Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Nehemias 12:24

And there is a great dispute among the commentators. Some say that the entire book is David's, and he was a prophet. The proof is "according to the commands of David, the man of God" (Nehemiah 12:24). And such [a title, "man of God"] is not found in our books except regarding a prophet. Furthermore, [David] said in his last words, "The spirit of the Lord spoke through me" (II Samuel 23:2) – similar to "[the angel] who spoke with me" (Zechariah 1:9) – and "His word was on my tongue" (II Samuel 23:2). And we find the name Jeduthun connected with David in a psalm. This is understood as the psalm being David's, and he gave it to Jeduthun to play music, for he was one of the conductors (chief musicians). Similarly, [the psalm beginning] "To Solomon. O God, give Your judgments to the king" (Psalm 72) is a prophecy of David for Solomon his son. And "A Prayer of Moses" (Psalm 90) is [according to this view] David's, and he gave the psalm to the 'sons of Moses' – to Samuel and his sons. And similarly, every psalm designated "To Asaph" or "To the Sons of Korah" [is considered David's, given] to one of the sons of Heman, grandson of Samuel, who was of the sons of Korah, as written in the Book of Chronicles (I Chronicles 6:18). And [psalms like] "By the rivers of Babylon" (Psalm 137) and also "O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance" (Psalm 79) are prophecies of David who prophesied about the future, in the manner of "Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name" (I Kings 13:2).

Sending. This מִשְׁלֹחַ is a noun like מִשְׁמָר [guarding]⁵Nechemyah 12:24. and מִשְׁמָע [hearing],⁶Yeshayah 11:3. therefore the shin is vowelized softly [without a dagesh].

What is that which is written (Ecclesiastes 7:14), "God has [made] the one as well as (leumat), etc." He created mountains, He created hills, etc.: According to its context, it appears that the word, "as well as," is referring to something equal to it, such as mountains and hills that have equal height. And likewise with seas, etc., seas and rivers. And likewise with the matter that is written (Nehemiah 12:24), "one watch as well as [the other] watch." And there are many [examples] like this. And [regarding] that which he said, "He created the righteous, He created the wicked," the word, "as well as," does not refer to the righteous and the wicked, since they are not equal. Rather they are a matter and its opposite! However, the partial equality [indicated] should be explained as being that He created the righteous and He created the wicked, He created the Garden of Eden, He created Geihinnom - in that He created for each what is relevant to it. And [regarding] what it said, "Each and every person has two portions, etc." - it is that since free choice is given to man to be righteous or wicked, since everything is in the hands of the Heavens besides the fear of the Heavens; and the Holy One, blessed be He, does not deprive the reward or punishment from any creature - therefore He created [enough of] the Garden of Eden for all of them in case they are all meriting. And likewise did He create [enough of] Geihinnam for all of them in case they are all unmeriting. And [regarding] that which it said, "If he merits [it], the righteous one takes his portion and the portion of the wicked one in the Garden of Eden" - it relates to the teaching of Rav Masharshia later on. And it can also be said that it is relating to the end of that verse, which ends with, "to the end that man should find nothing after him." And, "after him," is referring to the righteous and the wicked - that when the wicked one dies, he will find nothing of his portion in the Garden of Eden, since the righteous one has [already] taken it. And likewise the opposite, when the righteous one dies after him, he will find nothing of his portion in Geihinnam, since the wicked one has [already] taken it.