Tehilim Perek 64

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 64.

The Ramad Walli explains that the connection between this chapter and the previous one is that they both deal with the plots of the reshaim, who are constantly trying to harm and pursue the tzaddkim. Even though the tzaddik knows that God will ultimately save him, he still feels the need to call out to Him in case he had inadvertently sinned. He knows that God desires the prayers of the tzaddikim.

Dovid prays to be saved from those who secretly conspire to kill him. He compares them to archers who secretly plan and wait for the right moment to kill the innocent. Dovid’s enemies also shot arrows, in the form of negative allegations and slander.

Dovid davens for Hashem to destroy his personal enemies. In verse 8, he emphatically states that “God will shoot them with an arrow.” Their speech will ultimately be their downfall when they are caught up in their web of deceit.

The psalm ends with Dovid stating that a righteous person can be happy with his Emunah.

Verse 2 says:

שְׁמַע־אֱלֹהִ֣ים קוֹלִ֣י בְשִׂיחִ֑י מִפַּ֥חַד א֝וֹיֵ֗ב תִּצֹּ֥ר חַיָּֽי׃

Hear my voice, O God, when I plead; guard my life from the enemy’s terror.

The Radak and the Malbim agree that Dovid said this psalm when he was running from King Shaul, and about Doeg Hadomi.

Rashi, however, brings the Medrash Tehilim which explains that Dovid wrote this perek with “ruach hakodesh,” Divine inspiration, about what took place in Sefer Daniel, chapter 6. As Daniel was a direct descendent of Dovid, it was written in the first person, as if Daniel was speaking.

This is the famous story that describes Daniel being thrown into a lion’s pit and miraculously saved. While Daniel was rising to power in the Persian Empire, Emperor Darius was particular fond of him. This caused a lot of jealousy amongst the high ranking officials. As they couldn’t find a way to present Daniel in a negative light to the Emperor, they sponsored a decree saying that anyone who prays in public will be killed.

Daniel did not stop praying three times a day, and was thrown into a pit of hungry lions. Miraculously, all of the lions subjugated themselves to Daniel, and he was unscathed. Emperor Darius then cast the conspirators into the lion pit, where they were immediately consumed.

Daniel, who constantly davened to Hashem, had the natural order of the world changed for him. The main weapon of a Jew is Tefilah, which Daniel used as his sword to subdue the lions.

Each of us has the ability to be “meshaneh hateva,” change the natural order of things, through pouring out our minds, hearts, and souls to God through thick and thin. We can constantly strengthen ourselves with renewed emunah, going deeper into the world of prayer.

May we merit following the ways of Dovid and Daniel, believing that our prayers actually have the ability to change nature because with God, anything is possible.

Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.