During the Jewish holidays, Jews engage not in frivolity, but in song and praise, and in studying the laws of the holidays. Also, when they proclaimed (in giving the Torah): “We will do and we will hear!” they, according to the Torah, allowed the world to exist (G-d did not destroy the world because the Jews accepted the Torah). This psalm also warns those who indulge in worldly pleasures and attribute their prosperity to their own efforts.
- Text Psalm 75
- Hebrew text of Psalm 75 – תהילים עה
- Listen to Psalm 75
- Explanation of Psalm 75 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
- Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 75
- Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
- Footnote
- Psalm 1 to 92
Text Psalm 75
For the conductor, al tashcheth, a psalm of Asaph, a song. We have thanked You, O G‑d, we have given thanks, and Your name is near; they have told Your wonders. When I take a day of celebration, I will judge with honesty.
….For there is a cup in the hand of the Lord and strong wine, a full mixture, and He pours out of this [cup], but all the wicked of the earth will run away and drink [it]. And I will recite forever; I will sing [praise] to the G-d of Jacob. And all the horns of the wicked will I cut off; the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.
Hebrew text of Psalm 75 – תהילים עה
A for the victorious do not destroy a psalm to add a song. We gave thanks to you, God, we gave thanks and near your name, they told your wonders. 3 Because I will take an appointment, I will judge. 4 The earth will fade, and all its inhabitants I will make its pillars a basket. I said to the prodigals, do not prostrate, and to the wicked, do not raise a horn. And don’t raise your neck, talk in a low voice. Because not from the east or the west and not from the mountain desert. 8 Because God judges, he will humiliate and he will fire. 9 For a cup is in the hand of Jehovah and a full veil of bitter wine, and it will come from its keeper, and all the wicked of the earth will drink it. y And I will say for ever Azmara to the God of Jacob. Yea and all the horns of the wicked will be the horns of the righteous.
Listen to Psalm 75
Listen to Psalm 75 in Hebrew.
Explanation of Psalm 75 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
In Psalm 75, David gives hope to the Jewish righteous who observe the Torah. He shows that the wicked live superficial lives. David’s words comfort the Jews. Torah observance happens for a reason. Even the wicked will eventually accept that the path of Torah is the only right path. The Torah indicates what is really important in life. The more the Jews study the Torah the more G-d is in their hearts.
Rashi indicates that if the Jews had not accepted the Torah at Sinai, the world would no longer exist. The world cannot exist without the endless spiritual energy of HaShem. G-d brings the Jews to their destination through the Torah. They just have to accept this.
The wicked live in a world of mirage . They are arrogant, but with such an attitude they will never succeed. After all, life is not about human success. True success is measured by a greater yardstick. Everything good comes from HaShem. He holds the cup of rich love. True happiness can only be found in the Torah. Therein Jews will find their completeness. Everything else in life ends in bitterness. There is nothing other than G-d. Only He is the truth.
Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 75
Per verse the commentary of Rashi, the Jewish Bible commentator who lived from 1040-1105. Rashi is considered the teacher of teachers. All traditional Jews regard Rashi as an authority on the Jewish Bible and Talmud. Hence it is important to record his commentary on the Psalms. Rashi uses new Hebrew supplemented with Old French words. His language is sometimes somewhat oracularly short. For further explanation it is wise to consult an orthodox Jewish rabbi.
Verse 1
For the conductor, al tashcheth, a psalm of Asaph, a song.
al tashcheth : Literally, do not destroy Israel.
Verse 2
We have given thanks to You, O G-d, we have given thanks, and Your name is near; they have told Your wonders.
We thanked You, O G-d : for the good; we also gave thanks for evil.
and…is near : Your name is always near in our mouth.
they have told : Our generations [have] continually told [Your] stories.
Verse 3
When I take a festive day, I will judge with honesty.
When I take a day of celebration : When we have a day of celebration, we do not engage in obscenity and frivolity, as [all] nations do.
I will judge with honesty : We take it to our hearts to praise and praise You according to the incident of that day.
Verse 4
When the earth and all its inhabitants melted away, I established its pillars forever.
When the earth and all its inhabitants melted away, etc. : On the day of the giving of the Torah, when the earth and all its inhabitants melted away because of the condition You set with creation: that if Israel did not accept the Torah, you it [the earth] would return as empty and chaos.
Me : Your people, Israel.
established its pillars : when I said, “We will do and we will hear.”
Verse 5
I said to the perverse, “Do not be perverse,” and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn.”
against the perverse : To the wicked, who confound Israel.
Verse 7
For it comes not from the east or from the west, neither comes exaltation from the wilderness.
For it does not come from the east : from the sun or from its setting, and not from the deserts where you embark on a journey by caravan to increase [your] wealth; there is no power in this to lift up [your] horn.
Verse 8
But G-d judges; He humbles these and exalts them.
But G-d judges : [you] for all the evil you have done.
These He humbles : the exalted He lowers, and the lowly He exalts.
Verse 9
For there is a cup in the hand of the Lord and strong wine, a full mixture, and He pours out of this [cup], but all the wicked of the earth will run away and drink [it].
For a cup of weakness is in His hand.
and strong wine : Hebrew חמר, strong. Vinos, or vinose, in Old French.
a complete mixture : The cup is full of a mixture, to mix and make all nations drink.
and He pours out of this : Out of this cup He will pour and cause their drinks to flow out of it, an expression of (Micah 1:4): “as water was poured out on a steep place (מגרים).”
Verse 10
And I will recite forever; I will sing [praise] to the G-d of Jacob.
And I will recite forever : From then on [I will recite] His vengeance and His power.
Verse 11
And all the horns of the wicked will I cut off; the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.
And all the horns of the wicked : Esau’s.
I will cut off : As the thing says (Ezekiel 29:14), ,And I will lay My vengeance upon Edom by the hand of My people Israel., They will cut off the horn of Esau (the enemy) and then the horns of the Righteous One of the world Israel, who is the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He who will be raised.
Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
While the wicked, according to the Torah, live a superficial life, Torah Jews are constantly busy with the Torah, 24 hours a day and all year round, including the holidays. They do not celebrate holidays where the Torah is pushed aside. Everything revolves around the Torah and G-d. After all, according to the Torah, nothing else exists. The Jewish holidays are celebrated in the manner that G-d commanded them to be for the Jewish people. Look forward to your celebrations! tells the Torah to the Jews. “Just be happy!”
Torah Jews don’t have much free time. Despite this, there are many Torah Jews who play music, draw and do other forms of recreation. The Chabad Rebbe, referring many times to the Rambam, said that even while a Jew is busy with the mundane he can and should serve G-d. The Rambam (Maimonides) refers to Deuteronomy 6:5: ,Love God your Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might., Every aspect of the human being must be dedicated to serving G-d. Even when a person sleeps, if he retires with the intention of resting his mind and body, lest he become ill and be unable to serve God because he is ill, then his sleep is subservient to the Omnipresent.
All man’s actions must be for the sake of heaven, says the Rambam. The actions themselves are not holy, but they are directed toward a divine purpose. Know Him in all your ways means that within the context of physical activity a relationship with G-d can be established. When a person develops an all-encompassing bond with G-d, Divine light illuminates all his paths.
According to Nechoma Greisman (of Chabad), there are two domains of activity in life. The obligatory activities, such as observance of the Torah laws by Jews and the Noahide commandments by non-Jews, and the non-obligatory activities that may be done but are not necessarily necessary. You can do a good deed with your free time (for example, providing informal care), or you can just do neutral things (for example, reading a book) with your free time. That is the free will that G-d offers to man. In this way man can sanctify Gd’s name in this world. 1
Footnote
1 A Jew can choose how he uses his free time. Of course, learning Torah and doing an act of kindness should take priority over just hanging out. Neutral things are moving and sleeping. When it comes to ,reading the water, things get murky, because an innocent detective novel can easily turn into a love story and descend into material that is not allowed to read about. As Jewish sages note, one should not make oneself think about things that might cause sensual desires. Reading about the greatness and our universe and other natural sciences probably falls into the category of permissible reading because it can lead one to have an appreciation for the Creator. In short, the question for the Jew is: How can I now move closer to my mission to serve my Maker? If through sleep the Jew is refreshed and has clarity and output, then sleep itself becomes an act of serving the Creator. As is the case with exercise. However, when it comes to complacency and perpetuation, it is most likely not an activity that will bring the Jew closer to his task. So it is a fine line that the Jew must sharpen and determine for himself without fooling himself.
Psalm 1 to 92
Would you like to read more Psalms with a Jewish interpretation? Go to: Psalms 1 through 92.