Tehilim Perek 144

Hello everybody, in today’s NachDaily we’ll be discussing Tehilim chapter 144.

Dovid wrote this prayer at a time of peace for himself and the nation. It was written either at the end of the civil war which took place in Shmuel Beis perek 3, or at the end of the rebellion of his son Avshalom and the confrontation with Sheva Ben Bikhri. These were quiet and harmonious times for Am Yisrael.

Dovid begins by thanking Hashem for his military victories. He goes on to speak about man’s mortality, as our days are numbered like a fleeting breath of air. Dovid speaks of God’s omnipotence, His complete ability to intercede in the creation. God can “bend the heavens,” in a sense, to accomplish anything He desires.

After recognizing God’s omnipotence, Dovid is moved to sing a “new song” filled with gratitude. Dovid asks God for complete deliverance for Am Yisrael on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels. He ends by emphatically stating how fortunate is the nation who has Hashem as its God.

Verse 9 says:

אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֗ים שִׁ֣יר חָ֭דָשׁ אָשִׁ֣ירָה לָּ֑ךְ בְּנֵ֥בֶל עָ֝שׂ֗וֹר אֲזַמְּרָה־לָּֽךְ׃

O God, I will sing You a new song, sing a hymn to You with a ten-stringed harp.

A word about the ten stringed harp:

As we’ve explained in the past, Rashi on the first chapter of Psalms explains that Dovid said Tehilim corresponding to the ten types of music. The ten types are netsuach, mizmor, nuggun, shir, hallel, tefilah, brachah, hoda, ashrei and halleluyah. The ten-stringed harp represents the harmony of these ten types of music.

The Bamidbar Rabba explains that the 10-stringed harp will be played when Mashiach comes. Now, in exile, we play each type of music by itself. When Mashiach comes, however, we’ll be able to express full happiness by playing the ten-stringed harp, allowing us to unify the ten different types of music.

Additionally, Rebbe Nachman explains that the ten types of music correspond to the 10 types of heart-beats and the 10 types of happiness. When people are happy, their hearts are fully pumping, and they experience true vitality. When people are lacking in their happiness, they also feel it in their blood.

Perhaps, based on this, it can be said that at the end of the redemption process, “bila lemaves netzach, all death will end forever.” The 10-stringed harps will be played, fully activating simcha and the 10 types of heart-beats. This will wipe away sadness, and all death will end forever.

May we merit hearing the music of the 10-stringed harp, which will be a full expression of the 10 different types of tehilim, songs, and heartbeats, when all will come to dance in the streets of Yerushlayim, and all death will end forever.