Introduction
We continue with the final section of Psalm 46. The psalm deals with Hashem's salvation for His people in a time of great distress: that "river" of armies sweeping through countries and lands, and that tyrannical king who "shakes kingdoms," who are ultimately shattered before the Holy One, blessed be He. The psalmist invites the inhabitants of the world to contemplate the wondrous works of Hashem that defy nature, and concludes with the great proclamation: "Hashem of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold, Selah."
"Come, Behold the Works of Hashem" - The Radak's Textual Variant and Commentary
לְכוּ חֲזוּ מִפְעֲלוֹת יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂם שַׁמּוֹת בָּאָרֶץ׃ - "Come, behold the works of Hashem, Who has wrought desolations upon the earth."
The Radak cites the text as "the works of Elohim," and the Malbim likewise mentions that this does not occur by chance, "for it is the works of Elohim, Who has wrought desolations upon the earth." The reason for this is simple: there is another verse in Tehillim, in chapter 66, which reads, "Come, behold the works of Elohim." Often, a commentator is naturally drawn to the phrasing familiar to his tongue from another verse. But in our text, the Tetragrammaton appears, and there is no need to assume that he had a different textual variant before him, as we do not find the commentators citing such a variant here.
And what does the Radak say in explaining the verse? "'Come, behold the works of Hashem' - this is nothing other than the works of God, that Hashem has wrought desolations upon the earth." Shammot denotes devastation and desolation, from the root of shemamah. The Holy One, blessed be He, will bring great desolation upon those nations who will come to besiege Jerusalem in the War of Gog and Magog, so much so that they will spend seven months burying the dead. They will be struck down before the small remnant of people who will be here in Jerusalem, and this is not a natural battle but a miraculous victory, as it is written: "Then Hashem will go out and fight against those nations, as on the day He fought on the day of battle" - Hashem Himself goes out and fights on our behalf. Therefore, anyone who witnesses this will say: Come, behold the works of Hashem; this is surely not according to the laws of nature.
The Metzudat David explains that the address here is directed at Gog and his allies: Go and see the works of Hashem, Who has wrought desolation on the earth, so how can you still proceed to come and wage war? And the Malbim explains that the psalmist's thoughts now wander across that entire upheaval wrought by the armies we spoke of earlier - that river that flooded countries and lands, mighty waters that came by the will of Hashem. The psalmist says to the inhabitants of the world: Go and reflect; the desolation brought about by this river is certainly not a natural occurrence, but a divine act, and everything unfolds under the complete providence of Hashem.
"Do Not Read Shammot, but Shemot" - The Talmudic Derashah
The Gemara in Berachot (7b) expounds: "'Who has placed desolations [shammot] upon the earth' - do not read shammot (desolations), but rather shemot (names)." In other words, names in this world are not coincidental. The Gemara asks there: Why was she named Ruth? Seemingly, the reason might be that when she converted, she became obligated in 613 mitzvot: previously, she had the seven Noahide laws, and an additional 606 (tav-reish-vav) mitzvot were added to reach 613. If so, according to this, she should have been called "Taru" - and indeed, by Yitro we find an addition of 606 mitzvot as well. Rather, the Gemara explains, she was called Ruth because David descended from her, who saturated (rivahu) the Holy One, blessed be He, with songs and praises - and rivahu shares the root of saturation, with the letters resh and vav in that order. From "Taru" you would not perceive this, but from "Ruth" you do.
What do we learn from this? That much can be learned from names. Names reveal a great deal about one's essence, just as Rabbi Meir would examine people's names, and as Chazal in many places expound names homiletically: Korah - because he caused a bald patch (korchah) in Israel; Bilaam - because he sought to swallow a nation (bila am); Amalek - who came to lap (lalok) the blood of Israel. Chazal expound every single name in Scripture, for Hashem "placed names [shemot] upon the earth": even though it appears as if the parents selected the child's name, know that Hashem is the One Who set the names, and it does not stem merely from you, but from the Creator, blessed be He.
Naming a Child - A Minor Prophecy
A story is told of parents who came to a rabbi and asked him what they should name their newborn son. He said to them: "I am surprised at you; you have already been granted a prophecy from Hashem, and you wish to pass it on to someone else?" For it is brought in the teachings of our Sages that naming a newborn is a form of minor prophecy placed into the mouths of the parents, inspiring them to give specifically this name and not another. Of course, this applies to names grounded in holiness. One who names his son Nimrod - that is not prophecy, nor is naming children after the seashore: Yam (Sea), Gal (Wave), Tzedef (Seashell). There was someone who named his son Yaakov, and they asked him: "Yaakov, how did you arrive at that?" He answered: "Well, that is also the name of the lifeguard at the beach..."
There is a story of a father who stood at a brit, and when they reached "and let his name be called in Israel," he suddenly forgot the name. He tried to remember and could not. The rabbi said: "Avraham." The father said: "Right, Avraham! We decided to name him Avraham." Afterward, they asked the rabbi: "What was that, prophecy?" He said to them: "Not prophecy; I saw the father standing there like Terach, so I figured the child must be named Avraham..." Even so, these names have great significance, and they are rooted in divine knowledge and a message from Above, which is what truly determines the name.
They also tell jokingly of someone who came to a rabbi and said that a daughter was born to him and he could not find a name for her. The rabbi told him: "Look in the weekly Torah portion; it is customary to find a name in the parashah." He said: "I looked, and I did not find a single daughter in the parashah, except for one name." The rabbi looked into the text and found: "You shall not allow a sorceress (mechashfeh) to live." He said to him: "Here, name her Mechashfeh." The man replied: "I cannot; in our family it is not customary to name after the mother-in-law while she is still alive..." And since we have mentioned a mother-in-law, our Sages noted regarding Parashat Yitro, where it says: "I, your father-in-law Yitro, have come to you" - why did he need to say "I"? Rather, he was telling Moshe: Come out to greet me, and if you are concerned that perhaps your mother-in-law came along as well - fear not, I came alone, only me.
"Who Has Placed Desolations in the Earth" - Proof for Faith
The sefer Shaarei Simchah explains that this verse hints to a person who is filled with doubt and lacks faith: You want to see Hashem? "Come, behold the works of Hashem." Where? "Who has placed desolations (shamot) in the earth." For we have an astonishing prophecy in the Rebuke (Tochachah) in the Torah: that when the Jewish people stray from the path and fail to observe the Shemittah year, they will be exiled for the exact number of years they did not observe it. And we have a precise calculation: the Jewish people failed to observe seventy Shemittah cycles, and Rashi and the Radak calculate this according to the reigns of the wicked kings, arriving at precisely seventy Shemittahs. Regarding this it is stated: "Then shall the land appease its Sabbaths all the days of its desolation" - the land will lie desolate for all that time during which you did not let it rest, for your duty during Shemittah is to leave the land fallow, and you will be exiled to the land of your enemies.
Here a great concern arises: If we are exiled from here, others will come and seize control of the land, and when the time comes to return from exile, we will no longer have the ability to do so, because another nation will have settled here. Concerning this, the Torah promises: "And your enemies who dwell therein shall be desolate upon it" - no nation will ever succeed in settling the land; only the Jewish people will succeed in settling it. To such an extent did the Gemara state that if you see the Land of Israel beginning to yield its fruit generously, you have no clearer sign of the End of Days than this, as it is written: "But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are soon to come."
This is precisely what took place over the past century: swamps were drained, and the land returned to bearing fruit. In contrast, look at the accounts of travelers who visited here earlier. The Ramban, who arrived here over eight hundred years ago, describes traveling vast distances before encountering a single tree, with everything lying in ruin, and whatever was more sacred than its fellow was more destroyed than its fellow. Mark Twain, who visited here, likewise described a land over which an ancient curse seemed to hover, entirely overgrown with briars and thorns, with only scattered wandering tents of Bedouins. This is also the answer to the claim of those who argue that they have always lived here. Look how much people fight over this land today, with this one demanding this part and that one demanding that part - yet it lay in your hands for two thousand years, and did anyone accomplish anything with it? Why did you not develop it? A curse rested upon it, which for us is a blessing: Chazal say that this is a benevolent promise, that the land does not accept the enemies of Israel, it does not appease them, and it does not yield them its produce. For two thousand years the land lay desolate, and only when the Jewish people drew near to come did it resume bearing fruit. How marvelous is what King Dovid tells us: You want to strengthen your faith and behold the works of Hashem? Come and see "Who has placed desolations in the earth." Is there any natural explanation for this entire phenomenon, if not that "Hashem of hosts is with us; the God of Yaakov is a stronghold for us, Selah"?
"He Causes Wars to Cease unto the Ends of the Earth"
מַשְׁבִּית מִלְחָמוֹת עַד קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ קֶשֶׁת יְשַׁבֵּר וְקִצֵּץ חֲנִית עֲגָלוֹת יִשְׂרֹף בָּאֵשׁ׃ - He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns chariots in fire.
Rashi explains: He makes wars cease from upon us unto the end of the earth, until all the nations at the ends of the earth will be entirely at peace with us. "He burns chariots (agalot) in fire" - these agalot are war wagons, or in contemporary terms: tanks.
Incidentally, after the Six-Day War, people told a joke about the Egyptians, that they ordered tanks from Russia and requested three reverse gears and only one forward gear. They asked them: "Why three reverse gears?" They answered: "Most of the time we are in retreat, so we need to shift gears." They asked: "If so, why any forward gear at all?" They answered: "Just in case they attack us from behind..." Yet all this lightheadedness was shattered before our eyes in the Yom Kippur War. Everyone had been certain that it would be a walk in the park, and suddenly it became clear that they had learned a thing or two, and the war was far more difficult. Only then did people recognize that if there is a victory, it is neither the IDF nor "our high hand," but the Holy One, blessed be He, Who wrought it all, for without divine assistance, naturally speaking there was no chance of emerging alive from that war. Anyone who knows how they prepared here for the Yom Kippur War in terms of clearing emergency grounds - they had already prepared Ramat Gan Park for mass graves, may Hashem have mercy - understands that people were speaking of the literal destruction of the Third Commonwealth, and had Hashem not stood by us, who knows how the matter would have ended.
It is remarkably interesting that specifically after Yom Kippur did the widespread teshuvah movement begin. When we receive a gentle stroke, we do not repent. In the Six-Day War we received a great embrace from the Holy One, blessed be He, and it did not move us at all. But after 5734 (1973) and into the 1980s, a tremendous teshuvah movement began - specifically out of the blow we sustained. This teaches us that when the Jewish people take a hit, they are awakened by it.
The Radak's Explanation: The End of All Wars
Radak explains: "In that war, wars will be brought to an end" - meaning there will never be wars again. For this refers to the war of Gog and Magog, which seals all wars, and then all who remain will recognize the hand of Hashem and serve Him, as it is written, "And Hashem shall be King over all the earth" - not only over the people of Israel. "He breaks the bow" - that Hashem will break the bow of Gog and Magog and shatter their spears, as it is said in Yechezkel 39: "And I will strike your bow." "He burns chariots in fire" - this can be interpreted as referring to His burning wrath, for wrath (charon) is always an expression of fire and burning, as in "rivers were parched (charvu)" from the root of burning; or it can be understood literally, as actual fire, as it is written, "And fire and brimstone I will rain down upon him and upon his hordes." Thus, in the war of Gog and Magog there will also be actual fire, and through this all will recognize Hashem and serve Him shoulder to shoulder, and there will no longer be wars in the world.
And this is also the meaning of "He breaks the bow and shatters the spear" - that they will no longer manufacture weapons of war, as the prophet says: "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." Incidentally, when the Cold War between the United States and Russia came to an end, a disarmament treaty was signed between them regarding ballistic missiles, and from the metal of those missiles, which was titanium, they melted it down and manufactured pens. People remarked then in jest: behold, "they beat their swords into pens" - Scripture says plowshares (itim), tools for digging, and here they produced pens (etim).
The Malbim's Explanation: An Address to the Tyrant
The Malbim explains this passage differently from all the other commentators. In his view, the address is directed to that tyrant who shakes kingdoms, who devastated that land, and "He causes to cease (mashbit)" does not mean putting an end to war, but rather desolation: you desolate and destroy human habitation through wars, unto the end of the earth. That tyrant waged great wars against the nations, subjugated them all, and overpowered them. But know, the psalmist tells him, that from now on "He breaks the bow and shatters the spear," and the carts as well - the chariots in which he fought - Hashem will burn in fire. From now on there is no longer any need for him as the rod of the Holy One, blessed be He's wrath, for every ruler who governs nations does not rule of his own power, but by the power of Hashem, may He be blessed, serving merely as the rod of His anger. And now, when Hashem Himself goes forth with His hosts and rules the earth, He has, so to speak, no further need for this instrument.
"Desist, and Know That I Am God"
הַרְפּוּ וּדְעוּ כִּי אָנֹכִי אֱלֹהִים אָרוּם בַּגּוֹיִם אָרוּם בָּאָרֶץ׃ - "Desist, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Therefore, Hashem says to those destroyers of the world: Desist! Know that I am God; I Myself will be exalted among the nations and exalted in the earth. Until now you were My emissaries to destroy, and you thought that you did this by your own strength - but from now on you will know that I am Hashem, Who shakes the earth from its place.
"Hashem of Hosts Is with Us" - And Why It Is Repeated
יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת עִמָּנוּ מִשְׂגָּב לָנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב סֶלָה׃ - "Hashem of Hosts is with us; the God of Yaakov is a stronghold for us, Selah."
And with all that Hashem shakes kingdoms, and even though He no longer has need for that tyrant - we remain confident and secure: Hashem of Hosts is with us. The Holy One, blessed be He, Who rules over all the hosts, is the One Who protects us; He is a stronghold for us, and He is the God of Yaakov, Selah. And the Malbim concludes: "Hashem of Hosts is with us," and no evil will reach us. For in that raging torrent of which we spoke - that river that swept through kingdoms, reached up to us, and was halted - the power of the tyrant who shakes the earth was also broken, and his might failed, meaning his strength was shattered. Hashem Himself came to judge the earth, and through this Israel was delivered not only from the harm of the raging river, but also from the harm of the one who shakes the earth, who was heading to attack them.
And this is the explanation for why the verse "Hashem of Hosts is with us; the God of Yaakov is a stronghold for us, Selah" is repeated: the first time it was stated with reference to the raging river, and the second time with reference to that tyrannical ruler, whom the river also swept away through the kindness of Hashem when he came to wage war against us.
In summary: The conclusion of the chapter is a great call for contemplation: "Come, behold the works of Hashem" - see the desolation that was placed upon the earth, a desolation that defies natural explanation, whether in the desolation of the enemies of Israel in Gog and Magog, or in the desolation of Eretz Yisrael for two thousand years until its children drew near to return. And from this we also learn that "He placed desolations (shamot / shemot) in the earth" - that names themselves are determined from Above, as a sort of minor prophecy. In the end, Hashem will make wars cease to the end of the earth, He will break the bow and shatter the spear, and He will burn the chariots of war in fire; He will say to the tyrants of the world, "Desist, and know that I am God," and He will be exalted among the nations and in the earth. And of us it is said twice, corresponding to the two evils from which we were delivered: "Hashem of Hosts is with us; the God of Yaakov is a stronghold for us, Selah."