Mizmor for Hanukkah (Tehillim 30): A Commentary on the Story of Yosef

(1) A psalm of David. A song for the dedication of the House. (2) I extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, and not let my enemies rejoice over me.

(3) O LORD, my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.

(4) O LORD, You brought me up from Sheol, preserved me from going down into the Pit.

(5) O you faithful of the LORD, sing to Him, and praise His holy name.

(6) For He is angry but a moment, and when He is pleased there is life. One may lie down weeping at nightfall; but at dawn there are shouts of joy.

(7)When I was untroubled, I thought, “I shall never be shaken,” (8)for You, O Lord, when You were pleased, made [me] firm as a mighty mountain.When You hid Your face,I was terrified.

(9) I called to You, O LORD; to my Lord I made appeal, (10) “What is to be gained from my death, from my descent into the Pit? Can dust praise You? Can it declare Your faithfulness?

(11) Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me; O LORD, be my help!”

(12) You turned my lament into dancing, you undid my sackcloth and girded me with joy,

(13) that [my] whole being might sing hymns to You endlessly; O LORD my God, I will praise You forever.

(1) A psalm; a song of dedication of the House – It seems to me that he composed this song at the dedication of his own house, the House of Cedars, because the psalm does not mention the House of God...R’ Moshe said that David mourned when Natan told him that he would not build the house for the Lord. When he told him that Shlomo his son would build the house he was clothed with joy in place of his mourning because his son was like him, and his enemies could not disparage him.

(7) But David captured the stronghold of Zion; it is now the City of David...(11) King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons; and they built a palace for David. (19) David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hands?” And the LORD answered David, “Go up, and I will deliver the Philistines into your hands.” (20) Thereupon David marched to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The LORD has broken through my enemies before me as waters break through [a dam].” That is why that place was named Baal-perazim.

(23) And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colours that was on him; (24) and they took him, and cast him into the pit—and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

(25) Then they sat down to a meal. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels bearing gum, balm, and ladanum to be taken to Egypt. (26) Then Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain by killing our brother and covering up his blood? (27) Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let us not do away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed.

(21) They said to one another, “Alas, we are being punished on account of our brother, because we looked on at his anguish, yet paid no heed as he pleaded with us. That is why this distress has come upon us.” (22) Then Reuben spoke up and said to them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do no wrong to the boy’? But you paid no heed. Now comes the reckoning for his blood.”

(25) Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, return each one’s money to his sack, and give them provisions for the journey; and this was done for them. (26) So they loaded their asses with the rations and departed from there. (27) As one of them was opening his sack to give feed to his ass at the night encampment, he saw his money right there at the mouth of his bag. (28) And he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned! It is here in my bag!” Their hearts sank; and, trembling, they turned to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

(3) Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still well?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dumfounded were they on account of him. (4) Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come forward to me.” And when they came forward, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, he whom you sold into Egypt. (5) Now, do not be distressed or reproach yourselves because you sold me hither; it was to save life that God sent me ahead of you.

(8) You, O Judah, your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the nape of your foes; Your father’s sons shall bow low to you. (9) Judah is a lion’s whelp; On prey, my son, have you grown. He crouches, lies down like a lion, Like the king of beasts—who dare rouse him?

(26) Judah recognized them, and said, “She is more in the right than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he was not intimate with her again. (27) When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb! (28) While she was in labor, one of them put out his hand, and the midwife tied a crimson thread on that hand, to signify: This one came out first. (29) But just then he drew back his hand, and out came his brother; and she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named Perez. (30) Afterward his brother came out, on whose hand was the crimson thread; he was named Zerah.