Thursday, December 31, 2015

Tefilah: Hodu 4 [Rav Dovid Lessin]

In an attempt to reignite the Understanding Tefila campaign, let’s continue looking at the verses we say each day in Psukei Dzimra (for earlier blog entries on this topic, see Archives).

We explained that the beginning of Hodu is a call to sing Hashem’s praises before the entire world.  Dovid HaMelech then addresses Clal Yisrael directly, and begins to sing Hashem’s praises: “Hu Hashem Elokeinu, b’chol ha’aretz mishpatav.” “He is Hashem, Our G-d! His judgments fill the earth.”

2 Questions:
- Why does Dovid begin his praise by talking about judgments?  Hashem’s judgments should be a source of fear for us, not celebration!
- What does it mean that Hashem’s judgments “fill the earth”?  We certainly don’t look around and see an earth operating according to a Divine sense of right and wrong!

There are two ways to answer the second question, which will lead to an answer of the first.

  1. Dovid HaMelech may be saying that although Hashem is our G-d (“Elokeinu”), He nonetheless pays attention to everything happening in the entire world.  Nothing escapes His eye.  Every single person on the planet will be held accountable for their actions and inactions at the end of 120 years.  Dovid offers praise for this because accountability is a sign that Hashem cares about what we do, just as a parent who cares will hold his or her children accountable for their actions.  In this way, Hashem’s judgment is very, very good for us (“Ki Mishpatecha Tovim” - Tehilim 119:39).  The worst emotion a child can receive from a parent is apathy, a lack of caring altogether.
  2. Another possibility is that Dovid HaMelech may be saying that Hashem governs the entire world, even though it’s often hard for us to see it.  Hashem’s “invisible hand” directs everything that happens in this world.  Hashem holds the whole world in His hands, so to speak, and guides us, individually and collectively, through the tumult of life.  This is obviously reason for great praise.  Dovid chooses to open his praise with this depiction of Hashem as “moshel,” or ruler (which fits with “Elokeinu”), because it sets the tone for all praise that is to come.

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