Tehilim Perek 138

Hello everybody. Today’s NachDaily will discuss Tehilim chapter 138. This is a very famous chapter.

By way of introduction, we all need to live with the awareness that God is with us. Those who call out to Him more often can feel the comfort of their trust in Him.

In this chapter, Dovid thanks Hashem from the bottom of his heart, expressing his gratitude that his tefilos were heard. Realizing that his prayers were actually answered, he felt even greater encouragement to keep on davening.

Dovid says that God’s sovereignty will be recognized by all the kings on the earth during the times of Mashiach because God sees the lowly and despises the haughty.

Dovid ends by relating that despite his troubles, God is with him, always looking after him.

Verse 6 says:

כִּי־רָ֣ם יְ֭הוָה וְשָׁפָ֣ל יִרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝גָבֹ֗הַּ מִמֶּרְחָ֥ק יְיֵדָֽע׃

For though Hashem is exalted, he notes the lowly one. And the High One makes Himself known from afar.

The Gemarah in Sotah 5A brings the following based on our passuk: Come and see how God’s way is different from that of mortal man. Among mortals the exalted one sees another exalted person, but ignores a lowly one. God’s ways are different. Hashem is exalted and lofty and looks at the lowly spirited person.

We shouldn’t think that if we were only better, holier, or higher, God would pay more attention to our tefilos and mitzvos. Nothing can be further from the truth! God’s ways are not like man’s. He is constantly looking and paying attention to even the lowest person’s mitzvos, tefilos, and good deeds.

The very fact that you are calling out to Hashem, feeling lowly, is a reason in itself to be happy!

Reb Nosson explains that we can always remember that people as lowly as we are zocheh to wear tefillin, make brachos, and daven to Hashem. Wow! We must be really special. We can turn our sadness into happiness and bring it to the side of Kedushah.

May we merit feeling close to God, realizing that He specifically listens to us because we are low.

Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.