Psalms in Liturgy 4 - Psalm 24 (Song of the Day for Sunday)

(2) Each person is required to minimize his own kavod (honor) and maximize the honor of the Omnipresent One. For anyone who pursues honor does not attain kevod Elohim (God’s glory), but kevod melakhim (glory of kings), of which it is said (Proverbs 25:2), “but the glory of kings is an investigated matter.” Everyone inquires about him <to see if he is deserving of such honor, asking,> “Who is he and what is he?” (Esther 7:5--King Achashverosh's question about Haman) that he is afforded such honor. And they oppose him, saying that he is not deserving of such kavod .

(3) The High Priest is entitled to sacrifice any offering brought to the Temple, at his discretion. When the High Priest wishes to burn the limbs of the daily offering and the accompanying meal offering, he would ascend the ramp to the altar, and the deputy High Priest would walk to his right.

...The Deputy stands at the High Priest’s side at the corner of the altar and the cloths are in his hand, so that he can wave them to signal to the Levites to begin singing when the High Priest pours the libation.

Two priests stand at the marble table of the fats, where the limbs and fats were placed before being taken to the altar, and there were two silver trumpets in their hands. These two priests sounded a tekia, a long continuous blast; they then sounded a terua, a series of staccato blasts; and lastly they sounded another tekia to alert the Levites to prepare to recite the psalm. The priests with the trumpets came and stood near ben Arza, the title given to the person who was tasked with striking the cymbals, one to his right and one to his left. Then the High Priest stooped to pour the libation, and the Deputy waved the cloths, and ben Arza struck the cymbals, and the Levites recited the psalm of that day of the week.

Each psalm was divided into three sections. Whenever the Levites reached the end of one section of the psalm, the priests sounded a tekia, and the people in the courtyard prostrated themselves. At the end of each section there was a tekia, and for every tekia there was a prostration. That is the procedure for the sacrifice of the daily (Tamid) offering in the service of the House of our God; may it be His will that it will be speedily rebuilt in our day, amen.

(4) The following is a list of each daily psalm that the Levites would recite in the Temple.

On the first day of the week they would recite the psalm beginning: “A psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains, the world and all who live in it” (Psalms, chapter 24).

On the second day they would recite the psalm beginning: “A song; a psalm of the sons of Korah. Great is the Lord and highly to be praised in the city of God, on His sacred mountain” (Psalms, chapter 48).

On the third day they would recite the psalm beginning: “A psalm of Asaph. God stands in the divine assembly; among the judges He delivers judgment” (Psalms, chapter 82).

On the fourth day they would recite the psalm beginning: “O Lord God, to Whom vengeance belongs, God to Whom vengeance belongs, shine forth” (Psalms, chapter 94).

On the fifth day they would recite the psalm beginning: “For the leader; upon the Gittith, a psalm of Asaph. Sing for joy to God, our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob” (Psalms, chapter 81).

On the sixth day they would recite the psalm beginning: “The Lord reigns: He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, girded with strength” (Psalms, chapter 93).

On Shabbat they would recite the psalm beginning: “A psalm, a song for Shabbat day” (Psalms, chapter 92). This is interpreted as a psalm, a song for the future, for the day that will be entirely Shabbat and rest for everlasting life.

Tractate Soferim (“Scribes”) ... was likely compiled in the eighth century in Israel, though certain segments are of earlier origin. It discusses the process of writing Torah scrolls, the spelling of biblical words, and the public reading of biblical texts. ... Many medieval legal authorities considered the tractate to be a reliable source of law.

Why has it been ordained that the psalms [prescribed for the Temple service] are to be said on every New Moon? [This is done in accordance with the view of] R. Simeon b. Laḳish. He enquired of R. Joḥanan whether it was permissible to recite the psalms in the absence of libations, and he replied, ‘We may deduce the answer from the following statement: On this and that [occasion] [that is, after the destruction of the First and Second Temples] the Levites stood on the platform and recited, And He hath brought upon them their own iniquity’ (Psalm 94). R. Simeon b. Laḳish asked him, ‘Which is first, the psalm or the additional sacrifice?’ He replied, ‘It is obvious that the psalm is read first’.

For this reason the people have adopted the custom of saying psalms at their proper times; as we have learned in the Mishnah: ‘These were the psalms which the Levites used to recite in the Temple: On Sunday they used to recite, The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. (Psalm 24)...

(1) Of David. A psalm.

The earth is the LORD’s and all that it holds,
the world and its inhabitants. (2) For He founded it upon the ocean,
set it on the nether-streams/neharot.

(3) Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?
Who may stand in His holy place?— (4) He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who has not taken [nasa' (root: n.s.'.) / lit. 'lifted up'] a false oath by My life [written: His life]
or sworn deceitfully. (5) He shall carry away [yissa' (root: n.s.'.) / lit. 'lift up'] a blessing from the LORD,
a just reward from God, his deliverer. (6) Such is the circle [or generation / דור / dor] of those who turn to Him,
Jacob, who seek Your presence. Selah.

(7) O gates, lift up [se'u (root: n.s.'.)] your heads!
Up high [vehinnas'u (root: n.s.'.)], you everlasting doors,
so the King of glory may come in! (8) Who is the King of glory?—
the LORD, mighty and valiant,
the LORD, valiant in battle. (9) O gates, lift up your heads!
Lift them up, you everlasting doors,
so the King of glory may come in! (10) Who is the King of glory?—
the LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory! Selah.

§ The Gemara expands on the topic of the daily psalms recited by the Levites. It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Akiva: On the first day of the week, Sunday, what psalm would the Levites recite? The psalm beginning with the phrase: “The earth is the Lord’s, and its fullness” (Psalms 24:1), in commemoration of the first day of Creation, because on that day He acquired the world and transferred it to man [Rashi: He acquired it for the sake of bestowing it (to humanity)], and He was the only ruler in His world, as the angels were not created until the second day [cf. Rashi].

(16) The heavens belong to the LORD,
but the earth He gave over to man.

(1) When God began to create^* heaven and earth— (2) the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep/tehom and a wind from^* God sweeping over the water—

(3) Praise the Lord of lords,
His steadfast love is eternal; (4) Who alone works great marvels,
His steadfast love is eternal; (5) Who made the heavens with wisdom,
His steadfast love is eternal; (6) Who spread the earth over the water/mayim,
His steadfast love is eternal; (7) Who made the great lights,
His steadfast love is eternal;

(4) Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
He has cast into the sea;
And the pick of his officers
Are drowned in the Sea of Reeds. (5) The deeps/tehomot covered them;
They went down into the depths like a stone.

(3) The ocean/neharot ('streams') sounds, O LORD,
the ocean sounds its thunder,
the ocean sounds its pounding. (4) Above the thunder of the mighty waters,
more majestic than the breakers of the sea
is the LORD, majestic on high.

(1) A psalm of David.

LORD, who may sojourn in Your tent,
who may dwell on Your holy mountain? (2) He who lives without blame,
who does what is right,
and in his heart acknowledges the truth; (3) whose tongue is not given to evil;^-a
who has never done harm to his fellow,
or borne reproach for [his acts toward] his neighbor; (4) for whom a contemptible man is abhorrent,
but who honors those who fear the LORD;
who stands by his oath even to his hurt; (5) who has never lent money at interest,
or accepted a bribe against the innocent.
The man who acts thus shall never be shaken.

(12) And all the living shall thank You forever [Selah] and praise Your Name with sincerity — the Almighty, Who is our deliverance and our help forever [Selah]. Blessed are You, Adonai; Your Name is The Beneficent and You it is fitting to praise.