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Rashi on Psalms Chapter 136

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לְעֹשֵׂה נִפְלָאוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת לְבַדּוֹ. בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה לֹא נִבְרָא מַלְאָךְ כְּשֶׁעֲשָׂאָן לַנִּפְלָאוֹת הַלָּלוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ, הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהַיָּרֵחַ:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

To Him Who performs great wonders alone In the beginning, no angel was created when He made the wonders: the heaven, the earth, the sun and the moon.

לְמַכֵּה מִצְרַיִם בִּבְכוֹרֵיהֶם. בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא בִּבְכוֹרֵיהֶם: עָמְדוּ בְּכוֹרִים וְקִפְּחוּ שׁוֹקָן שֶׁל אֲבִיהֶם הַמְעַכְּבִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּשֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ נֶגַע עֲשִׂירִי מִפִּי מֹשֶׁה:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

To Him Who smote the Egyptians with their firstborn It does not say, “their firstborn,” but “with their firstborn.” The firstborn arose and beat their fathers’ legs because they detained Israel, when they heard about the tenth plague from Moses.

לִגְזָרִים. שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר קְרָעִים לִשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁבָטִים:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

asunder In twelve pieces for the twelve tribes.

מְלָכִים גְּדוֹלִים. כָּאן רָמַז שְׁלֹשִׁים וְאֶחָד מְלָכִים, וְהִשְׁוָה לָהֶם פַּרְעֹה וְחֵילוֹ וּמַכַּת מִצְרַיִם לִמְלָכִים אַדִּירִים קָשִׁים מֵהֶם. שָׁקוּל סִיחוֹן כְּנֶגֶד כֻּלָּם, כָּל אֶחָד לְעַצְמוֹ. וְכֵן פֵּרֵשׁ לְמַעְלָה: ״לְסִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִי וּלְעוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן וּלְכֹל מַמְלְכוֹת כְּנָעַן״ (תהלים קלה:יא). כֵּן בָּאַגָּדָה:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

great kings Here he alluded to the thirty-one kings, and he compared for them Pharaoh and his host and the plagues of Egypt to mighty kings, harsher than they. Sihon was equal to all of them, [and Og was equal to all of them (Machzor Vitry)], each one individually, and so did he explain above (135: 11): “Sihon the king of the Amorites and Og the king of Bashan and all the kingdoms of Canaan.” So it is in the Aggadah.

שֶׁבְּשִׁפְלֵנוּ זָכַר לָנוּ. בְּמִצְרַיִם זָכַר לָנוּ (שמות ב:כד):

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

Who remembered us in our humble state In Egypt, He remembered us.

וַיִּפְרְקֵנוּ. מִתּוֹכָם, וְהִפְלִיא לָנוּ כָּל זֶה:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

And He rescued us from their midst and performed all these wonders for us.

נוֹתֵן לֶחֶם. רָמַז כָּאן חֶסֶד (כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים):

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

Who gives bread He alludes here to kindness (to all creatures).

הוֹדוּ לְאֵל הַשָּׁמָיִם. הַמֵּכִין בָּהֶם מָזוֹן לְכָל בְּרִיָּה. עֶשְׂרִים וְשִׁשָּׁה ״כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ״ נֶאֶמְרוּ בְּמִזְמוֹר זֶה, כְּנֶגֶד עֶשְׂרִים וְשִׁשָּׁה דּוֹרוֹת שֶׁהָיָה הָעוֹלָם בְּלֹא תּוֹרָה וְנִתְקַיֵּם בְּחַסְדּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

Gives thanks to the God of heaven Who prepares therein food for every creature. The expression, “for His kindness is eternal,” appears twenty-six times in this psalm, corresponding to the twenty-six generations that the world was without Torah and existed through the kindness of the Holy One, blessed be He.

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