TEHILLIM LIGHT

Commentaries

Mizmor 016, Verse 002

אָמַ֣רְתְּ לַֽ֭יהֹוָה אֲדֹנָ֣י אָ֑תָּה ט֝וֹבָתִ֗י בַּל־עָלֶֽיךָ

ʾomart ladoonoy ʾadonoy ʾotto tovosiy bal–ʿoleycho

You should say to the Lord, "You are my Master; my good is not incumbent upon You."

MIDRASH TEHILLIM

1.....(16.1)
You are my LORD. I have no good but in You (tobati bal aleka)
"The land and the fullness thereof are the Lord's; the world and those who dwell therein." (Tehillim 24:1).
Hence, say the Sages, a man embezzels from God whenever he makes use of the world without a blessing, for only affirmations of God's sovereignty can release earth's fulness to man's use.
Rabbi Simeon son of Lakish explained that "I said to the Lord, You are my Master" is said when you are eating your own. God replies, My good wil not be held against you (tobati bal aleka) that is, you will not be held guilty of embezzling from the Lord the good things you ate.
Or, tabati bal aleka can be interpreted as My good will be brought to you, that is, none but good things will be brought to you, and they will abide with you.

RASHI

1.
You should say to the Lord, “You are my Master...”
David addresses the Congregation of Israel. “It is your duty to say to the Lord, ‘You are the Master, and You have the upper hand in all that befalls me.’”
Another explanation: You should say to the Lord, “You are my Master.” He [David] was saying this to his soul. Similarly, we find on this order (in II Sam. 13:39): “And David longed,” which means: And the soul of David longed. Here too, “You, my soul, have said to the Lord,” you my soul, should say to the Holy One, blessed be He.
2.
...my good is not incumbent upon You.
The benefits that You do for me it is not incumbent upon You to bestow [them] upon me, because You do not benefit me on account of my righteousness.

RADAK

1.
You have said [feminine] to the Lord, You are my Sovereign Lord...
He addresses his soul and says: You have said and confessed to the Lord that He is your God and Sovereign Lord; and such (address) is proper for you...
2.
The good I do is not unto You
They (Rashi and Rabbi Moses ha-Cohen ibn Giktilla) have interpreted (the clause): "The good which You do to me it is not incumbent upon You to do, for I am not worthy of it, but it is entirely due to Your loving-kindness."
And my revered father, of blessed memory, has interpreted: "The good I do is not done to You," meaning that it does not reach You (personally), for one cannot dispose for, or help, or give to You...

WORDS