image by: Judy Kopelman (929)<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":80942,"alt":"","title":"ps16-image","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image.jpg","width":1024,"height":523,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image-300x153.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":153,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image-768x392.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":392,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image-1024x523.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":523,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image.jpg","1536x1536-width":1024,"1536x1536-height":523,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image.jpg","2048x2048-width":1024,"2048x2048-height":523,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image.jpg","post_full_size-width":1024,"post_full_size-height":523,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image-822x420.jpg","home_baner-width":822,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Always Before Me","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":80942,"alt":"","title":"ps16-image","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image.jpg","width":1024,"height":523,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image-300x153.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":153,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image-768x392.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":392,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image-1024x523.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":523,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image.jpg","1536x1536-width":1024,"1536x1536-height":523,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image.jpg","2048x2048-width":1024,"2048x2048-height":523,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image.jpg","post_full_size-width":1024,"post_full_size-height":523,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps16-image-822x420.jpg","home_baner-width":822,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Writings","book":"Psalms","chapter":"16","chapter_main_number":"583","date":"20271123","wall_id":"583"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":4,"id":"80916","color":"#f6f5de","size":"1","name":"Do Biblical Heroes Doubt? ","post_title":"Do Biblical Heroes Doubt?","slug":"do-biblical-heroes-doubt","old_id":"80916","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":80006,"post_title":"Bencian Grjnhaus","slug":"bencian-grjnhaus","old_id":"80006","first_name":"Bencian ","last_name":"Grjnhaus ","description":"Bencian Grjnhaus was a pre-War Lithuania scholar who authored an unpublished Bible commentary, Bina BeMikra, that encompassed all the biblical books excluding the books of the Pentateuch. The manuscript was recently donated to the National Library in Israel where it is being digitized and made available to scholars. The excerpts of his work that appear here have been selected, translated and adapted by Rabbi Shalom Z. Berger, Ed.D.","short_description":"Bencian Grjnhaus was a pre-War Lithuania scholar who authored an unpublished Bible commentary, Bina BeMikra, that encompassed all the biblical books excluding the books of the Pentateuch. ","credit":"","image":false,"image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"583","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Some thoughts on Psalms - from pre-War Lithuania\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"
Do biblical heroes have doubts? Questions of faith?<\/span><\/p>\r\n Psalm 16 describes how David, the righteous king, queries, investigates and questions the power and existence of God. But suddenly he becomes fearful lest the belief system upon which he relies will collapse in the face of doubts, questions, and faulty dogmas, whose argument is that God has abandoned this world to holy idols \u2013 according to the beliefs of those who worship them \u2013 and those idols, which rule the earth, decree who deserves punishment and who deserves mercy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n David becomes very agitated, and with a powerful spirit raises himself up to cry out in a strong voice: \u201cNo! No! God save me from these worthless thoughts!\u201d \u2013 similar to the statement \u201cAvert my eyes from seeing falsehood\u201d (Ps 119:37) \u2013 for only You offer me protection, and not the deaf-and-dumb idols. I have no interest or desire for them, nor will I continue my attempts to approach and fathom God by means of investigations, because I now recognize that I will never be able to know and to comprehend the ways of God. <\/span>\u00a0<\/b>For the righteous person shall live by his faith, and that faith lights his way.<\/span><\/p>\r\n But after David has thrown off what he perceived as his detestable investigations, his emotions calmed somewhat and he began to contemplate to himself again, saying to his soul: When you investigated God, was God my master commanding only good? Perhaps not. Maybe the good that came to me was not brought about by You. Rather it was those other, powerful ones \u2013 the idols of the land.<\/span><\/p>\r\n In response, he declares that he will never accept or listen to those investigations that suggest that the idols are the princes who command good or evil. In fact, he curses others who suffer many sorrows and derive no benefit from their beliefs, who will soon recognize that their idols have no power to redeem them from their troubles and their sadness. Those idols he finds more disgusting than blood. Those who some perceive as \u201cprinces of the land,\u201d can never be accepted as heroes, for it is God who is his allotted share and portion.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Translated and adapted by Rabbi Shalom Z. Berger, Ed.D.<\/span><\/p>\r\n image: cover page of the manuscript of\u00a0Bencian Grjnhaus, adapted by\u00a0Jacob Kutschenko\u00a0<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":83538,"alt":"","title":"Bencian Grjnhaus cover pic","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic.png","width":1000,"height":667,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic-300x200.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic-768x512.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic.png","large-width":1000,"large-height":667,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic.png","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":667,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic.png","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":667,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic.png","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":667,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic-630x420.png","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Do Biblical Heroes Doubt?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Some thoughts on Psalms - from pre-War Lithuania","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":83538,"alt":"","title":"Bencian Grjnhaus cover pic","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic.png","width":1000,"height":667,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic-300x200.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic-768x512.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic.png","large-width":1000,"large-height":667,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic.png","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":667,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic.png","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":667,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic.png","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":667,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Bencian-Grjnhaus-cover-pic-630x420.png","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Writings","book":"Psalms","chapter":"16","chapter_main_number":"583","date":"20271123","wall_id":"583"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":5,"id":"80791","color":"#efefef","size":"1","name":"Psalmsongs 16 ","post_title":"Psalmsongs 16","slug":"psalmsongs-16","old_id":"80791","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":80010,"post_title":"Gaya Aranoff Bernstein","slug":"gaya-aranoff-bernstein","old_id":"80010","first_name":"Gaya Aranoff ","last_name":"Bernstein ","description":"Gaya (Aranoff, M.D.) Bernstein has been a student of Rav Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz for many years. With his encouragement, she published Psalmsongs, A Gathering of Psalms (An Arthur Kurzweil Book, New York\/Jerusalem, 2013), and translated The Steinsaltz Tehillim, Commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz (Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd, 2018). She is a professor of pediatric endocrinology on the faculty of Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City.\r\n\r\n","short_description":"Gaya Aranoff Bernstein is the author of Psalmsongs: A Gathering of Psalms.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":80011,"alt":"","title":"gaya bernstein","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/gaya-bernstein.jpg","width":332,"height":492,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/gaya-bernstein-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/gaya-bernstein-202x300.jpg","medium-width":202,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/gaya-bernstein.jpg","medium_large-width":332,"medium_large-height":492,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/gaya-bernstein.jpg","large-width":332,"large-height":492,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/gaya-bernstein.jpg","1536x1536-width":332,"1536x1536-height":492,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/gaya-bernstein.jpg","2048x2048-width":332,"2048x2048-height":492,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/gaya-bernstein.jpg","post_full_size-width":332,"post_full_size-height":492,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/gaya-bernstein-283x420.jpg","home_baner-width":283,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"583","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":" Stay close You\u2019re the source I\u2019ve inherited You Help me forgotten Blessed God I know You were Excerpted from: Gaya Aranoff Bernstein,\u00a0Psalmsongs: A Gathering of Psalms<\/em>, (An Arthur Kurzweil Book, New York\/Jerusalem, 2013).<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":80037,"alt":"","title":"psalmsongs4","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4.jpg","width":2894,"height":1928,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4-1024x682.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":682,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1023,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1364,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4-1200x799.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":799,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"929 Poetry Corner","tile_main_caption":"Psalmsongs 16","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Stay close You\u2019re mine","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":80037,"alt":"","title":"psalmsongs4","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4.jpg","width":2894,"height":1928,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4-1024x682.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":682,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1023,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1364,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4-1200x799.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":799,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/psalmsongs4-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Writings","book":"Psalms","chapter":"16","chapter_main_number":"583","date":"20271123","wall_id":"583"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":6,"id":"80944","color":"#f2e9df","size":"1","name":"Shiviti: I Have Placed The Lord Before Me ","post_title":"Shiviti: I Have Placed The Lord Before Me","slug":"shiviti-i-have-placed-the-lord-before-me","old_id":"80944","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33877,"post_title":"Marc Bregman","slug":"marc-bregman","old_id":"33877","first_name":"Marc","last_name":"Bregman","description":"Marc Bregman received his Ph.D. from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1991. He taught at the Hebrew Union College (Jerusalem), The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem, and at the Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheba, Israel. During 1993 he was Visiting Associate Professor at Yale University, and during 1996 he was the Stroum Professor of Jewish Studies and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle. During 2005, Bregman served as the Harry Starr Fellow in Judaica at Harvard University and was awarded a Teaching Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He also has served as Forchheimer Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Humanities at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is the author of The Tanhuma-Yelammedenu Literature: Studies in the Evolution of the Versions (Gorgias Press, 2003). In 2006, Bregman was appointed the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, where he also headed the program in Jewish Studies, until 2013. Bregman retired from UNCG as of July 31, 2017. He has now returned to Jerusalem where he is continuing his research and teaching activities.","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Marc Bregman is the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies emeritus, at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33878,"alt":"Marc Bregman","title":"Marc Bregman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","width":361,"height":488,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-222x300.jpg","medium-width":222,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","medium_large-width":361,"medium_large-height":488,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","large-width":361,"large-height":488,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","1536x1536-width":361,"1536x1536-height":488,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","2048x2048-width":361,"2048x2048-height":488,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","post_full_size-width":361,"post_full_size-height":488,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-311x420.jpg","home_baner-width":311,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"583","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"He will not let his faithful one see the Pit\u00a0\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":" Our psalm weaves together several themes: a prayer for continued protection, the psalmist\u2019s trust in God and blessing for God\u2019s counsel (<\/span>16:1-7<\/span><\/a>), the psalmist\u2019s practical and emotional reaction (<\/span>verses 8-10<\/span><\/a>) and finally thanks for God\u2019s showing \u201cthe path of life\u201d (<\/span>verse 11<\/span><\/a>). Perhaps because of the verse: \u201cFor You will not abandon me to <\/span>Sheol<\/span><\/em>,<\/span><\/i> or let Your faithful one see the Pit\u201d (<\/span>verse 10<\/span><\/a>), this Psalm is one of the texts recited, in some circumstances, as part of Jewish death and mourning rituals known as<\/span> Tziduq Ha-Din<\/span><\/a><\/em>. <\/span><\/i>Chief Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz explains that this Psalm expresses \u201cthe serenity of peace that accompanies communion with God.\u201d He further explains the superscription: <\/span>Michtam<\/em> <\/span>as meaning \u201ca golden\u201d psalm rich in spiritual thought. This seems based on <\/span>ketem<\/span><\/em> meaning \u201cgold\u201d in Scripture (see for example<\/span> Proverbs 25:12<\/span><\/a> and elsewhere).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n This line of interpretation was already pursued by the medieval commentators<\/span> Ibn-Ezra<\/span><\/a> and<\/span> Menachem Ha-Meiri<\/span><\/a> on<\/span> Psalms 16:1<\/span><\/a>, both of whom refer to <\/span>Ketem Paz<\/em> <\/span>in<\/span> Song of Songs 5:11<\/span><\/a>. Meiri begins his comment by noting that <\/span>michtam<\/span><\/em> has been interpreted as a musical instrument of low tone which is so called because its tone is <\/span>mach ve-tam <\/span><\/em>\u2013 <\/span><\/i>\u201cmeek and pure\u201d, that is to say \u201ccomplete in its pleasantness.\u201d Meiri\u2019s comment seems to be based on<\/span> Talmud Bavli Sotah 10b<\/span><\/a> that provides several interpretations of <\/span>michtam<\/span><\/em>. David was <\/span>mach<\/span><\/em> (\u201cmeek\u201d) and <\/span>tam<\/span><\/em> (\u201cpure\u201d) to all creatures. Another interpretation is that David\u2019s \u201cwound \u2013 <\/span>makato<\/span><\/em>\u201d was \u201cpure\u201d, that he was born circumcised. Another interpretation of <\/span>michtam<\/span><\/em> is that in his youth, David subjected himself to those greater than him in Torah learning and continued to do so even after he became King. So that all his life, David was <\/span>mach<\/span><\/em> (\u201cmeek\u201d) and <\/span>tam<\/em> <\/span>(\u201cpure\u201d). These interpretations understand <\/span>michtam<\/span><\/em> as describing, not the Psalm, but the character of the Psalmist David \u2013 <\/em><\/span>Michtam le-David<\/span><\/em> \u2013 \u201cDavid\u2019s meekness and purity\u201d (compare Psalms 56-59 <\/span>Le-David Michtam<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>and Psalm 60:1 <\/span>Michtam Le-David<\/span><\/em>).<\/span><\/p>\r\n Perhaps the most well-known verse in our psalm is: \u201cI have placed the Lord before me always\u2026\u201d (<\/span>Psalms 16:8<\/span><\/a>), which has been variously interpreted. Maimonides <\/span>(Guide for the Perplexed 3.51.6<\/span><\/a>) cites King David as saying: \u201cI have placed the Lord before me always; He is at my right hand; I shall never be shaken\u201d (<\/span>16:8<\/span><\/a>), that is to say, I do not turn my thoughts away from God. He is like my right hand, which I do not forget\u2026and therefore I shall not be moved, I shall not fail.<\/span><\/p>\r\n
\r\nYou\u2019re mine<\/p>\r\n
\r\nof any good
\r\ncoming my way<\/p>\r\n
\r\nthe boundless wealth
\r\nof You
\r\nmy parents
\r\ngrandparents
\r\nand greats
\r\nearned You
\r\nand now You\u2019re
\r\nmine<\/p>\r\n
\r\nguard my legacy
\r\nfrom raiders who
\r\nMind it worthless
\r\ntoss it out
\r\nraise their glasses
\r\nof blood
\r\nin empty victory<\/p>\r\n
\r\nthey bequeath
\r\ndust<\/p>\r\n
\r\nbe with me
\r\neternally
\r\nguide me rock steady
\r\nsuffuse me with joy<\/p>\r\n
\r\nI know You are
\r\nI know that You
\r\nwill be<\/p>\r\n