“Every section (parashah) that was beloved to David he opened with ‘Ashrei…,’ etc.” It seems to me - with Heaven’s help - that the reason is as follows: It is known that life flows from chokhmah (wisdom), in accordance with the secret of the verse, “And wisdom gives life to its possessor.” Therefore, all illness comes about through the removal of the light of chokhmah from a person, as our master the Ari, of blessed memory, wrote regarding the secret of ‘the sickbed.’ Thus, tzara‘at (leprosy) also occurs through the removal of the light of chokhmah, in the secret of the verse, “They die, but not through wisdom.” And it is known that “head” (rosh) is a term used for chokhmah. With this we can understand, with Heaven’s help, the verse (II Kings 4:19): “And he said to his father, ‘My head, my head!’ And he said to the lad, ‘Carry him to his mother.’” A person must draw life from chokhmah both in his external and internal aspects - corresponding to the spiritual “images” (tzelem) that a person possesses. Therefore the child cried “My head, my head!” in duplication, and the father said, “Carry him to his mother,” because he (the child) comes from the aspect of the female side (nukva), and through her that life-force would be drawn down to him. Accordingly, King David, peace be upon him, who would always seek life for himself - because he had nothing of his own, but rather took his life-force from others - therefore opened with Ashrei and concluded with Ashrei. For he would continually call out “My head, my head!” alluding to the light of chokhmah, since Ashrei (אַשְׁרֵי) and Roshi (רֹאשִׁי, “my head”) have the same letters. He did this in those psalms that were beloved to him - those in which he sang against oppressors - in order to draw through them the light of chokhmah, which is life. For this reason, the recitation of Psalms is effective in drawing down life to the sick, as is known. And therefore the Psalms are 150 in number, corresponding to the numerical value of mazal ha-chayyim (“the constellation of life”), which is also 150. Tosafot, of blessed memory, asked: What does it mean, “every section,” when we do not find any section that begins and ends with Ashrei except for this one alone? It seems to me that the phrase “ends with” is not to be taken literally as referring to the end of the psalm. Rather, the intention is that the psalm contains two occurrences of Ashrei within the same section, and this doubling indicates its belovedness. It does not depend on the actual closing verse of the psalm. And so we indeed find in Psalm 32: “Ashrei he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered; Ashrei the man to whom the Lord does not ascribe iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” Likewise in Psalm 119: “Ashrei those whose way is perfect…” “Ashrei those who keep His testimonies…” Thus, Ashrei appears in two verses in one section, and this is what is meant.

“Rabbi Meir was wanting to pray for mercy upon them so that they would die.” This phrase “so that” (כי היכי) is difficult: it appears to be a superfluous expression, for it would have sufficed for the Gemara to say simply, “He sought mercy upon them that they should die.” Furthermore, the Tzelach raises a difficulty: the phrase “he sought mercy” implies that he requested mercy and goodness for them, but the phrase “that they should die” expresses a request for judgment and harm upon them. And further: is it possible that Rabbi Meir did not know the verse, “Even punishing the righteous is not good” (Proverbs 17:26), as was stated earlier on 7a? It seems correct to resolve this, with Heaven’s help, as follows: Rabbi Meir indeed knew that “even punishing the righteous is not good,” and therefore he was not explicitly praying that they should die. Rather, he prayed that they should not be able to attain their evil desire. And this would itself become the cause of their eventual death. For any person who is deeply bound to an evil desire, and cannot attain it, becomes sick due to the intensity of his desire, and over time the absence of the thing he craves can become the cause of his death. Accordingly, in his request he was not asking that they die; he was asking for something that - by itself - would lead to their death: namely, that their evil craving, rooted in their hearts, would be denied to them. And this request could be considered mercy concerning their souls. For an evildoer who is unable to carry out his evil desire is thereby prevented from transgression, and this is a form of mercy for his soul. Therefore it says, “He sought mercy so that they would die” - meaning: he did not request that they die, but he requested something from which their death would result on its own, due to the intense craving and desire in their hearts for something that would no longer be available to them. Then Beruriah, may peace be upon her, said to him that it would be better to request mercy that Heaven help them repent, and then their evil desire would naturally be uprooted from their hearts. With this explanation we also resolve the difficulty of the Gaon, the author of Sefer Chasidim, who asked: If Rabbi Meir already prayed as he wished and was not answered, the Talmud should have mentioned this. And if he had not yet prayed, but only intended to, and Beruriah did not let him, then the Talmud should have said: “He was about to pray for mercy,” etc. But according to what we have explained, the difficulty is resolved. For indeed he had already prayed - that they not attain their desire so that they would eventually die from the absence of what they craved - but they had not yet died, for their death would come only after some time through the absence of the thing they desired. Then Beruriah opened her mouth in wisdom with this good advice and saved them by a new kind of mercy: she urged praying that they repent, and they remained alive. Still, it remains difficult: Why did Rabbi Meir not originally think of Beruriah’s reasoning? It appears, as the Maharsha wrote, that Rabbi Meir held that since “everything is in the hands of Heaven except for fear of Heaven,” one should not pray for others to repent - only for oneself. But this is difficult: If so, how did Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, pray regarding Joshua, “May God save you from the counsel of the spies”? It seems to me that there is a logical distinction: If one prays for a person while he is still righteous that he not sin or stumble, this is acceptable. But for a wicked person - who has already sinned - it is not fitting to request mercy from Heaven that he repent. This is what Rabbi Meir thought initially. And Moses prayed for Joshua while Joshua was still righteous, that he not be ensnared by the spies’ counsel. However, the Rif raised a difficulty: Since in the end Rabbi Meir accepted Beruriah’s reasoning, prayed for mercy, and they repented—how could David, King of Israel, have prayed that his enemies die and cursed them extensively in Psalm 109? For then it seems that David did exactly what Rabbi Meir originally wanted to do. It seems to me that King David, peace be upon him, certainly saw through the Holy Spirit that those enemies were already absorbed into the Side of Evil (Sitra Achra) and had no possibility of repentance. Alternatively, he knew that those enemies were sinners who caused others to sin. And it is an explicit Mishnah: “One who causes the public to sin is not granted the opportunity to repent.” With this we may also resolve the Rif’s second difficulty regarding Rashi, who offered support for Rabbi Meir. For the verse says not חוטאים (“sinners”) but חטאים (“sins”), which implies those who cause others to sin, and they are the ones who should be destroyed. But those local ruffians (the biryonim) did not cause others to sin.

“She did not give birth to children for Gehinnom like you.” It is difficult, for where is Gehinnom mentioned here, since the verse simply says, “she did not give birth”? It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that he inferred this from what is written: “Break forth into song and cry aloud, you who did not travail,” and according to Rashi this also refers to birth, for a woman gives birth through labor pains. But a difficulty remains, for why does the verse double its expression by saying “did not travail” after already saying “did not give birth”? Rather, the meaning of “did not travail” is the language of illness, meaning that she did not suffer from an illness of the soul, and a person who is ill in soul will certainly give birth to children destined for Gehinnom. Still, one may ask that it should have said, “she did not give birth to wicked children like you,” so why say “for Gehinnom”? It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that indeed there are wicked people among Israel, but since they accepted the Torah they are saved from the judgment of Gehinnom, and all the more so in comparison to the salamander which is protected from fire, and therefore when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham our father, “Choose for yourself either the suffering of the kingdoms or Gehinnom,” he chose the suffering of the kingdoms because he knew that they would accept the Torah, and by an a fortiori argument from the salamander Gehinnom would not rule over them. Therefore the wicked among Israel have their sins atoned through the suffering of exile and afflictions, and they are generally saved from Gehinnom, whereas the nations of the world have no remedy except through Gehinnom. Thus he said, “She did not give birth to children for Gehinnom like you.” And it further seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that even though among Israel there are wicked people who deserve to descend to Gehinnom, such as ignorant people who abandon Torah, nevertheless there is a difference between them and the nations, for Israel are called “holy seed,” such that when the fetus is in its mother’s womb it is holy. Therefore it is written in Isaiah (46:3): “Hearken to Me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who are carried from the womb, who are borne from birth,” for in their mother’s womb they are holy, and only after birth does the evil inclination come to them and gradually strengthen until it renders them wicked. Thus the evil inclination enters a domain that is not his, and he becomes like a robber who seizes the place of the good inclination and the soul. This is not the case with the nations of the world, for they are evil from the womb, coming as they do from the side of evil, and when the evil inclination comes to them he finds a place suited to him and uses what is rightly his. Therefore he said, “She did not give birth to children like you,” meaning that even though Israel may have individuals who descend to Gehinnom, they are not children of Gehinnom from pregnancy and birth, for when they were born they were good and holy.

“We, who expound adjacent passages, have no difficulty.” The commentators asked that a difficulty still remains, for it should have placed the matter of Gog and Magog after David’s flight from Saul, and then the events would follow in order and also be adjacent. It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that if Scripture had done so, we would not have been prompted to expound the adjacency, and we would not have sensed this reason, namely that this psalm provides a justification for the preceding psalm so that those who raise objections should not say, “Is there any servant who rebels against his master,” for we are believers, the children of believers, in everything written in Scripture. But now that the order is reversed, mentioning Absalom before Saul, this points a finger to us to notice why the later event was placed first, and this awareness prompts us to seek a reason. Then naturally one will say, “Is there any servant, etc.” In light of this statement one may understand the hint in the verse (Proverbs 23:1): “When you sit to eat with a ruler, understand well what is before you.” The ruler is the Sadducee who argues and contends with you, and he asks why the later event was placed earlier, for his intention is to use this to deny the very principle and to say, “This is false, God forbid, for is there any servant, etc.” Therefore you must understand well what is before you, meaning specifically that you should answer him by interpreting the adjacency, as Rabbi Yose taught, and reflect on this.

“Is there any servant who rebels against his master?” It is difficult, for was there not the generation of the Dispersion? As for Nimrod, there is no difficulty, for he made himself into a god, saying that the Holy One, blessed be He, due to His greatness, does not supervise the lower world and has handed it over to intermediaries. And likewise Pharaoh, although he said, “Who is the Lord?,” did not rebel, for he did not know the divine name of Havayah, only the name Elokim, as our master the Ari, of blessed memory, wrote. But the generation of the Dispersion acted like Gog and Magog, for they came to build the tower in order to ascend to the heavens and fight, Heaven forbid. One sees that such a corrupt thought did exist in the world. It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that the objector will answer: indeed such a corrupt thought existed in the generation of the Dispersion, but after the great punishment inflicted upon them, whereby they perished from the world in an evil manner, immediately all the wicked were chastened and such rebellion was not found in the world thereafter. Furthermore, the generation of the Dispersion lived before the Exodus from Egypt and the splitting of the Red Sea, at a time when people’s eyes were still closed, but afterward such a thing would not be found.

“They said this only regarding David their father.” It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that King David and the five occasions are hinted at in this verse. “Her mouth” is “pi he,” which is the letter hei, hinting to King David whose grasp is in the final hei of the Divine Name. “She opened” is “patacha,” whose letters indicate the opening of the hei, meaning the five songs that he recited through the Holy Spirit. As for what is written (Psalms 103:1), “All my innards bless His holy Name,” this is interpreted as “the innards of my mother,” meaning “my innards,” that is, the place of my dwelling and residence, they say a song to His holy Name. This means that after King David grew and attained the Holy Spirit, he formed in his mind an image as if he were once again standing in his mother’s womb as he had been, and he recited a song about the kindness shown to him, how a body was sustained within a body and preserved, as our sages wrote regarding the verse (Job 10:12), “You granted me life and kindness.” And so for all the other occasions he would, upon reaching maturity, imagine each event on its own and recite a song about the kindness of the Holy One, blessed be He.

“What is the meaning of ‘all His benefits’? Rabbi Elazar said that He made breasts for her in the place of understanding.” It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that “benefits” (gemulav) hints to “the benefit of sixteen,” for the numerical value of “dad dad” (breast breast) is sixteen, meaning that the good He bestowed on us was the two sixteens, namely the two breasts, which He placed in the location of understanding, which is the heart. This is also hinted at in the letters yod and vav, since yod and vav when spelled out have the numerical value of lev (heart), which is thirty-two. The breasts are also alluded to in the word gemulav, for it is known from the writings of our master the Ari, of blessed memory, regarding the verse (Numbers 11:26), “One’s name was Eldad and the other’s name was Medad,” that the right breast comes from the letters “El” in the name Elokim, and the left breast from the letters “Mi” in the name Elokim, and the milk within them is from the secret of the letter hei in the name Elokim. And the word gemulav without the yod has the value of eighty-five, and with the inclusive unit makes eighty-six, which equals the name Elokim, and this is the Elokim associated with the sefirah of Binah, from which the secret of the breasts derives. Furthermore, the phrase kol gemulav has the value of one hundred and forty-five, which equals “breasts Elokim” that is one hundred and forty-four, plus an additional unit, and reflect on this. And the reason he recited a song specifically about the breasts and not about other limbs such as the eye, ear, or mouth, which are positioned in an elevated place at the top of the body, is because those organs are the same among all creatures, whereas the breasts are positioned in animals in a place of filth, but in humans they are placed in the region of understanding. Therefore he gives thanks and praise for this. Moreover, this kindness that the Holy One, blessed be He, performed in placing the breasts near the heart has greater significance for Israel than for the nations, for even though the nations also have breasts near the heart, which is the place of understanding, nevertheless they have no distinction in this and it is as if their breasts were located in a place of filth. Therefore our sages of blessed memory said that one who nurses from the nations is as if he nursed from an impure creature. In this way I have explained, with Heaven’s help, a hint of the verse in my homilies on the Torah, “Behold, a people that dwells alone and is not counted among the nations” (Numbers 23:9). This praises Israel, for “a people that dwells alone” can be divided into “the heart of the breast dwells,” meaning the breast has its dwelling near the heart, the place of understanding, but this distinction does not apply to the nations. Hence, “among the nations it is not reckoned,” for they have no special status from this even though their breasts are also near the heart.

“He saw the downfall of the wicked.” One may ask what relevance this has to himself such that he should recite a song. It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that according to his spiritual level King David, peace be upon him, came into the world only in order to sing away the tyrants and cut down the thorns and thistles that surround the supernal rose. Therefore all his days he engaged in battles below, and through them he cut down the spiritual husks above. This is why Abigail said to him that he was fighting the battles of the Lord, for this was his task all his life, and because of this he composed the Book of Psalms. She saw through the Holy Spirit the downfall of the wicked, meaning the spiritual husks that he would sing away, and she perceived that he was succeeding in this mission for which he had come into the world. Therefore he recited a song over this success.

“He looked at the day of death and recited a song.” One may ask that regarding death he should have recited a lament, and furthermore it ought to have said that he looked at death, not at the day of death. It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, based on what our sages said that the righteous are greater in their death than in their life. Our master the Ari, of blessed memory, explained that this means that during a person’s lifetime he can only effect a supernal union through Torah and mitzvot in the place of the root of his soul alone, but at the moment of departing this world his soul’s ascent causes a union of greatness in Tiferet and Malkhut, which are Zeir Anpin and Nukva, in relation to all the worlds, and all receive bounty from this union. See Shaar Ruach HaKodesh. King David looked at this exalted attainment which he would achieve on the day of death, something he could not accomplish in life, and he recited a song. This also resolves a very strong textual difficulty, for the Talmud cites in this context the verse ‘You gather their spirit, they perish’ (Psalms 104:29), yet that verse is number twenty nine while ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul’ is the first verse, and between them are many verses about the wonders of God. Why did the Talmud join verse one to verse twenty nine. According to this it is correct, for the first verse describes the kindness for which he sings, which is that ‘You are greatly exalted,’ referring to the union of greatness in which ‘majesty and splendor You don,’ all of which is accomplished by man. The Talmud asks how we know that this refers to the union of greatness accomplished on the day of death, and not another day either before or after, and it answers based on the verse ‘You hide Your face, they are frightened; You gather their spirit, they perish and return to dust,’ which certainly refers to the day of death. But if ‘You gather’ is interpreted as gathering from the world as Rashi and Radak write, then it is redundant with ‘they perish,’ therefore it must mean increase and addition, and Scripture hints that on the day they perish their spirit is increased so that their nefesh, ruach, and neshamah can create a universal supernal union which they could not make in life. According to this, Scripture explicitly states that on the day of death there is increase and addition for a person. In another way it seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that it said he looked at the day of death rather than at death itself, based on what our sages said in Shabbat that David prayed, ‘Let me know my end,’ and God replied that it is decreed not to reveal a person’s end. David then asked to be told the day of the week and was told he would die on Shabbat. David thus knew in his lifetime that he would die on Shabbat and knew through the Holy Spirit the spiritual advantage of Shabbat, for as our master the Ari wrote regarding the three verses of Tzidkatecha said at Shabbat mincha, one is for Joseph, one for Moses, and one for David, for all three died on Shabbat, and a great rectification is performed at Shabbat mincha which we can only achieve through the joining of the souls of those three righteous men. Thus David had great benefit from dying on Shabbat which continues every Shabbat for all generations. This is why it says he looked at the day of death, meaning he looked with the Holy Spirit at the benefit he would receive from the day of death which was Shabbat at the time of mincha and sang. Or similarly according to Sefer HaLikkutim on the verse ‘King David was old’ that his death came on the seventh day and he ascended above seventy to the level of Binah, for God granted him rest from all his enemies and he reached the sanctity of Shabbat and passed on to Binah. Therefore it says he contemplated the day of death which is Shabbat through which he would attain a great elevation. The verse ‘You gather their spirit’ is well explained about the death of the righteous who die by the divine kiss, meaning through beholding the light of the Divine Presence their soul leaves them to cleave to that light like iron drawn to a magnet. This is ‘You gather their spirit,’ that he is granted the additional privilege of seeing the light of the Presence, ‘they perish,’ meaning they do not truly die but expire, and regarding their body Scripture says ‘they return to their dust,’ meaning to their own dust specifically, for in their righteousness they acquired heaven and earth, and their bodies were made from the dust of Adam which is their rightful portion, so they return to their own dust. Think deeply on this.

“And He places in it ruach and neshamah.” One may ask, for the usual expression of our sages is nefesh, ruach, neshamah, and if only one is mentioned it is nefesh or ruach or neshamah, so why mention only ruach and neshamah here and not nefesh. It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that we find sages who created a human or an animal through Sefer Yetzirah and made use of it, and therefore God is called incomparable in artistry. Yet it is known that creators through Sefer Yetzirah lack two abilities: they cannot create a creature containing another creature within it, which is a form within a form, and they cannot give the power of speech. As the Gemara says, Rava created a man and sent him to Rav Papa and the man could not speak, so he knew it was created through Sefer Yetzirah. The reason is that the nefesh includes nefesh, ruach, neshamah, chayah, yechidah; bodily action comes from the nefesh portion, speech from the ruach portion as Targum renders ruach as speaking spirit, and thought from the neshamah portion. The makers through Sefer Yetzirah can only draw the nefesh portion of the nefesh, so the being can walk and serve, but they cannot draw the ruach or neshamah portions, so it lacks speech, thought and imagination. Only the Holy One can give these. Therefore Scripture mentions ruach and neshamah alone here, for these only God can grant, unlike nefesh.

“What is the meaning of ‘for there is none besides You’?” One may ask, for “there is none besides You” is the beginning of the verse and should have been interpreted first before “there is no artist like our God.” It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that at the start of the statement it is not appropriate to raise this question, for the phrase expresses God’s exclusive divinity, that there is no other god, and many verses use this praise without difficulty. But once the Talmud asked about “there is no artist like our God” and explained it as “there is no rock like our God,” referring to praise of God in the matter of human birth, it becomes difficult to interpret the first clause as referring to divinity, for what connection is there between these two praises to be placed together. Therefore it interprets “there is none that wears You out,” for man’s handiwork outlives him, as parents die while their children bury them, but the Holy One wears out His handiwork because all die while He alone lives eternally. And there is no artist like our God, for parents shape a form but cannot insert ruach and neshamah, while God forms a form within a form. Thus the entire verse praises God’s work in bringing man into existence. And therefore God’s name, when written in its full spelling with five hehs, has a total value equal to the simple letters, hinting that He forms a form within a form.

“Just as the Holy One sits in inner chambers.” It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that this means the main resting place of the Shekhinah is in Atzilut. The two chambers are Asiyah and Yetzirah; the two inner chambers are Beriah and Atzilut. As Elijah, of blessed memory, said, You are above all, concealed of all concealed. Likewise the soul’s dwelling is within the brain, and there are four layers corresponding to chambers within chambers: the skin of the head, within it the skull, within it the membrane, and within the membrane the brain, and the soul dwells in the brain.

“Let one who possesses five things come and praise.” It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that we are permitted to praise because everything is before Him, and part is considered as all when in His presence, therefore one who possesses these five qualities demonstrates that the whole is before Him and may offer praise.

“And who knows the compromise of a matter.” It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that Isaiah said he should preside over Hezekiah, and Hezekiah claimed he should preside over Isaiah, so each asserted superiority. What did the Holy One do? He sent a prophetic word into Isaiah’s mouth telling him “Set your house in order,” and the letters of “mouth” combined with the letters of “prince” to make “compromise,” and he told him to say to Hezekiah “Set your household in order.” Our sages said he had only the deficiency of lacking a wife, and he is also reminded of the name Tzevaot, which Hannah invoked in her request for children.

“He said to him: Why all of this.” One may ask, for Isaiah spoke in the name of God’s decree, so how could he say “Why all of this,” for God does not judge without justice. It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that he did not challenge the decree but the wording, for Isaiah told him “You will die,” rather than “You shall die in the future,” thus calling him dead while alive. He therefore said “Why all this,” speaking as if I were already dead. He answered that because he did not engage in procreation he is called dead even while alive, as it is written “Give me children or I am dead,” so he too is regarded thus.

“Into the hidden things of the Merciful One why enter.” It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that even a completely wicked person has hope that God may help him repent, and then God digs a channel beneath His Throne to receive him despite the accusers, as He did for Manasseh. Therefore it says “into the hidden things of the Merciful One,” meaning that hope lies in His hidden mercy.

“Finish your prophecy and go.” It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that the divine word returned to Isaiah at that moment before he left the middle courtyard, as written “the word of the Lord came to him saying: Return and say to Hezekiah.” Thus it seems that Hezekiah perceived through the Holy Spirit that another prophecy regarding him had now reached Isaiah, so he said “Finish your prophecy and go,” meaning I see additional words sent to me through you, so do not hurry out but finish the new prophecy and then go. Or even without the Holy Spirit he had great trust that his prayer would be heard and a new prophecy of good would be sent to him through Isaiah, as indeed happened.

“Even if a sharp sword rests on a person’s neck.” It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that “sharp” alludes to “one hei,” hinting at the final hei of the Divine Name which is harsh judgment and carries out the judgment, unlike the first hei. Therefore even if a sword of the final hei lies on his neck, he should not despair of mercy. Alternatively it refers to a sword sharp through the five powers of the names of Elohim, which is one hei. The phrase “should not despair of mercy” is explained according to the Zohar on “The sword of the Lord is filled with blood,” meaning harsh judgment that is sweetened by the holy name Nachal, hinted in the initials of “Notzer Chesed La’alafim,” which is drawn from the upper mazal in the eighth and ninth tikkunim, and this name is used in the Tashlich service to sweeten harsh judgments. If you add the value of sword, two hundred ten, to the value of Nachal, eighty eight, you reach mercy, two hundred ninety eight, showing that the sword can become mercy. Thus even if a sharp sword rests on his neck he should not despair of mercy.

“One said: Bring my mother’s head to cook fish with it.” According to the order of names in the Talmud it seems that the first speaker, who said this about cooking fish, was Manasseh. It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that he said this because his mazal saw that he would ultimately repent and be rectified. People are compared to fish in Ecclesiastes. He said that the merit of his father would protect him so that the fish, meaning the wicked, would be cooked and rectified in the fire of Torah. But Rabshakeh spoke something terribly evil, offering sacrifice to idolatry, and therefore when he struck him he immediately died through a fall from heaven, for he surely did not strike him with lethal force, but heaven caused it for his benefit. Hence he is called Rabshakeh, the letters of which form “in falsehood,” to which he clung. And when he carried them on his shoulders, he certainly did not demean royal honor publicly but did so privately for the sake of Heaven to endear Torah to those children by seeing a king carry them to learn Torah.

“He applied to himself: and my vessels are evil.” It seems to me, with Heaven’s help, that a wife is called her husband’s vessel, as our sages said that a woman forms a covenant only with one who makes her a vessel, and likewise Rabbi Elazar’s wife sent Rabbi a vessel saying that which was used for sacred purpose may be used for profane. Hezekiah trusted that through the merit of his wife, the daughter of Isaiah, some help and success would come to him, but when he saw that even her merit did not aid him he said “and my vessel,” meaning that he himself, who was a vessel in the mitzvah of procreation since he initially did not marry, now saw that his vessel through his wife also turned out badly. Therefore he said “behold for peace I had great bitterness,” for Manasseh and Rabshakeh have initials forming mar, and peace refers to a wife. He expected that from the peace of marriage with Isaiah’s daughter he would have worthy children, but instead he saw that from that peace came Mar, the initials of Manasseh Rabshakeh.