Tehilim Perek 18B

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 second shiur in a series of 4 on this perek, which is a song that Dovid sang to Hashem at the end of his life, when He had saved him from his enemies.

Interestingly, this is one of ten “songs’ recorded in Tanach. The first four were song by Moshe and Yisrael during the exodus and in the desert. The fifth was by Yehoshua, and the sixth by Devorah and Barak. The seventh is our perek, which was sang by Dovid, the eighth is chapter thirty in Tehilim and was sung by Shlomo Hamelech. The ninth was sung by Yehoshaphat, king of Yehudah, and the tenth will be sung b’m’heira b’yameinu when Mashiach reveals himself to the world.

The perek now turns its attention to God’s greatness and omnipotence. Many of the upcoming pessukim refer to how Hashem saved Am Yisrael in the times of the Egyptian exile.

וַתִּגְעַ֬שׁ וַתִּרְעַ֨שׁ ׀ הָאָ֗רֶץ וּמוֹסְדֵ֣י הָרִ֣ים יִרְגָּ֑זוּ וַ֝יִּתְגָּֽעֲשׁ֗וּ כִּי־חָ֥רָה לֽוֹ׃ עָ֘לָ֤ה עָשָׁ֨ן ׀ בְּאַפּ֗וֹ וְאֵשׁ־מִפִּ֥יו תֹּאכֵ֑ל גֶּ֝חָלִ֗ים בָּעֲר֥וּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ וַיֵּ֣ט שָׁ֭מַיִם וַיֵּרַ֑ד וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל תַּ֣חַת רַגְלָֽיו׃ וַיִּרְכַּ֣ב עַל־כְּ֭רוּב וַיָּעֹ֑ף וַ֝יֵּ֗דֶא עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רֽוּחַ׃

Then the earth rocked and quaked; the foundations of the mountains shook, rocked by His indignation; smoke went up from His nostrils, from His mouth came devouring fire; live coals blazed forth from Him. He bent the sky and came down, thick cloud beneath His feet. He mounted a cherub and flew, gliding on the wings of the wind.

There’s a beautiful Medresh Tehilim on this that brings the metaphor of a King who saw his son, the prince, being taken captive. The King realized that there was no time to wait for his chariot to be readied. He immediately grabbed one of the horses from the royal chariot and swiftly rode to rescue the prince.

Likewise, God took one of the Cheruvim from His Throne of Glory to pursue the Egyptians and save his children.

יָ֤שֶׁת חֹ֨שֶׁךְ ׀ סִתְר֗וֹ סְבִֽיבוֹתָ֥יו סֻכָּת֑וֹ חֶשְׁכַת־מַ֝֗יִם עָבֵ֥י שְׁחָקִֽים׃ מִנֹּ֗גַהּ נֶ֫גְדּ֥וֹ עָבָ֥יו עָבְר֑וּ בָּ֝רָ֗ד וְגַֽחֲלֵי־אֵֽשׁ׃ וַיַּרְעֵ֬ם בַּשָּׁמַ֨יִם ׀ יְֽהוָ֗ה וְ֭עֶלְיוֹן יִתֵּ֣ן קֹל֑וֹ בָּ֝רָ֗ד וְגַֽחֲלֵי־אֵֽשׁ׃ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח חִ֭צָּיו וַיְפִיצֵ֑ם וּבְרָקִ֥ים רָ֝ב וַיְהֻמֵּֽם׃ וַיֵּ֤רָא֨וּ ׀ אֲפִ֥יקֵי מַ֗יִם וַֽיִּגָּלוּ֮ מוֹסְד֪וֹת תֵּ֫בֵ֥ל מִגַּעֲרָ֣תְךָ֣ יְהוָ֑ה מִ֝נִּשְׁמַ֗ת ר֣וּחַ אַפֶּֽךָ׃

He made darkness His screen; dark thunderheads, dense clouds of the sky were His pavilion round about Him. Out of the brilliance before Him, hail and fiery coals pierced His clouds. Then the LORD thundered from heaven, the Most High gave forth His voice— hail and fiery coals. He let fly His shafts and scattered them; He discharged lightning and routed them. The ocean bed was exposed; the foundations of the world were laid bare by Your mighty roaring, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

Radak says that the simple meaning is that God brings judgment and decrees upon His enemies. He then hides His Presence and leaves the enemies up to their own devices to deal with the heavenly decree.

Reb Nosson in Hilchos Arvis explains the deeper meaning of the words, He made darkness His screen. God’s “Ohr Ain Sof – Infinite light” is impossible to receive directly. Therefore, in His infinite kindness, He hid this great light amidst darkness and clouds. Hashem was mitzetzem – He constricted His light for us to be able to receive it a little bit at a time, just as wearing sunglasses allows us to look at the sun.

Therefore, any difficulty or suffering that a person experiences comes from God’s great kindness in allowing us to receive His awesome light. We can be happy despite our suffering, and hopeful that God is preparing to send us more of His awesome light. Never give up!

יִשְׁלַ֣ח מִ֭מָּרוֹם יִקָּחֵ֑נִי יַֽ֝מְשֵׁ֗נִי מִמַּ֥יִם רַבִּֽים׃ יַצִּילֵ֗נִי מֵאֹיְבִ֥י עָ֑ז וּ֝מִשֹּׂנְאַ֗י כִּֽי־אָמְצ֥וּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

He reached down from on high, He took me; He drew me out of the mighty waters; He saved me from my fierce enemy, from foes too strong for me.

Dovid recalls the great miracles that Hashem did for him. In the following pessukim, he expresses gratitude for every aspect of being saved. This teaches us how important it is to open our mouths and start thanking God!

יְקַדְּמ֥וּנִי בְיוֹם־אֵידִ֑י וַֽיְהִי־יְהוָ֖ה לְמִשְׁעָ֣ן לִֽי׃ וַיּוֹצִיאֵ֥נִי לַמֶּרְחָ֑ב יְ֝חַלְּצֵ֗נִי כִּ֘י חָ֥פֵֽץ בִּֽי׃ יִגְמְלֵ֣נִי יְהוָ֣ה כְּצִדְקִ֑י כְּבֹ֥ר יָ֝דַ֗י יָשִׁ֥יב לִֽי׃ כִּֽי־שָׁ֭מַרְתִּי דַּרְכֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־רָ֝שַׁ֗עְתִּי מֵאֱלֹהָֽי׃

They confronted me on the day of my calamity, but God was my support. He brought me out to freedom; He rescued me because He was pleased with me. God rewarded me according to my merit; He requited the cleanness of my hands; for I have kept God’s ways, and have not been guilty before my God;

כִּ֣י כָל־מִשְׁפָּטָ֣יו לְנֶגְדִּ֑י וְ֝חֻקֹּתָ֗יו לֹא־אָסִ֥יר מֶֽנִּי׃ וָאֱהִ֣י תָמִ֣ים עִמּ֑וֹ וָ֝אֶשְׁתַּמֵּ֗ר מֵעֲוֺנִֽי׃

for I am mindful of all His rules; I have not disregarded His laws. I have been blameless toward Him, and have guarded myself against sinning;

First Dovid says that he is mindful of all His “Mishpatav-Rules.” After that it says that he also keeps Hashem’s “Chukav – laws.” The Malbim explains that Mishpatim are laws that are logical to keep, they make sense to us. Chukav are laws that are incomprehensible to the human mind, yet we are commanded to keep them.

Dovid said that he kept even the laws which are understandable only because God told him to, and not because he understood them.

Despite the many fringe benefits of keeping mitzvos, Dovid said that at the end of the day he keeps them because he has strong emunah and faith in God, not because they make sense to him.

This is the end of passuk 24. B’ezras Hashem, we’ll pick up where we left off in the next shiur.

Thank you for listening and have a wonderful day.