Les Psaumes 37:3 Midrash : Midrash Tehillim, Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Midrash Tanchuma & Bamidbar Rabbah

"For You are not a God who desires wickedness; evil cannot dwell with You. You do not delight in wrongdoing; You cannot tolerate evil. [As it is said in Ezekiel 33:11], 'As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live.' No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble. [As Rabbi Berachiah said in the name of Rabbi Levi], the angel in charge of anger is far from God, as it is said in Isaiah 13:5, 'They are coming from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord and the instruments of His indignation.' This can be compared to a king who had two fierce armies. In Psalm 3, a prayer of David, it is written that three armies walk before the Lord: [as it says in verse 6], 'I will not fear the myriads of troops arrayed against me on every side.' [And in Psalm 97:3], 'Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side.' [And in Habakkuk 3:5], 'Before Him goes pestilence, and plague comes after Him.' And which is the innermost of them all? Righteousness, as it is said in Deuteronomy 24:13, 'You shall surely give him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him; because that for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work, and in all that you put your hand unto.' Rabbi Yudan said, 'I will let you know how powerful righteousness is and how far the reward of those who do righteousness extends.' Therefore it is said, 'No harm befalls you.'"

(Ps. 37:3:) TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD; SETTLE THE LAND AND MAINTAIN FIDELITY. R. Haggai said in the name of R. Isaac: Interpret this verse by transposition.¹⁶Tanh., Deut. 4:11; PRK 10:2. DO GOOD; TRUST IN THE LORD. It is comparable to a market commissioner who went out to inspect the measures. When a certain person saw him, he began hiding from him. He said to him: Why are you hiding from me? Look to your measures, and do not be afraid. This is what is written: TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD. [SETTLE THE LAND AND MAINTAIN FIDELITY. Bring about the settlement of the land. Sow, plant, and maintain ancestral fidelity.¹⁷Here again is interpretation by transposition. Maintaining fidelity enables the settlement of the land. It is so written (in Ps. 101:6): MY EYES ARE ON THE FAITHFUL OF THE LAND <THAT THEY MAY DWELL WITH ME>.

It is written (in Ps. 37:3), “Trust in the Lord and do good; settle the land and maintain yourself with faith.” R. Haggai said in the name of R. Isaac, “Interpret this verse by transposition, like this:⁸PRK 10:2. Do good; trust in the Lord. It is comparable to a market commissioner who went out to inspect the measures. When a certain person saw him, he began hiding from him. He said to him, ‘Why are you hiding from me? Look to your measures, and do not be afraid.’ This is what is written, ‘Trust in the Lord and do good.’” (Ps. 37:3, cont.:) “Settle the land and maintain yourself with faith.” [Have] faith, which settles the Divine Presence in the land. Another interpretation: Bring about the settlement of the land, sow and plant. Another interpretation (of Ps. 37:3), “settle the land”: Make His staff dwell in the land. (Ps. 37:3, cont.:) “And maintain yourself with faith,” maintain yourself from the faith of the forefathers.⁹Here again is interpretation by transposition. Maintaining faith enables the settlement of the land. It is so written (in Ps. 101:6), “My eyes are on the faithful of the land that they may dwell with Me.” R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi, “Israel atones for itself before the Omnipresent by merit from [observing] two commandments, [i.e.,] by merit from the Sabbath and by merit from tithes: By merit from the Sabbath, since it is written (in Is. 58:13), ‘If you refrain from trampling the Sabbath.’ What is written after it (in vs. 14)? ‘Then you shall take delight in the Lord.’ By merit from tithes, since it is written (in Deut. 26:11), ‘Then you shall rejoice with all the good.’¹⁰The context here concerns first fruits, and the following verse (12) mentions the tithe of the third year. And good can only [mean] Torah, since it is written (in Prov.4:2) ‘For I gave you good instruction; [do not abandon my Torah].’” For that reason Moses warned Israel (in Deut. 14:22), “You shall surely tithe.”