לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל־שֹׁשַׁנִּים לִבְנֵי־קֹרַח מַשְׂכִּיל שִׁיר יְדִידֹת׃ - For the conductor, upon Shoshannim, by the sons of Korach, a Maskil, a song of loves.
There are several approaches to explaining concerning whom and regarding what this psalm was composed. Rashi takes the homiletic approach (Derash) and explains that the song was instituted in honor of Talmidei Chachamim. Why does it call them shoshannim (roses/lilies)? Because they are soft like roses, pleasing like roses, and moisten with good deeds like roses - meaning they possess vitality and freshness, like a rose that is not dried out. Their good deeds are performed with vitality and vibrancy.
"Maskil" - according to Rashi, the psalm was delivered through an interpreter (turgeman); someone enlightens (maskil) others regarding the words being spoken. "Shir yedidot" - a song of love, a song of beloved ones, a song of praise for Talmidei Chachamim, meant to endear them to people, to endear their Torah to people, and even to endear their Torah to themselves. Therefore, he praises them in this psalm.
The Radak explains "upon Shoshannim" as the name of a musical instrument known as shoshannim. Metzudat Tzion adds that the instrument was crafted in the shape of a rose (shoshan), which is why it bore that name. In the Radak's view, the psalm was recited about Melech HaMashiach, and "a song of loves" refers to Hashem's love for His anointed king.
The Malbim, on the other hand, directs the explanation according to the literal meaning (Peshat): the sons of Korach composed this song in honor of the king and queen on their wedding day. This refers to King Solomon, who married the daughter of the king of Tyre, whom he converted and took as a wife. It is very likely that she converted in the days of Solomon, and therefore the song is called "a song of loves" - a song of affection and love between bridegroom and bride.
רָחַשׁ לִבִּי דָּבָר טוֹב אֹמֵר אָנִי מַעֲשַׂי לְמֶלֶךְ לְשׁוֹנִי עֵט סוֹפֵר מָהִיר׃ - My heart stirs with a good theme; I utter my poem to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a skillful scribe.
What does "rachash" mean? Rashi, the Metzudot, and others explain that it connotes movement and trembling: "merachashan sifvatei" - his lips are moving. Incidentally, this is the reason why some call the month of Cheshvan "Marcheshvan." Some have explained "Mar Cheshvan" as meaning a drop (mar), referring to the rainy month, as in the verse, "Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket (ke-mar mi-dli)" (Yeshayahu 40:15); others have said mar denotes bitterness, because it has no festivals. But among the Yemenite Jews, it is called Marcheshvan based on the phrase "merachashan sifvatei" - because after the month of Tishrei, a person's lips are still whispering and murmuring the piyyutim of the Yamim Noraim, such as "Shofet Kol HaAretz" and the like. Similarly, the minchat marcheshet (deep-pan meal offering) is so named because the oil within it sizzles, moves, and stirs. Thus, "rachash libi" means the heart moves and stirs, and this stirring of the heart is an expression of inner contemplation.
The Malbim explains that the excellence of a song is evaluated by three criteria. First: by virtue of the intellect and wisdom woven into it, in that the song conveys words of wisdom. This stands in stark contrast to contemporary songs - "I called, you didn't come, why did you leave, my heart is broken," and the like - all of which reflect the shallowness of our generation, its lack of purpose and lack of depth. Regarding this first measure, the verse says: "My heart stirs with a good theme" - beneath the poetic guise and external rhetoric lies an inner "good thing" that is the core of the song. Often a song's outer layer conveys an external theme, like Shir HaShirim of King Solomon, which depicts the love of a maiden for her beloved, while the heart of the matter is the Holy of Holies.
The second factor that gives a song value is the subject upon which it is based. The greatness of a song grows according to the nobility of its subject. When a song addresses weighty, fundamental matters, its stature increases; when it addresses trivialities, its stature diminishes. Therefore, the verse says: "I utter my poem to the king" - this song was instituted in honor of the king, and since it was dedicated to someone of lofty stature, it is a song of lofty stature.
The third factor is the words and expressions of the song itself. If the poet possesses an eloquent tongue to clothe the contemplations of his heart in lofty, sublime language - that is a great virtue. Anyone who examines the Malbim's introduction will understand what this means: elevated language, language that is a pure delight to read. When you read a song written in colloquial street language, it immediately reflects the level of the author; but when a song is composed in an elevated, exalted idiom, that is the true virtue of poetry. Regarding this, the verse says: "My tongue is like the pen of a skillful scribe" - just as a rapid scribe transcribes everything the speaker says without omitting a word, so too my tongue is the swift pen of the heart, transcribing the heart's deepest thoughts and giving voice to the elevated, sublime ideas within it.
The art of speech, the art of rhetoric, is the ability to bring outward that which is in the heart. When a person is inarticulate, he may harbor a great deal in his heart yet be unable to find the words. One often encounters very sharp individuals whose every other phrase is "how do you say" - unable to find the words, speaking in an entirely halting manner. A person may be very successful, even a millionaire, yet utterly unable to articulate what is in his heart. Often this stems from a lack of broad learning: he may possess natural intellect, but he is not an educated person. Someone who cannot find the words to express his thoughts is usually someone who does not read. One who reads extensively - not novels, but deep, serious study - enriches his vocabulary; he recognizes expressions and puts them to use. But someone whose entire reading is confined to movie subtitles, and even there grows weary halfway through two lines, simply lacks the words to express himself. Here, by contrast, the psalmist says: my tongue is capable of articulating everything that rises in my heart, without faltering and without searching for expressions. And having praised the song itself, he now begins the song proper.
יׇפְיָפִיתָ מִבְּנֵי אָדָם הוּצַק חֵן בְּשִׂפְתוֹתֶיךָ עַל־כֵּן בֵּרַכְךָ אֱלֹהִים לְעוֹלָם׃ - You are fairer than the children of men; grace is poured onto your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.
The Radak maintains that any duplication of a root indicates intensity. Yerakrak (greenish) and adamdam (reddish) do not mean, as commonly thought today, partially green or partially red. While the Ibn Ezra does explain them that way, that is not the accepted view; Chazal teach the exact opposite - yerakrak is the greenest of greens, and adamdam is the reddest of reds. That is why the root is doubled: adam-dam, twice red; yerak-rak, twice green. So too, yafyfita means twice as beautiful, the fairest of the fair. As noted previously, patz means to break, whereas pitzetz means to smash forcefully, breaking into small pieces. Any letter or syllable repeated twice conveys that an action is performed with force, doubled, or doubly refined.
Rashi, consistent with his view that this psalm was composed regarding Torah scholars, explains: "You are fairer than the children of men" - you, the *talmid chacham*, are fairer and more praiseworthy than those immersed in the pursuit of transient worldly livelihood. And why? "Grace is poured onto your lips" - because *halachah* issues forth from your lips; you teach the Torah. *Hutzak* (poured) comes from the language of pouring or casting, as in "and poured oil upon it" (Vayikra 2:1). "Therefore God has blessed you forever" - as it is stated, "Hashem will give strength to His people; Hashem will bless His people with peace" (Tehillim 29:11), which is said of Torah scholars. And what is their reward? "Hashem will bless His people with peace." Because you engage in Torah, you possess an everlasting blessing.
The Malbim, who explains the verse as referring to the king, outlines a profound principle. It is the way of poets to use metaphor, drawing upon various concepts to illustrate their subject, which forms part of the beauty of rhetoric. Typically, metaphors are drawn from the natural world: bold as a leopard, swift as a deer, mighty as a lion, light as an eagle, cunning as a snake - the entire animal kingdom serves as metaphor. When describing someone tall, Scripture says, "his height was like the height of cedars"; when describing someone strong, "and he was as sturdy as the oaks" (Amos 2:9). Yet all of these apply to physical qualities. When one comes to praise a person for virtues of the soul, where can examples be drawn from? Neither from flora nor fauna, for these are spiritual qualities. Here, one must draw comparisons from the human realm. Thus we find, "And he was wiser than all men" (Melachim I 5:11) - it does not say that Shlomo was wiser than a fox, but that he was wiser than Eitan the Ezrachite, Heiman, Calcol, and Darda. When praising spiritual virtues, the comparison is made to human beings.
Therefore, the psalmist says to the king: if I wish to illustrate your greatness, I cannot say that you surpass some element of nature; rather, I must take an example from human beings - "You are fairer than the children of men." I do not come to praise you for physical might or material prowess, but for the virtues of the intellect and the soul: "Grace is poured onto your lips" - speech, which reflects the divine spark from above and expresses the intellectual faculty within man.
From this follows: "Therefore God has blessed you forever." Had I praised you for material qualities, they would not endure forever, for a stage comes when the body decays in the grave and nothing of it remains. Spiritual virtues, however, never end; they are eternal, and whatever a person acquires as an acquisition of the soul remains with him forever. The qualities with which you were blessed, my lord the king, are enduring and everlasting.
חֲגוֹר־חַרְבְּךָ עַל־יָרֵךְ גִּבּוֹר הוֹדְךָ וַהֲדָרֶךָ׃ - Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one, your glory and your majesty.
According to Rashi, who applies this to Torah scholars: gird your sword upon your thigh to fight the battle of Torah, and that is your glory and your majesty. Indeed, Torah study is described in many passages by Chazal using the imagery of warfare - "[speaking with] enemies at the gate" (Tehillim 127:5), as will be seen later: just as one battles against enemies, so too one fights the battle of Torah. One scholar presents an argument and another refutes it, one raises a difficulty and another dismantles it - that is a battle.
The Malbim, consistent with his view that the song is addressed to the king, explains: lest one think that he possesses only virtues of the soul while lacking the other, physical virtues of a monarch. Foremost among these is valor against enemies, which was one of the most fundamental tests of kingship, for in those times the king would march at the head of his armies and charge forward on the battlefield - leading from the front was not invented in modern elite units; that was the nature of warfare in antiquity. Thus, "Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one" - this virtue is present within you as well, for you are capable of going forth and waging war.
However, in your case, girding the sword is not meant for waging battle, but is "your glory and your splendor" - it is part of the royal majesty for a king to possess weaponry, power, and might. This is like the Gemara's statement that one may go out on Shabbat with weapons because they are considered an ornament, "they are ornaments for him," as in the Mishnah in Shabbat. We see that weapons are also regarded as adornments. Today this is less familiar, perhaps only in Islamic lands where people walk around with a dagger or a Kalashnikov, where such items are still viewed as ornaments. One recalls from years past people who would arrive at weddings dressed in IDF uniform - to them it was an ornament; a person would put on his uniform before heading to a wedding. Today, people already realize that warfare is neither the goal nor the ultimate purpose.
Consider this: in the Jewish arsenal, in the Jewish pantheon, you will find neither weapons, swords, nor spears. On the contrary, a sword is not kept as a cherished heirloom, and one who touches a sword that struck a corpse is considered as having touched the corpse itself, for a sword contracts ritual impurity. What do you find in a Jewish museum? Tefillin and tallit, mitzvot, a Chanukah menorah, Shabbat candlesticks, a Havdalah cup. By contrast, visit any museum of an ancient nation and you will see primarily weapons: arrows, swords, and spears. And this is not just among indigenous tribes, but among all ancient nations. In Judaism, this is not so. And this is what the pasuk tells him: Gird your sword upon your thigh; for you, it is merely within the realm of your glory and your splendor, part of royal majesty - that the king is mighty and carries weapons with which he has the power to fight.
וַהֲדָרְךָ צְלַח רְכַב עַל־דְּבַר־אֱמֶת וְעַנְוָה־צֶדֶק וְתוֹרְךָ נוֹרָאוֹת יְמִינֶךָ׃ - And in your majesty prosper, ride on the cause of truth and humble righteousness, and may your right hand teach you awesome deeds.
Rashi explains: "And your majesty" - this is the splendor of the Torah scholar, that he may succeed in riding upon the matter of truth, to instruct according to the law and conduct himself with humility and righteousness. "And teach you" (vetorecha) - the Torah and the word of truth in which you engage will teach you the tactics of warfare, enabling your right hand to perform awesome deeds, to succeed and accomplish wonders in battle. And since scripture described the study of Torah in terms of warfare ("Gird your sword upon your thigh"), Rashi continues with those same martial expressions.
The Malbim explains that the primary splendor of King Solomon will be realized if he "prospers and rides on the cause of truth and humble righteousness." Previously, the psalmist blessed him with success in warfare and might against his enemies; here, he tells him: Know that an even higher level is to achieve success not through war and not through battle. "Prosper, ride" - may you succeed in accomplishing your objectives by riding upon the cause of truth and humble righteousness. You will not ride upon a warhorse to subdue your enemies; rather, truth will be the mount upon which you ride and through which you succeed. Nor will you ride upon a haughty steed - as horses are prone to pride - but upon humble righteousness.
The Malbim further explains that the "cause of truth" refers to deep contemplation - investigating a matter thoroughly and arriving at the truth - while "righteousness" refers to action, actively doing justice and charity in practice. "And may your right hand teach you awesome deeds" - humility and righteousness, which are the steed upon which you ride and through which you prosper, will show you the awesome deeds of your right hand: the very same awesome feats you would have accomplished with your right hand through war and battle, this steed will show you even without war. Upon truth and righteousness you shall ride, and you will vanquish your enemies even without entering the battlefield.
In simple terms, there are two ways to govern others. The first is through brute, violent, physical force, which is usually sordid, bloody, and leaves wounded and bleeding people in its wake. The second is to govern through the power of authentic greatness, where everyone bows and prostrates before you because they recognize your stature, your truth, and your path of righteousness and integrity. They naturally submit to you, for it is clear to all that you stand elevated above everyone, and they willingly accept your sovereignty. This is what the pasuk tells him: Your true splendor will be when you rule over others not through horses, chariots, and a sword girded upon your thigh, but when you walk in the cause of truth and humble righteousness. Then this path will accomplish for you awesome wonders just like those your right hand wrought through war and the sword - yet they will stem from genuine spiritual excellence that you have acquired, subduing your enemies without war, without bloodshed, and without humiliation.
חִצֶּיךָ שְׁנוּנִים עַמִּים תַּחְתֶּיךָ יִפְּלוּ בְּלֵב אוֹיְבֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - Your arrows are sharp; nations fall beneath you, into the heart of the king's enemies.
There is a textual difficulty here: the continuation of "Your arrows are sharp" should have been "into the heart of the king's enemies," yet "nations fall beneath you" is written in the middle. Do nations fall into the heart of the king's enemies? Therefore Rashi explains: This is a mikra mesoras (an inverted verse), meaning the clause order is transposed; it is read as if it were written, "Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies," and consequently, "nations fall beneath you."
According to Rashi, this refers to a Torah scholar: students are termed "arrows," as it is said, "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth." And Torah scholars who are armed with every weapon of battle are called "enemies," as it is said, "They shall not be ashamed when they speak with enemies at the gate." Our Sages interpreted "at the gate" as referring to the gate of the Sanhedrin, the place where Torah is studied and where the battle of Torah is fought; at first they become like enemies to one another in rigorous debate, but in the end they become beloved friends. "Nations fall beneath you" - Rashi explains: as a reward for Torah study, idol worshippers will fall under the dominion of Israel through your sharp arrows, the students you instruct, and through the Torah in which you engage.
The Malbim also explains that the verse's order is inverted, but in a different way than Rashi: "In the heart of the king's enemies" - in the hearts of the king's enemies passes the thought that your arrows are sharp. Not that the arrows will strike their hearts, but rather that the realization crosses their hearts that your arrows are sharpened, and through this they will fear to rebel against you. When you fear someone who possesses a dangerous weapon, you do not cause trouble and you do not try to test him. Thus, "peoples fall under you" without you needing to subdue them on the battlefield, for from the outset they will not rebel against you.
כִּסְאֲךָ אֱלֹהִים עוֹלָם וָעֶד שֵׁבֶט מִישֹׁר שֵׁבֶט מַלְכוּתֶךָ׃ - Your throne, judge, is forever and ever; a scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom.
Rashi explains "Your throne, Elohim" - a throne of a prince and judge, where "Elohim" denotes a ruler and leader, as in "I have made you a master (Elohim) over Pharaoh." And why did you merit this? Because "a scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom" - your judgments are true, and therefore you are worthy of reigning.
The Malbim explains: since your throne is a throne of judges ("Elohim"), as in the verse "the word of both shall come before the judges (ha-Elohim)," and you administer justice, righteousness, and equity - this throne will consequently endure forever and ever, for divine matters are neither eroded nor destroyed by time. Every material entity is subject to the dominion of time, and ultimately rusts, deteriorates, crumbles, and wears away. But a spiritual matter is eternal and endures forever.
"A scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom" - the Malbim explains that allegorically, the verse portrays uprightness itself as the ruler leading the kingdom with its staff. The scepter that uprightness holds in its hand and directs is the very scepter of your kingdom: your leadership is uprightness itself, and it is what guides your monarchy. Thus, no one will attempt to rebel against you, and there is no reason your kingdom should not endure forever.
The Radak addresses the difficulty in the phrase "Your throne, Elohim": after all, the verse refers to flesh and blood. It should be noted that the Christians sought to draw support from here for their falsehood, as though the king is god because he is the "son of god," according to their distortion; at the end of the chapter, we will see the refutation of this. However, the Radak cites Rav Saadia Gaon: "Your throne, Elohim" means "God will establish your throne." And in the name of the Ibn Ezra: your throne is the throne of God, as it says, "And Solomon sat upon the throne of Hashem," meaning the throne Hashem designated for him. Here too: the throne that God prepared and destined for your monarchy.
אָהַבְתָּ צֶּדֶק וַתִּשְׂנָא־רֶשַׁע עַל־כֵּן מְשָׁחֲךָ אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶךָ׃ - You loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with oil of gladness above your peers.
This is the source for the popular saying, "You were anointed, fortunate are you, oil of gladness above your peers." Rashi notes that any expression of greatness is described in terms of anointing with oil, as individuals were anointed with the sacred oil and thereby elevated to greatness; likewise, the vessels of the Beit HaMikdash were anointed with anointing oil before they were put into service.
The Radak explains "oil of gladness": Is there such a thing as sad oil and happy oil? Rather, the entire world rejoiced when God anointed you, and this anointing oil brought gladness to the whole world. And "above your peers" (me-chaveirecha) - the oil brought gladness when Hashem elevated you from among your peers, out of all those worthy of kingship, to be king. That is one interpretation in the Radak: from among your peers. Another interpretation: "more than your peers" - God anointed you more than all the others; they were not anointed, while you were.
The Malbim explains: "You loved righteousness and hated wickedness" - the fact that you conduct the monarchy with equity and righteousness is not because you force yourself to do so out of mere duty, but out of love. You love righteousness and hate wickedness. What is the difference? When a person does something because he is forced to do it, the moment the compulsion ceases or competing pressures arise, he will abandon it. But when a person does something because he loves it, he will do it consistently, for it has become an integral part of his soul. Therefore, it is impossible that you will ever deviate from righteousness and uprightness.
"Therefore God, your God, has anointed you" in such a way that you attain oil of gladness above your companions - meaning your beloved ones will anoint you with oil of gladness, accepting your kingdom over them with joy and gladness, rejoicing in your success. And when? When you love righteousness and hate wickedness. When a person conducts himself with uprightness, he has many who love him.
מֹר־וַאֲהָלוֹת קְצִיעוֹת כׇּל־בִּגְדֹתֶיךָ מִן־הֵיכְלֵי שֵׁן מִנִּי שִׂמְּחוּךָ׃ - Myrrh and aloes and cassia are all your garments; from palaces of ivory they have made you rejoice.
Rashi explains that myrrh, aloes, and cassia are types of spices - kiddah is translated in the Targum as ketziata - and all your garments emit a pleasant fragrance of spices. Rashi also cites a Midrash: "All your garments [bigdotecha]" - all your betrayals [begidotecha] and misdeeds are atoned for and emit a sweet fragrance. For there is no righteous person on earth who does only good and never sins; even a king, even a distinguished person, and even a talmid chacham is liable to stumble into sin. Therefore it is said to the talmid chacham: all your betrayals and misdeeds - from the root serach, meaning corruption or decay - will be atoned for and will emit a sweet scent. As David said, "Who can discern mistakes? Clear me of hidden faults. Also keep Your servant back from willful sins; let them not rule over me, then shall I be upright and innocent of great transgression."
And so our Sages expounded on the verse, "This is the law of the burnt-offering, of the meal-offering, of the sin-offering, of the guilt-offering, of the consecration-offering, and of the sacrifice of peace-offerings": a person who studies Torah needs neither an olah, nor a minchah, nor a chatat; rather, the very study of Torah - "It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your bones" - is what heals everything.
A story is told of a certain Jew who was engaged in his trade. After his passing, he appeared to one of his workers from the workshop, appearing radiant, shining, and on a very exalted spiritual level. The worker said to him: "If I may ask - for apparently in a dream there is no shame - I remember that you stumbled into a forbidden relationship; how is it that you were not held to account for it, and how do I see you like this in Gan Eden?" He answered him: "You are right, indeed I stumbled. But after I failed, I felt deep, deep remorse, and every day, after locking up the workshop and everyone went home, I would sit and learn Torah for two hours to heal my soul. When I arrived in the Heavenly Court, nothing of it was held against me." Do you hear that? Nothing of it was held against him. Thus, the Torah has the power to heal everything: "It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your bones." Therefore, "all your garments [bigdotecha]" - even your betrayals [begidotecha], since you are a talmid chacham and occupy yourself with Torah, are atoned for and emit a sweet fragrance, which are the types of spices mentioned here.
"From ivory palaces, they have gladdened you" - according to Rashi: your joys are greater and more exquisite than ivory palaces, for the chambers prepared for you in Gan Eden bring you far more joy than palaces of ivory, which demonstrates the immense merit of the talmid chacham and his dedication to Torah. "Meni simchucha" - from them, from those heavenly chambers, they shall gladden you, and from there you will receive your reward.
The Malbim explains this verse as addressed to the king: "Myrrh and aloes and cassia are all your betrayers [bogdecha]" - even those who betrayed you, even those who did not want you as king, are now casting myrrh and aloes upon you, the finest spices. "From ivory palaces" - when you emerge from your palace, which was an ivory palace made of elephant tusks, hence its name; this is one literal explanation, and there are other interpretations as well. And as you walk from the ivory palaces toward your bride, "they have gladdened you" - as you go from the place of joy to the rejoicing of your heart at the wedding, even the traitors have cast spices before you to gladden you, out of respect for your honor.
This very phenomenon shows that he attained a supreme level through his wisdom, ruling over others not by sheer force of arms, but through the power of esteem, recognition, and appreciation of his greatness. Therefore, even those who had betrayed him until now come forward to express their esteem and cast spices before him in his honor.