Tehilim Perek 16A

Welcome to NachDaily, covering the entire TANACH one perek at a time. I’m Rabbi Shaya Sussman, and today we’ll be discussing the first part of Tehilim perek tes zayin, through passuk daled.

In this perek, Dovid begins by asking God to save him from all the negative forces that were trying take him down. Dovid prays in a non-demanding way, and thanks Hashem for the goodness He’s received.

Parenthetically, this is also the first of the 10 perakim of Tehilim that make up the famous Tikkun Haklali of Reb Nachman of Breslov.

מִכְתָּ֥ם לְדָוִ֑ד שָֽׁמְרֵ֥נִי אֵ֝֗ל כִּֽי־חָסִ֥יתִי בָֽךְ׃

A michtam of David. Protect me, O God, for I seek refuge in You.

The Metsudos explains that the word michtam comes from kesem, which means fine gold. Dovid would treat this perek as if it were like fine gold.

Rashi and the Radak maintain that michtam is a type of tune or musical instrument that accompanied this perek.

This is hinted to in the word itself. Michtam can be read as a compound word, “mach- tam,” meaning low and complete, as this perek was sung in a low, full- sounding, complete voice.

The Gemarah in Sotah 10B explains that mach means humble, and tam means great, symbolizing Dovid’s midos.

Alternatively, the same Gemara in Sotah expounds that Dovid was born with his ‘makaso tama,” his wound intact, telling us that he had a Bris Milah before his birth.

אָמַ֣רְתְּ לַֽ֭יהוָה אֲדֹנָ֣י אָ֑תָּה ט֝וֹבָתִ֗י בַּל־עָלֶֽיךָ׃

I say to God, “You’re my God, my benefactor; there is none above You.”

According to Radak, Dovid was speaking directly to the Godliness inside himself, to his own soul. He was reminding his neshama to remember that it is a part of God, that there is nothing higher and above it!

We need to remind ourselves, every day, that our souls are the source of infinite power, the main part of who we are. We are all Divine in nature, wired for wisdom. We all possess unlimited resources of deeper feelings and wellbeing, no matter where we may find ourselves in life.

לִ֭קְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֣רֶץ הֵ֑מָּה וְ֝אַדִּירֵ֗י כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָֽם׃

For the holy ones who are in the land, and for the mighty- all my desires are fulfilled on account of them.

Rashi relates that Dovid was connecting himself to the Tzaddikim that are buried in the ground by saying that all his needs have been fulfilled in their merit.

We see from here that even after Tzaddikim die, they still have the ability to influence this world. The neshama, especially that of a Tzaddik who worked his entire life to see through the illusions of this world, is the essential part of a person. Hashem’s chesed allows the Tzaddik to still be involved here from on high.

Anyone who had been on a trip to kivrey Tzaddikim either in Eretz Yisroel, the Ukraine, Russia or any other place in the world, was able to feel that the Tzaddikiim are alive and well.

Dovid well understood that that Tzaddikim, after they die, are considered alive.

I once saw an awesome explanation of this in the sefer, “Shaarey Tzaddik.” The reason that Dovid set up his kingship in Chevron, where he ruled for 7 years, was because he wanted the aid of the Avos and Ema’hos that are buried in Maharas Hamachpalah.

יִרְבּ֥וּ עַצְּבוֹתָם֮ אַחֵ֪ר מָ֫הָ֥רוּ בַּל־אַסִּ֣יךְ נִסְכֵּיהֶ֣ם מִדָּ֑ם וּֽבַל־אֶשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁ֝מוֹתָ֗ם עַל־שְׂפָתָֽי׃

Those who espouse another [god] may have many sorrows! I will have no part of their bloody libations; their names will not pass my lips.

Those who don’t work on their relationship and connection with God, trusting instead in their avodah zarah, will endure much suffering, because what is life without hope and faith? Dovid is so repulsed by these false dieties that he refuses to even mention their names.

Be”H, we’ll finish the perek in the next shiur.

Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.