אות - לח

It is written, “They have set their mouth against Heaven and their tongue walks about the earth” (Psalms 73:9) .

Now that atheism has spread, “the cord is untied” ( Vayikra Rabbah 28:1; Zohar III, 177b ) for the people to speak against every tzaddik and God-fearing man. Those who do this, unleash their tongue against the world as if they think nothing of it at all. Actually, their unbelief is directed against God Himself. But they are ashamed to speak out against God, and therefore they turn their unbelief against people.

This is the meaning of the verse. “They have set their mouths against Heaven” – for they are actually speaking against God. But they act as if “their tongue walks about the earth.” Since they are ashamed to speak out against God Himself, “their tongue walks about the earth” — they unleash their tongue against God’s followers in the world. But the truth is that “they have set their mouths against Heaven.”