תהלים, פרק ע״ג, פסוק י״ד

The reality of a righteous person's life often presents a painful contradiction to the upright path they walk. While the wicked enjoy peace and lack nothing, the righteous individual who keeps the commandments finds himself beaten and tormented despite his innocence [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that this experience is a continuous, unbroken chain of suffering, striking day after day without any pause.

The source of this relentless pain is understood in different ways. Some explain that these afflictions come directly from the hands of the wicked [רד״ק, אבן עזרא]. Others view the struggle not as external physical torment, but as an internal, spiritual battle. In this light, the suffering stems from the constant, exhausting effort required to conquer one's own desires and maintain a moral life [אבן עזרא].

The primary approach among commentators views the idea of rebuke in this context as a passive experience. Rather than the righteous person correcting others, he is the one being struck by curses, suffering, and troubles [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. These intense hardships renew themselves every single morning [רש״י, מאירי]. The specific focus on the morning is explained through a medical lens. Typically, a sick person experiences a brief period of quiet and relief at the start of the day. However, this suffering is so deep that even the morning brings no comfort; the pain remains evident and relentless [חומת אנך].

Conversely, another perspective views the rebuke as an active effort, though still tied to this same morning phenomenon. Because a sick person often gathers a slight burst of strength at dawn, the righteous individual uses whatever little energy he has left to rebuke the wicked and teach them moral lessons. Sadly, these exhausting morning efforts ultimately prove to be in vain, offering him no personal benefit or relief from his struggles [אלשיך].