ִבקראי ענני א’  צדקי, בצר הרחבת לי חנני ושמע תפילתי

(4:2) My righteous God, answer me when I call to You. Grant me relief from my distress. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

The time is a time of war. The numerous enemies of King David seek his destruction. David is brave and is ready to fight. To defend himself. But first, David calls HaShem. He prays to Him. He is surrounded by by his enemies, and he asks HaShem to deliver him. To give him relief and listen to his prayer.

בני איש עד מה כבודי לבלימה תאהבון ריק , תבקשו כזב סלה

(4:3) How long will you people try to humiliate me? How long will you love delusions and seek lies?

Now, completely sure that haShem will answer his prayer, David addresses his enemies, the enemies of Israel.  He tells them: for how long you will keep provoking me? Humiliating me?  For how long you will fabricate lies and falsehood against me?

ודעו כי הפלה  ה’ חסיד לו ה’ ישמע בקרי אליו

(4:4) You should know that HaShem has chosen his faithful servant for Himself; HaShem hears when I call to him.

You, and those who fight against Israel should know that you will not prevail. We are HaShem’s chosen people. As such, we are expected to have an exemplary behavior and follow HaShem’s Tora.  And when we sin, HaShem is very strict with us. But, when we are right and the enemy seek to harm us or hurt us, HaShem listens to our Tefila. He will protect us against you.

רגזו ואל תחטאו, אמרו בלבבכם על משכבכם ודמו סלה

(4:5)  “Tremble and do not sin. Be fearful of God. And stop conspiring at night to destroy me”. 

When you get together at night, planning to attacking and destroying me the next day, it will be better for you to think it twice. It is better for you to calm down. and keep quiet. Because challenging the people of God is like challenging God Himself.

בשלום יחדיו אשכבה ואישן, כי אתה ה’ לבדד לבטח תושיבני

(4:8) I will lie down in peace and fall asleep. For you alone, HaShem, make me dwell in safety.

As for me, David says in this last pasuq, I have nothing to fear.  I can rest peacefully at night. I will fall asleep without feeling guilt or without fear. Because I know that you HaShem, You are with me. And you will protect me so I will dwell safely.

May HaShem protect those who protect Israel. AMEN.

The rabbis consider ‘shame’ (busha) as one of the three components of the Jewish ethico-genetical makeup. Together with the practice of benevolence (gemilut hasadim) and compassion (rahmanut). The Rabbis went as far as to say that whoever does not possesses the trait of shame “his ancestors did not stand at Mt. Sinai” (an euphemism to say that he might not be ethnically Jewish).

Besides seeing “shame” or “shyness” as an innate condition of the Jewish character, in complete contradiction with the alleged Jewish ‘chuptza’, the Rabbis explained that “shame” is a prerequisite for a perfect Teshuba (repentance).

Maimonides writes that when a man or a woman commits a sin… “they shall confess [or articulate] the sin they have done… by saying, `O Lord, I have sinned, I have transgressed and rebelled infront of You. I have done such and-such. And I am ashamed of my actions,  and I regret them and I will never do them again’.”

Besides the confession, the regret and the resolutions, the feeling of shame is a critical step for a sincere process of Teshuba.

Why?

Because unlike guilt, which is a private feeling, shame consists in the uncomfortable sensation of knowing that our flaws and misdeeds are known to others.   Feeling ‘shame’ while articulating our sins in front of God means therefore that we fully realize God’s Presence!

God is invisible. It is extremely challenging to be aware of His constant presence. Therefore, we are not easily ashamed of doing something wrong in front of God (=privately) as we are naturally ashamed of doing something wrong in front of other people. Now, feeling embarrassed of our transgressions in front of God means that we have achieved an elevated level of knowing God. It means that we are certain of His existence, and that His presence is so real to us as the presence of other people

Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakay blessed his students in its deathbed saying  יהי רצון שתהא מורא שמים עליכם כמורא בשר ודם . “May you be as fearful and respectful of God, as you are of people”. The surprised students said: “Is that all?”. Rabbi Yohanan explained to them that feeling God’s presence in the same way we feel the physical presence of other people, represents a very high level of Emuna (=practical faith).

The higher the state of our awareness of God’s presence, the higher the feeling of shame we feel when we confess in front of God. And vice-versa.

That would be a perfect a and complete Teshuba

We just want to live in peace. Fulfilling our highest aspiration, The people of Israel, in the land of Israel, with HaShem, our God, the God of Isra

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Today, I want to write about a very special Psalm, which I think is very appropriate for a time when our sons and brothers, the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, are risking their lives to protect Israel and create a better future for all of us. I dedicate this limmud to them.

The commentators, particularly Radaq, explain that King David composed this Psalm when he was fighting with the Philistines. I think that David probably composed this Psalm while on the battlefield. In the midst of combat. Why? Because the words, the imagery, the prayers, the wishes expressed in this Mizmor are those of a soldier who feels the closeness of the enemy and the possibility of death. The words of this Psalm do not describe the memories of a battle, but the battle itself: David’s feelings, vulnerability, wishes, and longings. King David is not a common man. Besides being a King and a soldier, he is also a poet. HaShem granted him the ability to put into words the turbulent flow of thoughts and emotions traversing his heart and mind in those difficult moments. But the most important thing that David HaMelech teaches us in this Psalm, what every Jewish soldier needs to remember, is that HaShem, our God, “goes to battle with us.” He is on our side, in the battlefield, next to every young Israeli soldier. As He was with David. It is this idea, the closeness of HaShem with those who fight to defend Am Israel, that gives us strength and hope that Am Israel will emerge victorious from this and every war he will need to fight. לדוד ברוך ה’ צורי, המלמד ידי לקרב אצבעותי למלחמה Psalm 1: [A Psalm] by King David. Blessed is HaShem, my rock. He Who guides my hands in battle, my fingers in combat. First, King David blesses God. In other words, he sees God’s presence in the battlefield. True, we have to fight our wars and we cannot rely on miracles. But, as the Torah says, in times of war (Deut. 20:4) “HaShem your God will go with you to fight with you against your enemies, to give you victory.” HaShem is with His people, fighting with them against their enemies. David sees Him and he says to HaShem: “You are my rock.” The “rock” is essential in battle. The soldier stands behind a rock or a wall to protect himself from the eyes and the arrows of the enemies. HaShem shields the Jewish soldier, like an invisible rock, and protects them against the enemy’s weapons. David also says to HaShem: “You guide my hands…” when I fight against my enemy in face-to-face combat, with bare hands, You are there, moving my hands. And when I stretch the bow and hold it still, “You guide my fingers” to aim my arrows with precision. When I attack the enemy or defend myself from the enemies, I know that You are with me. Psalm 2: Now, David HaMelech, praises HaShem further, acknowledging His overwhelming presence in battle. חסדי ומצודתי משגבי ומפלטי לי מגיני ובו חסיתי, הרודד עמי תחתי “You are my loving ally. You are my fortress. You are my tower. You are my refuge when I escape [from the enemy]. You are my shield, in which I rely. You will [grant me victory] and make these [hostile] nations surrender.” Psalm 3: The battle is intense, fierce, and dangerous. David feels that the enemy is close, armed, thirsty for blood, and unpredictable. They might have seen him. David knows that although HaShem is present on the battlefield, he still might die. The possibility of death does not represent a theological challenge for his conviction that God exists or that He is present on the battlefield. For David, the reality of God outweighs his own reality. And when he realizes that the end might be close, he reflects on the value of human life from the perspective of God and asks himself: ה’ מה אדם ותדעהו בן אנוש ותחשבהו “HaShem: what is a human creature to deserve Your attention? What is a son of man, to be considered by You?” Psalm 4: When his life is in danger, David realizes his fragility and his inescapable mortality. He finds himself thinking that perhaps for HaShem, humans are too small and insignificant. Why would You, HaShem, Master of the Universe, Creator of billions of galaxies, care about us? אדם להבל דמה ימיו כצל עובר “A human being is ephemeral, like a breath; his life is like a passing shadow.” Our lives are so short, unsubstantial like a breath, fugacious as a shadow. Not even like a tree’s shadow, which slowly grows and disappears through the day. Rather, life seems now like a passing shadow of a flying bird, which can hardly be perceived. Feeling the end of his life, David, or a Jewish soldier, does not question God. He questions himself if he is worthy of God’s attention. Mainly, if his ephemeral life was worthy for God. Psalm 5: Now David prays. A very unusual prayer. A vision of a desperate soldier who sees no escape but a miracle. ה’ הט שמיך ותרד גע בהרים ויעשנו “Hashem, open the skies and come down, touch the mountains [where the enemies are hiding] so they will burn.” More than a prayer, David expresses the wishful imagery of a soldier outnumbered by the enemy. Who believes that only “HaShem coming down from heaven” can save his life. Psalm: David is vulnerable. And has more prayers/mirages of hope. He wishes that HaShem will fight for him. Using His celestial arrows against his enemies, to spare David’s life. ברוק ברק, ותפיצם שלח חיציך, ותהומם. “Crack lightning and scatter them, send those celestial arrows and panic them.” שלח ידיך, ממרום פצני והצילני, ממים רבים מיד בני נכר. Psalm 7: And if You don’t destroy my enemies, David prays, at least save me. Pick me up from the battlefield, with Your hand. Rescue me from my place and take me to safety. “Send Your hand from heaven, pick me up and rescue me. Save me from this great danger (=mayim rabbim), from the hand of these foreign [enemies].” Psalm 8: Now David HaMelech expresses to HaShem why he deserves a miraculous victory, and the enemy a Celestial defeat. The enemy speaks with arrogance against the Jews and against You, their God. And they also lie shamelessly. They, the Philistines, swore with their right hand that they would live in peace with us, and now they have betrayed their word and attacked us. אשר פיהם, דיבר-שוא וימינם, ימין שקר. [Save me from the hands of those foreigners] “whose mouths speak with arrogance, and whose right hand is a right hand full of lies.” Psalm 9: If You save me, HaShem (or “when” You will save me), I will not be silent. I will dedicate my life to You. I will compose for You a new poem, to sing Your praises: א-לוהים שיר חדש אשירה לך בנבל עשור אזמרה-לך. “I will sing a new song to You, that I will sing with the ten-stringed harp.” Psalm 10: In that song, I will declare the truth: that it was not me who won the battle, but You. You are the One who decides the fortunes of war. The One Who grants victory to the kings and defeat the enemy הנותן תשועה למלכים הפוצה את-דויד עבדו מחרב רעה. “To the One who gives victory to kings, to the One who delivers His servant David, from the deadly sword.” Psalm 11: David prays to God again. “Spare my life…” פצני והצילני מיד בני-נכר אשר פיהם, דיבר-שוא וימינם ימין שקר. “Save me from the hand of those foreigners who speak falsehood in their mouths, and whose right hand is the right hand of lies.” Psalm 12: Now comes a very special Psalm. Still, in the midst of the battle, surrounded by the cruel and violent enemy, David brings to mind his sweetest memories. His thoughts are the daydreams of every Jewish soldier in the most challenging moments of combat, or in the long nights of watch: Home. My family. My children. My peaceful neighborhood. אשר בנינו, כנטיעים מגודלים בנעוריהם בנותינו כזווייות מחוטבות, תבנית היכל מזווינו מלאים מפיקים מזן אל זן צאננו מאליפות מרובבות בחוצותינו “Our young sons are like saplings, tended from their youth. Our daughters like straight pillars, able to sustain a palace. Our granaries are full, dispensing food of every kind. Our flocks are in thousands, tens of thousands, in our fields.” Psalm 13: While facing killers and assassins on the battlefield, David remembers the refined young Jewish boys of his city. For whom battle is not their pride but an unwanted necessity. These young boys are polite, refined, and educated. Because their parents take good care of them from their early childhood. The Jewish parents raised these boys like “saplings,” young trees that need to be planted upright and carefully trimmed. To grow upward, unbending and strong. David remembers the girls, the young Jewish maidens. They are humble but walk with class and dignity. They are royalty. Raised to be the pillars of a palace (=hekhal). This “palace” is “the Jewish home” in which God is crowned by the parents as the King. Finally, David also remembers the material blessing that HaShem so generously has granted to them. “Our young sons are like saplings, tended from their youth. Our daughters are like straight pillars, able to sustain a palace. Our granaries are full, dispensing food of every kind. Our flocks are in thousands, tens of thousands, in our fields.” Psalm 14: Now, David HaMelech makes what is probably the strongest point in his request to God for victory and peace. A request which so much resonates in our present days. We, Israel, have been blessed by You. We now have, Baruch HaShem, enough food and animals. We have beautiful families. We pride ourselves, not in raising little warriors trained to kill, but in raising children who build “palaces” for You, families who live exemplary lives. We despise fights, quarrels, and conflicts. Our neighborhoods are the epitome of peace. There is no robbery, no violence. There is loyalty, trust, and respect. In our cities, people do not yell or scream at each other. WE LIVE with PROSPERITY and PEACE. אלופינו מסובלים אין פרץ ואין יוצאת ואין צווחה ברחובותינו. “Our oxen are loaded [with food], there is no breaching of walls [=robbery], no going out [=unfaithfulness], no cry of distress in our streets.” WE DO NOT WANT WAR. WE DO NOT NEED WAR. WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR WAR. WE HATE WAR. AND UNLIKE OUR ENEMIES, WE HATE KILLING. Psalm 15: We are satisfied with what we have, But we are especially HAPPY with what we are. We are AM ISRAEL. We are the happiest people on earth, because we are the people of HaShem. אשרי העם שככה לו אשרי העם שה’ אל-היו “Joyful are those who live like this! Happy are those whose God is HaShem.” We just want to live in peace. Fulfilling our highest aspiration, The people of Israel, in the land of Israel, with HaShem, our God, the God of Israel.

As we have explained (see this), on the 17th of Tamuz of the year 68 of the CE, after many months of siege, the walls of the city of Yerushalayim were destroyed by the Roman legions.

Once inside, the invading army pillaged the Holy City and thousands of Jews were killed, tortured or taken as slaves.   The Bet haMiqdash was destroyed and burned three weeks after the Romans enter the city, on the 9th of Ab. Six hundred years earlier, in 586 BCE, the first Bet haMiqdash was destroyed also on the 9th of Ab.

As we approach the 9th of Ab, considered the National day of Mourning of the Jewish People, we observe certain restrictions associated with mourning.

These restrictions become stricter as we get closer to the 9th of Ab.

These customs differ significantly from community to community.

We present here a few illustrations:

WEDDINGS: The Rabbis of the Talmud, Maimonides, Mara”n etc. did not mention any restrictions for celebrating weddings before the beginning of the month of Ab.  For Sephardim, therefore, it is technically not forbidden to have a wedding ceremony between the 17 of Tamuz and the beginning of the month of Ab. The Ashkenazi custom, however, is to avoid wedding ceremonies from the 17th of Tamuz.   In our days,  maintaining a level of uniformity in this sensitive matter, Sephardic Jews also abstain from celebrating weddings during the three weeks.

SHEHEHEYANU: The Shulhan Arukh mentions that it is good to avoid eating a fruit of a new season, which will require the recitation of the blessing Sheheheyanu, during the three weeks. The custom for Sephardim (Rab Obadaia Yosef) and Ashkenazim (Penine Halakha) is to reserve this recitation of Sheheheyanu for Shabbat.

HAIRCUT: The custom for most Sephardim is to permit getting a haircut or shave until the week of Tish’a beAb. The Ashkenazi tradition (Ram”a 551:4) and the custom of some Moroccan and Algerian Jews as well, is different: haircut or shaving is forbidden from the 17 of Tamuz until after Tish’a beAb. (Haircut restrictions do not apply to women).

Some ideas

This coming Tuesday, July 15th, we will commemorate the 17th of Tamuz, a fast-day.

Five tragedies happened to the Jewish people on this day.

1. The 17th of Tamuz occurs forty days after Shabu’ot. Moshe ascended Mount Sinai on Shabu’ot and remained there for forty days. The people of Israel made the golden calf on the afternoon of the 16th of Tamuz, when they thought that Moshe was not coming down. When Moshe descended from Mount Sinai and saw the Jews worshiping the golden calf, he smashed the tablets which carried the Ten Commandments.

2. Menashe –a Jewish King, the worst sovereign of the Kingdom of Yehuda– placed on that day an idol in the Holy Sanctuary of the Temple of Jerusalem, around the year 700 BCE.

3. In the time of the First Temple, in 587 BCE, the Kohanim (priests) were forced to discontinue the offering of the daily sacrifice. This sacrifice (qorban hatamid) had been offered by the Jews since the time of the exodus of Egypt.  On the 17th of Tamuz of that year this sacrifice could not be offered anymore due to the shortage of animals caused by the siege of the city of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army.

4. Around the year 50 of the Common Era, Apostomus, a Roman captain, seized a Tora scroll and with abusive and mocking language burned the Tora in public. (According to Maimonides it was Apostomus, not Menashe, who besides burning the Tora placed an idol in the Holy Temple as well).

5. In the year 68 CE the walls of Jerusalem were breached after many months of siege by the Roman army. Three weeks after the breach of the wall, the Bet haMiqdash was destroyed on the 9th of Ab.

Because of these five tragedies we fast on the 17th of Tamuz. We also recite special prayers (tahanunim) which inspire us to mourn and repent for our transgressions and the transgressions of our ancestors.

The fast begins at dawn and ends with the appearance of the three stars.

Rabbi Menashe Setton ( סתהון , also Sittehon or Sutton)  was born in Aram Soba (Aleppo) Syria.  He was a great Tora scholar, well versed in secular knowledge like astronomy, philosophy, mathematics and engineering. Although he was an ordained rabbi,  Rabbi Setton supported himself through business initiatives.  Following the tradition of Sephardic rabbis he was also an expert in Hebrew grammar (diqduq).

Rabbi Setton’s most famous book is “kenesiya leshem shamayim”, a “gathering for the sake of heaven”.  In this short book rabbi Setton argues fiercely against a prevalent superstitious ceremony called “Endulzado” (Spanish for “sweetening”).

In the beginning of his book Rabbi Setton describes this practice: Whenever there was a sick member of the family, a women about to give birth, or someone whose loved ones were dying, etc.  they would empty a house, remove all type of Tora books and Mezuzot and display in the floor all kinds of baked sweets, candies, honey, etc. The patient and the expert exorcist would stay and sleep for three consecutive nights in that house. All this time, it was forbidden for the patient to pronounce any word of Tora or Tefila. The exorcist, usually a female, would summon “demons” (shedim) to visit the house. The demons would come into the house freely, because the house was empty of anything “holy” which would drive them away. Once the exorcist felt that the demos were inside the house, she would offer the demons those sweets to appease them and ask them to cure the patient or release the patient from their curse.

Rabbi Setton first explains that this is a flagrant act of idol-worshiping, known in Hebrew as ‘aboda zara, the most serious offense in the entire Tora.  He also explained that these people learned this ceremony from the books of the ancient “sabians”, an ancient pagan sect who worshiped angels and demons.

After describing this practice, rabbi Setton referred to the silence of the rabbis of the city. He said that the reason the rabbis did not denounce this practice was probably because they were not aware of what was going on behind those closed doors. Many of them thought that perhaps, people were just praying in an intense way, etc.  Once the rabbis became aware of what was going on in those houses, ALL the rabbis “gathered together for the sake of heaven” (from here the name of the book) to ban and eradicated this pagan practice.

Rabbi Sutton was widely supported in his efforts by numerous other rabbis from his city (thirty six rabbis from Aleppo signed their approval of his book) as well as from rabbinic leaders in Jerusalem, Tiberias, Hebron, and Safed, from both the Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities.

Rabbi Menashe Setton died in Alexandria, Egypt in 1876

לע”נ אייל יפרח, נפתלי פרנקל וגיל-עד שאער הי”ד

In this Psalm David haMelekh prays to God to save him from the hand of his enemies.

David recognizes that “His enemies are many, too many” for him to handle.  His enemies are completely aware that they outnumber David and his army.

And this is why they proclaim:

רַבִּים, אֹמְרִים לְנַפְשִׁי אֵין יְשׁוּעָתָה לּוֹ בֵאלֹ-הִים סֶלָה

“David’s life, has no hope anymore.”  The enemies believe that  “Now, not even God can save King David”.

וְאַתָּה ה’ מָגֵן בַּעֲדִי כְּבוֹדִי וּמֵרִים רֹאשִׁי

“But You HaShem, You are my shield”. You protect me against my enemies even before I request Your protection. Some times, I’m not aware that is was You Who saved me. And while You protect my life, “You don’t let my enemies to humiliate me”. You spare my life while “You hold my head up”.

אֲנִי שָׁכַבְתִּי, וָאִישָׁנָה הֱקִיצוֹתִי כִּי ה’ יִסְמְכֵנִי

Knowing that You are on my side, “I lay down in my bed and I’m able to sleep”. Because I know that during the night You are awake,  watching over me. And “when I wake up” in the morning, I’m confident, knowing that “You will sustain me” during the day.

לֹא-אִירָא מֵרִבְבוֹת עָם אֲשֶׁר סָבִיב, שָׁתוּ עָלָי

Knowing that You are on my side, “why should I be afraid of my enemies?” You are my shield, “why should I be afraid, even when millions of brutal enemies are surrounding me from every corner.”

לה’ הַיְשׁוּעָה

“The salvation”, the decision of who will be victorious and who will be defeated in battle, “is YOURS”. We have our army, our wonderful and courageous sons/soldiers who are ready to fight and if necessary, to sacrifice their lives to protect our people. But we know that at the end the “salvation” is Yours. You determine who is victorious and who is defeated.

עַל-עַמְּךָ בִרְכָתֶךָ סֶּלָה

Our enemies are many. Too many to handle by ourselves. They outnumber us greatly. Literally, 100 to 1. For them it is obvious that the end of Israel is inevitable. For them, it is not IF, but WHEN and HOW.  And even when they are busy fighting among themselves and killing each other, we are their biggest goal. The world, most of the world, is divided into two: those who are afraid of our enemies (because they don’t know YOU) and will never act in our defense, and those who are not afraid of our enemies but concur with their ideas that we, Israel, don’t deserve to live in peace.

You are our hope. Our only hope. HaShem, “bestow Your blessing” of victory and peace “upon YOUR people”, upon YOUR children.