Tetsaveh \ Psalm 130
Waiting for the New Day
1. A song of ascents. From the depths I have
called You, O Lord.
א. שִׁיר
הַמַּעֲלוֹת מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ ה':
2. O Lord, hearken to my voice; may Your
ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
ב. אֲדֹנָי
שִׁמְעָה בְקוֹלִי תִּהְיֶינָה אָזְנֶיךָ קַשֻּׁבוֹת לְקוֹל תַּחֲנוּנָי:
3. O God, if You keep [a record of]
iniquities, O Lord, who will stand?
ג. אִם
עֲוֹנוֹת תִּשְׁמָר קָהּ אֲדֹנָי מִי יַעֲמֹד:
4. For forgiveness is with You, in order
that You be feared.
ד. כִּי
עִמְּךָ הַסְּלִיחָה לְמַעַן תִּוָּרֵא:
5. I hoped, O Lord; yea, my soul hoped, and
I wait for His word.
ה. קִוִּיתִי
ה' קִוְּתָה נַפְשִׁי וְלִדְבָרוֹ הוֹחָלְתִּי:
6. My soul is to the Lord among those who
await the morning, those who await the morning.
ו. נַפְשִׁי
לַאדֹנָי מִשֹּׁמְרִים לַבֹּקֶר שֹׁמְרִים לַבֹּקֶר:
7. Israel, hope to the Lord, for kindness is
with the Lord and much redemption is with Him.
ז. יַחֵל
יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל ה' כִּי עִם ה' הַחֶסֶד וְהַרְבֵּה עִמּוֹ פְדוּת:
8. And He will redeem Israel from all their
iniquities.
ח. וְהוּא
יִפְדֶּה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכֹּל עֲוֹנוֹתָיו:
Samson Raphael Hirsch describes Psalm 130 as a study, “of the ways in
which the Jewish spirit can rise up even from the depth of that deepest misery
of all, misfortune coupled with the burden of guilt”. The Sforno comments on
calling out, “from the depths”, as the depths of the exile. It would seem that
the psalm is the prayer of one who has intentionally driven religion out of his
life through his own violations. As a result of intense troubles, the person
now is looking towards heaven for help and wishes to return to the faith. It
could be physical exile from the Holy Land as well as great personal
alienation.
The song asks G-d rhetorically, if you held onto sins who could endure.
This is building up to the idea that the petitioner is looking for a new day.
The sinner uses the fact that everybody commits sins from time to time in order
to face up to his own shortcomings and allow him to fulfill his desire to
change.
A number of high ideas are contained in the verse, “For with You is the
pardon in order that You should be feared”. The first is that one must
initially come to grips with Hashem, not something else, in order to receive
forgiveness. This is similar to the idea of the high holidays where on Rosh
Hashana one recognizes Hashem as the creator and king. After that on Yom Kippur
one can approach him for forgiveness. The next idea is that of forgiveness as a
vehicle for fear of Hashem. The Sforno sees this explained by the verses, “I
have cut off nations . . . I said in deed they will fear me and accept rebuke”,
(Tsefaniah 3:6-7), and, “Israel saw the great hand that Hashem did in Egypt and
the people feared Hashem”, (Exodus 14:31). This is an aspect of higher fear
where the fear is not based on an expected punishment rather the fear is based
on greatness and majesty. The idea is that seeing great wisdom and righteousness
in another can be intimidating. The vehicle for recognition of these high
qualities can be mercy and forgiveness.
Many of the commentaries understand yearning for the word of Hashem as
yearning for the fulfillment of the promised redemption. However, it can also
mean general insight and inspiration from heaven, which will give the person
the means to solve or cope with difficult problems. The psalm continues, “My
soul waits for my lord more so than a watchman waits for the morning, a
watchman waits for the morning”. Rashi comments that this is yearning for the
redemption which is repeated after every conclusion. The Sforno says that one
is fitting to be saved and to have vengeance exacted from those persecuting him,
because he hoped to Hashem and yearned for the redemption. The components of
repentance here are hoping to be forgiven, yearning for knowledge of religion,
and desiring a world governed by Torah principles.
The psalm concludes that Hashem will redeem Israel from all of its
iniquities. The Malbim comments, “This will be through removing the darkness of
night, in anticipation of the morning, and redeeming them at dawn”. Darkness
and night are expressions of ignorance and sin. Morning is an expression of a
new era of wisdom and righteousness. The Sforno comments, “All of the
iniquities are from the power of the exile, but they will not continue to cause
them to stumble when He will go out in their midst”. The clearest understanding, “Hashem will
redeem Israel from its iniquities”, is that He will help Israel to repent. This
is like the story in the Talmud (Shabbos 104a) about the Hebrew letter kuf,
which is part of anecdote about the letters of the Hebrew alphabet:
Kuf [stands for] Kadosh [holy]; Resh [for]
Rasha [wicked]: why is the face of the Kuf averted from, the Resh? The Holy
One, blessed be He, said “I cannot stand to look at the wicked”. Why is the
crown of the Kuf turned towards the Resh? The Holy One, blessed be He, says “If
he repents, I will bind a crown on him like Mine”. Why is the foot of the Kuf separate? [To show] that if he repents, he can enter
and be brought in [to God's favour] through this [opening]. This supports Resh
Lakish, for Resh Lakish said: What is meant by, “Surely he scorns the scorners,
but he gives grace to the lowly”, (Proverbs 3:34)? If one comes to defile himself, he is given an opening, if
one comes to cleanse himself, he is helped.
לע"נ
הסבתא טויבע בת יואל לייב ז"ל נלב"ע כה בשבט תשכ"ג
העלון ניתן לקבל בדואר אלקטרוני וגם באתר
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