Until When (Psalm 13)

(1) For the leader. A psalm of David. (2) How long, O LORD; will You ignore me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? (3) How long will I have cares on my mind, grief in my heart all day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? (4) Look at me, answer me, O LORD, my God! Restore the luster to my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; (5) lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him,” my foes exult when I totter. (6) But I trust in Your faithfulness, my heart will exult in Your deliverance. I will sing to the LORD, for He has been good to me.

How long Four times, corresponding to the four kingdoms [Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Edom] and it is stated concerning all Israel.

“The Lord said to Moses: Until when will this people provoke Me, and until when will they not believe in Me, with all the signs that I have performed in their midst?” (Numbers 14:11). “The Lord said to Moses: Until when will this people provoke Me [and until when will they not believe in Me]” – the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I screamed two screams because of you; ultimately, you will scream four in the subjugation to the kingdoms.’ “How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I devise plans…? For how long will my enemies tower over me?” (Psalms 13:2–3). I screamed: “Until when, for this evil congregation…” (Numbers 14:27), ultimately, you will scream: “For I am in great terror. And You, Lord, until when?” (Psalms 6:4). I will smite them with the pestilence and eliminate them and make you a nation greater and mightier than them (Numbers 14:12). “I will smite them with the pestilence” (Numbers 14:12) – Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, look to the covenant with their forefathers, to whom you took an oath that You would produce kings, prophets, and priests from them.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Are you not of their descendants? “I will render you a great nation”’ (Exodus 32:10). When Moses saw this, he took a different tack. “Moses said to the Lord: Egypt will hear…and they will say regarding the inhabitants of this land” (Numbers 14:13–14) – ‘they will say that He did not have the strength to sustain them.’ He said to him: ‘But did they not see the miracles and the mighty acts that I performed at the sea?’ [Moses replied:] ‘They will say: He was able to prevail against us, but is unable to prevail against thirty-one kings. Master of the universe, do it for Your sake: “And now, please, let the might of my Lord be great” (Numbers 14:17), and let the attribute of mercy overcome the attribute of justice. “As You spoke, saying” (Numbers 14:17) – did I not say before You: With what attribute do You judge your world; “please inform me of Your ways”? (Exodus 33:13). You passed [he’evarta] it before me: “The Lord passed [vayaavor] before him and proclaimed” (Exodus 34:6). Fulfill that attribute that You said to me: “The Lord, the Lord, God merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6). “Please pardon”’ (Numbers 14:19). The Holy One blessed be He accepted his words and conceded to him: “The Lord said: I have pardoned in accordance with your word” (Numbers 14:20) – as the Egyptians would have been destined to say as you said.

“The Lord said to Moses: Until when will this people provoke Me, and until when will they not believe in Me, with all the signs that I have performed in their midst?” (Numbers 14:11). “The Lord said to Moses: Until when will this people provoke Me [and until when will they not believe in Me]” – the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I screamed two screams because of you; ultimately, you will scream four in the subjugation to the kingdoms.’ “How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I devise plans…? For how long will my enemies tower over me?” (Psalms 13:2–3). I screamed: “Until when, for this evil congregation…” (Numbers 14:27), ultimately, you will scream: “For I am in great terror. And You, Lord, until when?” (Psalms 6:4). I will smite them with the pestilence and eliminate them and make you a nation greater and mightier than them (Numbers 14:12). “I will smite them with the pestilence” (Numbers 14:12) – Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, look to the covenant with their forefathers, to whom you took an oath that You would produce kings, prophets, and priests from them.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Are you not of their descendants? “I will render you a great nation”’ (Exodus 32:10). When Moses saw this, he took a different tack. “Moses said to the Lord: Egypt will hear…and they will say regarding the inhabitants of this land” (Numbers 14:13–14) – ‘they will say that He did not have the strength to sustain them.’ He said to him: ‘But did they not see the miracles and the mighty acts that I performed at the sea?’ [Moses replied:] ‘They will say: He was able to prevail against us, but is unable to prevail against thirty-one kings. Master of the universe, do it for Your sake: “And now, please, let the might of my Lord be great” (Numbers 14:17), and let the attribute of mercy overcome the attribute of justice. “As You spoke, saying” (Numbers 14:17) – did I not say before You: With what attribute do You judge your world; “please inform me of Your ways”? (Exodus 33:13). You passed [he’evarta] it before me: “The Lord passed [vayaavor] before him and proclaimed” (Exodus 34:6). Fulfill that attribute that You said to me: “The Lord, the Lord, God merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6). “Please pardon”’ (Numbers 14:19). The Holy One blessed be He accepted his words and conceded to him: “The Lord said: I have pardoned in accordance with your word” (Numbers 14:20) – as the Egyptians would have been destined to say as you said.