Introduction
We continue our explanation of Psalm 40, focusing on the verses in which King David explains what the Holy One, Blessed be He, truly desires from man. Having stated that the Holy One does not desire sacrifices and meal-offerings for their own sake, David steps forward and declares his readiness to fulfill what is incumbent upon him. From here on, he elucidates the unique nature of his thanksgiving: a gratitude that stems not from external obligation but from the depths of the heart, and a public proclamation free of any trace of boastfulness.
"Then I Said, Behold, I Have Come" - Radak's Explanation
זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה לֹא חָפַצְתָּ, אׇזְנַיִם כָּרִיתָ לִּי, עוֹלָה וַחֲטָאָה לֹא שָׁאָלְתָּ׃ - Sacrifice and meal-offering You did not desire; ears You have dug for me; burnt-offering and sin-offering You did not ask for.
אָז אָמַרְתִּי הִנֵּה בָאתִי, בִּמְגִלַּת סֵפֶר כָּתוּב עָלָי׃ - Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me."
Radak explains: "Then I said" - meaning, when I was healed from my illness, I then said in my heart: You, Hashem, did not desire sacrifice and meal-offering. What You desire of me is only that I fulfill Your commandments, as it says, "Sacrifice and meal-offering You did not desire; ears You have dug for me; burnt-offering and sin-offering You did not ask for" - but only that I keep Your mitzvot. Regarding this, King David says: Behold, I come to fulfill Your commandments. Which ones? "In the scroll of the book it is written of me" - of me and of each and every member of Your people. Simply put: that which is brought in the Torah for us to do and fulfill. David says: My obligations, which are written concerning me, I have now come to fulfill.
Yet Radak notes a grammatical difficulty: megillah (scroll) is feminine, while katuv (written) is masculine. It should have said bemegillat sefer ketuvah alai. Radak answers that the masculine word katuv refers to sefer (book): in the scroll of the book - and sefer is masculine - it is written concerning me; that is where my obligations to fulfill Hashem's commandments are recorded.
The Midrash: "I Was Under the Exclusion of 'Shall Not Enter,' Yet I Came"
The Midrash in Ruth Rabbah (parashah 8) cites: Rabbi Yitzchak opened - "Then I said, Behold, I have come." The Midrash explains: I needed to recite song of praise that I came, and "then" (az) denotes song, as it says, "Then (az) sang Moses and the Children of Israel." And what is unique here that warrants song? David says: I was included in the category of "shall not enter," yet I came! For David descended from the Moabitess, Ruth the Moabitess, and it is written, "An Ammonite and a Moabite shall not enter the assembly of Hashem." Thus, I should have been excluded from the assembly of Hashem, and nevertheless I came - through Chazal's exposition: an Ammonite, but not an Ammonitess; a Moabite, but not a Moabitess.
Not only should I not have entered the assembly, but even "in the scroll of the book it is written of me" that I should not enter. Where? In the scroll - in the scroll of Eichah (Lamentations): "Whom You commanded should not enter Your assembly." And in the book - in the Book of the Torah: "An Ammonite and a Moabite shall not enter the assembly of Hashem." Yet despite all this - I came.
Furthermore, the Midrash continues and expounds the verse in the opposite direction as well: "In the scroll of the book it is written of me" - that I should come. The Holy One, Blessed be He, wrote concerning me in both a scroll and a book that I indeed would come. In the scroll - in the Scroll of Ruth, in the genealogy: Peretz, Chetzron, Ram, Amminadav, Nachshon, Salmon, Boaz, Oved, Yishai, David. Thus, it is mentioned in the scroll that I descend from this lineage and was privileged to enter and be part of the assembly of Hashem. And in the book - in the Book of Shmuel I: "And Hashem said: Arise, anoint him, for this is he."
And in the Yalkut, they add further that King David appears not only in the Book of Shmuel, but already in the Book of the Torah itself. Where? In the angels' words to Lot: "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are found." Chazal say: What is meant by "who are found" (hanimtza'ot)? Two finds (metzi'ot) - Ruth the Moabitess and Naamah the Ammonitess. And what is the find written here? As it says, "I have found David My servant," and Chazal expounded: Where did I find him? In Sodom! And this is "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me" - already in the Book of the Torah it is written, "your daughters who are found," from whom King David descended: Ruth the Moabitess - from whom came the royal dynasty, and Naamah the Ammonitess - who was the wife of Solomon.
"To Do Your Will, My God, I Desired" - Thanksgiving That Does Not Stem from Mere Obligation
לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ אֱלֹהַי חָפָצְתִּי, וְתוֹרָתְךָ בְּתוֹךְ מֵעָי׃ - To do Your will, my God, I desired, and Your Torah is within my innermost parts.
The Malbim explains: "To do Your will, my God, I desired" - since I desire to do Your will, this means, David says, that I come and offer a thanksgiving sacrifice before You not merely because it is written in the Torah - for then I would be like one compelled by the divine command - but out of an internal recognition that I must thank Hashem. And that is an entirely different matter: not like a child who is told, "Say thank you nicely," and obeys, but like a mature adult who understands on his own that he ought to express gratitude. David says: On my own initiative, I desire to do something pleasing before You, and I want from within myself to show that I am grateful to You.
However, such a sentiment cannot be demonstrated through an ordinary act that everyone performs, for in routine deeds, extraordinary gratitude is not expressed. To voluntarily present an offering or a gift to one who has bestowed goodness - all people do that, and there is nothing unique in such thanksgiving. Therefore David says: "And Your Torah is within my innermost parts." Every person brings a sacrifice because it is written in the Torah, whereas for me, this Torah is inscribed deep within my innards - in my heart, in my inwardness, in my intellect, and in my conscience. It is written there that whoever has received goodness from Hashem must show gratitude. For most people, thanksgiving stems from duty, as it is taught, "Four must give thanks," and so a person thanks and brings an offering. But David says: Master of the Universe, with me it springs from the Torah written within my innermost parts, from deep appreciation and heartfelt gratitude welling up from within. Therefore, my actions differ from those of ordinary people - because "To do Your will, my God, I desired," and so "Your Torah is within my innermost parts."
Additional Interpretations of "Your Torah Is within My Innermost Parts"
Rashi explains "And Your Torah is within my innards" - even the foods I eat conform to Your Torah. That is, everything that enters my digestive tract is governed by Your Torah. And one must realize that a person must be exceedingly meticulous about what enters his mouth. It is told that once several Hasidim were lodging at an inn, and they began debating intensely whether a certain food could be eaten or not, and whether it was kosher or not. A man sitting nearby - apparently it was Reb Bunim of Peshischa - heard them debating the matter at great length, and noticed that their conversation had become tainted with lashon hara and gossip. He said to them: Gentlemen, I see that you are very meticulous about what goes into your mouths; are you just as careful about what comes out of your mouths? It is vital that only kosher food enters one's innards, but it is no less important that flawed speech does not come out. In any case, according to Rashi, "Your Torah is within my innards" means that everything inside me conforms to Your Torah - I eat only under the most rigorous standards of kashrut.
Ibn Ezra explains that "Your Torah is within my innards" refers to secrecy: an expression signifying that the Torah is internalized within me in hiddenness, as in the verse, "Eat this scroll" (Yechezkel 3:1), meaning to learn it and absorb it so that it becomes part of one's inner being. Radak explains that "within my innards" means within my heart, since the heart is counted among the internal organs, and *me'ayim* (innards) is an all-inclusive term for a person's inner self. And what does this convey? That the Torah resides deep within me, and I do not divert my mind from it for even a single moment, nor does the thread of my thought ever cease from engaging in Torah. This is "Your Torah is within my innermost parts" - constant, unbroken dedication deep in the heart.
"I Have Proclaimed Righteousness in a Great Congregation" - Not for the Sake of Boasting
בִּשַּׂרְתִּי צֶדֶק בְּקָהָל רָב, הִנֵּה שְׂפָתַי לֹא אֶכְלָא, יְהֹוָה אַתָּה יָדָעְתָּ׃ - I have proclaimed righteousness in a great congregation; behold, I do not restrain my lips, Hashem, You know.
After David prefaced by saying that he does not bring the offering merely because the Torah obligates it, but out of genuine inner desire and thanksgiving for Hashem's lovingkindness, he now comes, says the Malbim, to declare: Even as I recount this miracle before a great congregation, one must not think that I do so out of haughtiness or pride, like someone saying, "Look, I performed good deeds, I acted righteously, and therefore Hashem helped me" - "I waited eagerly for Hashem, and He inclined toward me," which would imply that I am a person of elevated stature, that I was righteous and Hashem rewarded me. On the contrary, says the Malbim: it is fitting for the wholehearted to conceal their righteousness and not boast of it before the multitudes, for when a person boasts of his righteousness, it is a sign that it is not truly for the sake of Heaven, but for the applause of the masses.
In truth, a person's hidden deeds are the ones that radiate pure light, whereas that which is done for publicity and renown possesses very little light. As has been mentioned on several occasions in these lessons, based on the words of *Michtav Me-Eliyahu* by Rav Dessler, it is an established principle that the World to Come is acquired only through *lishmah* (pure motive). This is also the ruling of the Rambam: to merit the World to Come, an action must be done purely for the sake of Heaven; if it is not for the sake of Heaven, one does not acquire the World to Come through it. Regarding this, the Sages taught: Every tzaddik is singed by the canopy of his fellow. In Novardok they used to say: Do not read *me-chuppato* ("from his canopy"), but rather *me-chipuyo* ("from his concealment") - in the World of Truth, every single tzaddik will feel the sting of regret and say: Why didn't I conceal myself more? Why didn't I cover my deeds more? Look, my fellow concealed his deeds more, and through that merited an even greater level! It is therefore fitting for the wholehearted to conceal their righteousness and not boast before the masses, for otherwise it appears as though it were not done for the sake of Heaven.
Therefore David says: "I have proclaimed righteousness" - I proclaimed my righteous deeds to a great congregation, and "behold, I do not restrain my lips" - I am not meant to hold back my lips from this. Now, one might ask: Why publicize it at all, when it is better for a person to conceal his good deeds? To this David replies: "Hashem, You know" - You know that my intention is not to glorify myself.
צִדְקָתְךָ לֹא כִסִּיתִי בְּתוֹךְ לִבִּי, אֱמוּנָתְךָ וּתְשׁוּעָתְךָ אָמָרְתִּי, לֹא כִחַדְתִּי חַסְדְּךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ לְקָהָל רָב׃ - I have not concealed Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not hidden Your kindness and Your truth from the great congregation.
"I have not concealed Your righteousness within my heart" - The justice and righteousness You performed on my behalf, I did not wish to conceal or hide within my heart; rather, I wanted everyone to know the righteous acts You perform, "in order that the righteousness of Hashem be known." "I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation" - In speaking of Your salvation, my entire purpose was to proclaim Your faithfulness. When one recounts the salvations of Hashem, one brings people to faith. As the Chassidim explain on the verse, "I believed, therefore I spoke": when a person seeks to attain faith, he must speak - speak of the deeds of Hashem, of His mighty acts, and of His outstretched hand, and recount His righteousness. By telling everyone of the salvation, one spreads faith in You.
Thus, "I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation" - my speaking of Your salvation was in order to spread faith in You, so that through hearing that You, Hashem, save those who take refuge in You, they will recognize that You watch over me as well, and that my salvations stem from You. Therefore, "I have not hidden Your kindness and Your truth from the great congregation" - since my intention is not to boast, I have no hesitation in proclaiming this before a large gathering, for I did not come to recount my own righteousness, but rather Your righteousness: that You, Hashem, save those who take refuge in You. The intention was that the Name of Heaven be sanctified through this, and that people thereby come to trust and believe in Hashem.
Rashi: "I Have Proclaimed" as an Expression of Song
Rashi explains "I have proclaimed righteousness" - this refers to the Song at the Sea, the Song at the Well, and the Song of Devorah. One might suggest that Rashi homiletically noted that the word bisarti ("I proclaimed") shares an affinity with beshirati ("in my song") - meaning, I sang; for all the examples he cites are songs: the Song at the Sea, the Song at the Well, and the Song of Devorah. "I have proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation" - I sang of the righteous acts of Hashem that He performed for us, before a vast congregation. "Behold, I will not restrain my lips" - I will not withhold my lips from declaring the praises of the Omnipresent, just as in the verse "do not withhold (lo tikhla) Your compassion," which means do not hold back Your mercy.
The Hidden Miracles - The Explanation of Rabbi Yeivi
The Me'am Lo'ez cites an explanation in the name of Rabbi Yeivi regarding David's statement that he recounted this in a great assembly: There are four categories of people who must offer thanks before a congregation - those who traverse deserts, those who cross seas and rivers, those released from prison, and those who recover from illness, with the mnemonic being "And all the living (ChAYIM) shall thank You, Selah." These are overt miracles, for which one gives thanks before a large assembly. King David says: Even though I have done this, "I will not restrain my lips" from continually thanking You for hidden miracles as well. What must be acknowledged publicly, I have already proclaimed before a great congregation; but one must also give thanks for what takes place in secret. Regarding this, he says, "Hashem, You know" - only Hashem knows the hidden miracles, since they are not overt, as it is written: "To Him Who alone does great wonders" - "alone," meaning only Hashem knows of them, while man remains unaware.
And regarding this, we recite: "Praise Hashem, all nations; laud Him, all peoples! For His kindness has overwhelmed us." Everyone asks: if His kindness has overwhelmed us, the Jewish people should be the ones praising and lauding; why then "Praise Hashem, all nations"? Rather, this refers to "Your miracles that are with us daily," which we neither see nor hear. Who will praise Him? The nations. That terrorist who set out to assemble an explosive device and was blown up by his own bomb, without anyone knowing about it or realizing what his plans were and how they were foiled - they are the ones who know, and they will praise Hashem for delivering us. "Praise Hashem, all nations, for His kindness has overwhelmed us" - you praise Him, for only you know what you plotted to do to us, while we go about innocently, unaware of what we were saved from. These are hidden miracles. And about them, David says: "Hashem, You know" - I will not restrain my lips from speaking also of the hidden miracles that only You know, as it is written: "To Him Who alone does great wonders," for the beneficiary of a miracle does not recognize his own miracle. Therefore, David says that at every moment he will not restrain his lips from giving thanks - for even now You have surely performed a miracle for me, even now I have been granted salvation, even now You bestow kindness upon me, and this is the hidden miracle for which I give thanks at every moment.
Mercy, Kindness, and Truth
אַתָּה יְהֹוָה לֹא תִכְלָא רַחֲמֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי, חַסְדְּךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ תָּמִיד יִצְּרוּנִי׃ - You, Hashem, will not withhold Your compassion from me; may Your kindness and Your truth always protect me.
You, Hashem, will not withhold Your compassion from me; consider this a merit for me, and through it, save me. The Malbim explains: Hashem saves man through one of three avenues. Either through mercy - when Hashem sees an unfortunate, poor, and afflicted person, He takes pity on him and saves him. Or through lovingkindness - bestowing kindness upon that person even if he is not afflicted. Or through truth - by virtue of a promise He made to him, which as a matter of truth He must fulfill. Therefore: "May Your kindness and Your truth always protect me."
In summary:
In these verses, King David teaches us two great foundational principles. The first - "To do Your will, my God, I have desired, and Your Torah is within my innermost parts": true thanksgiving is not merely discharged as an external obligation, but stems from an inner realization that the Torah is engraved upon a person's heart and innermost being, including both what enters his mouth and what emerges from his mouth. The second - "I proclaimed righteousness in a great congregation": although it is fitting for the upright to conceal their righteousness, as the light of hidden deeds is greater than that of revealed ones and it is only through deeds done lishmah that one acquires the World to Come, David publicizes the miracle not to recount his own righteousness, but Hashem's righteousness, in order to bring many to faith and trust in Him. Above all, David teaches us that even hidden miracles, which only Hashem knows, obligate thanksgiving at every single moment - for at every moment a miracle is performed for us, and we must plead that Hashem not withhold His compassion from us, and that His lovingkindness and truth continually safeguard us.