(א) שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי הַיֹּשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם:
(1) A song of the steps. I have raised my eyes to You, Who dwells in the heavens.
NOTE: For a PDF of this mizmor, please click here. This will enable you to print out the entire text of the article. [Rev. 4]
Key Concepts of Mizmor 123 – An End to Contempt
As in the previous mizmor, King David foresees a time in the future when the Jewish people are in Exile. The people are tragically dependent upon the goodwill of surrounding nations, even though they resent us and treat us with contempt. Their scorn is hurtful to us and has become a key aspect of our suffering, especially when it becomes the excuse for physical maltreatment.
The mizmor is in the form of a plea to Hashem to look upon our suffering and have pity on us. The tefillah compares our situation to that of an indentured servant who is totally dependent upon his master and desperately seeks his master’s goodwill. The goodwill of a human master is unreliable, but the Jewish people know that the favor of Hashem will surely be granted if they continue with their earnest tefillos.
Navigating Tehillim. This is the fourth in the series of 15 mizmorim to be sung by the Leviim in the Beis HaMikdash while standing on the 15 steps leading up from the women’s courtyard to the men’s courtyard.
Exploring the Mizmor
PART 1. DECLARATION OF BITACHON. Speaking for the Jewish people, the singer declares his trust in Hashem and total dependence upon Him. The singer affirms that his destiny is determined by Hashem and it is only Hashem’s goodwill that is important.
(א) שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי הַיֹּשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם:
(1) A song of the steps. I have raised my eyes to You, Who dwells in the heavens.
PART 2. A PLEA FOR HELP. The Jewish people now turn directly to Hashem and plead for His help out of their bitter situation.
(ב) הִנֵּה כְעֵינֵי עֲבָדִים אֶל יַד אֲדוֹנֵיהֶם כְּעֵינֵי שִׁפְחָה אֶל יַד גְּבִרְתָּהּ כֵּן עֵינֵינוּ אֶל ה’ אֱלֹקֵינוּ עַד שֶׁיְּחָנֵּנוּ:
(2) Behold! Like the eyes of servants to their master’s hand, like the eyes of a serving-maid to her mistress’s hand, so are our eyes unto Hashem, our G-d, until He will favor us.
PART 3. DISGRACED FOR TOO LONG. Hoping to arouse Hashem’s pity, the singer concludes by describing our tragic situation. In comparison to a good master who provides his servants with their needs, the arrogant nations feed us with contempt.
(ג) חָנֵּנוּ ה’ חָנֵּנוּ כִּי רַב שָׂבַעְנוּ בוּז: (ד) רַבַּת שָׂבְעָה לָּהּ נַפְשֵׁנוּ הַלַּעַג הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּים הַבּוּז לִגְאֵיוֹנִים:
(3) Favor us, Hashem, favor us for [the Exile] has been very long. We have become fully sated with contempt. (4) Too long has our soul been sated with the mockery of the [nations who are] complacent in their smugness.
Additional Thoughts
Mizmor 123 offers a dramatic mood shift from the previous Shir Hamaalos. In contrast to Mizmor 122, which nostalgically celebrated the past glories of Yerushalayim, the current Shir Hamaalos expresses the emotional pain of being treated with contempt by the nations.
However, both mizmorim are tefillos for the Geulah (Redemption). It is even possible that by comparing the two mizmorim we can get a better understanding of how we got into our present situation. The scorn which the current Shir Hamaalos describes is a symptom of the smug complacency and arrogance of the nations who persecute us. Tragically, the Jewish people have also been guilty of self-satisfied pride (gaavah), and it has made us vulnerable to the sins for which we lost our Bais HaMikdash.
Thus, the all-too brief periods of national glory described in Mizmor 122 were a great challenge and nisayon (test of character). It is not easy to be humble when everything is going well. As expressed in the current Shir Hamaalos, we now pray that Yerushalayim will be restored out of Hashem’s kindness, and as a relief from our emotional pain, but not because we deserve it. Hopefully, we will hold on to that humility and we will merit to serve Hashem in the new Bais Hamikdash that will be rebuilt soon in our days.
Learning the Mizmor
PART 1. DECLARATION OF BITACHON.
(א) שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת
This is the fourth song of the steps.
אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי
הַיֹּשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם:
הַיֹּשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם:
I have raised my eyes to You — אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי , looking for Your help and Your favor. I know that I cannot depend upon the nations among whom I live in Exile. Instead, I turn to You Who dwells in the heavens — הַיֹּשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם – for I know that You are unaffected by the vicious attitudes of my enemies.
PART 2. A PLEA FOR HELP.
(ב) הִנֵּה כְעֵינֵי עֲבָדִים
אֶל יַד אֲדוֹנֵיהֶם
אֶל יַד אֲדוֹנֵיהֶם
Behold — הִנֵּה ! Our eyes look to You as the eyes of servants — כְעֵינֵי עֲבָדִים – who are totally dependent upon their masters, and therefore continue to look to their master’s hand — אֶל יַד אֲדוֹנֵיהֶם – for sustenance even when that hand is punishing them.
כְּעֵינֵי שִׁפְחָה אֶל יַד גְּבִרְתָּהּ
Our eyes are also like the eyes of a serving-maid who continues to look to her mistress’s hand — כְּעֵינֵי שִׁפְחָה אֶל יַד גְּבִרְתָּהּ , even though she knows that the mistress is herself dependent upon the goodwill of the master. Sometimes Hashem also punishes us through intermediaries.
כֵּן עֵינֵינוּ אֶל ה‘ אֱלֹקֵינוּ
עַד שֶׁיְּחָנֵּנוּ:
עַד שֶׁיְּחָנֵּנוּ:
Just as the servant and the serving-maid don’t give up hope because they have no choice, so are our eyes looking to Hashem, our G-d — כֵּן עֵינֵינוּ אֶל ה‘ אֱלֹקֵינוּ , until He favors us — עַד שֶׁיְּחָנֵּנוּ .
PART 3. DISGRACED FOR TOO LONG.
(ג) חָנֵּנוּ ה‘
חָנֵּנוּ כִּי רַב שָׂבַעְנוּ בוּז:
חָנֵּנוּ כִּי רַב שָׂבַעְנוּ בוּז:
Even though we are undeserving, favor us, Hashem — חָנֵּנוּ ה‘ , in Your kindness. Also, favor us — חָנֵּנוּ , because surely we have been adequately punished, for the Exile has been very long — כִּי רַב . We have foolishly looked to the nations for our nourishment but they have fed us with scorn instead and so we have become fully sated with contempt — שָׂבַעְנוּ בוּז .
(ד) רַבַּת שָׂבְעָה לָּהּ נַפְשֵׁנוּ
הַלַּעַג הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּים
הַלַּעַג הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּים
Too long has our soul been sated — רַבַּת שָׂבְעָה לָּהּ נַפְשֵׁנוּ with the mockery — הַלַּעַג – of the nations who are complacent in their smugness — הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּים – and feel themselves to be beyond criticism. They mock us for our devotion to avodas Hashem.
הַבּוּז לִגְאֵי יוֹנִים:
Furthermore, even that mockery is looked down upon with contempt — הַבּוּז – by the arrogant ones who think they are totally superior, acting like proud — לִגְאֵי – eagles among weak doves — יוֹנִים . They are the arrogant atheists who feel no humilty of subservience to their Creator.
Living the Mizmor
Listed below are some of the thoughts you might have in mind when you say the words of the mizmor as tefillos expressing your gratitude to Hashem and as tehillos expressing your recognition of Hashem.
Tehillos for Life – Contemplation of Hashem.
[123:1] ON HIGH. – אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי הַיֹּשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם – “I have raised my eyes to You, Who dwells in the heavens.” Hashem is described as dwelling on high. This signifies that He is unaffected by the viciousness and corruption of sinful human beings on earth. However, He observes all and is ready to intervene when the time right.
Lessons for Life – Your Attitude.
[123:2] SUBMISSIVENESS. – הִנֵּה כְעֵינֵי עֲבָדִים אֶל יַד אֲדוֹנֵיהֶם – “Behold! Like the eyes of servants to their master’s hand.” To ask for Hashem’s favor, you need to be totally humble and submissive to Him. Don’t take the attitude that He owes you.
[123:4] SMUGNESS. – רַבַּת שָׂבְעָה לָּהּ נַפְשֵׁנוּ הַלַּעַג הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּים – “Too long has our soul been sated with the mockery of the [nations who are] complacent in their smugness.” Avoid the complacency of which our enemies are guilty.
Tefillos for Life – Your Yeshuah.
[123:3] END OF CONTEMPT. – חָנֵּנוּ ה’ חָנֵּנוּ כִּי רַב שָׂבַעְנוּ בוּז – “Favor us, Hashem, favor us for [the Exile] has been very long. We have become fully sated with contempt.” Humbly ask Hashem to teach the nations that it is not in their interest to deride us.
Sources
The primary sources used in the interpretation of the verses of this mizmor are listed below.
א – המאירי, רד”ק, מצודות, מלבי”ם
ב – המאירי ,רד”ק, מצודות, נר לרגלי
ג – אבן עזרא, רד”ק, מלבי”ם, נר לרגלי
ד – אבן עזרא, מצודות, מלבי”ם, רשר”ה, נר לרגלי
ד – אבן עזרא, מצודות, מלבי”ם, רשר”ה, נר לרגלי