Today we will study perek קיט of tehilim, pasuk מ״ב
וְאֶעֱנֶה חֹרְפִי דָבָר כִּי־בָטַחְתִּי בִּדְבָרֶךָ
I will answer those that insult/curse me because I relied on Your word.
The Midrash in Shochar Tov explains that David HaMelech is saying that the people that insulted or cursed him were attacking his Bitachon.
They were really saying, “Where is your reliance is getting you, who are you counting on..” This, in turn, made him a disgrace, because he was relying on Hashem.
Then Hashem makes the following powerful statement, “You’re getting insulted because of Me? I will remove your embarrassment and your insults.”
So David HaMelech is saying, “וְאֶעֱנֶה חֹרְפִי דָבָר I will answer those people that insulted me, embarrassed me and disgraced me
כִּי־בָטַחְתִּי בִּדְבָרֶךָ
Because since I relied on You, God will remove that insult and disgrace.
That’s also in a famous pasuk that we say when we want to comfort people that suffer a loss. There is a pasuk in Yeshaya (25/8) that says,
בִּלַּע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח וּמָחָה אֲדֹנָי ה׳ דִּמְעָה מֵעַל כׇּל־פָּנִים וְחֶרְפַּת עַמּוֹ יָסִיר מֵעַל כׇּל־הָאָרֶץ כִּי ה׳ דִּבֵּר
Death will be swallowed up forever
And God will erase the tears from all faces
And God will remove the disgrace of His nation on the land
Because God has spoken
The Midrash says that this refers to the future, when there will be no death or crime, and God will remove the disgrace of His people- the disgrace of taunting, and asking Where is your God, where is your reliance, You have suffered so many years- how long can you hold out?
When Mashiach finally comes, all those disgraces and embarrassments will be removed.
And doesn’t only refer to the final Yeshua/salvation. It refers to each person’s individual yeshua. Many people wait, and hope for a salvation. Sometimes they become a disgrace of sorts, because God doesn’t come through. But then Hashem says, “You are being insulted and disgraced because you’re counting on Me? I will remove your insults.”
The pasuk says further in Yeshaya,
וְאָמַר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ זֶה קִוִּינוּ לוֹ וְיוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ זֶה הי קִוִּינוּ לוֹ נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בִּישׁוּעָתוֹ
You will say on that, “This is my God, I hoped to Him and He saved us.
And everyone will realize God’s salvation.
That is the concept that David Hamelech is bringing out with this pasuk.
The Chatam Sofer uses this concept to explain the pasuk in Bereshit (13,3) that says
וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו
Avraham Avinu went back in his travels.
Rashi says that he revisited the same inns that he had been to on his way out, in order to repay his debts.
But who would have lent money to a man on the run, who was leaving, when they didn’t know if they’d ever see him again?
His explanation is that Avraham Avinu owed them answers.
He listened to God:
Lech lecha: Leave your land, leave the land of your father, go to Israel, I will make you wealthy, I will make you great….
and then a famine hit.
That was disgraceful and embarrassing, but in the end, when Abraham Avinu returned, wealthy and successful, and honorable, he paid off those debts.
Everyone was able to see that in the end, those that rely on Hashem are saved , and all the embarrassment and disgrace is removed.
That is the beautiful lesson of
וְאֶעֱנֶה חֹרְפִי דָבָר כִּי־בָטַחְתִּי בִּדְבָרֶךָ
I will answer those that disgrace me,
because I relied on Your word.
Have a wonderful day.