Excerpt from the Kehot Tehillim in honor of 11 Nissan 5780 "The Rebbe's Kapitel" - Psalm 119 With commentary from the Talmud, Midrash, Kabbalah, classic commentators, and the Chasidic Masters c C Compiled by Rabbi Yosef B. Marcus KEHOT PUBLICATION SOCIETY 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York 11213 TEHILLIM BOOK OF PSALMS Published and Copyrighted © 2016 Second Printing 2017 by KEHOT PUBLICATION SOCIETY 770 Eastern Parkway / Brooklyn, New York 11213 (718) 774-4000 / Fax (718) 774-2718 [email protected] Orders: 291 Kingston Avenue / Brooklyn, New York 11213 (718) 778-0226 / Fax (718) 778-4148 www.kehot.com All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof, in any form, without prior permission, in writing, from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages. The Kehot logo is a trademark of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch. נסדר ע’’י הת’ שניאור זלמן בן מרדכי שלמה הכהן וברכה אסתר שיחיו הת’ שלום דובער בן הר’ יוסף וחסיא ליבא שיחיו והת’ יעקב הירש בן הר’ מאיר עזרה ואסתר גיטל שיחיו ISBN: 978-0-8266-0128-5 Printed in China Copyright © 2016 Kehot Publication Society Psalm 119 Day 25 Friday DAY 25 1 Fortunate are those whose way is artless, who walk David composed this prominent psalm 119 with the Torah of God. 2 Fortunate are those who guard in alphabetical His testimonies, who seek Him with all their hearts. sequence—eight verses for each letter. Every 3 Indeed, they have not done iniquity; they walked in His ways. verse contains one of the following words 4 You have commanded Your precepts to be observed diligently. (referring to different aspects of the Torah): Way, Torah, Testimony, Precept, Commandment, Statement (translated confined our souls within the ego’s self-oriented expresses his yearning with an abundance of praises for worldview. This realization triggers our heartfelt cry and Torah and mitzvot (Meiri). intensifies it until it reaches a crescendo of genuine David declares that God’s Torah is the path by which we soulful longing. And because this cry comes from the can attain eternal life. He begs God’s mercy for himself and core of the soul, it reaches, touches, and elicits the core all of Israel, that He guide us and help us to understand His of God. greatness and therefore revere Him, that we perceive the This idea is expressed in the present verse, in its goodness of His ways and thus love Him. Foreseeing the literal translation: From narrow straits I called to God; exile of his people, the ingathering of the exiles, the war of with a vast expanse, God answered me: to experience Gog, the birth pangs of Mashiach’s arrival and subsequent the limitless, vast expanse of God’s Essence, we must redemption, David arose and prayed for God’s deliverance first be conscious of the woeful narrow straits in which (Sforno; see verse 105). we find ourselves (Rabbi Shalom DovBer of Lubavitch).91 Almost every verse in the psalm contains at least one of ten terms that describe various elements of the Torah, explained in the chart below. Some verses contain two of PSALM 119 the terms. When the Psalmist refers to a particular term, he does not intend to exclude the other terms. [E.g., when he This psalm is the loftiest of all the Psalms (Ibn Yachya). says that those who guard God’s testimonies are fortunate, David prays that God help him to know God’s ways. David the same applies to those who guard His statutes.] expresses his intense desire for Godly knowledge and affirms The psalm includes a number of verses that David com- that his enemies will fail to distract him from his spiritual posed in times of distress or when he was fleeing his enemies. pursuit. At all times, his eyes and heart will be dedicated to When he composed the present psalm, he included these serving God and cleaving to the ways of Torah and mitzvot. verses, since they express his frustration over his difficul- He asks for God to help him succeed in these efforts. ties, which hindered his involvement with the Torah and With the Godly spirit with which he was graced, David wisdom (Radak).92 91. Sefer Hamaamarim 5671, p. 1. 92. Meiri counts an additional two terms: orach (path) and niflaot (wonders). Torah Aspect Radak Other Commentators A general term for all of the Torah (Meiri). Torah The Torah’s instructions regarding how A reference to one of the two Torahs— (instruction) the mitzvot should be performed. the Written Torah or the Oral Torah (Alef Binah). Refining one’s character traits by Derech Mitzvot that guide a person on the path adopting God’s ways—being kind (way or path) to refined character traits (Meiri). like God, merciful like God, etc. Mitzvot whose reasons have not Chukecha refers to positive commandments; Chukim been revealed (to the masses— chukotecha refers to negative commandments (statutes) Rabbi Avraham Ben-Ramoch). (Alef Binah). 240a Copyright © 2016 Kehot Publication Society תהלים קיט יום כה ליום ששי יום כה א ַאְׁשֵ֥רי ְת ִֽ֑מֵימָי־דֶרְך ַהֽהְֹל ִ֗כים ְּב ַ֥תֹורת ְיהָֺֽוה: ב ַ֭אְׁשֵרי זה המזמור נכבד מאד וחברו דוד על שמונה א"ב וכל אות קיט ג ח' פסוקים ובכל פסוק יש בו ֽ֣נְֹצֵרי ֵֽע ֑דָֹתיו ְּבָכ ֵ֥ל־לב ְִידְרֽׁשּוּהו: ַ֭אף לֹא ָֽ־פֲע֣לּו ַ֑עְוָלה דרך או תורה עדות פקודים מצוה אמירה דבור משפט ְִּבדָר ָ֥כיו ָה ָֽלּכו: ד ַ֭א ָּתה ִצִּ֥וָיתה ִפ ֻּק ֶ֗דיָך ִלְׁש֥מֹר ְמֽאֹד: ה ַֽ֭אֲחַלי ִי ּ֥כֹּנו צדק חקים, כל המזמור הוא מוסר ובקשות גדולות שמן הראוי לכל אדם לאמרו בכל יום והוא הכנה גדולה לעבודת הקדוש ברוך הוא )פר"ץ ב"ן דמ"ה סימן שבהם מלת עדותיך בוי"ו חולם(: Mitzvot whose description in the Torah Both positive and negative commandments Mitzvot contains the word mitzvah. (Alef Binah). Mishpatim The Torah’s laws that govern human This can refer either to Torah laws or to punishment (laws or judgments) interactions. that atones for sin (Alef Binah). Mitzvot that testify to and commemo- Eidot A reference to both the Written and Oral Torahs rate Jewish values, such as Shabbat, the (testimonies) (Alef Binah). Festivals, tzitzit, tefillin, and the like. Pikudim Mitzvot that are dictated by human logic Prayer (Alef Binah). (precepts) as well as by the Torah.93 Tzedek Justification of the commandments, Mitzvot that govern human interactions (Meiri). (righteousness) demonstrating their righteousness. Dibbur and Amirah 1. General terms that include all mitzvot; Dibbur refers to the Talmud, wherein God’s speech (statement, word, 2. God’s promises; 3. Dibbur alludes to is properly expounded and clarified. Amirah refers promise) God’s will in creation. to the secrets of the Torah (Alef Binah). Emunah (faith, truth, The fulfillment of His word in creation. trustworthiness) 93 Why Eight? David alludes to his desire to commit every element of The commentaries offer various suggestions as to why his being to the service of God (Meiri). David composed eight verses for each of the letters of the • The number eight alludes to the Jewish people, who are Aleph Bet. circumcised on the eighth day (Chazeh Tzion). • The number eight corresponds to eight means by which • Eight represents the miraculous, that which transcends wisdom is acquired: the five senses, information acquired the natural order, which is epitomized by the number from teachers, extrapolation, and faith (Radak). seven, as in the seven days of the week. The number eight • The number eight corresponds to eight elements of the self: therefore appears in the context of that which is beyond the five senses and three elements of the spirit—growth, the natural and rational. For example, the covenant of cir- desire, and intellect. By repeating eight verses per letter, cumcision, expressing the bond between us and God that transcends reason, occurs on the eighth day. Similarly, we received the Torah, which transcends this world, on the fiftieth day, after seven weeks of counting. In choosing 93. They are called pikudim, which is cognate to pikadon, “a deposit,” since these mitzvot are “deposited” and implanted in the human heart (Radak). eight verses per letter, David similarly affirms the tran- 240b Copyright © 2016 Kehot Publication Society Psalm 119 Day 25 Friday here as Word or 5 My wish is that my ways be directed to keep Your statutes. 6 Then Promise), Word, Judgment (or Laws), I will not be ashamed when I gaze upon all Your commandments, Righteousness, or Statute. Replete with morals since I will have fulfilled them. 7 I will give thanks to You with upright- and prayers, this psalm ness of heart, when I learn the judgments of Your righteousness. should be recited daily as a powerful 8 I will keep Your statutes superbly; do not forsake me. preparation for the service of God. (In verses beginning with 9 How can a lad keep his way pure? By observing Your word. 10 With one of the letters of the mnemonic PeReTZ all my heart I have sought You; do not let me stray from Your BeN DaMaH, the word commandments. 11 I have harbored Your word in my heart, that is pronounced ”עדותיך“ “eidvotecha.”) I might not sin against You. 12 Blessed are You, O God, teach me Your statutes. 13 With my lips, I have recounted all the judgments of Your mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, scendent nature of Torah and mitzvot (see Maharal, Ner 119:6 Mitzvah, p. 23). G MISPLACED HUMILITY H The early commentators do not seem to address whether Then I will not אָ ז ־ לֹֽ א אֵ ב ֹו ׁש בְּ הַ בִּ י טִ י אֶ ל־כָּל־מִצְ ֽ ֹותֶ יָך .there is a particular theme to each set of eight verses be ashamed when I gaze upon all Your Alshich, however, does point out certain themes.