{"id":81010,"date":"2020-10-07T09:54:43","date_gmt":"2020-10-07T06:54:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=81010"},"modified":"2020-10-07T09:54:43","modified_gmt":"2020-10-07T06:54:43","slug":"the-way-of-god-is-perfect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-way-of-god-is-perfect\/","title":{"rendered":"The Way Of God Is Perfect"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Our psalm begins with an elaborate superscription: \u201cFor the leader. Of David, the servant of the Lord\u2026after the Lord had saved him from the hands of all his enemies and from\u2026Saul\u201d (<\/span>18:1<\/span><\/a>). Roughly the same superscription and indeed a close version of our entire psalm is found in<\/span> 2 Samuel 22<\/span><\/a>. This song of thanksgiving and praise of God contains some of the most powerful poetry in Scripture. For example, the psalmist describes the appearance of God: \u201cThen the earth rocked and quaked; the foundations of the mountains shook, rocked by His indignation; smoke went up from His nostrils, from His mouth came devouring fire; live coals blazed forth from Him. He bent the sky and came down, thick cloud beneath His feet. He mounted a cherub and flew, gliding on the wings of the wind\u201d (<\/span>verses 8-11<\/span><\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the course of this psalm, David exclaims: \u201cThe way of God is perfect. The word of the Lord is pure. He is a shield to all who seek refuge in Him\u201d (<\/span>18:31<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> 2 Samuel 22:31<\/span><\/a>).<\/span> Midrash Bereshit Rabbah 44:1<\/span><\/a> interprets this verse: \u201cThe way of God is perfect\u201d – If His way is perfect, how much more is He Himself perfect! \u201cThe word of the Lord is pure (<\/span>tzrufah<\/span><\/em>)\u201d. Rav said: Were not the <\/span>mitzvot<\/span><\/em> given so that man might be purified (<\/span>le-tzaref<\/span><\/em>) by them? Do you really think that the Holy One cares if an animal is slaughtered by the front or by the back of the neck? Therefore, <\/span>mitzvot<\/span><\/em> were only given to purify God\u2019s creatures. \u201cPerfect\u201d \u2013 this refers to Abraham, who walked in the ways of perfection (see<\/span> Genesis 17:1<\/span><\/a>). For God purified him in the fiery furnace (see<\/span> Midrash Bereshit Rabbah 38:13<\/span><\/a>). And, as regards Abraham, we also see that God \u201cis a shield to all who seek refuge in Him.\u201d For God says to Abraham: \u201c\u201cFear not, Abram, I am a shield to you\u201d (<\/span>Genesis 15:1<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

In discussing the reasons for the commandments, Maimonides<\/span> Guide for the Perplexed 3.26.1<\/span><\/a> ponders this Midrashic passage: \u201c\u2026What difference does it make to God whether a beast is killed by cutting the neck in front or in the back?\u00a0 Surely the commandments are only intended as a means of purifying man, as it says: \u201cThe word of the Lord is pure (i.e. purifying).\u201d This passage is very strange [suggesting God does not care how we perform <\/span>shechitah<\/span><\/em>]. And has no parallel in the writings of our Sages. But I understand it to illustrate that the commandments do serve a useful object; “\u2026for it is not something that is empty of meaning for you” (<\/span>Deut. 32:47<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":81011,"id":81011,"title":"ps18-smelt","filename":"ps18-smelt.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps18-smelt.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-way-of-god-is-perfect\/ps18-smelt\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ps18-smelt","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":81010,"date":"2020-10-07 06:54:25","modified":"2020-10-07 06:54:39","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":3240,"height":2244,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps18-smelt-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps18-smelt-300x208.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":208,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps18-smelt-768x532.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":532,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps18-smelt-1024x709.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":709,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps18-smelt.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1064,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps18-smelt.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1418,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps18-smelt-1200x831.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":831,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps18-smelt-606x420.jpg","home_baner-width":606,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"The Way Of God Is Perfect","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"Pure and purifying - and a reason for the commandments? 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