Rashi on Psalms Chapter 41
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אֶל דַּל. חוֹלֶה, לְבַקְּרוֹ; כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״מַדּוּעַ אַתָּה כָּכָה דַּל״ (שמואל ב יג:ד) דְּאַמְנוֹן:
the poor Heb. דל, the ill, to visit him, as the matter that is stated (in II Sam. 13:4): “Why are you so poor (דל)...?” mentioned in reference to Amnon.
בְּיוֹם רָעָה. זֶה גֵּיהִנֹּם (נדרים מ.), וּבָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה מַה שְּׂכָרוֹ?
on a day of calamity This is Gehinnom (Ned. 40a). And in this world, what is his [the visitor’s] reward?...
ה׳ יִשְׁמְרֵהוּ וִיחַיֵּהוּ. לְמִי שֶׁמְּבַקְּרוֹ וּמֵטִיב לוֹ (נדרים מ.):
The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive i.e., the visitor and benefactor who visits him and benefits him.
עַל עֶרֶשׂ דְּוָי. עֶרֶשׂ לִי״ט בְּלַעַ״ז. וְ״הִנֵּה עַרְשׂוֹ עֶרֶשׂ בַּרְזֶל״ (דברים ג:יא), כְּשֶׁיֶּחֱלֶה גַּם הוּא יִסְעָדֶנּוּ, מַהוּ עַל עֶרֶשׂ דְּוָי? זֶה יוֹם שְׁבִיעִי שֶׁל חוֹלִי שֶׁהוּא דָּוֶה מְאוֹד, כָּךְ נִדְרַשׁ בְּאַגָּדַת תְּהִלִּים:
on his sickbed Heb. ערש, lit in French, as (in Deut. 3:11): “Behold his bed is an iron bed.” When he too takes ill, He will support him. What is the meaning of “on his sickbed”? This is the seventh day of the sickness, when he is very ill. In this manner, it is explained in Aggadath Tehillim (Mid. Ps. 41:5).
כָּל מִשְׁכָּבוֹ הָפַכְתָּ בְחָלְיוֹ. אַף בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁחָלְיוֹ כָּבֵד עָלָיו, שֶׁנֶּהְפַּךְ כָּל מַרְגּוֹעוֹ וּמְנוּחָתוֹ:
when You have transformed his entire restfulness in his illness Even in the time that his illness has become more acute, when all his restfulness and tranquility have been transformed.
אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי ה׳ חָנֵּנִי. אֲנִי אֵין לִי מְבַקְּרִים לְטוֹבָה, וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי צוֹעֵק מִתּוֹךְ חוֹלְיִי וְאוֹמֵר ה׳ חָנֵּנִי וְגוֹ׳, אוֹיְבַי שְׂמֵחִים עָלַי וְאוֹמְרִים דָּבָר הָרַע לִי: מָתַי יָמוּת וְגוֹ׳:
I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me” As for me, I have none who visit for good, and when I cry out from my illness and say, “O Lord, be gracious to me, etc,” my enemies rejoice over me and say evil things about me: “When will he die, etc.”
שָׁוְא יְדַבֵּר. מַרְאֶה עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא מֵיצֵר, וּכְשֶׁהוּא יוֹשֵׁב לְפָנַי, יִקְבָּץ לִבּוֹ מַחְשְׁבוֹת אָוֶן לְעַצְמוֹ, מָה רָעָה יְדַבֵּר בְּצֵאתוֹ; וּכְשֶׁיּוֹצֵא לַחוּץ מְדַבֵּר אוֹתָהּ:
he speaks falsely He pretends to be troubled, and when he sits before me, his heart gathers thoughts of violence to himself, [of] what evil he will speak when he leaves, and when he goes outside, he speaks of it.
עָלַי יַחְשְׁבוּ דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא רָעָה לִי, וּמָה הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה?
whisper about me something that is harmful to me, and what is that thought?...
דְּבַר בְּלִיַּעַל יָצוּק בּוֹ. כָּל רִשְׁעֻיּוֹת שֶׁעָשָׂה, יָצוּקוּ וְיִשְׁתַּפְּכוּ בְּגוּפוֹ; וְהוֹאִיל וַאֲשֶׁר שָׁכַב לֹא יוֹסִיף לָקוּם, כָּךְ מְקַלְלִים אוֹתִי:
An evil thing shall be poured into him All the wicked things that he did shall be poured and spilled into his body, and if he lay down, he shall not rise. This is how they curse me.
הִגְדִּיל עָלַי עָקֵב. מַאֲרָב, כְּמוֹ ״וְאֶת עֲקֵבוֹ מִיָּם לָעִיר״ (יהושע ח:יג):
developed an ambush for me Heb. עקב, an ambush, as (in Josh. 8:13): “and their ambush party (עקבו) on the west of the city.”
בְּזֹאת יָדַעְתִּי וְגוֹ׳. כְּשֶׁתְּחָנֵּנוּ וּתְקִימֵנוּ אֵדַע כִּי חָפַצְתָּ בִּי, כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא יָרִיעַ אוֹיְבִי תְּרוּעַת שִׂמְחָה עָלַי, וְאֶרְאֶה כִּי בְּתֻמִּי תָּמַכְתָּ בִּי:
With this I shall know, etc. When You are gracious to me and raise me up, I shall know that You have desired me; when my enemy will not shout with shouts of joy over me, and I will see that because of my innocence, You have supported me.
בָּרוּךְ ה׳. כְּשֶׁאָקוּם מֵחָלְיִי אֲבָרֶכְךָ כֵּן:
Blessed is the Lord When I stand up from my illness, I will bless You in this manner.