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* PLEASE NOTE: "Hashem" is the Hebrew word meaning "the name." When not in actual prayer, this refers to God's infinite ineffable name.
in loving memory of
Tsiporah bas Yosef
Moshe ben Chaim Eliezer, Dovid ben Avraham
Psalm 106
"Give thanks
to Hashem for
His kindness is everlasting.."
We are surrounded by electromagnetic radiation, by all objects that have a temperature above absolute zero (-273 degrees)....(continue)
Psalm 61
"I will dwell in
Your tent forever,
I will take refuge in the shelter of Your wings..."
בּס״ד (with help
from above)
Psalm 67
"May God
favor us
and bless us, may He cause His countenance to shine among us..."
Psalm 106
"Give thanks
to Hashem
for His
kindness is
everlasting..."
Within the subatomic structure solid mass makes up less than 1 percent of an atom's size.
Psalm 31:4
"For You are
my rock and my fortress, lead me and direct me for the sake of Your Name..."
Psalm 84:2
"How beloved are Your dwelling places Hashem of Hosts.."
"Ma yedidos mishkeno seycha Hashem Tsevaos"
The term "Hashem of Hosts" refers to Hashem's sovereignty over all the worlds, spiritual and physical - everywhere and all that is.
The Psalmists (the sons of Korah) state that Hashem's dwelling places are beloved. This was written upon witnessing the devastation of the Temple after it had been destroyed. Memories etched into their minds, emotions and thoughts may have been overwhelming. Yet they witnessed a bird making its nest. Thus, in the midst of the Temple's ruins when all had been destroyed, Hashem's lovingkindness is sovereign over all - and His "dwelling places" are truly beloved.
Psalm 31:4
"For You are my rock and my fortress..."
"ki sali um tsudasi ata ulma-an shimcha tancheyni usnahaleyni"
During these uncertain times, we are reminded that Hashem is our rock and fortress.
What does it mean to be a rock and a fortress?
A rock does not change with the passing breeze like the wind or the water. It has been with us through the ages.
Yet stones placed together form a fortress. There is protection. There is more strength than each has alone.
If we apply this to our lives, being placed together doesn't mean we must be exactly the same as our neighbor and worship in exactly the same way - for rocks are each unique, but it is important not to struggle against eachother, we are asked to hold eachother up and respect eachother's strengths and weaknesses.
When we have faith in the unchanging lovingkindness of the One who created and sustains the world and when we support and hold eachother up, we come to experience that Hashem is indeed our rock and our fortress, timeless through the ages, sheilding us from the dangers of uncertain times.
Psalm 150
"Praise God!
Praise Him
with blowing
of the shofar,
Praise Him
with lyre and
harp. Praise Him with drumming and dancing...
Psalm 22:2
"Oh God, Oh God, Why have You forsaken me?
Why are You so far from saving me?.."
"Eli, Eli, lama azav tani?..."
It is told that King David wrote this Psalm in foreknowledge of the time of Esther.
One could imagine the time before the miracle. When an order from the king was made to kill every Jewish man, women and child in all 127 provinces of the Persian empire. The forces in the world of material existence were insurmountable. So the Jews reached beyond.They prayed - loudly and softly, in groups and solely, wearing sack cloths and fasting, people of all backgrounds and ages bounded together in their pureness of faith and prayed.
And when the edict was revoked, the holocaust averted, then one could see the miracle that had taken place over many years. Only if all the dots were connected could one see the miracle in everyday events and realize that just like Esther the seemingly ordinary events of our lives are not ordinary after all.
When looked at from a distance, over time, the events of our lives may have a purpose that often is not apparent to us while we are in the midst of hardship.
Psalm 119:18
"Unveil my eyes
that I may behold
the unexplained
things of Your Torah"
We know that the Torah was entrusted to us by Hashem and yet so much of it is beyond our understanding.
Psalm 81
"Sing joyously to
Hashem, our
strength,
shout for joy to the
God of Jacob. Take
up the hymn, sound the drum, the pleasant harp and the lute. Blow the shofar ..."
Psalm 118:19
"Open for me the
gates of righteousness
I will enter them and give thanks to Hashem..."
"Pitchu li sha'are tzedek..."
Psalm 118:19
"Open for me the Gates of Righteousness!
I will enter and thank Hashem..."
"Pitchu Li Shaare Tzedek.."
"Pitchu Li..." "Open for me.." is not a command but a statement of fact. The Gates are open for me that I may walk through them. They are not fences, walls or bars. They are gates. Unlocked, ready, welcoming .. now it is up to me to walk through them.
How do I walk through them? By giving thanks to Hashem. Even when things are not going the way I would like. Even when it seems the world's forces are waged against me. The Psalmist reveals that the gates of tsedek, of righteousness, are open to me. "I will enter and thank Hashem" - for the blessings that I wished for and for those I would rather have avoided at the time. All are part of Hashem's beautiful and complex symphony of life.
"May Hashem answer you on your day of distress.
May you be made impregnable by the name of the God of Jacob.
May He dispatch your help from the Sanctuary, and from Zion support you..."
In Hebrew the phrase "May Hashem answer you" can be translated as: "a'anancha" (You answer ) Hashem" - this reveals that it can be read as a statement of something that presently is. "You answer Hashem." For it is as if we have called, He has answered. He is just waiting for us to hear it. There is no waiting. He has already answered our prayers.
The Psalm states that the Sanctuary will be where the help will be dispatched from and Zion as the place from where the support will come.
The Sanctuary refers to the Holy of Holies inside the Temple in Jerusalem. (artscroll commentary) This is the special place where Hashem's (shechina) divine presence rests. Our help will be dispatched from the holiest place in the world.
If each of us can be likened to the Temple in Jerusalem, there too is a special place within us that Hashem's divine presence dwells, a spark of holiness. We can know that Hashem's answers to our prayers of help are not some far away abstract concept. They are close at hand and already here.
Psalm 22:2
"Oh God Oh God.
Why have You forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me?..."
"... in foreknowledge of the time of Esther. One could imagine ..."
Psalm of the Day
Psalm 30
"A Psalm, a
song for
the inauguration of
the Temple by David.
I will exalt you Hashem for You have drawn me up ..."
Psalm 30
"A psalm, a song for the inauguration of the Temple by David. I will exalt you Hashem
for You have drawn me up and not let my foes rejoice over me. Hashem my G-d,
I cried out to You and You healed me. Hashem You have raised up from the lower world
my soul. You have preserved me from my descent to the grave..." "...You have transformed
my lament into dancing for me. You undid my sackcloth and You girded me with gladness.
So that sing to You, might my soul, and not be silenced. Hashem my God, forever will I thank You."
"... L'maan y' zamercha chavod v' lo yidom Hashem, Elochai l' odecha."
Psalm 30 expresses sheer gratitute toward Hashem. For being alive, for healing, for raising my soul up. The fact that I am able to recite this Psalm and sing to Hashem is cause for infinite thankfulness. This Psalm is recited during the celebration of Hanukah celebrating the rekindling of the menorah in the Temple. For the ancient Israelites, the Greek/Syrian empire had conquered the land they lived in, dictated the society's values, had even taken over the Temple itself and temporarily "owned" the Temple, the very spot of the Holy of Holies, the special place where Hashem's presence rests on earth. Yet it was only temporary. For no matter the physical situation at the present moment, as long as "..my soul might sing to You, and not be silent, Hashem, forever will I thank You."
(to read complete Psalm: www.ou.org/chagim/chanukah/mizmor
Psalm 2
"Why do nations throng and regimes talk in vain.
Take their stand do the kings of the earth and
princes conspire together?...."
"Lama ragshu goim u l'umim rik? Yisyatsvi malki eretz
V'roznim nosdu yachad?..."
The question of man's inhumanity to man, of 'why do great nations conspire to do harm?' - has been with us for many generations. On outward appearance, it seems as if the physical world of great nations and regimes is very powerful indeed. When the Roman army marched in unison with great armor and weapons, or when the blitzkreig blazed across the land, it was easy to take notice. And today, when airplanes are hijacked and coordinated attacks are waged against innocents, it's easy to feel that the forces of man are great and that we who strive for good have no chance against overwhelming odds. Although on outward appearance, it sometimes feels that all is lost, that the regimes who seek power over man have triumphed. The reality is the power of Hashem is much greater.
The last line of Psalm 2 reads: "praiseworthy are all those who take refuge in Him." Because the truth is - it's all about trust. Each of us must ask ourselves: in whom do we trust? In whom do we take refuge? Is it the outward appearance, even when this outward appearance seems so overwhelming in power? Or is it the One who creates and sustains all?
When we think of the universe and all that is in it. When we think of the miracle of being alive each moment. When we realize that to destroy is much easier than to create. Then, it becomes clear that taking refuge in Hashem, who is eternal, is praiseworthy indeed.
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Psalm 3
"How numerous are my tormentors! The great rise up against me. The great say of my soul there is no salvation for him from Hashem, selah"
"...to Hashem is salvation. Upon Your people is your blessing, selah."
"La Hashem hayeshuah al amcha birchatecha selah."The Tehillim begins by describing a situation that David finds himself in: seemingly hopeless. Much like Israel, he is surrounded by enemies. The "great" say there there is no hope for survival? The "great" and mighty say this because it is obvious to all who observe. How can David survive when surrounded by tormentors? How can Israel survive when it is surrounded on all sides by overwhelming numbers of enemies? How can I survive when my life becomes overwhelmed with troubles?
When viewed from the perspective of the physical world alone, when we are in the midst of a sea of troubles it is true there is little if any hope. However, the psalmist then reveals that the physical world is not all that exists. There is a miraculous aspect to all that is. David, like each of us, is not facing trials alone. With Hashem, anything is possible - even if that means getting through and triumphing in a seemingly impossible situation. "
Psalm 3:5 states: "...with my voice to Hashem I call out and He answers me."
The true reality is we are not facing our trials alone. The psalm concludes:
"for Hashem is salvation. Upon Your people is your blessing, ..."
When we are compassionate and moved to helpful action, we are Hashem's people - the children of a loving and compassionate God. The blessing of the 'One who creates all' is upon us even when the limited physical world seems overwhelming.
Psalm 3
"How numerous are my
tormentors! The great rise
up against me. The great say of my soul there is no salvation for him from Hashem ..."
Psalm 102:26
"In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth,
and the work of Your hands are the heavens..."
We look up to the heavens and are awestruck at the realization of how incomprehensible infinity and the universe is. Yet there had to be a creator of this wonder. Surely it was not by happenstance that the universe with complexities that span from galaxies to neutrinos to the DNA inside each cell, came to be. Yet we know that in the nature of the physical is limited existence. All creatures, plants and stars must one day end.
Not so for the One who creates the heavens and the earth. The psalmist helps us understand the meaning of the morning prayer that states: "in the beginning is the 'fear' (actually 'awe') of Hashem. When Einstein said that God does not "play with dice" he revealed that the vast intelligent awesomeness of the world and all that is in it proves there is an author.
When we are aware of Hashem's sheer awesomeness, that "the work of Your hands are in the heavens..." perhaps then we may begin to discover His purpose for us on earth. When we see the world as it is, perhaps, then we may begin to see that our purpose is to help build a world of lovingkindness (Psalm 89) in the understanding that He is the source of all blessings, great and small.
Psalm 102:26
"In the beginning
You laid the foundations of the earth, and the work of Your hands are the heavens..."
"We look up to the heavens and are awestruck at the realization..." (continue)
Psalm 106:
"Give thanks to Hashem for His kindness is everlasting..."
Seeing is Believing??
Within the sub-atomic structure, solid mass makes up less than 1% of an atom's size. The distance between atoms within molecules is often compared to light years between planets. This means that regardless of what we think, the truth is, a brick wall is mostly empty space.
Color doesn't exist except as our brain's interpretation of light waves bouncing off of an object & entering our eyes. (see article "Hearing/Seeing is Believing" ) Light itself is invisible but we can't see without it and often what we think we see isn't even there.
So the reality of life: the universe with all it's particles shooting around and through us as well as the world we live in, is completely different from our sensual perception of it as we go through our daily lives. Of course it must be. We wouldn't be able to function in what we see as 'normal' without the perception we have.
Still, it is important to realize that the physical world we perceive through our senses is not all there is. Just as there are atoms and light waves beyond our ordinary perception there is also the infinite world of lovingkindness that Hashem has built for us. This is perceived through our soul rather than our senses. And just as we must open our eyes in order to see the physical part of life we must open the gates to our souls to perceive the spiritual.
We may open the gates to our souls by setting aside time to pray or think or sing or dance while concentrating on the meaning of the words that Hashem has brought to us through our sages; or by being Hashem's hands on earth, by applying His precepts of purity, lovingkindness and mitzvohs (good deeds) to the physical world and thereby bringing Godliness into everyday life.
Psalm 119
"Your kindness, Hashem, fills the earth..."
"Hasdecha, Hashem, malea ha aretz..."
What does the meaning of "malea" "fills"? When Hashem's kindness fills the earth that means that there is not one speck of space that can be found absent of Hashem.
It means the world is not on "autopilot." Hashem fills it with kindness and love.- When we are aware of this reality that where ever we journey through this life Hashem is there truly filling every speck of life even when things may not go our way - this realization that "Your kindness, Hashem fills the earth.." is truly life altering.
Psalm 1
"Happy is the man who did not walk
in the counsel of the wicked,
in the path of the sinful did not stand
and in the session of the scorners did not sit."
"Ashrei ha ish asher lo halach ba atsat risha'eem,
u viderech chata'eem lo amad, u vimoshav letsee lo yashav."
Walking, standing and sitting refer to where we are and what we are doing. The very first psalm begins not with distant esoteric truths but with practical guidelines. Before I can begin my spiritual quest, before I can reach the heights of enlightenment, I must first learn to walk. Thus, Tehillim 1 begins with the basics: how to walk, stand and sit through life.
Yet, mundane and worldly as these concerns are, who we take counsel from, which path we stand upon, which sessions are we immersed in, what we do each moment .. as we gather these moments together they form a cohesive whole that becomes our life.
The Psalmist continues:
"Rather if in the Torah of Hashem is his desire and in His Torah he meditates day and night he shall be like a tree deeply rooted alongside brooks of water that yields its fruit in its season and whose leaf never withers..."
Where Are You?
Told by the Lubavitcher Rebbe
In 1798, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi was imprisoned on charges, put forth by the opponents of Chassidism, that his teachings undermined the imperial authority of the czar. For 52 days he was held in the Peter-Paul Fortress in Petersburg.
Among the Rebbe's interrogators was a government minister who possessed broad knowledge of the Bible and Jewish studies. On one occasion, he asked the Rebbe to explain the verse (Genesis 3:9): "And G-d called out to the man and said to him: 'Where are you?'"
Didn't God know where Adam was?, the government minister asked.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman presented the explanation offered by several commentaries: the question "Where are you?" was merely a "conversation opener" on the part of God, who did not wish to unnerve Adam by immediately confronting him with his wrongdoing.
"What Rashi says, I know," said the minister. "I wish to hear how the Rebbe understands the verse."
"Do you believe that the Torah is eternal?" asked the Rebbe. "Do you believe that its every word applies to every individual, under all conditions, at all times?"
"Yes," replied the minister.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman was extremely gratified to hear this. The czar's minister had affirmed a principle which lies at the basis of the teachings of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, the very teachings and ideology for which he was standing trial!
"'Where are you?'" explained the Rebbe, "is God's perpetual call to every man.
Where are you in the world? What have you accomplished? You have been allotted a certain number of days, hours, and minutes in which to fulfill your mission in life. You have lived so many years and so many days," -- here Rabbi Schneur Zalman spelled out the exact age of the minister -- "Where are you? What have you achieved?"
Told by the Lubavitcher Rebbe on Kislev 19, 5718 (December 12, 1957), on the occasion of the 159th anniversary of Rabbi Schneur Zalman's release from prison.
FOR MORE POSTS
Psalm 3
"How numerous are my tormentors! The great rise up against me. "
The Psalm begins by describing a situation David finds himself in: seemingly hopeless. (continue)
Psalm 4
"For the conductor on the neginot, a psalm by David,
my G-d who vindicates me when I call, answer me.
You brought me relief when I was distressed;
be gracious to me and hear my prayer..."
"...I will lie down and sleep in peace and in harmony,
for it is only You Hashem, who enables me to dwell securely."
"B'Shalom yachdav eshk'vah v'iyshan
ki Ata Hashem l'vadad lavetach toshiyveyni."
The psalmist calls to Hashem and knows that Hashem will answer. Hashem who has "brought me relief when I was distressed; be gracious to me and hear my prayer..." .
The Tehillim begins with the awareness that Hashem has been there during the difficult times. He has brought relief. He hears my prayers and answers my prayers. I am called upon to offer sacrifices and put my trust in Hashem. The level of trust and faith increases further as the psalmist then concludes:
"I will lie down and sleep in peace and in harmony, for it is only You, Hashem, who enables me to dwell securely."
What does it mean to "sleep" ?
Sleep has been considered as one-sixtieth death, according to the Talmud, since we are not conscious and aware of our physical surroundings.
Sleep has been compared to the galus (exile), according to the Kabala, since during sleep, as during the exile, we are not able to see Godliness in the world, light is hidden from our eyes.
According to scientific discoveries, the reticular activating system, is responsible for the transition from sleep to wakefulness. However, science does not yet understand what sleep is,why we need it or how it works.
The "spiritual" aspect of sleep is revealed in the Modei Ani prayer recited upon awakening - "I am thankful before You, King of life, who has returned my soul to me." The soul during sleep has loosened its bonds with the body. It is free to dwell in higher realms. Sleep is a miraculous occurrence. It was in a dream state that the ladder was revealed to Yaakov Avinu (Jacob). It was from a dream state that Ezekiel wrote of his visions.
"...for it only You Hashem, who enables me to dwell securely."
The first sentence in the Torah "In the beginning, Hashem creates the heavens and the earth" teaches that Hashem creates the world continually, moment by moment. (according to Baal Shem Tov). Thus we learn that we are enabled to dwell securely in the moment to moment creation of the miraculous world we live in.
When we make the transition from what we see and hear with our physical senses to the mysterious state of sleep, as we "fall into sleep" each evening we are journeying beyond our understanding. Yet with the awareness that Hashem hears and answers my prayers and continually creates the worlds for my body and my soul to dwell, there, like a comfortable pillow, "I will lie down and sleep in peace and in harmony..."
Psalm 4
"...I will lie down and
sleep in peace and in harmony, for it is only You Hashem, who enables me to dwell securely."
