צֶ֣דֶק וּ֭מִשְׁפָּט מְכ֣וֹן כִּסְאֶ֑ךָ חֶ֥סֶד וֶ֝אֱמֶ֗ת יְֽקַדְּמ֥וּ פָנֶֽיךָ׃
Keadilan dan hukum adalah tumpuan takhta-Mu; kasih setia dan kebenaran berjalan di hadapan-Mu.
Rabbeinu Bahya
It is a well known fact that משפט, a system of justice, is the foundation of the throne of G’d’s glory as mentioned in Psalms 89,15: “righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne.” Anyone helping to establish true justice on earth thereby helps to strengthen the foundation of G’d’s throne. He who perverts justice undermines the foundations of G’d’s throne. By saying בל טוב, Solomon indicated that a person guilty of this will not merit טוב, will not experience “goodness in store for the righteous,” of which the psalmist (Psalms 31,20) said: “how abundant is the good that You have in store for those who fear You.” Solomon taught us in Proverbs that he who is guilty of showing partiality in judgment will be punished not only in this world but also in the world to come.
Justice is the prerequisite for peace. This is why we find Yitro telling Moses that if he were to carry out his advice with the approval of G’d, “also this whole people will arrive at its destination in peace” (Exodus 18,23). Peace ensures the continued existence of the world This is why the sages (Berachot 64) say that the scholars add to the amount of peace in the world (seeing they are in charge of administering justice). This is also why it is forbidden to submit disputes to Gentiles and only the sages of Israel must adjudicate between Jew and fellow Jew.
Justice is the prerequisite for peace. This is why we find Yitro telling Moses that if he were to carry out his advice with the approval of G’d, “also this whole people will arrive at its destination in peace” (Exodus 18,23). Peace ensures the continued existence of the world This is why the sages (Berachot 64) say that the scholars add to the amount of peace in the world (seeing they are in charge of administering justice). This is also why it is forbidden to submit disputes to Gentiles and only the sages of Israel must adjudicate between Jew and fellow Jew.
Rabbeinu Bahya
A kabbalistic approach: I believe that the addition of the letter ך is an allusion to the כסא הכבוד, G’d’s throne of the attribute of כבוד which is perceived as shaped somewhat similar to the letter ך a letter which strives in an upward direction as if asking G’d to take His seat upon it. Concerning these appearances of the letters of the aleph bet, Rabbi Akiva said that the letter ך stood in front of the Lord and said: “I wish that You will employ me when creating the universe, seeing they call me ‘Your throne, Your crown, Your pseudonyms.’” In response to this request the word כסא was based on the letter כ.
Seeing that the chayot described in Ezekiel chapter 1 and 10 as well as in Isaiah chapter 6 are depicted as upholding this throne of G’d you will understand the mystical dimension of Psalms 139,5 אחור וקדם צרתני ותשת עלי כפכה, “You have given me the same shape in the back and in the front; You lay Your hand (palm) upon me.” The word כפכה in that verse may be understood as if it had been spelled כף שלך. It is well known [to Kabbalists, Ed.] that the root of the spiritual soul originates in (at) the throne of G’d, and when the Torah writes here בערכך נפשות לה', this is an allusion to the “value” of the throne of G’d, as if the Torah had written that the person donating his value had in mind “the value of his soul as evaluated by G’d’s throne” (the attribute כבוד). Picture the word spelled as two words, i.e. בערך ך. In other words, the souls are perceived as supporting the throne, as part of the concept called מרכבה. Perhaps this helps us understand a statement of a Midrash in Shir Hashirim zutta 1,16 that “three entered, one more deeply than the next one; Moses, for it is written of him that ‘Moses approached the deep cloud’ (Exodus 20,18). Beyond Moses, righteousness and justice penetrated closer to the throne of G’d as we know from Psalms 89,15 צדק ומשפט מכון כסאך, ‘righteousness and justice are the base of Your throne;’ beyond even these attributes the souls of the righteous penetrated to an even closer position around G’d’s throne as we know from Job 12,10 אשר בידו נפש כל חי, ‘in His hand is every living soul.’” Another verse expressing a similar sentiment is found in Samuel I 25,29, (Abigail speaking) “the life of my lord will be bound up in the bundle of life in the care of the Lord your G’d.”
In our verse you find that he word for “souls in the plural” i.e. בערכך נפשות is spelled without the letter ו which should be there. This is a clear indication that not all the souls “belong to,” i.e. “will return to” the Lord after their life on earth. This is also what Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai referred to when he said in Sukkah 45 “I have seen the souls which are scheduled for elevation and they are very few in number.”
Seeing that the chayot described in Ezekiel chapter 1 and 10 as well as in Isaiah chapter 6 are depicted as upholding this throne of G’d you will understand the mystical dimension of Psalms 139,5 אחור וקדם צרתני ותשת עלי כפכה, “You have given me the same shape in the back and in the front; You lay Your hand (palm) upon me.” The word כפכה in that verse may be understood as if it had been spelled כף שלך. It is well known [to Kabbalists, Ed.] that the root of the spiritual soul originates in (at) the throne of G’d, and when the Torah writes here בערכך נפשות לה', this is an allusion to the “value” of the throne of G’d, as if the Torah had written that the person donating his value had in mind “the value of his soul as evaluated by G’d’s throne” (the attribute כבוד). Picture the word spelled as two words, i.e. בערך ך. In other words, the souls are perceived as supporting the throne, as part of the concept called מרכבה. Perhaps this helps us understand a statement of a Midrash in Shir Hashirim zutta 1,16 that “three entered, one more deeply than the next one; Moses, for it is written of him that ‘Moses approached the deep cloud’ (Exodus 20,18). Beyond Moses, righteousness and justice penetrated closer to the throne of G’d as we know from Psalms 89,15 צדק ומשפט מכון כסאך, ‘righteousness and justice are the base of Your throne;’ beyond even these attributes the souls of the righteous penetrated to an even closer position around G’d’s throne as we know from Job 12,10 אשר בידו נפש כל חי, ‘in His hand is every living soul.’” Another verse expressing a similar sentiment is found in Samuel I 25,29, (Abigail speaking) “the life of my lord will be bound up in the bundle of life in the care of the Lord your G’d.”
In our verse you find that he word for “souls in the plural” i.e. בערכך נפשות is spelled without the letter ו which should be there. This is a clear indication that not all the souls “belong to,” i.e. “will return to” the Lord after their life on earth. This is also what Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai referred to when he said in Sukkah 45 “I have seen the souls which are scheduled for elevation and they are very few in number.”
Ezra ben Solomon
A bag of myrrh: The forms existing occulted within the Glory are likened to a bag of myrrh. A spray of henna blooms: The forms which are revealed and rendered accessible. The Glory is similarly called the bundle of life, because souls are bound and connected there. Thus they say in the Midrash to Canticles62Midrash Shir ha-Shirim Zuta 3:10.: “‘Within it was decked with love’—these are the souls of the righteous which are present with God on high.” Three penetrated [the divine realms], each deeper than the other. “Moses approached the deep darkness” [Exod. 20:9]. The Targum63Targum Onkelos ad locum. interprets this as: “towards the dense cloud.” That is, he perceived divine Will, Wisdom and Understanding, but not through the Speculum. Thus Righteousness and Justice are further inward,64Probably malkhut and yesod. See R. Azriel: Perush ha-Aggadot, ed. Tishby (Jerusalem: Mekize Nirdamim, 1945), index of symbols. as it is written: “Righteousness and justice are the base of Your throne” [Ps. 89:16]. Further beyond are the souls of the righteous, as it says: “In his hands is the soul of every living thing” [Job 12:10] and “May the soul of my lord be bound up in the bond of life” [I Sam. 25:29].65The “hand” is higher than the “throne.”