לְהַגִּ֣יד בַּבֹּ֣קֶר חַסְֽדֶּ֑ךָ וֶ֝אֱמֽוּנָתְךָ֗ בַּלֵּילֽוֹת׃
untuk memberitakan kasih setia-Mu pada waktu pagi dan kesetiaan-Mu pada malam-malam hari,
Yismach Yisrael
It is our strong faith in this time of darkness that sustains us. It keeps us from becoming lost among the nations or falling into the snare of the idolaters, which they have spread out for us. This is what it says in Psalms 92:3: “To speak of His love in the morning and His faith at night.” Faith at night refers to this world, which is a world of darkness. It is through our faith that we are able to sustain our selves until the first light of morning comes which refers to the world to come.
Rabbeinu Bahya
The Torah speaks of Moses’ hands in the singular instead of in the plural when it writes: ויהי ידיו אמונה, when in reality it should have written ויהיו ידיו אמונה. Actually, the word ויהי does not refer to the hands, but to Moses as a person. It is as if the Torah had written: ויהי משה פורש ידיו להמשיך כח אל ה'א האחרונה היא מדת הדין הנלחמת לישראל הנקראת אמונה, “Moses spread out his hands in order to draw upon the power of the last letter ה in the tetragram, the attribute of Justice, urging it to fight on behalf of Israel, the attribute also known as Emunah.” We encounter the word אמונה in that context in Psalms 92,3 ואמונתך בלילות, “and your אמונה at night.” This is also why our sages said that whoever has not recited the paragraph commencing with the words אמת ואמונה at night, or the paragraph commencing with the words אמת ויציב in the morning, has not fulfilled his duty. The reason such omission is considered very negligent is that one must mention these respective attributes of G’d every day at the appropriate time, i.e. when that attribute is usually active (compare Berachot 12).
I believe further that the words ויהי ידיו include the concept that the priest when blessing the people should form the letters of the tetragrammaton with his hands. It is as if the vowel under the first letter in the word ויהי is a chirik instead of a patach. The priest’s hands should be straight and pointing upwards while he concentrates with all his power. He should not join his two hands together. This is part of the meaning of the word אמונה. The reason that he is to hold his fingers in such a position is so that the blessing will flow unto each finger separately. In order that at the base of his hands the letters of the tetragrammaton should not become mixed up with one another he must make sure that he holds his fingers in the assigned position. In the Sefer Habahir item 139-40 you will find that the author was asked by his students to whom raising of the hands during the priestly blessing is addressed. Answer: to the attribute רום. The source quoted is Chabakuk 3,10 נתן תהום קולו רום ידינו נשא. This verse makes it plain that the raising of the hands is aimed at the attribute רום השמים. When there are found amongst the Jewish people learned men, familiar with the mystical dimensions of the various names of G’d, and they raise their hands in prayer they are answered immediately. This is what Isaiah 58,9 referred to when he said: אז תקרא וה’ יענה תשוע ויאמר הנני אם תסיר מתוכך מוטה שלח אצבע ודבר און, “then you will call upon the Lord and He will answer. When you cry He will say: ‘Here I am, if you banish the yoke from your midst, the menacing finger and evil speech.’” The message of the prophet is that the cry to G’d must reflect the concept alluded to in the word אז, i.e. “The Lord who rides the seven heavens.” It is not sufficient to appeal only to the attribute represented by the letter א, but one must also address oneself to the letters attached to the א. They represent the emanations, attributes which occupy a pivotal role in G’d’s Kingdom. They are seven in number. This was the reason Moses commenced his song with the word אז, indicating that he did not mean to bypass those seven attributes, emanations. Thus far the Sefer Habahir.
I believe further that the words ויהי ידיו include the concept that the priest when blessing the people should form the letters of the tetragrammaton with his hands. It is as if the vowel under the first letter in the word ויהי is a chirik instead of a patach. The priest’s hands should be straight and pointing upwards while he concentrates with all his power. He should not join his two hands together. This is part of the meaning of the word אמונה. The reason that he is to hold his fingers in such a position is so that the blessing will flow unto each finger separately. In order that at the base of his hands the letters of the tetragrammaton should not become mixed up with one another he must make sure that he holds his fingers in the assigned position. In the Sefer Habahir item 139-40 you will find that the author was asked by his students to whom raising of the hands during the priestly blessing is addressed. Answer: to the attribute רום. The source quoted is Chabakuk 3,10 נתן תהום קולו רום ידינו נשא. This verse makes it plain that the raising of the hands is aimed at the attribute רום השמים. When there are found amongst the Jewish people learned men, familiar with the mystical dimensions of the various names of G’d, and they raise their hands in prayer they are answered immediately. This is what Isaiah 58,9 referred to when he said: אז תקרא וה’ יענה תשוע ויאמר הנני אם תסיר מתוכך מוטה שלח אצבע ודבר און, “then you will call upon the Lord and He will answer. When you cry He will say: ‘Here I am, if you banish the yoke from your midst, the menacing finger and evil speech.’” The message of the prophet is that the cry to G’d must reflect the concept alluded to in the word אז, i.e. “The Lord who rides the seven heavens.” It is not sufficient to appeal only to the attribute represented by the letter א, but one must also address oneself to the letters attached to the א. They represent the emanations, attributes which occupy a pivotal role in G’d’s Kingdom. They are seven in number. This was the reason Moses commenced his song with the word אז, indicating that he did not mean to bypass those seven attributes, emanations. Thus far the Sefer Habahir.
Rabbeinu Bahya
I, (author speaking) am fairly convinced that the reason the count of the Levites included babies from the age of one month old is anchored in a mystical dimension of the word חדש, month. The mystical mystical dimension of “month” i.e. “moon” is that it governs by night. The function of the Levites which was a derivative of the attribute of Justice, an attribute predominately active at night, was to demonstrate the virtue of אמונה, “faith, loyalty.” We find this concept alluded to in Psalms 92,3 ואמונתך בלילה, “Your loyalty and dependability is best demonstrated at night.” [Moses contrasts חסד, loving kindness which is manifest by day, with the אמונה, “faithfulness,” which is manifest at night. Ed.]