Tehillim 119:23
גַּם יָשְׁבוּ שָׂרִים בִּי נִדְבָּרוּ עַבְדְּךָ יָשִׂיחַ בְּחֻקֶּיךָ
gam yashvu sarim bi nidbaru avdecha yasi'ach bechukeicha
Princes also sit and talk against me, but Your servant speaks in Your statutes.
Notwithstanding that "princes" speak in condemnation of me, "Your servant speaks in Your statutes." I fulfill Your commands like a servant who obeys his master.
Some say that King David refers to the debates against princes forced upon the Jewish people. Speaking for Yisrael, he says, "Although the princes hold erroneous views, 'Your servant who is convinced that his master would not command him to do something without good reason.
Talked against me: Although the kings of the heathens scorn me because I engage in the Torah.
"Princes also sit and talk against me, but Your servant does meditate in Your statutes"(Psalms 119: 23). That is to say, they do not engage in meditation upon Your statutes and they speak slander and they speak against me, while I meditate upon Your statutes. And Chazal, of blessed memory, have said that the cure by which one can rescue himself from slander is to engage in the study of Torah, as it is said, "The healing of the tongue is the Tree of Life" (Mishlei 15 : 4) (Arachin 15b). This is the intent of "I will keep a curb upon my mouth..." (Tehillim 39 : 2), Chazal interpreting "curb" as one's occupation with Torah (Midrash Tehillim 39).
- Me'am Lo'ez; Midrash
