{"id":88394,"date":"2021-02-06T17:40:44","date_gmt":"2021-02-06T15:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=88394"},"modified":"2021-02-06T17:40:44","modified_gmt":"2021-02-06T15:40:44","slug":"psalm-104-four-perspectives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/psalm-104-four-perspectives\/","title":{"rendered":"Psalm 104: Four Perspectives"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The philosopher:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

“It is worth studying the Hebrew language for ten years in order to read Psalm 104 in the original”<\/span> – Johann Gottfried Herder.<\/span><\/p>\n

Johann Gottfried Herder, <\/span>a German philosopher, theologian and poet<\/span> (1744-1803)<\/span> is considered by some to be a great friend of the Jewish People, a proto-Zionist and lover of Tanach. One of his ideas was that the Jews in Germany should enjoy the full rights and obligations of non-Jewish Germans. In fact, he felt that the non-Jews of the world owed a debt to Jews, due to centuries of their abuse, and the only way to pay this debt is by actively assisting those Jews who wished for political sovereignty in their natural homeland of Israel. Herder also refused to completely accept the racial theory that was popular in his time, writing that “notwithstanding the varieties of the human form, there is but one and the same species of man throughout the whole earth.” These ideas can be traced to the Biblical story of creation. In addition, he praised poetry, saying that “a poet is the creator of the nation around him.” This background helps explain his deep admiration for Psalm 104, the psalm that describes through poetic lenses the creation and beauty of God’s world.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rabbi:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Psalm 104 describes the world as a place of harmony. It is therefore not surprising that in the tractate of Berachot (page 9b), Rabbi Yehuda the son of Rabbi Shimon explains the last verse of this psalm referring to the future messianic social harmony that will occur when the wicked are defeated:<\/span><\/p>\n

Rabbi Yehuda, son of Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi, said: David said one hundred and three chapters, and he did not say <\/span>Halleluya<\/span><\/i> until he saw the downfall of the wicked. As it is stated: \u201cLet sinners cease from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, my soul, <\/span>Halleluya<\/span><\/i>\u201d (Psalms 104:35).<\/span><\/p>\n

The woman scholar:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The Talmud closes its discussion on this psalm by bringing a story about Beruria, the women scholar par excellence of the Talmud, who also sees the psalm’s focus on harmony.\u00a0 However, rather than viewing it about the eventual annihilation of evil, she sees it as a practical guide instructing compassion:<\/span><\/p>\n

There were hooligans in Rabbi Meir\u2019s neighborhood that caused him a great deal of anguish. Rabbi Meir prayed for mercy for them, that they should die. Rabbi Meir\u2019s wife, Beruria, said to him: What is your thinking? The fact that it is written: \u201cLet sins cease from the land\u201d? Actually it is written, “Let sinners cease from the earth, and let the wicked be no more “(Psalms 104:35)!\u00a0 Rather, pray for God to have mercy on them that they should repent, (for if they repent “the wicked will be no more”). Rabbi Meir saw that Beruria was correct and he prayed for God to have mercy on them, and they repented.<\/span><\/p>\n

You:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Which perspective do you identify with? Or do you have one of your own?<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":88396,"id":88396,"title":"ps104-windows perspectives","filename":"ps104-windows-perspectives.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ps104-windows-perspectives.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/psalm-104-four-perspectives\/ps104-windows-perspectives\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ps104-windows-perspectives","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":88394,"date":"2021-02-06 15:40:09","modified":"2023-04-21 13:54:45","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ps104-windows-perspectives-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ps104-windows-perspectives-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ps104-windows-perspectives-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ps104-windows-perspectives-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ps104-windows-perspectives.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ps104-windows-perspectives.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ps104-windows-perspectives-1200x800.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ps104-windows-perspectives-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Psalm 104: Four Perspectives","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"Philosophy, rabbinics, scholarship - 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