Text

Rashi on Psalms Chapter 40

Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.

קַוֹּה קִוִּיתִי ה׳. בְּמִצְרַיִם, וּמִזְמוֹר זֶה גַּם הוּא כְּנֶגֶד כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל:

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

I have greatly hoped for the Lord in Egypt, and this psalm is meant for all Israel.

וַיֵּט אֵלַי. אָזְנוֹ:

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

and He extended to me His ear.

מִבּוֹר שָׁאוֹן. מֵאֲסִירִים שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם וּמִשָּׁאוֹן הֲמִיַּת יָם:

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

out of the roaring pit From the imprisonment of Egypt and from the roaring of their tumult.

מִטִּיט הַיָּוֵן. מִן הַיָּם. הַיָּוֵן לְשׁוֹן רֶפֶשׁ, פיינ״ש בְּלַעַ״ז:

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

from the thick mire From the sea. היון is an expression of mud, fanyas in Old French (fange in modern French), slime.

כּוֹנֵן. הֵכִין אֲשׁוּרַי וּצְעָדַי:

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

He established Heb. כונן, He prepared my steps.

שִׁיר חָדָשׁ. שִׁירַת הַיָּם (שמות טו:א-כו):

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

a new song The song of the sea.

רְהָבִים. לְשׁוֹן גַּסּוּת, כְּמוֹ ״יִרְהֲבוּ הַנַּעַר״ (ישעיהו ג:ה), ״שֶׁהֵם הִרְהִיבוּנִי״ (שיר השירים ו:ה):

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

the haughty Heb. רהבים, an expression of haughtiness, as (in Isa. 3:5): “they shall behave haughtily (ירהבו), the youth”; (Song 6:5) “for they have made me haughty (הרהבותי).”

וְשָׂטֵי כָזָב. מְשַּׁטִים מִדֶּרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר אַחֲרֵי הַכָּזָב. שָׂטֵי – אִיטוּרְנָ״אנְץ בְּלַעַ״ז:

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

and those who turn to falsehood Those who turn from the straight way to follow the falsehood of pagan deities; e tornons in Old French, and those who turn away; in modern French, et se tournant.

נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ וּמַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ אֵלֵינוּ. בִּשְׁבִילֵנוּ בָּרָאתָ עוֹלָמְךָ, קָרַעְתָּ לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם וְחָשַׁבְתָּ מֵרָחוֹק לְהֵיטִיב לָנוּ. אִחַרְתָּנוּ בַמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה מִפְּנֵי הָאֱמוֹרִים, שֶׁקִּצְּצוּ אֶת הָאִילָנוֹת וְהֶחֱרִיבוּ אַרְצָם כְּשֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל יוֹצְאִין לָלֶכֶת לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת אַרְצָם (מכילתא בשלח ויהי פתיחתא):

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

Your wonders and Your thoughts are for us You created Your world for us; You split the sea for us, and You thought for us to benefit us in our end [by keeping us] in the desert for forty years because of the Amorites, who cut down the trees and made their land desolate when they heard that Israel was coming out to go to inherit their land.

אֵין עֲרוֹךְ אֵלֶיךָ. אֵין לְדַמּוֹת לְךָ כָּל שַׂר וּמוֹשִׁיעַ, לְשׁוֹן עֵרֶךְ כְּמוֹ ״כְּעֶרְכְּךָ״ (ויקרא כז:יב), אהפרישי״ר בְּלַעַ״ז:

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

There is none to equal You We cannot compare any king or savior to You. The expression ערך is like (Lev. 27:12): “valuation (כערכך),” a prizjjr in Old French, to estimate, [a priser, in modern French].

אַגִּידָה וַאֲדַבֵּרָה. אִם בָּאתִי לְהַגִּיד וּלְדַבֵּר, עָצְמוּ מִסַּפֵּר:

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

were I to tell and speak Were I to come and tell and speak, they would be too many to tell.

זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה לֹא חָפַצְתָּ. בְּיוֹם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וְעַתָּה אִם תִּשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל ה׳ וְגוֹ׳״ (שמות יט:ה), וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר ״כִּי לֹא דִבַּרְתִּי אֶת אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם וְלֹא צִוִּיתִים וְגוֹ׳ עַל דִּבְרֵי עוֹלָה אוֹ זָבַח״ (ירמיהו ז:כב) ״כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם״ אָמַרְתִּי (ויקרא א:ב) וְלֹא הִזְקַקְתִּי חוֹבָה לְהַכְבִּיד עֲלֵיהֶם, תְּמִידִין וּמוּסָפִין אֵינָם אֶלָּא נַחַת רוּחַ שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי וְנַעֲשָׂה רְצוֹנִי וְדָבָר מוּעָט (ס״א אינו):

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

You desired neither sacrifice nor meal offering on the day of the giving of the Torah, as the matter that is stated (in Exod. 19:5): “And now, if you will earnestly hearken to My voice, etc.,” and likewise (in Jer. 7:22) Scripture states: “For neither did I speak with your forefathers nor did I command them, etc., concerning a burnt offering or a sacrifice.” I said, (Lev. 1:2) “If...from among you,” but I did not require it as an obligation to burden you. The daily sacrifices and the additional sacrifices are only to bring Me pleasure, that I ordained and My will was performed, but it is a small matter.

אָזְנַיִם כָּרִיתָ לִּי. לֵאמֹר ״שִׁמְעוּ בְקוֹלִי״ (ירמיה ז:כג):

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

You dug ears for me saying, “Hearken to My voice.”

כָּרִיתָ. עֲשִׂיתָם חֲלוּלִים לִשְׁמֹעַ:

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

You dug You made them hollow [enabling me] to hear.

אָז. בִּשְׁעַת מַתַּן תּוֹרָה אָמַרְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ: הִנֵּה בָאתִי אֵלֶיךָ בִּמְסוֹרֶת בְּרִיתְךָ (יחזקאל כ:לז), ״נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע״ (שמות כד:ז). דָּבָר זוֹ כָּתוּב עֵדוּת עָלַי בִּמְגִלַּת סֵפֶר. בְּתוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה:

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

Then at the time of the giving of the Torah, behold I came to You to be bound in Your covenant. (Exod. 24:7): “We will do and hear,” and this matter is written as testimony concerning me in the scroll of the book, i.e., in the Law of Moses.

וְתוֹרָתְךָ בְּתוֹךְ מֵעָי. אַף מַאֲכָלִי, עַל פִּי תוֹרָתְךָ הוּא:

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

and [to have] Your law within my innards Even my food is according to Your law; I ate neither unclean beasts nor untithed produce.

בִּשַּׂרְתִּי צֶדֶק. שִׁירָה עַל הַיָּם (שמות טו:א-כ), וְשִׁירָה עַל הַבְּאֵר (במדבר כא:יז-כ), שִׁירַת דְּבוֹרָה (שופטים ה):

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

I brought tidings of righteousness The song by the sea, the song by the well (Num. 21:17-20), and the song of Deborah (Jud. 5).

לֹא אֶכְלָא. לֹא אֶמְנַע, לְשׁוֹן ״וַיִּכָּלֵא הַגֶּשֶׁם״ (בראשית ח:ב):

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

I will not withhold Heb. אכלא, I will not withhold, an expression of (Gen. 8:2): “And the rain was restrained (ויכלא).”

לֹא תִכְלָא רַחֲמֶיךָ. לֹא תִמְנַע:

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

do not withhold Your mercies Heb. לא תכלא, do not withhold.

יִצְּרוּנִי. יִשְׁמְרוּנִי:

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

watch me Heb. יצרוני, watch me.

אָפְפוּ. סָבְבוּ:

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

have encompassed Heb. אפפו, have surrounded.

לִסְפּוֹתָהּ. לְכַלּוֹתָהּ, כְּדִמְתַרְגְּמִינָן (דברים ב:יד) ״עַד תֹּם כָּל הַדּוֹר״ – ״עַד דְּסָף כָּל דָּרָא״:

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

to destroy it Heb. לספותה, to destroy it, as we translate (in Deut. 2:14): “until the entire generation...had vanished, עד דסף כל-דרא.

יָשֹׁמּוּ. יִתְמָהוּ:

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

may they be bewildered [as translated,] may they be bewildered.

עַל עֵקֶב בָּשְׁתָּם. כְּשֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּ בָּשְׁתָּם עַל עֵקֶב, הַכֹּל בְּמִדָּה שֶׁמָּדְדוּ וּבְדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהָלְכוּ לְמוּלִי. עַל עֵקֶב ״וְעִקְּבוֹתֶיךָ לֹא נוֹדָעוּ״ (תהלים עז:כ); ״צְאִי לָךְ בְּעִקְבֵי הַצֹּאן״ (שיר השירים א:ח) – כֻּלָּם לְשׁוֹן מִדְרַךְ כַּף רֶגֶל הֵם, טְרַצִי״שׁ בְּלַעַ״ז. עַל עֵקֶב אַנְצִי״שׁ טְרַצִ״ישׁ:

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

afterwards because of their shame Heb. על-עקב. When they receive their shame in the wake of everything [they have done], in the measure that they measured out and in the way they walked against Me. עקב is like (below 77: 20): “and your steps (ועקבותיך) were not known”; (Song 1:8), “go your way in the footsteps of (בעקבי) the flocks.” They are all an expression of footsteps, in French traces, footprints on the heel.

הָאוֹמְרִים לִי הֶאָח. הָאוֹמְרִים עָלַי בִּשְׁבִילִי הֶאָח, כְּשֶׁהַצָּרָה בָּאָה מִתְהַלְּלִים בְּאֵידִי. כָּל עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן שֶׁבִּתְהִלִּים אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא כְּנֶגֶד יִשְׂרָאֵל:

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

those who say about me, “Aha! Aha!” Those who say about me and for me, “Aha!” When trouble comes, they pray for our misfortune.

יַחֲשָׁב לִי. יִתֵּן לִי לֵב לַחֲשֹׁב עֲנִיּוּתִי וְאֶבְיוֹנוּתִי לְהוֹשִׁיעֵנִי:

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

poor Every expression of poor and needy in Psalms refers only to Israel.

יַחֲשָׁב לִי. פֶּנְשׁוֹיִי״ט בְּלַעַ״ז:

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

may...think of me Heb יחשב. May He pay heed to me to think of my poverty and neediness, to save me. Pensa in French, to think.

Next →