Tehilim Perek 18C

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 yud ches. This is the third shiur in a series of four on this perek.

Dovid sang this song to God at the end of his life, after having been miraculously saved dozens of times. It is fitting for anyone who experiences a miracle to recite this kapital.

Chizkiyahu, king of Yehudah, was destined to be Mashiach, but he failed to express his gratitude to Hashem after experiencing great miracles. The entire world is still in its low state because a Jew failed to sing to Hashem!

I once heard from a Rabbi of mine that when Yaakov was wrestling with the Sar shel Esav – the Angel of Esav, he was hit in the leg. Why did the angel hit Yaakov specifically in the leg?

The answer is that the Sar Shel Esav wanted to stop a Jew from dancing! He would do anything to make a person feel stressed and depressed. We can learn from this that we need to make ourselves happy by singing and dancing to Hashem.

וַיָּֽשֶׁב־יְהוָ֣ה לִ֣י כְצִדְקִ֑י כְּבֹ֥ר יָ֝דַ֗י לְנֶ֣גֶד עֵינָֽיו׃

God recompenses me in accord with my righteousness, in accord with the cleanliness of my hands is his sight.

עִם־חָסִ֥יד תִּתְחַסָּ֑ד עִם־גְּבַ֥ר תָּ֝מִ֗ים תִּתַּמָּֽם׃ עִם־נָבָ֥ר תִּתְבָּרָ֑ר וְעִם־עִ֝קֵּ֗שׁ תִּתְפַּתָּֽל׃

With the pious, You are pious, with the innocent man, You are innocent. With the pure, You are pure, and with the crooked, You are cunning.

All the Meforshim explain that Hashem deals with a person “mida k’neged mida,” which means that the way you interact with the world is the way the world interacts with you.

People who are always negative, complaining that things are bad, usually receive what they put into life.

כִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה עַם־עָנִ֣י תוֹשִׁ֑יעַ וְעֵינַ֖יִם רָמ֣וֹת תַּשְׁפִּֽיל׃ כִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה תָּאִ֣יר נֵרִ֑י יְהוָ֥ה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י יַגִּ֥יהַּ חָשְׁכִּֽי׃

For You redeem the destitute people and humble haughty eyes. You kindle my lamp; God, my Lord, lights up my darkness.

There’s a sweet Malbim over here that says that You kindle my lamp is referring to the Divinity contained in each person’s soul, the Chelek Elokay m’ma’al. Ner Hashem nishmas adom, God illuminates the soul of every human. My Lord lights up my darkness refers to the physicality that weighs us down. The more in touch we are with the pure spark of Godliness that’s inside of ourselves, and connect to the goodness we possess, the more the darkness will begin to dissipate. The body becomes influenced by the soul, creating harmony between physicality and spirituality.

Reb Nosson, in Hilchos Hashchar, takes this a step deeper. The entire purpose of the Neshama being sent down to this world is to illuminate the darkness of the body and physical world. The soul is drawn down from the Ratzon H’Elyon – God’s deepest desire.

Therefore, a person’s desire and longing to come close to the Creator is like the relationship of the soul to the body. One’s strong ratzon and yearning to come close to God illuminates the darkness of the body.

כִּֽי־בְ֭ךָ אָרֻ֣ץ גְּד֑וּד וּ֝בֵֽאלֹהַ֗י אֲדַלֶּג־שֽׁוּר׃ ָאֵל֮ תָּמִ֪ים דַּ֫רְכּ֥וֹ אִמְרַֽת־יְהוָ֥ה צְרוּפָ֑ה מָגֵ֥ן ה֝֗וּא לְכֹ֤ל ׀ הַחֹסִ֬ים בּֽוֹ׃ כִּ֤י מִ֣י אֱ֭לוֹהַּ מִבַּלְעֲדֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וּמִ֥י צ֝֗וּר זוּלָתִ֥י אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

With You, I can rush a battalion, with my God I can scale a wall .God’s way is perfect, God’s word is pure, He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. Truly, who is God except the LORD, who is a rock, other than our God?

The only reason that Dovid, or any person, is able to take on a battalion is because the soul desires to illuminate the darkness of the proverbial “enemies’ camp,” which is the darkness of this world.

הָ֭אֵל הַמְאַזְּרֵ֣נִי חָ֑יִל וַיִּתֵּ֖ן תָּמִ֣ים דַּרְכִּֽי׃ מְשַׁוֶּ֣ה רַ֭גְלַי כָּאַיָּל֑וֹת וְעַ֥ל בָּ֝מֹתַ֗י יַעֲמִידֵֽנִי׃ מְלַמֵּ֣ד יָ֭דַי לַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וְֽנִחֲתָ֥ה קֶֽשֶׁת־נְ֝חוּשָׁ֗ה זְרוֹעֹתָֽי׃

The God who girded me with might, who made my way perfect, who made my legs like a deer’s, and let me stand firm on the heights, who trained my hands for battle, my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

וַתִּתֶּן־לִי֮ מָגֵ֪ן יִ֫שְׁעֶ֥ךָ וִֽימִינְךָ֥ תִסְעָדֵ֑נִי וְֽעַנְוַתְךָ֥ תַרְבֵּֽנִי׃ תַּרְחִ֣יב צַעֲדִ֣י תַחְתָּ֑י וְלֹ֥א מָ֝עֲד֗וּ קַרְסֻלָּֽי׃

You have given me the shield of Your protection. Your right hand has sustained me, Your care has made me great. You have let me stride on freely, my feet have not slipped.

Be”H, we will finish this perek in the next shiur.

Thank you for listening and have a wonderful day.