♫ לדוד ה' אורי וישעי ♫: Mizmor 27 and The Dual Nature of Man's Relationship with G-d

Damsel in Distress Syndrome

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“The Lord is My Light and My Salvation” – Psalm 27 By Rav Elchanan Samet Translated by Kaeren Fish

The contrast in mood between the two halves, and the different positions of the psalmist in relation to G-d, finds expression in the tension between the end of the first half and the beginning of the second. While the first half concludes on a triumphant note of joy, with praise to G-d for His deliverance, the second half begins with a cry to G-d by a psalmist in distress, uncertain as to G-d's response to him: "Hear, O Lord, my voice as I cry out; be gracious to me and answer me." This feeling continues throughout this half; a person does not plead, "Do not hide Your face from me" unless he feels that G-d is indeed hidden from him. Moreover, the psalmist fears G-d's anger, which may divert him from his path, and asks, "Do not divert your servant in (Your) anger." This is a sharp contrast to the first half, which contained no hint of any anger, hastarat panim (hiding of G-d's face), or abandonment of the psalmist by G-d. In the first half, all that emanates from G-d is light, salvation, and pleasantness.

The differences between the two parts of the psalm seem so fundamental that the question arises: can this psalm indeed be viewed as a single unit? Let us examine the contrast between the two parts of the psalm from a different perspective. The first half follows the model of activity that flows from the heavens earthward – from top to bottom. It is G-d Who gives light to man and saves him; man merits G-d's mercies, but he is completely passive. Even his victory over his enemies is not the result of his own human efforts, but rather the "automatic" result, as it were, of G-d's protection, hiding him in His sukka and lifting his head to tower over the rock. Man's only act is to praise G-d for his deliverance and to offer thanksgiving in the form of sacrifice and song.

This half of the psalm starts and ends with G-d's Name. It begins with the aspect of "My Beloved is mine" – G-d is my Light and my Salvation; this establishes the mood and character of the rest of this half. The concluding words (alone) express the aspect of "and I am His:" "I shall sing and give praises to the Lord.

The second half of the psalm reflects the opposite situation. Here, the direction is bottom-up. Here, it is man who appeals urgently to G-d, from the depths of his sense of God hiding His face. Here, too, the opening words indicate the mood that prevails until near the end: "Hear, O Lord, my voice as I cry out" – that is, "I am my Beloved's." Only at the conclusion of this half do we find a change in the direction of the action, with the expression of faith that G-d’s goodness will be manifest in the world and witnessed by man – "and my Beloved is mine."

Rav Soloveitchik introduces his well-known work, "Ma Dodekh MiDod,"8[8] with a chapter about Rosh Ha-shana and Yom Kippur. As the basis for the distinction between these two days of judgment, he invokes G-d's two revelations at Mount Sinai – the giving of the first Tablets in a public revelation before all of Israel, and the giving of the second tablets to Moshe alone (on Yom Kippur, according to tradition). His beautiful words serve as a fitting conclusion to our discussion of this psalm: On Rosh Ha-shana, we hear the echo of G-d's voice hewing through flames of fire at the first revelation at Mount Sinai in full public view,9[9] while on Yom Kippur we enter the company of Moshe, who stood upon the mountain and listened attentively to the still silence from which there emerged and arose the wonder of repentance and of G-d's kindness. The second revelation at Sinai has a different character than the first … no wondrous light illuminated [Moshe's] way, there were no burning torches, nor was he crowned with clouds of purity… Moshe ascended the mountain, looked this way and that, sought G-d and did not find Him… Moshe did not cease seeking G-d, alone… and was seized with a great fear that perhaps G-d would not reveal Himself on high. G-d wanted Moshe to wait for Him this time, to seek Him, to plead and entreat Him with prayer. And the hour of favor arrived, and G-d responded and answered him… but this revelation had cost Moshe much anguish… with fear, the fear of the creature when he is severed for a short time from his Creator. The image of the Day of Remembrance (Rosh Ha-shana) is unlike the image of Yom Kippur. On the first day of the seventh month, G-d comes towards man. On the tenth day of the month, man comes towards G-d. In G-d's public approach towards the nation [on Rosh Ha-shana] is enfolded the secret of Kingship and Justice. On the other hand, the private approach [on Yom Kippur] of the individual towards G-d, Who dwells in secret, in shadow, contains the secret of repentance. Man may meet his Creator in two ways… Sometimes G-d appears to man and shows His face to him… He fills him with vitality and showers him with the dew of rejuvenation, without the person having to wait days and nights, without seeking and searching for Him… However, G-d often hides… and then man pleads, "Show me, I pray You, Your glory." If this person – frightened and anxious, thirsty for salvation and relief, is longing for the living G-d, and G-d does not hurry to the encounter, then he must do as Moshe did on that wondrous morning. He must seek G-d… with agility, assiduously, conscientiously, with exertion and compulsion. This is how one seeks and finds G-d.