PSALM 3

David’s conflict with Absalom, as well as the deeper spiritual and moral lessons embedded within this historical narrative. * Psalms in English followed by a liturgical explanation inspired by the teachings of Malbim.

by Rabbi Boruch Merkur

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me.

Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah.

But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head high.

I call out to the Lord, and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah.

I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.

I will not fear the tens of thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

Arise, O God, save me, my God, for You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have broken the teeth of the wicked.

For salvation belongs to God; may Your blessing be upon Your people.

O Lord, how vast the sea of my foes, waves of adversaries rising in tumult. Among them, voices echo, challenging the sanctity of my reign, casting aspersions upon my soul. They see me as a man forsaken, devoid of Your divine salvation. Yet, in this sea of turmoil, You stand as my unyielding shield, encircling me with Your grace, lifting my spirit from the depths of despair.

In the shadow of rebellion, under the darkened sky of my son’s defiance, I found solace in Your presence. Though the Ark of the Covenant returned to Jerusalem, my heart remained steadfast in Your promise. From every corner of my exile, I called out to You, and from Your holy mountain, Your voice answered, a whisper amidst the storm, affirming Your unwavering support.

In the stillness of night, when plots were woven to ensnare me, I lay down in peace and slept. Against the counsel of my enemies, You cradled me in safety. I awoke, not to the shadows of death, but to the dawning of Your providence. The thousands arrayed against me, the clamor of impending war, dwindled before my faith in Your sustenance.

“Arise, O Lord,” my cry in the midst of battle, a plea for Your divine intervention. In my moment of need, You struck down the architects of betrayal, their cunning rendered as naught. You, my God, delivered a blow to their pride, their wicked intentions shattered like fragile clay.

Salvation belongs to You, O Lord. In the throes of conflict, when brother turned against brother, Your mercy prevailed. Your blessing spread over Your people, sparing them from the ravages of war. In the demise of Absalom, the war ceased, a testament to Your desire for peace over destruction.

May Your blessing forever rest upon Your people, shielding them from the perils of strife. In Your salvation lies our hope, a beacon guiding us through the tempest of human folly. In Your love, we find our refuge, our strength, and our eternal salvation.

PSALM 2

A complex interplay of religious, political, and moral themes. It speaks to the rebellious nature of nations and peoples against divine authority, the distinction between earthly and heavenly decrees, and the ultimate power of divine justice and providence. * Psalms in English followed by a liturgical explanation inspired by the teachings of Malbim.

by Rabbi Boruch Merkur

Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and against His anointed.

“Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their cords.”

He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.

Then He will speak to them in His wrath, and terrify them in His fury.

But I have installed My king on Zion, My holy mountain.

I will proclaim the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are My son; today I have begotten you.”

Ask of Me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.

You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.

Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.

Serve the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling.

Embrace purity, lest you arouse wrath and lose your way, for His anger flares briefly. Blessed are all who seek refuge in Him.

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The earth’s kingdoms rise in tumult, setting their sights against the Divine and the anointed of the Lord. They seek to break the yoke of heavenly decrees, to cast aside the cords of divine law and the righteousness that binds them. In their rebellion, they challenge not just the earthly order but the celestial command, a futile struggle against the unassailable throne of the Almighty.

He who sits in the heavens looks upon their efforts with a divine irony. Their anger and plots are but fleeting shadows under the eternal gaze of the Creator. In His laughter lies a deeper truth: the transient nature of human power and the enduring strength of divine will. The nations may consider themselves mighty, but in the eyes of the Lord, they are like chaff, easily scattered by the wind of His judgment.

Yet, there is a decree, a divine proclamation that echoes through the ages. It speaks of a king, chosen and anointed, a ruler not just of lands but of hearts and spirits. This king, installed on Zion, the holy mountain, stands as a testament to the unbreakable bond between the Creator and His creation. The Lord declares, “You are My son,” an affirmation of divine choice and favor.

This king, vested with authority from on high, is granted dominion over nations, a reign that extends to the ends of the earth. His rule is not just of power but of justice, a rod of iron to break the vessels of iniquity, a shepherd to guide the flock towards righteousness. The nations are called to recognize this sovereignty, to see in it the hand of the Lord shaping the course of history.

Thus, the scripture implores the kings and rulers, the peoples and nations, to be wise, to heed the warning of the Divine. It calls for a service that is born of reverence, a worship that understands the gravity of divine wrath and the joy of divine favor. To embrace purity is to align with the chosen of the Lord, to find refuge in His strength and guidance.

The closing exhortation resounds with a profound truth: to serve the Lord with reverence is to find joy even in trembling, to recognize the fleeting nature of earthly power and the eternal shelter in the divine embrace. Blessed indeed are those who seek refuge in Him, for in His protection lies the true path to peace and salvation.

PSALM 1

On the themes of righteousness, the pursuit of spiritual completeness, and the contrast between the transient and the eternal. * Psalms in English followed by a liturgical explanation inspired by the teachings of Malbim.

by Rabbi Boruch Merkur

Fortunate is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.

But his delight is in the Torah of the Lord, and in His Torah he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree planted by streams of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked; they are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Therefore, the wicked will not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Fortunate is one who seeks not the counsel of the vacuous, nor stands in the shadow of fleeting desires, nor sits in the company of idleness and scorn. In the heart of such a person, wisdom takes root, and in the spirit, a yearning for the eternal flame emerges. The seeker finds delight in the Torah of the Lord, a joy not born of fleeting gains or earthly laurels, but in the pursuit of truth, the essence of the Divine.

The wisdom of the Lord is like a tree of life, planted by streams of unending grace, bearing fruit in its due season, a testament of lasting faith. Like a steadfast and enduring tree is the righteous soul, rooted not in the transient soil of this world, but reaching upwards towards the celestial light. In the Torah, they find sustenance, a constant guide. Their leaves never wither, their purpose never falters. They are like trees planted by water, drawing from the eternal spring of divine wisdom. Their deeds, ripe with sincerity and love, are offerings to the world, reflections of the soul’s true calling. In every season, their spirit yields the fruits of compassion, and their leaves offer shelter of knowledge and understanding.

For the righteous, the temporal is a guardian of the spiritual, a vessel for the journey towards ultimate fulfillment. Their path is illuminated by the light of the Torah, a beacon guiding through the wilderness of existence. Yet, the way of the wicked is like chaff, drifting aimlessly, severed from the grain of truth. In the assembly of the righteous, they find no footing, for their path leads not to the sanctum of the Divine.

The Lord, in His boundless wisdom, knows the heart of each. To those who walk in righteousness, He is eternally near, their path intertwined with His unchanging truth. But the way of the wicked, devoid of real substance, fades into oblivion, like shadows at dawn. Thus, we aspire to walk in the light of righteousness, to seek the wisdom that endures beyond the ages, to be like the tree, flourishing by divine waters, bearing fruit that sustains, nurtures, and heals.

May our hearts be rooted in the teachings of the Torah, and our lives a testament to the eternal wisdom it imparts. For in its words, we find the path to true fulfillment, a journey towards the everlasting embrace of the Divine.