וְגַם֙ נֵ֣צַח יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹ֥א יְשַׁקֵּ֖ר וְלֹ֣א יִנָּחֵ֑ם כִּ֣י לֹ֥א אָדָ֛ם ה֖וּא לְהִנָּחֵֽם׃
이스라엘의 지존자는 거짓이나 변개함이 없으시니 그는 사람이 아니시므로 결코 변개치 않으심이니이다
Midrash Tehillim
"Another matter: How long, O Lord, will You forget me? Forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? (Psalms 13:2) The Knesset of Israel said to the Lord: 'There is a King without a throne, a King without subjects. How long, O Lord, will You forget us?' Man, what did you say to the prophet Samuel, who was the champion of Israel? As it is said: "And also, the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret" (1 Samuel 15:29) and it also says: "God is not a man, that He should lie" (Numbers 23:19). Rabbi Samuel said: This verse is neither the beginning nor the end of the matter. When the Lord decrees to bring good into the world, no man is a god who can lie, but when He decrees evil, that statement is made. Thus, when the Lord said to Abraham: "For in Isaac shall your seed be called" (Genesis 21:12), no man is a god who can lie. And when He said to him: "Take now your son" (Genesis 22:2), he said and did not do. And when He said to him: "And also the nation whom they will serve, I will judge" (Genesis 15:14), he said and did not do. And when He said: "I have surely visited you" (Exodus 3:16), no man is a god who can lie. And when He said to him: "Let Me alone, that I may destroy them" (Deuteronomy 9:14), he said and did not do. Rabbi Berechiah said: There was a certain pious man who preached that "You shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child" (Exodus 22:21). One widow heard him and came to him. He said to her, "Go now, and I will come after you." She said to him, "If you had not preached to me that 'You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child,' you would not have come to me now." Thus said the Knesset of Israel: 'Master of the Universe, we have not come to You except relying on what is written: "For the poor will not always be forgotten; the hope of the needy will not perish forever" (Psalms 9:19)."
Aggadat Bereshit
[4] Another interpretation: "And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken. And the children of Israel prevailed not against him that day, and so on (1 Samuel 15:29). The Lord said, "I am not a man that I should lie," yet Elisha was made of flesh and blood because the Shunammite woman fed him, as it is said, "And she prevailed upon him to eat bread" (2 Kings 4:8). The Lord said to her at this appointed time, "I will certainly return to you at this time next year, and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son" (Genesis 18:10). And it came to pass. As it is said, "And the woman conceived and bore a son at this appointed time" (Genesis 21:2). How much more so did I say to Abraham about this appointed time, "I will surely return to you" (Genesis 18:10), and now Sarah your wife has borne you a son." (Genesis 21:2) Therefore, Balaam said, "God is not a man that He should lie," but what is written? "And Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age" (Genesis 21:2). David said, "For He spoke and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast" (Psalms 33:9).
Vayikra Rabbah
Another matter: “You shall take for you on the first day” – that is what is written: “He has heeded the prayer of the destitute; He did not despise their prayer” (Psalms 102:18), as Israel prevailed at trial, and their iniquities were atoned; and they say: Israel prevailed [natzeḥu], as it is stated: “Moreover, the Eternity [netzaḥ] of Israel will not lie and will not regret” (I Samuel 15:29). That is what David said to Israel: ‘If you have fulfilled the mitzva of the palm branch, which is called delightful [ne’ima],’ as it is stated: “Eternal pleasure [ne’imot] is by Your right hand,” ‘you will be informed that you have prevailed over the nations of the world,’ as it is stated: “Moreover, the Eternity [netzaḥ] of Israel.” Therefore, Moses exhorts Israel and says to them: “You shall take for you on the first day.”
Rabbi Avin said: “He has heeded the prayer of the destitute” (Psalms 102:18) – and Rabbi Avin said: We are unable to ascertain David’s nature; sometimes he calls himself poor, sometimes he calls himself king. How [is this to be understood]? When he would gaze and see that righteous individuals were destined to emerge from him, such as Asa, Yehoshafat, Hezekiah, and Yoshiya, he would call himself king, as it is stated: “Endow the king with Your justice, God” (Psalms 72:1). But when he would gaze [and see] wicked individuals emerging from him, such as Aḥaz, Menashe, and Amon, he would call himself poor, as it is stated: “The prayer of a poor man, when he feels overwhelmed” (Psalms 102:1).
Rabbi Alexandri interpreted the verse9Referring to Psalms 102:1. regarding this laborer, just as this laborer sits and waits for when he takes a short break from his labor and ultimately finishes it later,10He has to make up the lost work time at the end of the day. just as it says: “The atufim will be for Lavan” (Genesis 30:42). What are “the atufim”? Rabbi Yitzḥak ben Rabbi Ḥilkiya: The late ones.11Thus, when David says: “The prayer of the poor man when he feels overwhelmed [ki yaatof],” he is alluding to the fact that when he was engaged in some pressing activity he would pray later than others.
Another matter: “He has heeded the prayer of the destitute [haarar]; [He did not despise their prayer]” (Psalms 102:18) – it should have said: “He did not despise his prayer.” If it says: “He did not despise their prayer,” it should have said: “He has heeded the prayer of the destitute [haararim].”12It should have used the plural formulation of the Hebrew word for destitute. Rather, “He has heeded the prayer of the destitute” – this is the prayer of Menashe king of Judah, who was destitute of good deeds. “He did not despise their prayer” – this is his prayer and the prayer of his ancestors, as it is written: “He prayed to Him, and He acceded to his entreaty” (II Chronicles 33:13). What is “He acceded to his entreaty [vaye’ater lo]”? Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon said: In Arabia, they call digging [ḥatirata] atirata.13God dug a tunnel under His Throne of Glory so that Menashe’s prayer could reach Him (see Devarim Rabba 2:20; Rut Rabba 5:6). He restored him to Jerusalem to his kingdom” (II Chronicles 33:13) – how did He restore him? He restored him with the wind, just as it is said: He causes the wind to blow. At that moment, “Menashe knew that the Lord, He is God” (II Chronicles 33:13). At that moment, Menashe said: There is justice, and there is a Judge.
Rabbi Yitzḥak interpreted the verse regarding these generations that have neither a king nor a prophet, neither a [High] Priest nor the Urim and the Tumim, and they have nothing other than prayer alone. David said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, do not despise their prayers. “Let this be written for the generation to come”’ (Psalms 102:19) – from here [it may be inferred] that the Holy One blessed be He accepts penitents. “And a people which shall be created shall praise the Lord” (Psalms 102:19), [indicates] that the Holy One blessed be He creates them as a new creation.
Another matter: “Let this be written for the generation to come” (Psalms 102:19) – this is the generation of Hezekiah, which was on the verge of death. “And a people which shall be created shall praise the Lord” (Psalms 102:19), [indicates] that the Holy One blessed be He created them as a new creation. Alternatively, “let this be written for the generation to come” – this is the generation of Mordekhai, which was on the verge of death. “And a people which shall be created shall praise the Lord,” [indicates] that He created them as a new creation. Alternatively, “let this be written for the generation to come,” refers to these generations, which are on the verge of death. “And a people which shall be created shall praise the Lord,” [indicates] that the Holy One blessed be He is destined to create them as a new creation. What is incumbent upon us to do? To take a palm branch and a citron and laud the Holy One blessed be He. Therefore, Moses exhorts Israel and says to them: “You shall take for you on the first day.”
Rabbi Avin said: “He has heeded the prayer of the destitute” (Psalms 102:18) – and Rabbi Avin said: We are unable to ascertain David’s nature; sometimes he calls himself poor, sometimes he calls himself king. How [is this to be understood]? When he would gaze and see that righteous individuals were destined to emerge from him, such as Asa, Yehoshafat, Hezekiah, and Yoshiya, he would call himself king, as it is stated: “Endow the king with Your justice, God” (Psalms 72:1). But when he would gaze [and see] wicked individuals emerging from him, such as Aḥaz, Menashe, and Amon, he would call himself poor, as it is stated: “The prayer of a poor man, when he feels overwhelmed” (Psalms 102:1).
Rabbi Alexandri interpreted the verse9Referring to Psalms 102:1. regarding this laborer, just as this laborer sits and waits for when he takes a short break from his labor and ultimately finishes it later,10He has to make up the lost work time at the end of the day. just as it says: “The atufim will be for Lavan” (Genesis 30:42). What are “the atufim”? Rabbi Yitzḥak ben Rabbi Ḥilkiya: The late ones.11Thus, when David says: “The prayer of the poor man when he feels overwhelmed [ki yaatof],” he is alluding to the fact that when he was engaged in some pressing activity he would pray later than others.
Another matter: “He has heeded the prayer of the destitute [haarar]; [He did not despise their prayer]” (Psalms 102:18) – it should have said: “He did not despise his prayer.” If it says: “He did not despise their prayer,” it should have said: “He has heeded the prayer of the destitute [haararim].”12It should have used the plural formulation of the Hebrew word for destitute. Rather, “He has heeded the prayer of the destitute” – this is the prayer of Menashe king of Judah, who was destitute of good deeds. “He did not despise their prayer” – this is his prayer and the prayer of his ancestors, as it is written: “He prayed to Him, and He acceded to his entreaty” (II Chronicles 33:13). What is “He acceded to his entreaty [vaye’ater lo]”? Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon said: In Arabia, they call digging [ḥatirata] atirata.13God dug a tunnel under His Throne of Glory so that Menashe’s prayer could reach Him (see Devarim Rabba 2:20; Rut Rabba 5:6). He restored him to Jerusalem to his kingdom” (II Chronicles 33:13) – how did He restore him? He restored him with the wind, just as it is said: He causes the wind to blow. At that moment, “Menashe knew that the Lord, He is God” (II Chronicles 33:13). At that moment, Menashe said: There is justice, and there is a Judge.
Rabbi Yitzḥak interpreted the verse regarding these generations that have neither a king nor a prophet, neither a [High] Priest nor the Urim and the Tumim, and they have nothing other than prayer alone. David said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, do not despise their prayers. “Let this be written for the generation to come”’ (Psalms 102:19) – from here [it may be inferred] that the Holy One blessed be He accepts penitents. “And a people which shall be created shall praise the Lord” (Psalms 102:19), [indicates] that the Holy One blessed be He creates them as a new creation.
Another matter: “Let this be written for the generation to come” (Psalms 102:19) – this is the generation of Hezekiah, which was on the verge of death. “And a people which shall be created shall praise the Lord” (Psalms 102:19), [indicates] that the Holy One blessed be He created them as a new creation. Alternatively, “let this be written for the generation to come” – this is the generation of Mordekhai, which was on the verge of death. “And a people which shall be created shall praise the Lord,” [indicates] that He created them as a new creation. Alternatively, “let this be written for the generation to come,” refers to these generations, which are on the verge of death. “And a people which shall be created shall praise the Lord,” [indicates] that the Holy One blessed be He is destined to create them as a new creation. What is incumbent upon us to do? To take a palm branch and a citron and laud the Holy One blessed be He. Therefore, Moses exhorts Israel and says to them: “You shall take for you on the first day.”