תהלים, פרק ל״ח, פסוק ח׳

Human suffering often culminates in a complete breaking point, where physical, emotional, and internal pain merge into a single cry of helplessness. The pain centers deeply within the core of the body. The primary approach among commentators is to view this suffering physically, pointing to the internal organs, specifically the waist, loins, and lower spine. This area is meant to stabilize a person's posture, but under the weight of severe illness, it becomes weak and collapses [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Beyond the physical breakdown, this internal suffering extends to the mind. Because the lower internal organs are traditionally seen as the seat of inner thought and counsel, the pain also represents shattered thoughts and lost hopes [רש״י, מלבי״ם]. Taking a more specific spiritual approach, this area of the body is closely linked to the drive of physical desire, serving as a subtle reminder of David's sin with Bathsheba [אלשיך].

The nature of the disease perfectly matches these different layers of suffering. On a physical level, it is a foul and repulsive plague. It manifests as an internal inflammation or a festering infection so severe and disgusting that it is unfit even to be spoken of [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מאירי]. Alternatively, the sickness is characterized by intense, burning heat, filling the internal organs with the scorching fever of the illness [רד״ק, מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד, מאירי]. Mentally and spiritually, this affliction takes the form of deep humiliation. It reflects a state of lowliness, shameful thoughts, and a profound sense of self-disgrace, where the impurity of sin clings tightly to the soul [רש״י, מלבי״ם, אלשיך].

The sickness ultimately leaves no healthy part of the body intact; every inch is beaten and aching [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The dual expressions of pain capture the natural reality of human suffering, as a person weeping and sighing in agony will instinctively repeat their cries of distress [רד״ק]. Furthermore, this repetition paints a complete picture of the devastation. While the hidden internal plague festers within the organs, the damage eventually spreads outward to the visible flesh. Ultimately, the sufferer is entirely consumed by pain, broken both inside and out [אבן עזרא, אלשיך].