Walk thru The selections for Shir Shel Yom are listed and partially explained in the David HaMelech's Talmud: We learn in a B'raita (TANYA): Rabbi Yehuda says in the T'hilim name of Rabbi Akiva on the first day with Rabbi David Walk what did they (the Leviyim) recite (while the Kohanim were bringing the Ed. note: This is a new column in which Rabbi daily offering)? 'To God is the world Walk will present one perek of T'hilim each week. We have decided to begin with Shir shel Yom and the fullness thereof' (T'hilim 24:1). This is because God (created, Perek 24 and therefore) acquired the world DAY ONE: NEW BEGINNINGS and rules it (Rosh HaShana 35a). So, according to Rabbi Akiva, the When I was a kid, I always knew the reason that chapter 24 is the Psalm day of the week based upon the TV for Sunday is that it declares that shows we watched. Tuesday was my God owns and rules the earth based favorite with Jack Benny, Red on the Creation process, which began Skelton and F Troop. Through most of on Sunday. It's sort of a variation on my professional life, I knew the day of an announcement my adolescent the week because of job responsibil- incarnation would hear from store ities. Now that I'm a retiree, I know keepers when my friends and I would what day it is because of T'FILA, and, enter a store: If you break it, you own specifically, the Shir Shel Yom. This is it! Here we announce: if you create it, the beginning of a series of seven you own it. Remember this was a long articles describing each day's SHIR, time before intellectual property and its connection to its day of the legislation. week. However, I believe that there's much Sunday bats leadoff. Here in Eretz more in our poem to suggest the Yisrael, we really feel like Sunday spirit of YOM RISHON B'SHABBAT. begins the week because it's the back For example: Who can ascend the to work day. B"H that's the way the mountain of God, and who can stand Torah and Jewish custom meant it to upon His holy place (verse 3)? The be. While living in the States, it didn't Malbim explains that inquiry is 'even feel like the week had begun until if you can find someone who can Monday. But here we start our week scale the heights for an instant, but with T'hilim chapter 24. can they remain permanently in that emulate the efforts of Ya'akov Avinu holy place?' to search for God at all times. Remember Ya'akov is the Patriarch of In the literal meaning of the question, the Ladder (SULAM). In our Psalm, this means that achieving permanent the SULAM is identified with the residence within the holy precincts is Temple Mount. Our beloved Patriarch unusual and can only be achieved by taught us about ascending towards the few who are described in verse 4, God. So, on Sunday we are Ya'akov at 'clean hands, pure hearts, hearts that the bottom of the Ladder ready to avoid vanity, and never deceive.' resume the climb, striving for the However, I would submit for your top. There is also this strong desire consideration, that this question is for continuity, emulating Ya'akov. asking about the sanctity achieved Similarly, we want this new week to on Shabbat. It's cool that we can have be a quest for God, not just worldly a day, Shabbat, within the holy needs. As we begin a new week, we precincts, but when the profane days reaffirm our commitment to this (CHOL) of the week arrive, can we endeavor. maintain that holiness while interacting with the world at large? The rest of the Psalm, I believe, is a Not so easy! description of what exactly we desire from this pursuit of God. We seek Then we must consider verse 6. This God and, in return, we anticipate, is hard to translate. The Hebrew says God throwing open the gates which ZEH DOR DORSHAV. Perhaps, we can have separated us from our Divine render that, 'This is the generation King. We emphasize and repeat our that seeks God.' And then we refer request (verses 7 & 9), almost a back to Ya'akov Avinu, 'Those who demand for God to fling open the seek Your face, Ya'akov.' Are we gates, and reveal the glory within. On addressing Ya'akov? Weren't we the literal level the Psalm has two trying to seek God, just a few words parts verses 2-6 are about us coming back? Two popular suggestions are to the Holy Mountain and the Beit 1. we mean the God of Ya'akov, or HaMikdash, the final verses are about God also arriving at the holy site to 2. we mean to seek God as Ya'akov rendezvous with us. did. Either could work. The image of the gates opening in I would like to strongly propose anticipation of the arrival God the option 2. We want our generation to King is also appropriate to Sunday. On Motza'ei Shabbat with Havdala, there is a sense of a curtain coming down on the Sabbat joy, and now on Sunday morning we chant about a new beginning with the gates flung open wide to receive the King who we pray will arrive this week. This is our Sunday prayer and need. As we begin a new week of work and worldly involvements, we leave Shabbat in the rear-view mirror, and continue to anticipate a future filled with all the promises of a world, created and possessed by God, which will soon also be filled with God's revealed presence. Walk thru separated His works and reigned over them (31a). This requires a little David HaMelech's explanation. On YOM SHEINI, God said, "Let there be an expanse T'hilim (RAKI'A) in the midst of the water, with Rabbi David Walk that it may separate water from water." God made the expanse, and it Ed. note: This is a new column in which Rabbi separated the water which was below Walk will present one perek of T'hilim each week. We have decided to begin with Shir shel Yom the expanse from the water which was above the expanse. And it was so Perek 48 (B'reishit 1:6-7). DAY TWO: UNCERTAINTY Even this doesn't totally clear up the mater, because T'hilim 48 may Monday, Monday, can't trust that reference oceans (verse 5), but it day. Having grown up with the really is all about Yerushalayim. Mamas and the Papas singing about Actually, on further consideration their misgivings about Monday this makes a lot of sense because just morning, I have a healthy skepticism as God separated the 'waters below' about Mondays in general. But this from the 'waters above', so God feeling about its vagaries comes from separated Yerushalayim from the the Diaspora where the work-week rest of the inhabitable universe, and begins on day 2, rather than day one set the Divine Throne there (Rashi). of the week. Bearing that in mind, we Yerushalayim is also the interface Jews also have misgivings about point between this realm (OLAM Mondays because YOM SHEINI is only HAZEH) and the Divine precincts. day of Creation Week, when God Therefore, the SHIR SHEL YOM for doesn't say, 'And it was good.' So, we YOM SHENI discusses YERUSHALA- begin to explore the SHIR SHEL YOM YIM, which reminds us of the divide for day 2 with a little trepidation. between the physical and spiritual. Let's begin with the famous Talmudic This idea of separation is fully statement in Rosh Hashana explain- explored in chapter 48. The Psalm's ing the choice of the daily Psalms: On description of Yerushalayim empha- Monday, they (the Leviyim) would sizes its separateness. The text sing "Great is the Lord, and highly to begins by describing the impregnable be praised in the city of our God, our nobility of Yerushalayim: Lovely in its holy mountain (Psalm 48)", as He elevation, distant extremity (verse 3), In Jerusalem, one cannot escape famed as a fortress (verse 4), Kings God's presence. Jerusalem is an saw it and were dumbfounded, antidote for feelings of alienation and panicked, and dismayed (verse 5). abandonment... Magically, mysteri- Take note of the description towards ously God feels close to us when we the end: Walk about Tziyon, go all are in His Holy City... the closeness to around her; count her towers. Take God that we feel there dispels the note of her ramparts, view her dark clouds of sadness and despair bastions, to recount to the last (Koren Psalms, p. 238). God's great- generation (verses 13-14). est kindness (CHESED) is to bridge the gaps in our existence. Please, note the different tone from the earlier description (verses 3-5), Rav Kook and his students saw in this and the latter account (13-14). At the verse an allusion to prayer. Prayer is beginning the Singer describes the an act of imagination (DIMYON). Rav impossibility of conquering Yeru- Ya'akov Moshe Charlop, among the shalayim, its inviolability. We'll ignore closest students of Rav Kook, wrote the irony that Yerushalayim has been to his son in America that through conquered dozens of times. However, the DIMYON referred to in our verse, towards the end of the Psalm the one can extend the atmosphere of emphasis is on the boundaries.