Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Mga Awit 51:21

A Midrashic approach: the words: “It was on the day Moses completed the erecting of the Tabernacle” are reminiscent of Proverbs 27,18: “He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit; he who waits on his master will be honoured.” G’d does not withhold the appropriate reward for any creature. If man has toiled and devoted his best efforts to something worthy he will be rewarded. The Midrash illustrates this with the example of David, his son Solomon, and the Temple. It is well known that the scheme to build the Temple originated with David. Not only did he amass most of the funds and materials for the project but he had drawn up detailed blue prints. This is why we find that psalm 30,1 credits the Temple to David rather than to his son Solomon who had spent seven years building it. At the inauguration the hymn commences with the words מזמור שיר חנוכת הבית לדוד, “a psalm for David. A song for the dedication of the House.” You will observe a similar phenomenon with the Tabernacle. Seeing that Moses had devoted so much effort to see the Tabernacle built, had assembled it, erected it, etc., we find here that though Betzalel was the chief architect and executive carrying out the construction, that the Torah speaks about the day “Moses completed the Tabernacle.” This is the way the Torah expresses its recognition of the contribution by people whose efforts is likened to those who plant a fig tree.
Another Midrashic insight: the words: “it was on the day Moses completed the Tabernacle,” are reminiscent of another part of Psalms 51,2--21 “May it please You to make Zion prosper; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then You will want sacrifices offered in righteousness, burnt and whole offerings; the bulls will be offered on Your altar.” Seeing that in this world, at the inauguration of the Tabernacle the sacrifices were quantitatively minuscule, as described in verse 12, G’d could have reacted to such measly offerings with some degree of indignation. The Jewish people, forestalling such a complaint explained that seeing they were not in Jerusalem, did not yet have a home of their own, were traveling through the desert, they only presented a token of their esteem for their king G’d. They hinted in this psalm that as soon as their king would lead them to their permanent home they would reciprocate by presenting the King with sacrifices more in keeping with his stature. In fact when you will study the report of the inauguration of Solomon’s Temple and compare it with the inauguration of the Tabernacle you will be amazed at the quantitative difference. The courtyard of the Temple had to be enlarged (the sanctified area) in order to accommodate all the animals being slaughtered on that occasion. Kings I 8,63 tells of 22,000 oxen, 120,0000 sheep. being sacrificed at that time. Even during the days of Ezra, at the inauguration of the second Temple, when the economic and numerical condition of the Jewish people was a far cry from the glorious days of Solomon, we read that 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and 12 goats were offered on that occasion (Ezra 6,17).
Another interpretation: The choice of the word כלות in the verse ויהי ביום כלות משה להקים את המשכן causes Rabbi Yochanan to understand the meaning of the word in the same sense as in Genesis 18,21 where it referred to total extinction of the people of Sodom. As long as the Tabernacle had not been erected the various destructive forces commonly known as demons had free reign on earth. When Moses had ascended Mount Sinai he recited Psalms 91,1 יושב בסתר עליון בצל שדי יתלונן, extolling “the Jewish people who had been allowed to reside in the shelter of the Most High and abide in the protection of Shaddai.” Tanchuma Nasso 23 understands these words slightly differently i.e. the word צל, shadow, has a numerical value of 120. This is the combined number of days (3 times 40) which Moses spent in that “hideout” near G’d on the mountain. In verse two of that hymn Moses says to G’d: “my refuge and stronghold, my G’d in whom I trust.” G’d responded: “seeing you placed your trust in Me, I will indeed stand by you.” This is why the following verses dealing with miraculous rescues refer particularly to David whom G’d rescued from certain death at the hands of King Shaul (compare Samuel I 23,26). On the words ותחת כנפיו תחסה צנה וסוחרה אמתו, “and under His wings you will find refuge; His fidelity is an encircling shield (verse 4),” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish comments in that same Midrash that G’d promises to act in the fashion described for all who are true students of Torah. The next verse in the psalm, speaking of there being no need to fear the terror by night or the arrow that flies by day, is a reference to destructive forces on earth known by Moses in the psalm, i.e. the ones who fly around by day. The term קטב מרירי mentioned in verse six is a destructive agent whose sighting the victim is not likely to survive at all. It kills man and beast alike without direct contact. To help identify this creature, our author describes its head as similar to the head of a calf, it sprouts one horn on the middle of its forehead; the time of year when it is rampant is between the 17th of Tammuz and the ninth of Av, i.e. the period when the city of Jerusalem and at the end the Temple were captured and destroyed.
When the psalmist (Moses) continues in verse 10 with: “no harm will befall you, no disease will touch your tent,” this is a reference to the Tent of Meeting, the Tabernacle. As long as the Tabernacle had not become functional these various destructive forces were commonplace; from the day described in our verse they ceased to exist.

“It is the burnt offering.” There are those who say this means that the study of Torah, which is called tushiyah because it weakens [mateshet] a person’s strength, is considered as if one has offered oneself as a burnt offering. And do not say that Torah study is merely metaphorically similar to offering a burnt offering, for in truth there is neither a fireplace nor an altar here. [That is why] scripture teaches us: on its firewood upon the altar — because the fire of Torah within a person is similar to the fire of the altar.
The verse informs us that the time for the burnt offering is all night until morning, and furthermore, the phrase until morning is superfluous. This teaches wisdom to the people by way allusion: just as the time for the burnt offering is all night until morning, so too the appropriate time for one who engages in the Torah of the burnt offering [which is comparable to actually offering a burnt offering] is during the exile, which is compared to night. For it is then that Israel needs to pay “the bulls of their lips.”
Until morning — but not including morning itself. For in the time when the morning of Israel dawns, then they will offer actual bulls on God’s altar. As it is written, O Lord, open my lips (Psalms 51:17). And when do I ask that You accept the utterance of my lips? For [Ki] You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it (Psalms 51:18). The word ki indicates a specific time, meaning there will be a time when You will not desire sacrifice, and regarding that time I ask that You accept the speech of my lips in place of sacrifice. For through engaging in the laws of sacrifices, a person will also come to a “broken spirit.” This is what is meant by The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise (Psalms 51:19).
And from the fact that it says You will not despise, we can deduce that the actual sacrifice itself is more favored by God than engagement in the Torah of the burnt offering. And what is meant by This is the law of the burnt offering; it is the burnt offering applies specifically all night — during exile when there is no sacrifice or meal offering. And that is why afterward it says, Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion… Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness… then bulls shall be offered upon Your altar (Psalms 51:20-21).

And there is a difficulty with this midrash, where is this answer hinted at in the verse? For the question is here and the answer is in the book of Psalms (51:20–21). Rather, certainly the author of this midrash relied on the superfluous phrase until morning mentioned here, and interpreted that Moses replied to the Holy One, Blessed be He, specifically all night in this world, which is compared to night, You will accept this until the morning — until the time of redemption, when the morning of Israel will rise, meaning when You favor Zion with Your goodwill (Psalms 51:20), but not including that time itself. For then You will desire righteous sacrifices (Psalms 51:21). And he incidentally used the language of the verse in Psalms, but he derived this entire answer from the additional phrase until morning.
The intention of the statement is that the burnt offering in this world comes for the sin of impure thoughts, and is this an honor and a gift? For there is no honor to God when one sins and brings a sacrifice, as it would be better if one did not sin and did not bring a sacrifice, because this sacrifice is not a gift at all but payment for the sin. And does one honor a king by paying a debt? Therefore, he brought a parable about figs and wine, because it is said Like grapes in the desert I found Israel; like the first fruit of the fig tree (Hosea 9:10). For in the desert, the Israelites were sinful and evil from within and without, as will be explained, God willing, in the verse The mixed multitude among them felt a craving (Numbers 11:4) — see there. And in this, he compared them to grapes, which appear beautiful on the outside but have waste and seeds inside. And figs have a stem on the outside, as concluded in Yalkut Parashat Lech Lecha (16:80) regarding circumcision: “Just as the fig has no waste except for its stem, etc.” And wine is after the removal of the waste from within it, and a basket of figs is after the stems have been cut off. He compared the sacrifices that atone for sins of action and thought, both internal and external, to these.
And the answer to this came: All night — in this world, while man is entangled in the darkness of his material nature, then there is no righteous person on earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Specifically, as long as he is on earth, connected to the earthly, material part of himself. However, when the morning of redemption rises, then the heart of stone will be removed from among Israel. Then You will desire righteous sacrifices, burnt offering and whole offering (Psalms 51:21) — not burnt offerings for sin, but peace offerings and voluntary burnt offerings that come as acts of righteousness and gifts. Then “bulls” that come as acts of righteousness and gifts will be accepted favorably. And this is a precious interpretation.