Introduction
We continue in Chapter 31 of Tehillim, with the verses in which King David describes his plight during his flight from Saul. In the preceding verses, David described how he was forgotten like a dead man from mind and was like a discarded vessel, and now he continues and explains: this being forgotten was not on the part of his pursuers, but on the part of his loved ones and relatives. From here on, David sets forth his trust in Hashem, his plea for manifest Divine providence, and his thanksgiving for his salvations - culminating in a closing message of strength to all who hope in Hashem.
"For I Heard the Defamation of Many" - Who Forgot and Who Remembered
כִּי שָׁמַעְתִּי דִּבַּת רַבִּים מָגוֹר מִסָּבִיב בְּהִוָּסְדָם יַחַד עָלַי לָקַחַת נַפְשִׁי זָמָמוּ׃ - For I have heard the slander of many, terror all around; when they conspire together against me, they plot to take my life.
King David says: What I said earlier, that even though I was still alive I was like a discarded vessel and forgotten like a dead man from mind - to whom did this apply? To my acquaintances and those who saw me. All my relatives distanced themselves from me; they no longer recognized David and did not even want to meet me, lest people say they had ties with David and persecute them as well. After all, that is precisely what happened to Nov, the city of Kohanim: they were accused of having ties with David and were all slaughtered. They wiped me off the list entirely, or placed me on the blacklist. And if only, David says, everyone had forgotten about me - for then the oppressors would have forgotten about me as well! But that did not happen: from the hearts of my oppressors I was not forgotten at all. Who forgot me? My loved ones, my companions, and my friends. When a person is in trouble, everyone forgets him.
"And You Shall Return Each Man to His Family" - A Thought on the Wealthy Man's Friends
Scripture states, "and the lovers of the rich are many," whereas from the pauper everyone stays far away. Where is this alluded to in the Torah? Regarding the Jubilee year, it says, "and you shall return each man to his ancestral holding, and each man to his family shall you return." The question immediately arises: "each man to his ancestral holding" is understood - the estate returns to you. But what is the meaning of "each man to his family"? Did you ever leave your family? Rather, it is this: when the extended family viewed you as penniless, impoverished, and wretched, a relative would pass you in the street and pretend not to recognize you: "How are you related to me again? Remind me." But suddenly you become an estate owner, all the assets are restored, and it turns out you have land here and property there - and immediately: "Shalom aleichem! Family! Don't you remember we're family?" Yesterday he forgot you, and today he remembers! This is what the verse means: in the Jubilee year, not only does "each man return to his holding," but "each man to his family shall you return" - you will suddenly discover what a huge family you have, and how many people suddenly recognize you and seek your proximity.
Defamation of Many, Terror All Around
This is what David says: When I was in distress, my entire family vanished and all my relatives disappeared - yet who did remember me? The oppressors. They remember and continue to pursue. Not only that, but "I have heard the slander of many." The word diba (slander/defamation) comes from the root of speech: I heard the many talking. When they conspire against me to deliver me into Saul's hand, they also spread slander against many others, just as they defamed Nov, the city of Kohanim. This is not merely slander conspired against me, but "the defamation of many" - slander directed against many people. For what did Doeg say? That Achimelech son of Achituv and the entire city of Nov conspired to assist David against the king. And this led, Heaven forbid, to their slaughter: eighty Kohanim bearing the linen ephod, along with the Kohen Gadol, Achimelech son of Achituv.
Hence, "terror all around." The word magor denotes fear, as in "that which I dreaded has come upon me." Through this slander, everyone around is terrified of approaching me or associating with David. King David became like a ticking time bomb - anyone associating with him entered mortal danger. Achimelech son of Achituv merely spoke with him and gave him the sword, and look at what it cost him! Thus, all the people around me were fearful and terrified lest they be punished by the king. Through this, "they plot to take my life" - everyone informs on me to Saul: the Ziphites, the people of Keilah, all saying, "Behold, David is here, David is there."
"And as for Me, in You I Trusted" - Divine Providence
וַאֲנִי עָלֶיךָ בָטַחְתִּי יְהֹוָה אָמַרְתִּי אֱלֹהַי אָתָּה׃ - And as for me, in You I have trusted, Hashem; I said, "You are my God."
Even though I no longer have an acquaintance and have no savior, David says, I rely only upon You. "I said, You are my God" - You are still the One supervising over me and saving me. The Malbim explains in several places that whenever the Divine Name of Elokim is attached to a specific person, it refers to individual Divine Providence. It does not say here "You are God," but rather "my God" - my God specifically, for You, Master of the Universe, guide me closely.
"My Times Are in Your Hand" - Above the Knowers of Times
בְּיָדְךָ עִתֹּתָי הַצִּילֵנִי מִיַּד אוֹיְבַי וּמֵרֹדְפָי׃ - My times are in Your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my pursuers.
All the times and all the seasons that pass over me are in Your hand. Whether it is a good time or a time perceived in my eyes as bad, everything is decreed by You, Master of the Universe. Therefore I ask: Rescue me from the hand of my enemies, who are the Ziphites, and from my pursuers, who are Saul and his men.
The Malbim adds in the name of the Ya'avetz: Doeg and Ahithophel were great experts in astrology, and so they searched for an opportune astrological time through which they could trap David. Ahithophel was an expert in reading the times, and it is written of him that consulting Ahithophel was like inquiring of the word of God, like consulting the Urim VeTumim. David says: My situation is very perilous, as there are people who know which time, according to the alignment of the stars and constellations, is an ill-fated time for me, a time of downfall for me - they are the "knowers of the times." Yet despite all this, I do not worry: "My times are in Your hand." You guide the celestial constellations, and nothing is beyond You to alter the times and the astrological order as You wish. Therefore, "rescue me from the hand of my enemies," who seek to use my times to lay a trap for me, relying on their knowledge of the hour of my vulnerability and downfall.
"Make Your Face Shine" - Manifest Providence and Boundless Salvation
הָאִירָה פָנֶיךָ עַל עַבְדֶּךָ הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי בְחַסְדֶּךָ׃ - Make Your face shine upon Your servant; save me in Your loving-kindness.
The Malbim explains: Save me through manifest Providence, for the shining of the Divine countenance is manifest Providence, as in "May Hashem shine His face toward you." When Hashem shines His countenance, in the light of His face is everything: Torah and life, love and loving-kindness, righteousness and mercy, blessing and peace. Then everyone will see Your Providence - that the salvation came directly from Your hand and not through natural means.
And why "save me in Your loving-kindness"? Because natural salvation is limited, whereas Hashem's loving-kindness is boundless. The attribute of chesed is called gedulah (greatness), as it is said, "Yours, Hashem, is the greatness and the strength" - gedulah is chesed, while gevurah is the attribute of strength. Loving-kindness is called greatness because it comes in a vast, holy measure without limits, a flow without boundaries. David therefore asks: "Save me in Your loving-kindness," and in this way the salvation will be endless and boundless.
"Let Me Not Be Ashamed" - Sanctification of God's Name
יְהֹוָה אַל אֵבוֹשָׁה כִּי קְרָאתִיךָ יֵבֹשׁוּ רְשָׁעִים יִדְּמוּ לִשְׁאוֹל׃ - Hashem, let me not be ashamed, for I have called upon You; let the wicked be ashamed, let them be silenced unto Sheol.
David asks that there be a sanctification of God's Name, so that everyone will know that whoever calls upon You, prays to You, and trusts in You will not be put to shame. On the contrary, the opposite will happen: "Let the wicked be ashamed," so that all will see how the wicked are cut down and descend to Sheol. "Let them be silenced unto Sheol" - there are two explanations for this: Rashi explains it as an expression of silence, while the Radak explains it as an expression of being cut off. And so the Malbim explains: Let the wicked be ashamed, let them be cut off and descend to Sheol, and through this it will become evident that whoever trusts in Hashem is saved by Him, while whoever turns away from Hashem falls and stumbles - and this is the true sanctification of Hashem's Name.
One might add homiletically: "Let them be silent" [yiddamu] - let them become still. And to whom does this refer? Do not read "to Sheol" [lish'ol] but "to Saul" [leSha'ul] - that Saul should become silent, meaning that he should not continue to pursue me, but shut down his engines, let be, and stop going out to chase me.
"Let Lying Lips Be Struck Dumb" - What Is "Atak"?
תֵּאָלַמְנָה שִׂפְתֵי שָׁקֶר הַדֹּבְרוֹת עַל צַדִּיק עָתָק בְּגַאֲוָה וָבוּז׃ - Let lying lips be struck dumb, that speak arrogantly against the Righteous One with pride and contempt.
After David sees Hashem's providence over him and His salvation, he asks: From now on, let lying lips be struck dumb. And who are these lying lips? The deniers and heretics, "that speak arrogantly against the Righteous One with pride and contempt." And who is the "Righteous One"? This is the Righteous One of the world, the Holy One, blessed be He. The heretics speak insolent words about the Master of the Universe with pride and contempt: Hashem does not supervise the world, there is no reward and punishment, the world is ownerless, "eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die." But now, when they see Your divine providence, how You save those who take refuge in You, and how anyone who opposes Hashem, blessed be He, is silenced - they will restrain their mouths. Their lips, which are lying lips, will be struck dumb and will no longer be able to utter their words of vanity.
"With pride and contempt" is readily understood - they speak about the Holy One, blessed be He, with arrogance and disdain, dismissing the Master of the Universe with words of heresy. But what does atak mean? Rashi offers two explanations. First: atak is from the root of moving [ha'atakah] from place to place, as in "speech was removed from him" - speech left him, he cannot utter a word; and like "and he moved from there to the mountain" (Bereishit 12:8), removing something from its place. We have already explained in the study of Sefer Daniel the phrase Atik Yomin yetiv, "the Ancient of Days was seated and thrones were cast down." Some mistakenly assume He is called Atik Yomin because He is "old" and ancient like an antique. But that is not its meaning: Atik Yomin means removed from the bounds of days. We are subject to the cycle of time, whereas Hashem is not subject to the cycle of time; He is detached and removed from days. So too here: they speak atak against the Righteous One of the world, meaning they deny divine providence and claim that Hashem has removed His providence from the world, as though Hashem has forsaken the land, removed Himself from here, and is no longer present.
The second explanation brought by Rashi: atak is an expression of strength. They speak this way forcefully, boldly and powerfully, with pride and contempt - atak describes the manner of speech, uttered with all their might. The Malbim explains similarly: when the verse speaks of "enduring wealth" [hon atek], it refers to wealth that is beyond natural bounds, unfamiliar and unlike ordinary human wealth, far removed from standard human experience. Likewise, "they grew old [atku] and also became mighty in power" (Iyov 21:7) - strength that is far beyond familiar human understanding and experience.
Now David asks that those who deny Hashem's providence be silenced, for when they see a righteous person who suffers, they declare: "Behold, Hashem does not supervise!" In truth, as the Malbim explains, Hashem certainly watches over him, for He rewards him in the World to Come. And in this world as well, as will be explained in the next verse, "How great is Your goodness which You have hidden for those who fear You" - Hashem shelters them in a covert and acts on behalf of those who trust in Him in the presence of mankind, so that people will realize that Hashem has not forsaken the earth, has not removed Himself from here, and His providence remains active.
"How Great Is Your Goodness" - The Hidden Good and the Revealed Good
מָה רַב טוּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ לִּירֵאֶיךָ פָּעַלְתָּ לַחֹסִים בָּךְ נֶגֶד בְּנֵי אָדָם׃ - How great is Your goodness which You have hidden for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who trust in You before the sons of men!
David says: Even though the goodness You have hidden for those who fear You is immense - being the goodness reserved for the World to Come, which cannot be seen - the very fact that it is hidden is a disadvantage. For this gives lying lips the opening to claim that there is no reward and punishment, no judgment and no Judge. Goodness exists - but who can see it? It is hidden away, designated for the World to Come, and this leads them to speak with pride and contempt and utter words of heresy. Therefore David says: Although that goodness is great and hidden for those who fear You, the good You have wrought for those who take refuge in You is not hidden, but openly revealed - "before the sons of men," like "in the presence of the people" or "in plain sight of the sun," so that everyone sees it.
The Malbim explains: When hardships befall the righteous in this world, we answer that they will receive reward corresponding to them in the World to Come, or that these trials serve to cleanse them of sins or increase their reward. But the wicked deny this, and thus the challenge seems to remain: the righteous person is suffering, and there appears to be no visible answer for them. However, the manifest providence that Hashem shows to those who take refuge in Him - that the righteous person experiences palpable goodness - provides a decisive answer to the wicked, since they can see that Hashem does good to him, and this is apparent to all. Through this, "lying lips will be struck dumb" which speak atak against the Righteous One of the world, claiming He has removed Himself from the world and does not supervise, speaking of Him with pride and contempt. By having wrought good for those who take refuge in You before the sons of men, when all behold the abundance of goodness You bestow upon them, they will be compelled to acknowledge the providence of the Creator, blessed be He.
An Example: The Survival of the Jewish People
To understand this, consider an example. At any specific moment in time, the people of Israel may be persecuted. But when one looks historically, one sees that the Jewish people is the only nation with continuous existence and historical documentation from the beginning of time - that is, a nation whose existence is supernatural. And all the wise thinkers of the nations - quotes from Mark Twain, Tolstoy, and others have already been cited - stand before the reality of Jewish survival and say: this is something unparalleled in history, and we have no explanation for it. There is no natural explanation for how the Jewish people, the most persecuted nation, the most scattered among the nations - which is the most basic cause for assimilation - who for most of history were not even in a land that united them, still exists with vigor undiminished, while other nations were consumed by their own torches. Where is Babylon? Where is Assyria? Where is Chaldea? Where is ancient Greece as an empire, Alexander the Great, and the rest? What remains of them? The wind carried them away, while the Jewish people endures forever. Thus, even if one has questions about the suffering of the righteous, and from them concludes that Hashem does not supervise - since he does not believe in reward in the World to Come - regarding the very existence of the righteous, the fact that the Holy One, blessed be He, preserves His people for thousands of years, he has no explanation. Here he will be forced to admit, and the evil angel will answer amen against his will, that the eternal survival of the Jewish people is in the hand of the Creator, blessed be He: "And you who cling to Hashem your God are alive, all of you, today" - contrary to all probability and logic. Therefore, from the goodness bestowed upon the righteous, everyone can see that it is the hand of Hashem that exercises Divine providence.
"You Conceal Them in the Secrecy of Your Countenance" - What Are "Rokhsei Ish"?
תַּסְתִּירֵם בְּסֵתֶר פָּנֶיךָ מֵרֻכְסֵי אִישׁ תִּצְפְּנֵם בְּסֻכָּה מֵרִיב לְשֹׁנוֹת׃ - "You conceal them in the secrecy of Your Countenance from the plots of men; You hide them in a shelter from the strife of tongues."
This verse is frequently discussed in connection with the festival of Sukkot, and although there are many homiletic interpretations of it, we will study it here in the context of our psalm. The Malbim explains: although it sometimes appears that the Holy One, blessed be He, hides His face from those who fear Him, and as a result troubles overtake them and nations persecute them, know that this is for their benefit. For through the concealment of Your face, You conceal them "from the plots of men" (rokhsei ish).
And what are "rokhsei ish"? The commentators explain that this is related to rekhasim, mountain ridges. The Malbim explains: the ridges within man that distress him. And what makes life difficult for man from within? It is the yetzer hara (the evil inclination), the desires, the pull toward physicality, the body. Just as a straight road interrupted by a ridge is ruined, requiring one to find a way to bypass it or climb it, so too the internal evil inclination disrupts the straight path, causing twists and turns. God made man upright, yet he walks crookedly, because the yetzer hara stands as an adversary in his path like a mountain blocking passage. This is what Chazal meant when they said that to the righteous, the evil inclination appears like a towering mountain - this is rokhsei ish.
And through Hashem concealing His face from the righteous person, bringing him suffering, the Malbim says: "And the crooked shall become straight, and the rough ridges a plain," enabling him to walk on the upright path. For suffering draws the tzaddik closer to Hashem and binds him to Him. We know from reality that when everything goes well for a person, it generally leads to "Yeshurun grew fat and kicked," and as the Sages said: "Be careful with the children of the poor, for from them Torah will come forth." Specifically when life is difficult, when a person faces hardship, he seeks Hashem, blessed be He; he looks for salvation; he seeks God. Thus, those very elements of concealment are what save him: "In the secrecy of Your Countenance from the ridges of man" - through this, Hashem rescues him from his internal ridges, from Satan, from the evil inclination, and from worldly desires.
"You hide them in a shelter from the strife of tongues" - the Malbim explains: although You conceal Your face, You nevertheless shelter them and hide them in a sukkah. A sukkah denotes Divine providence: You watch over them from the strife of tongues, from slanderers, just as You saved David from the Ziphites and from all those who informed on him to Saul, sending him Gad the Seer and giving him answers through the Urim VeTumim regarding when and how to flee. Thus, even though it may outwardly appear to be a concealment of the Divine face, Hashem still protects him in a shelter from the strife of tongues of those who pursue him and speak slander against him.
Concealment and Hiding - Which Is More Severe?
What is the difference between "You conceal them" (tastirem) and "You hide them" (titzpenem)? The Malbim explains: concealment (hester) is greater than hiding (tzafinah), for to hide something is a less powerful expression than to conceal it. Furthermore, there is another fundamental principle here: guarding the soul from sin is greater than guarding the body. A person must be more cautious not to stumble into sin than he is about suffering physical injury. In practice, however, people often act in the exact opposite manner: if someone is told that along one path he might be physically harmed, and along a second path he might be spiritually compromised, he will often choose the second path. "On the first path I might break a leg or, God forbid, have a car accident," whereas on the second path, which is a place of spiritual damage where one could lose his entire portion in the World to Come, he thinks, "It is not so terrible, what is there to deliberate?" Yet Chazal taught that a person must choose a route where women are not standing by the laundry; even if he closes his eyes he may not walk there, and if he does, he is considered wicked. We learn that one must keep far away from places of transgression. Therefore, the Malbim notes: "You conceal them in the secrecy of Your Countenance from the plots of men" - from the yetzer hara, where immense concealment is required, because the struggle against the evil inclination is fierce and demands great shelter. But "from the strife of tongues," which involves physical harm, it is sufficient that "You hide them," since hiding is a lesser degree than concealment.
"Blessed Is Hashem" - The First Thanksgiving: A Besieged City
בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה כִּי הִפְלִיא חַסְדּוֹ לִי בְּעִיר מָצוֹר׃ - "Blessed is Hashem, for He made wondrous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city."
Based on the theme of salvation discussed in the previous verse, David gives thanks to Hashem. His first expression of gratitude is for Hashem making His lovingkindness wondrous to him in a besieged city: David was in Keilah, a fortified city, and felt certain he was secure, yet Hashem instructed him to leave and flee, sending Gad the Seer to save him. For Saul was approaching, and from Saul's perspective, this was a perfect trap for David. Therefore, David thanks Hashem for bestowing wondrous kindness upon him in a besieged city and sending a prophet instructing him to depart.
"Nigrazti" - A Second Thanksgiving: Sela Hammahlekoth (The Rock of Division)
וַאֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי בְחׇפְזִי נִגְרַזְתִּי מִנֶּגֶד עֵינֶיךָ אָכֵן שָׁמַעְתָּ קוֹל תַּחֲנוּנַי בְּשַׁוְּעִי אֵלֶיךָ׃ - And as for me, I said in my haste, "I am cut off from before Your eyes"; yet You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried out to You.
David offers a second thanksgiving regarding Sela Hammahlekoth (the Rock of Division), where Saul and his men encircled David on all sides, as it is written: "David was hurrying to get away from Saul." The danger was immense, and at that moment: "I said in my haste, 'I am cut off [nigrazti] from before Your eyes.'" What is the meaning of "nigrazti"? The Malbim explains that it is equivalent to nigzarti (I was cut off / decreed), through an interchange of letters, just as we find with keves and keshev (lamb), or simlah and salmah (garment). In other words, I said to myself: It is all over; I have already been cut off from before Your eyes; I am as good as dead. Rashi, Radak, and Ibn Ezra explain that nigrazti derives from garzen (an axe), but both interpretations convey the same essential meaning: I was cut down from before Your eyes. Indeed, an axe is called a garzen because it cuts (gozer), the letters of garzen corresponding to gozer, since trees are felled with an axe, as Dunash explains. Rashi also cites the interpretation of Menachem, that nigrazti is like nigrashti (I was driven out), with the zayin and shin interchanging, meaning: I was already banished from before Your eyes and have no further existence. Yet at that desperate moment, "You heard the voice of my supplications" and delivered me - through the messenger who came to Saul to report that the Philistines had invaded the land, causing Saul to abandon the pursuit and leave me unharmed.
"Love Hashem, all His pious ones"
אֶהֱבוּ אֶת יְהֹוָה כׇּל חֲסִידָיו אֱמוּנִים נֹצֵר יְהֹוָה וּמְשַׁלֵּם עַל יֶתֶר עֹשֵׂה גַאֲוָה׃ - Love Hashem, all His pious ones; Hashem preserves the faithful, and fully repays the one who acts haughtily.
The Malbim explains: Based on all of this, David concludes his words directed against those who speak insolently against the Righteous One of the World - the heretics who claim that Hashem has departed and abandoned the earth. Here it has become clear that reward and punishment truly exist, that there is Divine providence; Hashem watches over His creations and rescued David at the very last second. Therefore: "Love Hashem, all His pious ones," for behold, you see that "Hashem preserves the faithful" - people of faith and integrity; whoever trusts in Him, Hashem protects him. Rashi explains: Hashem preserves those who believe in His salvation and rely upon Him. "And fully repays the one who acts haughtily" - just as you saw that Hashem preserved David and punished Saul, so too Hashem repays the arrogance of anyone who views himself as superior (yeter), elevated above others.
Rashi explains the phrase "al yeter" in several ways. One explanation: measure for measure - "like an arrow on the bowstring [yeter]," where yeter means a string; just as an arrow is placed precisely on the bowstring, so Hashem repays the evildoer in exact measure. Another explanation: al yeter comes from the notion of a measuring cord (yeter), as a cord was an instrument of measurement, meaning cord against cord and line against line - by the very measure you used to measure others, it will be measured out to you. Our Sages derived this from the verse: "In full measure, when You sent her away, You contended with her" (Yeshayahu 27:8) - se'ah by se'ah, measure for measure: according to the measure a person meted out, it was meted out to him; if you caused harm to the measure of a se'ah, you will receive retribution in the exact measure of that se'ah. Another interpretation brought by Rashi - and this is the approach adopted by the Malbim - is that yeter is an expression of arrogance, like acting superior and conceited: He repays in abundance, meaning He visits retribution upon the haughty for their arrogance.
"Be strong, and let your heart take courage"
חִזְקוּ וְיַאֲמֵץ לְבַבְכֶם כׇּל הַמְיַחֲלִים לַיהֹוָה׃ - Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Hashem.
David concludes the psalm: If this is indeed so - that Hashem watches over all His pious ones, that Hashem preserves those who place their trust in Him, and that Hashem repays evildoers with retribution - then be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Hashem, for your hope will not return empty. Behold, you have seen that I placed my hope in Hashem and He delivered me; so too, your hope will not go unfulfilled.
What is the precise meaning of "Be strong, and let your heart take courage [chizku veya'ametz]"? The Malbim explains in several places that whenever strength (chozek) and courage (ometz) appear together, as was said to Yehoshua, "Be strong and courageous" (chazak ve'ematz), the distinction is: strength (chozek) refers to fortifying oneself initially and summoning inner bravery, while courage (ometz) means persevering in that strength, remaining steadfast and continuing to hold on over time. Therefore: "Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Hashem" - let them persevere in their inner resolve and keep their hearts bound to Hashem, blessed be He, for ultimately Hashem will surely aid and deliver all who wait for Him and all who place their trust in Him.
In summary:
In these verses, David describes how in a time of distress, his loved ones and relatives forgot him and only his foes remembered him, and their evil slander cast terror all around until everyone turned informer against him. Facing it all, he declares, "And as for me, in You I have trusted" and "My times are in Your hand," for even those who read the times and seasons have no power over him, since Hashem directs the celestial systems and alters them according to His will. He asks for manifest divine providence and salvation stemming from boundless chesed, and for a sanctification of Hashem's Name in which the deniers will be struck dumb - those who speak arrogance against the Righteous One of the world, as if He had withdrawn His providence from the world. The answer to this is not only the goodness hidden away for the World to Come, but the manifest goodness that Hashem works for those who take refuge in Him in the sight of mankind. Moreover, the concealment itself is a sheltering from the intrigues of man - from the evil inclination within - and sheltering them in a sukkah is divine protection from the strife of tongues. From these two expressions of thanksgiving - the besieged city and Sela Hamaḥlekot - David calls out, "Love Hashem, all His pious ones," and concludes: "Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope for Hashem," urging us to take strength and persevere in that strength, for the hope of those who trust in Him will not return empty. May Hashem grant us this merit, Amen and Amen.