The
commentary Midrash Tehillim remarks on Psalm 18 as follows: “To the conductor
for the servant of Hashem” (Psalm 18:1). It is written, “to You is the day and
to You even is the night”, (Psalm 74). Rabbi Yuden says in the name of Rabbi
Judah that everything that David said in his book applies to himself and to all
Israel and to all times. He said before Him, Ribono shel olam, you performed miracles
for us at night and we sang a song at night as it says, “at night a song was
with me”, (Psalm 42). It also says, “This song will be to you like the night on
which the festival was sanctified”, (Isaiah 30:29). You did miracles for us in
the day and we said to You a song in the day as it says, “the day Hashem
rescued him”, (Psalm 18:1).
Based
on this it is tradition to say Psalm 18 when a miracle is done on a person’s
behalf. Because a very great miracle, the parting of the Red Sea, occurred on
the last day of Passover, many congregations say it on that day.
Rashi
comments that this Psalm was written when King David was very old, after all of
his troubles had passed, and he had been saved from them. The Malbim develops
this idea explaining that he recounts two types of providence and salvation.
The first is providence through the medium of nature. This comes through our
actions. Only Hashem delivers us because of our prayers and by means of a
natural agency. The second is through providence and deliverance by means of
open miracles which are supernatural. When our actions give us this merit no
prayer is needed, because Hashem has given us a miracle to publicly display.
The
Psalm captures the feelings, particularly the exhilaration, a person experiences
when they have been saved by a miracle. It starts by saying that I love you
Hashem. It then goes into detail about the strength that G-d has provided
saying He is a high rock, fortress, shield, shelter, and herald of deliverance.
Next it describes how horrible the problems were. “The bonds of hell surrounded
me and the snares of death were ahead of me”, Psalm 18:5).
It continues that in the midst of his troubles he called out to G-d and his
prayer reached His ears.
What
follows is elaborate description of the miraculous rescue. The earth shook and
the mountains quaked. HaKadosh Baruch Hu was so furious about the troubles that
were inflicted on him that smoke came out of His nose and fire came out of his
mouth. He then harnessed an angel and flew to earth on the wings of the wind.
After that G-d shot his enemies with arrows, struck them with lightening, and
rained hail and burning coals on them. In addition G-d gave David so much
strength that he could chase after his enemies relentlessly until they were
completely destroyed. The deliverance was so incredible that he could see what
the world really was about.
King
David also proudly tells why the miracles he experienced were deserved. He
explains that G-d granted him recompense according to his righteousness and the
purity of his actions. The law was always on his mind and he did not depart
from it in his actions. He comments that G-d is devoted to the devoted, sincere
with the sincere, and pure with the pure. However with those that are stubborn,
Hashem is perverse.
Just
like the psalm began with praise and thanksgiving it ends with praise and
thanksgiving. He thanks the living G-d for exacting vengeance on his enemies.
Next he says that he will give thanks in the presence of nations to G-d’s
repute he will sing praises. The very last line is a praise that G-d magnifies
salvation to His king and is kind to his anointed, namely David and his
children forever. These are the same ideas as the Song of Moshe Rabenu after
the parting of the Red Sea and the recitation of the Hallel in our religious
services.
לע"נ
ה אמה מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טז בנוסן תשנ"ח
העלון ניתן לקבל בדואר אלקטרוני וגם באתר
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