TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 10
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1Why, Hashem, do You stand aloof, heedless in times of trouble?
אלָמָה יְהֹוָה תַּעֲמֹד בְּרָחוֹק תַּעְלִים לְעִתּוֹת בַּצָּרָה׃
2The wicked in his arrogance hounds the lowly— may they be caught in the schemes they devise!
בבְּגַאֲוַת רָשָׁע יִדְלַק עָנִי יִתָּפְשׂוּ בִּמְזִמּוֹת זוּ חָשָׁבוּ׃
3The wicked crows about his unbridled lusts; the grasping man reviles and scorns Hashem.
גכִּי־הִלֵּל רָשָׁע עַל־תַּאֲוַת נַפְשׁוֹ וּבֹצֵעַ בֵּרֵךְ נִאֵץ יְהֹוָה׃
4The wicked, arrogant as he is, in all his scheming [thinks], “He does not call to account; Hashem does not care.”
דרָשָׁע כְּגֹבַהּ אַפּוֹ בַּל־יִדְרֹשׁ אֵין אֱלֹהִים כָּל־מְזִמּוֹתָיו׃
5His ways prosper at all times; Your judgments are far beyond him; he snorts at all his foes.
היָחִילוּ דרכו [דְרָכָיו ] בְּכָל־עֵת מָרוֹם מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ מִנֶּגְדּוֹ כָּל־צוֹרְרָיו יָפִיחַ בָּהֶם׃
6He thinks, “I shall not be shaken, through all time never be in trouble.”
ואָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ בַּל־אֶמּוֹט לְדֹר וָדֹר אֲשֶׁר לֹא־בְרָע׃
7His mouth is full of oaths, deceit, and fraud; mischief and evil are under his tongue.
זאָלָה פִּיהוּ מָלֵא וּמִרְמוֹת וָתֹךְ תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנוֹ עָמָל וָאָוֶן׃
8He lurks in outlying places; from a covert he slays the innocent; his eyes spy out the hapless.
yay-SHAYV b'-ma-RAV kha-tzay-REEM ba-mis-ta-REEM ya-ha-ROG na-KEE ay-NAV l'-khay-l'-KHA yitz-PO-nu
חיֵשֵׁב בְּמַאְרַב חֲצֵרִים בַּמִּסְתָּרִים יַהֲרֹג נָקִי עֵינָיו לְחֵלְכָה יִצְפֹּנוּ׃
10:8 He lurks in outlying places
This psalm depicts the enemies of Israel who use the land’s hidden spaces , marav chatzayrim (מארב חצרים), to attack Hashem’s people. In 1946, before the establishment of the State of Israel, Jews courageously went out on the night after Yom Kippur, the ‘Day of Atonement,’ and created new settlements that became known as the “eleven points in the Negev,” in order to establish a presence on the ground to prevent attacks by Arabs, and hegemony of Arabs over the Jews, in southern Israel. One of the places chosen for Jewish settlement was Hatzerim (חצרים), founded with just fifty inhabitants who struggled agriculturally due to the land’s brackish soil. Ultimately, however, they changed their focus from agriculture to industrial development and quickly established one of the leading agricultural companies in Israel. Today, the Netafim corporation, which developed drip-irrigation technology and is based in Hatzerim, provides solutions for many water-scarce countries around the world.
Winter in the Negev desert.
Drip irrigation in Hatzerim, Israel
9He waits in a covert like a lion in his lair; waits to seize the lowly; he seizes the lowly as he pulls his net shut;
טיֶאֱרֹב בַּמִּסְתָּר כְּאַרְיֵה בְסֻכֹּה יֶאֱרֹב לַחֲטוֹף עָנִי יַחְטֹף עָנִי בְּמָשְׁכוֹ בְרִשְׁתּוֹ׃
10he stoops, he crouches, and the hapless fall prey to his might.
יודכה [יִדְכֶּה] יָשֹׁחַ וְנָפַל בַּעֲצוּמָיו חלכאים [חֵיל] [כָּאִים׃]
11He thinks, “Hashem is not mindful, He hides His face, He never looks.”
יאאָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ שָׁכַח אֵל הִסְתִּיר פָּנָיו בַּל־רָאָה לָנֶצַח׃
12Rise, Hashem! Strike at him, O Hashem! Do not forget the lowly.
יבקוּמָה יְהֹוָה אֵל נְשָׂא יָדֶךָ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח עניים [עֲנָוִים׃]
13Why should the wicked man scorn Hashem, thinking You do not call to account?
יגעַל־מֶה נִאֵץ רָשָׁע אֱלֹהִים אָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ לֹא תִּדְרֹשׁ׃
14You do look! You take note of mischief and vexation! To requite is in Your power. To You the hapless can entrust himself; You have ever been the orphan's help.
ידרָאִתָה כִּי־אַתָּה עָמָל וָכַעַס תַּבִּיט לָתֵת בְּיָדֶךָ עָלֶיךָ יַעֲזֹב חֵלֶכָה יָתוֹם אַתָּה הָיִיתָ עוֹזֵר׃
15O break the power of the wicked and evil man, so that when You look for his wickedness You will find it no more.
טושְׁבֹר זְרוֹעַ רָשָׁע וָרָע תִּדְרוֹשׁ־רִשְׁעוֹ בַל־תִּמְצָא׃
16Hashem is king for ever and ever; the nations will perish from His land.
טזיְהֹוָה מֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם וָעֶד אָבְדוּ גוֹיִם מֵאַרְצוֹ׃
17You will listen to the entreaty of the lowly, Hashem, You will make their hearts firm; You will incline Your ear
יזתַּאֲוַת עֲנָוִים שָׁמַעְתָּ יְהֹוָה תָּכִין לִבָּם תַּקְשִׁיב אָזְנֶךָ׃
18to Champion the orphan and the downtrodden, that men who are of the earth tyrannize no more.
יחלִשְׁפֹּט יָתוֹם וָדָךְ בַּל־יוֹסִיף עוֹד לַעֲרֹץ אֱנוֹשׁ מִן־הָאָרֶץ׃
