Rashi on TanakhPsalms 65

Silence is praise to You Silence is praise to You; because there is no end to Your praise, the more one praises, the more one detracts.

O God in Zion God, Who dwells in Zion. [I found the following: make glorious His praise Not effusion, but silence is praise. It appears that דמיה means “praise God with awe,” with the expression “praise Ya-h.” The name consisting of two letters is translated (Exod. 15:2) as, the fear of God, for “My strength and my praise is God (י-ה).” Also (Exod. 17:16), “For a hand is on the throne of God (י-ה).” And the expression (above 2:11): “and rejoice with quaking” resembles this. Shem Ephraim comments: It appears to me that Rashi should read as follows: Make glorious, etc. But silence to God is praise, and its interpretation is: Praise Him with awe, etc.” The intention is that the word דמיה is divided into two words. For it was difficult for him to understand why it should appear that one is to recite any praise of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore he says, “Make glorious His praise,” but not excessively, for that is equivalent to detracting. Therefore he says, “To You is silence (דום),” meaning that silence is fitting, but י-ה is praise, i.e., with the name consisting of two letters. His statement that the expression, “rejoice with quaking” resembles this, should read: “Worship the Lord with awe and rejoice with quaking.” His intention is that both verses mean that one may worship the Lord with awe; that is, one may worship the Holy One, blessed be He, with the name י-ה. Otherwise, worship with love is superior. It is also possible that the reading, “and it appears that, etc.” is a copyist’s error. It should read instead: “But be silent and praise Him with the name י-ה, in the expression Hallelujah. But this needs study. Later I found (below 68:5) that Rashi writes something similar. There, for him to write that the expression “and rejoice with quaking” resembles this is more appropriate, because there it says: “and rejoice before Him.” Compare. Therefore, it appears to me that this entire statement was erroneously copied here.) The gloss belongs below 66:2.] Another explanation: To You is silence praise, O God, in Zion That You were silent and still concerning Your enemies’ deeds in Zion is praise to You, for You are able to take revenge, yet You are slow to anger.

Words of iniquities have overcome me and we cannot manage to arrange them all before You because they are many. However, we offer a general prayer before You that You atone for our transgressions.

Praiseworthy is he whom You choose and draw near, who will dwell in Your courts.

let us be sated with the goodness that is in Your house and of the sanctity of Your Temple, in which Your Shechinah dwells.

With awesome deeds, through [Your] charity You shall answer us Through Your charity, You shall answer us by performing awesome deeds upon the heathens.

the trust You are [the trust] and the refuge of all the dwellers of the ends of the earth, from one end of the earth to the other.

distant...and the sea Even to the distant ones in the sea You are the trust, for Your rule is everywhere.

Who sets mountains with His strength With His strength, He makes the mountainswhich are hardsprout, and He prepares and readies food through them and prepares rain, as it is written (below 147:8): “Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes the mountains grow grass.”

Who is girded with might Because he wishes to mention the mighty deeds of the rains, he says, “Who is girded with might.”

Who humbles Heb. משביח, He humbles. Similarly (Prov. 29:11): “but afterwards, a wise man will quiet it (ישבחנה) ; (below 89:10), “When it raises its waves, You humble them (תשבחם).”

with the emergence of the morning and evening, You cause [them] to sing praises [You cause] the creatures who dwell at the extremes to sing praises. In the morning, they say, “Blessed is He Who formed the luminaries,” and in the evening “Blessed is He Who brings about evening.”

You remember the earth When You wish to do good, You remember the earth and water it.

You enrich it greatly You enrich it greatly from Your stream, which is full of water, and You prepare therewith the corn of the dwellers of “the ends,” for therewith You prepare it.

its furrows Heb. תלמיה. They are the rows of the plowshare.

To sate Heb. רוה, like לרוה.

to afford pleasure to its troops Heb. נחתגדודה, like לְנַחֵתגְדוּדֶהָ, to give rest to its troops. To afford pleasure to its creatures, You dissolve it with drops of rain.

You dissolve it Heb. תמגגנה, an expression of melting.

You crowned a year of Your goodness Through the rains, You crown with total goodness the year that You wish to benefit.

and Your paths They are the heavens, which are the dust of Your feet.

They drip The heavens [drip] upon the dwellings of the desert.

Meadows are clothed with flocks The Sharon and the Arabah are clothed with the flocks that come to graze on the grass that the rain causes to grow.

and valleys are enwrapped with corn Through the rain, the valleys will be enwrapped with grain. Then the creatures will shout with shouts of joy and sing because of the abundant blessing.