{"id":82486,"date":"2020-11-01T13:31:25","date_gmt":"2020-11-01T11:31:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=82486"},"modified":"2020-11-01T13:31:25","modified_gmt":"2020-11-01T11:31:25","slug":"they-see-whatever-they-wish-to-see","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/they-see-whatever-they-wish-to-see\/","title":{"rendered":"They See Whatever They Wish To See"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"82486","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":62571,"related_cahpter":"602","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"And then make up their own fake news\r\n\r\n","content":"

In this psalm, David\u2019s military background is strongly in evidence (see 2 Samuel 5:17-25). He calls upon God to take up his cause, and \u201cutilize,\u201d at least metaphorically, the implements of war against his enemies: the shield and buckler (v. 2), the spear and javelin (v. 3), and the net (v. 7-8), that must have been so familiar to David himself from the battles in which he participated.<\/span><\/p>\n

David\u2019s real and imagined enemies were numerous, and he hopes to be supported by God in order to resist their numerous attempts to depose him by proving him guilty of malfeasance.<\/span><\/p>\n

David feels personally wronged by what he considers their never-ending attempts to bring him down, particularly because he claims to have empathized with any difficulties that they may have experienced (v. 13-14). Moreover, not only do they not reciprocate badly-needed emotional support (v. 15-16); they rejoice over problems that he encounters.<\/span><\/p>\n

While most of the psalmist\u2019s concerns are clearly articulated, verses 21-22 are quite oblique, with the common denominator of \u201csight\u201d being invoked: “They open wide their mouths at me, saying, ‘Aha, aha, we have seen it!’\u00a0 You have seen it, O LORD; do not hold aloof! O Lord, be not far from me!”<\/span><\/p>\n

What is being referred to as \u201cbeing seen\u201d by first David\u2019s enemies, and then by God Himself?\u00a0 As can be expected, traditional commentators are at odds over what is being referred to in these verses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rashi suggests that David\u2019s detractors see \u201cthat their desires are fulfilled,\u201d i.e., the object of their enmity is experiencing difficulties. The psalmist calls upon God to attest to the fact that this is not the case at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Radak understands that the enemies observe how David is constantly \u201con the run,\u201d i.e., from Saul, the previous king, and Absalom, David\u2019s son who sought to become king, and David\u2019s opponents gleefully publicize that his frequent exiles come about due to moral and spiritual shortcomings on his part. (Biblical scholars note that Radak\u2019s commentaries include anti-Christian polemical material. Since one of the canards that the Jews lived a Divinely cursed existence is that they live in exile from their homeland, it is possible that Radak\u2019s interpretation of this verse was informed by such a perspective.)<\/span><\/p>\n

But Metzudat David (David Altschuler, Prague; 1687-1769) briefly suggests the most open-ended, and in my opinion, psychologically astute, understanding of v. 21: \u201cWhatever we wished to see.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to this biblical scholar, David\u2019s enemies, like people down through the ages, rather than making up their minds about \u201cothers\u201d based upon factual, empirical evidence, become convinced that someone is an evil-doer due to e.g., jealousy, ideology, racial background, etc., and then set out to amass and even \u201cmanufacture\u201d evidence to support their negative evaluation. David finds himself hard-pressed to prove his innocence, and since God is believed to be the ultimate \u201c<\/span>bochen levavot<\/span><\/em>\u201d (lit. “discerner of hearts”; aware of people’s innermost thought processes), David appeals to Him to expose his enemies\u2019 patently false claims.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":82487,"id":82487,"title":"ps35-fake news","filename":"ps35-fake-news.png","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/ps35-fake-news.png","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/they-see-whatever-they-wish-to-see\/ps35-fake-news\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ps35-fake-news","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":82486,"date":"2020-11-01 11:30:46","modified":"2020-11-01 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