Tehilim Perek 61

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 61.

Dovid wrote this perek when he was “on the edge of the earth.”

Metsudos explains that this refers to a time when he was fighting a war in the distant land of Aram. Rashi learns that Dovid was actually in Yerushlayim, but his army was fighting far away.

The Radak says that Dovid wrote this when he was in the land of the Plishtim, on the run from King Shaul. He also explains that Dovid said this about the future exile of the Jewish nation.

In the first part of the chapter, Dovid proclaims his faith in God as “my refuge and tower of strength,” referring to the countless times that He had saved him.

In the second half, Dovid adds a prayer for the king to have a long life and for the king’s descendants to be the eternal heirs to the throne. The king is both referring to Dovid himself, and to the king Mashiach who will reign supreme at the time of the final redemption. Dovid’s only desire was to come close to God for his entire life.

Dovid ends in verse 9 by stating that he will sing God’s praises forever.

Verse 5 says:

אָג֣וּרָה בְ֭אָהָלְךָ עוֹלָמִ֑ים אֶֽחֱסֶ֨ה בְסֵ֖תֶר כְּנָפֶ֣יךָ סֶּֽלָה׃

I will dwell in Your tent forever. I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah.

Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlop asks why Dovid says, “I will live in your ‘olamim,’ worlds, forever,” instead of using the word “olam,” world, in the singular. The Gemarah, in Yevmos 96B asks, based on the passuk, is it even possible to live in two worlds? The answer is that when something is repeated in the name of a Torah scholar, that person’s lips move in the grave.

Dovid prayed for people to say things in his name after he dies so that his lips will move even in the grave.

Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlop asks what’s the point of a person’s lips moving in the grave? What does that accomplish?

The body needs the soul and the soul needs the body. Neither one alone can attain a portion in the World to Come. They are dependent on one another to attain higher places in Olam Habah.

Saying a piece of Torah in a scholar’s name creates a union of the deceased person’s body and soul, which advances his spot in Olam Habah.

Therefore Dovid was asking God for two worlds. If people will repeat things in his name after his death, he will continue to rise further and further in the World to Come.

May we merit not waiting until after we die to attain the World to Come. Let us truly appreciate the relationship between the body and soul in this world, while we’re still here on earth, to further our portions in Olam Habah.

Thank you for listening and have a wonderful day.