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l’David

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Elul, the month before Tishrei, is known as the month of preparation. Our season of introspection / preparation begins after Shvuot, continues through the Three Weeks, and concludes on Yom Kippur. During Elul our preparations intensify; reading Tehillim 27 (l’David) is part of our daily life from Rosh Ḥodesh Elul to Shmini Atzeret. There is much to learn from this beautiful tehillah as David’s words remind us, challenge us, and inspire us.

The first verse includes two references to HaShem, signifying two aspects of our relationship with Him. Our connection is intense during specific days such as Rosh Hashanah (“my light”) and Yom Kippur (“and salvation”); we also enjoy Hashem’s unwavering daily presence (“the stronghold of my life).”

“HaShem is my light and salvation; whom do I need to fear? HaShem is the stronghold of my life; of whom should I be afraid?”

Tehillim 27:1

David then uses a poetic device which defies intuition; he proclaims that his trust in Hashem actually increases as the dangers he faces become imminent. First, he considers past conflicts with “evildoers; adversaries, and foes,” remembering how they stumbled and fell. Then, as “an army encamps,” he anticipates the approaching combat with confidence, declaring “my heart will not fear.” Finally, as “war breaks out” and he is in the midst of battle, his unwavering trust is demonstrated with the proclamation, “even then I will keep trusting.”

“When evildoers assailed me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and foes, they stumbled and fell. If an army encamps against me, my heart will not fear; if war breaks out against me, even then I will keep trusting.”

Tehillim 27:2-3

As though suspended in a dream in the midst of battle, David shifts his focus away from his warrior life. David contemplates life in the house (בית) of HaShem, His temple (היכל), His shelter (סכה), His tent (אהל). It is here that we see an allusion to Sukkot (סוכות), completing the High Holy Days references.

“Just one thing have I asked of HaShem; only this will I seek: to live in the house of HaShem all the days of my life, to see the beauty of HaShem and visit in His temple. For he will conceal me in His shelter on the day of trouble, He will hide me in the folds of His tent, He will set me high on a rock.”

Tehillim 27:4-5

David envisions himself living in HaShem’s presence, high above his enemies. Unable to contain his joy, he bursts forth with shouts of joy and songs of praise.

“Then my head will be lifted up above my surrounding foes, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, sing praises to HaShem.”

Tehillim 27:6

David’s vision starts to fade, and he aches to reconnect with HaShem. Knowing that HaShem is his only help, his sole salvation, his source of sustenance, his steadfast protection, his true path, we hear David’s desperate plea:

“Listen, HaShem, to my voice when I cry; show favor to me; and answer me. ‘My heart said of you, ‘Seek my face.’’ Your face, HaShem, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, don’t turn your servant away in anger. You are my help; don’t abandon me; don’t leave me, G-d my savior. Even though my father and mother have left me, HaShem will care for me, Teach me your way, HaShem; lead me on a level path because of my enemies – don’t give me up to the whims of my foes; for false witnesses have risen against me, also those who are breathing violence.”

Tehillim 27:7-12

Suddenly David cries out in agony. Too overwhelmed to finish his thought, realizing that HaShem is everything and he is nothing, he falters –

“If I hadn’t believed that I would see HaShem’s goodness in the land of the living . .”

Tehillim 27:13

– recovering, he joyfully concludes:

“Put your hope in HaShem, be strong, and let your heart take courage! Yes, put your hope in HaShem!”

Tehillim 27:14

David leaves us with an impassioned appeal to קוה HaShem. The variety of translations – hope in / wait upon / look to – is a clear indicator that the word is difficult to translate. The overall concept is of our/Israel’s mutual expectant waiting & watching for a sure thing.

The High Holy Days are the culmination of months of preparation during which we examine our lives, our choices, our relationship with HaShem. As we read this beautiful tehillah twice daily, let us endeavor to heed David’s exhortation to קוה – to expectantly wait and watch with complete certainty, along with the Nation – for HaShem.

Noting that David includes HaShem’s name thirteen times in this tehillah, the sages consider it a reminder of the Thirteen Attributes, so prominent in our Sliḥot and Yom Kippur liturgy:

“The L-rd, the L-rd, G-d, Compassionate, Gracious, Slow to anger, Abundant in Kindness, Abundant in Trust, Preserver of Kindness for thousands of generations, Forgiver of iniquity, Forgiver of willful sin, Forgiver of error, Who cleanses.”

Shmot 34:6-7

May we all be inscribed and sealed for a good year in the Book of Life.

Mah Tovu

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“How goodly are your tents, O Ya’akov, your dwelling places O Yisra’el. As for me, through Your abundant kindness I will enter Your House; I will prostrate myself toward Your Holy Sanctuary in awe of You. O Hashem, I love the House where You dwell, and the place where Your glory resides. I shall prostrate myself and bow, I shall kneel before Hashem my Maker. As for me, may my prayer to You, Hashem, be at an opportune time; O Hashem, in Your abundant kindness, answer me with the truth of Your salvation.”

B’Midbar 24:5


This prayer, traditionally sung as we enter synagogue for services, is a combination of five separate verses; one from B’Midbar and the rest from four different Tehillim. This simple device is a clarion call to us, urging us to pause and to look carefully at this prayer and to study the source context of the individual verses to better understand the prayer’s overall intent.

The first verse quotes Bil’am, a gentile prophet. Hired by Balak, king of Mo’av, to curse Yisra’el, Bil’am instead blesses Yisra’el. This was not due to any special affinity he had toward Yisra’el; rather, Bil’am was given a vision of Yisra’el from Hashem – the praise and blessings then poured forth.

This is a beautiful and compassionate prelude for worshippers entering Schul. Jewish worshipers rejoice in Hashem’s sovereignty over all creation as they recount Bil’am’s words praising The Nation. Any apprehension gentiles may feel by entering an unfamiliar setting is eased as they join with the gentile prophet Bil’am in praising and blessing Yisra’el.

The next four verses are from Tehillim 5, 26, 95, and 69. All four of these Tehillim are fraught with wicked and violent images. The particular verses cited in Mah Tovu are warm rays of sunshine from the midst of darkness, shining in stark contrast to the dangers and worldly concerns which otherwise abound in these Tehillim.

The beginning of the final verse, “As for me, may my prayer to You . . . ” can also be translated, “I am my prayer to You.” This is a humbling reminder that, while we may at times attempt to detach our secular lives from our prayers, Hashem draws no such distinction. The totality of our lives, our choices, our actions, is our prayer to Hashem.

These are the words and images which prepare us as we enter synagogue for services. We are entering a special place; we are entering a special time. Mah Tovu re-aligns our minds, our thoughts, and our hearts so we can worship Hashem without distraction or hesitation.

Mah Tovu is our gentle stroll as we enter synagogue, bringing to mind the worshipers who centuries ago climbed the Southern steps of the Har HaBayit in Yerushalayim. The steps, intentionally varied in height and depth, forced worshipers to pause and reflect on the holiness of the place they were about to enter. Some scholars connect the fifteen interspersed long steps to the fifteen Tehillim of Ascent (120 – 134). Worshipers would sing the Tehillim, one by one, as they paused on each of the long steps.

Mah Tovu, in essence, offers us a time of preparation. Our challenge, and our joy, is to embrace the period of quiet reflection as we and those around us get ready to worship with The Nation.

May He answer us with the truth of His Salvation.

Yigdal

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“Yigdal” (“Great”) is a piyyut based on the Thirteen Principles of Faith by Rabbenu Moshe ben Maimon (“Maimondies,” also known as “The Rambam”). It is found near the beginning of the weekday Shaḥrit service and the end of Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday night) services.

Born in Cordova, Spain in 1135 CE, the Rambam eventually left Spain due to Moslem persecution. He lived in Morocco and Israel before moving to Egypt where he lived most of his adult years.

Having an intellect of rare genius, the Rambam devoted his life to study until the untimely death of his brother David who had been his benefactor. The Rambam became a physician, eventually being appointed as physician to the royal court of Saladin, the sultan of Egypt and Syria who had driven the Crusaders from Jerusalem.

As a Torah scholar, physician, astronomer, and philosopher, the Rambam was a prolific author of books and essays in all four disciplines. Some of his better known Judaic works are:

Kitab as-Siraf (Book of Illumination, also known as Commentary on the Mishnah): the Thirteen Principles are found in tract Sanhedrin, chapter ten

Mishneh Torah (Code of the Torah): a fourteen volume encyclopedia which includes his well-known Eight Levels of Giving

Moreh Nevuḥim (Guide for the Perplexed): a view of Judaism through the lens of Aristotelian logic, and remains a controversial work

Sefer HaMitzvot (Book of Commandments): a comprehensive study of the 613 commandments

The Middle Ages were a difficult time for the Nation – Jewish scholars were frequently forced to defend the faith. Ongoing expulsions caused the Nation to become geographically dispersed, effectively losing any semblance of a centralized source of guidance. Several theologians started working to create an organized synopsis, i.e., “creed” of Judaism for the sake of defining and preserving the faith.

The Rambam’s composition of the Thirteen Principles was controversial when published but remains the best known. As with any “creed,” there were detractors who rejected the concept of reducing Torah down to a mere checklist. Other critics attempted to perfect it by either shrinking or expanding the list. (There truly is nothing new under the sun!) The Rambam’s Thirteen Principles can be found in the selected readings after weekday Shaḥrit in traditional siddurim.

In 1404 CE Daniel ben Yehudah Dayan completed “Yigdal” after working on it for eight years. He composed Yigdal with thirteen stanzas, one for each of the Rambam’s thirteen principles. Let’s see how this fits into the Shaḥrit service.

Mah Tovu, which we sing individually as we enter the synagogue, exhorts us to leave all our personal joys and sorrows behind so we may worship without distraction. We are clearing our thoughts and lifting our hearts to join the Nation in worship.

Adon Olam unites us as we begin our daily Shaḥrit service. (Although it is a popular practice in many synagogues to sing this piyyut at the end of services, traditional Siddurim also include it as the first congregational prayer each morning.) The Adon Olam pulls us into a greater awareness of Hashem as the G-d of all the vastness of infinite creation – yet also as our personal ever-present G-D.

Yigdal then directs our attention to Israel’s unique connection with Hashem. He is the    G-d of Israel; He reveals Himself to us in ways the nations do not yet see. Entire books have been written on the Thirteen Principles, but the fundamental perspective is distinctively Judaic.

Ani Ma’amin (“I Believe”), another familiar piyyut, focuses solely on the Twelfth Principle which declares “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah. No matter how long it takes, I will await his coming every day.” Its joyful melody pays poignant homage to the countless precious souls who declared this while facing horrific deaths during the Holocaust.

We are forever a generation away from extinction. B’ezrat Hashem, may Yigdal prove to unify us b’ḥal dor v’dor.