Psalm 27
לְדָוִ֨ד ׀ יהוה ׀ אוֹרִ֣י וְ֭יִשְׁעִי מִמִּ֣י אִירָ֑א יהוה מָעוֹז־חַ֝יַּ֗י מִמִּ֥י אֶפְחָֽד׃ בִּקְרֹ֤ב עָלַ֨י ׀ מְרֵעִים֮ לֶאֱכֹ֢ל אֶת־בְּשָׂ֫רִ֥י צָרַ֣י וְאֹיְבַ֣י לִ֑י הֵ֖מָּה כָשְׁל֣וּ וְנָפָֽלוּ׃ אִם־תַּחֲנֶ֬ה עָלַ֨י ׀ מַחֲנֶה֮ לֹא־יִירָ֢א לִ֫בִּ֥י אִם־תָּק֣וּם עָ֭לַי מִלְחָמָ֑ה בְּ֝זֹ֗את אֲנִ֣י בוֹטֵֽחַ׃ אַחַ֤ת ׀ שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵאֵת־יהוה אוֹתָ֢הּ אֲבַ֫קֵּ֥שׁ שִׁבְתִּ֣י בְּבֵית־יהוה כׇּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיַּ֑י לַחֲז֥וֹת בְּנֹעַם־יהוה וּלְבַקֵּ֥ר בְּהֵֽיכָלֽוֹ׃ כִּ֤י יִצְפְּנֵ֨נִי ׀ בְּסֻכֹּה֮ בְּי֢וֹם רָ֫עָ֥ה יַ֭סְתִּרֵנִי בְּסֵ֣תֶר אׇהֳל֑וֹ בְּ֝צ֗וּר יְרוֹמְמֵֽנִי׃ וְעַתָּ֨ה יָר֪וּם רֹאשִׁ֡י עַ֤ל אֹיְבַ֬י סְֽבִיבוֹתַ֗י וְאֶזְבְּחָ֣ה בְ֭אׇהֳלוֹ זִבְחֵ֣י תְרוּעָ֑ה אָשִׁ֥ירָה וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה לַֽיהוה׃ שְׁמַע־יהוה קוֹלִ֥י אֶקְרָ֗א וְחׇנֵּ֥נִי וַעֲנֵֽנִי׃ לְךָ֤ ׀ אָמַ֣ר לִ֭בִּי בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ יהוה אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ׃ אַל־תַּסְתֵּ֬ר פָּנֶ֨יךָ ׀ מִמֶּנִּי֮ אַ֥ל תַּט־בְּאַ֗ף עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ עֶזְרָתִ֥י הָיִ֑יתָ אַֽל־תִּטְּשֵׁ֥נִי וְאַל־תַּ֝עַזְבֵ֗נִי אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעִֽי׃ כִּֽי־אָבִ֣י וְאִמִּ֣י עֲזָב֑וּנִי וַֽיהוה יַאַסְפֵֽנִי׃ ה֤וֹרֵ֥נִי יהוה דַּ֫רְכֶּ֥ךָ וּ֭נְחֵנִי בְּאֹ֣רַח מִישׁ֑וֹר לְ֝מַ֗עַן שֽׁוֹרְרָֽי׃ אַֽל־תִּ֭תְּנֵנִי בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ צָרָ֑י כִּ֥י קָמוּ־בִ֥י עֵדֵי־שֶׁ֝֗קֶר וִיפֵ֥חַ חָמָֽס׃ לׅׄוּׅׄלֵׅ֗ׄאׅׄ הֶ֭אֱמַנְתִּי לִרְא֥וֹת בְּֽטוּב־יהוה בְּאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּֽים׃ קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל־יהוה חֲ֭זַק וְיַאֲמֵ֣ץ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל־יהוה׃ {פ}
(1) Of David.
GOD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?
GOD is the stronghold of my life,whom should I dread? (2) When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—it is they, my foes and my enemies, who stumble and fall. (3) Should an army besiege me, my heart would have no fear; should war beset me, still would I be confident. (4) One thing I ask of GOD, only that do I seek: to live in GOD’s house all the days of my life, to gaze upon GOD’s beauty, to frequent the temple. (5) I will be sheltered in God’s pavilion on an evil day, granted the protection of God’s tent, and raised up high upon a rock. (6) Now is my head highover my enemies round about; I sacrifice in that tent with shouts of joy, singing and chanting a hymn to GOD. (7) Hear, O ETERNAL One, when I cry aloud; have mercy on me, answer me. In Your behalf my heart says: “Seek My face!” O ETERNAL One, I seek Your face. (8) Do not hide Your face from me; do not thrust aside Your servant in anger; You have ever been my help. Do not forsake me, do not abandon me, O God, my deliverer. (9) Though my father and mother abandon me, GOD will take me in. (10) Show me Your way, O ETERNAL One, and lead me on a level path because of my watchful foes. (11) Do not subject me to the will of my foes, for false witnesses and unjust accusers have appeared against me. (12) Had I not the assurance that I would enjoy GOD’s goodness in the land of the living…(13) Look to GOD; be strong and of good courage! O look to GOD!
GOD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?
GOD is the stronghold of my life,whom should I dread? (2) When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—it is they, my foes and my enemies, who stumble and fall. (3) Should an army besiege me, my heart would have no fear; should war beset me, still would I be confident. (4) One thing I ask of GOD, only that do I seek: to live in GOD’s house all the days of my life, to gaze upon GOD’s beauty, to frequent the temple. (5) I will be sheltered in God’s pavilion on an evil day, granted the protection of God’s tent, and raised up high upon a rock. (6) Now is my head highover my enemies round about; I sacrifice in that tent with shouts of joy, singing and chanting a hymn to GOD. (7) Hear, O ETERNAL One, when I cry aloud; have mercy on me, answer me. In Your behalf my heart says: “Seek My face!” O ETERNAL One, I seek Your face. (8) Do not hide Your face from me; do not thrust aside Your servant in anger; You have ever been my help. Do not forsake me, do not abandon me, O God, my deliverer. (9) Though my father and mother abandon me, GOD will take me in. (10) Show me Your way, O ETERNAL One, and lead me on a level path because of my watchful foes. (11) Do not subject me to the will of my foes, for false witnesses and unjust accusers have appeared against me. (12) Had I not the assurance that I would enjoy GOD’s goodness in the land of the living…(13) Look to GOD; be strong and of good courage! O look to GOD!
Kavannah for Hearing the Shofar
May I welcome Divine light into the days ahead.
(תהילים פ״ט:ט״ז) אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם יוֹדְעֵי תְרוּעָה וְגוֹ', לָא כְּתִיב שֹׁמְעֵי, אוֹ תּוֹקְעֵי תְרוּעָה, אֶלָּא יוֹדְעֵי תְרוּעָה. בְּגִין (ס"א כגון) חַכִּימִין דְּדַיְירִין בַּאֲוִירָא דְּאַרְעָא קַדִישָׁא, אִינּוּן יֹדְעֵי תְרוּעָה. רָזָא דִּתְרוּעָה, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים ב׳:ט׳) תְּרוֹעֵם בְּשֵׁבֶט בַּרְזֶל. מַאן עַמָּא כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּיַדְעִין רָזִין עִלָאִין דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, לְמֵיעַל קַמֵּיהּ, וּלְאִתְקְּשַׁרָא בֵּיהּ. וְכָל אִינּוּן דְּיַדְעֵי רָזָא דִּתְרוּעָה, יִתְקָרְבוּן לְמֵיהַךְ בְּאוֹר פָּנָיו דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְדָא אוֹר קַדְמָאָה דְּגָנִיז קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא. וְעַל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִנְדַּע לָהּ.
“Happy the people who know תרועה (teru’ah), the blast. O YHVH, they walk in the light of Your presence (Psalms 89:16). Happy the people who know—and it is not written who hear .Who know the blast: by virtue of the wise, who know throughthe air of the Holy Land, they know teru’ah, the blast—mystery of teru’ah, as is written: תרועם (tero’em), You will smash them, with a rod of iron (Psalms 2:9). “What nation is like Israel, who know supernal mysteries of their Lord—to come before Him and draw near to Him? All those who know the mystery of teru’ah may draw near, to walk in the light of the countenance of the blessed Holy One. This is the primordial light that the blessed Holy One has treasuredaway for the righteous. So one should know it.