English Basic Explanation - Chapter 112
Chapter 112
This Psalm is a beautiful, poetic song of praise for the Sadik, the righteous man, describing his virtues and rewards. The person depicted in this chapter not only exhibits fear of God, but also "very much desires His commandments" (verse 1); his primary desire and ambition is to serve God through the performance of Misvot. He is also compassionate and caring, granting assistance to the poor and even carefully budgeting his expenses so that he could give charity (Rashi, verse 5).
The Psalmist here emphasizes the eternal nature of the Sadik's reward, noting that his merit will remain with his descendants for all time (verses 3, 6, 9). Furthermore, during times of "darkness," when there is danger and instability in the world, he will be spared and protected (verse 4), and will never have to fear the calamities and misfortunes that affect others (verses 7-8).
The final verse of this Psalm describes the pangs of envy that the wicked will feel upon witnessing the rewards of the Sadik. Contentment, security, peace and joy – all the blessings that the wicked feel they can achieve through evil and corruption will be bestowed upon the Sadik. Those who thought they could earn wealth by abusing the poor and underprivileged will discover that in truth it is earned through sharing with and assisting the needy. Thus, when God grants reward to the Sadik, the evildoer will look on with grief and jealousy, realizing that the path of sin has led him only to shame and despair, while the kind, virtuous Sadik has been repaid with honor and good fortune.