Sanhedrin 103B

״כי בי חשק ואפלטהו אשגבהו כי ידע שמי. יקראני ואענהו עמו אנכי בצרה אחלצהו ואכבדהו. אורך ימים אשביעהו ואראהו בישועתי״.

“Because he has desired Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He should call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation” (Psalms 91:14–16).

אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש: מאי דכתיב ״וימנע מרשעים אורם וזרוע רמה תשבר״? מפני מה עין של רשעים תלויה? כיון שנעשה אדם רש מלמטה, נעשה רש מלמעלה.

R' Shimon ben Lakish says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And He will withhold their light from the wicked [resha’im], and the high arm should be broken” (Job 38:15)? For what reason is the letter ayin of the word resha’im suspended slightly above the rest of the letters? It is suspended so that the word will be read rashim, meaning poor people. It means: Once a person becomes poor on earth below and the number of his enemies grows, he becomes poor in Heaven above, as he is certainly a sinner and that is why he is hated.

ולא נכתביה כלל? רבי יוחנן ורבי אלעזר: חד אמר, מפני כבודו של דוד; וחד אמר, משום כבודו של נחמיה בן חכליה.

The Talmud challenges: If that is the meaning, let the ayin not be written at all and let the verse say: Rashim. R' Yoḥanan and R' Elazar both explain why the ayin was not omitted. One says: It was due to the desire to preserve the honor of David, who had numerous enemies below despite the fact that he was a righteous person and had a place in the World-to-Come. And one says: It was due to the desire to preserve the honor of Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah, who also had numerous enemies below, despite his righteousness.