“A psalm, a song for the day of Shabbat. It is good to thank God, to sing to His supernal name… How great are Your works, O God, how greatly profound Your thoughts! … a boor does not know, and a fool cannot understand this….” (Tehilim, 92) This psalm explains how it is impossible for anyone to have any kind of claim against God. This is explained by the holy Rambam (Maimonides) in the fifth chapter of the laws of returning to the way of God (teshuva). These are his pure words: “Perhaps you would say, ‘Does not God know all that will come to be? Before someone comes into being He knows that this one will be either righteous or wicked.’ If you shall say, ‘If God already knows that he will be righteous, then it is impossible that he will not be righteous.’ And if you say that He knows that this one will be righteous, and it could be that he turns out to be wicked, then He does not know the matter clearly.” According to this, it is within the power of a wicked man to acquit himself from judgment, and also the righteous does not have so much merit, or he would not believe, God forbid, that God knows everything. Therefore David haMelech explained this dilemma in this psalm, saying, “how great are Your works, O God, so profound are your thoughts, a boor cannot know.” Seen in our human understanding his words are wondrous, describing God as it were in His greatness and the profundity of His thoughts, which a fool will not apprehend and a boor will not understand. However, it would be proper to say that even the sages and geniuses of the world do not know such matters, because God’s intellect is hidden from any human cognizance. This is as it is written (Yeshayahu, 55:8), “for My thoughts are not your thoughts.” Also it is as Eliyahu the prophet described in his prayer (Tikkunei Zohar 17a, “Patach Eliyahu”), “You are Wise, but not with a known form of wisdom, no thought may apprehend you at all.” Yet this is the intention of David haMelech with these words, where truly, the sages and believers will not in such ways question the intentions of God, heaven forfend. They know that they cannot understand the intensity of His profundity. They know the greatness of His thoughts, and the vastness of His actions. It says, “a boor cannot know,” to show how a boor cannot know the profundity of His thoughts, and therefore will raise objections and claims against the ways of God, as we have explained. This is the explanation of the verse that follows in this psalm, “when the wicked flourish like the grass, and doers of iniquity spring up, it is so they may be destroyed for ever, but You are exalted forever.” That is, that with all the flourishing of the wicked like the grass and the iniquitous bringing forth buds, they only came about to be destroyed forever, and they were only created in order to benefit the righteous. If so, then they have no claim whatsoever, since the whole point of their being alive was only for this, and at their root they have no more life. This is the very claim that the nations will bring against God in the future, saying “All hidden things are revealed before You. You effused into us a good spirit and lowered Your people Israel into exile under our hands. Your action brought about an arousal in our hearts to destroy Your people. Then from this, when we act with iniquity, the strength of Israel is then raised. But why are we guilty of this? This sin is not ours!” This is as it is said, “when the wicked flourish … to destroy them forever.” Corresponding to this it says, “and You are exalted, O God,” for truly You are Supernal, an no element of creation can have any form of claim against You, and all Your judgments against us are just.
“For behold, Your enemies, O God, behold Your enemies are destroyed, all doers of iniquity will be scattered.” (Tehilim, 92) This is because all the nations of the world are Your enemies, therefore they have no form of life at their root. Truly all that exists is God’s will, and nothing exists outside of Him. Since they oppose His will, they have no life at their source, yet for the present moment their existence is still God’s will in order to elevate Israel through them. However, in their essence, God has no use for them. If so, when they are eventually destroyed, they will be able to claim injustice in that they shall be lost completely and Israel will inherit all their good. For how has He acted with them until then? He has bestowed goodness unto them all their days and they have received all effusions of goodness. That no remnant remains from them is because they never possessed within them any eternal life, for they were only created for Israel’s benefit. In their time they will be destroyed, for they despise Israel and God, and Israel will inherit all their good.
מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת טוֹב כוּ׳, מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה׳ כוּ׳, אִישׁ בַּעַר לֹא יֵדָע וּכְסִיל לֹא יָבִין אֶת זֹאת. הִנֵּה בַּמִּזְמוֹר הַזֶּה יִתְבָּאֵר אֵיךְ שֶׁאֵין לְשׁוּם אָדָם שׁוּם צַד טַעֲנָה נֶגֶד הַש"י, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמְּבָאֵר הָרַמְבַּ"ם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בְּפֶרֶק חֲמִישִׁי מֵהִלְכוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה הֲלָכָה ה׳, וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ הַטָּהוֹר, שֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר וַהֲלֹא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יוֹדֵעַ כָּל מַה שֶּׁיִּהְיֶה וְקוֹדֶם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה יָדַע שֶׁזֶּה יִהְיֶה צַדִּיק אוֹ רָשָׁע, אִם תֹּאמַר, אִם יָדַע שֶׁהוּא יִהְיֶה צַדִּיק אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה צַדִּיק, וְאִם תֹּאמַר שֶׁיָּדַע שֶׁיִּהְיֶה צַדִּיק וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה רָשָׁע הֲרֵי לֹא יָדַע הַדָּבָר עַל בּוּרְיוֹ, וּכְפִי הַנֶּאֱמָר יֵשׁ בְּיַד אָדָם רָשָׁע לִפְטוֹר עַצְמוֹ מִן הַדִּין וְגַם אֵין כָּל כָּךְ זְכוּת לַצַּדִּיק אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יְאוּמַּן חַס וְשָׁלוֹם עַל הַש"י שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ כֹּל, אָכֵן לָזֹאת בֵּיאֵר דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם בַּמִּזְמוֹר הַזֶּה וְאָמַר "מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה׳ מְאֹד עָמְקוּ מַחְשְׁבוֹתֶיךָ אִישׁ בַּעַר לֹא" כוּ׳, וְאַף כִּי לִרְאוּת עַיִן אֱנוֹשִׁי נִפְלְאוּ דְבָרָיו הַיְתוֹאַר הַש"י כִּבְיָכוֹל בִּגְדוּלָּתוֹ וּבְעַמְקוּת מַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו אִם כְּסִיל לֹא יַשִּׂיגֵם וּבַעַר לֹא יְבִינֵם, אֲשֶׁר מֵהָרָאוּי הָיָה לְתָאֵר כִּי אַף חַכְמֵי הָעוֹלָם וּנְבוֹנֶיהָ לֹא יְדָעוּם, כִּי הוּא שֵׂכֶל הַנֶּעֱלָם מִכָּל רַעְיוֹן, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ישעיה נ"ה,ח׳) "כִּי לֹא מַחְשְׁבוֹתַי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם" וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמְּתָאֵר אֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא זצ"ל בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ [תיקוני זהר הקדמה אחרת] אַנְתְּ הוּא חַכִּים וְלֹא בְּחָכְמָה יְדִיעָא, לֵית מַחְשָׁבָה תְּפִיסָא בָּךְ כְּלָל. אַךְ זֹאת הוּא כַּוָּנַת דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם בְּמַאֲמָרוֹ זֶה, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת הַחֲכָמִים הַמַּאֲמִינִים לֹא יֵלְכוּ בִּדְרָכִים כָּאֵלֶּה לְהַרְהֵר אַחַר הַש"י חָלִילָה, כִּי יָדְעוּ כִּי אֵין לְהַשִּׂיג יִקְרַת עָמְקוֹ וְהֵם יָדְעוּ כִּי מַה מְּאֹד מַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו גָּדְלוּ וּמַה מַּעֲשָׂיו רַבּוּ, וְרַק עַל זֶה אָמַר "אִישׁ בַּעַר לֹא יֵדָע", יִרְצֶה בָּזֶה כִּי אִישׁ בַּעַר לֹא יֵדַע אֶת עַמְקוּת מַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו לָכֵן יִקְשֶׁה לוֹ עַל דַּרְכֵי הַש"י כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּיאַרְנוּ. וְזֶה בֵּיאֵר בְּמַאֲמָרוֹ "בִּפְרֹחַ רְשָׁעִים כְּמוֹ עֵשֶׂב וַיָּצִיצוּ כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן לְהִשָּׁמְדָם עֲדֵי עַד וְאַתָּה מָרוֹם" כוּ׳, וְהוּא כִּי כָל אֲשֶׁר פָּרְחוּ הָרְשָׁעִים כְּמוֹ עֵשֶׂב וּפוֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן הֶעֱלוּ צִיץ לֹא הָיָה תְּחִלַּת בְּרִיּוֹתָם רַק כְּדֵי לְהִשָּׁמְדָם עֲדֵי עַד, וְלֹא הָיָה בְּרִיאָתָם רַק בִּכְדֵי שֶׁיּוּטַב לַצַּדִּיקִים וְאִם כֵּן אֵין לָהֶם שׁוּם טַעֲנָה, כִּי מֵאַחַר שֶׁעִיקַּר חִיּוּתָם לֹא הָיָה רַק עַל זֶה וְלֹא הָיָה בְּשׁוֹרְשָׁם חַיִּים בְּיוֹתֵר, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁלֶּעָתִיד אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם יִטְעֲנוּ נֶגֶד הַש"י, מֵאַחַר שֶׁלְּפָנֶיךָ נִגְלוּ תַּעֲלוּמוֹת וְיָדַעְתָּ כִּי עַל יְדֵי הַהַשְׁפָּעָה שֶׁהִשְׁפַּעְתָּ לָנוּ רוּחַ טוֹבָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהִשְׁפַּלְתָּ אֶת עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַגְלוֹתָם תַּחַת יָדֵינוּ, יִגְרֹם לָנוּ שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה בְּלִבֵּנוּ לְהַשְׁמִיד אֶת עַמְּךָ וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה יֵעָשֶׂה לָנוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר זָמַמְנוּ וּלְהָרֵם קֶרֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל וַהֲלֹא מָה אָנוּ חַיָּבִים בָּזֶה וְלֹא עָלֵינוּ הָאָשָׁם, וְזֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "בִּפְרֹחַ רְשָׁעִים כוּ׳, לְהִשָּׁמְדָם" כוּ׳, וְנֶגֶד זֶה אָמַר "וְאַתָּה מָרוֹם לְעוֹלָם ה׳" הַיְינוּ שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת תָּמִיד אַתָּה לְמַעְלָה וְאֵין לְשׁוּם בְּרִיָּה צַד טַעֲנָה עָלֶיךָ וּבְצֶדֶק כָּל מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ נֶגְדֵּנוּ.
“A psalm, a song for the day of Shabbat. It is good to thank God, to sing to His supernal name… How great are Your works, O God, how greatly profound Your thoughts! … a boor does not know, and a fool cannot understand this….” (Tehilim, 92)
This psalm explains how it is impossible for anyone to have any kind of claim against God. This is explained by the holy Rambam (Maimonides) in the fifth chapter of the laws of returning to the way of God (teshuva). These are his pure words: “Perhaps you would say, ‘Does not God know all that will come to be? Before someone comes into being He knows that this one will be either righteous or wicked.’ If you shall say, ‘If God already knows that he will be righteous, then it is impossible that he will not be righteous.’ And if you say that He knows that this one will be righteous, and it could be that he turns out to be wicked, then He does not know the matter clearly.” According to this, it is within the power of a wicked man to acquit himself from judgment, and also the righteous does not have so much merit, or he would not believe, God forbid, that God knows everything. Therefore David haMelech explained this dilemma in this psalm, saying, “how great are Your works, O God, so profound are your thoughts, a boor cannot know.” Seen in our human understanding his words are wondrous, describing God as it were in His greatness and the profundity of His thoughts, which a fool will not apprehend and a boor will not understand. However, it would be proper to say that even the sages and geniuses of the world do not know such matters, because God’s intellect is hidden from any human cognizance. This is as it is written (Yeshayahu, 55:8), “for My thoughts are not your thoughts.” Also it is as Eliyahu the prophet described in his prayer (Tikkunei Zohar 17a, “Patach Eliyahu”), “You are Wise, but not with a known form of wisdom, no thought may apprehend you at all.”
Yet this is the intention of David haMelech with these words, where truly, the sages and believers will not in such ways question the intentions of God, heaven forfend. They know that they cannot understand the intensity of His profundity. They know the greatness of His thoughts, and the vastness of His actions. It says, “a boor cannot know,” to show how a boor cannot know the profundity of His thoughts, and therefore will raise objections and claims against the ways of God, as we have explained. This is the explanation of the verse that follows in this psalm, “when the wicked flourish like the grass, and doers of iniquity spring up, it is so they may be destroyed for ever, but You are exalted forever.”
That is, that with all the flourishing of the wicked like the grass and the iniquitous bringing forth buds, they only came about to be destroyed forever, and they were only created in order to benefit the righteous. If so, then they have no claim whatsoever, since the whole point of their being alive was only for this, and at their root they have no more life. This is the very claim that the nations will bring against God in the future, saying “All hidden things are revealed before You. You effused into us a good spirit and lowered Your people Israel into exile under our hands. Your action brought about an arousal in our hearts to destroy Your people. Then from this, when we act with iniquity, the strength of Israel is then raised. But why are we guilty of this? This sin is not ours!” This is as it is said, “when the wicked flourish … to destroy them forever.” Corresponding to this it says, “and You are exalted, O God,” for truly You are Supernal, an no element of creation can have any form of claim against You, and all Your judgments against us are just.
כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ ה' כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ יֹאבֵדוּ יִתְפָּרְדוּ כָּל כוּ׳, וַתָּרֶם כִּרְאֵים קַרְנִי. וְהוּא מֵחֲמַת כִּי כָל אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם הֵם אוֹיְבֶיךָ וְלָכֵן אֵין לָהֶם שׁוּם צַד חַיִּים בְּשׁוֹרְשָׁם, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת רַק רְצוֹן הַש"י הוּא הַנִּמְצָא וְאֵין נִמְצָא אַחֵר זוּלָתוֹ, וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁהֵם מִתְנַגְּדִים לִרְצוֹנוֹ אֵין לָהֶם חַיִּים בְּשׁוֹרְשָׁם, אַךְ לְעֵת עַתָּה עוֹד הוּא רְצוֹן הַש"י בְּקִיּוּמָם בִּכְדֵי שֶׁעַל יָדָם יִתְנַשֵּׂא יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיוֹתֵר, אֲבָל מִצַּד עַצְמוּתָם אֵין בָּהֶם שׁוּם תּוֹעֶלֶת לְהַש"י, וְאִם כֵּן כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאבֵדוּ לֹא יִהְיֶה לָהֶם שׁוּם טַעֲנָה מַה שֶּׁהֵם הוֹלְכִים לַאֲבַדּוֹן וְיִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹרְשִׁים כָּל טוּבָם, כִּי מֶה עָשָׂה לָהֶם, הֲלֹא הֵיטִיב לָהֶם כָּל יְמֵיהֶם וְהָיָה לָהֶם כָּל הַשְׁפָּעוֹת טוֹבָה, וּמַה שֶּׁלֹּא יִשָּׁאֵר מֵהֶם הַשְׁאָרָה, זֶה לֹא הָיָה לָהֶם מֵעוֹלָם שׁוּם חַיִּים שֶׁהוּא לָעַד, כִּי מֵאַחַר שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרְאוּ אֶלָּא לְטוֹבַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבְעִתָּם וּבִזְמַנָּם יֹאבֵדוּ כִּי הֵם שׂוֹנְאִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְהַש"י, וְכָל טוּבָם יִרְשׁוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל.
“For behold, Your enemies, O God, behold Your enemies are destroyed, all doers of iniquity will be scattered.” (Tehilim, 92)
This is because all the nations of the world are Your enemies, therefore they have no form of life at their root. Truly all that exists is God’s will, and nothing exists outside of Him. Since they oppose His will, they have no life at their source, yet for the present moment their existence is still God’s will in order to elevate Israel through them. However, in their essence, God has no use for them. If so, when they are eventually destroyed, they will be able to claim injustice in that they shall be lost completely and Israel will inherit all their good. For how has He acted with them until then? He has bestowed goodness unto them all their days and they have received all effusions of goodness. That no remnant remains from them is because they never possessed within them any eternal life, for they were only created for Israel’s benefit. In their time they will be destroyed, for they despise Israel and God, and Israel will inherit all their good.