תהלים, פרק ע״ג, פסוק כ״ב

Looking back on his spiritual journey, the psalmist offers a humble confession about his past inability to understand how God manages the world. He admits that he acted foolishly and lacked basic sense [מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. Acknowledging his complete ignorance, he confesses that he failed to grasp God's hidden ways and His methods of justice [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This confusion specifically stemmed from the troubling reality of successful, wicked people [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד]. Watching bad individuals prosper even led him to doubt whether there was any actual reward for serving God [רד״ק].

Overwhelmed by this lack of understanding, he compares his past relationship with God to that of a mindless animal. Like a creature guided by blind instinct rather than intellect, he was entirely unable to comprehend the divine plan unfolding around him [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The plural description of being like beasts points to a double failure on his part. Not only was he naturally lacking in wisdom, but he also failed to actively seek out and learn the truth, making his ignorance twice as profound [אלשיך].

Yet, this harsh self-judgment describes a temporary phase that has since passed. He was only as unthinking as an animal in the beginning, when he tried to solve the mysteries of divine justice relying entirely on his own limited mind. Once he reached his limits, God helped him see the truth and revealed the hidden ways in which the world is truly governed. With this new clarity, his doubts vanished, and he returned to a life of constant, unwavering devotion to God [אבן עזרא, מאירי, אלשיך].