Tehilim Perek 9B

Welcome to NachDaily, covering the entire TANACH one perek at a time. I’m Rabbi Shaya Sussman, and today we’ll be continuing Tehilim, perek tes.

Just a quick recap – this perek discusses Dovid’s gratitude towards Hashem. We also said that, on a deeper level, there are references to Mashiach.

On the subject of gratitude, the Chovov Halevavos, Sha’ar Avodas Elokim, is entirely dedicated to the topic of serving Hashem from hakaras hatov and happiness as opposed to serving Him due to the concept of reward and punishment. [It is valuable to study the actual Sha’ar itself.]

While they are both valid, the Chovos Halavavos explains, a person should serve Hashem out of the wonderful feeling of wanting to give back. The more good that a person receives, the more obligated one is to respond in kind.

Hashem gave the greatest amount of good to Am Yisrael. We are obligated, therefore, to give back to Hashem by performing the six hundred and thirteen Mitzvos.

How do we get to that feeling of gratitude? The answer is in the words themselves. Hakaras HaTov literally means to recognize the good. We need to become experts in searching out and finding the good in all of our lives’ situations, especially in ourselves. When we search for the good, the feeling of gratitude naturally emerges from our being.

By searching for the good in life, a person becomes more optimistic and it becomes easier to trust in Hashem.

God is a bastion for the downtrodden, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know your name trust in You, for You have not abandoned those who trust in You, O God.

The Malbim explains that Am YIsrael, who are considered people who “know Your name,” trust that God won’t bring harm upon them forever. Even if it appears that God has left us, we know deep down that it’s only temporary.

Sing a song to the God, who reigns in Zion; declare His deeds among the peoples.

Sichos Haran gives excellent advice for drawing close to Hashem – just sing a Niggun! Even if you’re alone, you can sing. Zamru L’Hashem! As we mentioned in the Introduction to NachDaily Tehilim, the sefer was written to correspond to the ten types of music.

Each of the perakim in Tehilim can be sung; most were even written for musical accompaniment.

Don’t be embarrassed to sing in front of others, and don’t be embarrassed to sing by yourself in front of Hashem!

For He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted; He who requites bloodshed is mindful of them. Have mercy on me, O God; see my affliction at the hands of my enemies, You who lift me from the gates of death, so that in the gates of Fair Zion I might tell all Your praise, I might exult in Your deliverance.

Rashi relates that this refers to the national suffering of the Jews during exile and the happiness that the nation will feel when they return to Eretz Yisrael in song.

It is really a wondrous and amazing thing that the rebuilding, resettling and repopulating of Eretz Yisrael has begun.

Someone who lives in Nachalot recently told me, with a big smile, that he wakes up to the sound of construction every morning. The Neviim all prophesied that one day the Jews will rebuild the ancient ruins of Yerushalym and Eretz Yisrael. Hashem is paving the way for the final redemption, when the entire Jewish nation will be lifted up from its depression and see that God has saved them.

The rest of the Pessukim follow suit with the explanation of Rashi and others that this perek means that in the times of Mashiach, God will lift up Yisrael and lower the nations of the world.

The nations sink in the pit they have made; their own foot is caught in the net they have hidden.The LORD has made Himself known: He works judgment; the wicked man is snared by his own devices. Higgaion. Selah. Let the wicked be in Sheol, all the nations who ignore God! Not always shall the needy be ignored, nor the hope of the afflicted forever lost. Rise, O LORD! Let not men have power; let the nations be judged in Your presence. Strike fear into them, O LORD; let the nations know they are only men.Selah.

Have a good day.