Psalm Meditations on God and Humanity 7 Mortality

(45) For the king had sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Juda that they should follow the strange laws of the land,

(46) And forbid burnt offerings, and sacrifice, and drink offerings, in the temple; and that they should profane the sabbaths and festivaldays:

(47) And pollute the sanctuary and holy people: Set up altars, and groves, and chapels of idols, and sacrifice swine’s flesh, and unclean beasts:

(57) Moreover Judas and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel ordained, that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year by the space of eightdays, from the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu (Kislev), with mirth and gladness.

With regard to the opinion that one need not rekindle the Hanukkah light if it is extinguished, the Gemara asks: And is it true that if the Hanukkah light is extinguished one is not bound to attend to it? The Gemara raises a contradiction from that which was taught in a baraita: The mitzva of kindling the Hanukkah lights is from sunset until traffic in the marketplace ceases. Does that not mean that if the light is extinguished, he must rekindle it so that it will remain lit for the duration of that period? The Gemara answers: No, the baraita can be understood otherwise: That if one did not yet light at sunset, he may still light the Hanukkah lights until traffic ceases. Alternatively, one could say that this is referring to the matter of its measure. One must prepare a wick and oil sufficient to burn for the period lasting from sunset until traffic ceases. If he did so, even if the light is extinguished beforehand, he need not relight it.

(1) A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

O Lord, You have been our refuge in every generation.(2) Before the mountains came into being,
before You brought forth the earth and the world,
from eternity to eternity You are God.(3) You return man to dust;
You decreed, “Return you mortals!”(4) For in Your sight a thousand years
are like yesterday that has passed,
like a watch of the night.

(5) You engulf men in sleep;^-b
at daybreak they are like grass that renews itself;

NRSV: You sweep them away; they are like a dream...

(6) at daybreak it flourishes anew;
by dusk it withers and dries up.(7) So we are consumed by Your anger,
terror-struck by Your fury.

(8) You have set our iniquities before You,
our hidden sins in the light of Your face.(9) All our days pass away in Your wrath;
we spend our years like a sigh.(10) The span of our life is seventy years,
or, given the strength, eighty years;
but the best of them^-b are trouble and sorrow.
They pass by speedily, and we are in darkness.^-c(11) Who can know Your furious anger?
Your wrath matches the fear of You.(12) Teach us to count our days rightly,
that we may obtain a wise heart.

(13)Turn, O LORD!
How long?
Show mercy to Your servants.(14)Satisfy/s.b.` us at daybreak with Your steadfast love
that we may sing for joy all our days.(15) Give us joy for as long as You have afflicted us,
for the years we have suffered misfortune.(16) Let Your deeds be seen by Your servants,
Your glory by their children.(17) May the favor of the Lord, our God, be upon us;
let the work of our hands prosper,
O prosper the work of our hands!

[A prayer of Moses,] the man of God: for he was a prophet.

Rashi, following several teachings in the Midrash, connects Psalm 90 (and Psalms 90-100 as a unit) to Moses' blessing of the people upon the completion of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness as described at the end of the book of Exodus/Shemot.

(1) ויברך אתם משה AND MOSES BLESSED THEM — He said to them “May it be the will of God that His Shechinah rest upon the work of your hands; ‘and let the beauty/favor/no`am of the Lord our God be upon us and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us’” (Psalms 90:17.) (Sifra, Shemini, Mechilta d'Miluim 2 15)

This (from ויהי נועם onward) is part of one of the eleven Psalms (90—100) that are in the section beginning with, תפלה למשה; (Numbers Rabbah 12:9).

(17) May the favor of the Lord, our God, be upon us;
let the work of our hands prosper,
O prosper the work of our hands!

(17) May the favor of the Lord, our God, be upon us;
let the work of our hands prosper,
O prosper the work of our hands!(1) O you who dwell in the shelter of the Most High
and abide in the protection of Shaddai—(2) I say of the LORD, my refuge and stronghold,
my God in whom I trust,(3) that He will save you from the fowler’s trap,
from the destructive plague.

(14) “Because he is devoted to Me I will deliver him;
I will keep him safe, for he knows My name.(15) When he calls on Me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress;
I will rescue him and make him honored;(16) I will let him live to (DR: I will make him content / s.b.` with) a ripe old age,
and show him My salvation.”

This blessing is known in Hebrew as "the blessing of Years / Birkat HaShanim.

(1) Bless for us, Adonai our God, this year and all the varieties of its produce for good; and bestow

(5) dew and rain for a blessing*

(6) upon the face of the earth; satisfy/sabe`enu (s.b.`) us from Your bounty and bless our year, like the good years. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Blesser of the years.