Tehilim Perek 131

Hello everybody, today’s NachDaily will discuss Tehilim chapter 131 in the Shir Ha’amalos chapters. This is the second to shortest chapter with only 3 pessukim.

The previous perek related that Hashem listens to one who is humble and sincere, who calls out from the depths. Here, Dovid reflects upon his own personality. Always humble, he relied on God with great sincerity, like a child who is solely dependent on his mother. Even in adulthood, he relied on God with the innocence of a child.

The chapter ends with Dovid affirming his faith in God’s ability to save us, not only in the present moment, but for all of eternity.

The perek begins with the words,

שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּֽעֲל֗וֹת לְדָ֫וִ֥ד יְהוָ֤ה ׀ לֹא־גָבַ֣הּ לִ֭בִּי וְלֹא־רָמ֣וּ עֵינַ֑י וְלֹֽא־הִלַּ֓כְתִּי ׀ בִּגְדֹל֖וֹת וּבְנִפְלָא֣וֹת מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

A Song of Ascents, Of David. God, my heart was not proud nor were my eyes haughty; I didn’t aspire to great things or to what is beyond me;

Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch explains that Dovid summed up his soul in 3 short verses.

“Lo gava libi, My heart wasn’t haughty.” He had no gayva, haughtiness, or ego, as he always felt awe knowing that he was in God’s Presence. As he didn’t think of himself as particularly great, he didn’t try to attain that which wasn’t his by asserting himself over his nation.

“Eem lo shavisi nafshi, I swear that I silenced my soul.” He accepted everything calmly, with complete reliance on Hashem.

He relied on God as a nursing child depends on his mother’s milk. He only desired to experience God in his life.

The last passuk says, “Yachel Yisrael el Hashem, Let the Jewish nation rely on God.” Dovid had no personal desires; his only concern was for the welfare of the Jewish nation.

I would like to add that I love learning about Dovid’s life. We see in this chapter how Dovid corresponded to the midda of Malchus, Kingship, and truly was worthy of being the King of Yisrael.

The trait of Malchus, Kingship, can be compared to the moon. The moon has no light of its own, but only reflects the light of the sun. So too the trait of a true Jewish King is only reflecting the light of Hashem.

His relationship with Hashem was the same as with Am Yisrael, as it says, “Ein Melech b’lo am, There is no King without a nation.” A king is only as strong as the people behind him. The king’s job, therefore, is not only to reflect the light of God down to the people, but also to embody the all-inclusive light of the Jewish nation as an ambassador to God for the people.

As we see in our perek, Dovid truly had no personal agenda. He both reflected Hashem’s light to the nation and represented the nation to Hashem. This is the midda of Malchus, Kingship.

May we merit attaining the humility of Dovid Hamelech, seeking only to reflect the light of God in our lives.

Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day