Мидраш к Тегилим 3:3

Similarly, when the representative of the community held the Kiddush or Havdalah cup in his hand he would say: “Have you agreed, what is your decision?”⁵A expression meaning: “Have you agreed to allow me to recite this prayer?” See Jastrow. And the congregation would respond: “To life”; that is to say, May this cup be for the living. R. Levi discussed the words Tabernacle of testimony. It is written elsewhere: For the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped (Ps. 63:12), that is to say, the mouths of the peoples of the world, who say to Israel that the Shekhinah will never return to Israel, should be stopped, as it is said: Many there are that say of My soul: “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah (Ps. 3:3). Before they built the golden calf, the Holy One, blessed be He, dwelt among them, but when He became angry at them they would say: “He will never return to them.” What did He do? He said: Let them make Me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them (Exod. 25:8). Then all the inhabitants of the world will know that I have pardoned Israel. Therefore it is written; The Tabernacle of the testimony. It hath already been⁶Indicating that what was to follow had already been written. (Eccles. 1:10).

[(Exod. 30:12): WHEN YOU TAKE <A CENSUS>.] This text is related to Ps. 3:3 [2]): MANY SAY TO MY SOUL….. This refers to David, when that deed (of II Sam. 11) took place at his hand.¹¹Tanh., Exod. 9:4; PRK 2:1; PR 10:10; M. Pss. 3:5/6. They said: What person is there who has carried off the ewe lamb, killed the shepherd, and made Israel fall by the sword?¹²The ewe lamb was Bathsheba, and the shepherd was Uriah the Hittite. Is there salvation for him? (Ibid., cont.:) THERE IS NO SALVATION FOR HIM THROUGH HIS GOD. David said (in vs. 3 [2]): AND YOU, O LORD, have concurred with them and have written in the Torah (at Lev. 20:10): THE ADULTERER AND THE ADULTERESS SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH. Still (according to Ps. 3:4 [3]) <YOU, O LORD, ARE> A SHIELD ABOUT ME. You <are the one> who shielded me through the merit of my ancestors, <the one> who restored me to the kingship, AND (ibid. cont.:) THE ONE WHO RAISES UP MY HEAD. Instead of that which I owed you, < namely > the lifting off of the head, you gave me an uplifted head at the hands of the prophet Nathan, [who said to me] (in II Sam. 12:13): THE LORD HAS ALSO REMITTED YOUR SIN; YOU SHALL NOT DIE.

Another interpretation: David spoke with respect to the event of the <golden> calf. The world said: This is the people who heard from the mouth of its God (in Exod. 20:3): YOU SHALL HAVE NO <OTHER GODS BESIDE ME>. Then at the end of forty days they said of the calf (in Exod. 32:4): THIS IS YOUR GOD, O ISRAEL. Is there salvation for them? (Ps. 3:3 [2]:) <MANY SAY TO MY SOUL>: THERE IS NO SALVATION FOR HIM THROUGH HIS GOD. SELAH. <The word> MANY (in Ps. 3:3 [2]) can only mean the peoples of the world, since it is stated (in Is. 17:12): HERE IS THE ROAR OF MANY PEOPLES. Israel had promised (to have no other gods) and you agreed with them; so you said to Moses our Teacher (in Deut. 9:14): LET ME ALONE, AND I WILL DESTROY THEM. However, (in Ps. 3:4 [3]:) <YOU, O LORD ARE> A SHIELD ABOUT ME. You <are the one> who shielded me through the merit of our ancestors and recalled for us the merit of Abraham, in that you had said to him (in Gen. 15:1): I AM A SHIELD FOR YOU. Before I committed that < sinful > act, you had your Divine Presence dwell in our midst, but after I had committed that act, you said (in Exod. 25:8): AND MAKE ME A SANCTUARY <THAT I MAY DWELL AMONG THEM>. (Ps. 3:4 [3]): THE ONE WHO RAISES UP MY HEAD. Instead of that which we owed you, <namely> the lifting off of our head, you gave us an uplifted head at the hands of Moses our Teacher, [to whom you said] (in Exod. 30:12): WHEN YOU TAKE A CENSUS OF (literally: LIFT UP THE HEAD OF) THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL….>