~ Open your hands and satisfy all creatures according to Your will ~
There is a well known verse of Tehillim (Psalms) which we say three times a day.
This pasuq contains a particularity; it must be said with kavana- we must pay attention to the meaning, and internalize the message within it. Found in psalm 145, Tehila LeDavid (Ashre’), it is the 16th pasuq and reads, “Poteach ‘et yadecha, Umasbia lekhol chai ratson…” The conventional translation is: [You, HaShem,] Open Your hands, and satisfy all creatures according to Your will.” It seems to be that the pasuq here is referring to the hands of God- an obvious metaphor- and indicates that our Creator permanently “opens His hands,” providing the food and sustenance which all living beings need.
Within the animal kingdom, HaShem designed a highly sophisticated, miraculous mechanism. Scientists like to refer to it as the “food chain.” This ecological mechanism allows each creature of the forest, jungle, and sea alike, to have what to eat.
Similar to the other living creators, human beings also find our sustenance within plants and other animals. But there is one particular element corresponding exclusively to the human race; those who have food, or those who have extra; feed those who do not have food, or those who have less.
Not only do we not eat eachother, but we also have the capacity, which no other living being has, for solidarity and altruism.
So, returning to our verse, what role does our Creator play in the human food chain?
As we know, the Tora in its overall Text allows us (or rather, requires us) to multiple interpretations. There are literal interpretations (peshat), and non literal ones (derash). In this case, we will obtain an interpretation strictly conforming to the literal meaning of the Text that will provide us with an answer to our question.
In Hebrew vocabulary, verbs in the present tense are issued in the same form for first, second, or third person- singular. For example, “I write,” “you write,” or “he writes” are all translated into Hebrew as, “koteb.” In our case, the first word of our verse, “poteach,” can then be read as we did previously “[You, HaShem,] open Your hands and satisfy all creatures according to Your will.”
However, the first three words of this verse can be given a different interpretation, without violating its literal meaning. Let me suggest an alternate translation: “[HaShem] opens your (the readers) hand, and thus satisfies all creators according to His will.”
In this second reading, using “poteach,” as a transitive verb, the Creator opens our hands to satisfy the hunger of other human beings. HaShem opens our hands to help those who do not have what to eat.
How does God open our hands?
The answer is found in this week’s Perasha, Re-e. In 15:7, the Text mentions the misva of Tsedaqa. HaShem asks us not to close our hands when our fellow Israelite is in need, “לא תקפוץ את ידך מאחיך האביון.” And the words used in the next verse, 15:8, are impossible to not associate with our verse in Tehillim.
The eighth pasuq reads, “For you must open your hand… [to your brother in need] and you will provide him with all that he needs” (פתוח תפתח את ידך לו). According to our interpretation, HaShem is opening our hands through the misva of Tsedaqa; and by opening our hands, grants each person with the food that they need.
Through the misva of tzedaqa, we become an instrument of God in part of the human-chain. The chain of hessed, that HaShem has implemented through our hands so everyone has what to eat…
And thus, His will is fulfilled.
Shabbat Shalom.
