תַּאֲוַ֬ת עֲנָוִ֣ים שָׁמַ֣עְתָּ יְהוָ֑ה תָּכִ֥ין לִ֝בָּ֗ם תַּקְשִׁ֥יב אָזְנֶֽךָ׃
Narinig Mo, O Walang-Hanggan, ang hangarin ng mga aba; ihahanda Mo ang kanilang puso, at ikikiling Mo ang Iyong pandinig.
Radak
Hearken unto the voice of my cry: – Make thine ear attentive, for the verb (הקשׁיבה) is transitive. And so it is written (Prov. 2:2): “to incline (להקשׁיב) thine ear unto wisdom”; “Thou wilt make attentive thine ear” (Ps. 10:17). The word is connected with (the prepositions) ל, אל, and ב; and sometimes it is (used) without any connecting letter (at all), as ואשׁמע הקשבתי, “I hearkened and heard” (Jer. 8:6); מי הקשׁיב דברו, “Who hath hearkened to his word?” (ibid, 23:17).
Rabbeinu Bahya
Should someone ask: “how can the Torah decree penalties for thoughts which have never been carried out? How can the Torah expect a person to be so perfect that the temptation and intention to commit a sin never occurs to him?” Let me explain the essence of the subject. We know that man is in charge (has the choice) of the actions he carries out. This is what the Torah alluded to in Deut. 30, 15-19: “see I have today given into your hand (control) over life and goodness, over death and evil;......you shall choose life.“ Just as man can control his actions, he can also control his thoughts. True, the latter require some preparation, education. We are commanded to entertain constructive thoughts and to avoid thinking potentially destructive, sinful thoughts. G’d gives credit for our entertaining positive constructive thoughts, whereas He punishes us for thinking sinful thoughts.
If, on occasion, one does entertain unworthy thoughts, thoughts which creep up on a person uninvited, such thoughts reflect the fact that the individual in question has not trained himself sufficiently not to entertain unworthy, potentially sinful thoughts. The only cure for this is to concentrate on G’d and what He expects us to do and how He expects us to relate to His universe and our environment. One must relate to such unworthy thoughts with anger at oneself for such thoughts to have occurred to one at all. If one does so, one may rely on the saying of our sages that הבא לטהר מסיין אותו, “when a person makes a genuine effort to purify (himself or others) he receives a divine assist.” (Yuma 38) There are numerous verses in the Bible testifying to the principle that there are divine assists for people trying to do the right thing. One such verse is found In Chronicles I 28,9: ”for the Lord searches all minds and discerns the design of every thought, if you seek Him, He will be available to you.” Another verse in a similar vein is found in Proverbs 21,2: ”G’d probes the (content) of one’s hearts.” Solomon means that when man entertains positive thoughts, G’d will help translate them into reality. Other verses from Scripture which convey similar messages are found in Psalms 10,17, as well as in Chronicles I 29,18.
If, on occasion, one does entertain unworthy thoughts, thoughts which creep up on a person uninvited, such thoughts reflect the fact that the individual in question has not trained himself sufficiently not to entertain unworthy, potentially sinful thoughts. The only cure for this is to concentrate on G’d and what He expects us to do and how He expects us to relate to His universe and our environment. One must relate to such unworthy thoughts with anger at oneself for such thoughts to have occurred to one at all. If one does so, one may rely on the saying of our sages that הבא לטהר מסיין אותו, “when a person makes a genuine effort to purify (himself or others) he receives a divine assist.” (Yuma 38) There are numerous verses in the Bible testifying to the principle that there are divine assists for people trying to do the right thing. One such verse is found In Chronicles I 28,9: ”for the Lord searches all minds and discerns the design of every thought, if you seek Him, He will be available to you.” Another verse in a similar vein is found in Proverbs 21,2: ”G’d probes the (content) of one’s hearts.” Solomon means that when man entertains positive thoughts, G’d will help translate them into reality. Other verses from Scripture which convey similar messages are found in Psalms 10,17, as well as in Chronicles I 29,18.
Rabbeinu Bahya
A Midrashic approach (based on Tanchuma Tetzaveh 2): the words להעלות נר תמיד are reminiscent of Job 14,15: “You would call and I would answer You; You would yearn for (the deeds of) Your handiwork;” for it is written (Isaiah 46,4) “I was the Maker, and I will be the Bearer; and I will carry and rescue you.” The meaning of our verse is that Moses is to command the sons of Kehat to carry the furnishings of the Tabernacle on their shoulders as we have read in Numbers 7,9. The service of these Levites reflects a response to what G’d had done for the Jewish people. Similarly, seeing that G’d provides man with food and all his needs, the priests by offering the sacrifices described by G’d as קרבני לחמי, “My offering, My bread,” reflect the appropriate response by man in recognition of what G’d had done for him. Seeing that G’d provides light for the entire universe, it is no more than fair that man, i.e. the High Priest, light the Menorah as an appropriate response. This is what Job meant when he described G’d as: “yearning for your deeds (the deeds of His creatures).”
G’d responded: “Do not think that My ‘yearning’ reflects My need for your deeds,” I certainly do not need light supplied by mortal human beings seeing it is I Who supplies light for the entire cosmos. My purpose in commanding these laws is to enable you to elevate yourselves and to acquire merits.” Furthermore, Rabbi Meir is quoted as saying that G’d says: “the lights which Aaron is kindling are very beloved of Me, more so even than the ones which I have set up in heaven.” The reason for this is that at the time when the princes offered their respective offerings at the inauguration of the Tabernacle the tribe of Levi had not been assigned participation in that procedure and Aaron felt quite saddened at this. G’d told him that he would be given the task of doing much more in the Tabernacle than the princes had done. They had offered an offering once, entering the holy precincts; Aaron, on the other hand, would be allowed to perform service in the Tabernacle every single day. This is the meaning of the verse in Psalms 10,17: “You have responded to the yearnings of the humble,” as well as the meaning of the words: “outside the dividing curtain in front of the Testimony he and his sons shall arrange them (the lights).” Thus far the Midrash. This was also an allusion to the lights rekindled by the Hasmoneans in the Temple. If so, this accounts for the words “from evening to morning a permanent statute” in our paragraph applying both in the immediate present and in the distant future.
G’d responded: “Do not think that My ‘yearning’ reflects My need for your deeds,” I certainly do not need light supplied by mortal human beings seeing it is I Who supplies light for the entire cosmos. My purpose in commanding these laws is to enable you to elevate yourselves and to acquire merits.” Furthermore, Rabbi Meir is quoted as saying that G’d says: “the lights which Aaron is kindling are very beloved of Me, more so even than the ones which I have set up in heaven.” The reason for this is that at the time when the princes offered their respective offerings at the inauguration of the Tabernacle the tribe of Levi had not been assigned participation in that procedure and Aaron felt quite saddened at this. G’d told him that he would be given the task of doing much more in the Tabernacle than the princes had done. They had offered an offering once, entering the holy precincts; Aaron, on the other hand, would be allowed to perform service in the Tabernacle every single day. This is the meaning of the verse in Psalms 10,17: “You have responded to the yearnings of the humble,” as well as the meaning of the words: “outside the dividing curtain in front of the Testimony he and his sons shall arrange them (the lights).” Thus far the Midrash. This was also an allusion to the lights rekindled by the Hasmoneans in the Temple. If so, this accounts for the words “from evening to morning a permanent statute” in our paragraph applying both in the immediate present and in the distant future.