By Rabbi Binyomin Adler On Tehillim – Talmid Of HaGaon HaRav Tzvi Kushelevsky Shlita

וַאֲנִי בְּרֹב חַסְדְּךָ אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל הֵיכַל קָדְשְׁךָ בְּיִרְאָתֶךָ

But I, through Your abundant kindness I will enter Your house; I will prostrate myself toward Your Holy Sanctuary, in awe of You. In the previous verse it is said אִישׁ דָּמִים וּמִרְמָה יְתָעֵב יְ-ה-וָ-ה, HaShem abhors a bloodthirsty and deceitful man. The Baal HaTurim (Shemos 15:18) teaches us an important rule regarding the placement of HaShem’s Name in Scripture. It is said (Shemos 15:18) יְ-ה-וָֹ-ה יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד, HaShem shall reign for all eternity! In this verse the Name of HaShem precedes the word יִמְלֹךְ, He shall reign. However, in Tehillim (146:9-10) it is said הוָה שֹׁמֵר אֶת גֵּרִים יָתוֹם וְאַלְמָנָה יְעוֹדֵד וְדֶרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים יְעַוֵּת: {י} יִמְלֹךְ יְ-ה-וָ-ה לְעוֹלָם אֱלֹהַיִךְ צִיּוֹן לְדֹר וָדֹר הַלְלוּיָ-הּ, HaShem protects strangers, orphan and widows He encourages; but the way of the wicked He contorts. HaShem shall reign forever; your G-d, O Zion; from generation to generation. Halleluyah! In this verse the word יִמְלֹךְ, He shall reign, precedes the Name HaShem. The Baal HaTurim writes that given that Dovid HaMelech ended his praise with the words וְדֶרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים יְעַוֵּת, but the way of the wicked He contorts, he did not wish to associate HaShem with evil. [This idea is found in the Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 3:6) that states that HaShem did not wish to associate His Name with evil, so He did not write in the Torah (Bereishis 1:5) וַיִּקְרָא אֱ-לֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחשֶׁךְ קָרָא אֱ-לֹהִים לַיְלָה, and HaShem called to the light: “Day,” and to the darkness HaShem called: “Night.” Rather, it is said :  וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה, and HaShem called to the light: “Day,” and to the darkness He called: “Night.”]

We can apply the teaching of the Baal Haturim, which is based on the Medrash, to our verses here. אִישׁ דָּמִים וּמִרְמָה יְתָעֵב יְ-ה-וָ-ה, HaShem abhors a bloodthirsty and deceitful man. The Name HaShem is not mentioned next to the words describing the bloodthirsty and deceitful person. Furthermore, the Name HaShem is followed by the word וַאֲנִי , but I.

 

We can suggest reading the words as follows:יְ-ה-וָ-ה- וַאֲנִי, HaShem and I, implying that when one abhors a bloodthirsty and deceitful person, He attaches himself to HaShem, similar to the verse that states (Tehillim 118:25) אָנָּא יְ-ה-וָ-ה הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא, and the Gemara (Sukkah 45a) interprets the words אָנָּא יְ-ה-וָ-ה to read אני והו, literally translated as He and I. He can then enter the house of HaShem and prostrate himself toward HaShem’s Holy Sanctuary in awe.

5 thoughts on “By Rabbi Binyomin Adler On Tehillim – Talmid Of HaGaon HaRav Tzvi Kushelevsky Shlita”

  4. Having read this I believed it was really enlightening. I appreciate you finding the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile!

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