Tehilim Perek 34A

Welcome to NachDaily, covering the entire TANACH one perek at a time. I’m Rabbi Shaya Sussman, and today we’ll be discussing Tehilim, chapter 34. Due to the length of this perek, we’ll split into two shiurim.

Dovid composed this in the order of the aleph-beis in gratitude to Hashem. As previously mentioned, any perek that was said in congruence with the aleph-beis was considered extra special by Dovid.

Here he relates God’s responsiveness to those in need, as Hashem rescues the Tzaddikim who seek refuge in Him. Dovid expresses his emunah and gratitude to Hashem with expressions such as, “I bless God constantly!” “Those who look towards God receive from His radiance.” “God hears the prayers of the poor.” Those who “search out God will never lack any good.”

In verses 12 through 15, Dovid offers advice on how to develop yiras Shamayim- fear of Heaven. “Who is the person who loves his days and wants to see good?” Watch your speech, turn away from evil, do good deeds, and pursue peace.

Dovid ends the chapter by relating how Hashem protects the righteous who pursue a good and steady path in life and punishes the reshaim. Those who sincerely take refuge in God will certainly never lose out.

This perek corresponds to Shmuel Aleph, perek 21. For more information, check out the NachDaily archives found at the bottom of this e-mail.

The perek begins with the words;

לְדָוִ֗ד בְּשַׁנּוֹת֣וֹ אֶת־טַ֭עְמוֹ לִפְנֵ֣י אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ וַֽ֝יְגָרֲשֵׁ֗הוּ וַיֵּלַֽךְ׃

Of David, when he feigned madness in the presence of Abimelech, who turned him out, and he left.

While Dovid was fleeing from Shaul, he left Eretz Yisrael for the city of Gas located in the land of the Plishtim. King Achash of Gas, also known as Avi-Melech, found out that Dovid was in his land. Achash, for his own reasons, wanted Dovid dead.

“Avi-Melech,” incidentally, was a general term used for any Plishti ruler, as was the name “Paroh” in Egypt.

Dovid, thinking quickly, faked insanity. He altered his demeanor to look like a meshugana, messing up his beard and drooling. He then scribbled on the walls that Achash owed him a million dollars!

His tactic worked. He was released and returned back to Eretz Yisrael.

Although Dovid escaped from Achash, who represents the husks of impurity, he attributed his victory to his tefilos, recognizing that it was Hashem who saved him. As we have seen many times, the main weapon of a Jew is prayer.

Rav Nosson M’Nemerov explains in Hilchos Nefilas Apyim that this is a valuable lesson in happiness. When a person has fallen to the lowest place and feels entrapped by the husks of impurity, often the only way to be saved is through simcha and meley d’shtusa – at times acting silly.

In other words, sometimes we need to just lighten up, let loose and have fun! When we go through life with a light-hearted feeling, we feel stronger and more confident to be able to deal with whatever comes our way.

Rav Nosson continues to explain that the Zohar describes Dovid Hamelech as the “badcha d’Malka – the court jester of the Queen,” which essentially means that he was, in a sense, making Hashem’s Shechina rejoice by bringing happiness every place he went. Even when Dovid would confess his sins to Hashem, he would always do it with an over arching tone of happiness.

In order to make it through galus, we need to make ourselves happy, bringing simcha into everything we do. Whether our struggle is emotional, financial, or being in a difficult relationship, by lightening up and striving to be happy, we’ll never lose. Even if another person wrongs, us our reactions are in our hands!

In return, we’ll feel stronger and more secure in dealing with our struggles.

As Yeshaya Hanavi famously said, “Ki besimcha taytsayu – With simcha you go out of exile.” With the trait of simcha, we’ll feel encouraged and stronger to be able to leave galus.

May we merit proper meley d’shtusa- light heartedness in the way of Dovid Hamelech, to save us and lift us out of our struggles.

We will hopefully finish the perek next time.

Thank you for listening and have a wonderful day.