ייִדישער מחשבֿה אויף ישעיהו 12:5

After having paid homage to the fact that G-d is aware of the four types of activities man can perform, i.e. both the involuntary and the most meticulously planned, David describes the omnipotence of G-d by stipulating that any attempt to escape G-d’s investigative powers is doomed, even escape into the grave. (Psalms 139,8) The composers of our liturgy have expressed these thoughts in the paragraph of the New Year's prayer commencing with the words "You know the secrets of the universe." David is grateful to have had all this demonstrated to him." I wish to thank You for the marvellous way in which I have been made" etc. (Psalms 139,14) Revelation is much more than all intellectual speculation. David goes on to describe man's composition in verses 15 and 16. Concerning the acquisition of knowledge about G-d, David is content with the historical record as reported in the books of the Torah and Joshua. "Everything has been written down in Your book." The human eye cannot perceive the Essence of G-d. We can only judge His actions, inasmuch as they relate to those outside of Him.

This is known [alluding to Isaiah 12:5] before the entire congregation, the virtue of the land of Israel, as it is great. In truth, they said: Anyone who adds to its praises has [only] provided minimizations [alluding to I Kings 6:6]. And Ramban, may his memory be blessed, has already written at length in [his] commentary on the Torah [about this]. The master said, "The attainment of spiritual perfection, meaning to serve God and to cling to Him, is only [found] in the land of Israel, since it is not under a minister [angel], but is governed by Him, may He be blessed. The eyes of the Lord are upon it, He scrutinizes it constantly [alluding to Deuteronomy 11:12]." And we find that our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said that the merit of the land of Israel protects and saves, to negate the evil impulse for idolatry, as we teach in the discussion in the ninth chapter of Arakhin (32b), The whole community that returned from the captivity made booths and dwelt in the booths—the Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua son of Nun, etc. (Nehemiah 8:17). Is it possible that David came [and the Jews in his time and all subsequent generations] did not make sukkot, until Ezra came? Rather, he prayed for mercy with regard to the evil impulse for idolatry and negated it, and that merit protected them like a sukkah. And this is the reason that the verse criticizes Joshua. As in every other place, his name is written, Yehoshua, and here it is written, Yeshua. Granted, Moses did not pray, as he did not have the merit of the land of Israel; but Joshua, who had the merit of the land of Israel, why didn’t he pray for mercy? To here [is the citation].

These words are not explain in the Gemara with which we opened, but they are explained in the midrash: "Look out from the peak of Amana"... Rabbi Berachya in the name of Rabbi Eliezer [said]... and it would have been fitting for Hezekiah to have sung shira over the downfall of Sennacherib, as it is written: “But Hezekiah did not reciprocate according to the reward bestowed upon him” (II Chronicles 32:25). “As his heart had grown haughty” (II Chronicles 32:25). You see Hezekiah, a king and a righteous man, and you say “as his heart had grown haughty”? Rather, his heart had grown too haughty to sing a shira. Isaiah came to Hezekiah and his associates. He said to them: “Sing to the Lord” (Isaiah 12:5). They said to him: Why? “For He has performed grandeur” (Isaiah 12:5). They said to him: It is already “known throughout the land” (Isaiah 12:5). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Hezekiah said: The Torah in which I engage atones for the [absence of] the shira. Rabbi Levi said: Hezekiah said: Why do we need to recount the miracles and mighty exploits of the Holy One blessed be He? They are already known from one end of the world to the other. Has the sun not stood in the middle of the sky and they [thus] saw the miracles and mighty exploits of the Holy One, blessed be He, to the end of the world? (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:8)