וכי ימוך אחריך וגו'. זש"ה פעמים רבות יצילם וגו' [וימוכו בעונם] (תהלים קו מג), אתה מוצא בימי שפוט השופטים שהיו ישראל עובדים ע"ז, והיו משועבדים בידי אומות העולם, שנאמר ויעשו בני ישראל הרע וגו' (שופטים ג ז), ומה עשו, ויזעקו בני ישראל אל ה' ויקם ה' מושיע לבני ישראל [ויושיעם] את עתניאל בן קנז (שם שם ט), מיד עשו תשובה ונגאלו, כך פעם אחרת, [שנאמר] ויוסיפו בני ישראל לעשות הרע ויחזק ה' את עגלון וגו' (שם שם יב), [מיד עשו תשובה] והעמיד להם גואל (ועשו תשובה) את אהוד [בן גרא ונגאלו על ידו], ועוד עבדו ע"ז, ונמכרו ביד סיסרא, שנאמר והוא לחץ את בני ישראל בחזקה (שם ד ג), מהו בחזקה, אמר ר' שמעון בן לוי בחרופין ובגדופין, כד"א חזקו עלי דבריכם (מלאכי ג יג), כיון שעשו תשובה העמיד להם גואלים דבורה וברק [ונגאלו על ידם], הוי פעמים רבות יצילם וגו' וימוכו בעונם (תהלים שם), מהו וימכו בעונם, שנעשו דלים בתוך האומות, שנאמר וידל ישראל מאד וגו' (שופטים ו ו), מהו וידל, ר' יצחק ור' לוי, חד אמר שהיו דלים ממעשים טובים, וחד אמר שלא היה להם להביא אפילו קרבן דל, שנאמר ואם דל הוא [ואין ידו משגת וגו'] (ויקרא יד כא), הוי וימוכו, שנעשו דלים. (Lev. 25:25:) WHEN YOUR RELATIVE BECOMES POOR…. This text is related (to Ps. 106:43): MANY TIMES HE DELIVERED THEM…; [SO THEY BECAME POOR THROUGH THEIR INIQUITY]. You find that in the days of the judges Israel served idols; so they were enslaved in the hands of the peoples of the world, as stated (in Jud. 3:7–8): THEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD…. < SO THE ANGER OF THE LORD WAS KINDLED AGAINST ISRAEL, AND HE DELIVERED THEM INTO THE HANDS OF KING CUSH-RISHATHAIM OF ARAM-NAHARAIM…. > What did they do (according to vs. 9)? THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CRIED UNTO THE LORD, AND THE LORD RAISED UP A SAVIOR FOR THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL [TO SAVE THEM, I.E.,] OTHNIEL BENKENAZ. They immediately repented and were redeemed. So < it happened > another time, [as stated] (in Jud. 3:12): THEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AGAIN DID EVIL < … >; SO THE LORD STRENGTHENED EGLON…. [They immediately repented;] so the Lord raised up a redeemer for them {when they repented}, Ehud [ben Gera; and they were redeemed at his hands]. Then they served idols again and were sold into the hands of Sisera, as stated (in Jud. 4:3): AND HE OPPRESSED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WITH MIGHT. What is the meaning of WITH MIGHT? R. Simeon ben Levi said: With blasphemies and with curses,21See above, 2:4, and the note there. just as you say (in Mal. 3:13): YOUR WORDS HAVE BEEN MIGHTY AGAINST ME. When they repented, he raised up Barak and Deborah as redeemers for them; [and they were redeemed at their hands]. Ergo (in Ps. 106:43): MANY TIMES HE DELIVERED THEM…; SO THEY BECAME POOR THROUGH THEIR INIQUITY. What is the meaning of SO THEY BECAME POOR THROUGH THEIR INIQUITY? That they became impoverished in the midst of the nations, as stated (in Jud. 6:6): AND ISRAEL BECAME VERY IMPOVERISHED…. What is the meaning of AND < … > BECAME < … > IMPOVERISHED? R. Isaac and R. Levi differed. One said that they were impoverished (rt.: DLL) from good works, and the other said that they did not have < enough > to bring even a poor person's (rt.: DLL) offering, as stated (in Lev. 14:21): IF, HOWEVER, HE IS POOR (rt.: DLL) [AND DOES NOT HAVE THE MEANS…. ] Ergo (in Ps. 106:43): SO THEY BECAME POOR, because they had become impoverished (rt.: DLL).