It begins with the phrase "you have circled enough," and then dives into what it really means to be patient, to trust, and to understand the long game of history.
The verse in question, "Be silent before the Lord, vehitḥolel for Him" (Psalms 37:7), is the key. What does vehitḥolel even mean? It’s a tricky word, but the rabbis unpack it beautifully. One interpretation suggests it means to place your hope in God, just like the Psalmist cries out, "Why, my soul, are you stooped over?…Have hope [hoḥili] in God" (Psalms 42:6). See the connection there? Vehitḥolel is about cultivating that deep, unwavering hope.
But it gets even more profound. Rabbi Tahlifa of Caesarea offers another perspective: if suffering befalls you, accept it with behila – with fear, with awe, with a sense of something greater at play. It's not about passive acceptance, but about recognizing the divine hand, even in hardship.
Now, the text takes a turn to address a difficult question: Why do the wicked prosper? "Do not contend with one who prospers" (Psalms 37:7), it says, referring to Esau. He's the archetype of the successful evildoer. The text even connects him to Rome, which, at the time of the writing, was seen as a deceitful empire. We're told the Roman judge would trick and confuse the accused, leading them to incriminate themselves. Not exactly a shining example of justice, is it?
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi brings in a truly powerful image. He describes the destruction of Jerusalem, with sixty myriads – that's six hundred thousand! – of angels of destruction ready to strike. But they held back because they saw the Divine Presence itself "withdrawing His right hand from being before the enemy" (Lamentations 2:3). God was silent. The angels followed suit. It's a stark reminder that sometimes, even divine power is restrained.
Rabbi Hanina interprets “circled the mountain [hahar]” as a reference to Esau circling his father, who needed him. Remember, "Isaac loved Esau because of the game in his mouth" (Genesis 25:28). Esau provided for his father, and for that, he earned a reward. Rabbi Shmuel ben Rabbi Gedalya says that God acknowledges this. When Jacob offered a gift to Esau, Esau famously said, "I have plenty [rav]" (Genesis 33:9). God says, "With this expression, he honored [Jacob], with this expression, I will say to [the Israelites]: Turn away from him, 'you have circled enough [rav].'"
So, what’s the takeaway? It's not about condoning injustice or ignoring suffering. It's about understanding that everything – even the prosperity of the wicked – has its place in the divine plan. It’s about trusting that even when we feel like we're going around in circles, there's a purpose to the journey. And sometimes, the most profound action is to be silent, to hope, and to trust in the ultimate unfolding. Maybe that’s what it truly means to stop circling the mountain and finally move forward.