For the past year we have been reciting a perek of Tehillim every day at the conclusion of our davening as we pray for the cholim (sick), some we know personally, some we are asked on behalf of others to pray for. I know how much this means to you because you yourselves have added names to the lists. I have tried over the course of the year to make the words of David Hamelech resonate with you. These beautiful, poetic words, written thousands of years ago, somehow do find meaning even today with our myriad of challenges which did not even exist way back then. In the time of the Beit Hamkidash when we brought a korban to Hashem, we brought an unblemished, beautiful animal – the best that we had. Now that we have no Beit Hamikdash, we follow the words of the Navi Hoshea, “let our lips substitute for bulls.” Neshalem Parim Sfateynu - So our prayers, our words of praise, requests, and thanksgiving, are like korbonot to Hashem. In that light, the words of tehillim, pure and beautiful, represent some of the choicest offerings that we can bring. Today we are celebrating having completed not only saying the words but hopefully understand the deeper meaning within sefer Tehillim. It befits such a momentous occasion to celebrate with divrei Torah, bracha and of course food.
So what is it about Tehillim that we turn to in times of joy and in times of sorrow? In this week’s parsha Toldos we are introduced to Yaakov Aveinu. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks asks “What was Yaakov’s legacy to us?” who are called Bnei Yisrael- the Children of Israel. Yaakov/ Israel, found G-d in the heart of darkness, when he was running away from Esav, when he was wrestling with the Malach. “Yaakov’s deepest spiritual encounters happened when he was on a journey, alone and afraid in the dead of night, fleeing from one danger to another.”
Yaakov may have been the first to turn to G-d when faced with internal struggle but he was not the last. Moshe Rabbeinu, Eliyahu Hanavi The Navi Yermiyahu all had their greatest epiphanies when they were at their lowest point.
Rabbi Sacks posits that perhaps no one spoke more movingly about this condition than David Hamelech as reflected in his most agitated prakim. In perek 69 (samech tet) he speaks as if he were drowning:כִּי בָאוּ מַיִם עַד-נָפֶשׁ Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. (Ps. 69:2-3) David continues with the famous line “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” קלִי קלִי, לָמָה עֲזַבְתָּנִי; ( Perek chof bet ). And the equally famous, “Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord” (Perek kof lamed 130:1). Mimamakim
This is our heritage We can can find G-d, not only in the best of times, not only in shul when we are davening with others, not only in good times but perhaps even more so when we are in danger, far from home, “with peril in front of us and fear behind.” When we feel utterly alone and lost.
David Hamelech understood this and he put his angst into words. David Hamelech was also a great musician and great “musicians have the power to take pain and turn it into beauty”.
This then is the legacy given over to us by David Hamelech. True, Mima’amakim Karaticha Lach - out of the depths we can reach the heights because we know that Hashem is guiding us. Rabbi Sacks reminds us that the deepest crisis of our lives can turn out to be the moments when we encounter the deepest truths and acquire our greatest strengths. We learn this from the words we recite everyday. But rather than leave with sadness, David Hamelech’s final chapter is a song of hope, of music, upbeat, and in Praise of Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
How perfect that we held the siyum right before Thanksgiving when we have the opportunity to all say Hodu L’Hashem Ki Tov” Let us thank Hashem and give Him praise EVERYDAY because Baruch Hashem Life Is Good.
Wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom!
Chodesh Kislev Tov!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Rochelle Brand, Ed. D
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