Reflections on Prayer #12
Psalm 92
“A Psalm of Song for the Day of Shabbat”
While a major portion of our formal prayers are derived from the book of Tehillim, a particularly specific Tehilla for Shabbat is one whose introduction leaves little to the imagination regarding its association with the seventh day of the week. As might be expected, Tehilla 92 is recited a number of times during the course of the prayers of the day: a) the penultimate Tehilla of Kabbalat Shabbat (ArtScroll, p. 320), b) as part of Pesukei D’Zimra on Shabbat morning (Ibid., p. 388), c) a passing reference in the narrative section of Birchot Kriyat Shema (Ibid., 410)[1] and d) the Tehilla of the day at the end of Shacharit (Ibid., p. 488).[2] Not only is the Tehilla identified with Shabbat in terms of its opening line, but there are Halachic ramifications associated with its recitation at the outset of Shabbat:
Shulchan Aruch, Orech
Chayim 261:4
After the recitation of Barchu[3] (Ibid., p. 330), even though there is still daylight outside,[4] one creates neither an Eiruv nor swaddles pots[5] because he has accepted Shabbat upon himself (by virtue of his beginning Ma’ariv.)[6] But as for us (in terms of our custom) recitation of Mizmor Shir LeYom HaShabbat is equivalent to the recitation of Barchu by them.
Mishna Berura #31 (explaining why we establish the recitation of Mizmor Shir as the acceptance of Shabbat):
Most probably, once we explicitly mention Shabbat, we accept it upon ourselves...[7]
Obviously, in light of this Tehilla’s introduction as well as the role it plays in Shabbat prayers, we can confidently assume that the sentiments and concepts that are contained within have special relevance to Shabbat. Yet, at least at first glance, the rest of the Psalm does not appear all that uniquely “Shabbos’dic”! Amos Chacham’s Da’at Mikra commentary[8] lists the themes in verses 2-16 as follows:
2-6 It is appropriate to praise God because His Deeds are so impressive;
7-16 A comparison of the success of the righteous and the success of the wicked:
7 Fools do not understand how to explain the apparent success of the wicked;
8-10 The success of the wicked will quickly disappear, and God will Destroy them;
11-12 The righteous will merit to see the fall of the wicked;
13-15 The righteous will have many days of goodness and peace;
16 God is Righteous and Just.
17
Although theodicy can constitute a major challenge to belief in God’s Personal Intervention in the world, let alone His very Existence, why is this issue something that we might overtly connect with Shabbat as opposed to any other day of the week or year?
RaShI understands the Tehilla as referring not to the temporal Shabbat, but rather the eternal one, the World to Come. A parallel reference to Shabbat appearing in the last stanza of the liturgical poem, Mah Yedidut Menuchateich,
MeEin Olam HaBa Yom Shabbat Menucha.
(The essence of the World to Come is the Shabbat day of rest)
Kol HaMitangim Bah Yizku LeRov Simcha.
(All those who rejoice in it will merit exceeding joy,)
MeiChevlai Mashiach Yutzalu LiRevacha,
(Protected and delivered from the pains preceding the Messiah.)
Pedutainu Tatzmiach MiRov Yagon VeAnacha.
(O, Make our redemption flourish, and sorrow and anguish fly!)
is based upon a passage in Berachot 57b mentioning Shabbat as one of three this-worldly human experiences, each one constituting “the essence of the World to Come.” Perhaps it is specifically from such a vantage point that an individual can finally appreciate how the righteous and the wicked ultimately are given their just deserts, even if from our current perspective, a great deal does not make sense.[9] Consequently Tehilla 92 could be understood as describing a state of cognitive perception that someday will come into existence, during a time paralleling our weekly Shabbat celebrations. Shabbat therefore provides us with a peek into the future.
MaLBIM offers a more theological perspective with regard to the association between this Tehilla and Shabbat. He contends that while we are expected to believe that God Personally Oversees what happens to each person,[10] He Conceals this Supervision from the notice of the average individual in order to guarantee that person’s freedom of choice.[11] Shabbat in its very essence attests to God’s Supernatural Involvement with the world—our resting attests to God’s Resting at the conclusion of the Creation that brought the universe into existence and which He Continues constantly to Will to exist—and therefore we become more profoundly attuned to the existence of Hashgacha Pratit, as masked as it might be, on Shabbat as compared with the rest of the week. Shabbat and Tehilla 92 team up to cause us to reflect upon the order of our existences.
A highly spiritual and symbolic approach is offered by Midrash Shochar Tov on Tehillim. The Midrash quotes R. Levi as follows:
When Adam transgressed God’s Commandment (not to partake from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil), He Sat in judgment deciding how to punish him. How was this? You find that on Erev Shabbat, man was created.[12] The first hour, God Thought, as it were, about the concept. During the second, He Consulted with the Serving Angels.[13] During the third, He Gathered his dust.[14] During the fourth, He Kneaded it.[15] During the fifth, He Sculpted it into a rough form. During the sixth, He Refined the various parts. During the seventh, He Breathed into him a soul.[16] During the eighth, He Set him upon his feet.[17] During the ninth, He Commanded him.[18] During the tenth, he sinned.[19] [20] During the eleventh, he was judged.[21] During the twelfth, he was banished.[22] He Came to further punish him, but Shabbat entered. He turned away from there, and the Serving Angels called out, (Tehillim 49:13) “Nevertheless man does not abide in honor, they are like the beasts that perish.”—both of them.[23] Came the day of Shabbat and became for him a defender, and it said before the Holy One, Blessed Be He: Master of the Universe! During the six days of Creation man was not punished, and You Begin to Punish him during my day? This is my holiness? This is my restfulness?[24] And because of Shabbat, he was saved from the punishment of Geihinnom.[25] When Adam saw the power of Shabbat, Adam came to sing the praises of Shabbat, “Mizmor Shir LeYom HaShabbat”…
From the perspective of the Midrash, the origin of this Tehilla extends back to the dawn of Creation, when man first realized the power that observing this day could extend. It not only protected him from falling into the abyss, but it provided him with an outlet going forward with regard to understanding God, emulating His Rest and thereby avoiding sin and punishment. Just as there is the possibility of repentance by means of the experience of Shabbat for Adam HaRishon, every person has the potential to transform himself from Rasha to Tzaddik if only he will allow Shabbat to work its holy magic upon him. Greeting Shabbat in the manner that Adam may have during his very first Shabbat, lends context and power to our recitation of Tehilla 92 just before we begin Barchu of Ma’ariv.
Whether the Shabbat theme in Mizmor Shir LeYom HaShabbat connotes a foreshadowing of the World to Come, promotes the type of introspection and reflection that can potentially lead one to be more in touch with how God Relates to his world in general and mankind in particular, or it hearkens back to an early lesson regarding the possibility of repentance and resuming one’s relationship with the Divine, however alienated one may have previously been, we should say this Mizmor with focus and great concentration to appreciate the spiritual message that it is intended to convey to us.
[1] A Midrash on this Tehilla contends that the phrase “Mizmor Shir LeYom HaShabbat” should be rendered not “for the Shabbat day” but rather “by the Shabbat day,” i.e., as if the day of Shabbat sang this song itself, only adding to the deep association between the psalm and Shabbat! Consequently the language of this prayer becomes: VeYom HaShevi’I MeShabeach VeOmer: Mizmor Shir LeYom HaShabbat (And the seventh day praises and says: A Psalm of song for the day of Shabbat.)
[2] Rosh
HaShana 31a; Tamid 33b list
the various Tehillim that the Levi’im would recite in the
[3] The opening call to prayer of Ma’ariv for Shabbat.
[4] A reference to the times of year when Shabbat is brought in early, considerably before the setting of the sun.
[5] Intended to prevent residual heat from escaping. This is something that can be done before Shabbat, but not on Shabbat proper.
[6] Magen Avraham #13 explains that in some places, Tehilla 92 was omitted. Perhaps this accounts for the custom there to associate the beginning of Shabbat with Barchu.
[7] The connection between the recitation of Tehilla 92 and the acceptance of Shabbat upon oneself was the basis for my being taught that this Mizmor should be recited while standing.
[8] Sefer Tehillim, Vol. 2, Mossad HaRav Kook, Yerushalayim 1981, p. 179.
[9] See God’s Answer to Iyov in Iyov 38-41, and Iyov’s response in 42:1-5.
[10] The Tenth Principle of Faith according to RaMBaM:
I believe with complete faith that the Creator, Blessed is His Name, Knows all the deeds of human beings and their thoughts, as it is said, (Tehillim 33:15) “He Fashions all of their hearts together, He Comprehends all of their deeds.”
The Eleventh Principle:
I believe with complete faith that the Creator, Blessed is His Name, Rewards with good all those who observe His Commandments and Punishes those who violate His Commandments.
[11] The assumption is that if it were empirically verifiable that reward and punishment directly corresponded to an individual’s actions, then if he was logical, he would have no free choice with regard to complying with the Commandments. Only an irrational or even insane individual would deliberately bring himself to harm by failing to follow Divine Orders and thereby incur either an absence of reward or even punishment.
[12] Beraishit 1:26-30.
[13] See RaShI on Beraishit 1:26.
[14] Ibid., 2:7.
[15] Although there is no biblical reference to this action, nevertheless, it stands to reason that if a form is made from dust, there had to be some combination with liquid. Even if it was clay, there would still be a forming process to create material from which a body could be formed.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Ibid., 15.
[18] Ibid. 16-17.
[19] Ibid., 3:1-6.
[20] The conceit that no sooner was man created, that he sinned, in the first hour of life, is depressing, to say the least. However, the possibility of repentance and reconciliation offsets such a depressing message.
[21] Ibid., 16-19.
[22] Ibid., 23-24.
[23] Adam and Chava.
[24] Just as Jewish law insisted that the place of punishment and execution be removed from the court, in order that negative associations with judgment not be created, so too, if Shabbat was the day of punishment for Adam HaRishon, how could we enjoy such a day?
[25] Perhaps such a punishment is suggested by a literal rendering of Beraishit 2:17.