Rabbi Roodyn

 

(ז) יִרְעַם הַיָּם וּמְלֹאוֹ תֵּבֵל וְיֹשְׁבֵי בָּהּ: (ח) נְהָרוֹת יִמְחֲאוּ כָף יַחַד הָרִים יְרַנֵּנוּ: (ט) לִפְנֵי ה’ כִּי בָא לִשְׁפֹּט הָאָרֶץ יִשְׁפֹּט תֵּבֵל בְּצֶדֶק וְעַמִּים בְּמֵישָׁרִים:

The sea and the fullness thereof will roar, the inhabited world and the inhabitants thereof. Rivers will clap hands; together mountains will sing praises. Before Hashem, for He has come to judge the earth; He will judge the inhabited world justly and the peoples with equity.

Rav Hirsch explains these three verses as a single unit. He explains that King will enter the world in order to establish mankind upon His lawful order and to found society upon such principles as it ought to be. At this point mankind will become aware of it past mistakes and the sea will surge towards humanity as if to execute G-d’s sentence upon it.

The rivers and mountains (which determine the sites of man’s habitation) however will rejoice. This is because they realise that the messianic era is not going to destroy mankind, rather that the world will be rebuilt upon the sole basis that can guarantee the kind of growth that leads to lasting salvation.

 

 

Chapter 98 concludes as follows

לִפְנֵי ה’ כִּי בָא לִשְׁפֹּט הָאָרֶץ יִשְׁפֹּט תֵּבֵל בְּצֶדֶק וְעַמִּים בְּמֵישָׁרִים:

Before Hashem, for He has come to judge the earth; He will judge the inhabited world justly and the peoples with equity.

This is very similar to the final verse of Chapter 96, with one notable difference.

יג) לִפְנֵי ה’ כִּי בָא כִּי בָא לִשְׁפֹּט הָאָרֶץ יִשְׁפֹּט תֵּבֵל בְּצֶדֶק וְעַמִּים בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ

Before Hashem for He has come, for He has come to judge the earth; He will judge the inhabited world justly and the peoples with His faith.

The Malbim notes this discrepancy and explains that be’emunaso is a reference to the fixed laws of nature, whereas in our chapter the term be’meisharim refers to the Divine providence that humanity receives as a result of its actions.

The word meisharim comes from the root yashar and is a reference to the concept that Hashem’s ways are always just and that at the end of days we will be accountable for our actions as Rav Hirsch explained yesterday.

The Seforno and Radak therefore explain that this pasuk means that at the end of days Hashem will indeed distinguish between the tzadikim and the reshaim, giving each person the judgement they deserve (Metzudos).

 

Chapter 99

א)ה’ מָלָךְ יִרְגְּזוּ עַמִּים יֹשֵׁב כְּרוּבִים תָּנוּט הָאָרֶץ:

Hashem has reigned, nations will quake; [before] Him Who dwells between the cherubim, the earth will falter.

Rashi explains that this chapter is referring to the apocalyptic war of Gog and Magog that will usher in the messianic era. The Radak takes this a stage further and develops the theme by saying that nations will quake and the earth will falter with the downfall of Gog and Magog. The Seforno adds that the trembling will come from a fear of Hashem Who will sit on His throne of judgement at that time.

After this, the world will rejoice as there age of warfare will have come to an end and mankind will enjoy eternal peace. At this point, Hashem is referred to as the One who dwells between the cherubim as His Shechina, presence will return to Zion with the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash.

א)ה’ מָלָךְ יִרְגְּזוּ עַמִּים יֹשֵׁב כְּרוּבִים תָּנוּט הָאָרֶץ:

Hashem has reigned, nations will quake; [before] Him Who dwells between the cherubim, the earth will falter.

Rav Hirsch explains that the awareness that Hashem is indeed supreme sovereign causes the nations to tremble, for before Him all other power and grandeur will melt away. But once the earth is aware that Hashem sits enthroned over the wings of the Cherubim that are spread over the ‘Law,’ it becomes unsettled and gives way. For it becomes evident that judging by the standards set by this Law, nothing now existing on earth can go on living.

The word נוט, as in תנוט is an intensified form of נוד  which means ‘to totter’ or ‘to give way’. Faced with an awareness of Hashem, and His truth, all existence will be measured up against this truth to assess its place in a perfected world.

 

ב) ה’ בְּצִיּוֹן גָּדוֹל וְרָם הוּא עַל כָּל הָעַמִּים

Hashem is great in Zion, and He is high over all the peoples.

The Radak explains that Hashem’s greatness will be felt in two ways. Firstly, as has been elaborated upon in previous chapters, Hashem’s Name will be made great when He exacts judgement over evildoers. Secondly when His Shechina (presence) returns to Zion, there will be a palpable sense of awareness of Hashem.

The Malbim explains that this chapter explains three different levels and the differences between them.

The first (and lowest level) is referred to at the start of our pasuk. Something that is gadol, great, extends upwards such as a tall pole stuck into the ground. This is something that everyone can measure themselves against, a dwarf holds onto the bottom and a giant somewhere towards the top.

This is the relationship that mankind has towards Hashem in Zion, with each one appreciating Hashem’s greatness according to their level of perception, depth of character and spirit.

Something that is ram however, such as a star in heaven is beyond the measurement of mortal man. This is the way that Hashem appears over the nations of the world, far beyond their perception. It is almost as if Hashem so elevated above this world that He is detached from it.

The only way says the Malbim that they will be able to see Hashem’s hashgacha in this world is in the way that His greatness is seen in Zion, where His providence will be manifest.

Rav Hirsch explains that Hashem’s greatness is demonstrated in Zion, for there is no aspect of life there, be it communal or individual, great or small that has not received its form from Hashem Himself.

It is that same G-d, Whose greatness has until now been revealed in Zion, will then stand on high, exalted above all other nations, which therefore, will have to be prepared to make room for Him in every facet of their lives, both as individuals and national entities.

ג) יוֹדוּ שִׁמְךָ גָּדוֹל וְנוֹרָא קָדוֹשׁ הוּא

They will acknowledge Your great and awesome name, [that] it is holy

Rashi explains that this Pasuk means that the nations of the world will acknowledge Hashem’s strength through His love of justice.

The Malbim however says that whilst they may be acknowledging His name, the implication is that they will not be able to acknowledge His essence, which is essentially above their ability to perceive. They can perceive Hashem’s name, i.e. His actions from a distance, namely the miracles that He has performed for Zion.

This brings them to an awareness that Hashem’s name is great, awesome and holy. Greatness here refers to the fact that Hashem is the first and last. Hashem is awesome in that the laws of nature and the physical world perform His will. Hashem is described as Holy in that He is distinct from and elevated above those laws of nature.

 

Rav Hirsch expands on this idea by saying that whilst the Nations of the World may have had some notion of Hashem’s greatness and awe, now they start to think in terms of His holiness. In this instance, holiness refers to absolute moral freedom and purity of life and ambition.

It is from this kedusha, which in its absolute form is found only in Hashem Himself, that man’s own ability and duty to strive for kedusha emanate. As we read in last week’s sedra, the sanctification of man emanates from Hashem’s own holiness.

 

 

ד) וְעֹז מֶלֶךְ מִשְׁפָּט אָהֵב אַתָּה כּוֹנַנְתָּ מֵישָׁרִים מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בְּיַעֲקֹב אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ

And the might of the King who loves judgment; You founded equity; judgment and righteousness You made in Jacob.

The equity referred to here is according to Rashi, the laws of the Torah that bring compromise, harmony and peace to our relationships. One example of this is the Mitzvah to help one’s enemy unload their donkey. Although at first glance this may seem a little strange, the Torah is teaching us to engage in positive actions to invest in and thereby repair broken relationships. These laws provide a moral lesson to all of humanity and when they finally become aware of them, they will admit this too.

The Radak however interprets this in a different way, explaining that the judgment he performed against Jacob was the act of sending the Jewish people into exile as a consequence for their actions. The righteousness is the future redemption from this exile that is the theme of this chapter and the ones that precede it.

 

ד) וְעֹז מֶלֶךְ מִשְׁפָּט אָהֵב אַתָּה כּוֹנַנְתָּ מֵישָׁרִים מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בְּיַעֲקֹב אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ

And the might of the King who loves judgment; You founded equity; judgment and righteousness You made in Jacob

 

The Malbim distinguishes between mishpat and tzedaka.

The whole world will see Hashem’s mishpat judgement as He rewards and punishes all of mankind for their actions. However when it comes to the Jewish people He will treat them more benevolently adding the tzedaka to the mishpat, rewarding us with more than our specific actions may warrant.

Rav Hirsch explains this apparent injustice by saying  that Hashem loves lawful order and takes pleasure seeing justice become a living reality on earth. Although Hashem may appear awesome and in a sense unapproachable, mankind only needs to honour justice, practice it and arrange their affairs in accordance with it in order to have Hashem as a true friend rather than a fearful opponent. Only one who tramples justice needs to dread Hashem’s might.

For our part, we cannot be in doubt as to what Hashem wants from us, this is a life of meisharim, uprightness. In His Torah that He entrusted to us he laid down the outline of  how to live a life that is yashar, in accordance with His will and consistent with the moral and spiritual nature and destiny of man.

It is in the people which the other nations had despises as the powerless, humble tribe of Jacob, an exiled tribe living in their midst, that Hashem has fashioned out a life based on mishpat and tzedaka, on respect for justice and an awareness of duty.

He did this so that mankind could learn from Israel’s example of what the Divine commandent of mishpat and tzedaka really entails. The preserving, exalting and blissful power is inherent in this way of life even if it is practiced under the pressures and derision of exile.

As such we are worthy of also being treated with tzedaka when the rest of the world will solely be judged with mishpat.

 

ה) רוֹמְמוּ ה’ אֱלֹקֵינוּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַהֲדֹם רַגְלָיו קָדוֹשׁ הוּא

Exalt Hashem our G-d and prostrate yourselves to His footstool, it is holy.

 

The Radak says that this pasuk is a call to the Jewish people and all of humanity to lift up their voices and exult Hashem and at the same time come and bow down in the Beis Hamikdash.  The Seforno takes a slightly different position and says that the pasuk is calling on the recently ingathered Jews to make Hashem’s Name and His wonders known, so that all of mankind can gather together and praise Him.

Rav Hirsch explains that Hashem’s footstool is the point on earth where he lets his presence rest, this is a metaphor for the Beis Hamikdash, which is the sanctuary of His Law.

If the nations of the world would truly acknowledge Hashem’s mastery, they can only demonstrate their acceptance of Him through devotion to His Law which rests in His sanctuary. In other worlds the only ‘intermediary’ between humanity and Hashem is His Law. This is because Hashem is kadosh, holy and therefore only those who strive for moral sanctification can come close to Him. The closer a human wishes to be to Hashem, the more they must demonstrate purity of character and conduct.

Outside of Torah, there are those who claim that the requirements of moral law are only for lesser mortals and those who have social prominence and particularly intellectual prowess or genius have a license to engage in moral aberrations. The Torah states clearly בקרובי אקדש, that it is specifically through those who  are nearest to Hashem that He becomes sanctified.

In fact the greater a person is, the more exacting Hashem is with them. This point is made clear in this pasuk to the nations of the world as they enter into Hashem’s presence.