Tehillim 119:13

Wednesday, February 12, 2014 · Posted in , , , ,

Tehillim 119:13
בִּשְׂפָתַי סִפַּרְתִּי כֹּל מִשְׁפְּטֵי-פִיךָ
Bisfatai siparti kol mishpetei-ficha
With my lips have I told all the ordinances of Your mouth.

David explains why he pleaded, "teach me Your statutes" (v119:12).  Whereas "with my lips have I told all the ordinances of Your mouth" - I spoke of those mitzvot, the ordinances, whose reasons I knew - now I ask about the "statutes" whose reasons are unknown.

At the outset, David said, "With my whole heart have I sought You" (v119:10).  Here he says that he did not remain content with contemplation alone.  Rather: "With my lips have I told all the ordinances of Your mouth."  He then goes on to speak of his endeavor to understand, as well, the inner substance of the mitzvot.

Another interpretation is based on the meaning of "siparti" as counting.  "With my lips have I counted all the ordinances of Your mouth."  I would count all the words of the Torah and all the mitzvot, to make certain that I missed nothing that required implementation.

Although "I stored" Your ordinances "in my heart" (v119:11), not to forget them (v119:16), "with my lips have I told all the ordinances of Your mouth."  Verbal articulation of what one studies is an aid against forgetfulness.

Tehillim 119:12
Tehillim 119:11
Tehillim 119:10
Tehillim 119:9
Tehillim 119:8
Tehillim 119:7
Tehillim 119:6
Tehillim 119:5
Tehillim 119:4
Tehillim 119:3
Tehillim 119:2
Tehillim 119:1

-MeAm Lo'ez

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