediments. The first is that he does not know which way he ought to go, and concerning this he asks, "Teach me, Hashem, Your way." The second is that even when he knows the way, there are obstacles along the road that must be surmounted and contended with. Regarding this he says, "and lead me on a level path" - not along a treacherous, bumpy terrain, but along a smooth, straight path upon which one can walk and travel smoothly.
What is the deeper meaning? The Malbim explains: The essential knowledge of Hashem - that is what I ask You to inform me of and teach me. Yet knowledge alone is not enough, for thank God our intellectual knowledge is vast; the true difficulty lies in application. The challenge is battling the evil inclination. Indeed, Scripture explicitly calls the yetzer hara an "obstacle" (michshol) - that is one of its names. There are obstacles and hindrances along the path. Therefore, "Teach me, Hashem, Your way" is not sufficient on its own. I know the proper way, but I must contend with the evil inclination. Concerning this, David asks, "and lead me on a level path" - that I may withstand the evil inclination, resisting temptations and physical desires, and even regarding things that seem necessary. A person must eat, sleep, and procreate, but I fear lest the evil inclination entice me through these bodily needs and lead me to exceed what is truly necessary. Regarding this I plead: lead me on a level path, that I partake from this world only that which is essential to me.
And what is the meaning of "because of my watchful foes" (lema'an shorerai)? In opposition to those who seek to cause me to sin. The Radak explains that shorerai refers to enemies who gaze upon me with malicious intent, from the same root as "I see it, but not now; I behold it (ashurenu), but not near" (Bamidbar 24:17), and likewise "daughters step over the wall (shur)" (Bereishit 49:22) - where it refers to a wall, since from a rampart people would look out and gaze into the distance. Thus David asks: do this on account of my watchful foes - save me from those who wish to harm me physically and from those who wish to corrupt my soul, namely the base impulses and passions. Protect me against those who lie in wait to watch me, against those who seek my harm.
The Ibn Ezra records a wonderful observation here: "One of the wise of heart said: He who wishes to overcome his enemies should increase in the service of Hashem." This resolves an apparent difficulty in the text: King David has been speaking about enemies, about how "false witnesses have risen against me, breathing violence," and about adversaries he must face - yet suddenly he turns and asks, "Teach me, Hashem, Your way; lead me on the path of righteousness and truth." Seemingly, he diverged in a completely different direction! Yet that is precisely the answer: King David is declaring, "Master of the Universe, I know how to overcome all trials and hardships, all those who violate the covenant and cause disruption - by increasing my service of Hashem."
Add spirituality - a little bit of light dispels much darkness. Add sanctity - "Will you set your eyes upon it, and it is gone?" (Mishlei 23:5), "In yet a little while, the wicked will be no more" (Tehillim 37:10), and you will see how it suddenly vanishes. One does not fight through brute physical force or violence; increase in holiness, and the power of impurity in the world will dissipate on its own.
אַל תִּתְּנֵנִי בְּנֶפֶשׁ צָרָי כִּי קָמוּ בִי עֵדֵי שֶׁקֶר וִיפֵחַ חָמָס׃ - Do not deliver me over to the desire of my oppressors, for false witnesses have risen against me, breathing out violence.
לוּלֵא הֶאֱמַנְתִּי לִרְאוֹת בְּטוּב יְהֹוָה בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים׃ - Had I not believed that I would gaze upon the goodness of Hashem in the land of the living...
The Malbim explains that these two verses are intimately connected: "Do not deliver me over to the desire of my oppressors" - for had I not believed that I would gaze upon the goodness of Hashem in the land of the living, already "false witnesses have risen against me, breathing out violence." In other words: were it not for my boundless faith in Hashem's promise, I could never have endured this. Even when a person finds himself exiled and hunted, severed from the inheritance of Hashem and driven into a foreign land - King David says: What sustained me? I believed in the promise that Hashem made to me, that I would reign as king over Israel and return to my rightful place, to Jerusalem. I believed that I would return and behold the goodness of Hashem in the land of the living - which is Eretz Yisrael, "a land upon which the eyes of Hashem your God constantly rest," "for there Hashem commanded the blessing, life forevermore."
And who were these "false witnesses"? The Ziphites, the men of Keilah, and all those who repeatedly maligned David before Saul: "David seeks your life; David is pursuing you." They were "breathing out violence." The word yifei'ach denotes muttering and chirping, and the Malbim writes in Yair Ohr that this term signifies whispering - and as is well known, when people come to slander and gossip, they always speak in a whisper.
In his advanced age, the Chafetz Chaim could no longer hear well, and people wished to fit him with a hearing aid. He refused unequivocally. When they asked him why, he explained: "All my life I have been vigilant never to utter lashon hara, and thank God, to this day I have never spoken lashon hara" - an astonishing testimony about himself. "However, hearing lashon hara is not entirely in my control; if someone comes and speaks lashon hara in my ear, what can I do? Can I possibly anticipate when he is about to begin? Granted, the moment he started I would silence him, but I might have already absorbed something. Now, thank God that my hearing is impaired, anyone who wishes to speak lashon hara to me must shout - and people do not shout lashon hara. When someone comes to whisper, 'Did the Rosh Yeshivah hear what happened over there?' or 'Does the Rav know what so-and-so did?' it is always done quietly, in a murmur. He would never dare shout it. Thus, Hashem in His mercy has spared me from hearing lashon hara as well."
This is the meaning of "breathing out violence": the act of breathing, representing speech emerging from the mouth, applies to whispering. Anyone who sought to cast aspersion and violence against King David breathed these words from his lips, whispering them quietly into Saul's ear. And what kept David from collapsing? How did these false witnesses, murmuring poison into Saul's ear, fail to break his spirit or drive him to despair? To this he answers: "Had I not believed that I would gaze upon the goodness of Hashem in the land of the living." Were it not for my unshakable faith that Hashem would restore me to my land and grant me the monarchy, I could never have escaped their clutches. By virtue of the depth of that faith I drew strength, and with courageous conviction I was delivered from them. This is the plea, "Do not deliver me over to the desire of my oppressors" - on what merit? By virtue of having believed to see the goodness of Hashem in the land of the living, trusting with perfect faith that He will fulfill His word.
Our Sages also expound "the land of the living" non-literally, referring not to the physical Holy Land below, but - as the Malbim cites - to the reward of the World to Come, which is the dimension of "life forevermore." Understood this way, what is meant by "for false witnesses have risen against me, breathing out violence"? These are the distorted ideas and troubling doubts that rose within his own heart. King David witnessed realities that posed excruciating challenges to faith: he saw the righteous perish, the upright relentlessly persecuted. He himself stood as the quintessential example of one who did the will of Hashem and clung to Him every moment of his life - yet despite this, how bitterly he was hunted and tormented! "Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs of my head." All these agonizing questions arose: How can this be? I devote myself entirely to Hashem's service and do His will, so why is my lot so fraught with pain? Why do the righteous suffer? David says: These thoughts nearly brought about my ruin. This is "Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries (tzarai)" - and who are these adversaries? The tribulations that oppress a person's soul (nefesh), tempting him to question the attributes and Providence of the Holy One, Blessed is He.
And what sustained me? "Had I not believed that I would gaze upon the goodness of Hashem in the land of the living." I would have been utterly lost amidst these troubling thoughts had I not constantly fortified myself with the conviction: this world is passing, the trials here are temporary, and beyond them lies an eternity where I will merit to behold the ultimate goodness of Hashem. Faith in the life of the World to Come is what empowered me to withstand every trial in this world, and to overcome the base instincts and warped philosophies that claim there is no justice and no Judge, pointing out how the righteous suffer while the wicked flourish like a leafy tree. Had I not believed that I would gaze upon the goodness of Hashem in the land of eternal life, false witnesses breathing out violence would have overtaken my heart - all those insidious thoughts questioning how the righteous can suffer while the wicked prosper, leading me, Heaven forbid, toward heresy. Therefore I pray, "Teach me Your way, Hashem" - precisely as Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, pleaded concerning this very mystery of why the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper, asking, "Show me now Your glory." Teach me Your way, Hashem, that I may perceive how all the tribulations of the righteous are ultimately for the good - through the realization that this world is fleeting, and that a person's true reward awaits him in the world above.
It is well known that the Malbim was relentlessly persecuted throughout his life. Adversaries hounded him from community to community, and the Maskilim pursued him with bitter hostility wherever he went - false denunciations, harassment, and unending grief. It is told that the Chafetz Chaim, wishing to offer him encouragement, went to purchase his sefarim directly from him. He asked the Malbim why he did not continue writing his halachic masterpiece, Artzot HaChaim, a brilliant work on the opening sections of the Shulchan Aruch. The Malbim answered that he was entirely absorbed in his monumental commentary on Tanach - the very commentary we are blessed to learn today. The Malbim suggested: "If the Rav will take upon himself the commentary on Tanach, I will take it upon myself to complete Artzot HaChaim." The Chafetz Chaim replied: "What you have accomplished on Tanach, I cannot do; I do not possess the capacity for that. It is far better that you continue it yourself." Indeed, his commentary was urgently needed in that generation to repel the Maskilim, whose primary enterprise was undermining Tanach with fabricated dilemmas, contradictions, and misunderstandings. The Malbim waged the battle of Torah, proving that those Maskilim were completely misguided and understood nothing, and demonstrating how Tanach must truly be learned - unveiling the exact precision of every word, and the magnificent, unified progression of each entire chapter. This work was vital for that era, and its impact continues to illuminate future generations. Notably, almost everywhere that the Malbim offers an insight in Artzot HaChaim, the Chafetz Chaim quotes him with reverence in the Mishnah Berurah.
And all this I recounted for the sake of the conclusion: when the Chafetz Chaim parted from him, he told him - know that as for all those who battle against you and come out against you, the wind will carry them away and nothing of them will remain; no one will remember them. But you - the reality is that you produced a work that will endure for all eternity, and your reward is a complete reward, guaranteed for all time. This is precisely what King David is saying: the reality here in this world, the suffering, the hardships, and the persecutions - "Had I not believed that I would see the goodness of Hashem in the land of the living," where eternity resides, I would have already broken from all the hardships I experienced here.
Rashi cites: "Lulei" has dots over it - there are dots placed over the word, as we find in various places in the Torah, and Chazal expound these dots. Chazal expound: David said, I know that You bestow reward upon the righteous in the World to Come, but I do not know whether I have a portion with them or not. The dots come to convey that David knows there is a portion for the righteous, yet does not know if he is among them. And this is just so that we gain a bit of perspective: a person says to himself - well, of course, Gan Eden, what question is there? Where else could they possibly take me? Baruch Hashem, I learn, I pray, I observe mitzvos - straight to Gan Eden! Yet here Rabbi Yochanan is not so certain: "Two paths lie before me, and I do not know along which one they are leading me," and even King David is not entirely sure; only we are confident in Gan Eden express, without delays and without passing even through the valley of weeping.
Yet we must examine: how exactly do the dots teach that David was unsure of his reward in the World to Come? Chazal explain that when the letters outnumber the dots, we expound the letters, and when the dots outnumber the letters, we expound the dots. That is, if the majority of the word's letters have dots over them, we expound the dotted letters; and if the majority of the letters do not have dots - for example, a five-letter word with only three dotted - we expound the letters that bear no dots. Here, in the word "Lulei" (לולא), the second lamed is dotted, and therefore we expound the rest of the written letters, the undotted letters - as though it were written lamed, vav, alef.
And how does this align with Chazal's exposition? Apparently in one of three ways, and I have not seen anyone write this. First possibility: as though it were written "lo" (לא) - I did not believe I would merit to see the goodness of Hashem, meaning I do not believe I will merit this, corresponding to David's statement that he does not know whether he has a portion with them. Second possibility, which appears more probable: if we remove the second lamed and leave the rest in place, we are left with "lu" (לו) - "lu" in the sense of 'if only' or 'would that', as in "lu yehi." David is saying: if only I may merit to see the goodness of Hashem in the land of the living; I am not certain, would that I merit it! And a third possibility, which is more forced: to read the letters as "lav" (לאו - no). But as noted, it seems more likely that the intent is "lu" - if only I will merit it.
We have already discussed that this psalm is recited during the month of Elul, and Chazal expound: "Lulei" - lamed, vav, lamed, alef - are the letters of Elul. And regarding this we say, "Hope in Hashem" - this is in Elul; "be strong and let your heart take courage" - these are the Ten Days of Repentance; "and hope in Hashem" a second time - this is Yom Kippur; and then one will merit to see the land of the living.
And the Sha'ar HaMelech notes with precision: "Lulei" indeed has the letters of Elul, but in reverse - one must read it backward. And what does this come to teach? Just as a deer runs while turning its face backward, so a person runs throughout the entire year, and upon the arrival of Elul must turn his face backward, retrospectively: to examine where he corrupted and where he blemished, and to rectify. Therefore, the letters are in reverse, from the end to the beginning: now that you have reached the end, look back at the beginning, see all that you did improperly - and rectify it.
קַוֵּה אֶל יְהֹוָה חֲזַק וְיַאֲמֵץ לִבֶּךָ וְקַוֵּה אֶל יְהֹוָה׃ - Hope in Hashem; be strong and let your heart take courage, and hope in Hashem.
Why the repetition? Rashi explains: Hope in Hashem, and if your prayer is not accepted - hope again. That is, never despair. You prayed? True, but pray again. Moshe Rabbeinu prayed 515 prayers, and at the 516th he was destined to be answered, except that Hashem told him, "Speak no more to Me." A person cannot know at what stage he will be answered from Heaven. Therefore: hope in Hashem, be strong and let your heart take courage, and again hope in Hashem.
The story is told of a man who once approached a Rebbe, requesting that he pray for him and give him a blessing. The Rebbe told him: You pray yourself. He said to him: I have already prayed, but "prayer accomplishes half," so I need the Rebbe to bless me. The Rebbe replied: If so, pray once more - prayer accomplishes half, so recite another prayer and complete the other half! And that is Rashi's meaning: if your prayer is not accepted, return and hope again.
The Alshich notes an interesting point here: King David asked for three things like a beggar going from door to door. Our Sages said that David was like a begging pauper, and we see this in several places where his requests progress gradually. The Midrash gives a parable of a beggar knocking on a door: first he asks, "Excuse me, may I have a cup of water?" - who won't give a cup of water? They bring it to him. Then: "Could I have a piece of onion?" - what is an onion, after all? They give it to him. He says: "An onion without something wrapping it above and below is hard to eat" - they give him two slices of bread. And once there is bread, perhaps a little cheese and tomato... and in the end the man walks out with fattened geese and steaks, and it all began with a cup of water. Such was David's way, and so one is taught when approaching to ask: do not jump ahead, but proceed gradually - start small, and then add more and more.
The first request: "Your presence, Hashem, do I seek" (pasuk 8) - that the presence of Hashem be with him. The second request: once Hashem's presence is with me, I ask that He never hide His face from me for any reason - "Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger," that He not turn away from me in a time of anger and wrath, lest I stray from the path as a result. This is already a higher level. And the third request: "Teach me, Hashem, Your way, and guide me on a level path" - that He lead me along the path of pious devotion, beyond the strict letter of the law. Here he continues climbing toward even higher spiritual attainments.
And to these three matters, Heaven answers him, as it were: "Hope to Hashem." Regarding the first request - if you place your hope in the Holy One, Blessed be He, Hashem will be with you even more than you requested; you will receive far beyond. Regarding the second request, that He not hide His face from you - "be strong and let your heart take courage": for Hashem not to hide His face is also demanded of you; do not leave everything to the Holy One, Blessed be He. You must strengthen yourself in His service and fear, for what is he asking? - that even when I deviate from the path, Hashem should continue watching over me. They tell him: you must be strong so as not to provoke anger and wrath before the Omnipresent, and through this, "let your heart take courage" - Hashem, blessed be He, will embolden your heart so that you do not anger Heaven. And regarding the third matter, "Teach me, Hashem, Your way," the trait of pious devotion - regarding this it repeats and says: "and hope to Hashem": in this too, place your hope in Hashem, and this too He will fulfill for you and provide all your needs.
The Malbim explains based on what we said: in the merit of faith in Hashem's promise - "Had I not believed" I would have perished - David was saved from his enemies and ultimately merited to return to his kingship. Therefore he says, "Hope to Hashem," to return to beholding the goodness of Hashem, and he repeats and commands us to hope to Hashem once more: for how did you return? Through hoping to Hashem. Therefore, return and hope to Hashem, that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will continue to bestow His bounty upon you henceforth as well.
Here the Malbim explains that hoping in Hashem differs from hoping in flesh and blood in two ways. First: one who hopes that flesh and blood will help him - we all know that most often, "hope deferred makes the heart sick." These are expectations that mostly remain unfulfilled. Someone said he would help; the community activist said he is currently dealing only with your matter - fortunate is the believer. Someone said, "I'll try for you" - do not build much on that. There are those who post on noticeboards: "I prayed for forty days for Hashem's salvation and was answered, and I promised to publicize it," and there is value in that to publicize the Name of Heaven. Once someone wrote: "I turned to a public activist and asked for help with a certain matter for forty days and was not answered, and I promised to publicize it - and then I was answered." That is hope in flesh and blood. But one who hopes in Hashem - "be strong and let your heart take courage": this hope gives a person strength and courage of heart, because here there is someone to rely upon. You are not relying on flesh and blood selling you theories about making an effort, but on Hashem, blessed be He.
And second: one who places hope in another person - the hope is not an end in itself, but a means; I hope in him so that through him my needs will be settled. For example, I need a discount on municipal taxes, and I place my hope in the clerk who promised to advocate on my behalf. Is his advocacy the goal? No. The goal is that I not pay municipal taxes. And so it is with any matter where I need someone to lobby in high places: needing him is not a goal, but merely a tool. In fact, the ultimate goal of hoping there is that I will not need to hope at all - that I will be settled, with no need to seek out anyone or depend on anyone's help.
With hope in Hashem, however, this is not the case: even after the Holy One, Blessed be He, has granted you what you need, you do not say, "That's it, I received it, I no longer hope." The ultimate purpose of the hoping is the hoping itself. The very hope in Hashem is a goal in its own right - it is attachment, longing, and the desire to be connected to Him, blessed be He. This is "Hope... be strong... and hope to Hashem": when you hope to Hashem, the point is to strengthen yourself and return to hoping, for the anticipation itself is the ultimate goal. With flesh and blood, if only I did not have to hope, and the hoping is merely an instrument to solve the problem; with Hashem, even though the problem will ultimately be resolved, I still desire the hope and anticipation toward Him, blessed be He, for that is an end in itself.
Thus, "hope" is a command, says the Malbim: we are commanded to return and place our hope in Hashem. And what is the duplicate expression "be strong and let your heart take courage"? "Be strong" - to strengthen oneself; and "let your heart take courage," which usually refers to fortifying the heart - to maintain that strength persistently. It is not enough to be strong; one must persevere in strength, and that is the added dimension beyond the initial strengthening itself.
In the chapter's conclusion, David makes two requests: "Teach me, Hashem, Your way" - knowledge of the path, and "and guide me on a level path" - guidance to overcome the obstacles, which are the evil inclination and its temptations. The way to overcome enemies, in the words of the Ibn Ezra, is to increase in the service of Hashem: a little light dispels much darkness. And what sustained David in the face of false witnesses breathing violence, and in the face of flawed philosophies questioning why the righteous suffer? "Had I not believed to look upon the goodness of Hashem in the land of the living" - faith in Hashem's promise and in the eternal reward of the World to Come. "Lulei" (לולא - had I not) spells "Elul" in reverse, hinting that in Elul a person turns back to repair what he has corrupted. Hence the conclusion: "Hope to Hashem, be strong and let your heart take courage, and hope to Hashem" - if you have not been answered, return and hope, strengthen yourself and persevere; for hope in Hashem is not merely a means like hope in flesh and blood, but an end in itself - clinging to Him, blessed be He.