0. Question: When do people turn to God in prayer?
כתב הרב מצוה חמישית שנצטוינו בעבודתו שנאמר ועבדתם את ה' אלקיכם וגו' ואומר ולעבדו בכל לבבכם.
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ואם אולי יהיה מדרשם בתפלה עיקר מן התורה נמנה אותו במנינו של הרב ונאמר שהיא מצוה לעת הצרות שנאמין שהוא יתברך ויתעלה שומע תפלה והוא המציל מן הצרות בתפלה וזעקה, והבן זה:
R. Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban or Nachmanides, 1194-1270, Girona, Catalonia - Jerusalem).
The Master [=Maimonides] wrote that the fifth mitzvah which we have been commanded concerns the service of God, as it is written, "and you shall serve the Name Your God..." and it is written, "and to serve Him with all your heart."
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If indeed the homiletic statement of the Talmudic Rabbis means that there is a biblical obligation [to pray], we shall count prayer according to the Master's reckoning, and shall say that there is a commandment in time of crisis (tzarot, "tzores") that we should believe that He, may He be blessed and exalted, hears prayer and saves (matzil) people from difficulties through prayer and calls [for help]. Understand this.
1a. Psalm 20: Background
Psalm 20 in liturgy
- Standard liturgy
- Part of the concluding prayers of the weekday morning service
- The final verse (v. 10) is quoted at several points in the morning and evening liturgy and in the Ashkenazi liturgy for Havdalah
- In times of crisis (see for example at Aish.com):
- for a sick person
- in time of danger to the Jewish people (e.g. for the Jews of Ukraine)
- an 'all-purpose' psalm (for family, happiness, fulfillment, peace of mind)
(א) ...ונוהגין עתה לומר אשרי יושבי ויענך ה' ביום צרה לפי שיש בו מענין הישועה:
...it is customary now to recite [as part of the conclusion of the weekday morning service] "Happy are those who dwell in your house" (Ashrei/Psalm 145) and "May the Lord answer you in time of trouble" (Psalm 20), because it deals with salvation (yeshuah י.ש.ע.).
1b. Psalm 20: Text
(א) לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ (ב) יַֽעַנְךָ֣ ה' בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה יְ֝שַׂגֶּבְךָ֗ שֵׁ֤ם ׀ אֱלֹקֵ֬י יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (ג) יִשְׁלַֽח־עֶזְרְךָ֥ מִקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וּ֝מִצִּיּ֗וֹן יִסְעָדֶֽךָּ׃ (ד) יִזְכֹּ֥ר כׇּל־מִנְחֹתֶ֑ךָ וְעוֹלָתְךָ֖ יְדַשְּׁנֶ֣ה סֶֽלָה׃ (ה) יִֽתֶּן־לְךָ֥ כִלְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְֽכׇל־עֲצָתְךָ֥ יְמַלֵּֽא׃ (ו) נְרַנְּנָ֤ה ׀ בִּ֘ישׁ֤וּעָתֶ֗ךָ וּבְשֵֽׁם־אֱלֹקֵ֥ינוּ נִדְגֹּ֑ל יְמַלֵּ֥א ה' כׇּל־מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
(ז) עַתָּ֤ה יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּ֤י הוֹשִׁ֥יעַ ׀ ה' מְשִׁ֫יח֥וֹ יַ֭עֲנֵהוּ מִשְּׁמֵ֣י קׇדְשׁ֑וֹ בִּ֝גְבֻר֗וֹת יֵ֣שַׁע יְמִינֽוֹ׃ (ח) אֵ֣לֶּה בָ֭רֶכֶב וְאֵ֣לֶּה בַסּוּסִ֑ים וַאֲנַ֓חְנוּ ׀ בְּשֵׁם־ה' אֱלֹקֵ֣ינוּ נַזְכִּֽיר׃ (ט) הֵ֭מָּה כָּרְע֣וּ וְנָפָ֑לוּ וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ קַּ֝֗מְנוּ וַנִּתְעוֹדָֽד׃
(י) ה' הוֹשִׁ֑יעָה הַ֝מֶּ֗לֶךְ יַעֲנֵ֥נוּ בְיוֹם־קׇרְאֵֽנוּ׃ {פ}
(1) For the leader. A psalm of David. (2) May the LORD answer you in time of trouble (tzarah),
the name of Jacob’s God keep you safe. (3) May He send you help from the sanctuary,
and sustain you from Zion. (4) May He receive the tokens of all your meal offerings,
and approve your burnt offerings. Selah. (5) May He grant you your desire,
and fulfill your every plan. (6) May we shout for joy in your victory (yeshu'atekha י.ש.ע.),
arrayed by standards in the name of our God.
May the LORD fulfill your every wish.
(7) Now I know that the LORD will give victory (hoshi'a י.ש.ע.) to His anointed,
will answer him from His heavenly sanctuary
with the mighty victories (yesha`, י.ש.ע.) of His right arm. (8) They [call] on chariots, they [call] on horses,
but we call on the name of the LORD our God. (9) They collapse and lie fallen,
but we rally and gather strength.
(10) O LORD, grant victory (hoshiy'ah י.ש.ע.)!
May the King answer (ya'anenu) us when we call.-c
c[NJPS Note:]Or in the light of v. 7, "O Lord, grant victory to the king; / may He answer us when we call."
1c. Psalm 20: Commentaries
A kingly context
May the Lord answer you on a day of distress This psalm was [composed] because he [David] would send Joab and all Israel to war, and he would stand in Jerusalem and pray for them, as the matter is stated (in II Sam. 18:3): “It is better that you be for us from the city as aid.” Were it not for David, Joab would not have succeeded in battle.
God save / the King/king (v. 10)
Septuagint to 20:10
O Lord, save your king,
and hearken to us in the day we call upon you.
Adele Berlin & Marc Zvi Brettler, Jewish Study Bible,
Comment to verse 10
...this is the origin of the expression, "God save the king!"
Introductory comment to Psalm 20:
This is a prayer for the king before battle
2a. Psalm 130: Background
Psalm 130 in Liturgy
- Standard Liturgy (?)
- With the encouragement of many mystics, Psalm 130 is recited in many congregations during the Ten Days of Repentance (Rosh Hashanah - Yom Kippur) following the daily Psalms (Pesukei deZimra). The ark is opened and it is read responsively.
- In times of crisis (see for example at Aish.com):
- for a sick person
- at a grave
- in time of danger to the Jewish people (e.g. for the Jews of Ukraine)
- an 'all-purpose' psalm (for family, happiness, fulfillment, peace of mind)
2b. Psalm 130: Text
(א) שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּעֲל֑וֹת מִמַּעֲמַקִּ֖ים קְרָאתִ֣יךָ ה'׃ (ב) אדושם שִׁמְעָ֢ה בְק֫וֹלִ֥י תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה אׇ֭זְנֶיךָ קַשֻּׁב֑וֹת לְ֝ק֗וֹל תַּחֲנוּנָֽי׃ (ג) אִם־עֲוֺנ֥וֹת תִּשְׁמׇר־יָ֑הּ אדושם מִ֣י יַעֲמֹֽד׃ (ד) כִּֽי־עִמְּךָ֥ הַסְּלִיחָ֑ה לְ֝מַ֗עַן תִּוָּרֵֽא׃
(ה) קִוִּ֣יתִי ה' קִוְּתָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י וְֽלִדְבָר֥וֹ הוֹחָֽלְתִּי׃ (ו) נַפְשִׁ֥י לַאדושם מִשֹּׁמְרִ֥ים לַ֝בֹּ֗קֶר שֹׁמְרִ֥ים לַבֹּֽקֶר׃ (ז) יַחֵ֥ל יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֶל־ה' כִּֽי־עִם־ה' הַחֶ֑סֶד וְהַרְבֵּ֖ה עִמּ֣וֹ פְדֽוּת׃ (ח) וְ֭הוּא יִפְדֶּ֣ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מִ֝כֹּ֗ל עֲוֺנֹתָֽיו׃ {פ}
(1) A song of ascents.
Out of the depths I call You, O LORD. (2) O Lord, listen to my cry;
let Your ears be attentive
to my plea for mercy. (3) If You keep account of sins, O LORD,
Lord, who will survive? (4) Yours is the power to forgive
so that You may be held in awe.
(5) I look to the LORD;
I look to Him;
I await His word. (6) I am more eager for the Lord
than watchmen for the morning,
watchmen for the morning.
(7) O Israel, wait for the LORD;
for with the LORD is steadfast love
and great power to redeem. (8) It is He who will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
2c. Psalm 130: Commentaries
Out of the depths I call You (v.1)
Robert Alter, Writings, Comment to v. 1
Repeatedly in Psalms, 'the depths' are an epithet for the depths of the sea, which in turn is an image of the realm of death. Generations of readers...have responded to the archetypal starkness of the phrase: the speaker, from the darkness of profound despair, on the verge of the death, calls out to God. This psalm, of course, is a penitential psalm, focusing not on the evil of Israel's enemies, as does Psalm 129, but on the wrongs Israel has done.
(ב) הוֹשִׁיעֵ֥נִי אֱלֹקִ֑ים כִּ֤י בָ֖אוּ מַ֣יִם עַד־נָֽפֶשׁ׃ (ג) טָבַ֤עְתִּי ׀ בִּיוֵ֣ן מְ֭צוּלָה וְאֵ֣ין מׇעֳמָ֑ד בָּ֥אתִי בְמַעֲמַקֵּי־מַ֝֗יִם וְשִׁבֹּ֥לֶת שְׁטָפָֽתְנִי׃
(2) Deliver me, O God,
for the waters have reached my neck; (3) I am sinking into the slimy deep
and find no foothold;
I have come into the watery depths;
the flood sweeps me away.
Forgiveness (v. 4) and Steadfast Love (v. 7)
Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, Jewish Study Bible Comments to vv. 3-4
The theological notion expressed (in vv. 3-4) is that if God did not forgive sins, all people would be doomed to punishment since everyone sins. God's forgiving nature causes people to hold God in awe. ...
Yours is the power to forgive, literally 'with you is forgiveness,' the same structure as 'with the Lord is steadfast love ['hesed']' (v. 7). The combination of the two phrases suggests that forgiveness is part of God's 'hesed', his covenant obligation to Israel.
I am more eager for the Lord (v. 6)
Robert Alter, Comment to v. 6
The force of the image is evident: the watchmen sitting through the last of the three watches of the night, peering into the darkness for the first sign of dawn, cannot equate my intense expectation for God's redeeming word to come to me in my dark night of the soul.
3. Considerations for Further Exploration