Tehilim Perek 75

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 75.

This perek expresses thanks to God and hopes for His help in times of need.

Although this perek is written as if Yisrael is saying this, the meforshim point out that it can be understood on the level of Asaph giving thanks after experiencing a personal salvation.

It can also refer to the times of the final redemption, when God will show the world that He’s the true Judge, and can order world events as He sees fit.

The chapter opens with Yisrael expressing thanks to Hashem, in that we’re constantly expressing His wonders.

When Hashem decides, He will judge the earth with fairness. The entire earth will “dissolve.” All will know that God is the true and only Source of existence.

It may look, at times, that certain people are causing events to occur, but thinking that there are powers other than God is like Idol worship.

Asaph tells the skeptics, “Don’t raise your horn” by speaking with arrogance towards God. God is the true judge, and lowers and raises whomever He sees fit.

Verse 1 says:

לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ אַל־תַּשְׁחֵ֑ת מִזְמ֖וֹר לְאָסָ֣ף שִֽׁיר׃

For the conductor, a plea not to be destroyed. A psalm of Asaph, a song.

The Ramad Walli asks why this perek opens up with words “Al tishaches,” a plea that destruction not occur. Every day the reshaim and impeding negative forces want to destroy the world, he answers. If not for the tefilos of the tzaddikim, the world would be destroyed—their tefilos hold up the world.

The perek opens with a plea for the world not to be destroyed because Asaph was davening for it to be saved.

The Gemara in Brachos explains that God is not like mortal man. Humans are unhappy when defeated, but when we are victorious over God through prayer, He is happy that we won!

Many times a chapter will open with the word “L’minatzeach. “T he word comes from “minatse’ach,” which means to be victorious over someone.

When we pour out our hearts to God, in a way we have the ability to rule over Him by defeating Him with our tefilah.

God sustains the world through the prayers of the tzaddikim who are constantly praying for the welfare of mankind.

In verse 9, Asaph relates that God has a cup full of strong potent wine. Evil will drink this powerful wine, which will lead to their demise.

He proclaims his trust that God will raise up the horns of the Tzaddikim.

May we merit believing that our tefilos have an impact, and that we can actually defeat bad decrees with tefilah

Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.