Tehilim Perek 122

Hello everybody, I’m Rabbi Shaya Sussman, covering the entire TANACH one perek at a time. Today wel discuss Tehilim chapter 122, continuing with the Shir Hama’alos verses.

This chapter is very relevant to today’s times, as we want Hashem to protect Eretz Yisrael and keep us safe.

It opens with the words, Shir Hama’alos l’Dovid. The Radak says that it’s possible that only the Shir Hama’alos that say, “L’Dovid” were written by him, while the others weren’t.

In this chapter Dovid speaks optimistically by expressing our desire to return to Eretz Yisrael, settle the land, and rebuild the Beis Hamikdash. When Yerushalayim is rebuilt, all the tribes will gather to acknowledge God and the Mashiach.

The perek ends by requesting peace for Yerushalayim. All its residents and buildings should be safe and no-one should be harmed in any way. Peace will prevail and all will understand that God is good.

The perek opens with the words

שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּעֲל֗וֹת לְדָ֫וִ֥ד שָׂ֭מַחְתִּי בְּאֹמְרִ֣ים לִ֑י בֵּ֖ית יְהוָ֣ה נֵלֵֽךְ׃

A Song of Ascents of Dovid. I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the House of God.

Why was Dovid so happy?

The Gemarah in Makos 10A explains that he heard people asking when he would die so that his son Shlomo could build the Beis Hamikdash. Dovid was happy that the people yearned for the Beis Hamikdash.

If that was Dovid’s reaction, shouldn’t we be happy? After 2,000 years we now have 6 and half million Jews back in Eretz Yisrael!

Yerushalayim is once again built up with beautiful stones. Isn’t the very fact that we’ve returned to the land enough to sing and dance? We see that Hashem has not forsaken His nation after this long Galus, Exile.

We’re living in amazing times. Watching the steps of the Geulah take place should be a great source of encouragement for us, strengthening our Emunah.

The last Gemarah in Makos explains that when the Tana’aim saw a fox running in the ruins of the Beis Hamikdash they began to cry, but Rebbe Akiva laughed. He reminded them of the passuk foretelling that foxes will come from its ruins.

He understood that if the prophecy that the Beis Hamikdash would be destroyed was fulfilled, then certainly the prediction that it would be rebuilt is also true.

The same can be said for us. Now that we see that Hashem has returned us to Eretz Yisrael to rebuild the ancient ruins, that Jews from the 4 corners of the world have returned to our homeland, we can believe that soon there will be no more war on His holy mountain, and Yerushalayim will once more be called the City of Peace.

Thank you for listening and have a wonderful day.