וַיְחַזֵּ֤ק חָרָשׁ֙ אֶת־צֹרֵ֔ף מַחֲלִ֥יק פַּטִּ֖ישׁ אֶת־ה֣וֹלֶם פָּ֑עַם אֹמֵ֤ר לַדֶּ֙בֶק֙ ט֣וֹב ה֔וּא וַיְחַזְּקֵ֥הוּ בְמַסְמְרִ֖ים לֹ֥א יִמּֽוֹט׃ (ס)
און דער טישלער שטאַרקט דעם שמעלצער, דער װאָס גלעט מיטן האַמער, דעם װאָס קלאַפּט אױפֿן אַמבאָס; ער זאָגט אױפֿן צונױפֿלײט: ער איז גוט; און באַפֿעסטיקט עס מיט נעגל, עס זאָל זיך ניט װאַקלען.
Ibn Ezra
[Daniel 2:1] Vatitpaʿem (וַתִּתְפָּעֶם - His spirit was agitated): [This root פ-ע-ם relates to being struck or agitated,] like [David says]: “I was agitated (nifʿamti - נִפְעַמְתִּי) and could not speak” [Psalms 77:5)]. And their derivation is [related to the striking action in] “striking (holem - הוֹלֵם) the anvil (paʿam - פַּעַם)” [Isaiah 41:7] – like a person who is struck/crushed and struck/crushed again. The Gaon [Saadia Gaon] said: that Pharaoh knew the dream but did not know its interpretation, therefore it is written concerning Pharaoh “and his spirit was agitated” (vattippaʿem rucho - וַתִּפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ, Genesis 41:8), which is from the Nifal conjugation. But [regarding] Nebuchadnezzar, who did not know the dream or the interpretation, it is written concerning him “and his spirit became agitated” (vatitpaʿem rucho - וַתִּתְפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ, Daniel 2:1), [using the Hitpael conjugation]. If so [Ibn Ezra challenges Saadia], what will he do [with the fact] that he [Nebuchadnezzar himself later] says “my spirit was agitated” (vatipaʿem ruchi - וַתִּפָּעֶם רוּחִי) [Daniel 2:3], [using the Nifal form even though he didn't know the dream]? And it is possible that the dagesh [doubling dot] in the Pey [פ] of vatipaʿem (וַתִּפָּעֶם - Nifal form) is instead of the Nun [which typically characterizes] the Nifal conjugation [indicating assimilation]. Because a verb which is transitive [in Qal/Piel] can be [expressed passively/reflexively in the] Nifal – like “and he fought (vayilachem - וַיִּלָּחֶם, Nifal) against Israel” [Numbers 21:1]. Or [alternatively, explaining the Hitpael form וַתִּתְפָּעֶם in this verse, Daniel 2:1], the dagesh in the Pey is due to the assimilation of the Tav [ת] of the Hitpael conjugation [a common feature of this conjugation with certain root letters]. And thus, “his spirit became agitated” (vatitpaʿem rucho) would be like [saying] “his strength became agitated/stirred” (vatipaʿem kocho - וַתִּפָּעֶם כֹּחוֹ). [This is perhaps] in the way of [the grammatical structure in] “And the one being purified (ha-mitaher - הַמִּטַּהֵר, Hitpael participle) shall wash (v'kibbes - וְכִבֶּס, Piel) his clothes” [Leviticus 14:8]. [Regarding the phrase] And his sleep was upon him (וּשְׁנָתוֹ נִהְיְתָה עָלָיו - u-shnato nihyetah alav): The meaning of “was upon him” (nihyetah alav - נִהְיְתָה עָָלָיו) is the opposite of “and my sleep was sweet (arvah - עָרְבָה) to me” [Jeremiah 31:26]; [meaning] in the sense of being disturbed/disrupted (shibbush - שִׁבּוּשׁ). And similar to it is [Daniel's statement]: “I was undone/faint (nihyeiti - נִהְיֵיתִי) and sick” [Daniel 8:27]. And it is close in meaning to [the concept expressed by the similar-sounding root for lamentation, as in] “a lamentation shall be” (n'hi nihyah - נְהִי נִהְיָה) [cf. Micah 2:4].
Haamek Sheilah
Translator’s note: The Netziv is going to explain that Tractate Avos has a different understanding of this verse.
Relevant to understanding this verse Tractate Avos, chapter 5,7Mishnah 22. explains the phrase “I will fill their storehouses” as referring to those who love God by serving Him out of love, as the Mishnah states: The disciples of our Patriarch Abraham enjoy the fruits of their good deeds in this world and inherit the World to Come, as Scripture states: “I will cause those who love Me to inherit an everlasting possession and I will fill their storehouses.”8I translated Prov. 8:21 slightly differently than before in order to facilitate the flow of the Mishnah. It is clear that the phrase “those who love Me” alludes to the disciples of Abraham, who are referred to as “the descendants of Abraham, who loved Me,”9Isa. 41:8. for Abraham served God out of love, as I wrote in my [commentary] Ha’amek She’elah] 145:24.10There the Netziv writes, based on the Bereshis Rabbah, parashah 44, and Tractate Hullin 89a, that when Abraham saved Lot by defeating the four kings and refused any share of the plunder (as described in Gen. chapter 14), he demonstrated that he served God totally out of love. Abraham is described in Isa. 41:7 as the following: “He who strikes with the anvil” (Abraham who struck the Four Kings); “[God] says of the soldering: ‘It is good.’” In other words, Abraham had unified heaven and earth by acting totally out of love for God and by enabling Divine providence to enter the world. [The Mishnah] explains “inherit an everlasting possession” in the World to Come, and “fill their storehouses” with reward in this world. However, R. Yehoshua ben Levi [unlike the Mishnah] explains that the entire verse is discussing this world, as we have explained above.[
Relevant to understanding this verse Tractate Avos, chapter 5,7Mishnah 22. explains the phrase “I will fill their storehouses” as referring to those who love God by serving Him out of love, as the Mishnah states: The disciples of our Patriarch Abraham enjoy the fruits of their good deeds in this world and inherit the World to Come, as Scripture states: “I will cause those who love Me to inherit an everlasting possession and I will fill their storehouses.”8I translated Prov. 8:21 slightly differently than before in order to facilitate the flow of the Mishnah. It is clear that the phrase “those who love Me” alludes to the disciples of Abraham, who are referred to as “the descendants of Abraham, who loved Me,”9Isa. 41:8. for Abraham served God out of love, as I wrote in my [commentary] Ha’amek She’elah] 145:24.10There the Netziv writes, based on the Bereshis Rabbah, parashah 44, and Tractate Hullin 89a, that when Abraham saved Lot by defeating the four kings and refused any share of the plunder (as described in Gen. chapter 14), he demonstrated that he served God totally out of love. Abraham is described in Isa. 41:7 as the following: “He who strikes with the anvil” (Abraham who struck the Four Kings); “[God] says of the soldering: ‘It is good.’” In other words, Abraham had unified heaven and earth by acting totally out of love for God and by enabling Divine providence to enter the world. [The Mishnah] explains “inherit an everlasting possession” in the World to Come, and “fill their storehouses” with reward in this world. However, R. Yehoshua ben Levi [unlike the Mishnah] explains that the entire verse is discussing this world, as we have explained above.[