Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Mga Awit 37:25

AND THOU SHALT REMEMBER ALL THE WAY WHICH THE ETERNAL THY G-D HATH LED THEE etc. He is stating that you can realize that in the observance of the commandments is entailed the perfect good and there will not be the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread,⁵⁸Psalms 37:25. for G-d supported you in the wilderness with the performance of a great miracle because you followed after His commandments. I have already explained⁵⁹Exodus 16:4 (Vol.II, pp. 221-222). in the section of the manna [the verse before us], that He might afflict thee, to try thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no, for [the manna itself] was a great trial to them. They did not know what counsel to adopt for themselves when they entered the great wilderness, a place of no food, and they had none of the manna [in reserve because it could not be stored from day to day] but each day’s portion came down on its day, and as the sun waxed hot, it melted,⁶⁰Ibid., Verse 21. although they hungered mightily after it. All this they did to keep the commandment of G-d, to follow as He commanded. Now G-d could have led them through the [populated] cities that were around them, but instead He brought them into this trial [of never having any food in reserve] for He knew that as a result [of this experience] they would keep His commandments forever.

will draw from it the lesson as to his final end -- For his land refers to his neshama (soul), which G-d gave to him "to work it and to guard it" (Bereishis 2:15) in purity, to succeed in planting and bearing fruit in the vineyard of G-d, until the time it is called back. The intelligent man sees that if he spends all of his time working only for his soul, he will not be able to earn a living to provide for his body, and like our sages said: "all torah study without working for a livelihood will in the end be neglected" (Avot 2:3). Therefore, he sees proper to hire himself out to some work, or some business dealing with faith, in order to sustain himself. But when he is free from this work, he returns diligently to torah study and service of G-d until he reaches the level of Tzadik (righteous). Then G-d will direct special attention on him to give him abundance and to bless his handiwork, as scripture says: "I never saw a righteous forsaken" (Tehilim 37:25), until he increases strength and pure hands to honor G-d with his money (give charity etc), and to ascend his soul from level to level until he merits the Olam Haba, eternal rewards, and a higher soul. But the fool does not work on his soul. Rather, he only endeavors to make profit, to serve his body, and to amass the superfluous and the pleasures of the masses, and he abandons his soul barren and to waste. Unseeded, it will not sprout, nor receive on it any shefa (spiritual light) or divine clinging until it will no longer be capable even to return to its source due to having defiled itself. Rather, to the sheol (Gehinom) he will descend, and the underworld will blanket over him. On him it is written (Yeshaya 3:9) "Woe unto their soul! for they have brought evil unto themselves".

The reason for this appears to be that God did not want a person to have a permanent hold on the land, neither he nor his descendants forever, as it says The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is Mine (Leviticus 25:23). If a person never came to this state [of poverty], neither he nor his descendants, he would maintain a permanent hold on the land and would forget that the land belongs to God. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, arranges that every person comes to this state [of poverty], either he or his descendants, to know and make known that all are like strangers on the earth and to God belongs the world and its fullness. This is why after the verse [the Torah] gives a reason for why He brings this upon people: For the poor will never cease from the midst of the land. For the midst of the land necessitates this matter, as mentioned. Therefore, I command you saying: You shall surely open your hand to your poor, so that they will also give to you or to your descendants, but not to both, as it says I have not seen a righteous person abandoned, nor his children begging for bread (Psalms 37:25). This means not both him and his children, but either him or his children. With this, this verse does not contradict what our Sages said (Shabbat 151b) “Either he or his descendants will come to this state.” Some say the absence of a [second] letter gimel in the word “biglal” [בגלל — because of] indicates that this follows from the sin of withholding acts of kindness, as our Sages interpreted (Shabbat 104a) “gimmel dalet” [ג“ד] to mean ”bestow upon [gemol] the poor [dalim].“ And the absence of the gimel [representing gemilut chasadim — acts of kindness] toward the poor makes the wheel — galgal [of fortune] turn.

his bread shall be given He will not seek bread, for it will be supplied to him from heaven.

ונתן לי לחם לאכול AND IF HE WILL GIVE ME BREAD TO EAT — even as He said (v. 15) “For I will not forsake thee” (Genesis Rabbah 70:4), — for one who has to beg his bread is called “forsaken”, as it is said (Psalms 37:25) “I have not seen the righteous forsaken and his seed begging bread”.