Tehilim Perek 16B

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

The previous Shiur discussed pessukim aleph through daled. Dovid had begun this perek by asking Hashem to save him from the negative forces that were trying to bring him down. We left off with Dovid telling Hashem that he doesn’t want to go down the same negative and self-destructive paths that his enemies had followed. He spends the rest of the perek thanking Hashem for all the good he received.

We cannot stress this enough. Dovid seemingly had a miserable life with terrible things happening to him all the time, yet he constantly searched for the good.

The slightest movement that a person makes towards serving Hashem, no matter how small it may seem, is huge in His eyes. We need to be experts in searching for the good, finding the silver lining in the densest of clouds.

We are now ready to continue to passuk hey.

יְֽהוָ֗ה מְנָת־חֶלְקִ֥י וְכוֹסִ֑י אַ֝תָּ֗ה תּוֹמִ֥יךְ גּוֹרָלִֽי׃

God is my allotted share and portion; You control my fate.

The word “kosi” means my portion, but it also means my cup. Perhaps this ties in to what we previously mentioned, that Dovid searched for the good in all areas of his life. He always saw his cup as half full as opposed to half empty.

חֲבָלִ֣ים נָֽפְלוּ־לִ֭י בַּנְּעִמִ֑ים אַף־נַ֝חֲלָ֗ת שָֽׁפְרָ֥ה עָלָֽי׃

Delightful country has fallen to my lot; lovely indeed is my estate.

The Malbim says that Dovid was content with his lot in life.

אֲבָרֵ֗ךְ אֶת־יְ֭הוָה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְעָצָ֑נִי אַף־לֵ֝יל֗וֹת יִסְּר֥וּנִי כִלְיוֹתָֽי׃

I bless the LORD who has guided me; my conscience admonishes me at night.

As the Meforshim expain, not only during the day did Dovid follow Hashem’s wishes and learn His Torah, but he didn’t rest on the day’s accomplishments at night time, either.

The Ramad Walli points out that the night time referred to here is the metaphoric night, when all seems lost. When we feel that we can’t find our way, and wonder how we ever got to where we are, we must know that Hashem is there with us.

שִׁוִּ֬יתִי יְהוָ֣ה לְנֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִ֑יד כִּ֥י מִֽ֝ימִינִ֗י בַּל־אֶמּֽוֹט׃

I am ever mindful of the LORD’s presence; He is at my right hand; I shall never be shaken.

The simple meaning, as brought by Rashi, is that Dovid would always try to be aware of what Hashem expects of him.

The Ba’al Shem Tov explains the word shivisi to mean hishtavus, equanimity. A person should feel calm and balanced everywhere in life by understanding that there is no real difference between good and bad…everything is all from God.

It is well known that Reb Zusha from Annapoli, brother of the Noam Elimelech, had a very difficult life.

I was once zocheh to be at Reb Zusha’s kever with a certain Mashpia. He repeated, over and over again, “The person who suffered the most, didn’t even know what suffering was.” He said the words with such conviction and feeling that it left an indelible imprint on me.

Reb Zusha not only knew intellectually that everything God does is for the best; this emunah was ingrained in the fiber of his being.

For us, on our level, it’s not sufficient to know intellectually that God has a plan. We need to see the hand of God not just as a band aid, but to deeply connect, in the way of Reb Zusha, to true Divinity. To yearn for the day that God and His name will be recognized as One, when we’ll see through the illusion of creation and past the contradictions of life, to see the Oneness inherent in Creation.

לָכֵ֤ן ׀ שָׂמַ֣ח לִ֭בִּי וַיָּ֣גֶל כְּבוֹדִ֑י אַף־בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗י יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן לָבֶֽטַח׃ כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־תַעֲזֹ֣ב נַפְשִׁ֣י לִשְׁא֑וֹל לֹֽא־תִתֵּ֥ן חֲ֝סִידְךָ֗ לִרְא֥וֹת שָֽׁחַת׃

So my heart rejoices, my whole being exults, and my body rests secure. For You will not abandon me to Sheol, or let Your faithful one see the Pit.

תּֽוֹדִיעֵנִי֮ אֹ֤רַח חַ֫יִּ֥ים שֹׂ֣בַע שְׂ֭מָחוֹת אֶת־פָּנֶ֑יךָ נְעִמ֖וֹת בִּימִינְךָ֣ נֶֽצַח׃

You will teach me the path of life. In Your presence is perfect joy; delights are ever in Your right hand.

Thank you for listening and have a wonderful day.