שִׁיר מִזְמוֹר לִבְנֵי־קֹרַח׃ - A song, a psalm of the sons of Korach.
Radak explains that this psalm, too, was composed concerning the Messianic era, and contains praise of Jerusalem. Ibn Ezra notes that we have not managed to distinguish between "a song, a psalm" (shir mizmor) and "a psalm, a song" (mizmor shir) - meaning there is no difference between them, just like "from the flint of rock" and "from the rock of flint," they are one and the same.
The Malbim explains that this psalm was founded upon a great tempest that occurred at that time, shattering mountains and breaking rocks, similar to what we already saw in Chapter 46. That very same storm also reached Mount Zion in Jerusalem - yet there it caused no damage at all. Why? Because the Holy One, Blessed be He, Who dwells in Jerusalem, protected and delivered her. What is more, the storm actually worked in their favor: at that very same time, kings of the earth joined together and arrived from across the world in ships of Tarshish to wage war against us, and Hashem dispersed them with that same storm, smiting their army in the sea and shattering their ships.
גָּדוֹל יְהֹוָה וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ הַר־קָדְשׁוֹ׃ - Great is Hashem and exceedingly praised in the city of our God, His holy mountain.
The Malbim notes: not every great person is praised. There are those who, because of their elevated stature, sit aloft and do not look at all at the people beneath them; then there is the great person who, despite all his greatness, takes an interest in people, even the lowliest among them. So it is with the Holy One, Blessed be He: He is great, and that does not inherently obligate that He be praised - yet in the place of His greatness, there you find His humility, and all praise Him because, despite His supreme greatness, He watches over the lowly.
The Malbim further adds: praise is usually given from a distance. When someone praises and glorifies a person from afar, but then draws close, he often realizes things are not as he imagined; up close, human flaws and failings become visible, and the praise diminishes. With Hashem, this is not so: "and exceedingly praised in the city of our God" - specifically in the place of His focused Providence, in the city of our God and on His holy mountain, where we are in direct proximity to Hashem, we still praise Him for being with us, watching over us, caring for us, and protecting us. This is His greatness, and this is His praise.
Rashi explains when it will be that "Hashem is great and exceedingly praised" - in the Future to Come, when the Beit HaMikdash will be rebuilt, as in "and My Name will be known among the nations"; everything is in the context of the coming of the Messiah. Radak explains "in the city of our God" - because there, all flesh will magnify and praise Him. There, in Jerusalem and in the Beit HaMikdash, which is His holy mountain, everyone proclaims that Hashem is great and exceedingly praised, and there everyone praises and glorifies the Creator, may He be blessed.
יְפֵה נוֹף מְשׂוֹשׂ כָּל־הָאָרֶץ הַר־צִיּוֹן יַרְכְּתֵי צָפוֹן קִרְיַת מֶלֶךְ רָב׃ - Beautiful in vista, the joy of the whole earth, Mount Zion on the northern flanks, the city of the great King.
Rashi cites: "Yefeh nof" - a city that is a beautiful branch or canopy, for nof means the crown of a tree (nofo shel ilan); this city is like an exquisite treetop. A second interpretation: nof is related to a bride, and "yefeh nof" means a beautiful bride, Jerusalem being likened to a radiant bride, for in coastal provinces a bride is called "nymphe." A third interpretation, in the name of Menachem, and followed also by the Malbim: nof is related to nafeh, a district or region, as in "the three regions" (sheloshet hanefot), "the region of Dor" (nafat Dor) - thus "yefeh nof" means a beautiful region. And Dunash explains it as referring to the foliage of a tree: Mount Zion is called "yefeh nof" on account of the adjacent Mount of Olives, which boasts a beautiful expanse of trees.
What is "the joy of the whole earth," and what is the meaning of "the northern flanks" (yarketei tzafon)? The Midrash Shocher Tov sharpens the question: Is Jerusalem in the north? Jerusalem is in the south! Rather, explains Rashi, as does the Midrash, "yarketei" refers to corners and sides - the northern side, as in "on the side of the altar northward." What is so beautiful about Jerusalem? The northern corner, namely the altar: the slaughter of the offerings took place in the north, receiving their blood in sacred vessels was in the north, and all the service of the most holy offerings (kodshei kodashim) was performed in the north, whereas offerings of lesser sanctity (kodashim kalim) could be slaughtered anywhere in the courtyard. "The northern flanks" is therefore the place where sin-offerings and guilt-offerings are slaughtered; and one who was grieving over the sins in his hands would bring a sin-offering or a guilt-offering, receive atonement, and leave joyful, and through the sacrifices goodness comes to the world. This is the beauty of Jerusalem.
The Malbim explains that Mount Zion possesses every virtue. First, of itself, it is "fair of climate" (yafeh nof) - a beautiful region. And in what way? In terms of climate. Until now we understood this to refer to visual beauty, but the Malbim clarifies that the beauty lies in the wonderful climate in which the mountain sits. Someone once asked: Why is Switzerland so beautiful? Why didn't Hashem make the Land of Israel as beautiful as Switzerland? He was asked in return: When were you in Switzerland? He answered: In the summer. He was told: Go there once in the winter! Who can live there? It is a place where one is locked inside for three-quarters of the year. True, in summer there is a brief period of snowmelt when everything is green, blossoming, and lush, but the rest of the time there can be a meter of snow outside, and going out requires snowplows, with every step outside feeling like stepping into a freezer. In Jerusalem, by contrast, there is wonderful weather year-round: not too hot and sweaty, and not too cold. Moreover, the Land of Israel contains every type of climate: if one wants a taste of Switzerland, he can go to Mount Hermon; if he wants Africa, to Eilat; if something in between, to Gush Dan. Everything one could desire is right there.
Regarding this very question, the Midrash offers an additional answer: Why are there no rivers and lakes in Jerusalem? After all, Jerusalem is the city of Hashem, and it would be fitting for it to have rivers and lakes - things that are aesthetically beautiful and also solve water shortages. The Midrash explains: so that people would not make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the sake of its rivers and lakes. So that no one would travel there saying, "There is a special lake there, a remarkable river there." No! If one ascends to Jerusalem, it must be for the House of Hashem, ascending solely to serve the Holy One, blessed be He.
Thus, explains the Malbim, this place is "fair of climate," and it is also "the joy of the whole earth" - the rejoicing of the entire land - and also "the city of the great King," where a great king rules, serving as the capital city and the seat of the great King.
אֱלֹהִים בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ נוֹדַע לְמִשְׂגָּב׃ - God in her palaces has become known as a stronghold.
And despite all this, says the Malbim, know that these natural qualities are not what make Jerusalem a stronghold and a fortress, nor are they how its greatness and distinction are defined. Rather, what is? "God in her palaces has become known as a stronghold" - by Hashem dwelling within her palaces, He Himself becomes her stronghold, and this is the true strength of Jerusalem. The word misgav denotes a place of refuge where one is elevated and protected, saved and preserved; to flee to a place to be sheltered (lehisagev) means to find salvation and refuge there.
The Radak explains that the verse comes to teach: there are mighty and powerful cities where palaces provide the strength - massive citadels and fortified walls. But in Jerusalem, who is her palace and what is her strength? God. He is the stronghold there, and from His power comes salvation. As it is explicitly stated in Mishlei (18:10): "The Name of Hashem is a tower of strength; the righteous runs into it and is protected." What is the tower in which the righteous finds salvation and defense? Hashem. The righteous runs into it and is elevated and protected there.
We may add here the words of the Midrash Shocher Tov: Why is Jerusalem called "the joy of the whole earth"? Because a person would enter the Beit HaMikdash laden with sins and leave clean and atoned. There is no greater joy than this, no joy greater than the atonement of sins; and for this reason, on the night following Yom Kippur, a festive celebration is held, celebrating the joy of having merited to be purified and pardoned of our sins.
כִּי־הִנֵּה הַמְּלָכִים נוֹעֲדוּ עָבְרוּ יַחְדָּו׃ - For behold, the kings assembled; they advanced together.
Here, the Malbim explains, the psalm begins to recount what took place during that era, as previously introduced: kings assembled together to come and conquer Yerushalayim. And they did not merely prepare, but also "advanced together" - they crossed the sea of Tarshish by ship in order to arrive here.
The Radak explains along similar lines, except that he directs it toward the future: know that God is a stronghold in Yerushalayim, and Hashem protects us in Yerushalayim, for behold, the kings assembled with Gog and Magog to wage war against Yerushalayim and advanced together. That is to say, according to the Radak this refers to a future event, whereas according to the Malbim it refers to an event that took place at the time the psalm was written.
הֵמָּה רָאוּ כֵּן תָּמָהוּ נִבְהֲלוּ נֶחְפָּזוּ׃ - They saw, and so they were astounded; they were terrified, they fled in haste.
רְעָדָה אֲחָזָתַם שָׁם חִיל כַּיּוֹלֵדָה׃ - Trembling seized them there, agony like a woman in labor.
The Radak explains: when they saw God's wonders and mighty deeds, "they were astounded" - this denotes amazement and wonder; "they were terrified" - this is panic; "they fled in haste" - as a result, they rushed to flee. As it is written: "I will execute judgment upon him with pestilence and with blood, and torrential rain and hailstones, fire and brimstone I will rain down upon him and upon his hordes, and upon the many nations that are with him." There will be tremendous panic among them when the Holy One, Blessed be He, protects us - for "in her palaces, God has become known as a stronghold"; He will defend us and wage battle against them. And then, "trembling seized them there": in the very place where they intended to slaughter many and plunder great spoil, right there trembling and pangs will seize them until they have no strength left and all fall slain, to the point that seven months will be needed to gather the corpses of Gog and Magog.
And the Malbim explains: "They saw, and so they were astounded; they were terrified, they fled in haste" - they saw the providence of Hashem with their own eyes, which filled them with astonishment, and they hurried to flee, and trembling seized them there.
בְּרוּחַ קָדִים תְּשַׁבֵּר אֳנִיּוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ׃ - With an east wind You shatter the ships of Tarshish.
כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְנוּ כֵּן רָאִינוּ בְּעִיר־יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֱלֹהִים יְכוֹנְנֶהָ עַד־עוֹלָם סֶלָה׃ - As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of Hashem of Hosts, in the city of our God; may God establish it forever, Selah.
The Malbim says: What did they see? In that east wind, they saw that You shatter the ships of Tarshish - that through an east wind Hashem shatters their ships. And these two verses are interconnected: "With an east wind You shatter the ships of Tarshish... may God establish it forever, Selah." That is, they saw that with the very same wind that shattered the ships of Tarshish, the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it were, establishes and builds Yerushalayim so that it will not be destroyed by enemies. The very wind that breaks them builds us and delivers us.
And what is the meaning of "As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of Hosts, in the city of our God"? The Malbim explains that this is like a parenthetical remark: just as we heard the report of that wind, so too did we see it in the city of Hashem - there was a storm there like upon the sea. For the storm through which the Holy One, blessed be He, sank the ships of those who came to besiege us, the ships of Tarshish in the sea of Tarshish - that very wind whose report we had only heard about, we have now seen; we saw here among us how through it the Holy One, blessed be He, establishes Jerusalem, "He will establish it forever, Selah." And "Selah," says the Malbim, marks the completion of the matter. That same east wind that shatters the ships of Tarshish is the wind that the Holy One, blessed be He, brought about, and through its power He established Jerusalem and saved us from our enemies.
Rashi explains that an "east wind" (ru'ach kadim) is an expression of retribution, through which the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts punishment from the wicked; it is an instrument of retribution that Hashem uses regularly. As it is written regarding Pharaoh: "And Hashem swept the sea back with a strong east wind all that night" - He punished them with an east wind. And concerning Tyre it is written: "Your rowers have brought you into great waters; the east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas," and there too it mentions that by means of a wind Hashem will scatter them before the enemy. And just as the wind shatters the ships of Tarshish, so will Hashem shatter Gog and his army.
Radak explains: the Jewish people at that time, during the era of Gog, will say - just as we heard from the mouths of the prophets who prophesied about the downfall of Gog, until today we had only heard, but now that we see the downfall, "so have we seen," we behold it before our very eyes. "In the city of the Lord of Hosts" - for Hashem is the Master of the hosts above and below; He brought these armies here and He also brought them down at the gates of Jerusalem. "In the city of our God" - for Hashem is our God and our Judge against the nations, as the name Elokim denotes judgment, and the Holy One, blessed be He, judges us from the nations that come to battle against us. And just as He saved and established it, so we pray, "may God establish it forever, Selah" - that Jerusalem, saved from the hands of Gog and Magog, should endure for all eternity.
The Alshich examines the precise wording of the verse: first, why the duplication of "in the city of the Lord of Hosts" and "in the city of our God"? Second, why is the name Havayah used first, followed by the name Elokim? Why repeat the matter with two distinct expressions?
The Alshich explains based on what has been elucidated in many places: the First Temple was built in the merit of Avraham Avinu, and the Second Temple in the merit of Yitzchak. Consequently, the First Temple was in the realm of loving-kindness (chesed) and mercy, corresponding to the name Havayah, blessed be He, which represents kindness. Therefore, there was an abundance of divine flow: ten continuous miracles, and a golden vine that produced fruit from which the kohanim would harvest golden grapes to sustain themselves - tremendous abundance and immense kindness. In contrast, the Second Temple existed in the merit of Yitzchak, and Yitzchak represents gevurah (restraint and judgment), which entails contraction (tzimtzum) and diminished abundance. Therefore, in the Second Temple there were only five miracles rather than ten, and much of the vast bounty present during the First Temple no longer existed - for this was the realm of Yitzchak, characterized by restriction and judgment. Loving-kindness gives and flows without limit, even to those who are undeserving; but strict justice sets a precise measure: if you deserve it, you receive; if not, you do not receive. "And may God give you" - in judgment, if you deserve it you shall receive. And when the people were not worthy and righteous, there was already restriction, reflecting the attribute of gevurah, the dimension of Yitzchak.
Our Sages teach an additional fundamental principle: when we see the tribulations predicted by the prophets befalling us, this is actually a cause for joy. On the surface, why should there be joy? The prophets foretold that troubles would arrive, and they came! The answer is that this serves as proof that the positive prophecies envisioned by the prophets for the future will also come to pass. This is why, when Rabbi Akiva's colleagues saw foxes walking through the ruins of the Holy of Holies, they wept while Rabbi Akiva laughed. They asked him, "We are weeping and you are laughing?" He answered them, "It is precisely the reason you are weeping that brings me joy. For now that the grim prophecy of 'foxes walked upon it' has been fulfilled, the comforting prophecy of 'old men and old women shall yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem' will surely be fulfilled as well."
This is analogous to labor pains: as long as the woman in labor makes no sound, there is still time and one can wait calmly. When the cries begin, you know that the birth is very near. Similarly, when we see tribulations arriving, it is a sign that the promised blessings are right at the doorstep.
With this introduction, we can understand the verse. The Community of Israel declares: Master of the Universe, You did not destroy Jerusalem because You despised it - as the Christians claim, alleging that the Holy One, blessed be He, abandoned and forsook us to choose them instead. Not so! And how do we know this? "As we have heard, so have we seen" - just as we heard the warnings from the mouths of the prophets that Hashem would destroy Jerusalem and bring Nebuchadnezzar here, and just as we heard the dire prophecies that "Zion shall be plowed like a field" and other harsh prophecies, so have we seen; we have seen it in actual reality, witnessing everything come to pass.
And we saw this across both Temples: "In the city of the Lord of Hosts" - this is the First Temple, which stood in the merit of Avraham, a house of loving-kindness and great abundance; "in the city of our God" - the name Elokim denoting judgment, which refers to the Second Temple that stood in the merit of Yitzchak, representing gevurah, judgment, and contraction. Whether when the First Temple was destroyed - the city of the Lord of Hosts - or when the Second Temple was destroyed - the city of our God, which had already stood in contraction - we are confident that "God will establish it forever, Selah." For if we have witnessed the painful part, and have drunk the cup of staggering to its dregs - "you have drunk, you have drained," in the words of the prophet, down to the very last drops - it is a sign that what follows, the comforting prophecies, are already at the door and about to be fulfilled within us. And just as it is written, "For Hashem shall comfort Zion; He will comfort all her ruins," which follows the three weeks of affliction (Telata de-Pur'anuta), we are certain that the seven weeks of comfort (Shiv'a de-Nechemata) are already right at our threshold. This is a truly magnificent explanation from the holy Alshich.
The psalm opens with the praise of Jerusalem: Hashem is great and praiseworthy specifically up close, in the city of our God, where even in close proximity His praise does not diminish. Mount Zion is beautiful in vista in its climate and setting, the joy of all the earth through the power of atonement at the northern side, and the city of the great King - yet all of its virtues are not the essence of its strength: "God is known in her palaces as a stronghold"; He alone is her fortress. Against this backdrop, the psalm recounts how the kings assembled and advanced in their ships to wage war against us, yet they saw Hashem's providence, were panicked, hurried away, and trembling gripped them, for that very same east wind that shattered the ships of Tarshish was what established Jerusalem and rescued us. And from here, as the Alshich teaches, we derive a lesson for all generations: just as we have seen with our own eyes the fulfillment of the harsh prophecies regarding both Temples, so too are we assured of the fulfillment of the promises of good - "May God establish it forever, Selah."