ציטירנדיקער פּירוש אויף תהילים 37:33

ואתה תמשול בו, it is within your power to overcome the power of the evil urge thanks to the צלם אלוקים, the divine image with which you have been provided at birth. This conforms to our sages in Sukkah 52 who have taught that were it not for this צלם אלוקים, which represents G’d’s assistance against the evil urge, there would be no way man could cope with temptation. This is what David meant in Psalms 37,33 ה' לא יעזבנו בידו ולא ירשיענו בהשפטו, “the Lord will not abandon him to his power; He will not let him be condemned in judgment.”

THEN SHALL YE DO UNTO HIM [the refuted witness], AS HE HAD PURPOSED TO DO — “but not as he has done! Deriving from this, the Rabbis have said: If they [the refuted witnesses] have already killed [i.e., if the judgment based on their testimony was executed prior to the refutation] they are not put to death.” This is Rashi’s language quoting from the words of our Rabbis.²⁸³Makkoth 5b. The reason for this is that the law of punishment of plotting witnesses is by the decree of the Ruler, for they are two witnesses against two [even in the case of “refutation” and, logically, we should not believe the second more than the first, were it not that such is the decree of the King]! Now, when two witnesses come and testify against Reuben that he killed a person and then another two come and “refute” [their claim of] having been witnesses, Scripture commanded that [the first pair] be killed for it was due to the merit of Reuben who was innocent and righteous that this affair [of “the refutation”] came to pass. Had Reuben been wicked, liable to a death-penalty, G-d would not have saved him from the hand of the court, as He said, for I will not justify the wicked.²⁸⁴Exodus 23:7. But if Reuben had already been killed we are to consider that whatever the first witnesses testified against him was true, for he died due to his iniquity.²⁸⁵See Ezekiel 18:18. If he were righteous, G-d would not have left him in their hand, just as Scripture says, The Eternal will not leave him in his hand, nor suffer him to be condemned when he is judged.²⁸⁶Psalms 37:33. Moreover, G-d would not allow the righteous judges who stand before Him to spill innocent blood for the judgment is G-d’s,²⁸⁷Above, 1:17. and in the midst of ‘elohim’ (the judges) He judgeth.²⁸⁸Psalms 82:1. Now all this indicates the high degree of the judges in Israel and is a promise that the Holy One, blessed be He, agrees with them and He is with them pronouncing judgment.²⁸⁹II Chronicles 19:6. This is the sense of the verse, And both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Eternal,²⁹⁰Verse 17. for it is before G-d that they stand when coming before the priests and the judges and He will lead them in the right way.²⁹¹Genesis 24:48. I have already mentioned this in the section And these are the ordinances.²⁹²Exodus 21:6 (Vol. II, pp. 347-348).

When Jacob speaks about מידי אביר יעקב, this means that the same G'd who has proven Jacob's Mighty One also saved Joseph from succumbing.