Chapter 147

1Hallelujah! For it is good to sing to our God; because He is pleasant, praise is fitting for Him.   אהַ֥לְלוּיָ֨הּ | כִּי־ט֖וֹב זַמְּרָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ כִּֽי־נָ֜עִ֗ים נָאוָ֥ה תְהִלָּֽה:
For it is good to sing: For it is good to sing to Him.   כי טוב זמרה: כי טוב לזמר לו:
2The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem; He will gather the outcasts of Israel.   בבֹּנֵ֣ה יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֣ם יְהֹוָ֑ה נִדְחֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל יְכַנֵּֽס:
3Who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.   גהָ֣רוֹפֵא לִשְׁב֣וּרֵי לֵ֑ב וּ֜מְחַבֵּ֗שׁ לְעַצְּבוֹתָֽם:
4He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.   דמוֹנֶ֣ה מִ֖סְפָּר לַכּֽוֹכָבִ֑ים לְ֜כֻלָּ֗ם שֵׁמ֥וֹת יִקְרָֽא:
5Our Lord is great and has much strength; His understanding cannot be calculated.   הגָּד֣וֹל אֲדוֹנֵ֣ינוּ וְרַב־כֹּ֑חַ לִ֜תְבֽוּנָת֗וֹ אֵ֣ין מִסְפָּֽר:
6The Lord strengthens the humble; He humbles the wicked to the ground.   ומְעוֹדֵ֣ד עֲנָוִ֣ים יְהֹוָ֑ה מַשְׁפִּ֖יל רְשָׁעִ֣ים עֲדֵי־אָֽרֶץ:
7Shout to the Lord with thanks; sing praises to our God with a lyre.   זעֱנ֣וּ לַֽיהֹוָ֣ה בְּתוֹדָ֑ה זַמְּר֖וּ לֵֽאלֹהֵ֣ינוּ בְכִנּֽוֹר:
8Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who causes the mountains to sprout grass.   חהַֽמְכַסֶּ֬ה שָׁמַ֨יִם | בְּעָבִ֗ים הַמֵּכִ֣ין לָאָ֣רֶץ מָטָ֑ר הַמַּצְמִ֖יחַ הָרִ֣ים חָצִֽיר:
9He gives the animal its food, to the young ravens which call out.   טנוֹתֵ֣ן לִבְהֵמָ֣ה לַחְמָ֑הּ לִבְנֵ֥י עֹ֜רֵ֗ב אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִקְרָֽאוּ:
its food: Heb. לחמה, lit. its bread.   לחמה: מאכלה:
to the young ravens: Our Sages explained that he [the raven] is cruel to his offspring, and the Holy One, blessed be He, has pity on them and prepares for them gnats from their excrement, which enter their mouths.   לבני עורב: פירשו רבותינו שהוא אכזרי על בניו והקב"ה מרחם עליהם ומזמין להם יתושין מתוך צואתם ונכנסין לתוך פיהם:
10He does not desire the might of the horse, nor does He take pleasure in the legs of man.   ילֹ֚א בִגְבוּרַ֣ת הַסּ֣וּס יֶחְפָּ֑ץ לֹֽא־בְשׁוֹקֵ֖י הָאִ֣ישׁ יִרְצֶֽה:
He does not desire the might of the horse: [i.e.,] the Holy One, blessed be He.   לא בגבורת הסוס יחפץ: הקב"ה:
nor does He take pleasure in the legs of man: nor does He want the swiftness of the running of the legs of man.   לא בשוקי האיש ירצה: ולא בקלות מרוצת שוקי האיש ירצה:
11The Lord desires those who fear Him, those who hope for His kindness.   יארוֹצֶ֣ה יְ֖הֹוָה אֶת־יְרֵאָ֑יו אֶת־הַֽמְיַֽחֲלִ֥ים לְחַסְדּֽוֹ:
12O Jerusalem, praise the Lord; extol Your God, O Zion.   יבשַׁבְּחִ֣י יְ֖רֽוּשָׁלִַם אֶת־יְהֹוָ֑ה הַֽלְלִ֖י אֱלֹהַ֣יִךְ צִיּֽוֹן:
13For He strengthened the bars of your gates; He blessed your children within you.   יגכִּי־חִ֖זַּק בְּרִיחֵ֣י שְׁעָרָ֑יִךְ בֵּרַ֖ךְ בָּנַ֣יִךְ בְּקִרְבֵּֽךְ:
14Within your borders He makes peace; with the best of the wheat He will sate you.   ידהַשָּׂ֣ם גְּבוּלֵ֥ךְ שָׁל֑וֹם חֵ֥לֶב חִ֜טִּ֗ים יַשְׂבִּיעֵֽךְ:
the best of the wheat: Heb. חלב, lit. fat. The best, fat wheat kernels.   חלב חטים: טוב חטים שמנים:
15He sends His commandment to the earth; His word runs swiftly.   טוהַשֹּׁלֵ֥חַ אִמְרָת֣וֹ אָ֑רֶץ עַד־מְ֜הֵרָ֗ה יָר֥וּץ דְּבָרֽוֹ:
16He gives snow like wool; He scatters hoarfrost like ashes.   טזהַנֹּתֵ֣ן שֶׁ֣לֶג כַּצָּ֑מֶר כְּפ֖וֹר כָּאֵ֣פֶר יְפַזֵּֽר:
hoarfrost: Heb. כפור, jelede in Old French.   כפור: גליז"א בלע"ז:
17He hurls His ice like crumbs; before His cold, who can stand?   יזמַשְׁלִ֣יךְ קַרְח֣וֹ כְפִתִּ֑ים לִפְנֵ֥י קָֽ֜רָת֗וֹ מִ֣י יַֽעֲמֹֽד:
He hurls His ice like crumbs: The water congeals and becomes crumbs. [According to] Midrash Aggadah like crumbs Everything [is] according to the burden of the people: the poor manaccording to his lack of clothing, He is lenient with him:   משליך קרחו כפתים: המים מגלידים ונעשין פתיתין פתיתין, ומדרש אגדה כפתים הכל לפי משא הבריות העני לפי חוסר מלבושיו מיקל עליו:
who can stand: that he should not become chilled from His cold?   מי יעמוד: שלא יהא צונן בקרתו:
18He sends His word and melts them; He blows His wind; water runs.   יחיִשְׁלַח־דְּבָר֥וֹ וְיַמְסֵ֑ם יַשֵּׁ֥ב ר֜וּח֗וֹ יִזְּלוּ־מָֽיִם:
He sends His word and melts them: those crumbs.   ישלח דברו וימסם: לאותם פתים:
He blows His wind: The west wind, to get rid of the ice, and water runs.   ישב רוחו: רוח מערבי להשבית הקרח ויזלו מים:
19He tells His words to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel.   יטמַגִּ֣יד דְּבָרָ֣יו (כתיב דְּבָרָ֣ו) לְיַֽעֲקֹ֑ב חֻקָּ֖יו וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֣יו לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
20He did not do so to any nation, and they did not know the judgments. Hallelujah!   כלֹ֘א עָ֚שָׂה כֵ֨ן | לְכָל־גּ֗וֹי וּמִשְׁפָּטִ֥ים בַּל־יְ֜דָע֗וּם הַֽלְלוּיָֽהּ: