פירוש על תהילים 55:14

a man of my equal A man as important as I.

and my esteemed one Heb. ומידעי, like אלוּפי, my prince, an expression of (Exod. 33:17): “and I recognized you (ואדעך),” which is translated וְרַבִּיתָךְ “and I made you great.” Menachem (p. 94), however, explained that “For no enemy would revile me that I should bear” is connected to (verse 7): “If only I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.” If I could raise my wings, I would fly away and wander on account of the distress of the wicked [inflicted upon me], for when I would leave the midst of the assembly of the profligate to lodge in the desert forever, then no enemy would revile me; I would not [have to] bear my disgrace and my shame, and I would not hide from him as I hid from them when I was among them. However, this interpretation is impossible, because of the verses following it, namely: And you are a man of my equal, my prince, and my esteemed one (verse 14); that together we would devise counsel; in the house of God we would walk with a multitude (verse 15). Therefore, Dunash (p. 94) interprets it in another manner, and this is its interpretation: For it is not an enemy who reviles me that I should bear my abuse, and it is not my enemy who opens his mouth wide against me, but my prince and my esteemed one, that together we would take counsel; in the house of God we would walk with a multitude. This thing is known, that the abuse of a friend is harder for a person [to bear] than the abuse of an enemy. Moreover, one can hide from his enemy, but one cannot hide from his friend when he tells him all that is in his heart. The context corroborates this [interpretation].