<b>When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel (Exod. 30:12).</b> Scripture states elsewhere: <i>Many there are that say of my soul: “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah. But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me; my glory, and the lifter up of my head</i> (Ps. 3:3–4). R. Samuel the son of Ammi and the rabbis discussed this verse. R. Samuel the son of Ammi contended that this verse refers to Doeg and Ahithophel, who were masters of the Torah. <i>That say of my soul</i> suggests that they would say to David: Can a man who captures a lamb and then kills the shepherd<sup class="footnote-marker">8</sup><i class="footnote">Reading the word <i>rabim</i> (“many”) in Ps. 3:3 as though it were the plural of <i>rab</i> (“master”).</i> causing Israel to fall before the sword gain salvation, since it is written: <i>There is no salvation for him in God. Selah</i>.
Then David cried out: <i>But Thou, O Lord</i>, as if to say, O You who art Master of the world, Your law agrees with them, for You said: <i>The adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death</i> (Lev. 20:10). <i>But art a shield about me</i> refers to the merit of my ancestors. <i>My glory</i> indicates that you have restored me to kingship; and <i>Lifter up of my head</i> implies that though I was guilty of murder, You permitted me to lift up the head; that is, to be forgiven through Nathan the prophet, for he said: <i>The Lord also has put away thy sin; thou shalt not die</i> (II Sam. 12:13).<sup class="footnote-marker">9</sup><i class="footnote">A reference to David’s arranging the death of Uriah, the husband of Bath-sheba.</i>
However, the rabbis held that this verse refers to the nations of the world. The idolaters are many (<i>rabim</i>), as it is written: <i>The uproar of many peoples</i> (Isa. 17:12). They said to Israel: You are a nation that heard at Sinai: <i>I am the Lord Thy God, thou shalt have no other gods before Me</i> (Exod. 20:3), yet at the end of forty days you said of a calf: <i>This is your god, O Israel</i> (ibid. 32:4). How can they enjoy salvation, since it says: <i>There is no salvation for him in God</i> (Ps. 3:3)? <i>But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me</i> suggests that Israel cried out: Master of the Universe, do You agree with them, since You have said: <i>He that sacrificeth unto the gods shall be utterly destroyed</i> (Exod. 22:19)? <i>A shield about me</i> alludes to the merit of the fathers; <i>my glory</i> implies that You will cause your Shekhinah to dwell in our midst when You said: <i>Build Me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them</i> (ibid. 25:8); and <i>lifter up of the head</i> indicates that instead of sentencing us to destruction, You permitted us to lift up the head, that is, to be forgiven because of Moses, as it is said: <i>Thou liftest up the head</i>.
R. Jacob the son of Yohai, in the name of R. Jonathan, explained the text: <i>And man boweth down, and man lowereth himself</i> (Isa. 2:9). <i>And man boweth down</i> alludes to the Israelites, as it is said: <i>And ye My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, are men</i> (Exod. 34:31), while <i>man lowereth himself refers</i> to Moses, as it is said: <i>Now the man Moses was very meek</i> (Num. 12:3). Moses cried out: Master of the Universe, I know that Israel lowered itself before a calf, but I too lowered myself; will You not forgive them? He replied: You will forgive them. Hence, <i>When thou takest the sum</i> (forgivest them).<sup class="footnote-marker">10</sup><i class="footnote">“Take the sum” (lit. “lift up the head”) is an idiom meaning “forgive.”</i>