Another matter, a lamp to my feet. When did David say this verse? When he was going to the Valley of Rephaim. Nevertheless, he did not go to battle until he inquired with the Urim and Thummim if he should fight against the sons of Manasseh who fell upon him, as it is stated in Chronicles 1:12:21, "As he was going to Ziklag, Manasseh's raiders fell upon him, etc." They helped David and killed the raiders, as it is stated in Samuel 1:30:17, "And David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day, etc." And who was enlightening them?
Lightning and thunder were lighting the way for him. "Be my light, O Lord, and my salvation." Similarly, when he was going to the Valley of Rephaim, he did not go to battle until he inquired with the Urim and Thummim. Also, when Samuel came to anoint David, the angels were arguing before the Lord, saying, "Master of the universe, why are you taking the kingship away from Saul and giving it to David?"
He said to them, "I will show you the difference between Saul and David. Saul went and inquired with the Urim and Thummim. When he saw the Philistines, he said to the priest, 'Withdraw your hand,' and he did not finish what he was saying, as it is stated in Samuel 1:14:19, "And it came to pass, as Saul talked unto the priest, etc." But David, when the Philistines attacked him in the Valley of Rephaim, at that very moment, he began to inquire with the Urim and Thummim, as it is stated in Samuel 2:5:22-23, "And they continued to attack and scatter in the Valley of Rephaim.
And David inquired again of God, and God said to him, 'Do not attack them from the front, rather circle around and come against them from the balsam trees, etc.' And David attacked them, etc." And why did He give him a sign with the tops of the balsam trees and not from behind them? Rabbi Berechiah said, "Because they were all thorns." And whenever Israel is in distress, etc. (Job 14:1) If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come. Regarding the symbol given to Job, Rabbi Berechiah said that it was placed at the beginning of the book because it is full of thorns. As long as Israel is in distress, their suffering is before Him, as it says, "I am with him in trouble" (Psalm 91:15). When the Philistines approached and Israel saw them only eight cubits away, they asked David, "What shall we do?"
He replied, "We have already been commanded from Heaven not to stretch out our hand against them until we see the tops of the trees waving." If we do reach out to them, they will kill us. It is better to die innocent than to die guilty. Instead, let us and you direct our eyes to our Father in Heaven.
As soon as we put our trust in God, all the trees began to wave. They immediately reached out and struck the Philistines, as it says, "So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines" (2 Samuel 5:25). God said to His angels, "See what is between Saul and David. Who caused David to be saved and His word to shine upon him? Be a lamp to his feet."