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Hallel (V)
Psalms 117-118
B: RECALLING PERSONAL SALVATION (vv. 5-8)
One might argue - and, indeed, some contemporary commentators
(Bazak, HaKishut haMispari b’T’hillim p. 80) have maintained - that the
first verse is a "header" for the next sixteen. I believe that this is
not the case, since the first verse is avowedly personal in nature and
scopes out the redemption of an individual who was in dire straits.
That this verse represents a break with the previous four is clear; defending its conclusion at v. 8 will be somewhat more challenging, considering the nearly identical wording of vv. 8-9.
The first verse utilizes a "new" name for G-d (one we've only
encountered at the end of ps. 115) in two different ways. In the first
colon, the psalmist states that he cried out l'Y-H (the lamed is elided)
from a narrow strait, whereas Y-H is the subject of the second half.
The word metzar is related to matzor, a siege, which is rooted in the
word tzar (narrow). The sense is that the psalmist was in a confined
place and had no clear way out. The allusion to Egypt (mitzrayim) is
clear; again, as we've seen in psalms 115 and
116, the psalmist deliberately swings our attention back to the
servitude and Exodus of Egypt. The second half of the verse is a bit
misleading - Y-H did not answer him in the broad spaces; bringing him
out to the broad spaces (which is simply the opposite and resolution of
whatever the metzar denotes) is the response.
Why is this Name (Y-H) used here? Although we cannot hope to fathom
the mystical dimensions of this Name of G-d, it does appear, within our
psalm (as well as the one other appearance in Hallel at 115:17-18), within the context of "salvation from near-death", as we will point out at each occurrence.
The anaphora (i.e. the repetition of a word or phrase at the
beginning of a series of clauses or sentences) in vv. 2-3 (Hashem Li)
links them together. The first of these expresses the conviction that
since G-d is with the psalmist, no man can hope to harm him. The next
verse carries this idea further - as a result of G-d's "membership among
my allies", I will "gaze at my enemies". This T'nakh idiom means "to
watch their defeat" (cf. T'hillim 22:18). The section concludes with a
Kohelet-like observation that trusting in G-d is more efficacious than
trusting in men. (see Kohelet 7:1-8). This is
the conclusion of the first stanza of the psalmist's "narrative", as he
recalls his own salvation from trouble and his conclusion that his trust
is better placed with G-d than with human allies.
C: THE PERSONAL BECOMES NATIONAL (vv. 9-12)
By using the same opening, the psalmist makes a seamless transition
from the personal arena to the international. We can see this by noting
the one change in the verse - the last word, instead of Adam (man),
becomes N'divim (princes). Although the individual may be tempted to
trust his friends as potential allies, he is advised to prefer G-d's
protection. N'divim (which we might translate as "diplomats" in modern
jargon), have no reason to be associated with the troubles of Joe Q.
Citizen - they only participate in geopolitical confrontations.
Although the next three verses continue to portray the psalmist in
the singular (s'vavuni and sabuni), it is clear that the individual
represents the nation. How could one person claim that "all nations have
surrounded me", unless the "me" is a nation of its own? These three
verses are clearly part of one stanza, as they share:
1) The theme of defeating the surrounding nations by the power of G-d's Name;
2) The word S'vavuni/Sabuni (they have surrounded me) in the first part of each verse;
3) The refrain ending b'Shem Hashem ki Amilam.
These verses represent a spiraling sense of confidence. In v.
10, the psalmist maintains that even though all nations have surrounded
him, he will "cut them off" (Amilam is from the root NML, same as
"circumcise"). Verse 11 replaces (in meter), the aforementioned kol
Goyyim with the emphasis of Sabuni gam S'vavuni. PLL roots (where the
second and third radicals are identical) may be varied by substituting
the last letter with a heh (e.g. KLL-KLH, GLL-GLH, MShSh-MShH etc.) such
that they become PLH words. The final verse of this section provides
two images to the surrounding nations: bees, and thorn-fire. Although
they are as numerous as bees, they are defeated as easily as the
(self-)extinguishing flame on a thorn-bush. This is, again, all due to
the psalmist('s nation) being protected by G-d's Name.
D: SONG OF SALVATION (vv. 13-16)
This is a new stanza, as the psalmist turns to speak (rhetorically)
to those who would vanquish him. The key word dacho evokes 116:8; the
psalmist has already thanked G-d for not letting his feet be swayed from
his destination. Now he faces his enemy and charges that that enemy
tried to push him down - but that G-d saved him. At this point, the
psalmist turns to the assemblage and recounts that G-d is his strength
and power (Zimrat evidently means power as evidenced by its three
occurrences in T'nakh [here, Sh'mot 15:2 and Yeshayah 12:2], always
paired with Oz.) Not only is G-d powerful in the potential, He is also
the active savior. The focus then turns on the community of the redeemed
(Tzaddikim), where the voice of celebration of the salvation is heard.
Rinah viY'shua' is another example of a hendiadys, where the intent is
Rinat haY'shua'. The Tzaddikim here are not "pious ones", as the term is
meant in Rabbinic literature; Tzaddikim in T'nakh usually means
"innocent o
nes" (cf. B'resheet 18:26, D'varim 25:1). In
this case, the innocent ones are those who have been proven innocent by
virtue of their salvation. The song that they sing focuses on G-d's
saving Hand, which is uplifted, while performing valorously. This
dialectic echoes the expression of praise that permeates the first psalm
of Hallel. It is easy to imagine the "tents of
the Tzaddikim" as those houses in Egypt where the B'nei Yisra'el were
congregated while hearing the cries of mourning from their neighbors'
homes. Indeed, G-d redeemed us from Egypt "with a strong hand".
E: COMMITMENT TO PRAISE: (vv. 17-20)
In an almost defiant echo of 115:17, the psalmist declares that he
will live and will tell of the salvation of Hashem. Instead of simply
declaring his intent to live, he provides a motivation for his behavior -
"I shall not die (thanks to G-d), ki (rather) I will live"- and it
follows that I will speak of the (saving) deeds of Hashem. Note the
abrupt return to the name Y-H. Again, as we saw in v.
5, this name is associated with salvation from near death. If, as we
propose, this salvation is an allusion to the Pesach night in Egypt, we
easily understand the near-death association.
In following up on his commitment to praise G-d throughout his life,
the psalmist avers that (even though) G-d (again Y-H) afflicted him
(i.e. bringing him close to death), he did not leave him to die. Perhaps
the first parentheses are out of place. Instead of thanking G-d for the
salvation, in which case the mention of G-d's afflicting him is a bit
out of place, perhaps the psalmist is also thanking him for bringing him
close to realizing his own mortality. By doing so, he has learned to
appreciate life - and every moment available to praise G-d.
The psalmist then expresses a tremendous urge to praise G-d, as the
intense gratitude which he feels for the salvation wells up inside. He
almost demands to be let in to the Mikdash (we can imagine him standing
outside at dawn, waiting for the gates to be opened) so that he can come
in and thank G-d. For the last time, the psalmist employs the Name Y-H.
It is not just a simple thanksgiving that he wishes to offer - he wants
nothing more than to thank G-d, publicly and in His House (inside the
gates of righteousness - compare with 116:17-19 and our comments there)
for his very life that has been saved. He points to the gates and
declares that this is the way to G-d; i.e. it is through these gates
that we enter G-d's abode, so to speak. The Tzaddikim, as before, are
those who have been spared and owe thanks to G-d.
Interestingly, the entire Hallel until now
has been preparatory in nature. The psalmist has declared that G-d
should be praised, how miraculous and earth-shattering the selection of
Israel was, how His people should be blessed, how, as an individual he
is committed to publicly thanking G-d in His courtyard, how all nations
should pay homage to G-d…but he hasn't yet done anything about it!
There's been a lot of commitment to thank and praise - but very little
praise and no thanksgiving. This leads us to the climactic section in
all of Hallel, the four verses which embody the actual praise.
F: PRAISE (vv. 21-24)
Od'kha, even though written in future tense, is the continued
present - "I thank You". Thanksgiving is offered because "You have
answered me" - or, perhaps, "because You have afflicted me." This double
entendre is deliberate, as pointed out above, since the psalmist would
never appreciate his life enough to know to thank G-d without the
affliction that almost robbed him of it.
The rock that was rejected is evidently a reference to Am Yisra'el
(cf. Rashi, Radak, ibn Ezra). That people which has consistently been
written out of history (the first mention of Yisrael in external
documents is from a 13th c. BCE stele in Egypt which declares "Yisra'el
is no more") has, again, become the cornerstone of the universal
edifice. Contemporary politics aside, Am Yisra'el has always been at the
foundational level of most western societies, in one form or another.
Years ago, Arnold Toynbee wrote the Jewish people out of history,
declaring us a fossil. Anyone living in the 19th century who would be
told that the Jews would reestablish their home in Palestine, develop
superior technology and one of the most efficient armies in modern
history would be considered a lunatic. Such a reality is ours - but it
is beyond human capability to comprehend. The word Niph'la literally
means "incomprehensible" - anyone with clarity of vision and an honest
mind will admit that this rejected rock becoming the cornerstone can
only be an act of G-d.
Zeh Hayom is non-poetically rendered Hayom HaZeh - On this day.
Since the psalmist, and all those assembled who are joining him, are
reliving the experience of salvation /Exodus, they can declare: "this is
the day made by Hashem, we will rejoice and be glad bo." As to whether
bo refers to G-d or the day, the commentators are divided. Although the
simple read seems to favor the latter interpretation, the ambiguity may
be deliberate and allow for both forms of rejoicing.
We now understand the (universal) custom of doubling up these
verses. Everything until this point is preparation for this great moment
- the actual expression of thanksgiving to G-d. Perhaps in those
communities where the custom originated, these verses were read
responsively to heighten the inclusive nature of the praise. In any
case, by properly identifying the function of these four verses, we
appreciate the great crescendo that this stanza represents.
G: PETITION (v. 25)
At this point, the psalmist does something that is startling. At the
great moment of joy, celebrating salvation, the psalmist turns to G-d
with the most heartfelt petition, pleading for salvation (?) and
success. (As we noted before, the Na at the end of each hemistich means
"now" - the sense of urgency is palpable).
The religious orientation that underscores this odd turn of nuance
and mood is ubiquitous in T'hillim. The great joy expressed in the
previous four verses, culminating in v. 24
heightens the awareness of the celebrant as to his relationship with
G-d. The great salvation only serves to intensify his knowledge that he
is always in need of Divine salvation. Each phrase stands alone; the
first plea takes us to life, the second to success (compare ps. 116:8).
For that reason, each hemistich is doubled separately.
H: FAREWELL BLESSING (vv. 26-29)
The final four verses comprise a farewell blessing to the celebrants
– a blessing that contains an overt reference to the occasion of the
assemblage and pinpoints the location where this set of psalms is being sung, in call-and-response form as detailed in this and the earlier shiurim.
The first verse is clearly sung by the Levi’im, blessing those
celebrants who have “come in the name of Hashem” – hence they are
blessed “from the House of Hashem.” The first phrase here is the basis
for the traditional greeting Barukh haBa, which is a short version of
Barukh haBa b’Shem Hashem.
The second verse is an enigma – the sense of excitement that grips
the celebrants seems to be dimmed by the detailed reference to “binding
an offering to the horns of the altar.” Driver (Textus VII, pp.
130-131) suggests that only the first four words represent the end of
the Levitical blessing – the rest clarifies that the addressees are
“holiday congregants, bound by cords which reach to the horns of the
altar.” In other words, (reading Asurei at the beginning of that
phrase), the group who is being blessed by the Levi’im – and who are
included in the Lanu at the end of the blessing – are people who are
standing in the Temple Court (Azarah), held back by cords which are tied
to the altar. There is no evidence in Rabbinic literature that such
cords were ever used – but the binding of the festive offering by ropes
is equally unattested.
The third verse seems to be the response of each individual as he
commits to bless and extol G-d – and the entire blessing concludes with a
response that directly echoes the opening exhortation. I would submit
that these verses are doubled as they represent a beautiful mirror to
the call and response of the first four verses in the chapter. In those
verses, the people – by their divisions – are called upon to acknowledge
and thank G-d; here, the Levi’im call upon G-d, as it were, to bless
the people.
IV
SUMMARY AND POSTSCRIPT
As can be seen from the layout of the psalm as can be seen on the web version of this shiur – go to http://www.torah.org/advanced/mikra),
this chapter has a most intricate structure. There are seven stanzas,
each made up of four verses, along with the one verse (25) that stands
on its own. The opening and closing stanzas mirror each other, as
explained above. The remaining five stanzas also form an internal
structure, where the first two represent the psalmist’s description of
his confrontation with the nations, as “he” becomes the nation in a
subtle transition (vv. 8-9). The middle section describes, in language
addressed to those self-same nations, G-d’s salvation and the song of
thanks offered by the redeemed people. In the next stanza, which focuses
on the psalmist’s own song of praise, he first details his great desire
to praise G-d and then actualizes this desire.
I pray that the explanations and clarifications, structural,
linguistic and thematic that have been shared in these past five essays
will serve to enhance the Shirah of those who have followed the
discussion. May our Hallel of this upcoming hag
haMatzot and the Yom ha’Atzma’ut that follows on its heels be complete
and filled with thanksgiving for the Divine kindness granted us with the
reestablishment of our precious Medinat Yisra’el, and may haKadosh
Barukh Hu spread His Sukkat Shalom over all of Am Yisra’el and over
Yerushalayim.
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| Mikra, Copyright © 2012 by Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom and Torah.org. The author is Educational Coordinator of the Jewish Studies Institute of the Yeshiva of Los Angeles. |
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