מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד ה' מִי יָגוּר בְּאָהֳלֶךָ מִי יִשְׁכֹּן בְּהַר קָדְשֶׁךָ

A psalm by David. Lord, who may claim the merit to sojourn in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy mountain? There is an element of poetic license to this question, since a tent is transported from place to place and those who dwell within it are sojourners, like guests who move on, whereas the Sanctuary on God’s holy mountain is permanent and does not move. Some understand this opening question as follows: Who is truly worthy, and not simply permitted from the standpoint of Jewish law, to enter the grounds of the Holy Temple? It is likely, however, that the question is meant to be more general and abstract: Who is worthy of being close to God? The psalmist continues by specifying the characteristics that can make a person worthy of such intimacy.

הוֹלֵךְ תָּמִים ; וּפֹעֵל צֶדֶק ; וְדֹבֵר אֱמֶת בִּלְבָבוֹ ;

It is he who walks with integrity, wholehearted in his honesty, and does righteous works toward others, and speaks the truth in his heart. He does not delude himself or deceive others; there is no contradiction between what he believes in his heart and what he says with his mouth. His is a world of truth.

לֹא רָגַל עַל לְשֹׁנוֹ ; לֹא עָשָׂה לְרֵעֵהוּ רָעָה; וְחֶרְפָּה לֹא נָשָׂא עַל קְרֹבוֹ ;

He who does not gossip with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor tolerates disgrace for his friend. He not only refrains from doing evil himself, but is also concerned about others. He tries to ensure that no disgrace will befall those who associate with him.

נִבְזֶה בְּעֵינָיו נִמְאָס ואֶת יִרְאֵי ה' יְכַבֵּד; נִשְׁבַּע לְהָרַע וְלֹא יָמִר ;

In his own eyes he is despised and repugnant, as he does not view himself as deserving of glory and honor, but he honors those who fear the Lord. Alternatively, the righteous man looks upon despicable people with repugnance, but honors those who fear God; he understands how to differentiate between the deserving and the undeserving. He abides by his oaths, even if they cause him harm, and he does not attempt to modify an oath or evade his responsibility.

כַּסְפּוֹ לֹא נָתַן בְּנֶשֶׁךְ ; וְשֹׁחַד עַל נָקִי לֹא לָקָח עֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה לֹא יִמּוֹט לְעוֹלָם

He does not lend with usury or derive benefit from forbidden practices. Nor, if he is a judge or influential person, does he take bribes against the innocent to unjustly condemn them. Whoever behaves in this manner, consistent with all the ethical practices described above, will never stumble. It is he who is truly worthy of standing in God’s Sanctuary.